"You seem like you're in an awful hurry."

To the tigress' annoyance, Leon was still trying to catch up with her. "Anyway, ignore the old man. If you're interested in seeing that ship we can go together, and maybe you can tell me your name. It'll be a fun date, I promise."

"Honestly," a third voice spoke flatly, "if it's even remotely female with a pulse..."

Leon stopped at once, glaring at the albino emerging from beside John, adjusting his sunglasses over closed eyes. "This one doesn't seem malicious, but is, like most, irritated at your very presence."

"S'got nothin' to do with you, you damn red-eyed freak!" the younger snapped, "You're always ruining everything. Why don't you just go somewhere?!"

"If you would at least calm yourself, Leon, you're letting your emotions..."

"...get the better of you, blah blah blah. Least I know what emotions are, Kai. You're the one without a %*&#ing HEART!!"

The albino simply adjusted his glasses again as though the verbal assault were nothing. "If you are done, then..."

To say that Leon was beside himself with anger at this point would be an understatement. The younger feline let out a heavy sigh, shook his head, and looked up towards his brother. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were a storm of emotions he was trying his hardest to keep inside. "... yeah wherever you're goin', I'll come with," he addressed the tigress. "You know this rock better than I do; a 'private tour' would be best, yeah?"

Angie's takes the two steps forward she needs to be within striking distance and grabs Leon by the collar of his shirt, slamming him into the side of the alley hard enough to intimidate but not hard enough to cause more than a bit of mild bruising. The sudden action reveals a faint glimpse of the outline of one of her shoulder holsters through the fabric of her jacket. "Lissen up, boy, 'cuz I ain't gonna say this again." Her ears are back and her voice is a snarl. "Yew ain't welcome where I'm goin' 'less yew got a real good reason t' need t' be there, an' yew clearly 'ave some'un ta look after ya. Should yew find yerself wi'out any'un a'tall, an' in need o' a place t' stay, I tol'ja 'ow t' get ahold o' me. But as long's yew got /them/" -- she jerks her head at Kai and John -- primarily John -- "yew don' need /me/. Got that?" This close, it's clear what's different about her green eyes. Concentric circles in her irises whirl one way and then another, like little gears.

"Turn him loose. Now."

It wasn't known when Kai crossed the short distance between himself and John and Leon and the unknown tigress, but he stood right behind her that instant, one knife drawn and blade right at her cheek.

"I do not wish to harm anyone. I will withdraw my weapon, after which you will release my younger brother." He paused briefly as though considering her, withdrawing the blade. As it glinted in the sunlight, it was seen that it was a very old knife, the hilt considerably worn, but still overall well taken care of. "... You have no malicious intent, yet you are armed. I'll not ask the reason, but go where you need to. My brother will not follow you."

"D-dammit." All Leon seemed to be able to do was stutter, his back still against the wall.

Even as the older brother places his blade to her cheek Angie is moving. She drops Leon, ducks away from the knife and grabs Kai's knife hand, twisting it around behind his back, putting him in a hold that isn't easily escaped from. To a trained fighter, it is clear that she has CQC experience. "Don' pull a knife on me, boy," she says, her face close to his ear. "Ya won' like whatcha get in return." Her voice has gone dangerously cold. She just holds Kai like that for a minute, gearing herself down from combat mode -- unless something further happens to make her need to fight.

               Athena patted the girls on the head. "They'll be ok. John's with them. He can take care of the two of them. Now, why don't you two tell me about yourselves while we wait." she said, smiling, "My name is Athena, but i think I already told you about that... I like science! It's fun." She giggled and clappedher hands together.

OOC: Short posts made by me are annoying. -.-

Thought so...  Not an innocent.  Guess my sense aren't as rusty as I thought.  The rabbit thought to himself trying to get rid of the the look he KNEW was on his face.  But what to do about it.  Suddenly an idea came, it was stupid but it was the only one he could think of before the two adolescents started tearing into each other with real knives.   He thought of what could happen here, and that stern look came back to his face.  Then he moved in, his voice suddenly firing off like a machine gun, "Both of you.  Withdraw immediately.  I don't want to treat you like children but if you persist in acting like ones I don't have much of a choice.  Now Separate."

"Well-honed reflexes... obviously trained," Kai said. "You're used to fighting." He could feel his blade pressed against his back. Perhaps he let his emotions get the better of him that time, he'd have to remedy that situation when he had the chance. "My request was nonetheless fulfilled."

"You $%*ING DUMBASS!" Leon apparently found his voice again. "Why do even have that knife? You even know who it belonged to?! Don't tell me you got the other one!!"

"Science? I got no patience for that stuff." The orange rabbit crossed her arms, huffing. "Elegy Stiles. That's my name."

"Um, I'm Neliel." The younger fennec girl spoke up, her orange and blue eyes lighting up at the mere mention of the word "science." "What kind of science do you like? I like biology... my mommy says it's real important to learn in order to be a doctor. I wanna be a doctor when I grow up, and heal people betterer than I can now. My mommy knows Earth Art. Do you know Earth Art?"

"'Fraid yer gonna 'afta wait a minute," Angie says responding to the commander sense she's getting from John, her voice not quite so cold, though her tail fluffs at the tone of a parent. "See, only thing kept me from pullin' a real weapon on this kid's...well, tha' 'e's a kid. I 'ave a li'l trouble switchin' back, y'see...." Slowly she disengages, but she's still very wary. "An' yeah. I'm trained." %More than trained.% she thinks to herself. %More like designed.% There's brief flash of resentment at that. Still, she can recognize something of a fighter in John, and that much she can respect. "Sorreh 'bout tha'. Automatic reaction...." She sighs, tail flicking. "Look, do yew three 'ave somewhere ta stay, or no?"

John breathed relief and put a hand to his head, "I realize we're on Sibko but jeez girl.  I grew up on Kyzarie, you start putting knives to kids and I get all kindsa twitchy."   The young tiger seemed to ignore him, concentrating on the two boys.   He folded his arms listening, then piped up, fearing going with the girl would not get them home, "Actually they're bunking with me and my wife.  The four of them survived that ship and need to find their folks.  Being what they are I guess the local law thinks they're better off with the local Warden Liason."

"Wife?" Angie frowns. "Eyah, no way I could offer all o' yew a place ta stay. People would freak. 'Owe'er. Could ya use an extra gun? I don' much like leavin' kids in a bind...an' th' boy 'as a point. Yew could use some'un tha' knows th' area. An' I can get food for th' lot o' ya, a' leas' fer a few days." It seems this is her attempt at an apology. "Lemme jus' fetch somethin' from one o' my places an' I'll join ya. An' th' food. An' tell...well, tell folk where I'll be." She's hiding something, definitely, but further questions won't reveal what it is.

