Crilock |link| -

“You’re not,” she said, not unkindly. She knelt, ignoring the slick of leaking fluid, and peered into the engine cavity. “E-9 series. Sloane Dynamics. You’ve got a dead regulator.”

Kaelen stared at the crilock, now settled into the engine like a stone in a riverbed, pulsing softly. He understood, suddenly, that he hadn’t just fixed his ship. He’d adopted its soul. crilock

She laughed—a real laugh, rough and loud. “Kid, I wrote the pre-flight for this class of engine. Get in the cockpit and watch a master work.” “You’re not,” she said, not unkindly

Kaelen looked at the crilock’s gentle pulse, then at the woman’s weathered face. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel alone. Sloane Dynamics

Kaelen blinked. “How could you possibly—?”

“You’re burning daylight, and coolant,” said a voice like gravel sliding down a chute.