The whine of engines fills the air as the roof rolls back. Flechette emerges from a second shuttle and runs over to Safe. “We’re not going with you.”

“We?”

“Amy, Versa and I. There’s another underground encampment on Persephone and an a ship waiting in the shadow of Boros’s moon. We’ve got to continue our work. What we’ve seen here has only strengthened our resolve.”

Everyone was now gathered by the shuttles. “Can’t say as I’m surprised.” Safe sighed.

“Won’t you come with us Safe?” Amy asked hopefully.

“…no… It’s safer if I stay on the move and that ship up there will allow me that luxury.”

“Safe, I’m going with them, if they’ll have me. I’m tired of runnin’.” Jack says looking hopefully at Flechette.

“Glad to have you. We could use your inside knowledge of the Alliance. Safe, Good luck to you.” Flechette and Safe shake hands. Amy, tears welling up in her eyes, hugs Safe fiercely.

Safe clears his throat. “So, Citizen, are you coming with me or staying with the underground. You do owe me an explanation as to your full involvement.”

As Safe talks with the group, Needy watches from a distance, contemplating his place in things.

Safe and Bride7 carry Bobbie into the ISSCV. Safe turns back to Citizen and Needy.

“You guys coming?”

Citizen hesitates a moment before answering. “Why not?” He grins “If nothing else, I’m always open to new business opportunities...”

Needy, meanwhile, is not as self-assured.

“Okay,” the companion finally answers.

"You don't seem so sure about that" Safe replies

"I'm not,” he replies “I'm not sure of anything right now.” He looks down and begins to pick with his finger his second chest wound. It too, like the other, resembles nothing more than a scab “But I know my place isn’t here, not anymore.”

Safe nods. Then, without saying another word, Needy heads toward the ISSCV craft.

With everyone else loaded into the shuttles Safe turns to Jack. “It’s been a long bumpy road Jack...”

Jack stands at attention and salutes Safe, then grabs him in a big bear hug “Stay safe friend”.

Jack sprints to the shuttle and as he’s closing the door Safe yells out. “Those are some good people Jack. You take good care of them.” Jack grins and winks as the door closes.

Through the windshield Safe sees Jack drop into the co-pilots chair next to Flechette. She smacks Jack in the back of the head then winks at Safe as the shuttle lifts off. Once clear of the hanger roof the shuttle streaks away.

"Goodbye my friend"

--

The ISSCV’s twin VTOL engines roar, lifting it clear of the hanger roof.

In the back of the cargo ship, hidden by some boxes two figures lay asleep. The roar of the engines startled as Shadow, the oldest of the two young stowaways, dragging her from her slumber.How long had she been sleeping? Her dark blue eyes flashed around as she remembered where she was, then flickered down to where Ghost, her 6 year old sister sat staring at her for the answers. "I think we're in trouble..."

--

Safe glances out the cockpit window. On the ground around the ice encased hanger, a pitched battle rages. A form winks in and out of view amid little puffs of smoke, and he begins to recognise certain ones fighting what was left of the troops. Jade Hand, Monkey Tail and Me. They’d been fighting for them, helping them, and he hadn’t even realised. Alliance bodies were now strewn across the tarmac. Me looked up and acknowledged Safe before the trio headed back towards their own craft.

--

From the ground, Me opened up his comm channel, “Five, the shuttles are away. They are most likely unarmed. You must provide any necessary fire support. Do not be concerned about us!”

“Hey!” Quincey responds on the channel. “I’ve been listening to comm signals! Things don’t look too good on the Sereni-Tree just now! Looks like they’ve been boarded!”

Me sighed as he watched the two shuttles head off into the atmosphere. “Out of the frying pan…”

--

“Looks like we got out of there in the nick of time” Needy says from the doorway to the cockpit, startling Safe.

“Best buckle in Needy, I’m not sure how this bird is going to handle breaking atmo.”

—

The further they got from Boros, the smaller the knot in Safe’s stomach got.

Safe flicked on the radar and leaned back in his chair. Even though Me had been cut off before coordinates could be exchanged, the Tree was big enough, it shouldn’t be hard to find.

Safe allowed himself a grin as he waited for the polite beep from the radar, the ISSCV had held up well.

Safe sat straight up in his chair, knuckles white as he gripped the controls, at the same time the radar chimed. He didn’t need the chime, he had found the Tree. It loomed in the distance, pinned between two Alliance Cruisers.

Safe punches the comm., “Bride7, please tell me the Alliance were too stupid to check the shuttles for armament. There should be a gun turret back there.”

Bride7 sighs heavily, and glances up from doing her nails, looking back and forth between Needy and Bobbie. “Well, Safe, I suppose you want someone who HASN’T been shot to operate it, right? I guess that’s me.” Grumbling all the way, Bride7 unbuckles her safety harness, gets to her feet, and starts to leave the cockpit.

