Lunar Eclipse

by Gun Brooke

  “Yes. On the surface, it is. You could live your entire life here and never know anything else than this was a paradisiacal world. The fact is, and we have enough information and facts to back this up by now, that it is not a planet, but an entity.”

  Moon sat up. She felt Beaux’s arm around her shoulders, and she welcomed it, or she would have fallen off the bed. Her heart hammered painfully, and perhaps her distress caused the palpitations, but Dancer woke and simply jumped up on the bed, unceremoniously shoving Doc off it.

  “Dancer.” Moon hid her face against his neck and closed her eyes. “Haven is alive?”

  “Yes, in a way. We believe the beings underground inhabit most of its insides, in a manner of speaking,” Somas said. “They propel it to spin, and its location near the sun of this solar system has also attracted the twin moons that help give the illusion that it’s merely a virgin planet. When you crashed here, you were perhaps the very first person to make contact, and one theory is that they brought you back to life simply because they were curious.”

  “And think of the blast. They used their control of Haven to stop the explosion you inadvertently caused from hurting anyone seriously.” Tracks rubbed his scalp, and Nia bumped her fist against his shoulder in an oddly comforting gesture. “But when Kragh and Ilienta started drilling into the bedrock and risked exposing the creatures, potentially endangering them, they sent in the forces at their disposal.”

  “The brummers. The darragons,” Moon whispered. She hugged Dancer closer and leaned against Beaux.

  “Yes. And think of all the healing plants you’ve learned to use. The ball-shaped petals with water. They’ve created all that, my opinion, and so far, I haven’t found one fact that speaks against it.” Doc smiled, but her sharp features showed more concern than happiness.

  As Beaux’s arms closed more firmly around her, Moon’s thoughts aligned, and she knew what her mind had tried to tell her before. “The beings healed me, brought me back from the dead by using their fluids and tissues. That’s why my eyes turned golden.” She tipped her head back and regarded Beaux, devastation filling her soul. “The very thing that gave me my life back…I can never leave Haven. Why did you have to come here? I was fine before. I was perfectly fine living here with Dancer, and you had to come and be kind and show me what it feels like to be a real person…” Hyperventilating, she shoved at Beaux, pushing her away. “And you. You held my hand. Kissed me. Made me think it was possible to—” Crying so hard she couldn’t speak, Moon pressed against the pillows as panic rose like a space-dust wave inside her. “And now, they’ve done it again? What’s going to happen? Will I become like Drak? A monster?” Kicking her legs, not aware whom she hit, Moon felt a cold spray against her wrist, and then, mercifully, everything turned black.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Beaux felt she should have already figured that last part out before Moon spoke the heartbreaking words. Watching the stunned agony on Moon’s face turning into a devastating panic attack had created such a vortex of fury mixed with pain, she could barely breathe. Now, more than twenty-four hours later, no matter how many times she’d gone over the situation with Doc, Somas, and Tracks, or sought counsel with Veyar, the facts remained. Moon was alive because of the beings that made up the core of this planet. They’d infused her with their fluids, much like a blood transfusion, to save her life after the pod crashed onto the planet. Then Moon had found baby Dancer and brought him up, carved out a good life for herself, albeit solitary, and then Beaux had arrived, bringing the devil in the shape of a greedy company and its execs with her. They had simply destroyed the balance of this world and created nothing but pain for Moon, the former slave.

  In retrospect, she had seen some signs. Moon’s golden eyes were one, and Beaux didn’t know why she hadn’t wondered about the unique eye color. The crater was another big clue that should have made them ask themselves different questions. And also, the beings appearing from the ground after being summoned should have made her question the situation more thoroughly.

  Once she remembered, or realized, what the subterranean beings had done to her, Moon had panicked, drawing parallels to what Kragh had done to Drak’s body, no matter how Beaux had tried to reach her. When Moon broke down, Doc had ended up having to sedate her.

  Beaux had used the time Moon slept to make arrangements, chart the Empress’s flight plan back to Cimeria Prime, and operate the long-range communication system. She spoke to a lot of people and then tried to sleep, the latter with moderate success.

