The silence pierced deeper than words could. The small group watched as Cosimia paced restlessly, making no move to comfort her. Cosimia was thankful that they didn't try. Mathias's face, frozen on the hologram, was twisted with fear. Cosimia refused to let her gaze settle upon her brother, refused to let her imagination spin what-ifs. Even though the possibilities were endless, Cosimia knew deep inside that the Commandant had something to do with it.

The thought made Cosimia's blood boil.

She needed to get back to Saturnus whisk her brother away from their mother's monstrous clutches. Even though Cosimia hadn't truly confronted the Commandant's wrath, she knew it was coming. Her mother, though she might not show it, was just as human as the rest of them. She wouldn't be able to hold the reins of her rage so strongly forever.

Geneva is probably bouncing with joy, her mind grumbled. Cosimia was sure her sister had prayed to Dea Kali for something like this to happen and somehow, she got her wish. She would never fully understand the Goddess's ways, but would anyone? Airlia took a half-step forward, clearing her throat.

"We need to decide our next course of action, Cosimia. We will not be able to get to Saturnus any faster if we just stay here." Airlia coaxed, firm yet tenderly gentle. Cosimia pursed her lips tightly for a few moments then relented. She knew Airlia was right.

"Alright." Cosimia inhaled, then raised her head high. No one would know the levels of pain and grief and fury she felt. "We need to target the most powerful planets. We have the tech, and now we need the numbers."

"What about Plutonem? They would have the most knowledge of the Black Hole, considering they are the closest planet to it." Grant suggested.

Disgust tinged her words. "But they're also infuriating bastards." He sent a questioning look at her and she shrugged.

"Mother had to go there for business. For some dumb reason, I tagged along."

"I agree with Cosimia. Plutonem should be your last retort. Aim for a more malleable planet first." The Senator stroked his chin. "What about Jupitar?"

"They have the numbers," Dominica admonished.

"And the gas bombs. Those will definitely come in handy." Grant nodded.

Cosimia took out the Gloria, running her finger ever so slightly along the sharp side. Everybody looked to her as she arched her arm and slammed the dagger deep into the table. The metal rippled under the impact and Cosimia smiled, baring her teeth.

"Jupitar it is."

Cosimia looked around the now bare room. Just a day ago, it had looked lived in, her haven. Dare she say it? Home. But Cosimia knew better than to hope for something as trivial as having a space to call her home. Her desperation to get back to her planet was becoming stronger and stronger by the day. Another treacherous memory flashed through her mind, this time when she was a mere child.

Cosimia looked up at her mother's face, warm against the morning gloom of Saturnus. Mother ran her fingers lightly through Cosimia's bright blue hair, sending pleasant tingles through her skin.

"Mama, what if I don't do good in Training?" Little Cosimia asked quietly, snuggling closer on her mother's lap.

"Well, that's impossible, my little ibis. You are a Nedias. We never fail, and you won't either," Mother smiled, flashing a large signet ring. Cosimia drew her finger lightly around the metal ring, which was cool to her touch.

"But Geneva said that I would be the bottom of my class," Cosimia gripped her mother's ring finger with both her chubby hands. "Mama, you said that Saturnus smiles at those who are special. What about those who aren't? What if I'm not special?" Cosimia felt tears collect in the corners of her eyes. "Will Saturnus turn her back on me?"

"She will not." Mother said firmly, lifting Cosimia's chin up. Her amber eyes sparkled passionately. "You may not see it now, ibis, but you were born special. It is your birthright. Something like that can never fade. Saturnus was made to bask in your glory, Cosimia. Dea Kali molded it so with her own palms. The Goddess's will is the one that will prevail."

Ibis. Owl. Mother's fond nickname for Cosimia. A token of her love. But a distant memory. Mother always called her ibis because she was the silent predator, ferocious under the cover of night. It never failed to make Cosimia feel strong, like the Nedias mantle was one that she could actually bear without it crushing her. But it was now a curse upon her mind, a taunting of the life she could've had.

