Chapter 2
Jagger was sitting in her small room, playing with the functions on her high-beamed laser gun, when there came a knock on her door. She stood and slid the gun into the special resting pouch on her belt for it. The person knocked once more. "I'm coming." She mumbled, pulling the door open. There was young Commander Hofston, smiling. Jagger returned a small smile, trying to be nice. "Yes?" The commander looked around. "I need to talk to you." She leant against her doorframe, waiting for a lecture. He shook his head. "No, I mean inside." "Oh, all right." Jagger stepped back to let him in. "I didn't just come here to.pay a visit.as you say." He looked embarrassed. "I came to get another person for my crew." Jagger blinked. "OK.?" He paused, realizing she wasn't catching on. "I'd like you to be in it." Jagger looked deep in thought. "You could do mechanics and co- piloting." He said slowly. She looked at him. No wonder he was embarrassed, he was admitting he needed help, and desperately since he didn't even know her all that well. "Really?" He nodded, almost reluctantly. "I talked to your boss and he's fine with it.we can leave immediately." She tilted her head to the side before nodding. "All right." She stood and looked around. The young man watched her. "You don't have much, so it shouldn't take too long.my crew will come and help you bring your stuff to the ship." She bit her lip. "Can you give me an hour?" He nodded before walking out. Jagger had a strange feeling, but she ignored it. Deep inside, however, it just wouldn't go away.
After finishing packing and saying her good-byes, she was headed down the hallways, hands shoved into her pockets. The commander and his crew took all of her things for her, so all she needed to do was get herself on that ship and they'd be gone. She turned a corner, running her hand along a wall before stopping and closing her eyes. Memories came flying back to her of her parents and herself. What am I doing? She asked herself. My own parents left and I decided to stay here? She never quite understood why she chose to stay on the Abol until now. This was her home. She had lived here her whole life, so when her parents announced they were going back to earth, they gave her permission to stay as long as she kept in touch. I can't just leave with these strangers. She told herself and shook her head, deciding she wasn't going. Her thoughts, though, were shattered unexecpetantly as there was a violent shake on the station. Jagger was thrown forward roughly, but found herself caught in someone's' arms. The young commanders' eyes stared down at her with an expression of puzzlement. "What was that?" He asked. "Are you OK?" Jagger nodded as he helped her stay on her feet. Soon after, everything was calm again until alarms sounded. "Thanks!" She yelled over the blaring horn-like sounds coming from every direction. "No problem, but what's going on?" Jagger shook her head. "That alarm means that we've been either attacked.or..or something, but I forgot." The commander stayed calm, but in a split second he pushed her to the side, supporting her on his other arm that didn't have the gun raised. A blue laser shot out past her, hitting an alien and making it fall back. Pink ooze poured out of the wound, a foul smell filling the hall almost immediately. Jagger stared in horror, clinging to his arm. Never in her life had she seen something so ugly and disgusting. Commander Hofston put her on her feet once again and pulled her down the hallway, both breaking into a run. "Why did you kill that thing!? It could've been someone visiting!" Jagger yelled. "Do tourists always have guns raised to you?" He yelled back. Without a moment's hesitation, she drew her gun as they turned another corner.
Jagger was sitting in her small room, playing with the functions on her high-beamed laser gun, when there came a knock on her door. She stood and slid the gun into the special resting pouch on her belt for it. The person knocked once more. "I'm coming." She mumbled, pulling the door open. There was young Commander Hofston, smiling. Jagger returned a small smile, trying to be nice. "Yes?" The commander looked around. "I need to talk to you." She leant against her doorframe, waiting for a lecture. He shook his head. "No, I mean inside." "Oh, all right." Jagger stepped back to let him in. "I didn't just come here to.pay a visit.as you say." He looked embarrassed. "I came to get another person for my crew." Jagger blinked. "OK.?" He paused, realizing she wasn't catching on. "I'd like you to be in it." Jagger looked deep in thought. "You could do mechanics and co- piloting." He said slowly. She looked at him. No wonder he was embarrassed, he was admitting he needed help, and desperately since he didn't even know her all that well. "Really?" He nodded, almost reluctantly. "I talked to your boss and he's fine with it.we can leave immediately." She tilted her head to the side before nodding. "All right." She stood and looked around. The young man watched her. "You don't have much, so it shouldn't take too long.my crew will come and help you bring your stuff to the ship." She bit her lip. "Can you give me an hour?" He nodded before walking out. Jagger had a strange feeling, but she ignored it. Deep inside, however, it just wouldn't go away.
After finishing packing and saying her good-byes, she was headed down the hallways, hands shoved into her pockets. The commander and his crew took all of her things for her, so all she needed to do was get herself on that ship and they'd be gone. She turned a corner, running her hand along a wall before stopping and closing her eyes. Memories came flying back to her of her parents and herself. What am I doing? She asked herself. My own parents left and I decided to stay here? She never quite understood why she chose to stay on the Abol until now. This was her home. She had lived here her whole life, so when her parents announced they were going back to earth, they gave her permission to stay as long as she kept in touch. I can't just leave with these strangers. She told herself and shook her head, deciding she wasn't going. Her thoughts, though, were shattered unexecpetantly as there was a violent shake on the station. Jagger was thrown forward roughly, but found herself caught in someone's' arms. The young commanders' eyes stared down at her with an expression of puzzlement. "What was that?" He asked. "Are you OK?" Jagger nodded as he helped her stay on her feet. Soon after, everything was calm again until alarms sounded. "Thanks!" She yelled over the blaring horn-like sounds coming from every direction. "No problem, but what's going on?" Jagger shook her head. "That alarm means that we've been either attacked.or..or something, but I forgot." The commander stayed calm, but in a split second he pushed her to the side, supporting her on his other arm that didn't have the gun raised. A blue laser shot out past her, hitting an alien and making it fall back. Pink ooze poured out of the wound, a foul smell filling the hall almost immediately. Jagger stared in horror, clinging to his arm. Never in her life had she seen something so ugly and disgusting. Commander Hofston put her on her feet once again and pulled her down the hallway, both breaking into a run. "Why did you kill that thing!? It could've been someone visiting!" Jagger yelled. "Do tourists always have guns raised to you?" He yelled back. Without a moment's hesitation, she drew her gun as they turned another corner.