Valconalla

  “Entering Nok-17,” I said, guiding the spacecraft into the solar system.

  The system was anchored by a blue giant star.

  For most of the 32-hour journey, Coven and the others had remained asleep in their stasis pods. They needed to recharge. Coven suggested that we split the responsibility and take turns in the stasis pod, but I refused.

  Unlike him, I didn’t need regular sleep. Hornet had given this mission’s responsibility to me, and I intended to fulfill it.

  T-1700.

  Two hours to landing.

  “Are you recharged now?”

  I asked, keeping my head towards the front.

  “Yeah. Are we close to landing?”

  “Yes. Two more hours till we land.”

  He settled down on his seat next to mine, ruffling his damp midnight blue hair.

  “How many times have I told you not to do that in the command room?”

  Despite my warning, he continued.

  “You are being too stiff. Loosen up.”

  He smacked my forearm, continuing to tousle his damp hair.

  I shook my head, turning my head back towards the panel.

  “Did everyone else wake up?”

  “Yes. I woke them up after I cleaned up. They should be doing the same thing by now.”

  He tossed the damp towel onto my chair. My hands clenched around the wheel.

  “Coven, pick it up.”

  “I will. Let me just…”

  I turned my head towards him as he walked off to the nearby mini refrigerator and opened it. He took out frozen blueberry yogurt. He had a habit of piling them up whenever we stopped at a space station, spending all his Ulle on them.

  Even now, after waking up from stasis, the first thing he was doing was eating that awful tasting yogurt.

  He even tried to shove it down my throat when he joined the team.

  He sauntered over to the co-pilot chair, settling down while shoving the yogurt into his mouth.

  “Now pick up your dirty, wet towel.”

  “Alright, alright… don’t be so noisy.”

  He leaned forward, taking his towel off my chair and tossing it to the side. My fingers twitched.

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Don’t do what?”

  He put on an innocent facade as if he didn’t know I hated when he tossed things left and right without a care.

  “Put the towel in the laundry bin. Not on the floor against the wall.”

  “I will put it away later. I am hungry. You know I am famished after stasis slumber.”

  “It doesn’t mean you can create a mess in the craft. This habit of yours bugs me.”

  “I know.”

  He said, taking a spoonful of the yogurt. My fingers twitched once again, gripping the handle harder.

  “Yet you do it every single time.”

  “Can’t help it.”

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  I shook my head, bringing my attention back to the front of the spacecraft.

  My head turned around to look back as the others entered, fully dressed unlike Coven who was still in trousers and a compressed black t-shirt.

  “Agile, how long before we land?”

  Aureolo asked.

  “30 minutes.”

  “Coven, you should get dressed.”

  “Right…”

  He licked the spoon clean before getting up from the chair and heading out of the room, forgetting about the towel he tossed away earlier.

  How irresponsible. Yet he was head of Rapid Engagement.

  The solar system of Nok-17 orbited Oten-17. There were nine gas planets and thirteen small, rocky planets.

  I thrust the ship toward the volcanic planet. It was in the astro belt after the second planet.

  The dwarf planet Valconalla had a dark, ashy-gray hue and appeared to be a small gas planet, though a solid surface lay beneath the clouds. This orbital system was last checked four decades ago by the Sanguine*.

  “We are entering Valconalla’s atmosphere.”

  I pulled the button, enabling the protective shield around Axiom–Titanium 6-3k.

  The craft entered smoothly through the harsh atmosphere. Axiom had been modified by the Dissethious*. The most advanced technological kingdom—and one of the Guardians’ strongest allies. Axiom could hold the harshest of environments without a scratch and with the shield in place, it was untouchable by any force in the known universe except the powers of AVA and the Zionalma Kingdom.

  They had powers with no explanation. The power of Leda and Ava defied explanation.

  My eyes narrowed when I saw the ashy smoke. The more we lowered, the clearer the view had become. A collapsed volcano filled my sight.

  “What is that?”

  Coope asked.

  “A collapsed volcano.”

  I answered.

  “We should take a closer look at the volcano. There could be people to save.”

  Coven suggested.

  I nodded my head and drove towards the volcano as it emitted rumbles and lava. I spotted a figure, enclosed by lava.

  “There, Agile.”

  “I see them, Coven.”

  I lowered the spacecraft down to get a closer look at the person. The flowing lava surrounded every meter of the plain, closing in around the person.

  “Aureolo, head back to the hangar deck. I will open the hangar.”

  “Alright, Agile.”

  Footsteps echoed through the command room as he ran out like I instructed.

  I lowered the spacecraft carefully and waited for Aureolo’s response. I pressed the comms.

  “Are you in the hangar bay?”

  Buzz.

  “Ah — yes, I am.”

  “Alright, I am opening the doors. Be quick about it.”

  “Right.”

  ???

  Notes:

  Sanguine: The Sanguine are a group of travelers who work for the Guardians of the Unirex, tasked with collecting and organizing information about the observable universe.

  Dissethious: The Dissethious are a species that live in the far eastern reaches of the observable universe. They are one of the most technologically advanced civilizations, and most of the Guardians of the Unirex’s spacecraft are purchased from them.