SATUS ARC PART VII: I've got a Golden Ticket

Yuri was still at the shop, finishing up some work on the ship. It was during the break between the quarter and semi-finals that he took a break, soon joined by a returning Astra.

They didn’t speak when their eyes crossed, instead, she bowed awkwardly and continued to their ship. “Welcome back, Astra!” Hailey chirped, waking up the ship’s functions.

“How’s the ship, Hailey?” She asked as she walked in, searching the control room for some storage they’d set up in the past few days.

Hailey took a second for a diagnostic, her display showing the process with a graph flowing like a wave. “Fully refuelled! The engine and control panels have been fully linked to the new Tachyon Driver, we’re good to go when you are ready.”

“Already?” Astra had expected at least another week or so here before something as important as a Tachyon Drive was fitted. It wasn’t like she really knew much about ships, her home was secluded, her people were not very inviting to the outside abyss. But she had been around ships ever since she was taken from that home as a little girl, and she knew full well how complicated they really were.

Eventually, she had found the stash of fresh desert fruits and cured meats and had packed up enough for the three of them. She’d have got enough for Yuri, but, as expected, he was blasting a pizza into existence.

“Y’know they aren’t good for you, right?”

“You my mother?” A slice down the hatch. He might not have cared much for the awkward silence, but she definitely did.

“The semi-finals are starting soon… aren’t you going to see Austin?” She asked as she fidgeted about.

Yuri took a sip and continued reading his orders. “Too busy for that. I’ve got three more jobs, you’re all set up.”

“I can see that. Thank you” she bowed slightly. It didn’t look cheap she’d wager such a piece of tech would cost a pretty penny. “We’ll make sure we pay you back for this when we can.”

“It was part of the deal. Keep up your end and you don’t need to repay it.” He responded as he thumbed through the pages of a withered old book.

Both Astra and Hoshi had spoken of this deal the night it was proposed to them. Without any knowledge of Yuri and Greaves, they had assumed that it was something that Austin wanted, Yuri was just trying to help out his young apprentice. But after getting to know them over these past few days, that conclusion looked less and less likely. More likely Yuri had some reason for getting rid of the shooter. Neither of them could figure out the reason, and at this moment the question burned the back of her throat.

“Why do you want us to take him? Don’t you want him here?” She asked, sitting beside him. “He’s still adamant on staying in Abara but it’s like you’re trying to get rid of him.”

“It’s better for the both of us. He needs to learn to walk on his own two legs for once. He’s worked for me since he was a kid, it’s about time he moved on” Yuri explained, pausing his reading as he spoke.

“Why? After everything you’re just going to throw him away?”

For once she saw something other than indifference from him as he chuckled. “You think he’s better here?”

“No…” she hesitated, “But he wants to stay, isn’t that enough?”

“Don’t suppose you know much about Abara do you? It’s a cesspool. People come here when they’re at rock bottom. Solid foundation, right? You’d think so. Far too many dig their heels in and sink in too deep… stuck on this fucking rock forever.” He was speaking through vast experience. Many years ago he found himself here, a skilled craftsman and a damn fine marksman. He could have gone anywhere, instead, he stayed behind and was bound to the planet. “What good is there staying here?”

It was time to return to work and without skipping a beat he was fiddling with wires and circuitry, a glass of alcohol haphazardly sat beside him with a crack in the side. Astra followed him back into his workshop trying to continue their conversation.

“Don’t you think he wants to stay for you?”

That one got another chuckle from the old mechanic. “If he’s willing to throw away the future for a rotten old bastard like me he’s dumber than I thought.”

It was clear Astra was getting more irritated. Yuri was a hardheaded man, he did things his way. But to her, it felt like he was ignoring what was in front of him. “Stop trying to force your ideals on him! You might not be able to see it… but you’re family to him now.” She remembered her own, the feeling of loneliness she felt without them close and the yearning to reach home once more. “When that’s gone what else do we have?”

“We aren’t family.” He replied, his voice harsh. “When this is all over, that ship is his new home. That was the deal we had, don’t like it? I’ll take back my work.”

Anger took hold of her and had she not stormed out she worried what she would have done. Yuri watched her go… but she was still a silhouette in the doorway, unmoving. “Forget something?” He asked, figuring she had thought of another redundant thing to say hoping to win the exchange but, her words were quiet and short.

“Vagrant…”

“We are on one of their planets, Y’know...”

“No… THEY’RE here…” he could hear it in her voice but, he knew the Vagrants around these parts. Still wet behind the ears, nothing to worry about.

He opened the door and saw just the usual foot traffic, not a Vagrant in sight. Confused he looked at her. “What are you going on about?”

