Page 36 of Rescued

25

CAIMBRIE

As the Patrol’s raiding convoy passed by us, we all sat in silence, collectively holding our breath and watching for any sign that one of their fighters would break away from the pack and head for us. They were moving fast, but that did nothing to ease the strain of each second stretching out before us. It was like living in a time-bending illusion, knowing that they would be gone in mere minutes, but also knowing that a single minute might last a lifetime.

When it was all over, it was like the air had been let out of the cockpit. We all exhaled, became deflated versions of ourselves as we slumped into our seats and wiped sweat from our brows. I placed a hand on my heart, feeling the rise and fall of my diaphragm as I sucked in breath and held it, counting to ten before releasing it slowly through my lips.

Somewhere behind me, the radio came to life and a transmission sputtered out, breaking the tender silence between the three of us.

“I think we’re in the clear,” Adreax said, and I noted that his voice was hushed too, and I wondered if he might have spoken too soon.

The Patrol would have to get a lot further away before I felt safe again. From what I’d seen, there was another wave of stealth flyers coming behind the main body of the convoy. They made lazy circles and arcs, running forward and then returning to the back of the fleet. To the naked eye, they were nearly invisible, but to me, their dance was as plain as day, steady and repetitive. Predictable, even. It occurred to me that this was a flaw in their plan. A weakness that could be exploited if only I could point it out to the right person.

“Let’s get to Divoron, then,” Herod answered. “We need to make this quick.”

There was no emotion in his voice when he said those words. My departure had been relegated to a transactional matter, barely a blip on his radar. I was cargo once more. All of a sudden, being here felt painfully awkward. I had intruded on his space, taken over a part of his ship and commanded it as if it was my own. But now that the threat had abated, being here felt wrong. I felt exposed.

Wordlessly, I rose from my seat and excused myself back to the quietude of my bunk. We would be to Divoron soon, and I would be on my way. Perhaps with Adreax and Tayla to help me, I could use what I’d learned about the Patrol’s stealth flyers and help them with their mission. I focused all of my energy on that possibility, committing to memory everything I had seen so I could relate it to them later. At the edge of my consciousness, it occurred to me that the idea was tantamount to treason. I was preparing to act against the Patrol as if I hadn’t just berated Herod for such criminal acts a few hours prior.

Daydreaming about shooting Patrol ships out of the air, I fell asleep, exhausted by the mental strain of working in the cockpit. I slept soundly, lost in dreams of saving the universe and returning to Earth a hero. And when I woke, it was to the realization that we must be approaching Divoron.

I rushed to the cockpit. Radio transmissions came in short bursts, lights blinked, and Nikathy was laughing heartily from the co-pilot’s seat as Herod steered his ship once more.

“What’s going on?”

Both men stopped and turned to me, but it was Herod who finally spoke. “This is your stop. We’re still a little way out, so you have time to prepare yourself, but this is it. Adreax and Tayla just radioed in that they have secured a landing bay and they are waiting with open arms.”

I swallowed the news like it was an oversized pill, difficult to force down. “And what about you two? Where will you go after this?” I asked, forcing myself to take a few more steps into the cockpit and settle into the open chair.

“I believe we-“

Herod cut Nikathy off before he could say anything else. “More work. There’s always money to be had around these parts,” he said gruffly.

Nikathy caught my eye and made a face behind Herod’s back, mocking him for being so stern. I had to stifle my laugh, but even that threatened to make the tears come.

How could Herod be so obtuse? How could he ignore the lingering pain between us? Was he truly blind to it, or was he trying to shut me out on purpose?

“Do you think you’ll be able to move freely with so many Patrol ships around?” I carried on conversationally, trying to keep him talking to me, if only for a few more minutes.

“That’s why I’m one of the best. A few extra Patrol doesn’t scare me. I’ll make my way just like I always have.”

He didn’t say it, but in my mind I could hear the words: without you.

“That’s good, then. You’ll be busy. I’m happy for you.”

His brows furrowed when I spoke, and we both knew that my words had come off a bit terse. I regretted coming up here, wished I had stayed in bed and waited out the landing, but there was no escaping now. All I could do was turn around in my chair and watch through the view panel as the enormous body of Divoron approached, filling the sky with its broad yellow surface.

---