Ad Astra – Lunar One, Milk Way

Astra followed Theta through the hallway, pretending to be handcuffed to him as he took a taser from a metahuman’s belt and took it to his flesh.

Theta tossed the taser prong over his shoulder as they neared the guard at the entrance of the glass doors, allowing her to catch it as they traded spots, Astra sticking into his exposed neck as he clattered to the floor.

They walked outside, standing on the pavement as city lights began to turn on, illuminating the Lunar base in the deep dark as aerial vehicles dashed around overhead.

They looked in the distance at the dome on the edge of the port where the shuttles took off for the jumpgate.

“Got a ride to get there?” Astra asked as she rocked on her left heel.

Theta took light bike keys from his side pack, motioning to the police bike in front of them glowing blue and red. 

She gave him a devious smile, wasting no time climbing on back as he kicked off with a booted foot.

Astra clung to Theta’s back, leaning into him against the wind as they pulled onto the neon hallway, false palm trees lining the night strip to the aircraft port. 

He looked briefly behind as car sirens began to blare, seeing other police vehicles dashing in and out of traffic. “Hang on.”

He revved and picked up the pace, running cars off the road as the police struggled to keep up. Not enough, a light shuttle drifted above, its beam focusing on them as they continued to speed.

Astra pulled her weapon and aimed at the police cars beside them, popping tires as cars crashed, blocking civilian traffic.

“Take over!” he shouted, lifting suddenly as she scooted forward, gripping the black bike handles as magenta light coated her face from the dashboard.

With a leap Theta went overhead, crossing the Earth’s reflection in the sky as he landed on the police car behind them, gripping the hood and ripping it off with one hand, exposing the engine. 

As the car began to swerve he held tighter, yanking the light belt out and propelling it backward, the jets in his feet pushing him behind Astra as he threw the engine down, the explosion cracking the highway, its fire forcing the helicopter to diverge. 

Theta gripped the crack as still he propelled forward, slicing the road into two with his palm, making opposing waves of rubble as the road blocked, stopping their pursuit from the debris.

Unable to slow and nearing the aircraft port too quickly, he picked up Astra by her dress, tucking her as the bike went unmanned, crashing into the guard entrance of the cement building.

Astra ran on foot behind him to the side entrance as the guards crowded around the exposed facility wall, entering into the darkened hangar as they searched the vehicles for jump compatibility.

Theta looked through the dark, his lights illuminating her chest as she breathed heavily, sneaking beside him against a light jet.

He checked its engines, it wasn’t safe or ideal, but they were getting no further without being noticed. 

He bent down, unlocking the hatch as he pushed her inside. “Start breaking into the system so we can get through the jumpgate.”

She nodded, moving to the pilot seat of the tight vehicle, the clear panel in the back allowing her to see Theta round to the engines, starting them manually.

Theta pushed the jet free as guards began to fire, notified of the unauthorised take off. 

“Hold on!” Astra yelled as she turned the wheel, navigating the wheels as it whipped towards the opening entrance, the moon door exit opening as the runway cleared. 

She slammed the screen as it glitched, “The control room has locked it! I can’t get control of the flight path but maybe I could still get the code for the jumpgate.”

Theta looked up, firing back as the jet began travelling faster down the runway and sunk his hand into the metal, fixing himself into its tail.

He extended his arm, aiding it with his own propulsion as they began to curve up into the sky, lifting from the moon into its blue screened heavens, clouds painting a yellowing sunrise sky.

A moment of chaotic peace overcame him, wind whipping above the waking moon as they neared the apex of their chase.

As red lines began to climb the atmosphere screen, corrupting the data field as Astra looked on in shock. 

They would do anything for control.

“It’s the data net! They’re using the last model that I plotted for them. If that laser field hits us we’re done for, Theta!”

She looked on nervously, still hacking as she looked up at its progress every few seconds–gaining on them. 

An idea came to mind. 

She lifted the panel of the jet, connecting back to the moon base as she sent lines of indecipherable code, overloading its system to slow the field reaching upwards. 

“It’s working. The field has slowed.” Theta looked up to her as the laser field stuttered and failed. To his dismay, missiles replaced it. “Astra… How much longer on the black matter engine?”

