Shadowplay

CELL 1

The flit was speeding along a few meters above the water. Inside, Shadith was still asleep, turned on her side now, her knees drawn up, one hand tucked under her cheek; she was flushed and rosy and lociked about ten. Kikun was kneeling beside her, frowning at her, stroking her delicately with his fingertips, inspecting them as If they could provide some answers to what confused him about the girl.

Rohant was stretched out with the pilot chair tilted almost flat; his feet were on the console and he was dozing, a muscle jumping by his mouth, the tips of his ears twitching. Sassa was perched on the arm-of the co chair, dozing. The cats were on the floor beside Kikun, curled up together, also asleep.

Kikun looked up, startled; he'd been subliminally aware of the follower, but too focused on Shadith to let his awareness surface. Now the danger was too near to ignore. He slapped Shadlth's face, shook her. When she sat up, muttering and blinking, he left her and scooted over to Rohant, shook him. "Ciocan, wake up. Trouble."

Rohant woke fast, his feet swung down, the chair snapped straight, his hands came down on the console and the screen lit up. He saw the lander driving toward them. "Ginny?"

"So-so."

"Dio!" Rohant dropped the flit until white-capped swells were slapping against its base, at the same time wrenching it around until it was for a moment racing toward the lander.

A breath later, he flung the groaning flit to one side, dropping until he kicked up a cocktail of white spray, another breath he jerked the flit up and through another turn, then another and another. While the Ciocan satisfied his need to keep fighting though even he knew It was futile, Kikun scrambled back to Shadith, began a shuddering dance…