I woke up and had a massive headache. “Owwww.” I tried to rub my forehead and couldn't. I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, and I couldn't do that, either. “Huh? What's going on? Where am I?”

I heard a scuff of feet as someone stood up. “What's the last thing you remember?”

“I... I was in the apartment and... and I read... EMARI!” I yelled and tried to detect the flow of Presence, then pain lanced through my head. “OWWW!”

“Yeah, don't do that.” The man said and opened the cell door. “You're still suffering from stun effects.”

“What stun effects?”

“In essence, it's a pulse of energy that disrupts the flow of energy in the brain.” The man said and touched my foot. “How's the pain?”

I looked down at my foot and saw that it was wrapped. “I don't...” I closed my eyes and thought back to what happened. “The guards attacked me, then threw a grenade.” I said and opened my eyes and looked at the man. “I was prepared for it to explode and would have contained it; but, there was a bright blast of light and...”

“You woke up here.” The man said, and I nodded. “You were hit with a dozen stun blasts and fell about twenty feet to the floor.” He said and pointed to my ankle and then my elbow. “You've been unconscious for almost two days.”

“Two...” I sighed. “She's long gone by now.”

“Yes, she is.” The man said. “The captain has had two days to figure everything out and we know what happened.”

“You had a temper tantrum.” A man's stern voice said from outside the cell, then he stepped into the opening. “A big, nasty, destructive hissy-fit that wrecked three floors of apartments.” He said. “The medics and rescue people were...”

“...not busy at all.” I finished his sentence and he squinted his eyes at me. “Before you keep lying and embarrassing yourself, I know the place was completely empty.”

“How do you...” The medic stopped and smiled. “You used Presence to scan the area.”

“I was looking for Emari.” I said.

“We know.” The captain said. “I also know that she's no longer on the planet.”

I took in a deep breath and let it out; but, it didn't help and I scowled. “Those rotten stinking bastards.”

“Yeah, they wanted to make sure it was a clean break between you and your guardian.” The captain said. “You certainly broke a lot of stuff; but, it wasn't clean by any stretch of the imagination.” He laughed at his own joke. Neither I nor the medic joined him. “Anyways, you caused some serious damage and...”

“Am I being charged with something?” I asked.

“Well, The Order...”

“Do I have to pay off the value of the damage?” I asked.

“Well, The Order...”

“You're saying that The Order is taking care of it and I don't have to worry about it, right?” I asked.

The captain sighed. “Let me at least finish...”

“Why am I still in a cell? Shouldn't I have been moved to the medical wing?” I asked.

“...one sentence.”

“Your injuries weren't deemed a medical emergency, so I decided that here was as good a place as any to let you recover.” The medic said.

“Why am I restrained?” I asked.

“In case you decided to repeat your performance.” The captain said sternly.

“I can't even meditate with the state my head is in right now.” I said and closed my eyes. “How long before the stun effects wear off?”

“They should have worn off yesterday.” The medic said. “When you didn't wake up, I had a med-bot scan you.”

“And?”

“Well, to say that you're a little messed up is an understatement.” The medic said. “Our mental expert Lashina said that your emotional state was borderline psychotic, so she compelled you to stay sleeping for another day to try and calm you down.” He said. “I didn't think the stun effects would stay around until you woke up, though.”

“That's just great.” I said. “Now I've got even more compulsions floating around in my head.”

“Don't sound so defeated.” The medic said. “I'm sure that...”

“Can she make me not feel so depressed?” I asked and looked at him. “If she could remove it, that would be great.” I said. “I want to keep my anger, though.”

“Keep your...”

“I hate The Order with a passion.” I said, and despite my brain's inability to focus Presence at the moment, I would have seen that my body glowed slightly if I could have used my mental technique to detect its flow. “They killed my parents, kidnapped me, gave me a caregiver to raise me for six years, and now they've taken her from me, too.”

There was a low sound of creaking metal and the captain stepped back into the hallway.

“They take and take and take.” I said angrily and something popped inside the bed I was on.

“Easy, now.” The medic said and tried to pat my arm. He couldn't touch it through the thick layer of Presence. “Remember what happened the last time.”

“Oh, I remember.” I said and looked at the captain, who had his laser pistol out of its holster. “Don't worry. I learned my lesson.”

The captain visibly relaxed as the Presence flowed away and holstered his weapon.

“Do you want me to call Lashina?” The medic asked, concern in his voice.

“Sure, why not?” I asked. “I'm sure there's more messing around in my head that she wants to do.”

The medic walked over to the door of my cell and leaned out into the hallway. “Lashina! He's awake and wants to see you!”

I lifted my head to get a better look at the expert that had decided I was borderline psychotic, and my mouth dropped open as a four foot tall pink-skinned pixie-like alien with long white hair skipped into my cell. She wore ornate robes, so I knew she was pretty high in The Order, and she stepped close to my bed.

“You have got to be kidding me.” I said, and she giggled like a little girl.

“You're funny, Ullir.” Lashina said.

“This isn't a joke?” I asked and looked at the medic.

