Foreword:
I know I sound like a broken record, but... I'm really sorry this chapter took so long. The past few weeks I've been distracted by Danny Phantom and the music video it inspired me to make. But fear not! I haven't forgotten my pet project, and I finally finished chapter 17. And I'm telling you right now, chapter 18 is gonna be hard! DX Pray for me. T-T
"They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care... You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend."
— Psalm 88:5,18
« ... »
The moment the Lumos settlement came into view, Aphelion was rattled by a huge impact.
"What was that?" Dezmond exclaimed.
"The settlement's aerial defenses have opened fire on us," the ship explained.
"Oh, perfect! The planet is on high alert; the defenses must be set to attack any approaching vessel."
"Hang on," Kaden shouted. "I'm gonna try to outmaneuver them. If we can make it to the surface we should be okay."
Kaden jerked back on the joystick and the ship lurched upward, followed by an impressive series of banks, loops, and barrel rolls that left poor Dezmond clinging to the edges of his seat for dear life. Aphelion was grazed a few more times, warning lights and alarms blinking all across her display. Kaden's knuckles were turning white on the joystick; sweat was trailing down his forehead. Finally they dropped below 500 feet, and Kaden sighed in relief as he eased up on the controls.
"We're out of range," he said. "The air defenses can't reach us anymore."
"Warning! Warning!" Aphelion announced. "Primary engines have sustained heavy damage. I cannot remain airborne for much longer."
"Switch to auxiliary thrusters and keep them at maximum output," Kaden instructed. "Looks like we're in for a bumpy landing."
Sure enough, the ground was approaching at high speed. The tops of buildings swept under them at dangerous proximity, and the gap was steadily closing. Each one threatened louder to become the windshield to the bug that was Aphelion.
"Where will we be putting down, then?" Dezmond asked in a timid voice, shying back in his seat as if from the buildings passing them on all sides.
"I know the address where Nayeli is staying," Kaden said. "From what I remember, there's a pretty big backyard."
"Are you insane?! You can't expect to land the ship that accurately in this condition! You'll put my daughter in danger!"
"Your daughter is also my wife, and with all due respect, she's already in danger," Kaden said. "But there's no way I'm gonna let a little engine trouble keep me from getting to her side where I can protect her."
Dezmond stared dumbstruck at Kaden, his expression somewhere between awe and morbid fear.
Kaden turned his attention back to the controls, his teeth grit and his eyes open wide in intense concentration. After a few more near-misses involving skyscrapers, the residential district at last came into view. A grin broke through the anxiety on Kaden's face when he saw Callista's house on the horizon, coming up fast as his ship lost altitude.
"Brace for impact," he shouted as he cut the engines, struggling to hold the joystick steady. He strained to keep his eyes open until the house was close enough to see the color of the drapes inside the windows, then snapped them shut just before the ship crashed.
They took a sizable chunk of the fence with them when they tore into the lawn, skidded across the yard, and demolished the dividing wall on the opposite side.
Only after they had come to a complete stop did Kaden dare open his eyes. He breathed a deep sigh as he released his death grip on the joystick, relieved, and a little surprised, that he and Nayeli's father were both unharmed—although the look on Dezmond's face was reminiscent of how Alister used to look whenever Kaden drove him anywhere. If not for the dire circumstances, Kaden might have smiled at the memory.
"Aphelion, what's your status?" he asked.
The ship didn't reply.
"Feel?" He checked the systems manually and his face darkened. "No good. Her onboard computer is fried, and her engines are badly damaged. She'll need some major repairs before she'll be able to fly again."
"That's all right," his passenger unsteadily replied. "I've had the feeling this would be a one-way trip for the past few minutes."
Kaden pressed the manual hatch release, muttering under his breath, "sorry, girl."
The two Lombaxes hopped down to the charred ground beneath their wreck, and Kaden immediately glanced over at the house. In the threshold of the open back door, a dark-furred young lady stood frozen in wide-eyed wonder.
"Oh, my…" she muttered, short of breath. Suddenly she took off running back into the house without shutting the door. Even as her voice faded into the distance he could hear her exclaim, "Nayeli, Nayeli! It's Kaden; he's here!"
That was all the welcome Kaden needed. He was racing through that open door before it could stop turning on its hinges, pursued closely by his eager companion. Following the sounds of anxious female voices, he flew through the kitchen and burst into the living room, where he locked eyes with his wife as she gaped at him in astonishment. In the time it took her to stand up, Kaden crossed the room and gathered her into a tight embrace.
"Kaden, what's going on?" she asked nervously. "Why is—?"
She stopped cold, her whole body suddenly frozen as she looked past her husband. Kaden followed her gaze with a knowing smile and stepped aside. She had noticed the other Lombax who had appeared in the doorway.
Nayeli and her father held one another's eyes for a long, silent moment before either of them found the breath to speak.
