easy." Andee struggles flustered. "I'm not lying. I'm telling you he was invisible."
"OK-OK I believe you. But I still, don't understand why you attacked him."
"Because..." But Andee loses steam again. He's getting more and more frustrated. "I didn't attack him. He... was after us."
"You don't understand." Nayaa ads.
"Well, explain it." Ricio counters.
"We didn't attack him. He was following Andee around, but invisible. Andee saw him twice, and I thought he was being crazy. I made fun of him because I didn't see anyone, but then that day I did. Only for a second."
"Still doesn't explain why you attacked him."
"We didn't attack him!" Nayaa scoffs restraining her frustration. "We couldn't see him but I figured out that we could follow his foot prints. So we did."
"And I realized I could catch glimpses of him if I moved my head very quickly, that's how I saw him against the wall, but only for a flash. I couldn't hold the image. So I just wanted to hit him once, knock him to the ground, hold him down and ask questions."
"That's all we wanted, but instead he beat us up." Nayaa scoffs displeased. "The guy is a punking sacred warrior. Can you believe that? All I need now is to get sexually molested by a light-fairy. No wonder my aunt is an alcoholic. This world's crazy."
Ricio pulls his lightship back up the stone carved driveway behind dome rock. He turns in his seat and looks at Nayaa. She's sitting there pouting, arms folded looking sad. Andee is still leaning forward between the seats.
"I'm sorry guys. This is all my father's fault. He hired this man and if he is invisible and following you around, I guess I can see how that would have freaked you out. It explains why you keep asking about invisibility that day. But I've got to be honest. I'm a bit freaked out myself."
"Why? You didn't know your people could become invisible?" Nayaa asks.
"No, I'm freaked out by you."
"Meeee." Nayaa stretches the word exaggerating her own shock. Andee frowns.
"Both of you. I mean that guy was masterful with that staff. A real warrior, and you two nearly killed him. If that staff hand not gone electric, you two would have probably killed him. You saw how he limped away at the end."
Nayaa cracks a smile proud of herself. "You're right. I didn't think of it like that."
"Like what?" Ricio is taken aback by Nayaa's sudden change.
"I've been upset because we lost, and only survived because he let us go. But we almost won, and the only reason we didn't is because he had that crazy Bitani weapon."
"That is not a Bitani weapon." Ricio interjects.
"Of course it is." Andee ads. "How else could it shoot electricity like that?"
"I'm telling you it's not." Ricio taps on his steering wheel console moving the 3D image and freezing it to when the man snaps open his staff. The image is clear and some of the carvings visible. Their design is the only aspect that's different. The rest, even the two metal joints, are identical to Andee and Nayaa's staffs. "Look at it. It looks exactly like yours." Pointing to Nayaa's hip. "You mind if I look at it?"
Nayaa lifts off her folded staff and hands it to Ricio. He takes it, twirls it, admires its strength and well carved wood. "To me this is a work of art. And a functional art in your hands." Handing it back to Nayaa. "His looks the same." Pointing to the 3D image.
"Can't the Bitani make one that looks like ours, but in realty made of tech, and could to that?" Andee intercedes.
"I guess that could be true. Man, this.... this is got me more confused than ever." Ricio scoffs this time. They are all quiet for a moment. "Where did you two learn this?"
"Master..." Nayaa responds.
"Whoa, hey." Andee cuts her off. "Rico, I'm sorry man, but everyone keeps warning me that being friends with you is a mistake. That you're just using me to get information, on whatever. I don't know. I don't really believe that, but... I don't know you that well. What if it's true. Sorry. I don't mean to offend, but I'm sure you care for your people like I care for mine, and I care for the person who thought us this. And I want to tell you, but..." Andee takes a deep breath.
"I understand. My father says the same thing of you." There's a tense moment of silence. "There's something else, and I've been really struggling with this one." Both Andee and Nayaa stare at him inquisitively while Rico struggles with his thoughts. "You're father's missing right?" Andee frowns and nods in agreement. "Do you know what happened to him?"
"No." Shaking his head. Ricio takes a deep breath followed by another long silence.
"You know something don't you?" Nayaa reads it off his face. Andee frowns studying Ricio hard.
"Oh man. I probably shouldn't be telling you this."
"Dude, if you know something about my dad..."Andee's suddenly agitated, his words shut down by a growing knot in his throat.
