Star-Crossed - Chapter 14 (Patreon)

The first thing Blake noticed after waking up with how stiff she was.  Every muscle and joint protested the slightest movement while her mind sluggishly started up.  Whatever her head leaned against didn’t help the achiness, as it was hard as a rock underneath her ear.  As soon as she opened her eyes and saw the shuttle, however, she jerked awake.

“Easy there,” Yang whispered from beside her.  “He’s still sleeping.”

While Blake’s heart climbed back down from her throat, she realized that she was leaning into Yang’s side, and had been sleeping with her head on Yang’s shoulder.  A blanket had been laid over her at some point during the night, leaving her far warmer than she should be after spending a night aboard the shuttle.

“How long was I out?” she asked, rubbing her eyes before scooting a respectful distance away.  Her side protested the loss of Yang’s warmth, but her cheeks were more than happy to generate some of that heat on their own.

“Couple hours.”

“Sorry…”

The last thing she remembered was thinking that they could lay down on the seats and sleep too, but apparently she passed out before voicing that suggestion.

“Don’t be.  At least one of us got some sleep.”

“You didn’t sleep at all?”

Once Blake moved a little further away, Yang stretched her arms, yawned, and shook her head.

“Didn’t want to risk it, but I’ll be fine.”  After waving away Blake’s concern, Yang glanced towards the front of the shuttle.  “I think we’ll land soon, so you should probably get out of here and get ready to leave.”

“But -”

“People need to see you,” Yang added before Blake argued.  “I’ll stay with him.  Just make sure most of the crew’s cleared out before you come back.”

“Ok…”

When Blake glanced at Zimon, still asleep in his bundle of blankets, Yang gave her a tired smile.

“Don’t worry.  We’ll be fine.”

Blake still didn’t want to leave, but she understood Yang’s reasoning.  If she went missing for too long, people might start wondering where she went.  Those were questions she didn’t want to answer, so she snuck off of the shuttle and hurried to the living quarters.

It didn’t take long to realize that today would be different from every other day she’d experienced on the Inferno.  Electric energy ran through the halls - the crew rejoicing that they finally had a day to do what they wanted to do.  Any fragment of restraint had disappeared.  Voices were loud, boisterous, and excited to find out what kinds of trouble they could get into during a single day.

Heeding Yang’s advice, Blake followed a path that led her past as many people as possible.  First, she stopped by the rec room, then loitered in the cafeteria and picked up something to eat.  Since her stomach was a mess of nerves, she carried breakfast back to her room, where she collected a few things to take off the ship with her.

Fortunately, she had taken some photos of the Inferno yesterday before going on her unexpected adventure with Yang.  While not as many as she would have liked, there were more than enough for Command to get an idea of what the Blackguards were up to.  After hiding that memory chip in her suit, she grabbed her IDs, combat knife, and breakfast before hurrying back into the hall.

Rather than take the most direct route to the cargo bay, she wove a winding path through the mostly-empty halls before ending up in the massive room leading outside.  The ramp had already been lowered, and it looked like most of the Blackguards had disembarked except for the unlucky few tasked with guarding the ship.

Just seeing dry land made her want to run down the ramp and feel the concrete under her feet.  After spending so long in space, a day on the ground would be a welcome change.  Of course, she couldn’t relax until they got Zimon off the ship.  Fortunately, relief was in sight.

“New girl!”

“Dammit...” she muttered before turning around.  Walking towards her, looking bored and disinterested as ever, were Emerald and Mercury.  Ret, on the other hand, looked overjoyed by the day off.  That, or he was overjoyed to spend time with his two favorite people in the universe.

“What’re you up to today?” Emerald asked as they neared her.

“Trying to meet a friend.  Maybe do some shopping.  What about you?”

“Emerald’s teaching me how to fly!”

“Ret’s paying me to take him to a flight sim,” Emerald corrected him with a glare.  “This isn’t some charity shit.  And if you load up,” she added while snatching the stim from his hand.  “I’ll kick your ass.”

Mercury chuckled at their love-hate relationship, which earned him a glare of his own.

“You headed out?” Ret asked, and Blake nodded before widening her eyes and patting her pocket.

“But I forgot my card.  I’ll see you guys later.”

