Angel in the Badlands: space opera sci fi romance (Sons of Amber Book 1) by Bianca D'Arc Read Free Book Online Page B

engines and about eighty percent of maneuvering thruster control. That should be enough to engage the shuttle in the upper atmosphere and destroy it before it can touch down. Friction in your exceptionally thick atmosphere should heat any debris enough on the way down to kill off any bugs.” Zeke ran through his preflight checks while devising their plan. “If we can prevent them from realizing the colony is there and stop any other landing craft they might send, for whatever reason, then our job will be to hold them off until the Regulus arrives.”
    “I’ll let the colony know what we’re doing and they’ll be standing by,” Angela volunteered.
    “Just tell them to lay low for now. I don’t want the jits to realize they’re there if we can prevent it.”
    “Agreed,” she said quickly. “Now what can I do to help? I’ve had weapons training, just like everyone else in the colony.”
    “Can you run the weapons console?” He felt like asking if she could hit the broad side of a barn, but his ship had very sophisticated targeting sensors that even a novice could operate.
    Angela scoffed and sat down in the co-pilot’s seat that was usually empty. “Every Hawkins was born knowing how to shoot,” she stated, laughing as she expertly shunted every screen but the weapons array away from her console. Zeke was impressed, but he did have one question.
    “What’s a Hawkins?”
    She laughed out loud at that, seeming to find his puzzlement extremely amusing.
    “ I’m a Hawkins, silly. It’s my family name. Angela Hawkins, at your service.” She sent him a rather sketchy salute and he had to laugh along with her. Apparently there was much more to his angelic healer than met the eye. “My father is General Hawkins. Head of our colony militia. My brother Sven is a company commander and my brother Bo is a platoon leader. Young Harald is still a brat, just beginning his training, but even he would be called to defend the rear if the colony came under attack. And I’m part of the healer’s guild that would support the fighters if any were injured in battle. We’ve never had to fight anything but the native creatures of this planet before, but they’ve given us good battles and much experience.”
    Zeke was stunned by her revelations. There was a lot to learn about this little colony of humans. “You continue to amaze me.”
    Angela only smiled, a martial light entering her eyes as she looked over the weapons array at her fingertips. “I recognize most of these, but what is this one?”
    “Something new. A pulse cannon that works on ionized valox gas. Its yield is about ten times a cannon fueled with malrex. You know those, right? They’re pretty old tech.”
    Angela was nodding. “We have five malrex pulse cannons mounted on sleds down in the tunnels. I know how to use them.”
    “Good. This is basically the same, just a much bigger bang. And you have to wait between pulses for it to recharge, which is why the controls look different from what you’re used to.”
    Zeke realized he was truly enjoying introducing Angela to the various features of his ship. She rechecked systems readiness while he worked at getting the engines started. She asked a few questions, demonstrating to him that she really did understand what she was looking at. She would do.
    He was also learning that she was bright, and sharp as a tack. He liked her quick wit almost as much as he admired her supple body and giving, passionate nature.
    He schooled his thoughts back to the task at hand. They had work to do after all, and though she was a gorgeous, helpful distraction, her safety and the safety of her people depended on him. That thought in mind, he settled down to formulate his next moves.
    “I think we should fly up to meet the shuttle.”
    “Is it safe?” Angela’s tone made clear her hesitation.
    “Well, I wouldn’t trust the seals to hard vacuum, but it should be sound enough for atmospheric maneuvers.”
    “Won’t the jits