[Moon]

In a flurry of motion, Celeste fastened the chair harness around her and leaned her head back against the tall headrest. Reaching down, she pulled the bag containing her precious cargo into her lap, holding it securely in her arms. She closed her eyes and took two deep, slow breaths.

As Moon fastened his harness the ship vibrated, gently at first, then increasing in intensity, until bits of grit and dust danced on the floor.

Sai's voice come from above. "Quantum drive shutdown in ten seconds. Thrusters on standby. Proceed, sir?"

"Make it happen, Sai."

The ship jerked as the drive went offline. Celeste let out a yelp as she wrenched forward in her seat, restrained by the harness and tightened her grip on the bag in her lap.

Moon reached for the control board in front of him, but because of the shaking, found it difficult to touch the icon he wanted. Once he did, an image dominated by the red star appeared before the front wall. He turned away from the blinding intensity for the brief instant it took for the display to compensate for the brightness. Turbulent eddies of bright white plasma churned on the surface. Blazing claws reached out to snatch at them, only to turn back into the hellish maelstrom from which they originated.

Moon pointed at the display. "Enjoy the view, Priestess. Few ever get up this close to a star."

Wide-eyed, she replied, "For good reason, I think."

"Quantum drive shutdown successful. Fusion thrusters will engage in fifteen seconds." Sai's voice intonation carried none of the tension Moon felt, as if this was an everyday occurrence. He found it strangely comforting.

He turned to Celeste. "Hold on. We are going to pull some serious gee's, more than the inertial compensation system can handle."

The ship shook again. When the thrusters ramped up to full power, an invisible force pressed them back into their chairs, as if piling bricks on their chests. His cheeks pulled back from the acceleration and he struggled to take a full breath. Celeste let out an airy whimper laced with fear and pain.

Moon spoke in a gentle voice, but loud enough over the droning noise. "Don't fight it, Celeste. As best you can, relax and take slow breaths. We'll get through this."

Celeste closed her eyes and replied faintly, "Okay."

He wrinkled his forehead as the icon depicting the torpedo disappeared from the holographic star chart. "Sai, are you reading that torpedo?"

"Unable to do so, sir. The ionizing radiation from the star is interfering with our sensors."

He tried to smile. "Good. That means it can't track us either."

Sai said, "Reducing thrusters output to seventy-two percent now."

Moon blew out a breath as the acceleration forces abated and the vibrations ceased. He lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck as he turned toward Celeste. She leaned back into the headrest with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths. He said, "You okay, Priestess?"

She opened her eyes and turned toward him. "Yes, thank you. That was intense. Did we evade the torpedo?"

He shrugged. "We won't know until we emerge from the corona, hopefully on the other side of the star from it. Sai, how long?"

"Approximately twenty-eight point two minutes, sir."

"Alright, Sai. When we do, go dark. Cut all power except for internal environmental and essential systems."

"Should I cut my power, sir?"

Moon smiled. "No, Sai. I consider you an essential system, my friend."

"Thank you, sir."

Celeste gazed at the image of the boiling star surface, which now filled the entire display area. "You know, once I set aside fear, I see the beauty. This is a lesson to me. Thank you for that, Moon."

He chuckled. "I find it amazing that I could teach a Sol Priestess something." Maybe she isn't so bad after all.

"Everyone has something to teach, even you. We all should be open to enlightenment."

"I suppose so." Moon leaned back in his chair, plopping his feet up on a control panel. "Tell me, what does a Priestess like you normally do? I presume running for your life and stowing away on strange starships is not a normal activity."

Celeste clamped her eyes shut and blew out an airy breath. "We each have our duties. I spent most of my time traveling to remote colonies to establish temples and teach the Sol Way, our code of morality. A Sol Priestess acts as representative of the Empress and has legal authority to arbitrate disputes. On some worlds, that is a required step before filing a lawsuit."

He pointed at the duffle bag in her lap. "Doesn't it feel weird that you carry around another woman's ova?"

Celeste's eyes focused far away and her voice took a wistful tone. "It is my duty and calling. I serve the Line of the Empress."

"Well, I wish more followed your moral code. This part of the galaxy would be a better place if everyone did."

She tilted her head and dropped her chin. "My dear Moon, there may be hope for you yet."