"D-Daddy?" the girl murmured at last, tears gathering in her eyes. With all the grace of an injured swan she ran into her father's arms, meeting him halfway across the room. The old Lombax teared up instantly and squeezed his daughter tight.
"Oh, Nayeli," he choked past the tears. "My little girl… I thought I'd never see you again!"
"How is this possible?" Nayeli asked in disbelief. "I thought you were dead."
Kaden donned a grateful smile while he watched them together, reunited after eight years. He couldn't imagine the emotions his wife was experiencing as her father hugged her close and tried to explain in broken sentences what had happened to him. For a few brief seconds Kaden saw the innocent thirteen-year-old girl he'd fallen in love with at first sight, crying in her father's arms like a little child.
Out of respect, however, he chose not to let it last any longer than that. He quietly slipped away, mindful of the footsteps trailing close behind him. Once he was safely cloistered away in another room, he turned around and made eye contact with his old nemesis for the first time in years.
"Callista," he greeted in a neutral tone, unable to think of anything to add to her name that would be appropriate.
She looked the same as always, but to Kaden's surprise her expression was completely different from the distrustful glare that had haunted him throughout his brief engagement to Nayeli. Her arms weren't crossed, for one thing, and her eyes were soft and remorseful.
"Well, Kaden..." she muttered. "Clearly I owe you an apology."
"Ya think?" Kaden spat. Despite his better judgment, he couldn't contain his bitterness.
Callista drew her head back and bit her lip. Apparently she was struggling to heed her own better judgment and not go on the defensive.
"Look," she said. " I know I was wrong to treat you the way I did. It's just… The way things happened between you and Nayeli was—such a shock, and I—" (she paused to take a deep breath) "—just couldn't handle it, I guess."
She cast down her eyes in shame, and Kaden was surprised to find himself softening toward her. He couldn't believe she was actually apologizing, and her face was a picture of sincerity.
"Please understand," she went on, "Nayeli was my best friend since I was a kid. She was always so kind and so trusting; I couldn't stand the thought of anyone taking advantage of her."
Kaden heaved an understanding sigh and looked at her with gentle eyes. "I care about Nayeli just as much as you do," he said.
"I know that now," Callista replied. "I think I convinced myself otherwise because I felt like you were taking her away from me…"
Callista reached up to cover her mouth, looking like she was about to cry. In a pitiful tone she whimpered, "It was so hard for me… I felt like I was losing my best friend. You have no idea how painful that is."
Kaden felt his chest tighten, and a distant but familiar sting seized his heart. He swallowed hard, fighting back tears as he embraced a new sympathy for this girl who he had practically hated five minutes ago.
"I think I can imagine," he whispered.
Suddenly the sound of an alarm cut through the air, booming so loud that Kaden imagined he felt it. He and Callista rushed to the window to look outside. In the distance near the center of town, the spire atop the Galactic Communications Tower was pulsing its warning colors. Bright flashes alternated between red and yellow. That meant…
"They're evacuating the settlement," he said.
« « « « « ж » » » » »
When Alister burst through the doors of the meeting room, the place was already enveloped in a heavy cloud of hopelessness and fear. Half the Elders noticed him come in, and turned to face him with an accusing scowl blazing on their faces. The rest continued to shout back and forth in a state of panic. Thus Alister's arrival did nothing to improve the atmosphere.
As gracefully as he could, Alister took his seat and tried to tune in to the discussion that was filtering through his ears as a chaotic mess of noise. At first he was just frustrated and angry, with himself and for having to be here where he could surely do no good. Then he looked up with sudden interest when he realized the nature of the option that was being considered.
"We can't just leave!" thundered one of the Elders. "The entire galaxy is in danger because of Tachyon—because of us!"
"It's not our fault the Cragmite turned on us," Hadrian argued. "Our first priority should be to protect our own people!"
A third speaker promptly offered, "Besides, even if Tachyon's new dictatorship is our fault, there's nothing we can do about it! He's a madman, bent first and foremost on the obliteration of our entire race. If we stay, we will all be killed, and the galaxy will be no better for it."
"That doesn't change the fact that we are responsible for letting him live," the first one pointed out. "We are responsible for his rise to power."
"Don't be naïve, Thirsten. We may be responsible for letting Tachyon live, but only one of us is responsible for his rise to power."
All eyes turned to General Azimuth, and Alister suddenly felt the true magnitude of the weight that was on his shoulders. The Lombax race was being systematically hunted across the galaxy. An army of Drophyd mercenaries armed with some of the best technology ever invented were breaking down what frail defenses remained in place. A vengeful mad genius hellbent on galactic conquest had overnight become the biggest threat to Polaris since the Great War. And he was left with the blame for it all.
Alister felt the blood draining from his face as the condemning stares of the soldiers and Elders all around him bored straight through his heart. At that moment he would have rather been dead than there in that room, waiting for the just and unbearable consequence of his grievous error.
