Falling Under The Stars

"Pickup, please pick up…" Grace Ng frantically dialed Lys' new comms, hoping she would pick up the call.

She knew that her daughter did not pay attention to the demonstration for the using of the comms, but she hoped that by some fluke, she would magically, somehow, answer the call.

"Did you manage to track the signal?" General Ng strode into the room they were using as the 'base camp.' He had been alerted to the blast that left his daughter missing while training the recruits and had left to meet his family immediately.

"No, they must be using a signal jammer." Max slammed his fist against the table. "No signs on how they managed to get her out of the capital though."

"She just got the device; I have not had the chance to upgrade the tech inside yet." Mat replied sadly, staring at the screen. "All we can do right now is to continuously try to track the device, and locate transports that left the capital, along with another sweep to make sure that we did not miss her."

General Ng watched the screen silently… Why did his daughter always seemed to be targeted for some reason? Was it due to his position? Was it due to their family's position in the empire?

"I should have brought more guards." Grace Ng silently cried, shoulders wracking with each sob. "I should not have let go. My Baby is gone again. What if she doesn't come back?"

General Ng sighed and went over to hug his wife. He couldn't have her completely breaking down. She had taken his daughter's coma badly, diving into depression for a while. If his daughter went missing for good this time, what would they do?

No… He must not think this way…

His daughter would be found. And they would watch her grow up, get a job, marry, and have a family.

He could not let anything else happen.

They watched as team after team searched the city and report their findings.

All negative.

And Grace's figure drooped lower and lower, curling into herself as time went on.

"It's the Tomorrow Project." Lance walked in.

"Boss! What do you mean?" Max bounced up in hope.

He walked to the screen and played a video.

"This was sent 2 hours ago but was delayed due to some comms issue."

The Tomorrow Project's theme song played before a masked figure appeared on the screen.

"We, the Tomorrow Project, have yet again captured another person who represents the elite of society…

"…. We aim to make her an example of the power of this society."

A picture of Lys flashed on the screen, then the Tomorrow's Project Logo faded in as the video ended.

"This was 2 hours ago?" Grace screeched then fainted.

Picking up his wife, General Ng laid her on the sofa she was sitting on.

"Get the medic." He told one of the soldiers standing around. Then turned to Lance. "Lance…"

"Her signal has come online... Locating… located… The current location is Zine City."

Everyone turned to the soldier who had just spoken.

"Say that again?"

Mat rushed to the computer and started typing furiously.

"Her signal seems to be partially jammed. Satellite images are being pulled up now."

Everyone turned to the screen as it flickered and showed an abandoned city. They scanned the live images looking for anything and found a group of men dressed in fatigues searching the area.

"Over there! Grid C-6." Grace Ng, who had just woke up from her faint, spotted her daughter wandering the city. "turn on your comms, turn on your comms…"

"Gear up, Lets head towards Zion now."

Making sure to keep track of Lys's movements, General Ng, Lance and Max assembled and boarded a ship, leaving Mat behind to look after his mother and to monitor the situation while en route to Zion city.

"Found her!" Mat announced as he spotted the figure of his holding on to a male as they made their way towards a ship nearby.

As their ship flew towards Zion City, everyone watched in horror as the group of men caught up to the duo reaching the ship, firing as they proceeded forward. Finally breathing a sigh of relief as the ship took off successfully and left the range of the laser blasts.

###

"Lys? Lys? Can you hear me?" Mummy Ng cried, attempting to call Lys who she just watched take off.

"Mummy!"

"Oh, thank god, are you okay? Your dad and Max are on the way. Remember to tell the guy with you to fly towards Imperial okay?" She rapidly spoke, not leaving a second for Lys to reply.

"I'm okay, Big Brother Dean here brought us out of the city. He doesn't believe I'm Lys though. Can you tell him?" She took off the comms and handed it to Dean.

"Hi, is that Dean? Just fly towards Imperial City. My husband is on his way to pick Lys up.

"Ian? Can you hear them? Lys is alright! Pick her up and bring her home for me?"

She then watched as the Speedpod met the fleet of sh.i.p.s painted with the colours of the Imperial Army's flag, then docked into the main ship.

Impatiently waiting, she video called her husband again.

"Have you got her?"

"Mmmhmm" He led Lys in front of the camera.

"I'm okay mummy, I'm really alright!" Lys called out, hugging Daddy Ng.

"I'll send her over to medical to get checked out, then bring back home to you." General Ian ended the call.

He turned to the guy who brought his daughter out of the Tomorrow Empire's clutches, "Dean, is it? You will need to be debriefed."

###

"She has been picked up. Location has been cleared." A solider reported, handing over a crate.

"Good then, it's all going according to plan." He opened the crate and took out a purple kitten, purring for attention.

"This is only just the beginning." Reaching out, he stroked it, smiling as he watched it nuzzle his hands for more affection.