Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
The council's containment measures were laughably inadequate.
Lunar moved through the shadow barriers as if they were mist, his essence having evolved beyond the simple constraints designed to hold traditional shadow-dwellers.
Four cycles of time had passed since his confinement began, four cycles of pretending compliance while secretly preparing for escape.
His only reprieve had been when they brought him to the Twilight Belt to question him with Dani and Solar.
He flowed through the final security checkpoint, the guards oblivious to his passing. Earth had taught him subtlety beyond what the people of Lunaris could imagine. His essence had become something new, not merely shadow, but the spaces between, the negative space that even darkness overlooked.
He moved through the shadows of the Citadel's lower levels, avoiding the few guards standing watch. Lunar had memorized the patrol patterns during his confinement, identifying the precise moment when security would be most vulnerable.
Solar waited at the predetermined location on the edge of the Twilight Belt, his golden form dimmed to avoid detection. Beside him stood Dani, tense with anticipation.
"You're late," Solar observed as Lunar materialized.
"The council added tertiary containment protocols," Lunar explained. "They’re suspicious."
"With good reason," Dani muttered. "We're basically committing treason, right?"
Lunar's form rippled with amusement. "My people have no concept equivalent to treason. Only functionality or non-functionality. We will simply be classified as the latter."
"Great. Defective aliens. That's much better.
" Dani's sarcasm had become familiar during their shared confinement on Zorveya. It became quickly evident that she hadn’t expected to be treated like a specimen during her time there, but that is exactly what happened. She’d spent most of her time locked indoors in the Twilight Belt.
"The transport is prepared?" Lunar asked Solar, ignoring her commentary.
Solar nodded. "Dani convinced Galaxy Brides to provide access. They are eager to avoid further complications with Earth operations. They have been surprisingly cooperative once Dani explained the alternatives. "
"Threatened is more like it," Dani corrected with a smile that reminded Lunar of Poppy's determined expressions.
"Turns out they're not exactly licensed to be dropping aliens on Earth. I suggested they might face consequences if certain regulations were enforced. I have no clue who those regulations are made by, but hey, it worked. I figured everyone has to answer to someone. I also had them send a message to Eclipse that we’re coming home. I can’t imagine how worried Poppy must be about you. "
"You have my appreciation and I wish to hear more," Lunar acknowledged, "but we must depart immediately. The council has scheduled a special session regarding Earth containment protocols. Our absence will be discovered within six standard units."
The small transport vessel waited in an unused maintenance bay, its systems already primed for departure. Perhaps Bob and Gary possessed more intelligence than Lunar had initially calculated.
"We must leave the atmosphere before the orbital defense grid activates," Solar cautioned as they boarded. "The response to unauthorized departures is aggressive."
"Define aggressive," Dani said, strapping herself into one of the seats.
"Molecular dispersal," Solar replied, taking the pilot's position. His light-dweller training included flying.
"They'll shoot us down?" Dani's voice rose in alarm.
"Only after issuing three standardized warnings," Lunar assured her.
"Oh, well that's comforting," she drawled.
The transport's engines hummed to life. The sound immediately triggered alarm systems throughout the maintenance bay. Solar overrode the automated docking clamps that attempted to engage.
"Security response in four units," Lunar reported, monitoring the Citadel's communication channels.
The transport lurched forward, scraping against the bay doors as Solar forced them open. Alarms shrieked throughout the facility as they broke free of the Citadel's confines and accelerated into the night sky.
"We have company," Solar announced, the sensor display showing multiple pursuit craft launching behind them. "Defense grid activating."
Lunar extended his shadow essence into the ship's systems, diverting power from non-essential functions to the engines and shields. The vessel responded sluggishly, not designed for such maneuvers.
"I thought Galaxy Brides said this thing was fast," Dani shouted as the ship shuddered under Solar's evasive maneuvers.
"They are known to exaggerate certain performance metrics." Lunar checked the control panel.
“You mean they lie,” Dani said.
“That would be accurate,” Lunar agreed.
The pursuit crafts were gaining rapidly, their weapons systems charging as they closed the distance.
