Crossroads

by Silverfox1

After Saber's breakdown the team is grounded and Commander Eagle contemplates splitting it up entirely, but the individual team members, too, are as much at a crossroads as the new cadets arriving at the Star Sheriff Academy. In the end there will be a new line-up, but who will stay, who will leave ... and who will join in their place? Sequel to Both or Neither, if you want.

11. Chapter 11: December Again

Notes: Exam time, graduation, oh, and some changes need to be made to the Ramrod team.

Chapter 11: December Again

"I don't know, Saber," the psychologist said. "There is no doubt that you are doing much better than you were when we started, but you haven't improved as much as I'd hoped and much of that improvement is probably due to having been under a lot less pressure this year. I'm not sure it's a good idea to let you return to the front line just yet."

"There is no front line right now," Saber pointed out. "It'd only be border patrols And do you realise that we are most likely talking about the end of the Ramrod team?" he asked trying hard not to show how much the idea of losing his friends hurt him. "April can't keep overhauling Ramrod forever and there is a new mission she has lined up for it. It's top secret, so I'm afraid I can't give you any details, but it is not a battle mission and it can't wait. She'll do that with Ramrod with or without me. After that she'll have to move on to something else, most likely patrolling the border in Ramrod, but it might also be a new engineering project while Ramrod returns to patrolling without her. Fireball will return to active duty, most likely on Ramrod, but with a new commanding officer there, even that isn't ensured. Either way I'm not likely to get them back. Their new commanders won't just want them for temporary jobs."

"And Colt?" the psychologist prompted apparently ignoring all those problems.

"Colt might return to Ramrod if Fireball and April do, I suppose. He'll probably want to be with his friends. If the team splits up completely, though ... I don't think Colt would mind teaching for another year, if I asked him to wait for me. There just wouldn't be a team left for us to return to afterwards."

The psychologist nodded. "I'll have another talk with each of your team-mates," he announced then still ignoring Saber's concerns. "And then discuss the results with Commander Eagle. You will hear the final decision from him."

And, Saber thought, that decision was sure to be that he was to return to the Academy for another year of teaching. The team he loved so much would split up and then he'd ... what? Not return to spying, that much he was sure of and the psychologist was sure to second that choice since he had identified his time as a spy as the source of his ... illness.

He'd ask Commander Eagle to give him command of another team then, he decided, maybe one that had lost its commanding officer or an entirely new one that he could put together himself. In fact, the latter was probably a better idea since he would be in an excellent position to pick young Star Sheriffs after having taught the last two years of them. He'd already know most of the available candidates.

But then a new realisation came to him. Perhaps Commander Eagle wouldn't want him to lead again. Perhaps he'd think that Saber couldn't handle the pressure of a command position. In that case his career was over. He wouldn't have to quit the service, of course, and most likely Commander Eagle would find a way to avoid demoting him after all he had done for the New Frontier and Cavalry Command, but he'd put him in a position where he'd practically serve as a common soldier and never be promoted again.

"Bad news?" Ian Doe asked when he got into the car. "You look like somebody's died."

"Just possibly my career," Saber replied.

Ian gaped at him for a moment, then caught himself.

"Why? What did you do?"

"Oh, not like that," Saber assured him hastily. "I was exaggerating. It's just that the psychologist evaluated the therapy results today and wasn't as happy with them as I hoped he'd be. Now he's going to discuss them with Commander Eagle. I always assumed that he'd tell me we're done, all is well and I'd go back to my old life."

"But he hasn't said that you won't," Ian pointed out. "What else would they do with you, anyway? They can't just dismiss you, right? Give you a desk job, perhaps?"

"Another year of teaching and more therapy, I expect, but my team can't wait for me any longer, so I'll lose it. Ramrod is needed for a special mission, April has nothing else to do, Fireball hates teaching and even if I could talk him into agreeing to stay on at the Academy anyway, General WhiteHawk has figured it out and will refuse to sign him on. He's told me he'd be happy to recommend him for active duty, though. Colt likes teaching well enough to stay with me and the headmaster would be happy to have him, but the rest of the team will be gone and none of them will like that."

"So, why don't you let Mr. Colt go with the rest of the team and rejoin them in a year?" Ian suggested.

"They'd still need a new commanding officer and nobody would accept that as a temporary job." Well, Fireball probably would, but he was far from ready for it. "There'd be no position left vacant for me."

But the team wouldn't be destroyed completely. Only he would have to be replaced and the others would still have Ramrod and each other. Cavalry Command would be able to rely on their experience and well practised cooperation.

"It might be the best choice, though," he told Ian. "I'll just have to get used to the idea of starting over with an entirely new team." It definitely would solve Fireball's problem. "What about you though? are you nervous about the exams?"

"Not really, actually," Ian said with a slight smile. "Do you remember how you told me to look into what other talents I have? Well, I've done so and researched alternatives to spying and ... well, I know pretty well what I'd like to do if I can't be a Star Sheriff, so if I fail ... Well, if it happens in a Star Sheriff specific class I can still do that, and if it isn't, then I'll just go to the poly-technical next year. I'm not scared at all. ... Well, I'd rather not have to repeat the grade first."

"You'll probably be fine," Saber assured him. "You are the most diligent student in all my classes and I doubt you are much worse in any of the more interesting subjects."

Ian laughed.

"They aren't all more interesting," he said. "Only most of them."

Class thirteen was a lot less troublesome than usual today, Colt noticed with pleasure. They all appeared to be focussing on their targets and were working in harmony. Perhaps it was the approaching exams, though Colt didn't think any of them still needed extra practise.

Unless they missed due to nerves they were all sure to pass. Their shooting skills never had worried him much. That thought made him notice another change.

Bran Jonassen had apparently chosen to get in line between Ian Doe and Max Hartford, with Davie Quinto completing their group, an apparently happy quartet of friends that chatted away pleasantly in whatever combination it was left while one of them was shooting.

Several metres away from them Bran's once constant companion Jason Evans was standing with another group consisting of Hussain Ahmeidi, Lynn Thomas and Taro Hatamoto, though none of those three seemed to be interested in talking with him, not that he was making any attempts to start a conversation either. At first glance he appeared to be angry, but Colt could recognise a mask when he saw one.

"Cadet Evans!" he called out to the boy. "Please come into my office for a moment."

