Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 7

Chapter 7 Return to the Capitol Planet 

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Patrick passed quietly, without struggle or sound. He’d made them promise–no tears. So, they smiled through the ache, their grief pressed behind trembling lips. 

Before dawn, Ava stopped by her dorm long enough to throw a few things into a bag. She carried her grandfather’s urn close against her chest as she boarded the Morrens‘ private starship bound for the Capitol Planet. 

She hadn’t eaten or spoken since her grandfather’s death. 

Watching from the bridge, Jonathan finally exhaled. He told his eldest son, “Go talk to her, Elias. Make her eat something and get her to lie down. If this goes on, she’ll collapse.” 

Elias studied her from across the cabin and shook his head. “She’s barely holding it together, Dad. Give her some room.” 

Jonathan’s jaw tightened. “She’s one of us now–remember that. Treat her no differently than Jane.” 

“Of course,” Lucas replied softly. “Uncle Patrick raised her like his own. That makes her family.” 

The three men stood back, watching the girl sitting by the viewport. She hadn’t shed a tear since leaving the hospital. Even during the cremation, she’d sat motionless, her red yet dry eyes staring blankly. 

Jonathan’s voice dropped. “I wish she’d cry. Silence like that–hurts worse than sobbing.” 

He knew she wasn’t holding it in—she’d simply gone past the point of crying. Grief that deep left people hollow, not tearful. 

At last, Lucas crossed the room. He crouched beside her and reached carefully for the urn. “Let me hold it for a bit. Eat something, then rest. We’ll reach home in ten hours.” 

Ava only tightened her arms around it. 

He gave a small sigh and drew his hand back. “Okay. Keep it. But at least take a few bites, yeah?” 

They’d lifted off in such a hurry that the galley held almost nothing–just a few nutrient tubes. Lucas pulled out a red one. “Strawberry. Usually a favorite,” 

Ava shook her head. “Uncle Lucas, I’m fine. I just… can’t right now.” 

“If you don’t eat, your grandpa will worry,” he told her gently. 

That made her flinch. After a moment, she took the nutrient tube and drank in silence. 

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Fifteen hours later, the private starship entered orbit around the Capitol Planet. Midway through the journey, Elias grew impatient and gently tapped her neck, enough to render her unconscious so she could finally rest. 

When they landed, the entire Morren household was waiting. 

As Ava disembarked from the ramp, Margaret Morren rushed over. Her eyes welled up as she took her hands. “You must be Ava. I’m your Aunt Margaret. You poor child–years spent alone with Uncle Patrick. From now on, this is your home.” 

“Aunt Margaret,” Ava whispered. 

“Margaret, come inside,” Jonathan called. “Don’t block the doorway.” 

The morning mist clung to the ground as the family, dressed in black, drove to the Morren 

cemetery. 

Shovel by shovel, soil covered the small urn. Ava bowed deeply, silently saying, Thank you, Grandpa–for everything. 

The funeral was solemn, attended solely by close relatives. There were no public notices or guests. 

It was the start of a new year, yet no one felt like celebrating. The family skipped every gathering. Elias and Lucas paid brief visits to their in–laws and came right back. 

After a week of mourning, Ava began to recover her composure. Classes were resuming soon, and she planned to return to the campus early. The Morrens treated her with kindness–overly careful, even–but without Patrick, she felt unmoored, as if someone had lifted the world’s 

anchor. 

She remembered her first moment of life on the Exile Planet: the stench of rot, her tiny body wrapped in rags, crying weakly in the trash heaps until Patrick found her. He had only one arm and one leg–makeshift prosthetics he’d built himself—yet he’d carried her home and raised her with endless patience. 

That world was savage. To keep her safe, he disguised her as a boy. Only at twelve, after they escaped that wasteland, did she finally grow up as herself again. 

At fifteen, a trafficking scandal shook the entire interstellar network. That was when she realized how easily women could become targets. In a galaxy short on females, protection could twist into possession. The powerless had no voice. 

Even after new laws were passed, Ava never trusted anyone’s morality. As her looks sharpened 

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and her presence drew stares, Patrick grew anxious. Two months later, he handed her a small box–a flawless mimic skin he’d crafted himself. 

That day marked the start of her ten–year life behind another face. 

“Ava, you’ve been shut in for days,” Margaret said one morning, glancing at the girl standing by the window. “Jane wants to take you out shopping.” 

Every time she looked at Ava, admiration flickered behind her eyes. The child who’d come from the filth of the Exile Planet now stood quiet and self–possessed–pure light drawn from the dark. She spoke little, carried herself with poise, and showed neither arrogance nor deference to wealth. 

Margaret couldn’t help but love her. So did everyone else. 

“Is Jane coming today?” Ava asked. 

Jane Morren was Margaret’s daughter, the only one to carry her mother’s surname. She was the jewel of the Morren family–thirty–four, confident, and long settled in the Morren Residence with her husbands after marrying a few years back. 

Right on cue, her voice echoed from downstairs. “Mom! I’m stealing my little cousin today!” 

A minute later, Jane burst into Ava’s room in a whirl of perfume and laughter. 

The instant she spotted her cousin–pretty as a porcelain doll–she rushed forward, wrapped Ava in a hug, and kissed her cheek. “Ava! Finally–I get to see you!” 

Margaret stood at the door, exasperated. “Honestly, Jane, try to have some grace. You’re nothing like Ava. Look at her, calm as ever.” 

Jane grinned. “Come on, Ava. Let’s get you something worthy of your coming–of–age party. Grandpa says it’s just around the corner, and I swear half the city’s already lining up for you.” 

She was half a head taller–five–eleven, all crimson curls, emerald eyes, and bold red lips. Confidence radiated from her like heat. She grabbed Ava’s hand and pulled her toward the door, the younger girl nearly stumbling to keep up. 

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