We left the ship with Jenna waving at everyone as we went, including the powered down guards I purchased previously. Walked the short distance to the tele pad. Jarlen punched in a code, and we walked out into an empty white room. That turned red the moment I stepped toward the doorway leading out. Turning to Jarlen, "What's going on?"

"Not sure, maintenance perhaps, he replied unfazed. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued out through the door. Soon his communication device chimed, and he answered. Henry, we are almost there. We just stepped off the tele pad."

"Get out, return to your ship. The president found out I was leaving on a trip. He decided I was selling secrets and put me under house arrest. He ordered the military to your shuttle bay, and the patrol is flying in from the station."

"Henry, calm down and pack your bags were on our way," I say into Jarlen's communicator. Activating my own, I make a call. "Sue, lock down the ship and activate our special dockhands. Don't let Gregory open fire on anyone. I would rather not make things worse, and it's not like they can get through the hull with the tech I've seen, anyway. At least not without risking the city."

"Okay, Jarlen, lead the way and don't stop for anything. Jenna, I need my hands," I say as I put her on my neck. "hold on to my head and wrap your legs tight we may run."

Noticing a chime on my communication, I see its Rachel. I hand Jenna my phone, "also, could you keep your Mom company for me?" (Yes, I'm calling it a phone even if it doesn't have all the earth versions' fancy apps.)

"Kay!" Jenna said, sounding excited. Grabbing the phone, she started telling her Mother everything happening and maybe a bit of exaggerating, seeing as we haven't seen an enemy, much less been dodging rifle blasts.

"Halt, stay where you are, and lay down on the ground."

"First, no, we did nothing wrong, we're just taking a friend out for a spin in my yacht. Two, why make us lie on the ground? You can see were unarmed at least let a man keep a little dignity." I say as we ran past the flustered police officer.

"Stop, or I will open fire."

Pausing, I turn to glare at him. "If anyone opens fire toward a child, they will be dead long before the shot leaves the barrel of the gun." During my declaration, I was slowly adding to the pressure on the man till he collapsed to his knees, shaking in fear. Spinning around, I catch up to the still running Jarlen in a single step. Making Jenna squeal in delight.

Running at full speed for Jarlen, we make it another hundred yards before another voice coming from a loudspeaker shouts at us to stop. This time coming from a disk hovering above the nearby house. Pointing a finger at it, I jam something important inside the humming motor and lowered the machine into the backyard behind the house.

"Cool, can you teach me that?" Jenna asks.

Reaching up, I rub my ear [Al, can you contact Sue?]

{I can. What would you like me to ask?}

[Have her run a system-wide scan for... ugh can't believe I am using this term, Super radiation emissions.] (Hey, I didn't name it the ding dong that found it did.)

{Understood.}

"Jarlen, how much further? There seems to be a lot more incoming?"

"We're here," he said as he dashed up a path to a door. The door swung open, letting me see Henry for the first time. I'll be honest, he doesn't look like a dwarf, more like a hobbit from Lord of the Rings. I suppose if you don't swing a hammer or pickaxe for years on end, a dwarf will be just as scrawny as anyone else; I mused.

"Mr. Collins, I presume," said a far more cultured voice than anyone else I have met so far. That includes the Prince, whom I am fairly sure is a flake.

"That's me," I hold out a hand and shake his, then a small arm pokes forward in my face.

"I'm Jenna. Nice to meet you, Mr. Henry."

After Henry graciously greets Jenna, he turns back to me, "why did you bring a child into a war-zone." then points behind me to the crowd of soldiers dropping from hovering platforms all the way back down the street.

"Oh, them, they're here to send us off." Reaching up, I pluck Jenna off and hand her to Henry "stay with Henry while I make a path and keep close. But not too close." Turning around, I smile at my audience, and for the first time in decades, I retract my aura entirely. (Well, not entirely, it is protecting my friends.) When I did, my feet sunk into the lawn a couple inches. Taking my first step back toward the street, the ground cracked for several feet around me.

My first step onto the street. Underground pipes began bursting all around, shooting water and gas into the sky. The closer I got to the crowd, the more fell down from the shaking beneath their feet. However, those following me never stumbled once. I seem to be idly walking to everyone else, but truthfully I am stomping down a fraction of an inch before my foot touches the ground.

An older man with a gold epaulet on his right shoulder, supported by two others, shouted. "What are you doing?"

Pointing at myself, "Who me, I am taking a stroll, surely there is no law against that, right?"

