The two Scottish men led us back out. I guessed they were foot soldiers in the gang.
“Off with ye now. Maybe we’ll see ya ‘gain.”
We climbed back up to the surface to the sweltering heat and quickly returned to the ship. As I hopped into the cockpit, I could see a fearsome sight in the distance.
It was a swirling wall of burning, red, sand that was closing in rapidly.
“Tabitha, get in the ship and quick!”
“What’s the problem?”
“Just look.”
I didn’t need to say anymore. Her pace quickened and she was in the ship.
There was no time to check where they had hidden the drugs. I ignited the thrusters, and we were once more climbing through the atmosphere. I was startled that I felt joy to once more to be above the clouds, and see the blue sky. My heartbeat only returned to normal though, when I saw the darkness of space.
“So, what now Tabitha, are we to become drug dealers, the destroyer of lives?”
“What do you want me to say? What can we do? It’s the lesser evil. The Emperor must be stopped.”
And deep down, I knew she was right and inputted our destination into the autopilot.
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