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After Launch

Summary:

The continuation of Cee and Ezra's story after launch. I finished watching the movie feeling completely satisfied, but also feeling like I would go crazy trying to figure out what happened to this duo next. I love space dad Ezra and his brilliant adopted bad-ass book worm, and I want to see some real CLOSURE here people!!
So I created it for myself. I hope you enjoy
the attempt!
EDIT:: I also wanted to tack on the playlist I created for Ezra and Cee that inspired me to create this story :)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wl4HOA4NVMMWFKxCMwx5g?si=UBkl0weIROupqzkUDQ6lrw

Cheers friends!

Chapter 1: Elation and Consternation

Summary:

Hello all! I just wanted to add on this quick note to say that this story inspired me to make a Cee and Ezra playlist on Spotify, which I really felt personified my fav duo and the strange world they live in. If you want to check it out, the link is here —> ( https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wl4HOA4NVMMWFKxCMwx5g?si=-qF10h0OSmqBcmI79YZ-zQ )

Anyway, cheers friends, and enjoy!

Chapter Text

The atmosphere was burning bright outside the pod windows, and hope was at last burning brightly within, fueling a smile that had rarely been seen on Cee's face these last few years of her young life. When she at last opened her eyes, she could see the station rising up to meet them between the receding tongues of flame.

The green moon was at last behind her.

Or rather, behind them.

A glance to her left revealed that her pod mate's face was pale, his breathing harsh. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as his face twitched with every jolt of the pod. He hadn't opened his eyes or spoken since she'd helped strap him on board.

His face fell into shadow as they breached atmo and were consumed by the dark vacuum of space. The pod lights activated, casting a pale glow by which she could see the interior of the escape vehicle they'd commandeered. Reality settled in as she searched the control board for anything that looked familiar. Nothing there sparked a memory.

A pod is a pod is a pod.

She clutched at the flight manual in her hands like it was a lifeline.

"Well, I'm sure if there's one thing upon which… we can both agree. That's one moon I'm happy to see the backside of... and will be in no hurry… to return to."

Cee shot Ezra a worried look. His frown had eased since the shaking of the pod had lessened, but the lines remained permanently etched between his eyebrows. Despite his valiant attempt at humor, she could tell he was fighting to remain conscious.

"If I recall correctly, you've got a rented space... up on that freighter."

"Yes."

"You ever docked a pod before?"

The empty space where his right arm had once been seemed to glare at her.

In her mind, that he had deserved to get shot wasn't up for debate. But for some time she had come to regret that her actions had caused him the loss of his arm. Not only had she deprived him of an essential tool in his line of work, but it was now creating a possible problem with their escape. He was clearly in no position to pilot the pod, and she'd never done a radio call before.

Not that she could have predicted that she would team up with, and even come to like the man who was her father's killer.

She bit her lip and worried the frayed edge of the book in her hand. "Not exactly, but… I've seen my father do it enough times. If I could just read the manual, then maybe…"

"That's a good start." He rolled his head to look at her, panting as he adjusted in his seat. He continued with difficulty. "Why don't you do some digging into that manual… concentrate on… getting this accomplice of our escape… into port while I…. talk to control."

His words, though riddled with discomfort, eased the hard knot of anxiety that had taken root in the pit of her stomach. Talking on the radios had been her biggest concern.

"What's your docking number?"

"2742."

"Excellent. I have every confidence that you… will lead us safely home. Just… start reading up Little Bird. See if there's some sort of… automatic docking procedures you can engage. We clear?"

She nodded. "Clear."

The ghost of a cocksure grin momentarily overshadowed the pain on his pale features. "That a girl."

His confidence in her bolstered her courage. Her hands started flipping open the pages of the manual as if they already knew where to begin their search. As her eyes scanned the pages, she could hear Ezra grunting as he reached forward to hit the comms.

"Gridstock this is… 2742 on approach requesting dock… post haste."

When the reply wasn't immediate, the tight knot returned to Cee's stomach. Her eyes flicked to Ezra once more. He was lying back against the seat, eyes closed. She was afraid he had lost consciousness, but eventually she saw his lips begin to move. She couldn't be sure, but she thought they were forming a silent prayer.

Cee turned back to the task at hand and redoubled her efforts. As she paged madly through the well-worn sheets, she kept one ear strained for the reply.

For several beats the only sounds in the pod were labored breathing and the occasional turning of a page. Then the radio crackled.

"2742 this is Gridstock. I have you on scanners, and your approach is approved. Prepare for immediate docking."

Cee's shoulders slumped forward, and she thought she heard her pod mate push out a strained chuckle. "Thank you sir for your swift response. We shall be all too happy... to comply."

"Lucky you called in when you did, in another couple hours we would have been locked down to prepare for the final sling."

"I knew lady luck hadn't yet forsaken me. Statistically speaking, I was bound to...gain access to her good graces... at some time or other."

"Maybe she owes you a favor."

"Though I run the risk of jinxing the entire operation... I must say that I could not agree more."

