The bright glow went away and disappeared from my perception when it left my now considerably larger detection range. It was almost double what I could detect previously and I felt like I could hold a lot more Presence inside myself than I had before.

It boosted my abilities. I thought as I sat down on the floor. I looked down at my hands and held them about a foot apart, and shot a small lightning bolt from one hand to the other. It didn't hurt, because I absorbed the bolt as it hit me and I conserved the energy. This is amazing. I thought happily and kept doing it until I had the idea to do two bolts at once. It took a bit more Presence; but, it worked. So, I doubled that and kept going.

After half an hour, I had my hands two feet apart and had dozens of small lightning bolts flying from one hand to the other. I held in my laughter as I used Presence to curve and warp those bolts to change their direction and still had them hit my hand.

If I concentrate, I can actually feel each individual bolt and control where they hit. I thought in amazement. With a new technique to use, I stayed there for the rest of the night and tried to master it. I didn't need to sleep, being charged up like I was, so I worked all through the next day as well. When I felt someone enter my expanded detection range late that night, I eased my technique to a stop and folded my hands on my lap and pretended that nothing was going on.

The man in the uniform slid open the one foot wide metal cover of the slot. “I'm sorry to say that you were right.” He said and turned the food tray sideways to fit it into the slot. “When I went to get your meal, someone had already shown up and taken it.”

I stood up and took the tray, and saw that it wasn't basic rations like Aphatoris had ordered, and it even had a spoon. “Now you know why I asked you to go at a different time.”

The man sighed. “I think if you apologized...”

“For what?” I asked and used Presence to look at the food. Unfortunately, I didn't have any way to detect if it was poisoned or tampered with. “Where did you get this?”

“I stepped out the back and asked one of the food stands to fill it.” The man said. “They thought it was for me, so it's the good stuff.”

“That's a relief.” I said and started to eat. “They wouldn't try to poison you with it.”

The man stayed silent as I quickly ate, then I slid the tray back through the slot.

“See you tomorrow night around the same time.” I said.

He nodded and closed the cover on the slot, then walked away without a comment.

I think he's starting to see that not everything is as black and white as he thinks it is. I thought and sat down in the middle of the room again and started practising with what was in essence Presence Lightning. I sincerely doubted that I was the only one to have stumbled across this technique, and I was sure that others would be much more versed in its uses than I was. That made me determined to try and discover everything I could do with it. I worked hard for most of the night and then I felt tired.

I used the mental technique to relax myself and entered a meditative sleep for about six hours. Once my mind and body was refreshed, I continued to work with my new technique. The man in the uniform returned the next night and he had a similar tray of food.

“How did you know someone would poison your food?” He asked as he slid the tray of food into my cell. “I showed up at the normal time and got the tray of rations, then used my hand scanner to check it.” He sighed. “It wouldn't kill you right away, though. You'd be deathly ill for a few days if it went untreated, then you would die.”

“That's not what should be worrying you.” I said as I quickly ate the food.

“What should?”

“That it's probably not the same person doing it each day.” I said and handed the tray back. “Thanks.”

The man didn't say anything and closed the slot, then he walked away.

Yeah, he's definitely starting to be disillusioned. I thought and used Presence to check myself and didn't find any impairments. I'm glad he's a good man.

The next five days passed by fairly quickly, and I was actually sad when my solitary sentence ended. I was well rested, had a firm handle on my new technique and its capabilities, and the only interactions I had were brief visits when I was fed my one meal a day. The man in the uniform came to me each day with a different reason why I wasn't getting the normal rations, except for this last day when he came for me just before supper and opened the door.

“Follow me.”

I nodded and followed him without saying a word, and he didn't speak as we entered the lift and went up to the top floor and to the meeting room where the bright glowing Presence was. I wasn't surprised that she hadn't visited me after that first time, and I could still feel that she was trying very hard to stop her Presence from coming to me.

I thought I was the moth attracted to the flame. I thought as I smiled at her and she didn't smile back. Maybe it's her flame that she doesn't want my moth around.

“Hunter, you have served your sentence.” Meaglesnarn said. “Have you come to regret your crime?”

“The only thing I regret is that I didn't kill them both so that none of this would have happened.” I said, and murmurs and grumbles rolled around the room. “The thief wouldn't have wasted your time by filing false charges and put Aphatoris into a moral quandary.”

“I'm not in a quandary.” Aphatoris said.

“You're trying to decide if you want to put me back into solitary.” I said and saw her eyebrows go up. “I wonder if it's because you want to see if one of your followers can succeed in hurting me this time.”

“I want no such thing!” Aphatoris exclaimed as her Presence flared.

“Your followers do.” I said and successfully ignored her brighter Presence as I looked at Meaglesnarn. “They've stolen my rations, poisoned them, switched them, and did several other things to them that I won't mention in front of a lady.”

