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The two finished up most of what remained of the sand eel. Tyra considered chopping up what few organs it had and downing those as well, but decided it against it, realizing it would likely be too nauseating for Joshua. Instead, they took it a fair distance away from their little encampment and set it next to one of the trees, just in case the blood drew the attention of the syringe worms.

The sun had finally set on the planetoid, bringing the full brunt of cold and snuffing out what heat remained. Tyra’s plates had already set about trying to generate a modicum of heat by constantly shifting, while her hands hovered over the flames.

“You OK? You look like you’re getting ready to explode.”

“Explode? I don’t believe that would be possible.”

“I’ve seen termites do it.”

“Again, I wonder how out of all the terrifying creatures on your planet, you became the apex.” Tyra shook her head. “I’m merely cold. I cannot achieve a level of homeostasis as you do.”

“Right, and this fire isn’t gonna do it, I’m guessing.”

“No.”

“Alright.” Joshua waved her on over.

Tyra hesitated for a moment, then crawled over to his side, settling next to his warm and soft body. It was impressive just how much heat he was radiating.

“You’re chilly,” he said.

“I did say so.”

“Right.”

She couldn’t hear his heartbeat, but the smaller hairs on her body brushed up against his skin, allowing her to feel each pump of blood. Tyra had a similar muscle, of course, only it didn’t need to strain so much in these calmer moments. It seemed as though his heart strained more as she settled in. Fear could have been possible, as well as embarrassment. Both, maybe. Tyra turned her head, trying to ease his worries. By his frame of reference, he must’ve felt as though he was sat to a massive insect, the pest of his world. Then again, he did refer to her as “cute”. Flattery? Joshua didn’t seem the type to soften social interactions, certainly not with extraterrestrials. After all, he had called her a devil when they first met. Even if he were the kind to do so, that would imply he was offering her social charity, which was a compliment in its own right.

“Wherever we end up next, it better have a whole hell of a lot of water,” he said.

“I can agree with that sentiment. Fruit would be a nice addition,” Tyra replied.

“Something tropical, then? A nice island with things that won’t kill us.”

“Smaller creatures that are excellent for study.”

“And eating.”

“Farming, perhaps?”

“Alien farmer, that’s a job title.”

“I’m sure you could come up with several more colorful names for them.”

“I can’t name all the critters. Wouldn’t you want to come up with scientific designations for them all, anyways?”

“I think I would. Eventually.”

_

Tyra awoke, still right next to Joshua’s side. Sunlight simmered in the sky, allowing the air to burn once more as the sky lit up with blue. The cave afforded some cool, however, so the pain hadn’t arisen just yet. That meant she didn’t necessarily need to sit next to Joshua like this. Physically, no. Her psychology had other ideas.

They had been together, as creatures of fate, for quite some time. Yet, the presence of another sentient near her remained novel, calming, even. Anger had gotten the better of her, certainly, but without Joshua she feared it would be much worse. And to know he was with her at all times helped ease off this crushing reality from her psyche.

The slow increase in breathing meant Joshua was stirring. He winced and adjusted a shoulder, his eyes pried open soon after.

“Morning,” he said.

“Good morning to you,” she replied.

“Guess we’re going gambling, right?”

“If that is the path you have chosen.”

“And you? Did you choose it?”

“Yes.”

“Gambling it is. Let’s grab some water before we go, though. Don’t want to be parched while playing with death.”

“Indeed.”

The pair received their amounts of sap and retraced their steps back up the mesa. Tyra had prepared herself for the dry air, though it still hit her harshly. The sap in her gut would at least satiate her for a while. They trekked across the mesa until they once again found the ship in the next ravine over. It seemed completely untouched from when they had last looked upon it.

Joshua found a way down to it via more rocky steps. It pained Tyra to even descend into the same valley as the ship, but she kept herself stoic. The past was the past, right? She was forging a new future for herself. That did not, however, mean she should forget the past.

“Looks like we can still get through the airlock,” Joshua said.

“Power willing,” Tyra replied.

They rounded the submerged beast, coming to a stop in front of the nearly buried airlock. Tyra and Joshua dug to the controls, allowing her to press a button. The airlock groaned and slid open, allowing more sand to slide inside. The whole thing slanted downward slightly, but seemed generally intact. The main viewport had finally cracked under the duress, however. The lights above flickered erratically, almost as if the ship was struggling to stay alive.

Joshua was silent, merely looking to Tyra. She took a few steps in. The generator was keeping steady, the familiar hum still radiating through the ship.

