January 1st, 2186. Early morning. The sky is a deep, dark blue cut in half by a bright band. Typhon still lurks beneath the horizon, little but a faint pink glow to the east foretelling its arrival, but Litae looms above, watching over a quiet Freedom Falls. The fireworks have died down, and the snowy streets lay empty - even the most persistent of revelers have turned in by now. Even the spaceport is nearly empty, aside from a few new arrivals
#Spaceport – November 13, 2023
Yan Sun is decked out in full winter garb, hiding from the biting cold best she can. She's leading the way, bleary-eyed, relying on said cold (and a generous amount of caffeine) to keep her going after the all-nighter they pulled. Her possessions have been distilled down to her backpack as well as a large duffel bag, filled to bursting. After walking from the Respite, there's not much energy left in her steps, her walk a sluggish, uneven
shuffle. Why won't the strap of the bag stop digging into her shoulder? And was it always this heavy? "Urrrrrrrrrrrghwhyaretheyleavingsoearlyyy..." she complains loudly as they make their way towards a tiny, boxy freighter parked on a snowy landing pad. On the side of the cargo hold is painted a black arrow pointing skyward, and beneath, in blocky letters, the words THIS SIDE UP are stenciled. A middle-aged, brown-haired woman in a
utility jumpsuit and a worn, sturdy winter jacket stands at the bottom of the short loading ramp with her hands on her hips, watching their approach.
Jessica trails behind Yan Sun, equally dressed for the weather, floofy hat and all. Layering clothing also means there was less to pack. Not that packing was much of an issue in the first place. Her entire life- or what's left of it- is packed into a simple duffel bag that's slung over her shoulder. And a portion of that duffel bag space is taken up by stolen Respite goods. The rest of her things are in the beat up wheeled armor crate
she's dragging behind her. It's noticeably lighter much to her dismay, but there was no amount of complaining that was going to convince Yan Sun that she could pull off hiding a grenade launcher down her pants. Ah well, she gave it a good home. Temporary home. Once they reach Hong Kong, phase 2 of Operation: Falcon can begin. It shouldn't be too hard to convince Jason to mail it to her in pieces. But that couldn't be further
from her mind at the moment. She adjusts the duffel bag and slips a couple of fingers up under her mirrored sunglasses to rub at tired eyes. "Mmmm?" she hums absently in response to Yan Sun's complaining, the woman's words taking a moment to register in her occupied mind. She gives a half-hearted snort in response. The sort that's just meant to appease and let the other person know you're not totally ignoring them.
The woman by the ship raises a hand is greeting as they near talking distance. "There ya are! Wesley and I thought you might've overslept!" she calls out with a chipper laugh.
Yan Sun winces as if her tone is a personal affront at this hour, but forces a polite smile regardless. "Sorry. Didn't mean to keep you waiting."
The woman waves her hand dismissively. "Oh, nothing to worry about, honey," she assures before shifting her attention to Jessica and tugging off one of her work-gloves so that she can extend a bare hand to shake. "You must be the girlfriend! I'm Darla, and this here pile o' junk behind me is my ship."
Jessica glances up as Darla speaks, seemingly not even having noticed her presence until now, attention previously fixed on the ground in front of her. Her gaze shifts between the two, her brows pinching together at being labeled and reduced to 'the girlfriend' and causing her to shoot a look Yan Sun's way. She somehow manages to convey a roll of eyes from behind mirrored sunglasses. Readjusting the strap of her duffel bag, she reaches
out to give Darla's hand a shake. She's still wearing the pair of gloves she stole from Yan Sun and mutilated for their trip. "Only in her dreams." she teases flatly, the all-nighter adding a bit more gravel to her voice than usual, before introducing herself in turn, "Jessica."
Yan Sun doesn't seem all that affected by Jessica's ire, bumping her shoulder against hers with a small smile.
Darla chuckles and shakes firmly before letting her hand drop down to rest idly on the bulky pistol hanging from her hip. It's a casual gesture, not a threatening one, but it brings attention to the weapon regardless. "Lovely to meet ya! You go on and get settled and we'll be on our way before ya know it, just gonna disconnect the fuel line," she says before turning to shout back at the open cargo hold: "Wesley! Show our passengers where to
A pyjak in a worn sweater comes skittering down the ramp, stopping in front of Jessica and Yan Sun with a few excited chirps and making a practiced 'Come, come, right this way' gesture in the direction of the cargo hold.
