The Solar Flare

by Laura E. Collins

  “We’ll link your ID to a few bank accounts when we come back into town tomorrow,” he said casually as they left the building.

  As the afternoon grew late, the group separated back into the two Velas, Ava with James this time, to head back to their respective homes. James promised to download a few books onto a tablet for Ava to read, the operation manual for one of his Velas being one of them.

  The next day Ava returned to her swimming lesson with Lizeth while the others sorted out the details of her training schedule. After lunch, as promised, James took her downtown to his leading financial institution and opened a few accounts linked to her ID so that she could shop in stores and online, to have some spending money, and also a little freedom. Normally the old Ava would have some difficulty taking money from a man she hardly knew, but under the circumstances she accepted it without objection.

  With the task complete, James met Blayke to check out the training space they had in mind for Ava while Melanie and Lizeth took her shopping.

  “I really don’t need anything,” Ava tried to explain to her new “friends.”

  “Non-sense. I didn’t see any luggage with you when you arrived. Besides, you don’t want to wear the clothes Mel picked out for you forever do you?” Lizeth said with a smirk.

  “What’s wrong with the clothes that I picked?” Melanie said defensively.

  “Mel, I love you, but you aren’t exactly up to date on what’s fashionable,” Lizeth replied gesturing at Ava, in her plain and simple attire.

  “Okay, fine! Where should we start?” Ava said hurriedly, trying to tame the conflict between the two women.

  Lizeth led the way to some of the more popular stores on the block while Ava and Melanie followed behind. Ava had never been on a shopping spree before, and actually did feel cheered at being able to select the type of clothes more suited to her own style and comfort. After three hours, five stores, and the three women loaded down with purchases, they met up with the others and took everything back to James’ place.

  Over the next several weeks, Ava was seldom alone, except in the evenings when she retired to her room. Lizeth called her a natural when it came to swimming. Blayke and Emma decided that Ava needed to work out steadily to gain some strength and endurance before beginning self defense and weapons training. So she spent most of her afternoons with them at a local fitness center. Her new life began to fall into a comfortable routine. Her uncertainty about the fate of her family and her love for Wesley never left her mind nor her heart, but she had to keep herself going. She had to accept the hand that had been dealt to her at the moment and make the best of it. At the very least, she felt safe, and protected; as well as a sense of stability for the first time since she had left Orionis.

  ∞

  It had been several weeks since Wesley and the others left Kyanos in search of Ava and Kaden. Justin and Rowan stayed behind to help with the re-build of the city and to examine Kaden’s fallen ship, the Draconis. The technicians were able to extract some of the computers from the scorched flight deck, a delicate operation since they did not want to risk damaging any of the remaining information still encoded on them. Justin had hoped to find some of the voice recordings of the last hour of the battle looking for clues, for anything that might help them locate the current whereabouts of Kaden and the Andromeda. It took him days to decode the transmissions and even so they were still full of static or corrupted in certain areas. What he found surprised him. After listening to Kaden’s conversation with Draves, Justin immediately routed it to the Principia, hoping the information would aid them in their search, as soon as they became within range again.

  As the search continued, Wesley and his companions still had no leads on the whereabouts of Xavier and Ava. Wesley blamed himself over what happened. Ava had been right; he never should have separated himself from her. He reflected back on their relationship and realized there were many things he would have done differently, even right from the start after he met her on Orionis. His grief began to take a toll on his physical appearance. His obsessive behavior monitoring transmissions, monitors, and configuring flight plans left him little time for his normal routine of working out, eating, and grooming regularly. Many times Naomi and Andre encouraged him to burn off the frustration and keep his strength up by spending time in the ship’s gym, but he refused. Even he himself could not deny he disliked the person he was becoming. On occasion he would stare at his pale, almost gaunt, un-shaven appearance in the mirror and feel nothing but hate for what he saw.

  “You know, Ava is hardly going to recognize you when you see her again,” Naomi announced one morning at one of the rare occasions that Wesley actually sat down to eat breakfast.

  “I may never see her again Naomi,” he said flatly stirring his oatmeal absent-mindedly.

  “What’s happened to you Wesley? You used to be such a strong leader for all of us. You could see us through anything. Now, Kaden could probably kick your ass without even trying if you crossed paths with him. Is that what you want?”

  “I know I don’t want to live without Ava.”

  “And you won’t. We’ll find her eventually, I know it. But it might take some time. In fact, there is something I wanted to talk to you about, please . . . hear me out. I know that you want to locate Ava as soon as possible, we all do, but I believe that it might be easier to find Kaden and the Andromeda first.”

  “What are you suggesting Naomi? That we abandon our search for Ava and track Kaden instead?”

  “Precisely,” Andre remarked as he sat down to join the two of them.

  “I’m not leaving her alone with Xavier longer than I have to!” He raised his voice angrily at his two best friends. “I can’t even entertain that idea. Who knows what he’s done to her by now?” He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

  “You yourself always said he wasn’t evil Wesley,” Naomi countered. “Remember what he did for me? The two of you have the same mind, and as I suspect, the same heart. I cannot see him hurting her.”

