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After the return, our heroes have some downtime.

---

Zach was in sore need of a shower. He had no idea how Sytis cleaned themselves, but he searched the main building for something to wash himself in nonetheless. Eventually he found a bath of some sort. It was huge, big enough for five Sytis. A small waterfall came from a wide, strangely out of place metal pipe and flowed into a deep hole in the ground with what appeared to be a gravel floor. It drained on one end, and bits of leaves flowed through it constantly. Zach sat at the side of the tub and fished out a leaf, bringing it up to his face. It smelled soft and clean. He stripped down and climbed in. It was very warm, and very pleasant. Zach closed his eyes. If he were to lose his life in the upcoming mission to save all their hides, he wouldn’t want to do it without experiencing one last moment of peace and quiet. Rico’s voice broke that peace. “Hey Zach, there you are.”
Zach turned. “Oh, hey. Come here to wash that vomit smell off you?”
Rico laughed as he threw off his clothes. “Yes I am. How’s the water?”
“Like a hot tub.”
Rico stepped in and sighed. “Damn… you’re right. Hey, do you remember that rooftop party with, um… I don’t remember what his name was, but there were like a hundred people there with like eight hot tubs?”
Zach laughed. “Yeah! We were the only humans at that party. Hey, do you remember-
“Remember when we got in one of the tubs and knew immediately someone had pissed in it?!”
Zach slapped Rico’s arm. “You pulled me around for the rest of the night accusing all the Atrieans of being weak-bladdered.”
“Pff! How was I supposed to know that saying someone has a weak bladder is an Atriean insult?”
Zach and Rico filled the room with laughter. “Yeah, we were kinda new to the moon… Did we ever find the guy?”
“No. And how do you know it wasn’t a chick, eh?”
Zach cocked his head. “I suppose you’re right… you don’t think it was the hostess… do you?”
Rico snorted. “Oops! But yeah, she did turn out to be pretty… Weak-bladdered.”
“I guess…”
Silence fell over the bath, and Zach started flicking the floating leaves around. “I feel so old.”
“You don’t look a day over thirty.”
“Shush.”
Rico sighed. “Why do you feel old?”
“I, uh… I guess I’ve lived with Atrieans too long. Leph’s younger than me, but… He looks like my grandpa. That and now I’m going to get my ass killed in yet another battle for the universe. How many battles for the universe is one person supposed to be in in their lives? One?”
Rico nodded. “I know how you feel. I’ve known Lenny for the whole of his adult life, and now it seems like he’s so much older and wiser than me… even if I have some years on him.”
Rico stroked his chin. “Oh… Speaking of which… Lenny, he, uh, grabbed me while we were investigating those containers. He apologized for something he hadn’t done to me and I got the feeling he thought I was you…”
Zach coughed. “Oh yeah…? What did he say?”
“He… Told me he was gay.”
“...Okay. Yeah, I kinda… figured it out and kinda maybe accidentally got all excited and he was offended.”
Rico shook his head. “So it’s true… Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Hm?”
He gestured around vaguely. “Like… we’re best friends. We’ve been through hell together so… Why didn’t he tell me?”
Rico met Zach’s gaze. They stared at each other for a while before Zach blinked something from his eye. “He’s probably afraid.”
Rico shook his head. “No. I don’t wanna talk about that anymore. Zach, if we get out of this, do you want to, uh… hang out again?”
He scooched a little closer to Zach, but stopped as Zach shook his head. “No, Rico.”
“... No? Come on, it’ll be just like the good old days! Let’s go to parties and call some Atrieans cowardly!”
“How can I do that? I still serve on the Frontier, and you live on the moon.”
Rico looked away. Zach drew in a deep breath, letting the steam fill his lungs and warm him to the core. “I’m not the same person I was back then. Neither are you. And I just… I don’t believe you would abandon Lenny like that.”
“What does he have to do with this?”
Zach gave him a look. “How dense are you?”
Rico chuckled dryly. “Yeah… I guess now that I know, I’m seeing him in a whole new light I didn’t even consider… Christ, I even used to joke that he acted like my boyfriend, hehe…”
“I’m gonna tell you bluntly, dude. Stop chasing me and go after him.”
Rico let himself drop lower in the water, so his mouth was submerged. He blew some bubbles, but didn’t answer. Zach climbed out into the cold air. “I’m going to go to sleep now. Seeya tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Seeya.”
Zach pulled on his clothes and strolled out of the room, whistling a tune. Rico splashed around for a while longer, mulling things over. He decided that now was not a good time to make a decision, and closed his mind to the matter.