Worried that Ret would invite her along, she didn’t wait for a response before rushing back into the Inferno.  Now that most of the crew was gone, she and Yang shouldn’t run into anyone on the way out.  At least, that was her hope; the only way to find out was to give it a shot.

Not that they had much of a choice at this point.  Zimon was already on the Inferno, and they had to do everything in their power to get him safely off of it.  Fortunately, Blake found the shuttle bay empty, so wasted no time rushing over and knocking on the ramp.

“Yang.”

Straining her ears to hear anyone else nearby, Blake also heard footsteps cross the floor of the shuttle before the ramp lowered.  As soon as it touched the ground, she hurried on board and prompted it to close behind her.  Making it back to safety was a breath of relief, though she hardly allowed herself to celebrate while watching Yang walk back to Zimon, who held up his arms and grinned.

“Again?” he asked with excitement only a child could muster under the circumstances, and Yang somehow forced a sigh while lowering her arm.

“One more time,” she muttered as he wrapped his hands around her metal forearm.

Once he had a good hold, she curled her arm forward and lifted him right off the floor in the process.  He giggled as he rose higher and higher in the air, until Yang had her arm at a right angle and gently lowered him back down.

“You’re pretty light, you know,” she commented before repeating the process.  Again, he giggled, and she smiled while setting him down and offering a high-five.  “Maybe I can keep you as part of my workout,” she teased, pinching his side and making him squirm away with a little squeal.  “I bet you’d bench press nicely.”

“I’m sure that’s what he’s always wanted to be - gym equipment.”

After smiling at Yang, Blake offered her breakfast to Zimon, but he shook his head and grabbed his stuffed animal instead.

“He, uh, already ate and stuff,” Yang explained with a nod towards the containers from the night before.  “Is everyone gone?”

“Mostly.  Only a few stragglers and the guards out front.”

“Got it.”  After a quick look around, Yang took a deep breath and let it out in a long exhale.  “Ok.  Think you can get him in the bag?”

Realizing that this was it - time to leave their relatively-safe hiding spot behind - Blake took a deep breath of her own before kneeling in front of Zimon and smiling up at him.

“Good morning, Zimon.  Did you sleep well?”

“Yes!  It was warm.”  He was quick to smile as he gestured towards his makeshift bed.  “Then Yang let me eat cake for breakfast!”

“She did?  That was nice of her…”  After sending Yang an amused look, Blake turned back to him.  “We have to leave the ship now, but we thought it’d be fun to play a game at the same time.”

“What kind of game?

“Do you see that bag over there?”  When Blake pointed at the bag, Zimon nodded.  “How long do you think you can lay in there and be super, super quiet?”

After giving the bag a contemplative look, he beamed.

“A long time!”

“Yeah?”  He was excited now, which filled Blake with relief.  “Then that’s what we’ll do.  You can talk when we open it back up, ok?  But not before.”

“Ok!”

With the zeal only a child could have for such a request, Zimon skipped over to the bag and stepped inside.  He then sat down in the middle, set Zam Zam on his lap, and pulled the two sides overtop of him.  His little giggle filled the air as he laid down and disappeared underneath the black canvas, and Yang shared a look with Blake before reaching down and zipping it up.  Even though there should be plenty of breathability through the zipper and fabric, she left it a little undone before grabbing the strap and pulling it over her shoulder.

Hearing another small giggle, she actually smiled before stopping herself and shaking her head.  She then gave Blake another look - this one more concerned than the first - and it was safe to say they were both questioning their chances of survival.  As cute as the sound was, it would instantly get them caught.

“You need to be quiet now, ok Zimon?”

After listening for a response and receiving none, Blake nodded to Yang.

“Just need to get off the ship...” Yang muttered before pushing the button to open the ramp.  Once it was lowered, she set a brisk pace towards the cargo bay, and Blake stuck close to her side.

“Put those ears to use?”

“Of course,” Blake said before falling silent and listening for signs of life.  Thankfully, it sounded like most of the crew had already left for the day, and it wasn’t until they approached the cargo hold that she heard voices.

This would be their biggest test.  If they could walk through the hold without being stopped or raising suspicion, they should make it off the ship intact.

“Here goes nothing,” Yang whispered.  The moment she walked through the doorway, however, she sighed.

Most of the crew had left - except Cinder, who was speaking to one of the guards until she spotted them.

