Chek Op

(Look Up)

"You know what they say about that star?"

"Hm?" Lexa doesn't bother opening her eyes. The air is a little too cold, Costia just a little too warm. There's a knot in her back where a knob of stone is jutting into her spine, but Lexa doesn't really mind.

"Leksa," Costia insists, her voice sounding amused.

Lexa grunts in complaint, but eventually, she opens her eyes and sits up. Costia leans against her, and Lexa glances over to see her gazing up at the sky, eyes sparkling. Lexa follows her eyes to the stars above. "Which star?" she asks.

"That one," Costia says, jabbing a finger upwards. It takes a moment, but then she sees it, recognizes it. As always, it is slowly but steadily making its way across the night sky. Lexa knows it. She has been watching it since she was a child.

"What do they say of it?" Lexa asks, because she is genuinely curious.

"They say it has been there since the beginning, that it appeared only a few months after the Fall."

Lexa's mouth quirks slightly at that. "Is that so? And what exactly do they call it? A premonition?"

Lexa feels Costia shake her head against her shoulder. "No. They say it is a ship of sorts."

Lexa blinks and looks down at Costia. "A ship?"

Costia nods. "They say it is a ship that has carried people that escaped the Fall by fleeing to space."

Lexa stares at her for a long moment before barking out a quick laugh. "I see," she drawls, smirking. "Shall we flee to space next? We will bring our army with us. The Mountain Men will not know what to do."

Costia shoves her. "You mock me!" she accuses, but there is a grin on her face. After Lexa catches her balance, she looks up once more. "I know it sounds impossible and strange, but I'm serious. What if it were true?"

Lexa bumps her with her elbow. "It isn't."

"But what if it was?"

Lexa sighs lightly, but she honestly doesn't mind. She looks up too. "If it were true, there would be people up there. I suppose, they would be looking down at the ground as we look up at the sky."

Costia is silent for a long moment. "I bet it's more peaceful up there," she murmurs wistfully. "I bet they are united, not endlessly at war with each other, constantly fighting and dying." She seems to trying to blink away tears. Lexa swallows hard.

"It always has seemed peaceful up there," Lexa comments quietly, and Costia looks at her. "Quiet. Soft. There is no chaos up there, just stars and night sky."

Lexa can see Costia watching her out of the corner of her eye. After a long moment, she reaches over and wraps her arms around Lexa's sides, drawing her in. Lexa doesn't resist, and in a moment, they are laying back on the rock, arms wrapped around each other.

"There can be peace here, Lexa," Costia murmurs against her shoulder. "We just need time."

There is a sharp pain in Lexa's chest, and she bites her lip. "Time we do no have," she reminds her.

"Time we can get."

"Costia-"

"Sshhh. If nothing else, peace now."

Lexa hesitates, then nods and tucks her nose into the crook of Costia's neck, the thoughts of people in the sky fading away with the worries of tomorrow.

"What is that?"

Gustus looks over, his hand on his sword hilt and his brows knit. "Heda?"

Lexa nods upwards. Gustus looks up, squinting, and grunts in surprise.

Up above, there is a wide diamond of white light streaking across the sky, heading eastward. It is steadily growing larger, but as it does, it seems to fade as well. By the time is has grown to the size of Lexa's thumb, it has faded into the far horizon. Gustus turns his head, meets Lexa's eyes, and they are thinking the same thing.

"Kwint!" Lexa barks.

There is a loud knock, a grunt of pain, and then Quint leaps through the doorway of the rundown shack he'd been rifling through. He jogs to Lexa and stands straight. "Heda," he snaps out.

"Go get Anya," she orders, still not breaking eye contact with Gustus. "Quickly."

"Sha, Heda." Quint turns away and sprints away. It is when his footsteps fade away that Lexa finally breaks eye contact with Gustus. She looks up at the sky where the white diamond just disappeared.

"Gostos?" she asks simply.

"I do not know, heda," he answers, just as plainly.