Evans secured his gun properly as Colt noticed with satisfaction and wound his way through the rows of students.

"I wonder what he's done this time," Hatamoto remarked to Ahmeidi.

Noticing how tightly Evans pressed his lips together at that Colt decided to help him out.

"Nothing at all, Cadet Hatamoto, I merely want to have a word in private with him. You may have noticed that's what I do when I don't want to disrupt the class. So be so good and keep practising."

Evans had reached him now and was giving him a measuring look, clearly unsure whether he should trust in this declaration of friendly intentions.

Colt nodded at him to enter the office.

Jason did and leaned against the wall. Now that couldn't be tolerated so Colt nodded towards a chair.

"Sit down, Cadet. No need to stand."

Evans sat.

"You're quiet today," Colt remarked. "And I've noticed that you aren't working with your usual partner. Did you and Jonasson have a row?"

"Doe convinced him that being friends with me is bad for his career," Evans snapped. "Not that it is any of your business."

"Well, I'm afraid that Cadet Doe might not be entirely wrong," Colt allowed. "You have gotten Jonasson in trouble more than once. As well as some of your other friends. You have a reputation as a troublemaker that will make people think twice about choosing to work with you. Some people might be quick to extend that judgement to your friends. Not that they should, but that's what people are like."

"And you think it serves me right," Evans snapped.

Colt shrugged. "I think that that's how it is and, if you don't like it, well, perhaps it's time you try to adapt your behaviour. Your training is almost over and the time for fun and games with it. Out there disobeying your commanding officer can get you or an innocent bystander killed. If you start acting like a responsible adult now, though, it may be that people will eventually stop holding your Academy disciplinary record against you. Eventually people will laugh at what a silly boy you were and look more at the man you grew up to be. It won't be hard to make new friends wherever you go from here, if you stop endangering and antagonising people, and most likely your old friends will come around once they see that you've grown more reasonable. Just ... don't get yourself kicked out over some foolish stunt. It's not worth it."

For a moment he wondered what Jesse Blue would tell this boy. A pity he couldn't get him here to have this talk with Evans in his place. He was pretty sure that Jesse would be able to impress the young fool. If he wanted to, of course. He probably wouldn't care.

It had taken some convincing, but in the end Colt had managed to talk the headmaster into scheduling the Shooting exam of the polytechnical class as the very first at 8 am on the Monday of exam week. Then he simply called on Tuesday Omawombe as the first student.

"Aren't you going to do this in alphabetical order?" the head of the exam commission asked.

"Is there a rule that says I have to?" Colt returned. "I think Mr. Omawombe wants to get this exam over with most of all. As Psychology teacher I know that it will be detrimental to his performance in his other subjects if I leave him to suffer too long."

"Suffer? Look, if the boy has nerves, those will always affect him and it isn't fair to the other students ..."

"He does not have nerves," Colt snapped, maybe a bit too vehemently. "He has ethical issues."

"It is still unfair to those students who have to wait," the head of the commission returned even more loudly.

"Then it is completely fair to Mr. Ulysses that Miss Adams should always have the shortest wait, because A happens to be the first letter in the alphabet?" Colt demanded angrily.

"I'd much rather it weren't!" Miss Adams squeaked out of the group of students. "I hate always having to go first."

"Then you won't mind Mr. Omawombe going before you, will you?" Colt asked her.

"No, not at all," she shook her head vehemently.

"There you see, the students are fine with it," Colt declared and stepped forward before the head could raise another objection. "Now, Mr. Omawombe, this is your mark and that there is your target. You have five shots and have to hit the target at least three times for a passing grade. The closer to the centre the better, but just hitting the target is good enough to pass, any questions?"

Tuesday Omawombe shook his head looking miserable.

"Well then, here's the blaster. Just keep in mind that if you hit that target three times this is the last time you will ever have to shoot."

Tuesday attempted a weak smile of gratitude and reached for the gun with a shaking hand. Colt could only hope that he'd be able to hold it steady enough to meet the task. He stepped back as Tuesday closed his eyes maybe in an attempt to calm himself, or perhaps in a prayer for forgiveness. Colt didn't know.

"Why really, what will that boy do in a fire-fight," the head scoffed.

"Get behind cover and wait until the shooting stops," Colt returned loud enough for the students to hear. "This is a polytechnical class, Sir. These students have no ambitions to become soldiers and I will not grade them by the same standards as those who do. They can aim as slowly as they like to."

But Tuesday didn't need that much time after all. He fired only moments after reopening his eyes. And then twice more in rapid succession.

Three clear holes in the target proved that every shot had been good enough, though none were close to the centre. Colt breathed more easily.

Tuesday turned around.

"Do I have to take the other two shots, Sir?" he asked a little shakily.

"Of course, if you want more than just barely a passing grade," the head replied, but Colt held up his hand to forestall him.

"Are you content with just barely a passing grade, Mr. Omawombe?" he asked the boy.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Then you don't," Colt said and the wide, happy smile on Tuesday's face warmed his heart. "Congratulations, Mr. Omawombe, and I wish you the best of luck following your calling."

"Thank you, Sir. For everything."

Colt was still smiling when he turned to look at Dinah Adams. Another small questioning smile answered him and all of a sudden he realised what he ought to do. He'd be as fair to all his students as he could be.

"So," he asked. "Does anybody else here think that waiting his turn is the worst part of exams?"

Three hands rose into the air a little reluctantly, but there they were.

"Well then, Mr. Ulysses, you shall be second for once in your life."

"But my list is alphabetical," the head protested.

"Well Sir, that just now was Mr. Omawombe, whom you'll find under O, and this is Mr. Ulysses, starting with U, which you'll find at the very bottom of the list," Colt replied easily. "Now, Mr Ulysses, as you can see the target has already been replaced and you are to shoot from the same spot Mr. Omawombe did. Here is your blaster."

Exam week was quite a headache for teachers as well as students, Saber discovered, literally. Both his subjects required written tests and oral exams in front of a commission and the tests had to be graded before the student in question appeared before the commission, but there was next to no time for grading during the day as Saber also had to supervise during other tests.

Saber sighed, gave the stack of over a hundred still unmarked papers another hopeful glance and rubbed his temples. It didn't look any smaller than it had half an hour ago, though Saber had been grading non-stop.