"It's decided, then," said Councilwoman Ulima, rising to her feet. "All surviving Lombaxes will be evacuated by means of the Dimensionator... except for one." She turned to Alister with eyes that could pierce iron and unflinchingly stated, "Alister Azimuth, you are hereby charged with negligent military action that resulted in the slaughter of our race and the rise of a dictator. As punishment, you are banished from among our kind. You will not join us in leaving this dimension. You will remain here, in the Polaris galaxy, for as long as you live."
« « « « « ж » » » » »
The streets were clotted with crowds of panicked Lombaxes trying to get to the spaceport. They all knew there weren't enough ships in the settlement to evacuate everyone, and that whoever got left behind would have no choice but to wait for support from Fastoon and hope it arrived before Tachyon's army.
Kaden's protective instincts were going haywire as he led his entourage into the dangers of a city gripped by fear. He supported his wife with an arm braced firmly around her waist, leading her as gently as he could while trying not to move too slowly. If they didn't keep up a decent pace, they would be swallowed by the stampeding crowds. He looked around in a frenzy while they pressed forward, noting every sound and every movement that could possibly signal a threat. For all he knew, there was a manufacturing facility somewhere in the settlement full of enemy troops waiting to attack.
Nayeli made no complaint, but Kaden could see she was pushing her limit just trying to keep up. Of all the rotten times for such a crisis to happen!
"Hang in there, Nayeli," he whispered in the most encouraging tone he could muster. "It won't be much longer."
"I know," Nayeli rasped, and she feebly wiped her forehead. "Don't worry about me. I'll be—"
Nayeli suddenly gasped, stopped in her tracks and doubled over, clutching her stomach and groaning in pain.
"Nayeli!"
Kaden, Dezmond, and Callista all stooped down with her, supporting her on all sides.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you all right?"
Kaden alone didn't ask the obligatory questions, too racked with concern to find the words. He just stared at her, heart beating out of control, waiting for her to say something. Her eyes screwed shut tight, sweat dripped from her forehead, and her breathing quickened until it resembled gasping. Finally she looked up at her husband, face awash with dread.
"Kaden," she muttered, "the baby's coming."
Kaden gasped. "What? But you're not due for another month!"
"Tell him that."
Kaden could only stare at her for a moment, too shocked to respond.
"Excuse me," said an unfamiliar voice out of nowhere, and Kaden turned around to see a Lombax wearing the uniform of the Lombax Praetorian Guard. "I'm Lieutenant Durst. You are the Keeper of the Dimensionator, are you not?"
"Yes, officer, but—"
"I'll have to ask you to come with me," the soldier stated. He unceremoniously grabbed Kaden's arm and started to walk away.
"Wait, what?" Kaden asked, slipping out of the Lieutenant's grip. "Why?"
"The Council of Elders has ordered the Dimensionator prepped for use," the Guard explained. "You're needed on Fastoon."
"Look, I'm sorry," Kaden said firmly, "but I can't come right now. My wife just went into labor; I need to take care of her."
Lieutenant Durst sighed, his face compassionate but also hard and decided. "I'm sorry as well, but my orders were to bring you to Fastoon as quickly as possible."
Kaden stepped back from the soldier, fingers curling into fists. His eyes darkened and his brow furrowed into a defensive frown. In a stubborn, almost threatening voice he said, "I'm not leaving my wife!"
His fierceness evaporated when he felt Nayeli's warm hand slip into his.
"Kaden... It's okay," she said. "You need to—go and do your job. I'll be fine."
"But—!"
"It'll be all right, son," Dezmond assured. "I'll be with her."
"And so will I," said Callista. "We'll take care of her."
The two of them helped Nayeli to her feet, and she leaned against them as she made one more frail attempt at giving her husband a reassuring smile.
"We have to go," Durst said, grasping Kaden's arm once more.
This time Kaden didn't pull away, but neither did he move. He was rooted to his spot like a mannequin, his eyes fixed on Nayeli. Her sunken face and ragged breath proved how weak she was. Weak, exhausted, and preparing to give birth five weeks early in the middle of a planetary evacuation. How could he leave her in this condition?
The lieutenant urged again, "Come on, we have to go now!"
Kaden resisted the tug on his arm almost unconsciously, clinging to his wife's clammy hand. Her fingers hung limp in his grip while she willed strength into her eyes. She held his gaze and whispered in her soft, beautiful voice, "Go on ahead, Kaden... I'll meet you there."
Kaden swallowed hard and muttered, "Promise?"
"I promise."
Kaden bit his lip, closed his eyes, and let go of Nayeli's hand. He let himself be led away—heart pounding, throat tightening. It took all his willpower not to look back.
Author's Notes:
- Alister's Banishment— It seems fast and completely unprofessional, I know, but what can I say? The canon says he was banished, and I didn't figure they'd have time to do a formal trial what with the world coming to an end and all.
- Theme Song: "Runaway" by Linkin Park— Anri Sonohara mentioned this song for the last chapter, but I think it works for this one as well. I don't think every line fits perfectly, but the core idea of the song nails what Alister is feeling right now.