The Black Knight. Part 1, Chapter 14.

 Eos sat with her knees pulled up to her chest as she stared out the window in front of her, watching as the cube-shaped planet grew more into view. She didn't know much about Newslater, but she figured it'd be just as dangerous as the others they've visited. 

Her leg had random spirts of pain, but whatever the geese had done was slowing down the process. Though she doubted she'd be in any state to fight by the time they got to Foe. Maybe a deal wouldn't be so bad if she set the right terms? Eos stopped herself from thinking any further, and thankfully, Lonely walked into the cockpit from his room.

"How was your nap?" She asked, turning her chair with one foot so she could see him. 

He sighed and sat down in one of the passenger chairs. "Couldn't sleep." Looking around, he asked, "Where's Pandora?" 

"She's resting in her cabin; she's got a lot to process about what lies ahead." 

Lonely chuckled, "She has a lot to process? What about us? You've almost died twice since this journey started!"

"Four times, counting you pulling me off course and the star blaster." Eos interrupted.

"And", he continued, "I'm experiencing more unknown every day! My hands have been burned, I almost drowned, I was held captive by geese, and almost torn apart by a ghost! And, And! I was put under a truth glitter serum that still seems to be working!" He huffed and sank lower into his chair. 

Eos shifted uncomfortably, throwing one leg over the first armrest while she leaned her back against the second one. "Do you want to talk about what happened back there?" 

Lonely fidgeted with his hands as he spoke, "My...my mom died when I was three, it had enough of an impact on me that I remember it. I never learned how it happened; I just remember my Aunts coming to pick me up from school and telling me about it in the car. I was already subject to bullying because of my clothes and the fact that my family was broken. I can't remember my actual name, just what it means, Lonely, and my aunts never let me forget it." He quickly wiped a tear from his face and, clearing his throat, he looked towards Eos.

She figured it was her turn to share, at least this way she could explain in her own words, " I could never be good enough for my father. If he could, he would trade me for just an hour with my mom. He sent me to immediately train to be a guard; it's the only position of power I'd ever get anyway. Before you get the wrong idea, this isn't what I think; it's what I was told. He told me all this. My father won't hold back from telling the truth after he's had a few."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both thinking over all that had happened in what seemed like such a short amount of time.

"How long has it been since we met?" Lonely asked.

Blinking in surprise, Eos chuckled slightly, "In human years or Starlin?" 

"Is there that big a difference?"

"You've known me for about two hundred Earth years; I've known you for about 2 years. Space time is a bit wonky, with all this traveling, we're moving on a slower time, so we seem the same, but back where we're from, everything has changed." 

He started to laugh, "I'm 216?"

Nodding, she smiled at the sudden burst of laughter. 

Lonely put his hand on his head, his black hair getting tangled in his fingers, "Wow! I can't believe this! And I still look 16, right? I'm not some wrinkly old dude?"

"You look relatively the same since I met you, maybe a year older," She shrugged.

"I've lived for over two hundred Earth years, and I only look seventeen?" He laughed loud enough that Pandora stuck her head out of her room to see what was going on.

The console beeped, Eos turned up right in her seat and spun it around, "Alright! We're coming up on the next planet! Take your seats!" 

"Aye, captain!" Lonely grinned, strapping himself in. Pandora sat in the seat next to Eos and hooked the seat belt together. 

Eos grabbed the controls, "Alright, let's-" the starship jolted suddenly, red blinking lights dancing across the control screen. 

"The black knight!" Pandora yelped, unbuckling her seat belt and running off.

"The what?" Lonely yelled as he struggled to unhook the straps that were tight on his chest. 

Eos's eyes widened as she realized what was going on, "We're under attack! Pandora's running to the cannons, go help her!" 

As he finally unhooked the seat belt, the ship jolted again and sent Lonely falling to the floor. He scrambled to get up to follow Pandora down the corridor. Things were about to get messy.