8. Egara

The shuttlecraft breached the atmosphere with ease.

There was always the fear machinery would seize up when it was left lying around.

The shuttlecraft took the turbulence well and held itself together with strong resolve.

Better than I was, anyway.

Six times already I'd made to turn the shuttlecraft around and head back, to dive headlong into an attempt to rescue Agatha.

Maybe if I moved fast enough, attacked silently and without warning, I could rescue her without the prison guards knowing.

Yeah, right.

The guards had made a mistake in allowing me to escape once and they weren't about to repeat it a second time.

The shuttlecraft shuddered as she broke through the outer atmosphere and the navy blue of deep space faded into darkness.

The noises and gyrations gave way, leaving me adrift and alone and silent.

It was so quiet without Agatha by my side.

I peered over at the co-pilot seat.

Where she should have been sitting.

My hair floated up and my body pressed against the restraints holding me down.

I couldn't help but imagine how Agatha would have reacted to being out here.

She would have squealed, excited, and fearful all at the same time.

And she would have peered over at me with her beautiful eyes and beaming grin.

I tore my eyes from the apparition and turned the shuttlecraft toward the heavens that even God had never dreamed could be so majestic.

I hit the controls and brought up the holographic map of the cosmos.

"Computer," I said, "locate the Wanderer."

The map blinked, swirled, and pushed in on a cloud of stars known as the Warp Cluster.

I smiled.

My crew was busy dropping off a shipment to our secret booty location.

Already, they zipped through space, heading directly for me.

They would be here before long.

And the silence encroached once more.

Deafening.

Painful.

I peered once more at the empty chair.

I reached out a hand to run my fingers through invisible hair, to run a finger down her cheek, and peer into gorgeous eyes deeper even than the azure oceans on Octus Delta.

By the Creator, I miss her.

I regretted not turning back one of those six times I thought to head back and rescue her.

Even if it would have ended in disaster, at least I would have tried.

Wasn't there still time? I thought. Couldn't I reach her if I hurried?

The Wanderer was coming as fast as she could, tearing through space at an unbelievable speed, and yet, it was not fast enough.

By the time they arrived, the prison guards would have returned to Ikmal and Agatha would meet whatever fate they deemed necessary.

Breaking into a prison was much easier than breaking out of one, I told myself.

I could already hear the arguments of disapproval from my crew.

"It's too dangerous!" they would say. "We'll all end up inside if you force us to do this!"

But there was no need to force them.

They were a good crew and would do it for the love they had for me.

No sooner had I escaped from Ikmal than I wanted to turn around and break back into it!

It was madness.

I peered at the vastness of space and contemplated my future in it.

Would it be with Agatha?

Or without her?