Chapter 8 Aera
Two blue blasts of light smash into the Solcrue’s chest, then a third snaps his head back. He topples back, motionless. The gun falls from his hand.
My body shivers violently from the effort of smashing into him. Evo stalks down the corridor, eases the fuel cell back into the chamber, and twists the locking bar like he’s done it a thousand times.
“Stay here.” Evo steps over the body of the Solcrue lifts his rifle, and fires again, taking down another Solcrue. His communication lights up in my visor.
Evo>>Local: Hunting Solcrue, Life Support Emergency Power System. Two down. Will report when clear.
His boots are silent against the metal floor, even though I know he has to weigh at least ten times what I do.
The way he moves, with caution but power like he’s on a mission of revenge, has me captivated.
He is precise as a CyberGuard. His rifle flashes, taking down each additional Solcrue with a single shot.
The blast echoes by me with startling force, yet he doesn’t flinch.
One shot. They get one.
The Solcrue that reached for me got three.
I study the body before me again, realizing there’s a part of Evo that hated this one more than the others. He wanted to make sure he was dead. Two to the chest, one to the head is an Omega Force tactic that Evo clearly doesn’t need to use. But he chose to.
When I look back at Evo, his virile body disappears around a bend. Blue flashes periodically light up the dark passageways. He didn’t say he was clearing. He said he was hunting.
I’m not sure, but I’m getting the feeling that Evo has taken personal responsibility for me.
“Aera, are you hurt?”
The voice that’s suddenly overhead makes me shiver in surprise. A Titan kneels before me, over the body of the Solcrue like it doesn’t bother him to be so close to the dead or the enemy’s blood. But I can’t sort out what's happening. Evo can’t have moved that fast. I point down the hallway.
He smiles and taps the badge on his armor, lighting up Eon. “Evolution is my twin. It’s easy to confuse us. Chameleon is also too many characters for a digibadge.”
Eon offers me a hand. “He will come back for you. But let’s get you among the Titans again. You are safer with us.”
He helps me up and guides me back to the group. “We are almost operational. So I have to ask, how did you know?”
When we enter the chamber that’s filled with flickering light, I motion to the door. “Emergency light went off. If it was low on power, it would only be dim. Someone broke the circuit.”
Eon guides me into the center of the group. “Quick thinking.”
A deep voice comes over the coms that’s so similar to Eon’s that I worry I might get the twins confused. “Six Solcrue down. Bodies evacuated. Returning to Life Support now.”
A stream of orbs drifts into the room as Evo returns. A Titan forms from the feet up and holds his shape, his armor gleaming with a digibadge that reads Atom.
“I’m about out of fuel,” Siphon says.
Sarge disconnects his cable from Siphon. “Save it. We might need it later.”
Diesel does the same.
“Oxygen is still limited but rising,” Evo reports from where he rests his hand on the life support control panel. “There’s enough to get them to our location, but we’re going to need to replenish their supply soon.”
“Is it safe?” I ask.
Evo’s lips part like he wants to object, but his eyes flash with light, and he nods.
I hesitantly lift a hand to my helmet and open it. The air is thin but improves with every breath.
“Can I go now?” I ask.
“Yes.” Evo releases the control panel and begins returning to his regular metallic shade. “Castor is staying behind to guard. Eon?”
Eon steps back from guarding me as Poppy joins us.
“Hello, Aera. I am Poppy. We have not yet met.”
She tries a smile, but it is more teeth than I expect.
“Uh, hi.”
“I need to work on this happy gesture.”
“Anger suits you better,” Diesel chuckles from where he and Sarge charge the Life Support system.
“Eon and I will check out the bridge,” Poppy tells me before turning to Evo. “Go make peace.”
Evo sighs through his nose, but doesn’t object as he guides me out of the room. As we leave the doorway, I realize I haven’t thanked the Titans who brought life back to my colony’s ship. I catch the doorframe and lean back inside. Castor, Diesel, and Sarge glance at me.
“Thank you.”
I don’t wait for their response because I’m eager to see if anyone is left. The other crews from Rebel ships now fill the hallways with litters, medical bags, and rifles on their backs.
“We can’t get in,” a woman calls to us from down the hallway. “It’s not that the system is down, but that it’s DNA-coded.”
I push through the people. “I’m coming! It’s a Solcrue protection measure.”
“That wouldn’t stop them,” the woman says.
“I know. But it would slow them down.”
