The chief's daughter pressed her face on the window as the vessel took off. Imani and Nora's ship disappeared into the horizon.
It would be around 3 hours before they reached the Central Terminal and Li was growing hungrier by the second.
The secluded cabin of the vessel kept Li out of the sight of the others, giving him personal time but now, more than ever, did he want to ask Aoki for food recommendations.
The sky outside of them grew dark and it looked as if the planet was dropping away into the vast darkness of the universe, eventually disappearing from sight as countless other shining bodies took the spotlight.
"Li… did I ever tell you… this is my first time beyond the planet?"
Before Li had the opportunity to answer, Aoki knocked on the door.
"Li, have some food. You haven't eaten anything besides IV fluid and that doesn't count."
The door opened and a mouth watering smell flooded the room. The food wasn't like anything from Earth yet it was familiar and all the more appetizing.
Aoki whispered in his ear,
"It used to be your favorite food."
Before running out the door.
The platter was large, almost the size of a small hot pot table, and heavy too. Carefully, Li set it down in front of him. There were several different delicacies, all steaming hot.
"Li! Your favorite! Steamed kairos and solbowl!"
Li hesitantly picked up what was apparently the "kairo"; a large skewer with a variety of unusual meats.
Taking a bite, the warm and alien yet delicious spice combinations filled his mouth. For a moment, he forgot all about the transfer. He was just enjoying the presence of love and a great dish.
The vessel entered an unregulated portion of the star system.
The chief's daughter pointed out a ship in the distance, covering a relatively large distance in a rather short time period.
The details of the ship were not the most clear but something gave Li an uneasy feeling about it.
"You think they're pirates? I've read about them from a few logs which were left by the envoy!"
Li swallowed hard, if they were in fact pirates, the vessel pilot, Garmon or something should have said something. Moments later, as predicted, the intercom came on.
"This is your flight captain Garmon, we've detected a pirate vessel approaching. Covenant starfighters have been called and we are currently engaging in an escape maneuver. Please remain calm and seated until further instruction."
The engines of the ship grew noticeably louder and the sound of what seemed to be turrets activating echoed throughout the cabin.
Li's focus had been completely taken up by the scene outside. It had only been a few minutes since the announcement but already, three small yet growing beams of light appeared in the distance.
"Li! It's the Covenant!"
The chief's daughter was correct. The pilot vessel, previously trailing the ship, had now accelerated, slowly going out of view.
Somehow, the event didn't scare him at all. In fact, he wasn't even surprised. After all that had happened to him since, this was the least impactful.