Releasing the comm. button, Safe searches the control panel. There! He flicks the switch to arm the nose cannons. With relief he hears panel on the nose of the ISSCV open, and the controls at the co-pilots station hum to life.

Hearing the chatter from their hiding spot, Ghost - the youngest of the two children - moved to hide further into a corner, even as Shadow began scanning their surroundings again.

"Keep hiding Ghost, I'm gonna find out what's goin' on."

Seeing her sister nod and shrink further into the corner, Shadow snuck through the shuttle towards where she assumed she could hear some answers. Slowly reaching the cockpit she peeked in, observing the controlled chaos going on in the cockpit.

“Hey, Safe! Where exactly is this gun turret of yours… supposed… to… be...” Bride7’s complaints trail off when she notices the girl peeking in on the cockpit. Surprised, Bride7 locks eyes with her for a moment, and then sighs. “Oh, this is getting better and better! SAFE! We got us a stow-away!”

"What??" Safe turns and looks back into the passenger compartment. "Well buckle her in, we'll sort it out later"

Shadow’s concentration broke as her eyes locked with one of the cockpit’s occupants. Fear and curiosity flashed in equal parts across her face as she tried to hide further in the shadows, but knowing she had been discovered she took a few deep breaths and stepped out completely. Fully visible to anyone who cared to look in the doorway of the cockpit; At ten she was small for her age, looking closer to eight, the dirty oversized jeans and brown shirt she wore made her look even younger. Her light brown hair still messy from sleep was pulled into a sloppy and slightly lopsided ponytail with a brown ribbon.

From her seat, Bobbie strains to see. “Oh! Such a cutie! Hi, sweetie! Hey, you really shouldn’t be walking around without a seat belt. It’s not safe!”

The girl’s eyes widened as her imagination took over and supplied her mind with images of what was about to happen. Her mind quickly flashed to her sister still hiding, waiting for her to return and flinched as she realized she couldn’t run now. Fear and Panic returned, they were in big trouble.

Bride7 huffs, gesturing at her own unrestrained form.

Bobbie reaches out to the girl with her mangled and bloody right hand, then thinks better of it, and tries the left. “Come here, sweetie. You can stay with me while all this scary stuff goes on. My name is Bobbie Sue. What’s your name?”

“Trouble!” Bride7 suggests as she continues on her way to the turret.

Shadow and she stuck out her tongue at Bride7’s suggestion. The fear still evident in her face but pushed behind a thin mask of childish bravery as she focused her attention on the lady who introduced herself as Bobbie. “Sh…shadow” she said her voice coming out in little more than a whisper.

--

“Citizen, I could use some help up here,” Safe said. “Everybody strap in, our sky is filled with all manner of unfriendly."

"Don't worry, I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeves to deal with them." Citizen said as he slid into the copilot seat.

"Really?" Safe asked.

"No, but it made me sound important didn't it?" Citizen started flicking switches on the control panel. "Now, which end do I point at the enemy?" He said with a grin

Just then, fireballs started to blow out of the hull of one of the Alliance cruisers

"Ummm... Safe.."

Safe looks back at Citizen to see him pointing out the pilot's side window, mouth gape.

Safe straightens in his seat and follows Citizens gaze. The Alliance Cruiser Tripoli was coming apart at the seams, and they were too close.

"Sheeit!! Hang ON!!"

During the rough flight, Bobbie lunges forward with her good hand and grabs hold of the girl to try to keep her safe.

Shadow watched wide eyed as the battle raged around them, gripping tight to Bobbie as the woman held tight. She hoped Ghost was safe…and she hoped they both would survive this fight.

Ghost was scared. Her sister had left her forever ago, and the once calm ride had turned rough. She was scared. A small whimper escaped her as the ship jolted and her head hit the side of her hiding place, a small trickle of blood began dripping down the side of her face staining the child's hair.

Safe cranks the controls to the side and jams the engine to full. They weren't going to make it.

The shock wave tosses the ISSCV like a bit of flotsam on a wave. The ships thick metal plating groans but holds.

"WhaaHooo!" Safe grins as he regains control. He slaps Citizen on the back. "How's that for mititary technology!"

Citizen grins weakly "Ya... great.. just great"

Safe angles the ISSCV for the Tree.

"Captain Seth Franklin, call sign Safe, to the Sereni-Tree, come in please."

A moment passes and Safe tries again.

From where they sit, they can see the Sereni-Tree is heavily damaged. It was still in one piece, which was a small consolation but a lack of response didn’t bode well.

"Safe to the Tree. Come in please." Still no response.

"The landing bay is closed, see if you can find another docking area." Safe asks Citizen as he guides the ISSCV around the Tree.