"W-wait," Leon called after her weakly. "I still never got your name! Er, would you like company?!"

Kaien was stretching his arm after the tigress turned him loose, finally sheathing the knife. "... The gesture is thoughtful, but not necessary. You seemed to be on limited resources as it is. It wouldn't be right..."

"IGNORE HIM," Leon interrupted loudly, "He enjoys acting like he's all high and mighty."

For once, Kai's eyes opened again, crimson eyes glinting harshly in the afternoon light. "It wouldn't be the right thing to do. Right now we need to get in touch with Uncle."

"So we can go BACK to Kyzarie? Screw that! This place is a whole lot better! There's bound to be hot chicks like her around!"

"... Leon."

"What?"

"... You are an idiot."

"Our resources ain't as limited as yew'd think. Not wi' my...ah, job." Angie's not about to say what her job /is/...but still. "We c'n afford i'. An' wha's more, if'n yer lookin' fer some'un, I c'n prolly 'elp ya find 'im, if'n 'e's anywhere nearby. I'll check th' infermat'n network. 'S a lot more accurate than th' authorities." She turns and vanishes down the alleyway before anyone can object further. She doesn't return for almost half an hour, but when she does she has a rifle on her back, a sack of food on her shoulder, and a new determination in her step.

            "Earth Art? Nope, I don't think that I can. But there IS something that I can do." confirmed Athena, grinning, "But I think that's better left said while John's around. I don't want to give the wrong idea. Hmmm..." She thought for a while, several thoughts crossed the Rodoid's mind as she contemplated a few things. "I know! Lets play a little game! How about naming the periodic tables!"

A relaxed chuckle accompanied the sliding of metallic draws behind the rabbit. Quite suddenly his vision was obstructed by a dangling cylinder of tightly wrapped medical padding. Reaching for the gauze with frustration at the newcomers apparent gloating, he was quite surprised when his injured hand was swept up by a guiding grip. Cherry stepped around him with uncharacteristic grace and scrutinised the wound closely.

“Yeah, you’re going to need a lot more then gauze for this, hun.” The mare said, with an air of satisfaction “Looking at the depth you’re lucky to have missed the Tendons.”

Before the boy could gather enough senses to pull away she had already let him go and turned to another draw of supplies, selected a few seemingly at random. It was so strange; wasn’t as though she moved quickly or anything, not nearly rapidly enough to take him off guard like that. But now that he was looking properly Toby could see where the grace was coming from. Everything the girl did seemed to be part of one fluid motion, almost as though her actions were choreographed long ahead of there enactment.

“I can get it properly dressed if your ‘clean room’ can survive five more ticks without you.” She stated in the same chirpy tones, adding more quietly to herself “hmm. Trifle, no Lidocaine.”

oc: hope it was okay to move Toby a bit, if its not conjunctive to his personality, please say and I'll correct it asap! ^_^

The young man seemed a little stunned, in all honestly he'd never seen anyone of her race before.  Not even on Sibko which had become a Mecca for disenfranchised races.  After a few moments he realized he was gawking and blinked, stammering out, "Y-yeah, i.i.i.it'll be fine.  T-the RPS is just a second system in case this kinda stuff happens.  It's only a problem if the RPS units fail and we roll over to the backups themselves, Kaybee hates it wh..."  He stopped suddenly and felt his face flush, clearing his throat, "I mean when Kieran will start whining around if the system start drawing power directly off the engines.  Kids... heh."

Cherry hummed a note of indifferent agreement as she placed the needed tools into an awaiting kidney dish. Scattered about the provisional treatment area were foldout bunks and chairs that had been erected for patients. Most of the chairs were still available, but instead Cherry scooped up one and brought it round to an unopened medical crate.

Taking up a place on the crate along with her dish of supplies, she shuffled around for a moment or two as though finding it difficult to get comfortable.  Little escaped rabbit's attention now and it became quite obvious that the 'haunch' that he had first mistaken for a deformity was clearly something quite different.  There were two distinct peaks in the cloth, each moving independently of the other though both seemed to be held back in roughly the same place.  A hypothesis formed in Toby's mind and was promoted as he caught a glimpse of something white beneath the hem of the quilt she was wearing.  Similar in texture to her sinuous tail but clearly hanging from her back almost too her kneese. 

Ahh so that was what she was hiding.  No wonder too, they made her stick out like a carrot in a snowdrift.

After a few seconds the equine seemed settled and gestured to the chair with an unjudging smile, “Take a seat and we’ll see what we can do.”

The young man took up station with only a slight hesitation. Cherry had picked out some cotton wool and was in the process of soaking it with some yellowish liquid. She took the proffered limb and began to wipe the fur away from the edges of the livid cuts.

“Used to see injuries like this a lot when I worked in a bar a few years back – try curling your fingers please.”

Biting her lip, the mare picked out a slim set of tweezers from the dish while using her thumb to guide the teen’s fingers into position “Yup. Hold them right there. So. Been with this ship long? Certainly have that ‘spacer’ look about you.”

oc; edit, changed Toby's reaction a little, it was bugging me. Cherry's not making any effort to hide them so he would have probably noticed by now.

"I can name the first ten! Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon!" Nel looked pleased with herself as she named one right after the other. "And... and air is seventy-eight percent nitrogen, twelve percent oxygen, and traces of other elements like carbon!"

Elegy pat the girl's head with a smirk. "... Yeah, and water is a conductor of electricity," she said. "Your mom sure did teach you a lot, didn't she?"
Neliel nodded vigorously, but then her smile faded. "... They're coming, aren't they? Daddy and Mommy and Auntie Aria?"

The orange rabbit's ears drooped a little, gray eyes softening. "Of course they are," she reassured the girl. "I'm pretty sure they're on their way right now!

========

"... So that young man is who I think he is," Kenneth murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He blinked, then refocused his gaze on Kane. "'Proper compensation' is no problem for me. I'll personally see to it that this ship gets whatever repairs it needs."

The entire room when silent for a few minutes. Aria sighed and shook her head, tapping the feline on the shoulder and smirking. "... Ken, do you even REALIZE what kind of money that could cost you?"
Ken smirked right back at her, his expression equally amused. "Of course. Or did you forget?"

Aria gave him an indignant glare, then looked over at Kiri, who wore a small smile. It was then that comprehension finally dawned on her, and she scratched the back of her head with a sheepish look. "Well, damn.... forgot about that..."

Chuckling lightly, the feline said, "Let's go speak with the captain... of course, I'm pretty sure he'll hate me."

