Stella Luminara's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Stella Luminara had entered the intergalactic fashion court's crown contest, and the entry ended in six days. She just had no way to leave her planet. She pressed her pink hands against the heart-shaped window of her purple home and stared up at the empty sky. Somewhere past those stars, judges were already crowning the season's first beauties. She meant to be one of them. She had the gowns. She had the poise. She had no ship. She had built her whole life around this dream. Her white hair reached her waist, brushed a hundred strokes each night. Her closet in the little pink workshop held forty outfits, each sewn by hand. But talent meant nothing here. No one on this quiet world had ever seen her walk a runway. She was the most beautiful girl no one could see. Then a streak of fire tore across the sky. Something heavy slammed into the meadow behind her workshop. The ground shook. Her flower boxes rattled. Stella grabbed her skirts and ran. Smoke curled from a cracked metal pod. A boy climbed out, coughing. His skin was blue, his white hair a wild mess. He wore a black leather jacket, torn at one shoulder. His dark eyes swept the meadow, then landed on her. He smirked like the crash had been part of some plan. "Nice yard," he said. "You got a mechanic?" "I have a needle and thread," Stella said. She folded her arms. "That your ship?" "Was." He kicked a smoking panel. It fell off. "Engine's fried. Hull's cracked. I need parts and a place to work." Stella looked at the broken pod. Then she looked at the stars. Her heart pounded. A ship. A real ship, sitting in her own meadow. Fate had dropped it at her feet. "I'm Stella," she said. "You fix that thing, where does it fly?" "Anywhere. Once it flies." He wiped soot from his cheek and left a gray streak. "Name's Kade. Why?" "Because I need a ride," she said. "To the fashion court. And you need help. So we trade." Kade laughed. It was not a kind laugh. "You? You'd get in the way." Stella walked to the pod and touched the cracked hull. "You crashed on my world. My tools. My workshop. My wire, my glue, my hands." She turned and met his black eyes. "No ride, no help." His smirk faded. He studied her, then the useless engine, then her again. He needed her more than he wanted to admit. "Fine," Kade said. "Deal. You get me parts. I get you off this rock." Stella smiled. She had her ship at last. But as Kade turned away, she saw the ugly truth. The engine was in pieces. Neither of them knew how to fix it. And the contest closed in six days.