The Prison of Luna

Thorne

THORNE thought that this was the stupidest plan since the one that got him landed in the Sahara desert.

Although, compared to this plan, the Sahara desert seemed like an enjoyable walk in the park.

He piled more cords over his shoulder.

This is crazy, a voice in his head told him.

But Cress is doing it, and if she can, so can you, another said.

But he's going to die, the first voice shot back.

So be it, it'll be among friends.

So you're just going to let him die?

Cinder made the plan, and we can trust her.

You've known her for a
month -

Shut up, he told them both.

Thorne walked through the hallways of the ship, bathed in red light. A bundle of cords was slung around his shoulder, certain cords Cinder had told him to gather. He felt like a chipmunk gathering for winter, but in his situation, winter was his imminent death.

He felt it a bit ironic, since Winter herself was dead.

"Carswell, are you ready?" Cress called from further up the hallway.

"Ready to be bait? Sure," he yelled back, and stood up from his scavenging. Then he mumbled, "not like we have the rest of our lives to live." As he walked to Cress, who had just as much cables and wires jumbled in her arms as Thorne did, he yet again had an inkling that she could read his mind.

"Carswell, you should really be more thankful."

"For what?"

"That we're still alive now, that we have a chance to help defeat Levana."

"And that we're together," Thorne added without thinking. Cress' cheeks went pink, but Thorne rolled with it. He leaned in and kissed Cress on the lips, then, just as quickly as he had started, he pulled away and swaggered down the hall. "Come on, Cinder'll have our heads if we don't get out there."

Cress followed after, blushing immensely.

They arrived at the escape pod dock at the end of the hallway, and prepared the first of three pods for detachment and embarkation. To Thorne, these just a bunch of fancy words for takeoff and go die.

Thorne took his usual spot, in the captain's chair. More like Thorne's chair, because Thorne was the captain.

He shook cobwebs from his head.

He started the engine and detached. Behind him, Cress held tight to her seat against the jarring of the pod.

Immediately, the Lunar ships began targeting them. Thorne did his best dodging them, but the pod was not nimble at all.

"Clearly this is not an escape pod made to escape a crazy Lunar queen."

"What pod would be?"

"A pod built by people who actually think ahead for
once -"

"Thorne!"

Outside the windshield, a particularly large missile was coming straight for them. Thorne swerved, but they weren't fast enough, and the missile skimmed them hard. Cress screamed. Thorne ripped himself from his seat and barreled to Cress. He wrapped his arms around her and braced himself as the missile swerved to take a second hit at them. Thorne held Cress tighter, she gripped his collar.

He waited for impact, but it never came.

Thorne wasn't sure how long he had been crouching there, his arms enveloping Cress. She was shaking and so was he.

"Uh, hello?" said a disembodied voice.

There was a pause, Cress peeled herself from Thorne's chest. Thorne asked, "God?"

"It's me, you idiot." Thorne recognized the voice as Cinder, but smirked despite her.

"That clears it up."

"Just get up, you're on a Lunar ship. I teleported you."

"Teleport?" Cress asked as they both stood.

"Mm-hm. Illegal on earth, very rare, expensive, and dangerous. I guess they're fine about it on Luna."

"Dangerous?" Cress said warily.

"Yup, but I saved your lives, so your welcome. Didn't make it easier when you were groping each other either. Plus it's fried, I won't be able to teleport anyone from now on. Now come up to the cockpit, you have the cords?"

"Yes," Thorne answered, gripping the cords over his shoulder.

"Good, now hurry, I need them."

The layout of this Lunar ship was similar to the one they'd been in, except a tad smaller, and much nicer. The hallways were all carpeted with pristine white carpet and the walls were likewise. The rest of the hallway bent out of sight, and was obscured by white light. It felt like Thorne was climbing the stairway to heaven, but, a more practical approach was that he and Cress were descending to ... well ... you know. This was one of Levana's ships.

Cress walked ahead, Thorne traveling in her wake.

"What does she need these for?" Thorne asked after a moment of silence, gesturing to the cords wrapped around his shoulder.

"Cinder went over that at least ... a hundred times," Cress answered indignantly, not bothering to turn around.

"Well, I forgot." Cress didn't say anything back, so Thorne began to whistle tunelessly.

"Here we are," Cress said a short while later, turning off into a door. Thorne followed after her into the cockpit. This room was much less extravagant than the hallway, but it was nevertheless much nicer than the rampion's or the other Lunar ship's. Cinder sat in the pilot's seat, seemingly alone.

"Cinder?" Cress asked, bewildered. "How'd you get rid of the guards? And where are Wolf and Scarlet?" Instead of saying anything, Cinder jutted a thumb over her shoulder toward Wolf, who Thorne hadn't seen, guarded by shadow. His bright green eyes glinted.

"Right then," Scarlet, who had walked through the door again, announced. "On with phase two."

Cinder stood, turning to them.

"Alright, Cress, we'd better get to work. Thorne, gimme those cords and go help Scarlet pilot the ship. Wolf, make sure no one troubles them."

Cinder was to Thorne in two strides, taking the cords, and beckoning for Cress as she walked to the hallway, and eventually, Thorne knew, the engine rooms.

He walked to Scarlet, who had already taken a seat.

"So -" Thorne began, but Scarlet interrupted him.

"If we're gonna work together, pretty boy, you're gonna shut up and do what I tell you to do."

"Alright," Thorne huffed, sitting down in the seat beside her, then took to mumbling, "aces, these women are gonna kill me."