Vai

I ran. We all ran. The Brist back at the transport was hopping on his little feet and gesturing wildly at us. He didn't wait, but got on the transport. It started up with a low rumble. Minmin outpaced the rest of us and arrived at the transport first. She didn't waste any time getting onboard.

Shel arrived next, but he didn't board until after Rebecca and Hani were onboard. Teacher Miller boarded right after him. Owen reached the transport at the same time I did. He scrambled on first.

The first Slpsis ran behind me. The wind of it's passing brushed my back.

"Hurry, sir," Warpaint didn't wait for an answer. He pushed me in the back and I fell forward into the transport. He lifted me from behind just as the transport doors closed behind us. I sat. The Brist turned the transport around. It was too slow. Agonizingly slow.

Warpaint said something in a language I didn't understand, but the Brist driver looked over his shoulder with a scowl on his face. Warpaint waved his hand forward and said the same thing again. I didn't know Warpaint could speak Brist. Maybe that was a feature my father had added last night.

Slpsis ran all around us. Too close. One brushed up against the side I was on. The transport rocked to the opposite side where another Slpsis ran into it. The air outside the transport looked even more yellow as the Slpsis stampede caused the dirt to rise in the air.

Warpaint shouted something this time at the Brist. A Slpsis rammed into the back of the transport. It suddenly lurched forward. Warpaint threw an arm out in front of me so I didn't bang into the seat in front of me.

The others weren't so lucky. Owen and Rebecca fell from their seats. Minmin almost fell, but regained her balance quickly. Teacher Miller held Hani back so Hani didn't fall forward. Shel put both hands out to the seat in front of him. Once he composed himself, he helped Owen back in his seat. Rebecca scrambled back into her seat next to Hani. The distance that was between them before the trip was nonexistent now as they held onto each other.

More Slpsis banged into the sides of the transport. One banged into the side right next to me. The side of the transport dented inwards. The Slpsis outside slid, but didn't lose its footing as it continued on its way.

It almost seemed like the transport wasn't moving. It was, but the Slpsis were faster. The matriarch banged into the other side of the transport. That side lifted slightly. My body automatically leaned that way in an effort to put it down. Something black banged into that side.

The transport crashed on its other side. I banged into it as the momentum carried me into the fallen side. Minmin hadn't been in the seats behind me originally, but with the tilted transport, she was suddenly there - crashed into its side like I was. Rebecca, Hani and Teacher Miller all tumbled towards her from the opposite side. Minmin braced herself and caught the heap that was Rebecca and Hani. Teacher Miller fell into them, but it didn't budge Minmin. She helped them get sorted out.

Starwatchers were stronger than they looked. Noted. I had always heard they were, but had never seen it myself.

It didn't occur to me until then that I should also have people - and a mechatronic - tumbling on top of me. Warpaint had braced himself. He hadn't moved except to turn his upper body so he could catch Owen in his oversized right arm and Shel with his two arms on the left.

My side, back, shoulder and neck tightened and hurt where I had banged into the side of the transport. I stood up on the grounded side. Minmin helped Rebecca and Hani to stand. Minmin didn't seem hurt, but Rebecca held her head and Hani held her arm. Teacher Miller stood up slower and favored her left side.

"Now what?" Owen asked.

The Brist driver stood slowly. He cocked his head to the side as he looked at the turned control panel. That was when something black and massive jumped onto the door that was now pointed at the sky.

We all went quiet. The Brist driver froze as he looked up at the large creature. The creature made a loud sound as it stared down at the Brist. It wasn't a roar. More like the caw of a crow, but extremely loud. Hani let go of her arm and covered her ears. Minmin covered her floppy ears too. More black masses ran passed the transport in pursuit of the Slpsis. The one on top of the transport didn't move to follow.

There was a bang as a second black creature hopped onto the downed transport. Warpaint moved. He guided Owen and Shel behind him and in my arms. I helped each of them stand on the side of the transport. There was more head room with the transport on its side than when it had been upright. I didn't have to duck to not hit the ceiling. There was a good gap between my head and the side of the transport which was now the ceiling.

The first creature lifted its front paw and smashed it into the transport door. The door splintered as the creature's paw came through. Warpaint moved towards it.

"You mustn't hurt it," Teacher Miller said. She stretched a hand out towards Warpaint as if that would stop him.

"Are you crazy?" Rebecca asked. "If it gets in here, it will kill us."

Minmin moved with ease around Rebecca and Hani. "I'll protect you," she said.

Rebecca and Hani exchanged a look clearly doubting the little Starwatcher.

"It could eat you with one bite," Hani said.

"Only if it can catch me," Minmin said. She had a crooked smile that meshed strangely with her cream colored fur.

The creature smashed its paw into the door again causing a bigger hole. It put its snout in and sniffed. The Brist folded himself into a ball between his chair and the side of the transport that was on the ground.

"Warpaint," my father's voice said, "nothing can happen to my son."

