I didn’t want to wake up this time. I didn’t want to have to deal with life again. I could feel that I didn’t have my feeding tube in or the IV in my hand. Maybe they were finally letting me die.

Someone sniffed loudly from the end of the bed and I tried not to jump. I forced myself to keep still and to continue to breathe evenly. There was a moment of silence before a voice sounded across the room.

“I know you’re awake, Aries. You can open your eyes.”

The voice was kind, gentle but still, tears sprung to my eyes.

My curiosity got the better of my and I wrenched my eyes open to stare at Andy.

“I’m so so sorry,” I sobbed, the movement burning me but I couldn’t control myself.

“Hey, hey, hey, why are you crying?”

Concern was etched on his face but I couldn’t stop crying for long enough to answer. I tried a couple of times but I couldn’t get the words out.

“Take a minute, get your tears out and then talk to me,” He instructed gently.

My tears slowed as I looked at him. My vision was blurry but he looked so similar to the last time I’d seen him on the base but now his forehead was lined with worry, his brown hair was speckled with white flecks and he had bags under his eyes. His smile was the same it had always been though. He still looked proud of me.

“Okay. Tell me what’s going on.”

My voice caught in my throat again but this time, I was able to get through it.

“It’s my fault you got caught! Where are we? Is this the Council prison again?”

His lips curled up gently.

“Neither of us got caught, Aries. We aren’t in a Council prison. We’re free.”

I stared at him, my jaw slack. I understood the words he had said but I couldn’t understand the meaning. We couldn’t be free. The Council must have got us.

“I don’t understand,” I breathed.

“We got out. The Council put out an order to arrest all base tutors who had ties to me as well as your crew. It was meant to be a covert operation to not arouse suspicion but we received information about it before they had a chance to reach the base. I was rescued against my will first and then we focused on getting as many tutors out as possible without tipping out the Guardians who were watching our base. We were told that your crew would be left until later but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”

My brain spun as I tried to cling to his words. I didn’t get it. Andy had gotten out and so had some of the tutors? But then, what did happen?

“Wait, you said you were taken against your will. So, we are prisoners again? Who took us?”

Andy smiled ruefully.

“Not quite. I was ordered to leave first and refused then made the mistake of saying ‘you’ll have to put a tranq in my neck if you want me to leave the base’ and then I woke up on a ship.”

He chuckled but my head was still swimming with questions.

“So, where are we? Where’s my crew?”

Andy’s face fell but he tried to hide it.

“We’re on a ship on the outskirts of the Council’s remit. I believe you have met the Captain before, her name is Aquila.”

I felt my mouth fall open again. We had met her before when we went to Irision but I’d never expected to see her again.

“And my crew?” I asked, hope starting to bloom within me.

My heart froze as Andy sighed heavily.

“We’d been told that they wouldn’t attack you until last, that they’d evac you individually but not until three days after I had left. Unfortunately, our information was incorrect.”

I felt the blood drain from my body leaving me cold. Someone was dead. A member of my crew was gone.

“Peggy?” I heard myself ask.

She’d been the first to be taken, it had to be her.

Andy nodded his head slightly, his eyes glistening and I felt my heart shatter. She couldn’t be gone.

“Is she… Is she still alive?” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word ‘dead’.

Regret crossed Andy’s face.

“I don’t know. It’s been over a month since she was taken. We’ve not heard anything from her since.”

I wanted to reach out to her with my thoughts but I couldn’t bear the thought of receiving nothing but silence in return. She couldn’t be dead. It was my job to protect her, I was the captain. I should have done more.

Tears splashed onto my collar bones and I couldn’t bring myself to speak again. My heart broke into a million pieces. If the Council had Peggy, she couldn’t still be alive.

Andy sat there silently as I cried, allowing me to grieve without judgement. His eyes were misty as mine finally dried.

“Where are the rest of my crew?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“I sent them to the canteen. They’ve barely eaten or slept since you’ve been here. I think they’re driving the doctors half-mad with their questions.” He smiled gently.

My eyebrows drew together.

“I’ve not heard them though. Surely, if they were here I would have heard something.”

Andy laughed once.

“After the first week, we kicked them out of the medBay. They were disturbing the other patients but I believe they still sneak in sometimes.”

Something still didn’t feel right but the thought got stuck in my head when I realised what he had said.

“The first week?”

Andy nodded.

“How long have I been under?”

He hesitated this time before he spoke.

“Three weeks.”

I stared at him, my brain racing.

“Three weeks?” I muttered quietly.

“Yes.”

“But… what happened? I don’t remember anything.”

He smiled slightly at me, as if he were trying to break the news gently.

“There was an… incident on the night we picked you up. We’d only been taking small two people ships before, one’s that could fly under the Council scanners and we’d been able to pick up Gemini and Cory with no incidents. We brought six on the last night because we knew the Council were getting agitated and we had to get both you and Cas out before they snapped. They sent Guardians to storm the base and intercept us. Their orders were to capture you or make it so you could not leave. There was a small shoot out but we managed to get you both to safety.” His face was grim as he spoke.

“There was a shoot out?”

“Yes. According to our information, a Councillor informed the Guardians that he would rather your bodies were brought to him than you were able to escape.”

“What about Cas? And the others who rescued us?”

“Cas got out, he wasn’t as badly injured as you. He’s mostly healed now but we lost two in the fight.”

My heart felt like it stopped.

“You lost two?”

Andy sighed.

“Yes. Unfortunately, the Guardians were less reluctant to shoot within a school whereas our crew tried to protect the children.”

“Were they okay? Were any kids hurt?”

“No, no. They were fine, thanks in large parts to the two that were lost. Lie back down, you need to rest.”

I hadn’t even realised that I’d started to sit up until Andy pointed it out. I lay back carefully, my body weak from disuse.

“But Cas and the rest of my crew are okay now? Apart from…” I couldn’t bring myself to say her name.

“Yes.”

I didn’t want to ask really but I needed to know.

“What happened to me?”

Guilt crossed Andy’s face.

“Despite our best efforts, a Guardian was able to get to you. He got two rounds into your abdomen and one into your leg. We got you to a medship fast and were able to stabilise and heal you fast.”

It felt weird hearing that. I had no recollection. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in Cas’ arms. I’m grateful for that.

“Your doctor is on the way, you’ll be able to ask him more,” Andy said, cocking his head at the door.

Hearing footsteps, I looked up and waited for him to come into view but nothing could have prepared me for it.

“Chal?”