----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yirphayen continued to enjoy its rest cycle as it basked in the energy from the local solar source. It was a young and energetic star that seemed to flare quite often, allowing Yirphayen to easily enjoy the large amount of energy the young star provided.

Thankfully, It didn't take long for Yirphayen to feel like itself again. In fact, Yirphayen felt like it was growing even though it knew it wasn't due for growth for another few 'years.' "Perhaps a result of being deprived of a solar source for so long." It thought as it continued its meal.

As it felt itself finally nearing the limit of its energy absorption, something that took much longer than expected, Yirphayan exited its rest state, observed its surroundings, and noticed a large amount of what the Terrans called starships in the vicinity. In fact, Yirphayen had a hard time counting them all. Some of the large, dangerous-looking ones seemed to create a barrier between Yirphayen and the smaller ships darting about.

Yirphayen knew the larger ones were the military fighting ships as it had seen many of them before. But the others. They were smaller, some very small, only large enough to fit an engine on and maybe a single Terran inside.

Energizing its core to produce a protective hard light barrier around itself for movement, something that was much easier than before. Yirphayen noticed some odd light waves emanating from the ships behind the military ones pointing in its direction. Deciding to move out of the way of whatever these Terrans were doing, the most curious thing happened. The light waves followed. So Yirphayen decided to move quicker, only in a different direction. It was at this point It harmonized in entertainment as the light continued to follow.

Trying to figure out what exactly was happening, Yirphayen sent a signal to the largest of the military ships in hopes they would explain. Luckily the signal Jack had taught it to use in case it needed to communicate with a Terran vessel seemed to be accepted.

Narrowing its light beam to an odd appendage of the ship, Yirphayen started with a traditional song of greeting. "Hello, large Terran vessel. I am Yirphayen of the Eaenhreph. Would you please explain to me what exactly is going on?"

Captain Ilieneish of the Sol system defence force fought back his excitement as the Eaenhreph finally woke from what he understood was a rest state and began moving around, doubly so when it decided to pick his ship of all things to start a conversation with. " Yes, hello Yirphayen, I am Captain Ilieneish. We are just here to protect you from our curious citizens. Most seem content to broadcast your rest state to whoever decides to tune in."

Yirphayen chimed in understanding and thought on the Terran Captain's words. "So they are entertained by watching my state of rest? Why?"

"You're unique! That's all that's really needed to garner attention. We're just here to make sure no one steps out of line while you're trying to sleep." Captain Ilieneish answered, enjoying the exchange.

"I see." Yirphayen answered with a chime of agreeance about its uniqueness. "What should I do to entertain these watchers?"

Taken aback by Yirphayen's question, Captain Ilieneish thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "You can project hardlight in different forms and shapes, right? Why not show people what you are capable of making?"

"Is taking different forms entertaining?" Yirphayen chimed in confusion, wondering why such an easy task would be entertaining.

Captain Ilieneish laughed as he nodded his head at a blank screen. "Of course! It's not something we can do, so it's of great entertainment value for us!"

"Understandable." Yirphayen replied with a harmony of goodbyes, cutting the feed and thinking to itself for a moment.

Sectioning off a portion of its energy, Yirphayen grew into what it thought a very, very large Terran would look like, dwarfing the largest of the Terran warships while doing so.

Quickly, it sent off a wide 'radio' burst as it now knew it as. One of harmony and entertainment to the watching ships as it continued to move energy around its core.

Once things had settled, Yirphayen decided to start by mimicking a Terran and started walking towards the watching ships while flashing coloured lights in random directions, stopping far enough away from the Military vessels as not to appear threatening but close enough so the watching Terrans could get a good look at it as it waved to the watching ships.

At this point, Yriphayen stopped to think about what to do next. It grew horns and a tail as the Aasteran carbon forms had and decided to mimic what he witnessed two male forms doing after returning from a mission. Sticking its appendages out to its sides and bending them upwards at the odd joint points, Yirphayen mimicked a low rumble with its radio, hoping the Terrans would be appeased with this small effort.

With the two carbon forms he knew well enough to mimic out of the way, Yirphayen decided to turn into a creature Jack had once shown it while playing something he called a game.

Growing a large pair of wings, along with feathers and a long neck while sprouting two small stubby appendages, Yirphayen mimicked the call of the creature known as a bird as it flapped its wings, broadcasting the sound to all the ships around it.

Captain Ilieneish sat back in his couch as his bridge crew laughed at the spectacle of a large hard light alien mimicking sounds and beings it had come across for the next few hours. Though he would later get in minor trouble for goading the Eaenhreph into such a spectacle, he was also commended by Navy intelligence for allowing them to gather new information.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ankiah let out a low groan as she slowly opened her eyes, attempting to stretch her legs as she woke. Though quickly, she found that Srettia had wrapped her tail around the leg closest to her sometime during the night.

