The room spun and I felt sick. There was a pounding on the door. Suffice it to say I was kicked out of the academy. I couldn’t find work anywhere, I made sure Reynold’s and Fariday’s wife knew. I went to the ported ships and looked for work on board. There was no point in applying officially so I went unofficially and spoke to the ported ship captains. No one would have me, despite my skill set.
I was on my way to the bus station when I decided to look for a transport ship instead. If I couldn’t work here, I could find work offworld. I always heard how hard it was off world without a real job. Had to start somewhere. “You look like you need a break from this planet.” Said a young woman outside a class 5 Nero space vessel. It was a lower class outdated ship that they stopped making when I was still a kid.
“You have no idea.” “Where you heading?” She asked. “No idea.” “Well if you can pay well take you. We’re stopping by Avelon Prime, Helium, and and The Terminus Space station if you decide you don’t like the other planets.” That’s where they had shipments but they wanted to make some extra cash.
“I heard about the space pirates and the alien hostiles.” She nodded,”You’ve never been to space, have you?” I smiled and shook my head. “No…obvious huh?
” “It’s okay. It’s refreshing.” She reassured me. “We can handle pirates and the Raiders don’t typically attack transport vessels. We don’t have anything they want.” I agreed to board and paid for my stay. On the way in I noticed 3 other passengers.
Two men and a girl about the age of 8. The girl that showed me onto the ship was Cilia. She had short red hair and brown eyes. I saw two other crew members. A large man who looked like Jason Mamoa, and a thinner man who resembled Zachary Levi. I ended up in a room with the male passenger. He looked like Tom Hardy with a short beard and messy hair.
He was dressed in grey sweats and a black sweater. “Top bunk is yours.” He said in a low uniterested tone as he threw his pillow up there. Then kicked his bag under the bed. “Have you been to space before?” I asked softly. He laid on the bed and glanced at me.
He just stared at me then looked away and closed his eyes. “You, new girl.” Said a man from behind me. I turned and a man in dark brown pants, a black shirt, brown suspenders and a matching black long coat looked at me with blue eyes. He looked like Josh Brolin. “Yes,” I replied and adjusted my bag on my shoulder so it stopped digging in. “What’s your name?
” “Eleria.” “Great, I’m the captain of this fine ship. Names, Ezra. I like to know whose on board my ship but I don’t need to know much more than that. Don’t cause any trouble and it will be smooth sailing.” He started to leave then came back with a frown. “Are you good?
” I nodded. “I am now.” He shifted his attention to the man on the bottom bunk. “Mr. Nova, I shouldn’t expect any trouble from you should I?” “..
.No.” He sounded less than convincing but the captain seemed satisfied. With a nod he left. I started putting my things away under the bed when the man on the bunk opened his eyes and looked at me as I was standing. His eyes were so green my heart sped. They were so beautiful but so lonely and angry.
I couldn’t move. His gaze held me and nearly pierced through my core. My stung with tears and I felt my breath catch. “Get back.” He said abruptly after staring back at me for what felt like ages. Whatever had just happened was over. He turned onto his side with his back to me.
I realized I had been stuck and felt ridiculous staring like that. I’d never felt so exposed, not even when I had been cornered in that bathroom. I moved away from him and left the room feeling slightly vulnerable. Why had his gaze been so heavy and intense? I went down the hall and stopped at a large shower room and bathroom. There was two smokey glass stalls and two similar shower stalls. I walked down the hall passed two extra guest rooms like mine.
One of them had the father and daughter talking. I kept going and came to a small mess hall and lounge area. It was nice. There was enough room for us plus a few more. Cilia was chopping onions. “I’ll have dinner ready in a couple hours. We’ll be taking off soon, you should get to your quarters.
” I nodded. “Thank you.” She smiled as she grabbed a second onion. “Don’t thank me yet. Some people aren’t meant to leave their planet.” I smiled and nodded, “I like to try everything at least once.” She looked up from the onion and rose a brow,”Everything?
” “Within reason.” “You seemed so lost when I met you. How do you know space is where you want to go?” “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will get you there.” Cilia rested her hand and focused on me, “There’s more to you than you let on.” “But you guys don’t care about that, or you would have requested a thorough background check.” “Very true.
” She agreed. While she seemed kind I could see that she was dangerous. “Well Eliria, the space world has a lot to offer you.” “I have a lot to offer the space world.” She laughed softly. “I think you and I are going to get along wonderfully on this trip. After we make out delivery on Avelon Prime, I’ll show you around the main square.
” “Thank you. Is it nice there?” She nodded,”Like a Paradise but I think you’ll like Helium more… we’ll have to see, won’t we.” I nodded.
The captains voice came up over the speakers. “Ladies, Gentlemen, old comers and new comers, this is Captain Ezra speaking. We’ll be taking off in 5 minutes. So please stay in your quarters until we clear the atmosphere and jump to ftl. I will give the all clear and you may move freely about the ship. The Cargo Bay of course is off limits to all unauthorized personal and if we should find you roaming in such area we will have to throw you out the airlock..
..” I looked at Cilia eho was cutting onions again. “Haha just kidding, but seriously, follow the rules and we’ll have a nice problem free trip. We’ll be arriving at Avelon Prime in about 32 hours so get comfortable.” The speaker went off and I headed back to my room reluctantly as she ship fired up. As I got to my room the doors closed.
I climbed onto my bunk and sat nervously. Was I doing the right thing? Where the hell was I going to stay? I could afford to start a new life. What about my family? I never said goodbye, let alone let them know I was leaving the whole planet. Would they have cared?
I’m sure the knew everything that had “happened” with the Galactic Authority Academy. I was lucky not to be arrested. I brought my knees up to my chest and lowered my head as the ship lifted off the ground. I felt us rising higher and higher. I felt a rush of excitement and lowered off the bed to look out the window. The earth was getting further and further away. I tried not to think about Nova.
I could feel him, his presence alone was demanding of my attention. I chose to ignore it. He wasn’t bothered with me, I shouldn’t be thinking about a man I don’t even know like that. We cleared the atmosphere and I looked at my home world in awe of how amazing it was. I pressed my hand to the cool nano glass. I was really leaving, and I had no idea when I’d come back. I felt him behind me and I turned quickly.