They reached the checkpoint without further incident. And after reporting the attacks, they had an escort from the checkpoint all the way to the Center. The Galactic Service used the trip as a chance to investigate and gather information from the crew of the KaiStar. They dispatched investigators to the scene of both attacks before they even arrived at the Center, hours later than planned. They landed with a heavy thud, and Shin immediately cut the power to everything but his systems.

Doctor Prashaad had slept until the Galactic Service was already aboard the KaiStar. He woke in a panic and had to be restrained by a service member. They eventually got him calmed down and were able to take his report. Satisfied that they had all the information they could gather, the Galactic Service assured the still unsettled Doctor he was safe here at the Center. They also 'asked' that Polly and Jaen not leave until they'd finished the investigation at the sites, as if they could go anywhere at all with the KaiStar in its current state. Besides, after a day like today, none of them were in an extreme hurry to go anywhere.

The Galactic Center supplied them with quarters while KaiStar was under repair. They even offered to cover the expenses since it was an official mission, and Doctor Prashaad was returned safely. They eagerly accepted the offer but insisted that they oversee all repairs to KaiStar. Aside from it being their home, Shin was too precious to let just anyone go rummaging around. Besides, KaiStar was nearly completely custom-built, solely by Jaen and Polly. Only they knew and understood the various systems and their interactions.

After getting KaiStar settled into the repair bay, Savros, Polly, and Jaen officially checked in with the Galactic Center of Knowledge. As Doctor Prashaad thanked them each by name and apologized profusely for his behavior during the crisis. He made them promise to come and see him before they left, then he pretty much ran out of the KaiStar. The crew was only a minute or two behind him. Exiting the repair bay, they entered a large, brightly lit corridor. Towards the end, in the middle of the floor, was a wooden desk.

As they approached, an enthusiastic voice greeted them.

"Greetings, I am Le'Ander: Hospitality Liaison. Welcome to the Galactic Center of Knowledge. Contained within this section of the building, you will find the offices of History, Research, Law, and Commerce. I can provide you with directions and more if you'll kindly provide me with a party name and the office that interests you."

All three of them could only stare as Le'Ander came around from behind the desk. From his face, he appeared to be a mid-forties male starting at where his collar bones should be; a gleaming metal carapace seemed to grow from his skin. Thin band after shimmering thin band made up his torso, tapering at the waist and further tapering through where his legs are to an end. Where his feet should have been, a single wheel glided effortlessly and silently across the floor. Surprisingly, his arms, while made from or covered in the same bands of shining metal, still had a fairly usual shape with shoulders, biceps, forearms, and incredibly nimble robotic fingers that articulated gracefully and accurately as he rifled through a stack of several forms. When no response came from any of them, he looked up from the papers, just as they were pulling themselves together.

Savros spoke first, "KaiStar. Crew KaiStar.", his mouth was working, but his mind was still catching up. He tried not to stare. Polly and Jaen seemed to be regaining composure as well.

"Yes, hi," Jaen smiled, "nice to meet you, Le'Ander. We are the crew of the KaiStar. Our ship is in the repair bay—. "She didn't get to finish.

"Ah yes! They hero crew of the KaiStar!" He deftly separated the pages and pulled one from the middle. He continued as he looked at it, "Welcome to the Center! We have four rooms prepared for you off of the engineering section of the Research wing. If you prefer to be quartered in a different wing, I can begin accommodations immediately. Each wing has its own dining hall off the main corridor." Le'Ander rolled back around the desk.

"These will function as your visitors pass, door keys, and meal vouchers." He came wheeling back around his desk and held out three little metal rods that looked a lot like a TallyStik. They each took one, and it lit up as they grabbed it.

"These are now programed with you bio-signature and will work for all the before mentioned uses. It says there are four of you. I'm afraid your absent crew member won't be able to get around the Center without it." Le'Ander looked a little concerned.

"Oh, that's Shin, he won't leave the KaiStar, so you may keep that. He also will not be needing any quarters or accommodations. Thank you, Le'Ander, we've had a lot of excitement today and I'm sure I speak for the three of us when I say that we'd like to go to our quarters and freshen up, before anything else." Jaen looked at Savros, who just nodded, and then at Polly, who was nodding and mumbling something while she stared at Le'Ander.

"Very good. I'll change it to three active members. Please ask your crew member, Shin, to stop by my desk, should he wish to enjoy the Center. Now, then. Take a left at the end of the corridor, past my desk" he gestured with his hand as he spun on the spot.