All three of Meaglesnarn's eyes nearly bulged out of his bald head, because he didn't detect any lies. “I will investigate this.”

“Don't bother.” I said. “You'll just rationalize it away as harmless because I didn't actually die from what they tried to do to me.”

“That's enough!” Aphatoris exclaimed.

“I agree.” I said and let some of my anger out and the Presence inside me flared. “Not a single person, except for one good man, cared about how I was treated.”

Aphatoris gasped as her Presence flared to match mine.

“If this is how you treat people that ask for your help, I'd hate to be someone who came here and didn't need it.” I said. “You people are worse than The Order.”

“That... that's not...” Meaglesnarn couldn't say it, because I hadn't lied.

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“Ha, see? You can't deny it and not lie.” I smiled. “It's not even that you put me in isolation and only gave me one meal a day. That part I didn't mind at all.”

Most of them caught their breath at that, because it wasn't normal to not mind being imprisoned.

“What I didn't like was that you didn't check to see if I was being fed. Not once. You didn't check to see if I was getting the one meal a day that I needed to live.” I said to Meaglesnarn and Aphatoris. “I was completely out of sight and out of mind for everyone, except for the ones messing with my food.” I chuckled. “I got more attention from them than the ones that were supposed to be watching out for me and keeping me safe.”

No one said anything, and I sighed.

“Okay, there is another thing I regret.” I said. “I regret that I promised no retribution for this punishment, or I'd start interrogating you all to find out who tried to poison me.” I looked at all of their faces, and several of them turned their heads away automatically. “Never mind, there they are.” I said and used Presence Hands to grab them by their collars and pulled the four of them into the center of the room. “Meaglesnarn, I told you that you wouldn't have to investigate.”

“It was all his idea!” One of them said and pointed to the alien beside him. “He said Aphatoris told us to test the prisoner!”

“Shut up!” The alien said and punched the man on the side of the head.

“You are messing everything up!” Aphatoris exclaimed and stood as she glared at me. “Why are you causing me so much trouble?”

“Fate.” I said, and she caught her breath. “I was meant to come here.” I formed Presence around the appendages of the three aliens and around the arms of the man to hold them, then tossed them aside to land at the man in the uniform's feet. “Feel free to charge them with attempted murder.”

“N-no.” Aphatoris said.

“I came here looking for your help. I didn't realize that you needed someone to help you.” I said and tried to take a step forward, then half a dozen laser pistols and rifles were aimed at me. I put my hands up as if I was surrendering, then used Presence Hands to disable all of the weapons and knocked them out of the men's hands. The man in the uniform was not one of them.

“I... I don't need your help.” Aphatoris said and motioned to Meaglesnarn. “Here is the information you wanted.”

Meaglesnarn took a datapad out of his pocket and handed it to me. “This is the ship information and the crew list, as well as their registered flight plan.”

“That's not normal information to have, is it?” I asked and quickly checked it.

“We hacked the ship's database and pilfered it.”

“Then give me the rest of it, too.”

“You don't need...”

“If you really think their registered flight plan is where they are actually going, then you're not as smart as I thought you were.” I said and held the datapad out. After a moment, he reached out for the datapad and took another out and handed it to me. I checked it and saw that it had tons of information on it. “Thanks.”

“You'll need this, too.” Meaglesnarn said and handed me a small box. It was six inches long, eight inches wide, and four inches deep. I didn't have to open it to see what was inside.

“How much?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“When you take (Undecipherable)'s head for The Order, send us his hands.” Aphatoris said. “Or a picture of his death. I'd prefer his hands; but, a picture will suffice.”

“I'll do my best.” I said.

Aphatoris waved to one of her people, and he went to the door and left for a few moments, then there was a loud ruckus as Luxea, Evelyn, and Rhubin came into the meeting room.

“Hunter!” Luxea exclaimed and ran over to me. “Are you okay?” She asked as she put her arms around me and hugged me tightly. “They wouldn't tell us anything, except that they had you in custody.”

“I filled them in as much as I could.” Rhubin said. “I didn't think someone would arrest you for getting robbed, though.”

“Me, either.” I said. “I told the truth, and my story, and they still sentenced me to a week of isolation.”

“ISOLATION!” Luxea yelled and let me go. “You know his story and you gave him isolation?” She glared at everyone, then her eyes met Aphatoris'. “You people are heartless!”

“It was only a week.” I said, and Luxea looked at me.

“You shouldn't have been treated that way.” Luxea said.

“Some people can't look past their own insecurities when dealing with others.” I said with a smile. “I mean, look at me. I completely expected them to treat me unfairly because of how I was treated before, and look what happened.”

Luxea chuckled for a moment, then she stopped with shock on her face. “You can't blame yourself!”

“I didn't help the situation by acting distrustful.”

“Trust has to be earned.” Luxea said. “You can't just magically have it when you meet someone for the first time.”

