Rebirth

~**Prologue


It was inevitable I suppose, at least that’s what I’m told. Not that the fact helped anyone deal with it better. That day changed so many lives, including my own. I did everything I could not to be pinned into a life I could never even possibly think of wanting. Then I end up voluntarily going into it without realizing it. Who knew that when I left to run away from the fate that was left for me, I was running right into it? I know now you can’t run from destiny, all it does is follow and chase you and catches you once you take a wrong turn and end up in a dead end. After everything, to be quite honest I’m sick of running. If I ran, I’d be leaving more behind than I did the first time. It’s time to stop and face whatever life has in store for me, for all of us. No matter how scared we may be of it. No matter how unknown the journey will be, we have to go down that road, and stop running. I write this tale so then you’ll have an idea of what started it all, a better chance to understand me, as well as the others. If nothing more, read this for entertainment, if not for acceptance.

I never thought it would end up this way. Honestly now who would? No one for that matter. None of us wanted it but we couldn’t deny what was laid before us. None of us are the stereotypes usually up for this; in fact I’m starting to think fate picked us at random thinking that would be more interesting. Life’s a bitch, it’s not fair and we got dealt a shitty deck and had to deal.

Damn it.

Why couldn’t someone else be the one meant to take this on instead?

Shame we can’t change the past or go back, I would in a heartbeat.

Anything to prevent what was to change our lives forever

"Rebirth"

Chapter One: Hollow Footsteps

-Time: 2150 Area: Tampa, Florida, United States

He gasps: stepping into the burnt porch, his past along with his present was destroyed. Everything he had ever known was just a fading memory, a distant past that seemed to be losing its final grip of remembrance. His construction boots crunch over the swirling ashes that once were his photo album as his azure eyes glance over around the entry way of what once used to be his family’s house. The house once filled with so much vigor and live was now a bare atrium, the only room that seemed to withstand through the explosion. He gulps down the lump in his throat, his eyes clouding in tears as he stumbles back of the door no longer able to take the disappearance of what occurred. His eyes scan down the block to see nothing but reminiscence of what once used to be houses aligned down the road.

He chokes down the sob rinsing in his chest as he glances one more time at the house his family once lived it. “Ohhh God.” He cries out softly, placing a hand over his mouth to sustain his grief. The dark sky lit up in bright orange from a distant explosion occurring somewhere far off. His world…everything he knew was gone. Now what was he going to do without a past.

“You could always start over.” A voice calls out to him.

The tall fair headed man turns around to see an average height dark tan man eyeing him from the corner of the sidewalk. “You can begin again.” The man calmly states.

“Who are you?” The man breaths out: clutching his fists tightly to him.

The darkly tan man, smiles, nodding his head: “Howard, you can call me Howie. I know what you went through…it happened to me too.”

The blonde man gulps, nervously passing a hand through his spiky hair. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to take you with me.”

The man vigorously shakes his head, sneering. “No.”

“You have been selected to join the military space force. If you want to live, then I suggest you come with me. You are Nickolas Carter correct?” Howie asks in a demanding voice.

Nick gulps, nodding his head wearily as he gazes at him. “A space force?”

“Yes. I came to personally get you. You’ve been drafted in, I should say.” Howie peers at the man curiously watching his reaction.

“Drafted in? I…I’m not joining some space force, this isn’t star trek man.”

Howie tried to maintain his stern gaze at him, holding back the laughter tickling his stomach at the man’s comment. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. You’ve been drafted to join us. I’m Howard Dorough, the general of the United States military space force and you are to come with me.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Nick sneers out, fear zooming down his spine as he tries to remain rigor and strong against the man.

“You’re scared. I understand that. Put I need you to come with me. You’ll be taken care of. We’re going to get revenge on those responsible for doing this to your family as well as others that have been affected.”

“Is…is it true then?” Nick whispers out, holding back the bile rising in his throat.

“About this planet dying, being destroyed…?” Howie responds out.

“Yes and if we lost the battle?” Nick quips back.

Howie frowns sadly, nodding his head. “For now… those beings won. But that will all change soon. Because I along with others will fight to get back what we have. Our family’s memory depends on it. Come with me Nick, make a difference and stop those that did this to your family. They took everything from you. Don’t let them take you too.”

Nick nods, silent tears race down his quivering cheeks as he follows Howie to jeep to take them to their destination.

~*~

He fights back the tears of the anguish pain of lost love. He recalled hearing his mother’s sweet gentle voice saying bye as she had waved at him for one last time, the last time he’ll ever see her alive and breathing. The dreams or nightmares as he chooses to call them were always there, waiting for him, to remind him of what he had and no longer can hold. This is one of the reasons why was he here in the military space force, to combat and protect the little he had left. This was the best the country can provide at a time of war like this. He was resilient about the whole concept of taking up arms against creatures or aliens as some might call it and wanted in any way to get rid and destroy what took part of his life away.

Brian gulps and lets out a sigh of relief opening his eyes to know that at least for now, he wasn’t living in the past that torn him apart, now he longed to gain revenge and only time will till where that will lead him to.

~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**

“Rebirth”


Chapter Two: Unwanted Beginnings

Nick raises a brow as he steps into the space station, his azure eyes taking his surroundings in. His _expression shows his obvious distaste for the place. He sighs quietly as he follows Howie, running a hand through his blonde spikes. His eyes focus on Howie for a moment, trying to read him. In the navy blue military uniform, Howie walks with confidence, his black curly locks were tied at by into a small ponytail, and there is no trace of fear that could be seen in him. Nick rolls his eyes at the place; well he could always escape and leave first chance he gets. No way is he going to stick around and battle aliens he knows they have no chance against.

Howie motions a hand as they enter what obviously has to be the kitchen, all the appliances in stainless steel and the temperature of the room dropped several degrees, no refrigerator is needed, the freeze dried food is stocked up and there was running water to add to it and make it regular food again. They then enter an adjourning room filled with cafeteria style tables for the men to sit at.

‘Great’ he thinks to himself, ‘We don’t even get real food in this joint. Perfect. That’s it, first time I’m sent out of here, I’m gone.’ He drowns out the words Howie is saying to him. No need to listen if he’s not going to stay.

Thoughts of his family filter into his brain. He sighs; he has never been particularly close to his parents but he cared about them, and his only sibling, Aaron. The two had been close and now he was gone. Gone because of a fight Humans were never going to win. Bitter thoughts encase his heart into a shield of steel. Never again would he let anyone close, he’ll only lose that person anyway eventually so what is the point of it all? He makes a silent vow then and there to never let anyone in. Too much pain, too much angst when they were torn away, and he’s not going to go through that again.

“Nick….Nick….Nickolas!”

Nick blinks and is brought back to reality to see a very annoyed Howie standing before him. A noncommittal _expression remains on the blonde’s young baby face. “Yeah?”

Howie rolls his eyes. “You ain’t going to get away with that shit here. Now let me bring you to you roommate.”

“Oh joy, sharing a room,” Nick replies dryly, flowing him

“Carter any other comments like that and you can sleep in the storage room.”

Nick shrugs; he’s done worse in times that were harder for him. Besides, he’ll still be leaving. He gives Howie a challenging look. Howie sighs, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He had to get one of those “rebel” types. He wasn’t in the mood to put up with and little to Nick’s knowledge, he wasn’t going to let him get away with it if he didn’t quit. This man had never messed with Howie Dorough before. He leads Nickolas into the back. Perhaps Private Littrell would fare better with him.

Nick walks in behind Howie to see a young man with dark red locks and eyes the color of the bright blue sky on earth. He doesn’t notice the two enter as he reads from a book Nick can’t quite read the title of. Howie clears his throat some and the young man looks up and stands at attention. Howie smiles at him.

“At ease Littrell.” Littrell relaxes before them and his eyes skip over to what he assumes to be the new recruit.

“Nickolas this is Brian Littrell, he’s been here about a year now. Brian, I finally have a roommate for you, our newest draftee, Nickolas Carter.”

Nick nods at Brian. “It’s Nick.” He replies, shifting his gaze to Howie with annoyance for a moment.

Brian looks over Nick for a minute. He doesn’t look like he wants to be here, nor has he been scared in to listening to General Dorough. He suppresses a grin, this should be interesting. Nick goes and takes the empty bunk, setting his small bag of belonging on it and lays there on the bed, ignoring anything Brian or Howie had to say. Brian rolls his eyes and ignores the other young man as well. Already his rebel act is getting on the redhead’s nerves. Howie soon left with a grunt of anger and since Nick was being silent and broody Brian goes back to his bed but instead of reading his book he starts thinking back.

Brian himself was here by choice. Soon after the attacks, despite his family’s protests, he joined. Seeing his Aunt and Uncle’s examples, he felt compelled to. Besides, if they didn’t defend their home while they could, then they soon wouldn’t have one. He frowns, missing his family. He zapped them with his zap pad the other day, (a computer, phone, and camera all in one lil hand held device everyone gets at the age of 13) but he still wishes he could see them in person. He knows his cousins Jersey and Kevin, the two who lived in the houses next to him growing up, had to be going crazy. Jersey and Brian actually got into a huge argument about it before she left, hating the idea of him going, and was also angry at her other cousin for not being mad about it. Kevin on the other hand had supported him, and told him he should do what he feels he should do. Kevin himself would he be out here but he felt the family couldn’t take another one of them joining and stayed behind. He sighs; he and Jersey still haven’t talked since the day he left. He gets all the updates from Kevin and Kevin he has a feeling leaves a few things out since Jersey has always been the “black sheep” of the family. Perhaps when all this is over they could become the close friends they once were and go back to being “The Trio” as they were affectionately called as kids. He shakes his head at himself. He’s been here for a year and a half now, his past is just that. The past. For now he can’t do anything about it and he reminds himself to deal with it since he made his choice as he picks up his book again for the needed distraction.

~*~

Brian walks down the hall and grins as he spots Alex McLean, and since he’s already famous for his escapes with women of any intelligent species of the galaxy, soon earned his well known nickname, “Bone” for obvious reasons. He approaches the man, who is a few inches taller than him, and his arms inked with many tattoos, each, according to Alex, have a different meaning for him. His eyes are hidden behind dark sunglasses, despite how they are not needed in the darkness of space, or the florescent lighting of the Military Space Station. He was the first person he had met, seeing as the two had joined at the same time.

“Hey.”

“B, man what’s up?”

He shrugs, “I got a newbie living with me now..”

Alex’s dark coffee eyes brighten with some interest and he tilts his glasses down. He always likes meeting new recruits, well torturing them would be more accurate.

Brian nods, “Yeah,” a smirk appears, “Dorough hates him already. He’s a draftee.”

Alex grins mischievously, pushing his sunglasses onto the top of his head, to sit amongst the brown spiky hair.

“What Bone?”

“Nothing, I just thought of the perfect way to welcome our new little pain in the general’s neck.”

Rebirth

**~Chapter three: Unfaltering Altercations

-Time: 2150 Area: Secret location, Outer Space

Her light chocolate eyes scroll down the list of refuges assigned on the list. The smooth papyrus was tacked up against the cushioned wall of her room. Listed there was her name: Jynx Jamison, along with a few other lucky survivors that had managed to escape from their death. Sighing, she paces her room provided to her from the military space force. She didn’t want to be on this ship, she longed for the softness of her own bed and the sweet smells of home cook meals. But for Jynx, that was left in her past memory, one that can be revisited at any moment of time. Perhaps she was meant to stay alive for some reason. Luck could have been on her side for the reason she was the only survivor in her household. The eldest child in her family at 25 years of age, she was the pride in her parents eyes. The etched memories of her parents remained frozen in the photograph in her hands as she wipes away a fallen tear that streaked the photo of her with her parents at more happier times. She sniffs and wipes away a tear, settling down on the small cushioned bed, her eyes clouded in distraught pain of the past memories.


At the sliding of the metal door opening, she gazes over to see one of her friends, another one of the survivors from the disaster that claimed Earth. “Jersey, back so soon I see.” Jynx whispers out, watching the flaxen hair woman step into the room.

“Yeah.” She murmurs out setting down across her in her own bed. “Thought you needed a roommate so I’m gonna stay here if you don’t mind.” She smiles sadly, her azure orbs twinkling in glee.

“Thanks. I can always use the company.”

“Yeah.” Jersey whispers out, a small hint of smile appearing across her ivory cheeks.

“Heh…alright…who is he and what’s his name?” Jynx grins, happy for the distraction of the war being implemented.

“Why do you assume I met a guy?” Jersey fails in hiding her smile as she sits up in the flowered covered bed beaming.

“Because it’s obvious that’s why. So spill it out girl.” Jynx smiles, her eyes glittering in mischievous as she sits up in her own bed gazing at her friend.

Jersey faintly blushing, scrolls her light eyes down on the flowered covered bed sheet. “Well I mean I haven’t talk to the guy…I’ve only seen him when he came and I was in my disguise as a guy named Jeremy. I can’t tell what he would think of me...but he’s…” Jersey sighs happily, “Amazing on the eyes. Bright blue eyes that can shine a room and blonde hair cut real short in a messy spike look. Jynx if you could see him you’d agreed he’s great. He’s new from what I can tell. Just drafted into the military but he seems mysterious.”

“Just be careful. If he’s anything like the other guys in here, he might just be cold hearted to a lot of the things around him. This war kinda freezes people’s emotions up for a while. But I’m sure when the time is right, you can talk to him. Just wait till he warms up to this place. I know it took me some time to adjust here.” Jynx warned her, gazing at her friend seriously before breaking into a soft laugh. “Look at you all in a loop over that guy. He’s gotta be that good looking that you’re left speechless.” She gently teases her friend who laughs along with her.

“Yeah, he is. You gotta find out more for me! I mean I bet he’s single and stuff!”

Jersey! He must have gone through the lost of his family or loved ones and you want to get the guy?” She asks in shock.

“Noo...its not like that...Ok well not for now, just well maybe you can help me to get to know him more, that’s all. I’m not asking you to set up a date with him for me. Just this favor that you can get to the guy and find out some stuff from him.”

“But can’t you do that? It would be easier since you’re in disguise as a guy.”

“But Jynx you know guys aren’t open about their emotions to another guy unless they like know them for a while. But I bet he’ll feel more willing to talk to someone well…less intimating…like a girl?” Jersey grins.

Sighing, Jynx drops her head shaking it, “The things I do for you. Fine just remember you own me big time for this. Cause if he’s a psycho I’m gonna make sure he’s all yours then.”

“Thanks for the encouraging words.” Jersey smiles teasingly.

“No problem girl.”

“So yeah you got some work to do. I say you should start now. Go hurry, hurry. I need to know that hottie.” Jersey bubbles out, her bright eyes twinkling in delight.

Smiling, Jynx nods, sighing. “Fine…but I want something in return.”

“Sure, what is that?”

“When I think of it. I’ll let you know girl.” Jynx smiles, stepping out of the room, a small smile framing her oval face. ‘Seems I’m on mission for cupid.’ She thinks and heads off to investigate the premises.
~*~

He grunts, yanking on the steering wheel, pulling out a gun and shooting it at the helpless targets. Smiling, he laughs as he scored a point in the game, blasting a head off an alien that was wrecking an animated village. “That’s for trying to go after us earthlings.” He laughs breaking into a small dance in the game room of the shielded military space building. Side stepping to the left he holds the plastic orange play gun at the arcade screen as he whistles happily. Shooting at the screen of the video game A.J. toots out a song, shooting his initials onto the large video game screen panning down the side of the room vertically down the wall. His raises his tan arms in the air in victory of the game while slowly backing away and bumping into something or rather someone.

Quickly turning around, he looks down to see a rather petite yet appealing woman that churned his heart at the sight of her. Her ivory complexion seemed to glow in the faint white florescent light as her dark emerald eyes scan over him.

A.J. gazes at her feeling a small tug of his lips framing into a smile as he captures her in his vision. “Well hello there. I’ve never seen you around here before. So what can I do for you?” He smiles, his caramel complexion streaked with various art works and tattoos down his arms. His dark chocolate eyes soften at the sight of the golden hair angel before him, it was as if he was placed under a trance and this woman was the only thing he could focus on.

Smiling gently, she offers her hand for a shake from him as she whispers out: “Hi, I’m Skyla.” Her emerald eyes glazing over him in awe, watching his lithe body.

“Are you going to fight in the war?” A.J. asks, eyeing her.

“No, just boarded the refugee ship since my place was burned down. I lost everything I own. I have no clue or connection to what happened to my family, but I think…”She whispers out sadly, “That they could have been attacked as well.”

A.J. frowns, still holding her hand and gently releases it wishing he could hold her hand for just a minute longer. “I’m sorry. I hope they’re ok. Its been tough on all of us. I joined cause I want to kill some aliens.” Suddenly the ship jerks causing A.J. to stumble into Skyla arms softly.

Skyla faintly blushes, gazing at him: “You ok there? Took a little trip I see.”

“Yeah, well that was smooth of me. I wanted to show you my new dance step, did you like?” A.J. beams brightly, causing a small giggle to escape from Skyla’s lips.

“Yes, it was well…hehe unique.” Skyla whispers out, brushing back of lock of her hair, her eyes locked into his.

“So yeah…maybe you should head back to the room, we’re about to land on Pleatus and its gonna get all shaking as we land.” A.J. smiles at her.

Skyla grins, clearing her throat. “Oh yeah…sure…ummm but I kinda lost my way down here, I was looking for the bathroom.”

A.J. chuckles, “Yeah it’s a little confusing these hallways, here lemme show ya where to go.”

Skyla nods, entranced by the man as she follows him out of the room.
~*~

“Calling space landing one. This is Richardson from ship Intrepid 124. Please respond back.” The pilot whispers out, glancing around the captain compartment.

“Nothing?” Howie glances at him.

“I’ve tried five times and all I got was static. Do you even think they’re there or want to bother with us at all?” The pilot sighs, placing the small microphone down on the metal table.

“Kevin, we have no choice. It’s them or no one. Everyone else is gone. You saw what happened back at Earth. We’re the only ones left on this ship from there. The survivors that are here with us need our help. I’m not gonna stand by and let those large fairy like Mystyrians win. I can’t allow for that. We have the right to live too and the survivors are counting on us.”

Kevin sighs heavily, his dark emerald eyes glance out of the ship window as he nervously runs a hand down his raven hair. “You’re right. But if Pleatus don’t help us we’re on our own.”

“Then so be it. But I’m not gonna die without a fight.” Howie stiffens up, gulping and hoping that when they land on the planet that they are not alone to fight off the enemy at large.

“Rebirth”


Chapter 4: Never Safe, Never Simple


Jersey walks around the ship with a sigh. She doesn’t know why she agreed to get on this station with Jynx. She is far better off working at a space port. Less risk of anyone discovering who she is. She pushes her short golden locks out of her face, tucking them back under a baseball cap. Before she ran off away from all the familiar things she had known, she had cut off what was once her crowning glory, her long golden hair. Her hair that used to have gone down past the middle of her back, now it rests at her chin, long even for a boy but it works for her purpose. She goes for a rougher look, baggier clothing to hide her breasts which are more hidden by a contraption best described as a modern form of the corset. It’s holding them back but not painfully, with laser restraints. Always wearing a cap to hide her hair and face, which are undeniably feminine but attempts to pass herself off as a “pretty boy”. All this, to hide her true self. Better she is known as Jeremy, even if she has to give a few things up. She sighs, like the man she had spotted earlier, she knows she is just teasing herself by having Jynx hunt for information, yet she still wants it. She always wants the impossible. She continues down the hall, most assuming she works there. Jersey had even gotten herself registered under the refugees as Jeremy Shanton. She knows how to get the false documents and so far she hasn’t even needed them since in these hard times those are lost. Her eyes widen as someone she recognizes comes down the corridor.

“Oh of all the stations…” she mutters.

It’s Brian Littrell, her cousin. The one who had abandoned their family in her eyes. The one she swore never to talk to again. Especially when Kevin had left a few months ago to become a pilot. She has never forgiven Brian for that and she blames him for Kevin’s departure as well. She ran off soon after they left, not wanting to do what she considered pointless. Jersey knows Kevin is piloting this very ship as well. Why did she let Jynx talk her into going onto THIS refugee ship? Why couldn’t things be simple for once? Like back on the space port she had been at when she met Jynx. The former refugee ship Jynx had been on had been attacked and she had been one of the few survivors who managed to get one of the escape pods and get to the port. Aliens have never liked humans and now are taking advantage to be cruel in the human race’s desperate situation.

It had been awhile since another ship came by so the two bonded then when Jynx had accidentally discovered that “Jeremy” who was working there, was in all actuality a young woman named Jersey Luna Shantlle . The two connected in a rare way and been friends since. Jynx is the only one now who knows everything, her situation, her family, all of it and helps her out by pretending to be “Jeremy’s” girlfriend. Jersey sighs, her thoughts going back to why she had left earth. Her entire family is mad. Always had she been considered the outcast. No one in her family agrees with her thinking. They all think one way, she does another. Heh, she had sense was all. She knows both Brian’s and Kevin’s parents had gotten on another ship but she wasn’t sure what happened to them. Getting on the ship she did was a stroke of luck. She and Jynx slipped on in the chaos of passengers fighting to get on and they assumed they were on the list. And they were…once Jersey had written their names on it when no one was paying attention. Never has it been questioned either, times are too crazy for paperwork to be a concern. Of course now her luck isn’t so great seeing as she got on the one ship her two cousins were on. She tried to walk past without Brian noticing but she knows him, he’s friendly for the most part so if he doesn’t recognize her; which she doubts since she has changed a lot since he left, then he might introduce himself.

Jersey is so caught up in her thoughts about all that has gone on, she rams right into him and stumbles back on the floor. She sighs. Perfect, the one person who can ruin her charade. She gazes up and meets his eyes, the eyes of the man who used to be her best friend at one time.

He reaches out a hand to help her out. “Sorry man, you alright?”

She nods, “Yeah…” She chuckles, wanting to get away as soon as she can. “ I was just out of it, ya know. Tired from practicing killing off those alien bastards.” She keeps her voice low, it has become second nature, and even does it sometimes by accident when she is alone with Jynx.

“I feel ya. You new around here?”

“Sort of, name’s Jeremy.”

“Brian.” The two shake hands and she glances around, and is completely amazed. Obviously she’s gotten good at this. “I’m gonna go lay down before we land, try not to ram in anyone else.”

He laughs, “Alright, see ya around.”

Jersey hurries off towards her room when she spots the man she saw yesterday farther down. She feels her heart stop for a moment as she takes him in, his bright blue eyes mesmerizing and pulling her in. She shakes her head at herself to get herself out of it and she continues to her room. As far as her story goes as Jeremy, Jynx is her girlfriend, can’t be contradicting that by having others think she’s gay.


******************


Nick saunters down the hall, already trying to get a look at the place they’ll be landing at soon. Better to get out now than stay here. His new roommate isn’t all that great either. Decided he and a friend of his should mess with Nick. Soaked in a slimy goo and covered with feathers had been the end result, and he would have shown them not to mess with him but General Dorough had come in just then. Just his damn luck. He has to leave, there’s got to be better places to go than this. Since he has nothing left, why not start over elsewhere and at least keep his life intact? What were they going to do if he just leaves, arrest him? Ha, soon there wouldn’t be an earth to have a jail for them to put him in. He is in the clear. Suddenly, the spaceship starts trembling roughly and Nick grabs tightly on to the side of the wall to attempt to keep himself standing.

“What the hell!?” He demands angrily. Sure sometimes the ship shook, they are in space, but not like this, it feels like…his stomach lurches slightly, it feels like they are being attacked. Suddenly a young man about 5’6” feet tall, shaggy blonde hair tucked under a cap, and blue eyes falls back against him along with a young woman. She iss tanner, with long dark brown locks, and soft brown eyes, both fell because of another lurch of the ship. Nick grunts annoyed.

“Sorry,” He mutters, pushing himself off of Nick. The guy who had fallen then helps the young woman up as well. He looks to her with concern.

“You alright?” He asks.

She nods to him. “All Good.” Nick figures them to be boyfriend and girlfriend.

Nick stands again and listens for somebody to inform them just what the hell is going on. “It’s aight…Jesus, what the hell is going on?”

“I think something is attacking as we were trying to land on Pleatus . I’m Jeremy by the way, and this is my girl Jynx.”

He nods, “feels like it, damn. I’m Nick, you recruit or a refugee?”

“Ehh Unwilling refugee.” Jeremy replies with a chuckle.

Jynx frowns, watching them both. “You think it’s really an attack?”

“Probably, and any minute they’ll call for the recruits to get in the smaller ships to fight. And to that I say hell no.” Nick tells them firmly, keeping his balance this time as the ship lurches dramatically from side to side yet again.

Jynx watches him curiously, “You’d desert?”

