Mother of Stars

Now We Wait - Skylar

The golden brown planet grew more imposing on the domed viewscreen as our ship approached. I glanced around, noticing how entranced everyone was. Kyrom wore a worried look, seemingly forcing himself to stare at the planet.

The viewscreen flashed, and there were dozens of the oval ships the Defect had used to help us escape. They swirled lazily around the ship as though we were going through some futuristic car wash.

"Stay still," the Defect warned. "The Fragment is scanning us. We must maintain the illusion that we are another one of itself."

I moved my eyes to meet Thayre's gaze. He gave the tiniest of shrugs. All this talk of the Mother and the Fragment was beyond us at the moment. I could only hope the aliens were smart enough to understand it.

The Fragment's ships scanned our ship several times front-to-back over the next five minutes. By the end, I was anticipating laser beams to start shooting from their ends. The viewscreen blinked again, and the ships were gone.

"We have been approved," the Defect said, sounding almost giddy. Everyone relaxed somewhat.

The Grephen on the table gasped suddenly, calling everyone's attention. Page held up her hands to indicate she hadn't done anything. Kyrom bounded down to that quadrant. "What's happening to him?"

The Grephen's eyes were still closed, but he was breathing easier now. Nylis craned her head off the table, then hissed as she clutched her chest wound. "It itches. I think we're healing again."

Kyrom broke a smile for the first time in forever. "I'll take all the good news I can get."

Thayre joined the group around the table. I followed him reluctantly when everyone else started looking at me.

"So, now what?" I asked, my voice conveying more doubt than I intended.

We all looked at each other in silence, a mutual understanding that there was no point making a plan when the Defect was inevitably going to do whatever it wanted.

Kyrom shook his head as he gazed down at Nylis. "I'm afraid I have to defer to the Defect. It knows far more than us about our situation."

He looked sideways at the ominous mannequins that were the Defect's bodies.

"The Fragment will collect this ship and bring it in for inspection. I am organizing an assault on the northern pole of the planet. If executed at the correct time, the Fragment will mobilize its defenses. Then, we invade the keep and steal as many fighters as possible."

Thayre faced the ring of Defects. "You're using the others as bait? Are they even going to have a chance at survival?"

"Their survival is not a priority."

"What?" I glared at them. "I thought they were your tools too."

"Their purpose as tools will be fulfilled when they provide the diversion. I will then have no need for them."

Thayre turned back and gave each of us a sorrowful look. "That's messed up."

"But my brother is with them!" I bared my teeth at the Defect as I crouched in an offensive stance. "There has to be another way!"

"There is no other way."

"I swear to god!" I made a lunge for the nearest Defect, but Thayre grabbed my arm and yanked me back to my place.

He leaned in close, staring me down like I was a criminal. "If you touch them, it'll be the last thing you ever do," he whispered venomously.

"We can't afford to provoke the Defect," he said through the connection.