SATUS ARC PART VIII: Run from the past, Escape to the future

What had been quiet and peaceful just yesterday was now anything but. Vagrants sprinted through the markets and city centre setting fires and pillaging.

Those on the outskirts, those watching this competition saw the smoke in the distance and grew restless. Hoshi could see it from the brush, more concerning was the one before him.

“Sao…”

“Vice Captain. Have you missed me?” The Vagrant asked gleefully.

Hoshi didn’t hold his gun, the one in his possession now was filled with paint. Sao had already shown he had brought tools to kill, he held the cards. If he stood a chance, it was best to keep his former underling calm. “I’m sorry. I left without saying goodbye.”

“Yes, that was rude.” He brandished another knife, spinning the tip on his finger as he held the handle with his other hand. “When Commander Ghrian told me what happened I didn’t believe it at first. Then the beatings came.”

“Beatings?”

“For not knowing about your plan, for letting you escape. The commander had me pay for your sins, your selfish actions…”

Sao paused for the moment, the memory of it pained him so. Hoshi could see bruising here and there, alongside a scar across his lip. Sao was a good soldier, he followed Hoshi and Liu diligently. He was rough around the edges but… he didn’t deserve to pay for his leader’s crimes. “Sao… You have to believe me, the plan was always to take you with me. To get you away from it all-“

“Why would I want to leave?” Sao never had much about him… yet now there was so much darkness in his eyes. “Everything I went through, every little bit of it was for the commander. It was for Captain Liu, and you… I inspired to be like you, to impress you. Now, Vice captain Ryūsei, all I want is to paint this world with your blood.

“Hoshi!” Astra called, cutting through their confrontation. She had thrown him a gun, his own revolver. But the target was Sao, not some soldier he could scare off and escape from, no, bloodlust had already consumed him. But even still, Hoshi refused to aim his gun at him. “I didn’t want this for you… It doesn’t have to be this way. If you stay with Ghrian, all you’ll get is pain.”

“Not if I bring him your head.” His words lagged behind him, at frightening speeds he had leapt forward and sliced the air just to the side of Hoshi’s neck. Just about able to react in time all he received was a nick to the neck and another ferocious swing of the knife to block. His forearms stopped Sao’s but he was more skilled than he was before, dropping the knife and catching it with his other hand. The next swing wasn’t something he could block, he could only jump back and hope for the best.

Astra rushed forward and held her own gun aimed at their attacker, pulling back the hammer and squeezing the trigger slowly. Hoshi noticed before she could fire, something in him told him to stand between them, stopping his ally.

“Get out of the way, Hoshi!”

“Put it down!” He commanded, his word strong enough to dishearten her.

“You can’t save him, Hoshi. You either kill him now and escape or you let him win.”

“There’s always another way.” He responded, facing the oncoming assassin. “I won’t let Ghrian win!”

Like a true warrior he ran forward with no fear. Sao’s knife flashed by his eyes and he managed to get a good punch to the side of the head but it wasn’t enough to rock him. Another slice down that Hoshi dodged just about, and another hit, this time a rolling elbow to the nose that brought the spurt of red. Sao grimaced for a moment but regained his composure enough to swing again violently, this one hit flesh but not deep enough and Hoshi capitalised, kicking the assassin’s feet from under him. The next sensation for Sao, was the cold of steel against his head.

He’d done it. Sao was down and Hoshi had his gun to his temple, it was over. “Give, Sao. None of this means anything anymore.” His junior hissed at him. “If you won’t join me then at least get away from the Vagrants.”

But Sao simply laughed. “Even now you’re trying to save me… Unlike you I stick to my word and I stay loyal to those that gave me everything.” He turned his head to face the barrel and he who held it. “So pull the fucking trigger!”

There was no going back now. If he let Sao up, he’d kill both him and Astra. Even if they managed to take him down, would they have the time to escape before Ghrian landed and found them? He knew he needed to take the shot, to end the boy he scouted into this world of pain and punishment… try as he might the trigger wouldn’t go any further back, the bullet wouldn't fly… he still saw that kid from Prota at his side, so similar to who he used to be.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just Hoshi who noticed this hesitation. And the blade dug into his stomach, ripping through and drinking the blood that flowed.

