Loa immediately came to her senses. She tucked the crates of oranges neatly into her space ring, then fluttered over to Aaron with a bright smile.
“Aaron, I’ve packed it up.”
Aaron nodded, his expression softening. “Good. Let’s go."
Makaret watched silently as Aaron and Loa departed the spaceship. Once they were gone, he closed the door and redeemed two Advanced Energy Stones.
Carrying them into the inner chamber, he placed one at the center of the formation. Immediately, a mechanical voice echoed: “Energy Source detected. Current energy remaining: 100%.”
Relief washed over him. These stones were the lifeblood of the ship, its fuel. With two in hand, he was confident he could reach the nearest supply depot in the Kolark Galaxy. Yet in his heart, he vowed: the next time he returned, i