“I ain’t getting my ass killed in a battle I don’t think we’ll win.”

Jeremy nods in agreement, “I almost don’t blame ya there.”

‘Attention everyone. We’re being attacked by the Mystyrians who had foreseen we would come here. All solders get to your stations and ships!”

“Great and what happens to us that aren’t fighting?” the dark haired woman wonders almost bitterly. She looks out the window and glimpses a small part of the battle. The humans are dropping like flies. Soon the fighters will be gone and no one will be left to battle.

Nick glances at them both, “Well I know where the ships are, I was gonna use one to desert this pop stand anyway.” He informs them with a smirk. “We take one, and leave.”

“You’ll just leave?”

“Well Jynx, you can get out of here alive if I do and take you guys with me.”

She shares a look with Jeremy for a second, doubts clouding her eyes. Jeremy seems to think about it for a moment and then nods. “hell yeah, I just need to grab someone first. I know where the ships are too. Which one we going to?”

“The one marked “Littrell and Carter”, my ship and we can make my annoying partner tag along.”

Jeremy looks at Jynx. “Aight…Go with him, there ain’t a way we’ll win this one and I don’t want you getting killed. We need survivors.”

Jynx nods and Nick watches as Jeremy races off down the hall. He glances at the beautiful Spanish woman. “lets go” He grabs her hand and leads her down to the docking floor. Looked like he’s leaving sooner than he thought.


****************

Alex runs down the halls in a rush as the ship takes more hits as he heads down the way to his fighter ship. Skyla is getting dragged behind him. He can tell right now that this ship is taking on too much damage. As for his partner, well he had found him dead under some of the fallen debris in one of the more damaged parts of the ship. There will be room for her and something inside him nags at him not to leave the young woman behind. He looks back at her, dust beginning to fall upon her face and hair, her golden locks disheveled about her face, and her green eyes fearfully skipping about at all the destruction the ship is taking more and more of.

“Where are we going!?” she yells at him.

Alex glances back behind him at her again. His dark chocolate eyes filling with concern. “My ship! I’m taking you with me! This ship isn’t going to last long!”

“What about those Mystyrians?”

“I’ll fight any that get in my way,” He answers determinedly, “But My first concern is keeping us and anyone else we run into who needs a lift, alive!”

AJ pushes past wires and debris to where his docking space is for his ship. If he sees anyone in need of help, he would take them, if not, well the sooner he gets off this now doomed space craft with Skyla, the better.


****************


Jersey runs down the hall stumbling as the ship keeps taking on more and more hits. Soon their deflector shield will be down and they would be sitting ducks. It had been hard despite all that, talking to Nick though. Her crush has intensified being around him and keeping that hidden had not been easy. Last thing she needs is hints that she, well Jeremy, is gay. Right now, that’s not her main concern though. She knows now Brian shares a ship with Nick so that will be simple,. He’ll be safe as they will be, but what about Kevin? She has to convince him as Jeremy that they needed to evacuate now. If he is alright anyways. If he is hurt, Jersey is willing to carry him to the fighter space plane if she has to. She doubts that though, so she has to be prepared to convince him. Her parents had taught her so many military tactics growing up, and she can easily see this battle going on around them right now can not be won. Once the creatures feel they have full victory, they’ll chase the large ship, and so they can’t stay. For once they board, anyone still alive will be killed or worse. If they all take the fighter ships and the escape pods they will have a lesser chance of getting them all. She sighs. Why this ship? Why can’t she be safe on a ship that has been undetected by those damn Mystyrians? Why can’t things for once be safe and simple?

“Rebirth”

-“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

~Chapter Five- Twisted Methods

The loud booming echoed around the ship, the sirens wailing in emergency.

He gulps, holding onto the side of the metal railings aligning the control center of the ship. What was he doing stuck in here? In all the places and thoughts he never thought he would live to see the end of the world and its civilization. But he did… and that scared him more than anything. Howie looks around seeing the recruits and refugees running around the heavily shaking ship. He was suppose to take control of the situation but how can he when he himself needed help in this mess. He sees a tall dark haired man and rushes over to him, glad to see he found someone aboard here working along side of him. If he had a choice, he wouldn’t have ever made it to the ship, he lost everything that ever meant anything to him. His past was just that…his past, a distance memory lost among this new onslaught of war. So many soldiers were already lost in the battle and he couldn’t believe the new race of Mystyrians caught up to them already. He clings to the side of the ship forcefully as it begins to nose dive down to land on Pleatus. All this time making it to the safe havoc and he wouldn’t live long to see it. He whispers out a prayer, the only thing he knew he would calm his racing soul as he sees his death approaching.

“What are you doing Dorough?! Move!” The co-pilot shouts out, grabbing Howie’s arm pushing him down the cracking ship. Already parts of metal swung off the wall and the impact of Pleatus’s rough terrain will destroy it all.

Howie nods, racing down the tilting hallway, loose wires and faltering lights shatter the ground before him as a strange pulling sound was heard among the rumble.

“What is that?” Kevin whispers out, gulping ducking in time from a overhead swinging florescent panel.

Howie blinks, sucking in air: “The ship is breaking in half.”
~*~

Jynx eyes the tall fair headed man, he was very attractive, she could understand why Jersey had quite the thing for the man. Perhaps she can seek out answers in hopes of trying to understand this new man before her. She follows him down the tilting hallway, gasping as a huge metal wire lashes out from above her almost striking her.

Nick grabs onto her arm pulling her along with him safely away from all the mess. The ship was falling apart around them and they had limited time to exit before they crashed landed. Seeking out the emergency exits, Nick finds his small ship labeled ‘Littrell and Carter’ and sighs out in relief: opening the small clasp allowing the small platform of the ship to slide out.

“Get in.” He orders, looking around for anyone else that needed help. He spots Brian jogging over to them ducking as a florescent light panel comes crashing down inches away from him.

“Nick! Oh God…we’re screwed, we need to get out here now!” The shorter red headed man yells out.

“No kidding, get in I’m leaving this hell hole.” Nick races to the driver’s side, stepping into the sliding platform. Brian reaches the passenger side and gulps pausing for a few seconds.

“What are you doing?! We need to go, get in.” Jynx shouts out, eyeing the man strangely.

Brian licks his lower lip, shaking his head: “I can’t go without knowing if my cousin made it out alright.”

“Dude, your cousin is probably dead, sorry to burst the bubble but we ain’t got time for him. Now get in or you’re getting left behind.”

A loud beeping over the siren goes off, a female computerized voice cuts in “We are under attack. Please leave the premises immediately. We are under attack. Seek shelter.”

Brian snorts at the announcement. What shelter? The only place he ever knew was gone, he has no shelter. In fact every person that survived here was homeless and lost. Looking around, he sighs sliding into the passenger side as the metal door closes down behind him. “Ok…time to go then.”

Without missing a beat, Nick slams down on the accelerator, turning on the ignition to bring the ship to life. Jynx watches the two men curiously, sitting in the white plastic seat behind them.

Fixing the small-framed mirror besides him, Nick glances at it to see the reflection of the woman behind him. “You ready?”

She nods, nervously clasping her hands together. She wanted to live and tell this story to her grandchildren one day, but that day was beginning to get bleaker by each second.

Brian turns around seeing the entire main ship begin to divide and separate in half. Gasping, he watches from the window the large ship opening up as some soldiers fall out of the ship to their final destination, death.

Nick lifts their small ship off the surface of the lot, speeding off as the ship behind them crumbles around.
~*~

She was stupid to have stayed behind, she wanted to seek answers and help out, but the ship was dead, the few survivors scream out in horror as they hold on to their dear lives. Jersey gulps, her gaze stunned at how close to Pleatus’s land they were. She feels a hard tug on her arm and quickly frowns locking eyes with a familiar man.

“A.J. right?” She gruffly speaks out, tugging the base of her baseball cap over her eyes.

“Yeah…what are you doing?! There’s one more ship left here, we can get the hell out before we reach land now. Move it!” A.J. yells out over the roaring of the deteriorating ship around them.

Jersey nods, landing her eyes on Skyla: the small petite golden haired woman. “Alright then, lead the way man. I think I saw some evacuees head down the southern end, there’s a large exit that way.”

“Na…that the back up ship. I have my own and I’m taking Skyla with me. You’re welcome to join, I can’t find my partner anyways. If anything he’s probably dead like half the people on this ship.” A.J. stands his ground firmly, his body swaying as the ship vibrates and sailed down to the land.

Jersey gulps and obligates, following the two to A.J.’s small ship. Quickly boarding it, A.J. smiles over at Skyla who simply blushes as the ship turns on. Jersey sighs, wondering what Nick was doing and if they all made it alright. If something happens to Jynx she wouldn’t forgive herself for it. She had to make sure her friend was safe and hoped that they can all make it down to Pleatus safe and sound. Jersey buckles up as A.J. slams on the pedals and at breakneck speed flies out of the crumbling ship safe and sound.
~*~

Howie sighs out in relief settling down in the safety ship. The main ship was now destroyed and only one causality among the recruits inside the ship occurred. He looks out into the black atmosphere, the eerie silence of space welcomes him as Kevin flies the safety plane out of the disastrous crash. He could hear the soft murmurs and cries from a few survivors behind him and exhales.

“That was a close call.” Kevin whispers out, putting the ship on automatic driving, settling back in his seat. His eyes drooped with tiredness and he longed for a nice peaceful sleep that was never going to occur.

“I know, at least we got everyone out of the plane safely.” Howie whispers out, running a hand through his thick dark hair.

“Yeah…general…by any chance…have you ever seen a Mystyrians face to face, close up?” Kevin whispers out tiredly.

“Yes.” Howie slowly states, frowning. “Why?”

“Just curious. I never did. Are they ugly? Do they look like the creatures we see in movies and such?” Kevin crosses his arms on his chest, resting his head on head pad the seat provided.

“No…they come in disguise at first. They look like us…normal people. But when its time for them to reveal themselves it was when they hunt and kill. I managed to escape a close attack from home but they look far worse than what people can ever portray them to be. Its like looking at the face of Satan if you believe in that. They look like large winged demons, fangs aligned like a shark’s. They have crimson colored claws and arms with black eyes that can darken your soul with just a look. They’re brutal and have no mercy for any race. And what makes them more frightening isn’t their appearance but rather their determination. And if anyone has such strong determination, that is the worst for they always win in the end and will keep on going until they can win the war.” Howie explains, watching Kevin gulps. The older man frowns, shaking his head at him.

“Well I’ll be damned. That is some crazy crap right there. What now? They’re surrounding us and we’re about to land on Pleatus in one minute.” Kevin whispers out.

“All I can say is pray. Pray and hope for the best. That’s all we can do now.” Howie quietly states, his dark eyes locked on the front wide window as the light tan terrain welcomes them.
~*~

The small ship sputters and chokes landing grimly on the sandy ground below them. Brian sighs, pushing the handle as the small platform slides out for exit.

“We made it.” Jynx sighs, feeling a wash of relief flood over her. Her only hopes now was to see if Jersey made it safely out of the ship as well. She can see the destroyed ship they were on earlier crumbled in a heap mass of smoke and crackling fire, the metal gleaming in the shining fire. It almost looked mystical, beautiful the fire dancing around the metal remains of the ship. The way the surface light from the planet catches the fire light, making it almost a faint golden color brushed with orange and red. A slight blue flame would make an appearance among the burning mess as Nick parks the ship turning around to gaze at Jynx.

“Yes?” She tilts her head to him.

He smiles, shaking his head: “Nothing…just glad to see you’re ok. Let’s check out this place. I need more fuel to get out of here.”

Nodding, Jynx walks off the landing platform, her boots touching the finest sand around. The light colored sand seemed almost inviting and pleasurable as she walks behind the two men looking around the desolate place. This was their safety? Where were the people waiting to meet them? Where was the communities, the houses, the families, the stores, supplies? Did they land in the right place or take a wrong turn? Frowning, she stops her tracks, seeing Brian stop a few feet ahead of her.

“What?” He asks, his hands shoved in the thin space suit they put on during the flight here to protect them from the harsh environment.

“Its just…where is everybody here? I thought Pleatus was a thriving community. I heard so much of it. And its just all land here that’s all.” Jynx frowns, gazing down at her white thin cotton space suit.

“It was a thriving community…until the Mystyrians came a few days ago. There’s not much left here, but we’ll have to make use of it until we can fly out of here and go elsewhere.” Brian states, gazing around the black sky.

“Go where? There’s nothing left. Everything we know is gone. We can’t stay anywhere else and its too late for that.” Nick hisses out, frowning for his past. Here he was shipped off as refugee and suppose recruit cause he has no one else to turn to.

Brian slumps to the ground frowning, upset: “What are we gonna do? We’re not prepared to live here. Where’s the food, water, shelter, sun?”

Nick pats the side of his suit sighing: “We’ll figure it out. There has to something left over around here. Farming is good at around this time I read, maybe we’ll find something to eat.”

Jynx sniffs, gulping as she drops her head: “Yeah and we can make a tent or something for now until we can find better means.”

Brian nods and the three slowly make their way down the isolated burned stone paved streets of what once was a prosperous civilization.
~*~

The small ship buckles into the sand, groaning out in its last attempt before shutting off. A.J. breaths out a sigh of relief: cracking his neck to release the building tension that arose from the faltering ship. He got them to safety and was just glad to still be alive. “We made it last. Thank God almighty we made it at last.” He smirks, unbuckling his seatbelt opening the side door, the metal door flips open above him as he steps off the ship with a stunned and rather quiet Skyla besides him.

“Hey its ok, we’re safe. Nothing to worry about.” He reassures the young shaking woman as she gulps taking in her surroundings. She looks over at Jeremy stepping out and smiles. There was something uniquely odd about that man. He seemed so laid back and seemed to know more about this craziness then she can ever know at the moment. He was quite a pretty boy, too pretty for a boy but smirks holding in her comment.

Jersey strolls over to the couple smiling: “Not bad. Gotta say you saved our asses nicely back there.”

“Not a prob, I’m sure you would have done the same as well.” A.J. shrugs off the comment looking around the area. “So this is Pleatus. All this talk about how great this place is and it looks like an abandoned arena.” A.J. snorts, scanning the dirt roads and crushed buildings.

“Whatever happened here, looked like it was under attack as well.” Jersey states, the light eyes falling on Skyla.

“Under attack?” Skyla gulps: “Maybe we shouldn’t be here. What if whatever attacked them is still here?”

“We don’t really have a choice at the moment. We’ll have to stay here until something better comes along. But don’t worry you got the best gun man around. I can shoot an alien a good few yards off.” He smiles broadly, walking along the sandy ground.

Jersey blinks, clearing her throat as not to scream at the monstrous creature rising from the dirt ground behind A.J. Skyla hears the soft shifting of the sand behind her letting out a loud scream as the creature like being stared down before the three of them.

A.J. pulls out his gun and aim it at the alien, ready to kill off the Mystyrian in an ease, but stands there stunned holding the gun.

“Dude shoot the thing! What the hell are you doing?!” Jersey calls out, looking for a gun herself.

The Mystyrian grins, rows of its teeth protruded from its smile as its deadly bloody claws fingered out Jersey.

Blinking and trying to remain in character she responds gruffly to pass off as her persona Jeremy: “Heh…its pretty funny isn’t it? Can I ask you why you aren’t shooting?” She hisses out at A.J. wondering what was the delay.

A.J. gulps, whispering out: “I’m out of bullets.”

“Rebirth”


“We’ll show the world they were wrong, and teach them how to sing along, singing Amen, I’m alive, Amen, I’m alive…If everyone cared and nobody cried, if everyone loved and nobody lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride….we’d see the day when nobody died. If everyone cared and nobody cried, if everyone loved and nobody lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride….we’d see the day when nobody died. And as we lie beneath the stars, we realize how small we are…”
- Nickelback, “If Everyone Cared”


Chapter Six: Lost and Alone


Brian, Nick, and Jynx trekked across the burnt, barren planet, searching for any sign of life. All wondering if anyone else was able to escape the ship before its final destruction. None of them thought anyone did. Despite how they were together, each of them felt as if they were alone on this hard quest to find a sanctuary, not just for themselves, but any other survivors they could find. If there was any.

Jynx was walking behind the two men slowly, her dark doe eyes sadly glanced around at all the destruction the Mystyrians had caused. All was in ruin. It reminded her of her house one earth when she barely escaped during a raid. She wondered what was left of and on Earth now, if anything, if anyone. Thoughts of the family she had lost before meeting her closest friend came to mind. Their brutal deaths, how they helped her stay alive before she died, and how she missed them. She was also thinking of her best friend, knowing Jersey had to have gone back for Kevin and hoping she got out alright. The two had been through a lot so far and she didn’t want to lose her now after everything, but something inside told her she made it out just fine. Her mind kept wondering just how they were going to find safety in such a barren place. Did these two men know what they were doing?

Brian was watching the pitch black sky, the only light coming from the tiny pale blue planet above them, reminding him of the moon back home. Home, home made him think of the family he left behind. His parents, who were so proud to see him follow his aunt and uncle’s footsteps, then of his two favorite cousins out of the huge extended family he grew up with. Kevin, wondering if his cousin had gone with the ship, praying he didn‘t. Jersey, if she was even alive after all the attacks on earth. Last he had heard was she was thinking of becoming a dancer, which had infuriated her parents, and how she was rebelling against everything their family stood for. His aunt and uncle, her parents, had recently died in battle just a month before, did she know yet? Throughout the ranks there were rumors of another member of their family rising up to lead as the tradition stated. The army ran differently in this day and age, and if you were the child of such a highly respected military leader and warrior, you were expected to be next in line to lead. The children were raised to. It had been that was since the year 2069. Nothing came of the rumors though.

Nick was thinking only of himself just then, wondering how he got himself in this cursed mess and wishing he had tried to leave earlier instead of being stuck on this planet. Deep down he wanted to think of his family, and subconsciously he did, but he didn’t realize it and just thought of himself. It was less painful to be selfish so it was an instinctive protective action he didn’t know he was doing. A loud roaring noise interrupted the three adults’ thoughts and Brian spotted something shiny landing up ahead. His eyes widened as he recognized the marks on the ship.

“Hey that’s one of our ships!” he cried, about to run down and see who it is.

Jynx’s eyes brightened, hoping her friend was on there. Jersey was resourceful and would have found a way. At least, she hoped so. “Really? Maybe they have fuel and we can go somewhere else and-”

Nick raised a brow and grabbed them both to stop them. “We don’t know if it’s them or not. It can be some damn alien who found one of the ships in the wreckage and brought it here…”

Brian frowned, “That would be a heck of a coincidence.”

She sighed, “We should check shouldn’t we?”

The handsome blonde rolled his eyes. “Yeah let’s get killed after just escaping death barely.”

Before they could argue more, they heard a blood curdling roar not of anything Jynx and Nick have heard before, but Brian had. He glanced at the others.

“That’s a Mystyrian, whatever is over there, could need our help.” He raced over there, fully loaded guns in hand. Jynx followed him in a rush and Nick sulkily trailed behind, thinking he’s about to die after thinking he got his life saved. Perfect.

Brian charged at the creature, guns blazing, not noticing who it was about to attack. Jynx spots Jersey, or “Jeremy” and was about to run towards her but Nick grabs her and holds her back, yelling “Are you fucking nuts! You’ll get killed! “

The winged creature hovered above the ground, swiping its claws at Brian and Jeremy who swiftly and skillfully rolled on the ground to avoid it. It roared again, its screech almost deafening as its pitch black eyes stared into them with a pure look of hatred. Skyla screamed in terror, having never actually seen one before. AJ dived towards the ground with Skyla in his arms to protect her. A gun slipped out of Brian’s hands as he dodged, and Jeremy quickly grabbed it. He took a few carefully aimed shots but before he could kill it, its claws slashed his stomach and the gun rolled by AJ‘s feet. He grabbed it and kept shooting it again and again, dark navy blood rushed out, almost black, along the ground. AJ sighed and Jeremy grunted in pain as the Mystyrian fell to the ground dead. Nick comes over with Jynx once it is. Brian takes a few breathes and glances over at the new companions they have just discovered.

Jersey sits on the ground holding her stomach in pain. She spots her friend and a small, thankful smile appeared. Even though she had left her with Nick to lead her to his and Brian’s ship she had been worried something had stopped her from escaping the main and now destroyed shuttle. Jynx ran over and hugged her carefully. “Are you alright?” The raven haired girl asked with concern.

She nods. “Yeah I’m aight.” Jersey forced herself to stand, not wanting someone to check her wound out, lest they discover her secret.

Brian dusted himself off and nodded. “Thanks man, you have some skills, why weren’t you recruited? And maybe one of us should check that out…”

Jersey shrugged, “No clue, and nah, I’ll use the cream we have on the ship in the med kit.”

AJ held Skyla close, enjoying the embrace. Skyla stood there, feeling safe in his arms, and in slight shock at what just happened. Hey jade eyes watched Jeremy. “You sure?” She said with a frown.

Jeremy gave her a brisk nod, and sounded almost defensive as he replied “Yeah yeah I can take care of it.” He headed inside the ship without another word and Jynx was soon to follow.

Nick shook his head at the whole incident. “Any idea where we’re gonna rest tonight?”

The red haired man shook his head. “Still a good question We should get moving because they don‘t travel alone so more will soon follow and discover the handiwork.”

“They’ll come in as a plague.“ AJ commented as he looked around. “Damn. This place is in ruins, fucking Mystyrians. Jeremy and his girl better get moving.”

Skyla looks over at the ship. “Is it just me or is that Jeremy a bit…I don’t know….strange.”

The blonde man shrugs. “A bit quiet is all.”

“Hiding something.” Brian replied, as he ran a hand through his brick red locks.

“Don’t be paranoid B; we have enough of that shit with the aliens.”

“Jay, we ARE the aliens now.”

“Don’t fucking remind me.”


***************


Jersey had immediately gone into the bathroom in the back of the spacecraft slowly with a bit of agony. She was waiting till Jynx came in, knowing she’d follow, before she locked the door and pulled out the medical kit. She winced as she moved to pull her shirts off since the space suit she had worn came off easily. They came off slowly and had absorbed her blood quickly.

Jynx watched her in concern. “That looks serious.”

“Just a few scratches.” She replied to her friend, and gave her a weak smile as she took off the corset type contraption, revealing three long semi-deep gashes along her stomach, covered in blood from the creature’s damage. The torn tissue itself red and raw.

Jynx rolled her eyes as she started cleaning the wound before putting the healing cream on which would help all kinds of cuts heal within two days. Jersey winced at the sting it caused but said nothing of it. “You façade isn’t worth getting killed over.”

“Nobody’s getting killed. I’m fine, in a few days, good as new.”

“You should just give it up.”

“I ain’t leading what’s left of the freaking human race into more death; I’m doing what any smart person would do. Jeremy is a random nobody and that’s what I want, to be nobody. Let General Dorough lead them if he wants. ” Here she sighed heavily and winced at the pain it caused. “Look what it got my parents. Fuck my cousin is out there! I can’t let him know.”

Jynx’s eyes widened in surprise. “Which one is your cousin? You didn’t tell me one of them was onboard.”

“I didn’t know till today, it’s Brian. Then there’s the Lieutenant and co pilot, who I heard was Kevin, who if I’m lucky is alive, he’s the other cousin I grew up with.”

“Small army.”

“No shit.” She stood after the cream is on, as she moved to put the corset contraption back on, Jynx rushed to stop her.

“No, you’re hurt! You can’t wear it. Besides you‘re a “guy” who has a thing for that Nick guy now?”

“And what, pretend I grew man boobs in ten minutes? As for that other thing, I‘ll get to that when I have to.” She put it on after pulling it away and winced in pain. “I’m fine.” She was able to get it on and pulled her shirts back on over it, looking as if nothing happened, the only evidence being the marks on her shirts.

“Oh yeah you’re fine alright, and I’M the one who’s pretending to be a boy around here.”

“Really now? It’d be nice to have company.”

“Oh ha ha. This isn’t a time to joke chica.”

“I ain’t gonna freak out over something we can’t change. We’re stuck here for now, Mystyrians are after us, and we don’t know the planet. We’re fucking screwed, I know, but is thinking about it REALLY gonna make it help? So instead I think of ways to get around the ‘me pretending to be a guy/wanting Nick/can’t be thought of as a gay male problem.’ Because if I think of our sitch...it just doesn’t help.” She grinned just a little to lighten her statement. “My new issue I mean.”

Jynx couldn’t help but chuckle, knowing Jersey was trying to cheer her up despite the somber situation they were now all in. “Put your hat back on, you’re already too pretty a pretty boy, you need it.”

