“Can you provide an update on the escape pods? Can we get to them?” I insisted.
Dril shouted his response amidst the surrounding commotion. “Those systems are also offline. The shuttle bay has no life support available even if we could get to it. We are working with emergency power only.”
The helmsman’s hands flew over the panel in front of him. There was a long pause, and Dril cursed before he spoke again. “Captain, we are caught in the planet’s gravity well. It’s pulling us down. The engines are no longer responding.”
Flutz!I exchanged a concerned glance with Commander Ezan, who shared my worries about our deteriorating situation.
Shifting my focus to the helm, I inquired, “Do you believe it’s possible to execute a safe crash landing without functioning engines?”
“I can make an emergency landing.” Aza’s confident voice announced from behind me. I was completely unaware of his entrance onto the bridge. He did not wait for me to respond and rushed to the helm to join Dril.
“Tell everyone who can, to brace for impact,” he called out.
The ship started plunging downwards.
The planet below rapidly inched closer as I struggled to remain standing. We didn’t have much time.
Krin.
Riley’s panicked voice spoke in my mind. A sudden knot in my stomach indicated I was picking up her feelings. I watched as my mate clung to the control panel.
I quickly made my way towards her. The floor beneath me shifted, making my movements unsteady.
Riley’s eyes widened in disbelief while my stomach clenched in response as we kept our eyes on one another.
With Aza’s piloting magic in full swing, everything seemed to be happening in a whirlwind of chaos.
The ship jolted forwards, then tilted down before rocking from side to side violently.
The command center’s lights flickered on and off.
As we entered the atmosphere, the jarring physical sensation and the sounds of metal crunching and creaking were unmistakable. Our crash landing on the moon was unavoidable.
Smoke odor emanated from the vents. The temperature on the bridge became overwhelming all of a sudden.
The rocking motion of the ship made it difficult to remain standing, but I managed to grab Riley and pull her close to me.
“Hold on tight.”
Riley’s grip tightened as she trembled.
“The ship is badly damaged. We won’t make it,” she sputtered. Her eyes moistened with tears, but my brave warrior-mate did not cry.
I caressed her head, cradling her against my chest, willing my heartbeat to slow down. Planting a gentle kiss on the top of my mate’s head, my voice was firm as I tried to comfort her. “Aza will land us safely.”
Riley’s body tightened up suddenly. Her voice, thick with desperation, choked out, “I can’t face losing you.”
I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the overwhelming fear growing inside me. “You will not lose me.”Nor I you.
The ship began to break apart. Pieces of the command center broke away, spinning and soaring through the air. We were enveloped in a din of crunching metal, clanging ship parts, and the grunts of my warriors.
My heart raced with panic, its thudding echoing in my ears.
I spoke to Riley as calmly as I could manage.
“Everything is going to be alright. Hang on to me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” I prayed to Tenage and Veshar that I was right.
She clutched me even tighter. “I love you, Krin.” I heard her say before we were ripped away from one another.
