The whirring from the lowering entrance ramp woke Zaya from her nap. She held her head up and looked down at the floor. Hale was walking up the entrance ramp to the bridge very carefully. He was carrying Pandora, who appeared to be unconscious, in his arms. What had happened in the hours they had been away? Hale looked terrified. Whatever had happened, it wasn’t good. She had never seen him look this afraid. Something horrible must have happened to Pandora because nothing else would have this effect on him.

His eyelashes looked thicker and stuck together. The skin around his eyes was damp. Had he been crying? Zaya doubted that was possible. But what else would cause him to look like that. Hale has never cared for anyone like he did Pandora. He said it himself that he loved her. This is why Hale had been so determined not to fall for anyone. He knew it would destroy him.

Zaya no longer doubted being alone was better than a relationship. Hale was proof that relationships were a waste of energy. He was losing more and more of himself the longer Pandora struggled. Why would anyone allow themselves to feel such pain when it could easily be avoided. If only she could have told her past self this before she fell for Hale.

He carried her to the back room without saying a word to Zaya. A few minutes later, he returned, this time with streaks of tears falling down his face. He stood directly in front of her in his pitiful state. Zaya looked into his eyes, the same deep blue they always were. She still shivered because of them. She hated the fact that he could still make her tremble. Luckily for her, he was too distraught to notice.

“Zaya… I need you to fly us to Elani,” he pleaded. “I just don’t think I have the strength to even focus right now.”

She couldn’t believe that he was asking for help. He was more desperate that she thought. “I don’t know. I mean I’m kinda tied up at the moment.” She looked down at the ropes restraining her to the chair.

He pulled out a knife from one of his pockets. “I know that. I’ll free you. After you drop Pandora and me off, you can take your ship and go.”

“Or I could kill you and take Pandora back to Coran and get my money. Didn’t you think of that?”

Hale sighed. “I know that you won’t do that. Not right now. We need to take her back home before we start a war with her father. If she dies, I don’t want to think about what might happen to the galaxy.”

Zaya rolled her eyes. “The whole reason I went after you was either to capture or kill you. Considering our past, why would you think that I would ever help you?”

He smirked and placed a hand to her face to stroke her bottom lip. “Because… you like seeing me beg. You like watching me suffer. I know how you work all too well.” He kneeled down in front of her. “I’ve never been in so much pain before. I need your help…. Please, Zaya,” he said almost in a moan.

Zaya’s heart throbbed faster. He did know what made her tick. Too well. Hale was strong and often prideful of his strength. To see him, pleading on his knees, asking her for a little mercy was as though one of her darkest dreams had come true. Even if it was an act, she couldn’t tell him no. He looked too perfect right now to deny him his wishes.

“Untie me then,” she demanded.

Hale stood up and slowly began cutting through the rope that held her to the chair. He didn’t seem worried about her trying to gain the upper hand. She could have, easily. He was in such a vulnerable state. But, it seemed he had decided to trust her? What was he thinking?

When all the rope had fallen to the ground, she stood up with him. She remained close to him for a while and played with his hair. He was completely hopeless and completely in need of her help. How could he manipulate her so easily?

Hale sat down in the co-pilot seat and allowed Zaya to be the pilot. He was giving her the control that he promised. When they used to travel together, he always would pilot the ship. He never asked her if she wanted to. He never said she couldn’t, but he certainly never asked her to like he had a few minutes ago.

Hale rested his head against the chair and closed his eyes, probably to seal in his tears. Zaya couldn’t believe he was trusting her to fly them to Elani. She could easily betray them. He seemed to think Zaya was his only option. It was a foolish decision to trust her because just a day ago she would have flown both of them right to Coran. She had promised to work for him again. But right now… she didn’t want to go back. She actually wanted to help Hale. And of course, she didn’t want to start a war with the Elani because of Pandora dying. There was plenty of time to get revenge on Hale later, if she wished. His helplessness had made her hate him a little less.

Zaya entered the coordinates to Elani into the ships navi-computer. Then she started up the ships engine. Since they were on a frigid planet, she waited a few minutes for the engine to heat up before taking off. Once it was the proper temperature, Zaya carefully guided the ship upwards through Garra’s atmosphere. The ice storms in the atmosphere’s upper levels made it difficult to see. Also, Pandora was unconscious in the back room. Hale would certainly appreciate her being more careful because of Pandora.