She puts the hat back on her friend’s head as he two headed back out. As they go to where the others were just outside the ship; they find them surrounded by strange new creatures. They weren’t the Mystyrians. These were taller creatures, with green skin, four arms, beady little blue eyes and two heads. The main way one could tell a male from a female was the hair. Males had short spiky blue hair while the girls had rough, long violet locks. They outnumbered the group by far and the others had their hands bound together. Jersey immediately reached for her gun instinctively but was stopped when what looked to be the leader spoke up in a squeaky voice.

“Try anything and this one gets it.” He grabbed Brian and held a sharp blade to his throat. He could see Jersey struggling with the decision. “He’ll be dead before the shot hit me.”

Jersey and Jynx glance around them as the creatures moved in on them. The blonde sighs with defeat, drops the gun, and gets captured along with the others. No one saw the third earth ship landing far in the distance as they were lead away further into the ruined cities of Pleatus.

“Watch the stars as they fall from the sky
I held a fallen star and it wept for me, dying
I feel the fallen stars encircle me now, as they cry.” –AFI “Death Of A Season”

~Chapter Seven A Silent Voice

Smoke filtered the air around him as he coughs swatting a hand over his face. Trying to clear the air out of smoke, Howie stumbles, standing around seeing the faces of the survivors on board.

“Is everyone ok?”

Some of the people grunted, nodding, a look of displeased cross over some of their expressions.

“Well because I need everyone here to remain on this ship for the time being. I’m going to check the ship and Kevin you look on the tracker screen and see if the ship needs any vital repairs.” Howie commanded, immediately reaching for an arsenal tucking it away in his holster.

“Are you out of your mind Dorough?! You going out there without the necessary instruments.” Kevin grunts out, frowning, adjusting his seat up.

“You have a better idea? Because at this moment, this planet can have all we need for survival and maybe you forgot we’re not the only ones here on this ship. We got a good handful of people here that depend on us for their life. So I’m going out there and see if I can get something to help people on this ship.” Howie straps on a laser gun: snapping on the light weigh gray suit as he makes his way to the exit door. “Unlock the door.”

Kevin frowns, pushing the eject button: “This is a mistake Dorough. You don’t know what’s out there and I wouldn’t risk it.”

“Well someone has to. Stay on this ship. And no matter what happens, I want you to seek safety if something goes wrong. Got that?” Howie slides on white thin gloves, grabbing his gun, quickly stepping off the ship.

“Damn idiot gonna get us all killed.” Kevin frowns, staring at the tracer screen before him. “Dorough can you hear me?” He speaks into the small intercom connected to a tiny microphone attached to the general’s suit.

“Loud and clear.” Howie responds, his eyes scanning the barren dirt land around him frowning. “Hey Richardson, this place looks dead. There’s nothing here.”

“How can that be? Dammit, Pleatus was our only hope.” Kevin frowns scanning a map on the large overhead screen.

“I don’t see any buildings or any kind of life here. It looks like it was sucked dry.” Howie exhales, a frown crossing his lips.

“Damn…Howie I don’t know about this place. It doesn’t look right. Maybe you should get back on. Forget it we’ll go and start a search in a few hours when the planet hits day.” Kevin frowns, sliding his seat back, his fingers tapping on the metal counter anxiously.

“I know. You’re probably right, but I need to at least see what this place looks like.”

“Forget it. It’s not worth your life. Just get back on General. Heroes aren’t born in a day.” Kevin muses, his eyes looked on the black tracer screen showing green circles indicting the formation of the land and a red dot blinking getting closer to some target.

“Yeah yeah relax.” Howie scans around the area, his eyes falling on something causing a storm of dust to fill the sky.

Kevin gasps, getting on the intercom again: “Dorough get your ass in here! There’s something coming at our direction!”

“I can see that…” He gulps, starting to make his way back to the ship when he blinks, tripping over a solid metal piece from their ruined first ship. Hitting the dirt ground hard, his knees buckle as he reaches for his gun.

“GET UP!! What are you doing?!” Kevin barks into the intercom.

“Shut up! I hear you! I twisted my ankle falling down. I can’t get up unless I can somehow sprint back on the ship.”

Kevin gulp, looking over at the survivors: “I’m going to get our General back. Everyone don’t panic and stay put. We’ll be right back.” And with that, Kevin hustles off the ship starting to run over to the fallen General. He looks over in time to see out of the dust a woman walking towards them alone.

Howie blinks as the beautiful woman covered in a thin silk scarf fluttering around her neck, her golden tresses flutter in the brisk wind over her ivory skin. Her hazel eyes scroll over him extending her hand out to him.

“Over here.” She breaths out, her smooth silk like hands capture his pulling him to her. Smiling, she curves her red lips to him as she opens her mouth, the skin beginning to crinkle and push back as it falls off the body. Beneath the gentle flesh was a black winged Mystertain, its fanged teeth and large eyes take him in. The alien steps out of the crumpled heap skin, roaring out, extending its sticky wings caused from being closed in the wet flesh.

Howie’s mouth drops open in horror as he struggles to get away from the Mysterian that revealed itself to him.

With shaking hands, Kevin shoots a few times at the creature, hitting it a few times as it squeals grabbing Howie by his neck and flies off taking the man away.

Kevin gasps, watching his leader being taken away as he was left alone with the survivors on the ship. “NOO!” He throws his gun at the ship frowning, leaning against the metal wing. “I’ll find you man. I’ll get you back.” And with that, he slides to the ground, watching the dark sky around him that held so many distant surprises.
~*~

The broken buildings revealed no life: holes and complete destruction littered the entire inner city as Jynx’s tied hands long to be stretched and released from its hold. It seems these new creatures were different. Jynx believed it was the people themselves that have evolved from their human species to something more.

If they knew their language then surely there can be some reasoning to occur. Though at the moment these creatures wanted to hear nothing from them. They felt threatened seeing them all here and were now being brought to some holding chamber. Only God knows what will happen when they reach their destination. Jynx looks over at the two cousins and smirks. If only Brian knew who Jeremy really was. She caught Nick look over at her raising an eyebrow.

She had to give it to Jersey, she sure knew how to pick them, Nick was nice on the eyes, he had a pair of clear blue eyes that can melt any woman’s heart and that hair of his all messy and long, makes her want to grab a pair of scissors and cut it just to feel his hair. She blinks as A.J. tries to comfort the crying Skyla.

“I’m gonna get us out of here ok. I won’t let anything happen to you ok.” A.J. whispers softly to her.

“You think you can just take out all of these things out around here?!” Skyla sniffs, blinking her eyes slowly to block the tears from emerging.

“Shhh…yeah I can. I got an idea. Just work with me ok.”

Skyla getting curious eyes him: “What exactly are you planning?”

“Heh…you’ll see.” A.J. responds getting shoved by one of the creatures. “Hey fucker relax.” He glares at the blue spiky haired creatures apparently the males of that race.

“These don’t look like the one that attacked us.” Jynx whispers over to Jersey.

“Ugh I know. I got no clue what they are. But from the looks of it, it looks like a new race that I never saw before.” Jersey frowns, tucking back a strand of hair that fell loose beneath the hat.

Brian glances over at Jersey smiling, “Jeremy that was pretty slick of you doing that back there.” He tugs on his tied ropes around his wrists.

Jersey smirks, nodding: “Yeah thanks man no prob.” She shrugs deepening her voice at that watching him turn away. She couldn’t believe he didn’t recognize her yet. She was expecting the moment he saw her close up, he would know. But from the looks of it, she was good that she could even fool her own relatives. Sighing, her thoughts go back wondering what happened to her other cousin Kevin and just hoped to God, that the other ship made it somewhere safe.

Nick clicks his tongue, his eyes on Jersey and snorts: “Dude, that shit you did back there, getting all hurt. That looked painful.”

“Sometimes you gotta deal with it.” Jersey smirks, wincing at the throbbing pain shooting from the scratches.

Nick nods: “Heh…right.” He walks slowly surrounded by these strange creatures.

One of the creatures, the female one of these, with long tangled violet knotty locks hiss out suddenly reaching the end of a dead end.

“Oh this is nice. A dead end. Stupid things led us here.” Nick grumbles out, watching the female creature beginning to scream out.

“Its here!” It said, scratching at her chest, her long talons piercing her green flesh. The small vulture like head that shared the same body squeals out frightened.

“Shut that shit up!” A.J. growls: flinching at the ropes that were cutting into his wrists.

Brian looks over to Jersey eyeing her strangely and sighs, looking back at the squealing creature running around. Suddenly out of the dust a large Mystertian arises from the dust.

“No! No! No! Not again.” Jynx frowns, her eyes on the huge creature its large wings flapping against the dust.

One of the male creatures scream out to head back and each grab a person dragging them into a desolate building.

Jersey walks backwards as she watches in fascination the Mystertian chomping down on the running female alien. It bit halfway through the torso ripping the upper part off. Jersey watches the strings of muscles being pulled apart from the lower part as the Mystertian chews on the upper part in satisfaction.

“That is some fucked up shit there.” Jersey watches in awe as she’s forcefully pushed into an abandoned building.

Skyla shrieks, shaking in the building gulping: “That eats everything! I thought we were at least safe at the moment with these things.”

“I think we’re all its main course dish from the looks of it.” Jynx whispers as Brian grumbles peering out of the threshold of the broken building they were in. His eyes remained glued on the Mystertian chewing away at the smaller female creature that first spotted it.

“We can’t stay here. There is no way in hell I’m staying on this crazy planet. Those asses will eat us if we stick around. I ain’t planning on being like that wack alien that got eaten. We’re out of here!” Nick frowns, pulling at the ropes at his wrists roughly.

One of the male aliens, with the short hair glare over at him: “One of us passed away. You need us if you are to survive here. There is no food out on the open land. If you wish to live you need to depend on us.”

“Fuck you. I’m not relying on you. For all I know you could have one of those things waiting to eat us too!” Nick hisses out, his eyes slanting in anger.

“Whoa hey dude chill out man.” A.J. smirks, “In time we’ll get them all. Right now…we need to see what’s going on before doing something ok man?”

Nick opens his mouth to respond but sees the other’s eyes on him and quickly closes his mouth feeling slightly foolish for his outburst. “Heh…right. Sure.”

“Atta boy.” A.J. smirks as he shoves a male creature away.

“Follow us.” One of the creatures states, heading down some stairs off the side of the barren broken room. Some of the walls were cracking and the roof was partially torn off. Each person was grabbed and led down the stairs by an alien as they reach the basement of a cold creaking dark hallway. The smell of sewer flooded the halls as Skyla gags breathing softly through her mouth.

“Ugh…it smells like crap down here.” Brian gags as he is grabbed walking quickly down the long dank hallway. At the end of the hallway another stairwell was located and everyone was guided down there.

“Where are they taking us?” Jersey frowns, taking in every prospect of the facility for her escape. She needed to make sure she got every part covered so when she made the breakaway, she was able to find herself and led the others out to safety.

Her question was answered when they all step onto a grated floor, below them looked like dark waters. The barely lit room was visible from the few torches perched on the wet walls. Empty cages lined the room as many were swung over the dark waters.

Jersey gulps, this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind of being locked away. How was she gonna get out of this one now? Her mind begins racing as she watches her cousin Brian struggling and breaking into an argument with one of the male creatures.

“You kidding me?! I’m not going in there!” Brian retorts out as two of the aliens hold the cage door open.

“Get in.” One of the creatures hiss out: shoving him inside the dark cage sliding the cage door shut. The thick black bars from the cage around him made it easy for him to reach out and grab for the alien.

“Uh uh. You humans have caused enough trouble as it is. It is because of you our planet is dead. You led them here. They were in search for your race and because of your race: ours suffered immensely. We are down to our last meals and you shall suffer with us when it is time.” The male leader of that group growls out.

“Oh how nice, a family that stays together, dies together. Really now, you must excuse me, I’m feeling quite emotional at the vision of this all.” A.J. growls out, struggling against the creature’s grip as he’s led to another cage at the edge of the platform.

Jynx watches the cage Brian is in being pushed off the platform as he screams out.

Jersey gasps and runs to the edge watching him in shock. There was no way she could escape from there if she was locked up. She watches the hung cage swing off the edge slowly traveling from a converter to the middle of the dank room. Brian swings in the cage softly as he gasps shaking the bars.

“GET ME OUT OF HERE!!” Brian yells out, fear zooming down him now.

“Oh God!” Jynx gasps watching that as A.J. is pushed into a cage fuming and cursing up a storm.

Growling, AJ slams against the locked cage door he’s in as his cage is pulled up and taken off the platform to join besides Brian’s.

“Is this what you plan on doing?! Letting us die like this?” Skyla hisses as she gets shoved into the direction of one of the cages. “Lemme go!” As she’s shoved into a cage along with Nick and Jynx.

Jersey gulps and seeing that they were all busy attending to the cages, she sees the way she came from and bolts out of there quietly, sneaking out of the place and up the stairs, down the dark hallway and up another set of stairs. She reaches the place of the isolated ruined room they were all just in before hand and sighs, going to the broken doorframe. From the corner of her eyes, she hears a shrieking as a Mystertian collapses on the ground forming a puddle of black blood around its body.

Jersey smirks, curious to see what was out there killed that creature off. She needed to know what was responsible for its death. She scans over to the dead creature’s body to see a man holding a shaking gun in his hands as he drops to the ground on his knees wincing in pain. Her eyes look over the clear night sky and inches her way over to the man.

“You did that?” She deepens her voice going under her alias Jeremy, surprised it was the General that abolished such a creature.

Howie drenched in either his blood or the alien’s, nod.

“God…you look…hurt…” She states surprised, not sure what to say on that.

Howie smirks, dropping his gun: “There’s no more left…I finished my bullets on that one.” He struggles to stand up wincing at the pain his swollen ankle brought him. “I’ll be ok.”

Jeremy sighs, looking back over at the broken house she came from. “Look there are some people holed down in cages below us. We need to get them out. Can you even walk?”

“Barely, my ankle is killing me.”

She sighs, “There are some medical supplies I saw inside the house.” She points to the house. “You can patch that up and we can get more supplies. My gun got a good few rounds left in it to stun those bastards.”

Howie nods: “Let’s go then. I have people depending on me back at the ship.”

Jeremy nods, taking his arm quickly guided the injured man back into the building hoping that her friend was doing ok down below.
~*~

She watches them from afar smiling, her antennas twitching in the air at the heat of the planet. Giggling she runs off down a road reaching a large ship that had landed. She sniffs the air and smiles climbing the ship’s side, her suction hands and feet go the wall as she begins to climb peering into the window of the ship. There were tons of survivors there and one of them in particular caught her eyes. A lone man slumped in a seat nervously looking around. His rich coffee eyes cut around the room as his soft light tan complexion gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights of the ship. His hands grip the arms of the seat as the soft wind from the ac brush through his soft brown haircut right below the neck. She watches him in interest never seeing a human this close up. She was highly interested in this race. Perhaps she can find a way to study one out herself and that man could be her first victim. She sees another one of her race with messy blonde hair giggle taking shape of a girl.

Smiling, she hops off the wall landing on the ground as she slowly begins to take a shape of a girl from inside the plane, her long black hair reaches down her back as her dark human orbs take shape. The antennas get sucked into her head for the time being hiding under her full set of hair. Smiling, she stands nude in a woman’s shape and grabs some leaves to cover her essentials as humans have a reason to want to cover those parts from what she heard. Leaves in place, she sits perched on a rock watching the ship calmly. She would make friends and she couldn’t wait to actually speak to a real human, the anxieties tickling her new tone tan stomach.

“Rebirth”

“I've been dying inside, little by little. Nowhere to go, but goin' out of my mind…In endless circles. Runnin' from myself until…You gave me a reason for standing still” - Nick Lachey, “What’s Left of Me”

Chapter 8: You can run, but you can’t hide…

Kevin grumbles as he stalks through the desert. He had appointed someone in charge while he was gone, figuring they would least likely attack the ship. They want to give off the vibe that it’s been abandoned so it’ll be left alone. General Dorough had been far too foolish to go off alone like that and now Kevin had to go see if he could find him, though chances of surviving after that Mystyrian had flown off with him were bleak. He wipes his brow with a tired sigh, his jade eyes looking around for any sign of life in this desolate, barren, slowly perishing planet. The young pilot pauses, suddenly, for seemingly no reason. His gaze takes in the surroundings, nothing but the scarred brunt ground, more remains of the battle they’re losing. There is an eerie calm surrounding him. Still, one thing he learned growing up in his military family is to trust his instincts.

Family, that’s something he doesn’t need to think about right now, yet he does despite himself. He just recently learned Brian was one of the men on the ship before it had been destroyed, seeing as Kevin had only been transferred there a month ago. Brian had also left home long before Kevin while he had stayed behind to keep an eye on the family, namely their rebellious cousin Jersey. Kevin had joined about two months after Jersey pulled her vanishing act two weeks before the leaders of this war, her parents, his aunt and uncle, had been killed. For the longest time he kept word of her disappearance from Brian as to not distract him, led on like he was still home before eventually telling him. Besides what were the chances they would be on the same ship? Yet they had been and now Kevin wondered if Brian survived. He worried about both his cousins, if Brian made it, if Jersey was even alive, if she knew about her parents. He shakes his head. Now isn’t the time for such thoughts. They will only get him killed.

He turns towards the ship, his feelings screaming something is wrong. Immediately Kevin smells something odd. Smoke? Gas? What was it? Perhaps something his human senses never encountered before. Before he can react a crushing force shoves him back onto the ground before a deafening crash fills his ears. He gazes back to see the ship as it is consumed with flames, smoke, and dust. He ducks down, covering his head as rubble from the explosion rains upon him fiercely since he’s still somewhat close. He shuts his eyes tightly.

‘Thank you lord for keeping me safe….may you have mercy on my fallen comrades souls.” Is his only thought as the remains of the ship and the contents inside continue to fall.


****************


Jersey watches Howard as she expertly bandages his ankle without a second glance. Instinct takes over from when she grew up. Medical aid being one of the first things she was taught as a child. Once finished she rises a bit too quickly and winces with pain, hoping she didn’t reopen her wound but knowing its likely she did.

Howard examined his ankle and whistles softly with approval. It was done well enough so he could walk decently enough to get out of there. Once finished, the general looked at her in slight awe. Jeremy did that like a soldier would have, but he didn’t recognize him from his own ranks. He raises a brow. Then his mocha eyes catch sight of Jeremy’s pain.

“You alright?” he asks.

Jersey blinks and masks her face to hide the pain. “Yeah, small scratch from a Mystyrian encounter earlier is all. No big.”

Howie stands carefully and sees he’ll be alright as long as he doesn’t over exert himself and reverse what Jeremy just did. “You ran into one too?”

“Yeah, they know we’re here, what’s left of us. We have to get off before they try finishing us off. Where’s this other ship you mentioned, so we can go back and get the others before leaving this hellhole…” the two head outside and both pairs of eyes widen at the scene off in the distance, fire and smoke filled the air in a haunting dance almost mocking them.

“That was it…”

“Damn.”

It’s then they spot the young pilot approaching them, and Jersey’s eyes widen. But Howie speaks before she can. ”Kevin?!”

Kevin runs towards them, looking tired and dirty. Instinctively both of them knew he was the only survivor, they rush towards him, helping him back to where they had just been tending to Howie’s injury. Kevin sighs tiredly, his eyes narrowing on the young man with Howie. He seemed familiar. His gaze goes back to the General. “I went searching for you…next thing I hear is the ship…”

Jersey shakes her head with despair. “Those bastards, they want to make sure we’re completely extinct….” she muses until she realizes Kevin is watching her. “Hi, I’m Jeremy…one of the few to make it on this planet.”

“I’m Kevin…it may not be an accomplishment to have escaped alive if we’re just going to be killed here.”

“There are others who made it here…”

Howard sighs, running a wiping his dirty, sweaty brow. “And they’re captured by another entirely different species; we need a plan to rescue them.”

Jersey looks at them expectantly. “So… any ideas?”


************


Within the cages the captives swing gently back and forth, and they can see their fate before them. Skyla’s emerald eyes skip around for any type of answer. Her life has changed so rapidly. Just a few weeks ago she was running as these strange aliens destroyed her home, escaping on the first refugee ship she found. It had been so hard to leave it all behind but she knew she had to. She had felt so alone… Her gaze settles on AJ McLean and she sighs. Then she met him, and although they haven’t known each other long, he made her feel safe, secure. There was something so addicting about him that keeps drawing her in. His hand reaches through the bars and she does the same as their cages swing next to each other. They hold each other’s hand tightly, the only form of comfort any of them know. Skyla looks around in fear…at least if she dies this time, she won’t be alone.


***********


She slinks along the caverns in interest. Sure the elders had told Rhade to stay out of any of the affairs involving the humans. But so what? They seemed interesting. She had slipped on a pilot’s uniform that fit her new form’s curves snugly to wear and now she was off to find out what all the chaos was about. It was all anyone in the Milky Way Galaxy could talk about. The incoming extinction of the most egotistical race around. She peers into a room and spies what she figures to be one of the captured humans.

It was odd for she never thought them appealing…but this one is different. Despite his dirty and worn out appearance as he was chained to the wall she was drawn to him. His soft skin, his chocolate eyes, and the curly coffee locks. His shirt torn and ragged so she could see his nicely toned chest as well as the battle scars that covered him. She slips into the room quietly as to not cause attention in case the room is being watched. Rhade doubts it however; the human seems to be locked up tight with no chance of escape. His eyes close tiredly as she hears a yawn escape him. She sneaks up behind him, but before she can do anything, he struggles suddenly.

“Who is that!? I told you I’m not going down without a bloody fight ya bastards!” He fights against the chains violently.

“Shhh! Unless you want me to get killed too.”

“Who is this?!”

She forcefully turns the chair that helps hold him down towards her, hearing the metal snap and break. “Rhade….and you are?”

He looks at her defiantly without a trace of fear in those hypnotic eyes. “Bloom….Orlando Bloom…”

She stepped back, she was impressed. This was an adventurer known in many planets, someone who would fight any battle he saw as a challenge. And the current war against the humans was nothing if not a challenge. “So you’re Orlando…so tell me…” she smirks as she sits on his lap, known those chains to the floor would keep him from moving her. If he even wanted to. “Before I help you free…just how did you of all people get captured?”


**********


Jersey, Kevin, and the general rush down the abandoned building with hopes of saving the others. In reality they didn’t have much of a plan. More of a guest-a-mate of what they were about to attempt with their limited people and resources. Still, they couldn’t just run and leave them there. Kevin’s jade eyes gaze around the corner to the cages where the others were still captive. He turns to them.

“They seem alright still…”

Howie nods. “Alright so we know the plan?”

Jeremy snorts. “What plan? It’s a lets wing it and hope we don’t die.”

She smirks as the general rolls his eyes in annoyance. He was definitely too high strung. He needed to try and relax, who knows when they’ll get the chance to again given their current situation. “For that, you can keep them busy.”

“No prob, just don’t drop the cages…” she teases and loads her gun as Kevin and Howie sneak around her and duck behind some metal crates. She fires a wild shot at the wall, knowing the proton blast was bound to cause commotion. The shot hit its mark, creating a large melted hole within the wall and many of the creatures turn towards her angrily.

“Do you know how to count? Cauuuse if you did, you’d have known you forgot one earlier. One pesky little human.” She fires another shot, as they rush towards her. This one striking one of the leaders who collapses immediately. She runs and hops onto a crate. “Whoops now did I do that?”

Brian grumbles as he slowly uses his dying laser to melt the lock. “Come on…break break!” He hears all the noise and turns his head. “What the hell…” he murmurs.

“Hey don’t watch him, unlock yours so you can help us get the hell outta ours!” Nick demands annoyed.

Kevin starts fighting the creatures off as he and Howie run for the chain pulley to get the cages back over solid ground. Jersey sees that and keeps firing shots as she runs and dodges the rain of fire starting to head her way from the weapons being shot at her. She hopes they got the others free soon for she’s not sure how long she can keep this up.


**********


Rhade and Orlando run down the hall as alarms and screams echo throughout the crumbling building. Orlando grabs her hand and pulls her down a corridor. “Do you know how to get out of here?!” he yells as they reach where it splits up into three separate paths.

“No…do you?”

“Shit!”

“Just pick a direction!”

“Don’t you remember how you found me?!”

“No!”

“Oh bloody hell…” The rugged man mutters and picks the center one, racing down it. As they do they hear more fighting and commotion.

“Now what…” Rhade wonders…”you humans just seem to attract nothing but trouble…” They run in to see cages swinging over the water with prisoners, two men trying to pull them back, and another young man running and firing like crazy. She looks to her companion. “You help them get the cages over…and I’ll help the other one keep these Lakniks busy. Stupid creatures should have just let you guys get killed on your own…”

“I give orders, I don’t take em love. And thanks, glad you care.”

