by Lea Linnett
“No, you shouldn’t have to, I mean, you’ve got enough on your plate, I just…” She pulled back, training wet eyes on Ellie. “I’ve got a good family, Ellie. They’ve looked after me as long as I can remember. They worked really hard to get me a spot in Mr. Kaan’s program, and… I just walked away from it.”
“For good reason. You said your boss was abusing you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what to do now. I can’t go back there. And I don’t know what my family is going to say…”
Ellie frowned, and it was as if she could still hear the buzz of the comm in her ear while Augusta’s words echoed back to her: Don’t bother coming home…
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, wishing she could think of something more. “You don’t have to get on that ship with us. You’re welcome to, but if you don’t want to, we’ll work out a way for you to get home.”
“You will?”
“Of course.”
Anna nodded, sniffling as she rubbed at her face, getting her tears under control. “S-sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
The brunette smiled, breathing in and out once, deeply.
“So who gets the shower first?” Ellie asked, tone deliberately light.
Anna’s eyes widened. “Wait, you don’t have any clothes. Did they get left at Cara’s?”
“Uh, yeah,” Ellie admitted, thinking back to their escape. Whatever was left in her backpack was probably picked over before the Lodestars evacuated. Either that, or the enforcers had confiscated it. She shuddered, thankful that she’d left her wristlet at Helik’s. The last thing she needed was enforcers thinking she’d joined a rebel faction.
“Well, I’ve got some stuff,” Anna declared. “You can borrow mine.”
“You don’t have to do that, these aren’t too worn through,” said Ellie, fingering the rip in her skirt with a grimace. If only she had her sewing kit, she could have fixed it up in seconds.
“It’s the least I can do,” her friend insisted, pulling a familiar yellow dress from her pack. She looked between it and Ellie. “…Maybe you should have this. You did make it after all.”
But Ellie waved her hands in front of her, shaking her head. “No way. I made that for you. I’m not gonna take it.”
Anna smiled, looking down at the dress with sad eyes. “I guess it just feels weird wearing it now. I can barely believe we were celebrating Christmas a week ago…”
“Keep it,” Ellie urged. “If you don’t come with us, it’ll be something to remember me by.”
That drew a laugh from her friend, and after unearthing some more casual clothes from her backpack, Anna left the bathroom, finally giving Ellie a chance to clean off the muck of the last couple of days.
As the warm water sluiced over her, she thought of Augusta. The woman’s rejection still stung, dampening the joy she felt at finally being back in Helik’s orbit. The woman had raised her, and while Lena had often had disagreements with their guardian, Ellie had learned everything she knew from her. She’d spent hours in that clothier’s with her, learning how to darn work clothes and being given the tools to make ever more beautiful things. She missed the feel of a needle and thread between her fingers already, and the gentle tutting of Augusta over her shoulder when she made a mistake.
Leaving Earth was like leaving home all over again, except this time Ellie knew the move would be permanent.
She felt her face heat up beneath the water but refused to let the tears fall. The difference this time was that she did have a family to take with her. She had Helik, and Devis and Scott. Even Roia had been more supportive in the last few days than Augusta.
She wouldn’t be stepping off the planet’s surface by herself this time. Besides, Lena was out there. Somewhere…
Ellie’s breath shook at the thought of getting to see her sister again. She didn’t know if it was possible, but if they were both in exile, she hoped that one day they could find each other again.
But she would always miss Augusta.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Ellie rubbed the water over her arms and chose to think of the old woman sitting behind the counter with her head in her sewing, rather than putting down the comm with a definitive click.
39
“All right, are we all ready?”
Roia stood in the entryway of Devis’ apartment, her red gaze flicking over them one by one. Ellie looked around at the group and the small bags slung over everyone’s shoulders except her own—she had nothing to take with her, after all. Devis and Scott stood like two tall pillars, just barely touching as always, while Anna stepped from foot to foot, visibly nervous.