"The corridor opens up into a large garden." Le'Ander continued, "The doors to the right lead to the Law wing, where galactic law is written and revised. The doors across from the corridor lead to the History wing, where Doctor Prashaad is the senior field investigator. To the left you will find the Research wing, containing hundreds of millions of physical books and manifests on every topic imaginable, with several times more audio and video recordings, blueprints and diagrams."

"There is much more to the tour, but I do not wish to keep you. Your rooms will be through the doors to the left. Take an immediate left into the corridor. The five doors on the left are the quarters that have been prepared for you. Your key will open any of them the first time, but only that door from then on. You may choose any room you wish, halfway down to the right is the dining hall." Le'Ander spoke quickly but clearly and then ushered them through with a slight bow.

Jaen went first, with Savros following her and Polly bringing up the rear. As she stumbled past Le'Ander, she mumbled something and reached out and touched his arm. She giggled at the cool feel of the metal, mumbled something else, and stumbled on behind Savros as they headed for the doors on the left.

Polly was still giggling and mumbling to herself as they made a left and came into the corridor.

"Polly?" Savros was right next to her but had to say her name three times before she looked at him, "are you okay?"

She blinked a few times and looked around. "I think I fell asleep!" She laughed, "I should have slept earlier during the jump. I just had a dream that we talked to a guy made out of metal, rolling around on a wheel! So where are we? Did we get rooms yet?" she looked around the corridor.

"Umm," Savros pointed at the door in front of her, "we're at our rooms."

"Oh, good!" she looked at her hand, still holding her key. "Cool, I'm beat." She unlocked the door, opened it, walked straight to the bed, and fell into it, snoring softly as she hit the mattress.

Jaen laughed, "Night Polls," she said as she shut the door.

"Well, I guess that's Polly's room. I'll take the third one if you want the first one."

Savros was already standing in front of the first door, so he just nodded, "Goodnight Jaen," he looked at her closed door, "Good Night Polly." And then, as he opened his door, he thought to use the communicator, "Goodnight Shin."

Savros was closing the door to his room as Jaen was opening hers, "Good night Savros, Sleep well."

Savros followed Polly's example and headed for the bed.

"Good night Savros, you did exceptionally well today, you should be proud." Shin somehow sounded as tired as Savros felt.

Savros lie down, replaying the events of the day. Idyll Quies felt like several days ago, but by his best guess, it was only maybe thirty-seven hours ago. Then he tried Shin's simulation. He never imagined then that he'd be using the real thing just a few hours later. He never even made it to moving targets in the simulation, and he'd already taken out a live ship on his own and two with Polly. It felt weird to him, and at first, he assumed it was the sheer intensity of the day. He felt like a real starfighter today. He never imagined being scared or how hard his heart would be pounding when he used to imagine winning battles and returning home a starfighter hero. Well, he was in a starfight, and he did get called part of a 'hero crew' today. Then it occurred to him. Hero or not, he could never go home with his mother… and his father…. He wept as he thought of the last thing he did with his family. The day at the beach, his father winked at him; he cooked the meat for dinner with his uncle while his mother and father prepared the rest of it. And then… He still couldn't face the memories. But then his uncle was there. He hoped Savrotores was alive and well and hadn't sacrificed himself in a quest for vengeance. With nothing to return to, he clung to his new life, his new family, even tighter. He couldn't protect his mother or father, but today he helped protect his new family.

"Shin was right," he thought, "that is something to be proud of."

The walls emitted a faint glow as he lay there, blinking himself awake.

"Oh man," he said aloud to himself as he sat up stretching, "I wonder if the others are up yet."

He hit the button on the communicator. "Morning guys!"

A few seconds went by before Jaen responded, "Good evening Savros, did you sleep well?"

"Evening! I slept all day!" he laughed, "yeah I slept great! How are the repairs going?"

"Polly slept quite a while, too. And to be honest, I wasn't up as early as usual either. Even with all of us sleeping in, we're ahead of schedule. We should be ready to go by this time tomorrow. Polly's out there motivating the repair team. Shin has Navigation fully online and is working his way through life support."

"Great, I'll get dressed and head down."

"Actually, Polly had a good point earlier. If you didn't know, Tek-Dev is located in the Research Wing. One thing about the Center, they always keep good records. It may be worth it to you to go poke your head in. Le'Ander said your key would get you in and who knows, maybe one of your mom's old friends could still be there."

