My foot bobbed incessantly as we gently drifted closer to Romikhi-Eight. I knew I must have been annoying Elliot and Tuc who were in the cockpit with me but I couldn’t make it stop.

The hastily-added seat attached to the back wall that I was sitting in wasn’t comfortable. They’d added it to the cockpit earlier today so that I’d feel more in control of what was happening. No one had said that but I’d seen the look that passed between Elliot and Andy when Andy had suggested it.

It helped a little, I guess. It meant I had something to focus on rather than just waiting, worrying and occasionally writing. Now that we were on our way to Romikhi-Eight, I felt the need to write something for my crew. A potential goodbye, maybe. Something so that, if it did go badly, they’d have something from me but… I couldn’t do it. I was still stuck.

I didn’t know what to say. I had nothing to say but at the same time, I wanted to tell them everything.

I couldn’t stop looking between the screens. The scanner on the left showed the ships surrounding us (all our fighter ships) and the one on the right showed our route. Romikhi-Eight was pretty far from Freo which was a blessing and a curse. I was glad, in a way. It made me feel like Freo would be safe because if the IA or Guardians were to follow the fighters home, there would be more distance for the fighters to lose them but the journey was tough.

How’s it going? Gem asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

Going okay here, just about to cross into the Eynah district. Where are y’all? I thought back.

Back by warp gate forty-eight.

My heart clenched slightly. That was pretty far back, we’d passed through there about half an hour before. I’d thought they were meant to be just behind us.

Did you run into some trouble? I sent quickly.

Nah, had to change the route slightly because of IA patrols, Gem thought.

I swallowed worriedly.

Everything alright? I asked.

My hands twitched around the screen I was holding. I hated not being in control. My crew were on another ship and I wasn’t there with them nor could I see what was going on there. I knew that Andy and Fornax would do the right thing to look after them but I hated it.

Yeah, fine! They didn’t see us I don’t think, we just caught them on the scanner and basically had to turn around.

I let out a sigh of relief. Surely, we’d have known if they’d seen us? Aquila would have said something. Or someone would have.

“You alright back there?” Tuc asked, turning his seat around to glance at me.

My sigh must have been louder than I expected.

“Yeah, sorry, just talking to the crew. They’ve had to take a detour,” I said.

“Ah yeah, the IA are out in full force today. I think they’re hoping to catch me personally so they can drag me back to Nova and force me to perform in even more educational videos,” he said with an exaggerated sigh.

I laughed.

“Most likely, you know you were their golden boy. You really filled the void for them after Andy stepped back from doing those ridiculous videos,” Elliot said with a grin.

“Hey! They weren’t ridiculous. Personally, I think ‘Always remember to file your flight plans’ was some of my best work! The drama, the intrigue, the heartbreak!” Tuc slumped back in his seat with one hand over his heart and a look of utter devastation on his face for just a moment before he shot me a smirk.

I couldn’t help the snort that slipped out.

“Nah, I think that medical drama you did was better than that,” I said with a barely suppressed grin.

“Oh, do you mean ‘Transplanted Love’? That was a good one, I loved being a doctor!”

“She means that other one. ‘Nova City Infirmary’,” Elliot teased.

Tuc winced dramatically.

“You wound me. Must you remind me of my biggest failure? Cancelled after just six seasons! Unjustly ripped away from me!” He slammed his fist down onto the armrest of his seat. “They dared call me tired and washed up! I was twenty!”

Elliot and I laughed at his ridiculous, over the top performance and he grinned at me.

“Thank God for that adaptation of ‘Star Crossed Pilots’ otherwise I would have never acted again,” he continued.

“Honestly, that was worse than ‘Nova City Infirmary’,” I said. “Like, don’t get me wrong, you were great but Peggy was heartbroken that they changed the ending from the book. She wouldn’t stop saying ‘but he was meant to die’.”

Tuc burst into laughter.

“Great, I’ll keep that in mind when I meet her; she wanted me to die!” he exclaimed.

“I get it,” Elliot added quietly with a grin, making me laugh again.

Tuc narrowed his eyes at him as Elliot fiddled with the ship’s controls, pretending to be unaware.

“You did a bunch of romances after that, didn’t you?” I said finally, to save Elliot from whatever terrible but hilarious thing Tuc was sure to say.

“Oh yeah, that was pretty fun. I did ‘Flightmare’ straight after that but that was more of a horror, then ‘Love Across the Galaxy’, ‘Flying Visit’ and ‘That One Night’. It was pretty cool, I got taught how to fly when filing ‘Flightmare’ and then it was actually me flying in most the movies after that,” he said.

My mouth dropped open.

“Wait… you did an adaptation of ‘Flying Visit’?” I asked, shocked.

“Yeah, it was pretty good, even if I do say so myself. Why?”

“I had no idea!”

Tuc’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“Well, it was a little more… adult than some of the others I’d done. My agent thought it might help show the Council I was ready for more serious roles. No chance there. What?” Tuc asked after a pause when I continued to stare at him.

“We named our ship after Frida from ‘Flying Visit’!” I cried.

“You did not! Who’s idea was that? Peggy’s?” he asked, leaning forwards in his chair.

“Cas’!”

A grin slowly spread over his face.

“Cas read ‘Flying Visit’? I knew it, that boy is a romantic. It’s a dangerous trait,” Tuc warned with a sage shake of his head.

Elliot snorted causing Tuc to look around at him accusatorially.

“I’m sorry, do you have something to add? Something about the fact that ‘being a romantic isn’t all that dangerous’ despite risking your life multiple times over the last however long to meet up with your husband and marry him in secret? Sure, not dangerous at all,” Tuc said, rolling his eyes.

Elliot pursed his lips.

“Well…” he started before being interrupted by the radio.

“Elliot, come in,” Aquilla demanded.

“Here,” he said, all trace of laughter gone from his voice.

“Lace has just reported in from just outside the orbit of Romikhi-Eight. There’s an IA ship waiting outside gate ninety-seven and a Guardian ship outside fifty-one on the Romikhi-Eight side. They aren’t engaging with our ships, nor are they responding to comms. I’ve rerouted the majority of our ships to wait outside the unattended gates but Lep, Team A and B and Andy’s ship will continue to accompany you,” she said.

“Understood.”

“You should just be approaching Lep’s ship now, wait there. Andy’s ship will be approximately twelve minutes, then go through the gate and approach Romikhi-Eight.”

Elliot glanced back at me for just a moment before looking back at the radio.

“Understood.”