Chapter 3! I was nervous about the space battle, so I put it off for about five days. But it was actually pretty easy. I'm not sure how good it is, so you guys will have to let me know.
Among The Stars
Chapter 3
"How'd it go?" Merida asked, the moment Jack joined them outside the lift on the 45th floor.
Jack shook his head. He had turned off the data jammer, and was now reluctant to say anything that could compromise what was still a delicate situation.
"Let's just get out of here," he muttered.
His friends looked at him with a hundred questions, but Hiccup nodded and pushed the down button for the lift.
"What about you guys?" he asked, trying to relax. It had been less stressful when the princess was a step behind him. Now he didn't even know where she was, or what was happening. He was more concerned than he had expected.
And his friends could see it. His fingertips beat a steady tattoo against the hardened leather of his empty blaster holster.
"Merida threw a fit – we renewed our license," Hiccup said with a grin.
Merida crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. "Long as we're here, we might as well get somethin' done."
Normally Merida would have just returned her husband's grin, and Jack would have to look away at the sheer love rolling off of them.
But for several weeks now, she hadn't been her normal self. Jack was getting used to it – but it still annoyed him.
She shot Jack a look that demanded an answer to her veiled question.
Jack lifted a hand to scratch his upper lip.
"We did," he whispered, mouth covered by his palm.
The door of the lift slid open. The forty-five story trip down was all but silent except for their breathing.
The official at the door was still bored, but stepped safely out of Merida's way as she returned her weapon to their places.
But the other officials no longer looked bored. They were almost buzzing with an anxiety that was almost palpable.
Two troopers now stood guard in the lobby, blaster rifles held at the ready.
Either Empress Gothel herself had shown up, or they had realized the hostage princess – their bargaining chip – was gone. Of course, if the latter was true, the former was all the more probable.
Either way, they were running out of time.
Jack slammed his blaster into its holster with more force than he'd intended.
Finally, they made it outside.
The pressure on his lungs eased a little at making it out, past the first obstacle. But they wouldn't be safe until they made the jump to lightspeed.
"She had twenty feet of hair," Jack said, as they went down the steps of Imperial Tower. "I have no idea what to do with that."
"Where is she?" Hiccup asked, at the same volume as Jack.
"The royal gardens," he said. "She has a tracker, but I'm not sure how to get her out."
"The gardens, Frost?" Merida asked. "Are ya tryin' t' get her caught?"
"Where else was I supposed to hide a girl with twenty feet of blond hair?" Jack asked.
She didn't have an answer to that, except to cross her arms again.
"How do we get her onto the ship?"
The three exchanged glances.
Hiccup was the first to narrow his eyes in thought. "If you can get her to Lake Camo, to the east of the palace, we can fly over and pick you up."
They came to a stop on the corner of the sidewalk.
"It'll have to be fast," Jack said. "If they see you at the lake, they'll realize something's up."
"Ya got a better plan?" Merida challenged.
Jack stared at the red head for a moment, wondering for the hundredth time what was wrong with her.
They were quiet for another moment, considering. Then Jack nodded.
Without a word he turned back toward the gardens at a jog.
"Ya better be safe, Frost," Merida called.
Jack just shook his head, wondering what in the universe could be causing her mood swings.
#
Jack checked the screen on the inside of his gauntlet, where the small blue blip on the screen told him where Rapunzel was. Another light showed him his own position.
Not that it was helping much.
It should have been a simple matter of following a straight line to where she was.
But Jack was stuck on the paths that wound their ways, serpentine, through the expansive gardens. He could have cut straight through the plants. But Gothel seemed to have a thing for thorny plants, and the area he needed to get through was a hedge of vicious blackberry bushes.
Jack rubbed the long scratch on his side, the skin red and raised along a thin line of blood, where a thorn had cut through his shirt when he tried to push through the hedge.
The paths guided him this way and that. And at the moment, he was moving away from the princess's position.
There had to be a where to wherever Rapunzel was – she had gotten there, after all. The question was how long it would take him to get there.
"Are ya sure you're lookin' for her, Frost?" Merida snapped through the comm in his ear.
The red head really needed to learn patience.
"I know where she is," he said. "I just have to get there."
"And you're takin' too long."
Jack shut off the link.
The sun was starting to go down. The lights in garden grew brighter with each passing moment, even as the shadows grew stronger just beyond the reach of the artificial lights. Soon the part would be starting. And some of the guests would, inevitably, make their way to the gardens.
Why hadn't he thought to give her his spare commlink? He wondered.
Right. He had been too busy being sentimental over an ascension cable.
Finally the path he was on curved in the direction of wherever the princess was hiding.
A moment or two later the brambles gave way. Jack stepped off the path, walking a straight line through the pear trees. His eyes dated between where he was stepping and the screen on his gauntlet. She hadn't moved the entire time he'd been searching – he hoped that was a good sign.
