Antares soon joined Quirinus and Nadee who were sitting inside the cargo ship. He took a seat next to the Kehrian woman, and together they turned on the autopilot. Armoured gates of the hangar lifted up, releasing the little discreet machine in front of the Annihilator. At a safe distance from the Epifortress, Nadee activated the rings, letting the spatiotemporal sphere engulf the vehicle.

She read the data displayed on the control panel. “The target is one and a half lightyears away. We’ll be there in three hours.”

“I hope we’ll make it back before the Unions,” sighed Antares as if he had not heard her words. His sight appeared vacuous, focused on an invisible point. The restlessness and tension were rising in him, but he knew how to play the role of a steadfast leader too well to show it. “If we arrive too late, we may never find Devi alive.”

Nadee turned towards him and asked, “What exactly is the plan, Sir?”

Antares glanced towards her, replying, “I’m still working on it.”

“What?” Nadee bent over, hardly believing what she was hearing, and strained her ears “We are going blind, in a mission like this without any plan?”

“I told you,” he muttered, placing his fist on the control panel, “I will come up with a plan and present it to you.” He bent his head over the LiqWatch to avoid her probing sight. He still believed that he would soon figure out something. After all, he was well known as the master of improvisation.

“Okay. Yeah. I was just asking, Sir” said Nadee, turning her sight towards the screens. In a low, restrained voice, she added, “I prefer to know what I have to do.” Guided by prudence, she went quiet. Showing irritation or discontent would not improve her image in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Cerridwen, still sitting in the hold, began regaining her strength. She’d rested enough to function normally but with every move, a throbbing pain pounded in her head and in her left flank. The Celestian girl stood unsteadily on shaky legs, trying to find her balance in zero gravity like she’d had a few strong drinks. But she was still not used to the new way of moving, so she took every step more carefully than at normal gravity.

Nadee’s injection not only filled her with energy but also clarified her mind. The kidnappers had not killed her at the first opportunity, so she saw her chance in negotiating the terms with them.

Her happiness, that came from the vision of returning home, combined itself with the fear of what her father would think about her leaving home. He’d always completely trusted her and had legitimate reasons for it. His daughter had never done anything against his rules and bans, except for that one escape. She did not know of any other life than spending the whole day learning, training and watching the news in her spare time. Suddenly, the entire alien, aberrant world stood wide open to her within hours and presented its most despicable side. There was no shelter, no safe room where she could hide, lock the door and wait for Delian.

She clenched her fists, and releasing her anger, she punched the door several times. Hearing it, Nadee and Quirinus looked at each other in surprise.

“Chandri,” demanded the Commander, raising his head, “what was that?”

“Open this crap!” yelled the locked-in girl. “You’ll get what you want, but you have to release me!”

Antares twisted the corner of his lips and glared at his collaborators. He asked sternly, “Can one of you explain this?”

No one spoke up, except Cerridwen who kicked the door again, shouting, “I have connections! Release me, you damn scum!”

“Captain Eadon?” Antares turned towards the younger Celestian.

Quirinus looked at the Kehrian woman with a hostile stare. Nadee drooped her ears and said, “It was my fault. I didn’t notice that when they attacked me, she ran after me.”

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“So, you couldn’t just shoot her?” asked Antares, raising his eyebrow. He propped his head up on his hand and rubbed his eyes, exhaling loudly. He opened his eyes and pointed at the Kehrian woman. “Seriously...

you didn’t notice?” He narrowed his eyes and slammed his fists on the armrests. “I’m talking to you too, Eadon. I was sure I was working with experienced professionals who would prove their skills and intelligence… and what? You returned with nothing but.. this?” He swung his hand. His thick, dark veins pulsed faster, but by holding on to the last remains of his patience, he refrained from going berserk.

Another bump on the metal and an annoyed female voice resounded again, “Open it! Now! How much do you want?”