He was stunned. He hadn't even considered the fact that his mother had walked these very halls. That in a room not far from here, she developed the tryptic sensor, then the scanner.

"Thank you, Jaen, and tell Polly thanks as well. I'm gonna go over there right now. Just let me know if you need any help down there."

"Will do, good luck."

With the com silent, Savros jumped in the shower before throwing his uniform back on and left his temporary quarters in search of Tek-Dev. Back in the main section of the research wing, Savros continued further down the main research corridor. There were three doors on each side of the corridor. There was a display in front of each door, showcasing that department's most impressive discoveries and developments. First on the right was Med-Dev; the display held various hand-held medical scanners and devices. They also had samples of several vaccines and cures on display. Each tek or sample had a picture commemorating the person or team that developed it.

The smell of food wafting across the corridor drew his attention. A steady stream of people was coming from the opposite end of the corridor and going into the dining hall. Each time the door opened, mouthwatering aromas poured into the corridor. As Savros approached the dining hall, the display on the department just past the dining hall came into view from around the large abstract sculpture in the corridor.

He froze mid-stride as he read the words on the department sign: Tek-Dev. His palms were suddenly clammy, and his feet weren't moving like he wanted. He lumbered and stumbled toward the display, almost afraid of what he might see but unable to stop at the same time. He slowly walked around the case, and there on the middle shelf was his mother's tryptic sensor, next to a picture of her when she was so young he barely recognized her. Savros stood and stared, tears rolling down his cheeks. She was smiling in her picture with three other people standing next to her. The looks of pride and excitement flowed off their faces. He longed to hug her and hear her voice. In his mind, he could still see her smiling down at him. Grateful that there was a competing image. That, at least for now, the image of his mother's face as she died had been replaced by her smiling at him from a time when things were simple and peaceful. As he sidestepped the display to enter Tek-Dev, his eyes landed on the photo again. This time, he noticed a man standing off to the side in the background. He was surprised to see that it was Doctor Prashaad, obviously much younger, but it was definitely him.

Savros turned, walking toward the main garden. He had to know if Doctor Prashaad really knew his mother. Back in the garden, he took notice for the first time of the grandeur of the place. The tree in the Center was bigger around than some houses. It was only about twice as tall as it was wide, but the canopy was massive. Making his way around it and through the spattering of other plants of varying species, sizes, and color, he came to the history wing and strode right through the doors without a pause.

The history wing was set up differently than the research wing. There were way more departments, for starters. Savros counted six doors on either side, but because of the various sculptures from cultures of the past, he couldn't see the other end of the corridor or how many doors there actually were. He chose the left side this time and walked towards the display. It wasn't a department, after all. It was an office. "The Office of Doctor Redonde Prashaad."

Savros pushed the door, and it swung open. He stepped into the office as the door shut behind him. The soft light accented the plush leather furniture, and the smell of old dusty books only added to the motif, making the room feel warm and peaceful.

"Hello?" the voice came through a door at the back of the room. Doctor Prashaad appeared in the doorway, holding a large stack of papers. "Ah, Savros! How wonderful to see you again! I had sincerely hoped that all of you would be able to visit me, so that I can show my gratitude. However, I'm sure you can relate me feelings to the ladies."

"Uh, sure." Savros said, rubbing his head, "but I actually wanted to ask you about something else."

"Of course, of course, I'm compiling my report of the Nog'Racias," he waved the papers around to demonstrate, "but I could use a break, anyway. What's on your mind?"

"Well, my mother developed the tryptic sensor here at the Center, and I saw a picture of her with you in it and I was hoping you could tell me something about what she was like while she was here?" Wanting to get it out of the way, he added, "She was… she," he paused, trying to keep it together, "died not long ago." The tears were there, but he wouldn't let them fall.

"She, she has? Oh, that's terrible, just terrible. I'm so sorry for your loss. Please have a seat." He tossed the papers on the desk and gestured to the cushy leather chair.

"The tryptic sensor, that was sometime ago. I'm afraid I didn't know her particularly well. We collaborated on a couple of projects. I helped her with a code hidden in an ancient Ol'Gud text, and she helped me with a piece of tek that could translate written languages."

"From what I knew of her, she was fiercely intelligent, funny and caring person. She was only here for a single cycle, but she made a rather large mark in that short time, not just on me, but on our entire civilization. The sensor made it possible for the…" he trailed off and came in with a different approach, "well, I'm sure I don't need to give you a history lesson on the subject. And as our relationship was extremely short and purely academic, I think I know of a better way that you might gain the insight you are looking for." He stood and gestured to the door, "Follow me, please, if you don't mind a short walk?"

