Fate answers to none.

The End, only known to the Stars.

The war rages.

Hope demands sacrifice.

Chapter 2

Gabriel’s arms wrapped around me as we popped back into reality. My lungs were screaming now from all the exertion that I had placed them through so far. My mind was cloudy. I pressed closer to Gabriel, their arms holding me close and keeping me from sinking to my knees.

“It’s okay,” they whispered softly.

“Nash!” my brother’s voice filled my ears.

“Nash?” Samirah’s voice followed. “Is she alright? Briel, what happened?”

I took a deep breath. My mind was clearing, but my lungs still hurt. I felt Samirah’s hands on my back.

“I’m fine,” I muttered. I took a few deep breaths trying to ignore the pain in my lungs.

“Did something happen?” my brother asked.

“I don’t know why,” Gabriel said, “but a Saeris picked Nat out of the crowd.” Samirah gasped. I stood up straight and stepped away from Gabriel. We were in the aquifer cavern. I could hear rain still pattering down on the rocks around us. Gabriel slipped their hand into their pocket. They held out their hand; that little piece of metal that Jev had passed me back in Hael.

I reached out and took the piece from Gabriel. It looked like a little medallion. It was diamond-shaped. I flipped the medallion over in my palm. There was a pattern etched on the front. A starburst design. It was the symbol of the deity Aisling, the eternal and encompassing vision of life. What little memory of my mother that I have; she had the same symbol tattooed on her collarbone. She was a follower of Aisling’s ways.

Jaymes came and stood next to me. I held the medallion out to him.

“Someone passed this to me,” I told him. He looked at it. His fingers running over the etching.

“It looks like the pendant that our father wore.” I looked back at the medallion. It did look similar. Our father seemed to be indifferent to the deities, but he respected the myths.

“I see you two got away,” Kannan’s voice came. I looked up; he stood next to Samirah. Zeb just off behind them. “Did you get the supplies?”

“Sorta,” Gabriel responded. “The trekker is stashed in a cavern north of the Sylvan Valley.”

“North of the valley?” Kannan asked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“We were chased by Saeris,” I spoke up. I gripped the medallion in my palm. “They chased us through Hael and then sent fighters after us.”

“You left my trekker in the mountains with Saeris?” Zeb groaned.

I rolled my eyes. “No, we left your trekker with fighter rubble.”

Kannan’s eyebrow shot up. “You destroyed the fighters?”

“No,” said Gabriel. “Another ship had followed us. A Zahren crew looking for a certain rebel. They shot down the fighters and confronted us. They are desperate for any leads on their friend.”

Samirah sighed. “They’ve got to be desperate to come to this hellhole of a planet.” She brushed her hair away from her face. “Who are they looking for?”

I glanced over at Gabriel. They bit at their lip. “Kannan Zeke.”

My eyes jumped to Kannan. He looked surprised. We rarely saw him surprised. He dropped his arms to his sides.

“Who are they?” he asked.

“Aubrey Zahn,” Gabriel said. “She’s the pilot.”

Shock briefly flashed across his face. That was the most negative emotion I had ever seen him display. “She’s alive?” he muttered. “Where are they?”

“Waiting in the ravine near the trekker’s cavern,” Gabriel replied. “I can take whoever back to the cavern.”

“You and Nash need to be the ones that go back,” Kannan said. “They don’t need to know I am with you right away.” He sighed. “Did she say why they’re looking for me?”

“They said the Saeris know they are alive,” Gabriel said.

“They have no one else to turn to,” I added.

Kannan nodded. “You two go back to them. Bring them here. We’ll all talk this out.”

Gabriel nodded back. They looked at me. “Are you going to be okay teleporting one more time?”

I shrugged. “I think I will be fine.” They held their hand out to me. I slipped my fingers through theirs. The rough leather of their gloves scratching at my palm. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Power surged around us. It bit at my skin. I felt myself fading from reality.

We popped back into reality and were met with screams. Gabriel held onto my arms as I focused on my breathing. My mind was foggy. Gabriel squeezed my forearms.

“I’m fine,” I whispered to them. “Just exhausted.” I glanced around. We were back on the Star Rift. Addilyn peaked out from behind the copilot's chair. Aubrey was holding her ground behind the navigation desk. And Jev was standing right in front of us. His eyes were wide, and his tanned skin had gone pale.