“We could activate the ship’s distress, or retrieve a handheld version,” Tyra said.

“I think they’d spring for either one at this point.”

“I suggest the handheld, that way we may better prepare for an incursion. Being able to activate it anywhere may prove useful.”

“Not sure how much we can prepare, but it makes sense either way. You think I could grab my stuff first, though?”

“That is the least I could offer you.”

“Well, I’ll be holding you to the most, then.”

Joshua activated the orb light and moved to where the cot on the bridge originally was, gathering what remained of his scattered belongings. Tyra stood on the bridge, picturing where the ship had been dragged to. Home, space, various secretive orbits, the battle, the graveyard, the ocean world, and now, here. It was surprising what could unfold over a matter of days. In a way, it was proof how volatile she and Joshua were together. A shame that could not extend to the rest of their species, if only for the sake of keeping their stretch of the galaxy in a state of rest.

With a heft of a bag over his shoulder, Joshua moved to Tyra’s side. She nodded and opened the way down. All the lights below had given up, leaving only the harsh white of their own light to cast onto the path forward. Life had been entirely sucked from the area. Only fitting, she supposed. The ship groaned intermittently, likely deciding on whether or not to give way further. On the way to their goal, she retrieved her boarding spike, as well as looked to the freezer for any scraps of food. Most of it had succumbed to the elements, with the freezer having shut off long ago.

The spare distress beacons remained intact, thankfully, along with more of the disc-like radios for them to utilize. Tyra placed a beacon and some of the discs into Joshua’s bag.

“What else might we need?” Tyra asked.

“Nothing I can think of from this thing, unless you want to haul back the bed,” Joshua replied.

“Your choice.”

“Fair enough. Any reason why we can’t just stay here, though?”

“I can’t be certain of its structural integrity.”

The ship moaned again, as if to answer.

“Gotcha.”

“Additionally, if we were to be found, it would be a difficult escape.”

“Fish in a barrel.”

“With deadlier consequences. They may even forego retrieval and detonate the wreck.”

“You guys love your explosives, but I can’t blame you.” He turned his head and opened his mouth, but shut it.

“What is the issue?”

“I just had a bad question.”

“Ask.”

“Were you supposed to blow up this ship?”

“Indeed. In the event of a defeat, especially this surveillance vessel, I would have needed to set it to destruct quite violently.” Tyra walked back to where her resting area was, opening the container underneath it once more. “Instead, I destroyed my suit and hid.” She stared hard into the drawer, fingers lingering on its edge. “Code dictated that if a battle was no longer considered viable, I was to set the destruction of the ship and begin my own assault as the rest. No embedded weaponry meant that we had to rely on our boarding spikes and suits.”

Through all the pain, Tyra had told herself that this was in the past, repeatedly, hammering it into her thoughts. It did not help. A weak croak escaped her jaws, warbling in a pathetic sob. There was nothing she could have done, and she decided to hide away rather than join the rest. She gripped the drawer tightly. Why did she have to be in charge of such a duty?

“I apologize for my weakness,” she said to the empty coffins, settling into her original tongue.

Joshua rested a hand on her shoulder. Tyra’s reflexes kicked up, causing her head to snap to the offending appendage, horns at the ready. He didn’t flinch. Why was it that the enemy afforded her more compassion than her own people? No, that wasn’t right. It was more that she didn’t deserve it. Her horns eased back into place. A path into the future was what she was forging, but perhaps it was doomed from the beginning.

Tyra dropped her things and pulled Joshua into a hug. It lacked the affirming rigidity of chitin, but eased her all the same. His reaction was slow, taking a few seconds to mold into it himself and settle a hand on her back. The uneasy groan from her throat quieted, allowing her to collect herself a little more. She held herself back from digging all her jagged edges into him, despite how much she wanted as much comfort as possible. This was a new low.

Flexing her mouthparts, Tyra pulled away.

“My apologies. Thank you,” she said. Tyra picked up her things.

Joshua nodded and motioned over to the stairway. Tyra nodded in turn and stepped aside, allowing Joshua to go first. She gave one last parting glance to the space, then followed after him, right into the deserted landscape. Almost felt as though she were instantly teleported across planes of existence.

Naturally, Joshua had brought along the cot. Tyra moved to his side and wrapped her arm around it as well, easily allowing them to carry it across the ravine and up back onto the mesa. There was some difficulty bringing it back down again, but soon enough it was the first bit of furniture to their new home.

