Galactic Gambit

Chapter 6

Neo, Fynn, Pax and Reiyna had been travelling together for seven days. Seven days spent tirelessly avoiding her tall, dark and much too handsome engineer. Given they were all stuck on a ship together, it wasn't an easy feat. She tried to keep her interactions with him to a minimum, but it was impossible to completely avoid him and his occasional flirtatious comments that only made her think he was exactly what she thought him to be. Someone looking to add another tally to their score board. She spent most of her time either in her quarters, or on the flight deck watching the stars speed past and keeping an eye out for any more space creatures that may be lurking about, even though it wasn't likely or common. The rest of the trip, however, was uneventful.

Neo felt like she was making some improvement with Reiyna, though. She was at least talking to her more, not about herself or opening up about anything of importance, but rather talking shit in a friendly way that Neo could appreciate. It reminded her of Rhea, and she missed her more with each passing day, and that only made her feel lonely.

However, her loneliness was soon forgotten when they began nearing their destination. Pydania was a relatively small planet that orbited two stars, crossing between them like a figure eight. One was a red giant and the other a blue dwarf. Neo had spent her downtime during the trip researching the planet to know what to expect when they got there. She discovered that Pydania's yearly cycle lasted seven hundred and forty-two days. When it was in orbit around the blue dwarf, it had a warm temperate climate, much different than the long winter it endured around the red giant, but when it passed between the two planets at its closest point, it experienced a blistering hot and night-less summer lasting two hundred and fifteen days. Luckily for them, they were entering while it was in orbit around the blue dwarf.

Looking upon the brightly contrasting colors of the planet's suns, her excitement began to stir. Yet another of her dreams was becoming a reality. The wheel was slick with sweat beneath her hands as she held tight and began their descent. The battered ship shook as it entered the atmosphere and flames licked the sides of the hull. Reiyna braced herself as Neo ordered her to engage the landing thrusters, and when they touched down, the ship thudded roughly onto the landing base. Something she knew she would need more practice with. Of all her simulation training, landing wasn't something she had practiced often, especially given the differing levels of gravity. Going to a planet was even more of a far-off dream for her than flying was, so she didn't think she would ever need to. But here she was, landing her own ship on a planet that she had no preparation for. What fun.

Neo rushed from the flight deck to her room and grabbed her pack and her weapons, holstering one on her thigh and her rifle on her on her pack. With everyone ready and waiting at the door near the flight deck, Neo took a deep breath and opened it. Sunlight filled the space as the door parted and Neo threw a hand up to shield her eyes and used the other to guide her down the metal steps.

Dust was still swirling through the air from landing and the earthy smell of it filled her nose. She walked to the rail that surrounded the landing base and looked out upon Pydania. With the brightness it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Neo deflated ever so slightly, as it was not all that she had hoped it would be. It was barren, nothing but a stretch of crisp orange dirt the color of rust. Still, she savored the warmth from the sun as it shone down on her, making her rethink her jacket. Too late for that, not taking it off, she thought to herself. The rest of the crew gathered at the railing alongside her as she scanned the horizon and took it all in.

The blue sun was different too, she had noticed peering up as much as she could at the way the light filtered through the atmosphere in wavering shades of blue. Reiyna came up beside her and bumped her shoulder against hers. "Is it everything you thought it would be?" she asked with a smirk playing across her face.