“Does it matter who gives them? Come on adventure boy…show off.” She grabs a nearby weapon and helps the odd young man fend off the Lakniks approaching him. Those things were worse than humans, in her eyes. Green blood splatters around them as she starts killing them. Orlando sighs and goes to help the two other men. Howie and Kevin see him, and never bother to question it, seeing how they needed to get out fast before more enforcements came.

Skyla and Jynx both scream at all the fire coming down around them. Brian finally gets through the lock and pushes his metal door open. He tosses the small laser to AJ who catches it easily causing his cage to swing, but the tattooed man ignores it and gets to work on his own lock.

“Great I have a way out but nowhere to go, the drop to the water is too far…perfect.” he thinks to himself annoyed. It’s then he sees the half ladder leading to the ground floor they came in here from several feet away. Too far for a jump however. Brian sets his jaw and looks around. With all the chaos he could go unnoticed till he was down and could help the others out. He sees Kevin down there fighting alongside the general to get to the pulley and relief fills him. But it’s not something he needs to focus on right now. They were outnumbered and outgunned so they needed all the help they can get. Its then he looks above the cages and sees the chains holding them up. If he could swing his cage hard enough, he could get close enough to the ladder to jump and grab it. Worst that could happen is he falls in the water. He starts swinging his cage violently, trying to get a good motion going.

“What are you doing?!” Skyla asks in horror, afraid the sweet strawberry haired man would fall to his death.

“I’m ok, watch…”

“You’ll fall!” Jynx yells, knowing Jersey would flip if her cousin died doing something crazy.

Nick watches and his eyes widen, catching on to what Brian was trying to do. “No it’s cool; he knows what he’s doing. Watch.” He looks over at AJ as he mutters every human curse and several otherworldly ones as he works on his lock. He glances back at the seemingly crazy redhead before watching the scene below them. He sees Jeremy fighting with some unknown woman to keep the creatures distracted. Howie and Kevin kept trying to get to the pulley but are constantly getting intercepted. Alarms shrilly resound through the building and Nick knows it won’t be long before there’s too many to fight. This thing had to work soon or they’d all be goners.

Brian swings the cage faster, getting rhythm and momentum going. He sees this will be as close as he gets to it so his small frame leaps out of the cage and reaching for the ladder as if he was an acrobat. He feels the bar of the ladder under his fingers and sighs with relief as he slowly pulls himself up. He suddenly ducks down as a shot is fired at him and almost loses grip before regaining it again and scurries up the ladder like a chipmunk up a tree. He races to the pulley and starts trying to bring the cages back to him. Kevin is soon up there with him while Howie and Orlando start helping Rhade and Jeremy fend off the Lakniks that have just entered due to the alarms.

Jeremy smirks as he ducks down behind some steps and spots the general. “About time I get some help! These guys are reproducing like bunnies on speed.” She leans around the corner firing off several blasts before ducking behind again.

The two cousins finally get the cages over and Kevin uses his high powered laser to eat through the locks. Within moments everyone is free. Skyla hugs AJ immediately in a tight embrace. Nick brushes himself off annoyed and shoves Kevin down to avoid an incoming blast. “Hate to stop the love fest but we should ditch this party about now!”

Everyone nods in agreement. Kevin yells down, “Come on! Time to go!” Everyone races out the door and away from the creatures firing after them screaming in a mixture of English and their own native tongue. Orlando leads them into a random room and waits till the group of Lakniks run by in search of them. Everyone is silent as they wait till they feel it safe to utter even the softest sound. Jersey hugs her best friend immediately, having been so worried her closest companion had been killed while she had slipped away. When there is no sound of them with the exception of the alarm that will never die, Howard speaks up.

“We’ve got to get out of here and we’re too large a group to escape together. There’s one ship I saw when a Mystyrian had me hidden between two large sand dunes. Its due east of here. We should split up and meet there. If you’re not there in an hour then we’ll have to go for we won’t be sure who’ll be dead and who’ll survive.”

AJ looks over at Howie. “That’s my ship, I know where it is.”

Orlando raises a brow at him. “Wait one minute mate. I’m not part of your little brigade.”

Rhade looks at him in disbelief. “If you want to get out of here alive both of us are for now. Unless you want to go back to that lovely room I found you in again.”

Howard rolls his eyes. “Alright you two…” he points out Orlando and Rhade. “Go one way. Kevin, Jynx, Brian, and myself will head south and maybe draw some our way. The rest of you go north but be careful not to get stuck underground like before. Got it?”

Everyone nods silently seeing this was the worst time to argue. AJ pulls Skyla into a gentle embrace before kissing her slowly and deepens it with passion. She kisses him back just as filled with emotion before they pull away. Rhade watches them with a curious kind of interest. The general just sighs. “Good lets move.”


*********


The adventurer and his alien companion head down a calm path. His eyes narrow. It appears to be too calm with all they had gotten themselves into. He looks behind him, keeping up a healthy paranoia. Rhade snorts at him and he looks at her annoyed. “What is wrong with me now love?”

“I’m not love for one. Two stop glancing around like a creature in heat scared of the wrong mate finding him. I’ll hear them before they get us.”

“Oh you mean like you heard them before when we ran right into the fight.”

She flips her long russet tresses behind her casually. “I did but I was curious as to why there were more humans so I didn’t mention it so you wouldn’t back out. Also you are known for loving adventure, you should be glad I led us that way.”

“Then why did you help me?”

“You mean save your two legged ass? Because you interest me Mr. Bloom. And…” She pauses before yanking him into a tiny cramped room filled with different types of ammunition. Moments later they hear Lakniks running by them in search of them. Shooting off the weapons at different rooms hoping to destroy them, yet leaving the tiny forgotten weaponry room unchecked.

Orlando moves to check and she pulls him close to him, shaking her head. Before he can protest she pulls him into her, kissing him the way she had seen the humans do it before. She tried the same technique she had seen AJ use and then lets him go and pulls away. The young robust British man stares at her as he catches his breath. “What was that?”

“I wanted to know what I had seen moments before was?”

“It’s a kiss…its something you do for pleasure…in a- err small sense.”

“Oh…and that’s it?”

He narrows his eyes and opens the door, peeking out and seeing no sign of them. This time they would be quieter. “Let’s just go.”


***************


Nick, Jersey, Skyla, and AJ race down the hall with the aliens not far behind. They were running out of places to try and lose them. Shots fly past them in blaze of fury. Jersey fires what’s left in her gun at them before tossing the actual weapon at them and knocking one out. AJ stares at her and she shrugs. “What? My damn gun is out…”

Before they can really debate more shots are fired and everyone just runs for cover. Before she can blink an arm grabs her and drags her down a corridor. The two run a distance before finally pausing. She looks up to see its Nick. She pulls her arm away and stares at him. “I can handle myself man.” She’s beginning to hate this pretending to be a guy thing.

“You were about to get fried.”

Jeremy looks around. “Great where’s AJ and Skyla?”

“There they are!” they hear a creature shriek.

Nick shakes his head, his blue eyes widening. “No time!” The two dashes down the path and Jersey hopes AJ and Skyla are alright. But for now, she needs to save herself first before she can even consider helping anyone else. Blasts rain upon them as they try to flee. Jersey feels one graze her, making her already injured stomach scream with pain and she almost slips. Nick keeps her up screaming, “Come on!” The two race down the maze of paths and corridors, Jersey trying to keep up but knowing she’ll need a break soon as the pain increases. In a moment both blondes are forced to skid to a stop when they face a dead end, with their pursuers not far behind. Nick glances around rapidly, sapphire eyes showing his fear as he searches for a way out. Jersey sees something and immediately leaps for the rope above her head despite the pain. She catches hold and starts climbing up into a small hidden alcove above them. She winces at the pain, almost losing grip. She holds on tight and finishes her climb. Breathing heavily as she rests on the small ledge. The young handsome blond sighs as he reaches it as well, pulling the rope up behind him so it would stay unseen.

For moments the two just sit silently, watching each other. Then Nick sees the damage done to Jeremy’s side where he remembered her getting injured once before earlier that day. “Dawg that looks bad, let me look…”

Jersey pulls away immediately despite how it inflames to throbbing. “Man I got it covered.” She lies, wondering just how she was going to fix this with no medical supplies around her.

He reaches for her again. “Don’t be stubborn man, you need that checked out.”

She backs away, knowing she was in trouble. “I said I’m fine! Her back hit’s the wall roughly, knocking her cap into her lap and she hears metal clicking and she curses. The corset turned off. No. This could not be happening. One stupid injury could not be ruining it all.

Nick stares at the person before him as he hears a mechanism of some kind shut off. The person seems to almost morph before him from a secretive young man to a stubborn, injured, and frustrated young woman before him. His mind refuses to process what he sees. “Holy shit…you’re a…”

Jersey sighs, knowing when it comes to Nick at least, her façade is up. She sighs, taking him in for the millionth time. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him even though she wanted to in this awkward moment. This had to be the oddest moment in the twenty two years of her life and she hasn‘t exactly had a normal one. “I’m a chick….yeah…”

“What about that girl Jynx? How…”

“My best friend, posed as a girlfriend to help keep the image of it going. She knows dude.”

He stares at her, knowing all the things everyone had found odd made sense now. Still, she was pretty when you saw the real her without being hidden in the disguise. Its then he sees why everyone thought “Jeremy” familiar. “You’re not just any girl you’re…”

She rolls her eyes, of course she’s known. Even better. She pushes her short golden hair away from her eyes. “Jersey Shantlle…the missing daughter of the revolutionaries who lead this war…yeah I freaking know.”

“And what the hell are you doing hiding and running off with us?”

“Oh like you got room to talk, you were gonna desert had the ship not been attacked.”

“How do you know…”

“It was obvious.”

“I’m not the one who’s supposed to be leading this race to victory! You are…”

“Why is it ok for everyone else to be selfish as hell but not me? Look Nick…you tell me your story and I might just explain to you mine and then you’ll have the tiniest idea why I’m doing what I am…aight? But only if you swear not to tell anyone. We‘re gonna be stuck here awhile anyway”

He sighs, “Fine.”

“Good.” She smirks smugly as she lifts up her shirt partially, making a face at the new raw red wound she has.

Nick softens watching and reaches over as she starts trying to rewrap her bandages to cover it since it was all they could do for now without any medical kit. “Here, let me…” He gently begins to do it for her and the two are silent with each other once more before he speaks up to break it. He smirks in a teasing way. “So while I’m doing this, start talking Jersey…”


*******************


While Nick is helping Jersey tend to her injury and listening to her story, AJ and Skyla have gotten the bulk of the group following them. They start closing in rapidly, shooting at them and trying to pull them down. AJ shoots behind him as much as he can and she does the same. He curses as he turns down a random hallway, not caring at all where they’re going as long as it’s away. Skyla pushes crates behind them as they run to try and slow them down. Anything that can hinder them she shoves at them while AJ reloads and keeps firing. They slow down when they see it split into two corridors. Skyla pulls a scrunchie off her wrist and throws it down one hall, before following AJ down another. Both are hoping that the Lakniks see it as a clue and head down the wrong way. AJ looks around for a place to hide for now knowing they can’t outrun them. He sees a room that can be locked from the inside and he pulls her in, locking the door securely behind him and prays the metal door will hold if they’re discovered. The petite blonde girl catches her breath as her ever-changing blue and green eyes meet his own dark soulful brown ones. He just wraps her in a tight embrace and the two hold each other snugly as if there is nothing else in the world.

Rebirth

“There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea….You became the light on the dark side of me. Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill. But did you know, That when it snows, My eyes become large and…The light that you shine can be seen.” – “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal

~Chapter Nine- Higher Velocity

Her eyes take in the burning fury around her, everywhere she went, corridors were lit up in traces of snake like fiery paths. Panting, she catches her breath reaching the end of the long underground hallway. A large grate was at the end, meeting her group as she frowns. “This isn’t the way we came.”

The General rolls his eyes, “No kidding, but this was the only entrance we found before those things out there got us.”

Jynx scrunches her nose feeling the cold rush of the water that was ankle deep in this area. Her boots were soaked and she just hated the feeling of cold feet. “I think we threw them off for now. They scattered around the vicinity which can give us some time to get out of here.”

She looks up to see the pilot and one of the new marked soldiers, Brian reach them. “That took a lot of balls there doing what you did.” She smiles, kicking at the grate with a frustrated growl.

Brian nods: a slight smile crossing his heated face. “General I can find us a way back out here, once we get out of the dungeon we can make it back to the ship-.”

The tall raven haired man cuts into his sentence. “There is no ship.”

Jynx and Brian blink, stumbling back at the news.

“Whoa wait…no ship?! What the hell?” Brian frowns, his light eyes cutting across to both the general and pilot.

“It was leaking fuel and we needed more to fly out. I went after our General here, when an explosion was set off behind me.” Kevin begins to explain, catching the scared worried glances from the two.

“He’s right. The explosion was what caught my attention. Everything is gone. The poor survivors are all gone. We’re the only ones left from Earth now.” Howie whispers out, a frown deepening across his full lips.

“Crap…that just ruined my chances of being alive now.” Jynx sighs leaning against the dark cement wall.

“We’ll be fine.” Howie softly states, packing away his laser gun eyeing the two cousins.

Brian breaths out shakily, “Well lucky for us we’re taking AJ’s ship anyways.. We just need a way to get out of here. Follow me I think I know where we can go.” And with that he bounds down the waterway with resilient energy turning left down the hallway where he could remember he was first led to. Jynx raises her eyebrows and smirks catching up to the strawberry faired man hearing the General and pilot behind them.

Grinning Brian nods pointing to the curving stairwell. “These are one of the ways up. I remember seeing one of those creatures head this way.”

“Is that even an exit?” Howie frowns, “I don’t need us to walk more into their lair, we got a limited time to get out of here alive and meet the others.”

“Relax…take a deep breath.” Brian grins, starting up the stairs quickly.

“Heh…for someone being captured he’s all smiles.” Kevin jogs behind his cousin, waiting for the general and woman to follow.

Feeling his gaze on her, she blinks and eyes him: “Hmmm?”

“Let’s go.” He takes her arm gently and starts up the stairs with her besides him.

Brian reaching the top first, he steps on a grated platform looking around at the ruined metallic room. Majority of the instruments in that room were tarnished and ruined beyond recognition. What ever was in this room seemed to be of high importance, for all along the platform strewn of papyrus in ancient languages among the race’s own was imprinted neatly, writing out a coherent message to whomever would read it. Kevin catches up softly panting gently pushing aside Brian to enter more into the room.

Howie and Jynx follow behind stepping onto the grates looking around, the burning touches lit up much of the room. The smell of smoke immersed the air thickly.

“Nice welcome home party.” Jynx mumbles, watching the General still holding her arm. “Heh…you gonna let go of that or you want to keep it as a souvenir?” Indicting to her arm.

Howie blinks, letting go of her arm whispering out a sorry, he eyes befallen on the papers around him.

“Dorough look at this. Its written in this planet’s language. Think you can decode it?” Kevin holds up a stack of papyrus eyeing him.

Howie strolls over to the tall man eyeing the sheets: “Wish I could but I don’t have the necessary equipment for it.”

Frowning, Kevin tucks the sheets away in a dirty knapsack located on a dusty metal table, gripping it in his hands.

“What was the point of that? It’s doing us no good standing around here.” Brian starts saying as a bright yellow glowing orb floats into the center of the room.

“Oh damn…that’s not good.” Howie gasps leaping at Jynx, slamming her to the ground as the orb explodes.
~*~

He quietly slides along the wall, trying silently to make it out of the alien’s terrain. He watches the dark hair woman eying him, tilting her head as she walks at a slower pace behind him.

“You need to put some speed there, we’ll be here all day you walking at this rate.” Orlando gazes at the estrange beauty. They walk down a cement pathway, the only thing that can be visibly seen through the faltering light bulbs that swing aimlessly above them.

“A kiss….” Rhade forms the words with her thick lips smiling at the thought of that. “That was a nice thing wasn’t it?”

Orlando smirks, leading them down the isolated pathway. “You still hung up about that?”

“I never did that before that’s all.” She hums softly walking along with leisure.

“Heh that’s hard to believe. Someone as pretty as you and never been kissed before?”

“Yup. It was good. Maybe it can be done again if you’re lucky.” She smiles passing him, speeding down the corridor in a blinding light leaving the young adventurer behind in shock.

“What?! How?!” He struggles to catch up running as fast as his long legs can take him reaching the woman standing before an arc threshold.

“Mmm…you’re fast. You made it quickly.” She scans her hand over the closed door at the threshold tugging at the curved handle.

“It’s locked. We need to find a another way around to get out of here.”

“No. Just wait.” She whispers, her eyes gaze at the small lock which begins to melt at the door. The wooden door begins to shake, wobbling from her touch, her hands brushing over the wooden frame. It begins to splinter and bend slowly crashing onto the ground. “There we go. Now we can go.” She smiles, stepping over the rubble extending her hand out to him.

Orlando’s mouth drops open, his eyes darting over to the crumpled door and back over to her in awe. “How…what?!”

She grins, “All will be answered soon. Let’s go we don’t have much time left.”

He swallows hard, looking around her, “Heh…” He chokes out nervously walking over the shattered door taking her hand heading out of the way.

~*~

He blinks, sitting back against the wall: “Well…wasn’t expecting that story from you.” His light eyes fixture on her, “Be careful, don’t move around too much at the moment. You could reopen the cut.” A caring tone seeps out of statement as Jersey fails to hide her grin.

Not noticing her smile, Nick tugs on the wrapped gauzes around her stomach. “That whole thing you said there…you’re suppose to be a leader…wow. So what do you plan on doing when we reach that ship?”

“When we get there you’ll know. For now, we just need to escape.”

A soft scuffling is heard in the walls behind, softly scratching at first then getting louder.

“Don’t tell me something is behind those walls.” Nick frowns looking around for any kind of weapon to arm himself.

“Shhh…its probably just some insect. Those Lakniks couldn’t have found us that quick.”

Standing up, he scans the room when the scratching erupted into indents among the walls. “Ok see…now we leave.” He grabs her hand pulling her up immediately heading to their only exit.

“Wait…no. We get out of here , they’ll find us.”

“And what the hell you want us to do? Camp out here? We can’t stay hidden forever.” Nick hisses out, his grip not loosening on her hand.

“Are you giving me orders!? How dare you!”

“Excuse me? Miss I decided to hide out as a guy. Don’t pull that off with me. We can’t stay here, you understand that? I don’t even wanna know what’s making that noise behind the wall.” Nick argues, hearing a creaking sound coming from the walls that now raptures causing the walls to have crease lines.

“Whatever ‘that’ is…it wants to say hi to us.” Jersey inches back as a puff of smoke from the plaster billows out. The loud scratching noises suddenly stop, leaving the pair in utter silence. The only sound heard was their soft breathing in the room.

Then in a sudden blast from the wall, a long legged creature or rather what seemed to be a decrepit spider tittering across the wooden plank floor emerges from the crater like hole.

“Ohh…that’s nice…a huge spider…that wants to suck our blood. How cute.” Jersey fakes a smile, the statement dripping in sarcasm.

Smirking, Nick grabs her hand, tugging at it. “So yeah…now would be a nice time to go. Don’t you think?”

Jersey nods, the walls around them shaking as more of those creatures crawl behind it. “Guess they forgot to do some bug spraying today.” She frowns as they make a break back down the latch they climbed up in. The skittering of the overgrown insect can be heard as the pair make a face, bolting back down the hallway breaking into a isolated room, a door leading outside.

“HA! Yes. In your face! Spiders. WHOO.” Nick did a pre celebration dance while Jersey gently gets the corset turned back on. The laser scans over her body with just two small tiny metal pieces on her stomach, and she puts her hat back on tucking her short hair under it.

“Time to go!” She shouts out hearing the door and walls with those hideous tittering of legs around them. Nick gags a little and kicks open the door leading outside as they break into the night atmosphere spotting the ship a bit off from them.

~*~

Rhade whistles calmly stepping outside of the facility with a grin on her face. It was a piece of cake to her really. They made it out quickly and with no troubles. Yet something in the back of her mind kept wondering what will happen. She leans against the metal frame of the ship, noticing it was still just her and Orlando at the ship. Sighing, she yawns keeping her eyes on him.

“Yes?” He quirks an eyebrow at her.

“Just watching you.”

“Oh…why? Its not like I’m going anywhere.” He straightens up, popping his back. “They better get here already. It’s taking too long. Time is almost up.” He checks the small time gadget in his pocket.

“Relax adventurer. They’re not as fast as we are. Besides we cheated…” She grins, recalling earlier how she took down the door leaving the man in utter shock.

“That we did.” He leans against the ship’s mainframe watching a pair running quickly over to them.

“Oh finally people are showing up.” Orlando watches Nick and Jeremy reach the ship, each gasping for some air.

“A…big…huge…its fat!.” Nick chokes out the words.

“Spider. And lots of them.” Jeremy finishes off, glancing over at Rhade who grins mischievously

“Its just their pets. They mean no harm.” She coolly states, licking her plump lips.

“Pets?! HA. No thanks. Those suckers look like they wanted a nice piece of me in their fanged mouths. And for that, I’ll have to pass up.” Nick rolls his eyes, watching the ship.

“Where the hell is everyone else?” Jeremy rubs his nose, leaning next to the ship.

“Dunno. Been waiting, you guys are the first now to show up.” Orlando yawns, his eyes shifting over to the seductive alien.

Rhade smiles, keeping her eyes out for anyone or anything that could be approaching. Sniffing the air, she frowns, looking back at the facility. “Something’s not right…”

“What isn’t?” Jeremy asks, adjusting his baseball cap.

Rhade points to the place they had just escaped, “Something…is wrong.”

Frowning, Jeremy locks eyes on the place hearing Nick softly say that they’ll all be fine. He looks around the desolate area, large dust balls sweep across the land hoping to see the rest of the group show up.

“Guess we can sit down and wait for them I guess.” Orlando slumps against the side of the ship closing his eyes for a small moment.

Rhade keeps her index finger pointing to the alien facility standing silently.

“Err…she’s gonna be ok man?” Nick cocks an eyebrow at the other man.

Orlando frowns, looking over to her: “Look we know the Lakniks want us dead but we don’t need you pointing it out. It’s kind of creeping us out here.”

“No…listen…they’re coming.” Rhade whispers out, a strong wind begins to howl in the night atmosphere.

Turning on a laser lamp, Jersey looks around frowning hearing the same tittering sounds approaching. “Oh no…the pets want to play with us.”

Nick and Orlando bolt upright, scanning the area looking for anything to defend themselves with.

“Who’s coming exactly?” Jeremy states in a low voice.

“Just watch.” Rhade smiles, lowering her hand down to the side staring off to the dark alien building.
~*~

A.J. glances up at the grated ceiling, seeing something inhuman rush above them in their holding room.

“What’s that?” Skyla asks softly, her light eyes stare at the grates above them.

“Not sure…but if we’re gonna escape from here. We need to exit up there.” The tatted man grabs a worn chair, stepping up on it. His hands reach up to the grate, his fingers sliding onto the metal.

“Wait?! What if those things are there waiting?” Skyla frowns, steadying the chair.

“We got about ten minutes to make back to my ship. Its now or never.” He looks down at her smiling. “We’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.” Assuring her as he pushes the grate ceiling up shifting it over to the side. Grinning that it wasn’t indeed nailed or anything, he hoist himself up crouching the hole.

“Take my hand” He extends it down to her as she jumps up on the chair grabbing it tightly. “K…hold on.” He grunts, grabbing his other hand and slowly pulls her up with his strength. Once safely out of the room and standing besides him, he grins taking her hand as they race down a hallway slowly darkening with each step.

A low rumbling sounds off, the light skittering sounds sound off around them.

“That’s odd….what could be making that sound?” Skyla frowns, watching around her.

“Its probably just those Lakniks making noise. Don’t worry I got a gun and I know how to use it.” He smirks, resting a hand over the holster of the weapon at his waistband.

Feeling slightly better, she nods gripping his hand tightly in hers marching down the end of the hallway where a broken wall leading outside is found.

“Heh lucky us. Let’s go.” AJ. takes off running holding her near him, both bolting out of the building back to the ship.

“I see them!” She grins, seeing the familiar faces near the ship.

Letting go of her hand, Alex cheers in exultation running up to the blonde man there. “Heh just in time. Let’s board this baby and get the hell out of here.”

“Good but we’re still missing four other people.” Orlando heads over to the door of the ship.

“I’m sure they’re on their way, just board in and we’ll wait for them inside.” A.J. runs to the ship door turning a knob pressing his hand against the hand shape key hole. Green lights scan over his hand as it unlocks the small group beginning to board the ship.

A.J. looks over to Skyla and frowns not seeing her next to him. “Skyla?”

“OH…MY…GOD…” Her voice wavers out behind him a yard back.