It was cold, so different to what he expected it to feel like. No pain hit for a moment but the reflex kicked in to drop down and hold the wound. His hand was sodden with the red. That was when the pain finally kicked in, so intense he almost passed out there and then.

Sao was still stood over him, wiping the blood from his knife with his shirt. Astra screamed something but the sound of it felt muffled, she rushed over and Sao dug his blade into her arm, the rough skin stopping it before it dug too deep and snapping away the metal. In that same motion she spun and caught Sao with a back kick that shot him back, giving her time to run to Hoshi… a hole opened in her shoulder with blood splattering on his face and a scream curdling the red leaking from his stomach. She fell forward, landing on her side next to Hoshi and turning enough to see Sao coming to finish the job.

He stood over them, the wind blowing his hair violently. Hoshi had just assumed Sao’s only weapon was his knife, he hadn’t been given one up to their escape a few days ago… and the one he held now was Hoshi’s own. Sao noticed him staring at it and grinned. “A gift, from the commander. God knows I’ll use it better.” He aimed at his former senior. “Time to say goodbye, Ryūsei.”

Another second more and the bullet would have flown through the air and took the life from him. But that second, the gun was pushed up. Another struggling to stop the carnage. Short blonde hair rustling in the tussle.

“Get out of here!” It was a woman’s voice. Another two helped Astra back to her feet, he swore he’d seen them before… “C’mon, get to safety. We’ll deal with him.”

Hoshi was still figuring out who their saviours were as Astra hoisted him up, his vision blurry and almost delayed. But he managed a look in the lull, only managing a word as Astra struggled carrying him away, Sao fighting this mystery saviour with others around to help out…

“Artemis…” the last of his strength, reaching out.

*-*-*

“I’m not leaving.” Yuri announced. Greaves had rushed back and made it to the store without being seen. Vagrants crawled around the outside, taking anything of value but it seemed they did not notice Yuri’s shop from afar… it was only a matter of time.

“What d’ya mean you aren’t leaving?!” Greaves growled. “We aren’t safe here, old man. You want to become a Vagrant slave?”

Astra barged through the back, stumbling to the ground with a pale and barely conscious Hoshi on her back. She coughed violently, the colour also draining from her as the red leaked. Greaves and Yuri rushed over immediately, trying to lift their comrades up. “Astra! What the hell happened?!” Greaves asked. Yuri rummaged through his stock for the first aid kit as they spoke. Weakly she looked up, seeing their ship powered on with the new addition to the side. “We need to leave… now…”

Hoshi was still out even after he hit the floor, Astra had carried him all the way back through Vagrant infested streets. Luckily enough, by the time she had rushed back to the shop, the thugs had started to head towards the town centre a little further down. For now, they had time, Sao would be held up a while with Artemis but Astra knew how dangerous he was. Yuri had already gone to fire up the ship, thrusters firing and screens lighting up bright. “Get them to the ship!” He ordered, his panicking apprentice did as he said and carried Hoshi as Yuri helped Astra walk behind them.

“Hailey.” Astra called weakly.

“Welcome back, Astra, Captain!” The AI responded as chipper as ever. “You don’t appear to be well. It is recommended that those wounds are stitched and treated by a medical professional. Would you like me to set a route for a surgery?”

“It’d take too long. Can’t you do it?”

“Unfortunately I haven't been fitted with the appropriate medical units. I am not knowledgeable enough to perform such an operation.”

Greaves set Hoshi down on one of the unused beds, his temperature racing. He was tossing and turning as the blood dripped onto the white sheets, only murmurs coming from him. “Sao…” Greaves could make out. “Even now you’re worried about him?” He asked quietly.

“We can’t stay here…” Astra said. “Where’s the nearest hospital?”

“It would be on Planet Reigm.”

A day away, Astra was sure of it, but even worse was the direction. “Towards Prota?”

“Aye.” Yuri confirmed.

There was no benefit to staying on Abara. Vagrants all round, no doctors and chances were that Ghrian would soon arrive. There was only one other option but, even then it wasnt much of one.

“If we stitch him up, will he last?” She asked

“Not long.” Yuri replied like he didnt even want to say it. “You’ll get three days, maybe four if you’re lucky.”

