Crash

Aria 7

I had decided that I'd already spent too much time on serva eight. Marching my way to my ship was easy. My helmet had a link to the ship so I could easily find it in a pinch. I classified this situation as a pinch. My ship looked even worse the second time around. The bay doors hydraulics were busted so the door hung open one thruster had a hole all the way through it and the other was missing all of its outer plating the entire thing had exploded outwards.

"I guess thalia was right." most of the damage was focused on the back side of the ship. Most of it I couldn't fix without some help and without going into the city. The city, where the vultures were. I cursed and climbed into the ship. I was hoping all the beacons and comms were intact. I put on my helmet and flipped the switch at the base. "Did Mark message me back yet thalia?"

"As soon as he received it, boss."

"What did he say?"

"He said to call him asap boss."

"We better do that then." the comms buzzed and it only took a few minutes to pick the comms up.

"Aria?!" I smiled at the sound of Mark's voice.

"Hey mark." a sigh of relief came from the call.

"Oh my god, did you seriously crash?" I huffed offendedly

"I did not crash, I was attacked by a vulture ship. They got a lucky shot in on my thrusters."

"Are you okay?" His concern made my smile widened.

"Aww you do care." I teased "I'm fine, just got a few stitches."

"Stitches!?" his voice raised an octave "you gave yourself stitches?" I laughed

"No, one of the locals found me. His grandmother gave me the stitches while I was out." I explained I regretted the last part as soon as I said it.

"Out?" Mark's voice dropped a little and sank into my seat. "Like outside the ship or out cold?"

"Uh-" i didn't even finnish

"Nevermind I'm on my way." my breathing stuttered

"You what? You are at the station! Who's gonna be in charge?"

"I'll leave bumi in charge." my expression dropped

"Really? You are gonna leave bumi in charge?"

"... okay i'll have alita help him out. No buts though i'm coming to get you myself, i'll be five days minimum." he stated confidently

"The station is six days away but i'm holding you to that. Oh and mark?" he hummed "just fair warning the locals here don't really like terrens, i already caught some crap about being half terren." he groaned over the comms

"Great, well." he sighed "I guess they are in for a surprise then." I grinned

"You bet, i'll keep the comms connected to my helmet ill answer if you hail." I stood up from the chair wiggleing feeling back into my feet.

"Okay i've gotta go, love you aria."

"Love you too mark." the coms clicked once

"Call ended." this monotone voice stated i sighed

"Thank you thalia."

I worked for the next few hours on the ship repairing what I could slowly create a scrap pile of what couldn't be repaired. The left engine is the center of the pile. It slowly got surrounded by burnt wire and busted paneling.

"Why is it always me?" I groaned a wire sparked at me. I swore loudly and kicked the side of the ship. A spike of fear shot through me, it took me a moment to realise it wasn't my own. "The curse of an empath." I sighed spotting the small animal in the brush I sighed and sat down leaning against the ship. I had never been good with my own emotions, so being able to read others was a problem. That problem was gone when i was in space and there's no one around but fei for miles. The little creature crept towards me slowly as I calmed myself. Its twin tails twitched back and forth it's little orange eyes cautious. "Hi buddy." I held out a hand and the little creature sniffed it before nuzzling into my hand. I ran a hand over its back feeling the little spines under its fur. "Like a hedgehog." I murmured. The creature made a little thrilling noise. Pain flared in my left foot and I frowned. I nudged the little creature onto his back and he squealed "sh, i know i know." I said quietly I scooped him up and made an effort to make the little thrilling noise I made before it sounded a little strangled but it calmed him a little sliver of metal was stuck in his little three toed foot a wave of guilt washed over me. "Im sorry buddy." I plucked it out of its foot, wincing at the pain he felt. I set him down and brushed a finger along his spine "there you go buddy."

"You know it thought you were lying about the empath thing for a bit." startled I looked up, the little animal scurried behind me and thane stumbled at the edge of the clearing. I drew back my shock as quickly as I could.

"I'm sorry!" I cried quickly then brows furrowed "im sorry, emotions go both ways i didn't mean to." The little creature was curled against my hip. I brushed my hand over its back and it relaxed "sorry." I said one more time.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have startled you like that." he wandered forord the little creature eyed him cautiously "normally bruca don't like people." He kneeled a few feet away and leaned around me to get a peak at it.

"You wanna see him?" Thane looked surprised. I smiled and picked up the little burca petting it in my lap. I held out a hand and thane gently placed his hand in mine. I slowly pulled him forward; he shuffled towards me eventually settling next to me, his leg pressing against mine. The burca had backed up and sat on my opposite knee. I pet it with my left hand while I held thanes hand in my right. Eventually i got the burca back into the middle of my lap i lifted my right hand still holding thanes and brushed a finger down its spine it sniffed thanes hands twice and made a happy thrill. "You can pet him now." I let go of thanes hand.

"You are really good with animals huh?" I shrugged

"The empath connection helps a lot, I haven't used it this much in a while." the burca hopped off my lap and we watched it scurry back into the brush. I leaned back into the cool metal of the ship.

"Why?" I glanced over at thane to find him frowning after the burca

"I'm usually in space for my job, or at the station even then I'm only around a group of maybe fifteen pepole tops." thane glanced over meeting my eyes.

"Must get lonely." I raised a bow

"Do you get lonely out here?" he shook his head

"I'm used to it." I raised a brow and he smiled "ah, you are used to it." I smiled

"Well my break time is over." I stood up and resumed replacing the burnt wiring. Thane was happy to just sit and chat with me occasionally passing me a fresh coil of wiring or a durrian wrench.