Chapter 9

A Star Gone Supernova

Author's Note (AKA: Melanie rants): So I was supposed to see Hollywood Undead in concert tonight. Well.

It took me an hour to get downtown, and another hour waiting in line. It was a 19+ concert, and I'm 17. My plan was to wear my low-cut shirt and bribe the bouncer with $50. Good plan, right? Not right. Very not right.

When I got to the front, the bouncer was really nice to me, politely saying how he couldnt let me in because I dont have ID.

No big deal. They've only been my favourite band for three years. This is only the first time they've been anywhere near my city. I was only crying the entire way home.

I feel ridiculous for crying but FUCK. I was sad. Then more sad. Now I'm angry AND sad.

For a moment everything was peaceful. Starla sat with Jim and Silver in the longboat, all three lost in thought and enveloped in a comfortable silence.

And then everything turned to hell. Something, Starla didn't know what, must have hit the ship. Hard. A wave of some sort. But suddenly the three were thrown forward, and the woman barely had time to catch herself before falling right out of the longboat. The ship groaned around them as Morph let out a small scream, falling into a pillar and being thrust into dozens of pieces, before coming back together and looking terrified. He flew over to Silver, hiding under the collar of his jacket.

The ship groaned once more, righting itself to its normal position. Silver jumped out of the boat, Jim right behind him. He turned back a moment later, reaching up to grab Starla by the hand, pulling her down. She landed next to him with an "Oof!" Not expecting he would have done such a thing, she blew the hair from her face as Jim grabbed her once again, running to catch up with Silver and dragging her behind him.

They reached the deck of the ship, just behind Silver.

"What the devil…" Starla heard him say. There was wind blowing at them, and her hair whipped into her face. There was a bright light, unnatural for this time of day, coming from the left of the ship. Starla looked to the source of the light, her eyes widening. There was a star, exploding, uncomfortably close to the ship.

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard Delbert shout, "The star Pelusa - Its gone supernova!"

Starla's hand rose to her mouth, covering the look of shock. Jim dropped her other hand as he tore his hands back through his hair, panic wild in his eyes. Starla's now-free hand reached up to her star, taking comfort in its small weight.

She shook the sense back into her mind as she heard Amelia shouting.

"Evasive action, Mister Turnbuckle!" And the ship suddenly lurched away from the oncoming heat, racing it out of there.

"All hands fasten your life lines!" Arrow shouted, and suddenly the crew was all rushing to the mast. Starla ran, grabbing Jim's hand as she went, with Silver following behind them. She reached for a long bit of rope, used for this kind of situation. Securing it to her waist, Starla tied it as tightly as she could, to one of the spikes lining the mast. She stood, momentarily frozen as she watched the wave coming ever closer to the Legacy. Her breath caught in her throat as she instinctively threw a hand up to cover her face.

The wave was upon them.

It crashed through the rear of the ship, and Starla slipped and fell to her knees. She felt Jim kneeling beside her, his hands sitting lightly at her arms, checking to see if she was alright. Waving off his concern, Starla stood, hearing a strange noise from above them. Jim was on his feet, staring wondrously skyward.

Her mind working fast, Starla figured out what the sound was. Fabric ripping. She looked up quickly to see the sails being ripped through by small asteroids. Amelia had obviously noticed, and she heard her shout to Arrow.

"Mister Arrow! Secure those sails!" Followed by Arrow instructing the crew, "Secure all sails!"

Nodding to no one in particular, Starla quickly undid the knot holding her to the mast. It wouldn't reach far enough. She ran to the shrouds, climbing up behind other crew members.

"Reef them down, men!" She heard Arrow distantly shout. She didn't pay much attention as she reached up to grab a loose-flying rope, pulling it hard to help pull the sails together. Out of nowhere, something -or someone- smashed into her arm, and she instinctively let go to cradle her injured wrist. It was the worst possible mistake she could make. She was falling through air. Panic seized her muscles for a split second, before she instinctively reached out to grab hold of something. Anything. The shrouds flew past her, and she started to try and grab for the ropes, but her injured hand kept slipping, screaming in protest. She held her breath as she reached up, her last chance, to grab the top of the railing. Nails scraping against the wood, digging into the paint, her hand gained leverage. She caught it.

