Flight of the Destiny

Part 1

Kyle and Terry sat down on the floor of the holding cell on board the Destiny. Their newest shipmate looked down at them. Both boys knew the sound of trouble when they heard it, and obviously this boy had seen his share. They got comfortable and then looked up at the amazing golden eyes that were watching them.

"O.K.," said Kyle, "we understand that you're on the run from something, and I promise you we will do everything in our power to make sure you're safe, you don't have to be afraid anymore, but we do want to know what you're running from. I know we just met, but we promise, you can trust us. We need to know your story." Terry nodded his agreement.

The little silver boy looked them over and seemed to look through them, Kyle felt as if his brain was being looked through, he tried to fight it at first, but realized that the only way to earn this boy's trust was to give his first, so he tried to relax. He felt a tickle in his mind, as his thoughts and memories were gone through, all of his most precious memories were laid bare to this boy he barely knew. At last it was done and the probing stopped. He looked over at Terry and watched as the same thing happened to him. That initial attempt to fight the intruder, and then he saw him relax and give Odey access to his mind.

Kyle looked up at Odey and saw a far off look in his golden eyes, as if he wasn't in the room with them, but somewhere else entirely. The small silver boy looked loose and relaxed, as if no one was there in that body. The fingers in Terry's mind stopped, and suddenly there was life again in the little silver boy. A smile spread across his face, and then a frown, and at last a small tear ran down his face, as he relived the lives of Kyle and Terry. He had seen their joy and their sadness, their fears and their hopes, and he had seen the immense capacity for love they both shared, with themselves, and with others.

"I'm sorry about that. Normally, when I'm in someone's mind, they don't feel a thing, but then again I'm not in there looking for everything at once." The boy began. "I see you talked to the shop keeper, John, and now think of me as Odey. That name is as good as any other. I came to like the shopkeeper in my stay on the station, and when he had no name for me, he gave me that one. I shall be Odey, in his honor. I was never given a name of my own, because I was born with a gift, or a curse, however you look at it. But it is too hard to explain everything this way. The best way to tell you my story is to show you my life. I have searched your minds and I see kindred spirits. You have both seen much pain in your life, and I think you may understand mine."

The young boy before them appeared so serious and stark. As if joy was a word he had never known. The boys knew that Sepi had been right in saving him. They watched him relax and close his eyes, and they listened as he began to speak once more.

"Relax now, and do not panic, I am going to take the two of you into my mind, the same way I went into yours. You will see my life as I have lived it, hear my thoughts and feelings and see the things that have befallen me. Hopefully, when it is finished, you will understand why I felt I needed to do what I did, and you will still accept me. This trip will seem to take a long time, but rest assured, you will be in my mind no longer than I was in yours. Now relax."

The boys tried their best to relax; they looked at each other and held hands as the world began to spin. Faster and faster the room whipped around them, until Kyle didn't think he could take anymore, as he was about to ask Odey to stop, when everything went black.

Odey's mind

The darkness was total, and so was the silence. Kyle squeezed Terry's hand and could feel it there. He tried to speak, and realized that he couldn't. The darkness around them was so strong it seemed tangible, as if you could simply reach out and grab the blackness. Suddenly, a tiny prick of light formed, it seemed to be miles away from them, but he and Terry began to float towards the light. Anything had to be better than this darkness. They moved slowly, it seemed to take days to reach the light, but it grew in the distance, larger and larger as they continued on, never growing weary, onward and onward towards the light. As they drew closer, the light became immense, and so bright that it hurt their eyes to look at it. The power of the light was unbelievable. Yet still they drew closer to its awesome force. Suddenly, the light seemed to welcome them and it rushed over them like a waterfall, drawing them into the world of the light.

The coming of the light brought with it sound. The sound was the cry of a newborn baby. Kyle looked around and realized he could see, not just light, but the world around him. He saw Terry by his side and that gave him comfort, but he still could not speak. He looked around at a world of light and life. Trees were everywhere; they seemed to be in an ancient forest of some sort. Dazzling colors were everywhere around him, rich greens, reds, yellows, every color imaginable, but he and Terry looked grey and washed out, almost ghost like. He looked behind him and a man came rushing towards them, he tried to jump out of the way but he was not quick enough, the man walked right through him. Kyle realized that while they were here to observe Odey's life, they were not actually here, and with that realization he felt some calm. Nothing could harm them here. They were safe. He turned and looked in the direction of the cry he had heard.

