He couldnt consider any of this. Not until hed gotten everyone safely back to base. Only then could he allow himself to think about the future.
As they flew in a two-ship convoy, Celene told them over the comm about her capture and confinement.
It was my own fault. Harsh self-recrimination edged her voice. I was tricked by a false distress call, and when I got close, the pirates used some variety of electro-pulse device on me. It knocked my ships systems off line, temporarily disabling it, and thats when theambush happened.
There was more to her story. He heard it in her minute hesitation. Something had happened to her during her captivity, but he knew Celene well enough to understand than now wasnt the time to delve deeper.
He stuck to the details she had offered. 8th Wing hasnt heard anything about an electro-pulse device. Not one that could temporarily disable a Black Wraith. He frowned, troubled by the idea. A squad of Black Wraiths could be taken out of commission in a moment, leaving a dozen vulnerable pilots floating in space. They, and their ships, would be fair game, just as Celene had been.
Where did it come from? asked Mara.
Ask the gods. Celene couldnt keep the bitterness from her voice. Whoever built it, 8th Wing needs to hear about it. Maybe track down its origin. I know Ill fly easier once that thing is out of the equation.
Agreed. Kell held the controls tighter. The Black Wraiths were one of the few assets 8th Wing had in the ongoing war with PRAXIS, and they needed to hang on to every advantage.
Spotting the telltale red glow of Ildens Lash, he added, The plasma storm was the undercard.
Ready for the title fight?
Mara chuckled as Celenes cursing filtered over the comm. I didnt have to navigate that on my way in.
Want me to take over for you? Mara clearly wanted her ship back.
Not a chance, Celene answered. I might enjoy this. She cut the comm line.
Damn Black Wraith hotshots, Mara grumbled. A bunch of danger-loving lunatics.
Youd fit right in. It made a strange kind of sense. She had the flying skill, the courage, and, yes, some of the recklessness that made for an ace pilot.
Mara, fighting beside him. Flying beside him. Visualizing it, he felt a sharp, brilliant contraction in his chest.
Did she even have a choice? The life she knew was overevery smuggler and scavenger would soon know that she had fought on the side of the 8th Wing. She would be hunted through the galaxy, an outcast. Again. Because of him.
He cursed the fact that he couldnt see Maras face, wondering what her reaction might be.
Anger? Derision? Flat-out rejection?
Finally, she laughed. The sound was hard, forced. 8th Wing
standards would have to be lowered to let in a scavenger like me.
Gods, she really had no idea of her worth.
Raised, not lowered. Theyd be damn lucky to have you. I would be lucky to have you. And, Mara, it was over between Celene and me a long time ago.
He was actually grateful to enter the hazards of Ildens Lash, demanding his full attention. In this round, he finally had the controls, and it was a hell of a lot more interesting than being a passive passenger. Light and nimble, the Black Wraith slipped through the gaps between the protoplanets. It felt as natural as breathing, as quick as life, and Kell couldnt keep the smile off his face.
Black Wraith Squad should use Ildens Lash for training. He slid the ship through a narrow passage. Molten rock ribboned around the wings like streamers of fire.
Wish I could take the controls. Yearning filled Maras voice.
Join the squad and you can.
Stop tempting me.
He tried a little diversionary tactic. Celenes handling the Lash well.
The tactic worked, for he heard Mara shifting in her seat. She let out a series of impressed curses as she watched another pilot fly her ship through the deadly band. The Arcadia was larger and much less maneuverable than a Black Wraith, yet even Mara couldnt deny that Celene took the Lash expertly, flying the scavenger ship with almost as much skill as herself.
I dont know if I hate her or admire her for being so good, Mara said. As long as she keeps my ship in one piece, I think Ill like her. Maybe.
He knew that professional envy wellit kept him and the other squad pilots sharp, trying to outdo each other, trying to be the best. Right now he was the best, but hed never let himself grow complacent. Complacency killed on Sayén, and it rendered a pilot obsolete in the Black Wraith Squad.
When they broke free from Ildens Lash, Kell felt a stab of disappointment. It was over too quickly. Yet his disappointment lasted less than a heartbeat, replaced by cold anger and readiness.
Just on the other side of the Lash, a PRAXIS battlecruiser waited for them.
The battlecruiser immediately opened fire. Kell took evasive maneuvers as he shot back. Fighting PRAXIS was his job, yet he always felt the same hard gleam of rage whenever he engaged the enemy, thinking of his ruined homeworld and all the other homes destroyed by PRAXISs greed. He burned for the time when the corporate monster lay in smoldering ruins. He would be the sonic hammer that smashed them apart.