“Raven...” Eon stops beside the woman as Poppy heads for the cockpit. “Be careful, beautiful.”
She looks up at him with love and adoration. “You too.”
I slide in beside the access panel and remove my glove. “You two are together?”
Raven laughs softly once. “Yeah. He literally snuck his way into my life. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
While I’m curious what it’s like to date a Titan, I do have other priorities.
The panel scans my trembling hand. But I’m talking to her partly out of curiosity, partly to distract myself from the fear of what we will find.
I am worried about Isa, Brodin, and Charlee the most. “I never thought of humans and Titans... together.”
She snorts. “It’s a good fit.”
Evo coughs and looks away as he stands behind me. He rubs the back of his neck like he’s uncomfortable.
“Voice code required,” the door says.
“Fire under my wings. Fury in my soul. Solcrue will reap what they’ve sown.”
The door clunks as the airlock splits open, and the doors peel apart. Daken turns around like he’s drunk. His eyes are sunken, and his breathing is labored. He fights to lift his rifle. “Who’s there? Stay b-back!”
Evo gently takes the rifle as relief overwhelms me.
“Daken!” I rush in and draw him into my arms. “It’s Aera. We made it. I found the Titans. They had human Rebels. We brought supplies.”
“Aera…” Daken folds his arms around me, but he’s so weak that it makes me choke up. “So many are gone.” Daken breaks down. “I’m the only one left who can stand.”
I brace his head to my shoulder and struggle to catch him as his legs give out. “We’re here, now. You can rest.”
Evo helps me steady him as Daken cries into my shoulder.
Rebel and Raven lead the others past us and inside. Over Daken’s shoulder, I see the rest of our colony sprawled out on the floor, clustered up in groups to stay warm. Many lie with their faces covered. Several children’s cries echo through the room. Atox pats my shoulder as he passes.
When Daken finally staggers back, Evo catches him and helps him sit on the floor and lean against the wall before handing him a bottle of water and a hydrolyte gel packet. “Sip both, so you don’t reject it.”
“Thanks.” Daken takes the items with shaking hands like he’s been given the best gift ever. His hazel green eyes are bloodshot, no doubt from lack of sleep. He’s put himself on guard duty.
I squat beside him and help him twist off the caps to both items when his hands aren’t strong enough.
“Took a good hit to the head,” he remarks.
“Solar storm shredded the ship. I almost died. Evo saved my life.”
Daken savors a taste of the gel and a mouthful of water, then leans his head back. “I can’t believe you made it. I was out of hope and just waiting to die.” He languidly searches the room with his eyes. “You had better find Isa. She didn’t have long last I checked.”
I run a hand down the side of his pale face. The coolness of his skin concerns me. “Are you good for now?”
He nods. “Go.”
I get up and start weaving my way through the crowd. “Brodin?”
“Aera...” A hand reaches for me as a stretcher passes. Charlee looks up at me. “You made it. Thank you.”
I barely grasp her hand before she’s carted away.
Evo watches her leave, then turns back to me like he’s waiting for my command.
But I’m suddenly frozen in the middle of the mayhem.
More people call my name and weakly thank me, like I did something special.
I want to tell them it wasn’t me. It was their sacrifices, the sacrifices of my squadron.
It is all the Titans and human Rebels here with us.
But mostly, it was Evo, risking everything in the solar storm to rescue me from my ship.
But we made it. And yet that relief clashes with my sickening hate over the depravity of the Solcrue and the life they dealt us.
Evo eases up behind me, slides an arm around my body, and whispers in my ear, “Save this feeling, but do not linger in it now. Go find your friends in case they do not have long.”
I find the strength to walk through my people and take the hands that reach for me.
I reassure them help is on the way as Titans and Rebels come in and get them wrapped in hot packs and blankets, then loaded on stretchers and headed out to warmer ships.
Many will not survive, but they will die knowing they saw their brethren rescued by the Titans, the way things were supposed to be.
Evo stays at my side the entire time. He helps get people ready for transport and call out the most critical ones for the teams to pick up. A few will remain behind on Centurion with me as we transport the ship back to the nebula for repairs.
Then I hear my name from a familiar gruff voice. I frantically search for him and find him in a distant corner. “Brodin!”
I try to move through the clusters of people and Titans helping my family, but I’m off balance and trip on a pile of blankets. As I’m about to face plant on the floor, a strong arm loops around my waist and catches me.