"They wouldn't really fire on us, would they?" Dani asked, knuckles white as she gripped her restraints. "I mean, Solar's practically royalty in the light zone. I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason I wasn’t put in a test tube."
"Former status is irrelevant to security protocols." Solar pushed the transport to its limits as they climbed toward the upper atmosphere.
The first warning flickered across their communication system. "Unauthorized departure detected. Return to designated coordinates immediately or face destruction."
"First warning," Lunar noted unnecessarily.
The vessel shuddered as one of the pursuit craft managed a glancing shot against their shields. Systems flickered, the power fluctuating as the transport struggled to maintain integrity.
"Shields at sixty percent," Lunar reported. "Atmospheric boundary in fifteen."
The second warning came as they breached the upper cloud layers. The darkness of Lunaris gave way to the faint luminescence of Zorveya's upper atmosphere.
"This is your final warning," the automated system announced. "Compliance is mandatory. Destruction protocols engaging in ten units."
“What happened to three warnings?” Dani shouted.
Solar's form blazed with concentration, his golden light pulsing as he channeled energy directly into the ship's systems. The transport lurched forward with sudden acceleration, throwing them against their restraints.
"Five units to orbital boundary," Lunar counted down. "Four. Three."
The defense grid appeared on their sensors. It was a network of energy weapons positioned in geosynchronous orbit around the planet. Designed to prevent unauthorized entry, the weapons were equally effective at preventing escape.
"Two. One."
The grid activated, energy beams lancing toward their position with lethal precision. Solar banked sharply, the transport groaning under stresses it was never designed to endure. One beam grazed their port side, alarms blaring as systems began to fail.
"Hold on," Solar shouted, his essence flaring as he poured his own energy into the ship's failing shields.
Lunar did the same, extending his shadow essence to absorb and redirect the incoming energy. For a moment, he and Solar achieved a perfect balance of light and shadow, working in harmony to create a protective barrier around the vessel.
The moment stretched, time seeming to slow as they passed through the grid's final targeting zone. Then, suddenly, they were beyond it, the defense systems receding behind them as they broke free of Zorveya's orbit.
"We made it," Dani breathed, her face pale but determined. "We actually made it."
"The council will send pursuit vessels," Lunar cautioned, unwilling to celebrate prematurely. "And our transport has sustained significant damage."
"Can we reach Earth?" Dani asked.
Solar and Lunar exchanged glances, a silent calculation passing between them. Neither one of them bluntly answered her question, opting instead to shield her from the full gravity of their situation.
"The dimensional drive remains functional," Solar confirmed after checking the systems. "However, calibration will be difficult without optimal energy balance."
"Translation for the human?" Dani requested. “Don’t sugarcoat it.”
"The ship is equipped to handle a long distance jump. We can attempt to implement the dimensional fold to Earth," Lunar explained, "but it’s dangerous without the coordinates to a safe landing zone. The trajectory calculation becomes imprecise. We need Eclipse to guide us to the right location."
"Imprecise," Dani repeated flatly. "As in, we might end up on the wrong planet?"
"As in we might end up scattered across multiple dimensional planes," Solar corrected. "Our energy signatures would be distributed across an infinite number of potential realities."
“Theoretically,” Lunar added.
Dani closed her eyes briefly. "Of course. Because this wasn't terrifying enough already."
Suddenly, she reached into the bodice of her space suit. She pulled out a small object and handed it to Lunar. “Does this help? Gary said to give it to you once we were safe.”
Lunar activated the small energy stone. It didn’t have much data on it, but it did have the coordinates.
Poppy had received Galaxy Brides’ message.
She was waiting. He felt his energy amplify.
The resonance between them stretched across impossible distances, becoming his fixed point in the universe.
“I know we’re not safe, but—” Dani said.
“It helps,” Lunar interrupted. “We have a target.”
Lunar moved to the navigation console, his shadow essence interfacing directly with the ship's dimensional calculator. “I can compensate for the missing twilight energy by modulating my shadow signature to approximate certain frequencies."
"That's not possible," Solar objected. "Shadow cannot mimic twilight."
"Not traditionally," Lunar agreed. "But Earth changed us both. My shadow essence has evolved beyond standard parameters."