A.J. slowly turns, blinking as a large spider like creature hovers over the blonde petite, its sharp fangs drip in saliva over her.

“Listen…Skyla…don’t move ok?” He calls out to her pulling out his gun as the spider swoop down to take a bite out of her.

With fast reflexes, he lets out a round of shots, the red lasers, striking the spider’s many legs. Hissing out, the creature squeals in pain tossing its large head back reeling in pain.

Knowing that was her break for it, Skyla runs under the creature reaching A.J. as she’s quickly pulled into the ship to join the others. Smirking, A.J follows behind shutting the door as the vibration of the dead creature lightly shakes the ground.

“Close call there.” Nick calls out, as Skyla settles down on a chair catching her breath.

“Now what?” Rhade asks, tilting her head.

“We wait that’s what.” Orlando states, his dark eyes lock on the screen watching the spider’s dead body lying there.
~*~

Coughing, he staggers standing up, waving off the smoke around him. “Guys?” He chokes out, rubbing his eyes.

“Here…” The light hair man crawls on his knees in the harsh smoke. “I’m ok…” Brian calls out seeing his cousin stand up among the ruined room. Large shattered pieces of metal protrude all around from the earlier bomb.

Howie nods glad to see that the two men are alright and calls out looking around from the petite woman. “Jynx?”

“Whooo look I got a sun tan!” The tiny woman jumps up with a sarcastic grin scrawled across her face, coughing from the intense smoke.

Smiling, he was glad to hear from her as he reaches out for her. “Seems whatever was trying to get rid of us failed.”

“And it worked to our benefit.” Kevin points out to the gaping hole on the side of the room.

“Well that’s our exit.” Brian walks over to it stepping out to the barren land. Spotting the ship a well off, he begins his trek as Kevin follows behind pulling out his weapon ready for anything.

“When I get home…I’m gonna go on a vacation.” Jynx cringes her nose. “Cause all this…ain’t cute.”

Smiling, Howie goes outside with her, following the two men and sighs in relief as the sight of the ship appearing.

“Whooo! You guys see that? That’s our ticket out of here!” Brian calls out tripping over a leg of something.

Kevin blinks, pulling Brian up and looks up frowning.

“That wasn’t part of this plan.” He whispers, gazing up at a hovering winged creature.

“Ohh let me guess…they want to play with us huh?” Jynx scowls, a rush of fear spiral down her spine. “Cause I’m all out of games heh.” She shakes a little inching near Kevin.

Howie grimaces, pulling out his laser gun shooting at the flying insect. They watch the insect scream and bat its wings at them swooping down to attack.

Orlando bolts up from the seat in the ship: “DANGER!!! There are things coming in from the sky and they’re coming down here!”

Jeremy pushes his way to the front of the ship, his eyes grow big at the sight of the flying creatures surrounding their friends. “Jynx…” He whispers out scrambling to the door.

“You’re crazy?! You’ll get yourself killed man!” A.J. holds him back, yanking him away from the exit of the ship.

“They need our help! We can’t just sit back and watch!” Jeremy struggles with the man.

“Dammit we need to get loaded up first and we’ll help them!” Orlando jumps out of his seat looking over at Rhade. “Stay here with….what’s your name?” Pointing to the blonde woman.

“Skyla.”

“Right…Skyla.” He steps aside pulling out a weapon locking the pistol in place.
Skyla quivers seeing the creatures flapping their huge wings encircling their friends outside.

“Uhh we got another problem…the ship is getting surrounded by those things.” Rhade frowns. “This must be some mutated form of those spiders.”

“Ohh right so they’re friendly pets too huh?” Nick smirks grabbing a pistol and jumps off the ship heading towards Howie to help. Orlando and Jeremy follow closely behind as A.J. sighs shaking his head.

Skyla watches them all and fakes a grin. “Anybody got marshmallows? This might be a long night.”

Rhade tilts her head smiling as she snaps her fingers letting a few marshmallows drop out of no where before the woman’s feet.

Blinking Skyla looks over at the woman in shock.

“What? You asked for marshmallows correct?”

“How…ooohhh how did you do that?” Skyla asks in awe.

“Ooohhh…well…it just flew in.” Rhade grins trying to understand why the human is in shock.

Meanwhile the battle of the creatures outside was looking hopeless as the group of men joined forces with the other four that ran into the insects.

“Jynx, run for cover. We got this covered.” Jersey looks over to her, taking her hand. “Whatever those things are….we need to get rid of them and fast.”

“Right and just a warning there are some huge spiders running around loose inside.” Jynx winces at the loud popping sounds of the creatures being shot at.

“I know…I saw them too. Go…run now I got this.” Jeremy calls out gently pushing the brunette to the direction of the ship.

Making a break for it, Jynx reaches the ship safely quickly boarding as the creatures around them begin to lessen in number.

After all the creatures were dropped dead on the ground, the men look around, heading back to the ship sighing in relief. Quickly boarding the ship, Skyla grins happy to see that no one was wounded and gazes over to A.J.

Smiling, he kisses her softly heading to the front as Kevin breaths out taking in a some air.

“Let’s fly out of here already…I’m tired.” The raven haired pilot yawns, starting the ship up.

Looking out of the window Jynx sees a what looks like a comet hit the edge of the planet from a distance.

“Its almost nice…if we weren’t in the predicament we’re in now.” Skyla whispers seeing the comet land too.

“Guys…we have another problem now.” Kevin frowns. “The motor for this ship is dead.”

“Rebirth”

“Lives in desperation, a world of devastation…No one knowing where it's gonna go. We got too many too hungry, it's time to stop this suffering…And I don't think we can do it on our own. And right now we need something, to save our souls… We could use some divine intervention. God, if you're listening, won't you help us, find a solution to all this confusion…we sure could some…” - Backstreet Boys, “Divine Intervention”

Chapter 10: In Need Of Saving

Everyone in the group looks at each other impatiently. They can’t remain on the planet long. They’d be found and killed, by the Mystyrians, or the Lakniks, or perhaps something else that wants to kill them. Ten pairs of eyes meet and for several moments all is silent. None of them really knew how to handle this glitch in their escape.

Brian looks at Kevin annoyed. “You sure the engine is dead?”

“Of course I’m sure cuz.”

“Great,” Jynx says with a smirk. “Anyone want to go out and push?”

Jeremy chuckles and hugs her. “Yeah Kev can try the engine and we’ll all shove it.”

AJ leans back in a chair, pulling Skyla into his lap as he watches everyone banter to relive the tension coming from the problem. He rubs her shoulders soothingly so she doesn’t worry. He himself was doing enough of that for the two of them. They didn’t have much time, and the ship won’t move. They would be sitting ducks if no one knows how to fix it.

Howard rolls his eyes. “We don’t have time for this. Does anyone here have a clue about engines?”

Nick pushes his blond hair away from his eyes. “Actually, I do.”

Jeremy raises a brow and gives Nick a look none of the others could read but him. “You?”

He shrugs. “yeah.”

Orlando watches him doubtfully. “How about I take a look at it instead pretty boy.” He heads outside arrogantly.

The blonde mutters as he follows. “Like you’re one to talk.”

Jynx laughs as she gives her own friend a look. Jersey sighs and follows. “I’ll make sure those two don’t screw up.”

The brunette watches the three go out and check the engines. Her soft tan eyes scan the room and go to the others. “okay is it just me or did those three just guarantee our doom?” She jokes, trying hard to keep the situation light.

***********

The three lift the main hood up and stare at the intricate machinery inside. When Jersey was hiding on one of space ports, she did have to do a little engine work but nothing this complicated. Just the little speeders teenagers of any species loved to use. Great. Well it had to work the same way right? She glances at Nick as he furrows his brow cutely examining the engine. Hopefully Nick really did know what he was doing. Orlando seems to be trying to do the same and happens to be getting in Nick’s way, it wasn‘t purposeful but it seems both men were getting agitated. The blond man’s blue eyes blazed slightly in annoyance. Jersey watches. This was going to be interesting. The infamous explorer versus a man who wanted to desert cause he didn’t see the point in fighting.

“Hey! I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong here if that’s ok with you.”

“Look mate, I can do this.”

“You’re gonna make it worse, don’t pull that lever.”

“I think I can handle it.”

Jersey gets between them. “Look by fighting all we’re going to do is make it so we’re stuck in this hellhole. Personally I’d rather leave, live, and find a way outta this damn mess, aight?”

The three look at each other quietly. That is until Nick starts fiddling with a part to fix what he sees is the problem. Jersey leans over, trying to remember what she knew about engines. Who knew she’d actually need the information once she left that place with Jynx?

“You think it’s the…” She pauses looking for the right term. “Philango valve? Or the…um….shit um…ah! Or the thoraxian tubes?”

He looks at her impressed. Then again why was he? He had learned earlier this girl lived by deceiving looks. Still she hadn‘t told him exactly where she had been before meeting Jynx, just that she had hid. How did she know about complicated engines? “That or maybe…”

It’s then Orlando scans the engine, almost slipping over a path of pebbles on the ground; losing his balance for a moment. During that moment, he accidentally shoves Nick aside, by default making Jeremy stumble aside as well. Nick glares. “Look I don’t care if you want the glory for fixing it, but I’d like to get my ass out of here. I know what’s wrong so back up so you don’t screw it up more!”

“Don’t you have something to cower away from?” The adventurer replies, with irritation, his British accent getting thicker as a result.

His sapphire eyes grow stony cold. “What’s that supposed to mean!?” He shoves Orlando roughly. Jersey blinks. This could only lead to bad. She steps between the two.

“This isn’t gonna solve-”

Orlando shoves him back. “Who asked you mate?”

Jersey glares. “Oh that is it…”

Rhade runs out just then before she and Nick could tackle this English adventurer down. She rolls her eyes. “Male humans.” her eyes scan to the engine simply. She then fiddles with it for a few moments before shutting the hoods. “All of you were wrong. Now lets go.” She heads back in, muttering. “Humans and their egos handling simple primitive technology….its sad really.”

The three watch her go in amazement. Jersey shakes her head. At least it stopped them from fighting, even if Orlando to her does seem to be an egotistical bastard she can’t stand. Why did he have to join them anyway? Didn’t have some other journey to go on to avoid the battle? Not that she was one to talk, but she’s in it now isn’t she? His ego is just a little much. Maybe she’s wrong. She doubts it, but maybe. Nick gives her a wry grin as he heads inside himself.

Orlando looks at Jersey intently. “There’s something weird about you.”

“Really? What then bro?”

“You’re hiding something.”

She shrugs. True enough. “Whatever.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll find out.”

A roll of her eyes at that one. “Go ahead, I have nothing to hide.” She goes inside herself as she hears Kevin starts the ship. “If you want to leave, you better get on now, instead of trying to figure out what’s so “odd” about me.” She sneers.

He rolls his eyes at Jeremy and gets aboard the craft himself. He looks around the room as he settles next to Rhade. There was something off about that guy, and that Nick idiot knows. Orlando was determined to find out. But for now, he smiles at Rhade. She could serve as a good distraction from the chaos as well.

As soon as they’re on, Howard goes up to copilot with Kevin. That Jeremy stands by a window, pointing below. “We’re going to have incoming fire, 11 o’clock. Who’s manning weapons?”

AJ gets up, sitting at one of the weaponry control panels. “I got the one on starboard, Nick, take the one next to me. Brian go to port side…and Jeremy right, you know your shit, go with him so the General and Kevin can get our asses out of here. “ They follow his directions with only an eye roll from Orlando at being left from fighting. He was experienced, why was he being excluded?

No questions were asked however, cause the ship wasn’t in the best condition for attack. They’d be lucky if no Mystyrians found them yet. Truth be told, they were all banking on the fact that they’d be checking the abandoned ships.

Jynx straps herself in next to Skyla. She tries to stay calm, knowing that it would be almost futile given the conditions but she had to try as she heard that blasting all around them. “Where are you from?” She smiles, her tan eyes shining.

“Enemy fire heading your way AJ!”

“Watch your side Kevin!”

“General, lock down the side panels before we lose something!”

Skyla blinks, and smiles at her, pushing her golden hair from her face. She grips the seat tighter as the ship shakes from one of several impacts. They could hear the others yelling around them in the background and they were trying their best not to focus on it. “Oh…before the war? Florida…Orlando, Florida. I miss it there…What about you?”

“Jeremy, keep your eye on those fighters!”

“Damn these things never give up do they?!”

“Nick don’t lose them!”

“Nice shot Brian!”

“I think we got em! Floor it Kevin!”

“Shit, watch a couple rogue pirates!”

“Watch it!”

“That’s it! About time we get far enough out of range.”

“New York, and its okay,” She says softly, “I miss it there too.”



*******

Kevin pilots the ship silently. What Rhade did was only a temporary fix. They needed a plan. Somewhere to rest till they had supplies and their ship was fixed. A way to fight was needed against the Mystyrians who were determined to get rid of them. And in the end, they needed a home. He sets the ship on autopilot while the time is still peaceful. It wouldn’t be for long. They needed some place to settle, regroup and have a plan. Howard, Nick, Brian, AJ, and Jeremy sit in the small pilot room one could call it. Kevin only asked them for he didn’t feel the need to worry the women about this. He had invited Orlando but he was more interested in that Rhade and she had only worried both him and Howard for they knew she wasn’t human and were weary about her being on their side. Howard stands and leans against the wall, his back to the door. They would know if an enemy fighter came even close to in range for their system would warn them.

“We need a plan. We don’t have many people, or much time left.”

Kevin sighs, his jade eyes tired. “Where are we going to find those people? Earth is probably destroyed completely by now.”

The redhead gives Kevin a comforting smile. “There has to be someone who can help.”

“We need to have something first before we track them down.”

AJ smirks, “You just worried about fighting Blondie.” He says, watching Nick.

“No…he’s right.” Jersey says softly. “I know where we can go. Before the war really escalated, just after the first drafted and joining…” She fights not to look at Kevin or Brian then, for even though they didn’t join at the very first, it brought back memories. “I mean the very beginning, years ago of this war before we knew how screwed we were. There were a lot of people who didn’t want to risk being on a doomed planet if we lost. They left, and there’s hidden colonies throughout the galaxies of just humans. We can’t trust 99.9% of the other species, so we need to re-supply with them. Regroup, and see if we can get help. Then we can form some sort of plan.”

Howard watches Jeremy carefully. Where had this guy come from? He knew far too much to just be the simple civilian who got pulled along for the ride, as he portrayed. “How do you know all this?”

Nick gives her a knowing glace and she just smirks as she readjusts her hat to cover her ocean eyes. “I used to work at a port, one of the skuzzier ones. I ran into a few humans there who felt sorry for me, and they told me. They exist, and I know where. But hell, its up to you what we do…” She just eyes him. “General. I just want to get out of this still alive, can’t speak for the rest of ya, but I bet y’all want that shit to. So what’s the plan…General Howard?”

“Rebirth”

“Prison gates won’t open up for me. These hands and knees I’m crawling on, I reach for you. When I’m terrified of these four walls. These iron bars can’t hold my soul and all I need is you. Come please I’m calling. And all I scream for you, hurry I’m falling. I’m falling. Show me what its like to be the last one standing. Teach me wrong from right and I’ll show you what I can be.” -“Saving Me” Nickelback

Chapter 11: Broken Call

Howie takes in her words clearing his throat. “Well…Err…Kevin check the map I think we’re going to make a visit to these colonies. Where exactly did you say some of these colonies are located Jeremy?”

A smirk crosses her full lips as she looks up heading to the color coordinated map flapping on the wall besides her. Pinning spots with some tacks, she grabs a marker circling some of the colonies strewn around Mars and Venus. “There. I heard due to the climate, humans were able to survive adequately.”

Jynx grins: proud of Jersey quickly locating the areas. “If we find these survivors. You realize it won’t be an easy task to convince them to join us. Many of them are just hiding out, willing to help themselves only.”

“Don’t think negatively. I’m sure they’re desperate. If they’re hiding out they want someone to save them and I say we can be the ones to do it.” Nick retorts, lounging back in his seat.

“The coast is clear. We can reach Venus shortly. Jeremy, you better hope there are willing people there. If not, we’re screwed.” Kevin steers the ship for a while finally flying down to a rather cloudy thick fog, the ship hovering, slowly descending hitting the outer banks of Venus. The rest of the ride seemed quiet, thick with tension from all around. Everyone was on the edge and nerves were hitting high from their last attack.

“We’re here!” Brian jolts out of his seat grinning, fighting with his seatbelt.

The others softly chuckle, the sounds of movement from seatbelts being retracted and shuffling begins to fill the ship.

Jynx looks over at Howie who seemed busy conversing with the co-pilot.

“He seems like a nice guy. Do you two know each other? You seem almost close to a point.” Skyla says softly besides her.

Blinking, Jynx drops her vision to the ground, feeling her cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

“I just think its all this fighting and aliens that makes people come in contact more. Like you and A.J. over there.” She points out the tatted man who leaves his weapon on the starboard.

“Ohhh….heh. He’s a wonderful guy and I know he has good intentions. Besides it doesn’t mean anything. I like being around him. He makes me feel….I don’t know. Safe.” Skyla murmurs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear watching AJ stretching, his shirt slowly rising to show off the rather buffed stomach he has. She couldn’t stop staring but decided to before she was caught. She didn’t mind the vision, not at all.

“Yeah I know that feeling. It’s a nice thing to have.” Jynx smiles standing up.

Jersey glances at Nick out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help wonder what he really thought of her. He knew her secret and she was hoping that she wouldn’t regret spilling the beans to him on it.

“Ok guys. Listen up. We’re coming to a complete stop on the Venus strip port in a few and I think its best if only a few of us journey out there to locate the villages.” Howie stands before the group, “We’re about to embark on an unknown territory and I believe its wise if only the selected few begin ground searching. I would prefer the women to remain here until notified.”

Rhade snorts at that, crossing her arms over her chest. “You do realize not all of us women are weak. I myself can handle anything that’s thrown at me. You seem to underestimate the female species. I don’t know why.”

The captain blinks at the comment and smirks, looking to the exit door. “Its not that I don’t believe you all can protect yourselves. I’m sure you all can. I just don’t want to worry about you guys. We’re all very sacred and are needed. If anything would have happened to any of you I would be devastated.”

Skyla raises her eyebrows, watching the captain stumble for the right words.

“I think we heard enough. How about we go check the land shall we?” Brian beams, feeling the ship glide slowly easing into the thick white and blue port. Kevin parks the ship to a safe landing, the soft praises sounding out that they’re all still alive and well erupt from the crowd of them.

“Alright. Here’s it goes. A.J, Nick and Jeremy you guys are gonna search the base perimeter of Aclove Hills here on Venus. It’s about north 45 degrees and 38 degrees east. It should get you to right spot. We’re going armed and with tracers. If anyone needs to communicate with the other team, I’ve implicated sturdy tiny microscopes embedded in the shields Brian will hand out to you.” Howie explains, taking an iron shield in his hands.

Rhade gazes at Orlando wondering what he was thinking about all this. He seemed so confident. A little too confident, but it intrigued her. She was fascinated with the way he believed he was right on so many accounts. Yet when alone with just her, he breaks down those walls. He wasn’t as strong as everyone else on the ship assumed he was. He was scared, if not, more than the others possibly.

“Team one will consist of Nick, Jeremy and AJ. Brian, Orlando and I got will go the opposite end and we’ll back here in an hour.”

“What about me?” Kevin glances around.

“You have to stay here and watch in case an attack happens here.” Nick starts gearing up, slipping on the black gloves, grabbing a few small weapons to tuck them in the allotted slots in his clothes.

“Psh. You just want a guy to watch over us.” Jynx crinkles her nose.

“Yeah that too. I don’t need to be worried about too many things if at least the pilot is here with you guys. Let’s head off guys.” Howie descends down the small pathway off the ship with his team.

Orlando budges quickly eager to be used to do something. He knew better then a lot of these people here. He has encountered everything. They needed him. And he loved that. He loved that he was apart of this and he will prevail. After all, a woman is on the line. And if he can show off his adventurer skills to her after her little fix it up with the ship, he could possibly impress her.

Trudging along with his team, he hops off the ship following them up the east end wondering what they will find beyond the hill.

Brian gazes around the rather oddly dry grassy fields and acid like lake spotted in further along up ahead. “I don’t get it. How can people come here to live? That water doesn’t even look safe to use.” He marches up the dry desert, feeling the brash wind sprinkle him with granites of sand across his cheeks.

“Its about surviving. I guess we adapt to things.” Howie pulls out a flash light from one of the pockets of his suit, turning it out to scan around the rather dimly lit plot of sandy land.

“This is a waste of time. No one lives here. I think that Jeremy was making an ass of us bringing us here. He’s trying to prove something that’s all.” Orlando scoffs, whipping out a mini pen like flashlight.

“What’s your problem with him? He didn’t do anything. At least he gave us some ideas. You just sat back and complained the entire ride over.” Brian smirks, feeling a glare coming from the English explorer.

Howie held his chuckle in, stepping over a rather odd boulder. Suddenly, as if the land was rigged, a rather loud snap was heard a distance off causing the three men to stop dead on their tracks.

“Maybe its nothing. I think it’s the weather messing with our minds. Let’s keep going. I don’t wanna stand around here waiting for things.” Brian starts on his way, taking a short pathway to his left. The deserted sandy road looked endless from his vision. He could hear the other two catch up, each wildly shining their flashlights around for anything.

Holding out a flashlight himself, he spots something protruding from the land before him. Out of the sand, a shiny object gleamed for their attention. Curiosity getting the best of him: Brian inches his way to the item beaming the flashlight on it.

“Did you find something Brian?” Howie calls out running over to him.

“Shhh…I dunno. It looks weird though doesn’t it?”

Orlando strolls over, raising his eyebrows: “Did you find something worth valuable?”

“I wouldn’t know. Never seen anything like it. It looks like some material, maybe a exotic mineral from here.” Brian kneels down, stretching his hand to the protruding triangle metal object. Clasping the small triangle in his hand, he begins tugging, yanking at it from the sand.

“Brian….” Howie urges “Maybe we should stop that.”

“Huh? Why?” Brian grunts, yanking at the object seeing it starting to move and slide out of the sand.

“Cause…I don’t think the rest of them like you doing that to their child.” Howie freezes petrified, seeing around them out of the sand rise silently sullen figures. Almost human in shape these creatures seemed metallic, shiny as they rise out of the ground encircling them. Each had four limbs just like humans and an oddly large egg shape head with large eyes that reached down to their tiny indented nose.

Brian finally pulls out the rather odd item, holding the 3-d triangle head in his hands. He frowns immediately seeing four waving tiny limbs with the small body attached to it. This wasn’t some item. It seemed to be one of the newest residents on this planet.

“Oh God…” Howie demands. “Drop the kid Brian.”

“What?”

“He said drop the bloody thing!” Orlando shouts out, pulling out his gun, aiming at the ever growing creatures surrounding them.

“Ever had that feeling that its gonna be a long day?” Brian fakes a small smile, dropping the little animal on the ground. The little creatures scuttles off on four legs over to its two legged parents who seemed rather annoyed with seeing visitors on their planets.

“Since when did humans look like this?” Orlando grunts, locking his aim on the first tall creature before him.

“Don’t know…maybe we took a wrong turn.” Howie tries to lighten the mood, clutching his gun tightly.

“Eh…I kinda wish it was Kevin out here for once and not me.” Brian frowns, sighing, hoping these creatures wouldn’t maul them all at once.
~*~

“Ha! Gold fish!” Skyla jumps up doing the cabbage patch. “Heeee did you see that? I won.”

Rhade chuckles, shaking her head: “We let you win that’s all.”

“Psh. I didn’t. I actually suck at this game.” Jynx folds her cards, smirking watching the young blonde still in celebration.

“What do you all think of that Orlando guy?” Rhade pipes out, adjusting her top.

“What about him?” Skyla plops on the small couch.

“Just in general.”

“Ohhh…not sure. Haven’t really talked to him but he seems a little too confident.” Skyla shrugs, twirling a strand of her hair.

“Heh…try stuck up. He thought he could fix the ship from what I heard the guys talking about.” Jynx cracks her knuckles, tapping her sleepy foot on the ground.

“Or could just be his male ego. Either way, he’s interesting.” Rhade’s lips curve into a smirk.

“You like him don’t you?” Skyla giggles, sitting up cross-legged on the sofa.

“Well…maybe a little. I just think he needs a nice woman’s touch and he’ll calm down.”

Jynx snickers, walking to the window: “And if that doesn’t work then maybe he needs a guy’s touch.” She sends a playful wink to Skyla who snickers out.

Rhade smiles, licking her lips. She’ll find out more about this adventurer soon enough and she couldn’t wait to be alone with the man.

