Owen

I decided to head to the shuttle early. Partly because I couldn't sleep after the encounter with the girl and partly because I was worried about going with Spencer and I wanted to get there first.

"Good morning, son," my mother said when I walked out of my room. She was dressed for work, but sat at the couch with a cup of coffee - algae coffee - in her hand. Algae coffee had a different smell than coffee on Earth, but that had never stopped my mom from drinking it.

"Morning."

"Owen," she said, "remember you're still on probation. Don't try to smuggle anything onboard."

"I won't." I didn't have any plans to. Not with weekly searches by security of my room. Although, if there was something really good I wanted to smuggle onboard, maybe Vai could keep it for me. Then again, maybe not. It seemed like his dad spied on him a lot.

"Have fun," she said.

"You too," I said as I walked out the door. It slid shut behind me. You too? She wasn't going planetside. She was going to work. But maybe work was fun for her.

I made my way down to the shuttles with 20 minutes to spare. I didn't see Spencer yet which was good. Lieutenant Tanpo was the only one I saw. She stood next to her shuttle door, but I stopped without getting too close because she hadn't noticed me and she was on a call. Vai's father was projected through her volo. It didn't seem like he was at home. At least, I assumed he didn't wear his lab coat at home.

"Can't you speak with her?" Lieutenant Tanpo asked. "She refuses to go planetside. This is the second time. The Captain was supposed to go to Brist for the negotiations, but she refused then too. The Captain of the Armstar also refused." Shel's father. "They both sent their first officers in their stead. Now they're both refusing again? I don't think either one has left their respective ships since they first boarded."

"I can't force the Captain to do anything," Vai's father said. "I don't have that much clout. And you're a pilot. You shouldn't worry about politics."

"But you asked me about her."

"Yes. I asked you to report on the Captain acting unusual. That is all. You don't need to try to convince her or me of her job description." There was a pause. "What about the other thing I asked you? Is anyone else acting strange? Refusing to go near the Aether Field?"

"Yeah. My mechanic. Wilson. If I dock my shuttle too close to the Aether Field he refuses to work on it. I don't know when it started because I wasn't paying attention to it before you told me to watch for it. He's not the only one to work on the shuttles."

Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa's fingers typed something into his okulus. "Wilson. Got it. Don't be alone with him, Lieutenant."

"You said the same about the Captain."

"And I meant that too. Don't be alone with the Captain. I'm telling you this in return for your efforts in saving my son. And don't badger the Captain. Better if you're not noticed at all."

"What do you know Lieutenant Commander?"

"Just heed my words, Lieutenant."

Vai's father ended the call.

Lieutenant Tanpo hadn't noticed me yet. I stayed where I was for a few moments so Lieutenant Tanpo wouldn't know I had overheard the call. She was inspecting the hull of the shuttle.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," I said when I felt enough time had passed.

"Good morning," she said. "You're my first customer of the day."

"I'm honored," I said.

I felt a presence behind me. I didn't look to see it was Spencer. I just knew it was. My mood darkened.

"Good," Lieutenant Tanpo said. "You're both here. Hold on. Let me go through my spiel."

She repeated the rules she had given to me and Vai on our first trip. Vai. I missed him. And Warpaint.

When she finished, Spencer and I both took a step to board. It was the first time we looked at each other. While he looked at me, trying to stare me down, I walked passed him and boarded. We sat as far away from each other as we could. I took the back left. He took the front right.

The trip didn't take long.

"I think we're the first ones here," Lieutenant Tanpo said. "Stay here while I check. I'll be right back."

She opened the shuttle door and stepped outside. She left the shuttle door open and sunlight streamed in sending prisms of light cascading throughout the shuttle.

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Spencer turned to look at me. "You're officially a convict now."

"No," I said. "I'm still a minor and you're not very smart."

He scowled at me. He was probably trying to make me feel intimidated, but he was nothing without friends.

"You still owe me for the losses of my mom's restaurant while on the Remembrance. You ready to pay up today?"

"I don't owe you or your mom anything. I fulfilled our deal. I sold you chocolate."

"Overpriced chocolate and then you sold it to customers on the side."

"So what?"

He stood up and took a step towards me.

Lieutenant Tanpo's head came in the doorframe. "Your teacher's here. Come on out."

Spencer gave me another mean look before he exited the shuttle. I followed slowly allowing enough time and distance between us - if that was possible.

"Good morning, boys," Teacher Miller greeted us.

"Good morning," we said in unison.

Mazax VIII was green, unlike Brist. Green trees, green vines, green grass, green everything. Except the K'thaktra. Red, orange, yellow and the slight variations in between.

Their kabuki mask like faces seemed especially frightening as they frowned at Teacher Miller. She didn't seem to notice. Her smile was genuine as she looked around.

I had temporarily forgotten that Mazax VIII had been one of the sites of the K'thaktran war. It had been many years ago and none of the K'thaktra around us would have been born then, but they must have been told by their grandparents, great grandparents, how the Gathering had come and destroyed them. But the K'thaktra had joined the Gathering. We were all friends now.