“Can't you see my Presence?” Lashina asked, curiously.

I looked back at her. “Pain shoots through my head when I try to focus.”

“What?” Lashina blinked her eyes for a moment. “Why would... just a second.” She said and put her small hand on my forehead. My whole face tingled as she did whatever it was she was doing. “Oh, poop!”

I snorted a laugh at her cute attempt to curse. “What's the diagnosis, oh great pixie?”

“When I compelled you to sleep, it froze your body's state of Presence at the time... including the stun effects.” Lashina said. “Give me some time to try and clear it up.”

“Go ahead and have a seat if it's going to take a while.” I said.

“Oh! That's a good idea. Thank you.” Lashina said and flipped open her robes to show that she wore the same long sleeved tight t-shirt that everyone wore. She climbed up onto the bed in one smooth motion and straddled my chest, and I saw that she wasn't wearing the same pants as everyone else. She wore a skirt. A really, really short skirt.

My eyes widened as she sat down and the skirt practically disappeared. All I could see were a pair of tiny little panties and the inside of her pink thighs. Apparently, I was the only one getting the show, because her robes covered her and most of me from view.

“If you're wondering, I find that pants are too restrictive to my flow of movement.” Lashina said and put both of her hands on my forehead as she leaned over me. “Now be quiet while I work.”

I couldn't help but stare at her panties and was pretty sure that I couldn't speak right then, even if I wanted to. My whole head started to tingle and I managed to tear my gaze away from between her legs and looked up at her face. She had her eyes closed and she was mumbling something. I couldn't hear what she was saying, so my eyes drifted down to her chest. It was in proportion to the rest of her and I was surprisingly happy about that for some reason. My eyes drifted all the way back down and once again I stared at the space between her legs. Then I just... zoned out.

*

“He's repressing a lot of hostility.” Lashina said.

“It didn't look like he was repressing it too much.” The medic joked.

Lashina smiled. “The Order really messed up with this one.” She said and looked at the captain. “Can you tell me what happened without breaking protocol?”

“It was (Undecipherable)'s fault.” The captain said. “According to the records, he killed the boy's rogue parents.”

“Oh, that ass.” Lashina said. “I've tried to council him on how he abuses his authority too much.”

“I know I'm not supposed to question a member of The Order; but, should we be discussing this in front of the one we're talking about?” The captain asked.

“Don't worry. My specialized Pantie Hypnotism Technique worked like a charm.”

“Your w-w-what?” The captain blinked his eyes at her, and she laughed.

“I just gave him something to occupy his mind while I work my mental magic.” Lashina said. “I haven't met a boy yet that could resist my charms!”

“Oh... okay.” The captain said. “Well, after he was brought here...”

Lashina listened while she worked and started to clean out the mess the stun energy had made of Aaron's mind. One or two stun effects would have cleared up on their own; but, twelve different stun effects had created a kind of oscillating resonance inside of him and disrupted his flow of Presence.

No wonder he had extreme pain when he tried to concentrate! Lashina thought.

As she repaired the damage and used her flow of Presence to heal him, she discovered that he wasn't quite what she had thought he was, which made her smile.

He doesn't know what I really am, either. She thought in amusement and closed her eyes as she called more Presence to herself and let it fill her up, then she very carefully eased it into him. Unlike with everyone else she had tried it with, her Presence didn't push his Presence out. It flowed with it instead and they swirled together. She tried not to moan at the sensations the intermingled energy was letting her feel. With her energy so incorporated with his, her work to try and remove the stun effects was done in mere moments.

She didn't stop or wake him, though.

Lashina stayed there and shared her Presence with him for as long as the captain talked. He had found everything out, even how the boy preferred to be called by his family name and not by his given name. She absorbed all of the information and made sure to remember Aaron's entire tragic tale. Despite hearing it all, she had a deep desire to hear it from his own lips.

Easy, girl. He's only eleven. Lashina thought to herself, then felt a slight disturbance in the flow of Presence. He's not eleven? She asked herself and felt another disturbance. Hm. So he is and he isn't. She mused, felt no disruption, and smiled. “Okay, I think he's going to be fine.” She said out loud.

“How long will he be unconscious this time?” The medic asked.

“He's not unconscious.” Lashina said with a grin. “His mind is just ignoring all sensory input except visual.”

“Then how...”

“Like this.” Lashina said.

*

Suddenly there was a small pink hand in front of my face.

“IEEE!” Lashina squealed. “Don't stare at them!”

“Wh-what... what...” I blinked my eyes and looked up at her, and saw her deep blush. “I... I...”

“I hope you got a good look!” Lashina said and tried to pull her skirt down.

“I'm sorry!” I exclaimed. “I just... they're so pretty and... right in front of my face and...”

“You think they're pretty?” Lashina asked as her blush deepened and she stopped her fruitless efforts to cover herself. I stared up at her face and pointedly didn't try to look between her legs again.

“I think your work is done.” The captain said.

