Chapter 4

It had already been almost a week since we'd been here, and I had yet to actually seen Destiny yet. Mostly we hung around with Jesse who was more than happy to show her hero's around.

Massive amounts of supplies were being shipped in everyday, and I figured Destiny would be able to sustain its crew for a couple of years.

The General put us through basic weapons training, using not only guns, but also our own human made laser weapons. Just like the Shredder's or Dracon's.

On top of it all, I also hadn't seen Ax since the briefing. Every once in awhile his voice would echo through one of the speakers, setting me on edge every time.

I yawned as I headed towards my door, opening it while my eyes were closed, smashing directly into someone who was walking by, knocking us both to the ground.

"Ah man." I groaned, holding my head. "Dude I'm sorry."

"It is fine Marco." the voice said stiffly. I looked up in surprise to see Ax as he placed his glasses back over his eyes, picking up the papers that fell from his hands.

"H-here. Let me help." I stuttered, grabbing a few that had fallen around me. He looked at me, taking the papers from my hands as I held them out to him.

"Thank you." he said, getting to his feet, holding them to his chest.

"Yeah." I replied, standing up too, wiping my hands on my pants. We stood there in an awkward silence before Ax sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Has anyone shown you the ship yet?" He asked and I shook my head no. He let out a small smile. "Its quiet impressive."

"If you worked on it, I'm sure it is." I muttered, and he blinked..

"Follow me then." he said softly, sending me a look I couldn't pin-point. He headed off down the hall. A few times we stopped when on of the Scientists asked him something (most of which went right over my head). Until finally we came to the end of the corridor, two large steel door with heavy security stood there.

Ax placed his hand on a panel to the side of the door, which opened with a hiss of hydraulics.

"Welcome to Destiny." Ax said, gesturing me in front of him.

The sounds of men and woman talking, hammers banging against metal, sparks lighting up the air from welders.

I looked like we were on the a second story, a railing just in front of the door, a metal walkway passing in front, extending around the room with two sets of stairs on either side.

I stepped forwards, Ax behind me as the door closed. Leaning against the railing I realized we had to be over 50 feet from the ground. And sitting there-

"We build the ships in here. Or we will once Destiny takes off." Ax explained, folding his arms on the railing, leaning over to look down, his black hair covering his face. "The floor will rise when we are ready, the ceiling is false."

I leaned over and looked up. "How far up is that?"

"Over a couple hundred feet." He replied. "Top secret and all that."

I looked back down. Destiny was- beautiful. The front was pointed, the ship expanding larger towards the back. It rested off the ground to stop the two sets of engines from touching the ground. The metal they used for the hull was tinted a teal-blue, with silver accents here and there.

Over where the engines rested rose up almost touching the platform I was standing on, two large windows, almost like eyes rested on either side.

Let's put it this way, it looked nothing like an Andalite ship, even better, it looked nothing like a Yeerk ship.

"She's beautiful." I whispered. Ax chuckled beside me.

"Yes she is something." He agreed. "The point of the ship is where the bridge sets, where most of the team you met a few days ago will be spending their days. The thicker part of the ship is used for cargo, living quarters, an infirmary. Everything we need to live out in space. There are also a set of ten fighters set inside from the bridged to the quarters, on the lowest level of course. Just in case." He said quickly, when I looked at him in surprise.

"Is every ship going to be like her?" I asked and he shook his head, sighing.

"I'm afraid the Yeerk invasion has the President a little paranoid. There is another Kelper facility that is designing military ships. They wont be sent to orbit unless there is a threat, or the Andalite's come calling for their allies." He shrugged. "That's not my problem. I have nothing to do with any military any more."

"Why?" I asked him. He ignored me, heading down the walkway towards a set of stairs. I followed him.

Destiny really was huge. I felt like an ant standing next to a bus.

"Hey Ax? What about other things? Like blackholes... Nova's?"

He laughed lightly. "Do not worry. Both are pretty hard to miss. Besides the one at the center of our galaxy, the closest hole is 1,600 light years away. We will not be going anywhere near it." he sent me a grin over his shoulder. "At least, that is the closest one we have found."

"Great, that's encouraging."

Ax seemed to laugh in delight as we reached the bottom and he strolled across the floor to a table where he placed all of his papers down, spreading them out and leaning over them. I watched him as he absently brushed his hair behind his ear and I noticed for the first time a thick, clean, scar that ran from his hairline below his ear to almost the middle of jaw under his cheek, it had been covered perfectly by his hair.

"Ax." I whispered softly, coming to stand in front of him. "Why are you here?"

