As the ship soared through the atmosphere, the medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize Naomiâs friends. Heatsun, Moonsalt, Rei and Tim stayed by their side, offering comfort and encouragement.
Naomi, however, remained with Jim. Despite the physical distance she could feel the storm raging within him.
"Jim," she said gently. "Thank you. For everything."
He shook his head. "I didnât do enough. I should have gotten here sooner."
"You saved them," Naomi insisted, her eyes unwavering. "You saved all of them."
For a moment, Jim didnât respond. But as Naomi reached out, her fingers brushing against his hand, the warmth of her touch reminded him that perhaps, in saving them, he had also saved a piece of himself.
With the hum of the shipâs engines echoing softly, the survivors of Arcis could finally begin to heal.
Meanwhile in the hybrid spaceship of Mike and Heidi...
As their hybrid spaceship soared through the vastness of space, Mike sat in his seat, arms crossed and visibly irritated. Across from him, Aiden, a 23-year-old with long purple hair, lounged lazily, flipping a small gadget between his fingers with an infuriating grin.
"Seriously," Mike muttered under his breath, glaring at the intruder. "Of all the stowaways in the galaxy, we get him."
Heidi, who was piloting the ship, barely glanced back. "Could be worse. At least he hasn't tried to take over the ship⌠yet."
"Yet," Mike repeated grimly.
Their current situation was nothing short of baffling. It had all started back on Planet Sei, a desolate world known for its massive ruins and mysterious ancient technology where they went right after leaving Soluna.
Mike and Heidi had been exploring the planet in hopes of finding resources. After hours of scavenging, they had returned to their spaceship â only to find Aiden smugly lounging in the pilot seat as if he belonged there.
"Who are you and What the hell are you doing on our ship?" Mike had barked, glaring daggers at him.
"Charming you both with my presence," Aiden had replied with a dazzling grin.
Upon further interrogation, they discovered the absurd truth. Aiden had stolen a high-level driller â a device typically used for breaching reinforced structures.
Using it, he had bored a man-sized hole into the side of their spaceship, creating a makeshift entrance just large enough to squeeze through. It was a reckless stunt, but he had managed to patch the breach with a temporary seal, preventing any hull depressurization.
"Impressive, right?" Aiden had boasted. "A darling, a magicianâ and now, here I am."
"More like insane," Mike had growled.
Despite Mike's protests, Heidi hadnât been particularly concerned. âWell, he didnât destroy the ship, and weâre already in orbit. Might as well figure out what he wants before we toss him out.â
Aiden, of course, had a simple reason for his antics. He claimed he was bored and that their ship looked "cooler than any shuttle he'd ever seen." Apparently, adventure was his calling, and sneaking aboard without asking was his idea of starting one.
"And you're not even sorry about it," Mike had seethed.
"Sorry?" Aiden had laughed. "Nah. But I will say youâve got a pretty decent minibar back there. Thanks for that."
Now, as they continued their journey, Aidenâs persistent attempts to flirt with Heidi grated on Mikeâs nerves. Every sarcastic remark, every smug grin â it was relentless.
"So, Heidi," Aiden purred, casually twirling a lock of his purple hair. "Ever think about trading this boring space gig for something a little more thrilling? Say, a luxurious cruise through the Andromeda Cluster? Just the two of us. You and me, under the starry skies."
Heidi, who had heard enough of his antics over almost 2 days, didnât even flinch. "And who would pilot the ship when you inevitably get lost in your own reflection?"
Mike couldn't suppress a victorious smirk. "Burn."
Aiden laughed it off, undeterred. "Hey, I admire confidence. Besides, Iâm pretty useful. You need a guy who can get through any lock, bypass security systems, and â in case you forgot â sneak aboard a high-tech spaceship undetected."
"Yeah," Mike snapped, "because that's what makes someone trustworthy."
Before Aiden could respond, Heidi pointed at the control panel. A blinking light appeared on the radar.
"Looks like weâre crossing paths with a Justice Vanguard ship," she said.
Mike immediately perked up. "Finally, some normal people."
"Or at least people who aren't trying to flirt with my partner every five minutes," he muttered.
"Jealous much?" Aiden teased, a smug grin plastered on his face.
"More like nauseous," Mike growled.
Heidi groaned. "You two are worse than a couple of squabbling kids."
As the ship's radar locked on to the Justice Vanguard's signature, Mike couldn't help but feel a surge of relief. Maybe, with some actual responsibilities and allies around, Aidenâs nonsense would finally be put to rest.