At the other side of the kitchen table Colt was leaning back in his chair feet on the table next to a similar stack ... with the only difference that he owned only one such stack. There was no such thing as a written Shooting exam.

"Something wrong?" the cowboy asked easily.

"Just a headache," Saber admitted. "I've been staring at papers too long and not sleeping enough, but if I stop and go to bed now I'll probably have to work all night tomorrow."

"Try having some coffee," Colt suggested. "And relax. You don't have to be all stiff while you're grading. There's nobody here to see you."

Except for Colt and Fireball, the subordinates he had to set a good example of military bearing to, even if they very likely wouldn't be his subordinates for much longer. As long as he still hadn't resigned his position on the Ramrod team yet, he wanted to fill it properly.

"I suppose a cup of tea to go with the work won't hurt me," he allowed. It did sound rather appealing in fact. He got up. "Do you want one as ..."

The sudden ringing of the phone caused a wave of pain to surge through his head. He took a step towards it, but Colt waved him back towards the kettle.

"Fireball, could you get that?" the cowboy called in he direction of Fireball's closed door. "We're rather busy here and it's probably April anyway."

The door opened and Fireball came out scowling quite uncharacteristically.

"Probably calling to say that she can't make it this weekend because Professor Toleda has had a brilliant new idea where he hasn't shagged her yet," the racer muttered, but he did go and pick up the phone, so Saber went and filled the kettle with water and set it to boil.

"Yes, Sir! Right away!" he heard Fireball bark into the receiver a little too loudly for his head.

"It's for you, Saber. Commander Eagle," the racer reported when he returned into the kitchen.

Saber flinched. Commander Eagle? Now? That couldn't be good news, could it? And had Fireball and Colt noticed his reaction? Had he gone pale? He certainly felt sick enough.

"Right. Watch the kettle while I talk with him, alright?"

Fireball nodded. "Sure, but ... what for?"

"That the water doesn't boil over," Colt supplied. "Seriously, Fireball!"

Saber decided to trust in Colt's ability to prevent Fireball from burning down the house and went to the phone. He'd have to be strong for his team. They depended on him doing what was best for them and right now, if Commander Eagle was about to say what Saber expected him to say, that meant that he had to leave them.

"Commander?"

"Saber, is everything alright? You sound strained."

Well, at least the Commander sounded friendly and even concerned enough. Though on the other hand that might also be because he thought Saber was too fragile to be handled normally.

"Just a headache, Sir. We're in the middle of exam week and Colt and I are buried in tests that need to be graded before the oral exams and of course we can't afford to let our concentration slip for a moment on those. It's exhausting work, but we are doing it for our cadets."

"Of course, and I hate to pull you away from it, but ... have you seen the changes April has made to Ramrod, yet?"

Huh? What was that about?

"No, I haven't been there. Fireball and Colt stopped by a little while ago and said it was all still under construction and not ready to be seen. The last thing I want to do is get in the way and hold up April's work."

"Have you seen the plans then?"

"No, haven't you?" Surely April had had to send them in for approval.

"Yes, of course, but how familiar are you with the arrangements she has made for her two saddle units?"

Saber blinked.

"Two saddle units? Which two saddle units? This is the first I've heard anything about changes to the saddle units."

"Well, it is only for the duration of the tests ... April has told you about the new dimension jumping technology that you are to test, right?"

That YOU are to test? Then he was going back to Ramrod after all? Saber's heart sped up hopefully.

"Yes, Sir," he said carefully keeping his voice neutral. "Doctor Toleda's work, isn't it? And he is to join us for the duration of the tests as well?"

"Yes, exactly. As it turns out those tests will also require April to monitor some equipment in the living section. They have built in a lift to take her up to her normal saddle unit if you have to go into Challenge Phase, but I just don't like it. You are going to make several jumps into the vapour zone, if everything goes as expected and we have no idea where you will come out. I want you ready to go into Challenge Phase the moment you come out of the jump and that requires four Star Sheriffs already in their saddle units. Since you are currently at the Academy and have been teaching them for a whole year, I think you are in an excellent position to choose a young Star Sheriff to add to your team."

A new team member?

"Hold on, Sir. Is that a permanent position or just for the duration of the tests. I don't want to make the poor young man any promises I can't keep."

"I think it might be best to call it a trial period and if the new guy works well with the existing team he can stay on as a reserve pilot. There has been more than one occasion when you had a member injured or held up outside the ship after all. The requirement of four pilots clearly is Ramrod's biggest weakness so a fifth team member will be very useful."

"I ... thank you, Sir. I'll go over the list of students again and get the opinions of their other teachers. I already have some good candidates in mind, but of course I don't know how they are performing outside my own classes." Except for what he'd heard by gossip and he refused to admit to that in front of his commanding officers.

Gossip or no, though, Saber knew exactly whom he wanted to join his team.

"Oh, and April? Can you add another cabin to Ramrod?" her father asked much to April's surprise. "Or a second bed to one of the existing ones?"

"Why Daddy, we have enough cabins," April assured him. "We'll even have a spare one once the tests are over."

"You'll need another bed during the tests," Commander Eagle insisted. "Or else you'll have to sleep in shifts with two people sharing their bed."

"What?" April yelped. "Daddy that's ... that's unthinkable! You know I'm not going to share my bed with a man. That would be inappropriate. And I can't ask it of Doctor Toleda either. Saber and Fireball might not mind sharing for duty's sake too much, but Saber is the highest ranking team member, so that would be inappropriate as well and I can't ask Fireball to put up with Colt. That cowboy's so messy it's unbearable."

"Well, then either Fireball or Colt will have to share with the new addition ... unless of course it's a woman. Then only you can share with her, of course."

What? Oh no, he couldn't do that to her!

"But Daddy, I'm the only one that has the skills and knowledge to supervise the dimension jumping technology together with Dr. Toleda. It would take ages to train somebody new and I've been looking forward to it so much! It's such a big chance for me, an engineer's dream project!"

"I know. April," her father said sounding unaccountably sad. "That's why I've asked Saber to hire a young Star Sheriff and not you to pick another engineer for your team. I understand that you are an engineer at heart and ... well, I want you to know that I won't stand in the way of your happiness Cavalry Command needs engineers as much as it needs Star Sheriffs and I will always be proud of you, no matter which profession you choose."