The boys took in their surroundings and saw that they were in a clearing. The forest surrounded them on all sides, and a small brook ran through the middle of the clearing. On one side of the brook, there stood a small house. It was a quaint little house, with a garden beside it. It appeared as if it were built only from materials that the forest could provide, it both blended in with the forest, and stood out from it. On the side of the house opposite the brook, there stood a stone altar. The crying was coming from that direction. On the altar there was a lady, she was as silvery as the boy they had met on the station, and she looked up at them with eyes that were as silver as the rest of her. Beside her was a man, Kyle assumed it was her husband, and in his arms he held the crying child. Kyle could feel the love these parents had for their son, and he could feel the safety and security felt by the child. From beside them, came an old lady, she was the grandmother, Kyle did not know how he knew this, but he did. He also noticed they all had silver eyes. At least until the baby opened his, and the golden eyes staring from the tiny face seemed all the more magnificent. When the baby looked around at his new world, many things happened that Kyle did not expect. He could feel the father's sudden fear, and a pain he did not understand. The mother looked up and realized what the father had seen, and Kyle felt the same emotions from her. The grandmother however looked happy. Kyle watched as the grandmother snatched the child from the father. He could see that she had something planned for the child, but he did not know what. Then he heard her begin to yell. The language was one he had never heard before; he could tell it was something he did not know, but his mind translated it anyways.

"We have a Godchild! The first Godchild in five generations! Quickly, you run and fetch the nearest priest! I will have the world know that the gods have blessed the world once more." She shoved the man who had run through Kyle earlier, Kyle realized the man was a servant to the grandmother, and from the looks of him, he wasn't treated very well. The man began running, trying to find a priest. Kyle looked back to the mother and father; the father was trying to silence the grandmother who was continuing to yell to the world of the Godchild who had been born to her line. She looked at the father of the child with a sudden hate filled emotion, the likes of which Kyle had never seen, as she turned to him and slapped him with the hand not holding the child.

"You will not silence the will of the Gods, this child is theirs now. You two will have other children. The gods demand this one for their service!" She slapped him again and again, calling him a coward, and a heretic, and a non-believer. She only quit abusing the man when the servant arrived back again with the priest. The priest walked up to the grandmother and took the child from her. He looked him over and when the child opened his eyes, the priest smiled. It was not a nice smile. The mother began to protest and to beg for her baby, it was only then that Kyle and Terry noticed the heavily armed guards that had arrived with the priest. The priest's deep voice began to rumble like thunder in the language Kyle did not know, but somehow understood.

"This Child has been called to the service of the gods. He is no longer yours, you will be silent, or you will prove yourself a non-believer and be punished as such. The child will come with me, to be raised by the gods." With that, the priest began to walk off. The father tried to follow him, begging for his child, but the guards silenced him with a blow to the jaw. The man fell back and was immediately grabbed by the other guards who began to bind him. The mother cried out and yelled for the return of her child, but the guards silenced her as well. Kyle and Terry watched, helpless to do anything, as the guards dragged the parents off. The boys heard the grandmother laugh and yell out about the non-believers burning. The last thing the boys heard, before the world went dark again, was her laugh.

Darkness returned, but in the darkness came a voice, the voice of Odey.

"That was me, in case you didn't figure it out, when I was born. For thousands of years, many of the people on my planet believed in many gods, and that to serve them meant sacrifice and pain. Don't think badly on my entire race, for in reality, the group I was born into is a minority. Many others of my race live in cities and are as advanced technologically as the rest of the galaxy. My world is divided, just as yours was. The Mishi, my people, who held on to the past beliefs and refused to change, were constantly at war with the Mirnov, who were for advancement and change. The Mishi never stood a chance, because the Mirnov were able to develop better weapons and fight off the attempts at civil war. Many of my people, thought the gods would intervene and send them a weapon to help them defeat the Mirnov. That is why they were so excited at my birth. A Godchild, they believed, had the ability to commune with the gods, and spread their will. All it really is is a recessive ability. You see, not all of my people can read minds like I can; as a matter of fact, it is really rare. The golden eyes are the first sign of a mind reader. They are linked to the gene that controls the ability. When a child is born with golden eyes, the priests take them and raise them until they are old enough to test for telepathic abilities. Some can read minds, others can only speak to them, and I was able to do both. I learned all of this from the Mirnov man who helped me to escape, but we will get back to that, I have talked too long, look now at the next piece of my life, and see what happens to non-believers in the Mishi."

The light returned spreading faster this time, and engulfed Kyle and Terry in a matter of seconds.

The light faded and left them in darkness, Kyle thought something was wrong, but then he noticed he could smell a sharp smell, and suddenly in front of them a flame grew. It was a torch, in the hands of a priest. Behind him, many more torches ignited, the area around them became alive with fire, as each priest lit their torch. Kyle looked around and noticed a small boy, no more than two, at the feet of the lead priest. Kyle wasn't sure, because all of the Mishi looked similar to him, but he figured it was the priest who had taken Odey as a child. The priest stepped forward, and it was then that Kyle noticed the two figures, tied to poles behind the priest. The priest began to speak to those gathered.

"Today we serve our gods, The Godchild will tell them of our great deeds and they shall be well pleased. These two stand accused of being heretics, they do not believe as we believe and because of that they anger the gods. With out the gods we are nothing, and to anger them is to bring their wrath down upon us all! Tonight, we will send these two to the gods and allow them to choose their punishment. She who has accused, please come forth."