========

-Enforcer Precinct, Kyzarie-

"... So you're saying that the Epoch Genesis, which left the port in such perfect condition with, like, sixty passengers on board, was attacked upon entering Sibken airspace. Is that what you're telling me?"

The Chief, a burly, sullen German Shepherd, stared down a much smaller border collie with intense eyes. "And if you're telling me that, that means I got to report it to the higher-ups, which means the media will chew this up, spit it out, and use it as goddamn WAR PROPAGANDA!!"

The border collie nodded furiously. "We recieved the report not too long ago, sir. Obtained a list of passengers. Enforcer Sonata was on board with his family and a friend." He handed the chief a few papers that were stapled together. "Names are highlighted."

The Chief snatched the packet and skimmed through it, then cursed loudly when he reached the page. "Well, that just makes my day. This'll be war propaganda for sure! Hell, once this &#@$ gets as high as it can go, that so called cease-fire's thrown right out the window. This is why I ain't got no damn kids. You declare him dead, and you declare his kids dead, that'll just fire people up and give those damn nobles an excuse to send forces back over there and bomb the damn capital. You listenin' to me, Private?"
"Yes, sir..."
"You get on outta here, Private. I gotta follow goddamn protocol. Don't leak a word of this to the media, you hear? Reporters eat @#$& like this fer breakfast."

========

The wreckage was astounding... and yet, the Epoch Genesis wasn't completely totaled. However, its days of travel were over.

Hyde, Deacon, the communications badger, and a severely dazed and shaken Kaitlin were found by Sibken police and emergency workers who'd arrived on the scene.

Joe and Stern were speaking were on standby, gathering statements from the surviving crew.

"... so the passengers were evacuated. That's a relief."
"Of course it is!" Hyde was shouting at the officer. "Got that damn Enforcer off my ship! Dunno who attacked her, but dammit, I'll be a monkey's uncle if it wasn't his fault!"
"Captain, please!" the badger was shouting at him despite looking ragged.

Stern sighed and straightened his hat. "So this other ship... the Murrieta, you said. Is it still in our space? I can have HQ contact it, yeah?"

==========

"Something to eat? You've read my mind, lady," Hawthorne replied, grinning. "I actually haven't had anything since this morning. You know, things went... ka-blooey on me, you could say."

The young man suddenly looked distant; her question seemed to be harder to answer than expected. But just as she was about to apologize the canary colored bunny smirked, “Miss I’ve been everywhere. Grew up in the rodent slums of Kyzarie, cut my teeth against the Sodalitas menace, trained under the Second Kenji himself, I even helped kill the last incarnation of Kola’kawax. I’ve seen the inside of the Mesric complex, I was at the last council of the Servi and fought in the last battle of the Refusal War, I was there when Underwood fell, and when I get off this crate I have a man I need to kill.” The sheer smugness almost made it seem like a boast, but there was something in the young man’s eyes that seemed just a little tired and sad.

“You should be more cautious.” The aging rabbit spoke up as they were walking back to the girls. “I realize I sound like a grumpy old man, but this planet isn’t particularly safe right now. Let alone for our kind. And worse yet for two guys who’s every thought and feature screams naïve and easy to manipulate.” He sighed looked down dejectedly, “I don’t mean to insult either of you and I know you think I don’t know what I’m talking about. But I wish there was a way to convince you that we need to lay low while we look for your parents. You both remind me of guys I used to be close too, both are gone now but because of them I know both of you are worth every effort I can put into keeping you safe and getting you home.” He looked back up to keep vigil on the alleyway as they started to come into sight of the others.

“YA WANT ME TO WHAT?!” The dog yapped out half crazed.

“You will have to land for a substantial time regardless. You will need to release to the people to a debriefing, and then help the local authorities in gathering information about the event so they can pursue the attackers. As well claim any reward for your services and prepare for a salvage operation. That should be plenty of time for Kinnear and I aid Mister Sonata in finding his sister.” The massive wolf words each punctuating as if only they mattered.

“He has a point Rob. If we want this load we’ll have to fill out some forms and such to make sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed. Won’t hurt to help out the old coot, he might get some work for us later on.” Sam said leveling their descent into the atmosphere.

“Um… she burned up a lotta power keeping steady on that falling ship too. The reactors are going to need time to recharge. We… Uh we’d be on sub-light for a week waiting for it, if we land and power down the mains Tobe’s new power distribution program could have it done in less than three days.” Kieran piped up helpfully wearing his usually nervously uncertain expression.

“KENJI’S LEFT TESTICLE! If I’d known it was going to entail THIS much work we’d already be halfway to Cirro.” Robert yelped and clumsily punched a doorjam. He sighed and calmed down some, “Fine, whatever. But if you’re leaving you ain’t stickin me with Bambi and Thumper. Take those two irritating money sinks with you… and feed them.”

It doesn't take much work for the tigress to track down John and the kids. When she does, she roughly plunks the sack of food down by Athena. "'Ere. 'S mos'ly MREs an' canned stuff, but i's food." She adjusts the strap of the rifle slung across her back, and leans against a wall. "So 'oo is i' yer searchin' fer, any'ow? I'mma need ta know what they look like an' stuff if'n I'mma help yew lot find 'em."

“Wow, sounds like quite the adventurous life.” Cherry observed as she retrieved another small fleck of glass and deposited it into the awaiting dish “You seem to have come out the other side intact though.”

At first Toby thought she was being sarcastic, yet nothing about her features had even so much as twitched at the mention of his plans. She couldn’t have been expecting it, yet the smile remained, nothing tensed and her comment sounded genuinely impressed. And then there were her eyes. They shone as though a mirror-darkly of his own. They drew upon everything good in the world, relishing each moment as though it contained something new and wondrous. Naivety perhaps?

“Well,” She continued, dressing the wounds with splint strips and reaching for the medical gauze “I was headed to the Novarice system to see the Firefalls. They’re supposed to be one of the great wonders of the universe. Arcs of plasma rushing down quartz Mountain sides, haloed by the moon’s northern Aurora.” She sighed contentedly as she wove the bandage through the young man’s fingers and around his hand. “Of course, that was before the unexpected detour. But I suppose a few months here isn’t going to change much. Another planet to explore, there’s always something new to see no matter where you go.”

“And we’re done!” Cherry gave the wrapping a last cursory glance before releasing it back to the rabbit, seemingly pleased with the result. “You probably shouldn’t bend the knuckles too much for a few days, and if you feel like thumping any mirrors try to favour the other hand.”