“Not there” she replied. He noticed she hadn’t looked at him, nor at the road ahead, but to the sky. It was then that he saw them… like a swarm of locusts… a fleet coming into orbit.

Astra sprinted away, heading in the direction of the competition when Yuri looked back. “Hey!” He called, trying to follow her but feeling his old bones tense and grind. Reluctantly he retreated back into his shop.

*-*-*

“I’m the last outlaw.”

“Ladies and gentlemen! We have a winner!”

They cheered so loud, just like last time but, this time it was for him… this time it was the ground in her backdrop rather than the skies. It was her turn to taste the bitter defeat. Hoshi raced to his ally and jumped for a forced hug that was swiftly avoided, the former Vagrant face-planting in the sand.

Artemis lay lifeless, completely broken by the loss and unable to fathom it all. Her lackeys helped her up slowly to a chorus of idiots laughing and cursing at each other. But she stopped when her allies tried to guide her away.

Much to Greaves’ surprise she offered her hand, not a flicker of ill will or bitterness on her face. He took her hand in his own.

“Good shooting, kid.” She said, a compliment never sounded as sweet. “Next year… we’ll face in the finals.”

“No.” He responded, an answer she wasn’t expecting. “I’m done after this. One more round, and I’ll prove I’m the best.” As he said it he pictured Yuri, wanting to finally show his worth to the man that saved his life.

She didn’t fully understand but, this moment of respect was enough for her.

*-*-*

It’d been a few moments since the last match and Hoshi was called for his matchup with the mysterious hooded figure. Astra rushed into the stands and straight to Greaves who was regaining his strength.

“Where’s Hoshi?!”

“Relax. You got here in time, it hasn’t started yet.”

Following his words she looked up and saw him at the designated area, readying his pistol for another round of chaos… little did he know the chaos she had seen. Without warning she darted to Hoshi, leaving Greaves in the dust.

On the battlefield, the last two stood across from one another, waiting for the match to start. Their stage was darker than Artemis and Greaves’, blanketing their encounter in an eerie dark and cold. Hoshi had told himself there was nothing to fear, he could make it through. Yet, those piercing eyes caught his in a trance and he felt oh so similar to a hunted deer.

It was unmoving, staring him down without a word to exchange, but as the light in the back flashed across the dark it brought shape to its face, just a little at least. He didn’t really catch it much, only seeing glances, enough to know it was younger man, with a familiarity that made his chest hurt. He chalked that down to the feel being similar to Ghrian…

“Hoshi!”

Suddenly snapped away from the tension, he spun around and saw Astra at the gate calling for him. “Astra?”

“They’re here.” She announced, but it was clear from his expression Hoshi didn’t fully understand. His glance moved to his opponent quickly, much to his worry, it was staring at his friend, mad-eyed. The only person he feared more… the one chasing them, surely she didn’t mean… his eyes asked the question his mouth refused to utter.

“Ghrian!” She howled, her voice carrying to the audience. His name alone was enough to terrify.

“Now? How do you know?” By this point Hoshi was fully ignoring the match, the screens were still being set up, and although the production team were screaming into the ear set at him he just removed it and crouched to her level.

His opponent looked very invested in their conversation, unblinking and crazed. They must have thought they were far enough away he couldn’t hear them, they were wrong.

“I know what I saw, Hoshi. They’re in orbit. If we go now we might be able to slip away!”

“What about the drive?”

“Done. Yuri fitted it today. Come on, let’s get going before…” she had grabbed his shirt and tried pulling him beyond the gate but he didn’t move.

“It doesn’t make any sense, Astra. How would they know we were here?”

“Does it matter?! They’re here, now, and we’ve got no time left to sit by trying to figure it out!”

“Oh, I could help with that.”

The strange one. Suddenly it dropped its gun and in a flash a single knife sliced the fake skin away from Hoshi’s face. The blade dug through into the real and red, burying itself into the inner layers of the tree behind him. Doppelgänger malfunctioned and now the old man's disguise was no more than a pair of shades, revealing the true identity.

“There he is” the freak cheered. “The man behind the mask!” Hoshi was fully uncovered, the glasses fell from his face, and all could see the mark of the vagrant on his back, frayed through countless attempts to remove it, but still there in the leather. The freak laughed, a loud and unhinged cackle. “I can’t believe you didn’t recognise me, all this time… I’m so hurt.”

His heart dropped. Not many knew him this far out… who was this person. It’s next word, made the former Vagrant pale and shivering…

“Vice Captain…”

The hood removed, and the voice corrected, he knew him. They were here…

“Sao…”