Ellie’s own heartbeat quickened, but then Helik’s strong hand enveloped hers, as if he’d sensed it. She glanced up at him and, bolstered by the warm look in his once-icy eyes, nodded.
“Ready.”
They headed for the elevator in solemn silence, and once inside, Ellie watched the floors tick down with her heart in her throat. They hadn’t heard any kind of fuss coming from their altercation with Remmie, but that didn’t mean the coast would be clear once they made it out of the parking lot. She blew out a steadying breath, preparing herself for the yells and insults from the mob no doubt waiting for them on the other side of the security gate, which Roia had angrily closed on Remmie and the pindar’s retreating backs earlier.
But when they arrived, the parking lot was silent and empty. So much so that their footsteps echoed across the concrete into the far corners of the cavernous space. No one was pressed against the security gate, waiting for them to drive out of there. All she could see through the bars was that night had fallen, only the faint glow of the domes high above them lighting the sparse trees and buildings that lay beyond.
Roia hurried them towards the two transports she’d parked nearby, sliding herself into the driver’s seat of the first. Devis and Scott headed for the other, and Anna followed, looking back at Ellie uncertainly.
“You know what to do, right?” said Helik, and Scott nodded, throwing the starter key up into the air and catching it one-handed.
It was Devis who answered. “Pull in somewhere secluded within two miles of Zira Imports, let the human out, and make our way towards the space harbor. We’ll be fine.”
“Her name’s Anna,” Scott murmured, looking pointedly at his partner over the roof of the transport.
She glanced at Anna, who was biting at her lip, eyes distant. “Sorry. We’ll let Anna out and follow you guys,” she amended, sending them a half-smile. “Bay 90?”
“Bay 90,” Helik agreed, and they split up. Ellie climbed into the back of Roia’s transport alongside Helik, buckling the single seatbelt low and tight across her waist.
“If they have cameras, hide your face,” Helik murmured, still gripping Ellie’s hand.
“I’m escaping the planet with a high-profile politician,” she replied. “People are going to find out who I am whether I hide my face or not.”
“Anna knows she has to hide, right?”
“Yeah.” Ellie had asked Helik to strike Anna from the program’s records, so as long as no one saw her with them, she should be able to return to her family. It was the least Ellie could do after the girl had helped her escape.
Below them, the transport slowly rolled into gear, and Ellie felt the familiar tug of the vehicle as it rose from the ground, the engine buzzing low.
“I’m sorry it came to this,” said Helik. “I know you wanted things to be different.”
Ellie leaned over, placing a kiss against the levekk’s round shoulder. “I’d rather be lost out there with you than lost down here by myself.”
A large hand came up to cup her jaw, soft lips pressing against her still-damp hair, and she sighed happily.
“We’re about to head out into the open,” Roia warned.
The two of them pulled apart reluctantly, but their hands remained clasped on the seat between them.
Ellie held her breath as the other transport pulled out in front of them, b
oth vehicles rumbling towards the exit. They slid quietly up to the security gate, but still, Ellie could see no reporters. Time seemed to slow as the gate rose up in increments, and then they were following Scott’s transport up the ramp, the blue light of the domes gliding over Ellie’s skin too quickly as they emerged.
They were just picking up speed when she heard the sirens.
Before them, Scott’s transport came to an abrupt halt, dipping slightly in the air to avoid slamming into the oversized enforcer vehicle that had rocketed into its path. Floodlights streamed through the windows from all directions, blinding Ellie and making her cower into Helik’s side. The high-pitched whine of the enforcers’ sirens was deafening, but above it all rasped an electronic, augmented voice that made Ellie’s blood run cold.
“You are under arrest. Step out of your vehicles with your hands raised!”
Ellie cringed, shielding her eyes from the light, but then a clawed hand touched her arm.
“I’ll keep you safe.”