"But Daddy, I ... Ramrod is my creation, and the team ... Fireball ..."

"Now, now, surely Fireball's love for you isn't so shallow that he'd forget you just because he's no longer working with you all the time. He hasn't been neglecting you just because you are doing engineering work and he is teaching now, has he?"

"Well ..."

"Your mother never served on the same team as I either, but we were still very happy together, maybe even happier than couples that see each other everyday. Every night that we were separated we'd both think of how happy we'd be when we'd meet again after the mission. It always made it a very special holiday."

"But what about Ramrod? I don't want to leave him behind. I don't want to give up my career as a Star Sheriff. I don't want to abandon the team!"

"Then you'd rather give up your career in engineering?" Commander Eagle asked. "I'll always be proud of you, but you'll never have much of a career in either profession if you keep trying to do both. You need to choose one or the other."

"I ..." wasn't this exactly what Stephen had said? And she'd already promised him to think it over. "I'll think about it, Daddy, but I need some time to make up my mind. I'll tell you after this testing mission. I'd be going on that either way anyway, so I don't have to decide now, do I?"

"No," Commander Eagle said seriously. "But you really need to be sure of it. You have to choose once and for all. No going back and changing your mind later."

Saber was waiting by the door when Colt got out of his last exam of the day. He was wearing his usual stoic mask, but Colt knew him well enough to notice that he was less tense today - in fact, he had been since breakfast, despite yesterday's late night and headache.

"Good news?" the cowboy asked casually as Saber fell into step beside him.

"Yes, I suppose they are good," Saber replied just as casually. "I have unofficial confirmation that we are to conduct those experiments April has been so excited about as soon as the modifications on Ramrod are complete. She is sure to be pleased even though she can have had little doubt of it."

"You had doubts though," Colt asked easily even though of course he'd known.

"Not as far as April was concerned," Saber allowed. "But I thought they might want to give her a crew with a more technical focus for it. Nothing of the sort seems to have occurred to the Commander, though, and I suppose in the current political climate we can afford to send fighting teams on such missions. He merely wants us to take along an additional Star Sheriff to handle communications and possibly be groomed for a more permanent position on the team. From what I have seen of our cadets, I have an incomplete impression of their skills, especially where actual fighting ability is concerned. You know how well they shoot, though, so I would appreciate your input."

He wanted Colt to suggest Ian Doe, of course, so he wouldn't feel like he was favouring the boy. Colt wondered what he'd do, if he didn't oblige. Ian Doe was the best choice, though. Not because of his shooting skills, though those were good enough, but because of his maturity. Still ...

"It might be best to have several candidates in mind," he suggested. "The best candidates will be sought after, I expect, and might already have made different plans or ... we might end up requiring two after all."

"Of course," Saber said as if that had been the plan all along.

"I suppose Ian Doe will be your first choice as well," Colt continued. "But I know for a fact that we are not the only ones that have noticed his merits and I think he has different plans. We should ask him of course, but not be surprised if he declines."

"He wants to be a spy," Saber confirmed. "But I think that would be a waste of his talents. He might make an excellent team leader someday considering the influence he already has on his classmates now."

"Spies don't always stay spies," Colt reminded Saber. "As you of all people should know. I'm much more concerned about the future of Jason Evans. He'll need supervision and guidance until he has matured enough to take responsibility for his actions. You once wanted to take that role for Jesse Blue."

"I did at least want to guide him back to Cavalry Command, yes," Saber admitted. "But I'm no longer sure that I would have been up to the task. It might be wiser to leave Evans to someone more experienced with such troublemakers."

"If only we could be sure that that is what he'd find if we don't take him, I'd agree. You might be the best he can hope for, though, and I think once he actually sees you in battle he'll soon learn some respect. If we don't take Jason, though, Bran Jonassen would be a good choice."

"Jonassen?" Saber repeated sceptically. "What ever makes you think that?"

"He let Evans lead him astray in the beginning, but has been performing really well since their separation. He has matured quite a bit this year and will make an excellent Star Sheriff, if he continues his efforts. If he were to fall back under the influence of Evans or somebody like him, that would be prevented, though. Taking him, if we don't choose Evans as well, would be a way to ensure his positive further development."

Saber gave him a sidewards glance.

"That's all very well, Colt, but I think you need to readjust your perspective. You've become too used to thinking like a teacher and I need a Star Sheriff's perspective here. We are choosing a team-mate that will go into battle with us, somebody we can rely on as a partner, not a child we need to teach. We need a soldier, not a student."

Yes, Colt realised with a touch of surprise, he was thinking like a teacher and not like an officer choosing a soldier. But why should he be thinking like an officer? He had never been one, while he was a teacher right now. Nor had he ever had any ambitions to become an officer. He was much more comfortable as a simple soldier - or a teacher.

Still, he pulled himself together and tried to see the students the way Saber wanted him to.

"Max Hartford then," he decided. "He is less cooperative and more competitive than Ian Doe, but very mature as well and I suppose he'll relax a bit once he realises that he has a permanent position on the team and nobody to compete for it with."

"I'd rather he didn't compete with Fireball, though," Saber remarked. "Our racer can get very competitive as well."

"That's true," Colt allowed. "Liu Chang, then? It might be nice for April to have another woman on the team and Chang is an excellent shot. She doesn't strike me as officer material, but that might be due to her youth and you are already training Fireball for that. You'd probably do better to hire a new second in command once he leaves the team."

Saber's lips tightened almost imperceptibly. He didn't like the thought of Fireball leaving as Colt well knew. Still, someday he'd have to. You couldn't have two team leaders on one team.

"And that is probably years away," Colt said to diffuse the situation anyway. "We can keep our eyes on the others' development until then and maybe if Doe turns us down now, he'll have changed his mind then. And of course we shouldn't forget all the new cadets that will have graduated in the meantime. One of them might suit us even better than Doe."

"We won't know them as well," Saber pointed out. "But you are right. A lot might happen between now and then. It's hard to plan that far ahead. Thank you for your input. I think I'll ask General WhiteHawk's opinion next. He has the most experience predicting how cadets will develop."

"It might be a good idea to ask Fireball as well," Colt warned. "He might still harbour a grudge against Evans and his friends or dislike the idea of working with a former student."