I felt a flicker in the bright Presence around Aphatoris and turned my head to look at her. “(Undecipherable) did that to you, didn't he?” I asked, and Aphatoris tried to look away. “You trusted him right away and he hurt you.”

Everyone in the room looked uncomfortable, and she turned back to face me with sadness in her eyes.

“If you don't succeed in your hunt, you will never be allowed back here.” Aphatoris said.

“Hey! This is a major trading station!” Evelyn said. “You can't just...”

Aphatoris held up a datapad that showed a signed declaration from the other section managers. “We won't stop the ship you are on or interfere in any trading it does; but, Hunter won't be allowed to step foot on this station.”

“That's not much encouragement.” I said, and her eyes widened. “I only found out this place existed a few weeks ago. After being here for a week as your prisoner, not being allowed to come back here doesn't bother me.”

Aphatoris wasn't sure how to respond to that.

“You're making the same mistake The Order did.” I said. “You think because this place has nice things in it, has lots of things to do, and has lots of people that want to be here... that I want the same things.” I chuckled. “I really don't. You can keep it all to yourselves for all I care.”

“We... we can... get you more focusing crystals.” Aphatoris said and pointed to the small box I had in my hand.

“Well, considering they're worthless to anyone else except The Order, and a crime to sell to anyone else, I shouldn't need any more than this dozen for a really long time.” I said.

“But...”

“You gave them to me as a gift, so it wasn't a crime.” I said and nodded to Meaglesnarn.

“Hunter, please.” Aphatoris said, her voice sad. “What can I do to encourage you to do this for us?”

I held a hand out to the people around Aphatoris, to show that I meant no harm, then walked over to her. She was a few inches shorter than me, so she had to look up slightly to look into my eyes.

“I want you to forgive yourself for being stupid.” I said.

“Wh-what?”

“I'm sure that blue-skinned devil was all charm and pretty words when you met.” I said. “He sucked you in and manipulated you, and before you knew it, he robbed you and was gone without so much as a goodbye.”

Aphatoris had tears in her eyes and didn't try to wipe at them.

“I can feel you fighting with your Presence, and you shouldn't do that.” I said and cupped the side of her face. Her whole body trembled as her Presence and mine swirled together, like it had that first day. “You can be on guard, and you can pick and choose who you want to help; but, when you fall in love with someone, all that preparation and caution is meaningless.”

Aphatoris opened her mouth and let a sob escape. “It hurts so much!”

“It always does.” I said and took her into my arms, and she cried on my shoulder. It was completely quiet in the meeting room, except for her crying. It lasted for nearly ten minutes, and then she started to compose herself. I held onto her until I saw her Presence become less bright and more under control, then I eased my embrace and took half a step back.

Aphatoris wiped at her eyes and looked up at me again. “How did you do that?” She asked, completely composed. “I haven't cried like that in years.”

“I think you just needed someone to understand.” I said and took another step back.

Aphatoris' glowing Presence didn't try to follow me or hold onto me, and she looked down at herself in surprise, then back at me. “It's all mine again.”

“It was always all yours.” I said. “It just wanted to help you.”

Aphatoris wasn't sure how to respond to that, either.

I walked over to where Luxea, Evelyn, and Rhubin were. “Where are the others?”

“Cassie's on watch, and Rus and Donny are getting the ship ready.” Luxea said. “With less than a third of our load, we can get up to speed and jump into hyperspace that much faster now.”

“Then we better get back to the ship.” I said, and we all walked over to the door of the meeting room.

“It's too bad you were stuck in here all week.” Rhubin said and opened the door. “You didn't even get to see the spectacular tourist attraction the station was made for.”

I stopped walking and looked back at Aphatoris. “I think I saw something much better than that.” I said to her surprised face, then I shut the door. “If we hurry, we might not get robbed before we get to the shuttle.”

“That's not funny, Hunter.” Luxea said.

“How did you know to call me that?” I asked, curiously.

“One of those three-eyed aliens asked us if we were looking for 'Hunter' when we were searching everywhere for you.” Rhubin said. “What made you pick that for a name?”

“I told them I was hunting (Undecipherable). Since I was pretty sure they couldn't be trusted with my real name, especially since they knew about (Undecipherable) before I even described him, a fake name seemed appropriate.”

“I'll make up some fake papers for you.” Evelyn said, and everyone looked at her. “What? I'm a medical professional. I can fake medical records easily.”

We reached the shuttle without incident, boarded it, then left the station to go to the long haul transport.

“I really need a shower.” I said as the shuttle landed inside the ship's docking bay.

“It can wait.” Luxea said and walked over to the shuttle's hatch. “Donny, get the clamps on the landing gear as soon as possible.”

“I've got a suit beside the docking bay's hatch already.” Donny said. “Give me ten minutes and I'll be back inside and strapped to a jumpseat.”

Luxea nodded, checked the umbilical for pressure, then we all left the shuttle. We were all strapped in and on our way ten minutes later.