Cosimia often wondered where the Mother she had grown up loving had gone. She was a ghost of the past, sometimes showing up only to disappear. Cosimia didn't bother hiding the envy she felt in her heart when she saw the close, maternal bond Queen Rhea had with her brother. She doted on him, like a mother boven to a calf. When she was younger, Cosimia could always rely on Mother comforting her but now all she felt was cold detachment. Like a piece of her that had drifted away, lost to the endless sea of whispers forever.

Cosimia caught a brief glance at herself in the mirror, staring back at the girl in the glass. She was hard, made of unbreakable stone. But slowly, from the inside she was fracturing. Large, ugly cracks that scarred her cold mask. She was slowly breaking. She was a shell, her real self cocooned inside an armor of lies. Cosimia looked away, not wanting to dwell on what would happen when she finally shatters.

"The truth is often hard to accept." Cosimia pivoted to see Mrs. Alderidge, smiling sadly as she leaned against the embellished door frame. Cosimia stiffened as the lean woman glided inside gracefully.

"If you are trying to teach me an important life lesson, don't waste your time."

She let out a light laugh. "This lesson will not fall on deaf ears, Cosimia Nedias," she looped back to the doorframe. "Walk with me?" After peering at the woman for one indecisive moment, Cosimia relented. After all, what harm could the woman do?

The halls were quiet, melancholy, as if the tower knew the grim weight Cosimia held. The solemn portraits and paintings lining the walls were almost like a mourning procession.

"The weight you carry is too much for a young woman your age."

"It is a task that I have taken on of my own will, Mrs. Alderidge. I bear it because I want to," Cosimia replied hotly. The woman hummed, clasping her hands elegantly in front of her.

"But what will you do when the weight becomes too much?"

Cosimia frowned, clenching her fists.

"Protecting my mother planet will never be too much."

Mrs. Alderidge took a sharp left turn and Cosimia had to speed up to match her brisk pace.

"You are young, Cosimia," she said softly. "I was just like you. I made mistakes. One that I will never escape from." She said that last segment bitterly. Cosimia pushed away the questions. Something told her that it was a tender topic. "But you have a resolve that is deeply admirable. I can see your fire in your eyes. Watch yourself, Cosimia Nedias." Mrs. Alderidge faced Cosimia in front of the sliding doors to the hangar deck, a battle of emotions on her face.

"Your task is large, and it will crush you if you do not tread lightly. Darkness taints this world. I have experienced it firsthand." Cosimia pushed the doors open, sparing one last glance at Mrs. Alderidge.

"Oh, and Cosimia? Watch over my son." She called with a secret smile. Cosimia cocked her head as the woman shut the doors behind her. Cosimia tugged on a loose tendril of hair, like molten fire. Cosimia hadn't truly realized how much rested on her shoulders until Mrs. Alderidge had mentioned it to her. Now, she wasn't just fighting Mother; she had to ensure that the Black Hole would be closed forever. The Creatura aren't easy foes and Cosimia had no desire to battle with the blue bastards once more.

"Cosi!" Airlia bounded over to her, practically dragging her to the Lady Vortex.

"Are we ready to go, Airlia?"

"Almost," she looked at Cosimia with a sly grin. "Your boyfriend is checking the food supply." Cosimia ground her teeth together, biting back a retort. Ever since the dance, her friend had been slipping subtle hints about the possibility of her and Grant being together. If she were being honest, it had crossed her mind once or twice. But not more.

"I don't have time to be in a relationship. You can have him," she waved her hand.

Airlia snickered into her palm. "Freda will want him. She's been talking about bringing him back to Saturnus as a Terran trophy." Cosimia allowed herself a small smile, which she forced to compress when she saw Grant talking to one of the engineers near the right engine. He turned and brightened upon seeing her, bidding the wiry man a hasty goodbye. Airlia jostled her shoulder not-so subtly and ran up the ramp. Grant slowed, his smile widening.

"Why didn't you tell me you were accompanying me and my crew?" Cosimia asked crisply. "You have 1 minute to explain."

Grant blew his cheeks out. "Well, Father wanted me on board. He didn't want, and in his words, 'the most colorful ladies in the cosmos to get hurt.'"

"So you are only here because your father asked you to? No other reason?" Cosimia hinted, raising a brow.