Anger flashed over his face, and I'll admit for a second I was actually scared of him, before he turned away from me and striding off.

"Don't take it too hard.' A voice came form behind me and I turned to see Jessie standing there. "He- he's had it pretty rough the last few years alright?"

"What happened to him? That's all I want to know." I pleaded. I suddenly had the urge that I needed to know, as if my life depended on it. "Please I'll take anything. Please."

She looked at me curiously before her eyes widened and then narrowed. "I'm going to ask you a question Captain Marco Reed, and I feel you don't answer me truthfully I'll see to it myself that you are taken off this mission."

I nodded furiously, not trusting myself to speak.

"Did you help write that article? The one that told the whole world about your relationship with him?"

"What? No!" I exclaimed. "Is that what he thinks? I need to go tell him-"

"Second question!" She yelled over top of me, catching the attention of a few nearby workers. "Do you love him Marco?"

I blinked at her. But her eyes were set, and I knew I couldn't walk away without answering. "Yes. No. I don't know!" I snapped finally. "It's been five years since I've seen him, even heard form him. So how can I answer that?"

She tilted her head, studying me for a moment. Suddenly she smiled.

"Aximili goes up to the surface when he's like this. He'll sit out watching the stars for hours. Generally he shouldn't be too far away-"

"'Kay thanks!" I yelled to her as I rushed up the stairs and out of the hanger. It felt like hours waiting for the elevator to come to my level, and even more as I rode it back up to the surface.

It was well passed sunset by now, though time felt a bit distorted being underground for so long.

"Hey you. Soldier." I grabbed one of the guards, who snapped into a salute as soon as he saw my face. "Yeah, yeah. At ease or whatever it is. Have you seen Ax? I mean Colonel Isthill?"

"Yes, sir!" The soldier shouted, making my ears ring. "He went that way, sir!"

"Great thanks. A lot less yelling next time alright?" I said, wiggling my finger, heading into the direction he pointed.

I walked out, the darkness getting thicker as I moved farther from the light of the facility. The glow from a cigarette caught my attention and I headed towards it.

"If that is you Marco. Go away." Ax's voice rang out, sounding defeated.

"I will." I said, coming to a stop behind his head. He was laying down, his head propped on one arm, his smoke in the other. "Has anyone eve tell you that's a really bad habit?"

He snorted dismissing the comment. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to get something clear between us. I'm not going to assume anything on what happened to you, or why you are here on Earth. But I want you to know, if this is what has you mad at me-"

"Get on with it!" Ax snapped, making me jump.

"Sorry. I had nothing to do with that article Ax."

I watched his muscles tense. He flicked away the smoke and with surprising agility, was up and on his feet.

"What did you say?" He breathed.

"I said, I had nothing to do with that article."
He stared at me. Awkwardly I stared back, becoming alarmed at the Earth shattering look on his face.

"I- what?" he breathed, his hands shaking.

"Ax! Ax are you alright?" I took a step towards him, but he jumped back.

"No! Do- do not. Leave me alone!" he stumbled away from me.

"Okay, just relax. I'm not going to- to hurt you Ax." Something clenched in my stomach but I refused to think about it.

He turned his back to me, his face in his hands and he breathed deeply. A moment later he straightened up, turning back to me.

"Thank you for telling me." he said softly, avoiding my eyes. "I apologize for my behaviour when you first arrived."

"Don't sweat it."

"We should go back inside before General O'Neill comes for us." Ax sighed, still avoiding me as he moved passed, heading towards the building. It wasn't until we were back in the elevator I broke the silence, I could't take it anymore.

"So, you work for NASA." I said slowly. "Don't you need some sort of PhD?"

Ax smiled lightly. "I have a few actually. The Military was going to pay for my University studies, paying them back once I entered my place here."

"But- it doesn't match up." I said slowly. "It take a few years to get the license."

Ax laughed again. "Which is true, and I was fully prepared for that. I applied to the best Universities in the US, each one giving me an acceptance once they realized who I was. Harvard University did something a little more clever. Along with the acceptance letter, they sent me the final exams for each subject I was planning on taking."

"Oh, let me guess. You passed all of them?" I grinned.

"With flying colors." he said nodding. "My only year in school was spent writing my theses, which set quite a few records I am told and well-" The elevator door opened. "Here I am." he finished off, shrugging. Walking down the hall.

We fell into silence as we came to my quarters. "Well Ax. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded, and it seemed like he was going to say something else but turned and walked away. I watched him go before slipping into my room.