Jessica glances into the cargo hold, looking past the pyjak for a moment as if expecting someone else to be joining them. It's not until the pyjak begins to gesture that she tilts her head downward, allowing her sunglasses to slip down her nose a hair in order to peer out overtop them, perhaps unsure if she's still a bit drunk from the night's festivities. Nope. That is, in fact, a pyjak in a sweater. Alright then. She casts a confused
glance Yan Sun's way before giving a shrug and starting towards the ramp. As she approaches it, however, she doesn't seem quite ready to board, stuttering to a hesitant stop before turning back towards the pink glow on the horizon.
Yan Sun mirrors Jessica's shrug, the baffled look remaining, and then starts moving up the ramp, the pyjak - Wesley? - leading the way. She comes to a stop halfway up when she realizes Jessica isn't with her, and turns to look at her. Her confusion softens and she moves closer and places a hand on her upper arm, gloved hand running up and down gently. She doesn't say anything.
Jessica seems content to just watch the sky for just a moment, leaning into Yan Sun's touch just a bit. But eventually she lets go of her crate and brings her hand up to her lips. She presses a quick kiss to her fingertips before squatting down and tapping them against the mix of dirt and mud and snow at her feet. The gesture should be familiar to Yan Sun. Not at all unlike the small act of endearment between Mallory and her daughter's
headstone. She gives one last look to the horizon before drawing in a deep breath, the cold air helping to dispel the conflicting feelings in her chest. A sadness that she hasn't yet- and may never- come to terms with for a home that was far too harsh to ever love the way one should. It was never home cooked meals, family vacations, and white picket fences. Her relationship with Aite was toxic at best. But it's the only home
she's ever known. And, whether she's willing to admit it or not, that obviously means something. Perhaps something that even she can't quite put her finger on. But there's also an excitement clawing away at the pit of her stomach. An excitement she hasn't felt for a long time. An excitement that comes from looking forward to what tomorrow brings. She shoots a glance Yan Sun's way, giving her a playful bump with her hip in
hopes of avoiding any exchange of words that might result from her atypical showcase of sentimentality. "Come on, slut." she says, moving to catch up to their pyjak host.
Yan Sun just stands by in silent support, letting Jessica have her moment in peace. Briefly, her gaze wanders the stunning sky that's become a familiar companion over the past months, but as the woman next to her crouches down her attention turns to her, watching. The hip bump and the words that follow are met with a small, soft smile as they make their way onboard side by side.
Wesley waits impatiently atop the ramp, chittering and taking off through the small hold as soon as they join him. Crates line the walls on both sides, leaving a narrow corridor to walk down the middle. On the wall opposite the ramp there's a ladder going up, and it's near there that the pyjak stops, by an empty space with no crate where a mattress and a heat lamp has been set up against the outer wall, with enough room to spare for their
Jessica glances about the cargo hold as she follows the pyjak. Given how action-packed the past few months have been- and how flawlessly she sold her ruse while on the Saint Lucia- it's easy to forget just how new all of this is to her. She's been all across this continent in a cramped old truck. For a time, her expeditions with Kirill and Rafe made her feel worldly. From the rocky, craggy outcroppings juxtaposed against the feats of
modern technology comprising The Dome, to the expansive, oppressive quarries of Ma'Shah. She thought she'd seen a lot. But even within the confines of this tiny, worn down old freighter, it all feels so small. She feels small. Her travels pale in comparison to the places this ship have gone. The distance it has traveled. She slings her duffel bag off her shoulder, tossing it beside the mattress, and engages the wheel locks on
Yan Sun makes a face as she looks down at the mattress - it seems like she might have had her expectations a bit higher. "Cozy..." she mutters, but she sets her bags down on the floor regardless, careful as she handles the backpack - most of it is taken up by the concealed quantum bluebox. "Looks like we're sharing," she comments with a gesture to the mattress.
Wesley shuffles over to the heat lamp, picking up the cord near the on/off switch and demonstrating with a 'click', huge black eyes watching the two of them.
Darla comes walking up the ramp after stowing the fuel line away, stopping to press a button near the exit. The ramp shudders and starts to rise with a metallic groan.
Jessica glances back over her shoulder, "Lucky you." she teases with a grin. Standing back up, her focus shifts back to Wesley, blinking a couple of times as it demonstrates how to turn on a lamp. She slowly looks to Yan Sun, then back to Wesley. The look on her face says what her mouth isn't. The pyjak is freaking her out a little. "Look, kitty cat." she says, nudging Yan Sun with her elbow before nodding her chin towards the creature.