Leph had been given access to a medium sized conference room. There was a computer there, and with the help of a passing Sytis, Leph was able to get all the available information on the Evil and their technology. Leo also went and retrieved the sensor data from the gunship. All this information was shown on a large screen behind Leph as he stood at the head of the conference table. “So… If this device is in the cargo bay, we have to bust in through there.”
He clicked on a little device and brought up an incomplete schematic of the Evil’s capital ship. Leo stood and pointed to a large section of the ship. “In the scans, this area here seemed to have a force field for docking ships. We might be able to fly in.”
Serleah shook her head. “Alien or not, the cargo bay has to be guarded somehow. If they’re expecting any retaliation from us or the Sytis, they’ll focus their defence there.”
Dez shrugged. “She’s got a point… Except I heard something about the Sytis being kinda… pacifistic? Would the Sytis even counter attack?”
“Good question…” Leph said, stroking his chin. “Except we aren’t Sytis, and the Evil must know we’re here by now.”
The ideas flew around the table, but after an hour it seemed their plans were going in a circle. Yalogalil found he didn’t have anything to add to the plan, especially after it became an argument between Leph, Leo and Serleah. He quietly slipped out once Fieru started brandishing his claws. He walked the halls, allowing his mind to wander and fill with thoughts of a peaceful life with the Sytis. He entered one of the bedrooms, thinking it to be empty. He sat down on one of the beds and took out his pipe, adding some of the powder to it and taking a long drag. “Oh, hey.”
Yalogalil nearly dropped his pipe as he whirled his head around. “Who is there?! Show your face!”
Lenny stepped out of a side room. “Sorry, I was just taking my hormone treatment… oh, you smoke?”
Yalogalil tried to hide the pipe by his leg. “No… it is only occasional.”
Lenny sat next to him. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything! Mind if I join you?”
“... You may.”
Yalogalil took another quick puff, then handed Lenny the pipe. He blew a ring. “I’m trying to quit. Picked up the habit in prison.”
“Heh. So did I.”
“Oh? What were you in for?”
Yalogalil smiled. “Oh… It was er, a not so peaceful riot. No, not riot… Demonstration? What is the word?”
“Protest?”
“Ya! Protest. What of you? You look not like the criminal type.”
“Drug trafficking. Stupid mistake, I know.”
“Indeed!”
They passed the pipe back and forth for a few minutes before Lenny spoke again. “You’re staying here, huh?”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“You know who I am?”
Lenny looked at him blankly for a moment. “Uh… A mercenary?”
“No! I take jobs, but I only take them for my morals.”
“What?”
“I am an anarchist! I despise our government! But…”
He paused to take another puff. “…I am useless.”
“Useless?”
“Yes! I have been doing nothing that makes a difference! I fight for my dream of a perfect world, but… Now I have found one.”
Lenny nodded. “Yes. I understand what you’re saying now. But…”
“But?”
“There is something you haven’t considered. If you stay here, you won’t be able to change your sex.”
Yalogalil froze. “I did… not think of this.”
“Yeah well… I really can’t speak from experience, but I know it’s probably important to you to at least continue your hormone treatments.”
Yalogalil finished to remainder of the powder in the pipe. “I like not to discuss this much beyond the shallow.”
Lenny flushed. “Sorry!”
Yalogalil sighed. “But you are right. I would like to go through the surgeries, it means lots to me. Even if the government takes endless time disputing my case…”
“So… are you still staying?”
“Yes. It is selfish to want my body over this world.”
“It’s selfish to want this world, too.”
Yalogalil growled slightly. “I know that! Grr, Southern Atriean is a stupid dialect!”
He stood. “I should have a perfect world to live in! After the battles I fights and lose to no effect! I deserve!”
Lenny had nothing to say. He looked at his feet guiltily. Yalogalil looked at him. “I know you have no words on this… I must go mull.”
He swept from the room. Lenny sighed. “Me and my big mouth… oh, hello…”
Yalogalil had left the pipe and pouch behind…

Leena returned to the room, expecting to see Teliko and Cyan still asleep. Instead, she found nothing. She sat on one of the beds, and immediately Cyan and Teliko barged in. “Mom!”
“There you are. Your dad is back-”
“We know! So, are we getting out of here?”
The two looked up at her with wide eyes. She had no idea. “Of course we will. Leph has experience with this kind of thing, he’ll get us home.”
Teliko nodded. “Great.”
She then turned to the door. “Oh…”
There was a knock. Teliko opened the door without hesitating. “Hi, Czyak!”
Czyak entered the room and stood in the corner, facing Teliko. Cyan and Leena watched them stare at each other for a few minutes before Teliko burst out laughing. “Haha! No, no… Ahem…”
Czyak tilted his head. Teliko shook hers. “No, I don’t know what that means.”
Leena was distracted by Cyan tugging her sleeve. “Hey, Teliko’s mom…”
She sat down. “Oh, I’m sorry, Cyan. We didn’t find your parents. But, it’s very likely that they’re safe back home, so don’t you worry.”
He nodded and looked back at Teliko, who was now making faces at Czyak. After a few minutes, she frowned. “Oh. Um, could you use your voice please?”
“Yes. Sorry. I wish to speak with you about what happened in the forest.”
Teliko glanced back at Cyan and Leena. Leena was rummaging in a bag while Cyan was pretending not to stare at Czyak. “Come on.”
She led him out the door. Leena looked up. “Hey-”
She grumbled and threw the bag down. “Cyan, you… stay put.”
“Okay.”
She followed after the two. Cyan flopped down onto the bed.

