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Aerie had been to the New Hope Military Academy several times throughout her school career. She remembered walking around the building in awe, trying to take everything in and memorize it, preparing herself for the day when she would be accepted into its hallowed halls. She recalled feeling strong and powerful, able to move the destiny of the world by just being there.
Now, as she tucked her face down even more into Brock’s shoulder, trying to find warmth as they approached the hangar, she felt nothing but winded contempt for the place and, she admitted silently, for herself at her earlier naiveté.
“Just hold on, Aerie,” Brock told her. “It’ll be alright. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”
“You have a plan?” she asked, surprised. She wasn’t sure what had caused Brock to break the rules he revered, but she was even more surprised he seemed so confident about being able to do it successfully.
He surprised her by giving her a small smile. “Just trust me.”
Aerie balked and tightened her grip around him, despite the uncomfortable feeling of swaying back and forth in his arms. Around them, more alarms were going off, and she knew this could end very badly. She prayed they would be able to escape.
“I don’t want to go back to the center,” she said quietly. She squeezed her eyes shut in shame, reliving the seconds of torture and recalling Gerard’s gleeful face.
She scowled. Between Gerard’s sick pleasure and the agony shooting through her body, she didn’t know which was worse to remember.
I’ll have to ask Exton about him. Aerie wondered why Gerard hated him so much.
Thinking of Exton made her heart soar. Maybe Brock would take her to the Chaya settlement after all, now that they were officially URS dissenters.
Before she could ask Brock about heading for Chaya, she heard a voice call out to him from behind them.
“Brock!”
Aerie stiffened at her sister’s call. What is Serena doing here? She turned to see her older sister was in her work uniform, hurrying down the hall with a med pack strapped on her back. Belatedly, Aerie recalled she worked at the base as a combat med.
“Serena,” Brock called back.
Aerie felt even more uncomfortable as she heard him use Serena’s first name.
“What are you—?” Serena’s voice faltered and the charismatic lilt disappeared. “Aerie.”
“Serena.” Aerie bit her lip before she raised her chin, trying to look brave, even though she knew she was a mess. She was still dressed in her uniform, with the hospital gown over her shirt, and she was barefoot. Her hair was loose, and she didn’t want to know what her face looked like after hours of sleep deprivation and torture.
“What happened to you?” Serena asked, not out of concern but contempt. “Why are you here like that? You didn’t make Brock do something, did you?”
As Brock explained their situation to Serena, Aerie sighed. Despite Serena’s aloofness, Aerie had never felt she lived up to her sister’s legacy. Serena was smart and sharp, and everyone knew her for one reason or another. With their mother’s green eyes and reddish-brown hair, Serena easily had her pick of admirers. She was tall and toned, and more than once she had been hailed as the beauty of the family.
“Well, whatever she did to twist you up in her mess, you can’t go into the hangar with her,” Serena said angrily, jolting Aerie back to the present. “There’s a battle going on. A couple of fighters have been stolen and several workers have been injured.”
The hallway shook as explosions started to cry out from the hangar. Angry shouts and frightened screams accompanied the roaring sound of crumbling structures.
Aerie felt Brock’s grip tighten around her, but this time it seemed to be more because of irritation rather than desperation. “We’ve got to leave, Serena. I’m sorry.”
He turned away for a moment, before glancing back at her. “Why don’t you come with us? Aerie could use the medical support.”
Aerie felt her mouth drop open. Serena looked equally appalled by the situation.
“Come on. I know you’re the best we have on the military med services,” Brock said.
Serena shot Aerie a smug smile at the compliment, but she still hesitated. “I don’t know. Cal and Dorian are taking off. If we head out, we might get caught in the battle.”
“It’s a risk we’ll have to take,” Brock said. “Aerie and I need to get out of here.”
Serena narrowed her eyes. “I know she has to leave, especially if she doesn’t want to end up in Reeducation again.”
