Setting Fire to the Stars (mxm)

Chapter 22: Anchor

**note: this chapter contains profanity, references to past bullying, and blood.**

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Lauren
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"Ugh, come on!"

A grunt left me as my foot connected with the cockpit door. The white surface groaned beneath my boot, as though I was disturbing a beast from its slumber.

Our crash landing had left the ship without power, the door to the outside world subsequently sealed shut. Synth had already tried activating the control panel next to the door, but it was ultimately pointless without a working power source. It didn't help that it was extremely hot inside the cockpit.

"Goddammit!" I shouted as I kicked the door, the curse leaving my lips before I could stop myself.

"Calm down, Lauren," Synth advised, squeezing my arm. "Wasting energy is not going to get us out any faster."

"Then what do you suggest we do, huh? We are literally seconds away from having an entire alien armada come down on us, and we're trapped inside a giant metal sauna!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air in frustration.

"We will think of something," she assured me cooly. "But we cannot afford to lose our heads right now. Just take a deep breath and try to think logically."

Clenching my jaw, I inhaled deeply to calm my nerves. After a few seconds, I released the breath slowly.

She was right, of course.

Since waking up aboard the Vesphirae, my emotions had been steadily unraveling. This whole situation with the Emperor was bordering on insanity. Now with every second we wasted trying to escape our metal prison, the enemy was closing in. We were so close to freedom that the thought of being recaptured now sent me spiraling out of control.

My heart pounded away in my ears like the beating of a drum as I searched for another way off the ship. The lights of the computer were dark, the black screens reflecting my scowling face back at me almost mockingly.

Without any power flowing through their circuits, the ship was a lifeless chunk of metal. The cockpit was illuminated only by the clouded sunlight filtering in from beyond the windshield. My gaze landed on the glassware. Fortunately, the front of the ship hadn't been submerged in the ground, the dirt and debris falling away from the cockpit window as we rolled to a stop.

"You think we can break through that?" I motioned towards the glass with my head.

Synth tilted her head upward, before nodding slowly. "Maybe. It is made of reinforced siochrone glass. We will need something significantly powerful to break it. That or we could blast the door down with the gun we stole, but that will take longer and no doubt draw more attention."

"Can't we just shoot through it?"

Synth pinned me with a look like I was crazy, rolling her eyes at my puzzled expression. "Siochrone glass is designed to reflect xet bolts both inside of the ship and out. If we tried to shoot it, the bolt would ricochet off the windshield."

I glanced down at my hand, wondering briefly if I could use my powers to get us out, like that kid on that 80's style Netflix television show. I'd managed to do something similar to telekinesis, recalling the way that I had launched Adamas violently against the wall. Maybe this ability, wherever it had come from, could do more than I had even imagined.