Wrapped in Starlight by Viola Grace

worked their way through halls littered with groaning and gasping bodies.
    “He left an instant before I woke you. He didn’t want you to see him on active duty but didn’t want to leave you until there was someone to keep an eye out for you.”
    Starbreaker kept up chatter while they flew through the kilometre-wide swath of unconscious Feliancourans. They were all armed and that did wonders on retracting Kiiki’s sympathy for them.
    “Do you know why they were holding me?” Her head spun and her flight wobbled a little.
    “Generally, this sort of thing is driven by fear, but don’t worry, you were under contract to the Sector Guard, so they will be investigating. I have some theories, but I will have to do some detailed examination of their sun.”
    “I was hoping someone would look at it. It is sick. The light is missing something, but I don’t know what.”
    Starbreaker took her hand again, but this time, power rippled from the Guardsman into Kiiki. Light, pure and powerful light, came streaming into her, building up her flagging energy and lifting her spirits.
    The Starlight was waiting for them, and a cloud of vapour seethed around it. As they bypassed the ground and entered through the door, Kiiki whispered, “Hi, Harken.”
    Starbreaker took the helm, and when the roiling cloud had joined them in the Starlight, she sealed the doors and lifted off. “Time to get you back home, Specialist Waythorp.”

Chapter Ten
    “Incomplete spectrum.” The doctor nodded and checked her results before nodding in confirmation. “You have basically been starved of the parts of the spectrum you needed to keep yourself healthy, Kiiki.”
    Kiiki sighed, “That is what it feels like. How long will it take me to recover?”
    Back on Balen, with Harken standing in the corner and scowling at her, she felt far better than she had on Feliancour. Starbreaker was leading a science team to investigate the sickness in their star, but Kiiki was done with them.
    “I am ordering the Citadel to keep you at their base for no less than ten days. You are to soak in the light of Saru and do nothing else.” The doctor was serious.
    “Can I go now?”
    “Yes, but rest, good meals and lots of light. Your system is a shadow of itself.” Dr. Leaka waved her off, and she walked with Harken down the hall of the Balen Base.
    “I suppose this is goodbye for a few weeks.” She tried to be chipper, but he had been with her for longer than any being on record. She was going to miss him.
    “I will come by to visit in a few days. I am going to be taking a trip to Morganti, but I will be back once I have shown these designs to Fixer. Have the Citadel send a message to Morganti base if there is any trouble.” Harken’s face was serious, but he placed his hand on her arm, giving her a casual touch that sent her heart tripping in her chest.
    Flustered, she stepped away from him and looked to the sun, pulling in enough power to propel her up and away. “Have a nice trip!”
    She used every ounce of speed she had in her to send her back to the Citadel as fast as her power could carry her. Tabr was next to a new vehicle in the courtyard, and he looked concerned as she staggered into a standing position. “What did the doctor say?”
    “Rest and light for ten days. Whose shuttle is that?”
    “A visitor of Saru-Rolland’s. He is taking her on a tour. I believe she is his species.” Tabr’s face was still concerned. “Kiiki, you look so pale.”
    “Hence the rest and the proper light. Something was wrong on Feliancour, and it drained me every day I was there.”
    She walked into the Citadel outpost with a swing in her step to hide her limp. She had landed on the wrong foot and her body still ached.
    With a tea tray in her arms, she wandered into the seating area, taking a seat next to the window. She smiled at the light of Saru, but when she felt it coming from her back as well, she turned and got to her feet. “Hello Saru-Rolland. How are you