"Ah," Teacher Miller said. "Here are the other shuttles."

I didn't wait for Minmin and Shel. As soon as their shuttle landed I went and stood by the door. The human pilot looked at me when he opened the door, but he didn't say anything. He stepped back into the shuttle. Minmin came out first. She smiled at me. Shel followed closely behind her.

"Hello, my friends," I said.

"Hello," Minmin said.

I noticed Spencer was next to the Bundu-jo, Viko, and the human, Mark.

Teacher Miller didn't waste any time getting us on a transport. It didn't take us long to reach the ruins. There were partial walls and crumbled walls surrounded by green vegetation. I walked around with Minmin and Shel. Spencer and his friends were close. Teacher Miller talked about the ruins, but I didn't really pay attention. I tried to make sure my volo recorded every partial wall and every crumbled wall. I didn't see any strange writings on them, but I wanted to record them anyway in case the girl saw something I didn't.

Shel held Minmin's hand as we walked around the ruins. I adjusted my volo to get a good view of some ruins.

"Are you two dating?" I asked.

They both said at the same time, "Eww, no."

Shel said, "She's like my sister" just as Minmin said, "He doesn't have fur."

Shel laughed at Minmin, "That's why? Not because I'm like your brother?"

"That's why," she said. "At least he," she pointed at me, "has fur on the top of his head and above his eyes and that's still not enough."

"Are you saying we're ugly?" I asked.

"Yes," Minmin said without hesitation. "Are you jealous, though? Because I can hold your hand too." Minmin took my hand with her free hand.

Teacher Miller stopped walking with us. It seemed the K'thaktran guide had warmed up to her enthusiasm. He was waving animatedly at one of the broken walls with a smile on his face. They were too far away so I couldn't hear their conversation, but Teacher Miller replied excitedly to whatever the K'thaktra had said.

"Should we wait for her?" Minmin asked.

"No," I said. I pulled her along. "There are too many ruins to see and we don't have a lot of time." She pulled Shel. I didn't want to miss anything in case it could be helpful to the girl. Next time I saw her I should ask her for her name.

Two large hands shoved me in the back. I let go of Minmin's hand as the momentum carried me forward onto the soft, green vegetation.

I didn't have to ask who it was. I knew. It wasn't the first time Spencer had shoved me, although it was the first time since boarding the Shadow. I sat on the plush vegetation instead of getting up right away. I could surprise him better with a punch to the crotch if he thought I was properly cowed. I looked in between the gap of Spencer and his friends' legs to see if Teacher Miller had noticed, but she hadn't. Just as well. I could teach Spencer a lesson.

"That's a warning," Spencer started. I knew he had more to say because his mouth opened.

Minmin jumped high. Higher than any of us would have been able to in relation to our size. Her feet kicked Spencer in the face. She landed gracefully. He staggered backwards and tripped over his feet.

Before Viko or Mark could react - I knew they would have because they used to help push me around on the Remembrance - Shel swiped out low with his legs and knocked Mark down. Then as he came out of it, he grabbed Viko by his blue head and dragged him down backwards until his back hit the ground.

I nodded appreciatively. Okay. Who needed Warpaint when these two were around?

Spencer stood up. He wiped the crimson blood from his nose with the back of his hand. His eyes focused on Minmin. He took two running steps towards her, balled his fist back to hit her - she ran between his legs.

She kicked up his back as if it was a path she was running on. He fell forward.

"Minmin!"

Teacher Miller had noticed.

"What are you doing?!" She came running over. The K'thaktra was close by her.

"We are honored guests on this K'thaktran colony. This isn't how you should behave. I'm so sorry," she said to the K'thaktra.

I wasn't sure why she apologized. From the expression on the K'thaktra's face, he had enjoyed the show.

"It's no problem," the K'thaktra said. "It's good for children to fight out their frustrations."

Teacher Miller clearly didn't agree with that, but she didn't argue with him.

"Get back to the transport now. I'm ashamed of all of you, but especially you Minmin."

She put her hands on the back of Minmin and Spencer and pushed them towards the shuttle.

"He started it," Minmin said.

"It doesn't matter who started it," Teacher Miller said.

"That's right," Shel said as he and I stepped in beside Minmin. He smiled a mischievous smile I hadn't seen on him before. It reminded me of me. "It only matters who finished it."

Minmin smiled up at him.

"That wasn't what I meant," Teacher Miller said. "And you know it."

"Maybe you should have been paying attention to the students then," Shel said, "instead of flirting with our host."

"I wasn't...that isn't . . ."

Shel shrugged a shoulder at her and then purposely ignored her.

We boarded the transport first and sat at the back. Spencer and his friends sat at the front. Teacher Miller sat towards the front.

"Thanks for helping me," I said to Minmin and Shel.

"No problem," Minmin said. "I've been wanting to do that ever since he called me a bunny."

"Next time, my friend," I said, "let me at least punch him in the crotch first."

Minmin smiled. "Deal."