Thread: Countless Stars, Unending Possibilities (The_Gladiator & darkangel76)

As Laela stood up, she wiped the back of her mouth with her sleeve. Her lips turned into a frown as she brought her arm away and then about her middle. The air was freezing, a wind licking against her flesh as it blew through the wreck that had once been a beautiful ship, a sight to behold. It was still clearly Illuminati-make, anyone who happened to come by would surely know that those who'd been on board had been important, people of stature, of wealth, of... Just then, Laela could feel her pale eyes prickling with tears. No one... no one else was emerging from the ship. Not a soul. Even the AI voice stopped its infernal dialogue, ceasing to warn or advise. Not that it had mattered. She'd seen what had become of her parents, their impaled bodies stuck fast to their chairs where they'd been sitting in wait for the vessel to crash-land upon this godforsaken planet! The gruesome vision was all to ingrained in her mind, the way her mother had looked, her father... and even the chair that had been meant for her. It too had been broken. To think she'd almost... No. No, she wouldn't think on it. She couldn't. She'd go mad. Laela walked around the smoking debris of her ship, pieces still falling from the sky like snow. She tilted her face upward, her arms hugging herself tightlyhands rubbing at her body for warmth as the wind began to howl. What was to become of her now? Would Hal hear of what had happened? They hadn't been due for another couple hours at least, or so she thought. It could be a while before he bothered to send someone. Anyone. And what then? What then...? What now?! Laela's eyes widened as she heard something loud rumbling in the distance. Almost instantly she felt her muscles tense. Pushing her dark hair away from her eyes, she stared in awe at another ship as it made its way toward her location. It was clear that whomever it was that flew it had seen what had occurredmaybe they'd even been a part of the reason as to why her ship had gone down. That thought didn't set well. So many uncertainties swirled through her mindwere they friendly, hostile, something else entirely? And she had no idea of knowing and like it or not would more than likely be at their mercy in the end. Now that was a first for her... Squinting, she tried to make out the markings on the ship, but it was too far off for her to make out to even remotely discern its origins, not that she'd know if she could anyway... To think she'd finally gotten the chance to leave Helios, to have the luxury of seeing her beloved cousinthe one person she recalled having been kind to her all those years agoand now this. Chaos and mayhem! Was that what life was outside the comfort and warmth of the Inner Sanctum? Both Jareth and Sherylindria Quentin had always reminded Laelaand all too often at thatat just how fortunate she'd been to be born into the world she was. Ah, such a life to be Illuminati-born, destined for a life where she'd want for nothing. Yet... A part of her had always questioned. A part of her had always doubted. It seemed so foolish now as Laela stood in the billowing smoke on a planet so cold and remote. Blinking hard, Laela forced back the tears and watched the new arrival, its engines roaring so loudly she felt the urge to cover her ears, land in the distance. A part of her was morbidly curious as to whom it was that had found her, another parta larger partfelt that wave of fear, a fear of the unknown. Panic began to course throughout her body, prickling at her flesh and causing it to break out into goose bumps. She whimpered for a moment before letting out an audible gasp, though quickly she sucked in a breath so as to find her composure. After all, she was Laelestra Quentin. Illuminati-born, resident of Helios. Daughter to Jareth and Sherylindria Quentin. She had connections, pull, sway... didn't she? Oh Hal... Suddenly, the door to the ship opened and Laela caught sight of what appeared to be two men de-boarding. They certainly didn't look Illuminati. No Illuminati would dress in such... such... She shook her head in dismay and shivered. No, they were not of her kind. Were they pirates, rebels, assassins? Oh, the possibilities were endless and each thought seemed to bring her deeper into a nightmare she could only hope to wake up from. Her hands clutched at her shimmery brown skirts, knuckles white from the hold. Oh how she wished she hadn't indulged in her desire to visit this abominable planet! H-hello? Laela called out, not knowing what else to do. There was nowhere to hide and even if she tried, she knew it would only be a matter of time before being found. The smoke was getting worse and the flames higher. Soon, she'd have to run away from the ship if she wanted to ensure her own safety. She might not be knowledgeable about technology and many things, but she was hardly stupid. Besides, didn't she want to be found? As the two men approached, she found herself becoming desperate, facing the inevitable, her mind convincing herself persuasively. Yes! She wanted to be found, needed to be! Laela needed to get to Hal. He was expecting her. What was more, she was Illuminati. Surely anyone who found that out would be more than eager to assist. Surely... surely... Biting down on her lip, Laela awkwardly moved through the obstacles of debris, her tiny hands reaching for her shimmering skirts laced with metallic objectsan Illuminati trait, especially those of the wealthier and more prestigious familiesso as to more easily make her way toward towards the newcomers approaching the wreckage. She eyed them carefully. And though nave, her mind swirled with the rumors she'd heard about the Barbaric Rim. Were they true... were they? No. Of course not. Those were mere fancy and fairy stories. I am Laelestra Quentin, Laela then announced without much thought that perhaps her name might be recognized... hated, despised, linked to the cousin who was wreaking havoc on the planet she now found herself standing upon. Oh how little of the world she truly knew... Her heart beating fast, she licked her lips and shivered, her mind going into a slight panic. Deciding to bold, her pale eyes shifted toward the man who appeared to be the leader and then asked, Are you here to rescue me? Did Hal send you? With hopeful eyes, she began looking back and forth between both men and awaited their answer, but eventually her eyes came to linger on the one she thought to be the leader and sighed heavily. Well, did he?