A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see! If anyone even remembers this story!

Sorry it took so long for the next chapter. I've got so many stories that gather more attention plus a lot of drawing to do. Anyway here you go!

Chapter 4 – Learning the Job

It was a couple Irken weeks, adding up to several Vortian months, before Miyuki was fully accustomed to the new schedule. During that time she mostly accompanied Tallest Zeknen to the trade discussions. Varshelz was there to, of course, but as the days went by, she could feel a gap growing between them. He was always busy making some kind of arrangements. Sometimes making sure things were comfortable for her and other times he was following Tiff around. The only times she had seen him over the past few days was during meals, and late into the night.

"I really don't know why you're making a big deal of it. Those two run around to make our jobs easier." Zeknen said, the one time she brought it up.

"Yeah but what are they doing all the time?"

"I don't know and I certainly don't care." Zeknen groaned as he looked at the clock, "Guess we should head back to the conference hall. Maybe we'll finally finish the trade issues with Umuzi. It's these small details that I dislike the most." He was about halfway out the door before he noticed Miyuki wasn't following. "You coming?"

Miyuki shook her head, "I think I'll take a break for today. You don't really need me there after all."

Zeknen watched her for a moment, looked down the hallway then back and Miyuki before stepping back into the room. "You know a day off sounds great. Why don't we go walk down through the gardens or we-?"

"There you go Varshelz, I told you they wouldn't be on their way yet."

Zeknen hunched his shoulders like a child about to get in trouble. "We were just about to go. Right Miyuki?"

"Uhuh I'm sure you were." Tiff gave Zeknen a dubious glance. "Though you'll be relieved to hear that the talks are canceled for the day."

"Oh thank brains…" Zeknen flopped down on the nearest chair. Tiff laughed.

"Yes well on the downside you have to deal with a criminal matter on the home world." He laughed again at Zeknen's groan. "Varshlez," beside him Varshlez looked happy and eager, "you and Miyuki can head off now."

Miyuki sat up as Varshelz quickly walked over and grabbed her hand to pull her off the couch, "head off where?" she asked. Tiff just laughed in response and let Varshlez rush her out the door. He dragged her through the castle out to the grounds. "Look I know you've been happier lately but being so excited that you can't tell me what's going on is really out of character for you."

Varshelz let go of her hand. "You're right. I apologize." Miyuki might have felt bad for saying anything except for the grin still on his face. "It's just that the ship is going to be landing soon so there really isn't time to explain."

Miyuki stopped walking. "So we're going to the hanger bay?" Typical Varshlez, thinking there was never time for a proper explanation. Varshlez huffed and grabbed her hand again dragging her forward.

"Yes we're going to the hanger bay. The Vort prince's ship will be arriving soon."

"Vess's son?"

"Yes yes. Now come on! You're the one with longer legs why am I doing all the walking."

Miyuki laughed and sped up to the point that Varshlez had to really rush to keep up with her. By the time they reached the hanger bay they were both out of breath. Vess turned around when the two crossed the concrete floors.

"Goodness! What happened to you two? Did you run all the way here"

"More or less," Miyuki panted, "so Vess, where has your son been?"

"Hmm? Oh, Kend has been away at military training. Personally I was against it, he would have made a much better pilot, but he insisted and his father let him go." She was squinting up into the sky above looking for signs of an incoming ship. "I'm just glad his class graduated so quickly, what with this wedding announcement coming up and all."

"He's getting married?"

"Ha, yes I'm just as shocked as you. You remember Miki, the assistant chef? Yes well apparently he called her up out of the blue on the holophone and proposed. We've been trying to keep it quiet until he could announce it himself but by now the whole castle knows. Only a matter of time till it gets to the city. Ah there they are." The ship had just entered the atmosphere and appeared as a fireball on the horizon. Vess walked over to talk to her husband while the group waited for the ship to make its final approach.

Miyuki stayed by Varshlez and some of the other servants. She heard nothing but good things about Kend Nar in those twenty minutes. "Oh yeah he's real swell." "I remember when he was younger, he always snuck into the kitchen on the excuse of snagging some food. I guess now we all know why he was really there." "Did you hear that he even asked his training platoon to come stay with us till the announcement is made?" "Oh I did 'ear that. Their Magisties were sure shocked but it's no surprise they agreed after the stuff he told them." "Now how'd you hear any of that?" "Didn't I tell ye? That day when the queen 'ad a migraine, remember? Well I was bringing 'er lunch. She was on the 'olophone with 'im." "So who all is he bringing back?" "Not sure. Probably a 'ole buch of aliens. That 'obo 12 place is sposed te be used by loads of planets."

