"We have to go back," Indra cried, yanking out of Chester's hold. "We can't leave him! We can't leave Hawke!" Her back screamed at the movement. She took the gun from Chester's holster. "He's going to die."

"If we go back, we'll all die. This is one of the hard calls," Akio whispered, her voice cracking. "He told us to go. What if you go back and find him already dead? What then? His death will mean nothing."

Tears leaked from Indra's eyes, streaming down her face. Her chest grew tight, making it almost impossible to breathe. "He's family Akio, how could you say that? How the fuck can you say that?"

"Because I don't want to lose everyone!" Akio screamed. "We lost Haim, we lost Eris, and now we're losing Hawke." Sobs broke through the silence as Akio grabbed Indra's hand, her agony echoing the widening hollow inside. "I can't lose you too, please. Indra." She pulled on Indra's arm, falling to the ground. "Please."

Indra couldn't. She couldn't leave him. But she couldn't abandon Akio. Inhaling a shuddering breath, she pulled away. Hawke was family. She'd do the same for Akio. Akio would do the same for her. This shouldn't have been a debate. "If I do nothing, I will live every day of my life in regret. I'm sorry."

"Indra!" Akio's hand barely missed her leg, whooshing warm air as Indra turned back. "Indra!"

Biting her lip to prevent a sob from escaping, Indra focused on the familiarity of the noise around her. She would find her way back. She would save Hawke. Everything was going to be okay. It had to be. It starshitted had to be.

Akio's screams faded into the distance with each running step she took forward.

I'm coming, Hawke. I'm coming.

A rock cracked in the distance, throwing off the noise around her. Indra stopped, unable to find the familiarity above the loud crumbling. Cries of agony split through the air. "Hawke!"

Indra stepped forward, screaming as she stumbled into lava. It encased her ankle and shin. Reaching out, she grabbed the rocky landscape above, pulling herself out. She had to keep going. She couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop.

Which way was she facing? Indra's chest heaved as panic began to settle in. What direction had she stepped? Did she turn to get out? Go forward? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

Hawke's screams echoed discordantly until all turned to silence. There was no sound to follow, no noise of familiarity. She was lost.

"I can help you," a gentle voice, like the coo of a bird, echoed in her head.

Jolting, Indra lifted the gun, hovering her finger above the trigger. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"My name is Hao, I'm a friend of Akio's. The Commander left your comrade to bleed out, but he's still alive. I can bring you to him and get you back to the tunnels," Hao stated. "I can't do more, or he'll find you."

"Why are you here? Why are you helping me?" Indra asked, keeping the gun upright.

A small, fur paw reached out, lowering it as an odd sense of calm wafted into her head. "To make up for what I came here to do. Akio needs to leave the planet before—before I can't stall anymore."

Indra pulled away, wrapping her arm around Hao's neck and pressing the gun to her temple. "Maybe I should kill you now, to prevent anything from happening?"

A deep set sadness wafted through Indra at the contact. "That's your choice to make. Either I help you find your friend now, or you kill me and help others later. I won't stop you."

"What does that mean? Are you here to kill Akio?" Indra spat, pressing the pistol harder against Hao's temple. "How about you help me now and then die? Solution to everything."

"If you shoot me after we are too your friend," Hao said softly, her voice barely audible above the bubbling lava. "The Commander will capture both of you to publicly execute and draw Akio out."

"Starshit! Fine," Indra shoved her forward. "Bring me to Hawke, I'll kill you later. . . You have mind control like Haim, don't you?"

Hao grew silent, grabbed Indra's hand and started to lead her forward. "Worse. I'm more powerful because of my combined blood. That makes me the Commander's most valuable asset."

That wasn't what Indra needed to hear. If she was a valuable asset, why was she left unguarded?

"I convinced the guards around me to take a nap, they were quite willing, it didn't take much," Hao said in Indra's head.

With a power like that, what was Hao's true task here? She could make anyone do anything. What if—no, that was ridiculous. Or was it? Indra grimaced with each step she took. Now wasn't the time to wander and figure things out. Hawke needed her, and she'd be starshitted if she didn't save him. He was like a little brother to her. Tears involuntarily started again. Hawke was left to bleed out, what if there wasn't time to save him? What if there was nothing left to save? What had the Commander done to him?

Indra moved faster, running alongside Hao as they navigated the pools. She was going to save him, somehow. Stuffing down her doubt, she refused to let it overtake her. The only thing she had now was hope. Without it, there was nothing but the hollowness of a broken soul. She didn't trust Hao in the slightest, yet this stranger was the only things that could help her navigate the unfamiliar terrain.

Akio.

The hollow agony that wafted from her touch brought tears to Indra's eyes. It was over. They were over. Akio put herself above Hawke, and when faced with the choice between her girlfriend and her brother, Indra knew who she valued more. It hurt. It burned like someone had ripped open her chest. Sobs made her breaths come out in gasps. Because what hurt most, was knowing she'd make the same choice if faced with it again.

The fantasy they'd been living was over. The life she wanted that was never hers to take drifted further each step she took, Akio's screams echoing in her head. After this, Indra couldn't go back. She wouldn't go back.Though Akio had seen the light of her mistakes, she'd never do what was necessary to win. Her heart would stop her every time. Her starshitted bleeding heart.

Intakes of shallow breathing drew Indra forward. She fell to her knees, crawling forward. "Hawke? Hawke, can you hear me?"

"Just a little further and you'll reach him," Hao said. "But now is not the time to check his injuries. The Commander is coming back. You need to get out of here."

Indra nodded, reaching forward until her hand grabbed flesh. "Fuck." The extent of Hawke's injuries revealed itself with each pound of his heart that struggled to beat. "Starshitted fucken, fuck," Indra sobbed, grabbing his arm and dragging him along the ground. His back—his body—he was broken. So broken. How long had he laid here suffering like this?

"Hao," Indra whispered, her voice trembling. "How do I save him? I can't fix this."

"Yes you can." Hao placed a hand on Indra, leaning her forward. "Go to the warehouse. You'll have everything you need. Remember, Indra, he's not human. He won't die before you reach it, but you'll need to work fast. I've already sent some of my contacts there to meet you, contacts the Commander doesn't know."

Cybernetics.

"Yes. You've done it before. You can save Hawke, just like you saved Bolivar."