Hi, you probably saw that I didn't post anything for some time. I would like to tell that it would change, but in truth I don't have much time right now. I'll probably take some time off to finish all the things I need for the school.

I want to tell you right now that I plan to continue with this story and I have planned other stories so in future if time lets me I'll post them here too.

Last thing I would like to know is what do you thing about this second book compared to first. I'm not completely sure with all my decision and because of it I would like to know your option of it. There is till possibility that I could rewrite it.

Thanks for reading and I hope I'll see you soon.

Yours Anarin

ps: I have prepared small epilogue that I will post in couple of days.

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Our hop through the wormhole to Qunar was quick as they placed the station only couple of hours from Qunar. I wanted to talk to Eleanora on my way, but she told me she needed some time and that we’ll talk more later. For now she would like to stay with me by which she meant to stay in my body.

I didn’t see any problem with it, so I agreed. I introduced her to Lany and Strike, but she just peaked through my eyes and told me to say hi. I tried to rouse her, but she was content with just staying near me and as far as I could tell doing nothing.

That was a little troublesome as most AI can’t stand doing nothing. Whatever happened to her had to change her fundamentally and I feared as what it meant for her wellbeing in long term.

I decided to give her some time and if she won’t be getting better I’ll have to think something up. This brought me to my second problem, Strike.

As we emerged from the wormhole near the Qunar I looked from the pilot seat at her. She was standing behind the weapon station and looking through the options there.

I had to think up what to do with her now. She helped Lany and didn’t betray her when she could, but she was still unknown for me. As I was looking at her she lifted her head and looked back at me.

“We should talk.” Said Strike and I saw Lany turning to us from the navigation station.

“Yes we should. We still have about two hours before we get near the Qunar so now can be as good time as any.” I said and stood up. “We should go to lounge. It’ll be more comfortable to talk there.”

“What about me?” asked Lany.

“You can either stay here or come with us. It’s your decision.” I said and looked at her expectantly.

She looked thoughtful. “I think I’ll come with you. I was with her longer so I can help you with your decision.”

I nodded in approval. I wanted to from her to make her own decision, not waiting for me to give her instructions. She’ll need to make her own decision when she’ll take her own command. She needed to start thinking on her own if she is to make decent a captain one day.

We went to lounge and sat behind table. “So first I would like to ask you what do you plan to do from now on?” I said to Strike.

“Before this adventure I said that I would like you to give me a lift to another planet.” She said and I could see her forehead creasing with wrinkles as she was thinking hard. In the end she started to say slowly. “But I changed my decision. I don’t want lift from you.” I looked confused at her and when I looked at Lany, I saw understanding at her eyes and she was obviously happy with her decision.

“I would like to join your crew. I heard you saying that you are Paladin. I don’t know if I’m right material but I would like to serve under you. I like challenge and I think I will get it with you.” She looked up hopefully at me.

Before I could say anything she hurried and continued. “I know that I don’t look like I would be willing to sacrifice myself for others and in truth I’m not sure I would. Only thing that I know is that I want something more than being simple guard or assassin. I want to do something important and I know that if I stay with you I will be able to do so.”

I stood up and walked around. That wasn’t easy decision and she told me that she didn’t have it in her to sacrifice for others. That was one of the biggest condition for joining the Paladins. On the other hand there weren’t that many Paladins left. I and Eleanor could easily be one of the last ones.

“I would like to join Paladins too.” Said Lany and I whirled and looked at her.

“Why do you want to join the Paladins?” I said before I could think.

“I saw what you did and at first I didn’t agree with you. That changed when I saw what some of the people are capable of doing. I don’t think I can stay sideways and let that happen.” She said looking resolutely at me.

“You should take them on. We need new blood in our mids and I think they are capable enough to help. They made their decision when they came for you.” Said Eleanor in my head.

I sighed. “I don’t know if I can protect them. I’m going to bring too much danger to them. I think Strike can take it, but I’m not so sure about Lany.”

“Then train her. She is your apprentice as I heard. That means that you can teach her everything she needs for surviving in this world.” Said Eleanor.