In near tears from relief, Starla drew in a ragged breath, feeling her arms begin to shake. She took in another deep breath before heaving herself up and over, crashing into a sitting position on the deck. She cradled her left wrist to her chest, clenching her teeth at the pain. But she quickly stood; there was work to be done and she would have to worry about that later. There were sudden shouts from other crew members, running from the side of the deck she was on, to the other. Starla spun around, confused, and then she saw it. One of the largest asteroids she'd ever seen, coming closer and closer to their ship. She cussed under her breath, backing away from the railing and closer to the middle of the deck, not tearing her eyes away for a second.

As soon as it came, it began to move away. Starla let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, watching the asteroid warily as it spun back towards… the star. She gasped, understanding what must have happened. She heard Onus' shouts from above her, high in the crow's nest.

"Captain… The star!" He voiced her thoughts, as the ship was pulled suddenly towards Pelusa. Starla's eyes were wide and her heart was fast, and she heard Delbert from a distance shout something about a black hole. So I was right… Why did I have to be right?

The Legacy roamed ever closer to the center of the exploding star, and Starla could see the black hole, almost beckoning them to come closer. The ship lurched towards it, before it was suddenly turned around. Starla looked up to see Amelia at the wheel, straining to keep them from being pulled in. She shook her head and mentally chastised herself for just standing there. She ran back to the mast, re-tying the rope to her waist. She struggled a bit, her injured wrist throbbing with her every pulse.

She saw Jim and Silver, standing near the railing of the ship, and ran to them. Starla grabbed Jim's arm, forcing him to look at her.

"You two alright?" She asked him, her voice thick with worry. She was forced to shout over the noise of the ships' engines straining, combined with the star exploding. Jim nodded and looked at the young woman with wide eyes, looking her up and down, checking to see that she was alright. He noticed she held her wrist at an odd angle, but she just shook her head at the questions in his eyes.

There was a great rush of air, throwing Starla to the ground and on top of Jim. The star had waves emulating from the black hole at its center. She shot Jim a worried look before standing up, pulling Jim with her. Her hair blew into her eyes, impairing her vision. She pushed the strands out of the way as she heard Arrow shout "Unfurl those sails!"

Starla shot him a sharp look, and the crew members near her only voiced her thoughts. They just finished tying them down! What did Amelia have planned?

Starla let out a harsh breath, making a fist with her left hand and cringing when the small action caused a hot bubble of pain to shoot through her arm. She gritted her teeth, cussing at herself for being so damned weak and getting herself banged up at such an inconvenient time. She was just about to follow Jim up the shrouds, when Amelia's voice sounded from behind them.

"Mister Hawkins!" She heard the captain shout, addressing Jim. "Make sure all lifelines are secured, good and tight!"

Starla jumped down to the deck so Jim could get past her, hearing him shout a "Aye-aye, Captain!" to Amelia as he ran. Starla ran down the deck, to stand just down and in front of Amelia from when she stood in front of the wheel.

"Captain!" She shouted to her. Amelia looked down at her, and she continued. "Are we - We're not riding one of the waves, are we Captain?" Starla shouted. They'd never make it out in time. She looked over her shoulder at the black hole, but Amelia only smiled.

"We'll make it, Miss Montgomery," she shouted simply. Starla bit her lip.

"Aye, Captain."

She ran over to Jim's position by the mast, looking up and watching the crew unfurl the sails. Jim had finished pulling his own lifeline as tight as he could, and he turned around to shout at Amelia. "Lifelines secured, Captain!"