After she had left Garra’s atmosphere, she engaged the hyperdrive, and in seconds, the stars around them seemed to disappear as they entered the hyperspace channel.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

Zaya immediately turned her head towards him. His eyes were open and he was staring at her. She was shocked that he would thank her for anything. She did try to kill him after all. “It’s nothing. The faster I can get rid of the both of you, the better.”

He laughed. “Right…. Are you sure about that?”

She glared at him purposely. “Yes. We don’t get along remember. We end up trying to kill each other.”

“Thank goodness neither of us have been successful,” he replied.

She shook her head, and didn’t say anything in response. But she kept thinking about his last sentence. Did it mean that he was happy she was alive? If that were true, she actually appreciated it. Today she was glad that she hadn’t killed him. Although, tomorrow she might feel differently. Who knows really.

For the rest of the flight to Elani, neither of them said anything. Zaya wasn’t sure what to say. Hale looked like he had fallen asleep. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to interrupt him.

Traveling in silence was what she was used to. She was always alone.

A few hours went by. Hale’s eyes were still closed. He had certainly fallen asleep. His emotional outburst had obviously physically exhausted him. Zaya understood in theory why he would feel extremely troubled because Pandora was unconscious, and he cared about her. He worried endlessly about her. Zaya wondered what it was like to care about someone like that. She especially wondered what it felt like to have someone who cared about her the way Hale cared for Pandora

She stood up from her seat and stepped away from the control panel and from Hale. Again, her thoughts had disgusted her. Why was she thinking like that?

Zaya walked down the hallway and entered the bedroom. Pandora was lying on the bed unconscious still. Zaya was impressed by Pandora’s resolve to accomplish whatever goal she had set for herself. Hale hadn’t revealed what exactly he and Pandora were working on, but she was willing to die for it. And Hale seemed to be willing to do anything to save Pandora. Zaya had never felt that way about anything or anyone. The internal pain Hale was experiencing because he cared deeply about Pandora was terrifying to her. She didn’t understand the appeal of caring for someone else in that way.

Yet… she felt as though she was missing out on something. She couldn’t quite explain it.

But she knew that Hale and Pandora shared something that she would never had. She was jealous. And it was as if it were impossible not to be envious of their love.

She didn’t understand what he saw in Pandora. Sure, she was pretty. But it wasn’t unusual for Hale to be with a pretty woman. They flocked to him. What did he see in Pandora that was different from everyone else?

“What are you doing in here?”

Zaya looked up towards the doors. Hale was standing in the threshold. “I was just checking on her. I thought you were asleep.”

“I guess I was,” he said, approaching her. He stared into her eyes as he moved forward. When he was close enough, he grasped her wrists.

Zaya couldn’t find the will to move away. “What are you doing?”

He grinned and let go of her. “I guess you don’t completely hate me do you?”

She huffed. “If I did, then I wouldn’t be helping you.”

He nodded. “I suppose that’s true. Or you’re just expecting me to pay you back someday.”

Zaya patted him on the shoulder. “Nothing comes for free, Hale. And you did tie me up. Don’t forget.”

“You tried you kill me.”

“But I don’t think that makes us even. You’ve also cost me my job,” Zaya replied.

“Fine. How can I pay you back then?” Hale asked.

“I’ll think of something later on. I’ll let you know.” She smiled, purposefully devious.

Hale grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the bedroom with him. They walked back to the bridge. “I don’t want her to hear this conversation. She doesn’t know much about this part of my life.”

“So she doesn’t know the real you. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“I don’t want to talk about this with you,” Hale snapped.

“I’m just saying. You’re doing all of this for her. But what is she doing for you? It’s obvious she won’t be able to take care of your... physical needs.” Zaya grabbed his hands and put them around her waist. She ran her hands gently up the sides of his arms and placed her hands around his neck. “You know that I can.”

“I... I don’t want this anymore.”

Zaya released him. “Why not? I would let you do whatever you want to me. Right now. I know it’s been too long for you. I can tell.”

“We don’t work well together. In any circumstance. I can’t enjoy sex with you.” Hale couldn’t keep his voice down. “You only want to use me! I don’t want to go back to that. Pandora actually loves me.”

Zaya scoffed. “Believe whatever you want. But love isn’t real. I’m sure she’s using you too.”

“I’m in too deep to care,” Hale replied. “And I can’t leave Pandora now. She needs me.”

She decided to give up on trying to make him see how foolish he was being. Hale was too blinded by the hope that he could have a true relationship with Pandora. Zaya knew it would never work. “I don’t care what you do. I’ll take you to Elani. But one day I may need your help, and I expect you to be there.”