Yan Sun shoots Jessica an unamused look, but her attention is quickly drawn back to Wesley, obviously intrigued by the pyjak. "Uhm... thank you, Wesley?" she says a little uncertainly. "We got it."
Wesley 's snout twitches and he lets go of the cable, bounding forward and extending a hand to Yan Sun.
Yan Sun glances Jessica's way, eyes wide, before crouching down to shake the pyjak's hand. "Nice to, uh... meet you too...?"
Darla joins the group with a smile, the ramp still ascending across the hold. "Alright, mister, go get to your seat," she instructs, making the critter scurry off and clamber up the ladder with simian ease.
Jessica seems to soften on the pyjak a smidge as he shakes Yan Sun's hand, smirk slipping out as she lifts up one leg to take a partially seated position on the top of her crate. "And he can climb a ladder! Maybe he can teach you." she continues to tease in a tone of faux consideration as she watches Wesley scale the ladder.
Yan Sun rolls her eyes and tugs Jessica's hat down over her face before remembering Darla's presence and turning to look her way.
Darla shakes her head at their bickering, still smiling. "This is where you two'll be staying. I'm sure you figured. Upstairs is on the cramped side, but you're welcome up if you want a chat. Facilities are up there, too, at the back right next to the engine. No sit-down meals on account of... well, no seats, but there'll be hot food, don'tcha worry." Her gaze travels out across the hold and down to the heating lamp. "I run things cold down
Jessica leans back in a futile attempt at escaping Yan Sun's retribution, only to nearly fall backwards off the crate. Good reflexes save the day, however, and she rights herself, frown crossing her lips as she fusses with her dislodged hat and sunglasses for a moment, ultimately stowing her shades on her hat. Her smirk returns, seemingly feeling like she's come out of their exchange the victor and she affords Darla part of her
attention, giving the woman a hum of acknowledgement. "How long is the trip going to be?" she asks. It's something that's already been discussed between herself and Yan Sun, but a little bit of small talk is the least she can do to try and keep things pleasant with the person that's letting them stow away on her ship.
Darla rests one hand on a rung of the ladder. "Oh, it oughtta be about two days 'til we reach the station long as there's no trouble. Should be smooth sailing. Well, once we're spaceborne. This old boat gets a little shaky in-atmo, so ya might wanna hang on to something for take-off." She gestures to the cargo net that covers the nearest of the large crates.
Jessica scoots to give Yan Sun a little room, reaching back with one hand to better balance herself. She nods sagely as Darla speaks, as if this is all typical for a well-traveled galactic hitchhiker like herself. The only thing betraying her attempt at a cool demeanor is the way her leg bounces, perhaps giving away some of the nerves lingering beneath.
Darla 's smile returns, a little softer. She seems to consider something for a moment before gripping the ladder more tightly. "Unless you two got any pressing questions, I'll go ahead and get us underway. There'll be plenty of time to chat once we're cruising."
Yan Sun shakes her head, hand coming to rest on Jessica's leg to still the bouncing. "I think we're good?" she says, glancing her way for confirmation.
Jessica's leg slows to a stop, seeming to realize that Yan Sun has taken notice. She purses her lips in a show of considering the question for a moment before affirming Yan Sun's words with a nod. "All good." she confirms.
Darla nods and starts climbing. While not quite as fast as her pyjak companion, she still disappears from view soon enough, leaving Jessica and Yan Sun alone in the cargo hold.
Yan Sun 's hand remains on Jessica's leg, thumb running back and forth in an idle, soothing gesture as she studies her. "Feeling ready?"
Jessica falls silent for a few seconds. It looks as if she's about to say something, but rethinks it. Maybe it's the long night they've had. Or the long weeks that preceded it. But there's no false bravado. No attempt at glossing over just how jarring all of this obviously is for her. She brings a hand over Yan Sun's, giving it a small squeeze and nods softly, almost as if to herself moreso than Yan Sun. "Mmm." she hums, her smirk
softening as studies their hands. Taking a deep breath, she nods a bit firmer, tilting her head to meet Yan Sun's gaze. "I think so. Home is a 'who', mmm?" she reiterates, a silent affirmation that regardless of whether she's ready or not, she stands by this decision to go with Yan Sun.
Yan Sun returns the squeeze, just watching Jessica for a moment, and then she wraps an arm around her, leaning in to press a soft kiss against her cheek. There's a muffled rumbling from somewhere up above as the ship's main reactor powers up, and Yan Sun's gaze shifts to the small viewport set into the wall. At this angle nothing is visible, so she shifts over to sit on the mattress, grabbing Jessica's hand and tugging her along. They're
still on the ground, several layers of reinforced glass separating them from the spaceport, the outermost covered in dirt.
