Astha

We got what we came for. Now, the hard part.

With the stunt we did and our killing of the members of the Red Arramer (except the one who gave herself up), the colony was on high alert. Our only hope rested to the one who surrendered to get us out of safety, but this fragile alliance was too risky and dangerous. Just a couple of minutes ago, as Sethis said, she was trying to kill us. Now, she's willing to help us out. That quick U-turn was suspicious at best.

We were helped by the chaos we did. Or, I guess what I did. With the slaves doing a revolt and the guards were busy trying to subdue them along with the berserkers now without their handler, along with the added chaos of the explosions on the landing pad and the sacrifice of my ship, all we could do now was escape and hoped that's enough.

I was still not sure whether this Nuoevan was really going to just turn against her employer, just like that. Either she had a hidden plan or she had planned this through, so I asked her about it, out of everyone's earshot in the cockpit of her own ship.

"So, why the change of heart?" I asked, rather casually. "Horrified by your employer? Already planned from the start? Getting the idea on the fly?"

"Mostly the first one," said the Nuoevan. "But I know you'll just doubt whatever I said next."

"Hey, you forced yourself into this group after beating our friend up. Whatever your reasons, we can't just trust you on the fly, you know," I said.

"And I could just subdue all of you right here, right now, using that button over there," she said while pointing towards a button on her flight console. "That thing releases gas in the cabin and knock everyone out. Meanwhile, I can just subdue you with my mind blast. I could just sell you all back to the Red Arramers."

"Figured it out, huh?" I said, while subtly powering up my wrist-gun. "Never thought she'd carry that collar around, but I guess it served its purpose. So, why tell me all this? Acting like a cliched villain who spews out all her plans before executing all of us?"

"No," she said as she took of the fake dampening collar. I noticed her face was sad. "It's just no matter what I do...no one will trust me without this white shackle around our neck. It's a symbol of oppression, bondage, and subjugation. Just with a simple collar sealed our fates."

She then pushed a different button, which activated the ship's autopilot functions, one that's far more advanced than my ship since the AI was doing the takeoff sequence. I kept my weapons close, ready to attack her before she was ready when she did something suspicious enough, though I had a feeling I might not need it.

"Why do you think that way? Your employers certainly don't," I said.

"White collar or not, freedom is far from my reach. I joined this group for protection like other freed slaves, but I soon found the syndicate was corrupting our conscience. Years went by, and I lost many fellow former slaves I knew as they became the very thing they tried to escape from. I wanted out, but I realized too late that I joined a different kind of slavery willingly, just to save my own skin."

"Never exercise your power against that?"

She chuckled as she grabbed her still bleeding shoulder. "I did, but do you think they like it? I was spared a gruesome fate because I'm higher ranked, but I knew I still report to someone, and yes...the others were not keen of me, either. That Nuoevan did make things harder, but he did talk a little sense into me. Everyone feared the Red Arramers, but he...pulled the trigger without any doubt."

"Maybe we're just idiots," I said with a shrug. "Or maybe we knew being hunted by a syndicate is not as bad than being slaves to extragalactic menaces."

"Huh?" she said, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm surprised even you don't know about it. Make sense. The Frontier might be full of secrets, but even criminal syndicates don't know what we're up against," I said. "Maybe if you promise to behave, we can tell you the true danger this galaxy will face."

The Nuoevan looked away as the ship flew out into space. She initiated a warp and before long, we got into warp.

"Guess going straight is a lot harder than I thought," said the Nuoevan. "Oh, and don't bother."

"Don't bother?"

"Readying your gun at me. I can disable it without you even knowing."

"Impressive," I said, powering down the gun. I knew she was serious about that. "How do you know?"

She pointed at her long, leporine ears and said, "Trust the long-ears."

I chuckled, before she started chuckling, then we softly laughed.

"Never thought you called yourself long-ears so casually," I said.

"Oh, we've been called many things worse than long-ears or four-eyes, you know. Wraparound's a good one, too."

"Never heard that one."

"It's because of our tails. We usually wrap it around our waist."

I was aware that my friendship with Kilkaja also made me forget that Nuoevans had a possum-like tail they wrapped around their waist. Kilkaja lacked any tail because of a traumatic past of having it cut off. He seemed so comfortable without it, so I did not bother asking or be bothered by it.

"Kilkaja doesn't have a tail and he's the only good Nuoevan I know," I said. "Guess that's another reason why."

"No tail? Birth defect or...oh, no."

"You fought him, and you did not notice that?"

"I never thought his former masters would be so cruel," she said. "Now I feel even worse psi-punching him in the gut. Tell him I'm sorry when he has come to."

"Tell him yourself," said Sel as she walked in just as she finished her sentence. The Felinian also noticed she was not wearing a collar, but instead of alarmed, she just sighed and said, "Well, it was worth it. Bluffing's never my forte, anyway."

The Nuoevan threw the collar to Sel, who caught it. She then said, "Don't worry. After this, you won't be bothered by me anymore, and I don't mean the bad one."

Sel looked at her suspiciously, but relented and called Kilkaja to her. He was still bruised all over and his right was on a sling, clearly due to her dislocating his shoulder. Sel walked in to provide treatment to the Nuoevan's shoulder, which was still bleeding from the metal Kilkaja shoved into. The two Nuoevans looked at each other in silent, almost to the point of being uncomfortable, before Kilkaja said, "I already guessed."