"OK, here it goes. Remember the Doggstar?" Ricio asks looking at Andee. Andee causally shakes is head side to side indicating no. "Really? You never heard of the Doggstar?"
"Nope. Should I?" Andee looks completely oblivious, as does Nayaa. "Wow! OK, well, how about Hektor?"
Andee nods feverishly. "Oh yeah, absolutely. He was a champion and Carpati I think."
"OK good. Yup, he was, both, and the Doggstar, was the guy who beat him and became the new champion."
"Oh OK." Andee responds mater of fact.
"Man, this is going to be even harder than I thought."
"Ok dude. You need to get to the point." Nayaa intercedes impatient.
"Yes, yes you're right, but this isn't going to be easy. Andee." Ricio measures his words. Holds Andee's eyes with his own. He seems to be struggling to produce the next sentence. "Andee. The Doggstar. The pilot of the Doggstar... he was your father." Ricio finally blurts it out. Andee absolutely does not react at all. In fact, he doesn't even move. Nayaa on the other hand turns into a cartoon character. Her eyes become huge and round. Her jaw falls open. And she perks up turning in her seat, jumping round onto her left leg, to face Ricio and Andee.
"What?" Nayaa can barely make the sound through her shock. Andee still hasn't moved, except his eyes. They're stiff. Hard. Rico waits patiently for Andee. "No way." Nayaa blurts out. "His dad a pilot? And a champion?" Nayaa can't hide her shock. Rico nods in agreement.
"No-no-no-no bull. Pure bull!" Andee finally reacts. "Are you punking me? Don't punk with me like this, I swear..." Andee is suddenly overcome by rage, his breathing getting heavy. He drops away from the front seats, falling back into the comfortable bench seat.
"Andee, I'm sorry, I'm not messing with you. Maybe it's not true, but it's what my father just told me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it. It was a mistake. I'm sorry." Ricio looks scared. He knows what Andee can do, and Andee looks furious.
Nayaa, now with a concerned look on her face is on her knees on the seat, leaning over the back rest studying Andee. She looks to Ricio.
"Do you think it's true?" Ricio looks at her, than at Andee. He looks scared. Nayaa catches on. "Hey, don't worry. Andee would never hurt you. I don't think you're making this up. It's what your dad told you."
"It is, absolutely. I would never make something like this up. He said he would tell me the truth, but that I wouldn't like it, and Andee would hate it even more."
"Why would Andee hate that his father was a pilot? Plus you know, we can always ask Ms. Star, so we'll know if you're lying." Nayaa looks at Ricio with a check-mate glare. But Ricio grits his teeth. Andee suddenly snaps forward back between the seats, startling Rico, who jumps back a bit.
"I'm fine." Andee snaps. "I want to hear it. The whole story. Whatever it is." Rico stares at Andee, not so much scared as concerned.
"Are you sure? What if you don't like what you hear?"
"I want to know. Not having my dad is the worst thing ever. I don't care what he did. I just want to know what happened."
After a long deep breath Rico begins the story. He tells Andee everything Brandberd told him. How the Doggstar became a champion.
How he got pulled into trading contraband with the troublemakers. How he spied for the Bitani, and moved into the city. He tells Andee everything, even the stories of alcohol and cactii, even the part about his dad cheating on his wife with other women. Andee looks cold, devoid of emotion. Not devastated, but not human either. Nayaa on the other hand looks very concerned as they hop out of the lightship. It takes off, but neither care or are impressed by it. It rides off without fanfare.
Brandberd is at his desk talking with the 3D hologram of the Commander.
"It looks like your plan is working."
"I can't say that I'm pleased. After everything, I can't believe he's down there, in his personal lightship talking to those two."
"To be perfectly blunt sir, it's what you wanted."
"Commander! Know your place. How dare you suggest this is what I wanted. I don't want my son to be a traitor, but he's young and naive. So I'm using that to my advantage. But I'm most certainly not what I wanted. I'm just trying to turn a bad situation into something good."
"I understand sir."
"Do you?"
"Yes sir. I'm sorry for questioning you."
"You need to trust that I know what I'm doing, and than follow my orders implicitly."
"Yes sir. I do absolutely."
"You said you had a DNA results."
"I do. Yes sir."
"Well?"
"The girl is definitely related to the aunt, but neither seem to have any connection to anyone in our database."
"No one?" Brandberd looks taken aback.
"Nope. So either the rest of her family has been banished since long before the purge,