Ka'Cit's Haven (Riv’s Sanctuary #3)

Why put herself in more danger?

But she’d already made up her mind and she hoped, if she was in trouble like it sounded the other humans were, there would be someone out there to do something to help her.

Kind of like how she was in trouble and Ka’Cit had been there for her.

“Ready?” she asked.

For a few moments, he said nothing, then she heard him release a breath.

As he reactivated the shuttle, the hum of the engines vibrated the little vessel.

Nia gripped the seat beneath her.

She was really going to do this.

Anticipation and trepidation filled her as the ship hummed and moved forward for just a bit, but it didn’t get very far before it jerked and stopped.

A horrible sound, one that gave her the image of a spanner being thrown into a blender, filled the vessel.

“What the hell was that?”

Ka’Cit didn’t answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and slammed a fist on the control panel.

“Phek!”

There was another loud creak in the cabin and for a second, it sounded like the ship was breaking in two.

It wasn’t exactly the sound you wanted to hear when you were in the middle of space.

“Ka’Cit?”

“It’s Herza,” he said.

“Shit.” Nia’s eyes flew to the view screen, her heart in her throat.

She knew it had been weird how that woman had just watched them leave.

“Something’s wrong with the ship. It’s why she didn’t try to stop us when we got to the loading bay. My guess is that this vessel isn’t fit to get us any farther.” Ka’Cit punched a few buttons. “Computer. Relay diagnostics.”

For a few seconds, there was silence. Then, “Diagnostics check. Complete. Main engine one is compromised.”

“Phek.” He said it under his breath this time and when he looked her way, she could see the rage in his gaze.

Shit. Was this her fault?

“Was this because you stopped to help me? With the language thing? The ship was going fine before that.”

Ka’Cit blinked at her and then, as if realizing what she was asking, his gaze softened.

“No, ta’ii. As a matter of fact, I’m glad we stopped. If the engine had blown while we were descending to the planet, it would have been…”

He left the rest unsaid.

Right…they’d have become dust upon reentry.

“What do we do now?”

Ka’Cit turned back toward the view screen and his shoulders slumped a little.