Page 45 of Lost in Barbarian Space

“They’re jamming our comms. I can’t contact the Drake or the second marlin.”

Suddenly another alarm sounded. “Warning.” A cool, female voice filled the cockpit. “Weapons are locked on the ship. Warning.”

“Goddammit, no.” Honor threw the marlin into a dizzying series of turns. Colm felt his stomach dip and pitch.

There was a flare of light from the pirate ship. Before Colm could comprehend what was happening, the second marlin ahead of them exploded.

He froze. Derek Wu and Dr. Lev’nan. He heard Honor’s shocked cry.

“No.” She pressed a hand to the canopy.

There was nothing left but a smattering of debris.

Honor exploded into action. She threw their craft into crazy zigzags. The alarm still blared.

“Weapons are locked on your ship. Warning.”

The pirate ship fired again. A brilliant flash of blinding light.

Impact.

The marlin shuddered. A shower of sparks rained over them and alarms blared. Colm gripped the edge of his seat, his gut rolling.

He was helpless. There was nothing he could do to help save himself and Honor.

The marlin rolled like a dying animal, plummeting toward the icy moon.

Honor tried to right the marlin. Sparks erupted under her hands, screens were going dead. The ship’s controls were not responding.

The pirates’ missile had clipped their starboard side. The engines were failing and the marlin was rocketing toward the icy moon below.

God. Derek and Dr. Lev’nan were dead. She felt sick. She knew the pirates would attack the Drake next.

And Honor and Colm were going to crash.

Panic rose, closing her throat and leaving her chest tight. Colm’s life was in her hands.

“Honor.” A big hand closed over hers.

She stared up into gold-brown eyes.

“You can do this. You are the most frighteningly competent woman I’ve ever met.”

“We’re going to crash, Colm.”

He shot her a small smile. He reached out and pushed her hair back behind her ear. “What do you need to do to stop us from crashing?”

She swallowed, absorbing his warrior calm. “I can’t stop us from crashing. I’ve lost too many controls. The only thing I can do is slow us down. It’s the only chance we have.”

He nodded. “Do it.”

She touched the dying controls. Come on, come on. She slammed her palm against the console. “Nothing’s responding.”

“Stay calm. Do what you have to do.” His hand touched the nape of her neck.

It helped her piece together some semblance of control. She touched the controls again and overrode the security protocols. That gave her access to do some things that weren’t usually recommended. She got a little more power to the engines.

She managed to level the marlin out and reduce their speed. A little.