Savros stood and followed the doctor back into the corridor. They made an immediate left and continued down the corridor to the next door. It was marked "Hall of Records." Savros followed Doctor Prashaad through the door and into a large room that kind of reminded Savros of a hangar or storage depot.

"Here we have a record of pretty much everything of note that has happened at or come out of the center." As he spoke, he led Savros past row and rows of cabinets, apparently organized by some kind of genius or madman. Savros couldn't make sense of the filing system at all, so he gave up and just followed the doctor as he continued, "As you can see there are many many exhibits in this museum of sorts. Spanning many centuries and countless generations." They were so far into this labyrinth of cabinetry that Savros realized without the doctor, he would be lost in a maze.

"Ah, here we are!" He opened the doors on the cabinet, and an interior light bathed the contents in soft blue light. Doctor Prashaad stepped aside and gave Savros full access. He reached forward and pulled open a drawer labeled "Research" and peered into it as the same pale blue light illuminated its contents. Stacks of paper, binders, manuscripts, and documents.

Doctor Prashaad spoke from behind him, "This is everything that was collected surrounding your mother's development of the sensor and the scanner. What you have now is all of her collected research that made that development possible. Each drawer has different contents related to your mother's work here at the Center. The bottom two drawers contain a few of her personal effects that were left here after her departure."

Savros set the papers gently back in their place and closed the drawer. He looked at the labels and didn't see any that would really tell him about his mother; the collection was focused on her work, not her as a person. He did feel a strange sense of warmth being so close to the things that had been important to her at the time. His eyes settled on the bottom, two drawers. "Personal Effects"

He pulled the left drawer open and found a picture of a young man that bore a striking resemblance to himself. He stared at it for quite a while before he realized it was a picture of his mother and father when they were only a few years older than he was now. The tears hit the photo before he even realized he was crying. He'd never thought to ask how his parents met and had never thought that they knew each other while she was here. The pain of missing them was only amplified by the feelings of not really knowing his parents, of never getting to know his parents. He knew that this was probably as close as he'd ever feel to them again, but the shame was tainting it. Holding it in his left hand, he opened the other drawer with his right. A small collection of trinkets. They looked like the kind of thing you'd see on display in an old person's home, nothing impressive or particularly identifiable. He was about to close the drawers when he thought he saw one of the little doodads light up.

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It was a little sphere about the circumference of his smallest finger, covered in spikes that made the circumference three times the size of the ball. The spikes looked exceedingly sharp, but when he touched it, he couldn't feel the spikes at all. It felt like a smooth ball. He examined it and wondered what it was, what all these little things were.

"The Center tends to take over our lives, your mother, while brilliant, wanted more from life, she wanted to make a mark and do something to help all people but she also wanted a life of her own, a love, a home, a family and children and grandchildren. That is the man she fell in love with, the day after our celebration for the approval of the tryptic scanner, she published her 'intent to depart' notice, and the two of them left to settle on a small planet far out from the Center. I thought you reminded me of someone when we first met, but I couldn't place who or from where. It's obvious now, the similarity is uncanny. And you are the proof that she was living her dream." Prashaad looked relieved and forlorn at the same time.

"I know this probably isn't allowed, but do you think I could keep the photo of my father and this little ball? I don't have anything of theirs, and with these it feels like I'm caring a part of them with me." He looked up through tears at the doctor and was again surprised when he saw tears in the doctor's eyes as well.

"It is not allowed, but under the circumstances, I can make an exception. Out of respect for you and your mother and father. The ball, as you put it, originated with the Ol'Guds and emits a very low but steady and detectable amount of tryptic energy. All the items in that drawer do. It's how your mother was able to test and perfect the sensor and the scanner. I'm sorry I wasn't able to provide you with the stories you wanted. Hopefully, these things and this experience will be of some aid to you."

Savros pushed the drawers closed and stood up, wiping the tears away and taking a step back.

"Thank you Doctor Prashaad, I don't know what I expected from you but you've given me more than I thought possible." As he carefully put the small photo and ball into separate pockets, Doctor Prashaad closed the cabinet.

"It warms me to hear. Now, if you'd like to join me, I was just about to enjoy a meal in the dining hall. The food is quite good here and the menu changes all the time." Doctor Prashaad led him through the twists and turns back to the exit.

"Thank you, Doctor, but I really need to get back to the repair bay. Can I take Polly and Jaen something to eat? I'm sure they haven't stopped to eat anything since they started working."

