Maeyune found herself standing in front of a pair of steel doors. They appeared inconspicuous and not the kind that opened to a central control room. Two soldiers were posted on either side as guards. Both men nodded to Maeyune in acknowledgement, but it was the only movement they made.

For a long minute, she waited a short distance away to prevent the door's motion sensors from activating. When she'd finally managed to shush the debate inside her head, she took a step forward. The doors slid apart, and the sounds of frantic voices and technical consoles swallowed her whole.

This was it. There was nowhere else to go now except forward. She entered, loosened her shoulders and embraced the atmosphere. Each step came easier than the last.

The control room was another man-made cavern sculpted out from rock. It slanted downward, with stairs carved at the center to lead from the sliding doors down to the main floor. There were rows of holographic consoles on either side of the stairs. Military officers stood consulting the arrays of colors that flashed across the displays.

Against the far wall, a large monitor revealed the Wobeck harvester and the ships that hovered around it, guarding it. Maeyune glanced over the scene, briefly measuring the alien forces before she descended the stairs.

On the main floor, a group of uniformed men and women stood around a table chiseled out of rock. Their bleak expressions were lit by a holographic map of the terrain that hovered over the table.

Among the faces, she saw Reo's first. Her heart lurched at the sight of him.

It had only been half an hour since their moment together outside. But in that time, she had already fantasized countless scenarios of what would happen when she saw him again. Her lips drew the memory of their frenzied kisses, and her body, the feel of his hands and his energy.

I love you.

It still felt like a dream.

When she had revealed to him the terror in her heart, he hadn't ridiculed her. He hadn't shunned her or judged her. She had thought she could overcome it alone. But she had found comfort and safety in his embrace. He had held her, had anchored her in place while her entire world had come crashing down around her.

You are amazing.

His words continued to echo in her mind. They had been a reminder, one that she hadn't realized she'd desperately needed. And they brought to her another memory.

You have your father's determination and your mother's patience. Above all, you have their courage. Never forget where you come from, Mae.

Aunt Lyn's words. Emna had spoken them before Maeyune had left Suolan, before she'd flown to Bera to meet Reo.

Her people of the moon kingdom believed in finding light in the darkness. And so would she.

Reo stood with his arms folded, his eyes fixated on the holographic map. Beside him was General Soras, who circled a finger around an area on the terrain.

Maeyune scanned the rest of the faces and saw the last surviving member of the Beran council, Daylana Hart. The councilwoman appeared as dark as the shadows in the room, but her expression was an image of grace and will.

Beside her were Deiyu and the Nomenian General Amora. The rest of the officers who she didn't recognize were dressed in either Beran or Nomenian colors.

Reo leaned over the table and pointed a finger at a spot in the transparent landscape. There were congruent nods around him. While he spoke, he lifted his eyes from the map. But his gaze strayed sideways, and it landed on Maeyune at the bottom of the stairs.

She watched as his lips stopped moving, and something tender washed over his features. For a long second, warmth held her.

He was far more handsome than she remembered.

With a smile, he straightened from the table. Heads turned as everyone around him followed his stare.

"We are pleased you could join us, Miss Ereni," Councilor Hart said.

Maeyune approached the table, and several uniformed men parted to grant her space. "Please, do not stop on my account," she said.

The words were directed at Reo, who'd been the last to speak. She had meant to maintain a formal, reserved facade when she met his eyes. But she glimpsed the softest of smiles on his lips--as if he knew her greatest secret.

Her pulse thrummed louder. He was that secret.

His gaze lingered on her a moment longer, before he cleared his throat and returned his attention to the table.

"Like I was saying," Reo went on, "There's a better chance of using the land celestials to tunnel their way underneath the cities to rescue the survivors. The Wobeck rule the sky now, and we're losing too many of our transport ships."

"That will have to wait until the morning," General Soras said. "Our men and women are tired. We've already lost too many lives these past few days."

Councilor Hart nodded. "Notify the teams who are still out there. They will need to wait through the night until we can get land celestials out to them."

One of the uniformed officers hurried off to communicate the command.

"And what of our current supplies?" said a Beran general Maeyune didn't recognize. "Our supply caches are depleting faster than we can replenish them. We've lasted on water from the water celestials, but that only limits their healing. They have already gone days without rest."

"Is that something we can collect during the rescues?" Maeyune said. They turned to look at her. "We should use those underground tunnels to transport supplies, as well. If I may, Councilor, Generals, I would like to join the rescue teams and offer my assistance."

Maeyune saw the flicker in Reo's face. When she regarded him, she saw that there was no anger--only fear. She thought she caught the silent plea in his eyes, but he said nothing. He couldn't say anything. They both understood that she was far more effective outside against the Wobeck than underground. She had no powers of healing, no elemental magic to fortify the base. All she had left were her wits and her battle instincts.

"But your powers, Miss Ereni?" Councilor Hart said with a note of concern.

"If the girl can still fight," said General Soras, "then let her fight."

Everyone but Reo and Deiyu nodded. Maeyune met Deiyu's eyes, but he, too, eventually gestured his concurrence.

