Happy Wednesday.
I'm not going to bore you with my ramblings, I have a broken finger and typing is certainly a challenge!
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Ultraluckycat _ you know what I'm gonna say... so I won't
Hope you all continue to enjoy this story.
Chapter 12 - More Powerful Than You Realize.
"Regina, explain" David demanded as soon as he entered Sickbay.
"It is hard to do so."
"Try." David sat next to Regina while Killian leaned up against a wall. "I had security sensors going off all over my Bridge, a sub-space distortion forming in my ship, and the integrity of my warp field was being compromised."
Regina was startled at the results. "I am sorry. It has only happened a few times. The only stable one I created was just after Zelena left to go in search of her cure."
"How?"
Regina was helpless to say. It was beyond her. "I don't know. I just thought of where I needed to be, and it opened. I tried to do it again to get to Killian and Emma when they were dying on the bridge of the Olympus, but I couldn't."
The men looked at each other. Regina was becoming more and more a stranger in her own body with the increase in her power from Zelena.
"This last incident?" David asked, uncertain if he wanted to know.
"Emotions. She was emotional." Graham took the initiative from Regina.
Killian just swore and David stood up and paced. "Let me get this straight. If you get upset, you can open a distortion field between my stable decks and the space outside, decompressing my ship?"
"No!" Regina cried indignantly. "I wasn't upset. Graham and I were discussing some Eminent history and it got to me. I wasn't upset, I was feeling."
"Well, get your feelings under control will you?" David demanded.
"Aye, Captain," Regina replied in a hard voice.
"Dammit! Don't 'Aye, Captain' me! Just do it!" David looked at his friend and partner. Regina actually smiled at the firm David. "Think about flowers or some pansy shit! Relaxation techniques, or something."
"Aye, Captain," Regina grinned. David just swore, and stomped to the door. "Killian!"
"David, wait." David stopped at the door and turned around at Regina's request. "I just got a communication from the Doyrilia system. Their system would like to hire us to retrieve salvage lost in a neighboring Nebula during an ionic storm."
"They can't do it themselves?"
Regina shrugged. "Apparently not. Their ships aren't equipped to handle the ionic disturbance that still exists, and raiders are bearing down fast."
"You drink tea, and practice flower arranging or something, and I'll plot a course to the Doyrilia system." David pursed his lips, and rubbed his scar. "I'm assuming you already accepted the job."
Regina looked at Graham, and both men started laughing. "Yeah. Thought we could use something normal to do."
"Damn straight. By the way, Ruby is working in Sickbay with Graham, and Mary Margaret has offered to do shifts in the galley."
Regina just smiled. She had known this. Since Emma set her sisters up with mobile cloaking fields, her life was less strained.
…
When Killian's shift ended, he went to find Emma. She was in their quarters with Belle, working on the translation of the red manuscript. As soon as he entered, Belle quickly excused herself and scurried out.
"What did I say?"
"Nothing. Belle has spent years in isolation. It's hard for her not to feel out of her element around others, and especially around men." Emma quickly stacked the manuscript and pages into neat stacks. Killian hated the clutter.
He went into their bedroom and then to bathe. Emma could hear him moving around. Knowing the time, he was back early.
"Is it your turn to cook tonight?" Emma cursed herself under her breath for not paying attention. If she had to eat Will and Killian's cooking, she might just have to kill herself.
"No. We picked up a new wreck. I'm on duty for salvage, so I've got time off until then to rest."
"Really? What system?"
Killian leaned back in the tub and shut his eyes. "Doyrilia."
"Been there. They aren't an admirable people. They would sell their own organs for extra credits."
Killian just huffed. "Sounds like another mission where I'll have to keep an eye on Will. Sounds like his type of people."
Emma slowly walked to the large tub and unfastened her clothing. The sound of rustling made him open his eyes as her garments dropped.
"Are you going to share?"
Sleeping with her every night, he was becoming accustomed to her nude form. But in the dark and at night, it lacked the impact of seeing her standing unabashed in front of him.
When he moved back in the tub, she shook her head no. "I want the back. I'll wash you." He moved forward and felt her slide in behind him.
"This is getting difficult, Emma," he mumbled. She picked up a sponge and slowly made movements across his skin. He leaned his head forward and moaned. He was so gone. She knew exactly what she was doing. "I hate it when you tease me."