They were entering the corridor as Prashaad was answering him, "Oh yes, of course, I would join you, but I must finish my report, and I'm sure you're all very busy with the repairs. If you don't wish to go through the line, there are stations just inside the door to get quick, cold meals.

Doctor Prashaad pushed open the doors to the dining hall. When the scents hit his nose, Savros accidentally drooled on the floor. He laughed at himself as he wiped his chin and followed the doctor to the nearest station, just inside the door. The smells were putting his sense into overload, and the level of volume in the dining hall was off the charts. He couldn't even hear what doctor Prashaad had ordered. After a moment, he turned to Savros and extended three individually wrapped items. He held another and motioned him toward the door.

"It's a little too loud in there for me some days, and with my report sitting on my desk, I may as well go eat in peace while I finish it," The two of them walked back toward his office and the history wing exit. As they approached his door, doctor Prashaad turned to him, "Savros, you are, much like your mother, quite remarkable. I am certain the future holds great things for you. And I am sure your mother and father would be quite proud of the man you're becoming. We never stop growing, though, so stay vigilant. Stay true to who your parents were. Don't let the hardships of reality change who you are. Good bye Savros, and thank you for saving my life and getting me here safely."

Savros nodded, again fighting the tears, "You're welcome, Doctor and Thank you." He touched the pocket with the photo in it.

The door closed, and Savros entered the garden and made his way back toward Le'Ander's desk on his way to the repair bay. Le'Ander was busy with a small group as he walked by, but he still acknowledged Savros with a nod as he passed.

A sense of relief and excitement washed over him when he saw KaiStar. All new shielding, the weird rusty-colored panels had been destroyed in the attacks and replaced with shiny black panels. The whole ship had a new look, the darker colors bringing out a sense of menace. KaiStar looked downright intimidating. He stood at the ladder looking at it and his hands full of food and used his free hand to hit the teleporter button.

He was in the middle of the main deck corridor. Engineers, mechanics, and all manner of repair people were hustling through the ship. One guy with a red face went sprinting past him, nearly stumbling over him. He offered an apology as he continued down the corridor. A few seconds later, Polly came stomping by. When she saw him, her face lit up. "Look who's up! How are you feeling? Did you see Le'Ander? I thought I was dreaming him up."

Savros answered each question as they came, "Hey. Pretty good. Yeah." He laughed, remembering her reaction to him the night before.

She continued, "I gotta run, Savroly, give these guys a break and they take a vacation. Jaen's on the bridge with some galactic service guy. I'll be up there soon as I check on this shit. Be right back." Polly ran off down the corridor, and Savros realized that guy had probably been running from her. He laughed to himself as he entered the bridge.

Jaen was in mid-conversation with a large, rather commanding-looking woman. He sat the food down on the console and sat in Polly's seat, hoping to the caught up on the situation and conversation. The woman stopped when she saw Savros and faced him directly.

"Savros?" it wasn't really a question because she didn't wait for an answer.

"I am Captain Iskatel of Galactic Service: Investigations Department. As pursuant to the applicable laws of Galactic Investigation and the statutes and regulations of the Investigations Department, I hereby notify you of three points I am required to present to you. Firstly, in accordance with Diplomatic Law and Extreme Threat Policy, all repairs, including upgrades to the KaiStar, are of no expense to you. Secondly, the Galactic Center hereby recognizes you as the patent heir on both the tryptic sensor and tryptic scanner. Lastly, due to your mother's contribution to the greater knowledge, the Center has elected to enact Sanari, allowing her to be treated as an active member of the Center and receiving all the benefits and commendations."

"As Sanari is active, I should also inform you that we have taken up an investigation into your mother's demise and those involved. I already have investigators on the way."

He felt a hand on his shoulder as the room fell silent.

Then the softer-than-normal voice of Polly,

"Ah shit, I totally called her a guy."

Silence.

Polly cleared her throat and squeezed his shoulder before stepping around him, "Hi, I'm Polly, I'm sorry about that I only caught a glimpse of you before and I assumed because of you size… and demeanor… that you were… a guy…." It was obvious to all of them that she wasn't going to win this one. Captain Iskatel appeared to be unmoved by anything that was happening.

"So what does 'patent heir' mean?" Savros asked the captain.

"It means the patents fall to you, you own the rights to both teks now."

"Oh. I see." Said Savros, but he still didn't understand what it meant. He'd just decided it would be easier to ask Jaen, Shin, and Polly about it.

