I cannot stand the tension that has been hovering over everyone onboard. Gone is the easy laughter and the casual chatter I've become accustomed to hearing when I walk into a room. Now, there is silence.

Cassidy is like a bright light in the darkness, the only one who can still draw a smile from the crew. She flitters around between them all, spreading a little of her youthful energy throughout the ship as she goes. She's not unaware of the tension, but as bighearted as she is, she is doing her best to help in the only way that she knows how. I should have known there was much more going on underneath the surface, but still, it takes me by surprise when she corners me in my sleep pod one morning.

"Why is everyone so sad, Mom?"

It's not just me. We've all done our best to shelter her from the reality of the situation we are facing. However, Cassidy is ten, and whatever happens down on Bellator when Andrea goes to fight, her life is about to drastically change. It's not fair if I don't at least try to prepare her for what's coming.

"Come and sit down, Darling." I pat the bed next to me and she flops down, bouncing slightly. She looks at me expectantly and the words catch in my throat. How am I meant to tell her what we are up against?

"I'm ten, Mom," she reminds me, as if she can tell the direction my thoughts are taking. "You don't need to protect me."

I sigh, offering her a weak smile. "I will always protect you, Cassidy."

She hugs me, and I tighten my arms around her, putting off the inevitable for as long as possible. She squirms out of my grip, after tolerating it for far longer than I had anticipated.

"Mom?"

"Okay, Bobbsey," I agree, taking one last moment to try and find the right way of telling her this. "The person who has Caroline is not a nice man. He takes money from people who place bets on fights down on Bellator. A little bit like you learned about in History class on Earth One. Hundreds of years ago there was a sport called boxing, and people used to try and guess who would win. If they were right, then they got back more money than they paid."

"I remember," she says dubiously. "But what does that have to do with Caroline?"

I reach out to stroke her hair, smoothing back the strands that have broken free, loosely curling around her face. "Irv takes children from other planets and makes them fight, Cassidy. That's why we are worried about Caroline. We don't want her to have to fight."

She narrows her eyes. "Then why are we still up here? We know where she is. Why can't we go down and get her?"

"Oh honey, it's not as simple as that. Irv won't just let her go, and he doesn't want money for her. Instead, he offered us a deal, and it's a deal that Andrea has accepted. However, we still have a couple of days before we can take Caroline back."

"What kind of deal?"

"Andrea is to fight, Cassidy. When she wins, then she will be allowed to bring Caroline home to us."

"Andy is gonna fight?" Cassidy's eyes widen. "What if she gets hurt?"

I am so proud of the way that my daughters have turned out. Their compassion for others is far greater than my own, and considering I have been a single parent for most of their lives, I have no idea where either of them have gotten that from. I smile warmly at her.

"Andrea grew up here. She knows better than anyone how to fight. I have no doubt that she will be fine."

It's not the truth, but it's something I really want to believe. As much as I owe Cassidy an explanation, there are some things that she doesn't need to know. Not yet, and hopefully not ever. I don't want to have to explain what she is up against. I don't want her to know what they have done to Caroline, until it is absolutely necessary. What is the point in worrying her as much as the rest of us?

"What aren't you telling me, Mom? I know you're hiding something."

I feel my lips purse together. Once, there was a time when my daughter would never have called me out like this, but I raised them to question authority and sometimes that backfires on me.

"I'm worried, Cassidy. Even though I'm sure that Andrea will win, I'm still worried that she could get hurt," I admit cautiously. "And no matter what deal has been made, I won't be able to rest until Caroline is on this ship and we are flying away from here. Do you understand?"

She wrinkles her nose. "So you think everything is going to be okay, but you're worried anyway. Just in case something goes wrong?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Caroline is okay?" she asks, and my heart breaks hearing her question. No, Caroline is not okay. She will never be okay again. She will never be that quiet, yet, happy-go-lucky little girl, ever again. I try my best to reassure Cassidy though, ignoring the slither of guilt that manifests.