Amelia smiled and shouted back "Very good!" before focusing on maneuvering the ship. Starla drew in a ragged breath as she stumbled over to Jim, losing her balance from the waves. Jim reached for her as she reached for him, and they held each other close, looking into each others' eyes.

"If you get yourself killed, I'll never forgive you!" Starla yelled, flashing him a grin to hide the nervousness. Jim only smiled.

And once again, they were falling. This time, Jim fell on top of Starla. She let out a soft sound of aggravation as he accidentally hit her wrist, causing a wave of pain to run through it. He lifted himself up, his hands steadying himself from where they sat on either side of her head. They looked at each other a moment, collecting themselves. He stood up quickly, reaching a hand down to help her up. She offered up her good hand, and he pulled her up quickly. She ignored the throbbing of her wrist, looking around.

She saw Amelia was no longer at wheel; she'd most likely fallen as the two teenagers had when the heavy wave hit.

For a moment, Starla had thought she'd heard a shout coming from the side of the ship, but when she looked, no one was there. She shook her head, thinking she must have heard wrong. But what she did see was the black hole. They were dangerously close, and Starla could feel her heart pounding away in her chest. She looked up at Jim, feeling the fear cloud her features. He gave her a comforting look as Silver came up beside them. She could see the rest of the crew making their way down, scuttling about and trying to find something to hold on to.

She heard Delbert's voice, and looked up to see Amelia back at the wheel. "Captain, the last wave! Here it comes!"

Starla held her breath a moment, feeling a drop of sweat fall down the side of her temple.

"Hold on to your lifelines, gents! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" Amelia shouted. Starla swallowed the lump in her throat, giving Jim a quick look. She looked up to see the light around them disappearing; they were headed straight into the black hole.

Starla looked sharply at Jim, about to tell him to hold on tight; we'd get through this. Before she had time to take a breath, Jim pushed her back against the mast, her spine digging painfully against the rough wood. She gave Jim a look of shock, but he just stood right against her, shielding her from view. He rested his forehead against hers and they stared at each other a moment; just looking into the others' eyes.

Ignoring the pain in her wrist, Starla wrapped her arms around Jim's back, holding him tightly to her and refusing to let go. She pressed a quick kiss to his jaw before burying her face in his chest, eyes shut tight. He braced himself, one hand stationed just above Starla's shoulders, the other holding onto her waist. She could feel his warm breath at the top of her head, could feel the fast thrumming of his heart.

Suddenly there was more pressure on her, and she adjusted her head to look over Jim's shoulder. Silver was there, protecting the both of them. She gave Silver a thankful look, before shutting her eyes once more, praying to whatever Gods were out there that they'd get through this.

It was probably the most terrifying moment of her life. Everything was completely silent; all she could hear was Jim's heart racing and her own panting breaths. As soon as she had started to panic, there was an explosion. She felt Jim tense against her, and Starla dug her nails into his back; she was properly frightened.

And then, like a miracle, the ships engines caught to life, and she could feel the sharp whoosh of the macula, throwing the ship forward and towards freedom. She could hear sounds of people falling, but they were at the right end of the mast, and instead Starla was pushed harder against it, the wood painfully digging into her back. She ignored the pain in her back and wrist, and focused, instead, on Jim's heartbeat. Because as long as she could hear it, that meant he was alive. So she tuned everything out, only listening to the unwavering thrum of his heart.

Suddenly everything was speed, and they were heading faster and faster in the opposite direction of the black hole. The ship began to slow, and Starla heard the shouts of joy coming from all around her. Opening her eyes, she felt most of the pressure leave her, and guessed that Silver had moved away. She let out a deep and shaky breath, feeling Jim move slightly off her. His hand left its position above her shoulder, resting itself instead upon her waist. She opened her eyes to look up into Jim's, seeing the blue ones shine brightly, wide with excitement or fear; or maybe both. The pair looked at each other, staring and silent. And then she couldn't help it. A wide grin passed along her features, and she couldn't stop the laugh from escaping her lips. Jim looked for a moment as if the woman in front of him had lost her mind -which she quite possibly did- before laughing with her. He stepped back, pulling Starla with him and into a hard hug. His arms snaked around her waist, lifting her up momentarily. She giggled like a young girl, her hands resting on his shoulders as he set her down.

