Daruk

“Where were you last night?”

Father is looking at me, his eyes narrowed. He never had a loving face, but I could never have imagined there would be so much malice in those eyes.

Yet malice is required to lay such a cowardly trap for the visiting humans. Where are they now, old man? Where are you keeping them?

His broad frame takes up the entire entrance to our home, his cave. I tracked back for some supplies, only to run into him.

“I was out hunting,” I answer, keeping my voice as flat as possible. “Tried to follow a pack of deer until they were exhausted.”

“And?” he asks. “Any success.”

I shake my head. “No.”

He scoffs. “Figures.”

My father turns towards his stash of weapons. A rack of swords, each one decorated intricately, stands in the corner of our cave. They are father’s pride and joy. I’ve never been allowed to hold one — if I so much as look at them, he growls.

He’s unarmed now. I could run my dagger through his back, get it over with quickly, painlessly…

No.

I could never do that. Attack an unarmed man from behind… that’s not me.

“Have you seen your brother?”

“No,” I answer. “Have you tried the mines?”

I don’t believe father has ever gone down there. He considers it beneath him.

“If you do see him, tell him to come to the main square, tonight, when the sun passes over the mountains. The Elders have an important announcement to make, one that will change the very course of New Exon.”

My interest is definitely piqued now. Does it have to do with the humans? There’s so much I want to ask, to know, but I can’t risk him realizing I know too much already.

I have to bottle my curiosity up inside. For now.

All will become clear tonight.

“I will pass on the message.”

“Good.”

My father nods curtly, and then storms off. I briefly consider following him, but the need to return to Lilith wins out. I take a roundabout path towards my secret hideout, tracking back multiple times to throw off any would-be pursuers. Only when I’m certain I’m not being followed do I approach the hidden cave…

…yet Lilith is nowhere to be found.

* * *

Lilith

I hope Daruk can forgive me. I wonder if he’s the forgiving type. There’s so much we still have to learn about one another. We skipped a whole bunch of dates and went straight to the soul-mates step…

It’s a good step, don’t get me wrong. It’s a great one. My favorite one. Best step I’ve ever taken.

However, I have to admit I don’t know him inside out. I look forward to getting to know him. To learning what’s his favorite food. His favorite piece of music. How good of a dancer he is. What his vows sound like…

If we both survive this whole ordeal, that is.

I’m afraid I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. There might not be vows, there might not be a wedding ceremony, there might not be a happy ever after… not if I get caught.

The jungle is hot and humid, and insects are buzzing all around me as I make my way through the thick foliage. Daruk said the ship was two clicks to the south, so I ought to be heading in the right direction… however, if the sun rises on a different direction of this alien planet than the east, I might just be walking the wrong direction…

But I have to do something. I don’t care if I’m being foolish — I want to do my part. Daruk has saved my life, time for me to repay my debt by saving his little brother.

I stumble onto a clearing, the HF Destiny, or what remains of it, clearly visible in the distance. The once grey ship is now charred black, a ruined husk of its former glory.

My heart sinks. What if the med-bay was destroyed in the attack as well? What if I’m taking all of this risk for nothing?

I scan the clearing, looking for anything that moves… but it’s quiet. Awfully quiet.

Even the insects seemed to have stopped buzzing.

I contemplate turning back, but I didn’t come all this way just to run back now. I wanted to be a hero… so act like one.

With a final deep breath and balled fists I charge into the clearing, running towards the ship as fast as I can. I half-expect Zorans to ambush me, to see movement among the trees, laser rifles to come out of the foliage and knock the wind out of me… but nothing happens.

I reach the charred ship without being attacked. I run up the ramp, into the metallic interior with my heart racing and my palms sweaty. I gasp for air, big gulps of it filling my lungs.

Okay, I made it. That was step one.

Now to find the med-bay.

The ship is at once familiar and alien. The hallway is the same as I remember it, everything where it belongs, yet at the same time, everything is different.

Blast holes in the wall. Strange footprints on the ground. Chairs knocked over, some tables flipped.

Yet the strangest thing of all, the one thing that unsettles me the most… is the silence.

The HF Destiny was a hub of activity. There were always soldiers around, eager to have a chat. Or there would be Peanut, following me around wherever I went. And even if I was alone, there would still be the distant hum of the engine, a constant reminder that we were traveling through space at blistering speeds.

Now, there is only silence, like the spirit of the ship itself has died. It’s unsettling. It makes my skin crawl, and the pit in my stomach fills with regret.

Why did I come here again?

Why did I want to be the hero?