"She's probably been very scared to be away from us, Darling. Once she's back with her family and safe, then I'm sure she will be fine."

"Do you… will she…" Cassidy trails off, and I'm alarmed to see tears in her eyes. I try to pull her into my arms. She moves backwards, refusing to be comforted, and takes a deep breath before continuing. "Will she hate me?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Because I got away. They had both of us, but I managed to escape. I left her with them."

I think back to the conversation that I had with Andrea. Her sister had been the one left behind, and the child never recovered, eventually taking her own life. Survivor's guilt is very real and I don't want Cassidy to ever feel like she should have done anything differently.

"You did exactly what she would have wanted you to. Think about it this way," I prompt, taking her hand between both of mine. "If Caroline escaped and you had been taken away without her, would you hate her for getting away?"

She immediately shakes her head. "No," she replies softly. "But I'm stronger than Caroline. I would have been okay alone."

"I think she might surprise us both," I reply optimistically. "She's stronger than we think. Remember what Andrea said about people under pressure being diamonds? Maybe this is Caroline's turn to shine?"

She doesn't look convinced, but she shrugs and stands up, wiping her face with her hands. "I'm going to go and work out."

I nod. "Have fun. I'll go and make us some breakfast in a moment, so don't be too long," I warn, getting to my feet.

She's already heading towards the door, a brief wave sent my way over her shoulder. I'm worried about her, far more than I was before. I get dressed, wondering if it's a good idea to ask Andrea to try to talk to her. Maybe the Commander can convince her that Caroline won't hold any resentment for her.

I leave my pod, and head to the cave, nearly bumping into Destra. I stop short, stumbling slightly as the Medical Officer walks out of the Commander's suite of rooms, buttoning up her shirt. Did Destra spend the night in there? Did Andrea really jump into bed with her, after I refused to sleep with her casually? It shouldn't hurt as much as it does. Andrea owes me nothing, and yet I realise I expected more from her than jumping into bed with the next willing woman to cross her path. Destra and Andrea have history. I should have known better.

My nails carve indents into my palms and I realise my fists are clenched. I storm past Destra, my shoulder bumping hers as I stride into the Cave and head over to the kitchen area. I hear her call my name. I shake my head furiously, reaching for the coffee and filling my vessel with hot water.

"Hey, Miranda? Can we talk?" Destra asks hesitantly.

It takes me a moment to drop the scowl from my face. I school my features into a cool mask, and turn to her with eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Officer?"

She frowns. "Look, I know what you're thinking."

"Really?" I ask, sarcastically. "Are you some kind of mind reader? Maybe you missed your calling in life."

"I don't have to be a mind reader to know that you're jealous," she replies dryly. "Look, nothing happened, okay?"

I scoff. "Do you really think I care?"

"Yes," she replies bluntly. "I think you're pissed at me for spending the night with the woman that you like. So I really need you to listen to me, when I tell you nothing happened. I wasn't even there overnight, no matter what you think you saw. Nothing happened," she repeats firmly.

"Of course it didn't. There must be a thousand reasons why you would be walking out of her suite before breakfast, in the process of getting dressed."

I take my coffee and head for the table. She follows, of course, and sits opposite me. I try to ignore her, but without an Info Glass or someone else to talk to, it proves impossible. I stare into my coffee, hoping she will get the hint and leave me alone. A heavy sigh reaches my ears.

"Look, did I go in there wanting more? Yes. Do I wish that Andy had the same kinds of feelings for me, that I do for her? Yes." She runs her hands roughly through her hair, and her multicoloured mohawk flops slightly. "Andy doesn't want me like that. She made it quite clear."

"You went in there hoping she would sleep with you?"

She sighs again, her cheeks flushing. "Not my best move, I know. Andy is taking a cocktail of supplements at the moment and the side effects of one of them, well, let's just say I thought we could have a good time together. She doesn't want me, though."

"Side effects?"