Emma moved closer to him, whispering in his ear. "It doesn't feel like teasing to me."
"Then what does it feel like?" Killian asked softly. "Because to me, it's bloody damn close to torture."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean..." Emma rested her head on his wide shoulders. "I don't mean you harm, but every day this compulsion to touch you gets stronger and stronger, and perhaps I am weak."
Killian just snorted at that. "And I am interested in becoming Will's lust interest."
"Really?" Killian could feel her mouth stretch into a smile.
Killian turned and made a threatening look at her. "Emma," he warned. She just laughed and went back to washing his back.
Killian reached behind him and grabbed her hand and the sponge. They stared at each other unmoving. Killian refused to hesitate.
"Sooner or later, love, this...courtship will end. You know that, don't you?" Emma tried to avoid his eyes, but he grasped her face and forced her to see him. Only him. "We can't go on like this forever on the verge of something else. When I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it, it will not be because of any trickery; it will be because you want me. And it's getting closer every day."
She didn't say anything, simply taking the sponge back to continue washing his body.
When Killian woke hours later, it was early morning, but the bed was empty on her side and the rooms silent. She had left again.
Cursing, he was up and out of the room, stalking to the landing bay holding her ship. Standing in the doorway, he was relieved to see it was still there. She hadn't left the ship.
David didn't even look up when Killian entered the Bridge.
"She's in the gym."
Killian didn't even acknowledge his brother. He left and headed for the gym they used for combat training and exercise. Standing in the door, he watched her for a while. She was blindfolded and moving in a fluid motion. The movements reminded him of his childhood lessons of self-defense. They were fighting movements, but she performed them with an unconscious grace and movement.
On his world, the movements were swift and violent. She did them slower, with the precision and the grace of a dancer.
"What are you doing?"
Emma took off her blindfold at his voice. Looking at him, she motioned him forward.
"Exercise."
"I woke up and you were gone again."
"So you ran to check on me?" she demanded, surprised and a little hurt.
"Aye," he answered angrily. "I thought I'd better make sure you were still on board, and didn't just run away when things were tough."
"I didn't run away last time," she shot back quickly. Killian's look of disbelief made her admit that part of her did. A guilty look crossed her face; she hadn't intended to worry him. "I'm sorry."
Killian shook his head. "That's not good enough, Emma. You don't say good-bye, you don't let me know you're okay, and you're sorry? The only thing you're sorry about is that I keep crowding you, and making you want to run again."
"That's not true!" she insisted. "I came back as soon as I had the information I needed. I'm not running. I'm just exercising."
Killian refused to back down. The disbelief in his face was apparent as his arms crossed his chest and his stance became unyielding. Watching his jaw clench, she had a desire to kiss it; to kiss him. To run her teeth against his jaw and feel the prickle of his facial hair.
Killian glanced around the room, appreciating the emptiness except for them, but he didn't move. "Why, Emma? What's happening between us? We both want it, but we can't go any further. What the hell is going on?"
"I got scared," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Of me?" Killian was shocked. If she could control him any better, he would be her personal whipping boy.
"Of us," she answered defiantly. "I woke up this morning and I wanted to touch you, to run my hands all over you, taste you and never stop. I panicked."
Killian's mouth twitched, but his voice was very even, "Let me get this straight. You left because doing something I'd kill for, something you desire as much as I do, scared you?"
A half-smile crossed her face at that, but she shook her head. "I left because I suddenly felt like I was..."
"Like you were what?" he asked when she didn't finish. "Being smothered?"
"Like I was... yours."
Killian looked at her in shock, there was some sadness in his voice as he asked, "Would that really be so terrible, love?"
"At this time, right here, right now? The thought absolutely terrifies me," she responded honestly.
"Then explain this to me," he said, puzzled. "Why do you stay with me and sleep with me if I scare you? Why don't you cut me off? Are you feeling guilty?"
"No! I was feeling lonely," she answered softly. "I missed you so much when I was gone! A few weeks ago, the thought occurred to me that I could destroy us both by giving in to these feelings I have for you. That you'd probably not appreciate me throwing it away. But I'll have to do that, Killian. My destiny...what I must do...is very clear. And I can't stand the thought of losing you, of leaving you. But I will leave you. I will lose you. These thoughts scared me a lot more than the thought of being with you. I realized you have enough power over me to make me want to choose you over my duty. To stay with you. I'm afraid if I give in to this, if I'm with you for a moment, that it will be a moment too much. I wanted to explain and try to get you to forgive me..." she stopped for a moment, then went on. "I'm crazy about you, and you make me regret not being born Areenian, not being born free. Make me regret my duty, even though I know my life will end soon."
