"Let me go!" Denzel struggled in her grip as they walked into a brightly lit room. He'd tried to push away from her and even kick her, but all that resulted in was a sharp pain that lanced up the side of his leg. The woman seemed to have metal armour covering her entire body.
"This will help you get rid of the Genko." She pushed him inside and he stumbled against something warm that steadied his tumble. "Isn't that what you want?"
He looked up into deep purple eyes and swallowed, moving away from the red haired woman as she leant backwards. For an instant he saw the gleam of gold around her neck before it disappeared.
"We can fight them." He muttered harshly, his eyes turning to look at the Captain who stood there with her hands folded. She appeared to be enjoying herself.
"Really? What skills have you got? Any weapons training, any knowledge of the enemy? No, none of your group has." The other woman led him to a metal table that was bolted to the floor and he backed into her, his breathing starting to increase. "But you might have the upper hand we're hoping for."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you ever used materia before?" Cal asked him. He stared at her and shook his head, "Did you have the GeoStigma?"
"Yes...why?"
"The Genko have trouble in recognising small variations, like on the ship. Materia is made from the life stream and the planet was able to get rid of the GeoStigma that was killing your body by placing more energy into you. This is what the Genko mistake for summoning ability."
"But there were lots of us with the GeoStigma. Cloud had it too."
"They would have gone after the easier target." Piper stated as he turned back to her. He yelped as her arm lengthened and coiled out of her coat, whipping round his body and placing him on the table.
"No..."
"It'll be ok." Cal tried to reassure him as he struggled. "You just need to relax..."

Something landed on the table next to him and he jumped when he felt fur move across his leg. Pale grey eyes surrounded by black stared down at him from within the depths of dark fur and his eyelids started to flutter closed as warm scented breath washed over him.


They looked up as Piper entered back into the room, Tifa moving closer to the barrier. "Where is he?"
"He's resting at the moment."
"So it's true." She looked at Cloud and saw he was still wearing the link she'd given him. The tiny light at the side was green, meaning he'd heard everything they'd said. "What does this mean?"
"It means he'll be hunted down by the Genko for as long as he lives." Tala supplied.
"Unless you help us." Dax added.
Barrett grunted. "Do we have a choice?"
"Everyone has a choice; you just have to make the right one."
"Dax..." Piper shook her head to stop him from rattling them further. Cid jerked his thumb at the force field.
"Think we can have a civilised conversation without the death haze Captain?"
"You don't trust me, why should I trust you?" She smiled craftily at him.
"Would our word be enough?"
"The word of a SOLIDER is worth nothing." Dax snorted, folding his arms. Cloud narrowed his eyes at the man.
"But it will have to do for now, besides, if any of them try anything we still have the boy." They turned to look at Piper as she leant against a raised wall that rested near the back of the room and licked her lips. She nodded to Tala who moved over to another part of the wall and pressed something.

Tifa laid a hand on Barrett as he raised his gun. "We have to trust them."
"For now at least." He lowered his arm and grimaced.
Vincent stepped forward and looked to Piper. "What are the Genko?"
"The Genkos are an advanced reptilian race from where I was created," She waved away Cid's hissed comment about being 'created' and carried on, "they are destroyers of planets, they see what is the most dominant form of life and take it over before sucking the planet dry of all its resources and energy. Then they move onto the next planet in the system.
"One of them is yours. We were already here when they broke through five years ago but we managed to get rid of them and close up the trail...or at least I thought I had."
"Our ship leaves a faint signature when we move through space called a plasma trail." Tala took over as Piper rubbed her eyes, "These trails can take years to fade away."
"The Genko saw the life stream and the materia as the predominant life form on this planet; therefore they want something that can manipulate the energy into its most powerful shape."
"A Summoner." Vincent stated while Tifa bit her lip,
"So they want Denzel or, or...Cal?"
"At the time no, there was another..."
"Her..." They turned to look at Cloud who was staring at the floor. He looked back up, his eyes burning. "What would they have done with her?"
"I don't know..."
"Tell me!" Piper jumped at his forceful command and Tifa put a gentle hand on his arm. "Cloud, maybe they don't know, maybe its better that we don't know."
"So many can summon a creature," Vincent said, "it is the actual materia that is hard to find."
"Cal is a materia expert, she can find any type of materia, she can sense if it's been used and how much energy it contains." Piper explained, "because of this its pretty easy for her to find summon materia.
"There's no point in taking you home," she went on, "the Genko will be staking out your place for a while."
"What's your plan then?"
She fixed Barrett with a dazzling smile. "You'll be coming with us to Murun."

There was an explosion of noise from all sides as Dax rolled his eyes, casting them to the ceiling while Tala shook her head. "That is too risky Captain."
"Are you sure about that Captain?" Even Bern sounded uncertain.
"We can take care of anything that those lizards throw at us!" Barrett growled, "Right Spiky?" He turned to see Cloud looking pensive. "Back me up here."
"If it's safer for Denzel and Marlene we should go with them."
"Tifa-"
"Barrett come on, you saw what they're capable of back there. And we won't be staying for long, right?" She added, looking at Piper who nodded.
"I agree with Tifa." Cloud said at last looking up.
"If it means I can have a gander of the ship I'm in." Cid grinned. Vincent shrugged his shoulders.
Barrett let out a breath and grunted. "Fine, but that doesn't mean I trust any one of you."
"Likewise." Tala smiled revealing her sharp teeth.
"I still want to know if Denzel is alright." Tifa demanded.


