Vartan: Book Fourteen in the Galaxy Gladiators Alien Abduction Romance Series by Alana Khan

Author:Alana Khan [Khan, Alana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Temptation of the Horizontal Publishing
Published: 2021-07-24T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Lyra

My heart is pounding. I’m terrified. And exhilarated. Perhaps this is the culmination of everything that’s happened over the last two lunars.

Dahlia’s lessons paid off. I can read well enough to find out anything I need from the Intergalactic Database. I can bake a Paragon cake from scratch, which is great because everyone onboard loves to eat them.

I can scramble up a rope and do a few turns on it. Although Petra says I’m naturally graceful, I’m not sure about that. It’s fun though. I’ve made my own leather gauntlets with Dax’s help. They make me feel safer when I’m sparring with the gladius or the long knife.

Axxios and Braxxus, the silver and gold twin pilots, have kind of adopted me. Ever since I learned to read, they’ve called me to the bridge when they have a spare moment and are teaching me the basics of piloting. Talk about exhilarating! Having my fingers on the instrument panel is a feeling of power equal to nothing I’ve ever experienced.

Right now, although I rarely think of myself as a pet anymore, I’m not feeling confident.

“You’re doing fine,” Savannah says with conviction into my earpiece.

“Those rotors look like they’ll cut me to bits,” I whisper as I flick a stray strand of hair off my sweaty face.

“That’s because they can cut you to bits, Lyra. Quit worrying. You should have at least ten millimeters to spare as you slide past it to the main hyperdrive housing.”

I know that in my head, but the rotors are whirring so fast, they’re so deadly, and they’re so dracking close. I breathe deeply, steady my nerves, and keep sliding through the slim metal duct.

“We practiced for this. You’re strong, Lyra. And smart. You can do this. Someday we might need you to do this for real. I want it to be second nature to you. There are only two people on this vessel small enough to crawl past the first turn and get all the way to the hyperdrive; I want you both trained for this.”

Her words spur me on. This ship has fed and housed me for the last two lunars. Everyone has been kind and generous with their time and knowledge. I need to find ways to give back. This is one of them.

I ince forward, past the deadly spinning metal, and into the relative safety of the enclosed duct.

“I’m at the hyperdrive housing,” I tell Savannah.

“Give me a visual inspection and use the camera I gave you to take pictures.”

I describe what I see, taking note of every nook and cranny. No cracks, warping, or metal strain. I smile, realizing I wouldn’t have known metal strain from muscle strain when I first came aboard. I’ve come a long way.

The slide back to the opening isn’t any easier than the trip in. Since there’s no room to turn around, I have to make the return trip feet first.

The air in this part of the duct isn’t breathable because the rotor allows oxygenless exterior air in.

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