The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Approaching the Hub

Lash was standing at the navigator's station on the flight deck two hours later when the pilot lifted a hand to her headset. Then she was speaking over her shoulder.

"The hub's airfield has cleared us for approach, High Lord," she said. "We'll be on the ground in less than twenty minutes."

Lash nodded, then looked down at his chrono. He had gotten the call about Garrett a half hour into the three hour flight, putting the time at approximately 05:30 hrs. Two hours in the air and it was now 07:35 hrs. But he didn't need to take a look at a solstice calculator to figure out when the sun would rise and turn the morning deadly for unprotected vampires. One look out the cockpit windows was enough to tell him. 

"Is the airfield equipped with shielded bays, pilot?"

"Checking now, High Lord," the pilot quickly replied. Already the automatically polarizing windows were starting to darken in response to the splash of light peeking just over the horizon.

"It is, my lord, but the hub advises it can only take one plane at a time."

"Understood. Request they prep the shielded bay immediately. We have over two hundred breeders to offload. We can't afford to lose even a single one to a daylight ash out!"

Then a hand on his buttocks temporarily drew his attention off the situation.

"It's daylight," Dru said, sounding significantly more relaxed than she had when they were reviewing the map of Esbjerg two hours previous. She had also taken the opportunity to change, forgoing the cat suit to dress herself similar to Fiadh in Silver Legion fatigues and combat boots, although she kept the armpit holsters. She molded herself to his side, keeping her hand possessively on his backside.

"The hub has a shielded bay," Lash indicated, folding his arms. "We'll have to offload one at a time, which will increase our risk. But it's doable."

Dru nodded and turned just enough to lightly bite him on the neck, licking the resulting blood before:

"Pilot. Direct the second plane to make their inbound first, followed by plane three. We'll be last on the ground."

"As you wish, Night Mistress," the pilot replied before beginning to relay her instructions.

Satisfied that they were headed in the right direction, Lash looked down at the Nosferatu lilith. Just in time for her to stretch up and kiss him tenderly, her arm curling around his waist to pull him close. Her other hand came up to caress his face and to hold him in to extend the kiss for another few seconds before he reluctantly broke away.

"I'll let the little sisters know to start getting ready for a quick exit," he said.

"Okay, my Lash," Dru said softly with a satisfied smile. He returned the smile and turned away before she could start expressing the emotions he could see gathering in her eyes. While he knew she had no fear in expressing herself, the proud Nosferatu lilith strong and confident, he also knew the pilots didn't need to hear what would've been words that were intimate and filled with emotion.

A quick slide down the ladder then he was looking over at the three Ventru still gathered on the far wall.

"Narcist, I'll need your tablet," he said, glancing over their hold full of breeders. He could see not only Ellie working among them to keep them calm and settled, but Meredith and Fiadh as well. Understandable; yes, they were liliths. But it was also their ultimate responsibility as caretakers of the vampiric future, to make sure the breeders were being taken care of.

"Ellie, Fiadh, Meredith: we're landing in twenty minutes in a sunlight scenario. Please prepare the little sisters for a rapid exit from the aircraft into shelter."