He opened his eyes to see purple ones staring down at him. They crinkled slightly at the edges as Cal smiled. "Morning. How do you feel?"
"A little groggy." He tested out his limbs and found there was no pain. "What did you do?"
"We ran some tests to see what made you tick." She tilted her head and her expression became sadder. "I'm afraid me and you are a dying breed."
"You mean I'm like you? A Summoner?"
"You have the ability, just like a lot of people but it is stronger inside you."
Denzel sat up and looked at his hands. "That means those things will keep coming after me."
"Yes but they've been after me for a while and I'm still standing." She put a hand on his shoulders, "Plus it seems you have some strong protection going on around you."
"I don't want to get them into danger..."
Cal chuckled. "From what I've heard it follows them around." She half turned as if listening to something in her ear and then pressed a button; the red light turning green. "He's woken up Captain...ok...gotcha Captain. Ready to re-join the ranks?"

She helped him down from the table as he nodded and led the way out. "I'm sorry we had to do that to you Denzel." He looked up at her as they walked, "but it was the only way we could be certain."
"What about asking?"
"Even if pirates asked no one would listen to us. People have the old age fear of us being brash and never playing attention to the rules; they made us what we are."

Dax saluted her when they walked in, ignoring the others that were milling around as Denzel ran over to them. "Denzel, are you ok?" Tifa checked him over as Cloud watched the woman walk over to Tala.
"Ok, let's get going." Piper rubbed her hands together, "Cal, bring up the plans and plot a route for me."
"Yes Captain."
"The rest of you, feel free to browse round the ship at your leisure but don't be put out if none of the doors open for you." She smiled sweetly and walked out while a section of the floor rose upwards in front of Cal and slanted towards her. She pressed something on the comlink and a band of fluorescent green arched round the back of her head, the front becoming a translucent eye mask of a similar colour.
"Wow..." She noticed Cid had moved up against her. "That is something..."
"You have no idea have you?" She pressed a button on the piece in front of her and in her vision a map fazed into being and hung there.
Cid scratched his head as she appeared to be tapping the air. "Ok, so I have no idea. What are you doing?" Cloud took off the link he was wearing and looked at it. On the side were two buttons. One, he pressed and the little green light on the side went red. The other...
"Plotting a course."
"But I can't see a damn thing." Her eyes glinted at him and there was the faint suggestion of a grin.
"Exactly."
"I can see it." He turned to look at Cloud and his mouth hung open.
"How in blazes did you do that?!"
"The comlink."
"Be a sport and hand it over hey Cloud?"
"This is their ship Cid." He pressed the button the make the visor disappear, "There will be things they don't want us to see or know."
"You're ruining my day here..."
I promise to let you play with the comlinks later Cid. Piper's chirpy voice filtered through and made them all look around.
"Can she hear everything we're saying?"
"Every single word." Dax grinned at Cid who put a hand behind his head.
"Better not be rude then hey?"
"Course plotted Captain."
I have it now. The ship pivoted round as the floor sunk back down. Better hold onto something until we've reached the proper momentum.

"What the hell does that mean?" Barrett grunted as the ship started picking up speed.
"It means 'grab onto a railing before your head goes through the window'!" Dax crowed as Tifa came sliding past him. He grabbed hold her waist and pulled her closer. "Why don't you stay with me for a while darlin'?"
"I'd rather not." He shrugged as she pushed at him, letting her go and watching her eyes widen as she scrabbled for a hold.
"Are you sure? Plenty of room here." He patted the railing he was holding as she resigned to him and held out her hand. "See, safe and sound."

Cal slid to the wall and tapped it a few times, seeing small hollows appear out of the floor.
"What are they?"
"Think of them as chairs." She advised Cid as Barrett cautiously settled onto one, pulling Marlene onto his knee. Cloud ushered Denzel down, his eyes settling on Tifa and Dax for a second before looking away. Tala took another seat as Bern stood where her was, the G-force appearing to have no effect on him at all.

Ok, we're levelling off now. Piper called after ten minutes. Cal felt the force pushing into her subside and moved away from the wall, bringing up the screen again from the floor and making sure everything was ok.
"Can you let go of me now?" Tifa glared at Dax who grinned, holding his hands up and watched her storm off.
"Damn it..."
"You're going to be a home wrecker Dax." Tala observed as he sidled up to where she was standing with Cal.
He snorted. "She's not with any of the guys."
"My money is on Strife."
"What? No way Cal."
"Have you seen the way she looks at him?"
"Have you seen the way he doesn't look at her? Come off it, as far as I can see she's free and most definitely single."
"I hope you have metal in your ass as that man is gonna whoop your butt if you try anything."
"Ha!" Dax put an arm up and flexed the muscle, "I can take him."
"Let me know when you're going to try, I don't want to miss watching him destroy you." Tala muttered before swaying off.