After that trek, Joshua and Tyra were more than parched, so he went about gathering more sap. Meanwhile, Tyra examined their haul of objects, mostly the distress beacons. They were painted in a bright red and spattered with an array of other colors and writing to explain just how to use it. Interesting how red seemed to be a telltale sign for an emergency in both humans and her own.

A distress beacon was a device meant to call for help, and in a way, they were in dire need of assistance. A shame that assistance had to come at the cost of deception and violence. Her own kind had discarded Tyra, or would have in any case. They were merely a new combatant in the war for her existence. That’s right. She and Joshua were a rogue element birthed from a dissatisfaction of their lives being heaved up into wartime. It made her ponder if any other similar pairings had ever happened. Unlikely. Propaganda and a mix of complacency on either side made it a slim chance. Even she was swayed to a degree, only having managed to overcome any prejudices through circumstance and her own prior knowledge of humans. A threat they may have been, and as a whole they might even pose a galactic threat of territorial consumption. Tyra looked out, deep into the ravine, where Joshua was carving out more sap collectors. But, they were amicable when possible, and certainly open to dialogue. It could be said that her own species was merely a mirror to humanity, both apex creatures formed by rigorous environments and set loose on a new environment they had hardly any experience with on the scale of evolution.

Tyra looked to the sky. It was free of any sort of warships just yet. Unlikely they would expend the energy to move the entire ship in orbit, either. Instead, the reclamation ship would be launched and try to slip into the planet’s atmosphere quickly. That was assuming there wouldn’t be multiple ships after them, but considering how low the corvette was on the scale of size, it likely wasn’t prepared for much in the way of reclamation. The only other possible element to consider was a human one. It was a quick response from those skirting the edge of the conflict, monitoring for any civilian vessels, so it was possible that a militaristic response from humans would also be swift. That was all assuming this planet was on the conflict line and not edging into her own species’ territory.

Joshua had returned with the sap. Tyra had almost forgotten how thirsty she had gotten. He offered her a stick.

“Thank you,” she said.

Joshua sat next to her. “So, when do you want to do this?”

“When you feel prepared for it, I suppose,” she replied.

“Well, say I’m ready now, what do you think the best time to pull this whole thing would be?”

Tyra drank more sap, staring at the distress beacons. Her thoughts spooled up.

“Walk me through it,” he added.

“Yes, pardon. I do not believe the ship in-system will be departing any time soon. Our existence is likely a strange outlier, having crashed a surveillance ship. Certainly, they’ve been destroyed before, but never captured by the enemy. Or have gone rogue.”

“So they’re waiting to see if anyone else comes running in for us, and maybe round up a whole group of humans who managed to snag one of your ships.”

“That is my guess as well, yes. Unless, perhaps the military ship has left and we’re simply unaware of it.”

“Not a win I’d want, but better than being hunted.”

“I assume in the same vein, that is why they have not sent retrieval ships already. Disturbing the site may frighten away potential targets.”

“But if that’s the case, you sure they’d drop down to check out a distress beacon?”

“A fair point. Though, it could be reasonably assumed that Vesperratus forces are being held hostage somehow. If I were the commander of the ship above, I would likely assume that humans would not resort to an alien distress signal, but I suppose oppositely, I might assume it was an intentional bait.”

“And it is, just not that way.”

“Indeed. I may have to add to the distress, something to convince them a friendly survivor has more intel.”

“You know, once this is all said and done, you should be an actress.”

“I have no patience for learning lines, but it’s good this dire situation has brought out an… ‘artiste’ in me.” She let out an exaggerated laugh.

Joshua chuckled.

“As for when we should personally choose to implement this plan, I can only refer to our own personal well-being. I suppose nighttime would provide far better odds at going unseen.”

“But you guys can still see way better than me in the dark.”

“Very much so.”

“Maybe an evening run, just to give me a fair shot.”

“If you so desire.”

“What about operating times? Human ships still run on sleep schedules, and they’ve got little gaps where the crew isn’t at its best. Least, that’s how I remember it.”

“I’m afraid larger vessels such as that one have a constant shift to accommodate for crew weariness,” she said.

“You guys shift around just like that? Damn. That’s a little scary, but I guess if you’re fine being crammed in those sardine cans, you can carry a whole lot more guys.”

“Very much so. Regardless, I believe a specialized recovery crew would likely be far more rested than the average soldier aboard. Additionally, I would be unable to gauge the schedule of the vessel.”

“And there’s only two of these guys in a ship?”

“Those that I am aware of paired like that, yes. If they move on-foot, it’s possible they may split their efforts.”

