Page 72 of Ka'Cit's Haven

Who was this female?

The more time he spent around her, the more she fascinated him.

She was by his side now, no longer running behind him and he couldn’t help but stare at her.

The corridor opened to the cargo hold and as he skidded to a halt, so did Nee-ya beside him.

“Phek.”

“Fuck.”

The cargo hold was filled with Niftrills. Armed Niftrills.

Every single last one of them, and there were many.

Nee-ya’s gaze met his and recognition passed between them.

In that split second, he didn’t need to speak.

A mountain of words unsaid passed between them as he moved, ducking behind a huge crate as she did the same on the other side of the entrance.

Phek.

From somewhere above, he heard Herza scream. “Kill them!”

When he glanced back at Nee-ya, there was a look on her face that he’d never seen before. Her brown eyes were cold, focused, and she jerked her chin in a nod.

He knew what that meant—there was no other way to decode that movement.

Was she…did she really think he was going to let her put herself in danger fighting the horde before them?

“Hide!”

It was all he managed to say as he leaned out of his hiding spot, cocked his blaster, and pressed the tri—

But the Niftrill closest to them, the one he aimed at, was already falling, shot straight in the wrist.

Its weapon fell just as it received another shot in the leg.

Who…

Ka’Cit’s mouth fell open as he turned, wide-eyed, to look at the human, just as she aimed again, her brows furrowed to match the determination on her face.

Her eyes narrowed a little as she pressed the trigger once more and another Niftrill went down, shot in the arm and leg again.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

She wasn’t randomly spraying laser blasts.

She’d meant to hit them there.

She glanced his way and a slight smile appeared on her face.

Ka’Cit stared at her even as movement caught his eye—a Niftrill approaching from behind.

He cocked his gun and fired, but instead of receiving one laser blast, the Niftrill received two—one from his blaster and one from hers.

Surprise had him glancing her way once more and Nee-ya’s gaze met his.