"He hasn't taught most of them at all," Saber returned. "And I don't really care about their driving skills. They are free to choose to drive, ride or fly as far as I'm concerned."

Colt almost reminded him that three riders on the team might make them a bit too one-sided, but thought better of it. Saber was the officer after all. It wasn't Colt's place to question strategic or tactical decisions.

Saber went straight on to Molly's office to ask when there might be a good opportunity to talk with the headmaster and found General WhiteHawk there right there and then.

"Ah Saber," the headmaster remarked. "You might like to know that I happened to see Commander Eagle yesterday and he mentioned that you will not be continuing with us next year. He seems to have some research project for you and your team."

"Oh yes," Saber returned just as casually for the benefit of the students listening in. "He already hinted that to me as well. In fact, there is a detail that I wanted to discuss with you sometime before I leave."

"Then why don't you come inside and we can discuss it over a cup of tea," the headmaster invited him.

"I guess you are relieved to be rid of us," Saber said the moment the office door closed behind him.

"Nothing quite that extreme," General WhiteHawk assured him.

"You don't need to pretend for my sake. I, too, was quite relieved when the Commander called me and told me to recruit an extra team-member for the mission. For Fireballs sake, I mean. The poor boy has been miserable this year and this mission is much more to his taste. I was worried how he'd take it, if I'd been assigned to stay on for another year. None of us liked the idea of splitting up the team, but Fireball outright hated it and he really does belong out there."

"He did also tell you that it was a very difficult decision, didn't he?" the General asked.

"No," Saber asked fighting down his shock and surprise. "He didn't. Probably because he didn't actually tell me the decision yet. He just asked me to recruit one of the cadets as a temporary replacement for April and possibly spare permanent member. Of course he wouldn't have left that decision to me if I weren't to lead the team during that time, though."

"The psychologist is unsure how you will react to returning to active duty and has recommended caution," WhiteHawk revealed to Saber's dismay. Commander Eagle was discussing that with his fellow officers in high command now? Saber didn't want to know what the consequences for his career would be. "He thinks that there still is a high risk of a relapse. I ... Well, I suppose it is no secret that I have always been very fond of you. I would have preferred that Commander Eagle didn't take such a risk with your health and even though you are far from my ideal of a teacher, I would have been glad to keep you for another year under the circumstances."

"I'll be fine," Saber promised. "I know what symptoms to look out for and I'll ask Colt to warn me if I should really overlook them."

"You might not always have Colt to watch over you," the General said. "And all I meant to say is that you are welcome to return to us even though your performance hasn't been stellar. Just call me, if you need help."

"Thank you," Saber said, convinced that he never would make use of the offer that he knew didn't extend to Fireball. He'd just have to make sure he proved the psychologist wrong. "What I meant to ask you to help me with is the choice of the cadet I am to recruit. I am thinking of Ian Doe as my first choice, but ..."

"It can't hurt to make him an offer," the headmaster said unusually guardedly. "It is definitely a rare opportunity for a boy only just out of the Academy, so he just might accept, but I think that you ought to know that he has made inquiries in a very different direction and is about to receive an offer there as well. He will have to choose between a rare opportunity and what appears to be a well considered personal preference. So don't be too surprised or offended if he turns you down."

"Of course not. I am well aware that he has different plans and have some alternative candidates as well." He smiled with amusement. "Would you believe that Colt has actually suggested Jason Evans and Bran Jonassen?"

"I do not only believe it, I even think it is a good idea, if you can make it a position on probation. It would inspire those two to make an effort to behave well while just being dumped into a depot might bring out their rebellious sides. Evans does have some talent when he chooses to make use of it."

"Maybe," Saber allowed. "But I personally much prefer the idea of taking Liu Chang or one of the Ahmeidi twins."

"Chang might make an excellent gunner and I believe she has taken both piloting and driving lessons."

"I am primarily looking for someone for communications, who should be able to serve as an understudy for the other saddle units as well. Colt is our gunner," Saber reminded him slightly taken aback.

"Ah, forgive me. I should be honest with you. I have offered Colt a permanent position, and he at least hasn't declined outright, yet. It might be a good idea to have a replacement for him in mind in case he decides to accept."

"He won't," Saber told him with full conviction. "He's probably just taking his time because he doesn't want to appear completely uninterested. I suspect that he is thinking about retiring to teach someday, but right now he is still of better use on active duty. He won't give that up while he's still young and healthy."

Fireball had originally expected the exams to be a time during which he could relax. His students had all already had their driving exams with an official examiner. As far as he knew, they had all passed, but that was no longer his business. He'd done his duty by preparing them for the exams and if any of them had failed ... well, their school days were over anyway, unless they also failed one of their mandatory classes, but even then he wouldn't be here to teach them again for their repeat exam. His year at the Academy was over and with any luck he'd never have to go through another.

What he hadn't calculated on was being assigned to supervise tests along with the other teachers. Sure, he didn't have to do any grading, so he was way better off than Saber and Colt, but somehow it seemed to Fireball that the students behaved a lot worse when he was supervising them than they did with any of the others.

Whichever side of the hall he was on was always noisier and less neat than any other and Fireball had to hasten from one desk to the next to keep silencing the students while his colleagues merely passed up and down their assigned areas.

It was always a relief when the bell rang ... except then he had to make sure that everybody stopped working and handed in their exam papers and didn't ask any hasty questions and make last minute changes as their peers passed them by, obstructing Fireball's vision.

"Hand it in, Cadet!" Fireball ordered a rapidly scribbling red-head angrily. "Now!"

"Oh, just let me finish the sentence!"

"I said now!" he grabbed the paper and pulled and ... it tore.

"Nooo!" the student screamed.

"Well, you should have just handed it over when I told you so," Fireball snapped to cover his own shock at the mishap.

He hastily stacked the papers and put them into the prepared envelope then carried it to the front himself.

"Um ... I'm afraid I damaged the last page tearing it away from the student, Paolo," he admitted to the teacher actually in charge.

Paolo took out the page and examined it thoroughly.

"Really, Fireball, you could have let the poor boy finish his sentence. It doesn't look like he was cheating just ... a bit too long-winded in his answers," he said.

"Well, it wouldn't have been fair to the others, would it?" Fireball insisted feeling tired and annoyed and guilty.

He seemed to be doing everything wrong these days.

