Page 50 of Solar Bound
"Was that normal?" she croaked, her voice sounding wrong in her own ears.
"Not remotely," Solar replied, his arms still tight around her. "But we survived."
Dani didn't like the sound of that.
"Perfect execution. Textbook hyperjump," Gary lied. “We are safely out of detection range. Feel free to roam the ship. There is a delightful rivet pattern in the engine room.”
"If the textbook was written by a malfunctioning waste disposal unit," Solar yelled, though Dani wasn’t sure if the alien pilots could hear him.
“You should not have told them that we’re safe,” Bob’s voice stated. "We can’t guarantee that. It depends on whether we encounter any space-time anomalies. Or Milano pursuit vessels. Or if the dimensional stabilizers give out completely."
“Did you want them to know that?” Gary asked.
“Did you leave the com—” Bob’s voice instantly cut off.
Dani slumped against Solar, the reality of their situation terrifying her. Trapped in this rickety ship with Bob and Gary, floating around Earth with possibly no way of knowing what was happening to their friends.
"Seriously, this isn't right. What have we done?" she whispered. “We left them behind.”
Solar's hand moved to her face, turning it gently toward him. His golden eyes held hers, steady and certain. "You needed medical attention. We are lucky we caught the bone shard before it did damage. We survived. And we will continue to survive."
"But the others?—"
"Lunar is resourceful," Solar stated. "More capable than I have previously acknowledged. And your Earth friends have demonstrated remarkable adaptability. They will find a way to survive as well."
Dani wanted to believe him. Had to believe him. The alternative was too painful to consider.
"So what now?" she asked.
Solar glanced around the corridor.
"Now we adapt," he said simply. "You learn to navigate this vessel, and we develop a strategy to return to Earth with proper resources."
"Return to Earth?" Dani hadn't dared to hope that was an option.
Solar's expression softened slightly, his golden light pulsing in a way she'd come to recognize as affection. "Did you believe I would abandon your planet permanently? Leave Lunar without reinforcements? Allow Milano to continue their operations unchecked?"
"I didn't know what to think," Dani admitted. "Everything's happened so fast."
"The mission parameters have changed," Solar acknowledged. "But the core objective remains valid. Peace between different species. Connection across boundaries." His hand covered hers. "I have found such a connection. I will not relinquish it."
Before Dani could respond, a loud bang echoed through the ship, followed by a shower of sparks from an overhead panel.
"Minor propulsion fluctuation," Gary announced. "Nothing to worry about."
"That was the secondary stabilizer," Bob contradicted. "We're now running on the tertiary system, which is—did you turn the com device on again? Give me?—"
The voices stopped.
Solar sighed, the sound so human it almost made Dani laugh despite their predicament.
"First priority," he said, "I check the security of this vessel. Then we settle into our quarters and find you food.”
Dani watched as Solar moved toward a wall and opened up control panels, his warrior's training evident in how quickly he assessed the systems, identified weaknesses, and began implementing solutions. His golden light seemed to strengthen the ship itself, stabilizing fluctuations wherever he touched.
Trapped in a failing spaceship with Bob and Gary. It should have terrified her. And part of her was terrified. But watching Solar take command, seeing the certainty with which he faced their situation, Dani felt something else beneath the fear.
Hope.