“Hey Addi,” he said, his voice shaky. “They’re back.”

“No shit, Sloan,” Addilyn hissed. She slipped out of the chair and walked towards us. “What’s the verdict?”

“Boss says to bring you to our compound,” I told them.

“I thought we were at your compound,” Jev stated.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. “You never take someone to your primary compound first, Jev.” He rolled her eyes at her. Aubrey looked back at Gabriel and me. “Where to?”

“It’s not far,” Gabriel said. They gave her a coordinate location. Aubrey nodded and slipped into the pilot’s console. She tapped something in on her console.

Energy flared up around us. Energy that I still couldn’t touch. It ran in streams around us, below us, above us. The engines hummed as the starship hovered up out of the ravine and into the sky. We crossed the distance in only a matter of ticks.

Gabriel leaned against Aubrey’s chair. They pointed towards the mountainside. There was a little ravine off to the side of our cavern.

“You can leave your ship there,” Gabriel told her. “There’s a passage along the mountain face that we can climb to.” I watched Aubrey’s silvery-white hair flutter as she nodded. It seemed to glow in the light.

Aubrey tapped at her console. I could hear her fingernails click against the screens. She maneuvered the ship down close to the rocks. The rain continued to patter down. It was a light rain now. The storm still sitting over the desert. The ship hovered closer to the rocks. Aubrey rotated the ship around and settled it down in the ravine. Rain pattered off the hull as the engines powered down. Aubrey swiveled around in her chair.

“Lead the way,” she said. She jumped up from her chair and started towards the bulkhead door. I nodded to Gabriel and followed them towards the cargo hull. Jev tossed Aubrey and Addilyn raincoats. He had already pulled his on. Aubrey slipped hers on and pulled the hood low around her face so that it hid all her Dyane features.

Aubrey tapped at her gauntlet. The cargo door hissed as it began to lower. Jev walked over and slid down as the door open. He stomped into the pooling mud at the bottom. He held his hand out as Aubrey walked down. He took her hands and helped her over the puddles. Addi bounded down the ramp, jumping over the puddles and sliding through the mud.

I slid down the ramp. Jev held his hand out to me, but my boots already stomped through the puddle. Gabriel appeared next to Aubrey. She glanced at them before tapping at her gauntlet. The cargo door hissed as it slowly closed behind us. Gabriel waved us after them.

There was a narrow path that snaked through the rocks. We picked our way down the path several meters to the ledge. Gabriel glanced back over their shoulder, meeting my eyes, before jumping off the edge. Aubrey scooted her way to the edge and peered over. She crouched down slightly before hopping off. I hear her squeak as Gabriel caught her.

Addi seemed more hesitant. Jev walked with her to the edge; his hand on her shoulder. He took her hands as she neared the edge. He held onto her as she leaned over the edge. I walked over to them as Jev helped her down. Gabriel was waiting at the bottom of the drop to catch Addi. Gabriel caught her legs as Jev held onto her hands. Jev dropped Addi into Gabriel’s arms. Addi let out a screech as she fell onto Gabriel. She held onto them. I watched their eyes go wide. Addi caught her breath and slipped away from Gabriel and next to Aubrey.

Jev looked over at me.

“Do you need help down?” he said.

I narrowed my eyes at him and stepped over the edge. Gabriel slid out of the way making no effort to even try and help me. I landed on my feet. Barely. I stumbled a few steps. I threw a sideways glance at Gabriel. They were smirking.

“Shut up,” I muttered. They held up their hands. I looked back up at Jev. He was smirking from up on top of the ledge.

“I might need help,” he said. He grinned as he sat down on the edge and pushed himself off. He stumbled as he hit the ground and started to fall forwards. Gabriel caught his arm and steadied him. “That was fun.”

Both Aubrey and Addi rolled their eyes.

Gabriel waved me forward. I gave them a quick nod and headed for the passageway. Aubrey and Addi followed close behind me. I ducked into the passage. I glanced back over my shoulder as I walked through the jog. Aubrey was behind me, Addi and Jev behind her, and Gabriel behind them. I stepped out into the aquifer cavern. My brother stood a few feet away. Zeb at his side. Kannan and Samirah nowhere to be seen.

Aubrey stopped at my side. Her eyes roamed over Jaymes and Zeb. We had tossed off our hoods except for Aubrey. Addi threw glances around the cavern. Jev stared up at the rock ceiling. Wonder in his eyes.

