Mythic

Yeah! At last, off of the Asteria! :D I can't wait for the next part! XD

Time for adventure? :D

Good chapter Poppeh! Lol Bill reminds me of Han Solo

The Chronos drifted through space, shooting past the ice giant Ymir and continuing through the black void. But as they passed the planet and were speeding off, Allen's gaze was transfixed on the Asteria, his home...no, his former home. This would be the last time he ever saw it. Aura, Vic...they were gone.

"All right, kid." Bill barked, stepping out of the cockpit. "I got you out of there. Now, the next planet we land on, we're leaving you there."

"What?" Zahannah asked, glancing at them from her seat. "Wait, you can't do that!"

"And why the hell not?" Bill asked, crossing his arms. "Maybe you can't tell, I'm in a hurry! The last thing I need is some orphan taking up room in my ship!"

Zahannah spun her chair around. "Is that right?" she retorted, crossing her arms as well. "Well, maybe YOU can't tell, but I'm your pilot and if you strand him someplace, consider me gone as well!" Allen gave a slight smile at Zahannah. He was glad she was here.

"Are you kidding me?!" Bill shouted.

"Look, you need a crew, and we could always use deckhands." Zahannah said. "I mean, unless you want to move cargo by yourself..."

Bill put his face in his hands.

"Besides," Zahannah added, winking at Allen. "The kid's got a pretty unique talent. I think he'd be an asset to your mission."

"Is that what you think?" Bill asked, the venom in his voice evident.

"Um, sir?" Allen piped up.

Bill turned, glaring at Allen.

"I can do any job you need me to do, sir." Allen said. "I'll...I'll mop the floors. Move cargo if you need me to, sir. I can-"

"Enough with the 'sirs', kid." Bill said. "I'm not a general. You're not joining an army. Call me Bill."

"Uh, yes, Bill." Allen said.

"How good are you in a fight?" Bill asked.

"Well, I've had some training with a pulse blade. My friend Vic, he taught me everything I know."

Bill snorted. "That engineer taught you?" He chuckled and turned around, looking out the main window. "You ever killed a man, kid?"

Allen was quiet.

"Didn't think so."

Allen was quiet for the next hour or so. He decided to explore the rest of the frieghter, to get a better sense of his new (and quite possibly temporary) home. He could hear Bill and Zahannah arguing in the cockpit. "You can't just abandon him, he's got nowhere to go!" he heard Zahannah say. Allen sighed. He wished he could be back on the Asteria. He missed his room, his bed. He missed his mother. He missed Vic.

But he couldn't go back. McKinney was after him, and hell, McKinney was a Syndicate researcher! He'd probably wind up in some remote lab on the fringes of the galaxy if he ever returned. No, he'd just have to trust this man, Bill. He might be a brute, but he did get him off the station, so he wasn't completely heartless.

A knock from the door caused Allen to jump. He spun around, then smiled. Zahannah stood in the doorway.

"You ok?" she asked. Her golden eyes shone in the soft light.

"I'm all right...I mean, I will be. I mean..." Allen sat on the metal bunk. "No. I'm not ok. Everything I know is gone, Zahannah. And I can never go back. I mean, never again."

Zahannah smiled softly. "Kinda like me, then?" she asked. she moved over to him and sat down. "When I fled Toran...it was without my family. They just, well...just told me to go. To not worry about them and get away." she looked over at Allen. "For the longest time, I felt like you do. But then I found the Asteria. I made friends, started a business, and found a home."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Allen asked, forcing a smile.

"My point is, right now, it hurts." Zahannah said, standing up. "But that'll pass. You'll make friends. You'll find a purpose. You'll find a home, Allen." She patted Allen on the shoulder, and walked out of the room. Allen smiled, then brought his legs up and laid on the bunk. Suddenly the door slid open and Zahannah rushed back in. "Oh," she said. "And don't mind Bill. He's just down with a case of jackass."

Allen chuckled. "Must be terminal." he laughed.

*****

The sound of the engines groaning woke Allen from his sleep. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and made his way to the cockpit. As he approached, Zahannah turned and smiled.

“Pleasant sleep?” she asked, turning back to the controls.

“Yeah…where are we?” Allen asked.

“Planet Chrysos.” Came Bill’s reply. Allen turned around, seeing the captain standing in the corridor. He chuckled. “The golden planet.”

Allen turned back to the main window, and gasped. As they approached the planet, Allen could see the large amount of lights that dotted its surface. While most of the planet seemed to have a brownish tinge to it, large patches of land were myriads of greens, blues and the like.

“Lots of different corporations have a stake in Chrysos.” Zahannah said. “It’s a mineral rich planet, and it seemed fairly ideal to settle and mine.”

Bill stepped past Allen and took a seat next to the Toranian pilot. “There’s plenty of cities and settlements too, though the biggest one, Coronam, is why most travelers come here. The place is a major attraction for tourists.”

“Who owns it?” Allen asked.

“Technically, the Federation does.” Zahannah answered. “Though the planet was first settled by the Kair’n…y’know, before the war.”

“The place is a haven for underground activities.” Bill added. “You’ll see what I mean when we land. Who knows, could end up being your new home!”

Zahannah shot a glare at Bill, who merely shrugged in response. Ignoring Bill, Allen could feel his excitement building. The first world he’d ever set foot on! He had always thought about exploring the galaxy one day, but now…he was going to get his chance!

The Chronos sped past the different satellites and began its descent.

“Ground control, this is the Chronos,” Zahannah said over the intercom. “Requesting permission to land. Transferring ship ID now.”

“Roger that, Chronos.” A voice spoke over the intercom. “You are cleared to land. Enjoy your stay on Chrysos.”

As the Chronos passed through the atmosphere, Allen’s wonderment only increased. Below them, the ship sped past deep valleys and ravines, and thick forests. As the wilderness ended, Allen gasped. In front of them was the city of Coronam. If Allen had to guess, the city was large enough to hold double (maybe triple) the Asteria’s max population, and still have room for more.

“What do you think?” Zahannah asked, grinning. Allen didn’t respond. His expression said it all. The Chronos slowed to a near halt and began the slow descent to one of Coronam’s hangars. As Zahannah guided the ship into place, magnetic clamps locked onto the hull.

“Magnetic clamps engaged.” The computer’s synthetic voice said. “It is now safe to exit the ship.”

“All right, then.” Bill said, standing up. “I’m off to secure some supplies, and grab a strong drink. You two…” Bill glanced to his two crewmates. “Why don’t you show him around, Zahannah? I’m sure he’s eager to look around his new home world.”

Zahannah glared at Bill again. This time, Bill put his hands up. “All right, enough with the death look!” He turned to Allen. “Since Zahannah here is sure that you’ll be nothing but a boon to me, you’re in. Try not to disappoint.” Bill reached into his pocket and produced two small black earphones. “Transceivers.” Bill said. “They’ll let us keep in touch.”

Bill walked past and made his way to the ship’s hangar door. Zahannah turned and grinned at Allen. “All right!” she said. “Ready to head out?”