Page 85 of Owned By Two

The funeral director began the proceedings for the funeral to begin.

The casket capsule floated onto the shuttle and Lizzy and the other early guests followed behind.

I followed at the rear and couldn’t help but notice Lizzy was now wearing her veil.

* * *

The momentthe capsule had been shot into space for it to continue its journey toward that bright pulsating star in the distance, I balled up what courage I had remaining and said goodbye to Lizzy, kissed her on the cheek, and immediately climbed on board the large rented shuttle that had brought the majority of the guests.

It would return to its depot on the outskirts of the quadrant.

From there, I would continue my journey home to stay a few weeks with my parents while I licked my wounds and looked for a new position.

It took twenty minutes before the other guests joined me and we took off.

I watched as Lizzy’s shuttle — along with Blor on board, hertruefated mate — launched and began shrinking with distance.

Heading back to their planet.

And their future.

Meanwhile, I was heading in a vastly different direction…

And a vastly different future.

I was lost in my thoughts when a point of light flashed in the distance.

I didn’t care what it was.

Nothing matters now.

It was only the muttered gasps from the other funeral guests as they hustled over to a viewing window that got my attention.

Some deep instinct tugged at me to go look.

I must have stared for a good ten seconds before my brain processed what I was looking at.

My eyes widened in shock as I witnessed the scene taking place and gasped:

“No…”

I took off for the cockpit.

The flash of light had been from amuchlarger ship’s tractor beam latching onto Lizzy’s private shuttle.

Lizzy was under attack.

I hammered my fist against the cockpit door and bellowed:

“Let me in! A ship is under attack! You have to let me in!”

An attendant came over to calm me and told me to retake my seat but I was having none of it.

“The authorities have been informed,” she said. “They’ll be here shortly. Now, please—”

“They’ll be too late!” I snapped, turning back to the cockpit. “If you won’t let me in, fine. But you have to scan the attacking vessel! We need to be able to track it! Please!”

Silence answered me and as I balled up my fist to slam at the door once more, the speaker on the wall hissed into being and the pilot’s voice said:

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