~*~

“Dude where the hell are we going? Its like dead end here.” Nick grunts, batting away the sand particles that brush his face.

“Its here. There should be caves near by. They’re underground for safety reasons. If anything we’re probably standing over one now.” Jeremy clears his throat, adjusting his hat.

“Yeah well maybe Nicky boy is right. I don’t see nothing around but desert. Think we should met the others now?” A.J. looks around the field, the dead grass crinkles under his step.

“Relax. We just got here. Let’s finish here and then we can head out.” Jeremy fixes his hat, walking pass the small field reaching small broken down huts where large holes are spotted in the center of each of the huts. “Ha! Found them. Over here.”

Jogging behind, the other two catch up and reach the first house, stepping near the dark hole. Shining down their flashlights into the hole, they peer down to see nothing.

“Hello? Anyone down there?” Jersey yells.

Silence.

“Hey if you’re down there, We’re hear to help you out.” A.J bellows.

Silence.

“Agh this sucks ass.” Nick scratches his head searching around the other huts peering into each hole.

A loud cry breaks the dark muggy atmosphere as the three run towards the scream. They reach a gated house, clearly the walls were knocked down as a young man aims a gun at a metallic creature, yelling out obscenities.

Nick blinks, seeing the rather odd tall like creature growl, its claws bloody from recent killings. The creature steps towards the quivering man who seemed to be protecting a little child behind him.

Jersey didn’t wait to be told, she leaps out towards the creature grabbing a rock smashing it across its head. The creature cries out in agony, its now shattered head littered the ground as it drops dead before them.

The young man blinks and looks up at them holding his gun at them. “Get the fuck away!”

“Relax we’re here to help. Put the gun down.” Jeremy states, watching the tall man lower his gun unsure what to expect.

Nick goes over to the guy and spots the little girl curled in the corner scared. “Is she ok?”

“Yeah…just scared.” The dark haired man states, going over to the child picking her up in his arms.

“I’m Jeremy. This is Nick and he’s AJ. We’re on a hunt for any survivors here. We need back up and we need it fast.”

“Back up? Look at me?! You think I can back your ass up when I could barely kill that thing.” The man looks at her incredulously.

“Calm down. Look we’ll help ya. You can come with us. You look young enough to deal with the stuff around here. Where are the rest of the people here?” A.J. tucks his gun away.

“You’re looking at them. We’re the only ones left here. Those things…the Adamendians, is what I heard they’re called: came here to eliminate the rest of the earth survivors.” The dark haired man states, holding the little girl clenched to him.

“They killed everyone?” Jersey asks in shock.

The man nods: “Yeah…I manage to get away…after they killed my mom. Its just me and my sister now.” He mutters.

“Oh damn….wow Sorry…. Oh we didn’t get your name.” Nick says watching AJ sigh, shaking his head at the destroyed houses around them.

“I….I don’t have a name…”

“Or you just don’t want to tell us at the moment. That’s ok.” Jeremy smiles at the little dark haired girl who smiles softly back at him. Her bright azure eyes gleam in the rather in the dim lighting the sky showers down.

“Well you should come with us. You don’t want to run out of bullets and be screwed here. There’s a few more of us survivors on a running ship. We can fly out of here and get more people. There’s a battle brewing and we need to deal with it before it gets out of hand.” Nick replies, starting to head back to the ship along with A.J.

Jersey eyes the little girl, “Hey you have a name?”

“Erica.” The girl softly states, clinging to her big brother. She didn’t look no more than six or seven years of age.

“Interestingly you have a name but your brother doesn’t huh?” Jersey locked eyes with the tall guy who rolled his light eyes and takes Erica’s hand, starting to follow the others.

Sighing, Jersey follows the guys looking around at the ruined homes. “You two are lucky you’re still living if there was a massive attack here.”

“Yeah.” The tall man answers running a hand through his short dark locks.

“Erica is a brave girl there.” Jersey tells him, watching the little brunette in a messy ponytail nervously tugging on her pink printed shirt.

The guy stops and looks over at her; “Yeah….” He eyes her strangely and smirks.

Nick seeing this, manages to step back and get between them smiling, making sure there was distance between with the guy and Jeremy.

A.J. leads them down the pathway heading back to the ship as he checks his tracer, yawning wondering where the other group was.

“So dude…you really don’t have a name? What should we call you? Butt munch or something?” Nick jokes, causing a soft laugh to escape from Jersey.

“Heh…D is ok. How about that?”

“D like dog or dick?” Nick smirks, liking the fact he was getting to the guy.

Jeremy gently pushes Nick away holding back his laugh. “Heh let’s be nice to the poor people. They just went through tragedy.”

“Hey, just making him feel welcomed.” Nick flashes his smile at her, causing her heart to beat faster. He was annoying but still so appealing to her. She would have to control herself more around him. But she just didn’t know for how long.
~**~

“Rebirth”

A Moment to Reflect

“Somehow I know that we can’t wake again from this dream. It's not real, but it's ours. Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away…We'll be lost before the dawn.” - Evanescence, “Before The Dawn”

Sometimes when life throws you at a crossroad, you have no idea which way to go. How the hell do you choose anyway? At that moment, everything seemed lost. The biggest human colony was ravaged, destroyed till nothing was left. How would any of us know if the others were the same? Why take that risk? We were trying to escape the enemy, not follow it.

I took this moment to pause from writing our tale, to set this manuscript aside and just stare up at the stars. When trying to escape a race of beings trying to destroy you, you don’t notice them much. However when you are writing the story that pains you from deep within, you tend to notice them again. I see a falling star streak across the sky and I think that’s what we were. A race falling across the sky in it’s last moments. Beautiful, and trying its best to still leave its mark, and perhaps…survive?

Maybe I am over thinking this. I might be rambling and you could just skip this page and continue reading about our journey. Though some might not, who knows, someone might even be interested in my thoughts. Who the hell knows anymore.

Let me just set our emotional place. The ten of us, and now twelve with our two new passengers D and his little sister Erica; we’re in a ship, unsure of where to go. Brian had come back with tales of yet another race hostile against us. I suppose its karma for the human race, thinking it is superior to all so many centuries. Also destroying anything different out of harmless fear. We as a whole, did earn it. It wasn’t fair though dammit. We could either let fate take over or we could fight against it. Never knowing that was fate’s plan to begin with.

Needless to say, these fallen stars chose to struggle.

“Rebirth”

Chapter 12: The Struggle

“Something I've done that I can't outrun. Maybe you should wait, maybe you should run… But there's something you've said that can't be undone. And you fall away from your past, But It's following you… You fall away, It's following you” - The Fray, “Fall Away”

The ship is in space once more, going in what seems for them, to be an endless journey. A chase that will never end. Rhade and Orlando are in the back room talking calmly with a closed door to keep the privacy. Jynx is talking to the general and Jersey can’t help but be happy and troubled at the same time about that. She is so glad her friend seems to enjoy Howard’s company so much, but it also endangers her fragile illusion she holds as Jeremy. Her gaze skips over them wanting to shake such thoughts from her mind. She spotted Skyla and AJ chatting in the corner. Brian and Nick are talking about techniques, strategies, and just about back home, while Kevin pilots the space plane but with no set location in mind as of then.

“Back home? Nick man, I loved it. I grew up in Kentucky with my cousins living a few houses down. All of our parents were military but they usually let another family member take care of us so we wouldn’t have to move when they had to relocate somewhere.”

Nick listens, raising a brow with a subtle glance at Jersey who was sneakily eavesdropping. “You’re from a military family?”

“Yeah, me and my cousins were raised more like siblings. It was me, Kevin” He motions at the raven haired pilot. “ And our baby cousin, Jersey” After that follows a sigh. “She…she was upset at what she was supposed to be. Her parents didn’t have a choice and neither did she. I left to enlist, and she ran. Kevin didn’t tell me cause he thought he’d find her, but eventually he came here as a pilot. I just wonder if she’s even alive.”

Jersey then stands, walking up to one of the weaponry seats where the gun controls are. She needs to get away from that conversation and leave her past behind. However, the past, she is soon to learn, is something one cannot run from.

AJ watches as Skyla stood to use the restroom. He isn’t sure why this girl fascinates him so much. She’s so different than the past women in his life. So pure, so innocent, sweet and entrancing. He wonders if this is God’s way of giving a peace offering after all the tattooed man has endured. Surely after witnessing the brutal deaths those bastards that have been ravaging the human race inflicted on his own family, in front of his very eyes, before he ran into the night; this is God’s way of offering him finally a source of solace? He feels at peace by her side. Not the urges to inflict more death and destruction on the ones who shattered his life he used to feel. Images haunt his mind, horrific ones of his mother being shredded into taunting bloody confetti as he was fighting a Mystyrian by the door. Seeing the bodies of the rest of his family, he had ran. He can never forgive himself for running. If he only made it sooner, fought harder instead of ran, and tried to save them… Perhaps he wouldn’t feel the nightmares bearing on his troubled soul any longer. He only hopes he can keep the new light in his life safe, and not betray her as he had others before.

Skyla stares at herself in the mirror. Its funny how scary life can be when it suddenly becomes just a giant game of cat and mouse, and they are the mice. She was never meant to be in epic battles, or fight aliens. The petite cute blonde sighs as she rubs her tired emerald eyes. She just wanted to escape earth and start over, since like many, her home was lost. Her family was scattered when the war struck the world, so she has no idea if any of her family is alive or not. Is there any bit of earth to go home to again one day? The planet had been in trouble when they left, but it hadn’t been destroyed yet. How will she ever know if her brother or sister, or her parents, made it? If they aren’t on earth, how could she find them. At least she has AJ, the seemingly tough man who has deemed himself her protector. Something haunted his soulful coffee eyes and she wonders just what it is. She just knows the intoxication she feels around him. She strolls back to him with a sigh, she feels safe with him. On a mission like theirs, she knows that feeling is rare and more priceless than a jewel from the heavens. For this, she is grateful.

Kevin glances back as he guides the ship. The stars race by in streaks of light. Sometimes he wonders why he is even on this journey. It was pure luck he hadn’t been destroyed in the other ship with the rest of his crew. He sighs, he should have stayed home instead of enlisting two months after Brian did. Someone had to watch over the family, over Jersey. He was the oldest, but he felt like he should have been doing more, and ignored his responsibility. He supposes he’s not so different from Jersey, who didn’t want her burden of a responsibility either. She had been closer to Brian then, and had taken him leaving as a personal betrayal. Her leaving had shaken the family, as well as their military up. That girl had been in line to take over after her parents died, which they died a month after she ran off. Would things be different if she had stepped up instead of ran? Would they be winning if she was in charge instead of Howard? He runs a hand through his raven locks with a deep sigh. Maybe instead of lying to Brian, messaging him and pretending to be at home still when really he was in the space military as well; he should have been honest, and told him Jersey ran off. The truth didn’t come out till they ended up assigned on the same ship. Brian is all that’s left of the family now, the rest was lost within the battles, like a true military family…and only God knows where Jersey is. Wherever she is, he prays for her safety.

On the other side of the ship sits Rhade, who glances about with her dark shadowed eyes. She wonders what the elders would think once they use their powers to discover her location. Not that she cares too much. Sure she is a princess of her tribe and is bound to another being. A marriage as the humans called it. But why can she not choose her own fate? She’s seen these creatures and wants to help their struggle. No species deserves the extinction that is being forced upon mankind. She wishes to help them, even though she can see this journey they go on will be one that will have a high price, it shall have a great reward as well. Then there is Orlando, the cocky adventurer with caramel skin, and the raven curls. He, is intriguing. A mystery wrapped in an enigma. He is not the image he portrays himself as to others, and to fooling himself into being. This being is different than others, and she wishes to know why. What is attracting herself so to this man? It makes her now nonexistent tail want to twitch. She wants to go to her normal form, but for now human form suits the situation best. Her gaze goes to him, they had talked earlier and now he sits there, typing away into some type of log…

I know she is not the same species as I he types into his log quickly, the same personal computer every other earthling is given as a child and keeps through life to communicate, get information, and use as he does, as a journal. Still, she sees through all that I do. She sees something behind it all, but the question for me is…is there actually something there for her to see? His big doe eyes scan over the ship, everyone seemed to be in that thoughtful mode, in the inner mental struggle. I do what I do for the rush, to give my life some sort of meaning. Yet, I feel my life is still just as damn meaningless. So what does that mean for me? My father was a respected archeologist, discovering artifacts from the 1900’s even, giving us a close guess of how they lived. I am his disgrace, something he never speaks of even though many worlds know my name. I am the best of the best, yet it feels like nothing. What could Rhade see in me? I could have her in bed easily, with her lack of knowledge on how we mate. I don’t add her to my list of human conquests however. Why is that? He shakes his head, he was out to prove something. Not to bed another woman. That is why Orlando joined this journey, not for the glory, not for the fame, but to show he is worthy of being Dr. Landon Bloom’s son. His father had been disgusted at his dreams of being an explorer, an adventurer who told the tales of exotic universes and lands. He didn’t wish to follow his father’s footsteps and hadn’t. Still, the fact his father practically ignored his existence, and it was well known he is the disgrace of the Bloom family name, still follows him. He just wants to be worthy while doing what makes him happy. Perhaps by doing this, he finally will be.

Jynx’s eyes could not, would not leave the General. She can’t be doing this. She can’t be betraying Jersey’s secret by staring at the general. The one in the role her best friend should actually be in. She is supposed to be pretending to be “Jeremy’s” girlfriend, and yet…her hazel eyes never leave him.

“Jynx” The russet haired girl hears his voice ask gently.

“Hmm?” She turns towards him, the two in a room separated from the main deck of the ship. In a window you can see the lights of space around them, the soft glow coming into the room and seemingly illuminating the general.

“You seem tense.”

She turns away again, staring into the dark sky around them, her russet curls bouncing gently against her back. “Just thinking…”

“About Jeremy?” His gaze goes to the main deck where the silent man who is too knowledgeable sits, seemingly in his own world. “You two are together right?”

“Yes” She wants to say no.

“What do you know about him?”

“Why?”

“He seems strange. There‘s something he‘s hiding and its something against us.”

Her eyes flash in defense of her friend. “Why are you so worried about him? Because he’s coming up with things you should? Instead of focusing on him, figure out why you’re struggling with a plan for us.” She sighs. “Look…I’m just defensive of him.”

Howard shakes his head, his light mocha skin glimmering in the florescent lights of the space craft. “You’re right too. You’re not even alone in thinking that Jynx, just the one with the guts to say so.”

“So something needs to change.”

“I just have to figure out what first…”

She comes up to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and looking at him with understanding. It’s not his fault he’s stuck in this position. This was why Jersey ran from it. “General..”

“Call me Howie.”

The young woman smiles a bit. The smile lights up her angelic face, causing Howie to smile back in response despite what words leave her mouth next. “Problem is Howie…we may not have enough time for you to figure it out.”

Two pairs of blue eyes gaze over at the room where Jynx and Howie are currently talking. The redhead and the blonde glance back at each other with a shrug.

“This place has gotten really quiet.” Brian says looking around.

“When you’re traveling, you get too much time to think man. What stopped it before was us trying to make sure our asses aren’t killed. Now for the moment anyway, we lost ‘em. Everyone’s thinking.”

Brian nods, his bright eyes just taking everything in. “What are you thinking about? I told you about what was on my mind…”

“Yeah, though you’re not the space brat type and its weird heh. Me? I’m not that interesting.”

The shorter, leaner man leans back in his chair watching the taller, buffer, blonde companion. “Yeah but we have too much time on our hands. Start talking.”

Nick sighs, where would he start? “I never wanted to be here to begin with.”

“And we all did?”

“No, not the situation,” His ocean eyes glance at Jersey and then downward. “Here period. You joined, I got drafted after finding my family in ruins. I never was close to them to begin with, but it was a blow to me all the fucking same. I was just getting to where we were becoming close to normal again. After years of painful chaos, we started fixing things, just for it all to crash down. It fucking hurt. I wanted to just say screw it, find a random colony and forget all about earth there. But no, I get drafted and Howard found me before I could split. Then I was ready to leave, as you guessed when I first roomed with you. Then our ship gets attacked and I end up feeling shitty and help some others escape with us.”

“So how do you feel about all this now? Still want to ditch this adventure first chance you get?”

A chuckle escapes the scruffy yet angel faced man. “That’s the thing,” His gaze seems to be focusing on the stars, but is really focusing on the hidden woman before him. She was sketching in a notebook, pretending to be aloof, as was her role as Jeremy. “I don’t know when the hell it happened, or how it did…but now I want to be here. I just want to know more why that changed than anything else.”

Her gaze meets Nick’s then and she shifts her eyes away from him and Brian, thinking of what to do now. Orlando is suspicious of her, and the cockiness of that adventurer annoyed her greatly. Nick actually knows her secret, and even though he hasn’t told anyone and has actually been trying to protect that secret, him talking to Brian makes her nervous. She’s managed to stay aloof to her cousins in fear of them seeing its her. They once knew her so well, and it hurts to see them and act like its nothing. Maybe it is time for her to get out of this mission while she can? Let Jynx stay with the General instead of forcing her to help her out. Her best friend deserves not to be lonely. She should just slip away, escape now while she can. She had been happy, well not happy, but at the least content, with her life. Then Jynx came to her space port as she tinkered with some ships at the shop she worked at, and she got pulled back into her old life as a result. Time to move on again.

She stands and heads to Howard, knowing he hates her but doesn’t exactly look at him or Jynx who is there beside him. “We need to make a stop, get supplies and such. I think I know of a port nearby, I just need to know a better idea of our location.”

“Is this one as safe as the human settlement?”

She rolls her eyes, dammit can’t he just trust her already? “I didn’t know it had been ravaged all to hell alright? We made it out fine didn’t we? And hell we even saved someone.” She motions to where D is entertaining his sister Erica with a story of some kind, which set the little girl into giggles.

“Howie, it might be a good idea, to rest, get our thoughts together and then figure out what next. And we are low on supplies.” Jynx says softly, looking into Howie’s eyes kindly.

“I guess that can work, lets go to Kevin and we can plot out our next stop.”

***********

After Kevin lands the ship on a rustic metal crafted space port that seems to be filled with people wanting to keep to themselves, like the passengers of the ship, they get off eagerly. Howard looks at the group, standing tall as he knows he should since he is the leader, as much as he hates the job. “Now we need the break, so we came here for supplies, to hide and relax. However, the watches I gave you should go off at the time you are to head back here so we can depart once more. By then we should know our next move.” He grins just a little. “Now enjoy yourselves for once.”

The group of 12 starts splitting off into smaller groups, the adventurer and the alien, the general and Jynx, the two cousins along with the two newest passengers, the innocent girl and the rough and tumble AJ, and then… Nick notices Jersey trying hard to just slip away unnoticed, and decides to follow her as she seems to know exactly where she’s going. Her path leads to a small ship shop, just for speeders to get around, nothing like their escape plane.

“Trying to run away again aren’t you?” he says somewhat disgusted, coming from behind her.

She turns sharply, her blonde locks trying escape the cap that they’re tucked tightly under. “What business is it of yours Nick? You should know how that is, you tried to do it yourself if I remember right.”

“Like it or not this mission needs you Jersey Shantlle. Hell I never did fucking leave even if I did want to, I don’t now.”

She rolls her eyes at him. “Don’t’ use that name right now and goodie for you not leaving. You get a gold star for good attendance then!”

“Why is it every time you get close to belonging, or taking on that role your militant family gave you, you run?”

Her sapphire eyes spark flames in anger and almost glow with fury. “You may know who I really am but you don’t know everything Nick. In fact you know shit.” She stalks out of the store and over to the bus plane station on the port. Her bad luck of course it was on the other end of the port opposite where she is. No matter, more than one way to sneak away from the group even with Nick annoyingly on her tail.

“Or maybe Jersey,” he grabs her, pulling her into an empty room, one usually rented out at night to passer bys. “I’m right and that’s what’s pissing you off.” He reaches around locating the metal devices that unlatch the corset into a normal bra, and snatches the cap from her head angrily, the golden hair framing her oval shaped face.

“JESUS JUMPED UP TITS! What the fucking hell do you even think your bitch face is doing!?”

“Letting the real you come out for once! Don’t you ever get sick of hiding?”

“Hiding is me…”

Nick shakes his head in frustration, running his hands through his shaggy sun kissed tresses grasping for a way to get through to this woman before him. “No that’s who you’ve made yourself be.”

“You don’t get it Nick, and why do you even care? Why should it matter to you?”

His hand strokes her smooth face, tilting her head up towards them so their eyes meet. “Say I meet this guy, a little odd, but seems to be stubborn about fighting for the right thing. Goes back for others when he could have escaped on his own without them, twice in fact. Doesn’t give a reason for going back for Kevin on that ship instead of just getting to mine and escaping. Lucky him he finds AJ and escapes with him. Then when these aliens have us captive on another planet, he gets away and could have taken a ship and gone. No, he finds the general and Kevin and comes back and rescues us. Doesn’t say why, but he does. Sound familiar?”

She raises a brow at him, glad they’re in a room where no one can see them as she folds her arms under her bosom. “Your point is what?”

“Well me and him get separated from the others, he gets hurt and hot fucking damn he ends up being a chick trying to hide. I know who you are, and ya know what, your life hasn’t ended. If you haven’t noticed you’ve been taking control of the mission which is why Howard is getting annoyed at you. You’re meant to do this. What are you so afraid of?”

Jersey stares at him, just what does Nick see in her that’s worth this trouble? She can’t understand it. She’s been a coward and she knows it, accepted it. Why would Nick want to keep her around? Her heart picks up pace, he had too much of a damn effect on her, more than she’d like to admit.

“Afraid of? Do you really want to know? Lets see, knowing I’ll have to face everyone down, including the two I ran from in the first place, and probably lead us to a death worse than Howie will. Knowing its all in MY hands. I don’t WANT to lead a glory mission. I DON’T want to be some hero leading whatever the hell is left of the troops if we ever even find anyone! I don’t want anyone judging me for the way I left! I want to just leave, forget all about this, and go back to just tinkering with ships like I did before I met Jynx! That’s fucking what I’m afraid of. Having fate in your hands isn’t what I asked for. I didn’t ask for you to try and convince me to change either.” She glares up at him since he is in her pathway to the door out.

He steps closer to her with a smirk, pulling her up to him. “Well Jersey, you got me anyway, I ain’t going anywhere and neither are you, not yet anyway.” He pulls her up and kisses her passionately, his lips meeting hers eagerly. She blinks in shock before falling to ease, her arms wrapping around him. For the first time letting herself free and kissing back this man who opened her cage to begin with. Whether or not she’ll let herself stay free…is her current inner struggle.

********

As Jersey and Nick secretly explore their feelings, Rhade and Orlando stroll into one of the many shops at the space port. Rhade picks up a book, glancing at it curiously. A book talking about the history of humanity. Why those beings are so concerned with the past, she’ll never understand. She turns the book over, gazing at the hologram of the author on the back. She stares at it before shifting her line of vision to Orlando. The two looked alike. She presses a button on the book and reads the biography that takes place of the picture hologram. Has been a renowned archaeologist for years, made big discovers Rhade could care less about, married with two sons: Dr. Chase Bloom, and youngest son Orlando Bloom. It went on about Chase Bloom, leaving the tale of the younger son off the biography.

Her gaze wanders over to Orlando again as he fiddles with some hats. She wonders why he never speaks of his family. Its obvious the author is his father. She sets the book aside, deciding not to mention it. He’s shown her the softer side he hides from the others, but he never reveals a thing about his personal life. Sure Rhade herself is a Rylian and not human, but that doesn’t mean she won’t understand how family can be. She pushes some of her long dark brown loose ringlets away from her face as she approaches him again.

“Why did you decide to join their motley crew Rhade?” He asks, turning towards her as she takes a hat from him and tries it on herself. “Why aren’t you leaving now that you have a chance?”

“Why aren’t you?”

He smirks, snickering a bit. “I asked you first love.”

“I find them to be an interesting group. The odds are greatly against them and still they’re fighting. No race deserves annihilation. So, I wish to help them. You however, Orli…if I can call you Orli…”

“Orli is fine, from you only.” An impish grin appears.

“You did not want to join them at first. Why are you staying now?”

The British explorer tucks away a raven curl behind his ear. He knows why. Still, why reveal a weakness? Orlando trusts Rhade, but he hates revealing soft spots to anyone. “Not sure, but I find something intriguing about it all.”

She smirks back at him, pulling him down so his lips meet her own. After a few moments, she pulls away. The sweet taste of him still lingering, along with the sweet smell of vanilla that is just so very him. “I find something intriguing about it as well.” She replies, before going off to look at clothing, leaving once again, a startled Orlando behind.