Kyle watched as the old woman they had seen at Odey's birth came forward, with a torch in hand. Kyle looked at the figures that were bound to the poles and realized they were Odey's parents. The old Lady walked forward, and then stopped next to the priest.

"These two stand accused of attempted kidnapping of the Gold Child! They have proven themselves non-believers and are to die as such. One is of my line, but is no longer claimed. They shall burn and in their pain, may they find redemption, and renewed faith, so that the gods will be merciful with their souls."

With that, the woman threw her torch into the area around Odey's parents. Flames leapt up and began to spread. Some of the priests walked forward and added their own torches to the growing flames. One by one, all of the assembled people added their torches to the flames, until the only light left was the blaze surrounding the poles. The fire engulfed everything quickly, and with a purpose. Kyle and Terry watched as the poles and their occupants were reduced to a fine ash. As the last pole crumbled, the people who were gathered and began a celebration that lasted until the dawn, began to break through the trees. The Godchild was held high, as the people prayed to their gods for retribution against all non-believers. No one seemed to care that he was crying.

Darkness returned, Light returned.

The boys opened their eyes; this time to find themselves in a room surrounded by guards. On a chair in the center sat Odey. The priests were in a ring, between him and the guards; the guards were keeping out the people who were waiting anxiously to hear the proof of the Godchild. He had learned to talk and looked to be about four. The priests were questioning him. Pushing him and prying to try and get him to give up the knowledge the gods had given him. For only the gods could tell what was in another man's mind. The sad little boy looked up and refused to speak. He would not give them the satisfaction. The priest, who had taken him from his parents, stepped forward. He swung his hand down and connected across the child's back with a whip like device.

"The path of serving is riddled with pain," another blow, "sacrifice leads to enlightenment," another blow, "Pain is joy to serve the gods," another blow. He continued his chant, all the while beating the boy over and over. Finally he could take no more and began to disclose what was in each man's mind. The beating continued, as the boy shouted out everything he could read. When at last he could no longer speak, the priest picked him up and cleaned his wounds. "The pain of the flesh releases the power of the mind, remember this, my fellow priests, for we can commune now with the gods!" A cheer went up from outside the chamber, the guards allowed the people to enter and greet the confirmed Godchild. They hoisted him high, negligent of the wounds on his back, which began to flow again, they danced in the blood that flowed down from him, blessed blood from the gods. When he fainted, from the loss of blood, they still danced, and when they were done, his wounds were cleaned again, and he was placed in a seat of honor.

Darkness returned, Light returned.

The boys opened their eyes and saw that little time had passed. The boy still bore the wounds on his back from his confirmation. He sat alone, in a small room. The walls were dark and grey, there were no windows to see outside, and the only feature, other than the blanket on the hard, stone floor, was the massive door, which was bolted shut. But walls and doors keep only the body at bay, not the mind. The Godchild was in a trance before them, reaching out to any mind that was not filled with pain, hate, and fear. He had found a few of these minds, but none would talk to him for more than a few minutes, for fear that the Mishi's Godchild was looking for them. The search would take years, but he would eventually find a mind, a mind that would listen, and teach, and play with him, and a mind, that when the time came, would save him.

Darkness returned, Light Returned.

Brilliant flashes of light and time flew past them now, ceremony after ceremony, where the Godchild was beaten near to death, in order to commune with the gods, but still no answers came. No path to redemption opened to them, the gods gave them no way to defeat the Mirnov. Flash after flash, the boy grew older, more resentful, leaned more and more on the mind he had found, the mind that cared, and tried to help him. The mind was so far away. At times he could barely find the mind when he needed it. It claimed to be a Mirnov, which at first surprised the Mishi boy. He had learned that the Mirnov were a violent war filled race that knew only hate, but the world this friend showed him looked peaceful and caring, a world where children were not taken from their families for something as stupid as having golden eyes, a world where those children were loved and raised to understand their powers, this rare genetic trait. As time passed, Odey learned much from this mind, He learned many things about his powers, and useful things that would one day allow him to escape.

The flickering of light and time slowed. The ceremonies were not helping the Mishi; people were beginning to loose faith in the Godchild, for he had not brought them the power the Gods had promised. He had not told them a single thing that had helped their cause. The more they beat him the more he told, but they could only beat him so far, or could they? The priest met in a secret meeting to discuss how they should deal with the Godchild, how they could make the gods understand their plight. One wise old priest remembered a legend of a past Godchild who, when the times grew grave, was sent to be with the gods, allowing him to tell them directly what was needed. They debated many things, but in the end this seemed the best option. Perhaps the Godchild lacked the strength to express their trouble to the gods from this world. If they sent him to the Gods, He could save them. It was decided.