  Now, a full day later, Dancer was lying at Moon’s feet. Moon was in a fetal position, holding her knees tightly pressed against her chest, but awake. Beaux had sat with her ever since she woke up, refusing to leave her, even for a moment. Moon wasn’t panicking anymore, but Beaux wasn’t sure this almost catatonic state was an improvement.

  “Moon. Listen to me, please,” Beaux said, for the tenth time. “I can’t bear to see you this way.”

  Slowly, as if it was painful and cumbersome to move even a little, Moon turned her head up, and the sight of her swollen face felt like a fist into Beaux’s midsection. She pushed the long hair out of Moon’s eyes and realized the way Moon tended to fiddle with her hair, roll it around her hand, tug at it, and toss it back in a defiant way was yet another sign of her past. One thing common among slave owners was to keep their possessions shaved. Only body slaves were allowed to keep their hair, normally, for aesthetic reasons. No wonder Moon’s hair was so long. Almost five years’ worth of hair, root to tip. It was a mark of her independence, of reclaiming the right to her body.

  “First of all, I’m not leaving you,” Beaux said softly. “I don’t care what it takes—it isn’t happening.”

  “But I can’t go with you.” Moon’s voice frightened Beaux. The hollowness made her sound like someone else. Someone broken. “I mean, it should be all right. I’ve never wanted or dreamed of leaving Haven. I suppose having been around people for the first time in so long, I can’t imagine being the only human on Haven again.”

  “As for never being able to leave, we don’t know that. At this point, it would be too risky.” Beaux saw Dancer raise his head, and then he placed a paw on Moon’s leg. “Look. Before we continue, I think you need to acknowledge Dancer, or his heart will break.” Beaux nudged Moon carefully.

  Moon pushed herself up on her elbow and looked at her friend. Extending her hand, she ruffled his ears, and though the tenderness was there, Beaux could tell she was still moving sluggishly. Dancer whimpered and then went “ts-sh.”

  Beaux met his gaze and nodded. “We’ll figure it out, Dancer.”

  Dancer’s big head slumped down on the bed. Their pain was clearly his as well.

  “So, you are here on Haven, like before,” Beaux said, steeling herself and her tone. If she didn’t, she’d begin to tremble again. “You’ll have Dancer. You’ll be in your tree house once you’ve cleared out any signs of the intruders. The lake where you fish will still be here, and so will the animals you need to be wary of, like the brummers. When you feel better, you’ll go on hikes.”

  Moon wasn’t speaking, and she was becoming increasingly rigid. At least she was listening.

  “You might be able to explore more together with Dancer’s kind, now that you’ve gained some of their trust. That’s how I interpreted their interaction, anyway.” Taking a deep breath, Beaux went for it. “The only difference from before is that you’ll do it with me.”

  Moon flinched. Snapping her head up again, she stared at Beaux through wide eyes, her mouth half-open. “But…what?”

  Beaux helped Moon sit up and raised the head of the bed. After pressing her lips lightly against Moon’s temple, she sat back on the bed’s edge. “We undeniably destroyed a lot by coming here. But I also found something, personally.” This was the hard part. Beaux was not used to exposing herself, her feelings, like this. Going against her parents’ wishes back on Cimeria Prime when she had opted out of the military had been bad enoug
h. Going into the transport business and being her own boss meant freedom to Beaux—and embarrassment to her family.

  Beaux adjusted the neckline of Moon’s shirt. “First, I was enamored by this planet. Instantly. This was such a surprise, because normally I’m all about the adventures in space and the bottom line when it comes to money. I like having money, and I like spending it, usually on the Empress. Outfitting her, adding a shuttle, hiring more staff—”

  “Freeing slaves.” Moon’s eyes had gone from a cold bronze color to a warm, liquid gold. “Like Nia.”

  “Yes. Sometimes.” Not as much as she could have. If she had used her heart as much as she normally used her head, Beaux could have freed five times as many slaves by now. It didn’t escape her that buying slaves and setting them free had been as much of a rebellious act as choosing her own path away from the military. Her family owned house slaves, and even though they treated them well, they were still slaves.

