The First Flame part 13

There will be 1 more update this week :)

She could tell exactly when they entered outer space. There was a little shake to the ship that she would recognize anywhere.

Her nails hurt from how desperately she attacked the walls, but she kept going at it.

She felt so betrayed by Vrox and Ni’ev. How could they do this to her? To Eon?

She threw a tantrum, hoping to bring the ship down.

Ni’ev showed up an hour later.

“You should’ve just left me on fucking Earth. That would’ve been less cruel than this!”

He gripped the bars. “Ran, please. I could not go against Vrox. He is your father.”

“He’s also your brother, Ni’ev. He would’ve listened to you,” she spat.

He was stunned, because she never used his name before. It was always ‘uncle.’

“Don’t sit there and tell me you couldn’t have fought harder.”

Ni’ev looked torned.

“What about mom? Did she allow this?”

Ni’ev winced. “She does not know Vrox did it. She thinks the boy is being brought back to Ezron for his punishment.”

“He’s not a boy,” she corrected. “And I’m not a girl.”

“It is hard to see things that way, Ran. Perhaps when you have your own children and nieces, you will see the same thing your father and I do. We want to protect you.”

She loved them for it, but their obsession became rabid.

“Whatever he’s being accused of, he didn’t do it. Eon is a good man. Turn this ship around. Please?” She reached for him through the bars, and he pulled her in for a hug.

With the bars between them, he kissed her head. “It is beyond my power. Vrox will not bend on this.”

“But it’s not fair,” she trembled.

“Vrox told Eon that he would let you see him one last time if he pledged guilty to his crimes. Eon accepted it.”

“What crimes?” she demanded.

“When the ship was ready to fly and retrieve you from The Federation, your father and uncles fought over who would go. Everyone wanted to come for you, but this was a one-man mission. Even men without children offered to go, but your uncles did not trust anyone but themselves to make it.”

That didn’t surprise her. It was typical of them to become neanderthal over their families.

“What does Eon have anything to do with this?”

“He stole the ship. Although he had little flight experience from his studies, he snuck inside and took off. Our only chance of getting you back was gone. Not only that, but he crash landed into Tulis. One of Ezron’s precious princesses lost in that barbaric planet? It was outrageous. Then there was that message he sent to Vrox. He lost it then.”

“But… but… and Terra? Is Terra okay?”

Ni’ev frowned. “Of course she is. Annoyed, but healthy. Vrox became so paranoid of losing another daughter that he assigned two guards to all of them.”

“I don’t understand.” She ran her hands through her hair. Did she misread Eon? Was he not who she thought he was?

“He told me dad sent him.”

Ni’ev shook his head. “No. Vrox was busy fighting all of us. He tried to use his Commander card, and that is when it got bloody between us.” He rubbed his arm, as if he could still feel the pain of an old injury.

Maybe Eon wasn’t as good as she thought he was.

No.

Her thoughts began to spiral, so she stomped on the breaks. Eon was not a bad person.

“There has to be a reason. A good one. Did he say why he did this? Anything?”

Ni’ev sighed. “It has to do with his father. Eon is adopted. His mother died when he was younger than ten snowfalls, and his father left The Ruins with him shortly after. Although the female died of a drug overdose, Eon’s father was blamed for not taking care of her. Eon wanted to restore his father’s honor by rescuing you.”

If Eon left when he was younger than ten, that’s probably why she couldn’t remember much of him.

“See?” she laughed, feeling proud of her male. “He was trying to restore his father’s honor by showing that he raised a good son. Eon wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. He had noble intentions, so he should be celebrated instead of banished.”

She smiled. Once Vrox heard this, he would turn the ship around.

“Can you call dad? Tell him I’m not mad anyone. I just need to clarify things for him.”

Ni’ev shook his head. “He already knows all of this. It is not enough. He wants to make an example of Eon.”

“No!” she argued. “I won’t let him. I’ll– I’ll run away again and again until I find him.”

“Ran, be realistic. I do not want you to hurt yourself as you try to do the impossible. Do you want to know why it took us so long to get to you? Because we had to flip Ezron inside-out to find enough krypto to fuel a warship to make this trip. Vrox literally moved mountains for mining. Millions of Ezronians were mobilized for weeks of back-breaking work. We worked day and night. The whole planet wanted their princess home.”

“How did you know I was on Earth?”

“One of Siox’s brothers cracked. I know you are worried about Eon, but I need you to worry about yourself for a second, yes?” his eyes flickered with worry. “Did Siox…?”

“No,” she blurted.

Was that was Vrox was thinking? Did he think she got raped and wanted to punish someone for it?

“I killed him.”

“That is my niece,” he smiled

She squeezed his hand, hard. “I know you won’t get me out of this cell.”

He shook his head. “I cannot.”

“Call dad then, please. Call him. I need to talk to him.”

“I will.”

Ni’ev left, and Ran fixed the fur that was draped over her shoulders. She kneeled by the bars– a sign of respect, and then she schooled her features.

“Ran?” Vrox appeared, looking happy. He fell to his knees and reached for her hands. “Did you call for me, princess?”

“Yes, father.”

Her tone was monotone.

“Are you still angry?”

“No, father.”

“What is wrong? Are you hurt?”

“No, father.”

She forced herself to become a robot. Vrox tried to shelter her through her entire life. He had the hardest time raising her, because she never stood still.

She was finally giving him what he wanted. If he didn’t want fire, then she would give him ashes. Only Eon would ignite her again.

If he wanted his daughter back, then he would turn the damn ship around.

Vrox stood up and fussed with the panel of the cell. He wasn’t the best with technology. When the cell opened, he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bunk beds.

He kneeled in front of her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, father.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Yes, sir.”

His worry became anger. “Ran,” he said in that stern voice of his.

“What would you like me to call you?” she asked.

The question bewildered him. She could see it in his golden eyes. He sat beside her and hugged her. She kept her arms limp by her side, not returning the affection.

“I am daddy. I am who would travel across galaxies for you, who would give his life for you. Please do not do this. I miss your smile. Do you want to hurt me? Scream? Break something? You can. I know you are upset, but you will get better with time. I will let you travel to Drukai like you asked me to, yes? I will let you lead the next trading expedition. Would you like that?”

He sounded hopeful. A part of her felt guilty, but this had to be done. Taking away his daughter and giving him a corpse was the only way to get through to him.

“No thank you, daddy.”

He hugged her tighter. “Please do not do this to me. It hurts.”

Didn’t she say the same thing to him when they were on Earth?

“I’m sorry for hurting you, daddy.”

“Please… what do I have to do?” he pleaded.

He already knew the answer, though.

Vrox stroked her back and brushed her hair from her face, but she didn’t respond. When he laid her on the bed and pulled the fur over her, she stared at the ceiling blankly.

He walked away, and when he was at the entrance of the cell, he said, “I love you so much.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

She couldn’t see him, but she was sure that he looked heartbroken.