“Are these them?” Zeb asked. Aubrey turned her attention to Zeb and my brother. She stood up straight; the hood remaining low over her head.

“I am looking for someone,” she said. Her voice was loud and even. It was almost…commanding. “They go by the name of Zeke. They operated on Oberon under the name Sparrow during the fall of Odessa.” Her voice was powerful. My brother’s eyes danced over her.

The sound of falling gravel filled the cavern. I looked over towards the tunnel to the other cavern. Samirah had slipped down the tunnel. Kannan, just behind her hidden in the shadows.

“Oh, Éabha. Aubrey, you got tall.” Kannan’s voice came. Both Aubrey and Addi perked up; both turning towards the sound of his voice. He stepped out from behind Sam. Aubrey’s breath caught in her throat. She ran to Kannan. She threw her arms around Kannan. His arms slipped around her. Sobs escaped from Aubrey. Addi slowly made her way over. Kannan wrapped an arm around Addi. Tears slid down Addi’s face. Aubrey gripped the front of Kannan’s tunic. Her forehead against his shoulder; sobs shaking her body. Addi clung to his side. Her eyes squeezed shut.

I glanced over my shoulder at Jev. He watched them There was a longing in his eyes.

Aubrey let out a loud sob. She sunk to her knees, Kannan kneeling with her. Addi kneeled next to them; a hand on each of their backs. Aubrey continued to sob. Kannan wrapped his arms around her. He whispered to her; his hand cupping the back of her head pulling her hood down. I heard Samirah gasp as Aubrey’s silver hair became visible. Dyane are rare, especially on Aten.

Aubrey sobbed again. “I-I can’t believe I found you,” she cried into Kannan’s shoulder. He held her tight.

“It’s so good to see you,” Kannan said. “I’m happy that you made a life for yourself.” He turned slightly towards Addi. “It’s so good to see you to Addi.” He held out his arm to her. She scooted closer to them; the gravel crunching underneath her. Aubrey sat up straight. There was a certain elegance to her. Her silver hair hung in staticky strands around her face. The soft points of her ears stuck out among the silver strands.

Kannan reached up and cupped her face in his hands. “You have grown so much, little one.” Aubrey smiled. There was a slight pink flush across her dark skin; prominent on her cheeks and the tips of her ears. “I wish I could have kept in contact, but I couldn’t put you in any more danger than you already were.” He dropped his hands and turned to Addi. Addi flung herself into his arms. Her curly red hair bounced around her.

“I can’t believe we found you,” she squeaked.

Kannan hugged her tight. “Where have you been?” he asked.

“Everywhere,” Aubrey said. Addi nodded.

“We lived on the station in the rift,” Addi said.

“We were able to stay hidden for a few years until the Saeris began their campaign on the space fairing routes,” Aubrey added.

“The rift?” I muttered to myself. The rift was an asteroid field beyond Thule, separating Themis and Cressida from the rest of the planets. I had only ever heard stories of the rift. It took skill to fly through it. If you survived, then you were greeted by a menagerie of space stations and spaceships.

Gabriel stepped next to me. “The Skidbladnir,” they said quietly to me. “The world ship. It’s almost like a planet itself.” I gave them a slight nod. I felt their hand slid down my back. They pressed close to me as Jev stepped around us.

Kannan and the girls had gotten to their feet. I missed the end of their conversation during my exchange with Gabriel. Aubrey had ahold of Kannan’s sleeve cuff and was tugging him towards Jev.

“Kannan,” she said, “this is Jev Sloan. We picked him up in Astrid a little over a year ago. He’s one of those that can do a little of everything.”

Jev’s tanned skin had paled. “Hello,” he said not confidently. He held out his hand to Kannan. Kannan smiled at him and took his hand; his hand gripping Jev’s wrist and Jev gripping his wrist.

“Nice to meet you, Jev,” Kannan said. “Any friend of theirs is a friend of mine.” Kannan glanced back at us. “I think you already know Nash and Gabriel.” He nodded towards my brother and Zeb.

Jaymes held up his hand in a wave. “I’m Jaymes. Nash is my sister.”

Zeb gave a slight nod. “Zeb Yaeger.”

Kannan looked back to Samirah. She had quietly stood off to the side during the reunion. Her stance, with her hands to her side in fists, was unusual. “Samirah Callaway,” she said, “but you can call me Sam.”