"One of the strength boosting herbs we have her on causes libido to skyrocket," Destra admits sheepishly. "I thought that might be enough for her to need me, okay? I took her the herbs this morning, like I have done every morning, and I made a mistake. She kicked me out so damn fast, Miranda. She made her feelings quite clear."

I shake my head slowly, deep in thought. Andrea rejected Destra, even with her current predicament? I really want to know why, but I refuse to ask Destra for that information and I certainly can't approach Andrea about it. Somehow, though, I can't quite stop myself from speaking.

"But you knew, Destra. You knew how I felt about her, and you still went in there with the intention of seducing her. You tried to take advantage of her."

She shrugs. "Yeah. Like I said, it wasn't my best move. This wasn't about you, though. No matter how you feel about Andrea, it's not your decision whether or not she sleeps with me. It's hers. So I gave her a choice, and she used that choice to turn me down."

"At least you're honest. I'm thankful for that," I remark, surprised that I mean it. If she had tried to lie to me about it, then I think that would have hurt more. I have to remind myself that this is Andrea's crew. Destra has known the Commander for a long time now, and they have a relationship that I don't understand. The Medical Officer doesn't owe me anything, and she's right. It's not up to me whether or not Andrea gives in to her advances. I almost respect her for trying.

"I don't see the point in lying about something like this," Destra replies. "I give you my word that I won't be trying anything like that again, though," she says with a small laugh, giving me a lopsided grin. "No one needs to be that humiliated twice in one lifetime."

I smirk. "It was bad?"

She grimaces, though the smile remains. "Let's just say it's not a situation I want to repeat any time soon."

"I should feel smug," I admit, a grin of my own spreading across my lips. "But I don't. I do wish I could have seen it, though. Andrea can be quite caustic when she wants to be."

Destra laughs, her eyes sparkling. "I could have dealt with caustic. I know how to deal with Andrea's moods by now."

"Then what happened?"

Her cheeks turn scarlet. "She laughed, Miranda. I made a pass at her, and she laughed in my face. And then, she laughed me right out of her quarters."

I can't help the bubble of laughter that wells up inside of me, even as Destra pouts. She rolls her eyes at me and I laugh harder, unable to stop, until eventually she joins in. Just like that, the tension seems a little less. That's what has been missing these last few days. Laughter. I reach across to rest my hand on her arm. "I'm sorry."

She laughs again. "No, you're not," she replies, but it's good natured.

"No, I'm not," I confirm, still grinning. My cheeks hurt and I feel lighter than I have in a while. "I'm going to make breakfast for Cassidy and I. Would you like something?"

"What are you making?"

"I thought I'd chop up some of the fruit that I noticed was getting rather soft."

She nods happily. "Sounds great. Thank you."

I get up and leave her at the table, bemused with the turn of events. I have never experienced jealousy before, even in my two previous marriages. Both of my former husbands committed adultery and I just didn't care. As long as they kept it away from the public, they could do what they wanted. It's not like I allowed them to share my own bed for long; each relationship deteriorating quickly into a business arrangement and nothing more. This feeling of possessiveness, the fury I had felt when I thought Destra had slept with Andrea, is so unlike me, and I don't know where it has come from.

It's unfair, I know that much. I have kept the distance between us, unwilling to give myself to Andrea without the promise of more. A promise that she has not been able to make, and I respect her for her honesty. But what if it's too late? What if I have missed my chance to be with her? What if she doesn't come back from Bellator, alive?

The thought of food suddenly makes me nauseous, and I put the spare bowl back in the cupboard, continuing to chop the fruit for Cassidy and Destra. Deep in thought, it takes me by surprise when Cassidy appears, with wet hair and pink cheeks.

I leave them eating and head to the workout room, determined to fight off these feelings I am having.