“What if we just ran in while their backs are turned, eh?”

“I’m afraid their ship will seal as soon as they depart. A control key will be on their person, but I can’t exactly say what it might look like.”

“Figures.” Joshua scratched his chin. “So, we rushing them down as soon as they step off?”

“I suppose we could, however, I have to predict they will land on a mesa. There will be no cover for us to ‘rush’ from.”

“So they’ve gotta come down here.”

“For any measure of fighting chance, yes.”

“And if they don’t?”

Tyra’s horns briefly flexed. “I will follow your lead. Assault or not.”

“Bit of a heavy role there.” Joshua let those words hang for a few seconds. “Hate to ask, but I’m guessing the harpoon will gut one real good.”

“Instantly.”

“Any objections?” he asked.

“It is war, isn’t it?”

“A personal one, sure. We get to be a little more involved in the decision process. Choose who gets knocked off.”

“Any objections from you?” Tyra asked.

Joshua furrowed his brow, then finally gave a shrug. He likely had less reservations about killing an alien, but wasn’t about to admit that to Tyra, likely to not offend or scare her. It was a reasonable response. Right, she had to share her thoughts.

“As much as I may want to avoid slaughter, they prepare themselves for death at every waking moment.”

“A little extreme.”

“Do your soldiers not do the same?”

“I guess, but we humans have this thing in the back of our heads constantly telling us we’ll get through it.”

“It’s an automatic survival reaction, yet I’m certain their conscious minds manage to push past it at some point.”

“Yeah. Guess I didn’t get that far in the army, though.”

“I would say it’s fortunate that you didn’t,” Tyra said.

Joshua only offered another shrug.

“We will have the radios at all times to stay in contact,” she said. “Anything goes amiss, we may speak.”

“That seems like something they could tap into.”

“They are designed against such a thing, yet… I suppose as technology reclaimers, they may have some ability to circumvent that.”

“Emergencies only, then. These guys get tougher by the second.” He nodded. “Just hope it’s worth it. The ship can jump, right?”

“Yes. The vessel is designed for a swift escape in any situation, despite its small size.”

“So, let me make sure this is working in my head. We set the signal, we hope they come down, we wait for them to crawl out, we then hope they come down into the valley, spring our trap on ‘em, and then hopefully get away in one piece on their clunker.”

“That is how it would go, yes. I’m uncertain of any other variables.”

“Lotta rolls of the dice. Guess this is really all down to us and being dealt a good hand, huh?” Joshua looked to her.

“Would you want it any other way?” she asked, returning his gaze.

Joshua smiled. “I probably wouldn’t.” His smile faltered briefly. “I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, and as much as this place sucks, I gotta thank you for everything.”

“And the same returned in kind, Joshua. Especially now.”

“I really do hope we get through this, but I had to say my part, just in case we don’t.”

For a moment, there was a weakness in those eyes, an obvious fear. Tyra knew she had put far too much ambiguity into all of this, but it was only fair. She could do little else, save for be honest with him. Or…

Tyra reached out and pulled him into an embrace. Joshua had zero hesitation, taking a deep breath and squeezing her tightly. His lungfuls of air were calming, almost like she was sharing in them, letting it rush through her entire body.

“We will get through it, and we will do so triumphantly,” Tyra said.

They parted, though held onto each other’s arms. Joshua’s brow slightly crinkled, and his eyes looked away, but they eventually settled back onto her gaze, softening. Perhaps a moment of confusion with the display.

“Partners in crime like us? What was I thinking? Of course we’re going to get through this.”

There was the human vigor she loved.

“But uh, gimme at least a day. I’d like another sand eel or two before we go,” he said.

“I very much agree.”

_

Day had become night far faster than Tyra anticipated. Idle chatter was traded between her and Joshua, allowing her more than a modicum of relaxation. Soon enough, the sand eels began their nightly trek. After downing three, or four, or perhaps even five, of the creatures, the two settled in for the night. Joshua lay on the cot, while Tyra lay beside it on the stony ground.

“I really do not understand how that’s comfortable for you,” Joshua said.

“It settles all of my plates in their proper position,” Tyra replied.

“Alright, but then why do you guys have a cot at all, then?”

“We still indulge in the comfort of softness. That one was placed aboard the bridge for quick changes in watch and rest.”

“Wouldn’t you still like to at least have that before going up against whatever they’ve got tomorrow?”

Tyra sat up, noticing Joshua scoot over on his bed to provide a space for her. “I suppose so.” She joined his side, making certain to keep behind an invisible boundary between the two.

