Opalina Outpost

Chapter 24 /Part 2/

Ravi took a huge breath. "What the fuck—" he started again, and Lio tried to push him aside to get to the door.

"I'll explain, Ravi, I promise, but we have to get to the ship—"

"We are not fucking going anywhere."

"Lights on the mountain," Orvaska barked, pointing out the window behind Ravi. "They're coming."

"Com," Yorune said, leveling her gaze at him. "We know how to power the ship. But we need to show them." She jerked her chin at the tiny pinpoints of light spilling down the ridge, following the trail of wreckage they'd made.

Ravi shook his head. "This isn't the way! You can't just take it!"

"We already did," Aziri muttered.

Lio's hands were on his shoulders, trying to shift him. "It's stand here and get brigged, or get on the lightship, prove that we're right—"

"And then get brigged!" Ravi yelled.

"They're not going to brig us if we can power it. Please, Ravi. Let us try." Lio's voice was frantic.

"Please, Com." The whisper came from Onfenka. Her jaw was held tight, lips thin, and her Vashyan-pale skin had turned whiter than a blank screen.

Ravi let out a stuttering breath. And somehow, he was giving ground. Letting Lio open the door. Mutely, he followed the crew as they tumbled out of the cab and raced around to the front.

The lightship had landed nose-first in the shallows. This close, it took up all of Ravi's view. Shuddering water lapped at the threshold of a low door, which was jammed open. Tarik didn't want the Enlightenment crews getting locked out again. Couldn't have known he was leaving it open for thieves dumb enough to snatch the whole fucking ship.

Lio splashed toward it, everyone pellmelling after him. Ravi closed his eyes. He could hear distant shouts now. The Enlightenment crews were catching up fast, which meant they weren't on foot.

Shin-deep in water, he hesitated at the door while the rest of the crew scampered inside. The air around him buzzed with the promise of a storm, and a second later, a raindrop zinged down on his forehead. Another hit his leg, then his arm, and by the time he turned to the ship, rain peppered his head. Goddess, the last time he'd been here in this weather, the lake looked like it was on fire. They needed to get out of the way before the lightning started.

He leapt up to get inside, skidding over a slippery, sloping floor. Shouts echoed all over the room, and then somebody pushed the door closed and shut out the last bits of meager light. It sounded as if half the crew were colliding with walls and the nav console and each other. Ravi swiped his holowatch for a light.

"Everybody stop moving!" He shone the light around as the scuffling ended, the crew staring back at him. "If you have a holowatch, turn the light on."

Lights popped up around the room. Aziri was using a slate, the grey light of the miniature screen illuminating his frightened expression.

"What now?" Ravi snapped, hunting around until he found the face he was looking for. Lio was clinging to the center nav console, Duhar on the ground at his feet. It looked like there was more than one console in the room. Five similar tables shone dimly, illuminated by the holowatches. "Lio," he hissed. "What now?"

"We have to wait."

He gritted his teeth. "For what?"

"For the—" A massive clap of thunder cut him off, and Lio pointed one shaking finger up toward the ceiling of the room. "For that."