-xXx-

The brief reprieve in tension soon dissipates into an undercurrent of anticipation. Thirty-six hours later, I am the only one left in the Cave, with the exception of Serena who is studying star maps up in Command. I know she has been given instructions to pre-plan several routes out of The Void in case of trouble. The map she is looking at now has all the neighbouring planets, and although I can't see the numbers they are rated, the colours are visible; green for a Level One, red for a Level Five and varying shades of colours in between.

If we need to hide out on a Level One planet, that will offer us more protection than making a run for it, apparently. However, some of the so called 'safe' Level One planets, are contracted to Irv on Bellator. It gives them a level of protection from him, one that they pay handsomely for. These allegiances and contracts change every time Andrea and her crew enter The Void, so Serena and Jocelyn have been updating their information as thoroughly as possible. It's difficult in such a volatile place. Things change more rapidly than the rise and fall of the sun on some of the smaller planets.

I yawn, covering my mouth with my hand, even though no one is looking my way. The sound carries and Serena turns to look at me sympathetically.

"Go to bed, Miranda. You're not helping yourself by staying up. Destra can give you something to help you sleep if you need? Just as a one off?"

I shake my head adamantly. "I'll be fine. I'll head to bed now, goodnight."

She smiles gently. "Goodnight."

I fully intend to go to my pod. Walking past the Commander's door, however, gives me pause. Is she faring any better than I am? Here I am, going out of my mind with worry. Worry about Caroline. Worry about Andrea fighting. Worry about getting out of The Void safely. What about Andrea? Is she worried? Before I can second guess myself, I swipe my Comms unit over the panel outside her door. It opens, and I slip inside. I know she can lock us out, so the fact that it opens for me leaves me feeling warm. She must want me here. Or, at the very least, not be opposed to my presence.

"Hey," Andrea greets me. She's laying back on the sofa wearing a t-shirt and shorts, her long legs sprawled out on the cushions.

"Are you okay, Andrea?"

She smiles, her eyes tight. "I'll be fine. It's the waiting that's the worst part. Fighting is easy."

I snort. "Only you would say that the easy part is fighting."

She grins. "Maybe not easy. Just… easier? Like, when you're in a Medical Centre and they knock you out for a procedure. It's always worse for those who are waiting for you to be woken up again. If you're the one having something done, you go to sleep, and when you wake up, it's all over. This situation is a bit like that."

"You're not worried about the fight itself?" I ask, sitting down when she moves her legs, and pats the cushion next to her.

"Of course I am," she replies seriously. "The worst thing you can do going into The Circle is to underestimate your opponent. That said, I think I have a good chance of winning. If I didn't believe that, then I wouldn't be going."

"If there are other options, then why are you going down there to fight in the first place?"

She sits up fully, swinging her legs around to sit cross-legged next to me. "If I fight then we get to leave, no problem. Well, as long as I win. It's far better than fighting our way out of The Void unless we have to."

"I don't want you to fight, but I want my daughter back. I'm so conflicted, Andrea," I confess, a lump in my throat. "I don't want to lose you."

She moves, shuffling close to me. "I think that's perfectly natural. No matter who you meet in life or what you do, your children will always come first. That's the way it should be, you know? You don't need to explain that to me."

"You're a good person, Andrea."

She grins wryly. "I'm really not. You're just lucky to be on this side of me. Most people treat me like they would a wounded animal. They give me a wide birth, never quite sure if I am about to rip their throats out."

I laugh then, and she huffs. "I think I preferred it when you were scared of me," she grumbles, still grinning.

"You're not that scary," I tease her. "Seriously, Caroline on a bad day is far worse than anything I've seen from you."

She rolls her eyes and changes the subject. "So, what can I do for you tonight? Can't sleep?"

I sigh, wrapping my arms around myself. "I haven't tried yet," I reply honestly. She reaches for me, tugging my hand as she stretches her legs out again. I lay down by her side, my head leaning on her shoulder.

"I know a great way to burn off excess energy. It would help you sleep," she suggests, and I can hear the teasing in her tone.

