Skylar squeezed his trigger and a blue bolt of light scorched the last gangster's wrist, ruining the comlink. "Let's get out of here before more show up!" he shouted to Mitsuko and Takashi. He pressed a button on his wrist computer, and the entry ramp dropped down from the ship's underside.
Tiras, still on the balcony, saw the bandit Mitsuko had landed on start to get back up. Hardly thinking, Tiras swung his body over the railing and dropped on top of him. The bandit dropped back to the ground with a groan.
"Sorry, man." Tiras pushed himself up and ran to the entry ramp. He had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the way up into the ship. Kelphus was waiting at the top with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on?"
"Welcome aboard the Celestial Eclipse," said Mitsuko, as she pushed the button to close the ramp.
"Computer!" Skylar shouted as he sprinted up the ramp to the cockpit. "Get this thing in the air!"
"What about Selah?" asked Kelphus quickly.
"We'll have to pick her up on the way out." Takashi ran up the ramp after Skylar.
---
Selah bounced in the front door of her house. "I'm home!"
"Me too!" called a voice from the kitchen. Selah skipped down the hall towards it and found her dad sitting at the table with a fork and a bowl of diced fruit.
"So, Selah, umm, don't you think this space trip is awfully short notice?" he asked, stroking the curled end of his large grey mustache.
"Yes." Selah sat down next to him and put her arms on the glass that covered the black wooden table. "But Takashi has been planning this for a few months. He has every little detail worked out."
"So why didn't he invite you sooner?"
"He didn't find out until last week that he needed to find his own crew. They told him they would assign him a team and then they went and changed their minds on him."
"Hmm." He took a bite of fruit and stroked his mustache again.
"If I stayed here, I'd just be applying for jobs and college." Selah pushed her golden hair back over her shoulder. "I don't have any commitments. And I'm getting paid for going on this."
Selah's mother came in, carrying a small leather bag in both hands.
"What do you think about this space trip?" Selah's dad sat up straight and looked to her.
She sat down next to Selah. "When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow mor-" The sound of her cell phone ringing cut her off. She pulled it out to see. "Oh, it's Mitsuko. I'll put her on speakerphone." She pressed the button. "Hi, Mitsuko!"
"Selah, we got attacked on the launch pad and whoever's behind it is after us. We're in the air now and we're going to pick you up from your house in five minutes!"
"But, I haven't got the groceries out of my car or anything! I just got home!"
Skylar yelled in the background. "We'll just pick her whole car up! There's room in the hold!"
"Okay." Selah took a deep breath. "Good thing I'm packed already. I'll be waiting in my car in the driveway."
"Alright!" said Mitsuko. She hung up.
"I guess I'm leaving now, then." Selah scooted her chair back.
"Well, take this," said her mom, handing her the leather bag. Selah undid the button and gently poured it out into her hand. It was a thin golden chain, with a diamond-shaped pendant attached. In the middle of the golden pendant was a deep-blue sapphire, cut to the same shape as the pendant, that had a white light shining from inside of it. Selah could feel the energy inside of it; it was almost like holding a gallon of water in one hand, that would flow into her body as soon as she willed it. It was the energy that powered magic.
"A mana gem," whispered Selah. "Thank you."
"They're not easy to find," said her dad.
"I know. I... need to get going."
They all stood up, and Selah hugged both her parents in turn.
"I'll keep in touch, okay?" she said. Her parents nodded, and Selah rushed out of the room.
Her parents lingered, taking each other's hands and watching the entrance.
Selah's mother came in, carrying a small leather bag in both hands.
"What do you think about this space trip?" Selah's dad sat up straight and looked to her.
She sat down next to Selah. "When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow mor-" The sound of her cell phone ringing cut her off. She pulled it out to see. "Oh, it's Mitsuko. I'll put her on speakerphone." She pressed the button. "Hi, Mitsuko!"
"Selah, we got attacked on the launch pad and whoever's behind it is after us. We're in the air now and we're going to pick you up from your house in five minutes!"
"But, I haven't got the groceries out of my car or anything! I just got home!"
Skylar yelled in the background. "We'll just pick her whole car up! There's room in the hold!"
"Okay." Selah took a deep breath. "Good thing I'm packed already. I'll be waiting in my car in the driveway."
"Alright!" said Mitsuko. She hung up.
"I guess I'm leaving now, then." Selah scooted her chair back.
"Well, take this," said her mom, handing her the leather bag. Selah undid the button and gently poured it out into her hand. It was a thin golden chain, with a diamond-shaped pendant attached. In the middle of the golden pendant was a deep-blue sapphire, cut to the same shape as the pendant, that had a white light shining from inside of it. Selah could feel the energy inside of it; it was almost like holding a gallon of water in one hand, that would flow into her body as soon as she willed it. It was the energy that powered magic.
"A mana gem," whispered Selah. "Thank you."
"They're not easy to find," said her dad.
"I know. I... need to get going."
They all stood up, and Selah hugged both her parents in turn.
"I'll keep in touch, okay?" she said. Her parents nodded, and Selah rushed out of the room.
Her parents lingered, taking each other's hands and watching the entrance.
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