There is the sound of steps in the distance. "Heda!" Lexa turns as Anya skids to a stop in front of her. "You asked for me."

"Sha," Lexa says. "I need-"

Boom.

The noise is quiet, but distinct. Lexa can tell it is far by how much it echoes and bounces between the trees, but it is close enough that they hear the impact. Lexa feels something twist in her stomach and she meets Gustus' eyes again. Anya is looking between the two of them, understanding and trepidation pooling in her eyes.

"Heda." She says.

Lexa meets her eyes. "East, Anya. Tondc. Tell Indra. Take Quint with you and use him as a messenger."

Anya nods. "Sha, heda." Then she turns and begins to stride away. Quint is jogging his way back towards them, and as she passes him, Anya grips his arms and tows him after. He follows without question.

"And us, heda?" Gustus asks, almost gently.

Lexa chews on her lip, gazing eastward where the white diamond vanished. After a long moment, she says, "We keep quiet. If anyone asks, it was a falling star."

"A falling star, heda?" Gustus sounds amused.

Despite everything, Lexa's lips twitch. "A sign of good omens, Gustus," she tells him, turning away from the burning diamond in the sky. "Come. We need to prepare."

Gustus follows her as she begins to stride down the path. "Prepare for a falling star, heda?" It is not a joke. There is a warning in his voice.

"Prepare for omens, Gustus," she replies grimly.

"Heda!"

Lexa is up out of bed and moving before she even registers that it is dark outside. She throws her shoulder guard on and snatches her sword up off the table before striding to the opening of her tents. She pushes the flap aside and looks to either side to her guards. Neither of them are fighting or dying, but they are both gaping up at the sky, eyes wide.

It is then that the sound of loud fire hits Lexa's ears. She snaps her gaze up to the night sky, and it is there.

It is falling, no longer just a flickering light whirling across the sky. It is a bright, exploding star, roaring its dying breath. It is falling to earth, and Lexa knows it will bring its wrath with it. Her hearth climbs up into her throat.

And then there is a bright flash, and it breaks up, coming closer, but coming down in pieces now. Some continue falling, silver boxes and wheels reeling across the night sky. Others explode into bits, and Lexa can hear the sounds of destruction even here. Those remaining scatter across the sky, trailing flames and smoke and ruin. They fall behind the trees and Lexa hears a series of pops and booms all around her. Then, the forest goes too quiet.

Lexa snaps her head around. "Gostos!" To her relief, he is already making his way towards her, eyes and expression dark. He stops before her.

"Heda?"

Lexa ignores him, jabbing a finger at one of her guards, who has just brought his gaze back down from the sky. He snaps to attention, and his partner follows suit. "Spread the message," Lexa snaps. "Change of plans. We march at dawn."

"Sha, heda," they chorus and set off.

"Gustus," Lexa barks. "With me."

Gustus follows Lexa into her tent and to her table, with countless maps sprawled across the surface. There is a red marking where the first of the Sky People landed, a blue one in Tondc, and a green one at the Mountain. Before she can forget where the lights and fire streaked across the sky, she bites into her thumb, drawing blood. She swipes it across the map a few times, but she knows the markings will not be exact.

"Gustus."

"Heda?"

"What do the people say of the star that crosses the sky every night?" Lexa asks, striding around to the other side of the table, sucking on her thumb.

"That it is a ship that has held people since the Fall," he grunts. "That they survived the Fall by fleeing to space."

Lexa nods, bitterness boiling up inside her stomach. "They flee to earth now, Gustus," she says. "But they will not find refugee here. They will look up the stars just as we do and wish for peace."

Gustus is quite for a long moment. Then, "What do you plan to do, heda?"

Lexa grips the edge of the table hard. "Protect my people."

To avoid confusion while reading, I'm going to avoid using straight up Trigedaslang unless there is a Sky Person and Grounder together in a scene, or just common phrases.

"Sha, heda." - "Yes, Commander."