Aubrey took a few steps toward us. “It’s nice to meet you all,” she said. Her voice was rather soothing. “I know that you do not know us.” She brought her hand to her chest; her fingers wrapped in a fist. “The Saeris murdered my family. Addi and I escaped from Oberon thanks to Kannan.” She turned back to Kannan. “I know you owe me nothing. We need your help. The Saeris are hunting us down.” She looked back at us. “You don’t know me, but I am begging you all to help us. We have nowhere to go. No one to turn to. The Saeris’ reach has forced us here to Aten.” She took a deep breath. Her voice did not waver, but her hands were shaking. “We share the same feelings about the Saeris. We are willing to fight. We just cannot do it alone.”

Her violet eyes seemed to stare right into me. She held my gaze for several seconds before looking away. I felt as if I would follow this girl to the ends of the universe. There was so much passion in her voice. I don’t know what had happened to her or Addi on Oberon, but I knew what it was like to lose family to the Saeris.

“What can we do?” Gabriel asked. Their voice was quiet. “We’re only a handful of people. There’s not much we can do against an army of Saeris.” Aubrey’s violet eyes watched them. She glanced back at Kannan.

He shook his head slightly. “I can’t fight like that anymore,” he said quietly.

Jaymes shuffled a few steps closer to me. “They’re right,” he said nodding to Gabriel. “We can barely take on a few Saeris, let alone an entire army. The Saeris are pressing closer to us. We are not going to be able to hide forever. They are tracking us and the other cells.” He looked at me. “Nash was identified by Saeris. They’re learning who we are.”

The light in Aubrey’s eyes seemed to fade. I wanted to help her. I wanted to be able to tell her that we could make everything right. I wished I could make everything right. Aubrey looked down at her feet. Addi watched her sister with sad eyes.

“We can fight,” Gabriel said, “just not in the way you want. We do not have the power for that.” They glanced over at me. “Some of the cells have been successful in destroying transports and ships. Enough small inconveniences will have a greater impact.”

Aubrey’s eyebrows raised. The light returning to her eyes. “Anything,” she said. “I will do anything to fight the Saeris.” A faint smile played on Gabriel’s lips.

“I think,” Kannan said, “we can make that work.” He grinned.

Jev shifted on his feet. “The Saeris are planning something. More and more soldiers are coming to this planet every week. We are running out of time.”

“What are our advantages?” Zeb asked. “I am not running into the dark.”

“We have a starship,” said Aubrey.

“A wide variety of powers,” Jaymes said.

“A vast knowledge of how the de facto Saeris government functions,” Jev added. Everyone seemed to look at him at once. His eyes flicked over us. “I’m from Astrid. My mother worked in the Health Ministry. I know how everything works. I know how to target their weaknesses.”

I noticed my brother begin to zone out. I reached over and caught his hand. His fingers were limp in mine. I squeezed his hand gently. He let out a sigh and squeezed my hand back.

“We have a problem,” he said. “We have thirty ticks before the Saeris begin bombing this mountain range.”

“Shit,” Gabriel hissed. “Us hiding in the cavern was reported.”

Kannan reached out and put his hand on Aubrey’s shoulder. “We need to move. Briel, take Aubrey and Addi back to the ship.” Gabriel gave him a sharp nod. Kannan turned back to Aubrey. “Bring the ship down to the passageway. We need some time to gather our things.”

Aubrey nodded. Her eyes wide. Gabriel appeared in front of her. They held out their hands to Aubrey and Addi. The girls looked at each other before each taking one of Gabriel’s hands.

“This won’t hurt, right?” Addi asked.

“I can’t guarantee that,” Gabriel replied as they squeezed their hands. The three of them disappeared.

Kannan had grabbed Jev and pulled him along up the tunnel. I ran after them. My boots crunching in the gravel.

“Don’t expect to be back!” Jaymes called. I rushed over to my cot and started pulling my blankets and things off. I wadded them up and shoved them into my duffle pack. I tugged open my backpack and threw my other pair of boots in. I grabbed the trinkets sitting in the grooves of the rocks and dropped them into the bag. I pulled the duffle straps over my shoulders and picked up my backpack.

I followed Sam down the tunnel. We ran to the passageway and slipped through. The duffle catching on the sharp edges of the rock.