  “Sorry. I interrupted you. Go on.” Moon looked like something from a children’s book where she sat in the bed, her long hair draped around her like a velvety, dark-brown cape.

  “My first walk into the forest created that initial change in me. When Dancer saved me from having to shoot at the brummer—and potentially from being severely injured—I was already so taken with what I saw and smelled.” Beaux grasped Moon’s hand and kissed the back of it. “And then there was you. Fierce. Defiant. Ready to do battle together with Dancer. Ready to die to keep this world pristine.”

  “I wasn’t that noble. Not at all.” Moon turned her hand inside Beaux’s and laced their fingers together. “I wanted you all to leave so I could return to my new life. I was happy here. Lonely? Perhaps at times, but also so caught up in being free and exploring. I was really happy.” Moon smiled wanly. “And then there was you. Did you know that I followed you all the way back to your camp that first day? Your hair is a color I’ve never seen before. You walked with such confidence in each stride. I needed to figure out your agenda, but I was also so very curious. You were the first person I saw as a free individual. You mesmerized me.”

  “And with all that happened, the one constant,” Beaux said quietly, “was how you pulled me in. I know when I couldn’t imagine you losing your life because of something Ilienta and, yes, my crew, started. I knew Ilienta wouldn’t back down, but I honestly had no idea of their true objective. Clearly their long-range scanners are far more advanced than anything the Territory has access to. When you ran down that slope, it looked to me that you were sacrificing yourself to save the planet and my crew. Turned out you did, but when I realized what you were up to—it broke my heart.”

  Moon squeezed Beaux’s hand. “I’m sorry. I saw what Kragh planned to do, so clearly, and it dawned on me that the only way he could attempt to transport the fluids and tissue samples aboard your ship was to hide them in Drak. I don’t know how I anticipated Drak coming back to life—perhaps I remembered more of what those beings thought, because I knew something about it all was just off.” Moon ran a hand down her face. “Though I wasn’t prepared for him to come back to life and attack me.”

  “When Kragh shot you, after you took care of the mess he made, I thought I’d lost you.” Beaux’s tears welled up, but she refused to let them fall. Not now. Not yet. “I swore, then and there, if the beings could save you, I wouldn’t let you go, unless that was what you wanted.” Drawing a trembling breath, Beaux clung to Moon’s hand. “So, I suppose that’s what I’m doing. Not letting you go, unless you tell me to.”

  Moon gave a short cry that made Dancer jump, but he didn’t move. “You mean to say you’re abandoning your ship to stay on an uninhabited planet with me?” She sounded doubtful, and Beaux couldn’t blame her. Put like that, her decision sounded crazy. Still, a hint of hope in Moon’s expression quickened Beaux’s pulse.

  “No.” Beaux shook her head but didn’t take her eyes off Moon. “I’ve been in constant contact with the Cimeria Prime authorities, the intergalactic office, to be exact. They in turn have addressed the issue regarding the makeup of Haven with the Territorial Council. It hasn’t taken them long to realize this world needs to be, if not quarantined exactly, monitored. We’ve sent the results of Doc’s research, but she’s only scratched the surface so far, of course. I’m waiting to hear how they’ll respond to my suggestions.”

  “What about Ilienta? Aren’t they claiming Haven as theirs?” Moon asked.

  “I’m sure they do, but all the testimonies from my crew, and from some of the miners as well, regarding how Kragh and Drak conducted themselves and risked the entire operation while working toward a completely different, utterly dangerous goal will be enough for the authorities to indict them.”

  “This is all happening so fast. I can’t keep up.” Moon wrapped her arms around her knees but didn’t go back into the fetal position. Always something.

  “Yes, it’s been some crazy twenty-four hours.” Beaux caressed Moon’s hair. “Now, are you ready to hear the immediate plans? Or do you need more time to recuperate?”

  “What plans?” Moon looked carefully at her, but also with hope that seared straight through Beaux’s chest.

  Beaux smiled. “How we can have the best of both worlds, if you’re willing.”