"As for the attacks you suffered while retrieving Doctor Prashaad, our investigation revealed no ties between the ships that attacked you and any known associates of Nog'Racias. In fact, their markings aren't recorded on any of our databases. It is our belief that Doctor Prashaad was not the intended target but that you, Savros are their target. A religious text pulled from the wreckage seems to indicate that this may have been the same group to attack you and your family at your home. At any rate, you should all be very careful and prepared in case there are more attacks in the future. If our investigation turns up anything, we'll send word through you contact on Abriva." She relaxed her posture and expression slightly, "On a personal note, I am sorry for your loss." She turned on the spot and strode from the bridge.

They sat in silence for a moment after Captain Iskatel left. Jaen and Polly came around to face Savros as they knelt in front of him.

"That was a lot to process." Shin was the one to speak first.

"It was a lot. How are you feeling, Savros?" The look of concern in Jaen's eyes, and Polly's, for that matter, was like a weight crushing him down.

"I don't know, really. I guess I just assumed that those guys were after the doctor and it never occurred to me that they could be coming after me. And I'm putting you guys in danger. I just…" It had been an emotional day, in a horribly emotional week, and the gates had finally fallen. Savros broke down into tears. Not only from the loss of his parents but just from the frantic pace life had thrown at him ever since.

Polly and Jaen put their arms around him in a group hug as he slipped off the edge of the seat, and they all settled on the floor.

"It's okay to cry, and to talk about it. You're not going through any of this alone. You, Polly, Shin and I are a family and we'll get through this together. The Galactic Service will track them down and we'll fight through whoever they throw at us in the meantime."

"Sav, we got your back man, if someone's coming after you, then they're coming after all of us. You aren't putting us in danger. They're putting themselves in danger by messing with my family. If they're dumb enough to send another one after us, me 'n you will teach them the same lesson we taught the others."

Savros cried while they took turns comforting him, and it did help. It was reassuring to know he wasn't alone and that they didn't blame him for the attacks or what happened to KaiStar. It felt good to know that even in the face of death, they were still right behind him and watching his back.

"But what about KaiStar and Shin, the ship was nearly destroyed in that last attack? What if they send even more next time?" Still sobbing, Savros didn't look up while he spoke.

It was Shin's turn again, "Even if KaiStar is completely destroyed, the truth is, the three of you are much more likely to suffer a fatality. My casing is shielded against pretty much everything, and even if the entire ship exploded, I could be recovered. For now, I am bound to, but not dependent on KaiStar. And with the upgrades Polly and the crew have made, we are much better prepared for active combat. We've only been set up for mid range support and that's only for the diplomatic missions. With the looming threat and given your mother's standing, the Center has granted us full combat permissions."

"Oh yeah, Savy, wait till you get a load of this! While we were replacing the shielding, I installed twice as many shield generators, and the shielding we replaced the old stuff with is brand new and battle class shielding. It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than a couple of ships to beat us up that badly again!"

Savros looked up, "Really? It's that much stronger?"

"Yep, and after the real world trials of the twins, Shin created a routine to bring them online and to draw them out much faster. He also synced them to the simulation controls and routed the hud through our screens so we can man the twins from the bridge in emergencies. Now, if they show up again, we'll be like gunslingers in the old stories! Pew pew! And if they even get a shot off, we prolly won't even notice it."

Savros sat there, feeling the warmth of the embrace and savoring the closeness to loved ones. He finally spoke,

"Do you guys think we could go back to Abriva to check in with Sadjier? I'd really like to see if my uncle has sent word and try to send another message to him. With the galactic Service on the case, I really hope he hasn't already gotten himself in trouble."

"Of course, if he still hasn't received any news we can go look for him ourselves if you'd like."

"Yeah, I'd still like to smack him one for sending you off like that, anyway!"

"Okay, next stop, Abriva!" Shin sounded excited, but he couldn't tell if he was excited to leave the Center or return to Abriva. Or something else entirely. Or just his imagination.

"Well, you guys, it's late. What do you say we call it a day?" Jaen helped Polly and Savros stand, and the three of them turned toward the door, where they saw the food Savros had brought in with him.

"What's this?" Polly asked, picking one up.

"I'm not sure. I went to see Doctor Prashaad, and on the way back here, we stopped by the dining hall, and he ordered these for us. He picked the other two up and handed one to Jaen.

They all tore them open and revealed a thick, juicy cut of meat nestled between two rolls. It was cold, but it still smelled amazing.

