Owen

I paired off with Esther to spar. It wasn't on purpose, but Shel ended up with Minmin again and Vai with Lieutenant Tanpo. It was the same as when we were planetside.

"Is Vai going to be okay to spar?" Esther whispered to me as we made our way to an empty spot in the living room.

"Of course, my friend," I said. "His dad wouldn't allow him here if he didn't think he could handle it."

"That's true," she said. A shield of pink light enveloped her. "Shall we start."

I didn't answer, but I tried to rush her and grapple her. She jumped, using the light to enhance her maneuvering, bent forward and placed her hand on my shoulders and bounced off to land gently on her feet behind me. If I had been as tall as Vai, that move would have been impossible in such tight quarters. She would have smashed into the ceiling. But I was nowhere near Vai's height.

And there was something else that I tried to ignore, but as time passed it was harder and harder to ignore. I was improving in my fighting skills, but I hadn't been trained by a Jo-Dinun like Shel. I didn't have the natural agility and jump ability that Minmin had - and I was sure she had been trained as well in the Starwatcher's natural martial arts, but she had never discussed it. Vai had been boxing for awhile. Esther had been trained by the old Awakened One before she ever left the Lion of Judah Research Station.

I didn't have any of their skills. I was good at making deals. I was good at smuggling. I was good at lying. I missed my chocolate. None of these things helped me against the Corruption.

I had practiced a bit with Vai before we met Esther and knew about the light and the Corruption, but I was sure he had gone easy on me before.

I glanced at him. He was in his boxing stance, fists up, his feet bounced lightly. He blocked Lieutenant Tanpo's fist. He tried to punch her, but she sidestepped. Vai immediately punched with his other fist. Tanpo couldn't sidestep fast enough, but she did manage to block it. She tried to knee him, but he blocked that with a fist and stepped back. Warpaint watched them. To my disappointment, the mechatronic never once looked in my direction. He truly was programmed to only care for Vai. I wanted my own mechatronic. Maybe I had enough in my savings for one. I should look into it.

El watched us all from a distance. Evaluating our moves.

My shirt tugged behind at the neck as Esther grabbed me and dragged me to the floor. Her face was suddenly above mine.

"Pay attention," she said.

"I'll pay attention to you anytime, friend," I said.

Her smile was partially crooked. "Prove it," she said. She extended a hand to help me back to my feet.

I took it and let the warmth spread down my arm as I stood up. Minmin flew passed us. She landed on her feet and with a scowl on her furry face rushed back to Shel. She jumped high and tried to kick directly at his face, but he blocked it by forming an x in front of his face with his arms.

Esther's long finger touched my forehead. "Pay attention to me," she said.

"Got it," I said. I remembered what the Awakened One said about sparring with our shields up and as I looked around, I realized I was the only one who didn't have his up. Well, except Vai. We had been warned he probably wouldn't have his light. I couldn't fathom why he wouldn't.

From then on, my focus was only on Esther. She mostly attacked and I mostly blocked, or tried to. There were some fists and feet that got through, but my light shield blocked what I missed so I wasn't hurt. I did get a few kicks in, but she always blocked those. Everything was a period of learning even if I wasn't as good as the others. I didn't need to necessarily beat them. I only needed to beat the Corruption and those that had the Corruption inside them.

The fire came to my fingertips just as Esther's fist came at my face. I caught her wrist and my fire burned at her shield.

There was a loud bang from within the room and the floor vibrated slightly.

"Easy, Vai," El said.

I couldn't help but look, but so did Esther so I didn't need to worry about her throwing me to the floor again. Vai had Lieutenant Tanpo planted face first on the floor. His hand was still on the back of her head. Warpaint only moved to stand next to Vai when he saw that El was making her way over to them.

El grabbed the back of Vai's wrist, but his arm didn't budge. "Let her up, Vai," El said.

Vai looked at her a moment. His eyes seemed blank. I didn't understand. Then he blinked and removed his hand.

Tanpo sat up. Red blood dripped from her nose. She dabbed at it with a finger and sighed. It was more a sigh of frustration that she let Vai get the better of her than anything else.

Minmin rushed to the Lieutenant's side and helped her up. "Are you all right? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"It's all right." Tanpo dismissed it easily. "It's just a bloody nose. It's not the first time." She looked at Vai. "You've been holding out in our past sparring matches."

He paused. "I guess I have," he said.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're not anymore. Don't hold back."

"Let's stop for the day," El said. "We can do more tomorrow." She put a hand on Vai's shoulder and guided him to the door. "Don't push yourself too far too fast."

Vai nodded and walked out the door with Warpaint at his side.

"Wait up, friend," I said. "I'll go with you."

I waved to the others and scrambled to catch up to Vai, but as the door slid shut behind me I heard Tanpo say, "He's stronger than I thought to not only get by me, but my shield too."

I didn't think Vai heard, but if he did, he pretended he didn't.

"You've been holding back this entire time you've sparred?" I asked. "I knew you were holding back with me, but I thought you were serious with the others."

"I thought I was too," Vai said, "but I guess I wasn't. I guess being almost dead changed my outlook."

I nodded. "I'm glad you're not dead, friend. I don't think I could have coped with that."

"Haven't you lost anyone dear to you before?" Vai asked. The three of us made it to the elevators. We waited for one of the elevator doors to open.

"No," I said. "You and the others are the closest friends I've ever had. I usually only meet people if they can help me with my own plans."

"Have K'thaktra always been on the Shadow?"

"What?" That seemed like an odd turn to the conversation. Vai wasn't looking towards the elevators, but down the right corridor. I turned my head to see what he was looking at. A tall, red K'thaktra entered one of the quarters.

"Yes," I said. "There have always been K'thaktra on the Shadow. Why wouldn't there be? They are part of the Gathering."

The elevator door opened and we stepped inside. "I just never noticed them before," Vai said.

"Well, they've been here. Since that one is on the same level as Shel and Minmin though, I'd assume he came here from the Armstar or Fallfrost."

"But there are others that have been here on the Shadow all along?" Vai asked. I nodded.

The elevator doors opened and we stepped out on our level.

"I guess I knew that," Vai said, "It just didn't dawn on me before."

"It's not really a big deal," I said. "They've been part of the Gathering long before you or I were born."

Vai laughed. It was a strange laugh like it was filled with pain and irony.

"What?" I asked.

Vai shook his head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. Were any of the K'thaktra on the list El sent us of the Corruption?"

"No," I said.

"But she didn't know everyone on the Shadow who had the Corruption in them did she?"

"No," I said, "but Vai, your father doesn't want you to deal with the Corruption anymore. And hey, normally I'd say forget what your dad wants, but you don't have your light right now do you?"

Vai shook his head. "It's so frustrating. I can't call on it no matter how much I try. Not that I knew what it did anyway. It was worthless."

"I don't think it was worthless, friend," I said. "I think it was just waiting for a big entrance."

"Don't be silly," Vai said, but I wasn't trying to be silly. "It doesn't matter. It's gone. I'll see you later." He turned and walked down the corridor towards his quarters. Warpaint followed him. I stared after them as a sense of unease began to form in my stomach. Warpaint turned to look at me and waved me to go to my quarters.

I nodded and turned away from them. I walked slowly down the corridor. I couldn't figure out why Vai was suddenly so interested in the K'thaktra on the Shadow.