I don't know what comes over me. The moment the words leave her mouth, I throw a leg over her, and move to straddle her narrow hips. She looks up at me, wide eyed, and I smirk.

"Oh? And what would that be?" I ask, grinding down on her as she squirms underneath me.

"Uh…"

"Eloquent," I quip, leaning forwards. "Do you mean sex, Andrea? Do you want to fuck me? Or, do you want me to fuck you? Will it help you sleep if you come around my fingers? Shall we find out?" I offer, slipping my hand beneath her t-shirt and raking my nails across her abdomen.

I have never said anything like this in my life, and judging by the look on her face, she never expected me to be so bold. She looks mildly impressed and then her expression turns feral and she flips me in an instant. I lay on my back, welcoming her as she lowers her body onto mine. I can feel the heat of her through my thin layer of clothes and I want her. Driven by the thought of this being my last chance, I reach up and pull her face towards mine, connecting our lips. She sinks into the kiss, leaning on one arm, while the other hand explores my body. She kisses, and kisses, and kisses me some more, until we are both breathless.

She pulls back, hovering over me. "As much as I want to take you to bed, this is not the time. I don't want this to be an act of desperation, Miranda. I know exactly why you decided to offer yourself to me tonight."

I frown. Surely I am not so transparent? "Maybe I just want you," I counter.

She leans down to kiss me again, softly this time. When she stops, she shifts slightly, so that she is laying down next to me. "I have no doubt that you want me," she answers, and it should be arrogant, but coming from her, it's not. I've not exactly hidden my desire for her.

"So what's the problem then?" I ask. "Or have you changed your mind about me?"

I almost don't want the answer to that.

She pulls me into her arms. "If we sleep together, I want it to be because you are ready. Because you genuinely want this," she explains gently. "I don't want you to do this because you are worried about what might happen tomorrow. It's not fair on you and it's not fair on me, either."

Now I feel ashamed. Yes, I had been spurred on by the fact that this might be my last chance, but I didn't want to make her feel used. "I'm sorry," I apologise.

She pulls me tighter against her body. "Don't be. Being wanted by you is an amazing feeling."

Neither of us speak any further words. I want to suggest that we move to the bed, yet I am unwilling to break this quiet solace I have found, laying in her arms. Instead, I listen to the steady beat of her heart and relish in the warmth of her body as I drift off to sleep.

-xXx-

The next morning, neither of us mentions the night before. Andrea is all purpose, absentmindedly kissing my forehead and then leaving me in her quarters so she can go and take a shower. I leave not long after her, heading into the Cave to find Cassidy already eating breakfast with Emily and Doug.

I force myself to eat, but it's difficult; my mouth is so dry as nerves get the better of me. It's not long before we are all gathered around in Command, just passing time before Andrea needs to leave. Rather than taking the Star Chaser II and its entire crew to the surface, Andrea will take a small transport pod they have in the cargo hold, and go down to the surface with Lily. If there are any problems or this doesn't play out the way that we hope, then it is easier to make a quick getaway.

Jocelyn informs us that this fight is big news on Bellator, and it's being advertised far and wide on every channel she has hacked into. The fight itself starts at midday local time, and I query why it starts so early.

"On a planet like Bellator, time doesn't matter," Lily explains. "Everything is around the clock, you know? Nothing ever shuts down, especially if it's something that can make Irv money."

"Plus, the days on Bellator are really short at this time of year, and the fight could be long," Doug cuts in. "Midday makes sense, in a strange way. Things operate differently here, to the way that they would on Earth One or Nova Terra."

"How long do these fights last?" I ask, turning my eyes to Andrea, who is perched on the edge of the Command desk, tapping her fingers on her knee.

Andrea shrugs. "It depends. Sometimes they are over very quickly." Her eyes flick toward Cassidy, before she continues. "Hopefully, it will be a longer fight."