"Very well, I'll excuse it and grade the paper anyway, but try not to cause any more damage."

Fireball chose to take that as a dismissal and fled from the room along with the students.

"Fireball!"

He looked in the direction of the call fearing more trouble, but then he recognised April. And she was smiling with delight at the sight of him and spreading her arms!

"April! My love!" he rushed into her embrace forgetting all his trouble and exhaustion.

After her recent lack of interest in him Fireball was quite surprised when April insisted they go out to a nice little restaurant to talk in private, but he didn't quite dare to hope that it really meant that she still loved him after all.

Maybe this was her way of ending it officially? An attempt to tell him gently?

"I ..." she started after finishing her soup, then faltered and Fireball saw his worst fears confirmed.

"It's Professor Toleda, isn't it?" he tried to help her along even though he'd really much rather have shouted and pleaded.

Perhaps, he thought wryly, teaching for a year had left him with a little more self control after all.

"Well, yes, in a way," April agreed, though she looked a little puzzled by the statement. "He does have something to do with it, but really it is much more Daddy's fault."

"Commander Eagle?" Fireball asked surprised. "Him as well? What does he have against me all of a sudden?"

"Against you? Why would Daddy have anything against you? This isn't about you at all. Well, not directly at least. It will affect you indirectly, of course, and that's why I wanted to discuss it with you right away, but it's really all about me."

That didn't sound quite right. Or had Commander Eagle told her to let him down gently before she followed her heart into a new relationship?

"Maybe you should start at the beginning," Fireball decided after a moment. "Because I'm not at all sure who or what it is about anymore."

"Well, ..." April hesitated again. "It starts with Daddy. He has given me an ultimatum. He thinks that I must choose to be either a Star Sheriff or an engineer and give up the other entirely. And I ... well, I love being both but ... Well, for the moment I've convinced him to give me until after the current mission before I must tell him my choice."

"But what's there to choose?" Fireball asked vehemently. "You're part of the team, the New Frontier needs you, you built Ramrod and ... well, what about me?"

He blushed and fell silent.

"Yes, and I don't want to give up any of those things, but ... Professor Toleda has offered me a job working with him. It's the work I was trained for, work that I love and that challenges me. And I'd be developing new technologies for the good of everybody. My position on Ramrod doesn't require my engineering qualifications. Any Star Sheriff could fill it. I don't want to part with Ramrod, but if I don't I'll never get to build anything else."

So she was leaving him after all. How could he have been foolish enough to start to hope that she wasn't just because she had said it wasn't about Toleda?

"And me?" It slipped out as a tiny, broken squeak that he wished he could have taken back before he'd finished saying it.

"Why, it's not like we have to work together to be in love. Of course we wouldn't see each other as much as we used to, but most couples don't. We haven't been working together for a year now and it was fine, wasn't it? We'd be just like Colt and Robyn or Saber and Sincia. We'd ..."

"Fine? You call that fine?" Fireball shouted incredulously. "We never saw each other. You were always so busy I didn't even know whether you still cared. I've been wondering whether you were sleeping with that damned Toleda because you never even returned my calls."

"Y... you were?" April stuttered. "But ... but ... Why of course not! I'd never! I love you and only you."

Her face had gone so bright red that Fireball already regretted having said it.

"Well, I might have exaggerated a little," he backtracked. "But I was miserable seeing so little of you and I did worry that somebody else might get between us. I didn't like the way things were between us this last year, not at all."

"Oh Fireball, it won't be like that, I promise. If I decide to take the engineering job I'll make sure to take time off whenever you're on Yuma. We'll have those times entirely to ourselves. It'll be wonderful."

"Like we had the Sundays to ourselves this year? You promised that, remember? And what became of that? Nothing, that's what. If you take that engineering job, we won't last. We can't."

"Oh nonsense, Fireball. Just think how much we'll miss each other during your missions, and then well be so happy every time you get home. We'll get so much more out of our relationship even if we see less of each other."

"You didn't miss me all that much this year," Fireball said accusingly. "I missed you a lot, but you didn't even notice it."

"We saw each other every weekend and I was busy," April told him a little exasperatedly. "You had a lot less to do than the rest of us. That's why it felt so long between meetings to you."

"We did not," Fireball hissed. "You cancelled most of your weekend visits. Don't do this to me April, please!"

She looked at him. He was such an awfully good looking boy, and he looked so desperate right now. And he was all hers. She didn't want to lose him as well if she had to give up Ramrod and seeing Saber everyday and ... but he'd probably come around once he got used to the idea and had some time to think it through.

"I haven't made a decision yet," She said to reassure him. "I'll probably choose to stay with the team anyway, but I will leave the final choice until after the mission just like I told Daddy. I just wanted to tell you now so it doesn't come as a complete shock if I do decide for engineering after all. I do love you, Fireball and just wait until you see what the newly upgraded Ramrod can do. It's faster and more agile. And then of course it can jump dimensions. Aren't you excited that we'll soon be dashing through the vapour zone?"

The gradation ceremony was quite an impressive show. It almost made Colt regret not having graduated himself. Almost. He'd had good reasons for the choices he'd made and even knowing the outcome now he wouldn't change any of them if he could live his life over again. Every step of the way had been worth it, just as the next one would be as well. Of course, changes always meant painful good byes, but for the graduates as well as for him they would bring something new and promising. This was not the time to worry about himself or the students standing proudly in formation before the entire school. It was the ones that were left down here to watch it all with sad, longing eyes that needed his attention now, even though they tended to disappear among all the proud parents and other family members.

Not everybody's parents had been able to come, of course. Colt noticed little Hannah leaning against a wall glaring at where Jose was eagerly pointing out people to his father who had come in full gala uniform.

"And after this there's the graduation of the polytechnical class," Colt heard him say as he passed the two on his way over to Hannah.

"Oh, but surely we don't have to watch that," the general laughed. "Don't you want to congratulate your friends on officially becoming full-fledged Star Sheriffs?"

"Yes, but that can wait," said Jose. "First I've got to watch my friend Tuesday graduate. I promised."

And the new Star Sheriffs would probably be too busy receiving the congratulations of their own families to miss Jose anyway. Colt decided to stay as well. Too many people would leave after the main event ignoring the 'lesser' students. Somebody had to stay and demonstrate some appreciation of their efforts and goals in civilian life.

