Chapter 2

Raine wakes up and groans lightly as her body protests at trying to get out of the bed. Her stomach growls at her, remembering that she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch the day before. She sighs and gets up, doing her best to walk towards the refresher. She slowly undresses after locking the door, and turns the hot water on. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees her own reflection in the mirror. She turns to it and looks at herself.

The bruises were more visible now, black and blue dominating around her eyes, with the side of her lower lip swollen. As her gaze goes from her face to lower parts of her body, she sees the bruises continued on to her chest. She sees something on her neck and moves closer to the mirror for a better look, seeing a hicky there. She sighs and rubs at it, trying to make it go away, but to no avail.

She frowns and then goes into the shower and cleans herself up, allowing the hot water to soothe her muscles. Her thoughts go to the day before, remembering how rough the three had been, and how different Jenos had held her. She easily saw that the boys had not been as much interested with her as they were just to have their way. She lightly bit her lower lip and wondered if her cousin loved her…with not just the love of a family member.

She shakes her head at that thought, knowing how wrong it was. She sighs and stays in the shower a little longer than normal. After having cleaned herself, which helped her mind a little, she dried herself then wrapped the towel around herself and went back to her room to get dressed. She chooses a gray pair of shorts and a gray shirt, which makes her smile slightly, knowing the colors were something Jenos would wear. She goes to reach for her school bag, but remembers that it was the weekend.

She smiles and goes to her closet, pulling out a two piece bikini and placing it into a small bag. She walks out with the bag and the towel, which she throws in a laundry basket before fetching another one. As she heads to the door, her mother calls to her. “Raine? Are you up now?” She sighs lightly. “Yes mom.” Darlene walks out of the kitchen to see her daughter. “Raine dear, both me and your father want to know what happened yesterday. We’re both worried. I know you don’t want to talk about it, but we need to know.”

Raine tries not to frown and tell her not to worry. She knew that her parents had a right to worry, especially with what had happened. “I will tell you… just not right now.” With that, she moves closer to the door and opens it. “Raine.” Raine walks out of the house and closes the door behind her.

She heads to the western side of the city, where the nicer beaches on the island where at. When she arrives, she strips off her gray clothes and puts on the pink and white bikini. She runs through the sand and into the water, swimming out into the sea and revels in the sun and water. After a while, she goes back to the beach and goes back to her bag, retrieving the towel and lying it down on the beach, setting herself on it as she allows the sun to dry her off.

She becomes aware of something blocking the sun and opens her eyes. She jolts as she sees someone over her. “Ugh, don’t do that Jessica.” The woman smiles and sits down next to her. “So, what’s this I hear about you yesterday, hmm?” Raine looks away towards the water. “I don’t want to talk about it…” Jessica gives Raine a hurt look. “You can’t even tell your own sister? C’mon, what happened?” Raine looks back at her older sister. “I don’t want to have to repeat it more than once to everyone…”

Jessica winks. “So you didn’t tell Jenos?” Raine feels her cheeks burn red a little. “Yes, I did. He found me last night. Okay? So back off…” Jessica lightly laughs. “It’s too bad you two are related, you guys would make a cute couple.” Raine’s cheeks grow warmer. “Stop it.” Jessica laughs more before being able to stop. “All right… but it’s obvious you like him. Can’t blame you too much though, his slim feature and firm muscles does make him eye candy.” Raine looks away again. Jessica lightly pokes her arm. “I’m just teasing…”

Raine sighs and looks back at the water. Jessica smiles at the water. “It’s something I don’t think people who don’t live like we do understand. The water calls to us.” Raine looks at her sister, noticing she isn’t wearing a bathing suit. Instead, Jessica is wearing a pair of black shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. “Aren’t you supposed to be working today?” Jessica shakes her head. “No, we caught up with all the deliveries, so everyone got the weekend off.”

Raine nods then smiles as a thought occurs to her. “And you are just going to spend the evening with us at home for once?” Jessica shakes her head. “No, I have plans.” Raine’s smile turns toothy. “Oh, so you’re seeing him again, huh?” Jessica glares at her younger sister. “That’s none of your business.” “So you are then.” Jessica sighs and shakes her head. “He’s off world, helping his uncle with some of his deliveries.” Raine nods, remembering that Kyle’s uncle had often been behind in deliveries due to shortage of workers.