She looked up at Helik, her eyes wide. He was sitting up straight in his seat, not cowering, his grip firm rather than clutching. She locked eyes with him, and for a moment felt that calming effect that she’d experienced on her first day in the Senekkar, when Helik had assured her that she would be fine, she could do what was asked of her. This was his worst nightmare coming true, and yet he was taking the time to comfort her.
She nodded, squaring her shoulders. They would face this together. And if they couldn’t get away, at least they’d go down with some dignity.
Slowly, her panic seeped away, leaving a dull, drumming fear that was easier to ignore. She gripped his hand.
“Get out on my side,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
The enforcers outside were still barking orders when they emerged from the transport, which Roia had lowered to the ground while Ellie was distracted. Helik stood between her and the enforcers, which she was glad for once she noticed the guns now pointed in their direction. She looked around wildly, searching for their friends, and found Roia standing on the transport’s opposite side, her arms raised, and Scott, Devis, and Anna standing around the other vehicle.
“Hands up!” barked the augmented voice, and Ellie jumped, her hands shaking a little as she put them over her head.
The floodlights flickered as an enforcer stepped through the glare, silhouetted against the bright, white light. He cut a terrifying figure, with dark fatigues covering his scaled skin and a thin, black layer of armored fabric encasing his plated head and the more vulnerable area of his throat. His armor was light, but Ellie knew how tough it was from Augusta’s stories; she had described levekk who could dash nimbly from enemy to enemy, barely winded by the shots fired their way. His entire body was protected by the material, the only exception being the wicked talons on his feet and hands, the latter of which stood out in stark contrast as they wrapped around his weapon.
“Helik Kaan,” the enforcer said, “you are under arrest for aiding the escape of wanted criminals and for smuggling sub-species from their registered location.”
Ellie blinked. She had a registered location? No one had ever cared who she was or where she was supposed to be in Manufacturing—she’d never even had any ID.
“No one here has been convicted of any crimes,” Helik argued, “and they’re a part of my campaign structure. They have political immunity.”
The enforcer scoffed. “You might think that your connections with the Guides mean you can rewrite the law, but the facts are that I have a warrant for your friends’ arrest. They’re not going anywhere. Besides,” he grinned. “Humans? A part of your ‘campaign structure’? They’re goods, Kaan, and they belong with the owners who contracted them. Which would be the current executives of your program, not you,” he added slyly.
Helik bristled, but Ellie’s attention was snatched away by a shout from the other transport.
“Don’t touch him!” That was Devis, trying to get between Scott and an enforcer who easily had a foot on both of them in height. Anna was cowering against her side of the transport, staring helplessly at Roia, who was closest.
“Well.” The head enforcer shrugged. “Looks like I can bring them in for resisting arrest.” More scuffling, as the enforcers tried to restrain both Devis and Scott, who were spitting obscenities now. “Or assault. These situations really do just write themselves, don’t they?” he said, smiling.
She could sense the tension rippling through Helik, that newfound anger that he’d struggled to control after Devis and Scott were found out. But he remained calm, pushing Ellie a little further behind him, his eyes on the enforcer.
Across the circle of enforcers, Devis’ wrists were being tied together with tight plastic handcuffs, but Scott was still fighting back. She saw movement, and turned to see Roia rush to stand next to Anna as the human was approached by enforcers.
“What’s your name?” they commanded, and Anna jumped.
“A-Anna…”
“No!” hissed the xylidian, moving protectively in front of the girl. “Don’t tell them anything.”
“Don’t interfere, Xikpel. You’re not innocent in this.”
Ellie looked away from the others as the enforcers closed in, huddling closer to Helik. “We have to do something,” she murmured to him, glaring at the head enforcer when he narrowed his eyes at her. She was terrified, but she wasn’t going to let this asshole see it.
