“Daken!” I rush in and draw him into my arms. “It’s Aera. We made it. I found the Titans. They had human Rebels. We brought supplies.”
“Aera…” Daken folds his arms around me, but he’s so weak that it makes me choke up. “So many are gone.” Daken breaks down. “I’m the only one left who can stand.”
I brace his head to my shoulder and struggle to catch him as his legs give out. “We’re here, now. You can rest.”
Evo helps me steady him as Daken cries into my shoulder.
Rebel and Raven lead the others past us and inside. Over Daken’s shoulder, I see the rest of our colony sprawled out on the floor, clustered up in groups to stay warm. Many lie with their faces covered. Several children’s cries echo through the room. Atox pats my shoulder as he passes.
When Daken finally staggers back, Evo catches him and helps him sit on the floor and lean against the wall before handing him a bottle of water and a hydrolyte gel packet. “Sip both, so you don’t reject it.”
“Thanks.” Daken takes the items with shaking hands like he’s been given the best gift ever. His hazel green eyes are bloodshot, no doubt from lack of sleep. He’s put himself on guard duty.
I squat beside him and help him twist off the caps to both items when his hands aren’t strong enough.
“Took a good hit to the head,” he remarks.
“Solar storm shredded the ship. I almost died. Evo saved my life.”
Daken savors a taste of the gel and a mouthful of water, then leans his head back. “I can’t believe you made it. I was out of hope and just waiting to die.” He languidly searches the room with his eyes. “You had better find Isa. She didn’t have long last I checked.”
I run a hand down the side of his pale face. The coolness of his skin concerns me. “Are you good for now?”
He nods. “Go.”
I get up and start weaving my way through the crowd. “Brodin?”
“Aera...” A hand reaches for me as a stretcher passes. Charlee looks up at me. “You made it. Thank you.”
I barely grasp her hand before she’s carted away.
Evo watches her leave, then turns back to me like he’s waiting for my command.
But I’m suddenly frozen in the middle of the mayhem. More people call my name and weakly thank me, like I did something special. I want to tell them it wasn’t me. It was their sacrifices, the sacrifices of my squadron. It is all the Titans and human Rebels here with us. But mostly, it was Evo, risking everything in the solar storm to rescue me from my ship.
But we made it. And yet that relief clashes with my sickening hate over the depravity of the Solcrue and the life they dealt us.
Evo eases up behind me, slides an arm around my body, and whispers in my ear, “Save this feeling, but do not linger in it now. Go find your friends in case they do not have long.”
I find the strength to walk through my people and take the hands that reach for me. I reassure them help is on the way as Titans and Rebels come in and get them wrapped in hot packs and blankets, then loaded on stretchers and headed out to warmer ships. Many will not survive, but they will die knowing they saw their brethren rescued by the Titans, the way things were supposed to be.
Evo stays at my side the entire time. He helps get people ready for transport and call out the most critical ones for the teams to pick up. A few will remain behind onCenturionwith me as we transport the ship back to the nebula for repairs.
Then I hear my name from a familiar gruff voice. I frantically search for him and find him in a distant corner. “Brodin!”
I try to move through the clusters of people and Titans helping my family, but I’m off balance and trip on a pile of blankets. As I’m about to face plant on the floor, a strong arm loops around my waist and catches me.
Evo cautiously sets me upright like it’s no strain to him at all, then motions for me to continue. As I make my way to Isa and Brodin, Evo hands out gel packets and bottles of water from his bag. Each time he does, he now cracks the caps before passing them off.
When I reach Brodin, he’s leaned up against the wall. Isa lies on the floor, her feet up on a pillow, and his hand around hers. I slow and sink to my knees.
Brodin tears up. “She heard you were here and gave me one last smile. Then she just closed her eyes, and...”
I take her cold hand in mine, kiss the back of her fingers, and choke on a sob. She still carries the faint scent of igniter dust from the engines she worked on.
Brodin eases his body away from the wall like every bit of it aches and crawls to my side, where he draws me under an arm and kisses the side of my head. “You made it back. She knew you did. That was the last thing she wanted. Do not cry for her. The last thing she knew was hope.”
Brodin’s words only make me want to cry harder. But then I remember what Isa told me about tears, and I pull the pain deep inside and bury it, stash it away for the next time I meet the enemy.