“Yeah. I get it. I’m fine with that. All I care about is Pandora’s health at this point.”

Zaya returned to the pilot seat. “Thank goodness we're almost there.”

“I’m going to stay with Pandora for a while. I’m hoping she will wake up on her own.” He left Zaya alone in the bridge.

“Alright. Do whatever you want,” Zaya responded.

She supposed he would always choose Pandora. There wasn’t anything she could do or say to change his mind. She didn’t know why she suddenly was bothered by how little she meant to him compared to Pandora. He hadn’t known Pandora for even a year. He never cared for her like he did Pandora. Zaya remembered how humiliated she felt when he cheated on her continually. He always chose someone else over her. And in the past, she overlooked that, waiting for him to realize that she was the only one he should love. But after a while, she gave up. Zaya started to hate him instead of long for his attention. She was overcome with hatred for him.

Where did all of her hatred go? That intense feeling of only wanting to harm him. Why was she now helping him? How did this happen?

Hale could still manipulate her. Masterfully so. Zaya knew it was happening, but she didn’t try to stop it. She didn’t want to. He could convince her to do anything for him when he used the right words and played on her emotions. At first, he allowed her to believe that he needed her. But that was all a show to get her to behave how he wanted her to. She didn’t care. She might as well go through with it. She would get rid of him and Pandora.

Besides, she could get back at him later. He agreed that he owed her. She would have plenty of time to think of how she could use him just as he did her.

About an hour later, the control panel beeped, waking Zaya up. She had, at some point in time, fallen asleep. She checked the map screen and pushed herself out of her chair to her feet. Elani was very close.

She looked through the viewport and watched the ship leave hyperspace. The stars appeared as long multicolored stripes that began to break down into smaller stripes. They became increasingly distant, and eventually, were millions of lightyears away. The deep violet and magenta planet of Elani was all that was within reach. Elani was just as beautiful as it was when she had last seen it. But that didn’t make her want to go back. All she had to do was drop them off, and then she was free.

Zaya went into the back room. Hale was sitting beside Pandora, who was still unconscious on the bed.

“We’re here,” Zaya announced.

He turned his head to face her. “Okay. You know your way around Elani. Just drop us off at her palace.”

“Whatever you want. Just saying, you’re probably going to be arrested the moment you show up there. I won’t be around to save you,” Zaya admitted.

“I only want her to be safe. I can handle myself.”

Zaya shrugged and walked back to the bridge. She stared out the main viewport at the bright magenta sphere. Elani was unlike anything that she was used to. It was uniquely beautiful, like Pandora. She could see the lights of the city dotting the surface. This was the second time she had visited this planet and still found it completely mesmerizing.

Zaya directed the ship through the atmosphere of Elani quite effortlessly. She had set a direct course to the palace where Pandora lived. Arriving at the city, she immediately spotted the palace in the distance. It was the only building constructed out of holographic silver and glass. The surrounding buildings were made out of a shiny black stone The palace had several thin spires with the center one being the tallest.

Hale came into the bridge and held Pandora in his arms. He glanced out at the castle becoming increasingly close to them, but he quickly returned his attention to Pandora. He rarely looked away from her. He loved her; Zaya could see it in his eyes. Nothing else mattered more to him than she did. Not even himself.

Maybe Pandora had been right when she said that Hale was no longer the one Zaya knew. Maybe he had changed.

That made it easier for her to let go of Hale. A little. He had broken his promise. He had fallen for someone. And it wasn’t her. He fell for Pandora. She found that quite repulsive because Pandora was the opposite of her. Pandora was a good, honest person. Zaya could never be that way again. She was too far gone. Hale would never look at her the way he looked at Pandora.

Zaya directed the ship near the castle. She lowered the exit ramp onto a ledge so that he could leave. “I brought you right beside the entrance like you wanted. You’re just asking to be arrested. But that’s your problem.”

Hale nodded. “I know. But like I already told you, I can handle myself. I have to make sure she’s okay.”

Zaya turned her head towards the viewport. She couldn’t look at him anymore. “Just go then.”

“This won’t be the last time we see each other,” Hale said as he walked down the ramp.

It took all of Zaya’s self control not to look back at him as he left. Once she was sure he was no longer on the ramp, she closed up the bottom of her ship. While leaving the Elani, she wondered why Hale bothered to say they would see each other again. He owed her. There was no other reason for him to say such a thing.