Reunite Shadows

Red's hair took on a purple tone as he entered the casino. Bright lights everywhere shown down and all over the walls; purple, yellow, green. It was full of the cacophony of tinkling sounds from slot machines and hundreds of people talking. He knew he had to find the owner, the one who supposedly dealt with the parts, but something took him over and he wandered.

There were felt-lined tables where people threw dice and other small object. A spinning pyramid showed signs that made people shout, and the rows and rows of slot machines glittered everywhere, pounding addictions to passers-by. A gentleman with a long wooden pusher escorted coins around a board and many figures held cards, glaring at each other.

While perusing over faces, dreaming, imagining, Red's heartrate suddenly shot a light year a minute.

He swore he saw Tekippe.

His best friend, lost on his own ship while he pathetically asphyxiated under a piece of metal, flashed in his eyes.

Or so he thought.

He knew it was just trick of the light, or that his grief was tearing on him. Grief made you see things you didn't want to, grief made you see the things you can never get back.

But no.

It was Tekippe and his stupid white hair that Red was convinced wasn't dyed, looking this way and that as if searching for something.

Red started hyperventilating. All this time, Tekippe was okay? Fully intact, too? He felt so alone... then suddenly so unalone that he felt crowded. He paled and sweat and breathed hard. He tried calling out to Tekippe but the name died like his crew in his throat.

He was going to lose Tekippe, but he couldn't move. He couldn't breathe even though his breathing was faster than ever. He was shaking slightly. His brother...

He finally noticed through the swarm of grief and lights and people that Tekippe was looking right at him. And with Tekippe the way he was, it didn't take long for him to be right in front of Red, gripping him.

"I thought you were dead," Red barely uttered, words trapped inside.

"I thought you were, too."

As soon as Tekippe spoke, a memory from not long ago, Red could feel a lump rising in his throat. Tekippe pulled him into his arms, an embrace that was so much more than just a hug. It was asking if he was still real, still best friends.

"I think I'm gonna cry."

"Don't do it, nerd."

"Yep, gonna do it," Red said, voice breaking.

"Fine, me too."

And they did, in the middle of a casino, surrounded by lights and strangers.

---

They stood next to each other, staring at the casino's bar. Figures had to step aside to get in or out and they scoffed and glared while doing so. A bar was like a distant memory, where they used to frequent all the time after pitstops and dropoffs. Red would get wasted and sleep at the bar, while Tekippe chose a drink or two to mellow out and help him not care. Then he would drag Red back to the ship, back to the bunk, and look out the port window for hours.

But it was all different now. Trauma had a way of warping the positive and reframing the negative. Drinking with his best friend felt... distant. Alien. Red couldn't even see it as a memory at this point. It felt like a screen displaying an image: not real at all.

"Let's... let's go somewhere else."

They took off to one of the drop points at the edge of the Oasis, starfield outside of them and silence beside them.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" Tekippe asked.

Red stared at him. What was there to tell? He fucked up.

"Ship hit us. I got stuck."

"That's what happened with...?" Tekippe started, pointing to Red's half arm.

Red nodded.

"What about you? What happened?"

"I was in the back doing the calcs, remember? I can't remember but I was pissed about something. Like everyone else was at their stations, but I was screwing around."

"Saved you... I guess."

Tekippe nodded slowly.

"The escape units saved me, really. Atmosphere was still fucked back there too. I thought you went with all the rest of them."

"I thought you did, too."

Tekippe nodded again.

A massive weight was lifted from Red, realising this was Tekippe and he was completely alive and not a grief ghost or a hallucination. It helped knowing it was mostly completely a freak accident and he didn't royally screw up like he kept thinking.

"What were you in the casino for?" Red asked.

"Oh, you know, gambling away all my stuff."

Red's head canted to Tekippe in half confusion and half surprise.

"Was that a joke?

Tekippe finally broke a corner smile.

"Your kind of joke."

Red couldn't help loose a small smile, as well. The past was fading quicker than he thought.

"Actually I was looking for the casino owner. He apparently sells cheap ship parts."

"Same reason I was there.

"See? We're meant to be friends. No Power Class ship is gonna come between us. Even though... it kinda literally did."

Red's smile became something of a grimace, but Tekippe's smile hadn't quite faded. Seeing Tekippe smile was something else, which meant he was just as thrilled to see Red as Red was to see him.

"Yeah, we gotta go back. We gotta get a new ship. Better one."

"I'll be honest," Tekippe told him. "If I know he undersells ship parts in a high market, and you know he does, don't you think that's a little shifty?"

Red thought about how they both knew that information and if it was even true.

"Better to try it out anyway than be stuck here saving up creds so long we die of old age."

Tekippe shrugged, smile gone now.

"Fair."

Feeling mostly okay now, and wanting to hang out with Tekippe as long as he could, Red suggested they head right back to the casino. Tekippe was down for more shenanigans with his pal.