The racket drew more guards, and soon they surrounded her. With so many phasers drawn, Val did the only thing she could do: she put her hands up.

They took her to the bridge.

The captain looked her up and down with a frown.

“What is this?”

“A stowaway,” said one of the guards. “Found her wandering in the halls.”

“I see.” The captain stepped closer. “So. Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?”

“Diin Arwen. Always wanted to visit a Gnorlian ship. So when I saw yours on that airstrip on Menthis, I couldn’t resist. By the time I realized you were about to take off, it was already too late to leave. Sorry?”

The captain scowled at her. He was about to talk when another voice cut in.

“Could you maybe take care of that later, Fendar? Don’t you think we have more important matters to discuss?”

Val turned at the same time as the captain.

“Yes, of course, you are right. Apologies, archmaster.”

So this was Tellus Nell.

The man was older than she would have thought. Maybe in his sixties. Older than she would have expected for the father of a teenager. He had a square face with short black hair and a stern expression.

The captain did not spare her another glance as he turned to his men.

“Take her to the brig. Keep an eye on—”

“Father!”

Again, they all turned—this time, the archmaster as well.

The boy she had met earlier came marching in with resolve.

“Father!” he repeated. “I’ve made up my mind. I—”

He faltered when he saw Val.

“You?” He frowned, anger coursing through him. Anger which he directed at the captain, pointing at Val. “Why are your dogs pointing weapons at my friend?”

“Avran!” The father did not look amused. “What are you doing here? Go back to your room. Now.”

The captain seemed confused as he looked between the two of them.

The boy spun to face his father, hands on his hips.

“No,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, no. I’m done getting orders from you. You are my father, not my master. It’s time you started acting like one. A father, I mean.”

The older man frowned. “I hardly think this the most appropriate time or place to have this conversation.”

“On the contrary,” said the boy, “I want witnesses.”

“Witnesses?”

“Yes!” He spun again to face Val. “But first, stop pointing guns at my friend!”

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“But she’s a stowaway!” protested the captain.

“I don’t care!” He paused and looked at Val with a confused look. “A stowaway?”

She threw him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, kid. Long story.”

He swung back to look at the captain. “Don’t care! Let her go. Now!”

Fendar glanced at the archmaster, who grunted.

“That is not your decision to make,” started Nell. “You can’t just—”

“Uhm, Captain, we have a problem...”

The archmaster turned toward the ensign who had just spoken.

“Do not interrupt me when I speak, young one!”

“But—”

“Enough!” He looked back at his son. “Now, as I was saying, you can’t barge in here and order people around.”

“I thought you wanted me to be just like you?”

Val barely managed to stifle her laughter.

The archmaster was not amused.

“You are trying my patience, Avran. Now go back to your—”

Alarms blared.

The captain jumped as everyone turned to look at the screens.

“What the hell...”

They were headed straight toward a battlefield. Ships flew in every direction, shooting at each other. Some were clearly Imperial, while the smaller crafts had no colors.

Further in the back, a gigantic destroyer was approaching.

“I tried to tell you, Captain,” grumbled the ensign who had spoken earlier, throwing an accusatory look at the archmaster.

“Well, can’t you just steer us away from that?” asked the captain with some irritation.

The ensign looked confused for a moment, then shook his head, pointing at the screen.

“That’s not the problem, Captain. The other ship is.”

“The other ship?”

“It’s coming straight for us. One of the smaller ones. Looks like it’s been hit pretty bad.”

“Imperial?”

“No. More likely rebel.”

“Rebel? What rebels? There are no more rebels in the Imperium. The last ones were wiped out when the Scourge of Abrax was killed at the Battle of Braxia.”

Val chuckled.

Everyone turned to stare at her.

She shook her hands in front of her.

“Sorry. Nothing. Please go on. Pretend I’m not here.”

The captain scowled. “I should have you shot and be done with it.”

“No!” cried out Avran. “You will do no such thing.”

“What has gotten into you, boy?” roared the archmaster. “You are shaming me! Is that what you want?”

The boy looked at his father. “Oh, now you ask what I want? Was about time. Well, you know what I want? I want to go back to Gnorlia, that’s what. I want to be with my friends. I want to have fun, explore the beauties of our world, and learn who I am and what I want to become. All I know is that this is not it.”

He gestured around him in a sweeping motion.

Val grinned. She was having a blast.

“Captain...”

“What?”

The archmaster and the captain had shouted at the same time, as in one voice.

The ensign stepped back, startled. “Uhm, I... the ship... it’s going to—”

The floor shook and more alarms went off.

“What now?” asked the captain.

Another crewmember lifted her head from her console.

“They blew the bay doors to get in.” She sounded in awe.

“Guards!” barked the captain. “To the bay! Capture them if you can, kill them otherwise.”

Nell lifted a hand. “Wait.” His expression was thoughtful. “You said they were rebels?”

“It can’t be, archmaster. There are no more rebels...”

Nell turned to the ensign.

“What makes you think they are rebels?”

The man shifted, looking away. “I... Uhm... I’ve heard stories.”

“Stories?” Nell’s voice was icy.

“Well, yes. They say he’s back. The Scourge of Abrax.”

“That’s preposterous!” cried out the captain.

“Been listening to the broadcasts from Nimnir,” insisted the ensign. “All the bases there were attacked.” He pointed at the screen behind him. “By them.”

“You were going to Nimnir?” asked Val. She couldn’t hold back her amusement anymore.

That got her more glares, but she didn’t care. She was having too much fun.

“Ship’s in the bay,” announced the female crewmember.

The archmaster turned to the guards.

“Go to them,” he said, “and tell them I wish to speak to their leader.”

The captain looked at him. “But why?”

“You question me?”

Fendar swallowed and shook his head. “Apologies, archmaster.”

Nell stared at him for a moment as the guards rushed out, though a few stayed behind to watch Val.

The boy was not happy about it.

A few minutes later, four guards returned with a man and a blue-skinned woman. Val recognized her brother, and he recognized her when they locked eyes—though neither spoke.

The captain must have noticed something, however, as he looked suspiciously between them.

“You two know each other?” he asked.

Peter turned toward him. “You said you wanted to speak with me, so—”

“Of course they know each other,” interrupted a familiar voice.

Val turned and saw Juden walk onto the bridge. He stopped in the middle of the room, looking between the two of them.

He pointed at her. “That one is Val Corenth. And this one...” He walked closer to her brother, studying him more closely. “Yes. I thought you looked familiar when I saw you on your sister’s ship. You’re Peter Corenth.”

Juden looked back at the captain, pointing at Peter.

“Congratulations, sir. You’ve captured the Scourge of Abrax.”