The ship stopped.

Kaika unlocked his belts and stood up.

"Alright, let me explain the plan."

Disedinel and Vaneila unlocked their belts, too.

Kaika wore a white outfit.

Disedinel wore a dark blue ceremonial uniform.

Vaneila wore a white outfit similar to Kaika, but while Kaika wore just a shirt and pants, Vaneila had additional assets included.

A white jacket is one of several examples.

Disedinel took a sip from a carton of apple juice through a straw, as it was on the black table.

The table was well blended with the room, mostly because they all share dark colors.

"Moving forward, we'll enter unsafe territory." Kaika's speech was cut short by Vaneila.

"So, what's this planet I sense?" Kaika let out a small sigh.

"It's Chia. In a coincidence, we just had to halt in a range close to it." Meanwhile, Kaika could let sighs out, he definitely couldn't let vigour out.

"As I suspected." She whispered to herself.

"You can go ahead, Kaika." Disedinel let Kaika go on.

"Thanks. So, we'll have to move slower for now, as economically as possible."

Kaika finished, as if waiting for applause, or comments. But none came.

"Ahem, because that way our presence will be less clear."

... Again?

Both Vaneila and Disedinel looked at each other as they giggled to themselves.

"Do you two really have nothing to comment?" Kaika raised his hand, right towards Disedinel, as if signaling him to say something.

"Yeah. Anyway, Kaika, we stopped a bit too close to Chia, didn't we?" Disedinel stood up.

Vaneila stood up just after. "I assume that's all you'll have to say. Call me if you need me."

"Ah, yes. You are free. But not you, Disedinel." And Vaneila left for upstairs.

"So, yeah, I think we did, a bit too close. Actually, let me move it a bit. I feel the artifical atmosphere pulling us towards Chia."

Kaika took a few steps towards the control room.

Disedinel and Kaika suddenly fell to the ground, leaving them to immediately assume the ship hit something from the impact.

"Ow, my head!" Kaika rubbed his head.

Vaneila, from the upper floor, hurried to open the door leading upstairs, upset.

"What the heck did you two do?"

"... L-look!" Disedinel pointed towards the wall.

Kaika and Vaneila looked right where Disedinel pointed.

The lights suddenly went out.

The wall turned to ice.

The three could only stare.

Suddenly, some of the ice melted into water.

"Hey, guys. It's nice seeing you again." A young man appeared out of the hole.

Everybody took a step back.

"Who are you?" Disedinel shouted.

"Zene. Don't you remember me? ... The lights are out because of me, right? Here, this should fix it." Zene turned around and touched the wall.

Though the three could only hear Zene's movement.

...

The wall came back to normal. A shade of dark blue.

And the lights once again resumed doing their job.

Zene wore a dark blue robe. It gave four shades to his whole body. Black, white, red, and blue.

"Wait, it's you?" Disedinel stood up.

"Wait, you know him?" Vaneila looked surprised.

"Something like that." Zene crossed his arms.

"I even wasn't looking at you." Vaneila crossed her arms.

Disedinel quickly found himself trying to balance himself as the ship floated in space.

Or, to be more precise, the ship was being pulled.

Kaika hurried to the control room.

"Well, yes, we do know each other. Kaika, you need assistance?" Disedinel made sure Kaika heard the last part as Kaika tried to start up the ship's engine.

"Agh, it doesn't work! Damn it" He let out a few other unnecessary curse words.

"Oh, sorry, I think I froze the engine." Zene grinned.

"Then unfreeze it!" While Kaika was waiting for an answer, he tried to fix it himself.

"Let me think about it." Zene closed his eyes, calmly assessing what was going on.

"Let's try to push the ship away on our own." Disedinel walked over to the wall and forced both his arms into it. As if doing that would do anything, is what Zene thought.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Good idea. Perhaps all of us would be able to do the job." Kaika pushed too, along with Vaneila.

"Oh, you are using your weird powers? I decided I'll leave it to you three to determine the outcome on your own." Zene sat down cross-legged on the floor.

Disedinel looked at him.

Then he looked back at the wall.

"It doesn't work. We'll have to think of something."

As Kaika struggled, he replied. "Problem is as we're being pulled closer, the pull becomes stronger."

But right after he finished, he let go.

"Let's stop and save our energy. I haven't prepared for an accidental landing here, but..."

He didn't finish.

Both Disedinel and Vaneila gave up too, but they instantly had to hold onto something in order to protect their balance.

"But?" Disedinel looked at Kaika, hurrying him to finish.

"But we'll just have to improvise, I think." Kaika looked down.

Kaika took his time to gather his thoughts.

"Let's go over what we'll do once we find ourselves on the planet." They all gathered, except Zene.

And discussed...

...

...

Soon enough, the ship stopped moving.

The change was sudden for them.

"Alright, do you sense them? Try to follow the plan."

Kaika opened the trapdoor on the floor, revealing a grassy ground.

Zene stood up and hurried to get out.

"The air here isn't bad."

Kaika looked at him, annoyed.

"Just don't get in the way."

The four left the ship.

But they found themselves instantly restricted by a group of people.

"You." One of them said.

The three raised their hands, showing their unarmed arms.

Except Zene.

Instead, he walked towards the strangers.

"Hello, we're here to check out the place."

The strangers looked at them carefully.

"Yeah, right. Get down before we have to use force."

They surrounded the group.

"I could at least use why."

... The guy could've just barely held a giggle back.

"Are you stupid? Get down already."

While the three lied down as commanded, Zene stood still.

"If you tell me why, I will." He crossed his arms.

Kaika gasped.