"And that's it? I'm supposed to just let you decide for the both of us? I'm supposed to open my arms and welcome you to sleep with me, touch me, tease me with no chance of ever having you?" Killian asked, sarcastically.
"No. I know it's not going to be that easy. I'm going to be here for a couple of months. I was just hoping we could see each other a little. But, I guess I'm coming to understand that it's impossible, and I'm being unfair to you. See, if there was ever any chance..."
"Go to hell!" he said, very deliberately. Turning on his heel, he could hardly wait for the door to open and started out.
Halfway through the door, he stopped. For a full minute neither of them moved. Finally, he stepped back into the room and watched as the door shut again.
"FUCK!" he shouted, still facing the door. Turning around, he said in a bewildered voice, "What do I see in you?"
"I have no idea," she replied.
At that, he chuckled and leaned back against the door. "Bloody hell, Emma..." he said softly.
She walked toward him, hesitantly, afraid he would reject her. He didn't move as she came closer. She continued walking until she was pressing him into the door and then, raising up on tiptoe, she kissed him tenderly. He didn't push her away, but he didn't respond either.
After a moment, she moved away from his mouth, kissing and nibbling on his neck. Completely passive, he let her do as she liked.
Giving up, she pulled away, "You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?"
"No," he responded. "Why should I?"
"Are you going to stop me?"
He smiled at that. "No..."
"But, you're not going to help."
"What do you want from me?" he demanded.
"I want you," she answered. "I want you to make me forget there can never be a forever for us. I want you to be with me no matter how long, and not stop me from doing what I must when the time comes."
"Fine," he answered, flatly. "If that's what you want." He noticed she hadn't moved. Trying to keep a straight face, he looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked innocently.
"You really are a bastard, Commander," she commented. He wasn't supposed to accept it so matter of factly. Her short life and imminent death should mean more than an end to sleeping together, being together.
"Not exactly what you had in mind, huh?" he asked, still trying to keep the humor out of his voice. "How about this?"
With a single movement, he reached out, took her arm and swung her around. Turning with her, he pressed her into the door. As he moved against her, he reached down and tugged her leg up, guiding it over his hip. The entire maneuver had taken less than two seconds.
Smiling at her gasp of surprise, he leaned into her. "Better?" he growled softly.
When she nodded, he captured her lips with his own. As their kiss deepened, he reached behind her and tugged at her exercise clothing. Once her shirt was open, he pushed it off her shoulders, then followed the material with his lips and tongue as it slid down. He didn't stop until he had her breasts exposed.
Emma shuddered; from the cold or from his lips she wasn't sure. She just knew how good it felt to feel the scruff of his facial hair against her naked breast. She couldn't stop herself from thrusting her chest out more, offering herself to him.
Catching a nipple between his lips, he teased it gently, enjoying the plumpness of her flesh and her soft whimpers of desire. Feeling her pull her leg away from him, he raised his head, wondering what was wrong. She looked at him with darkened green eyes, serious and emotional. Realizing that she was still afraid of what they were becoming, he bent down and took her mouth in another deep kiss, not giving her room to worry or even breathe.
Leaning toward her, he nuzzled her gently, inhaling her scent. He reached for her, planning to pull her into his arms and open her to him, but she reached down and pushed his hands away.
"Don't," she whispered, "Please... I want you, but not this fast." She had to be kidding. If they went any slower, they would be standing still.
Standing up straighter, he started to lean back into her. She put her hands up, holding him away. When he held still, she moved one hand lower, caressing him through his pants. After a moment, she lowered her other hand and quickly unfastened his slacks and freed him, moving her hand inside to stroke him. He closed his eyes and groaned.
Watching her through half closed eyes, he smiled when she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "Don't stop. You're doing fine."
It was hard to imagine her needing any encouragement. Her hands in her sleep had mapped and moved over his body for weeks and weeks. She was a demon in her sleep. Looking at her serious face, his smile faltered.