He shrugged. "You never know. Miracles can happen. The first miracle would be evading that torpedo. It's still out there looking for us."

Celeste's grin faded. "It is getting warm in here."

"Can't be helped. It's that big ball of nuclear fusion we're hugging." He turned his eyes down to the black duffle bag in her lap. "What are your plans for those ova?"

She cast her eyes down and tightened her lips. "The original plan was to go to a hidden sanctuary beyond the outer colonies. The ova would be fertilized with donor sperm from men carefully chosen for their genetics and incubated in artificial wombs. In time, a daughter would become the next true Empress."

"That sounds very, umm, clinical. Like breeding a prize animal."

"That's the way it has been done for over a millennium. The Empress' daughters would be provided a nurturing and loving environment along with the best training available." She shook her head. "That was the plan, anyway. With the Order of Phoenix betrayed, I'm not sure what to do now. I was on my own until I found you."

Moon firmed his jaw. "Priestess, assuming we do not become space glitter first, I will get you to the outer colonies per our agreement. But understand this, then my part of your mission is done!"

Celeste bowed her head. "I understand, Moon. I would be grateful for that." She looked up into his eyes. "One thing I do not understand, why didn't you just turn me over to the authorities? The bounty would have been more than I am paying you."

He turned away. "I thought about it." But then they pissed me off.

Moon and Celeste sat in anxious silence. After a moment, the AI announced, "We have emerged from the corona. Powering down the thrusters and shutting off non-essential systems now."

The lights dimmed on the bridge and the normal hum of the power system ceased. It became eerily quiet, enough so that Moon could hear his own breathing. He gazed at the holographic star chart. "Any sign of that torpedo?"

"None, sir."

Celeste's face brightened. "Then, we are safe now?"

"Not yet." He shook his head. "Right now the torpedo is performing a search pattern to find us. Its AI is not very bright, but it is relentless. With any luck, it will continue along our previous course and stay on the other side of the star." He stood up. "This will be a waiting game. Let's get something to eat."

Moon halted as he walked into the galley and groaned. The meal they had prepared before the attack was strewn about the galley with brown and purple liquid smears streaked across the table, dripping down to the floor. The ration pack wrappings and solid chunks of food laid in small piles on one side of the room, leaving sticky paths where the acceleration forces had pushed them along the floor.

Celeste sighed. "I'll clean this up while you prepare new meals."

As they sat down to eat, Sai came on over the intercom. "Sir, the torpedo has reappeared on this side of the star."

Moon jerked his head up and spoke to the ceiling. "Is it tracking us?"

"No, sir. It appears to be moving in a search pattern at reduced relative velocity."

"Okay. Keep us dark. And analyze the search pattern."

"Yes, sir."

Moon grumbled as he put down his spoon. "Well, Priestess, it looks like our dinner date is interrupted again." He stood up. "I'd better get to the bridge." Stuffing a bread roll into a side pocket of his black pants, he left the galley.

Leaning forward in the captain's chair with a hand on his chin, Moon gazed at the holographic display. Control panel icons and the display projection provided the only light on the bridge.

Celeste came up behind him and whispered as if the torpedo might hear her, "What do you see?"

Moon pointed to the blinking triangle near the star. "The torpedo is searching, but hasn't found us yet." He pointed to a green triangle further away from the star. "That's us. We're still moving away under our own momentum but without thrust." He then motioned toward a solid red triangle further away. "And that's the Corsair. They're probably wondering what the hell is taking the torpedo so long to kill us."

"So we wait?"

"We wait."

Celeste left the bridge and returned in a moment with Moon's ration pack on a tray. He accepted it. "Thanks."

They ate in silence, their eyes rarely leaving the holographic display. The torpedo turned back and forth, continuing its search pattern. As if they hid from an assassin, each turn brought a twinge of apprehension to Moon, and based on subtle stiffening, to Celeste as well.

The torpedo abruptly changed course. 

Moon exclaimed, "Damn! Sai?"

"The torpedo has locked on to us again, sir."

"Bootstrap the quantum drive to full output. Plot an intercept course for the Corsair."

The Phoenix Star jolted as the drive came online and the hum of the power systems resumed. The lights came on in the bridge.

Celeste's face paled as she drew her duffle bag into her lap. "So what now?"

Moon pounded a fist on the control panel. "Wild ass desperation Plan B."