"Disedinel, your uniform, didn't any of you realize that?"

Disedinel looked at Kaika.

"You told me to wear it before we set out."

Vaneila was still, speechless.

"Fine, but we will tell you if you get down first."

Zene decided he'd listen.

"Now, perhaps it is because you're outlanders, or maybe, your buddy there has the uniform of a rival." He pointed at Disedinel.

Vaneila stood up.

"Sorry, but this here is merely an enemy we captured in our flight. We're mercenaries."

Disedinel looked at his sister, surprised.

Kaika looked surprised, too.

That wasn't part of the plan, they both thought.

"Oh! What a misunderstanding, here I forgot to realize you wouldn't know." Zene played along.

"That's understandable, but we'll have to question you anyway."

And they handcuffed the group.

"Isn't your planet beautiful? The blue sky looks nice. In my home planet, the atmosphere was a bit more dense." Zene tried to engage in small talk, creating an atmosphere a bit more positive.

The strangers were dressed in uniforms specifically made to let the user move as freely as possible.

A black shirt with long sleeves, a white circle with a red star attached to the upper arm, belt with a pouch for some basic needs, and black pants.

Two of them carried big bags.

Zene assumed they were scouts.

...

They were escorted to a town.

The town consisted of one-story houses colored in pastel colors, with rare exceptions.

Most roofs were gable, hip, or pyramid hip type, made with asphalt.

All houses had small gardens, making the streets colorful.

But they were taken not to a rich house, but to a tall plain building.

The building stood there like a stain on the town.

And soon enough, they found themselves stuck in a small room, waiting. Uncuffed, also.

The room had one window to offer some sun, along with walls painted in yellow, a white ceiling, and a grey floor.

They had to wait on a bench, which at least had a cushion.

"I see many outcomes, but a few stand with great likelihood." Zene crossed his arms.

"We'll likely be questioned, send us to go on with our life, but..."

"Can't you take the situation a bit better? It's because of you we'll take harsher treatment." Disedinel made it clear he's upset.

"Fine, mister enemy uniform." Zene chuckled.

Kaika cut the argument short. "Just stop."

No words were exchanged for some time.

Disedinel looked around the room.

"What is it?" Kaika looked at Disedinel.

"Nothing. Anyway, what will we do about me being an official you've caught?" He then looked outside through the window.

"I have a plan in mind better than yours." She crossed her arms.

Everybody looked at her.

With no exception this time.

"So... how is it better?" Kaika asked, already wondering how they could get a better plan.

"After they do whatever, we'll ask to be all sent back home. And that home will be Toree." She smiled.

"You're not fit for this group, Vaneila." Zene chuckled again.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

...

Disedinel's question remains unanswered to this day.

Later, the door was opened.

"Hello. We'll have you all leave the room and follow me."

Everybody stood up, and they were led to another room.

There was one guy in the room. His hair was short and black.

His dress was a nice combination of a red shirt and a pair of white pants.

"Oh, there you are. Have a seat." He gestured.

There was one marble table, with four grey chairs surrounding it.

They blended in well with the off-white color of the room.

As the escorter was about to close the door, the guy who sat alone called out.

"Hey, where's the fifth chair?"

"It's coming right away." Once they were about to close the door, he called out again.

"Leave it."

He stood up and offered the group to take seats.

"Please take a seat."

"Thanks." Zene thanked him and sat on the chair.

The rest did, too.

"So, you specifically. You're from Nulkai?" He pointed at Disedinel.

"Yes." He gave a nod.

...

"So the rest of you are mercenaries? From where?"

"From Toree." Zene quickly answered.

"Oh, that's not close from here. What are your names?"

And everybody said their names in response.

"Mine is Slantse. Those are interesting names. Say, Disedinel, aren't you comfortable?" He swiftly moved right behind Disedinel.

"While we were together, I realized although we're enemies, we have things in common." Disedinel looked at Slantse.

"That's respectable. Shall I also add that we are being recorded?" He pointed to a camera in the corner of the room.

"So, what do you plan on doing after we release you after this?"

Vaneila was the one to respond.

"We'll go to Toree."

...

"With our enemy. We need him." She added, feeling as if Slantse was waiting for something.

"That's fine. You, white-haired boy."

Kaika looked away from Slantse, a bit upset.

"You know my name."

...

...

Slantse pressed the group for more information.

...

He looked at the clock on the wall.

"You're all free to leave... under my supervision." He opened the door, then signaled them to follow him.

They left the building.

"We have a house we'll be in for some time. Necessary needs will be provided." The group began walking, following Slantse.

Later, they arrived. It's a two-story white house.

Slantse unlocked the door and welcomed them.

The house's interior was dark brown.

There was a living room to the left, stairs right in front, and a door to the right leading to the toilet upon entering.

Slantse locked the door.

"You can find the bedrooms upstairs. There's also a garden at the back." He then raised his hands as if to express freedom.

"Oh, and take your shoes off."

"Right." Vaneila crossed her arms.

"Are there any books here?" Kaika walked into the living room. By looking at the shelves, he answered his question

"Many." Slantse followed Kaika,and they went on to talk.

While Disedinel went to check out the bedrooms.

Zene and Vaneila, by coincidence, were headed to the garden.

...

"Aha, this one's mine." Disedinel found himself in his favorite bedroom out of the few there were.

The bedroom had two large windows, allowing him to look at the peaceful town.

Far away, but in sight, he could also see mountains, with what might be a city.

The bed was big, too. It was not comfortable enough for two people, but it was big for one person.

He lied down on it.

But things didn't go according to his plan, which was to feel the bed, and he was suddenly caught by the waves of sleep.