Gently She began unwrapping the tail and leaving the comfort of the warm bed. But before exiting, Ankiah paused to took a look back at the happy couple and sighed, deciding to make her way towards the kitchen in search of food.

Upon her arrival, she sat down on a custom chair they had created the night before and let out a loud yawn while she scratched her belly, trying to decide on what she should have for breakfast.

"You are awake very early." Jack stated, materializing himself in a chair opposite of Ankiah.

"Yeah... It happens sometimes." She replied with mild surprise and a shrug, deciding to get up and walk towards the food fabricator.

"I would suggest some toast with a fried egg on top. Perhaps with some fruit." Jack supplied, noticing Ankiah had difficulty deciding what to order for her breakfast.

Nodding, Ankiah ordered just that, waiting a few seconds while her food was printed before returning to her chair. "That trade market made me realize I miss my home. I mean... The farmers market kinda did that already, but the trade station was exactly like how our people sell things. Lots of yelling and fighting to get people's attention, lots of haggling and arguing for a good deal. Even if it was easy for me due to the shop owner's willingness to give away their wears for practically nothing."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I see." Jack replied, watching as Ankiah began to eat her meal. "Perhaps a walk around the ship once you finish will help to clear your mind."

Ankiah nodded and continued her breakfast. "Hey, Jack..." She said, breaking the silence after only a few bites. "I may be a bit technology ignorant. And though I'm trying my best to learn, it doesn't mean I don't understand things. But one thought stuck out to me yesterday. It's something that's been on my mind since... I saw that my planet was first on the list of places to visit. Michaels... Our mission. Is to scout systems to gather information for a counter-invasion. That means my planet is conquered, doesn't it?"

Jack quickly looked through the ship's database for a way to properly reply to her question. And though many things came up, he sadly found himself only nodding in response to Ankiahs words. "It is what Terran command assumes based on information gathered from a Briolb command ship."

Ankiah finished her breakfast and placed her plate into the recycler. "I will still speak with Antigone, and my doctors like Michael suggested. But can you take me to a Mech simulator? I wish to begin even if it's just the pre-basics."

Jack nodded and stood from his chair. "I will bring up all the information I have to assist you in your learning."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Srettia woke from her slumber and snuggled into Michael's neck, an attempt to wake her sleeping male as she slowly regained her senses. "You shouldn't be sleeping in today. You have to go back to the surface to tell your parents you'll be leaving again."

Michael groaned and rolled onto his side, trying to escape the evil monster trying to wake him. "It's fine." He grumbled out. "I told them that I'd be leaving on a mission yesterday when I gave them shit for playing us."

Humming her assent, Srettia rolled off the side of her bed and stumbled over to the dresser, grabbing onto the ledge to steady herself as the heat bled off. Sighing as she tightly held onto the edge while rummaging through the multiple uniforms that now took up most of the space in her new dresser, Srettia looked back at her grumbling male. "You sure you don't want to say goodbye face to face?"

"It'll be fine. I'm not sure how awkward it would be after the talking I gave to them. Better to let things cool down a bit." Michael responded, swinging his feet around to the side of the bed, rubbing his eyes as he sat at the edge.

"If you say so." Srettia replied, deciding to put on a uniform instead of regular clothes. "I might as well learn the differences with the helm if we're not heading back down to the surface."

Michael nodded and walked over to his dresser, deciding to adorn his Captain's uniform as well. "Might not be a bad idea to get used to the ship. I already have a bunch of requests piling up."

"The burden of being a captain, is it? You can count me out on that. I'll just follow your orders like a good helmsman." Srettia replied, slipping her tail through her pants with ease. "They thought these uniforms through. It fits pretty well."

Michael nodded and fought back the urge building inside him, deciding to continue slipping into his uniform. " I agree. You look really good in that outfit."

Scenting the air as she continued to button up her top, Srettia snuck a sly look over to Michael, who only continued to watch her. "I'm willing when you are ready to claim me. Though, I suggest you do it soon before I need take matters into my own hands."

"With Ankiah here, I'm not sure that's possible." Michael returned with a frown.

Srettia nodded and finished applying her last pin as she walked into their new kitchen, looking around for the group's missing female as she weighed her options. "Hey, Jack. Where is Ankiah?" She asked, making her way to the fabricator.

"She is currently in the Hangar."

Michael soon followed Srettia into the kitchen and sat in a nearby chair, allowing Srettia time to go through the morning menu. "What's she doing there, pal?"

