The two raced throughout the hive trying to find some way off. Through this room, down that corridor . . . Chiara quickly became even more confused as to where they were. They had been running for what seemed like forever, and Chiara stumbled somewhat, not used to so much physical activity. She didn't want to think about how long it had been since she had actually run, and she desperately tried to hide her weariness from Janus. Chiara finally had to stop though, she leaned against the wall, trying to keep herself from collapsing.
"Are you alright?" Janus asked, turning around and walking back towards Chiara. She nodded breathlessly.
"I'm just . . . tired, that's all," Chiara said. He nodded and waited with her for a few minutes. After awhile, Chiara gained back some of her energy. She stood up straight and then walked a few steps over to the wall, touching a small button-like fixture set there. As she did so, the panel sprang aside revealing a window. Chiara groaned as soon as she saw it.
"What is it?" asked Janus. Chiara wordlessly motioned him over and he looked out as well, letting out a sigh. They were in space. Chiara could even see a sun somewhere in the distance.
"Now what?" she asked.
" I don't know," Janus replied, thinking.
"I'm not going back; I can't go back, Janus! I don't care if we die first I am not going to give up once again," Chiara said almost desperately, grabbing his arm. Janus looked back at her, gently taking her hand.
"We won't have to, we will get out of here, I promise," he responded quietly. Chiara nodded, not quite completely consoled. After a moment longer of silence, however an loud alarm began.
"Amara!" Chiara said, banging her fist into the wall.
"Amara?" Janus asked, confused.
"Yes, she was a worshipper set to watch over me, I knocked her out but she might have woken up by now. Janus we have to go!" Chiara looked at him desperately. Janus gave a slight smile, standing straight up again.
"The darts!" he said, once again racing off. Chiara followed him, trying to ignore the stitch in her side that tore at her with every step.
"I don't remember your ever flying a dart before . . ." Chiara said rather warily.
"I haven't, and you?" he responded.
"Neither have I . . ." she replied, licking her lips slightly.
"Fine then, it'll just make things interesting," Janus said with a nod, trying to get his bearings. "That is, if we can find the dart bay . . ." Janus added. Chiara looked around.
"It's this way," she said, walking off down a different hallway. She sighed, remembering this section now. Just a few steps down the hall would be where Esmora's quarters used to be . . . Chiara bit her lip but continued on, now quite sure of the direction they were headed. She touched a panel on the wall, watching as a doorway sprung open.
"Here," she said with a nod, taking a deep breath. Janus followed her inside, swiftly walking up a step-ladder-like structure to a dart. Chiara turned at the sound of Wraith steps echoing down the hall. She stood there almost as if she were frozen. Her eyes looked almost wildly around. What if they couldn't get out in time, or the Wraith shot their dart down, so many things could go wrong . . .
"Chiara!" Janus called, motioning to the dart. Chiara looked at him and then back at the doorway. Swiftly she walked over to the steps, pulling herself up them and then seating herself next to Janus in the dart. As she did so the canopy above them closed and Chiara looked around. She panicked slightly as the canopy turned opaque, but quickly writing began scrolling on the top.
"Can you read Wraith?" Janus asked. Chiara gave a short nod in reply.
"They taught me," she stated simply. Janus smiled at her.
"Excellent then, how do we actually fly?" he asked. Chiara looked around, trying to read all the writing streaming about her. Her hand reached out and she hit a button on the console. A moment later they could both feel the dart lifting up and then out into space. Janus set his hands on the console, directing the ship away from the hive.
"Uh oh . . ." Chiara said quietly.
"What now?" Janus asked, turning toward her worriedly.
"It says that there are darts coming out behind us," Chiara explained, "fly down to the planet below, hopefully it's the same one as where you landed the gate-ship."
"Which way is the planet?" Janus then asked, trying to twist the dart away from where all the warnings were coming from. Chiara thought for a moment, still reading the writing.
"It should be . . . beneath the hive, down a long ways." As she spoke, Chiara felt the dart go into a nose-dive.
"What, are you insane?! We'll never be able to stop at this speed!" Chiara shouted, grasping onto Janus' seat which was right in front of her. Chiara felt the dart give a shudder as it was hit by a missile from the dart behind them.
"They're shooting at us . . . Even if I could land properly, we don't have the time to do so," Janus replied, trying to gain control of the dart back. Another bang. Chiara was knocked to the side by that one and they continued at their break-neck pace down to the planet below.
"Janus, pull up!" Chiara shouted as she saw warnings flashing all around them. Janus immediately attempted to do so as more bangs and warnings began sounding. Chiara closed her eyes to all the Wraith-writing surrounding them now . . . she didn't want to know what it said. She felt a huge jolt and her head hit the top of the cockpit. Then they stopped. She listened and heard the high-pitched humming as the darts began flying even closer now.
"Out!" Janus quickly said, slamming down on a button and leaping out as the canopy disappeared. Chiara hesitated for a moment, looking up and seeing at least three darts flying towards them.