  * * *

  Moon sat up in bed, unable to take her eyes off Beaux. She had no idea what Beaux meant, but if she could somehow see Beaux from time to time, that would stop the panic that kept threatening to claim her.

  “Tell me,” Moon said.

  “I can do better than that, if you’re not too tired to come outside with me.” Beaux stood.

  Moon would have crossed the continent for Beaux. “I can walk.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, felt dizziness make her wobble, but then regained her bearings. “There. Better.”

  “I have some uniform coveralls for you here.” Beaux gave Moon the garment and then started to turn her back.

  “I might need help,” Moon said, holding up a hand. “If you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not.” Beaux helped Moon pull off the shirt and slip into the coveralls. “There’s not even a scar where Kragh shot you. Are you in pain?”

  “No. Not at all.” At least not physically. Moon fastened the front of the uniform.

  “They’re a little big for you.”

  “They’re fine.” Moon looked around for her harness but didn’t see any of her gear. “My things?”

  “Are in the science-department tent. I promise, we’re not snooping. Somas thought it worthwhile to scan them for residue. He’s doing that with all our clothes and gear, in case we have some of the stuff on us.”

  “Stuff—oh, you mean the fluids?” Moon hadn’t thought about the risk of the others being exposed.

  “Yes.”

  Beaux walked out of the medical tent, and as they stepped outside, the sight that met them made Moon stop and gawk. A minor village of the now-so-familiar tents filled a clearing. It wasn’t the one next to her tree. Nor was it the other two they’d been to yesterday where the darragons had attacked and where Dancer’s kind lived. She looked at the mountain chains to find her bearings and realized it was about a kilometer south of the first drill site. The blue sky was free from fire-breathing creatures. Tiny, fat insects, some of them fluorescent blue, others green like fire emeralds, buzzed around some late-blooming flowers.

  Moon took Beaux’s hand without really thinking about it and flinched when Beaux squeezed hers gently and kept it. Her touch was still welcome. Despite Moon’s lies, her omissions of the truth, though some of it due to induced amnesia, Beaux still cared. Relaxing a fraction, Moon allowed Beaux to guide her.

  “As you can tell, we’ve set up a new camp. We’re about a kilometer from the tree house.” Beaux swept her hand in a semicircle, indicating the tents. “Medical, science, security, mess hall. Thirty crewmembers from the Empress have volunteered to stay behind this first time around. They all possess the skills and education to start the non-invasive expl
oration of Haven.”

  “What—non-invasive?” What did Beaux mean?

  “Yes, exactly that. Nothing that will threaten this world or damage any part of it and its ecosystem. I’ve used what few connections I have in high places to get through to the intergalactic council, as I mentioned earlier, and I think there’s a decent chance they’ll allow us to make this world a protected park. I know, I know,” Beaux said and held up her hand. “The term’s ridiculous, as this is an entire planet, but that’s the closest term in the Cimerian Prime lawbook that will protect Haven indefinitely.”

  Moon looked around her, seeing the now-familiar faces, most of them, smiling at her, looking as if they accepted her as a free individual, and—most importantly—not drilling holes or blasting into Haven’s surface. “What if they change this law?”

  “I wish I could guarantee that they won’t. But think about it. If I don’t push for this solution, we’re back where we were with corporate giants like Ilienta using places like this for profit and, ultimately, for power. Ilienta’s stockholders are represented in the parliament, courts, and more boardrooms than we can count. The only branch of the government that I hold in reasonable respect is the intergalactic office. They aren’t as regional in their thinking but look at the bigger picture. My contact there suggested we take this route while trying to shield Haven. It means that Haven will be a colony of the Territory, of sorts, which adds another layer of protection.” Beaux pulled gently at Moon’s hand and walked in among the trees at the edge of the new camp. Dancer kept a certain distance, but Moon knew he wouldn’t let her out of his sight for a while.

  “Listen. I’ve volunteered to head up this new endeavor, and I’ve made sure the intergalactic office realizes that I have the only access to the sole subject-matter expert when it comes to Haven. Oh, and that is its official name from now on, by the way.”

  Moon blinked. “Subject-matter expert? Me?”