“Should I leave?” Blake whispered when Cinder ended her conversation and turned towards them.

“No.  Just stay with me.”

Blake did as instructed, but her pulse rose as they drew closer to Cinder.  The ship’s ramp wasn’t far - they were nearly there - but Cinder stepped in front of them before they could leave.

“Look who decided to grace us with her presence,” she sneered, but Yang just scowled and tried to walk around.  When Cinder moved in the way, forcing the confrontation, Yang gritted her teeth and squared her shoulders.

“Move.”

“I’d like to see you make me.”

“I’d love to, but I have better things to do.”

When Yang shrugged her free shoulder, Cinder shot a smirk Blake’s way.

“From the looks of her, you really don’t.”

Blake scowled at the insult, but she didn’t care what Cinder thought of her.  What she cared about was ending this conversation as fast as possible so they could get Zimon out of here.  Fortunately, Yang felt the same.

“You’d be surprised.  She’s quite flexible.”

Seeing as how Cinder wanted to hear nothing positive about Blake, the response was perfect.  Her smirk morphed into a deep scowl, and she immediately ended the interaction.

“Get a fucking room,” she snapped while shoving past Yang.  But she bumped the bag in the process, and Zimon made a tiny noise of surprise.

When Cinder spun towards them, eyes narrowed, Yang chuckled and shifted the bag on her shoulder.

“A fucking room sounds great.  Maybe we’ll recommission yours.”

Now thoroughly annoyed by the conversation, Cinder flipped them off and stalked back into the ship without another word.  After watching her go, Yang shared a look with Blake and, unwilling to waste more time than that, they hurried off the ship together.

Neither of them said a word as they left the Inferno’s landing pad - a remarkable spot on a clifftop hundreds of feet above a crystal bay expanding in the distance.  Under different circumstances, Blake might stop and marvel at the beauty.  Today, she dismissed the view and followed Yang along unfamiliar streets bustling with wayward travelers.

Having no idea where they were going, she stuck to Yang’s side as if her life depended upon it.  Theoretically, it did.  She’d never been to Drideter before, so she didn’t know the local customs or what areas she should avoid.  Trusting that Yang knew where she was going, Blake searched for flashes of black armor or a rage-filled man with a scar running across his face.

Only when the Inferno was no longer in view did Yang slow down and sigh.  The soft sound cued Blake to release the tension in her shoulders, hoping they had reached some semblance of safety for now.

“Hold on a second.”

Motioning Blake after her, Yang ducked into a small alcove bordering the main street.

“Tired?” Blake guessed, but Yang gave her a nearly insulted look.

“Are you kidding me?  He’s lighter than any bag of weapons I’ve ever carried.”  When Blake’s brow rose at the comment, Yang waved her hand.  “Can you ask him if he’s alright?”

For a second, Blake stared at Yang and considered pointing out the difference a day made.  Deciding not to push her luck, she leaned closer to the bag and lowered her voice to a whisper.

“Are you doing ok in there?” she asked before listening for an answer.  Several seconds of silence passed - long enough for worry to appear in her chest - before the bag shifted.  Realizing what was going on, she smiled.  “You can talk now.”

“It’s fun when it swings high!” Zimon’s muffled voice finally replied.  When Blake laughed at the response, Yang looked at her with equal parts concern and curiosity.

“Just checking.  You can be quiet again now.”  When Zimon didn’t reply, Blake smiled and motioned for them to continue their walk.

“He likes when you swing the bag,” she explained to Yang as they returned to the street.  Yang snorted with laughter at the response but quickly composed herself and shook her head.

“Can’t believe I ever wanted kids...” she muttered instead, but Blake noticed her lower the bag so that it swung more with every step.  Not enough to be conspicuous, but more than enough for someone to enjoy the swinging motion from inside.

“Did you really?” Blake asked, happy for the distraction.

“Yeah.  Then I realized I’d be a horrible mom.”

Looking over, she frowned when she realized that Yang was serious.

“I don’t think that’s true,” she offered, but Yang stopped walking and gestured towards herself.

“Look at me, Blake.”

When Blake did as instructed, she saw all of the ‘issues’ Yang would point out.  The blood-red eyes, the dangerous black suit, the metal arm covered in battle scars...but there was so much more to her than that.  She could be kind, courageous, and determined to do the right thing.  She wanted Blake to see all of the bad, but that was becoming harder and harder to do.  If circumstances were different...she would be a great mom.