The Star Rift was hovering there at the end. Addi was standing on the cargo ramp with her arms stretched towards us. Sam tossed her bags to her and ran back into the cavern. Addi tossed the bags up into the cargo hold and turned back to me. I tossed her the duffle. She caught it and held her hand out for my backpack. I tossed it to her. I ran back into the cavern. Kannan caught my arm.

“Help Sam and Briel get the supplies,” he said. I nodded and ran to where Sam was kneeling. She was putting cans and packets of food into crates. I dropped to my knees and helped her arrange the cans in the crate. We filled one and I slid it aside.

Gabriel appeared. They grabbed the crate and disappeared again. Sam slid another crate over. I continued stacking cans in and stuffing packets between the stacks. I could hear the others rushing around gathering all our things up.

“We have ten passes!” Jaymes yelled. Sam grabbed the last of the cans and tossed them on top of the crate I was filling. Gabriel appeared next to me and took the crate.

“Go help Jayme,” they said taking the crate. I ran up the tunnel, slipping twice.

My brother was in the corner next to our cots. We had several old books that had belonged to our parents. Jaymes kept up with them because he was the one who could read them. Jaymes’ hands were shaking as he picked up the books. I kneeled and took the book from him. He looked over at me. His eyes were sad. I slipped my hand in his.

“Come on,” I said. “We need to get out of here.” I helped him gather up all the books and put them into his backpack. There was an icon of the deity Aisling. A tile etched with the starburst pattern and the rough outline of a small figure; stars etched on their cheeks. It had belonged to our mother. Our father had given it to her. Father was never very religious, but he would sit with our mother while she prayed to Aisling.

I picked up the icon. I was filled with emotions I couldn’t name. Our parents were taken from us so early in our lives. I held the icon out to Jaymes. He carefully took it from me and slipped it into his backpack.

He grabbed my hands. “We need to go.” I let him pull me up. We hurried back down the tunnel and to the aquifer. Gabriel was waiting for us. Jev was waiting by the passageway.

I felt Gabriel’s hand on my back as we ran towards Jev. Jev darted into the passageway. Jaymes after him. Gabriel pushed me forward. I ran through the passageway for the last time. The rocks scraping at my jacket like always.

In front of me, Jev and Jaymes jumped onto the cargo ramp. I let my muscles loosen; my legs pumping harder. I kicked off the rocks and jumped through the air. My boots clanged against the metal.

Jev smashed his hand into the control panel. The cargo door began to close. He brought his hand up to his mouth. His gauntlet glowed. “Go! We’re all here!”

I started to turn back towards the door. Gabriel had been behind me. “Wai-"

“I’m here,” Gabriel’s voice came. Their arm slipped around my shoulders. I let out a sigh. Teleporting. They could teleport, I reminded myself after spending most of the day teleporting with them.

“Uhhh,” Jev said. His eyes roamed over all of us. “Welcome to the Star Rift.” He waved us after him as he headed towards the main hull. The ship rattled around us as it rose into the air. The electricity prickling at my skin.

I looked over at my brother. He reached out and caught my hand. We had just left the only stable home we've had in our lives. Gabriel squeezed my shoulder.

It’s going to be okay, their voice echoed in my head. I looked over at them. Their braid had finally come undone; wavy blonde hair falling around their face. Those silvery grey eyes watching me. I looked away breaking their gaze.

We followed Jev to the cockpit. Jev had slipped through the bulkhead door. I could hear Aubrey and Addi conversing in Dyaa. I slipped in after Sam; Gabriel and my brother following me.

The electricity around me whirled. I watched as Aubrey keyed in a sequence on her console. Lights flashed along the panels. Addi watching the lights. The only sounds were her fingernails tapping away and the outside wind.

“We should remain in a low orbit,” Aubrey said. “Just out of range of the ground scanners. If we can get the timing right, we can orbit between the satellites.”

Zeb took the first steps towards the girls. His hands trailed on the crew consoles. His mechanical intuition was probably overwhelming him.

“This is a Rift-Class Intercept Fighter,” Zeb said. “This is one of the fastest crewed ships ever designed. The Dyani knew what they were doing when they built this.”

Aubrey turned on her chair. “You know a lot about my ship.”

“I’m a junkie for tech,” Zeb answered. He looked up at the hull above us. I hadn’t noticed before but there was a star map painted above us. “My family owns a freighter graveyard on Janus.” He looked at the console he was standing next to. “How do you interface with the ship?”

