SUNBEAM ☼ CAROL DANVERS

I.

ON THE DAY that Dakkam dies, the birds wail all morning.

They know this is their last song, Katha Two-Of-Sun thinks. They sing us farewell.

She is in line with the rest of her terrified people as they load into their pods. Families shuffle into the largest ones, while single-riders like her enter the smallest, barely big enough to sit up straight in.

Katha had a family once. They have long since passed into the next life. She would have been allowed to change her title to One-Of-Sun after her brother Taglirr fell ill and died, but she felt it improper. She preferred to keep his memory alive.

She tries not to think of how their graves will be destroyed along with their world.

"Be strong, Katha," whispers Lanakk Three-Of-Moon, squeezing her arm gently. Lanakk had lost his family too, only a few years before Katha. There were many orphans on Dakkam. The plague that had wiped out a fourth of their population was only a harbinger of what was to come.

Pestilence. Floods. And now the death of their sun.

Even the oldest member of Dakkam's council was not immune to the horrors sweeping their planet. Honvave Elder-Moon had given the order of evacuation as she lay shriveled and dying. With her last breath, she begged her people to save themselves.

That had been two years ago. The Dakkam government had prepared quickly as they could. They watched the sky as pods were built for every citizen. Their population was small at one billion, and shrinking every moment as the world was ravaged, but creating ships that could sustain living beings for years was no easy feat.

"I will, Lanakk," she murmurs back. The line moves forward. "You must keep the faith as well." He has been a dear friend since childhood. She hopes he will survive.

He nods solemnly.

All the citizens of Dakkam are being sent not only to find refuge, but also to scout. Pods are being jettisoned in every direction of the galaxy. Once they find a planet suitable to their needs, they will call out to their brethren. Then, the Dakkamites will conquer.

Of course, there are risks. Some pods may spin off into the vastness of space, dooming its occupants. Others may crash on inhospitable land. And of course, native beings may not take kindly to a billion people claiming the planet as their own. But every Dakkamite has shown their willingness to fight for their new home.

The universe is taking everything from them. Do they not have the right to forge a new way for themselves?

Hiraith Elder-River stands in front of the loading dock. He grips the hand of each person who passes by, whispers words of comfort to them. Katha steps up and grasps his cold hand.

"Safe travels, Katha Two-Of-Sun," he rumbles. His voice is deep and tremulous as the rushing water for which he was named.

"Thank you, Elder." she bows her head. "I will search to the ends of the galaxy for our new home."

She moves past him and stares ahead at the sleek black pod that will be her home for the next light year. Her hands curl into fists and she wills herself to be brave. She rubs at her arm. The tight grey flight suit she has been issued is rough against her skin. Dakkamites prefer loose, flowing clothes, but such privileges can't be allowed when one is escaping death.

Someone screams behind her and she can't help glancing upward. The sun has been dimming for the past three years, and now with the light nearly out she sees it in all its oppressive glory.

A dark star, ready to die in a final burst of rage.

She looks back at the woman who screamed. The people around her are shushing her, drawing her close, but she will not be calmed. Her cries are loud and unending. Katha shakes her head and frowns in sympathy.

Going into cryogenesis in such a state will make for a rough awakening whenever she lands. She will wake in sweat and tears and panic.

Katha has been training for months to prepare herself. Even so, she is nervous as she steps up to where officials in dark clothing wait to help her into her pod. This is her home. Leaving in its hour of need feels like the worst kind of betrayal.

Gloved hands pin her long hair tightly against her head. They place the nubbins of the oxygen tubes in her nose and assist her into her cramped seat. There is little room, as it has been stocked with everything she will need upon landing. Several nutrient packs, transponders, a spare set of clothing, and dual blasters. They close the pod.

Katha stares out through the window. The last time she will ever see her planet. She tries to capture every detail in her mind's eye, though it's hard to see over the seething crowd. A slope of Father Mountain in the distance. Blue mist rising around Him and a flock of bright-feathered birds passing by.

She feels the liftoff, a rumbling all around her, and then weightlessness as she moves upward into the atmosphere.

The pod begins to fill with cryogenic fluid, and though Katha knows the procedure, it is still difficult to not panic as liquid covers her mouth and nose.

She closes her eyes, and the cold overtakes her.

☼

This chapter was very short and I apologize for that, it truly is more of a prologue than anything. I wanted to establish Katha's background before we really get into the thick of things. I hope you'll enjoy the ride!