Chapter Five: Planet Fall
Courtney stepped into the War Room, summoned for a council, stopping short as she was nearly blinded by the blue and green orb, white clouds dotted across its surface, that dominated the screen across from her. Suddenly she couldn't breathe, ragged gasps of humid air drawn into constricted lungs. She completely forgot that she had Gerard in tow as the reality of the situation set in like a hammer strike.
Gui'Yata and several other Soua were already in attendance, talking in low tones about approach vectors that would get them in and back out again without being noticed. Looking up at her with an unidentifiable expression, her bondsman straightened and moved closer to her.
"We will make planetfall at dusk," He answered matter of factly.
Courtney could only nod, a terse motion that belied her anxiety.
"The city has grown," he added with a raised brow, waving to another young Soua who pushed several studs. The image shifted in response to the request, zooming in on an area on the Southwest most portion of the North American Continent. Courtney wasn't sure how she knew, but she immediately recognized the shimmering grid of dots and lines were Los Angeles. More than that, it had at least doubled, if not tripled, in size. Courtney's eyes widened at the large swath of humanity that blanketed the land. A sinking feeling overtook her stomach, surely leaving her pale in the dim light around her. She didn't want to go…she wanted to stay here, on the ship; she wanted to return to Soona and live the life she had come to love. Her face flushed brightly shortly after, as the panic rising in her threatened to show.
"God that hunk of rock has never looked more beautiful!" A voice loudly interrupted her spiraling thoughts. She turned slightly as Gui'Yata looked toward the source.
Gerard stopped even with Courtney, smiling broadly at the screen. Courtney's heart sank at his enthusiasm to be home, a small part of her wishing she could share in his joy. That, in turn, brought on a wave of embarrassment and guilt for not wanting to return home. After all she still had family, and she knew nothing of how they had fared since she had been away. That in the very least should be reason enough to want to be home.
She grimaced, thinking of her family only bringing on doubts about her ability to ever relate to those humans again, even if they had raised her. She knew this was going to be hard and as many life threatening events she had endured in her life, she was unsure that she was up to this latest challenge.
Gui'Yata's eyes returned to her face, and she would have sworn she saw a need in his features to say something to her. She was disappointed when he turned away and moved over to Yalsa, making final preparations for landing.
She stared after him for long moments, her brow furrowing, and sadness welled up from deep within her, realizing that their time together was almost over. Wrenching herself away, Courtney turned away, a sick churning in her gut at the events coming quickly to a head. She closed her eyes a moment taking a deep breath and then sighing it back out again in an effort to subdue that nausea. The time was drawing short, and she couldn't bring herself to express her reservations.
From the war room she moved to a familiar place, a place that she had always found welcomed her need to be alone, in silence, with the exception of the low vibration from the living ship surrounding her. She had spent many hours here upon their last departure from the same blue and green orb that was slowly shifting across the transparency next to her. Thinking on Sora's loss only made her depression deepen in combination with her pending departure from the life that she had come to truly enjoy. She stood unfocused leaning against the left side of the frame, letting the icy fingers of the void beyond bleed through the frame and into her body, in a meager attempt to numb the whirling thoughts in her head.
For a few moments, her mind blanked and she focused again with detached clarity, at the beauty of the scene before her. Courtney watched the star patterns change as they hit synchronous orbit, in preparation for landing. It was easy to see why so many men had looked at the heavens and thought that the Earth was the center of the universe. The illusion was pretty complete, exacerbated even from this height. Glancing down at the Earth it looked stationary as the stars wheeled around it.
She looked away from it as the soft hiss announced the entrance of someone on her self-imposed solitude. Gui'Yata straightened to his full height after clearing the entrance, striding nearer her. Turning away, Courtney was well aware of Gui'Yata's proximity as he stepped up next to her, close but not touching her as she cradled herself; her eyes for the wheeling stars again.
"I have been a long time looking for you," Gui'Yata said softly, and Courtney glanced up to see that his eyes were for the view and not on her face. She nodded, knowing that he would see the motion, "I find it prophetic that you are here in this place as we return."
A chill moved through her at those words her thoughts lurching back to a scene of a pinpoint of brilliant light marking the pyre of one of the best friends she had made on Soona, "I needed a break from everything," Courtney sighed.
Silence fell heavily between them, both lost to thoughts neither would express openly.
Startling her, Gui'Yata turned abruptly toward her, "You are not ready to go, are you?"
She looked down avoiding contact with those very foreign eyes, eyes that seemed to have the power to penetrate her soul, "Would it matter if I was not?" she said formally, "The Eesan has spoken."
It was Gui'Yata's turn to break eye contact, looking back out at the bright blue orb gently spinning beneath them, pushing them along, "No…their orders, I am afraid, are all too clear."
"Them and their narrow-minded processes," she swore, showing her rebellious streak, "We should still be in the fight, not cowering like Hooba, running from our responsibility."
She watched as his features tightened, "I agree…and yet they would not allow you to assist in any way with the war for the treachery of Thomas."
"That was not my fault!" She growled.
"And yet they would color your motives with the same brushes as they had his, and Gerard as well. The Ot Eesan would not allow you to live."
"I would rather have taken my chances on Soona, than taking this dishonorable trip."
"Again I agree," He sighed throatily.
Again that tension was in the air, as if there was something more he wanted to say to her, but was afraid to voice it. He hesitated, eyes intense on her, but whatever he had intended to confide in her was lost as yet another interruption greeted their privacy. One of the younger staff aboard burst into the room, "Quona!"
Gui'Yata spun on a heel as the creature quickly closed the gap, "What is it Lu'manu?"
"Astrogator Yalsa has requested you on the main deck. The ship is ready for approach."
Courtney watched as his mandibles tightened over his face, a sign of discontent in the news, "Very well, send the call, all hands to stations, and make ready for planetfall." Courtney did not need another call to move even if she did not want to leave this brooding roost she had found, wanting to stay with her thoughts, to stay on the ship and never leave. She knew better than to be stubborn at this point, despite the grace and agility of Quarta, atmospheric landings could be a very bumpy ride.
A/N: Very short chapter I know…but this is the best place for the break before we get to the nitty gritty of this story…next chapter we will be back to Soona and the continued investigation into the facts behind Courtney's words to Lyonas. I hope not to take nearly so long to get the next chapter done…I have like four stories I am working on at the same time so it tends to get lopsided toward one story or the other!
Bastet: Yes there will definitely be a certain amount of prejudicial tension between the former citizens of Taysa and those of Donona. This will hinder the investigation heavily for Lyonas who will be trying to see what truth there is to Courtney's revelation.
Wanderer: Heya! Glad to see you're still around. Yeah only the beginning! Drama and action will abound in future chapters.
Crista: Thanks for stopping over to review what I have so far! I am glad that you are enjoying my treatment of the Predator mythology.
Lady Javert: Yeah! She caught up! I hope that you will enjoy where this is going as we trudge through this little drama piece. I have been very close to these characters for a very long time, and I try to be as true to their character now as I was when I first created them. I hope it is working! LOL!
Janusi: He again thank you for understanding, I'm afraid I have fallen down again this chapter, it is very short…but better to be broken here and all else in another chapter than to conglomerate the stuff into one chapter where it will lose the desired punch! Hope you're still with me on this!