The sunlight was all but gone when he glanced down at the screen and saw the two blips were right in front of each other.
Looking up, Jack found himself face to face with a pear tree.
Stepping closer, he looked up among the thick leaves that coated the branches. The tree probably wouldn't be able to handle his weight. But light as the princess was, it was probably just strong enough for her.
With all the leaves, it was hard to see anything among the branches.
"You up there, Blondie?"
A shadow shifted, just enough for him to know it wasn't the work of the wind. "Jack?"
"Yeah."
She let out an audible sigh, and a murmur that sounded like a prayer of gratitude. Jack grinned slightly as she clambered down toward him. On the last branch, he reached up and took a hold of her waist to lower her down to the ground.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Fine." She smoothed the front of her dress. Her hair, he saw, had been braided back out of the way so it no longer dragged on the ground.
"Did anyone come out here?"
She shook her head. "No."
Jack turned his commlink back on. He was almost surprised Merida wasn't ranting into the link.
"You there, Red?"
"'Bout time, Frost! Do ye have her?"
"Yeah," he said. "We're headed to the lake now."
"We're on our way," Hiccup said. "We'll meet you there."
Jack turned back to Rapunzel, who watched him nervously. Her hands were trying to worry a lock of her hair. But the motion was impossible with her hair pulled back the way it was.
"Come on," he said. "my friends will meet us at the lake and we'll get off world. Can you run?"
#
She managed to keep up with him on the run to the lake, though he wasn't running at full speed. But by the time she got tired, Jack felt it was safe to slow down.
They reached the lake shore out of breath, but there was no sign of the Night Fury yet.
"Thank you," she said, after a moment.
Jack's eyes were on the sky, searching for the ship, but noticing something else. Among the stars red, blue and yellow lights shown down with constancy. Spacecraft – and nowhere near Pallash I, which hung low in the sky to their left. More activity than there should have been for a planet where so little happened.
"Don't think me yet," he murmured, glaring at the ship lights. "Not until we're off world."
The familiar purr of the Night Fury engines reached his ears, growing steadily louder. From his belt he withdrew a glow wand. A tap at the power button activated the device, flooding them in blue light as he saw the sleek black ship fly over the hill.
"I see you guys," he said into the comm.
He reached back and took the princess's hand to keep her close. With his other hand he held up the flow wand.
"Same," Hiccup said, a moment later.
The Night Fury glided down. From the ship's belly he saw light appear as the ramp lowered, Merida at the end, feet braced against the wind that blew her curly red hair this way and that. She held out a gloved hand.
Jack handed Rapunzel up to her, the princess squeaking in surprise as she was thrown up onto the ramp, then nimbly jumped up himself.
As soon as they were onboard, Jack started running toward the cockpit, not sparing a moment for Merida or Rapunzel. A surge of relief swept through his system now he was back in his element – on the ship that was so familiar to him. But he remembered the activity in the sky, and knew he couldn't relax just yet.
"You saw the skies?" Hiccup asked, as he moved to the copilot's seat.
Jack took his seat with a deep breath. His fingers flexed around the yoke.
"Yeah. How many are there?"
He could have checked the readouts from the sensors, but he turned his attention to the engine, making sure it was prepped to break orbit and make the jump to light speed.
"Two carriers directly ahead of us – three more that I can see," Hiccup said. "Each has ten fighters out already."
"Prep the canons," Jack said. "But keep them in stealth mode for now – we're not firing the first shot if we can help it."
"Right." He heard the flips switch as Hiccup prepped the weapons.
Footsteps made him glance back as Merida and Rapunzel entered the cockpit, effectively taking up what little space had been left by Hiccup and himself.
"Don't you guys have somewhere else to be?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "Exchanging beauty tips or something?" His tone came out more biting than he'd intended.
"Watch yer mouth, Frost," Merida snapped.
"Fine," Jack said. "Just get to the gun turret, will you? And don't fire until I say so."
Merida muttered under her breath as she left the cockpit, but Jack didn't bother trying to hear.
"What is her problem lately?" he wondered out loud, when she was out of earshot.
He and Merida had always had a love-hate relationship, almost comparable to siblings in the way they teased each other. But the last few weeks her jabs had turned vicious. Jack was left wondering what he had done wrong – and he couldn't think of anything.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Hiccup sighed. "Want me in the turrets too?"
Jack nodded. Hopefully it wouldn't be necessary. But it would give him more breathing room in the cockpit.
"What about me?" Rapunzel asked, as Hiccup left.
"Just strap in."
He turned his attention back to the viewport as he guided the ship higher into the atmosphere.
The higher he went, the larger the Imperial Carriers loomed ahead, each surrounded by a swarm of one man fighters.
"Think they know you escaped?" Jack asked sarcastically, flipping a few toggle switches on the dashboard.
Rapunzel didn't reply. Probably for the best.