“I am,” Blake said simply, and Yang blinked in surprise before opening her mouth to respond.  When no words came out, she shook her head and kept walking instead.

Understanding that the conversation was over, Blake put it out of her mind and observed their unfamiliar surroundings instead.  Drideter wasn’t giving her the ‘cesspool of evil’ vibe yet, but that could be due to the direction Yang led them in - away from the busy areas that were bound to draw trouble - or it could be their matching Blackguard uniforms keeping trouble at bay.  Regardless of the reason, Blake still kept her ears on high alert as they entered a quiet neighborhood.

“Where are we going?” she asked when her curiosity got the better of her.  If they were searching for a pilot to get Zimon to Zitovia, the spaceports seemed like a better place to start.

“I know a lady,” Yang answered, still gently swinging the bag while she walked.  “She’s...different...but willing to take on some...unusual requests.”

“Can we trust her?”

“I think so.”

That wasn’t the most confidence-inspiring answer, but Blake was at Yang’s mercy in this situation.  She could request that ISA send someone to escort Zimon home, but she couldn’t do that with Yang so intricately involved.  Yang probably wouldn’t hand Zimon over without knowing who he ended up with, and ISA couldn’t create a plausible backstory and identity under such short time constraints.  So Yang’s contact it was, and Blake could only hope that Yang had good judgment.

Unsure of how far their destination was, Blake spent the time marveling at Drideter’s architecture.  No two planets were the same, and Drideter didn’t break from that mold.  The lush greenery and humid air made it feel like they were walking through a jungle, which made sense considering the planet was nothing but trees.  The edge of the city, where the Inferno had landed, sat on a cliff towering above a vast bay that stretched nearly as far as the eye could see.  The wood-lined streets and elevated, wooden homes only added to the sensation that the entire city sat amongst the trees, high above the forest floor.

After several more minutes of climbing, Blake decided to break the silence.

“What’s Valerian steel?”

She wouldn’t dare ask anyone else, but Yang was...an ally, of sorts.  Considering they’d risked their lives for the young boy traveling by Yang’s side, she was the one person who Blake somewhat trusted...though trust was a fleeting thing.

“It’s a legend.”

When Yang didn’t elaborate, Blake didn’t pry.  Several seconds later, however, Yang sighed.

“It’s an ancient metal, supposedly better than anything else in the universe - stronger, sharper, lighter.  Adam thinks he can find the old mines.”

“What would he do with a bunch of metal?”

“What do you think?” Yang asked, giving Blake a look.  “Make weapons.  Sell them.  Get mega rich.”

That sounded like a partial plan, or the beginnings of a plan, but Yang motioned towards a small home before Blake asked what Adam would do with the money.  Rather than risk more questions, she followed Yang up the steps to a wooden house that looked the same as the last few dozen they had passed.

The decorative numbers on the door and the cheerful flowers planted outside were a far cry from a clandestine meeting in a rough-and-tumble bar, so she had no idea what to expect when Yang knocked.

Footsteps approached the door then paused, probably as the person inside checked to see who stood outside.  A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a short, elderly woman with greying hair and eyes magnified by enormous glasses.

“I had a feeling trouble was about to knock on my door,” were the first words out of her mouth, and Yang sighed.

“We’ll make it worth your while.”

“You always know just what to say,” the woman replied, backing away and waving Yang through.  When Blake moved to follow, however, an arm shot out to stop her.

“And who are you?”

“New grunt,” Yang answered before Blake could, and the woman returned her gaze to Blake with even more curiosity.

“A grunt, you say...” she mused before giving Blake one of the most alarmingly-analytical looks she’d ever received.

Her mind immediately conjured up the memory of the man in the marketplace - the one who somehow knew she was an Alliance agent by how she smelled - and she suddenly worried that this woman might do the same.  Instead, the woman leaned close and lowered her voice.

“Has she made it worth your while?” she whispered, her eyes dashing Yang’s way before she tilted her head.  “Or have you not realized yet?”

Blake’s brow rose at the remark, which felt very personal while also making no sense.  If she hadn’t realized something, how could this stranger know before her?

“Maria,” Yang interrupted in an exasperated tone, and the woman finally motioned Blake inside with a delighted laugh.