My cautious walk turns into a sprint. The sooner I’m out of here, the better. I burst through the doors of the med-bay, and I’m relieved to find it still mostly intact. I rummage through the cabinets and my heart jumps with joy when I find a medi-tool in mint condition.

This tool will be able to diagnose Yano and, if I’m lucky, treat whatever is ailing him.

Now, I’m getting the hell out of here.

* * *

Daruk

Lilith is gone.

There are two options: Either someone found her and took her from me, or she snuck out on her own accord.

I don’t know which option I’d prefer.

If someone took her, we’re in deep, deep trouble… but I don’t like the thought of her blatantly ignoring my warnings either.

I sniff around, tracking her scent. Just when I found a lock, there is rustling in the bushes. I only manage to pull my dagger out just in time before a Zoran warrior bursts forth — but it’s only Yano.

He starts rattling instantly. “There’s going to be an announcement tonight, the entire tribe is being called up, do you think it has to with the human…” His voice trails off when he sees my balled fists. “What’s wrong?”

“Lilith is gone,” I growl, my anger barely contained. “We need to find her. Now.”

“Shit,” Yano says. “Do you know where she is?”

“I’m fairly sure she’s headed for the human vessel, if she’s not there already. If you approach from the west, I’ll take the east route. We’ll meet at the ship.”

“Got it.”

Moments later we’re both rushing through the jungle, my heart racing, the heavy feeling in my stomach growing with every passing second.

Lilith… you fool. Stay out of trouble.

I’m not sure I can live without you.

* * *

Lilith

Only when I’m back in the relative safety of the jungle does my heart stop racing. The abandoned ship was so scary my skin still crawls. I take a few deep breaths, forcing myself to relax.

As much as I can relax, knowing danger lurks around every tree.

You got this, Lilith. You’ve been through worse. All you need to do now is track back to the cave. Just go north.

Sounds easy. In theory.

However, in the heart of the jungle, there are no landmarks. All trees look alike. All the bushes look alike. Through the thick foliage, I can barely see the sun, so orientating myself is hard.

Fuck. Am I lost?

My heart sinks as I realize I ran away so quickly from the ghostly ship that I didn’t take enough time to think about where I was going. All I was focused on was getting the hell away from there.

Now, I’m all sorts of screwed.

The bushes to my left rustle suddenly. I raise the medi-tool like a gun, just as someone, or something, bursts forth out of the darkness.

“I have a gun!” I lie.

My attacker is much too quick for me. Before my eyes have even interpreted the golden blur in front of me, he’s disarmed me, wrestling the tool from my grasp.

My emotions go up and down like a rollercoaster when I realize I know this man. Daruk?

“Be quiet,” the man whispers.

I now realize it’s his younger brother, Yano!

“Oh my god,” I sigh deeply. “You scared the hell out of me!”

“Good,” he says as he hands the medi-tool back to me. “You are right to be afraid. I’ve never seen my brother more furious.”

“Well… he’ll get over it.”

I hope.

Yano smirks. “You certainly share my brother’s disdain for authority. You two are made for each other.”

“You think?”

“A blind man could see that. Now, what the hell are you doing out here, besides trying to get yourself killed?”

“I was looking for this,” I say, showing off the tool. “And thank god I found it, so my fool’s errand wasn’t so foolish after all.”

“What does it do?”

“Cure you,” I say as I activate the tool and aim it at Yano’s golden chest. The device lights up, information rattling on the small screen in an instant.

The Zoran backs away, shielding his chest with his hands. “What are you doing?!” he growls.

“Calm down, let the tool work. Please.”

I grab his hands and lower them, placing the tool right against his skin. He frowns at me, but lets me do my thing. When he’s angry, he’s looks even more like his big brother.

The device beeps.

“See, it’s like I thought. You have a tumor in your lungs.”

“A tumor?!”

“Yes. Luckily, this tool can help you. Stay still.”

“The light from the device… it tingles.”

“That’s because it’s working its magic. You were very ill, but thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you’ll be feeling a lot better soon.”

I can’t stop smiling. The risk, the danger, it was all worth it. Yano was even more sick than I feared, and untreated, it would have certainly killed him… but for the Federation, treating it is elementary.

I can’t believe his own people wouldn’t let him seek treatment. That makes me steam with anger. It’s downright criminal!

“What do we have here?”

The icy cold voice makes my smile disappear instantly. I turn around slowly to find another Zoran looking down at us. His skin as gold as Yano and Daruk’s… but that’s where the comparison stops.

A jet-black armor adorns his frame, and his light-blue eyes are frosty.

“Father,” Yano breathes, his voice shaky.

Fuck.