A/N Third chapter ready, that's two in one day out, I'm impressed with me. Just shows how much free time I've got just now.
One bright morning during the third week of Aerrow's capture he was finishing brushing his teeth when he heard a strange noise. He wandered into his main room and heard it again; it was music, faint but clearly music. Aerrow hadn't heard any since he arrived and it drew his attention. He wandered out of his suite, something he did rarely and followed the sound. It led him to one of the smaller reception rooms in the house. He crept up to the open door and peered through the gap. The girl was dancing in the middle of the floor to music coming from a stereo. It was a graceful movement that made her hair float around her face. Aerrow could vaguely see her expression. He was shocked to see she had a faint smile on her face as she moved. He pushed to door open and watched her. The song came to an end before long and she ended her dance with a flop to the floor and a sweep of her arm to draw her hair back. She raised her head to see Aerrow smiling at her. He had enjoyed her dance.
"That was," Aerrow didn't get to finish his sentence as the girl leaped up and darted out the other door to the room. Aerrow, never one to give up a chase took off after her. "Hey, Jewel, stop!"
Aerrow had longer legs and was faster, but the house was Jewel's home and she knew where she was going. She leaped over furniture and darted through nearly unseen doorways. Eventually Aerrow caught her in the kitchen, a large box of supplies blocking her escape route. He grabbed her hand.
"What's wrong? Did I scare you? I'm sorry." Aerrow watched as a myriad of emotions pass over her face. Fear, curiosity and frustration at being caught all went through her eyes. Aerrow couldn't believe that the stolid girl of the past three weeks was displaying so many emotions. "Jewel, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." She spoke slowly and clearly.
"Then why did you run?" Aerrow let go of her hand, now sure she wasn't going to run away from him again.
"Because I'm not supposed to talk to you when Ace is so far away." She brushed past him and started to walk out of the kitchen. Aerrow followed her and she walked over to the window of the large dining room they had just run through.
"Why not? Do you think I'd hurt you?" Aerrow sat on a nearby chair.
"No, when Ace is far our connection weakens and I grow out of control, apparently I've hurt myself." She stood fingering her necklace.
Aerrow wondered whose control she grew out of. He decided not to push to hard; He didn't want to scare the girl. "That was a beautiful dance before."
"Not as beautiful as the ones you do every day." Aerrow felt his face reddening as he realized he wasn't the only one doing the watching. Jewel walked over to his large seat and sat next to him. "You are the first person I've talked to in along time."
"Why do you stay here with him if you're unhappy?"
"I'm not unhappy, lonely sometimes, but I have good life. This house is so grand, and it's all mine. Ace gets me anything I could ever want; he's like a big brother to me." Jewel laid her head on Aerrow's shoulder and cuddled up to him. He was unsure what to do at first, not many girls had cuddled up to him recently, but he slung his arm round her and they sat watching the clouds roll by in companionship silence.
"So how are you chaps holding up?" Starling had shown up to check on the Storm Hawks as soon as she could. The loss of the most promising young sky knight on the Atmos had hit her hard. After losing her squadron to the Repton's she looked on the Storm Hawks as close friends, even potential squad buddies eventually. She knew the loss of their commander could destroy them.
The glazed looks from the four faces did nothing to relieve her worries. As she suspected they were barely surviving. "Everyone's given up on him. The council has told us to get over it. They won't help up find him. Apparently four weeks is too long to be hopeful."
Starling knew that two weeks was the longest anyone hopes for in the Atmos. It was the length of time you could survive in the wastelands with out water. Anywhere else missing people could contact others or could be ransomed. It was endearing that Aerrow's crew cared so much but they had to get on with their lives. Piper must have read it on her face.
"You think he's dead too don't you? He's not, we'd know. The Dark Ace has him; he's been unseen for as long as Aerrow. He's not dead."
"They could have killed each other. They could have both been stranded in the wastelands after their rides were totaled. You don't know."
"Until I have definite proof I'm not giving up on him. He wouldn't give up on me, I know he wouldn't." Piper had the support of the rest of the Storm Hawks, even Stork, though he was convinced the search would end in all of their dooms, at least they would see Aerrow in the after life.
What ever Starling was going to say in reply was cut off by the proximity sirens. Stork ran towards the bridge. "Someone's coming, let's not beat Aerrow to the afterlife."
Starling assumed command of the Storm Hawks. She sent Junko and Finn to the Blaster Cannons and Piper and herself to the hanger. They took off on their rides to face the oncoming enemy. It was a squadron of Talons on a long range scout. The fight was short and ugly. Finn and Junko took care of as many as they could but Piper and Starling were too close to the action to risk anymore blaster shots. Starling disabled a Talon skimmer and caught the rider by the chute as he abandoned it. She failed to note that the damaged skimmer fell in the path of Piper's heliscooter.
Piper heard the incoming skimmer just before it hit her rotor blade. She was sent careening into the side of the Condor, falling a large distance to land badly on her leg. She slipped off the ship and landed on a Talon's skimmer that had lost its pilot. Piper hit her head on the metal armor and blacked out. Starling managed to intercept the skimmer and grabbed the unconscious girl onto her ride. She flew back to the hanger of the Condor.
"Is she going to be alright?" Finn was hanging over Starling and Stork as they tried to stabilize Piper. Her head wound was serious and she had yet to regain consciousness.
"Finn, I don't know, but she'll be a lot better if I can concentrate on her and not on your bobbing head. Junko, set course for Terra Atmosia, she needs a healer."
After Piper had been seen to Starling turned to her captive. She took him to the bowels of the ship so she wouldn't be disturbed.
She threw the man to the wall. "Do you know anything about a missing sky knight?"
The Talon glared at her. "There is so many these days, how am I supposed to keep track of ever stupid sky knight that crosses our path."
"Ok try this one, where is your boss, the Dark Ace? He's not been around much recently." Starling gripped the talon by the neck and raised him off his feet.
"The Dark Ace is in Cyclonia, with my master, he is working on Master Cyclonis's master plan." The talon was finding it hard to gain enough oxygen to talk.
"And that master plan would be?" She released her grip slightly, just to let enough oxygen to his lungs to let him talk.
"I, I don't know, I'm not on her privy council. Please, I don't know." The talon was turning slightly purple and started to claw at her hands. She released him.
"You will be turned over to the council for crimes against Atmos at the next Terra we land. Starling dragged him up and locked him in one of the unused bunks.
Starling stretched her neck out. She had learned nothing from that idiot. Not that a random soldier was likely to know much. And with Aerrow's second in command out of action the moral of the crew was going to be even lower. Starling headed back towards the bridge. She passed Aerrow's bunk and glanced in the open door. Radarr was lying on Aerrow's bunk with a very sad look on his little face. Starling had never quite understood the relationship between Aerrow and the strange creature, he wasn't a pet, not a person but a bit of each, and keenly missed his best friend.
He's not the only one, Starling thought as she continued to the bridge.
A/N I know I said Aerrow was going to attempt to escape this time but the part between him and Jewel kinda came upon me and took over the chapter. Next time: Aerrow finds out about Piper's injuries and attempts to get to her. Dark Ace makes a reappearance and is acting strangely. Ace takes Sky Fu lessons from Aerrow.
Cheers
xxx