"Emma, is this what you want from me?"
"I'm not certain what I want, and what I can have." She moved away from him and refastened her clothing. "I never thought to be in this situation. I never thought to find anyone that could make me wish not to have my duty. You...you confuse me. Confuse things."
"You want to stop?"
She started at that. "No! No, I don't. I want to go on with you, but maybe slowly. We talk, we kiss, and we sleep together, so maybe we could add touching, or more touching, and see where that leads..."
"I could draw you a diagram where I want it to lead, love," he said with a smirk that made her want to melt.
Emma laughed at that. "I think a diagram isn't necessary. I've very clued in here."
Killian refastened his pants. She was good. She had him unfastened in seconds flat, and that was nothing, if not encouraging.
"Okay, we do this your way. Slowly. But, I need a promise from you."
"What?"
"No more running away."
Emma laughed at that. "Okay. I'll leave at least a note."
Killian didn't smile back, instead he grabbed her roughly and up tight against him. "No notes. You wake me. You talk to me. I might have to give you up sooner or later, but until then...you're mine."
Emma said solemnly, "Partners?"
"Partners."
"Okay. So how do we start?"
Killian thought about it for a moment. "How about you tell me about this exercising you were doing?"
"Kataan? It is a dance form. It teaches strength, balance, harmony, and concentration."
"It looks like battle stances and movements from my world. But you move too slowly."
Emma frowned. "I don't!"
"You do. An opponent could overwhelm you with a simple movement."
Emma just snorted. "You equate greater strength and size with success and power. Any person's strength and size can be used against them."
Killian's eyebrow raised. "Really? Then show me."
They spent the next hour having Emma toss Killian around the mats easily and without effort. He was breathing hard and she was hardly sweating. He remembered how when they first met, she unarmed him and tossed him easily.
"How are you doing that?"
"The bird that fights the wind, falls to the downdraft."
"Oh shit, not Eminent parables from you as well!"
Emma laughed. "Sorry, that was from my mentor N'al. To fight a strength greater than your own is to fall under its power, but to channel your opponent's strength against them makes them forced to do the work, while you reap the benefit."
"Okay, no riddles. Just show me."
They worked for another hour as Emma and Killian practiced the moves together, moving fluidly and in tandem. Will found them and watched, amused. They looked so strange. Killian was so large with Emma so tiny, moving in identical movements.
"You're moving too slowly." The two of them stopped and looked at Will. Almost in agreement, they both moved towards the door to leave.
"You think?" asked Killian.
Will just charged, not giving Killian a chance to retaliate. Killian easily flipped Will with barely a flick of his wrist. Looking at Emma, he was surprised to see her approving look. Who would have thought?
Killian snickered at his downed friend as he led Emma out of the gym.
…
Killian had just turned when the com unit sounded. Emma made mewing noises and pushed herself harder into his back. Neither of them was willing to wake up and answer the hail, until finally Emma gave in.
"Yes."
"Killian?"
Emma sighed. Figures. "Killian...Killian, it's for you."
He just made a noise and refused to wake up. Dammit, he always did this!
"Just a second," Emma told the person on the com.
Moving up close and personal to his back, she kissed the back of his neck, and moved her hand around from his back to his chest, and downward. She knew the moment he became more awake. He held himself still, seeing how far she'd go.
"Stop faking. The com is for you."
Killian groaned, and turned to reach over her. "We'll finish this later."
Emma just giggled at his rough voice. "Yeah?"
"Killian, I need you in the command room."
Killian groaned. David. Of course, it would be David. His brother had little regard for his sleep. "I'm on my way."
Emma started to get up as well. Killian pushed her back into the bed. "Uh uh. You go back to sleep."
"I'll freeze without you. I'll just come along."
"Emma, go back to sleep. I'll tell you what it's about later."
"Partners, remember?"
"Not that kind of partners, Emma."
"I'm going."
"You're not."
"Am."
They argued all the way to the command room.
David showed extreme patience until finally he interrupted them. "If you wouldn't mind, this needs to be decided soon, and your personal squabbles need to be shelved."
Killian looked at Emma nastily. "See? See what you did?"
"Me? You said partners! And partners means..."
"Enough!" David's hand hitting the table hard had them jumping. "There is no time."
"Sorry, David. Continue." Killian gave Emma a warning glare.