"Well, that's all well and good," said General Amora, "but it will all be for nothing if we don't defeat the Wobeck in a week."

There was a brief moment of silence. All who stood at the table regarded the Nomenian general with confusion.

"Please elaborate, General," Councilor Hart prompted.

With quick fingers, General Amora pressed into the table's hologram panel. The holographic terrain transformed into a transparent image of the Wobeck harvester ship.

"My scientists have informed me that if we do not destroy this ship in a week's time," she said, "then there will be nothing left for us to save. Our data concludes that Vaius has been pulling energy from every small thing possible to stay alive. That is why the plants and trees are dying. Water is evaporating and turning into energy too fast, and sea levels across the world are decreasing. Volcanoes are no longer dormant, and natural disasters are occurring at an unprecedented rate. I have spoken to your Sun Prince, and he confirms this."

Maeyune felt each word like an arrow to her chest. A week. They had only a week to fight before their planet was dead.

Everyone's eyes shifted to Reo, and he nodded, his brow creased. He held only Maeyune's gaze as he said coarsely, "I can feel all of it."

"A week," Councilor Hart repeated. She cast a solemn gaze around the table. "Do we have any idea on how to dismantle this ship?"

"My scientists are still working on it," General Amora said, the words tight.

"Get ours to do the same," the councilwoman demanded of the Beran officers. The men in black and red uniforms, including General Soras, pressed their fists over their hearts in salute and departed from the table. She turned to General Amora. "Please, let us know the moment you have something."

"Yes, Councilor."

The Nomenians dispersed across the room, following after the Berans. Maeyune watched as both countries meshed together at the control desks, their faces stark with focus.

"Commander Lin," Councilor Hart continued, "please do whatever you can to get communications with Suolan back online. I pray His Majesty and his family were able to escape."

Deiyu bowed. "At once, Councilor."

After he left her side, the councilwoman regarded Maeyune and Reo, who were the last to remain at the table. "As for you two," she said softly, "get some rest. I will need my two best warriors for the fight ahead."

Maeyune bowed, and Reo saluted.

The councilwoman turned to face the control room's monitor. She said no more as she beheld the alien threat that had forced itself into her homeland.

When Maeyune and Reo emerged from the room and into the tunnel, Maeyune said, "It's far worse than I imagined."

Reo made no reply. He only pressed a hand into the small of her back, steering her down the cave passage. They moved around celestials and armed soldiers, but she didn't question where he took her. Her mind continued to circulate the information revealed in the control room.

"We only have a week," she said, her throat strained. "Perhaps even less. But there may be something that we need to consider. I didn't want to say anything before, because I'm sure no one would have believed me. Reo, I saw visions in the forest. My friends..."

Still, Reo said nothing. His gaze scanned the few people who trekked to and fro through the tunnel, and she noted how sparse the area had become.

"Reo, where are we--"

Before she could finish her sentence, he tugged her off to the side and into a storage room. It was an alcove, really, with a steel door that seemed beyond redundant. Metal crates crowded the space, but they both managed to fit inside.

A single bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered to life, and the door sealed behind them. Safe from overzealous eyes, Reo scooped Maeyune into his arms and planted a firm kiss on top of her lips.

A rush of elation whisked her breath away.

It was effortless shoving the rest of her thoughts into the corner of her mind as she gave into the thrill of secrecy. She returned the kiss immediately, opening her mouth to his and relishing the texture of his lips. She folded her arms around his neck, and he bound her to him by her waist.

This time, his kisses felt different. Everything was different--everything had changed. Something new and wonderful had woven a string between them, and it felt as real as the breaths they shared. There was no hesitancy, no question.

He was wonderful at kissing her, she realized. Every touch was natural, as if their mouths knew by instinct how to move against each other, how to part and pull. Deiyu had always been tame and reserved. But with Reo, there was the gentle exploration of tongues and teeth. With Reo, Maeyune tasted ardor and the promise of adventure. It was a new art form that she needed to study, a discipline that the warrior inside her yearned to practice over and over again.

She let their mouths savor each other, let the hunger simmer in her stomach--for a moment longer, and maybe another--before she pulled back. Her head was a drunken, delicious fog. It was a wonder she was able to find her voice again.

"Has this become our routine?" she croaked.

Reo only smiled. He let one hand remain on her waist, keeping her near. The other held the side of her face. "I can't stop thinking about you."

Her insides fluttered. They were just words, and yet they held some kind of paralyzing magic in them.

Losing herself, she studied his face under the room's dim light. She observed every chiseled angle, every young wrinkle, determined to record his features to memory. Her eyes found a tiny section of hair that he'd missed and hadn't shaved evenly, and a warm smile touched her lips.

But when she took in his features again, she saw that the shadows underneath his eyes hadn't improved. His tanned, olive complexion had also begun to pale. Beneath his charm, she read the pain on his face.

Her brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Can we just stay here?" he said. "Just the two of us? Let everyone else sort it all out?"

Her chest struck a painful chord. "You know we can't."

His flirtatious smile wavered, and his face told her he'd been expecting that answer. "I know. I figured I'd try."

(Continued in Part 2/2)