Jessica allows herself to be lead over to the mattress as the ship comes to life. She's careful to kick her boots off as to not drag mud and slush onto what will be their little slice of comfort over the next few days and takes a position on the mattress just beside the viewport. She pulls Yan Sun in close to her so they can both see outside, wrapping her arms around her to envelope her from behind.
There's a whine as the ship's take-off thrusters engage, and then the pair in the cargo hold are jostled as ship starts to rise.
Yan Sun nearly topples, but reaches out to brace her arm against the hull, hand gripping the edge of the viewport. Her other hand seeks out one of the arms wrapped around her, holding on tight. As the spaceport disappears below it becomes hard to see much in the dark, the lights of Freedom Falls scattered and dim through the glass. Even this low, the town looks terribly small. It's strange to think this place has been Yan Sun's home for the
past few months, a cluster of lights on a wild world - entirely unlike the shining metropolis she left behind. The one they're on their way to.
Jessica snorts as Yan Sun nearly falls out of her grasp, causing her to tighten her hold on her a bit. She rests her chin on Yan Sun's shoulder as she watches the town get smaller through the viewport. The surrounding forests are still shrouded in the morning's darkness. Mountains, silhouetted by the glow of the rising sun. And far to the west, well beyond their view, a city is waking up. A city that taught her how to grow up. How to be
strong. How to love. How to hate. How to survive. On a planet filled with people that know her name. Know who she is. Who she really is. People that hate her. People that love her. People that would call her family if she could only convince herself to let them. People whose lives she has touched in ways that they won't forget. People that she won't forget. People that are thankful that her name isn't lost among a sea of
others carved into a stone expression of grief. An unexpected surge of emotion swells up in her chest as a heavy sniffle escapes her, causing her to reach across Yan Sun to quickly wipe at her eye. She buries her lips against the crook of her partner's neck as she watches her home grow further away with each passing moment.
As This Side Up continues its ascent it passes west over the Dactyls, the jagged mountains that normally loom high little more than a bumpy ridge down below in the dark, illuminated in spots by veins of lava. Scattered settlements light up the increasingly distant ground below. There's no pulsing, interconnected web like on a more developed world, just solitary clusters of lights huddled together in the dark.
Yan Sun squeezes Jessica's arm when she hears her sniffle, shifting her head to nuzzle her but saying nothing, eyes still on the viewport. On the ground rapidly growing more distant.
The ship pitches to one side, and one cluster shining brighter than any other comes into view below. The very one that occupies Jessica's mind. Adrasteia. Yan Sun quickly realizes as much, and after steadying against another jostle she points against the glass, her other hand shifting from Jessica's arm to the back of her head, fingertips running gently under the hat.
Jessica lets out a small laugh that catches in her throat as Yan Sun points out Adrasteia. She presses a couple of kisses into the crook of Yan Sun's neck, another sniffle sounding out. One arm remains around Yan and her other comes to the viewport, bracing her against the ship's turbulence as she traces a small circle around the familiar light that has never felt further away. A city- no- a planet that is covered in memories, like a
time capsule. Memories of winters spent bundled up, slinging snowballs with the other kids in the apartment block. Of the smell of her mother's cooking. Her father's laughter on the good days that were too few and far between. Drunken nights spent on the roof with summer romances that felt like they were the real thing. Traveling the world with Kirill. Painting with Paige. Cuddling with Rafe. Falling asleep on Burd's couch after
spending all day in his shop. All of the trouble she got into with Bishop, Lucky, and Lucas. And then there's Martin. That stupid smile he always had. The one that let her know that everything was going to be okay. No matter what was wrong. Because he was her big brother and he was going to take care of it. Memories that she's been running from for so long, only to spend the past few weeks utterly terrified to leave them behind.
But sitting here high above everything she's ever known, it's clear to her how silly that fear was. Because it doesn't matter where she goes. Those memories, and the people in them, will always stay with her.
A jarring shudder interrupts the solemn goodbye, a shimmer surrounding the ship as it breaks free from Aite's atmosphere, and then... silence, and perfect stillness, the ground below falling away into a planet's curve, a bright halo of light spreading across the bending horizon. Yan Sun's eye lights up as she snaps a picture - this will be perfect for her message to Kirill. Typhon is rising to see them off, a blindingly bright light that