Odey, of course, knew all about their plans as soon as there were plans. He had read it in their minds, and knew he had to get away. The mind he had come to know promised help, he told Odey he would be there to rescue him in a matter of days. Odey waited as the days counted down to the ceremony that would end his young life. He had heard nothing from the other mind for two days. It was now the night before the ceremony. Suddenly a flash in his mind told him the other mind was there and ready, Images from outside flooded his head. He could make it. The other mind had made sure he knew what to do. Odey sent suggestions to the minds of the guards, one to unlock his door, the others to simply look the other way. Some were harder to convince than others, and there was one that refused to yield, but Odey could sense it was at the other side of the compound and not much of a threat. As he heard the bolt on his door slide free, he began to gather himself up to run. He had to give the guard time to get away, he had only suggested that the door be unlocked and the guard walk away, if he was seen they would still capture him. After a few minutes, Odey crept to the door, the hallway was clear. He began to make his way out of the complex, but he had never been anywhere besides his room and the sacred chamber. He looked into the minds of the guards and found the path he needed to take. He just had to make it there safely. He made his way down hallway after hallway, and finally found the door he needed. He opened it quietly and began to go outside when he heard a man call an alarm.

"The Godchild is escaping!! He's at the front door, Hurry!" Odey turned to see the man who had taken him from his parents, who had orchestrated all his beating, the one mind he couldn't influence. The only thing he could do was run. He bolted out the door, running as hard as he could, for the grove of trees where he knew salvation was waiting. Green bolts of energy began to fly past him on all sides. He ran for his life that night, and he managed to avoid them. The guards were in pursuit behind him, gaining ground, as the forest was unfamiliar to him. He turned and jumped through the last bit of trees and there was the ship, the mind had come through for him. The door on the back of the craft lowered, and there stood a kind old man with golden eyes. Odey ran up the ramp, the guards close behind. The old man lowered a blaster and returned fire on the guards, but he took a hit and began to fall, Odey held on to him, and kept him in the ship. The last thing the man said was, "Execute escape plan Alpha, now." The hatch rose up and the man passed out. The ship thundered to life and lifted Odey away to freedom.

Odey never left the man's side, as life returned to him, Odey rejoiced. The stun bolt from the Guards had done a number on the old man, but he was alive. Odey could feel the life in his mind. As the man regained his strength, they discussed what was to be done with Odey. The boy did not want to be a bother, and the man insisted he would not be. But the reality of things settled in when they went before the Mirnov council. The council was kind and told Odey they were glad he had been rescued, but they could not risk the fall out of an increased civil war. The wise old men got things together, and came up with a plan that was liked by everyone. They would send Odey to another world, where he could be safe and they would not be responsible to the Mishi.

Darkness returned, Light returned.

Light filled the horizon, spilling across the land as the sun rose high to begin a new day, a day that would mean a new life for the little silver boy. The kind old man who had saved him, led him out to the place where the ships made ready to leave their world. The old man led the little boy to a massive ship. It was the most amazing thing Odey had ever seen, this ship was bigger than the compound he had been kept in all his life. It was an interplanetary cruise ship that had taken port on the planet for repairs. It was now ready for another cruise, and the council had booked Odey a seat. His last day with the kind old man was hard for him. He asked him to go with him, but knew he couldn't. He was the only person who had ever been kind to Odey, and he would never forget him. Odey could feel the sadness in the man too, as he boarded the ship, on a cruise towards a new world. They were sending him to a planet where people were accepting of others, a place he would be looked after and be able to grow up feeling normal. They were sending him to a planet called Anderon. Fortunately he didn't make it.

Darkness returned, Light returned.

The first blasts rocked the ship. The little silver boy was knocked from his bed. The boy had just been beginning to feel safe and at home on this ship. They had been in space for three weeks and were nearing Anderon. The boy had been listening to the captain's thoughts, and knew there was trouble on Anderon. They had heard the news of the rebellion and had seen it spread. They had been trying to decide what to do. Their only passenger was headed for a planet that had been over run by war. The captain was prepared to make for another port, they could find another safe home for their young passenger. Before they could decide on a different destination, they noticed they were no longer alone in space. A crew of space pirates had stumbled upon the cruise ship, and decided it would make easy prey, and easy it was. The pirate ship was much smaller and more maneuverable than the large cruise liner. They had her unarmed and dead in space in a matter of minutes. All they had to do was move in and rob the rich travelers. As the pirates boarded the ship, the captain ran to Odey's room. He told him to hide; that bad men had taken over the ship and that is was not safe for him. The captain ran away from the Mishi boy's room, afraid to draw attention to the boy. He met the pirates on his way back to the bridge. They forced him to the bridge of the ship and were not happy to learn of the limited occupancy. The ship had just come from a repair dock and the only passenger it showed was a young Mishi boy. The pirates had heard the Mishi were missing a very important boy, and that they were offering a huge reward for him, but despite searching the ship from port to stern, on all decks, they found nothing. Odey watched it all; he was better than most at hiding, a fly on the wall. The crew gave up nothing, even when they began executing them. The boy was nowhere to be found. When none of the crew was left alive besides the captain, they turned to him. They took their time with him, they were experts at getting what they wanted out of someone, but all he would say was that the boy had never boarded the ship. Frustrated, the pirates left destroying the ship in their wake. None of the pirates noticed an extra man with them when they left, the quiet man in the back.

