The Streisand Effect [Spectra Fanfiction, book 2/3]

13 - Regret

Jäga found himself alone in the Stinger's cockpit. In his hands sat a small box, roughly ten centimetres wide. He knew what was held inside it. Normally when he was upset or sad he'd run the item through his fingers. It normally provided a small semblance of comfort, knowing that she cared about him.

But now it would only serve to make things worse. His face was stained with the remnants of tears. It had been a long, sleepless night. At least she was alright. She was safe. She was alive. 

The mowlin fought back against the want to scream. She was already furious at him. Waking her up in the middle of the night alongside the rest of the crew wouldn't do him any favors. His mind ran rampant with the memories he'd shared with her during the brief time they'd spent together before the split.

The promises they'd made each other, the plans and wishes they'd shared. It all felt like nothing more than ash now. He clenched his fist into a tight ball as he held the box, fighting like hell to keep the tears away. It was a losing battle, that was until he heard the door to the cockpit open up. 

In shock, he hastily hid a small photograph that had been stuck to the dashboard. He turned around, "Ava?"

Rix stood in the doorway, holding a small cup of coffee.

"Oh, sorry," the mowlin muttered.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure. What's up?"

The irva shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep. Bad dreams."

Jäga frowned, "Yea, I know the feeling."

"Why are you awake?" She asked, walking up to the cockpit window and gazing out into the endless abyss of null space. Flashes of purple, indigo and violet erupted all around them as they tore through the fabric of space-time.

Jäga's heart sank slightly more than it already was.

"Just keeping an eye on things. Never know what might happen out here."

"Mhm."

Rix took a seat in the co-pilot's chair and sipped on her coffee. It was refreshingly warm as it slid down her throat, a nice heated beverage while in the middle of cold space. 

A few minutes went by and neither spoke many words to one another. A few questions about history and the ship's controls but that was about it.

Rix was curious though. She'd been wondering since they'd first met what the exchange with the other mowlin was about. However Jäga hadn't been around much for her to ask. Most of the flight he'd been cooped away in the cockpit, refusing to come out for anything.

"So... this... Ava-"

"Can we not talk about her... please."

The irva frowned, "I just wanted to know how you know each other. It feels like everyone here knows one another."

Jäga sighed, rubbing his forehead with a pained wince. 

"I... we were close once. I met her the same time I met the others. Not much to it."

"Huh. Fair enough." 

The room fell back to silence, with Rix's mind itching for more information. It seemed she wouldn't be the one to ask though.

"So... while we're here I guess, I may as well ask. You really don't know anything about where you're from? Parents? Home? Siblings? Anything?"

Rix bit her tongue and racked her brains, trying to dig up something, anything that she could remember from her past. It was like there was something blocking her though. Like she was standing in a thick cloud of fog and she knew they were there somewhere, but trying to peek through the cloud was almost impossible.