"I never said that," he snarked back, smirking at her in amusement.

"If you're going to be on my ship, know this. You are also considered an enemy in my mother's eyes. There is nothing I can do to remedy that. You are leaving your spoiled little life behind by stepping on the airship."

"Spoiled little life? Where did you get that from?"

She drew her gaze lazily from his toes to his face, looking at him pointedly.

"Do not jest with me, Alderidge. On Saturnus, you get a tiny room and a few weapons to yourself. No matter how wealthy you are. If you expect to be treated as a king on my ship, you will be sorely disappointed."

He barked out a laugh, running a hand through his chocolate locks.

"Actually, I expected the complete opposite. But I sure wouldn't mind the royal treatment. On a large throne, with a view of the cosmos, surrounded by exotic women..."

She punched his bicep. "A fantasy is all it will ever be. I would rather spend my life neck-deep in boven crap than see that come to fruition."

He rubbed his sore arm. "Don't get too excited, Sparky." Cosimia arched her arm to punch him again but he caught her fist easily, not taking his gaze off her face.

"Don't call me that infuriating nickname."

He grinned, showing teeth. "So it infuriates you."

"You infuriate me," she countered.

"Well, you'll be stuck with me for the rest of the mission."

"What if you decide to abort?"

He cocked his head slightly. "Why do you assume I will?"

Cosimia scoffed in disbelief. "You are the heir to the most powerful man on Terra. You have no reason to stay here and fight for a planet you have no ties to."

"I might have a reason. And I don't intend to forget you so easily, Cosimia."

Heat rushed eagerly to her cheeks and she marched off towards the ramp. There was no way in all of the cosmos would she let Grant Alderidge see her blush, especially not for something he said.

"Are we finally ready to go, Cosimia?" Nova waved to the man standing next to the lever that opened the roof. He nodded his response and jerked the large, rusty piece of metal down. The circular ceiling of the steel hangar whirled, loud and high-pitch. With a quiet squeal and a whoosh of wind the doors opened to the brilliant skies up above. Nova slammed the ramp button and retreated into the main chamber. She could hear Grant's lumbering steps behind her and hurried to follow Nova. She didn't know why her mind and body betrayed her whenever she was around Grant Alderidge, but she refused to let him see. The man was cocky enough as it is.

Cosimia strode in confidently, donning her authoritative mask.

Leaving the planet was definitely easier than the crippling heat that greeted them when they entered. The coolness was almost like a sad farewell. Grant looked like a gaping child, pressing his face against the window as they left his mother planet.

"You're fogging up the glass, Alderidge," Dominica called to him, tying her silky tresses up in her typical messy bun.

He jumped away, brushing his hands together awkwardly. Cosimia almost felt bad for him, watching as he shifted from sitting on the chair to standing next to it.

"How far is Jupitar from here?" Oralie pondered aloud.

"A little over an hour. With a powerful ship like this, however, maybe 50 minutes, maximum." Grant ran a hand lightly over the grooved metal walls. Oralie pressed her lips together and turned away. Cosimia studied her nails, which had been cleaned by the maids from her evening ball. They looked perfect, clean and shiny.

They'll be stained by blood soon enough.

Cosimia shook the thought out of her mind. When Cosimia first inflicted physical pain on another person, a deep gash running straight down her opponent's arm, she dwelled on it for days. She worried herself ill with what the person's name could've been, how many siblings and family members they might've had. She couldn't even look at herself, the face of a murderer. She knew she had been dramatic but that next week was traumatizing for her weak, nine year old self. She had met the girl in the infirmary the next day, attempting to apologize, but Geneva had just dragged her out.

When Cosimia learned that she couldn't fight it, she succumbed and made herself numb whenever she fought. The horrid thoughts had dwindled to nothingness after the first eight months of training. Cosimia sighed and peeled her attention away from her smooth cuticles. Mother had always told her that Dea Kali had planned her life out meticulously, that everything in her future was done on purpose. Cosimia couldn't even begin to unravel the reasons behind Dea Kali's so-called gifts. Maybe her gifts were not blessed at all, just hidden darkness wrapped up in pretty lies.