The Aviator Awakening

Vor and the twin planets faded into the distance. Amara shifted through the controls, checking and rechecking the navs to confirm they were not being traced. Her heart pounded, the adrenaline from their escape beginning to ebb. She had to trust that the Aviator had covered their tracks sufficiently.

Doctor Lsar’s project was under Nerzogk’s care in the med bay at the back of the ship. She steadied her shaking hand, wondering if she had done the right thing in putting herself and Nerzogk in such a precarious situation. The Aviator was the Empire’s property—but he was also human. And a member of their team. Their daring rescue had been a split-moment decision on her part. She suspected it was the same for Nerzogk.

Panic replaced the fading adrenaline in her veins. This wasn’t her first time facing insurmountable odds. It was, however, the first time her reckless actions had put others at risk.

Alerts continued to ping through the ship’s system core. Shield capacity was dangerously low after the struggle to exit the base.

Amara scoured through possible routes, trying to determine how best to avoid the Empire’s scouts. They couldn’t make a space jump with the shields damaged this severely. But they also couldn’t linger in open space for too long. Taking shelter in a Nebula cloud was an option, but also problematic with low shields.

“Tell me you have a plan.” Nerzogk slumped into the co-pilot’s seat.

“I lifted my best ship from the base’s dock.” Amara offered him a wink in attempt to lift his mood. “She’s taken a beating, but she’s holding up.”

Her comrade flicked through the ship’s readings, lingering on the live feed from the rear exterior camera. Vor’s light was fading, becoming smaller and smaller until it was just one among many stars. The large reptilian man, who always showed a strong front no matter the circumstances, let slip a rare display of distress; frowning and leaning back with his eyes closed. For a moment, the daunting vorgon looked like he might shatter.

Amara waited for him to break the silence. Vor-Vardos meant a lot to both of them, but for Nerzogk, it was home. Now, if they ever returned, it would be for their execution.

He let out a sigh, as if the exhale could sever his lifelong connection with the planet. When he opened his golden slit eyes again, he focused on the ship’s controls. “With the shields this low, we don’t have a lot of options, do we?”

“If we can find enough time to stop and fix the shields, then we’ve got a chance,” Amara reported. It was her best attempt at sugar-coating it. The truth was their plan had been riddled with holes from the start. Amara thought she’d been prepared but realized she might’ve weighted her calculations too much toward Nerzogk’s reluctance to join the effort.

Nerzogk checked the radar. “We won’t be tracked from Vor-Vardos, but there are plenty of other spaceports capable of launching scouts. How much time we have depends on whether or not the Aviator crippled base comms along with the radar.” His frown changed from sad to concerned. “Our odds of surviving this are slim. It’s crazy we even tried.”

“I didn’t factor in the potential shield damage and the risk of being unable to jump out of the sector immediately,” Amara agreed. “How’s he doing? We’ll have more options if he’s conscious.”

“It’s hard to tell with him. His vitals are all over the place. But this is the Aviator we’re talking about, so I’d say we just need to let the treatments run their course and wait for him to wake up.”

“Do you think we should’ve urged him to take the General’s deal?” Amara asked quietly.

“It’s too late to consider that.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” The option floated silently in the air between them.

Nerzogk was the one to break the silence. “We just stole the key to our species’ future.” His voice quivered, still in a state of shock. “Humans and Vorgons alike. I let my sentiments get the best of me. We might have to consider opening negotiations with the Empire for the sake of the greater whole.”

“And what? Let them dissect him or something? Besides, a key is useless if you’re too afraid to use it. They were never going to trust him,” Amara challenged her accomplice. Although, admittedly, she hadn’t fully made up her mind, either.

“He was a prisoner. He wasn’t ever actually one of us.”

“And, yet, you decided to help. I didn’t think you would.”

“I didn’t think I would, either.” He shook his head, remembering something unsavory. “Lrend it.” He sighed and pressed his scaled head against the open cocoon forming his seat. “You’re right. We can’t hand him over to them.”

The jade vorgon’s somber expression chilled Amara’s blood. “It was that bad, huh?” she tested. The resolve in the pit of her stomach settled, bringing an end to her internal debate. The Aviator didn’t belong at Vor-Vardos. He belonged here. With them.

“I don’t know what history he has with the Intelligence Department—I try not to guess what goes on with the subjects that come from their donations.” Nerzogk’s frown sank deeper. “He came in a bloody mess, at the start of all this, with a near-zero chance of survival. The Director harbors a grudge against him, a personal vendetta. If he is ever returned…well, it won’t be good.”

Mention of Director Vesar made them both pause. The ominous man was a legend across the Empire. To think that the Aviator had drawn his attention prior to Doctor Lsar’s experiment only thickened the danger they found themselves in. It meant she and Nerzogk had gained the focus of the one man in the Empire it was best to remain invisible to.

They sat in silence. Amara plotted a course into the nearest Nebula skirt. Rescuing the Aviator was equivalent to stealing an advanced weapons system. The Empire would spare no expense to hunt them down. And, limited to hyper-speed, it promised to be a short hunt.

The Nubula skirt came within reach. Hiding among space rocks was too simple to offer lasting protection. Amara only hoped it would be enough to keep them alive for a few hours longer. She glanced over at the emerald-scaled operative seated next to her. “For what it’s worth, Nerzogk, I couldn’t ask for a better partner to be on the run with. I can’t say if we did the right thing or not, but I feel a lot more confident having you on board.”

“You’re not a bad partner yourself. If this were a mission, I’d say the three of us make a decent team.” The frown tugging at the corner of his lips turned into a grin. “We’ll make good outlaws. Could be interesting.”

Amara laughed. “If we can last long enough for me to repair the shields and initiate a vector jump, then we can figure out the whole outlaw thing. It’s too soon to be thinking further than that.” She considered it for a second, trying to find a silver lining. “On a positive note, they’ll want to capture the Aviator alive. If they don’t have the option of blowing us up, it gives us a fighting chance.”

Nerzogk laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could look at that as a positive.” His leathery grin stayed, and Amara felt she was getting hints of his usual personality back. She steadied her emotions, resolving to look forward rather than debate their decision to leave.

Amara halted the ship at the edge of the nebula, checking for a pathway with the least potential of damage to their already dwindling defenses. When a suitable opening showed itself, she launched into the field of dust and rocks.