Darkness returned, Light returned.

The rusted hull of the Tournian space station was a welcome port to pirates, rebels, anyone less desirable at other stations. The pirates used it as a base of operations of sorts. They provided security for the chief of the station, in exchange for good rate on parts and free lodgings when they were there. The new recruit seemed eager to stay on at the station, and one less crewmember was nothing for the pirates to notice either. The small silver boy was glad to be away from the pirates, but the chief of the station knew to search for him, so he had to remain in disguise for as long as he could. It was tiring, and he had no money for food. He once again began searching for a friendly mind, and found one by the name of John.

Darkness returned, Light returned.

The months had passes on the station, The rebels brought news of victory, and the Chief had ordered for a more probing search of the station for a little lost Mishi boy. He knew of the great reward being offered by the Mishi, and he knew the only place the boy could be was here. The Mishi man he had contacted had told him they had seen him board the ship, and also of his ability to change shape, which was a trait in all their kind, and of his persuasive abilities. The Chief knew he must have made it off of the ship, and he also knew of the new recruit who stayed on board his station and then disappeared. The boy became more and more frightened, especially when the chief invited the Mishi to come have a look around and they accepted. All Mishi could see another Mishi for what he truly was, no matter what shape he took. If they searched the station they were sure to find him, there were just not enough places to hide. John had been kind to him, but he had to find a way off of the station. He needed a ship, he would steal one if he had to, he would not go back to his planet to die, he refused to give up. So few ships docked there that he was worried he wouldn't escape in time, until he listened to the thoughts of the Chief as he grumbled to himself about a new ship, with a child for a captain, annoying him during his dinner. This was his only chance, he had to get that ship and get as far away as he could before the Mishi representatives arrived. He would not fail.

Darkness returned.

A light began to grow, small and far away, behind them. Kyle and Terry turned, and headed for the light. It seemed to take days, slowly growing closer and closer, but they kept going, until finally the light spilled upon them, and they were home.

The boys blinked their eyes, looked at each other and saw the tears that stood out on their faces. The pain this boy had been through, for nothing more than being born different. They looked at the little silver boy and saw he too had been crying. They looked down at his hands and saw that they were joined with theirs, completing a circle. Kyle looked at his watch and saw that only fifteen minutes had passed, they had lived his life in fifteen minutes. No wonder he had not wanted to tell them out loud, the story would have taken way too long, and they would not of understood half of it, but now they knew, they had seen it first hand. Kyle was the first to move, he grabbed the boy and hugged him as tight as he could, Terry followed and they held on to the boy who had been through so much in his short life. He had endured ten years worth of pain and suffering and they intended to make sure he never suffered again.

---

Part 2

The Destiny made her way through space, as the boys gathered themselves, and made their way to the bridge. The amazing ride through Odey's mind had left them drained and tired, but there were things to do before they could sleep. Kyle led Odey to the bridge of the ship. Hugh greeted them.

"Well, welcome back, boys. I see you've made a new friend."

"Yeah. Dad, this is Odey. He's going to be traveling with us for as long as he needs to. We need to set him up with a room and some stuff to make his stay a bit more comfortable."

"Ahh, No problem. I've been talking with Sepi and it seems the two have taken a liking to each other." Kyle looked over at Odey and saw the spangler was curled around his leg, The two were looking at each other and seemed to be talking, but Kyle didn't hear anything across the COM, "It seems our new guest has some interesting traits," Hugh continued, "He can talk directly with Sepi, so they don't have to use the COM. I know just the room for him, if our commander won't mind giving up his quarters."

Terry looked confused, "What do you mean giving up my quarters? I'm staying with Kyle, I'm not moving out."

Before Terry could get on a roll, Hugh began to laugh, "Yes, I know, relax Terry no one is going to make you move, but as commander, you have your own quarters, besides the one you share with Kyle, I hadn't told you, because it wasn't an issue yet. With you and Kyle sharing the Imperial suite, the captain's quarters and commander's quarters are open for any passengers we may pick up. It was the previous commander who brought Sepi on board, so, naturally, Sepi's room is in with his. I think these two will be good for each other, so if you don't mind, I will assign the new recruit to the commanders quarters."

Terry looked relieved, "Oh ya sure, that's fine, I don't need to be anywhere but with Ky, so he's welcome to room with the fur ball."

Terry felt that weird scrambling in his head again and looked over at Odey, the boy was grinning.

"Oh, sorry Terry, I was just curious what fur ball meant, Sepi says that if you don't stop calling him that, that he is going to turn you into a fur ball." The little silver boy looked confused for a second, but apparently Sepi explained to him what he meant and the boy began to giggle. It sounded so foreign coming from the sad little boy, but it sounded great too. Kyle had to agree with his dad; those two were going to be good for each other, even if they were going to be trouble. Humor lessons from a spangler could not be a good thing.