Mike immediately stormed into the lab-ship partition of the hybrid spaceship, his frustration reaching its peak.
The sleek, white room was lined with state-of-the-art equipment and glowing monitors. Without a second thought, he slammed his palm onto the console, activating the SOS signal.
A loud beeping sound echoed through the ship. Heidiâs eyes widened in shock. "Mike! What are you doing?"
"Getting rid of the problem," Mike growled, his face contorted with irritation. "Let the Celestic Justice deal with him."
Aiden, who had been lounging lazily, chuckled. "Wow. Calling the authorities just because I stole your girlâs attention? Pathetic."
"Stole myâ" Mike clenched his fists. "Thatâs it. I swear, once we landâ"
"Okay, okay!" Heidi interrupted, stepping between them. "Both of you, calm down!"
But Mike wasnât budging. "He made a hole in our ship, Heidi! A massive, gaping hole! And you think thatâs nothing? If it werenât for the temporary patch, weâd be floating in pieces right now!"
Aiden smirked. "Hey, I fixed it, didnât I? Besides, that patch is holding just fine."
"Thatâs not the point!" Mike barked. "Youâre lucky weâre alive!"
Just as Heidi tried to reason with them, the ship's intercom buzzed. A gruff voice came through.
"This is Jeromy of the Justice Vanguard. We received your distress signal and are approaching your location. Prepare for docking."
The tension in the room froze. Even Aiden seemed taken aback. "Jeromy? As in, the Champion of Celestic Tournament?"
"Heâs going to love this," Mike grumbled sarcastically.
Within minutes, the massive Justice Vanguard ship came into view, gleaming with its gold and silver armored plating.
It towered over their hybrid spaceship, radiating power and authority. A docking bay opened, and a magnetic tether pulled their ship inside.
As the airlock connected, Mike stood impatiently near the hatch, arms crossed. Heidi sighed in exasperation, preparing for the inevitable embarrassment.
The doors slid open with a hiss, revealing Jeromy â the 49-year-old leader of the Justice Vanguard. His rugged face remained stern, his left eye glowing slightly as he scanned the scene. Behind him were several armed officers, standing at attention.
Jeromy stepped forward, expecting a grim scene. "Whatâs the situation? I came as soon as Iâ"
His voice trailed off as he took in the sight before him. Mike and Aiden were practically nose-to-nose, glaring at each other like children in a playground fight. Heidi, meanwhile, stood off to the side, visibly exhausted from the chaos.
"...What the hell is going on here?" Jeromy's expression shifted from concern to disbelief.
"He made a hole in our ship!" Mike pointed an accusing finger at Aiden.
"Just a small one," Aiden corrected with a nonchalant shrug. "And I patched it up perfectly."
"With stolen tech!" Mike snapped.
Jeromy rubbed his temples, exhaling deeply. "You called an SOS for this? I thought we were dealing with a critical emergency."
Mikeâs face reddened. "It was an emergency! Weâre stuck with him!"
Aiden smirked, offering a mock salute. "Happy to be here, sir."
For a moment, the silence hung heavily. Then, much to Mikeâs chagrin, some of the officers stifled laughter. Even Jeromyâs lips twitched in amusement at the absurdity of the situation.
"Two men fighting over a girl," Jeromy remarked dryly. "Iâve seen a lot in my time, but this?" He shook his head. "This is a new one."
Heidi stepped forward, trying to salvage some dignity. "Commander, itâs not like that. Aiden⌠trespassed. And yes, he damaged the ship. But the patch is holding, and weâre all safe."
Jeromyâs amusement faded as he returned to the matter at hand. "Regardless of how ridiculous this situation is, ship damage is serious." His tone hardened. "Even if it didnât cause harm, it wonât hurt to have it properly repaired."
He gestured to one of his officers. "Send a repair crew. I want a full assessment. Any breach in the hull needs to be reinforced immediately."
"Yes, Commander!" The officer saluted and left.
"As for the three of you," Jeromy continued, eyeing them sternly, "youâre coming with me. I want to hear everything. Especially from you, Aiden."
Aiden winked. "Of course. But if weâre sharing stories, I have some pretty great ones about how I escaped from bounty hunters. Might even throw in a pirate chase for free."
Mike groaned. "This is going to be a long day."
And with that, the Justice Vanguard ship launched into space, the repair crew swiftly beginning their work on the hybrid spaceship.
The absurdity of the situation wasnât lost on anyone â but one thing was certain. With Aiden around, there would never be a dull moment.