The journey to the third fragment took them through the heart of civilized space.
Ren sat in the cockpit, watching the stars blur past, feeling the weight of two fragments inside his chest. They pulled together now, blue and purple, courage and endurance, like twin hearts beating in rhythm.
His mother was asleep in her bunk. She'd been sleeping more lately. The stress, she said. The constant running. But Ren noticed the way she moved slower now, the way her hands trembled sometimes when she thought he wasn't looking.
She was getting older. And this life was wearing her down.
He didn't know what to do about that.
"Approaching Cygnus Prime," the ship's computer announced in its flat mechanical voice. "Estimated arrival: four hours."
Ren pulled up the navigation data. Cygnus Prime wasn't their destination. The third fragment was on a planet called Theron, deep in the Cygnus system. But to get there, they needed supplies. Fuel. Information. And the only place to get those things was the spaceport.
His mother had warned him about spaceports.
Dangerous places, she'd said. Full of criminals and spies and people who'd sell their own mother for a handful of MILTONS. Keep your head down. Keep your mouth shut. And for the love of everything, don't use your power.
Ren understood. He did. But as the Starfire dropped out of warp and Cygnus Prime appeared on the viewscreen, he felt something he hadn't expected.
Excitement.
The station was massive. A spinning wheel of metal and light, easily fifty kilometers across, orbiting a gas giant the color of honey. Ships of every size and shape swarmed around it like insects around a flame. Cargo haulers. Passenger liners. Military vessels. And smaller ships, faster ships, ships that probably didn't have registration papers or legal owners.
The Starfire was just one more speck in the crowd.
"Your mother's going to kill me for waking her."
Ren turned. Sara stood in the doorway, rumpled and tired, but already pulling on her jacket.
"You should have slept longer."
"And let you dock alone at the most dangerous spaceport in three systems?" She shook her head. "Not a chance."
________________________________________
Docking was chaos.
The traffic controllers spoke in rapid bursts of system slang that Ren could barely follow. Ships cut each other off, exchanged insults over open channels, nearly collided a dozen times before they reached their assigned berth. By the time the Starfire's landing clamps engaged, Ren's hands were sweating.
"Welcome to Cygnus Prime," Sara muttered. "Try not to die."
The berth was in a low level of the station, far from the fancy districts where the rich traders and corporate executives docked. Here, the walls were stained with years of grease and smoke. The air smelled of ozone and something unidentifiable that might have been food or might have been fuel.
Ren stepped onto the metal grating and immediately felt eyes on him.
Dozens of them. From every shadow. From every doorway. The people here moved differently than on Elarion. Quicker. Smarter. Their eyes catalogued everything about him in seconds. His clothes. His age. His lack of weapons. His mother beside him.
One of them approached. A man with too many teeth and not enough conscience.
"New arrivals, eh? Looking for supplies? I know a guy. Best prices on the station."
Sara stepped forward. "We know where we're going."
The man's smile didn't waver. "Sure, you do. But maybe you don't know about the toll."
"What toll?"
"New arrivals toll. Very reasonable. Just a small fee to ensure safe passage through our little neighborhood." He gestured, and two larger men materialized from the shadows behind him. "Insurance, you understand."
Ren felt his power stir. Just a little. Just enough.
"No," Sara said firmly. "No toll. We're not paying."
The man's smile finally faded. "Lady, I don't think you understand the situation—"
"I understand perfectly." Sara's voice was ice. "I also understand that the station security monitors this level constantly. And I understand that if you cause trouble, they'll be here in thirty seconds. And I understand that your record with them is probably long enough that one more incident means permanent exile."
The man stared at her. The two larger men shifted uncomfortably.
"Now," Sara continued, "we're going to walk to the supply district. We're going to buy what we need. And we're going to leave. You're going to pretend you never saw us. Understood?"
A long moment passed. Then the man laughed.
"Lady, you got guts. I'll give you that." He stepped aside. "Go. But remember this face. Next time, the toll might be higher."
They walked past him, through the crowd of watchers, toward the brighter lights of the commercial district. Ren didn't look back.
"Mom," he whispered when they were clear. "That was amazing."
"That was stupid." But she was smiling slightly. "He was right about one thing. Next time, it might be worse. Let's get what we need and get out fast."
The commercial district was everything the docking level wasn't.
Bright lights. Clean floors. Stores with actual windows and doors and employees who smiled like they meant it. Aliens of every species Ren had ever heard of and many he hadn't. A blue-skinned Velorian psychic reading fortunes for credits. A hulking Gorvak warrior examining weapons at a stall. A group of tiny insectoid beings chattering in clicks and whistles as they hurried past.