"Oh, this looks so good. Thanks, Savro, I didn't eat at all today." Polly was talking through a mouthful.

"Me either, you know we really need to get on a better schedule." Jaen followed Savros and Polly off the bridge and out of KaiStar.

The three of them passed Le'Ander with their mouths too full to speak. They raised their sandwiches to him in a toast on their way by. Through the garden, through the doors, through more doors, until they were standing in front of their rooms. Each chewing their last bite.

"Thank you guys, it's been a rough and wild time lately and I wouldn't have gotten through any of it without you." He unlocked his door and held it open. "I love you guys." He rubbed his head again, looking somewhat sheepish.

"Ah. He loves us! You hear that, Jaen!" She smiled, "We love you too, Goodnight Savros, goodnight Jaen."

"We love you, Savros, goodnight" Jaen gave him a hug. "Goodnight Polly" she gave Polly a hug too. And with that, they all retired to their rooms for the night.

The next day, when Savros awoke, he went straight to see Doctor Prashaad. There was one more question he was hoping to get an answer to. He found the doctor in his office.

"Ah, Savros, this is unexpected. What can I do for you?"

Savros wasted no time and got straight to the point. "We're leaving today and I don't have a lot of time, but I was wondering: Have you ever heard of anyone spontaneously using tryptic energy?"

The question truly threw the doctor off. It was clear he wasn't expecting the topic. He sat and thought for a moment.

"Hmm. Well, there are stories from the past, myths and legends mostly, that tell of someone accidentally using magic or doing so when under certain kinds of extreme stress. I'm afraid none of the stories have been substantiated. They are just too old to verify. And one would think, if it used to happen, it should still be happening today, but there aren't any new reports coming in. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I heard one of those stories somewhere and thought if it were true, maybe someone knew how it worked. What about the Ol'Gud, do you know anything about them, my uncle told me about them and I've been really curious ever since." Savros thought it better to deflect the attention off of himself and play the curious kid angle, hoping the doctor might accidentally give him a clue to what was going on with him and the tryptic energy.

"Taking an interest in the Ol'Guds and magic, eh? We have that in common. As soon as I hand in this report, I'm setting out to research and hopefully discover more about the Ol'Gud. A lot of their history is shrouded in mystery, which is only further muddied by the countless stories dreamed up by parents to tell their children, and charlatans to dupe the masses. Sorting through the misinformation is a bigger undertaking than just starting from scratch with investigation and research. So that's my plan. Forget everything I've heard about the Ol'Gud and treat them like a new discovery." He stood and turned to the bookcase behind him, pulling a large volume from the shelf and handing it to Savros.

"This is the current body of work relating to the Ol'Gud. As I said, it's full of erroneous information, misinformation, and errors. You may have my copy, since I won't be needing it. But remember, there's no way to know what, in this book, is accurate information and what is fantasy. Take whatever you learn from it lightly."

Savros looked at the bulky block of a book. He didn't know a book could weigh that much. He examined the leather cover, with the title "Ol'Gud: A Compendium of Knowledge, Theories and Rumors," tooled into the surface. Along with a strange symbol of lines and shapes inside a circle.

"There are many great and fantastic stories in there. I hope some of them prove to be true. I'm most interested in the 'Holy Catastrophe', the retreat of tryptic energy and the disappearance of the Ol'Gud. The most prominent version in the book tells of a rampaging beast, Gah'Tak, that, were it ever set free, would devour the entire universe. The original Az'Reign worked with the Ol'Gud. Actually tricked the Ol'Gud into assisting them in creating a being of pure, condensed, tryptic energy. Of course, it went horribly wrong, and it took all the power of De'Den'Dae to imprison it. It was the Ol'Gud who created the lock that binds Gah'Tak's cell. To ensure Gah'Tak never broke free, and to ensure that they brought no other abominations into being in the name of De'Den'Dae, they sealed all the power of De'Den'Dae- the name of magic in the Ol'Gud tongue- on the First World, knowingly sacrificing themselves in the process. But ultimately protecting existence and redeeming themselves for the death and destruction they inadvertently brought on the universe by creating Gah'Tak in the first place. The Kalibal held extreme power three times the amount in the entire universe, but it's nothing compared to the full power of De'Den'Dae. If the power of De'Den'Dae were once again permeating the universe, magic would be available to everyone. It would be as air, or dust, or space; everywhere. It would usher in a new golden age of prosperity and peace. At least that's what the prophecies imply. It's likely purely fantasy. Once again, I must apologize, as I lack reliable information, and I fear that text may do you more harm than good. However, poor as it is, it is the most complete collection on the Ol'Gud. I'll make sure I save you a copy, when I finish the new manuscript."