“Do it.” She ordered. “Both of you get on the ship. Yuri, patch up Hoshi. Greaves, start the engines.”

“Where to?”

“Where else?” Yuri backed away to the entrance as Astra replied. “Thornpoint.”

“The Warp?!” Greaves shrieked.

“What other choice do we have?!” Her shoulder reproduced that stabbing pain and she gripped it grinding her teeth. “We make it through and we find a doctor. No Vagrants, no more problems!”

“I thought we were going to Reigm?!”

“Austin, every Vagrant in the stars are either here, or back on Prota, just itching to take our heads to Ghrian. It’s too risky.”

“And going to the Roses isn’t?”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“I won’t.” The words quieting the duo still in the ship. Yuri was at the steps, ready to leave the ship. “I’m sorry… but I spent thirty years of my life to get to this point, to own a shop like this. I’m not going to give it up.”

“We need your help!” Greaves shouted. “Those Vagrants aren’t going to care if you’re here or not, this place is done for. Stop being stupid!”

“I’m not leaving! This place is mine and mine alone. If I’m going to die here then so be it. This isn’t my fight anymore, Austin.”

“Since when has it been mine?!”

“I want to be a hero.” Greaves didnt have a reply. “Those were your words, right? Now’s your chance, go make something of yourself.”

In the background, screams and smashed glass sounded closer, the Vagrants would be here soon and it made the crew more frantic. Worse was when Astra started to fade, slumping into a corner. Greaves caught her so she wouldn’t hit her head but she pushed him back gently. “I’m fine, help him.” Her head swayed towards Hoshi.

Yuri had closed the door, only visible to Greaves through the glass, but he had thrown in an earpiece that Greaves quickly put on. “If this place is more important to you than your own life, I-“

“It is.” Yuri interrupted him. “If this place is gone, then who am I? Everything I’ve worked for was for this freedom… I’m not giving it up. It’s the first place I could call mine. It’s where I earned my keep… it’s where a snot-nosed kid taught me how to be human again.”

Both held a hand out to the glass between them. “This place will survive, Austin. When you become what you want to be… come home again.”

“Open the door.” Greaves begged.

But the sound of Hoshi struggling caught his attention. Outside, the flames were getting closer. Astra tried crawling across to her captain but the wound on her shoulder pulsed, the pain draining her consciousness. “...Austin…” She pointed to Hoshi, wordless but he understood, eyeing his mentor again. “I can’t do this alone.”

“You can, kid. One foot in front of the other and before you know it, you walk the path you always wanted to follow.” Another slap on the door and the engine fired. “Take them away, Hailey.”

“Yes Sir!”

Broken homes and burning sands he passed with blood dripping as he walked, his fist clutching a lifeless Artemis, still breathing weak. He heard the low hum of engines rising, seeing the Comet ahead and the outlaw he faced at the end of the last round at the controls. He had failed, there was no stopping it now. No, it was time to follow.

Their comet set sail into the abyss once more, this time… to Thornpoint

*-*-*

Finally, the commander reached Abara, setting foot beside the boy that failed him, his face like thunder as he passed. Yuri sat comfortable in his store as the Vagrant leader sat in the seat facing him.

“You are?”

“Yuri Korolev, mechanic extraordinaire… something something…” His words slurred.

Ghrian noticed the booze bottles by his side, a simple tap of his boot knocked them over, empty. “That ship that left this store… It’s mine. It was stolen a few days ago.”

“Is that so? They paid me for a new drive, least they said they’d pay… scumbags took off without… You got anymore booze?”

Ghrian didnt have the time to waste listening to some old drunk. He left as soon as he arrived. “Liu.” He called into his headpiece. “Your new Vice captain wounded them, bad. Only places left for them are Prota, or to the Roses”

“I’m within a day or two of Thornpoint. The old man wont let them go without a pass.”

“They’re mine to kill. Not that withered old fuckers. Get there TODAY, or don’t go at all. I’m tired of waiting around.”

“You know if you do this its war. There’ll be no going back.” Liu explained.

“Yeah. War started when they bombed my compound.” He hung up without another word, heading to his new ship. “Next stop. Thornpoint.”