The two stared up at the ceiling.

“Big day tomorrow, huh?” he said.

“Perhaps the largest of my life,” she replied.

“We could put it off, if you want.”

“Not much else to prepare for. I doubt you want to enjoy this rock of sand much more, either.”

“Yeah, I’ve had my fill.”

They fell into a short silence.

“Hard to sleep, thinking about it,” Joshua said.

“Very much so.”

Joshua crossed his arms. “So what’s a day like on your planet, eh?”

“A day? The routine of life, you mean.”

“Yeah.”

A routine seemed so distant now. Even before this mess, it had been quite some time since she was back in the comfort of home. What was that like?

“Sour subject?”

“No, no. I’ve merely gotten used to this existence.” Tyra softly ground her mandibles together. “Likely not far from a human one, on a broad level. I awake, I eat, I work, I return home, I amuse myself.”

“Amuse yourself?”

“With what little I could. Usually that meant capturing smaller creatures to observe and logging their existence.”

“Bug catching.”

“Yes, bug catching. It was nice to tend to something living and see it thrive. A refresh after poring over human cadavers and noting biological points.” Probably should have kept that part aside. “And for you, on Earth?”

“Crawl outta bed, jam my face fulla food, head out on the water, and return home. Maybe bother a few buddies.” He crossed his arms, turning his head. “Hope they’re still out there causing a ruckus. Don’t need those guys aboard spaceships. Definitely didn’t need me aboard one, either.” Joshua looked to her. “Y’know, I don’t think I know what your planet’s called. We just settled on Earth and I’ve been bitter about it ever since.”

Tyra chittered. “My world has something of an archaic name. Not any more interesting than Earth.”

“Well, shoot.”

“Roughly, it would be translated to ‘anchor’ in English.”

“How’d you guys come up with that? You guys never struck me as sailors.”

“Certainly not. It arose from the old belief that the stars and the deep black of space were a swirling ocean. Planets were merely islands that floated atop the nothingness. Often, it was said we were stuck to ours by some unseen force.”

“Anchored there. Huh.” Joshua pursed his lips. “Yeah, well, mine just means dirt. I think you guys win.”

“I find the name quite elegant in its simplicity. The ground from which you grew and were nourished by.”

“Only problem is most of it’s water. Misnomer.”

“Water may have been a more accurate choice, I suppose.”

“You ever thought about visiting?”

“The main source of my research, and the only other world with sentient creatures?”

Joshua chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that was kind of a dumb question.”

“I’ve often pictured it. Standing out in an evergreen forest. Sitting atop a rock by the shore. Peering down from mountaintops. Perhaps my own planet has analogous features, but to know that your world has been crafted in its own unique image through millions of years of work, and to know that millions of humans have lived and thrived there…” She tilted her head. “I think there’s an awe to that.”

“Not to knock the wind out of your sails, but isn’t that pretty much the same on your own planet?”

“It is, yet you are an alien form. It’s impressive to think a separate creation of the universe had lived its own existence across the vastness of space. A contained world with its own peoples, cultures, and technologies.”

Joshua left a pause, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s a bit crazy when you put it like that. In a good way.” He nodded. “I’m sure there are plenty of scientists back home that think the same about your world.”

“And you?”

“I think I’m still adjusting to the idea that aliens exist in general. I mean, yeah, we get hammered with propaganda every day about you guys, but, you know, to see you.” He looked to Tyra. “The idea is bonkers.”

“In a good way.”

Joshua chuckled. “Right. I think I was a teenager when the whole first contact thing happened. But it’s not like I really grasped what that meant. Guess I really didn’t until I saw you. Like, you guys were just vague thing out there in the universe. Sometimes I wondered if it was all made up.”

“I suppose I lack some of that shock with my background.” Your obsession, she silently added. “You are very much the first living human I have seen, and to see my observations play out has been a similar astonishing sensation.”

“Makes me sound like a science experiment.”

“No. That was not my intent.” She flexed her mouth parts. “I only wished to impart a similar compliment of impressiveness as you did with me.”

“I getcha. Gotta admit, does feel good to be that special. Probably because I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere, but you have to take your victories where you can, right?”

“Especially now.”

They lapsed into a calm silence, gaze turning back to the ceiling of the cave. Despite the rigorous conditions and terrifying prospect sat ahead of them, Tyra had never felt more relaxed. Her body eased into the cot as a comfortable haze of sleep seeped into her thoughts.

“Good night,” Joshua said.