"She is currently running a training sim on how to adjust a mech to her biometrics."

Michael sighed and made a note in his log, deciding to talk to Caithen personally about what he thought of the situation. "Any reason for this?"

"She deduced the fact that her planet was under occupation and decided she would rather fight than not. She is very motivated."

Srettia accepted her plate of meat and fruits and sat down at the table, handing Michael his regular morning meal while doing so. "She's got the right of it. Kill anyone who threatens you and burn what's left of them to the ground."

Michael tucked into his meal, ignoring Srettia's comment and deciding to check in on Ankiah when he inspected the hangar later that day. "Did she seem off at all, Jack?"

"Her vitals are stable."

Michael sighed and took a sip of his coffee as he looked around for a camera. "I need an answer that's not trying to mislead me, Jack."

"She seemed very calm. I do not know her well enough to make that judgment."

Srettia finished her meal and placed her plate into the recycler, looking to Michael as she did. "Just let her get it out of her system for now. She has her therapist on Leda that can handle the stuff she's going through. Though being put in her shoes, I would kill anything that's not a Voktlix that decided standing on her planet was a good idea."

Michael chuckled at the very Aasteran answer and finished off his meal. "Alright, I'll give you that. If anything not friendly decided to enter Terran space, I would be the first to join the front. But continuing that line of thought, I'm a soldier. It's my job. She is not"

"Well." Srettia said, Walking over to the door and waiting for Michael to catch up. "She's been offered the position of being a soldier. You should respect her decision to accept it."

"I will when I know she's alright." Michael replied, walking out of their quarters and into the hall. "Unstable soldiers lead to problems. If she's okay, then that's different."

Entering the lift, Michael keyed the in bridge and nodded to Srettia, who gave him a knowing look as they waited for the lift to finish its journey. Upon arriving at their destination, Michael entered the bridge and made his way over to the Captain's couch, shaking his head as he sat down. "It'll take a bit to get used to this." He mumbled to the room as Srettia took her seat at the helm.

" It suits you, though, Captain." Srettia commented, starting up her console and beginning to study the controls. "This area seems modelled after my ship... Which is a Terran warship. That makes sense."

Michael began scrolling through his list of growing requests and already felt the fatigue sink in. "This is going to take a bit. I might need another coffee for this."

As Michael denied or accepted requests and Srettia ran simulations on her console, Ankiah spent the day running training and learning sims about mechs, deciding that focusing on something would be better than sitting idle and waiting. Jack, however, found something exciting and began recording the show around Sol as he helped Ankiah study.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ankiah exited the simulator and stretched her limbs. She was happy with the progress she made and understood much more about mechs than she thought she would have after only a day of study. Though much of it she could thank Jack for.

"How did you like the sim?" Michael asked from his chair off to the side, somewhat startling Ankiah as she gathered her wits.

Ankiah turned towards her Captain and nodded in understanding. "It was interesting. I didn't think it would work the way it does. It's a wonder you Terrans can even work them."

"That's why it takes a special breed of Terran to pilot a mech. Being able to control your muscles like that takes a lot of training." Michael responded, eyeing Ankiah closely as she brushed herself off.

"You're against me piloting a mech. I take it?" Ankiah asked, looking around the hangar and the wandering mechanics.

"I am. But not for the reason you think. I need you to understand what you're getting yourself into before I let you step onto the battlefield." Michael replied, staring down Ankiah, who couldn't seem to meet his eyes.

"You mean, my home?" Ankiah corrected with a bit of venom, finally deciding to meet Michael's gaze.

Michael sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Your home. Listen, I can't say I understand what you're going through. But what I can tell you is that you, more than anyone else on the battlefield, need to find your calm. You should know that now. Mechs don't function well when their pilot isn't in full and absolute control of themselves. You'll get hurt, and I don't want that happening."

Ankiah sighed her understanding and nodded. "I'm too angry. I know that... But how do you expect me not to be?" She demanded, stomping her foot in anger. "I don't even know anything about what's going on! I'm offered this position but told to 'think it through' don't worry about your planet or your family or stuff like that. Tell me, how am I supposed to do that?! I have terrors when I'm by myself to the point I can't even sleep alone anymore. And yet I can get in a mech and stomp my nightmares? Tell me why I can't?"

"Okay. You have a point but answered your own question while making it... How about I make you a deal instead of grounding you. I don't expect you to let go of your anger, but if you can reach a degree of Mech control by the time we reach your planet, I'll allow you to deploy if needed. And that's 'if' Private Caithen and Lieutenant-Commander Lansch agree that you're ready.

Ankiah ducked her ears forward in understanding and turned to look back at the simulator. "I accept your terms, Captain."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------