Kenneth blinked, not quite sure his brain processed some of the words that came from the wolf's mouth. "... What?"
He, Kiri, and Aria exchanged surprised looks. "He's got a point there," said the tan rabbit, scratching her head. "We won't exactly be welcome, with you being an Enforcer and all in the middle of 'enemy' territory."
"Kenneth," Kiri stated, "it wouldn't hurt to look around here as well."
The cat shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "The source I tracked down for that info was unreliable; there's no way she would be here, she'd have been killed."
His wife looked at him. "... You never know, Kenneth."

Neliel looked at the rabbit, stricken. Her orange and blue eyes were quickly filling with tears. Elegy protectively placed a hand on the girl's shoulder as she rubbed at her eyes, her steel eyes reflecting the anger within. "Well, EXCUSE ME for tryin' to give a little girl SOME hope to hold on to, OLD MAN."
"El, stop it," Kai said. Ever since he'd come back with John, Leon, and the tigress, he seemed to look slightly feverish.
"... Anyway, thanks for the grub," Leon was addressing the tigress. "... You absolutely sure you don't wanna tell me your name?"

The orange rabbit took notice of the newcomer. "Oh... who's this?"
"She... helped us out..." Kaien removed his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes with a hand. "...After Leon ran off."
"Uh-huh..." Elegy simply nodded. "You look like you need sleep, Kai."
"Headache," the albino replied, shaking his head as though ridding it of cobwebs, but he ended up swaying a little. "... Don't like... daytime..."
Leon made a disappointed noise. "No one asked you to come along, you freak."
"Would you quit being an ass?!" Elegy stamped her foot, glaring at the younger cat.
Leon looked right back at her, violet eyes showing defiance. "No one likes an ironing board, El."

Sibko:

               "Stop it, both of you!" shouted Athena, suddenly, "The two of you have done nothing but bicker since we found you. Stop all of this fighting before I have to show you what 'I' can do." She then gave the newcomer a once over before picking up the offered food. "Thank you, but I honestly don't think we'll be needing it. We have plenty of food." There was a small undertone of annoyance in her voice, not at the woman, or the food, but at her husband. However, she said nothing to immediately alert him to this, but she had been speaking in a much calmer tone than usual. It was uncharacteristic of her to be so... formal.

               She knelt down before Nel and stretched out her arms. "Come here, little Nel, and I'll take you home and make you all some dinner! Maybe we can even plays some games! Doesn't that sound fun!?"

_______________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance:

                The two entered the mess hall, and much to Ashley's chagrin, Jak's smiling face was what greeted them. "Oh, deary-me, Ash! I wasn't expecting to see YOU here. What ever are you doing here?" questioned the spined captain, merrily. However, he then noticed Hawthorne standing behind her. "My, dear Ash. Whoever is this?" His tone and expression hadn't changed, but something felt wrong when he spoke again, almost carnal and threatening.

               Ashley's fur stood on end as a wave of dread washed over her that she couldn't quite explain. She knew in her gut that Jak was angry, but she didn't quite know why, and wanted to solve that problem before it got out of hand. "We recovered him from the rubble, sir..." stated the Felinoid, shakily, "I brought him here to see you..." The cat could almost feel something crawling underneath of her skin, terror nearly overwhelming her mind. And then it was gone. The whole time, Jak's expression and demeanor had remained unchanged, but in that time, he had exhibited an aura of absolute horror.

              Jak stood from the table, placing his Game Cat upon it and approaching the mix-breed. "Why, hello there! My name is Captain Jak Finnegan. Maybe you've heard of me? Maybe not? Let's be best friends!" shouted the hedgehog, placing his hand in Hawthorne's and shaking it vigorously.

She puts a steadying paw on Kai's shoulder. "Leon, was i'?" the tigress asks, eyes slightly narrowed. "'Ow's about I make yew a deal. Yew act like a gen'leman t' this lot until they reach th' place th' lady rabbit mentioned, an' I'll tell ya my /real/ name." She's not sure if the arrogant cat will take the bait, but it's worth a try. "I'll be accompanyin' yew, an' I'm sharp, so don' think yew c'n get away wi' anythin'." She turns to Athena. "When we get there, if'n ya really got 'nuff supplies, I'll take 'em back, but i' ne'er 'urts t' be safe, eh?"

Hawthorne looked a bit surprised at the man's grip, but returned the handshake nonetheless. "Garret Hawthorne," he said with a smirk, amused at the fake "cheery" behavior. "Don't look so worried, captain, your girlfriend's safe and sound. She's not my type, anyway."

A seemingly genuine smile crossed Leon's features, and he crossed his arms, looking intently at the tigress. "'Gentleman' is my middle name, Miss," he said, his voice cracking a little.
Elegy was about to protest, remembered Athena's words, and decided to roll her eyes. Whatever the squirrel was capable of, she probably didn't want to know.

"Come here, little Nel, and I'll take you home and make you all some dinner! Maybe we can even plays some games! Doesn't that sound fun!?" Athena was saying to the fennec mix, who simply sniffed and didn't move from her spot next to the orange rabbit.

Her orange and blue eyes looked up towards her, silently asking if it was alright. When Elegy placed a hand on the girl's head, she hiccuped and awkwardly embraced the squirrel.

She really needs a maternal figure right now... at least until our parents get here...

She heard Kai mutter his thanks to the tigress, although he didn't bother to put back on his sunglasses.
"Kaien Terald Sonata!" Elegy emphasized each syllable of his name to show she was serious. "Put those back on, you're not helping your headache any..." She started looking worried and addressed John, "I hope you've got a couch at your place, because that's the first place Kai's gonna crash. We gotta hurry before he really keels over."

Leon was clearly resisting the urge to roll his eyes, instead choosing to shift his gaze at the ground and tap his foot impatiently, biting his lower lip.

"That is correct." The wolf stated with military precision, "I was the leader of the rebellion on Kyzarie against Sodalitas nearly two hundred years ago, although they will have their suspicions it is my opinion that they will except my explanation if it is needed. As well, I assume you have already exhausted your search for your sister on Kyzarie, or else you would not be here. This planet is the next logical step in your search, this is because you will already be searching for your lost wards, one more target is not such a huge task when you already have four." The wolf seemed to state more than explain. "Baxter, you have until we land to get whatever you need for three nights. Collect that and meet me in the cargo bay, I will show Enforcer Sonata and his party there myself. As well informing That Idiot of his current orders."

The rabbit's ears twitched, "Erm... thanks." He looked at her for a for moments, still wondering what she was. "I've never seen your race before. Where are you from again?" He heard the questions first, then realize he was the one that had asked them. Suddenly flushing as if embarrassed and folding his ears backward. What just happened, it wasn't his concern and he knew getting involved with people was just trouble. Why the hell did he say that?