A longer fight is better? I don't see how that can possibly be true until I catch her grim expression and it all clicks into place. A short fight would mean she is up against an unbeatable opponent. One that is so much stronger than her, that she doesn't stand a chance. A short fight means that she dies almost the moment she steps into The Circle.

A longer fight means she has a fighting chance.

I can't think of a single thing to say, and she smiles at me, a look of understanding on her face.

"We need to leave in a moment, Andy," Lily states quietly, eyes flicking to the time on the command console.

Andrea jumps straight off of the command desk, rocking on the balls of her feet. She puts her arms above her head, stretching out her muscles. "I'm ready."

I forget about the crew watching. I forget about Destra and I forget about my daughter, throwing myself into Andrea's arms and hugging her tightly. She allows me my moment of clinginess, hugging me back. Gentle hands push me away slightly, before cupping my face. She pulls our lips together, kissing me slowly.

"I'm coming back," she promises. "The next time you see me in person, I'll be walking back on the ship with Caroline. I promise, Miranda."

I don't pull her up on her choice of words, or berate her for making promises she can't know she won't break. Instead, I kiss her one last time. "Be safe, Andrea. Come back to us. Come back to me."

She nods, and then hugs Cassidy, who is standing there, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. "Don't worry, Kiddo. I'll see you later, okay?"

"I know," Cassidy replies confidently. "You're better than Nasty Nate."

The whole crew laughs at her name for him, and Andrea joins in. Cassidy wears a pleased smile, coming to stand next to me.

"I'll see you all later," Andrea promises, her voice strained, even as she smiles reassuringly at my daughter.

The rest of the crew say their goodbyes and then I watch as she walks down through the Cave with Lily, and disappears out of sight. I blink back tears, and Serena reaches forwards to squeeze my hand.

"Joss? Can we get eyes on Andrea?" Serena instructs.

"We should be able to follow her movements from the moment she steps out onto the concourse at the port, all the way to The Circle," Jocelyn replies. The faint vibration and roar of an engine lets me know they have left, and in the matter of only a few seconds, they will be on the surface.

I can't let Cassidy watch this. "Darling, why don't you go and work out," I suggest.

She shakes her head, stubbornly. "I want to watch. I want to see Andy."

"Emily, please take Cassidy down to the Veggie," Serena requests quietly.

"No, I don't want-"

"Cadet Priestly, that is a direct order from your Commanding Officer," Serena informs her firmly. "Please go and help Emily."

Cassidy looks like she will argue, but changes her mind. I expect her to be sullen, instead, she surprises me. "You will let me know, right?" she asks Serena. "You'll come and get me when there is news?

The Lieutenant nods, smiling gently. "Of course."

"Okay," she replies reluctantly, and then she follows Emily out of the room. Serena turns to me, her eyes calculating.

"Are you sure that you want to watch? It could get ugly, Miranda. If it all goes wrong, then there is no room for your emotions in Command. We will need to act quickly and decisively, and I need to be able to trust that you won't make things difficult."

I want to deny her not-quite-hidden accusation that I could make things difficult. However, she was there when I fought with Andrea over the controls. I swallow down my pride. "You have my word, Lieutenant."

"Good," she replies. "Okay, Joss. Let's get eyes on our girl."

It doesn't take long for the Communications Officer to locate the Commander, walking side by side with Lily. Neither of them is talking, and I watch as they get into the small shuttle at the port. From what I have been told, it leads straight to The Circle. There is surveillance inside the shuttle, which Andrea spots straight away. She waves, grinning, and it gives me confidence. Not much, but a little. It's all I've got, for now.

Command is painfully silent as we track them both through the city. It feels like we are watching them for hours. According to the time on the console though, the entire journey takes less than ten minutes, and then Andrea is being led into a small waiting room. It's the only room that doesn't have surveillance, and my fingers twitch on the arm of my chair, as I try to resist tapping impatiently.

The clock slowly moves forwards, and then it is suddenly midday. Jocelyn changes to a different view, just in time for us to see Andrea as she enters The Circle.