Cain's energy axe sliced through three of the practice drones. He threw it at three more and it cut through them before whizzing back into his hand. There was something satisfying about the logistics of a fight. The planning it involves. The instinct. When Vixen recruited Cain he thought he'd finally found a place where he belonged.

The Homesteader had two practice rooms on board. One next to the control room and the other down the corridor past the living quarters. Neither were as good as what he was used to at the Sanctuary.

Cain slammed the hilt of the axe into the jaw of a drone then lifted its head clean off. Before his mother passed away she'd tried to help him get a handle on his anger. He'd always wondered why his biological parents abandoned him. They were humans, a species who had no right being on Rutilarns. Why would they leave their child in a place it might never have survived? The thought made him so frustrated.

His adopted mother taught him to take deep breaths until he calmed down. If that failed he should walk away from the situation. He bowed his head in shame. What would she think of him now? Was there some kind of afterlife? Were you really judged by the six Gods of Balance and sent to a place that matched the sins you performed in life? If so, Cain didn't want to think about the fate that awaited him in the end.

Right now all he had time for was practice. He trained at the Sanctuary for two years before he failed their final test. In that time he had learned everything that he needed to know about the use of energy weapons. He favoured an axe. It was a two-handed weapon and he liked something he could put all his power into.

The weapon thud into Cain's hand. The system released another wave of drones.

"Up the difficulty to five please DeeDee," said Cain and the fight commenced. One of the drones swung a laser sword at him. He ducked under the attach and smashed it below the ribs. The blow sliced it clean in two.

Cain thrust his palm forward and clocked the other drone in the nose. A satisfying crack rang out. Cain maintained his stance and waited for the his oponent to pounce. This was his favourite type of martial art. The Ivarozzan steel and shell method. A combination of using your opponents power against them and unleashing brutal attacks. Each move was either a stoic reverse of the oncoming attackers or a harsh full frontal blow. There was no inbetween.

The drone launched itself at him. Cain stepped aside and sent his axe into its back. The energy pulsed and the drone's inner-workings imploded. Cain retrieved his axe when a knock at the door caught his attention. Jessca poked into the room.

He refused to look at her. His chest turned heavy. He tried to ignore the guilt which tried to bubble to the surface.

"Are we going to talk about this?" she asked. Jessca had this unique ability to argue without seeming to be affected emotionally. He always admired this in his sister but it was nothing short of frustrating when it was turned against him.

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She was the most logical thinker he had ever met. If you had a different opinion on something or weren't interested in what she had to say she'd force it on you. He never forgot the day they'd discussed Cain learning how to hack. He'd never been any good at the basics at school let alone her advanced tricks.

She held out a little digital stick in the shape of an Ivarozzan tail. "Listen big bro, I know you don't want to learn this stuff but it could be life saving."

He didn't understand how some computer trickery could help save their life. Even if it could that was what she was around for. "Take this, it'll do pretty much everything for you. It's everything I know but in a way that can be explained to a dumb ass."

He had rolled his eyes and put it in his pocket. He kept that same device in a compartment inside his left cybernetic leg now. He'd never used it. Probably never would but it was like having a piece of his sister close. Though right now he'd like to be as far away from her as he could be.

"What is there to talk about?" he said as he crashed his axe into another drone. "You want to help them out and put us in danger and you'll not stop until you get to do that."

It was true that his sister was determined and also a little spoiled by their father. She was used to getting what she wanted.

"It's not about that Cain," she said, using his name instead of calling her bro. Things must be serious.

Cain caught his axe and turned to face her. "We don't have time to be getting mixed up in other peoples mess. What was it we said about sticking together? Trusting no-one."

"That's always been your bag," she said. "I've listened to you the whole time. The invasion changes things. Surely you can see that."

Vixen and her people would still want revenge. When he failed the final test he also broke their creed. They weren't going to forgive him for that. Even if the invasion changed things. He would always be marked for death.

"They don't care about politics," he said. "We need to lie low Jess, I don't care if you think it's the wrong choice. You're not old enough to understand. You don't know who these people are."

Jessca scowled. "It's not like you to act like a coward."

Cain said nothing.

She turned to leave. "Father would have been ashamed of you," she muttered.

"Yeah? Well no change there then," he shouted back at her. That was a low blow and she knew it.

She turned. "You always claim that Dad didn't care about you but if that was the case why did he always go on about you?" she said. Cain frowned. He'd never heard his father say a kind thing about him.

"He was proud of you," said Cain. "He told me all the time. Said if I was half of what you were, I would be a better person."

Tears brimmed in his eyes. He swallowed them back. His father had done nothing but make him regret every choice he ever made. Jessca was the nice one. She was the one who was worth supporting.

Jessca didn't say anything.

"I miss them," she mumbled.

Cain walked over to her and held her tight. The two sat for a moment and shared in each others pain.

"You never talk about them," she whimpered. "Whenever I try, you bat me down. You hold it in but I can't ignore it forever Cain."

Cain didn't reply. A panic rose within him. He couldn't talk about them.

"I'll try," he muttered. "I'll try to be better."

They remained in a tight embrace. He kissed her scaly forehead. She was all he had now and he was all she had. No matter what decisions were made next he vowed he would always have her back.

"They can stay," he said. "After we've fixed the drive we'll give them a lift where they need to go."

Jessca smiled. "You sure about that bro?"

"We'll help them find that girl's father," he said. "After that I'm not sure they'll need us anymore. One condition though."

"What?"

"When the people who are hunting for me come looking, we're gonna need an escape route. We run. No matter who it affects," he said. If they were going to do this, they would do it right.