Antares tapped the icon and the hatch opened. After a while, the young Celestian girl entered the cockpit in a languid stagger.

She leaned against the door frame and mumbled under her breath, “Finally.” She straightened up and frowned. “Say how much do you want and let me go.”

“Who is this?” asked Antares, and his hand moved towards the gun attached to his belt, “and what is she doing here?”

“I have connections with the Union and if you don’t let me go, I…”

“Cerridwen, stop,” whispered Nadee.

“I have to go back home. You’ll get what do you want, but I have to be back.” Cerridwen’s voice turned into a growl. “Who the hell are you to keep me in this tin and point a gun at my head?” Saying those words, she realized that three armed people surrounded her. She quietened down and folded her hands, waiting for a response.

Rubbing the ring in his lower lip, Antares observed her with a mixture of contempt and interest.

"Common Union being that fights as if she’s spent half of her life on Zetherion."

He unfastened his seat belt and stood up. He was as tall as Cerridwen, so he did not have to bend to maintain eye contact with her.

“General Charon Antares, Commander of The Independent Zetherion Army,” he introduced himself and brought out the gun.

Cerridwen stepped back, widening her eyes. “Now you know too much, so I must kill you.”

The Celestian girl covered her head and cried out, “Three hundred thousand!” The safety lock of the gun clicked. “Five hundred!” Heavy steps approached. “One million!”

Antares stopped in front of her and raised his eyebrow. “I wonder how you have money like this?”

Cerridwen dropped her trembling hands. “My father is a famous politician and scientist. My adopted brother has contacts.”

“Nice.” He smiled slightly. “In the bargain, we have a source of information.”

He marched out of the cockpit and said to Nadee, “Give us a second. And you,” he pointed at Cerridwen, “come here.”

Not saying a word, the Celestian girl walked into the narrow corridor and stopped in front of Antares. Hatch to the cockpit swung shut, leaving Cerridwen face to face with the armed stranger. Her heartbeat raced and her muscles tensed as if preparing her for the ultimate fight to death.

“Listen here, Celestian girl,” Antares began, “you’re from the Union, right?”

Cerridwen nodded and looked at him questioningly, but she kept her nerve.

“As a matter of fact,” he continued, strolling along the corridor, “my people and I really don’t fancy the likes of you. Theoretically, you are our enemy. But you may, however, be useful for us, so I’ve decided not to kill you, at least as long as you cooperate with us. The worst part is that someone else can do it, that’s why you must listen to me. Always.” He halted and lowered his voice. “We’ll soon do things that you won't appreciate, but it’ll be better for you to not stay on this ship. So you’ll have to come with us and follow the main rule. The only rule. I know what to do, so I can tell you what to do, and if you want to survive, you must listen and not hinder our job. Understood?”

“Yeah… Understood,” mumbled Cerridwen, “but wait, what things are you talking about?”

“According to the public opinion, bad,” said Antares, heading back towards the cockpit. “Dirty nasty jobs. Now, go back to the hold.”

The Celestian girl did what he ordered. She sat on the chest, plotting a way out of this trap. Her life depended completely on the rebels’ whims and fancies, so resistance and discussions were pointless. They would do what they wanted to, no matter how violently she defended. At least, she’d convinced them to leave her alive until they figured out that her father didn’t possess the money she’d told them about.

Violent shivers crawled down her spine at the idea of things she wouldn’t appreciate.

She took all their threats seriously, recalling the recent news, where a city just after the rebel assault was shown. Scorched and collapsed ruins extended along the streets that were covered with smoking wreckages and mauled corpses. Panicked survivors pushed and fought each other for supplies dropped via aerial vehicles. Satellite photos showed grey patches with bright orange blobs – the burning remains of cities.

Cerridwen squeezed her eyelids, waiting for the moment when she would land on the tropical seaside of Ernef’s capital city, longing for the breath of fresh, humid air instead of the musty smell of the ship and the murmur of waves and trees without the low engines whirring.