Aubrey raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve never had anyone ask me that before.” She looked at her sister before slipping out of her chair. She took a few steps towards Zeb. She held her hands out in front of her. She thrust her hands up. The console screens glowed and just like that, holograms popped up from them. The graphics embedded in the windscreen flares to light. The entire ship seemed to come alive.

“Wow,” Zeb said taking everything in. “I always heard that Dyani powers were tech-based. I thought it was like my mechanical intuition though. This makes my power seem like a party trick.”

Aubrey grinned. “We are the Universe’s Creators.”

Zeb smiled at her. Zeb only smiles at machinery. “You’re the first Dyane I’ve met.” He looked around again. “This is amazing.”

“Am I the first Dyane most of you have met?” Aubrey asked. Jaymes and I nodded. Sam did too. Aubrey’s eyes roamed over Gabriel. They shook their head slightly. She didn’t push for elaboration. She walked to the weapons console. The holos flashing the system levels. All were green. “Dyane do not often leave Oberon. I don’t know why. It has always been that way. When we escaped, that was the first time I had ever left the planet.”

“And you haven’t been back?” Sam asked. She had her fingers laced together.

Aubrey nodded. “It was not safe to return.” She waved her hand and the holo display changed. It showed a map with blinking dots. I glanced over at my brother. He had settled in one of the jump seats; Gabriel next to him. Jev sat two seats down; his back pressed to the hull.

“Why was your family targeted?”

All eyes jumped to Gabriel. I looked back at Aubrey. She had crossed her arms over her chest. She looked so young standing there. There was the faintest smile on her lips. I had the feeling that if anyone else had asked she would have pushed back.

“My family is important on Oberon,” she said softly. “The Saeris executed anyone, monarchy, noble, or parliamentarian, who did not endorse them. My father refused to endorse General Dray. Dray’s response was to execute my second eldest sister. When my father still would not bend to Dray’s will, my oldest sister and second eldest brother were murdered. Their spouses along with them.” Addi walked to her sister’s side. She slipped her arm through Aubrey’s. “I admire my father’s resolve. His dedication to the people he served. Our people, Dyane, Zahren, and all others that reside on Oberon, their wellbeing, and interests come first. While I agree, the people come first, and they must be protected. I just wish my father would have worked harder to protect his own kin.”

“After the Saeris began executing the High King’s children,” Kannan said, “we began working on evacuating the remaining noble people.”

Addi squeezed Aubrey’s arm. “Dyani culture revolves around community. All must be done to ensure the well-being of the community. We value the experiences of all members of the society. Every person brings a unique view and processes to the society. Diversity makes us stronger, more knowledgeable, and understanding as a people. We see our High King and their Lords as the preservers of that diversity. Doing everything it takes to make sure that everyone has a place and a purpose. We know that everything that they do is for the greater good. Surrendering to and giving power to the Saeris invalidates all that we strive for and cherish.” She sighed. “While it is devastating what happened to the Dyani noble people, it was done in the preservation of the Dyani way of life. Their sacrifices give us hope. The Third Princess escaped. She’ll return as the rightful ruler to push the Saeris out.”

“She’s dead, Addilyn,” Aubrey hissed. She shook loose of Addi’s grip; her arms stiff at her side; hands in fists. “The Saeris executed her alongside her mother. I was there. I saw it happen. She’s dead. Anything else is just a rumor told by a hopeless people.”

Addi opened her mouth, but Jev jumped to his feet. He was instantly between the two.

“Tour of the ship?” he said loudly. He gripped Addi’s arm as Aubrey spun on her heel and stomped back to the pilot’s console. “Tour of the ship. Follow me.” He pulled Addi along as he turned towards the bulkhead hatch. Samirah started after them. Zeb after her. Jaymes slid out of the jump seat. Gabriel looked at me. I reached out and caught their sleeve and pulled them up. I glanced back at Kannan. He nodded after the others and turned towards Aubrey. I pulled Gabriel into the corridor.

“This ship is heavily modified,” Jev said. His voice and the metallic clang of his boots echoed through the corridor. He pointed to the first door to the left. “Fresher. Nothing special, but necessary.”

“Hot water.” Addi snapped at him. “That’s special and necessary.”

