Minmin

Vai was in his seat when I logged onto the school program. It had been days since we'd seen him. He looked good, but of course he would in the ansible. It wasn't necessarily a reflection of his true self. Neither Shel nor Owen had arrived yet. Spencer sat in the back watching Vai, but neither of them interacted with each other.

"Vai." I sat in my seat next to Vai's. "We were so worried. Even after we heard that you'd return in a few days, there was part of us that still worried."

"I'm fine," Vai said.

Shel logged in at that moment - noticed me and Vai and sat backwards in his seat so he faced both of us.

"What happened?" Shel asked. "We were worried that you were dead."

"Because of him none of us could go planetside," Mark said. "And because of your mother." He directed this at Shel. "What makes her so special anyway to request a special trip with just you."

Owen logged in just in time to hear Mark's sentence. "Now, now, friends. None of that matters unless you want to take it up with a Jo-Dinun." Mark turned away from us. Viko put a hand on Mark's shoulder. They spoke together quietly. They tried to involve Spencer, but he ignored them. He hadn't been the same since his mother disappeared. I had never been there, but I knew the Starrise had reopened. Spencer worked there everyday after school. I heard one of the managers ran the Starrise now, but that any profits that would have gone to Adi now went to Spencer. It was generally thought that until Adi was found - which no one really thought likely at this point - Spencer was the temporary owner of Starrise.

I missed my parents. I tried not to think about it too often because when I did the sadness threatened to swallow up my existence. When we joined this latest Gathering exploration, I would never have imagined that one of my parents - let alone both of my parents would be taken from me. The Corruption had them both now and there was nothing I could do about it. I used my okulus to call up an image of Bars that only I could see. I knew it was silly, but watching interviews of Bars or Waters Reaching or his interactions with his fans let me forget temporarily about the loss of my parents.

I went through my normal fantasy which was meeting Bars on our homeworld, Minidtin. Somehow our fight with the Corruption would take us there and I would somehow - miraculously - meet Bars. I would open the light in him and he would join us in our fight. All the Starwatchers would join us in our fight, but it would be because they followed his example.

I knew his public persona might be fake. He was a great actor, but I didn't think it was fake. I thought all those little things he did for his fans - like telling the other fans to step back so he could help the one fan that fell, or providing beverages to all those waiting to see him in the hot sun - were real. I thought his wise, kind words in interviews were real. I needed to believe that at the moment because if my parents and Bars were taken from me, I might have a melt down.

"My friend," Owen said to Vai, "how we have missed you." He clapped a hand on Vai's back.

Vai smiled. "I'm fine," he said. "I don't really know much except I was unconscious. My father took care of me."

"Warpaint must have been going stir crazy not being able to have anything to do while you just stayed in bed. Next time tell him, friend, that he can come find me and be my temporary bodyguard until you're back on your feet."

"I hope there won't be a next time," Vai said.

Owen's face grew serious. "Me too."

Teacher Miller came into the room and started class.

Mark interrupted her. "Teacher Miller, don't you think it's strange that most of the weird incidents lately have revolved around them." He waved a hand in our direction. "Like when Owen was arrested when that first person went missing. And then it came to light that he had smuggled onboard illegal goods."

"It was only chocolate," I said.

He didn't look at me as he kept going. "And then there was that incident on Brist again involving that group. And then on Mazax VIII they started a fight."

"We didn't start that fight," Owen said in a tone that indicated he was clearly wronged.

"All four of them were on the only two ships where people went missing," Mark went on ignoring us. "And then Shel's mother got special permission to take them to who knows where on Doussix only for Vai to come back injured and the rest of us were prohibited to go down to the mines. If it wasn't for Shel's mother-"

Shel stood up.

The room - even though it was a fake room in the ansible - grew very quiet. Viko nudged Mark's arm to indicate he went too far. Mark tried to meet Shel's eyes, but ended up looking at his wooden desk.

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"Sit down, Shel," Teacher Miller said.

He turned his deadly stare to her. She swallowed and looked down pretending to pick lint off her fake ansible clothes that were of course immaculate.

Shel turned to me. There was such hatred and anger in his eyes that even though I knew it wasn't directed at me, I still felt uncomfortable. I knew without words that he couldn't stay there and remain calm. He logged out of the program. He wouldn't logout of the ansible completely. He would go to his sanctuary.

Teacher Miller went on with class as if nothing had happened.

"Can you come over and spar?" I asked Vai when class ended.

He nodded. "I'm not restricted to my quarters any longer. It will be good to get out. I need to get my muscles moving."

"Great, my friend," Owen said. "I'll meet you at the elevators."

The two of them logged out at the same time. Mark and Viko were heading our way, but stopped when they saw only I was left. The other students were mostly logged out now.

I stood up and grabbed my desk with one hand.

"Mark," I said, "catch."