"Excuse me," Miyuki had been listening to the conversation for a while, "Did you say Hobo 12?"

The vort assistant cook smiled up at her. "Yep. Tha's the one. 'e started 'is training not long before you two arrived 'ere."

Miyuki looked at Varshlez. He was hiding his mouth behind his hand but it was obvious he was smiling. "You're kidding right? There's no way… the odds of Kend Nar and Blert being in the same class are…" While Varshlez was trying to not smile the ship was landing.

The ship hatch opened and the recruits filed out in perfect lines. Twenty seven, out of thirty in their starting class, had graduated two months early with full honors. "ATEEEENTION! RECRUITS. PRESENT. ARMS." Their guns went from one shoulder to being held across their chests, or in a plookesian's case, above her head. The Captain walked down the line of trainees and turned back to them. "DISMISSED!" He turned away to greet the commanding officer from the vort military and the recruits slung their weapons over their shoulders.

Miyuki waited by Vess, Ted, and Varshlez. She spotted Blert in the group. He was headed their way with a shorter Vortian; the two were laughing and talking. The moment he spotted her she ran to give him a hug. Blert hugged Miyuki and shook hands with Varshlez, "Boy I've missed you guys! Hey Kend!" He yelled over to the Vortian who had stopped to talk with Vess, "These are those friends I told you about."

Prince Kend Nar smiled and made his way over. He was just shorter than Varshlez and shook hands with the group. "Good to finally meet ya, Miyuki and Varshlez. Ole Blert-out here never shuts up about you two.

"Blurt out?" Miyuki questioned.

Blert shrugged. "It's just a nickname these guys gave me. Apparently I did something funny on day one and they won't let me live it down."

A female plookesian came up behind Blert. "Well it's not like it was a bad thing. After all it's thanks to you that we graduated two months early." Her arms were carrying several bags, two of which she dumped on Blert and Kend. She gave them a smirk as they struggled to catch them. "Just because you're back at the palace doesn't mean we'll be doing any of your duties Kend."

"Ha! Shows what you know! I'd rather do the army stuff myself. Gets me out of whatever me Ma has planned for me."

"Kend?"

The group turned to see Miki standing not far off. She was looking nervously at the collection of aliens. Kend smiled and walked over to her. Of the two, she was taller, but Kend easily spun and dipped her low giving her a long kiss. A couple of the other graduates hollered whistles and cat-calls. By the time Kend released her, Miki's blueish grey skin was a bright purple across her face.

"I'll see you lot latter!" he called as he grabbed his bag and escorted his fiancé back to the castle.

"The royals on this planet sure are strange…" Miyuki commented to herself. Blert laughed.

"Yeah Kend is a fun guy. Well! Miyu, Varsh, I've got to check on some things with the Captain for a bit then I'll be back and we can head in." It only took him a few seconds then they were back and headed to the castle.

XXX

That evening the dinner hall was incredibly lively. Though their captain had originally been against it, Blert and the whole of the royal family had managed to convince him to let the platoon eat out of the barracks. Officially their training wasn't done until their home planets called them back for assignment. Some of the recurits agreed to join Kend and his family while another group went out to see the city.

It's almost like we're back at the academy.

Blert poked the salad leaf with his finger. "What is it?"

Kend laughed across the table, "Don knock it till you try it. Heck of a lot better than what's at basic."

"Everything's better than at basic. Even Yov isn't sure what to make of it!" A little ways down the table the blue ConeHead was sniffing his plate looking confused. The cadets at the table burst out laughing.

Must mean that Yov has an iron stomach. Kryx on the other hand, is unfazed so she must be used to eating anything without complaint, perhaps raised in a poorer family or maybe a strict one.

Selaan the plookesian from earlier just sat at the table watching. She'd already refilled her nutrient tanks in her armor. "Did we finally find something that Blert can't do?"

"Gimme a break! It smells like dirt!"

"Dude! My Fiance made that!" Kend playfully yelled at Blert.

"Oops…" Blert stood from his seat and scanned the servants that stood around the room until he saw Miki. "My bad!" Miki just laughed and said that she'd actually made the soup not the salad. "But then why'd Kend…" but Kend had his face on the table trying not to laugh. "Oh you jerk!"

It's obvious that Kend and Blert are the leaders of the group. A bond between them will be good for continued peace with our planets.

"What are you thinking about?" Miyuki was watching Varshlez as he analyzed the new individuals.

"Oh, nothing really."

Blert heard them from across the table, "Now we all know THAT isn't true Varsh. So why not just spill the beans?"

The change in subject caught the attention of Kend and the others. "What's up?"