“You’re such wonderful company, commander.  Always so...at odds.”

Maria’s tone was light and playful, but Blake couldn’t shake the feeling that much more was going on than she understood.  She didn’t sense any malice though, so...that was good.

But what did Maria mean about Blake realizing something?  Or Yang making it worth her while?

“Listen, we just want to know if you can help.”  Yang sounded agitated, and Blake understood why, especially if Maria’s words hit as close to home for Yang as they did for her.  “We’re trying to get someone home.”

“Where are you trying to get to?” Maria asked Blake, who shook her head.

“Not her.”

After taking a deep breath and sharing a look with Blake, Yang carefully set the bag on the floor and unzipped it.  As soon as it opened, Zimon sat up and beamed at them.

“Did I do good?”

“You did very good,” Blake assured him before looking at Maria to gauge her reaction.  And Maria stared at Zimon for a long, long time before turning to Yang.

“Always so at odds…” she repeated, only for Yang to sigh again.

“We found him on a raided ship.  Parents are dead, but he has family on Zitovia.”

“Found him...and saved him,” Maria pointed out before crouching in front of Zimon.  “Oh dear child...you’ve had quite the experience, haven’t you?  And to think...saved by one of the most fearsome members of the Blackguard…”

When she shot Yang an amused look, Yang frowned and crossed her arms.

“Can you take him or not?”

“Of course I can,” the woman chided Yang, who dropped her arms and rolled her eyes.  “But first,” she said before giving Zimon another smile.  “I’ll have to create an identity for you.”  She playfully tapped his nose as she spoke, which made him giggle.  “Then I’ll have to hire a pilot willing to fly that far, and secure a ship, and none of it will be cheap.”

“How much?”

“Twenty thousand credits.”

“Ten,” Yang replied, and held up her hand when Maria opened her mouth to argue.  “We both know you’ll play hero and get more out of his family, so don’t even bother.”

From the way Maria chuckled but didn’t argue, what Yang said must be true.

“I do love playing hero,” she mused while offering Zimon a small candy from the bowl on her table.  “And I’ll come up with a great story for how I found you.”

“Just get him home, please.”

“‘Please?’”  Maria turned and narrowed her eyes at Yang.  “Don’t think I’ve heard you say please before…”

“There are a lot of things you’ve never heard me say before,” Yang replied through clenched teeth.

“Well since you asked nicely…”  After looking at Zimon for a little longer, long enough that he gave an uncertain smile, Maria nodded.  “Yes, I’ll take him home.”

The agreement filled Blake with relief, and she watched with a much lighter mind as Yang pulled out her card and sent the credits to Maria’s account.

“The second half when you send proof he’s home,” Yang stipulated, but Maria waved off the concern.

“It shouldn’t be difficult.  It might even be a joy to have such a pure soul around.”

After giving Zimon another intent look, Maria nodded as if she liked what she found.

“Alright, then he’s all yours.”  Upon reaching down to zip up the bag, Yang paused and pulled out Zam Zam.  “Can’t forget this,” she said while handing the stuffed animal to Zimon.  “Keep ahold of this guy, ok?”

When Zimon took the toy and hugged it to his chest, Yang looked at Blake and gestured towards him.  “You wanna explain?”

Realizing that it was time to go, Blake nodded and knelt in front of Zimon.  Regardless of the tremendous loss and trials he’d been through, he smiled at her - innocence and hope still shining in his eyes.  One more trial lay ahead, but she had confidence that he would see it through with that smile still in place.

“This is Maria,” she explained as gently as possible.  “She’s going to get you home, so you need to do everything she asks of you.  You can do that for us, right?”

Biting his lip, Zimon glanced at Maria before turning back to Blake.

“But...why can’t I stay with you and Yang?”

He motioned towards Yang and, as soon as his eyes shimmered with tears, Blake’s throat tightened with emotion.

“Yang and I have another mission to finish,” she tried to explain.  “And it’s very dangerous, so it’s safer for Maria to take you home.  We would do it if we could, I promise, but...you understand, right?”

Though his frown suggested he didn’t want to agree, eventually, he nodded.

“I understand…” he whispered, clutching Zam Zam tightly and sniffling once.  “Will I see you again?”

