The Line of the Sol Empress

Chapter 7.5

 [Celeste]

The sky darkened as a pitch-black cloud descended, swirling in turbulent malevolence. Two narrow eyes stared out, blazing red like the fires of hell. It wanted the babies, Celeste somehow knew. Only their lives would fill its emptiness and satisfy its primal hunger. Celeste sheltered the trembling little ones into her arms. With no place to hide and no way to fight, she ran. Her lungs ached as she poured everything she had into the flight, but the cloud still gained on them, laughing as it savored the chase. Celeste nearly cried out for Moon to rescue them, but then she remembered, and a wave of guilt washed through her. She had sent him away. Finally, with all strength spent, she slowed and bowed her head in resignation. The cloud overtook them.

Celeste hardly slept, drifting now and then into the same nightmare, only to be awakened by the heart-pounding terror it invoked.

The night was the longest of her life. The darkness of her cell matched the despair that shadowed her heart. The babies within her were strangely still, as if they shared her desolation, and that frightened her the most. Losing all sense of time, it seemed like it should be morning. She couldn't tell.

Even if Moon survived the goons Silver sent after him, he would not know where I am.

Celeste caressed her belly and whispered to the small lives within, "Please know that I tried, and I love you."

She jerked as the lights came on and shielded her eyes from the unexpected brightness. A clank echoed as the heavy door unlatched and swung open, slamming against the doorstop. She recognized the man who entered, his dark face and beard, the same one who suffered her jab to the throat at the clothing shop. He came to the wire mesh door that closed her in, frowning as his eyes surveyed her, crouched in a corner. He held up a meal bar and a plastic bottle of water.

She caught his eyes for an instant, then turned her head away. "I am not hungry."

Saying nothing, the man slid the bar and bottle under the door. The bottle rolled across the floor and settled at her feet. The man departed, slamming the heavy door behind him.

At least he left the light on.

Motions fluttered in her womb. Celeste brought her hands to her belly, her eyes widening, and a comforting sense of optimism washed over her.

What are you trying to tell me, little ones? Dare we hope?

She opened the bottle and put it to her lips, letting the water sooth a dry mouth. A faint buzzing sound came to her ears, and she turned to track the sound. A bee flew in a zigzag pattern down the short hallway. It came to her cell door and pushed its way through the wire mesh, then hovered in front of her.

Bee-bot!

A smile erupted on Celeste's face as her heart bound up from the abyss. She cast her eyes down to her extended belly and almost shouted with joy. Moon is alive! And he is coming for us!

As she stood, muffled shouts erupted from the other side of the heavy hallway door. Standing at the cell door and sticking her fingers through the mesh, Celeste turned her head to make out the sounds. Twin sharp twangs sounded, reports from pulse weapons. Within a moment, a shower of sparks erupted from the edge of the heavy door. It swung open with a bang. A gray android robot stepped through, holding a plasma cutter in its hand.

Celeste's heart leaped. "Sai!"

Nanny-bot came to the cell door. "Priestess, I am overjoyed to see you well!" A wide, cheesy smile erupted on the robot's face.

Celeste grinned. "Sai, we still need to work on the facial expressions."

The smile faded to a neutral expression. "Stand back, Priestess, and cover your eyes."

She retreated to a far corner and turned her head. Sparks sprayed the floor beside her, and then the wire mesh door opened with a squeal.

Celeste hugged Nanny-bot. The robot held its hands out, appearing to not know what to do, then gently patted her on the back.

Celeste broke the hug and turned her head. "Moon! Is he okay?"

"He is near, Priestess."

Another figure entered the cell area, dragging two unconscious men behind him.

"Moon!" Celeste rushed to him, nearly knocking him over as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her head into his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her in return and grinned. "Miss me?"

"I was afraid I had lost you."

"Well, four men with bad intentions did try to board my ship. But they should never have done that with Sai on duty." He released the hug but put his hands on her shoulder. His eyes dipped down. "Did you get a new outfit? Looks good."

"Yes. Silver's goons jumped me while I tried it on. I lost my viewer in the process. How did you find me?"

He lifted her hand and twirled the bracelet around her wrist. "You still have on the biometric scanner. Sai was concerned about your elevated heart rate."

A familiar voice originating behind Moon chilled Celeste. "Isn't this sweet? Put your hands up where I can see them, Moon." Silver stood aiming a pulse gun at Moon's back.

Moon lifted his hands slowly. He winked at Celeste and glanced down at the antique projectile gun tucked into the front of his pants, the same one Celeste pointed at him on the day they met. She nodded and carefully extracted the gun, unseen by Silver. The Writings spoke against violence as a response to danger but allowed that it may become necessary. I'll be damned if I let Silver hurt Moon or the children.

Moon turned slowly as he spat his words. "Silver, you traitorous bastard!"

Silver shook his head. "Nothing personal, Moon. Just business. You know how it is. Now ease your pulse gun out and drop it on the floor."

Moon growled. "It's personal to me."

Moon stepped to the side and Celeste pulled the trigger, jumping at the unexpectedly loud bang. Silver jerked back as the slug struck his shoulder. In a single step, Moon closed the distance to his adversary and slapped the pulse gun out of his hand. With his other hand balled into a fist, he punched Silver across the jaw. Stunned, Silver fell back against a wall and slid down to the floor while a widening crimson splotch stained his silver jacket. His wide eyes focused on Moon as his mouth gaped.

Moon took the projectile gun from Celeste's hand and turned it toward Silver. Color drained from Silver's face as he held his breath, his eyes focused down the gun barrel. Celeste nearly gasped as the expression on Moon's face became stone cold.

She put a hand on his shoulder and spoke gently. "No, Moon. There is a fine line between self-defense and vengeance. Please don't cross it."

Moon took a deep breath and lowered the gun. Silver tilted his head back and took a deep breath of his own. Moon switched the projectile weapon to his other hand and, in a single motion, drew his pulse gun and fired. Silver's body jerked and his eyes closed.

Celeste's mouth dropped. "Moon...?"

Moon holstered his gun and turned to her, shrugging. "What? I just stunned him. We can't have him coming after us. We need to go."

She nodded. "Back to the ship?"

He took her hand and led her through the doorway. "No. The dock will be crawling with Silver's bad-natured minions by now."

"Then how do we get to the ship?"

"We don't. The ship will come to us."

She tilted her head. "Is this another one of you wild-ass plans?"

He grinned. "Yeah."

"So, then no worries?"

"Exactly."