Aerie stuck her tongue out at her. Before Serena could retaliate, Brock stepped forward.
“I’m helping Aerie,” he declared. “I’m not leaving her behind.”
“Well, she’s not well,” Serena said with a groan. “And really, Brock, she’s a traitor. Who cares about her?”
Aerie winced at Serena’s accusation and shrunk back from her glare.
“I do.”
Aerie felt a rush of warmth toward Brock. What do you know? Aerie wondered. Brock is capable of being loyal to me, even over the State.
She was just beginning to believe she had underestimated Brock when he ruined the moment by asking Serena to come with them.
“Come with us, Serena, please,” Brock said. “I’ll need you to help take care of her while we get out of here. And I’ll need a copilot for the cargo ship, anyway.”
Serena chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “I don’t want to be responsible when the URS captures us and hauls us back here for punishment.”
“You don’t have to come if you don’t think you can survive,” Aerie retorted.
“Aerie,” Brock muttered.
Serena ignored him. “So, the little mother is challenging me? That’s amusing, because I always won our games when we were kids.”
“We’re not kids anymore, and this is not a game,” Aerie said. “So if you don’t think you have it in you, don’t bother. I might be the one who needs medical help, but at least I know I can survive this better than you.”
“I was trained to survive the worst parts of war long before you were even in combat class,” Serena snapped. “What do you know about that? You spent all your free time at the housing unit with our mother, helping her weed out her garden, before she managed to get herself killed.”
“I learned plenty,” Aerie shot back. “I’ll bet anything you’re just scared.”
“Scared?” Serena huffed. “You’re the one who should be scared. You’re the one who’s bleeding and can’t even walk.” She nodded to the small trail of blood following from Aerie’s leg as it dripped down onto the legs of Brock’s pants.
Aerie blushed before turning to Brock. “I can take care of my own medical needs while you get us out of here.”
There was another explosion that blasted through the corridor, and Aerie felt herself sway dangerously as Brock staggered under the blast.
“Come on,” Brock ordered. “We need to get to a transport.”
He hurried off, and Aerie was able to glance over his shoulder just enough to see Serena scowl as she started to follow them.
“Wait! I’m coming.”
Great. I don’t need her along for the ride.
“Can I put you down for a bit, Aerie?” Brock asked. “Are you feeling well enough to walk?”
She nodded and blushed. “Yes, please.”
“Here, put your arm around my shoulder,” Brock said as he shifted her.
Aerie felt her legs buckle as she straightened, but with Brock’s support she knew she could make it to a ship.
“Now, let’s head for that cargo carrier right there. It’ll be big enough for all of us, and it should be stocked with enough supplies.”
“Where are we going?” Aerie asked.
Brock didn’t appear to hear her as he hurried her forward. Several people called out to him, but he waved them off with his free arm. Serena raced up behind them, easily matching Brock’s uneven pace.
Others were hurrying around, trying to get to their different positions while the hangar was under attack. As Brock pulled her out of the hallway and into the hangar, Aerie was able to see more of the damage that had been caused.
There were some people who were injured, but it looked like the loss was minimal. She could hear pilots being called to their fighters over the announcement system, and she could hear other warnings as the newly minted URS fighters were cleared for takeoff.
“This is incredible,” Aerie said, her voice hushed. What was going on?
“Seems like two traitors stole two of our new ships,” Serena said. “I wonder where the twins are.”
“They could’ve taken off already,” Brock said.
“No, Cal and Dorian are sequenced for launch behind their squad commander, Drex. He’s over there, that big guy by the fuel center, but his ship is gone,” Serena replied.
“Cal and Dorian are here?” Aerie asked.
“Somewhere,” Serena said with a shrug. “They were called.”
Brock turned his attention to the cargo ship’s docking bay. “Here,” he said, thrusting Aerie over to Serena. “Let me see if I can hack the code for this shuttle.”