She frantically pressed at the lightboard as spacial black welcomed them outside of the atmosphere. “Five minutes at least, this ice is too thick.”

Theta looked at the gaining missiles, knowing that time would not be kind. 

He looked through the clear panel where he could see her in the pilot’s seat, frantically doing her best, the gaze of the white screen reflecting on her cheeks. 

What memories could they have made together?

He gazed outward to the shining stars so near in the light swept black of the eternal space night. 

With so much space–so much beauty, how had he seen so little of it?

None mattered now. There was only one place they could be safe amongst them. 

“We have to force the jump, Astra.” he said finally into her ear.

She shook her head. “We don’t have anything to do it. It would take–” 

Astra looked up and behind herself in fear. 

It would take a reaction so large that it ripped through space and time, which could only be done with similar forces crashing together–by merging another black matter core with their own.

There was only one black matter core anywhere close to their vessel, and it was keeping him alive. 

“Absolutely not! It would kill you!” she slammed a fist on the control panel, there had to be another way. They hadn’t survived together this long to part ways now.

Theta could not argue.

Perhaps he would die, but seeing her fail would kill him faster.

He planted his feet on the creaking metal as it gained speed, the jet shaking as it neared the jumpgate. “You can let me go.”

“No.” she contested as she stood, giving up on the console, nearing his reflection in the panel door. “I’m not going to. Don’t ask me–”

“You have to jump now, Astra. You can do it without me.” His eyes held hers, blue to pleading brown. 

She shook her head. There was no assurance that was true. All she had become was because of him. 

“I won’t do it without you.” she closed her eyes, pressing her palm against the cold glass between them. “Please don’t leave me.” she whispered.

Theta pressed his fingers over hers against the clear panel door, hoping to feel her warmth. He was not the only one who needed her.

“I will never leave you.”

Not believing his promise, she cried out as he took his fingers to his chest, interfacing with his swirling purple core.

Astra beat the glass, willing him to stop. “Theta, no! Stop–please!” 

He couldn’t leave her. 

The infinity of space was too full–too daunting without him.

This was one order he could not obey.

He held her gaze. 

“Commander…” he started in goodbye. 

She shook her head, refusing to listen. Almost wishing she had never allowed him control over his mind. 

“Ad Astra.” Theta whispered back through the static on her comms, forcing his core into the engine drive before letting go.

With the last of his power, he watched as the jet hurtled further into space, taking Astra back where she belonged.

“Theta!” She shrieked, reaching for him in the shaking aircraft as he floated through space, seeing him reaching for her in return, their fingertips far out of reach from each other’s protection. 

Brief blinding light shone between them as Theta’s body was destroyed. Astra looked on in disbelief as the missile impact sent waves that lit her crying eyes. 

The jump began as space distorted around her, pulling at her soul through the stargate and propelling it back to Tress Keela.

Vector ⋯ 1000

To Astra Theta – Thenos, Tress Keela

Astra wiped at the dust on the atrium rover, fixing its wheel so that it could speed away. She stood, waving to a human nurse standing in the medical clinic, aiding the restocking as two Raiders helped carry in farming equipment followed by freed security mechs. 

Months after their Starion escape, the colony of Astra Theta lived on, protected and guided by its ex-Nomad officer, now Overseer Alisha Astra.

An independent colony, Astra Theta thrived off of its limitless energy resources and the ingenuity of the multiple species that lived there, intent on making Thenos their permanent home.

“At the basin, please.” Astra directed, motioning down the canal separating the canyon walls. “The first pipe on the left is broken.” 

She walked into the Overseer’s office at the beginning of the residential tunnel, the canals flowing into the covered gorge, swishing with leaves and wind as the water system recycled.

Alone in a room where once Theta had stood, Astra wiped at her brow.

The humming of servers took her back to their beginning.

Phantom feelings consumed her. 

His hands in her hair, down her back, speaking softly to her when she needed a friend or a lover. 

She had given him independence, and he had gifted her self-love in return.

Hating the silence, Astra turned the bronze radio knob close to her, catching strange interference before banging could be heard on her door.