Kyle knew there was one more thing they had to do, "Ajax, we have a new member for our crew, he needs access, and a rank of some sort, I think security officer should suit him just fine, He can be our head of security." Kyle looked over at Odey and saw that he was beaming. Before today, he had never felt accepted, he had never even had a real name. John had been kind and helped with that, but Odey could feel that Kyle and Terry both liked him and wanted him here. The position they offered him with their crew confirmed it. He belonged.

Ajax went to work, the screen with his face on it slid down, and he began to sign the newest crewmember up. Kyle watched as the two talked, unable to hear what was being said, due to the privacy noise generators. He looked and was a bit surprised when Ajax lowered more and began to talk to Sepi. Odey came over by where they were, and for the first time ever, he had something to really smile about.

"Well, you made me chief of security, so I need a deputy!" He said with a smile.

Kyle had never thought to actually make Sepi a crewmember, but it made sense, He had saved them on the station, and was like family already. Sure he was like the annoying cousin nobody liked, Kyle thought with a grin, but he was family. Odey smacked him in the arm and said, "I like him, and he's like a brother to me." Kyle was going to have to have a talk with Odey about always being in other people's minds, and about jokes.

Once Ajax was done with Sepi, The boys followed the lights Hugh lit for them to find Odey's room. Sepi knew the way already, but he decided to hang back with the bipeds. The new one was kind of interesting. He could at least talk to him in a civilized way, not through some computer. Sepi thought he could tolerate sharing HIS room with Odey, even if Hugh hadn't asked him if it was okay. The long corridor came to and end and the door in front of them opened to admit them. Kyle was afraid that the room would be trashed, having no one but a spangler living in it for a while, but when they walked in it was neat and clean, apparently his dad had had the bots at work cleaning already. Kyle had never seen the little bots his dad told him about, but he was sure they were there, and wherever they were, they were quite good. The room looked fit for royalty and the two boys were impressed. It was slightly smaller than their room, and the bed was smaller too. A clear wall blocked off part of the room, and inside it was a run of tunnels, they crisscrossed, and swerved around; a perfect cat run. The floor was partially a desynthesizer, and the rest was littered with toys and snacks, things to sharpen the claws and the mind, it seemed. There was a small area that was made to look like raised grass, and a toy would pop up to be pounced. All in all, it was the perfect place for a young spangler. A small door opened when Sepi walked towards it and let him in and out of his semi-private room. The rest of the room was made for a person. Kyle noticed a bathroom to the left, and a writing desk over near a window that looked out of the ship. Kyle ran for the window, their quarters were near the middle of the ship and they had no windows. He assumed it was for protection, but he was a bit jealous. The view was cool.

Odey came in and looked around, he saw that the spangler was already comfy in his bed, and knew it was getting time for him to go to sleep too. It had been a long day, and he had not had a good night's sleep since he was on the cruise ship. He knew it would not be long before he drifted off. Kyle and Terry were waiting for him by the bed.

"Well, here ya are Odey, I love the view, by the way," Kyle began, " We're about to head to bed too, but I wanted to let you know that we are glad you found us." Terry was nodding in agreement, even the spangler agreed. "In the morning, Dad will synthesize you up a uniform, I know you can make yourself into whatever you want, but if you want to change, your welcome to. We do need to sit down tomorrow and talk about some things, but I'm not going to get into that tonight. If you need anything, just call for Dad, or us, he can show you where our room is, if you need us. So I guess this is good night." Kyle said, with a smile.

"Good night guys, Thanks for understanding. I won't be any trouble, I prom..." Kyle cut him off,

"Don't think like that," said Kyle, "From now on you are a member of this crew just like Terry or I, you're family now, you can never be trouble."

Odey grinned, "O.K. Kyle, thanks, it will take some getting used to. Good night."

"Good night, Odey, God night to you too, fur ball."

"Bite me," The COM replied.

Kyle got up and headed for the door, Terry stayed behind for a bit to say his good nights to Odey and Sepi as well. When he was done, he and Kyle headed for their room to relax. It had been a long day, and they fell asleep almost as soon as they touched their bed. As they drifted off, the lights dimmed all over the ship, Hugh went about shutting down all the lights for the night, as he dimmed the last one, he said,

"Good night boys, I'm proud of each and every one of you. Sleep well."

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Part 3

Morning came and went, and still Kyle did not want to get out of bed. Hugh didn't bother the boys this morning; he let them sleep in. He knew that they had had a long day, the day before, but noon was pushing it. Kyle opened his eyes a tiny bit and looked around his room. He heard his dad quietly talking somewhere in the room, he looked around, trying to see what was going on, and then heard his dad yell,

"Get 'em boys"

Suddenly they were pounced by not one, but two spangler kittens. Kyle jumped out of bed to evade the twin fury, but got tangled in the sheets and fell on his butt. Terry on the other hand, found a more useful retaliation, Kyle looked up as a spangler went flying over his head; victim to the pillow Terry skillfully swung. He ducked as the other spangler joined the first, in a pile on the floor. Kyle looked up at Terry and grinned, until he looked back at the twin spanglers. Now they were on the floor with him, a mean look in their eyes. He tried to scramble back up onto the bed, but he was still twisted in the sheet. Terry tossed him a pillow; just as the fur balls began to attack again. He swatted up at the one on the left, only to have it caught in mid air by a hand. He looked up and saw that the spangler on the left had transformed into Odey, and he had a pillow of his own. The war that ensued lasted for about half an hour before Hugh broke them up. All the boys were wide-awake. They decided that food was in order.