"Guessed what?"

"That what you're doing is sincere. You are trying to get out of the Red Arramers," said Kilkaja. "That's why I deliberately missed your chest."

"So, you did try to kill me," she said. "Not sure that's a wise decision, considering we're enemies."

"Yet, I know the burden of your heart when you saw the slaves being blown up. You cannot lie to me, you know. Your hidden emotions gave away your true self. That is why I told you to trust me."

Kilkaja's empathic power had shown that he could tell who's lying or who's not. He's pretty much our go-to person to talk about someone's hidden agenda and he had not failed us before and after. So, we tried to believe that Kilkaja trusted this Nuoevan simply because he read her like a book.

However, no one was more surprised than the Nuoevan herself. Like Akjati back on the unnamed planet, she said, "No...you can't be."

"I am still digesting that fact myself, but yes...I am apparently a Sage," said Kilkaja, now surer about it. "I think you know it more than I do."

"A Sage is considered a beacon of hope for the Nuoevans," said the female Nuoevan. "You may not look like it, but the way you told me what I really am was convincing enough. Even mind readers would not be able to know."

"I may not look like it?" said Kilkaja, slightly offended by that remark.

"Sages were pacifists. You clearly are not," said the Nuoevan. "But can't afford that if you want to survive in this time and age. Then you already knew what I'm about to do?"

"As clear as I can sense it," said Kilkaja. "So...now that we know what you're up to, what do you plan after this?"

"Nowhere," she said while shaking her head. "I was just going to drop you off wherever you want me to while I go my own way, but I guess I can't pass the chance to follow a real Sage, especially with the danger you are trying to fight. What's this...extraterrestrial menace you talked about, Saukaur?"

"It's Astha," I said. "And that menace is called Trikelians. They are the reason why the Vyrnians lost their home planet, and right now, we know they can strike while we are unaware about it. Sethis and Shennesi had to suffer for it."

"And if you're still unconvinced about it," said Sel. "They can't be bought off. We always said credits buy everything, but this time...you can't buy them off. Red Arramer or not, they'll get everyone. They revel in destruction. That's what they are."

Sel did not really know what the Trikelians were capable of, or whether they could be bought or not, but she said it convincingly enough that the Nuoevan believed her. Sel claimed that bluffing was not her best quality, but she convinced her twice already, so she played her cards well.

As Kilkaja and Sel talked to the Nuoevan, who introduced herself as Najha, I went to the cabin and found Sethis and Shennesi talking before I joined them. They were grateful that I actually came to the rescue and not delaying, which further convinced Sethis that it was right to trust me with the badge and my tracking skills, after all.

"Still an idiot for risking your trophies," said Shennesi. "And now you have none."

"Hey, it's not my life I sacrificed, so I think that's nothing," I said, brushing that off. "I know trophies are important, but you know what? Nothing's more important than the Saukaur who hatched from the same egg as me. Isn't that right, brother?"

Sethis simply smiled and held me under his arm. "Wouldn't be Ash if he sulks about the trophies all the way home, would it? But just to be sure, next time, use my place to save your trophies."

"When we have the chance to do so," I said. "So, what's next? The others are helping the Vyrnians of Arkari rebuilding, but then what? I don't recommend going home to Saukari with the whole rioting going on."

"I don't plan to," said Sethis. "I was discussing this with the others before the invasion started, but I planned to establish a Saukauri colony on that planet."

"On a desert planet?"

"Better than somewhere within the Saukauri territory where it's not safe," said Sethis. "I know we'll have to fight against the Trikelians, but this way, we can also establish a forward base against them."

"You never planned to stay away from the conflict," I concluded.

"The others already agreed that we're only saved by Arcturus and the others. And besides." He looked at Sel. "We all owe her one life."

Sethis told me before that he never saw Sel's first death on Aurelis Three as an accident. If she simply left, there would be less survivors. She did not manage to help one of the survivors, but she stood her ground along with him as they were both blasted away by a rocket. Even after all that, she still wanted to change her ways. Now, she liked Saukauri company and even tried to move on with a legitimate relationship with Kilkaja.

We traveled through the Red Arramer area and safely reached safer space. Najha, true to her words, helped us avoid dangerous Red Arramer patrols and planets. While there was a chance that we were not identified by anyone, Najha did not want to take any chances. After we were assured that we were safe, we continued our flight to Arkari, which was the safest place we could ever found, especially with what Arcturus and the others did in just one month.

They managed to find many allies, though most of them were still Vyrnians. They did have us as Saukauri allies and Akjati and the others as Nuoevan allies, but I wasn't sure if they felt alright with Orians or Felinians, considering how problematic both races were, especially Orians.

As we landed on the planet, we were greeted by Arcturus and George. They had accepted our calls some hours ago and were expecting our arrival. As Kilkaja talked to George what he just experienced, I, along with Sethis and Shennesi, knew one thing.

This journey in search of Sethis was finally over, in which now we focused on helping the galaxy against the Trikelian menace. It would be harder than this search, and it might even end up worse than our situation on Aurelis Three. But you know what?

If we get through this, things will finally return to normal. I'll go back hunting, and I might rake up more trophies than I lost. Still can't replace the greatest treasure of all: my twin brother.