"Hello Hannah," he called out to the girl when he reached her. "Your parents couldn't make it?"

Hannah shrugged.

"Dad has some party at work that he can't miss," she said. "It's not like it matters. It isn't my graduation, and there'll be a shuttle service to the space-port tomorrow."

"Yes, I heard. Fireball and Saber have both volunteered to drive." More or less voluntarily.

"But you haven't?"

"I'm a pilot, not a driver," Colt said with a shrug, though by that reckoning Saber as a rider shouldn't have been asked either. "And Miss Molly asked me to stay and help her keep track of the departures. I hear things can get very chaotic there."

"Kids are noisy bastards," Hannah observed wisely.

"So, I guess you're looking forward to going home?"

She nodded.

"In a way. I still miss Emmerel, but they will send me back, of course. They don't want me there."

"I'm sorry," Colt said, but Hannah shook her head.

"I'll get by. I've learned that this year. I'll always have to take care of things alone, but I don't need to be scared of it the way I used to be. If I'm not scared I can make them be scared of me and then they give me what I tell them to, not what they want me to want. You want to feel sorry for someone? Go find that Nanook-boy from fourth year. He was crying earlier."

"Nanook Little Bear?" Colt asked surprised. "He always seemed a perfectly happy little fellow. I guess I'd really better check what's up with him. Thanks for the tip."

He touched his hat to Hannah and started to wind his way back through the bystanders again. Just where would Nanook be likely to go? It would have been much easier to find him if it hadn't been for the parents visiting. He knew who Nanook's classmates were and whom he hung out with during meals. Now everybody was with their parents and Colt had never seen any of them before.

Of course he knew that the tall blond woman and short black man to his right couldn't have anything to do with Nanook Little Bear, but there were several Indian couples here tonight.

None of them seemed to have a child in tow, though, and Colt finally found the boy sitting in the back with Anna, the third year girl who'd never shot before arriving at the Academy.

"Well, Anna," he asked her. "Pleased with your grades?"

Anna shrugged.

"Math could have been better, but they'll have to live with that. I passed in any case, and I got As in Sports and Riding."

"They?" Colt asked slightly puzzled.

"My parents. They'll be disappointed I didn't get As in everything they think is important. They can't complain much, though. I passed everything and none of it was a close save. Not even Shooting and I really thought that would be at first."

"And didn't I tell you you'd catch up from the beginning? You'll do just as well as the rest of your class next year," Colt predicted.

"Not good enough," Anna informed him. "I want to be the best. If I'm not they might make me choose the polytechnical class in two years, you see. They just sent me here to punish me. They don't want me to be a Star Sheriff. But I'll show them. I'll be the best soldier ever."

Colt smiled.

"Well, then you'll just have to keep working as hard on it as you have been."

"You bet I will!"

"How about you then," Colt turned to Nanook since the boy still hadn't spoken at all. "Will you be going on to be a Star Sheriff or do you prefer the polytechnical class?"

The boy shrugged.

"Either of those," he said. "I mean, I haven't decided that, yet. I had another decision to make first."

"Ah," Colt said, though he really had no idea what that might be about. "Do you need any help with that?"

"No, I already made the decision. I just need to figure out how to tell Mum and then I can start thinking about what class I want to be in next year. They separated, you see and Mum is going back to the reservation and thinks that I'll come with her and ... well, it's a great place, but they don't have computer games or mecha horses or ... well, pretty much any modern technology. I'd like to know more about how those things work. I suppose I could learn that in the polytechnical class?"

"There are optional engineering classes you can take," Colt confirmed. "They are available to all fifth year students, though. My friend April took them while at the Academy and then," he smiled at the boy. "She built Ramrod."

"Wow, really?" Nanouk gasped.

"All on her own?" Anna asked wide-eyed.

"Well no, she did have help of course," Colt admitted. "He's a bit too big for a single person all on her own, but it was her project. She was in charge. She's quite accomplished both as a Star Sheriff and as an engineer, but, well, you've got to be sure that you really want to be a Star Sheriff. I don't want to push you into anything there and you have most of the summer to decide."

As a student of the Academy's own high school he was guaranteed a place at the Academy if he wanted it after all, so there was no need to apply early.

"I'm glad you'll still be here next year," Anna said. "I love the school and all, and I'd want to come back and become a Star Sheriff either way, but ... you are my best friend here and I'd miss you."

Well, this crisis seemed to be as solved as it was going to get ... except ...

"Are your parents here? Maybe I could help you explain it to your mother," Colt offered.

"No, Dad's meeting me at the space-port tomorrow. I'm to spend the first half of the holidays with him and then to go to Mum. I'll try to tell them both face to face. That's more honest."

But they'd apparently informed him of their divorce by letter. It was hard to see how some parents treated their children when he remembered the loving relationship he'd had with his own parents.

"How about you?" he asked Anna.

"Space-port as well. They did want to come earlier, but their flight was delayed. Some kind of technical issue. It doesn't matter, though. I've got lots of pictures of the school to show them and it isn't my graduation that they're missing. I'll show them the real place next year."

He'd have to look around for other unaccompanied high school children, Colt thought, but when he started to he came across someone he really hadn't expected to see among the watchers.

"Why, Mr. Ahmeidi, not up there with your class?" And seeing him without that he didn't even know which Ahmeidi brother he was talking to!

The boy shook his head sadly.

"I fail English," he explained. "Almost manage, but two points. Hassan make it. I always thought, I better English than Hassan, but now he pass, I fail."

"Oh, that is unfortunate," Colt commiserated. "Two measly points, eh?"

"Yeah," Hussain sighed. "It just luck. I know."

Colt nodded.

"You should try again," he encouraged the boy. "Go straight to Miss Molly and tell her you're going to repeat so she can reserve a place for you. Then keep working on your English all year and you're sure to pass next year."

Hussain nodded.

"I know I should, but I see brother and all friends leave and then all alone next year."

"True," Colt admitted. "That's no fun, but you know it's also a chance to make new friends. You've always been with your brother so far. Now, for the first time, you'll come to school like every other boy, alone and looking for friends. Everybody will be looking, so it won't be hard to find some."

Hussain nodded, but he still looked scared.

He'd have to go through this either way, though, as would Hassan starting his career alone now.

