Some Time Later
The sun was low in the sky as the most veiled Elite Force member sat out on the penthouse deck; watching the flaming orb sink into the Earth like a powerful giant of the ocean-like sky.
It was hard to believe that their sun was actually one of the smaller stars in the Milky Way galaxy. It seemed impossible that all of those other stars had the ability to be as essential to other life forms as the Earth's people's sun was to them.
The Earth's horizon had just swallowed the very tip of the crucial star when Skylar had the feeling someone else had joined her on the deck.
"Hey, it's me." It was Chase, the team's ex-leader and all-around nerd. He made his way out to the thoughtful girl. "Do you mind if I join you?"
Skylar shook her head and motioned to the lounge chair beside her, welcoming him to sit without her words, since she was not quite ready to pull herself out of her meditative state enough to talk.
Chase, however, seemed determined to have a conversation with the immersed team member.
"How are you holding up after last night's trouble?" He asked, with a genuinely concerned voice that reminded her of the last time a friend betrayed her.
Chase feared for a moment that the goddess-like creature before him would sink away from his grasp back into her depressed space before he could reach her, but instead she surfaced and turned to face him with an answer.
"I'm okay, just little shocked."
"You are not alone in that feeling. We're all feeling a little jolted after Roman and Riker got that list of heroes." Chase was hoping that his words would comfort her, but they seemed to have the opposite effect.
Chase was trying to understand her, but it only served to remind her of how distant they really were.
Deciding a new topic of conversation might provide better results, Chase looked to the heavens for help.
"Look over there, the first star of the evening." Skylar's eyes followed his finger as he pointed to the bright star, which was still basking in a warm, but quickly fading pink and orange glow from the recently set sun.
A faint sign of a smile tinted the corners of Skylar's mouth, giving Chase the confidence to continue.
"You know, that's probably not really a star, but actually a planet. People often confuse the two, but it's easy to tell the difference because stars twinkle, whereas plants show a constant light. That's because stars are further away, with—"
"More atmosphere in between them and us, causing them to appear to twinkle," interrupted Skylar.
Chase looked at her, slightly surprised. Would this girl ever cease to surprise him with her talents?
"Yes, that's right," he said, smiling.
Skylar was not looking at him, however. She was focused on the planet shining in the auburn skies.
"That's probably the planet Venus," she stated smartly. "It's always the first star to appear in the evening, and the last to disappear in the morning because it's the closest object to Earth, besides the moon. In ancient times, people named it appropriately "Venus" meaning—"
"Morning and Evening star," finished Chase knowingly. Now, Skylar turned to him and smiled.
"That's right," she echoed his earlier comment.
Skylar enjoyed talking to Chase, but it was difficult to truly feel close to him because he did not know her past, and there was no way he could ever relate to her life. It was as though she was back on her plant Caldara, and they were here, trying to reach her from across the galaxies.
Interestingly enough, that is how Chase often felt when he was talking to the curious girl. Skylar, was as of now still an unbalanced equation that he couldn't figure out how to steady, no matter how much he wanted too.
The two of them looked so peaceful together out on the deck as the sun finished setting, watching the stars come out and discussing ancient Greek names. Chase, for the first time in his life, was not thinking about appearing smarter then everyone else, or of retaining his title as 'mission leader'. His mind was completely occupied with the thought of helping Skylar. He was so concerned about her recent moody lapses that when he did think of her, any other ulterior motives in his mind were fully blown away by his overwhelming compassion and want to assist her on her journey of recovery. After all, a team was only strong if each and every member on the team was healthy, inside and out.
As the two talked and laughed, they remained unaware of the jealous eyes watching them from the kitchen, cursing Chase, and wishing that there was some way to win Skylar's innocent heart. Chase said something particularly humorous, and Skylar threw back her head in laughter. Oliver threw his dish into the sink roughly and stomped out of the kitchen, his mind spinning with hurt and confusion.