I threw the desk at him. He put his arms up in front of him to block the rapidly approaching desk. When it was clear he wasn't going to catch it, the program interfered so it didn't actually hit him. It's what I expected, but I reveled in that moment of his fear when he forgot about the program. I smiled at him as I pictured myself ripping out his bloody guts and strewing them all over the room as decoration.

He swallowed hard and logged off. I logged off as well and took the okulus off my head. I reshaped it to fit around my wrist. I hummed lightly as I jumped off the bed and exited the bedroom. Esther and Shel rearranged the furniture in the living room so we would have room to spar.

"How was the rest of class?" Shel asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing we didn't already know," I said.

"I figured," he replied. "I'm going to stop going to school. I'm going to take the accelerated test to graduate early."

"Should I do that as well?" I moved the last of the chairs out of the way.

"If you want," Shel said.

"Maybe," I replied, "but Owen and Vai might be lost if both of us were gone. I think I'll stay."

"That's true," Shel said.

"At least you can make a decision about schooling," Esther said quietly. Honestly, I had forgotten she was there. "I need to keep hidden."

"Do you though?" Shel asked. We both looked at him. Esther's eyes were filled with a hesitant hope. I think she had convinced herself that she would have to remain in hiding her entire life.

"You only need to hide from the Corruption, but you are with us now," Shel said. "I'm sure my mom can figure something out. Maybe even make you part of our family somehow."

Esther's face lit up with a hope and brightness I had never expected to see on her face. "Your mom could be my adopted mom? You could be my adopted brother?" She threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He stiffened and looked to me for help. I shrugged my shoulders.

"This is something I never expected," she said. She withdrew her arms from him, but she wasn't done hugging. She wrapped her arms around me instead. I reached up to pat her on the back.

"I don't know that adoption is quite possible," Shel said. Esther put her arms back to her side and took a step away from me. She smiled, but a lot of the hope that had been in her eyes had left. "I mean," Shel said, "of course my mom would like to adopt you, but she's not widowed. She is still married to my dad. Who is missing and has the Corruption inside him. In order to adopt, his signature and consent would also have to be on the documents."

"Of course," Esther said quietly. "I got ahead of myself."

"I would like to have a little sister," he said.

Esther smiled genuine this time.

"And just because adoption isn't an option at this time," Shel continued, "that doesn't mean we don't have options. You could be my foster sister."

Esther's smile widened and she hugged him again. This time he returned the hug, but more out of a sense of duty. Esther took a step back. "But how would we explain my sudden appearance? There are already rumors on the Shadow of a mystery girl connected with the missing people."

"My mom and Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa can figure out the details," Shel said. "I don't think it will be a problem."

"We can say you were always on the Armstar with us," I offered.

"Really? Could this really all happen?"

Shel and I both nodded.

A high pitched squeal escaped Esther and she clasped her hands together over her heart. I never thought I would hear such a happy sound from her.

There was a knock at the door. Before Shel or I could react, Esther ran to the door. As soon as the door slid open she threw one arm around Vai and the other around Owen. Warpaint stood behind Vai. He moved an arm as if he was going to interfere, but when he saw it was a hug, he let it go.

"Shel said I could be his foster sister." There was no hiding the happiness in her voice. Owen and Vai returned her hug turning it into a weird three person mishmash. Vai's eyes met Shel's.

Shel shrugged. "I'm sure between your father and my mom, they can work it out."

Esther pulled away from the hug. "I can go to school with you," she said to them.

"That would be great, my friend," Owen said.

I didn't think anyone else in the room - including Esther and Owen - realized that Esther and Owen held hands. Her hand slipped away from his as she almost skipped back towards me.

"I wouldn't have to hide anymore," she said. "We could go out and buy new clothes. There is a taylor shop on the third level."

I looked down at the red shirt I wore. "I would like something new. Maybe something blue." She took both of my hands in hers in excitement.

"And I'd like a new cloak," Esther said. "Maybe something flashy and yellow instead of this drab one." She let go of my hands and held onto her cloak for emphasis.

"And I could get a pretty cape," I said. "Honestly, when the Awakened One chastised me for wearing clothes I didn't know what to say. I like wearing clothes. They are pretty."

"They are pretty," Esther said.

"They are, friends," Owen said. I wasn't sure when he had moved to stand so close to us.

"Such excitement," El said from the doorway. Lieutenant Tanpo followed her into the room.

Esther's expression grew serious. It was one thing to talk about and fantasize about being family. El had a way of bringing back reality.

"What are you talking about?" El asked.

There was a moment of silence before Shel said, "I suggested maybe you and Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa could figure out a way to make Esther my foster sister."

El immediately smiled. "Honestly, I have the documents already prepared, but I couldn't bring it up. I thought maybe you wouldn't like it, Esther."

"Like it? I love it. Is it really possible?"

"Of course. I'll take care of it." She placed a hand on Vai's shoulder. "It's good to see you Vai. Are you ready to spar?"

"Ready," Vai said.