Leena followed them outside. She sat on the step of the building and watched the two walk up a small hill and sit under a tree. Their muffled voices wafted down to her, but she couldn’t pick anything out. Secretly, she hoped that this whole experience would cause Teliko to follow in her footsteps and become a scientist, but Leena was just happy that Teliko was making friends. And with a totally alien species, too. She smiled to herself.

Teliko played with the grass as Czyak played with one of his claws. “I hear something within you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Czyak was silent for a moment. Teliko straightened up as some dark things began brewing in Czyak’s mind. “Czyak…”
“When Sytis are… damaged… sometimes our speech can… I do not know how to say it in your language.”
“Trauma. It’s called trauma.”
“Trauma… So you have this also?”
She nodded. “Yeah, Atrieans and Humans and basically every other species. But Czyak, I’m fine. I talked to Cyan and he made me feel better.”
“That is a lie.”
“Not fair!”
Czyak laughed a little. “I do not know how your mind works still. I know you have been affected by what happened. Teliko. I know you will be… safe. In the end.”
Although what he said aloud made no sense, she understood what he was saying. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“I can help. May I try?”
Teliko raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“It is… a song?”
“A song?”
“It… it is a saying. We tell it to Sytis with… trauma.”
“Oh. Okay. I’d like to hear you sing.”
Czyak nodded, then closed his eyes. Teliko began to experience a slow, building sensation of calm. Her fur stood on end, and she was sucked into Czyak’s voice as he spoke in emotional verses. Teliko had never tried any drug or even had a sip of alcohol, but she imagined that it was much like what she was experiencing then. She was unaware of the passage of time as Czyak sang, and after a moment that felt like a day, her eyes fluttered open. She coughed. “Oh. It’s like… I just slept for three days.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Never better.”
Teliko stretched and yawned, leaning back onto the tree. She peeked up at Czyak. “I said I was fine.”
“Indeed…”
She sat up abruptly. “Hey… hey, no Czyak! D-don’t be sad! What’s wrong?!”
He looked away. Teliko grabbed his arm, but he just tensed up. “Czyak… don’t cry…”
“You are leaving soon. But you must. You don’t belong here.”
His voice did not waver and his eyes remained dry, and yet he was crying harder than Teliko ever had in her life. She hugged his arm, and he tensed up more. “It’s okay to feel that way. I’m sad that I have to leave too. I feel like you’ve become my best friend, even in this short time.”
She sniffed. Czyak moved his arm. “Teliko… Sytis… do not like prolonged physical contact.”
She sprang back. “O-oh! I’m sorry! it’s an Atriean thing, I guess…”
“No. It is alright.”
They sat together until Czyak had cried himself out. Teliko tapped him quickly on the arm. “Hey.”
He looked down. “Yes?”
“I’m gonna write you a poem. Something to remember me by. So if you ever miss me, just read the poem. How does that sound?”
“I would like that very much. I will prepare a gift for you as well.”
“Oh?”
“It will be… a surprise?”
“Oh! Okay! I can’t wait.”
Czyak stood, and Teliko stood to follow him. He held up a claw. “I will return to my home. I will prepare your gift and I will calm down.”
Teliko nodded. “Okay. I’ll go write your poem, then. Uh… until then.”
“I will not be long.”
He turned, lumbering off into the distance. Teliko didn’t watch him, instead running back into the building, ignoring Leena. She flopped onto the mossy floor, grabbed her data pad, and started pouring herself unto the page.