"Well," Kinnear said smugly, "If he won't his sunglasses back on and he passes out. I'll just have to sling him over my shoulder and carry him embarrassingly as if he was a little boy."

“Really that depends on who you ask,” Replied the mare as she wound up the remaining bandage “Our people only really got into space a few centuries ago, we’re not exactly well know. We call our home world ‘Jotunheim’, and I suppose the only word we have that signifies race would be ‘Valkyrja’. Not exactly what you would call an accurate description, of me at least, but we make do.”

Picking up the kidney dish the girl stood and walked back around to the triage area. Several patients were awaiting treatment, so it was probably best to keep working while they conversed. Taking up station next to an unconscious canine hybrid she glanced back to Toby “To be honest, our language hasn’t had time to catch up with social evolution. Though I love the human name for us; ‘Pegasus’. Has a bit more grandiloquence, even if it is based off just the one feature.”
She grinned cheerfully, twitching the two hidden limbs behind her head. “Easier to keep them tied down when I know I’m going to be moving through a crowd, they aren’t most wieldy ‘extras’ in the universe. Sorry, could you grab that lamp for me? This one’s got a gash on her head. Nothing drastic, but I might need to suture it.”

Sibko:

           "Alright, let's get you all a nice meal." she offered as she lifted Nel into her arms, "John, dear, please don't play to long, or you wont get any dinner." With that said, she started off toward their home, hoping that her husband wouldn't dally about with such an unknown, but figuring that he probably would regardless.

_____________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance:

           The spined captain smiled largely as he moved back to his table, the woman who had been so enjoying their time before, now bearing a look of sincere concern for the two who stood in the doorway. Without saying anything, the Rodoid woman stood up and left the room. Jak patted the table invitingly, motioning for the two to come and take a seat. "Please, do come and chat with me. It's not every day that I meat someone that Ash has deemed acceptable enough to let roam free around the corridors of the ship. I simply must know what you are doing here." informed Jak, not dropping his happy persona for a second, "And my dear Ash, I do believe that you should return to the bridge. You are the pilot after all. It wouldn't do for the ship to explode while you were away from your post, now... would it?" As he asked the question, there was a look of confused curiosity on his face, almost like a child that was playing a new game for the first time.

Kaien didn't say anything, however he made no move to put his sunglasses over his closed eyes again. "I'll be fine. Let's go."

-----

"I would say the sooner we land the better, but that'll just make me seem hasty," Ken said with a smile.
"You ARE hasty," Aria snorted. "You still hate to admit that."

----

"I'm taking a trip. I'm looking for a long lost someone." Hawthorne's expression didn't change, in fact he looked even more amused. "Disappeared about a century ago. I think they might be on this planet I was expecting to land on when... well, you'd know better than anyone, wouldn't you, Captain?"

Tobias blinked a few times, slowly complying with his uninjured hand and pulling a lamp over to increase the light. "That's terrible. You shouldn't hide them like that. What if you lose them one day? You'd have to spend the rest of your life regretting never using them or showing them off or anything." There was something to the tone he had, almost as if he was speaking from experience. Then added with a smirk, "If I had wings I'd never even fold 'em up."

"Agreed, although the children will slow us down we can leave them with Kinnear's mate while we canvas the area as quickly as possible." Kane said once the deer was out of sight. With surprising grace he moved back into the central corridor, not even letting the large sword strapped to his back to knock against the side of the door. Though it was a small detail, it was something that perceptive individuals would pick up on.

John made a failed attempt to suppress a half laugh, not meaning to insult Kaien but finding his actions just a tad humorous. "Come on guys, we better move out before the little one snarfs all the food down." Although his statement was rather final he didn't move, waiting for the group of moody adolescents to follow their youngest member so he could flank them in case any less friendly strangers wanted to come home with them.

Angie grabs the bag of food and slings it back over her shoulder, leaving her hands free in case of trouble. One never knew, after all. She wants full access to her weapons in case of trouble. She starts walking a bit behind Athena, knowing full well that Leon will likely fall in step in short order. The boy was very predictable.

Elegy nodded and started following behind Athena as well, crossing her arms behind her head. Coincidentally, she happened to be walking right next to the very tigress Leon had been bugging.

Behind the two of them was Leon, who seemed like he was forcing himself to keep his face straight, with Kaien and John bringing up the rear of the group.

Nel seemed to have brightened up a bit, talking animatedly with Athena about different science topics, although her mood ocassionally darkened when she couldn't guess the atomic weight of some element.

"Um, thanks, for helping us out," Elegy started to say, her gray eyes on the tigress. "Are you sure you don't have someplace else to be, though? Your parents must be worried about you."

"Ain't got no parents," the girl replies, expression darkening. "Wha', ya think adult-folk in their righ' minds'd let some'un like me carry this 'round?" She jerks a thumb at the assault rifle slung across her back. "Nah, 's jus' me an' -- well, anybody else I migh' live wi' doesn' really matter righ' naow. An' really, 's no problem 'elpin' ou'." The tigress looks away. "Can't stand t' see kids in a bind," she adds, in little more than a mutter. "Naow, I figgure tha' Leon's gonna stop playin' nice soon's 'e gets my name, so enjoy th' break while ya got it, yeah?"

Sibko:

It wasn't far to their home, living within the city. It was a modest domicile, able to easily house a family of three. However, with this many bodies passing through its doors, they would need to repurpose a couple rooms in order to make enough space for them all to sleep. Athena entered the building, followed by the others and immediately went into the kitchen. "Ok, little Nel, what's yer favorite food!?" she asked in her usually chipper tone, "Oh, and tell me the name of one of the older elements from the periodic table. I LOVE GAMES!!!" She then took the food from the Felinoid and placed it upon the counter island, sorting through it all.

____________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance:

Ashley left the kitchen, returning to the bridge, leaving only Jak, Hawthorne, and a few members of the boarding crew who didn't quite know what was going on. "Looking for someone, eh? Is this someone naughty, or nice? Naughty is preferred, nice can be so boring!" shouted the spined captain, striking an overactive expression and smiling large enough to make another person's face hurt. "Maybe we could be of help to each other... What do you say!? Friends...? I like having friends!" He thrust his arm out for a handshake, smiling like a madman, or at least a giddy child.