Serena shoved Aerie away from her, sending her flying to the ground. “Here,” she said, stepping up next to Brock. “There’s an emergency med code we can use to break in.”
“Oh, cool.” Brock’s eyes lit up.
Aerie frowned, but she hurried to get up off the floor again. Just keep going, she thought. You’ll be able to find Exton soon, even if you have to deal with Serena for the next several hours ... or days.
Realizing the uncertainty of their situation, Aerie lost her balance again. She fell to the floor, hard, hitting her hip against the cement flooring. She scrambled to move, but this time she forced herself to move slowly.
As she gradually got back on her feet, she did have to wonder what Brock had in mind.
Before she could ask him, the docking doors opened. Serena made her way inside as another blast ricocheted off the outer hangar walls. A large explosion went off in the background, making Aerie wonder if a ship had been shot down.
Are we even going to be able to get out of here?
Brock grabbed her once more, picking her up into his arms. “Come on, Aerie,” he said. He smiled down at her, kindly. “I’m sorry that you fell. I thought Serena would hold you while I waited.”
“Well, we know not to expect that again,” Aerie grumbled.
“At least she got us into the ship,” Brock said as he followed Serena down toward the cockpit.
As they came out of the galley, Brock led her into the small infirmary. Inside were only a couple of stations, with only one examination bed. Aerie was about to ask if she could join him in the cockpit until Serena was ready to fix her up, when he interrupted her.
“Here,” Brock said as he set her down onto the medic chair. He buckled her in, careful not to hurt her. Aerie was grateful, especially when he took the time to loop the straps around her injured shoulder, even though she knew they were pressed for time.
Aerie reached out and took Brock’s arm. “Wait.”
“What is it?” Brock looked down at her, and for a moment, Aerie saw his gaze soften. Even as the world was at war, the hangar was attacked, and Serena was cursing loudly in the cockpit next door, she felt herself taken aback by Brock’s concern.
She had wanted to ask him to turn on the monitors in the infirmary so she could monitor their flight from where she was. But Aerie faltered, and instead only said, “Thank you. I know this wasn’t an easy thing for you to do.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t like it when you seemed to side with them on so much,” Aerie admitted. “I wasn’t sure you were my friend.” She was going to ask him if he had help from the Ecclesia when another bomb exploded outside the hangar.
“Sometimes friendship means looking out for each other’s better interests,” Brock told her. He reached down and ruffled her hair some, before leaning down.
Aerie was surprised to feel the quick warmth of his lips on hers.
She jolted back in surprise, her head digging into the cushion of the chair.
He backed away and grinned. Before she could tell him she wasn’t interested in him that way, he turned his gaze back to the helm. “I gotta head up there and help Serena take off. I’ll send her back here once we’re clear.”
Aerie watched as Brock headed out to leave, feeling awkward.
“Brock!” Serena called. “Get out here. One of those fighters just took out the signal tower!”
Brock turned to Aerie. “I’m going to have to take off manually,” he said. “Don’t move from the chair. It’ll be a bumpy enough ride.”
“Okay,” Aerie said.
As she settled into her chair, she felt the ship begin to move.
Aerie began to try to clean up the blood seeping from her cuts and scrapes, and where the IV needles had been inserted. She tenderly ran her fingers over the small blackened bumps where the electrode patches had been placed on her arms, and she hoped Serena had some burn cream in her med pack.
She wasn’t concerned as she felt the ship swerve and drop and accelerate; she knew Brock was a good pilot, and Serena had enough sense to know how to follow directions on a plane. It was only when Brock hollered that she leaned forward.
The monitor was beeping loudly. There was another ship coming their way.
“It’s Captain Chainsword’s shuttle,” Brock called out. “Hold on, Aerie. This is too good of an opportunity to miss. We’re going to attack.”
Exton!
“No.” She gasped. As the ship sailed out of the hangar, she began to fumble with her seatbelt.