“Of course.”  Even though Blake knew it was probably a lie, she didn’t hesitate to give it.  “One day, we’ll see each other again.  Will you be good in the meantime?”

“I will,” he replied with a nod and a small, wavering smile.  He then held his arms out, and she didn’t hesitate to pull him into a hug.  Closing her eyes and breathing out another sigh, she tried to ignore the vice around her heart while coming to terms with the fact that they would never see each other again.  For someone so small, his impact on her would last for the rest of her life.

After pulling away, she smiled, patted his shoulders, and stood up.  She then turned to Yang, who looked down at Zimon and held out her hand.

“Be good, little guy,” she said while he grabbed onto her arm so she could lift him off the ground.  When his feet dangled in the air, he giggled, and she smiled before gently setting him back down.

“Thank you,” Yang told Maria before giving Zimon one last look and leaving the house behind.  Feeling the lump in her throat grow, Blake forced a smile and quick wave before doing the same.  Once outside, she silently followed Yang away from Maria’s home and sorted through her turbulent emotions.

Right now, she felt a mixture of relief and heartbreak, along with a healthy dose of happiness that Zimon was on his way home.  Maria seemed to genuinely care, in a strange way.  If anything, her desire to reap the recognition of reuniting a lost child with his family made Blake confident that Zimon was in...decent hands.

She wished that she could take him home, but she had another mission to finish first.  Still, she did her best to ensure he made it home safe and sound.  Actually, they did their best to get him home safe and sound.

Glancing to her left, she found Yang’s mouth set in a frown while they walked back to the city.  Saying that Yang looked upset might be a leap, but...she looked upset.  Of course, as seemed to be the case with her, she quickly shook off those emotions in favor of her normal demeanor.

“Now that we’ve potentially survived,” she said once Maria’s house fell far behind them.  “What’re you going to do for the rest of the day?”

Right now, Blake felt like crying, but she fought off the feeling in favor of returning to her ‘real’ life.

“I’m going to find out if an old friend still lives here.  But I haven’t seen him in a while, so he could’ve moved on by now.  Who knows.”

“He isn’t one of those friends, is he?”

When Yang made a motion with her hands, Blake wrinkled her nose.  She had no idea who ISA sent to meet her, but it didn’t matter - she would never consider that with any of them.

“No way.”  She shook her head but frowned when Yang looked relieved.  “Why?  Would you care if he was?”

“I’d have to kill him.”

Yang made the joke with such a deadpan expression, Blake couldn’t help but laugh.

“If he’s still here, I’d like to keep him alive,” she replied before glancing around.  If she had her directions right, the rendezvous point was in the opposite direction.  “It’s that way, actually” she offered before turning back to Yang.  “What’re you going to do?”

“Meet a few people.  Follow more leads.”

Yang didn’t have to elaborate for Blake to understand what her mission was.  Sometimes, it felt like Ruby was the only thing that kept her going, and Blake worried what would happen if she ever reached the end of that road...especially if it didn’t end happily.  Fortunately, that wasn’t a worry for now, as Yang glanced at her hands and shuffled her feet.

“Um, want to meet me at the market later?  I can point out some interesting places or...something...”

The invitation immediately brought back Maria’s words - about Yang making this worth her while - but Blake pushed the thought from her mind and smiled.

“Sure.  That sounds nice.”

“Great, then I’ll...see you in a few hours?  At the south end of the market?”

Blake nodded but, even though it felt like the time to leave, Yang’s obvious concern held her in place.  So she didn’t move and, after a few seconds of waiting, Yang took a breath and voiced her worries.

“Just...keep your wits about you.  You’re a Blackguard now, and you never know who might have an issue with that.”

The concern felt legitimate, and the advice was good, so Blake nodded again.

“I’ll be careful,” she added and, with that assurance, Yang finally nodded and backed away.  Their gazes remained locked for a few more seconds before she finally turned and headed towards the crowds near the edge of the city.

Blake watched Yang walk away, with her black armor and intimidating arm sticking out like a sore thumb, before glancing around and setting off for her own destination.  Part of her wished she hadn’t lied about being here before because then she could have asked Yang for directions.  Another part of her, a much bigger part, felt like she had already asked Yang for too much.

Yang risked her life to save Zimon.  If that wasn’t enough to make this ‘worth it,’ then what was?