I stopped pacing around and thought about what Eleanor told me. She was right I could teach her more than engineering. I could teach her how to fight and other things I learned in my life. I chuckled at the thought. “At both of them.” I murmured.

“Ok, I’ll take them on, but I would like your help in training them.” I said and though it was great opportunity to get her out little more.

She was silent for a while and I could see Lany and Strike looking at me funny. “Ok, I’ll do it.” Said Eleanor finally.

I turned to Lany and Strike. “I decided to take you on as Paladin Initiates. You would first need to go through the training before you would be full Paladins, but in a mean time you are part of this crew.” I said.

Lany jumped from her seat and hugged me. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I’ll put you through your paces before you’ll be full Paladin.” I said.

Strike too stood and come before me. I extended my hand which she shook as soon as Lany disengaged from me. “Welcome aboard.” I said.

“Now Eleanor if you could upgrade their privileges.” I said.

“Can you come with me?” she asked silently. I sighed, evidently not everything changed.

“Ok, I’ll go with you.” I said softly to her and together we changed their privileges.

“Just now you were talking with Eleanor.” Said Lany as soon as we came back.

“Yes, we were changing your privileges. How do you know?” I asked curious about how I looked like when talking with Eleanor.

“You got this distracted look on your face every time you talk to her.” She said.

“Also when you go into the ship like now your eyes lost their focus. It’s like no one is home.” Said Strike and looked more closely at me. “I saw it before, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

“I’ll have to do something about it because I sometimes forget to look out when I’m talking with Eleanor.” I said.

“I’ll tell you when you’ll start and we’ll do something about it.” Said Eleanor.

“Good, I wouldn’t want to lose focus on battlefield.” I said and took care to stay tuned to what happened around me.

“Now that we have all these out of the way we can finish preparation for returning to Shatar. I sent you both messages with your new privileges so you can go and study them. I still need to take care of something on Qunar.” I said.

● ● ●

Two hours later I landed on the same landing pad as before. I was lucky for it to be free as there ships constantly landing around. I paid only for one day as it should be enough to get all the work done.

I left Lany and Strike on ship as Lany wanted to try all new things that were available to her while Strike didn’t want to go out because she feared retaliation from her former clansmen. They asked me if it was safe to go out and I told them it was fine. I was only going to visit friend here and make good on my promise to him.

As always, at first I was blinded by the lights from all the commercials and billboards. I walked downstairs to the street and headed for the Rotten teeth pub. It was best place to start looking for Swiftfin and his comrades.

I wanted to make their weapons. I promised him that I would make them and even though he didn’t deliver his message. In the end I got it from Strike, but I felt obligated to give him something in return for all the trouble. He was dragged into this bad piece of business only because of me.

On my way I felt Eleanor looking through my eyes and taking all around us. She felt much more stable and calm then before and I hoped that meant she was slowly getting better.

Now that I know the way, I get there quickly and I was greeted by familiar stench of the place. I could see Rottenteeth standing behind the bar tending to his glasses. I looked around and I found Swiftfin siting in the corner of the room with three other Sharkmen.

I saw everyone look up when they saw me enter the room, but their reaction were varied. Rottenteeth frowned when he saw me, but continued to clean the glasses. Couple of the Sharkmen looked pissed at me while others look intrigued.

Swiftfin looked up at me and smiled. His comrades looked at him and back at me and frowned.

I went towards them and pulled one chair from the neighbor table. I looked at his companions and I saw them study me back. I couldn’t tell them apart as most of the Sharkmen looked similar to me. I’ll have to let Eleanor identified for me.

As soon as I thought about it I saw that each of the Sharkmen held his name over the head. Of course the Sharkmen I didn’t know were named just Sharkman1 and so on.

“Welcome Leya. I thought I wouldn’t see you anymore. With the bounty and all.” He said.

I looked confused at him. “What bounty? I didn’t hear anything.”

“There is a bounty placed on your head. It’s doubled if someone can bring you alive.” He said and chuckled. “I would like to see someone try. Everyone knows that you went to some Baron installation and returned unharmed.”

