Rebel Star - The Scarlet Insurgent

Chapter 1 - Descent

Twelve Years Later:

A fiery blaze flashed across the viewport as Celeris fell through the sky. Maeve stood at the nose of the cockpit, gazing out the large window with wonder as the ship hurled through the atmosphere. She had one hand pressed against the cool bulkhead, feeling the tremors that echoed through the hull. Her other hand was held against the pilot's seat below, holding her up so that her pale face came just inches from the window. 

Beyond the roaring flames, she looked out to the shimmering planet below.  The crystal oceans were perfectly still, untouched in their most natural state. The deep blue waters stretched across the horizon, on and on growing larger and wider with each passing minute as the vessel dropped through the air, it's gravity insisting that the old ship might dive deep into it's majestic sea. The sight of the alien world left her too awestruck to speak, so she stood silently, gazing out at the world with an expression of amazement and disbelief. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. 

"It's really something, isn't' it?" said the pilot from below. Charles Sen Bixie of Taza, or Charlie as everyone called him, tugged at the controls trying his best to steady the ship. He was a short, burly man, with a scraggly beard and a dark mop of hair he kept tucked below a tattered woolen cap. 

"It's very...different," Maeve replied. The ship jolted in the wind as it rushed past the hull. She staggered, catching herself with the seat as the hull tremors became more violent. Charlie grunted, fighting with the old ship to keep it's vector. Warning lights flashed across the console. 

"They had oceans on Earth, yes?" he asked, flipping switches across the various systems. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow. 

"I suppose we did at one point," Maeve shrugged. "I never got to see one."

The flames grew brighter. They plunged deeper still, hiding the stars behind a pale white sky. Captain Paris emerged from the hatch behind her, swinging the door open so that it hit the wall with a clang. He staggered, losing some of the tea from his mug but not his balance. 

"Charlie, You're giving me a headache," said the captain. "Our guest has about had it with your sloppy flying." He pointed his half empty mug in Maeve's direction. 

"Sloppy flying?!" Charlie protested. "It's not me! It's the ship!"

"No, I'm fine!..I'm just enjoying the view, Captain," Maeve assured as she stepped down to the deck. A pressure wave struck the hull. The captain was knocked back against the rear wall, losing more of his tea in the process. He glanced down at the mug, down at the puddle, and then dragged his boot across the mess, spreading it across the deck and into the cracks of the floor. 

"She's seen better days," he sighed. 

Charlie tugged at the yoke. The hull groaned as the engines began to roar. 

"She's a wild horse, Paris," Charlie said. "A bit playful but we'll tame her."

"I'll have our new mechanic take a look at the stabilizer when we get into port," said the captain. "How long until we set down?" 

"We're at 20,000 meters," Charlie said as he glanced at the gauge. The disk was mounted to the top of the console, a needle slowly turning counter-clockwise as the vessel descended. It didn't look out of place among the cluster of disorderly lights and displays that were mounted around the cockpit. 

"No need to rush. I don't want to go swimming today," he replied reaching over the pilot's chair and ripping the headset off Charlie's face. He held the mic to his chin as he spoke.