Ren tried not to stare. He failed.
"First time off your home planet?" a voice asked.
He turned. A girl about his age stood nearby, leaning against a wall. She was human, or close to it. Dark skin, dark eyes, hair cut short and practical. Her clothes were worn but clean, and she had a tool kit strapped to her belt that looked expensive.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Kind of." She pushed off the wall and walked closer. "You've got that look. Like everything's new and you're not sure if you should be amazed or terrified." She glanced at Sara. "Your mom?"
"Sara. And yes."
"I'm Aiko." She held out her hand. Ren shook it, feeling calluses that spoke of hard work. "You need something? Supplies? Information? I know this station better than most."
"We're fine," Sara said quickly. Too quickly.
Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Sure, you are. That's why you're wandering around the commercial district with no idea where the supply depots actually are." She pointed. "They're that way. Three levels down. But you'll pay triple if you go through the official channels."
Sara studied her for a long moment. "And you can do better?"
"I can do anything for the right price." Aiko smiled, and it was sharp and honest at the same time. "I'm a tech. Ships, mostly. But I also know people. Know where to find things. Know who to avoid." She looked at Ren. "You've got power. I can feel it. That means you're either dangerous or stupid. Which is it?"
Ren blinked. "You can feel it?"
"Like a hum. Right at the edge of my hearing." She tapped her ear. "Augmented. Helps with diagnostics. Also helps spot interesting people." She tilted her head. "So? Dangerous or stupid?"
"Both," Sara said flatly. "Now leave us alone."
Aiko held up her hands. "Fine, fine. But the offer stands. If you need help, ask for Aiko in the lower levels. Everyone knows me." She walked away, disappearing into the crowd before Ren could say another word.
"That one's trouble," Sara muttered.
"She seemed helpful."
"Trouble," Sara repeated. "Come on. Let's get the supplies and get back to the ship."
________________________________________
They found the supply depot exactly where Aiko had pointed. Three levels down, through a maze of corridors that smelled of cooking oil and something that might have been alien barbecue. The prices were high, but Sara negotiated like someone who'd spent years haggling in markets. By the time they finished, they had everything they needed and enough credits left for a hot meal.
They ate at a small cafe near the depot, sitting at a table that wobbled on uneven legs. The food was strange but good. Spicy in ways Ren had never experienced, with textures that took getting used to.
"So that's it?" he asked between bites. "We just leave?"
"That's the plan." Sara picked at her own food. "Get back to the ship, plot a course for Theron, and hope nobody followed us."
"You think someone did?"
"I think someone's always watching on stations like this." She glanced around the crowded cafe. "The question is whether they care about us specifically."
Ren thought about Aiko. About the way she'd looked at him. Like she knew something.
"Mom, that girl. She said she could feel my power."
"I know."
"Is that normal?"
Sara was quiet for a moment. "Some species have enhanced senses. The Velorians can sense thoughts. The Luminaries can see energy patterns. If she's got augmented hearing, maybe she can hear frequencies normal humans can't. Your power probably emits something. A sound, a vibration. She might be telling the truth."
"Or she might be working for someone."
"Or that." Sara pushed her plate away. "Either way, we're leaving tonight. I don't want to spend another minute on this station."
________________________________________
They were halfway back to the docking level when the trouble started.
Three men stepped out of a side corridor, blocking their path. Not the same men from earlier. These were bigger. Meaner. Their eyes had the flat look of people who'd done terrible things and would do them again without hesitation.
"Stop," the lead one said. Just that. One word.
Sara stopped. Ren stopped beside her.
"We don't want trouble," Sara said calmly.
"Too bad." The man smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Someone wants to talk to you. Comes highly recommended. Says you've got something valuable."
Ren's heart rate climbed. His power stirred. He pushed it down.
"We're just travelers," Sara said. "We don't have anything valuable."
The man laughed. "Everyone's got something valuable. Maybe it's in your ship. Maybe it's in your head. Maybe it's standing right next to you." He looked at Ren. "Boy's got interesting eyes. Glow a bit, don't they?"
Ren cursed internally. The fragments. They'd made his eyes brighter. Harder to hide.
"Walk away," Sara said. "Last chance."
"Last chance for what, lady? You got no weapons. You got no backup. You got nothing." The man stepped closer. "Now, we can do this easy or we can do this hard. Your choice."
Ren felt his control slipping. The power wanted out. Wanted to protect. Wanted to destroy.
And then someone else spoke.
"I think you should listen to her."
