My hand clutched Peggy’s as I dragged her through the ship. Her steps were unsteady and she almost fell multiple times but I couldn’t slow down. The ship had been damaged by the manual stop and Council ships were rapidly approaching. It was too dangerous. We needed to get to Andy’s ship before they got any closer. The faster we went, the higher the chances that we’d all survive.

“Come on, Peg,” I said as gently as I could, hauling her up as she stumbled into the wall once more.

“Sorry,” she muttered, her voice weak as she leaned heavily on me.

The inside of the ship was dark with the only light coming from the windows. Through them, I could see the other ships surrounding us, their shields unfurled and spread out as far as they could. They weren’t quite connected but it was the most they could safely do.

I pulled Peggy towards the airlock door, torn between trying not to hurt her and needing her to rush. I tried not to get frustrated, knowing that she was doing her best in the dark without her mods and with how weak she was.

“Okay, you’ve done spacewalks before, this is no different. Just get to Andy’s ship as soon as possible and I’ll send Tuc out as soon as you’re safe. Ready to go?” Elliot asked.

I nodded, looking at Peggy’s anxious face through her helmet.

She looked terrified. Her hand gripped mine tightly.

“We’ll be fine, Peg. He’s right, we’ve done this so many times and it’s always been okay,” I told her as we crossed into the airlock.

She nodded tightly, her eyes fixed on the ship out the window.

“Don’t let go of me, please,” she whispered.

My chest squeezed painfully.

“Never.”

We’re coming to your ship now, I told the crew.

Okay. It looks like our shield is holding. Just get here as soon as you can, Cas sent back.

No retreat, Gem cried, her excitement over seeing Peggy again palpable despite the tense situation.

“No surrender,” I whispered.

“Go!” Elliot cried the second the light flashed on and the doors opened.

I pulled myself through the door, gripping Peggy’s hand as tightly as I could and clenched my toes to activate my boot thrusters.

For a moment, it was strangely peaceful, the way that spacewalks normally are but then a flash of light from beyond Andy’s ship stole my attention. The Council ships, still racing towards us, were firing, trying desperately to hit us.

“Come on, Peggy,” I called, not looking away from our destination.

She was floating beside me but she pushing forwards like she should have been.

The realisation hit me that something was wrong half a second too late. I glanced back at her just in time to see her panicked look.

“My boots aren’t working!” she cried, hysteria entering her voice.

“What?”

“They aren’t working!”

She kicked her feet, trying desperately to get them to fire but nothing happened.

“Hang on to me, I’ll get us there!” I shouted, tightening my grip on her hand.

A desperate sob was her only response.

“It’s okay, Peg. It’s going to be okay,” I promised, trying desperately to ignore the spray of bullets that flashed against the shields before us.

We were halfway there. We got halfway there before my boots spluttered.

Horror crept over me as I clenched my toes again but I knew the sensation too well. They were running out of fuel.

I brought my arm up quickly, glancing at the fuel gauge on my wrist. I could see it steadily moving down. I was haemorrhaging fuel.

My heart pounded as I looked towards the ship again.

We were too far away.

“My boots are running out of fuel and Peggy’s aren’t working! What do we do?” I shouted, painfully aware of the ever-approaching ships.

“Fuck!” Gem cried over the comms.

“Aries, it’s alright. We’re going to send people out to come get you,” Andy’s calm voice said. “Get into a tight position with Peggy so that they can grab you easier.”

They should have just left us. We would have still gotten to the ship, it just would have taken longer. My boots had been firing too slowly, we were barely moving. But I guess, if they’d just left us, we would have been hit anyway.

Peggy’s sobbed quietly over the comms.

“It’s okay, we’re going to be fine. People are coming now. They’re going to help us get to Andy’s ship,” I said, pulling her closer and wrapping my arms around her to grab onto her belt.

I felt her do the same, her body shaking with fear.

From that angle, there was nothing I could do but stare down at Horo’s ship. The shields had been disengaged from the ship so that they could stretch out on either side like an umbrella. Turning my head from side to side, I examined the barely visible light blue glow from the shields that almost encased us. There were gaps in between where they didn’t quite touch but they were hard to see.

Flashes came from the swarm of Council ships but they weren’t all firing at us. I could just about see smaller ships attacking them and leading them away from us. The Freo fighters were doing what they could but it wasn’t enough.

The few moments that we spent alone in the air stretched on forever. I felt suspended, alone and utterly helpless. Around us, others were doing their part and fighting the Council but I was doing nothing. I was risking people’s lives because of my own incompetence.

We’d been trained since day one on the base to always check your equipment and your fuel supplies before you go out on any mission. I don’t know if I forgot to do it and they hadn’t been refilled properly, or they’d been damaged in some way in the crash or if they’d even been hit by a carefully aimed bullet but I’d fucked up.

It was my fault.

I glance behind me as best I could, catching sight of someone floating towards me, their face obscured by their helmet. I tried to get a better look but I couldn’t without letting go of Peggy and I wouldn’t do that.

Suspicion flared within me. It could have been someone from one of the other ships. It could have been a Council spy.

“Who’s that?” I cried, my hand itching to let go of Peggy and grab one of the weapons still concealed in my suit, just in case.

“Whoa, it’s just me!” Tuc called back, slowly slightly so that he didn’t crash into us. “I’m going to grab your belt, okay?”

“Okay,” I said quickly as I felt something tugging at my back.

We started moving quicker and before long, another person reached us. I smiled at Gem as I stared into her helmet above Peggy’s head.

“Who’s that?” Peggy shouted, turning to try and get a better look at her.

“It’s me. Oh, I’ve missed you so much,” Gem said, her voice thick with tears as she towed us closer to the ship.

There was a pause before Peggy quietly said. “Gem?”

“Yuhuh. I can’t wait to show you around Freo. I… I missed you.” Gem broke off, biting back a sob.

Tears welled in my eyes but I fought to keep them back, knowing how much of a pain tears were in a spacesuit.

“Oh, Gem! It’s really you!” Peggy sobbed.

I should have paid more attention. We were in the middle of a battle, I should have been focusing on that, not watching their reunion. I thought we were safe. I felt safe.

That was dumb. It was my fault. I should have been better.