𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 - DIN DJARIN

Chapter 29: The Boat

chapter 29: the boat •••

You hear Din's soft voice before you hear the beeping of the Crest, his gloved hands brushing up and down your arms as he pulls you from your rather deep sleep.

"Cyar'ika," Din calls for you, the sound crackling through his modulator thanks to how soft it's been. It's raspier than usual, also heavy with sleep as if he's also just woken up. "We're here."

You let out a soft breath as you press your hands against his cuirass to sit up straighter. You're still straddling him in the seat, now looking to see the baby rub the sleep from his eyes as the Frog Lady blinks hers away. Your eyebrow quirks up as your tired mind tries to process his words. "Where are we again?"

Din chuckles softly, his hands now gently resting upon your waist. "Trask." You nod, letting him help you off of him as you instead join the baby in his seat. Din turns to the Frog Lady and addresses her while you do so. "Looks like we made it." He then faces forward again as he reaches for some of the controls. "Get ready for landing." When he reaches for something, however, it doesn't respond as it should, causing Din to hit it with his fist before he grunts a curse of frustration. "Dank farrik!"

You wrinkle your brow as you lean closer to him. "What is it?"

Din speaks without facing you. "The landing array isn't responding."

You grimace. "And that means?"

"Without the guidance system, it'll be a manual re-entry." Din's words are laced with a panic he tries to conceal, his fingers flying over the various buttons and levers as he tries to set everything up. "It might get choppy."

The baby coos with slight worry on your lap. You give his head a gentle kiss of reassurance, looking over afterwards to see the Frog Lady tightening her hold on her canister of eggs.

"Once we're through the atmosphere," Din continues, "there should be enough fuel to slow us down." He pauses, taking a breath and saying his next words with a haunted exhale. "If we don't burn to a crisp."

"Riduur, don't be so dramatic," you attempt to tease him lightly, your grip on the baby tightening in a way that contradicts your words.

"I wish I was being dramatic," Din remarks, giving you a quick glance before he starts to help the Crest make its descent.

You're freefalling through the atmosphere of Trask, picking up more and more speed as you go. It doesn't take long for hot flames to lick up the sides of the ship, casting an eerie red glow onto the cockpit as the Crest's alarms start to cry out for mercy. The ship jostles around as you can see Din taking a tight grip on the joysticks, removing one hand for a single moment to silence a specific alarm.

"Come up here!" Din suddenly exclaims to you, immediately making you set the baby down in your seat as you rush up behind him. "I need your hands!"

"What do I need to do?" you ask him, raising your voice above the sounds of the flames licking around the Crest and the alarms.

"This lever needs to stay back," Din commands, gesturing to one of the levers on his right. "Can you do that?"

"I think I can manage it!" you assure him, holding it tight and pulling it back.

"Keep it steady. Here we go."

The Crest continues its speedy and dangerous descent onto Trask—but nevertheless, even through the flames, you can see the port coming into view. The view's coming in too quickly, though; you're afraid you're going to crash land way too hard onto it. Before you have a chance to voice these concerns to Din, someone else does. "Razor Crest, this is Trask flight control," a voice says through Din's transmitter. "Please reduce your speed to port protocol."