I swear I could hear Jev roll his eyes at her. But hot water. I do not know of a time in my life that I ever had access to hot water. For years I had bathed in an aquifer pool. Groundwater was cold. I looked over at Gabriel next to me. Their silvery grey eyes watched me. I furrowed my brow at them. What? They looked away.

Jev continued to stomp along through the corridor. There were two doors; one on either side of the corridor. Jev pointed to the one on the left, just past the fresher. “Not cabins. Storage.” He pointed to the other door. “Not storage. Cabins.” Now I could hear Addi’s eyes roll. She sighed rather loudly and pushed Jev’s arm out of her way.

“This is a Rift-Class Intercept Fighter,” she said. “Usually controlled by a crew of fourteen. Two full crews. This ship has never had even one full crew.” She shrugged. “Having two full crew cabins wasn’t necessary.” She raised her hand and pointed to the left door. “This crew cabin was turned into storage. With this as storage, it made it where we could dock a Dagger fighter in the main cargo hold. That was very convenient when we were on the Skidbladnir. We could also carry large loads of cargo.” She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at Jev.

Jev looked back at us. He rolled his eyes. “The ship is heavily modified if you haven’t noticed,” he said very dryly. He waved us after him as he moved towards the rear bulkhead hatch. We filed out into the cargo hold. Our belongings were scattered around the hold. My bags were stacked next to come crates. Kannan’s things were thrown next to mine. “Cargo hold,” Jev said. He spun on his heel. “It’s big.” Addi turned and walked to the hull wall and pressed her forehead to the metal. Jev chuckled slightly. “There are lockers and crates in the storage room that you can put your things in. There are some bins in the crew cabin but not much room.” He looked around. “That’s the ship.”

Addi sighed and slipped back through the bulkhead hatch and headed back towards the cockpit. Jev waved for us to follow. Samirah and Zeb moved first. Jaymes glanced at me as he followed them. Gabriel’s hand brushed against my back as we walked through the corridor. The sound of footsteps echoing around us.

Aubrey looked up from the pilot’s seat as we walked in. Kannan was sitting next to her in the co-pilot’s seat. Addi walked to the comms console and sat down. We filed out around them. Aubrey reached up and brushed her silvery braids behind her ear. The skin around her eyes was puffy and pink. She had been crying. Kannan looked over at Addi. He nodded towards Aubrey and stood up. Addi darted around him and into the co-pilot’s seat. She reached over and took Aubrey’s hands. Aubrey leaned forward; pressing her forehead to her sister’s.

“We need to start planning,” Kannan said.

Gabriel nodded. “The Saeris identified Nash out of the crowd. They’re learning who we are.”

“They know who we are,” Aubrey said. “They won’t kill us, but I do not think that courtesy would be extended to you all.”

“She’s right,” said Kannan. “The Saeris are no longer capturing rebels. They are executing them.” He took a step to the comms console. He tapped on his gauntlet. A light flashed as the comms display flared to life. I couldn’t read any of it but the media symbols of Hael, Halen, and Astrid glowed on the holo.

“Hundreds of reports of rebel cell exterminations,” Gabriel said quietly. This was part of the data they had gotten in Hael. “More Saeris soldiers scheduled to deploy in the coming weeks.”

“The Saeris,” Jev began, “have been increasing their presence everywhere on this fucking planet. Hael was just one location. Ryvrs has been under curfew for months now. Checkpoints around and inside the city. Astrid is almost impossible to access. The spaceport is about the only way to get in. All the gates, except the Solar Gate, were closed last year. It takes hours to get through the security that they have set up. And it's so throughout. I don’t know of anyone still alive that can get through it.”

“It would be nice,” my brother said, “if we had someone who could teleport.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. I glanced over at Gabriel. They had crossed their arms over their chest and closed their eyes.

“I could easily enter Astrid,” they said, “but Jev did not have a good reaction to teleporting. We would have to see if it’s something he can shake with time before we create an entire plan around me teleporting us in.”

“That was not a pleasant experience,” said Jev. “But the alternative of falling out of the ship would also have been unpleasant.” He shrugged. “Astrid is just one place to gather information. There are places all over the planet; outposts, villages, bases. They will only have data on the bases in that sector though. Astrid just has the most information. Stats and specs on all the sectors.”

I glanced over at my brother. His gaze was downcast and eyes flickering. He was having a telepathic conversation with someone. I looked back at Gabriel. Their eyes unfocused on anything. I took a sidestep closer to Gabriel; their eyes flicking to me.