"We need to detour to the Slocenus system. We received a distress hail from the Haven, but I want to send the first salvage team ahead to the Doyrilia system."
"Why separate us?" Killian asked with a curse under his breath, as Emma kicked his ankle under the table when he purposely turned in front of her blocking her view and thus, her ability to participate.
"A ship caught in an ionized Nebula as a salvage operation needs immediate attention. But I also can't ignore a call from one of the largest battleships the Royals possess."
"Excuse me? Distortion fields?" Emma asked with considerable attention to detail in each word.
Killian said to her in a quiet voice, "Don't know everything, huh?"
Emma whispered back in not so soft a voice. "I was so going to fuck you, but now? I think I'll do Graham instead. He's nicer."
"I am," piped up Graham.
"No, I'm better," Will added, smiling charmingly to Emma, and wriggling his eyebrows.
Killian just glared at his friends while David just gave them all a warning glare.
"Killian, you take Will and the Apollo. We will meet with you on the ruling planet of Zion, or seek you out in the Nebula."
"Full recovery team?"
David nodded at his brother. "I'd send more, but I don't want that many men out there unprotected."
Killian nodded. Pirates, raiders, and generally nasty individuals would be after them, and without the Enchanted as an overseer protecting the Apollo, it could be a bumpy ride. They would have to try to recover the ship itself, or at least the cargo. They wouldn't know what the Doyrilia people wanted until they arrived.
"I should go with them."
Both Will and Killian said 'no' emphatically and at the same time, Killian looked at David, who shook his head.
"Sorry, Emma," David said. "Killian is the commander of this mission, so you stay here."
"Fine," Emma huffed, refusing to look at Killian. She tuned out the rest of the talks about the recovery and the rendezvous. Making eye contact with Regina, she discreetly gestured her to follow her out. "Since I'm not involved, I think I'll go find somewhere to sleep. Excuse me."
"Emma!"
She kept walking, ignoring Killian calling after her. Leaving the command room and walking through the Bridge, she waited for Regina to join her.
"Are you alright, Emma?"
She smiled ruefully. "I'm fine. Look, Regina. Tell me about the distortion fields."
"Why?"
She hooked her arm through Regina's and led her to the lift. "Just humor me."
…
Killian finished making plans with his brother and followed Will out of the conference room. Looking around on the Bridge, he had hoped to find Emma there, messing with sensors, pushing buttons, and generally creating havoc. She was not.
"Will, I'll meet you and the team on the Apollo."
"She'll be ready to deploy in less than an hour." Will patted Killian on the shoulder. "Go find her."
"Right." Killian walked off fast to find Emma, hoping she went back to their quarters. Will watched him leave and just shook his head. This love crap was a curse.
Killian didn't find her in their rooms. They looked exactly the way they had left them. Quickly changing and finding his gear, Killian ran a scan of the ship looking for her. Nothing.
Oh, no way! He left their room in a run, and quickly went to her ship. Breathing in relief, it was still there. Killian couldn't help but feel suspicious. Going to the Apollo, he boarded.
Will seemed surprised to see him there. "That was quick, mate. You smooth things over?"
"I couldn't find her."
Will laughed. Emma was a slippery customer.
"August," Killian called out, "check the smuggler holds and other areas before we take off. I don't want to find a stowaway."
Will laughed to himself, as August asked, curiously, "Lady Ruby?"
"No. Emma." August looked a little crestfallen, but went off to quickly comply.
"What the hell was that about?" Killian could feel his irritation level rising.
"Most of the men think of her as a sort of mascot. She is into things, but she has a way of finding workable solutions, and they like that," Jefferson said as he settled into his co-pilot's seat.
"Great." Killian grimaced. Who the hell were they working for anyway?
"Don't sweat it, my friend. I'm sure she's just avoiding you, and not sleeping with anyone else." Killian just growled at the suggestion.
…
"Regina, you look so much better."
"Thank you, Emma. I do feel better. Now, tell me why you wanted to know about the distortion fields."
Emma finished replicating them some coffee, and went to sit next to her. Both Ruby and Mary Margaret were obviously asleep this late in the night.
"You've never opened a corridor before Zelena transferred her power to you?"
"Never," Regina agreed as she took a sip of the coffee and grimaced at the bitter taste. She preferred tea.