“It wasn’t easy, but I managed to escape with help of friends and even slow down his plans. But you didn’t introduced me your friends.” I said and smiled at others.

“Oh, sorry about that. I almost forgot about them.” He said and pointed at the first Shark. “This is Fastswimmer and next to him is his brother Saltwater. Our last member is called Hungryhunter because he likes to eat a lot.”

I introduced myself to them, but they already knew who I was.

“What about our weapons. You promised us that you would make us some.” Said Hungryhunter arrogantly.

I turned towards him and frowned. “I promised and I plan to deliver them. I just need materials to make them.”

“You should have already made them. You endangered my friend and because of you he almost died.” He started to rise his voice. “You promised to make us weapons and then you fly somewhere for almost a week and now you return back without weapons and you even asks materials form us?”

“Shut up!” shouted Swiftfin at him and glared at other members of his team. “She saved my life while going into the trap made by Lotus clan member. Would you go there if you knew it was trap?” he said and looked at Hungryhunter.

Before any of them could continue he said. “She wants to help us and I told her that weapons would be exchanged for the information and materials. I didn’t deliver the information, but she is still willing to trade with us. You should thank her for making them and not accuse her as soon as she come here.”

Swiftfin went for some time and I could see his comrades looking at the ground in a shame. At the end he was breathing heavily.

“It’s ok. Just deliver the materials and your preferences. I’ll try to make something useful.” I said and stood up.

“You don’t have to go. Don’t mind them. They’re just pissed that we missed our flight. We already booked another so it’s no problem.” Said Swiftfin.

“Really? Where did you wanted to go?”

“We heard that they are hiring mercenaries on planet Shatar. There was some sort of coup and they are looking for soldiers to help them.” Said Fastswimmer.

I gasped when I heard them talking about Shatar. “Who is hiring the soldiers? Do you know his name?”

“No, we only know that he used to be Mayor there and that some terrorists took over the city with spaceport. We’re going there and we’ll help them get their city back.” Said Swiftfin.

“You can’t help Mayor. He’s the one who probably tried to take over the city.” I said.

“How would you know? You weren’t even there.” Said Hungryhunter.

“I was there.” I said and told them about what happened in Shatar while I was there. At first they didn’t want to believe me that someone would so something like that, but as I presented more and more they had to back down and come to conclusion that it wasn’t coincidence.

“So what do you plan to do?” I asked.

“We’re probably going to look for work on another planet. This job would leave rotten taste in our mouth.” Said Swiftfin and looked at others who nodded.

“Ok, thanks. Come to my ship and I’ll make you the weapons.” I said.

“We’re going to our place for materials and after that we’ll go to your ship right away.” Said Switftfin.

“Ok, I’ll be expecting you.” I said and went back to my ship.

● ● ●

In about hour all four of them came to my ship with enough materials to make about twenty weapons. I called Lany and we started to work on weapons. At first they argued that they were promised work by master craftsman, but when they saw Lany working they shut up.

I made laser rifle for Swiftfin. It was similar to my, but with worse components it came out little weaker. Still it was better than most rifles out there.

Next weapon I made for Slatwater who was silent till now, but as soon as I started to work on his weapon, he opened up. He gave me tips for pistol grip and other small adjustment that should help him handle it.

I made him plasma pistol with adjustable output. He looked like someone who would know what to do with it. Other two weapons were made by Lany who made plasma shotgun for Hungryhunter and laser sniper rifle for Fastswimmer.

I inspected them and they were good. I just made small adjustment that would come to Lany with experience. There were still a lot of materials, but Swiftfin told me that I could do with it what I want.

I thanked him and we bade our farewell. Even Hungryhunter was nice at the end. He stroked his plasma shotgun while oblivious to anything around him.

As soon as they left, I told others what I found out from Swiftfin. I and Lany looked at each other and we both new were our next destination will be. We turned to Strike.

“What are you looking at? I know we’ll be going for Shatar so don’t waste time with questions.”

Lany beamed at her and we went to bridge. I let Lany lift the ship and point her to wormhole for Shatar. In about two hours we were on our way and I hoped we won’t be late.