Finishing her stitching across the wider portion of the gash, Cherry glanced around conspiratorially before beckoning the lupoid closer, as though about to share some dark and forbidding secret “Then you’d have a lot of trouble fitting through doors. Honestly, it’s like interior designers never take wingspan into account.”
Grin returning two fold she turned back to her patient and closed off the rest of the wound with butterfly strips.
“Be a bit of a beggar if I lost them now though, true enough. Haven’t been able to stretch properly since I got on that barge. Even the cargo bay was too cluttered for any decent exercise. But the way I see it; life is far too short for regret. Better to just ride where the thermals take you and enjoy yourself while you’re at it.”

People around the triage area seemed to be pulling their senses together. Doctors and first aid trainees were already gravitating towards the mock medical bay. It didn’t look like she was going to be needed much longer.

“Well, looks as though the professionals have arrived. Hmm, what planet are we landing on again?”

oc: took out the irrelevant dream bit, doesn't seem like cherry to go of on random tangents. probably will edit this further when I have time tonight, that last sentence about doctors is bugging me.

"Oh, sorry to hear that," Elegy replied sadly, just as the group had reached the house. "Still, it's nice that you're helping us out."

"... And since I've been such a good sport, you finally gonna tell me your name?"

Both teen girls turned to Leon, who was looking more smug than usual. The rabbit rolled her eyes. "Typical."

"Whatever," the youth snorted, forcefully keeping himself from saying anymore than necessary. "Least I'm getting what I..."

He trailed off, violet eyes focused on the albino stalking past him, making a beeline for the sofa. When he was just inches away, he was already slumping forward, and he all but collapsed on it, knocking a pillow to the floor. His left arm and leg dangled over the edge.

"Kai!"

Before any of the teens could move, Nel had broken off her conversation with Athena and was already removing her older cousin's sneakers, muttering like a worried parent. Putting them aside, she pushed the hanging leg onto the sofa and placed a hand on his forehead, as though she expected him to be suffering from a fever.

When it seemed that wasn't the case, she crossed her arms and huffed, then rejoined Athena in the kitchen, saying, "And the Actinide series has actinium, thorim, protactinium, uranim, neptunium, plutonium, americium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, and nobelium. What I don't get is why the atomic symbol for tungsten is a 'W' or potassium is a 'K.'"

========

"Sure, why not. I'll be sure to let my employer know, so he can compensate you properly. As soon as this job is finished, of course." Hawthorne shook the hedgehog's hand, still smirking.

========

"It's called Sibko. The captain said he'd be getting in touch with the authorities so we can be cleared to land."

Kenneth was leaning against the doorway, green and blue eyes focused on the winged horse and yellow rabbit. "It shouldn't take too long, I hear, but, sadly, I can't stick around long enough to make sure these people get the help they need."

"You can and you will!" Kiri was right behind him, her tone unusually scathing. "They're victims, too, you know, Kenneth."

The tomcat turned to face the fennec-feline mix, wearing a sheepish grin. "Sorry, hun... everything's still sinking in, is all."

"Yer brother tries too 'ard." The tigress frowns slightly. "'E shouldn't overextend 'imself. Any'ow, yeah. Yew lot c'n call me Angie. Leon, c'mere." She takes the younger boy aside to tell him something privately. "Angie's jus' my nickname, though. Yew came through, an' a deal's a deal. My real name's actually Anna-Gilyan." She doesn't quite look at him. She hasn't used the name of her childhood in a very long time. She raises her voice so everyone can hear. "Any'ow. I'mma 'ang 'round a while. Looks like yew two--" she means John and Athena -- "could use an extra pair o' 'ands."

"I can hear Ol' Kane now," John said sighing in frustration watching Kai drop on the couch. He took in a breath and continued, deepening his voice and over-enunciating his words as if mimicking someone else's voice, "Pushing yourself is for the feeble of mind. You must know your limitations and use your mind to ride their very cusp. This is the sign of a truly strong Warden." He gave Leon a knowing look, "Looks like I'm not the only one with a idiot sibling that loved to turn himself into dead weight to look cool."

"The people on this vessel do not need our assistance." Kane stated clearly pushing past Kiri and folding his arms, "Tobias. if you are finished we are going to assist Enforcer Sonata with his search." The rabbit winced a little but said nothing.

" 'Enforcer' Sonata?" Muttered the Equine, glancing sideways from her patient to the gathering of crew and fellow rescues'.

“What’s an Enforcer doing on th-EOooo...” There was an almost audible click from Cherry’s mind as momentary puzzlement slid into comprehension “Yeah. That explains it.”

While she did not believe in coincidence, as well traveled hitchhiker Cherry had learned to think practically and was never one to pass up opportunity. Little dotss of event-vs-Outcome were aligning themselves with this vital nugget of information and the results all pointed towards a shuttle or an airlock being the best way out of this mess in a hurry. Better to see if there was a chance of a lift then.

Brightening up the Pegasus, slung her bag and smiled cheerfully at the ensemble “Room for one more?”

Sibko:

Athena walked up to the island and sat down. She had put a kettle on the stove and it would take a while for it to warm up. "Is he going to be ok?" asked the squirrel with concern, "He looks all spoony..." He face lit up as the word left her lips. "Hahaha! Spoony bard! Spoony bard! He's got to be a spoony bard! Oh, wait... he doesn't have a lute, and I doubt that he was born in Damcyan..." Her mood seemed to suddenly deflate, but she soon got up and went back to cooking as the kettle began to whistle. "I'm going to make some tea, could you go around and ask everyone what they would like for dinner? And send John in here if you would."

___________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance, Mess Hall:

Jak had a frown appear upon his face as their hands shook. "You don't talk enough... Talk more!" After his outburst, the hedgehog sat down with a content grin on his face, as if he had just met his quota for yelling in the day. "Do tell me about this person you're looking for. Can we kill them? What about torture? Anything fun?" He clapped happily as he made these statements.

____________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance, Bridge:

Ashley sat at the pilot's command station, looking over her instrumentation, checking through all the assorted systems allotted to her. Everything was in the green, save for a few systems that had been shut down for maintenance. She sighed, leaning back in her chair, reaching up to her shoulder, rolling up the sleeve. There was a deep lash mark there, almost like from a whip, but also sharp, like a blade. It had obviously been opened and redressed several times, but still scarred like any other wound, conveniently placed where others could not see. Noting the pilot's discomfort, the tactical officer, Harvey, stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, placing her hand on his. "I'm alright, Harvey. Just a lot of... bad memories, is all. I'll be fine in a couple minutes, I promise." The human removed his hand, but did not walk away, simply staring out into the void of space in the direction of distance Sibko. Ashley lifted her legs onto the chair, huddling herself into the seat, hugging her knees.