The boys went to the mess hall and proceeded to tear into their weight in food. Odey was no different than the other two, it seems no matter the species, all growing boys can put away food. Even Sepi seemed to be trying to eat more than everyone else. When at last their bellies were satisfied, the three boys and one cat sat back and suffered for their crimes. They were stuffed. Hugh could do nothing but laugh at their predicament. Boys will be boys.

As things settled down, Kyle and Terry took Odey on a tour of the ship. They showed him where all of their favorite places were, and all the neat stuff to do. They toured the playroom, and showed Odey how to work everything. As they left there, they decided to head for the bridge. Kyle and Terry took their customary seats, and let Odey decide where he wanted to be. He chose one of the seats next to Kyle. Kyle didn't know how to begin, what he wanted to say to Odey was hard, how do you tell someone you want them to not use their gift? He opened his mouth to begin, and closed it again. He tried to start again, and Odey stopped him.

"Kyle, its o.k." Odey said with a grin, "I'm a mind reader remember. I see your point, you don't want me constantly in your head, I get that, as of right now, I'll only monitor you two for thoughts directed at me, It doesn't bug me, I bet if I couldn't do what I do, I wouldn't want someone else in my head either. Control is one of the things the man who saved me taught me. I have no problem not reading your thoughts."

Kyle relaxed visibly. "Thanks, Odey, I'm sorry to even ask, I trust you in there, It's just weird."

"Actually, I kind of like not having to read everyone's minds, so it's no problem. I spent so long being forced to do it, that it's kind of fun pretending I'm normal, If you ever need me in there though," Odey pointed to Kyle's head, "I'm only a thought away."

Kyle grinned, they hung out on the bridge for a while. Kyle and Terry showed Odey all around, and showed him how to work the stuff they knew. They spent most of the rest of the day there. Kyle was looking over the navigation readings. He realized he had never asked his dad how long it would take to get to their next stop. He decided now was as good a time as any.

"Well," replied Hugh, "The trip between the two systems takes about two weeks. I think you will find the Sillerion station to be a lot more welcoming. Sillerion is a major system, so they should have a lot more trade, and friendlier people. It's still not safe though, so starting tomorrow, we are going to start back on your training. You two did great on the last station, but we need to make sure you guys are safe. That goes for you too, Odey, you train with them tomorrow."

Kyle thought for a bit about what might come up on the next station, "Hey, Dad, if we left the rebels behind at the last station, does that mean that we won't run into as much trouble?"

Hugh sighed. " Actually, we may run into more. With a bigger station, we run into more people, and that usually leads to more trouble. I've heard the Sillerion system has some trouble with the pirates that Odey became acquainted with. They're a bad group, and their leader is as bad as they come. This guy makes Ajax look human."

"Thank you sir." Ajax piped up, "I strive everyday to be more human."

"That's not what I meant, Ajax, but your welcome anyways," Hugh said, "The leader of these pirates is into slave trading, people mean nothing to him, except what he can get out of them. If you ever run into him, get clear. He's not stable. Hopefully you'll never come in contact with him. I know for a fact he's not in the Sillerion system right now, so this station will be safe, but you may run into his cronies, so you still need to be prepared, but we'll have a briefing about that before you go on the station. For now, it's getting late, you boys had better get to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

All of the boys headed off to their rooms. Kyle walked in to the quarters he shared with Terry and immediately felt ready to relax. He grabbed Terry by the arm and practically dragged him into the shower. The two scrubbed each other clean, and then got each other dirty, and then scrubbed each other clean again. As they crawled out of the shower, they sat there talking for a while, while Kyle brushed Terry's long black hair, something he had not done since all this had started. It had always comforted each of the boys and Terry soon looked ready to fall asleep. He looked up at Kyle and noticed his hair was growing out.

"I hope there is a good barber on the next station. If not, your hair is going to be as long as mine," Said Terry with a giggle, "I know how you hate it when it gets long."

"Yeah, I kinda wondered what I was going to do about that, I love messing with your hair, but I want to be able to run my hands through mine and be ready to walk out the door. The sloppy spike look is in this year, anyways." Replied Kyle.

"Okay Captain Fashion, to bed now. Don't make me wait on you."

"Sir, Yes, Sir" Kyle said, with a snappy salute.