"No, but the destruction of public and private property is."

"You forgot the whole terrorist thing and helping a traitor escape or something along those lines," I say in a mocking tone. "Also, you can't blame me for your country's shotty infrastructure."

Then, I assume the commander of this group turned beet red at my remark. "Fire!"

"I warned you what would happen," I state in an icy voice, all levity gone from my eyes.

Turning around at the silence, the commander falls to his knees as he see's every soldier that touched their trigger lying in a pool of blood. "How?" Was his last word before everything went dark.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" I heard behind me. Pushing out some power, all the bodies and blood sunk into the ground, and I kinked the broken gas lines while I was at it. Only six soldiers remained, having dropped their weapons and place hands on heads.

"Why didn't you shoot that was a direct order from your superiors?" I ask.

One stammered out, "Sir, we got orders to stand down before you arrived on this block. A direct order from the General who leads the team sent to your ship."

"Jenna, you can open your eyes now," I say before returning to the soldiers. "I will speak to your general when we get back then, have the tele pad turned back on, please."

The soldier saluted, probably out of habit. "Yes, sir, right away; please follow me."

"Where did all the bad guys go?" Jenna asked as she flung herself around my neck, kicking off a startled Henry.

Henry seemed distracted, muttering about calculations while eyeing me up and down. I left him alone. Looking to Jarlen, I catch a calculating gleam in his eye, but it vanished in a flash. He bears watching I'll have Sue monitor him.

As we walk toward the tele pad room. A crowd forms in the street as the locals discuss the destruction and our small party. Jenna happily waves at the crowd as we move along, making me smile. "Jenna, How Old Are You?"

"I'm five," she says and splays five fingers in my face.

"Wow, no wonder you're so big," I say in mock seriousness. She just nods along, although she is perfectly serious. It's strange to think of her as five when she barely reaches two feet standing on the tips of her toes.

We teleported back to shuttle bay nine with no more surprises. Walking up to the ship, ignoring the man trying to get my attention, I send a message to open up. When the door opens, fifteen guard bots march out, holding their weapons ready. But not facing anybody, but I still see the soldiers tense up.

Following right behind, Rachel looked like she wanted to tear the soldiers apart with her bare hands but only grabs up her daughter and rushed back inside. All the while, I could hear Jenna excitedly describing her adventure.

A clearing throat behind me let me know that the General was getting irritated. Young people today, no patience. Turning to the man, "what can I do for you, General? Actually, first thanks for calling off the troops, and no need to thank me for taking out the trash."

The General only raised an eyebrow then held out his hand names "Thomas Blackstone, and I'm guessing by your ship you ain't from around here." With a sneer forming on his wrinkled face, he adds. "The President sends his apologies and would like to invite you to a meal at the Mansion."

Taking his proffered hand, "I'm Slate Collins, Captain of The Confiance. Tell your President I would prefer to deal with you. Politics arent my thing." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jarlen trying to listen in. "Well, General, why don't we talk in my office I can show you around my humble abode."

[Hey Al, have Sue set me up an office real quick.]

{Sue reports you do have an office. It is the other door off the bridge. She would also like to know if you would like to take a tour yourself.}

[Are you sure I couldn't interest you in a new personality? Your voice makes me think of a floating orb.]

Walking up the ramp, we walk straight into the elevator. I had Sue rearrange things so no one can tell at a glance the bigger on the inside aspect of my 'Yacht'. Taking the elevator up to the bridge, I nod at Charily, sitting at his station, watching what I assume are words scrolling across. Or maybe he is playing a video game. Who knows.

Thomas scanned around the room, and I could see the tension in his shoulders relax. I suppose this looks very little like a warship bridge. I wouldn't know I have only seen them on T.V.

Opening the door to my apparent office, I narrow my eyes when I see the desk from my bedroom, sitting inside, my journal on top. Thomas walked straight for the chair in front of the desk, sitting down with a sigh. Sitting down myself in my seat, "Busy day, I take it?"

Thomas waves me off "you'll understand if you make it to my age, young man."

Chuckling, I lean back, "I will turn three hundred and one soon."

Blinking in surprise, Thomas says with a slight cough, "I meant in relative terms."

Grinning, "the average life span of my race is between sixty to eighty years depending on location and career."

"Fine, you probably won't ever understand what aging is like," Thomas complained.

Shaking off old memories, I decide it's not worth the effort to explain why I understand. Probably far more than he himself does.