Kiera's Moon

The pod rotated slowly, revealing the shape of the hulking grey ship as it grew farther away.

Kiera stared, unable to fathom she'd been ejected into the middle of space to die. There was enough room for her to raise her arms but not sit, and she leaned against the uncomfortable wall, gazing at the world spinning outside her pod.

The ship grew distant. She looked around her, wondering what the hell to do now. Tears rose, and her chest clenched.

He wanted her dead. He'd not considered sending her home-- no, he'd decided to kill her! Panic seized her at the thought of floating through space until her air ran out. She looked at the control panel, trying to decipher any of the symbols. There were several she recognized.

Just as the grey ship disappeared from sight, another shape came into view. It was a planet, dusty red, as if it were nothing but dry desert. Her speed was consistent, her destination clear. No, Ne'Rin wasn't stupid enough to send her floating around space. He was sending her straight into a planet!

She rubbed her face and looked at the control panel again. She pressed one button, then another, struggling to understand the symbols that popped up on the screen in response. She'd learned the parts of a warship inside and out while learning the battle planning and looked for the configuration button among her options popping up on the screen. She found it and punched it, looking at the pod from the inside and out.

Its exterior shields were disarmed and he'd disabled the communications capability. Once the plant's gravity sucked her in, its atmosphere would fry her. She swallowed a sob as she realized just how badly someone wanted her dead.

Her hands shook as she manipulated the configuration to arm the shields around it. Ne'Rin underestimated her if he thought she wouldn't be able to figure this much out! Swearing at him, she stared hard at the configuration panels. The air was another issue; he hadn't included an additional air pod on this one. She didn't have much air left, and she couldn't enable the control panel so she could direct the pod elsewhere.

She was headed to the planet no matter what. She hesitated, then looked at what capability the pod did have to keep her from smashing into the planet, even if she made it through the atmosphere. There were thrusters but no way to steer.

The pod jolted. There was a flash of light and what sounded like frying eggs that brought her gaze to the other screen. The red planet beneath her was drawing closer. The pod was well-insulated; she didn't feel the three-thousand-degree temperatures a foot from her. She held her breath, staring at the configuration as she flew through the atmosphere.