OOC: This crew is turning out far different that I had planned, but I like the changes. However, I do feel that things might go a bit smoother if we had another person ambling about in there. /shrug

Sibko:

Athena walked up to the island and sat down. She had put a kettle on the stove and it would take a while for it to warm up. "Is he going to be ok?" asked the squirrel with concern, "He looks all spoony..." He face lit up as the word left her lips. "Hahaha! Spoony bard! Spoony bard! He's got to be a spoony bard! Oh, wait... he doesn't have a lute, and I doubt that he was born in Damcyan..." Her mood seemed to suddenly deflate, but she soon got up and went back to cooking as the kettle began to whistle. "I'm going to make some tea, could you go around and ask everyone what they would like for dinner? And send John in here if you would."

___________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance, Mess Hall:

Jak had a frown appear upon his face as their hands shook. "You don't talk enough... Talk more!" After his outburst, the hedgehog sat down with a content grin on his face, as if he had just met his quota for yelling in the day. "Do tell me about this person you're looking for. Can we kill them? What about torture? Anything fun?" He clapped happily as he made these statements.

____________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance, Bridge:

Ashley sat at the pilot's command station, looking over her instrumentation, checking through all the assorted systems allotted to her. Everything was in the green, save for a few systems that had been shut down for maintenance. She sighed, leaning back in her chair, reaching up to her shoulder, rolling up the sleeve. There was a deep lash mark there, almost like from a whip, but also sharp, like a blade. It had obviously been opened and redressed several times, but still scarred like any other wound, conveniently placed where others could not see. Noting the pilot's discomfort, the tactical officer, Harvey, stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, placing her hand on his. "I'm alright, Harvey. Just a lot of... bad memories, is all. I'll be fine in a couple minutes, I promise." The human removed his hand, but did not walk away, simply staring out into the void of space in the direction of distance Sibko. Ashley lifted her legs onto the chair, huddling herself into the seat, hugging her knees.

OOC: This crew is turning out far different that I had planned, but I like the changes. However, I do feel that things might go a bit smoother if we had another person ambling about in there. /shrug

"Angie... I'll definitely remeber it," Elegy said. "I never forget names."

"I sure won't forget yours," Leon said, running a hand through the fur on his head, as though he were trying to look suave. "As for him..." He looked over to Kaien as though he were something putrid and toxic. "... he's a nocturnal creature not of this galaxy. Sunlight is his natural enemy."

He folded his arms behind his head, closing one eye. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't melted yet--OUCH!!"

This time, it was Neliel who had stomped on his foot. She glared at him, orange and blue hues burning with anger. "STOP IT! Stop saying bad things about Kai!"

The young teenager was about to yell at the small girl when his ears twitched, hearing the word 'dinner.' His demeanor changed immediately, a grin appearing on his face. "We can have whatever we want? Cool, make me a cheeseburger. I've always wanted to try one. My aunt's almost obsessed with health, so all we eat is vegetables, fruit, chicken, and fish. I want the good stuff for a change."

Nel, still seething, trudged over to the couch and sat in front of it. Kai didn't stir.

Elegy buried her face in her hand. "Ix'cis, this boy just flipped right back to his old self..." Looking back up, she told Athena, "I'll help. I always cook dinner for my mom and I; she's seriously lacking in culinary skill."

========

"No killin'," Hawthorne replied. "My employer explicitly said to bring 'em back alive. 'Course, that don't rule out doin' whatever we want till I get back to Kyzarie-- that's where my employer is, you see. Like I said, though, we can't kill 'em."

========

"... So you'll be landing with all those refugees from the Epoch Genesis?"

The Sibken police chief and several officers were all gathered in the communcations center, speaking to the crew of the Murrieta. "If you can hold on for a few minutes, we'll let you know the nearest place you can land... Yes, there will be a hospital nearby, and you tell that Kydane officer to report to the precinct in Sarna as soon as he steps foot here. I am NOT taking any chances on that crazy ass $%&# coming here to mess up $#@# any further, we're lucky that monster's still runnin' around in outer space."

========

Kenneth straightened himself up, the smile remained on his face, although his eyes reflected a different emotion entirely. "The more the merrier, I say." Momentarily gazing at Tobias, he turned to Cherry and reached out a hand. "Kenneth is my first name. Just call me Ken or Kenny; most everyone does." He motioned to the fennec mix. "This is my wife, Kiri. The two of us and a friend of mine were separated from our children during the Genesis' evacuation."

The old rabbit smirked as they ignored him and made for the kitchen. "Not the usual sibling rivalry between you two is it, eh?" He muttered to the unconscious Kaien. "Joe used to say... the only thing that could tear brothers apart was their parents, heh, guessing that's probably the case with you guys too." He sighed, "You two little kittens are given this old bunny some hellish deja vu' ya know."

"I need to go get my jacket." The rabbit stated bluntly, giving the wolf a hard gaze. Kane shook his head, "There is no need, Baxter will undoubtedly already have it, and I'm sure your contraband weapons as well." The young man looked around nervously but the wolf smirked, "While annoying, Mister Baxter makes a very useful nursemaid for an idiot like you." Tobias gave the Lupoid an indignant glare but said nothing.

"You don't know the half of it," Leon drawled, his mood soured yet again. "For starters, we only have ONE parent in common. We've got different fathers." He stalked towards an armchair and all but flopped on it, his eyes remaining fixated on a centerpiece on the coffee table. "Even if he is an asswipe, at least I know who mine is. Dunno about my half-brother; his dad's the one who--"

Elegy's hand clamped over the feline's mouth to keep him from saying any more. "No, you are not about to say something like that in front of strangers and small children."

Nel wasn't really paying attention; she'd found where the albino had dropped his sunglasses and picked them up. She was too busy cleaning the lenses with a doily she took from the coffee table to listen to anyone.

"This happen often?" The rabbit said turning from the lump on the couch to Leon, "I mean with people shutting you up so you have to keep whatever it is bottled up inside." His eyes suddenly turned extremely distant and forlorn, "Please promise me you will find someone to tell about it. There was a boy with a similar story to yours I knew a long time ago, he never found anyone to confide in and it ate him from the inside. You mighta heard of him. His name was Richard Underwood."

Leon looked grim. Shoving Elegy's hand away, he said, "No wonder people back home keep saying he's crazy. I talk with my aunt and uncle all the time. My uncle's cool and all; I think I'd be worse if I was stuck with my dad."

Elegy returned to the kitchen with Athena, talking Angie with her to help them prepare dinner. She looked momentarily at Nel, who didn't seem to want to leave the albino's side.

"Anyway," the white feline continued, "I can get by. Least I can say what I think. Something's wrong with him. You ever see him do anything more than raise an eyebrow since you met us? Hell, the only thing I've seen him get is real mad. That was when our mom left us."