Aiko stepped out of the same side corridor the men had come from. She held a small device in her hand, wires dangling, lights blinking.
"Who the hell are you?" the lead man demanded.
"Someone who just disabled the security cameras in this corridor for the next three minutes." Aiko smiled. "Which means nobody's watching. Which means anything that happens here, nobody sees."
The men looked at each other. Then back at Aiko. Then at Ren.
"You think three minutes is enough for you to take us?" the lead man asked. "You're a kid. A girl. With a toy."
"This toy?" Aiko held up the device. "This toy can send an electrical pulse through the station's entire security grid. Which will bring every guard on this level running. In about..." She checked a display. "Thirty seconds."
The men hesitated.
"Or," Aiko continued, "I could just let you walk away. Pretend this never happened. Your choice."
The lead man stared at her for a long moment. Then he laughed.
"You're crazy, kid. Crazy and stupid." He gestured to his companions. "Come on. This isn't worth it."
They walked away, disappearing into the same side corridor they'd come from.
Aiko turned to Ren and Sara. "You're welcome."
"Why?" Sara asked flatly. "Why help us?"
Aiko shrugged. "Bored. Curious. Take your pick." She looked at Ren. "Plus, I want to know more about the guy whose eyes glow. That's not something you see every day."
Ren met her gaze. She wasn't afraid of him. That was new.
"We're leaving," Sara said. "Now."
"Take me with you."
The words hung in the air.
"What?" Sara stared at her.
"I'm tired of this station. Tired of fixing other people's ships while they get rich. Tired of watching my back every second." Aiko's voice was steady. "You're going somewhere interesting. I can tell. And I'm good with tech. Really good. Better than anyone you'll find on this rock."
"We don't need—"
"Mom." Ren interrupted. "She just saved us."
"She also got us into this situation in the first place. Those men knew about us somehow. Knew about your eyes."
Aiko held up her hands. "I didn't tell anyone. I swear. But word spreads fast on this station. You're not exactly subtle, you know? Mother and son, no obvious weapons, nervous, asking questions about supply routes. You stood out."
Sara was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Why us? Why not wait for a better offer?"
Aiko smiled. "Because better offers don't come to the lower levels. Because I've been waiting three years for something interesting to happen. And because..." She looked at Ren. "Because I've never met anyone whose power I could feel from across a room. That's worth following."
Ren looked at his mother. Her face was unreadable.
"Mom. We need help. Real help. Someone who knows ships, knows technology, knows how to survive in places like this." He glanced at Aiko. "She could be that help."
"Or she could be a spy."
"If she was a spy, she'd have let those men take us. Learned more that way."
Sara stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded.
"One chance. One. You betray us, you're dead. Understand?"
Aiko's smile widened. "Understood."
________________________________________
They walked back to the Starfire together, Aiko chattering about the ship before she'd even seen it.
"Old model, right? Pre-warp drive? Probably been modified a dozen times. Original engines would be useless by now. Let me guess, you've got a MILTONS core, retrofitted about twenty years ago?"
Sara stared at her. "How did you—"
"Lucky guess. Most ships this old either have MILTONS or they're scrap. And you're still flying, so..." She shrugged. "I'll want to see the engine room. Probably needs tuning. They always do."
Ren glanced at his mother. She looked equal parts annoyed and impressed.
They reached the berth. The Starfire waited, ordinary and unremarkable.
"Nice," Aiko said. "Stealthy. Doesn't draw attention. Smart." She walked around the hull, running her hand along the metal. "Good condition. Better than most I've seen. You take care of her."
"She's been in the family a long time," Sara said.
"Your husband's?"
Sara's expression flickered. "How did you know it was a husband?"
Aiko tapped her ear. "Frequency analysis. The ship's systems have a specific energy signature. Matches the one coming off your son. Family connection." She glanced at Ren. "Your dad's ship. Your dad's power. Your dad's mission?"
Ren didn't answer.
Aiko nodded like he had. "Figured. Don't worry. I'm not asking." She turned back to the ship. "So, when do we leave?"
"Now," Sara said. "Get inside. We're done here."
They boarded the Starfire, and within minutes, they were lifting off from Cygnus Prime. The massive station shrank behind them, swallowed by the honey-colored gas giant.
Aiko stood at the cockpit window, watching it goes.
"Three years," she said quietly. "Three years on that rock. Never thought I'd leave."
Ren stood beside her. "What's out there for you?"
"Nothing. Everything." She looked at him. "Same as you, I'm guessing."
He didn't answer. But for the first time since leaving Elarion, he didn't feel quite so alone.
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END OF CHAPTER 7
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