“Yes!” Lashina exclaimed and put her hands on my shoulders as she slid off to the side and stood up beside the bed. “Yes, I'm done.”

“That was fast.” I said, and she smiled at me.

“If you have any more problems, I want you to come and see me.” Lashina said.

“But...”

“My name is Lashina Oleneth and I'm in the database.” Lashina said, and then her hand reached out and caressed the side of my face. “Don't wait too long, okay?”

I widened my eyes at her. “Um... okay.”

Lashina giggled and walked out of my cell like nothing had happened.

“That was weird.” I said.

“How do you feel?” The medic asked.

I closed my eyes and let the flow of Presence go through me. I used the mental technique to detect the flow of Presence around me and was relieved that my brain didn't hurt. I opened my eyes and smiled slightly as I used Presence to pop open my restraints.

“I feel fine.” I said and used Presence to reinforce my ankle to strengthen it.

“Hold on, don't...” The captain sighed as I pushed the restraints off and sat up.

“Where do you think you're going?” The medic asked as I stood.

“Somewhere that's not here.” I said and walked to the cell door. “Apparently, I'm not a prisoner. Why would I stay here?”

“They haven't fixed your apartment yet.” The captain said as I walked by him.

“That was my...” I took a quick breath. “It's a guardian's living space. Not mine.”

Neither the captain nor the medic knew what to say in response.

I left the holding area and walked over to the reception area and stopped at the big holodisplay. I quickly found the living quarters and administration section and went up to the proper floor. I didn't knock or anything when I reached the right office and just walked right in.

“Oh! Hello.” The woman at the desk said. “Do you have an appointment?”

“I've been unconscious for 2 days from stun damage, ever since The Order took away my guardian.” I said frankly, and she stared at me with an open mouth. “I've graduated into my final year of training and wondered where my assigned living area is.”

The woman shook her head slightly to clear it, then smiled. “Name, please.”

“Ullir.” I said and waited. I could see and feel the flow of Presence quite a bit more than usual, and my range of detection was about a third greater than it had been before my temper tantrum. I wonder if it's because of what I did, or because that pixie Lashina fixed me?

“Here we are.” The woman said. “You've been assigned quarters in the C block of the barracks.”

“In the...” I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and gave her a pleading look. “Is there any chance that I can change it and have a normal place to sleep?”

“I...” The woman caught her breath when she saw my face. “Just... let me check, okay?”

“Thank you.” I said sincerely, and she gave me a warm smile and started quickly typing and checked the available listings for living quarters. As she searched, her smiling face slowly faded. When she reached the end of the listing, she sighed in regret.

“I'm sorry. There's been a huge relocation from the guardian's living area and we've had to squeeze everyone in where we could.”

“That was my fault.” I said, and her eyes widened. “Thanks, anyway.” I said and left before she had a chance to respond. So, they're putting me in the barracks. I thought. Who in their right minds puts an eleven year old kid in with military units? I chuckled and stepped into the lift to go down to the ground floor. Well, if I'm stuck living there, I might as well see if there's anything I can learn from them.

I left the building that I had lived in since I had arrived on the planet, walked across the square that Emari had carried me around for years and we had walked around together for years more, and I entered the barracks and stopped at the desk.

“C block.” I said.

The alien at the desk didn't say anything and pointed to the wall behind me. I didn't turn around and used the flow of Presence to look at the map and found the right area.

“Thanks.” I said and walked around the desk.

“Hey! You didn't look at the map!” The alien said to my back. “You don't know where to go!”

I didn't respond and went through a double set of doors and down a hallway, took a left and saw the large C on the wall plaque by another set of double doors. I went through them and it just looked like another hallway. I closed my eyes and focused on finding everyone within my detection range, then I read the names beside the doors with people in those rooms. I walked down the hallway and stopped at the door marked 'Officer of the Barracks' and knocked.

“Yeah.”

I chuckled and took that as permission to enter and opened the door. Inside was a humanoid alien with feathers for hair.

“What do you want, kid?”

“I've been assigned living quarters in C block.” I said. “Name's Ullir.”

“Huh.” The alien said and looked at his datapad. “Yeah, it says here that your temporary assignment is room G.” He smiled. “Good luck with that, Aaron.”

“My. Name. Is. Ullir.” I said.

He looked at me with angry eyes. “I'll call you whatever I like.”

“Only my guardian called me that.” I said with an evil smile. “Are you going to be my new nanny?”

The alien put his datapad down and stood up. “Now listen here...”

“No, YOU listen.” I said. “You will call me Ullir. That is my name. I am not a soldier. I am not under your command. You will give me the proper respect or you will regret it.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Yes.” I said, and his eyes widened. “What? Did you expect me to deny it or say no?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Well, I don't mince words and I don't pander to fools.” I said, to his surprise. “Have a good day.” I shut the door and walked down the hallway. The door to his office opened and he stepped out.

“Hey! I'm...”

“I don't care.” I said and opened the door to room G and saw the state it was in. “Goddamn Order assholes.” I stepped into the room that looked like it hadn't been cleaned... ever... and shut the door.