Chapter 17: Comforting Thought

The golden light of Eden-V’s morning cast long shadows over the valley. The tranquility of the landscape felt like a cruel illusion as the crew of the Vanguard faced their grim reality. They had three days to repair their ship and leave, or the forest guardians would come for them.

Jefro was already hard at work on the engines, his face set in a mask of determination. Tools lay scattered around him, and wires dangled from open panels. He wiped grease from his hands and glanced at Scar, who had come to check on his progress.

“I’ve jury-rigged a temporary coolant system,” Jefro explained, his voice strained. “It’ll hold, but only just. The real problem is the power distribution grid. We’ve got half a dozen circuits fried, and I’m not sure we have enough spare parts to fix them all.”

Scar’s brow furrowed. “Do what you can. Focus on the essentials. We need shields and propulsion. Everything else is secondary.”

Jefro nodded, though the weight of the task was clearly wearing on him. “Understood, but it’s going to take every bit of luck and skill we have.”

Scar’s jaw tightened. “We’ve made it this far on less,” he said, though he couldn’t quite ignore the gnawing anxiety in his gut. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Nova and Cyko were setting up additional defenses around their perimeter, using every trick and scrap of technology they had left. Cyko mounted a motion-detection drone on a tree trunk, his hands steady despite the mounting pressure.

“Think these will actually slow down a guardian?” he asked, his voice carrying a forced lightness.

Nova finished calibrating one of the automated turrets, then stood and wiped sweat from her brow. “Doubtful,” she replied. “But it’s better than nothing. We’re buying ourselves seconds, not safety.”

Cyko grimaced. “Comforting thought.”

They worked in silence for a moment, the tension between them palpable. Nova finally broke it, her voice quieter. “If we don’t make it… I want you to know, I don’t blame you for any of this.”

Cyko’s usual humor faded, replaced by something more vulnerable. “Hey,” he said, meeting her eyes. “Don’t talk like that. We’re getting out of here, one way or another. Besides, I still owe you a drink on a peaceful moon, remember?”

Nova managed a small smile. “You’d better keep that promise.”

They finished setting up the defenses, their shared hope keeping the fear at bay.

Inside the Vanguard, Arlen sat at the small galley table, Pip curled up beside him. The boy was staring at the notebook his father had left him, turning the pages as if the diagrams and equations might reveal a hidden miracle. His young face was lined with worry, and his fingers traced the faded ink.

Scar approached, sitting across from him. “Anything useful in there?” he asked gently.

Arlen looked up, his eyes weary. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “My father wrote about how Eden-V is different. The planet has… energy. He believed it was connected to everything, and that’s why the guardians protect it.”

Scar leaned forward. “Energy? Like the kind we use to power our ships?”

Arlen hesitated, then nodded. “Maybe. He wrote about natural energy sources, like the river and the forest. He thought it was alive, and that it could be harnessed if we understood how.”

Scar’s mind raced. “Could that help us? Power the Vanguard?”

Arlen bit his lip. “Maybe. But it’s risky. We’d have to set up a conduit to draw the energy, and if the guardians sense it…”

Scar finished the thought. “They’d come for us even sooner.” He rubbed a hand over his face, weighing the risks. “It’s a gamble, but it might be our only shot.”

Arlen’s eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hope. “I’ll help,” he said. “It’s what my father would’ve done.”

Scar placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’ll need everyone’s help,” he said. “But thank you.”

The crew gathered outside, the urgency of the situation clear in every line of their faces. Scar explained Arlen’s idea, and the reaction was immediate.

Nova’s brows knitted in worry. “Drawing energy from this planet could be like setting off a beacon. We’d be announcing ourselves to the guardians.”

Jefro wiped his hands on his coveralls, deep in thought. “But if we can channel it correctly, it could give us the boost we need. I can rig up an energy siphon, but we’d have to place it close to the river—right in the open.”

Cyko blew out a breath. “Right where we’d be most vulnerable. Great. But hey, if it means getting off this rock, I’m in.”

Scar looked at each of them, reading their exhaustion, their fear, but also their resolve. They had come too far to give up now. “We do this together,” he said. “We set up the siphon, finish the repairs, and get out of here before the guardians come.”

Nova adjusted her blaster holster, her expression hardening. “Then let’s move. We don’t have time to waste.”

The river sparkled in the midday sun, its surface rippling with an energy that felt almost tangible. Jefro and Arlen worked quickly, setting up the energy siphon, while Nova and Cyko stood guard, their weapons trained on the surrounding forest. Scar kept his focus on their surroundings, every sense on high alert.

Jefro connected the final cable and nodded at Arlen. “All right,” he said, his voice tense. “Here goes nothing.”

Arlen swallowed hard and activated the device. The siphon hummed to life, drawing energy from the river in a way that made the air feel charged, electric. The grass around the device seemed to bend toward it, as if drawn by an invisible force.

Scar’s earpiece crackled, and Nova’s voice came through, sharp with urgency. “Scar, we’ve got movement.”

Scar turned, his heart racing. The treeline shifted, shadows twisting as if the forest itself were coming alive. A deep rumble echoed through the valley, and then the guardians appeared.

Three massive creatures, each different but equally terrifying, emerged from the trees. One had obsidian scales that glinted like shards of night, another was covered in moss and vines that seemed to writhe with a life of their own, and the third had crystalline skin that refracted the sunlight in dazzling, deadly patterns.

Cyko raised his rifle. “Here we go,” he muttered. “Round two.”

Scar’s mind raced. They had minutes, maybe seconds, to finish charging the siphon. “Hold them off!” he ordered. “We need more time!”

Nova and Cyko opened fire, their weapons blazing. The guardians roared in response, their movements fluid and deadly. The obsidian-scaled one lunged forward, and Cyko rolled to the side, barely avoiding its snapping jaws.

Jefro worked frantically, his hands shaking as he monitored the siphon. “It’s almost ready!” he shouted. “Just a little longer!”

Scar aimed and fired, but the shots only seemed to anger the moss-covered guardian. Vines shot out from its body, wrapping around one of the turrets and tearing it apart. The crystalline guardian advanced on Nova, who fired burst after burst, her shots shattering harmlessly against its gleaming hide.

Pip, sensing the chaos, leapt from Arlen’s arms and let out another high-pitched wail. The guardians hesitated, their eyes flickering with confusion, but the effect was fleeting. Scar realized they were out of time.

“Jefro!” Scar yelled. “Now or never!”

Jefro slammed a final switch, and the siphon released a surge of energy. The Vanguard’s systems roared to life, lights and engines flaring as power coursed through the ship. “We’ve got it!” Jefro shouted, a wild grin on his face.

Scar grabbed Arlen’s hand and pulled him toward the ship. “Everyone, fall back! Now!”

Nova and Cyko retreated, firing as they ran. The guardians pursued, their roars shaking the ground, but the crew made it inside the Vanguard. Scar hit the ramp controls, and the hatch sealed with a heavy thud.

“Nova, get us airborne!” Scar ordered.

Nova didn’t hesitate. She powered up the engines, and the ship lifted off, the ground falling away beneath them. The guardians roared in frustration, but they couldn’t reach the Vanguard as it ascended into the sky.

The ship shuddered as it broke through the planet’s atmosphere, but then the vibrations eased. They were airborne, flying away from Eden-V and its mysteries. Scar sank into his seat, his body trembling with exhaustion and relief.