Cee's eyes at last found themselves trailing across familiar words. "I think I found it!"

"Praise be," He swallowed hard. "Gridstock, would you kindly send down the proper coordinates... for approach vectors."

"Copy that 2742, sending them now."

The control screen flashed, and though her heart was beating fast, her hands were steady as she locked in the approach and accessed the controls. "All I have to do is nudge her a bit in the right direction… and…"

A few solid blasts from the thrusters set them on an intercept course.

"Now I just have to program the proper vectors."

With intense concentration Cee focused on the many flickering buttons and toggle switches. She could feel the urgency of the situation pressing in, but pretended that she was once again on Jala Bhalu, where she'd learned the first rule of survival: you must set your fears aside, or be crushed by their weight. Do the impossible now, and think about it later.

At the last switch of a toggle the vector screen turned green, and she listened to the progression of sounds with increasing satisfaction.

"Don't know why I was... praying to the saints of Kevva, for a miracle, when they already... sent you."

His words were slurred, but pleasure warmed her cheeks. Silence filled the space between them as she checked and double checked the manual for proper inputs, cross referencing their position with the GPS. It wasn't until some minutes later that she realized just how quiet it had become in the gently humming pod. She looked over at her companion, and fear burned its way up her throat.

He was slumped forward against his restraints, apparently unconscious.

"Ezra!"

Abandoning caution, she unbuckled from her seat. She stretched across the space between them and strained to push him back against the headrest. When his head lolled sideways, she could see his eyes were rolled back, and his mouth was slack. She put a finger against his throat to check for a pulse. It was weak and irregular, but definitely still there. A check on his abdomen confirmed her worst fears. Her hand came away sticky and red.

She rifled frantically through the myriad drawers until she found a cloth, and stuffed it against the wound. She knew he needed help from someone with a lot more medical expertise than herself, and he needed it soon. After a moment or two of internal struggle reached for the comms.

"Gridlock this is 2742 requesting immediate medical attention upon docking. I repeat, I need immediate medical attention. I've got an unconscious man here who's losing a lot of blood."

"I have your request 2742. We'll dispatch the doc to meet you at the door."

The next few minutes crawled by as they drew close to the freighter, the cloth she kept pressed against Ezra's side slowly turning crimson under her hand. An eternity passed before the hiss of the airlock confirmed a successful dock, and as soon as she hit the door release the doctor was striding through it, an assistant following close at his heels.

Bespeckled eyes took in the situation at a glance.

"We need to get him flat on the floor, quickly!"

Deft hands removed Ezra from her grasp, and she stumbled to the side as they unbuckled the unconscious man and lowered him gently to the floor. She brushed her hair out of her face with shaking hands. She was intent on the medics' movements as they cut away his suit around the injury and probed the area with instruments she had never seen before. For a while, no one spoke a word. In fact, the medic and his assistant didn't seem to need words to communicate. At the extension of the medic's hand, the woman would place in it one strange looking device after another.

She only spoke when she couldn't handle the silence any longer.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Can't say yet for sure," The doctor responded curtly. "The cream protected him somewhat from contamination, but we need to clean the wound to be sure. One thing is certain, your father needs a blood transfusion, and quickly. Do you know his blood type?"

She didn't bother to correct the medic's assumption, and thankfully the man didn't wait for a reply. He pulled back Ezra's suit to look at his chest, where Cee knew he would find a small tattoo located over his heart that would provide the answer. "O positive."

Cee felt hope bloom inside her. "I'm O positive as well."

"Get her down next to him, prepare for the transfer."

She was already on the move. She unzipped her suit and rolled up her sleeve, revealing the inside of her left elbow before lying down on the floor.

"By gods that's a lot of blood," the assistant muttered as she unclasped her pack. "Any of it yours?"

"No, it's just his. My father's I mean."

The area at the base of her elbow was wiped clean, and a tourniquet was tied around her upper arm. She watched them cut off Ezra's sleeve and prepare him for the transfusion. A line of tubing was stretched across them, and a needle pressed into Ezra's arm. He didn't even flinch. She grit her teeth as assistant pressed the needle into her vein without preamble.

As she watched her own blood flow out of her arm and towards Ezra, she prayed that it would be enough to save him. If she'd learned anything from the sins of her father, it was that you should deal honestly, and pay off your debts quickly.

This wouldn't even begin to cover what she owed this man, but it was a start.

And if she were being completely honest with herself, she didn't want to be left alone. She had no more living relatives that she knew of, had never made any friends. Ezra was the only person she had left in the entire universe.

Without thinking, she reached over and grabbed his limp hand. It was clammy and awkward, but she couldn't bring herself to let go. She was only just beginning to understand how it felt to be trusted, and what it meant to trust another person. For the first time in living memory, she felt like she'd been seen, really seen, and the thought of losing that feeling was unbearable.

With a shaky sigh, she squeezed his hand tighter and shut her eyes.

Please, live!