The Ghost roars into the airspace overhead, causing Xelurians in the street to scatter. The small warship’s floodlights are all on, illuminating most of the block. With the repulsor lifts at full power to keep the ship hovering in place, the noise is deafening.
Wil and Gabe emerge from a service panel at the top of the tower, Len-Lu still under Maxim’s arm. “Ready when you are, Bennie!” Wil shouts into the comms.
The Ghost lowers itself, the cargo ramp descending at the same time. In moments, both armored men are clambering up the cargo ramp and the Ghost is rising free of the tower. Just as Wil is reaching to check his wristcomm and contact the remaining two members of his crew, Gabe, with Zephyr held tight against his chest, rises from below them and gently takes a step onto the ramp, his thrusters powering off. “Captain.”
Wil whistles appreciatively. As all four members of the Ghost crew walk up the ramp as it closes, the open cargo airlock door a welcome sight.
“We’ll wait for a tock to take off, just in case they’re looking for outbound craft,” Wil says, as he spins in the pilot’s chair, having relieved Bennie and moved the Ghost several hundred kilometers from the city in the direction of the least populated part of the planet. “Should be safe enough here. I think.” The Ghost is sitting in what they assume is an abandoned waterfront. The remains of warehouses line what once must have been a great river, but is now only a brackish trickle in the center of the kilometers-wide riverbed. “The stealth systems should have confused any sensors they had looking for us long enough to land.”
Len-Lu, now free of her web cocoon, is sitting at one of the unused bridge stations, picking bits of webbing off of her.
Bennie looks at his sister. “Yikes, that’s not pleasant. Been there.”
Len-Lu hops out of her chair and rushes towards him, pulling him from his seat and smothering him in a hug. “Thank you! Thank you! I thought for sure I was done for!” She turns to the others. “So you’re Bee Bee’s team,” she smiles. “You know, you could have untied me earlier, I’m not used to being luggage.” She casts a look at Maxim, who shrugs, loosening his armor.
“You get used to it. They lug me around like a handbag all the time,” Bennie grouses.
“His team?” Wil says.
Maxim, halfway to the bridge hatch, asks, “Bee Bee?”
Bennie growls. “Lennie! I told you to never call me that!”
“Well, the bag is on the cat now, Bee Bee,” Zephyr says, barely stifling a laugh.
Wil looks at her. “It’s the cat is out of the bag. Why would you put a bag on a cat?”
“Why would you put one in a bag?” Maxim asks.
Zephyr shrugs. “What’s a cat?”
“Anyhow…” Wil says. “Now that we’ve got Lennie safe and sound,” he looks around the bridge, “let’s get out of our fun-time outfits and get on our way to Brai.” He follows Maxim and Zephyr through the hatch.
Len-Lu looks at the closed hatch, then back to her brother. “Quite the crew you’ve got, brother.”
Bennie sighs. “You’ve no idea, sis, none.”