The next morning, the boys were up and ready to go. They had all slept well, and they were ready for whatever challenges Hugh had for them. They continued to train with Hugh for the rest of the week and the week that followed. The boys grew more confident with each passing day, even Odey had a spring in his step. Hugh had an interesting time trying to design a defense program for the spangler, but Odey insisted that Sepi wanted to learn too, and no deputy of his was going to be out of shape and untrained. As the time drew near for them to reach the station, the boys all felt that they were ready. Odey spent extra time training with a blaster. He could shift his shape and size, to look like an adult, so he would be able to carry one on the station. That fact alone made them all feel a lot better. The day finally came; Ajax gave Kyle his morning report and told him they were seven hours out from the Sillerion Station. The boys spent the morning preparing with Hugh for their second trip to a space station. They were planning to spend at least two days at this station, Hugh told them it would do them good to be off the ship for a while, and he even told them some of the fun things they would find on the station. The boys were excited. This time, they intended to enjoy themselves.

As afternoon came upon them, Ajax called them to the bridge. Kyle and Terry came running onto the bridge from one door, while Sepi and Odey came in from the other. Ajax informed them that they were within sight range of the station. He brought up a screen and on it stood an amazing sight.

This station was huge. Ships surrounded it on all sides; so many different kinds of ships, Kyle didn't know where they all came from. Everywhere they looked, there were ships docked. The ones that couldn't dock orbited the station in a cloud. The station at the center was something to behold. The size alone made the boys marvel. Kyle had seen smaller planets. Everything gleamed and reflected the light from the Sillerion sun. This was what a space station was supposed to look like. As they neared the station, Ajax announced that they were being hailed.

"On screen, Ajax," replied Kyle, sliding naturally into the role of captain.

"Wait Kyle," Hugh said, before Ajax could bring the screen up, "I have an idea."

Odey took his place in front of the COM screen. He had shifted himself to look like Hugh. Hugh's idea was great. They would continue to get odd looks if people thought a boy captained the Destiny. So Hugh decided that, at least for official communications with the space stations, Captain Kyle Barkley should be an adult. As the screen came up in front of Odey, a face appeared. Not the chief of the station, as with the last one, but a professional COM tech. The woman smiled at Odey and greeted them.

"Welcome, Destiny, to the Sillerion Space station. We have you on our scanners at a heading bearing for our station. Please continue and enter traffic lane 64. Would you like to dock with us today, or simply orbit?"

"Thank you for the greeting, Station, We will be staying for a few days, so a dock would be great if you have one." Replied Odey/Kyle.

"Yes sir. I see that dock number 247 is clear and standing by, follow that traffic lane for one-quarter revolution, and then we will guide you in. Welcome once again to the Sillerion station. We hope you enjoy your stay, if there is anything you need, simply ask the attendants at your dock. Good day."

"Thank you, Station, good day to you as well."

With that Odey shifted back to his own form. This station seemed to be a lot friendlier than the last. He thought they were going to like it here. Kyle agreed with him on that, he couldn't help but be excited to get to go on a proper space station. He grabbed Terry and walked over to where Odey and Sepi were.

"You guys ready?" asked Kyle

"Yup, sure are, I can't wait," replied Terry.

"Looks like fun," replied Odey.

They felt the bump as the station took over and drew them in to their dock. They felt the ship come to a stop and they all looked at each other, ready for a little fun. Odey shifted back into the grownup Kyle/Hugh. He picked up a blaster from his seat and strapped it on, just in case.

As they were about to head for the unloading ramp, Sepi came across the COM. He had already made himself invisible, so they wouldn't have a problem with bringing him on the station, he was currently curled up on Odey's shoulder.

"There had better be mice on this station, if not, your gonna be stuck with one unhappy kitty!" the boys laughed as they walked down the ramp, ready to take on another station.

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To Be Continued...

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Author's Notes:

Well there is chapter five :) I didn't want to leave you wondering about Odey for too long. He had it rough, but I think things are beginning to look up for him. This station seems a lot nicer than the last. I hope they have a good time, but you never know where trouble will lurk, who knows, maybe they won't find any. I'm doubting it though, what good is a space station if there's no trouble? Well, until next time, Thanks for playing.

Taron

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Editor's Notes:

Taron, I must tell you that I loved this chapter. It was really nice to get to know Odey. He is a really nice boy. I liked him the minute I met him, even when he tried to sneak onto the Destiny pretending to be Terry. Somehow I was certain that he was not a bad guy. He has some very interesting skills, and a great personality. I'm glad he and Sepi got to be friends. Sepi is a very nice guy too, and he is going to be a great help to the boys. Even if they tease him, you can tell that they really love him, and he loves them too. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite stories.

You have really given the characters life and personality. I hope they will show up in the compound pretty soon, so they can get to know everyone even better.

It will be interesting to se how Sepi gets along with Fluffy.

Darryl

AKA The Radio Rancher

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Author's Addendum:

Well I don't know, I wouldn't want all those other kids corrupting my boys. I do have to live with them. I might look into it, they would have to get Hugh's permission of course. I'm pretty sure the stations don't carry Ben Gay, so Neal couldn't teach them to many bad things. Oh well see you all next time. :)