Homestar Saga

Chapter 66: Dark Matter

 Yvian hated waiting.

Waiting was a big part of space travel. The void was big, so big it was hard to imagine. Voidships were capable of speeds that would be absurd, maybe impossible, on a planet, and still a journey across just a few sectors could take weeks or months. The Captain's Jumpdrive brought that down to hours or days, which was why the things were so precious and expensive, but even then Yvian spent a lot of time waiting.

Of course, waiting to get somewhere was not the same as the wait she faced now. When they were traveling, Yvian had other things to do. She had training, meals to eat, and Space Captain to enjoy. It was hardly like waiting at all. It certainly wasn't like this.

The cake had been eaten. The beer had been drunk, though the Captain had cut them off after the first six. Lissa had stopped crying. Instead she stared at nothing, eyes sunk, shoulders clenched. The Captain had made several attempts to offer distraction or keep the girls busy, but he had been rebuffed. He sat next to Lissa, doing his best to radiate a steady calm.

Yvian knew the human didn't give a shit about Yasme Kiver. If anything, he'd be happy to kill her himself. He only cared because Lissa was upset, which was... surprisingly sweet. Yvian was so used to seeing him be cold and practical to other people that she forgot sometimes how caring he was towards her sister. And towards Yvian herself, she guessed.

As for Yvian, she was brooding. The plight of her former mother, her sister's distress, and the oppressive silence pressed down on her psyche. She was upset on Lissa's behalf, and she was fine with that, but Yvian also wanted Yasme to be saved. Seeing the woman in pain had hurt her. Yvian had burned with the need to come to her mother's rescue, even knowing Yasme wasn't her mother anymore. Even after all that the woman had done. To her. To her sister.

It ate at her. Yvian should be stronger than this. She hated Yasme. Yasme disgusted her. How could she still love such a vile thing? Scene after scene played out in Yvian's memory. Beatings. Burnings. Worse things. She'd carried the scars for years before they'd been erased in the Captain's medpod. She'd had panic attacks. Night terrors. She'd been afraid to be touched. Yvian liked to think she'd rebuilt herself when she finally got away, but she'd never be whole. She'd never be innocent. The physical scars were gone, but she'd carry the pain and the horror for the rest of her life. Why was she so desperate to save a monster?

Yvian hated waiting. It gave her too much time to think.

Time crawled. The three of them sat, mostly quiet. Aside from the occasional bathroom break, that was all they did. Sit. Quietly. Lissa was despondent. The Captain was concerned. Yvian was raging inside her own head. Everyone hurting, and everyone wishing what comfort they could to the others. After the second hour Lissa tried to comm Mr. Starlost for an update, but the Captain stopped her. He told her comming wouldn't help, and might distract the CEO at a critical moment. They would just have to wait. It was all they could do.

Yvian hated waiting.

Meal time came and went. No one was hungry. Bed time came and went. Everyone was tired, but no one considered going to sleep. After six hours, Mims and Lissa had a brief argument. Lissa insisted, and the Captain gave in. Lissa commed Mondi Starlost. Mr. Starlost did not answer.

It was nine hours, nearly ten, before the CEO commed back. He simply said, "We have her. Rendezvous at these coordinates. One hour."

"Thank you," Lissa replied. Mr. Starlost ended the transmission.

Yvian had hoped the news would bring happiness, or at least excitement. Lissa didn't really perk up. She just stood and shuffled towards the bridge. Mims took the controls. Yvian continued to brood as they passed out of the hollowed asteroid that contained their hideout.