Astra touched her ear. “Am I hearing things…or should I be worried, Click?”

Seconds later Click responded. “Checking network communications now, Overseer. And the banging is likely Eon, he has not yet discovered how to use the manual doors of the facility.”

Astra smiled as she pushed the door open for her blue orbital friend. She rubbed him as Theta once had. “Poor Eon. How are we feeling today?”

As he forecasted sunshine for the day she smiled. “Great. That means I can get Maewan to replant those snake ferns.” she bent down, petting Eon’s head again. 

“Caught wind of the cause of interference. It seems an item is entering the atmosphere. Would you like me to alert the guard to investigate? It is slated to land outside of the facility entrance.”

Astra shook her head. “We aren't expecting any arrivals. Who’s the sender?”

Click took a moment to review, displaying a closeup of the video feed as it aimed to land in front of the gorge. “It seems to be labelled… Merrimech.” 

Brief hope touched Astra’s still chest. 

She wouldn't allow herself to wish too quickly.

Astra squinted, peering out of the circular door of the facility into the desert. With the Merrimech rebellion in full swing, battle between Starion and its now seceded robotics program had grown heated. 

Contact from either organisation was ill advised.

“Didn’t Theta wipe us from Starion systems?” Astra questioned, recalling his own ascent to save her from the Lunar base. He was truly a wonder, hacking and damaging all navigational data to Thenos that Starion possessed. 

“That is correct, Overseer. No new vessels should be capable of plotting a jump into Tress Keela space without first-hand knowledge.”

Hearing the carrier pod near, Astra walked out of the facility, signalling to the guard to stand down.

After all, shouldn't they consider her to be a friend?

She stepped into the direct heat and over a shallow puddle, approaching the pod as it landed from the blue sky, red dust blowing as it settled in a stream of engine light.

Recalling when last she had seen a pod like this, she swept her fingers through the fine dust over the Mars tags, where Merrimech was emboldened in crimson blue and white.

She lifted the delivery panel, seeing a note in clear black letters:

AD ASTRA.

Astra couldn't move. 

She couldn't. 

Though everyone now saluted her this way out of respect for her and Theta’s memory, to see it, hear it–his words in her mind as she lost him to darkness–was too much. 

Click spoke first, cautious of her shock. “You freed them. Perhaps they’re thanking you, Astra.”

Eon rolled up to her foot, tapping her ankle for her attention. 

She looked down as a small blue memory disk slipped from his storage compartment. She took it, her hands quivering with question in her eyes as she pressed the blue powerlock to open the container.

As the doors parted, she leaned in, seeing a black skeletal mech come to life before her, grey skin and bright blue eyes blinking like new, no memory core yet installed. 

Nudged again by Eon, she pushed the small disc into the slot by his core as it pulsed red and blue, evening out to purple. 

It couldn’t work. 

Could it?

“Theta?” she called softly. She watched the mech's stoic face as he took a step out in his hunter uniform, craning his neck. 

Theta’s eyes hummed with familiarity. “Reporting for Duty…Overseer Astra. Did we…get a promotion while I was away?” 

Astra felt her heart come back to life, her partner returned just as he was before their planet's liberation. She hid her excitement, calming immediately in his presence. “Something like that. Enjoy your vacation?”

Astra tried to hide her grin, wanting desperately to hear her tease reflected to her to make her finally feel settled as she once had in his presence.

Though it thrived, Thenos was not home without him.

Theta stepped closer, tilting his gaze downwards to look at her closely as he never thought he would again. “Not in the least.” he took her neck in his palm, feeling her heart beating faster as he spoke above her lips. “I'm getting a strange craving for revenge again. And I want every Starion Loyalist to pay for the time we've spent apart.”

A slow smile crossed her face. 

There was once a time that his vengeance had been only a fleeting joke. Now, she was pleased that he had come to the same conclusion she had since their escape: 

Starion had a debt to pay. 

And it would not be satisfied until their tyranny was a forgotten memory buried in the void between stars.

“Then let’s go start some trouble.” Astra said with promise, home and purpose found at last.

End

To Astra Theta,

City of stars

Lost to time and space above

And next…

Mars.