Nai and Vaà walked down the hall to where the loud meeting was taking place. “Yes, and given we got here without dying, it’s definitely possible to build a stable rift. On top of that, with the data we now have, I can calibrate the beam to work anywhere in the universe!”
“I see! There is hope for you.”
“Correct. Hm… it sounds like they aren’t getting much done in there.”
Nai and Vaà stood outside the door. “Excuse me!”
“We can’t just fly in like that!”
“We’ve been over this, Leph, if we-”
Vaà barked loudly, and all eyes turned to him, shocked. Vaà turned away, more startled than any of them. Nai cleared his throat. “Ahem… It seems you’ve made little progress.”
Leo had been sitting with his head in his hands since the shouting match had gotten out of hand. “Yes. We can’t even agree on a plan of attack.”
Nai shook his head. “You’ll be killed if you try and attack that thing.”
He walked up to the large screen and stroked his chin. “Leph, where were you when Atriea was attacked?”
“Me? Uh… I was on the moon, actually… With Serleah, in fact.”
Serleah nodded. “Yeah. My dad had a shelter, and we spent the attack there. Why?”
Nai pointed to the large docking bay. “This was added recently. When I was forced to work, I needed access to space, so they just cut a huge chunk out of the ship. And still, it is very well defended. They have these… automated soldiers that don’t seem to be very vulnerable. A head-on attack would mean death.”
Serleah nodded. “That’s right.”
Leph didn’t say anything, so Nai continued. “The Solar Federation had a similar problem when they tried to nuke us. Our satellite defence network is one of the most sophisticated weapon systems in the known universe, and it was disabled for twenty-three minutes by having a low priority subroutine hacked. There’s gotta be a weakness we can exploit.”
Vaà stepped into the room once more. “I believe I can help.”
Leph nodded, but Vaà didn’t know what that meant, so he just stood awkwardly. After a moment of silence, Leph gestured. “Um… tell us?”
“Yes. While fighting the Evil we have noticed some… oddities.”
He turned to the screen and stared at it for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “Our… defenders. They have noticed that the Evil can become distracted. They focus on a singular target or group of targets. I believe it is because they are led by a singular mind.”
Leo was the first to speak. “You mean to say they have tunnel vision?”
“I suppose?”
Leph snapped his fingers. “He’s saying they’re vulnerable to a diversion.”
Fieru, who had been leaning back in his seat for the whole meeting, leaned forward and slammed the chair back onto the floor. “Finally! Alright, a diversion. Leo, we happen to be experts at that, aren’t we?”
Leo nodded. “I believe we can cook something up. I believe I have an idea.”
Leo stood. “Leph, if you don’t mind.”
Leph sat down. “You’re the expert.”
Leo faltered for a moment at that, but coughed and began outlining his plan.

~~~

Polos was napping silently as Cain listened to Gray Fox work. He didn’t talk to himself at all like Nai had, and so Cain had no idea how far along Gray Fox was with the Oculus beam. Cain was about to drift off himself when Gray Fox exclaimed: “Hey! Concierge! I must speak with the Rhetorician!”
Seconds later a slightly greener Rhetorician stepped out of a door. He clasped his hands together and approached Gray Fox. “What can I do for you?”
“Stop the ship.”
“Pardon?”
“I need you to stop the ship. I need to conduct tests.”
Cain nudged Polos. “Ah! Hey, what was-”
“Shh!”
The Rhetorician was silent for a moment. “We are bound for the Sytis home world. We cannot stop now.”
“I need to conduct a test. Stop the ship!”
“I cannot.”
“Do you command this ship?”
“No-”
“Then pass along my request.”
The Rhetorician turned. “I will.”
Polos scratched his chin as Cain relayed the conversation to him. “Hm. He’s not very far along if he’s only now conducting his first test.”
“How long until he finishes?”
“I honestly don’t know. Let’s just pray he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“Let’s pray God vaporizes him with his mind.”
Polos glared at him. “Don’t call him that.”
“What? God?”
“Yeah, he’s more like an escaped mental patient than a God.”
Cain grumbled. “I’m not calling him ‘escaped mental patient’.”
“Here he comes…”
God walked through the same door, covered in some sort of green liquid. “What?!”
Gray Fox bowed. “I need to test the beam, sir. To do so-”
“I know, you want me to stop! I know this! I’m not going to.”
Gray Fox smiled and bowed again. “Sir… If you let me finish this device…”
He gestured to the impressive looking machine. “I can teleport you into the Sytis system. You could attack right from the lower atmosphere if you wanted to. They wouldn’t see you coming!”
“They are soft! Like meat! I don’t need to trick them! But, I will entertain you. How long will this test take?”
“Oh… some hours. Maybe a day. But then, we will be-”
“Bah! You are a furry idiot! We will arrive in the Sytis system in less time than that! You made me waste a good Rhetorician!”
And with that, God turned on his heel and entered the door again. Gray Fox was confused momentarily, then turned and kicked something across the room. Both Cain and Polos started chuckling. “Wow. Did he really call Gray Fox an idiot furry?”
Cain nodded. “Oh yeah. He-”
“Stop laughing!” Gray Fox yelled.
Polos held his Muzzle shut as Cain called out. “Take it like a man, Gray Fox!”
“Shut up! Rrrg! You’ll all be more tolerable when you’re powering my desk lamp!”
Cain burst out laughing. “A desk lamp!”
Polos nudged him. “Did he call you a desk lamp?”
“Sorta!”
They laughed harder. Gray Fox blocked them out and sat at the computer setup. “Drifrasa’s tits…”
He growled and grumbled as he stared into the screen.