  “We separated ages ago . . . there is no telling what experiences he has had different from mine to shape his current behavior.”

  “Love is an instinct for us, I have a feeling he would be just as protective over her as you were. I don’t know Wesley, but wherever they are, I’m sure he’s keeping her safe.” Naomi put a hand on his shoulder, trying to reason with him. “We’ve been searching for weeks now and we’ve come up with nothing. This could take years.”

  “Look, Xavier can protect Ava, there’s no question about it. I think this is a perfect opportunity for us to find Kaden and finish him while we have a chance. Then we can spend however much time we need searching for her with the peace of mind that Kaden is out of the equation,” Andre added.

  “Forget it. Ava is our priority, not Kaden,” Wesley couldn’t comprehend what his companions were suggesting at this point in time.

  “But Wesley, what if Kaden fixes the Andromeda and comes back to Kyanos and we aren’t there to protect the city, and the humans? He would be merciless after what we did to him,” Naomi reasoned.

  Wesley closed his eyes. He hated this. He hated having to choose between his commitment to the beloved planet he discovered and his match, Ava.

  “Ava is one life Wesley, and most likely she’s safe. Think of a few thousand lives that need your protection right now,” Andre persisted, hoping to break through to his best friend, and his leader.

  Wesley inhaled and exhaled deeply. He loved Ava more than anything, but Naomi and Andre were right. They had to go back to check on Kyanos. Then he would decide what to do next.

  “Okay. We’ll go back to Kyanos. Maybe they have discovered something off of Kaden’s flight deck computers,” he said slowly.

  Naomi and Andre simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll let Ash know right away,” Andre commented, already getting up out of his chair.

  Wesley finished his breakfast slowly, hoping that he made the right decision, hoping that Av
a truly was safe.

  Chapter 21: The Beach

  “We don’t have to do this today if you’re not ready yet,” James said sincerely as he and Ava walked past the kitchen on the main floor towards what was called a “garage,” the structure that housed his Velas.

  “Of course I’m ready. I read the manual, . . . how hard can it be?” She replied casually. It was a fine Wednesday afternoon. With the sun high in the sky and the winds calm, it seemed the perfect day for Ava’s first driving lesson. Everyone in James’ clan agreed he would be the best teacher for her with the Velas for the obvious reason; safety.

  “Okay, we’ll start out with this one,” he said, gesturing to one of his older models; a large sleek black one with clear windows.

  “I like this one,” she said as she pointed to an updated sportier version, silver with tinted windows.

  “You can drive that one after you’re licensed,” he remarked with a smirk as he opened the driver’s side door for her on the black Vela.

  Even if the silver model had to wait, Ava was still excited to be learning to drive. In time it would give her more independence. Eventually, she hoped the clan would teach her more about their starship and take her out sometime. She began to feel that her time on the Andromeda was taken for granted. Wesley and the others never accepted her help to do anything, and it never dawned on her that it might one day be important for her to learn how a massive vessel like that functions for her own safety and survival.

  She sank down into the seat and waited for James to take his place next to her before she started. As soon as the safety restraints were in place she tapped the button to open the garage door. The bright light poured in, giving Ava confidence. She placed her finger pad on the start button. James had uploaded her fingerprint to allow her as an authorized driver on the vehicle and the machine roared to life and raised up into its hovering “ready” position.

  She placed her palm on the shifter and slid it down into reverse and released her grip on the break. They slowly drifted out of the garage and into the driveway. She was pleased that she managed to shift and turn the vehicle so it was pointed in the right direction on the first try. She had studied the manual for almost two weeks and was thrilled to finally be practicing.

  James gave Ava a few pointers before allowing her to accelerate. “We’ll stick to the off roads along the coast so we don’t risk running in to anyone. Let’s keep your speed under 70 today.”

  “Okay,” she responded, not bothered by the restrictions, after all, it was her first driving experience. She smiled as she felt the small vehicle glide forward towards the roads.

  “Ease off of the accelerator when you are preparing to make a turn, it will make breaking less abrupt,” he instructed calmly. She followed his instructions and realized he was right.

  “You are doing very well,” he said encouragingly. She smiled back at him, feeling at ease as they glided along the empty roads. After about an hour of winding around the coastal back roads it was time to head home.

  “Can I speed up a little?” Ava asked. She found that she liked the thrill of the speed.

  “If you feel comfortable doing so,” he replied in an easygoing tone.

  Ava revved up the small vehicle and shot forward, cruising along a long straight stretch somewhere around 150 miles per hour. The landscape on one side and the ocean on the other seemed nothing but a blur as they zipped towards home. She decided to speed up even more.

  “Ava, please slow down!” James called to her over the roar of the wind.

  The road suddenly slanted downhill sharply and the small hovercraft overshot the abrupt change in terrain. The Vela briefly floated forward and fell, grazing the road below. Ava screamed as she lost control and the vehicle started spinning uncontrollably. She felt a quick surge of energy pulse through her and the vehicle, absorbing them both as they spun around several times until it came to an instantaneous halt as James used his ability to still the vehicle and stabilize them. The sensation vanished and he reached over to power the Vela off, and put an arm around Ava, who was shaking and breathing heavily.

