They shared a tentative laugh, the future uncertain, but their bond growing stronger in the face of this cosmic adventure. What did the future hold in this strange new galaxy? And more importantly, how would they navigate it together?
6
After their initial conversation about expectations, both Phares and Olmed had grown quiet.
Lost in thoughts, Erzo imagined.
Just as he was, he suspected.
Erzo’s thoughts wandered to the report on the hologram about the new empress of the Terran Empire. “Cyborgs and politics, a sure recipe for drama. Good for business, though.”
Olmed’s grumpy voice broke through his reverie. “They’re taking too long. We should’ve met them by now.”
Erzo chuckled, sipping his drink. He bobbed back and forth, sitting on his tail like a seat. One benefit of being Charro. He never needed a chair. “They’re probably getting the same run-around we did.”
Olmed slumped in his chair, his impatience brimming over. “I bet they don’t even have anyone lined up for us.”
Phares, ever the voice of reason, took a leisurely sip of his ale. “Relax, Olmed. They’ll match us when the time’s right.”
Erzo, trying to lighten the mood, gestured towards the hologram featuring the Terran Empire’s latest news. “Hey, look at the Empress. Not too shabby, eh?”
Phares glanced at the screen, a smirk playing on his lips. “Pretty, sure. But she’s royalty. They’re a different breed.”
Erzo laughed. “What, got a problem with the high and mighty?”
Phares shrugged, nonchalant. “Royalty or not, it doesn’t change much for us out here.”
Olmed snorted, his mood barely lifted. “Yeah, birthright or not, we’re all stuck in the same cosmic soup.”
Erzo’s mind drifted inward as he watched Olmed and Phares. Deep down, he understood everyone was born into something, a destiny that always caught up eventually.
His thoughts inevitably turned to Breal, the subject of his nightly dreams. Blurring the line between fantasy and memory, these dreams often showed Breal triumphing over him in various ways, only to be knocked down. Erzo wondered about the significance of these persistent visions. Could they be pointing him towards a greater purpose, perhaps to help Breal ascend to her rightful place at the head of her clan?
The idea definitely fit the puzzle, aligning with the recurrent theme of Breal’s prowess in his dreams. Comparing their dreams intrigued him. He wondered whether Breal experienced similar nocturnal narratives. Such a discovery would indeed be?—
“Hey, what’s that?” Olmed pointed across the room to a holographic display on the wall.
Phares and Erzo both turned to look. A familiar rocky formation hovered in 3D, spinning slowly.
“Is that one of ours?” Erzo asked, squinting at the image. They had an entire field of asteroids, each one a speck in the vastness of space.
Phares nodded, his expression turning serious. “That’s Aster 5.”
Erzo recognized it now. It was the same asteroid they had recently stabilized, ensuring it was secure before departure. He hadn’t known Phares took to naming them, though. “You gave them names?”
Olmed chuckled. “Who names an asteroid?”
Erzo couldn’t help but smirk. “We’ll give Phares a hard time about that later.”
Before they could tease Phares further, the scene on the display shifted dramatically. Aster 5 began to disintegrate, bursting into a cloud of debris, the explosion lighting up the void like a supernova.
Erzo’s heart sank as he watched the Stonebroke, his home away from home, get pummeled by debris. Panic and fear gripped him. That ship was more than just a vessel—it was a part of him.
The news report continued, the hologram showing a miner claiming to be the ship’s savior. Erzo’s stomach churned. He knew that face—it was Shoval, Phares’s annoying parental. Erzo could almost feel Phares’s rage from across the room.
“Looks like your parental is playing hero,” Erzo teased, trying to lighten the mood.
Phares was having none of it. “I need to get back,” he said with a growl, standing up.