An act? Maybe. I'm getting too old and my senses just don't seem to work right anymore. The rabbit nodded, "He's got some deep seated problems and wants to handle them himself, to prove himself I'd assume. I had a surrogate father that used to tell me I needed to have the courage to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I can't, and wisdom to know the difference." He slid down the wall to the floor and smirked, "You may be able to get by, but you got a lotta people that may end up depending on ya includin lumpy here. Hope ya don't mind this old man buttin' if things get messy."

Angie proves to be an effective cook if shown what to do, but she doesn't know much about cooking from scratch. She handles any jobs involving knives with quick efficiency, but if one takes a close look at her face while she has a blade in her hands, her expression is a strange one, a mix of at least two others and quite undefinable. She has no qualms about helping out with cooking, though she keeps her gun slung across her back the entire time. Any suggestion of her setting the weapon aside is met with a cold, silent stare. Angie isn't particularly talkative, limiting herself to necessary questions.

The young teen started laughing, as though John had just told him the funniest joke. "'Deep-seated problems,' huh? Probably does. Not that I care." He leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. Although his expression remained indifferent, his voice betrayed dormant worries. "When our mom left, he was outta control; screaming at Auntie and Uncle, trashing everything, hell, he nearly burned down the house once. I don't really remember really made him snap like that, but after a while, he just... stopped."

Nel seemed to have calmed down at this point, and was looking back and forth at everyone, especially at John, who was intently listening to Leon. Kaien stirred behind her, but it didn't seem like he would be waking up anytime soon.

"I mean," Leon continued, "he stopped crying. Stopped smiling, laughing, all that. He could come walking in here right now after getting beaten up real bad by neighborhood kids-- bloody lip, black eye, broken arm-- and he'd give you that blank look. I %^&ing HATE that."

Sibko:

"But he's your brother." stated Athena as she walked out of the open kitchen, having just put a pot on and asking the other two to watch it, "You shouldn't hate your kin." She sat down in one of the free chairs and looked at the boy with a bit of concern, before turning to look at her husband. "Although... I think I know why you do it, now."

John looked at her with a bit of confusion. "Do what, dear?"

"Why you try so hard for that boy. Tobias." Athena just smiled at him warmly. Her focus was interrupted, however, when a light shown through the window as a vehicle passed by.

__________________________________________________________________

The Grey Lance:

"Then I say we make our way to the bridge where the little Ash has gone to play." he grinned before skipping out of the room. The ship was relatively small, only able to carry a crew of fifteen before things got cramped. Thus it didn't take long to get to the bridge. One of the command seats was empty, the one for navigation control, but the other two, pilot and tactical were filled by Ashley and Harvey. The two turned around to see the captain enter the room. Ashley had regained her previous bravado and was glaring angrily at the spined captain.

"And just what took you so long? Were you playing your little game with Sasha again?" she shouted, "We need to get out of here!"

"Change of plans, love. Now we go there!" he said as he pointed to the planet of Sibko in the not so far distance.

Ashley looked at the screen, then back to Jak, then back to the screen. "Are you mad!? We just... but... Oh, fine!" With her course plotted out for her, the Felinoid punched in coordinates for the local starport, hoping dearly that their captain wasn't going to get them all killed. Not that it would bother him any.

Sarna: Kinnear Residence

Leon fell silent, biting his lower lip as his violet eyes focused on Athena. He looked as though he had something to say, but just couldn't bring himself to spit it out.

Instead, he sighed, momentarily averting his gaze from everyone else. "I never said I hated him," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Just can't stand 'im, is all. To say that he's so $%#&ing irritating is a gross under--"

He stopped just as he saw the light from the window.

========

Sarna: Main Street, not far from the Kinnear Residence

The police vehicle just started circling the block, headlights illuminating the already darkening streets as the sun sank in the sky.

An officer and his partner looked positively bored as the passed a certain house twice now, the driver letting out an audible yawn.

"What the hell are we doing out here, anyway?" he asked, rubbing an eye with one hand while the other stayed on the steering wheel. "All this just to keep an eye on a bunch of Kydane brats? The heck is this world coming to?"
"Rumor has it one of them's albino," said his partner.
"Really?"
"Yeah. We're harboring a Kydane freak for a $%#ing Kydane Enforcer. What a day."
The driver made a disgusted noise. "Don't matter whether there's an Enforcer or not. I don't like the fact that there are $%#ing Kydanes here. If they weren't protected I'd get rid of the whole lot."
"Even if they are a buncha kids?"

"How many Sibken kids do you think got killed in the crossfire of this war. I say a life for a life."
"If the Kydane leader heard you," the partner started, but he never got to finish.

As the vehicle turned the corner onto the side street away from the building they'd been keeping watch over, he spied a figure rapidly moving towards the main street.

"Look," he said, nudging the driver. "Back there."
"Eh?" The driver stopped the car, putting it in reverse and backing up. "What is it?"
"Someone's there."

As the car drifted backwards slowly after the figure, its head seemed to turn towards them and froze.

The driver cursed. "Great. So much for trying to get 'im by surprise. He stopped the car and shifted the gear to park. "Let's go."
"Too late," his partner said. "It's gone."

The officer followed his gaze, and, sure enough, the figure they'd seen was nowhere to be seen.

The driver swore again. "Great. Now we've got a report to make."

========

Murrieta

"... Well, there's a runway in the northern part of the capital. It's mainly for airships and planes, but I think a ship like yours'll be accepted, Captain," the police chief's voice cracked over the speaker. "I've already notified Aviation Control; you should get yourselves ready. As for your landing party, I'm gonna send for Kinnear and another officer. That officer's gonna tell them what the deal is, and I can't guarantee their complete safety. A lot of the civilians don't take kindly to Kydane species walkin' around, especially an Enforcer.

"You do what you gotta do here and then leave. The Wreck that was once the Epoch Genesis is on the outskirts of Sarna; its crew is currently in the hospital. Dunno what Captain Hyde was thinking, wandering to this part of space at a time like this. Hell, this whole stunt may as well toss that cease-fire out the window.

"Anyway, the only thing I can tell you is be careful down there. Once that officer leaves your landing party alone, they're on their own. Make sure you tell them that."

========

Sarna: Kinnear Residence

Elegy nearly dropped the wooden spoon into the pot when Leon suddenly stood. "Oi! What's wrong with you?"

"... S'nothing. Probably the cops." The boy sat down, burying his face in his hands. "Those Enforcers did the same $%&! back home, whenever we'd be out when the sun was going down like this. I bet if the leader of the New Order was hanging out with Kai they'd leave him alone."