The Outcasts: Rise Of Bonez

17 - Dead Stars And Hopeful Hearts

With the pirate ship heading safely in the opposite direction, The De Vil Rocket made its way towards Ribernal, where they planned to save their friends from the villainous Skeletal and AV4X. With the vessel gliding across the vastness of space, Black Star and the others sat anxiously, waiting patiently for their hopeful reunion with the rest of their team.

Everyone seemed to be tired and worn out, having been on their journey for some time now. The heroes were determined to stay awake throughout the trip, but it was hard for them to remain alert, especially when there was nothing to do.

As Fast Maker piloted the ship, Centa and Rift sat together in the cockpit, discussing the recent events that had occurred in their lives. The pair seemed to get along fairly well, though Centa remained silent most times. While he didn't say much, the two did seem to enjoy each other's company, which was something they both appreciated.

Meanwhile, Lola sat alone, thinking to herself. She'd been quiet since the start of their journey, rarely talking or interacting with anyone else. Her mind was filled with worries and concerns about her family, hoping they were okay. Overcome by emotion, she broke down into tears, holding her breath as she did.

No one really noticed, however, except for Sapphire and Enzo, who slowly approached their teammate. With a gentle touch upon her shoulder, the two heroes tried to comfort Lola, whispering words of encouragement in her ear.

"It's alright, Lola..." Sapphire spoke, patting the young woman's arm.

"We're going to get them!" Enzo added. "They'll be fine once we find them and help them."

Lola looked up at them, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Slowly, she nodded, smiling weakly as she held back the sobs. Steadying herself, she smiled at the two heroes, nodding at them as she wiped away her tears.

"Thank you..." she whispered. "You've both been very kind to me..."

"Don't mention it," Enzo told her. "That's what we're here for."

As the duo returned to their seats, Lola peered out of the window she was sitting beside, admiring the stars. At the same time, Batsy was thinking up a plan of action, feeling confident that they could defeat their enemies. If he could come up with a good strategy, perhaps they would have a chance against the villains, even if their odds weren't great.

Plus, there was always hope, right?

As the rocket continued to move through the Jyntrent System, heading for the planet known as Ribernal, it soon came across a large stretch of asteroids floating through space. The heroes glanced at each other, surprised by the sight, before turning to Fast Maker.

"An asteroid field?" he questioned, looking over the various space rocks. "This is going to be trickier than I thought, XLR8, man the cannons."

XLR8 quickly obeyed, taking one of the seats close to the captain before taking hold of a lever. As the Bramnium smirked at Ben, the other heroes tilted their heads confused, unsure of what exactly he was going to do.

"What's happening?" Centa asked him.

"If they're blocking our way, we'll blast right through them," Fast Maker replied.

In an instant, XLR8 activated one of The De Vil Rocket's cannons, firing off a shot at one of the asteroids floating nearby. To their surprise, the rock disintegrated into a million pieces, becoming nothing more than smoke and dust.

"See?!" Fast Maker exclaimed. "Now we can make it through!"

The heroes stood, astonished by the quick thinking of the pair. Soon, they cleared themselves a path, moving ahead without any issues. As the ship glided through the asteroid field, the group cheered, knowing that the mission was going smoothly thus far.

Soon enough, a variety of dead stars came into view, causing the heroes to marvel at their beauty. They were so captivated by the sight, that they barely paid attention to anything else. Some of them were a pure whitish color while others were more black in nature.

The ship passed each star, sailing through space as swiftly as possible, with the heroes in awe at the sights around them. There was no rhyme or reason to any of them, just a beautiful arrangement of stars, floating freely throughout the galaxy.

Soon they found an exit from the asteroid field, and away from the dead stars, allowing The De Vil Rocket to continue its journey.

Finally, after what seemed like what felt forever, the planet of Ribernal came into view. With its pink and greyish-white appearance, the planet looked alluring, almost inviting. The heroes couldn't wait to set down on the planet's surface, where they would hopefully find their allies.

"Aah~! We're here!" Fast Maker shouted, prompting everyone to look at him. "Our destination has finally arrived! It's time to rescue everyone!"

Batsy let out a sigh of relief as he watched the planet come into view, glad to see that they were making progress. He hoped that everything would go well.

Once the ship neared the planet, Fast Maker and BECKI worked together to pilot the ship into the world's atmosphere and towards the surface. The heroes sat, watching as the pink sky took over their view, with them spotting the several swirling clouds above them. After a few minutes, the ship began to descend onto the surface of the planet, coming to a stop in a lifeless, dead biome. The ship's engines came to a halt, leaving the room silent as the heroes looked out at the ground below.

"Okay, everyone gather round!" Batsy called out, his voice echoing across the room, causing the heroes to scramble to form a circle. "Now, before we head off, I'd like to say something."

Everyone turned to face him with curiosity, awaiting his words.

"First of all, be aware of your surroundings, we have no idea what's out there. BECKI is scanning to see if the air is breathable and safe, but there are no guarantees. Second of all, stay quiet, keep your voices low. We don't want to draw any attention. Lastly, stick together. I've had a few ideas. Instead of splitting up, as Ben suggested, I think you, Fast Maker, should run around the planet, looking around for where AV4X's ship may be hidden. That way, we won't need to split our forces, and we can all take care of this situation together. Sound good, everyone?"

After a brief pause, the group nodded, with Fast Maker agreeing as well.

"So, you're just blindly going after King Skeletal?" Graviton asked, making himself known.

"Yes, that seems to be the best, and only, plan we have," Batsy replied, looking at the others.

As the group stood in silence, BECKI's holographic face appeared from Fast Maker's watch, informing them that it was safe to breathe the air.

"We can proceed," she said. "No threats detected, but be careful. If you encounter any living things, leave them alone. Ribernal is known for having ferocious creatures."

With that, the heroes thanked the A.I, before then getting themselves prepared. Apollo grabbed his bow, holding it tightly in his hands and ready to use. Centa cracked his knuckles and double-checked the gun in his holster. Batsy and Black Star discussed strategy, while Fast Maker and the others moved around the interior of the ship, making sure they had everything they needed.

"Alright everyone," Batsy said once more. "It's time to move out!"

And with that, the heroes left the ship, taking one last glance at it before stepping outside.