  “Are you all right?” His concerned eyes raked over her for signs of injury.

  “I think so . . . I’m sorry, I just lost control. . .”

  “The only thing that matters is that you aren’t hurt.”

  “No. I’m all right,” she replied, calming down.

  “Perhaps we took it a little too fast today.”

  “It’s my fault. . . I didn’t damage your Vela did I?”

  “No, I think it’s fine, other than a few scrapes along the bottom. See . . . this is why I didn’t let you drive the silver one today,” he joked and laughed softly as he removed his arm from around her. She took a deep breath and laughed a little nervously with him. It felt so good for her to laugh; she couldn’t remember the last time that she did. They sat there silently for a few moments until he spoke.

  “Now, why don’t you power us up and take us home.”

  “You sure you want me to drive after what just happened?”

  “Of course. There’s an ancient saying that you live and learn. I reckon you’ll be more cautious as you learn from here on out,” he said lightly.

  She smiled casually at him and fired up the Vela once more, turning them around to head slowly back towards their home, feeling as though the ice had finally broke between them.

  A few hours later, after a long soak in a warm bathtub, Ava inspected herself in the mirror of her dresser as the sun started to set. A month of regular exercise and a well balanced diet had made her feel and look healthier than she ever had before, except than when she had Justin’s borrowed energy. She had chosen a casual long royal blue sun dress made of a stretchy material with some delicate gold beading sewn around the neckline and casual gold sandals to wear to the beach barbeque her new friends had planned for the evening. Like her other family, her new one enjoyed introducing her to novel things, especially food. Since arriving in the hot climate, she had several inches of her hair trimmed off to simplify her routine. Her shiny chestnut brown hair now fell to just below her shoulders. She slid an intricate gold headband into place to hold her hair back before heading downstairs to the terrace to meet the others who had already gathered. James smiled warmly as she joined them. He held one of his old acoustic guitars in one hand. She liked the way he was dressed, in relaxed dark blue “jeans,” as the locals called them, and an un-tucked white dress shirt with thin light blue lines on it. It was partially unbuttoned at the top and she could see the top of the old cross underneath.

  Mrs. Maclaren, Travis, the chef, and several of the other housekeepers and staff were overseeing the preparation of the food and lighting of the grill. Once at the gazebo on the beach, James set the guitar down and poured her a glass of wine before attending to the others.

  Emma and Blayke arrived, also with a guitar in hand. Apparently it was going to be a musical gathering.

  “Hi Ava,” Emma said as she advanced on her and gave her a quick hug, a gesture that surprised Ava. But, she returned the sentiment just the same. “I heard James took you driving today. How did it go?”

  “Okay I guess,” she said slowly with a shy smile, not wanting to divulge the truth to her.

  “She did very well,” James said out of no-where, arriving with a glass of wine for Emma. He smiled pleasantly at Ava, who smiled back, grateful that he didn’t say anything about her over-zealousness on her first time out of the gates with the Vela. “We’ll be teaching her how to fly the Solstice before you know it,” he kidded, topping off her glass, then turning back to the others.

  “I’m sure,” Emma laughed. “You look so pretty tonight, I just love this color on you.”

  “Thanks,” was all she could reply. She suddenly felt a little nervous, sensing James’ eyes on her. She nonchalantly turned away from them to stare out at the sea; she never did like being the center of attention.

  When the food was ready, the sun had already been setting for a
while. The flames of the candles danced in the wind in their glass enclosures on the table. The dinner seemed much reminiscent to Ava’s experience with Wesley’s family. The fellowship, the joking, the laughing. They were so like the others, but they appeared much more relaxed and at ease. Clearly they felt very comfortable with the life they had chosen and created for themselves in this newly discovered world. After they finished eating, they kicked off their sandals and shoes and sauntered down onto the beach to the fire pit. Lucas had no trouble lighting it and everyone settled into slanted ‘adirondack’ chairs and within a few moments, James and Blayke began to play their guitars together. Ava listened intently to the sounds of the soothing melody, and maybe it was a combination of the warm weather, the wine, or the dinner, but she actually found herself relaxing back into her chair and enjoying the evening.

  She had to admit, her life had been fairly hectic after meeting Wesley. Traveling here and there, danger and excitement, as well as injury. She began to wonder, would that have been the life for her? Was that what she wanted or could accept? She looked around at the seven Asterions sitting with her in a circle around the fire, the light flickering over their serene faces. They seemed to fear nothing, . . . perhaps they had nothing to fear. She had no idea how far away they had taken her from Kyanos, and the space stations. Were they beyond Kaden’s reach? James had never said another word about it after they arrived here. She could feel their gentle and calm natures as well as the tranquility of their combined energy and it comforted her. She felt better physically, sleeping peacefully at night, eating the right foods, and getting enough exercise. She could not deny that she was sitting here with a new circle of friends that were slowly becoming more to her.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Blayke began to play a livelier tune and Lucas stood up with Melanie and they started to dance together in the fire lit sand. She smiled, watching the couple move effortlessly from one move to the next.