*******

Kevin and Brian walk behind the two newcomers as the little girl bounces ahead excitedly. D chases his sister laughing. The two cousins look at each other knowingly as the siblings go on ahead.

“You’re thinking the same thing I am Bri.”

“About….what happened before you enlisted? Yeah I am. You should have told me.”

“I didn’t want you worrying, I was searching for her all I could as I was.”

His azure eyes meets the older one’s jade orbs. “We need to stop dwelling on this.” Kevin sighs softly. “Our parents, her parents…are gone. I think Jersey is too. We’re what’s left, and we need to accept that.”

“Maybe, I think she’s still alive.”

“Doesn’t matter, we need to survive and not focus on looking for someone who is likely been dead for awhile.”

“Yeah I know. Do you even think we’ll make it?” They make a turn, just wandering the halls with no real idea of where to go in the large metal community.

“I do, we need to find anyone willing to help us and we need to find a new place to settle, get other survivors who escaped before the military got destroyed, and create a new beginning for our race. A rebirth, corny as it sounds.”

D and Erica go down the left hall while the two cousins go to the right, opening a door to a more secluded hall of rooms where they rent rooms out to passer bys. “Not corny, true, do you think Howie can handle it?”

“He’s my friend Brian, and I want to say yes, but I honestly don’t know.”

*******

Jersey pulls away and looks at Nick before her, her hair messy and tousled around her face. She takes a few deep breaths as he steps back. The two stare at each other a moment. “What…was that?” Jersey finally asks after regaining her composure. The two hadn’t gone much father than kissing, but…no man had kissed her and made her feel like THAT before. Whoa.

He smirks, “The real Jersey coming out I think…”

She can’t supress a grin so she turns away. “I’m not ready to let myself out yet. I want to…but I can’t…and that’s not an easy thing to say. Especially with you barging into my life the way you did…” Jersey trails off as the door opens calmly and her eyes widen in shock at the two men entering the room. Shit. No. No, No, No, No…

“Hey Nick” Brian says and then he spots the girl he’s with. In male clothing. Clothing he saw one of the passengers of the ship earlier wear. Wearing a watch Howie had passed out. Jersey was Jeremy. All this time… His mind spun. All this time!

Kevin, unlike Brian, does not take the time to think this out. “You’re…you’re!”

The young woman looks down, wishing she’s invisible. “Hi Kevy, hi Brian…”

“You’ve been with us this entire damn time! You run from taking over as General selfishly, hurting your parents immensely. Did you even know they died?! Do you even care!? And you know what it put me and Brian through and you keep lying to us this entire time! And you pull others in on this deception! You should be helping keep us and our mission to few survivors of Earth alive! Instead you just watch from the sides not caring! What the hell happened to you Jersey! I-” He bellows, until Brian finally pulls him back. The redhead still unsure what to say.

Nick glares when he sees Jersey the closest to tears as he guesses she can be since she told him she never cries. Her gaze remains on the floor and she is silent. He turns back to Jersey’s onyx haired cousin. “Hey! You don’t know the full story so before tearing her down just back off! She doesn’t owe you or anyone else anything.”

She looks up. “Nick, I can handle this aight.”

Her eyes meet Brian’s. Her once best friend. The betrayal in them stung her knowing she caused it. “You wouldn’t understand. And Nick is right about one thing, I owe nothing to anyone. I love you both, but I did what I did and you can accept that and that I’m here or not. Your choice…I don’t even care anymore.” With that she pushes past all three men and stalks out.

“Shit.” Nick mutters, knowing he had just talked her out of leaving. He follows after her knowing she needs some support, ignoring the glares coming from Kevin and Brian.

Kevin goes to chase after her but again Brian stops him. “Don’t. You’ll only chase her off again.”

Nick sees her sitting off to the side as close to the edge as one can in a dome of the space port to keep the air in. He sits beside her. “I’m sorry I caused that.”

“Don’t be. It was doomed to happen eventually. At least Jynx is free of the deception now too.” She leans against him a bit. “Kevy and Bri…They never understood me fully before, and they don’t now. At least I can be me again. Its been hard being someone else.” She sighs. “Just stay here with me till we have to go back.”

He slips and arm around her for comfort. “You’re not leaving?”

“Not yet, I might be in a moment of temporary insanity, but I’m sick of hiding. Might as well face it all now. There’s a lot we gotta deal with, one less struggle will help.” She smiles up at him. It feels nice to be Jersey. Jersey, and not be hiding somewhere she can’t be seen. At least she thinks she finally found someone who can be with her throughout the struggle, and that makes all the difference.

“Rebirth”


If I fall
if I fall (down)

at the end of the world
or the last thing i see
you are
never coming home
never coming home

never coming home
never coming home

and all the things that you never ever told me
and all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me

never coming home
never coming home

-Chapter Thirteen: Critical Methods

“You ever sit around and think man, what the hell would I be doing with my life if this never happened. If our planet still existed and things were at peace?” The younger cousin asks, leaning against the wall watching Jersey and Nick talk a few feet away from them.

“Yeah…all the time.” Kevin shifts his feet, still feeling agitated with the fact that indeed his little cousin was here safe and sound after all through disguise.

“Kev…drop it. Can you blame her?” Brian whispers out: “Just think what she could be going through at the moment.”

“I get that. Its just…I was worried sick about her and she decides to slip past us and not even at least give us some notification that she was well or tell us who she was. I wouldn’t have freaked if she told me from the beginning.” The raven haired man crosses his arms, cutting a glare at the blonde pair before him.

“She’s here and safe. That’s all that counts. I just hope she can help out and do what she needs to do to take her rightful position as leader. Cause right now…I think Howie is way over his head on this war.” Brian adjusts his seat, his azure eyes fall on Nick who seems to be making Jersey laugh.

Whatever effect the man was having on her was a positive one. He couldn’t recall seeing Jersey this happy, he would have to make a mental note to thank Nick when he gets around to it.
~*~

Humming softly, Jynx messes around with the computer game bored out of her mind. She wanted to get away from the craziness that was going on around her and perhaps for one time just feel at peace. She controls the little animated person watching her eat, converse, get dressed, take walks, exercise. Basically she had control of the little person in the game and it made her feel good. Powerful. Maybe this is why her friend Jersey didn’t want to take her role. Because with power comes a lot of responsibilities.

Shutting the game off, she scrolls through files and blinks finding a list of soldiers that were recruited. Scanning down the list she sighs knowing most of them were already dead from the war in the battle. Clicking on a few names randomly, she blinks and finds a familiar face. “What the…” Snorting, she prints out the file along with the info and smirks ripping the sheet out of the printer. She could feel someone’s presence in the room and looks up.

“Hey Howie.”

Smiling, the man settles besides her holding a cup of soda. “Want?”

Shaking her head, she smiles and gazes at him noting how attractive he was to her. His rich caramel complexion and ruffled dark hair seemed like a calming grace, he was a strong person but she knew he had his weaknesses. His intense dark eyes when he knows something to his light accent she heard from him when he gets agitated were just the little things she picked up on.

“Is something wrong?” He gazes over at her.

“Nothing much…found out something, you guys didn’t pick up a civilian.”

“What are you talking about?” The captain seems curious as she hands him a sheet with basic facts of an incoming soldier.

“The man with the little girl that we took in. That guy was supposed to have been fighting long ago. Whatever happened, he didn’t make it. So that means the guy is trained. Which is a good thing cause he knows how to kill our enemies off.”

Howie taking interest, scrolls down the sheet and nods: “It’s against the law to avoid being recruited. I’m surprised he got away.”

Jynx nods her head, not really listening. Again she was left spaced out, gazing at him noticing the little things like the light twitch in his ear when he’s annoyed to the little indented scar on his cheek. To her, he was a project that she would love to study. She could look at him all day and simply be content with it. But she couldn’t let herself be obvious. She was to pretend she was in a relationship with her friend for the disguise to work. So as much as she was curious about being with the captain she would have to retain herself until later.

“I’m going to go talk to the guy. I can’t believe he didn’t mention this to us. This is vital info, if I knew he was well prepared for the war I would have gotten more weapons.”

Jynx sits there, tapping her foot on the floor: tap tap tap. Yet his voice was pulling her in. She couldn’t resist it anymore and leans over kissing him softly on the lips.

Howie who was in the middle of his minor ranting blinks, kissing her back quietly falling into the kiss.

Beaming, Jynx wraps her arms around his neck wishing she could stay like this. But there needs to be an appropriate time and now was not it. Sighing, she breaks the kiss getting up grabbing the paper out of his hand.

“You’re so stressed out. Relax. I know it’s a lot to handle. But I know you can do it and I believe help will come.” She softly states, watching the captain sigh happily, his muscles relax as he leans back against the wall. He lifts up his hand to his lips as he sends her a smirk.

“Mind if I ask what was that about? I think your boyfriend would hate to find out about that.”

Grinning, Jynx shrugs, “Eh that’s ok…he kissed a boy too.” Winking, she strolls out of the room leaving the man baffled at her comment.

“He’s gay?” Howie sits there confused not sure what to think of what she said. Shaking his head, he heads outside down to a shop to grab a few drinks.
~*~

“Ohh ohh look ok? This is how is goes.” Little Erica stands boldly on the tiny stage in the market watching her big brother snicker at her.

“Ready?” She beams.

“Yeah go ahead.”

Smiling, Erica breaks into a song: “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.”

Her brother rolls his eyes and claps along with her as he sees the captain and a young woman from the ship approach them.

The petite brunette stands before him and snorts tossing the paper to him: “Did you think we wouldn’t know D? Or how about David Arden? You like that better? Did you think that maybe you could get away with hiding out from not telling us who you are?”

Howie gasps, pulling the angry woman aside: “Heh excuse her, she didn’t have her coffee this morning. She’s a bit edgy.” He grumbles, holding Jynx’s arm as she complains pulling away from him.

David sucks in air at the mention of his name, nodding: “Yeah sure…”

“Its just…this is vital to us. If you know what’s going on, this can help all of us. And I’m sure you want to stop what’s out there and took away your family right?” Howie looks up at the tall man.

“Look, I didn’t go cause I didn’t want to be apart of it ok. I didn’t…” David glances to his little sister who’s now singing to Jynx. “I didn’t care about this shit. I didn’t want to die.” The young man whispers, his blue eyes scanning the area.

“I understand that but you can’t just run away from it. Now look, you’re in it anyways. Did you think you could run away from what was gonna happen to Earth?” The captain watches the man fidget holding the sheet with his personal info on it.

David smirks locking eyes with the Captain. “Yeah actually. I don’t have to face things if I don’t want to. I can walk away from my problems and not give a damn. But things change when you’re no longer in control of that. David is just a name I used when I was enlisted. Like I told the others. I don’t have a name.”

“Ok mister anonymous whatever you want to be called. But I can assure you, when we're attacked again you’ll be equipped like the others to take the Mystertians down.”

“Bring the bitches on. I’m used to them terrorizing everything I ever had.” David pulls up a chair turning it around straddling it, his eyes on the sheet with his info.

“Good. Glad to hear that boy.” Howie gets up watching Erica break into a little dance.

“Aww look at her, how cute is she?” Jynx snickers dancing alongside the girl.

Howie chuckles watching them for a moment, his thoughts on what the hell was he gonna do now? War was on high alert and he managed to lose contact after passing the milky way. There was no way he could do this alone. He needs help but where would he ever find that?

“It’s like fighting a losing battle.” David mumbles out suddenly, his eyes on the paper nervously running a hand through his short spiky hair.

Jynx looks over to the men and grumbles not liking this David character at all. He was hiding something. Taking Erica’s hand, she heads over to the counter getting them drinks and ice cream.

“How did you survive on the planet you were found on? Everyone was gone…”

David rolls up the paper tossing it in the trash can across the room: “I didn’t…I had to join their alliance for my survival.”

Howie’s mouth drops open, staring at the man. “YOU WHAT?! HOLY CRAP! You could have brought them here?! Are you out of your mind? I should leave you here!”

Jynx jumps at the sudden outburst looking over at the two men seeing Howie flustered as David watches in shock.

Erica sings softly, swinging her little legs as she sits comfy on the stool.

“Ok sweetie…” Jynx whispers to the child: “I want you to do me a big big favor ok?”

Erica eyes her curiously as Jynx continues: “If you want to be a big person, you can help me out and go find out what’s up with your brother.”

Erica tilts her head, her eyes eager as she knows the answers. “Why?”

“Cause it would help all of us and that would be nice. Something a big person would do.”

“Ooooooo…..but I’m not big so I don’t have to say.” Erica beams, hopping off the stool walking away with her drink.

Howie looks over to Jynx who goes over eyeing the guy.

“Things just got a little more complicated now.” Howie frowns, indicating to David.

The pale man looks over to Jynx raising an eyebrow: “Like I told him. I had to do it if I wanted to live.”

After hearing the news, Jynx blinks, gazing at the two newcomers. “Well if this isn’t something. Funny…We should leave you here and take the girl. After all, you’re basically like a tracker to those things out there. If they find you, they’d find us.”

David gasps. “Wait wait! I’m not a bad guy ok. I freaked and it was the only way to survive. I didn’t want Erica to suffer: she’s innocent. She doesn’t know what’s going on. I did what I could to make sure she was kept alive. If I didn’t join they were ready to take both our lives away. You know how that goes. I couldn’t risk it.”

Howie frowns seeing Erica run over, clinging tightly to her brother. “I…think its best we board Erica…”

“What? But wait what about me?” David cries out, looking at Jynx and then Howie.

“Look you’re in some deep crap man. Why should we offer to take you back with us when you’re leading those punks to us?” Jynx frowns. “I knew there was something wrong with you. But nooo.” She stresses it out: “No one listens to me.”

Erica frowns. “I didn’t tell them anything Davy. I didn’t say nothing.” She wraps her arms around her brother’s neck, her lip quivering.

“Ah dammit.” Howie sighs, “If you’re coming with us…I’m making sure you tell everyone on that ship exactly who the hell you are and who you work for. Because at this rate you have no friends on board.”

Snorting, Jynx rolls her eyes: “I knew we should have cuffed him when we had the chance.” With that, she exits feeling a stare on her.

~*~

Rhade hums softly to a song stuck in her head, it was the same song that the adventurer was singing as they were shopping for a few items. It was almost endearing watching them walk together, she would steal a few glances from him. She knew she had to have him completely. There was no way she would go without having him by her side and her colony had to understand that. She was raised in royalty among her race and was always instilled that whatever she wanted she should have the right to have, when it suited the rules of her tribe. She was also taught that as royalty, she must sacrafice her wishes when the tribe felt it necessary.

Glancing over to the adventurer who seems to be tittering with the paper bags filled to the top, she grins watching him struggle to uphold the bags.

“So…need help?” Rhade smirks watching the golden skin man glance over to her.

“You think?”

“Well you seemed like you were doing just fine, I wouldn’t want to mess your image of being the strong masculine man up.”

Orlando sends a soft smile to her easing his way out of the store. Not seeing who was in front of him, he crashes into the petite Jynx who scrambles out of the way of the falling bags.

“AHH my oranges!” Rhade rushes over gathering the fallen food items back into the bag.

“Sorry…I didn’t see you.” Orlando frowns, quickly helping out.

“No sorry I didn’t see where I was going.” Jynx jumps up dusting herself. Eying Rhade, she looks over to Orlando and back at her.

“Yes? Do you need something?” Rhade tosses her long locks behind her.

“Nope. Found something interesting though. You’ll find out when we board the ship again.”

“Is it about civilians?” Rhade hands Orlando’s the two stuffed paper bags to him.

“Umm…hmmm” That was odd, how would she randomly guess that? “ I’m in a rush though I got to get some spices to make an Asian dish.”

Rhade raises her eyebrows: “What’s Asian?”

“Oohh hooo I’ll explain that to her, you go and get what you need Jynx.” Orlando holds back a laugh as Jynx waves entering the store.

“I know what she wants to tell us. But it’s not important. We’re not in danger.” Rhade grins kindly offering to take a bag so she can link hands with his free one. Blinking, Orlando smiles at her touch and holds her hand leading them back to the ship to unpack the new items bought.
~*~

Jynx hums gathering the ingredients for a small dinner. She decided to be spontaneous and cook up a mean Asian dish since she found out the Captain had a thing for it. Smiling, she tosses some peppers into the kart as Skyla’s voice fill the air.

“I…you sure about that?” Skyla’s giggles bubble out causing Jynx to be curious.

Smirking, Jynx decides to pass by them to not be rude and stare, but she couldn’t help take a sneak peek to the new couple. She watches Skyla sit on a kart laughing as AJ is making vroom sounds quickly guiding the kart down the aisle. Jynx watches amused until AJ runs past a sky high pile of paper towels which begins to sway under the sudden touch.

“Uh oh.” Skyla squeaks out, her green orbs open wide gazing at the tower.

“We’re going to go past this and act like nothing happened.” A.J. smiles, taking Skyla out the kart as both scurry away the moment the tower leans to the side collapsing causing the paper towels to bounce and roll out in every which direction.

Gasping at the falling tower, Jynx makes a dash out a little too late, tripping over a towel causing her to land on her stomach. “Oomph”

Groaning in annoyance, she blinks seeing security surround her. “Uh hey…wow did you see that? Heh kinda looked like an explosion there. Interesting huh?” Jynx blurts out as two of the security guards grab her arms.

“Whoa hey! What is this?”

“You’re coming with us ma’am. I think you need to start rebuilding that tower the way it was before we can allow you to leave the store.”

Assuming the guard is kidding, she snickers gazing at their beady eyes hoping for some kind of smile. “Oooohhh…you’re serious huh?”

The guards nod leading her to the pile as they walk away leaving her in the mess of array paper towels. “Oh no that’s fine…thanks! I always wanted to make a castle using these babies.” She grumbles plopping on the floor.

“That looks like fun!” She hears Erica’s voice ring out, gazing at the little brunette eager to play with the paper towels.

“Oh yeah fun.” Jynx mumbles kicking at a paper towel. Finally looking around, she along with the help of little Erica begin the rebuilding of the tallest paper towel tower around this space port.
~*~

Kevin raises his eyebrows as he adds fuel to the ship. He was enjoying the peaceful moment but with everyone suddenly wanting to hook up it felt like he was never going to see his family again. He missed them greatly, he was glad his cousins are here safe and sound but that didn’t help that he himself lost family that meant the world to him. Tipping the oil can into the chamber located at the side end of the ship, he watches groups of people gather around the ship eyeing it oddly. Almost everyone was here and everything seemed to be on the upside. No past signs of destruction left behind from their enemies which helped make people feel more relax.

Getting his hands a bit dirty from taking a look at the engine, he wipes his hands on a rag tossing it aside.

“Whoo hey man you know when we taking off?” Nick strolls over taking a look at the oil.

“Not yet, we still got some time but start bringing stuff in.” He cast a cold glare at Nick.

Shuffling around the raven haired man, Nick clears his throat: “I know…walking in on your cousin was a little…awkward. Uhh…just give her time man. To do what she gotta do.”

“And what makes you think you know what I’m thinking about?”

“I’m not…just saying.” Nick shrugs, leaning against the ship.

“Why don’t you go help bring some stuff in on the ship? You know to have some kind of army intact.”

“Uh Brian and A.J. are doing that right now, they don’t need any more help at the moment, they got it covered.”

“Oh I’m sure they need help, just won’t admit it.” Kevin frowns, annoyed that the blonde man was still hanging around when he thought he made it clear to go away.

“Eh I guess…” As a bolt of what seem like a falling comet flash a good distance away from the metal port they’re on.

A distance away, two people glance up to the sky. “WHOA Did you see that?!” Brian shouts out, a fairly far distance from his cousin and Nick.

“What the hell is that?” A.J. mumbles, standing besides him watching the bright yellow trail of fire rushing to crash into whatever got in its way.

“I dunno. But whatever it is it better stay away from here. I need to rest, I can’t be running on adrenaline all the time.” Brian yawns, rubbing his eyes.

“I don’t know about you dude, but sleep is the last thing on my mind at the moment.” A.J. frowns, seeing a group of bystanders break into a riot frantically pushing each other around.

“Oh boy…not another one. It doesn’t take much to get some people angry around here.”

“Heh tell me about it. Go to it cowboy. I’ll be standing by watching you get tossed around.” A.J. beams, causing Brian to break into a chuckle.

“You really are something aren’t you?”

“Yeah…I know. The ladies always tell me that.” A.J. runs a hand smoothly through before placing his cap back on. “If they don’t calm down in a minute I’ll get the hose out and spray them down.”

Smiling, Brian snickers watching the minor eruption of people die down slowly heading back to what they were doing as if nothing was wrong.

“Heh…guess they heard you and don’t like water.”

“That or getting wet on this planet is a taboo.” A.J. cracks his knuckles shoving a helmet to Brian, passing him to get back on board. “We got a good few hours before take off let’s make sure we have a good one before all hell breaks loose.”

Nodding, Brian gazes back at the others of their crew. The passer bys ignoring them. Seemed none of them wanted to join. A death wish almost they had claimed. He couldn’t blame them. He only wished he could have had time to really say bye to his family before it was too late. But as it went, life has its own turn of events.

“Rebirth”

"I made my way back home, I searched for form and land. Years and years I roamed, I gazed a gazely stare...we walked a million hills. I must have died alone, a long long time ago." - Nirvana, "Man Who Sold The World"


Chapter Fourteen: Beginning Or The End?

Jersey heads through the space station lethargically. Nick had already headed back to the ship, as had her cousins. She, seeing they still had some time, had decided to wander. The young girl needed the time for herself and to gather her troubling thoughts that were jumbled in her all too lost mind. Also, since when she goes back, everyone will discover Jeremy was a well put on façade; she needs new clothing, wanting to desperately discard the boys clothing she has adorned for far too long. She grins softly to herself as her sapphire eyes sparkle in the florescent lighting in the metal station with only an air dome to separate them from the dark abyss of space. Stars twinkling above innocently, without a hint of the dangers she knows await once the group leaves the station. One of the last places humans ran to when it was obvious Earth was doomed. Earth. Was there anything left now? She left before it had gone to utter ruin, but it had been on its way there. She had heard tales at the port she worked at before meeting Jynx, how the planet had been left in shambles. Not destroyed, but the damage had been done and the humans had fled in any way possible. Still she wondered, was there anything left on the planet to go back to now?

She turns down a hall. It has been forever since she bought the clothing she liked. She had never been one for skirts or dresses, but there were cute styles she wanted to wear. Her material side, small, but also buried inside, was wishing to come out again. The blonde twenty two year old enters a store casually and skims through the hovering clothing racks, loving the idea of just getting what she wanted. Not what she knew she had to get. Simple as it was, picking out outfits felt exhilarating, surprisingly joyful. After all, she was supposed to lead humans as an advanced race chased them to their deaths, and they were only garments. Yet she felt those feelings, and the reason was also simple.

For once, Jersey felt free.

*******

Howard taps his foot impatiently. He was more than ready to go. For an odd reason, he felt far too unsafe there. Perhaps it was because Jeremy suggested it. Likely so. He remembered the kiss with Jynx, Jeremy’s girlfriend, all too well. The images burned into his brain like an iron cast. He saw Kevin making sure the ship was in working order. Brian was helping AJ pack up the supplies, while Jynx and Skyla were chatting on the other end of the ship. Rhade was in the ship resting. Orlando was practicing with one of the new weapons they had purchased. All were here but one. Although earlier than he had said they should go, he was ready to exit the place now. All too eager. Yet Nick and Jynx had both told him to wait for the last of their crew. Jeremy. He was starting to truly despise that name. Irrational yes, but it was honestly what he felt. It seemed like the other man had what he wanted, and wanted to take the burden he had. Yes it was a burden, but it was Howie’s burden and he wanted it for himself. It made sense to him if no one else.

Then his attention is grabbed by something else. Jynx staring at someone who approached with shock, as she hugged the person coming. Howie came down the ramp from inside the ship and stood by it outside of it, watching curiously. A young female, looking to be in her early twenties, short blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. She looked familiar. Oddly familiar. Then he heard AJ stare and utter something with an accusing tone.

“My God, you’re Jersey Shantlle.”

At that moment, all of the information scattered in the general’s mind clicked together. Jeremy, the lone man who kept to himself outside of Jynx. One who knew things he shouldn’t know. The oddness about him. He, and the one who had been meant to be the General rather than Howie were one and the same. He was the missing girl Jersey Shantlle. She had seemingly vanished months before her parents, who had helped start the revolution to fight back in the new war, had been killed in combat. She was the reason the burden had been placed upon him.

Jynx. Jynx had known this entire time. The words she had said yesterday, after she kissed him. They made complete and bitter sense now. Lies he had been told. So many lies, and he had believed them all.

“Mind if I ask what was that about? I think your boyfriend would hate to find out about that.”

“Eh that’s ok…he kissed a boy too.”