Jack took a deep breath, just as the comm beeped with an incoming transmission. He couldn't have sent Hiccup away – now he had to be civil. He had thought he was done with that when he left the Academy.
"Don't say anything," he whispered to Rapunzel, then accepted the transmission.
"Unidentified transport, this is Imperial Carrier 2106. Pallash II is currently on a planet wide lockdown. Please return to your docking immediately."
Jack didn't like the sound of that – but he figured a shot couldn't hurt.
"Imperial Carrier, this is the Night Fury. We are aware of the lockdown, but we have clearance code from Air Traffic Control. We are prepared to broadcast it on your signal."
Jack slid the clearance card into the reader and prepped it to send while he waited for a reply.
"Why's it takin' so long?" Merida hissed over the intercom.
"Because they're bullies," Jack muttered.
"Night Fury, situations have changed," the voice said after a moment, making Jack bite down on the inside of his cheek. Hard. "Please return to your dock immediately. You will be notified as soon as the lockdown has been lifted."
Jack glanced over his shoulder. Rapunzel sat in the chair behind him and to his right. Her green doe eyes were fixed on the ships in front of time, wide with fear, while she worried her lower lip between her teeth.
She was being admirably quiet.
They were still too long.
"Night Fury, please return to the planet surface immediately," the voice said with formal ferocity.
"Yeah, right," Jack muttered, shutting off the comm. "Everyone hang on!"
The Night Fury was the pinnacle of Berk engineering (which was saying something), built for stealth and speed. And Jack was one of the few pilots who truly knew how to take full advantage of that design.
Jack gunned the engine as he jerked the ship down and to the left.
"Merida, bring the cannons on line!"
"Do ye have t' be so rough?" Merida called, loud enough enough Jack heard her both through the comm and through the doorway.
"I told you to hang on!" He said. "Hiccup, you too."
"On it!"
Jack continued down until he had passed the carriers. The fighters were still hot on their tail, but the carriers didn't have the maneuverability to follow. Which would make it easier to stay out of their gun range.
Pulling up sharply, he flipped the ship over so they faced the oncoming fighters.
The upper blasters fired – Merida's. She was muttering something Jack didn't even try to make out. And her aim was better than usual. Hack's brows rose as she picked off the fighters.
It took a moment for the register they were being fired on. By the time they started returning the fire, Hiccup and Merida had already put a dent in their ranks.
"Do you understand ship readouts?" he asked Rapunzel, not looking back as he pulled sharp upwards.
"Y-yes."
He nodded to the copilot's seat. "Keep an eye on the ship readouts – tell me if there's any change."
Rapunzel obeyed immediately, unstrapping herself and moving forward to take the indicated chair.
Jack tried to keep the ship level while she moves. But three fighters dove at them, all aiming at the upper gun turret, where the shields were weaker around the weapons.
Without time to give a warning, Jack swerved left and down, away from the shots.
Rapunzel had braced a hand on the back of the copilot's seat. But the force caused her to stumble and lose her grip. She fell backwards, half-land in Jack's lap, her face pressed against his chest.
"I'm so sorry!" she cried, scrambling off him into the seat.
Jack's eyes were fixed on the port. He shook his head, too focused to be flustered by the momentary closeness.
"How are the shields?" he asked when he heard her restraint harness click into place.
Before she answered, another group of fighters came toward them.
Jack growled in his throat. "Hold on!"
He threw the ship into a downward spiral.
"I'm gonna kill ya, Frost!"
"Hiccup, you have got to figure out what her problem is!" Jack snapped, without thinking.
"I've been trying!" Hiccup said. "There's a carrier coming around underneath us."
"Shields are at full strength," Rapunzel said.
Jack nodded his thanks. "Can you set the engines to make the jump?"
"Where to?"
"Co-"
The ship shuddered as an energy blast hit the shields.
"What was that?"
"Carrier," Hiccup said. "To our left. Sorry I didn't see it."
"Shields are at seventy percent," Rapunzel said.
Jack exhaled and looked through the viewport.
"Blondie – prep the jump for Corona."
"All right." Her slender fingers danced over the screen, setting the nav computer for the jump.
Jack swing to the right.
"Merida, on my signal, I need you to blast us a way out of here. Hiccup – you're our cover. Got it?"
"Got it," the couple chorused over the intercom.
"Tell me as soon as the jump is set."
"Almost," she muttered.
Jack twisted to the left again, this time spiraling upward.
When he was above the carriers, he turned the ship's nose toward open space.
"Course locked," Rapunzel said.
"Merida, now!"
The guns blazed as Merida picked off the ships directly in front of them. Hiccup handled the fighters that came in to attack.
When the path clear, Jack flipped the switch to initiate the hyperdrive.
For a split second, everything froze in place. Then the stars elongated, the ship lurched forward, and Pallash was left behind.