MILO

“There!” Milo pointed on the main view screen.

“Locked!” Leo said from the Co-pilot’s seat.

Diego leaned on the controls. “Feed me another set of patterns, because this will be gnarly.”

“Try these,” Leo said, feeding his patterns to Diego’s control panels.

Beth’s transformed body, the metal monster was presented on the screen for everyone to see. Her transformation had been overwhelming.

“Oh,” Tern said. “She really did find the adrenaline.”

“We told you,” Argus said, from Tern’s side.

“Shut up or I am having my new dragon friends chew you into pieces,” Tern said.

Birgitta turned in her seat to meet him from the Captain’s seat. “What is the plan?”

“She is losing. Look how she is desperately holding on to Saif. She is not letting go, but she is not gaining any ground either,” Milo said. “We need to help her. She broke a planet in half trying to hurt him. Nukes or void torpedoes will not harm him. I don’t have any adrenaline left. Crew, I am open for suggestions. Anyone on the mental channel, what should we do?”

Silence crept in as the first thirty seconds passed.

Milo tensed his hands into fists. There had to be something.

Sam had said something before.

“Throw him into a star,” Milo mumbled. “Throw him into a star!” Milo grabbed his hand terminal and established a connection to engineering. “Claire, do we have any shuttles left?”

“Yes,” Claire said.

“Leo, Diego, can you pilot a shuttle remotely?” Milo said.

“I think so, if the interference between us and the shuttle ain’t too great,” Leo said. “Cannot have nukes going off inside the gap.”

“Claire, get out the shuttle,” Milo said. “Leo and Diego, control it. We are going to tow Saif into the star.”

People worked quickly when the Universe was at stake.

Milo leaned back into his seat.

Stolen story; please report.

Leo and Diego grabbed control of the shuttle, putting it into a trajectory towards Beth and Saif.

Come on.

Beth grabbed the brim of the shuttle’s hull, her grip bending the metal with ease, but it also dug her fingers in deeply, giving her great purchase.

“She has grabbed the shuttle, Capt’n,” Diego said.

“Put them in motion. Straight to the star,” Milo said.

Diego and Leo did what they were told. The shuttle started towards the star. Beth still clung on to both the shuttle and Saif, serving as connective tissue.

“You will kill her, Milo,” Tern said. “Beth will die.”

Milo swallowed. “I know.”

Tern floated forward to him and pressed gently against his leg.

The tears trickled down his cheeks, they arrived from nowhere.

“I don’t know. It’s the one chance to finally be rid of him. This is the moment Sam talked about,” Milo said, his voice stuttering. “Maybe we should back away instead. Flee and fight another day.”

“No,” Tern said. “It is now or never. You are the Captain, but we are crew, we make decisions together.”

Milo nodded. “Alright. Crew, before we send them away. A vote, if not everyone agrees on this decision, we are not doing it. Who votes for backing off?”

The silence on the mental channel was eerily quiet.

“Who votes sending Beth and Saif into the star?” Milo asked his crew.

It went around the crew, everyone said yes. It was a ringing yes, they were in agreement.

Milo nodded, the tears trickling down. “Alright.”

“I vote yes,” Beth said on the mental channel.

“Beth!” Tern said.

“Tern, you are alive?” Beth asked. “I knew it. You are the fighter.”

“Leo saved me,” Tern said.

“Thank you,” Beth said. “Milo, order it. Send us away. My adrenaline is almost depleted. I cannot hang on much longer. And this might be our last chance. Saif is in turmoil with himself, or at least against the powers of the people’s souls he has absorbed. Rachel is fighting him, denying him access to his healing, but only sometimes. This will not last, Saif is gaining back his control. Milo, dear brother, commit to the plan.”

“You will die,” Birgitta said.

“I know,” Beth said. “I know, Birgitta. Thank you, for giving me the opportunity to get to know you. Tern, thank you for all the wise words and lovely moments we shared. Diego, thanks for patching me up all those times. Claire, thanks for all the girl talk. Leo, thanks for all the stories. Yuri, thank you for showing me a new perspective. Rahgon and Elzrig, thanks for being there for us and showing me your world. Argus, even you, thanks for your efforts. And Milo, my dear brother, thank you for believing in me and sorry for all the times I was too hard on you.”

Milo cried, it was overwhelming. “Goodbye, Beth.”

“Goodbye, the crew of the Final Sight. You were my best friends and my family,” Beth said.

“Diego, Leo, send the shuttle. Full thrust,” Milo said.

Saying the words felt like shoving a cold knife through his own chest. On the main view screen, they all watched as the shuttle accelerated towards the star with Beth and Saif in tow.

Closer and closer.

“Thank you, Beth. Thank you, sister,” Milo said.

Closer and closer, until the shuttle shattered because of the proximity to the star.