"There, where the boarding vessel took off from, and airlock." Citizen says pointing to the spot.

Safe guides the ISSCV in. There is a slight bump and a hiss as he activates the docking clamp.

-

"So," Citizen started as they unbuckled and prepared to enter the Sereni-tree. "Quite a place, this ship of yours?"

"It, erm, has its moments." Safe replied slowly.

Citizen stared through the view port windows of the ISSCV at the wreck of the Tripoli for a second. "Really?" he replied.

"It's of interest to me how you know so much about combat operations." Safe said as they prepared to open the Airlock.

"Wasn't born a small time Monkey trainer with delusions of grandeur, Safe." Citizen replied, stepping into the opening Airlock chamber.

"I'm beginning to get that impression..." Safe starts, but movement towards the rear of the passenger compartment catches his eye, cutting his thoughts off.

Hand on his holstered gun, Safe peers around some crates.

A little girl, cowering in the corner, looks up at him. Fear showing plainly on her tear and blood streaked face.

Safe crouches down and slowly extends his good hand "Hey sweetie, I won't hurt you." he says softly Ghost looked at him carefully. Shadow had told her to stay hidden, but Shadow had been gone for soooo long. She wanted Shadow, She wanted to be out of this scary place, She wanted a pony, and she wanted Some food. So she did whatever any six-year-old would do in this situation, she began to cry...loudly.

Safe cringes back at the cry. "Hush hush now little one."

Safe calls over his shoulder "Bobbie-Sue, can you bring our little stow-away back here. I think I've found something that belongs to her." Shadow heard the captain’s announcement, her eyes widening as she realized what he must have found. Listening closer she heard the sound of her sister crying echoing through the ship. Ghost was scared, Ghost needed her. Still held in the arms of Bobbie she was scared, scared for herself, and scared for Ghost.

Bobbie looks pleadingly at Bride7.

Bride7 rolls her eyes in disgust. "Just because you got shot, you want me to wait on you hand and foot??"

Grumbling, Bride7 leads an apprehensive Shadow to the back.

Shadow stood up as Bride 7 began leading her to the back. The sounds of Ghost’s cries getting louder and louder. She was immediately assaulted as Ghost ran to her, wrapping her arms tightly around her older sister.

"This little one one of yours?" Safe asks Shadow, a grin on his face. "See if you can settle her down a mite, I'll be back in a minute"

"Hey!! I'm no gorram babysitter!!" Bride7 sputters as Safe joins Citizen in the airlock.

Shadow gently rubbed Ghost’s back as her sister continued to cry. “It’s ok Ghost, I’m here, don’t cry.”

As the young girls embraced each other, Needy looked on, feeling a sombre ache in his chest. Maybe it was the scars of his bullet wounds, but something told him it was more than that. He’d longed for a family. His own had not been the warmest household and he’d fled that home as soon as he could. These girls may have been lost but they had each other. If they had parents, they’d do what they could to get them home. But instinctively he knew, all they had was each other. Seeing Bobbie’s motherly affection for them warmed his heart.

Then, the warmth in his chest seemed to radiate all the more. This wasn’t emotion getting to him. The colour flushed from his skin and he clutched his chest He needed air, or water… he needed something. Pushing his way pass, he found the ship’s bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach into the bowl..

Shadow reached out for Bobbie’s hand, whilst holding onto her sister’s with her other. “It’s okay,” Bobbie reassured her, sensing the fear in the girl’s face. “He’ll be okay.” “I think,” she thought afterward.

Moments after, Needy returned. He still looked drained of colour in his face, but he collapsed in the seat, exhausted. Bobbie looked at him concerned and Needy simply nodded towards her, as if to say he’d be okay. Ghost meanwhile, looked up at the sister and the lady she was holding onto, and back towards the sick man. He looked sad. He looked how she felt. And she remembered how Shadow had made her feel better when she was sad. Gently she loosed her grip of her sister’s hand and made her way over to the young man, who was now resting his head back with his eyes shut. Approaching quietly, she wrapped her arms around his leg and hugged him tightly.

- -

Elsewhere, Citizen grunts as he pushes on the hatch. "Safe, everything is unlocked, but the door won't budge. It's like something is pushing on it from the other side." Shaking his head, he asks “Do they always welcome people this warmly?"

Safe smiles and tries the door himself. It was stuck.

After surviving Boros, Safe would have liked nothing more than just to go to his bunk and sleep the whole thing off. But he knew that for men like him, there never was any such thing as peace and quiet. He’d always gone from one battle to another.

"On three, we'll push together" Safe says, leaning into the door with his good shoulder, his left arm hanging useless at his side.

The crew of this ship had backed him up more times than he could count, including on Boros.

"One, two, three!" Both men push.

At first nothing happens, then the door slowly moves inward.

If they needed help now, he was there to give it.