After the escape from Green point, Djon prepared for a launch out of the Emerald Cluster. It was time to leave the rest behind and start going on their long quest.

The next cluster was the one called Ruby and the Tortoise made a hyperjump to travel to it.

He had seen that their fuel would be empty by the time of arrival so they had to search for a place to refuel.

They all discussed the route they would take and Djon and Hawk seemed the only one who knew a little bit how the galaxy map worked.

‘We are in Galaxy seven,'' Djon had told them.

He explained that the galaxy was like a circle, with the outside galaxies being bigger and circling around the center where the galaxies would get smaller and smaller. Each galaxy was divided in clusters like the galaxy cluster they were traveling from. And in each cluster, there were stars with planets around them.

Eto asked if they could go in a straight line through the galaxies to reach the center but Hawk quickly explained that wasn’t possible.

‘The borders of the galaxy are streams of dark space, filled with monsters and storms. No one can pass it. The only way is to reach the short sides and use special portals to get to another galaxy.’

Djon opened a hologram map to show them a rough sketch of the entire galaxy. In the middle, a light shined which showed how unknown it was.

Hawk had told them about the portals to travel between galaxies but Djon sighed and explained that it wasn’t gonna be easy.

‘These portals are built and used by the council and I’m afraid we are not going to come in undetected to use them.’

It became silent for a moment as everyone thought about it.

‘Well, that is a problem for later. At first we have to travel through Galaxy seven to reach the borders and it’s gonna be a long ride,’ Djon said.

Everyone began to do their own thing after the conversation.

Djon went back to the cockpit and Veronica came sitting next to him to learn more about the ship’s controls.

Without him noticing, Veronica looked at Djon, wondering what kind of species he was, as he had not told himself.

She remembered her mothers lesson, not to ask people where they are from or what they are. Everyone is the same in a galaxy with peace, her mother always said.

Then Veronica realized she had already seen enough to know the galaxy wasn’t at peace. And before she knew it, she asked.

‘Sorry but what kind of species are you, Djon?’ she asked.

Jon began to laugh loudly. His sharp teeth were showing but they didn’t feel dangerous with how they knew Djon was as a person.

‘Didn’t I tell you guys?’

‘Only that your mother was human. Because of your name,’ Veronica replied.

The laugh of Djon went silent and his mouth turned into a brighter smile, showing more teeth.

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‘I'm Velpar,’ he said with his smile.

Veronica tried to think if she had read something about het Velpar but nothing came to mind. She wanted to ask more but she got distracted by a sound behind her.

She turned around and saw Hawk and Eto talking on the other side of the room, but she couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

‘So, what kind of girls do you like?’ Hawk asked Eto.

Hawk had poured a drink and looked for a moment to talk to his buddy Eto.

He had put his arm around Eto’s neck with a grin on his face.

Hawk knew Eto hadn’t seen much of the world but he was quite curious what kind of interest had taken Eto’s mind.

‘Ehhmmm,’ Eto said with a questionable face.

‘I don’t know. I like Veronica,’ Eto said and he quickly looked at her, seeing that she was talking to Djon. He realized she was the only girl he knew.

Hawk also looked at her and gave a little smile of approval.

‘I can understand. But how much do you like her?’ he asked, being a little cheeky.

Eto thought about it. She really helped him when he came to Borner and stuck with him ever since. She really was a good friend of his.

‘I like her a lot,’ he replied and Hawk smiled.

‘Alright. Then if you really like her, next time you have to ask if she can sit next to you,’ he said.

‘Why?’ Eto asked, not knowing what Hawk meant by it.

Hawk used his metal arm to lean his head on the table with a troubled face.

‘Because that’s what you do when you like someone.’

At first they said nothing. After that, Eto looked at him with understanding.

‘I got it,’ he said.

A few hours later, Hawk came into the dinning room, having prepared another meal but he made clear they really had to restock soon.

Eto found his place on the couch along the wall next to the table and looked at Veronica who walked by.

‘Veronica, would you like to sit next to me?’ he asked.

Veronica looked at him, thinking about the question and she smiled.

‘Sure,’ she answered and she began to sit next to him.

Hawk saw what was happening from a little distance and a little grin turned on his face.

The grin soon turned away after Eto asked something.

‘Hawk, would you like to also sit next to me?’ Eto asked with a big smile.

Hawk wasn’t sure what was happening.

‘Ehh, sure. I guess’ he said and he began to sit next to Eto on the other side.

Veronica looked at Hawk, not understanding why he was looking so troubled.

‘Hawk told me that if I like someone, I should ask if they want to sit next to me,’ Eto said to Veronica, looking at her.

After that he turned to Hawk.

‘And I like you Hawk,’ he said with a big smile.

Hawk quickly nodded with a fake smile and looked the other way after that.

‘That’s not what I meant,’ he mumbled so no one could hear as he slapped his face with his hand.

It took another day before Djon used the intercom to alert everyone that they almost would reach the Ruby cluster and everyone gathered in the cockpit.

The swirls of light outside started to go slower as the ship approached his destination and soon they vanished.

Before them, dark space appeared with a hint of red through it, like a glow.

‘Welcome to the Ruby sector’ Djon said with a smile and he rubbed his horned chin with one of his hands.

‘Cool!’ Eto said who jumped forward to look outside through the window.

TYO jumped on the controls and looked around.

‘Scanning and analyzing data. Will take some time. In the meantime, can you respond to your receiver?’ he said to Djon with his robot voice.

Djon looked to a side screen and he just noticed that his receiver was bleeping, noting that they had an incoming message.

He found it suspicious they received a message the moment they arrived in the Ruby cluster but still he moved to open the message.

He opened the intercom and activated the message.

At first, only the sounds of cracks could be heard, as if the message was gone. But then the voice of a woman could be heard on the other side.

‘Help. Please, can anybody hear me? I need help.