Savros' ears perked up when he mentioned prophecies, but he didn't want to get into the details.

"Oh, that would be great!", Maybe the new manuscript would have the answers he needed.

"Great! It usually doesn't take more than five years or so to complete an investigation like this and to compile a manuscript." Doctor Prashaad was pleased with himself, but Savros watched his luck shrivel up. If he were to learn anything more from the doctor, he would have to wait five long years. But if he was going to be able to protect his new family, he needed answers now.

"Thank you, Doctor Prashaad." Savros rose to leave, "I can't wait to read your new book." It sounded like excitement to the doctor, but it was a simple matter of fact to Savros; he couldn't wait.

Savros left the doctor's office carrying the large tomb on his way to the dining hall again before checking in with the others. When he got back to KaiStar, and once again was carrying too much to navigate the ladder. He had to balance the giant book and the bags of food until he found the button. Popping onto the bridge, still performing a balancing act, he dropped the food and the book.

"Surprise!" he shouted when Polly and Jaen jumped in a start at the sudden nearby commotion. They turned as he was retrieving the items and standing up.

"Savros! Oh, thank you! I'm starving", Jaen eagerly accepted the bag he was handing her. Polly accepted hers and winked at him as she plopped down and opened the bag.

Jaen was already eating hers and began excitedly telling him about the progress they've made, "Shin has all systems properly routed, we even put in a few redundancies, which should make it easier to reroute systems should we need to in the future. As soon as the Galactic Service finishes their inspection and gives us the go ahead, we'll be ready to go whenever we want!" She took another bite and a sip from the small pouch, looking quite pleased. Savros was listening but had his mouthful.

"And," Polly added, "the Galactic Centered offered us another larger-than-normal bounty to make a supply run. It's a three-part delivery which accounts for some of the increase, but personally I think they are trying to make it up to us for this last job." Polly bit off another large piece and began chewing.

Jaen wiped her mouth, "So, the plan is to load the supplies, then we hit up Abriva to check in with Sadjier. We'll spend the night on Abriva, while Polly and I fix a few issues the galactic Service caused. Then we'll make the drops. We need to be on guard after we leave here, however the other attacks didn't start until we had already been traveling for a while, however they are tracking us it seems to only work in flight, which leads me to believe it has something to do with the energy signature of the engines. They aren't common and the configuration we have them in is unheard of. Shin will be analyzing our energy signatures from now on trying to identify any unique signals." She ate the last of her meal.

"As long as we don't stay on-world too long and get trapped there and as long as we don't travel for too long at once, we're hoping to avoid any attackers and be gone before they realize where we are. It prolly won't work, not for long anyway, but even Shin estimates we should be able to make it to Abriva and finish the delivery before we have a run-in. And since we are on alert now, we won't be caught with our pants down again." Polly had finished eating while Jaen was explaining, and Savros swallowed the last of his while Polly was finishing up the explanation.

"Sounds like we have a plan. How long until they say we can go?" he asked, picking the Ol'Gud book up from the console.

"They do the final inspection at their own pace. But it shouldn't be much longer." Jaen looked at the book but didn't mention it.

Savros saw her eyes hit the book. "I went to see Doctor Prashaad again. I wanted to ask him if there were any stories from the history of regular people using magic, and I asked him about the Ol'Gud. He didn't know anything about either really, but he said he was going out to research the Ol'Gud and what happened to the tryptic energy. He said that this book is mostly just myths and stories and there probably isn't much truth to it, but he said I could have it. It's his personal copy."

"I thought he might help me understand what I did that night or how I did it, or if I can do it again. If I can learn to use magic like that, I can protect you guys and we won't have to run or hide any more. We could just be free." His thumb traced the outline of the symbol on the front of the book as he stared deeply into the cover while he spoke.

Polly and Jaen shared a look laced with concern and empathy. "If anyone can figure it out, it would be you, Savros." Jaen smiled at him.

"Yeah, and in the meantime, we got the twins! Me 'n you will mow down whoever tries to hurt us." Polly leaned into Savros' shoulder. She stood back up straight and looked at him. Seriously, though, if you learn any magic from that thing, I expect you to teach me first.

Savros laughed and rubbed his head, "Deal. Doctor Prashaad said it was mostly nonsense though."