"Understood, sir." He moved to stand underneath the door, near the Brist.

The Brist looked up at him from his curled ball and said something I didn't understand, but Warpaint ignored him.

He reached out with his oversized right arm towards the creature.

"No!" Teacher Miller said. "We must retain our diplomatic ties with the Brist. We can't do anything to offend them."

"I don't think saving one of them will offend them," Shel said.

"We mustn't risk it. Lieutenant Commander, you know the Gathering is in talks with the Brist finally joining us. Upsetting them will destroy all of that."

"That is confidential information, Ms Miller. Information that definitely should not be given to children. Continue, Warpaint."

Children. I hated that.

The second black creature smashed his paw into the upturned side of the transport - directly above us. He withdrew it and put his red eye close to the hole he had just made.

The red on Warpaint began to spread over his white metallic shell. I hadn't seen that happen before. He looked - terrifying - like he was covered in the blood of the enemy.

Teacher Miller turned to me. "Please, Vai. Your father is only worried about protecting you. Instruct your mechatronic to only shield us, not to attack. Please."

I wasn't sure Warpaint could or would protect the rest of them, but she was right. Especially if the Brist were in talks with the Gathering. "Warpaint," I said. "I need you to shield us."

Light had begun to form on Warpaint's outstretched hand, but he paused and looked at me.

"He's right, sir," Warpaint said. "My first priority is to protect him from danger. Not engage in battle."

"Warpaint," my father said. The first creature smashed a bigger hole into the door - one large enough to squeeze through. The second creature tore at the hole above me with its large claws tearing back the sides of the transport. It exposed all of us. "Aether shield."

Warpaint's chestplate opened. The air around us shifted. The smell changed from dust and mint to metals and minerals and space. Both creatures came through. I raised my fists and readied my legs as if I were going to spar with Thrissko as the creature above me dropped down. It landed in the air on top of me. It pawed at the invisible shield, but it's claws couldn't get through this. I had assumed the creatures were black because of fur, but that wasn't the case. Now that I saw one up close - much closer than I wanted - I could see they were hairless like the Slpsis. Their skin folded and had the same wet sheen that the Slpsis did.

I hadn't realized my father had installed an aether field in Warpaint. I hadn't even realized it was possible to install something like that in something smaller than a G.E.V.

"Shel," Owen said, "what's wrong?"

I grudgingly tore my eyes away from the black creature above me to look at Owen and Shel. Shel held his left ear.

"The ear studs are vibrating," he said.

"I'll help you take them out," Owen said. He reached up as Shel bent down towards him.

"No!" my father's voice said. "Don't take those out. You must never take them out."

Owen and Shel looked at Warpaint in disbelief, but Owen's hands dropped back to his side and Shel stood up straight.

"Now what?" Rebecca asked. We all turned to look at the two creatures pacing above us in the air.

Yes. Now what.

A G.E.F. shuttle flew passed the top - once the side - of the shuttle. The black creatures looked up. A second shuttle flew passed - lower than the first one had. A third shuttle flew over. The black creatures crawled out of the hole the second one had made. A fourth shuttle flew just over their heads. One of the creatures tried to swipe it with its paw, but it missed. They jumped off the transport and followed the shuttles as they wove in and out above the the creatures clearly drawing them away.

A shuttle flew high and away from the rest of them. It drew closer to the transport and hovered above the hole. The shuttle door opened and Lieutenant Tanpo let down the ladder. It landed on the aether shield. "Hurry up," she said.

Warpaint's chestplate closed. The air changed again and the smell returned to dust and mint. The red that had spread over Warpaint went back into lines so he was mostly white again. Warpaint grabbed the Brist that was still curled up in a ball. When the Brist realized that there was a ladder in front of him, he quickly scrambled up it.

Rebecca and Hani went next. I was worried about Hani's arm, but she climbed up the ladder okay. Owen and Minmin went next.

"Go ahead," Teacher Miller said to me and Shel. "Quickly."

Shel and I exchanged a glance. Shel touched his ear again. "The vibrations stopped when the aether shield was dropped. Do you know what it means? Does your father?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

"Now is not the time," Teacher Miller said. She grabbed Shel's arm and urged him forward. He scrambled up the ladder.

I followed and Warpaint followed me. Teacher Miller came up last.

Lieutenant Tanpo pulled in the ladder and closed the door. "Strap in. We're going to the Shadow."

Teacher Miller shifted in her seat. "Not all of us are from the Shadow. We need to get back to our own ships."

"Orders are orders," Lieutenant Tanpo said as she sat in the pilot's seat. The shuttle lifted upwards.

"Whose orders?" Teacher Miller demanded.

"Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa of course," Lieutenant Tanpo said easily.

"He doesn't have the authority," Teacher Miller said.

Lieutenant Tanpo gave a look to Teacher Miller. I wasn't sure what it meant, but Teacher Miller sat back in her seat. Her eyes shifted away from us. She bit her bottom lip, but didn't say anymore.