She had played along with the charade, knowing that the girl could be vital in this battle. Howard’s eyes narrow in shock as the moments moved in what feels to be slow motion. The one person he had trusted, turned out to be nothing but stabbing betrayal.

The girl adjusts the new backpack she wore and were filled with items she had just gotten as she waved sheepishly. “Yeah that would be me.” she replied calmly to AJ as everyone with the exception of Kevin, Brian, and Nick stared in surprise. Even David and his sister Erica, seemed to have heard of who Jersey Shantlle was and were taken aback at the idea that aloof Jeremy turned out to be her.

Howard shakes his head. Enough. “Get inside and lets go, we’ll discuss this as we leave.”

Jynx approaches him shyly, her coffee eyes shadowed and ashamed as a soft curly lock of russet hair fell into her soft face. “Howie I had to keep it secret-”

“You fed me nothing but a pack of lies. Nothing else needs to be discussed.” With that he storms inside, frustrated and infuriated at the shocking turn of events before him. Nothing made sense anymore and it was only bound to be more confusing as time went on for the odd band of beings inside the tiny ship.

Every person boarded silently as Jersey sat off by herself, Nick who tried to sit beside her, listened for a moment to something whispered to him. He leans down and their lips meet for a moment, wrapped in each other as if finally set loose before pulling away. Nick places his lips affectionately to her forehead for comfort before sitting across from her as she Jersey wanted. She held her pack in her hands, unsure what to say as she felt the stares upon her. Jynx is the one Jersey lets sit beside her and she sighs as lets her friend hug her.

“You sure you want this Jersey?”

A chuckle and a smirk are her response. “A little late to ask isn’t it?” She stands, heading to captain’s quarters, knowing she had to face it all, and ignoring the stares. “general-”

He turned and the glare he wore says more than enough. She stands her ground, fed up with running from herself finally. “General.”

“You could have risen up when you were supposed to and this may have all been prevented.” The usually soft tan eyes were hard, cold, and unyielding.

“It wouldn’t have been prevented, it would have happened anyway.” She rolls her eyes annoyed. “You have to be kidding me. Is this why you haven’t been leading like you should? Been blaming me this entire time? God no wonder nobody thinks you can handle it. I’m here now, so deal with it.”

“You forfeited your chance to lead.” Matching glares were met between the two. Neither willing to back down from the silent battle.

“You’re right I did, but you need help. If you don’t let me, then hell you just got us all a ticket to the hand basket down to hell.” She headed back out to the main dock, not wanting to debate any longer as Kevin drove the ship further and further away from the haven the space port had been if only for a short time. AJ then stopped her. A sigh came and she turned towards him and Skyla, the sweet innocent who had been with the group from the beginning.

“All this time you’ve been…”

“Yes all this time.”

The tatted man scowls in disdain, not being able to comprehend how she could do what she did. After everything he has been through since this war began. Everything he had given up. This girl’s actions, who had affected them all, were unable to be understood in his own caring mind. “You’re a coward.”

“Alex-” The other blonde warned, with a simple hand placement on his shoulder. Jersey just shook her head at it all.

“Think of me what you will. I don’t give a damn anymore.” With those simple words, she headed back to one of the rooms, there weren’t many. But she needed the escape from the others. To her surprise and disappointment someone was already occupying her room. Rhade. The interesting alien who had joined their motley crew for reasons still unknown. She turns for the door again. “Sorry didn’t know anyone was in here.”

“Don’t worry. Go ahead, sit.”

“Thanks, I needed to get away from everyone.”

Rhade smiles, pushing a long wavy raven lock away from her delicate looking face. “I understand, trust me.”

A chuckle. “I don’t think you can. I don’t think anyone can.”

“I understand better than you think.” She faces the blonde leader. “Let’s talk.”

************

Heels clicking down the hall signal Howie to turn around. Who is bothering him now? He wanted anything but to deal with this. He sits at the desk, his back to the wall, wishing whatever it is to just leave him be. His mind is still processing it all. He heard the door slide into the wall and his head turns to glance upon the one person he doesn’t want to walk through that door. Jynx Jamison. Her sleek body adorned by her leather space outfit, accentuating her tight lithe figure. Her curls were now let down, framing her angelic face. Her eyes that typically dance with light were more somber and that in itself softened Howard enough to not kick her out the moment she entered his room.

“Can I help you?” His question was sharp and to the point. His back was still to her, assuring Jynx that the welcome she had was not a friendly one.

“Howie, we should talk.”

“How would I know that you speak the truth?”

She forcefully grabs the desk chair that hovered levelly from the floor and turns it towards her with no patience at the idea of quibbling. Her hands rest on the arms of the chair, staring into his steely gaze. Finally she had been able to kiss him before. For once she is free to show her feelings for him without the troubles of protecting her best friend lying on her all too annoying conscience. Of course, everything comes at a price. Apparently this was hers, and it infuriated her heart to no end.

“I had to lie! Jesus, Howie, she’s my best friend. I met her before we came to your refugee ship, found out her secret and how it killed her to hide herself. I had to protect her! I didn’t know what was going to happen after we started that ruse…”

He just gazes upon her simply, as if she is nothing but a fly that must be squashed with haste before it annoys anyone further. “You protecting her put everyone else on Earth in more danger. It was selfish! And to continue to do that…when we talked, and lie to me… god!” He stands then. Pushing past her he goes to the window to watch the meteorites fly by them. “I trusted you and was found to be a damn fool.”

“Oh yes Howie, because its Jersey’s fault the Mystyrians attacked. You were trained to lead as well, if you want to blame someone for how bad this war has gone, blame yourself! Me and her lying about her being the last leaders’ daughter didn’t decide fate, it just turned leadership to you The only thing I lied about was anything involving ‘Jeremy‘ and you know that. When it comes to you Howie, I can’t see straight, in ways you don’t know. I’m telling the truth, and if you can’t see that, then you’re right, you are a fool.” She shoved the chair towards him and stalked out of the room, dabbing her eyes inconspicuously as she walks away from the one thing that she wanted during this entire quest.

Howard stands there, unsure of how to react or what to think. Kevin’s voice interrupts him on the loudspeaker. “General…Generals I mean…” His eyes narrow at that into tiny slits that resemble a snake’s. Burden though it was, he had earned it, now that Jersey who had ran from it, sharing the title as well infuriates him. Their short talk earlier hadn’t fazed him any. Heading to the intercom he roughly pushed the speak button. “Out of this galaxy, anywhere out of this damn galaxy, I don‘t care which galaxy you head for as long as its away from this one.”

“No. Kevvy-” A cough could be heard as she corrected herself over the intercom. “Kevin, go to earth.”

“Back to the place we got attacked in the beginning? You’re out of your damn mind Shantlle.” His voice is loud and incredulous at even the mere possibility she suggested just now.

“No, we need to see what is left, if we should even keep running. We need a damn recon of what’s going on back there!”

“What even gives you a say?”

“Lineage now get off my back Dorough, just trust me. Kevin, take us to Earth please.”

“Wait a minute!” His face is on the verge of exploding with anger and irritation until Brian’s voice enters the mix, interrupting the infuriated general.

“Howie, I actually agree, we should see what’s left of Earth so we know what move to make next.” Great, his friend taking his cousin’s side. A cousin who had ditched both him and Kevin without another thought and that was who Brian sided with? Some friend. He bet Kevin would do the same.

“Alright, take us to earth.” He sighs with bitter defeat. Nothing makes sense to him anymore. It is almost like he had to start over in earning respect and running this journey. Back to beginning. And he didn’t like the idea one bit.

*****

“I can’t bloody believe Jeremy turned out to be a chick. Heh.” Orlando comments to no one in particular, but Nick seems to be the only one still in the main dock with him. The two are sparring a bit with the new laser swords. David and his sister were in another room, keeping solely to themselves. Some information was supposed to have been told but that had been forgotten when Jeremy came back as a Jersey.

“She’s dealing with a lot.”

The British adventurer raised a brow. “You knew. I knew the two of you were hiding something. I had just assumed you two might’ve been gay.”

Nick makes a face and goes on the offensive. “No. Yes I knew. She’s working a lot of things out..”

“You’re protective of her.”

“Just like you’re protective of Rhade. You seem like human when you’re around her.” he smirks, just never liking Orlando since they tried to fix the ship.

Orlando spars more aggressively, not liking the turn of the conversation is taking. Rhade is his weak spot and no one needs to discover that small tidbit of information. “Maybe Howard can finally run things right around here and we can see some REAL action.”

“Please, ‘real’ action is the last thing we need. You think there will be anything left when we get home.”

“Not sure.” He turns off his sword, tucking it into a sheath strapped to his belt, brushing a dark curl away from his slightly scruffy face. He takes note that he needs to shave his goatee down a bit. “But I promise its going to be interesting.”


**********

“We need to talk to her.” The raven haired man states firmly as he pilots the ship to their new destination. His heart turns at the idea. Earth. Would there be anything left? When he had left it had been closer to the end, yet there had been no word on the status of the planet after their refugee space station had been attacked. Would they find more Mystyrians there? It had been some time since they had encountered any, but no one is foolish enough to think they had escaped for good just yet.

“Kev, let it be, she’s got to come to us.”

“Like she did this time around?” He retorts his gaze focusing on their destination, though it was still too far to get a glimpse of.

“Just, I know Jersey, she’s the same girl, impulsive, headstrong, but smart. We’re going home. So try and relax.”

“There may not be anything left to go home to.”

Brian runs a hand through his short red mussed curls as he focuses on his older cousin. “Don’t think like that, we’ll make it through this.”

“Yeah I know.”

“As for Jers, she’ll come to us when she’s ready to. She always does. Everything will work out.”

“I hope you’re right Bri, I really do.”

“I am, trust me. One day we’ll get past this Kev, and be able to live again.”

“One problem with that cuz, is that after this, will we have anything left to live for?”


************

Jersey shifts in her chair facing Rhade. “Its hard to explain.”

“Try me, out there you have a lot of anger aimed towards you.”

“I earned it.” She begins to play with a stray strand of hair.

Rhade nods as she brushes her own hair idly.. “You hid yourself among them as a guy.”

A sigh.” They don’t get that I had to. I didn’t want to be some damn leader just because my parents lead this entire revolution against the Mystyrians. I wanted to be myself, relax with my cousins, and tinker with machinery. Simple but I liked it. But no, my family had to be military oriented. Then Brian, Brian of all people who is always singing, playing around, decides to join! He abandoned me first.” A flash of anger skips across her eyes for a moment before it was gone as if it never came.

“Never forgave him for it did ya?” The smile upon the other girl’s face was knowing, yet not arrogant. “For leaving your and your lifestyle for the one you hated.”

“I-I don’t know. Kevin got mega maxi protective then. Telling me what I couldn’t do, reminding me along with my aunts and uncles what I had to do. Training me, making me study, preparing me. Brian left when he was 19, I was 17 and Kevin was 21, oldest and bossiest. None of us had sibs, so Kevin took on the big bro role. Then when I turned 19, I just lost it. I got so fed up. I left and decided to do it my way. I kept tabs on them, Kevin became a pilot a few months after I left, always looking for me. I saw the bulletins he left. My parents were killed two weeks after he joined and I knew I had to stay hidden. I couldn’t be leader. So I lived on a space port, as Jeremy, tinkering with ships as a mechanic till I met Jynx and we ended up on the refugee ship that led us here. I just, don’t want to lead us all to death.”

“You still did, you started directing Howard as to what to do next.”

“And then Nick came into the picture…” A grin appears then at the thought. “I feel more sure of myself with him. He has faith in me. Makes me for once feel like I can handle it. Only no my cousins will probably hate me for life for hiding from them. And I know I‘m still turning out to be leader by I‘m doing it with my own rules and my way, not the rules I would have had otherwise. Its hella selfish but damn I don‘t have choices like other people, and its not fair.”

“I know what’s its like to hide from the world. So you won’t be forced into a role you don’t want. See, I’m of the Rylian race and the princess of my tribe.”

Jersey blinks, her eyes widening with surprise. “No way. We realized you weren‘t human but damn.”

Now it is Rhade’s turn to let out a frustrated breath of air. “Yes. Princess. Gah. Betrothed to my friend, who although I love him, he’s like a brother. No passion. I want passion, lust, love. I wasn’t supposed to help Orlando escape either, told to stay out of the Human war. But you guys need the help, no one deserves extinction. So I helped him and ran off, same as you, to most looking human. I wanted choices as well.”

“People take advantage of choice freedoms not realizing how its prison not to have them.”

Rhade’s dark brownish onyx imitating eyes sparkle as she grins a bit. “Exactly.”

“You and Orlando seem close…” She trails off, having had a bad impression of the adventurer she chose not to say more.

“We’ve been getting there. Like you and Nick.”

“Well have you guys talked about…”

“He does not know if that’s what you were going to ask.”

“Really? Why me?”

“Because you’re the one who understands.”

Before they could talk any more, they heard an odd noise outside the ship. Kevin’s voice filters over the speakers throughout the space craft. “We’re approaching Earth now Generals.”

Rhade gives a supporting half hug to Jersey as the two girls both stand. “That’s your cue.”

“Okay Kevin, get ready to shift through the atmospheres once we’re close enough and then take landing positions. Oh and-” Then she stops as a ear shattering crumbling noise could be heard outside their craft. The tiny ship vibrated fiercely and the two girls stumbled to keep themselves standing as did everyone in the ship. Jersey and Rhade hurry to the window to see the cause. Next thing that enters Jersey’s vision is a sight that will haunt her for decades. Her eyes take in the site of her home world with only four tiny ships as they hover around it below them, each having a ray of blinding white light aimed at the planet, before fire, destruction and nothingness consume her now former residence. The Earth combusts into nothing but angry meteorites, exploding into dust like sprinkles that blanket the empty recesses of space. Forever gone, now leaving the group without a goal, or safe haven to return to.

Rebirth

-Chapter Fifteen: Home Sweet Nothingness

She blinks, staring into the fragmented dark abyss that now seemed to be sprinkled with Earth portions. “Oh God….” Jynx whispers out in mere shock. Was this really happening? Her homeland now completely demolished into nothing more than drifting glitter tumbling slowly in space.

She could hear a soft gasp as little hands touch her leg; it was Erica, the little girl that managed to survive the insanity. Her worry filled azure eyes look to the window in awe. “Was that home?”

“Yeah. It was.” Jynx chokes out unable to hold herself together. What now? Her entire life seemed meaningless if not her meeting with Jersey. Her own home, the one chance she hoped to gather some recollection of sanity was nothing more but mere ideas now.

She could hear a snort coming from behind her as David stares at the floor to ceiling window besides him. “And here I thought I was gonna go back home.” The tall brunette whispers out.

“We’ll find another place to land.”

“Where? There’s nothing safe here. Jynx or whatever your name is, just admit it. We’re all gonna die aren’t we?”

Narrowing her eyes, she could feel the soft throbbing inside her head close to erupting into a minor headache with all the worries that seem to fall all around them. “No. Because Jersey will find us a place and save us.”

“Save us? At what cost? Dude we have NO where to go now. Besides that space port we left, there is no where else to land without some drama. So unless she does miracles I would love to know where to go.”

Scowling, the man was getting under her skin. If the little girl wasn’t in the room, she wouldn’t have hesitated at hitting the man. “Leave that for her to worry about David. We have a lot more to deal with than your complaints.”

Huffing, the man reaches for his little sister excusing themselves from the room to leave her alone. After the argument with Howie, she was in no way in a nice mood to hear the berating from others. She knew this was hard enough for Jersey to handle. That the fact Jersey now fully opted to reveal herself behind the mask or in this case pants, was a lot of burden for the new leader to handle. Jynx would remember the time when Jersey presented her with the idea of “Jeremy” that this was her way of dealing with the anguish and burdens set before the young woman.

Heading out of the room Jynx pulls up her dark locks heading to find someone, anyone at this point to discuss what just happened. Hearing the pounding of footsteps behind her, she steps aside to see Jersey and Howie rush to the main station where Kevin was struggling to drive the ship safely away from flying meteorites. Curiously, she follows behind to see the rest of the crew already gathered there, everyone’s expression held the same horrified look of disbelief.

Rhade growls, staring out the window tucking a strand of dark locks behind her ear. She was just getting to know the new leader when this disaster struck. With only the space port left to go back to, there was no where else to land that wouldn’t get them into trouble.

Locking eyes with the young woman, Rhade pulls Jersey by the shoulders to face her. “You need to get us out of this now. You can do it. I believe in you as do the rest of us here. “

“Where to go? Earth was our last chance to fill in the missing puzzles.” Jersey sighs, slumping against the wall. Why did it seem just when things were looking up, something horrible has to take that away? The little hope she was holding onto left. She needed to make her presence known and have Howie back down his position as general. If he wasn’t willing to work with her, she would take matters into her own hands.

“Our last chance is to go back…back there.” Howie bites his lower lip feeling the piercing glances from everyone in the room.

“Excuse my blondeness but where the hell is there?” Nick raises an eyebrow hearing a few murmurs behind him.

“We need to make a stop at Mars. There are elevated ports bringing in people but the planet is loaded with armies of Mystyrians if we’re not careful we can lose people on this ship.” Jersey quickly explains going over to the metal walls, pressing her hand against the symbolic hand shape plate that identifies her and quickly sliding open to reveal a closet full of arterially. “For everyone’s protection, we should all be armed against those beasts out there. They have no mercy for anyone and I can’t protect everyone here.”

“This is gonna be a messy process. The one thing we had is now gone. Do we just fight till we die?” Howie holds onto the swirling seat taking a laser gun shoved into his hands by her.

“For now we just worry about landing on Mars. I’ll think of something once we get there.” Jersey pulls on a strand of honeysuckle hair as her mind floods with a billion and one ideas that don’t have any guarantees of survival.

Kevin steers the ship, sighing, quickly glancing at his little cousin being a forced leader. He was sure she was fighting to be strong. Something of this extreme and to maintain being level headed is a lot of pressure.

“Earth…they destroyed our home! We should slay and destroy each of those beasts without thought.” Skyla growls out, clutching the small laser gun to her chest.

“Ohhh that’s my baby!” A.J. grunts out happily. “Down with the Mystyrians! Come on people!” He starts pumping his fist in the air to get the other’s attention.

Nick grins, the blonde meeting the lovely honeysuckle leader eyes, quickly lifting up his arm cheering on. “Down with the Mystyrians!”

Exhaling lightly, Jersey was glad for AJ’s sudden distraction. The team needed to be at their top game now that war was head on and a little encouragement was greatly appreciated.

Orlando pulls out his gun lifting it in the air chanting with the others as the room becomes invigorated with anxiety and hope, everyone ready to suddenly take on the challenge.

“We can do this guys! We’re fighting for our home! Our families that they took away. They’re going down.” A.J. shouts out pumping his fist in the air dramatically.

Smiling, Jynx falls into the chant and soon everyone including Kevin and little Erica were chanting the same thing as one voice.

Maybe there was a way around all this after all, Jersey thinks to herself clapping along with a random fighting song the men begin singing.

Rhade watches the humans impressed with their sudden vigor of hope, when she was sure they would have given up. But she has a lot to learn about this race, these people weren’t the tired slow creatures she was told about in her early days.

Jersey grins, quickly asking for them to line up to gear them up. She wasn’t taking any chances of losing anyone on this ship as far as she can help it. Those Mystyrians took away too much of her life but now it was time to even the score.

She scans around the group to see the former soldier and his sister trace their fingers on the glowing map before them. “I’ll watch over your sister when we set out. She’ll be safe in one of the centers. But we need everyone’s help including yours.” She watches the man nod stepping into line with the others.

Brian couldn’t help but be proud of this sudden resurgence that arose in his cousin. She was doing exactly what she was meant to be doing. And that was leading. Not to say Howie didn’t know what he was doing. But he was never in a war this big. He needed all the help and now they have the best on their side.
~*~

The bobbing lights filled the night sky over the camp grounds of the red planet where they were to stay till daybreak. By then they would take cover in the many drenches that lead to an underground quarter for people’s safety. Already in the distant, she could see the marching lines of the Mystyrians as some fly around already grabbing innocent bystanders for their menu.

A shiver raced down her spine as she licks her dry lips. There was the war. Those things, those sick animals ready to eliminate anything that stands in their way. Hearing the rattling of cans behind her, she watches Howie bring armful of UV flashlights dropping them on the table.

“If our theory is correct, they can’t survive in the intense light.” He looks over to her still a little unnerved in seeing the woman finally doing her role.

“That’s what we’re hoping for.” Jersey picks up a flashlight, tucking it into her belt.

“About our earlier…talk. It’s just a bit overwhelming and to finally see the one we’ve been waiting to arrive after everything we’ve been through is a lot to take in.” Howie busies himself strapping on weapons checking the status of the batteries for the flashlights.

“Apology accepted. I mean that is an apology isn’t it?” She quirks a glance over to the Latin man who nods in agreement and quickly gathers up the flashlights aligning them on the table.

“To a degree yes. Though it’s much easier if I just said I’m sorry for overreacting.”

“Mmm that sounds better. I’ll take that one then.” Jersey smiles, sharpening her sword with a pebble.

“You’re not nervous?”

“Yeah just don’t expect to see me quiver before you.” She lies her sword down as Nick strolls into room behind them.

“Nick, do me a favor and take one of these for you. The Mystyrians have a low tolerance for strong light so this should stun them or blind them if we’re lucky.” He hands the flashlight to him exiting the room to leave them alone. For a moment only silence seemed to fill the room till Nick clears his throat.

“I’m glad you came and told them. Heh did you see everyone’s face when you were giving commands? Natural at it.” Nick leans against the metallic wall, his eyes drifting over to her pretty face. He couldn’t help not staring at her as weird as it could make her feel.

“Thanks. I’m not making many friends here since that announcement. But I guess that’s the price you pay for being honest huh?”

“I for one think you’re doing what needs to be done. I think Howie is a cool dude but this was made for you. You have experience what with your family having taken part before.”

“Eh.” She shrugs watching the ship land on the Mars port with its thick smoke exhaust outside covering the plane for a moment till it fades into thin air. She could hear her cousin Kevin announce over the speakers they’ve landed and to take everything they needed before getting off the ship. Heading off the ship, the crew traveled down to the underground lair without stepping into the dusty red planet.

Blinking, Jynx stares at the pretty underground environment. The way the ceilings seemed like an endless sphere of pale blue skies to the feel and touch of the ground. Instead of floors, it was actual land, sidewalks to even the gravel like one would find in a driveway or such.

“Holy fuck this is sweet.” The male survivor states holding his sister’s hand as Erica tries mercilessly to free from her brother’s grip to run into the cobblestone street.

Jersey couldn’t stop smiling, this was like a dream estate for her, and this place was designed so beautifully no wonder people risked their lives to come here. In the distant she could see houses occupying residents from all over the Earth. There had to be over a million remaining survivors here but that was a very small number when one thinks about the entire population that the former planet Earth once contained.

Squealing happily, Erica tugs at her older brother wanting to run to the small park with swings, slides and even a see saw.

“How the hell did they re-create all this?” A.J. gazes around stunned, the pretty blonde Skyla attached to him.

“A lot of time on their hands that’s for sure.” Rhade steps over the dirt leading the group down the sidewalk. Children ran past them laughing and tossing a ball as if nothing was wrong above ground. Security was tight and everywhere one turned there was an armed officer ready to handle a situation.

Clearing his throat, Orlando walks behind the alien woman grinning. Something about the way she commands action reminds him so much of himself that it was no wonder he was drawn to her.

Skyla’s emerald orbs scans every detail of this new found homeland in memory just completely speechless at how they –well whoever they are, the Martians- managed to design such a earth like atmosphere for the survivors.

Whipping out a communicator, Kevin brushes past a few kids and pedestrians milling around an outdoor food market. He managed to walk a little behind to check out some things that stood out to him.

Howie quietly walks near Jynx, who he was sure was still upset with him since their recent argument. He couldn’t help to feel thrown aside while the missing woman miraculously shows up to everyone’s odd joy and welcomed back. Was he jealous? Maybe, a tad bit. But he knew when he had to step aside and bring down his ego.

The group reach a hill and each slowly climbing up it find a gorgeous lit up building taking in survivors. Walking inside, Jersey blinks as seeing a one eyes woman taking a phone call at the front desk.

Erica gasps, pointing out the most obvious, bluntly stepping up to a one eyed Martian telling him where did his other eye go.

A few chuckles escape the group from her comment as she was pulled back by her brother as everyone is finally able to breath out in relief that they made it this far.

Jersey looks over to Jynx worriedly as her friend clasps her hand squeezing it for reassurance. “You’re doing fine Jersey.”

“Thanks……..my only question is what now?” The tall flaxen beauty breathes out, her mind already working over time for some kind of solution.