"You guys got to see this." Blert puffed out his chest looking proud. Which didn't really make sense because he was about to ask Varshlez to do his trick. Varshlez sighed and smoothed out his collar, waiting for the inevitable. "We've been at the table for all of 10 minutes right? Well Varshlez knows everything about you already."

"What? There's no way." "Oh I got to see this." Kryx and Hort leaned in to hear better.

All eyes were on him now. "I really don't think that's a good idea." He'd already seen a few details he knew would upset someone, but everyone just egged him on. Rolling his eyes he gave one last look around the room. "Fine but for the record I don't know everything."

Pointing toward each person as he listed them off, Varshlez rattled off his observations. "The chain of command for your small group of friends goes as follows: Blert, Kend Nar, then Kryx. The rest of you take on support roles. During boot camp you were often split into smaller platoons, for training effectiveness, everyone sitting at this table now has worked together in a platoon. I honestly have no idea what Blert did on day one, though I assume he said something along the lines of 'being eager to get started,'" Kend Nar snickered. "but it clearly made an impact on you all as well as your commander."

Varshlez was about to start on the next person of the list when Advisor Tiff pushed his seat back and stood. He stared hard at Varshlez, like he was about to scold the young man. Instead he smiled around at the group. "Excuse my suddenness but I just remembered something I have to attend to. Varshlez, would you care to join me?"

Varshlez sat there stunned. For the first time in a very long time, he felt at a loss for words. Had he done something wrong? Slowly he nodded and excused himself from the table. Tiff continued to walk away even after they'd left the room. He led them all the way back to their quarters where he immediately went to dial a communication coordinate into the long range transmitter.

Rather than any Communications Technician appearing on the screen the Almighty Control Brains themselves appeared. Varshlez felt his heart skip a beat.

All I did was talk a bit! How is that so serious that it involves the Control Brains?!

"You're Omnipotents. I'd like to give my weekly report now."

A light below the right control brain flashed as it spoke. "For what reason is the Watcher-in-training with you?"

"I simply feel that now is a good time to show him what these reports are like."

The light flashed a couple times, "Proceed."

A cord extended from Tiff's pak and connected to the screen's frame. His body flinched as everything he saw and did over the last week flashed across the screen. Varshlez found himself torn between watching the screen and watching his teacher's pained face.

But that's not right… Replays don't cause pain like that. What's different about this one?

When the images ceased, Tiff gasped for breath. His antennae shook and he looked ready to collapse. When Varshlez moved to assist him, Tiff weakly waved him off. It took him a minute to recover. The Control Brains seemed to be waiting patiently.

What was that?! Varshlez wanted to ask but the words were stuck in his throat.

The cord unhooked from the screen and retreated into Tiff's pak. He stood straight and, despite still shaking. "My Omnipotnents, the talks with Vort are progressing as expected. Tallest Zeknen continues to be irritable and uncooperative." Varshlez felt his shock deepen at the insults to the Tallest. "On the other hand the future Tallest Miyuki is respectful, courteous, and compromising. If I have not managed to conclude the talks before she reaches a sufficient height I suggest that reigning power be transferred to her."

Varshlez could feel the rock in his stomach. What Tiff had just suggested was treason, and he'd said it in front of the Control Brains no less!

"Very well. We shall deliberate on your foresight. You may return to your duties."

Tiff bowed and Varshlez quickly followed suit. The screen blipped off.

"What… in the Blorch… was that about?"

Tiff wobbled over to the couch and flopped face down onto it. He turned his head to look at Varshelz before answering. "That was a weekly report which we Watchers are required to give. These are different from normal ones," Tiff explained, correctly guessing the meaning behind Varshlez's look of disbelief. "Instead of letting me present the memories, the Control Brains forcefully extra and create a backup of any and all memories and thoughts from the week."

"What do you mean thoughts? That's not possible. The only memories that our Paks record and save are sight and sound."

"Yes, that is what they teach in the Undergrounds."

"Are you saying that's not true?"

Tiff pushed himself up, "I'm saying that the Control Brains will know every last detail of how you spent each day, from the moment you become the Watcher, to the day you die. They hide nothing from us and we can hide nothing from them."

"But what you suggested was treason!"

"They would have known I was thinking it anyway."

Varshelz just couldn't believe it, "But he's your friend!"

Slowly, Tiff stood and faced the young Watcher, "For the good of our species, I will do whatever it takes." His cold expression left no further room for argument. "Run along now. Dinner should be nearly over, and I'm sure you'd like to catch up with your friends."

Varshlez nodded and rushed out the door, his vest billowing behind him.