Acier Moonbound
Forcebound Rebel

Location: Flickerfox

The hum of the Flickerfox filled the cabin, low and steady, like a heartbeat that refused to stop. The storm of Teth was long behind them now, its mist and ruin shrinking into hyperspace blur, but the silence it left hadn't lifted.
Ace sat in the pilot's chair, shoulders heavy, one hand loosely turning the yoke just for the motion of it. The stars stretched into silver lines ahead, but his thoughts lingered behind, on the ziggurat, the rot that breathed beneath it, and the darkness that had nearly consumed them both whole.
Tic perched on the console beside him, lens flickering toward the med-bay every few seconds. The little BD-unit chirped, soft and nervous.
"She's still out." Ace muttered, voice low and rough. "Vitals are stable. Domxite's keeping watch."
He didn't need to check again, he could feel the faint pulse of her through the Force, dim but steady, like embers under ash. For a long moment, he just listened to the ship's hum. Then he exhaled and reached for the comm panel. Static crackled before he switched frequencies and started recording a message.
"Aris. It's Ace." He paused, then sighed quietly. "We finished the Teth survey, or what's left of it. There's something under the surface there… a nexus. Dark, old. We stumbled into it before I realized what we were walking into."
He leaned back in the chair, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Zaiya neutralized it. Saved my ass, honestly. But it hit back. Hard. She's alive... breathing, stable, but she hasn't woken up yet." His tone softened slightly. "I'm taking her to Odessen. She'll get proper care there. You'll want to be with her."
He ended the transmission, watching the small holo-indicator blink before the message queued and sent into the stream.
Tic trilled once, quietly. Ace gave a faint nod. "Yeah. I know."
The BD-unit chirped again, this time softer.
Ace's gaze drifted back to the starlines. "Still..." He murmured "He deserves to know she's coming home."
He leaned back in the chair, the stars reflected faintly in his dark eyes. Then he slid out from it, turning toward the corridor, making his way to the medical bay. The hum of the engines followed him, steady and low, as he reached the door and keyed it open. The sterile light washed over him, and there she was, lying still beneath the monitor glow, Domxite stood protectively by her shoulder.
Ace stepped inside, quiet, gaze softening as he stopped beside the cot.
"Hang in there..." He said under his breath, the words almost lost in the hum of the ship. "We're almost home."
Zaiya Ceti
|
Aris Noble
Ace sat in the pilot's chair, shoulders heavy, one hand loosely turning the yoke just for the motion of it. The stars stretched into silver lines ahead, but his thoughts lingered behind, on the ziggurat, the rot that breathed beneath it, and the darkness that had nearly consumed them both whole.
Tic perched on the console beside him, lens flickering toward the med-bay every few seconds. The little BD-unit chirped, soft and nervous.
"She's still out." Ace muttered, voice low and rough. "Vitals are stable. Domxite's keeping watch."
He didn't need to check again, he could feel the faint pulse of her through the Force, dim but steady, like embers under ash. For a long moment, he just listened to the ship's hum. Then he exhaled and reached for the comm panel. Static crackled before he switched frequencies and started recording a message.
"Aris. It's Ace." He paused, then sighed quietly. "We finished the Teth survey, or what's left of it. There's something under the surface there… a nexus. Dark, old. We stumbled into it before I realized what we were walking into."
He leaned back in the chair, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Zaiya neutralized it. Saved my ass, honestly. But it hit back. Hard. She's alive... breathing, stable, but she hasn't woken up yet." His tone softened slightly. "I'm taking her to Odessen. She'll get proper care there. You'll want to be with her."
He ended the transmission, watching the small holo-indicator blink before the message queued and sent into the stream.
Tic trilled once, quietly. Ace gave a faint nod. "Yeah. I know."
The BD-unit chirped again, this time softer.
Ace's gaze drifted back to the starlines. "Still..." He murmured "He deserves to know she's coming home."
He leaned back in the chair, the stars reflected faintly in his dark eyes. Then he slid out from it, turning toward the corridor, making his way to the medical bay. The hum of the engines followed him, steady and low, as he reached the door and keyed it open. The sterile light washed over him, and there she was, lying still beneath the monitor glow, Domxite stood protectively by her shoulder.
Ace stepped inside, quiet, gaze softening as he stopped beside the cot.
"Hang in there..." He said under his breath, the words almost lost in the hum of the ship. "We're almost home."