“I’ll work this out,” Helik assured her, but his eyes were hard with worry. “You can’t just take them,” he said to the enforcer, who was starting to look bored. “They’re citizens of the Senekkar, and they’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Would you stop?” the enforcer snapped. “You’re all clearly smuggling criminals, and if you come quietly, your mom might be able to make sure nothing bad happens to…” He gestured vaguely in Ellie’s direction. “That.”
“You’re not touching her,” Helik growled, and Ellie watched with half-pride, half-horror as the enforcer’s expression turned ugly.
“Okay, I’ve had enou—”
BOOM—
The enforcer didn’t get to finish his sentence. The entire gathering—enforcers and civilians alike—ducked in unison at the explosion that sounded high above them, staring up at the source of the noise. The scene was held in stasis for a moment, nobody daring to speak, and then scales and a solid body were covering Ellie’s vision as Helik pressed her down against the transport.
“Everybody look out!” someone yelled, and Ellie caught a glimpse of flashing glass before she hid her face in Helik’s chest.
Around her, bodies thunked to the ground, and then the world was made up only of the tinkle and crash of glass as it fractured against the concrete. It seemed to go on forever, and Ellie whimpered. Levekk skin was tough, and the enforcers were wearing enough armor to repel gunfire—but Anna and Scott might not be so lucky.
As the smash of glass slowly faded, Ellie dared to peek over Helik’s shoulder. The air sparkled in places, the tiny motes of glass still hanging above them lit up by the floodlights, and she shielded her eyes.
“Are you all right?” she asked, frantic, patting Helik’s chest. There were a couple of cuts in the back of his jacket, but he didn’t seem injured when he pulled her into him, cradling her head.
“I’m fine. Did any of it cut you?”
“No.” She allowed herself a moment of weakness and clutched at the levekk, before pulling away. “What about the others?”
They stood, and Ellie was relieved to see Anna and Roia both getting to their feet, unscathed apart from a cut on Anna’s arm, which she held gingerly. On the other side, Scott had a black eye, but that couldn’t have come from the glass. He was looking up above them with wide eyes, and when Ellie followed his gaze, she found a gaping, smoking hole in the building, ringed with angry shards of glass. While she wasn’t sure, it looked suspiciously like the thirty-third floor, and her heart rolled to a panicked stop.
They were ju
st up there, in Devis’ apartment. Any longer, and they might have been caught up in the blast. The rebels hadn’t targeted the ship; they were going to attack them on the ground!
Around them, the enforcers were getting to their feet, looking more annoyed than panicked. The leader squared up to Helik, cuffs in hand.
“What the fuck was that?” he barked. “Are you trying to dispose of evidence, or run up a public damage bill?”
“That wasn’t us,” said Helik, but the enforcer was shaking his head.
“Just turn around.”
That’s when she heard it, over the thrum of the circling enforcer vehicles and the echo of the explosion—a lone shout. She spun, thinking it might be the others, but then the shout was joined by another, and another.
“What the fuck?”
The enforcer’s eyes bugged as the first assailant broke through the line of carefully cultivated trees surrounding them, and then the clearing was in uproar. A riot of color crashed into the enforcers, sub-species of every kind hurtling into the clearing and pushing the enforcers back like a multi-colored wave. Ellie took in the mismatched armor, the angry faces, the variety of weapons from pipes to knives to guns, and could barely believe her eyes.
It was the Lodestars.
She didn’t see Cara, or Taz, and when the enforcers formed up into a wall of punishing armor, she could no longer see anything. She stood for a moment, watching with wide eyes as the rebels stole the enforcers’ attention, and jumped when Helik’s hand closed around her arm.
“Get in the transports!” he yelled over her head, and she only had time to glimpse their friends piling into the other transport before Helik herded her into theirs.
She crawled into the passenger seat as Helik took over the controls, and in seconds the vehicle was jerking into the air, though not nearly as smoothly as Roia managed it earlier. Beside them, the other transport went airborne, and below, the enforcers barely spared them a glance, too preoccupied by the rebels who were now swinging at them with any weapon they could find.
