"Trust"
Having retreated below deck, Hadea and the Phantom began racing down a hallway. A flurry of lasers chased after them.
The Phantom pulled Hadea in a room and slammed the door shut.
Ten seconds later, their pursuer blasted through the lock and shoved his way in.
Leaping from the shadows, the Phantom downed his opponent with a flying tackle, then knocked him unconscious with strikes as they hit the floor.
Hadea stepped forth quietly, watching as the Phantom secured a weapon and motioned for her to follow him.
They crept along a corridor with their backs to the wall. Throughout most of the ship, the lights were off and the rooms were quiet.
"So what about our discussion?" said Hadea.
"What?" The Phantom's eyes were full of tension and annoyance.
"Before we were so rudely interrupted, we were having a discussion about our future."
He glanced at her as though she'd lost her mind. "It's not exactly the right time for this conversation. I..." The Phantom jerked backwards upon turning a corner, narrowly avoiding a shot that hit the wall.
He returned fire, bringing a stack of crates down on his surprised attacker. As the weight pinned the man down, the Phantom swooped in and knocked him senseless.
Moments later, Hadea was tiptoeing at his side again. "I don't know if we'll ever get another chance to talk about this. And I'm not- -"
He shushed her with a waging hand. Soon afterward, the Phantom managed to creep up behind an opponent and whacked him across the head.
As she watched the third attacker fall, Hadea retook her place at the Phantom's side. "I'm not going to die without learning the answer to a certain question..."
He paused to catch his breath. "I'm trying to focus here."
Hadea let out an annoyed sigh. Then she crossed her arms, motioning to the right with her head.
His eyes followed along, spotting another soldier nearby.
One minute later, the Phantom reached from the darkness and pulled the man down, knocking him out within the shade.
Hadea continued. "It's a question that I've been asking for quite some time now."
The Phantom glanced back and forth, looking more preoccupied with the battle than he actually was.
"I've asked it with words, with looks, and with actions as well."
He squinted, running his gaze across the ship.
"I'm fairly sure that you know what I'm referring to...but if I must, I'll come right out and ask it again."
The Phantom began to grow red in the face. Where was an enemy when you really needed one?
Hadea paused, placing a hand on her hip. "Why can't you let yourself love me?"
He stopped in place, holding his back to her.
Hadea stared.
The Phantom lowered his weapon, took a deep breath, and finally muttered something from within the shadows. "I can't let myself love you, because I can't let myself trust you."
Hadea shook a little, looking genuinely stunned. Her voice had lowered when she spoke again. "Why not?"
He turned around with a surprised stare. "Have you forgotten our history — including the day we met? You took me captive."
"And offered you happiness."
"You took Jedda captive."
"And saved her life."
"You conquered the galaxy."
"And faced punishment."
He shook his head. "You can cite all the justification and atonement that you want. It won't change the past."
"You're right. It won't." She stepped forth and touched his arm. "So why don't we focus on the present instead?"
The Phantom opened his mouth, but said nothing, watching her with an apprehensive stare.
Hadea's eyes tensed. She quickly hugged the Phantom and slung him behind her.
As a shot began flying, the Phantom tackled Hadea to the floor.
Hadea grabbed the Phantom's weapon and fired on their attacker, swiftly dropping him where he'd stood.
Afterward, the Phantom and Hadea lay face to face, both eyeing the other with relief.
Once the last of the enemies had been defeated, the Phantom turned them over to the local authorities. A search for their transport was begun as well.
Hadea sat on a beach beside the Phantom, gazing out at the moonlit waves.
"You have my gratitude," he mumbled, "for saving me back there."
She brushed a finger across her cheek. "And now that I've saved your life, have I won your trust?"
"Trust isn't gained in a single night. It's something that needs to be earned over time."
Hadea turned to him with a suspicious stare. "I realize that our relationship will require work...but don't pretend that you can lay all of the work at my feet. I know that some of your trust issues have nothing to do with me."
The Phantom felt a shiver stir his spine.
"You admitted before that you have 'difficulty' expressing your feelings. I believe that I'm beginning to realize why." She lowered her voice, treading lightly. "Jedda told me about her birth mother. I've also learned about the woman you lived with recently.
"Both of them betrayed you in their own way, and I think that you're letting them define our bond," said Hadea. "I think that I'm suffering for the crimes that they've committed."
He averted his gaze.
"I told you that I'd be patient in those regards, and I will." Hadea paused. "But I need you to tell me something as well. Tell me that I'm not wasting my time. Tell me that I'm someone who you could trust someday."
The Phantom looked down at his hands. "I know that you have a heart, Hadea. I've seen your love for our daughter. I've felt your love for me. You're no mere 'villainess,' at least not anymore."
"If you truly feel that way, why don't you trust me?"
"Because to trust someone, I also need to believe that their love will prevail on most occasions. I need to believe that it will prevent them from doing the wrong thing." He looked over at her. "I'm not convinced that you're at that point yet...but I do feel that you could reach that point in the future. I believe that because I've seen the good in you."
For just a moment, Hadea felt something warm and unusual stirring within.
"I've seen it tonight, and on other occasions as well." He briefly cupped the side of her face. "And once all of these issues are resolved — once I'm able to let go of my past, and once my belief in your goodness grows stronger — I think that we'll be ready to explore what we're feeling right now."
"I'd like that," she said, looking him closely in the eye. "I want to show you that we can love each other. I also want to show you that love can last." She lifted her chin. "Look at Krotan and Jedda."
The Phantom glanced at the stars. "Do you think that will last?"
"I think the two of them are happy." Hadea nodded. "I'm certain it'll last through Vera's upbringing, and maybe beyond. They're in love, and that means they really might be together for good." She took one of his hands and held it between hers. "I think that we can find happiness of our own."
The Phantom held quiet while staring back. Eventually, his hand slowly closed around Hadea's.
Jedda snuggled against the bed and reached under her nightgown, rubbing her bared stomach with a curious smile. Upon hearing footsteps, she pulled the garment down and rolled onto her side.
Krotan stepped back into the bedroom, tightening his robe. "So they're each home now?"
"Yeah." Jedda sighed. "Fortunately, none of those Sky Band soldiers were a match for my dad."
He mounted the bed, laying beside her. "And the other matter?" He smiled. "How did everything end for them?"
Jedda grinned, letting her eyes wander. "I'm not so sure I'd call it an ending. Sounds more like they reached a new beginning."