“Even hitting a small outpost will bring us important info,” Kannan said. “That would also give us that chance to cause trouble.”

Gabriel leaned closer to me, their shoulder bumping against mine. What do you think of Jev? they asked me.

He seems alright. I think he’s much smarter than he’s letting us in on. Why?

He is not Zahren.

I had to keep myself from turning to Gabriel and asking what they meant. What do you mean, Briel? His eyes. He has our eyes.

Eyes can be deceiving.

Before I could respond, Aubrey’s console lit up. A symbol appeared low on the windscreen and a low beep echoed through the cockpit. Aubrey leaned over and tapped on her console. The symbol flashed and text filled the screen. It wasn’t Basic symbols. The symbols didn’t match any of the Dyaa symbols on the ship’s controls.

A soft hiss escaped from Aubrey. “Cressida closed their borders. The refugee program has been suspended. Only familial reunifications will proceed.”

“That…” Kannan began, “changes everything.”

“Is Cressida a target for the Saeris?” Jaymes asked.

“No,” Aubrey said. “The Angels thoroughly vet anyone who immigrates to their planet. They are extremely careful with any Saeris that immigrates.”

“Saeris immigration to Cressida is actually rare,” Addi added. “Most of the Saeris on Cressida can trace their familial lines on the planet back to around the Year Eighty Thousand.”

“Closing their borders is a precaution,” Gabriel said. “There is something coming, and they are doing what they can to protect their citizens.”

Kannan nodded. “Cressida and Themis are the only planets that the Saeris do not have their claws in.”

“Have the Siphons made any statements on this?” asked Samirah.

“They don’t have to,” Aubrey said. “They stand absolutely no threat in this war. Standing against the Siphons is how you got extinct in this universe. Themis has always been closed off. They’ve never let outsiders in their system.”

“The incoming Saeris,” Jev said, “and Cressida locking down. They’re connected.”

“How can you be sure about that?” Zeb asked him.

Jev shrugged. “It is honestly just a hunch. But before the Siege of Astrid, Cressida briefly suspended all travel to and from the planet. There was a small force of Angels that were present during the Siege. There were also two Siphons. They were tasked with evacuating what was left of the Human and Zahren governments. They obviously failed, but Cressida was prepared if the Saeris chose to retaliate.”

“We can assume that the Saeris are planning another invasion of sort here on Aten,” Kannan said. “They wouldn’t be doing all of this if they did not have a goal in mind. With Cressida closing its borders; there is something in the works. We need to try and cause as much trouble as we can until whatever is coming happens.”

Samirah sighed. She fell into the nav chair. “I know we need to plan, but it has already been an exhausting day. The day isn’t even over yet.” She pulled her legs up into the chair and began unlacing her boots. She kicked them off. “We need to regroup. Figure out what we have and what we need. Figure out what abilities are going to help us and what mischief we can get away with.”

Aubrey turned to her console. She began tapping away on the screen. “I’m running a scan on the satellite orbits. I already have the data on the ground scanners. We should have a cartable path for the next rotation in a pass. I’m going to set up the autopilot on a grid and just have us fly through the upper atmosphere until then.” She turned back to face us. “I also have the scanners on an extended range. If anyone comes within ten klicks of us, we will know.”

Gabriel turned and slid down into one of the jump seats. They slipped their gloves off and stuffed the pair into their coat pockets. Chunks of dried mud crumbled off their boots. Like me, Gabriel was half-covered in mud. Jaymes pushed me towards the jump seats.

“Sit down,” he said quietly. “You look exhausted.” I didn’t try to argue. I fell into the seat next to Gabriel. I peeled my jacket off. Beads of mud were plastered all over it. My tunic was still damp from sweat and the rain. I slipped the medallion from my pocket. I flipped it between my fingers.

“Jev,” I said. He looked over at me. “Why did you give this to me?” I held up the medallion.

He shrugged slightly. “An electricity manipulator saved my life.” He held out his hands. Little white scars, lightning-like scars, inked across his palms and up his forearms. “They had given that to me and said to pass it to any other electricity manipulator I encountered. I saw you power your trekker. That power is so rare.”

“My father had a pendant like this,” I replied.

“I hope that it brings good memories.”

I squeezed the medallion. The metal cold against my palm. “Thank you.”