“So, since you are here, care for a swim?” Jessica smiles and raises a bag she had hidden behind her. “I came prepared.” After she changes, the two sisters go to the sea and swim for the next few hours until Raine’s hunger gets the best of her. They drape their towels around them and then head back home to get something to eat.

The sisters enter their house and head towards the kitchen, as they were mostly dry because of the walk back in the sun. Raine makes a light sandwich and Jessica watches her, having ate much earlier in the day. As Raine eats, Jessica tells her of the most recent delivery, where her and two others had went to Drall with a shipment of power converters. It was rather uneventful, but while they were on their way out, the Empire had started setting up a blockade of the planet, making it mandatory for all ships to go through customs and to try and keep the meter tall race of sentients in one place.

The news did not sit too well with Raine, who had all ready started disliking the Empire after they had restructured the local security group, CorSec, into the Public Safety Service. The PSS had stopped trying to prevent crime and punish those that break the law as CorSec had done, preferring to stop acts of rebellion and maintain a racial view of human superiority. While she did not know many nonhumans, those she knew were nice and friendly, as well as showing sharper skills than most humans.

“The Empire is wrong and shouldn’t exist. Nothing good has come from it.” Raine nods lightly at Jessica’s statement. “You don’t agree?” Raine looks at her sister. “I do, but I also know that any attempt to bring it down would fail. It’s too big and powerful to even hope to stop.” Raine sighs and finishes her sandwich. “Even if whole planets stood up against it, they wouldn’t be able to stop them.” Jessica looks coolly at Raine. “So you feel that even though the Empire should be stopped, it can’t be?” “That about sums it up, yes.”

Jessica nods lightly, and both turn their heads to the door as it opens. “Hi Aunt Val.” The woman smiles at her two nieces. “How are you two doing today?” Valory, Jenos’ mother, had black hair that had started turning white and went to the small of her back, typically tied in a braid. Her black eyes took a worried look as she got into the kitchen. “Have either of you seen Jenos? He never came home last night.”

The two sisters look at each other. Raine speaks to her aunt. “No, I haven’t seen him since last night. I fell asleep before he left.” Jessica shakes her head. “No, I haven’t seen him in months, since the last time I was back home, sorry.” Valory frowns lightly. “I wonder where that boy had gone now. He acts as if I’m dead as well, never telling me a thing.” She sighs in vexation. “Well, if you do, let me know so I can have a word with him.” Jessica smiles slightly. “All right, it’s good to see you again Aunt Val.” “Bye Aunt Val, we’ll let him know.” The older woman nods and leaves the house.

“I wonder what happened. First you now him, it’s as if every kid is trying to act grown up.” Raine lightly hits her sister’s shoulder. “Hey now, don’t be complaining because you’re an old maid.” “Old maid?” Jessica grabs Raine and gently throws her to the ground and gets on top of her, pinning her in place. Raine struggles in her grip and tries to break free. “If I’m an old maid, what does that make you, if you can’t break out of the grip of an old maid?” Jessica smirks lightly, knowing Raine isn’t as strong as she is. After a few minutes, Raine finally concedes and Jessica gets off her.

The door opens again, and Rostan walks in for a short break from his small used starship lot. He sees Raine on the floor with Jessica standing over her. “Haven’t you two ever learned to play nice?” Jessica chuckles and Raine makes a face. “Anyways, besides fighting each other, what have you done today?” He asks as he gets to the living room and sits down in his recliner. The sisters go to the sofa and talk about being at the coast and seeing Aunt Val. “How is she?” “She was well, though she was worried because Jenos never went home last night.” Rostan looks at Jessica. “He never got home? I saw him off when he left here.” Jessica shrugs. “Well, he obviously didn’t go home.”

The sound of a thud at the door turns the three’s attention to it. They don’t hear any other noise, but Raine goes to check on it anyways. As the door opens up, a body slides down it and hits the floor. Rostan gets up and rushes to the collapsed being. “Are you okay?” He turns the body over, to see Jenos’ face. “Jenos!” The three knee around him and check on him, seeing his chest rise and fall behind a blood stained shirt. They pick him up and bring him to the bathroom so they can tend to him.