Sensational

Eliza slammed the glowing red button to her side, sending her star-craft hurtling forwards, narrowly avoiding the concussive blasts from the Xgnoxian weapons. As the force pushed her back into her chair, she frantically looked around, they were still close behind and bent on seeing her destroyed.

Her farcaster hummed to life, emanating a quick series of beeps tapped out in frantic morse code.

“Eliza. Stop. Valzin Crippled. Stop. Survive. Stop.”

“Blast it.” She cursed, as another explosion ignited just to starboard.

The thought of escape crossed her mind, her eyes drifted to a small lever at her side, nestled under the brass control console. One tug of that lever and she’d be somewhere else, far away from the fight. She’d never be sent out on another sortie, to kill or be killed, for some petty boy-king hundreds of worlds away. She could spend the rest of her days – short though they might be – in peace.

But, that would also take her far away from her darling Josaphine, and that man who was to become her husband. Away from everyone on the Valzin, her home for the last decade. Abandoned to die. Would they think her a coward in their last moments, as the Xgnoxians ripped the capital craft apart?

No. Eliza was no coward.

She spun the star-craft’s wheel hard to port, while punching the flickering button, hurtling her back towards the Valzin. Back towards death.

She slammed her fist onto the brass console, which flipped to reveal a series of levers. Eliza pulled each in a rhythm, sending pulses of light from the front of her star-craft. Each lancing through an Xgnoxian craft; each, in turn, shrinking in upon themselves until they were but a pinprick of light in the dark tapestry of space.

An explosion rocked her star-craft, slamming Eliza’s head into the thick glass surrounding her command chamber. A voice pierced through the ringing in her ears.

“Danger! Damage noted! Cracks forming, Eliza!” The craft’s automaton.

“One more like that, and we’ll be dead.” She thought as three more Xgnoxian crafts came into view, and behind them, growing larger in the distance, the Valzin.

“I’ll take you all to the blazes with me!” Eliza shouted and balled her hand into a fist, slamming it down on the red button once more. Her star-craft responded with…

---

“Elizabeth, dear, what ever are you doing?” Mother called to me from the doorway.

I gently set down my quill pen, taking care to keep the feather from getting crumpled, and blew softly on the ink; ensuring that it would dry just a bit more quickly.

“Oh, nothing, mother. Just finishing up a letter.” I replied, placing the lid back on the inkwell. “Has Mr. Bingly come calling? I do recall you mentioning he’d be stopping by.”

“Yes, dear. Come downstairs quickly, so we may greet him properly.”

I spent a few minutes getting myself ready, before wandering into the parlor where Mr. and Mrs. Bingly now sat, each nursing a cup of tea. When Mr. Bingly noticed I’d entered, his eyes widened like a sickly puppy.

“Elizabeth! It’s so good to see you. I just wanted to thank you for recommending that book by… oh what was the chap’s name?”

“E.Z. Bethlaham.”

“Ah yes. Good E.Z. That’s right. In any case, I loved it, who’d have thought a fanciful tale of a lady star-craft pilot could be so thrilling! It’s no wonder all the lads at court are so enthralled. Why, they’re even branding it a new type of story. A … Space Opera, was it?”

I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Oh but in any case, I’ve brought you another one of his works.”

Mr. Bingly reached for a thick book that he’d hidden behind his back and handed it to me.

“You absolutely must read it. It’s sensational.”

“Thank you so much for the thoughtful gift, Mr. Bingly.” I smiled. One day I’d show him the manuscript for this very novel, just to see the look on his face. One day.