"Creating a corridor is something my people did. It is a form of phase shifting."
Regina stopped drinking. "What are you saying?"
"I don't think it was you, not consciously." Emma moved forward in the chair.
"Then what is it?"
"Think Regina. Eminents speak like our Dlohesha priests, and they are ascended. Their essences are all that is left of them. They left their corporeal bodies, and transcended to another plane of existence. Before that, they phase shifted until they lost cohesion, the ability to retain a physical form."
Regina looked curiously at Emma, trying to understand what the blonde was saying.
"Distortion corridors are the first step of phase shifting," Emma added.
"More like your people?"
"Eventually, yes, but something more advanced than anything naturally occurring in this universe."
"You are advanced," Regina said in some confusion.
Emma just shook her head no. "I'm more like you, all of you, than I am like the Ancients. They have been gone for so long, and so much of what they were and the things they understood were lost. It wasn't until the Dlohesha order began that we were able to collect all the remaining knowledge we had and safeguard it for our futures. We took a step back, and we were finally beginning to evolve upward towards where we once started when the Dark One came."
Regina couldn't comprehend what could have been lost. Emma was a mythical woman, one that at times seemed to hold so much knowledge and understanding, and at other times was such a child, unknowing and curious.
"Do you think this could be because of you, because of your presence here?" Regina asked, looking at her sideways.
"I don't know. I don't think so."
"The first time I did it was just after Zelena left on Nassoz V. I didn't meet you until after that."
"Maybe our mystic waves, or whatever, are connecting, calling out to like matter, to the same power," Emma speculated, unsure why Regina was developing traits only known to her people. Then again, she was an Eminent One, one with immense power. Regina was as much of an enigma as she was.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because … I can teach you how to use it."
Regina was suddenly interested, and not so tired. "You can open distortion fields?"
"Since I was about three." Emma shrugged. "I'm the Alarch de Prin'c. I can do that and so much more, but there is also so much that I cannot do."
Regina stood up and paced the room, picking up objects as if to test their weight to throw. She sat them down, and slowly breathed to calm herself before she lost control of her emotions again and opened a distortion field.
"I used to dream of stopping the Dark One and freeing our universe," Regina confided. "I believed at one point I was the only one capable of doing this. That is different now, with you here."
"Nothing is certain, Regina. Nothing is written. Who knows where our paths will take us. We can only tread the one with have been burdened with." Emma stood up to leave and she squeezed her shoulder. "I have faith all that will come to be is what should be."
"Why?"
"Because if I don't, what else do I have but a death sentence."
…
Emma wasn't surprised to see David outside in the corridor when she emerged from Regina's rooms.
"David," she greeted.
"I wondered where you went." David followed her into hers and Killian's quarters. "Killian looked for you."
"More like he wanted to make sure I didn't stowaway on his precious mission."
David made a face. This was true. "Give him a break. He's just trying to keep you safe."
"And who keeps him safe? The Enchanted won't be there to help him out if raiders attack."
"What are you suggesting?" David asked, his eyes narrowing at her, already suspecting what she was saying.
Emma just smiled at the man. "Since you asked..."
"Just tell me what your plan is."
Emma laughed. She was obviously becoming very predictable to this man.
…
They made the Slocenus system in good time. The Enchanted came to rest beside the Haven, the ship that had at one time housed Regina and still sailed as flagship to the Royals. The Haven had suffered a severe malfunction with its isotope core and more than half the ship was filled with leaking, deadly, noxious gases that could putrefy a body from the inside.
The gases could not be ejected into space as this could form nebulas that were dangerous to all surrounding planets. The Haven's engineer and half of its ranked crew were suffering from isotope poisoning. Philip, the captain of Haven, was baffled at how the core had leaked. He reassured Regina a diagnostic on the Haven had been completed two days before the core erupted, showing no signs of weakening or eroding. It was a mystery as to why the incident had happened.
It took three days for David and Robin to stabilize the Haven's core, and two more for Graham to be satisfied he had saved as many of the crew as he could.
They stayed for as long as they could, but it was finally time for them to head towards the Doyrilia star system.
"Captain!"
"Yes, Ensign," David acknowledged as he settled into his chair on the Bridge of Enchanted.
"We've received a distress signal about the Apollo. She was under attack. Captain... she went down."
…
