The Twilights: The Basics of Secrets

Chapter 4

Jay

Brie closed the ramp just as Azura and I landed onto The Glory. Azura fell to the ground as Brie put the ship into full force and hauled us away from the Zarion ship. Russ was in the gunman position firing at the ship behind us. I had to help Azura back to her feet and led her over to a bench and sat her down next to Livia.

"As soon as we dock, take her to Luna," I instructed Liv. She nodded her head. I let go of Azura's hand and walked to the front of the ship to where Brie was flying madly to escape the Zarion.

"Did you get it?" she asked me.

"Wouldn't leave the planet without it," I told her. "I'll take over for now; you'll be needed once we dock."

"No worries, already told Tor to prep to jump." Brie said as she slid out of her seat. I took over the flying as we broke the planet's surface and entered outer space. "How we looking, Russ?"

Russ got down from the gunman position. "They retreated, but they'll be back, I reckon."

"Well we won't," I told him.

A small speck aimlessly floating in space came into view. As it came closer, I saw the full outline of The Spirit. I slowed The Glory down and got it into docking position. The hanger door was open with a green shield covering the opening to keep in the oxygen and gravity inside The Spirit. The Glory smoothed past it and landed in the cramped space. Brie was the first to quickly get off and she bounded up to the pilot's chair to fly us away from Sugloria. Russ and I had to also run off quickly and man our firing positions, in case the Zarions came back.

Part of me felt awful for leaving Azura with Livia, but I needed to. A huge part of me feels horrible for involving her in this mess in the first place. I took my seat in the firing position at the rear of the ship. I could see three Zarion shipfighters coming off the planet. I called Brie over the intercom as she announced she was preparing to jump. As soon as the starfighters came, they faded away and The Spirit went into hyperspace. I leaned back in my chair and pulled the capsule off of my belt. The metal object burned from the cold, but I held onto it. I just hope Brie was right about it being worth it.

I got up and went to meet her. She and Tor were sitting in the pilot and copilot seats in the cockpit.

"What the hell sort of idiotic mission was that?" Tor fired off as soon as I sat in the seat behind Brie.

"Hello to you too, Tor." Tor's small body didn't even touch the ground. He pressed a button on the side of his chair and turned his chair to face me. He folded his short arms across his chest.

"I mean seriously, what were you thinking? The mission was foolish enough as it is and you go and bring a teenager into it."

"More like the teenager led the mission," Russ said as he came into the cockpit and sat down next to me.

"Thank you, Russ, really need your opinion right now."

Autopilot was now engaged and everyone was facing each other.

"The point is, we got the capsule and the disk," Brie said calmly.

"And an extra passenger," Russ grumbled.

"We were going to ask her to join the crew anyway," Brie told him.

"Since when did we, the crew, agree to this?" Tor demanded. Brie looked up at me to tell them.