Starla smiled up at him, just happy to be alive. She hugged him tight to her once more, and pulled back to see him looking at her, a soft expression having taken over his features. She looked up, questions in her eyes. Questions that were soon forgotten, as Jim leaned forward in the same way he did the other night; it seemed to be so long ago.

For a moment, she didn't care that the crew surrounded them. She didn't care about the mutiny. All she cared about was Jim, and she was willing to let it show. She let her eyes fall shut as her head tipped upwards, and Starla felt Jim's warm breath wash across her skin.

Starla nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a distinct cough sound from beside her. Eyes snapping open, she pulled back slightly to see Silver, eyebrow raised and giving her a look that could kill. She dropped her arms and stepped back from Jim, pretending to busy herself with a suddenly fascinating piece of rope. She heard Amelia's voice from behind her as she walked back to the mast, untying the lifeline at her waist. Looking over, she saw there was one missing. Strange. She shook her head.

"Well, I must congratulate you, Mister Silver. It seems your cabin boy did a bang-up job with those life lines." Starla smiled to herself as Amelia's voice carried to her ears. Starla turned, and saw Silver and Jim playfully bump each other. It seems the situation Silver found she and Jim in was forgotten for the moment, and Starla was thankful for that.

Starla thought she saw Amelia give the pair a smile before clasping her hands behind her back, facing the deck. "All hands accounted for, Mister Arrow?" She asked loudly, waiting a moment for him to respond.

But there was no response.

Starla's eyebrows knit together as she walked forward -now free of her rope- to look around. The rest of the crew looked amongst themselves as well, wondering where Arrow had gotten to.

"Mister Arrow?" Amelia shouted again, worry in her voice. Behind her, Starla heard the hiss of Scroop, and saw the crew clearing a path for the alien to get through. The young woman noticed a hat in his hands - a familiar one that made her gasp.

"I'm afraid," Scroop began, lifting the hat up to Amelia, sadness colouring his voice, "Mister Arrow has been lost," he finished, looking down. Amelia took the hat, staring at it with her mouth open, shock rushing across her features. Meanwhile, Scroop continued.

"His lifeline was not secured," and at that, he shot a pointed look at Jim. The rest of the crew looked surprised, turning towards Jim as well. Amelia looked over, looking upset but trying not to show it. Starla's hand went to her throat in shock.

"No, I checked them all!" Jim defended himself. He ran over to the mast, shoving other crew members as he past. He looked with wide eyes at the missing rope, the same Starla had noticed a moment before. Her heart pounded as her mind began to race. No, Jim secured all of them - she saw him. He wouldn't have made a mistake. Starla tuned back in to hear Jim shouting up at Amelia.

"I - I did. I checked them all. They were secure. I swear!"

Amelia gave Jim a sharp look of disapproval, and Starla saw Jim's shoulders hunch as he looked down in shame. She looked up at Silver, who looked as distraught as his adoptive daughter felt. She saw him turn his head to look at Scroop, and she caught the smile on the damned alien's face. Her gaze hardened as she realized what must have happened. She bit her tongue -quite literally- and curled her hands into a fist, using the pain in her left to focus her mind. She looked to Amelia as she began to speak, grasping Arrow's hat.

"Mister Arrow was a…" she had to stop for a moment, clearing her throat. Starla clenched her fist tighter. "Ahem. A fine spacer… finer than most of us could ever hope to be." The look of hurt on Amelia's face tore at Starla, but she forced herself to keep looking on, instead of dropping her head in shame. "But he knew the risks, as do we all. Resume your posts… we carry on," Amelia finished, turning around to head to her stateroom. Starla let out a shaky breath, and turned to Jim. She wanted to say something, anything.

But he was already gone.