The graduation party for the new Star Sheriffs was in full swing by the time Colt and the polytechnical students and parents joined in. The Omawombes had been quite surprised when their son had insisted on introducing them to his former Shooting instructor. To be honest, so had Colt himself, but it had been a very pleasant surprise that had confirmed him in his decision and made it easier to go through with what he had to do next.

He lost another ten to fifteen minutes looking for Saber and when he finally found him he appeared to be deep in conversation with Ian Doe.

Colt walked up to them anyway.

"Don't think that I don't realise what a generous offer it is," was the first thing he heard Ian say. "But well, remember how you encouraged me to look into what other useful things I might be able to do that might suit me better than spying?"

"Of course I do," Saber confirmed.

"Well, I did and ... In fact it was Professor Colt here who made me realise that there is something much more important and rewarding that I could do."

"Me?" Colt asked taken completely by surprise.

"Yes, remember when you told us of the importance teaching has for the future of young Star Sheriffs? I thought about that and I realised that in fact, every teacher has the chance to help so many people in an entirely positive way, without having to kill or destroy anything and without having to hide. And I have always been good with children. They like me and I like them. It's always been my biggest regret that I shouldn't have children of my own, but by becoming a teacher I can have whole classes of them without risking to pass on my illness. So ... well, I've discussed it with General WhiteHawk and I'll go and take a teaching course over the holidays and return here to teach at the high school next year. I'm really sorry to turn down your offer, but I know that this is what I really want to do."

"Why, that is excellent," Colt said smiling widely. "We will be colleagues then. Do you know what you will be teaching, yet? Maybe we can organise a project together."

"But Colt," Saber reminded him. "We won't be here next year. We'll be taking off with Ramrod again in a few weeks."

Right, this was the hard part, but he had to go through with it for the students' sake.

"I'm sorry, Saber," he said. "I know this must seem like a very sudden decision to you and it wasn't an easy choice for me, believe me, but ... well, General WhiteHawk has offered me a permanent position as well and I meant what I said. I know that I can do more good by teaching than by fighting. We send our cadets out into life-threatening situations after only one year of training and much too young. They need the best preparation that they can get for that, and even if there is another war, Saber, I believe that I can do a lot more to help us win it by training the ones that will fight it than by fighting myself."

Saber stared at him unbelievingly.

"But Colt ... what about ... the team, what about ..."

He still couldn't bring himself to say anything he considered selfish, Colt realised, and it worried him, but right now he didn't have to. Colt knew exactly what he really meant.

"I'll always be your friend," he told Saber. "Just call to tell me whenever you're on the planet. And don't forget to write every once in a while, so I'll know what's going on in your lives. As for the team, it will need a new gunner. I've already given you my recommendations for that position, but of course you can choose whomever you deem fit. I won't have to work with them."

"Evans and Chang?" Saber said a little doubtfully. "I have no doubts the girl will make an excellent Star Sheriff, but ..."

"I thought you were going to hire the reserve member on trial?" Colt reminded him. "And your next mission isn't likely to lead you into any critical situations. If he doesn't fit in or won't behave," Colt shrugged and Saber nodded.

"I suppose it can't hurt to ask whether you're sue you won't change your minds?"

He looked almost pleadingly from Colt to Ian, but they both shook their heads, Their plans were made.

Saber had been assigned the same car he'd had on the first day of school. Only the group he was to take to the space-port was slightly different.

Or maybe it was very different, he thought when he saw Anna appear in the door carrying the same suitcase she had arrived with, but standing tall and smiling as she waved back to somebody he couldn't see.

"Good luck! See you in a month!"

"So, happy to be going home?" Saber asked her when she reached the car.

"It's nice to have a holiday," she returned. "And I do want to see my parents again, but I'll miss the place, especially the horses. I'm so glad you told me to sign up for Riding lessons, you know. That was a brilliant idea. It's the best subject ever."

"I'm glad it worked out that way. You looked so very miserable that first day."

She shrugged.

"I just didn't know how great this place really is. I'm almost glad I was such a bad girl at my old school now. Say, Professor Errol said that you gave some riding lessons a few years ago and that it was a pity you couldn't this year. Do you think you might next year?"

"I'm afraid not," Saber actually felt a touch of regret as he said it. "At least not unless there is a change of plans during the year. Right now I'm scheduled for patrol duty with Ramrod and there probably won't be any chance to arrange guest lessons during the short intervals we'll be home."

"Oh," Anna made a little disappointedly, but a moment later her face lit up again and she waved excitedly. "Ian!"

"Anna!" Ian laughed and greeted her with a hug. "Are you riding back with us then?"

This was the most unpleasant part of this assignment, Saber thought, having to take Ian Doe to the space-port and knowing that he might never see him again after he'd already been so sure that they would be team-mates.

"Aren't you staying here?" Anna asked. "I thought all the new Star Sheriffs were to go on to their new assignments from here?"

"No," Ian said with a grin. "I'm going away in order to stay forever."

"Eh?"

"I'm going to take a teaching course and come back as a teacher next year."

"Oh fabulous! That's even better than if Captain Rider were staying!"

Oh well, he wasn't wanted that much after all.

Tuesday Omawombe and his parents arrived in the company of Max Hartford and little Jose.

"It is so kind of you to give us a ride," Mrs Omawombe told Saber. "I had no idea that there wasn't a bus stop here anymore and my poor old feet are still hurting from the walk here after two days."

"You should have called ahead," Saber told her. "We'd have sent a car if we'd known, but we assumed parents would just rent a car."

"I'll miss you guys," Jose said and hugged Ian, Max and Tuesday in turn.

"Hey, I'm not leaving yet," Max protested. "I haven't even got an assignment yet."

For a moment Saber considered making him an offer there and then, but then he remembered Colt's caution about Max's competitiveness. It would have been fine if he could have simply offered him a permanent position, but since he was to hire two cadets he couldn't put one on trial and the other not. And if they were both on trial, Max would compete with the other candidate even though there were two positions available. That would be bad for teamwork.

"And I'll be back before you are," Ian promised. "Besides, don't you have enough friends in your class?"

"Can one ever have enough friends?" Jose asked.

"Talking about friends in your class," Saber asked. "Do you have any idea where Hannah is?"

It was almost time to leave and he was still missing passengers.

"The mad girl is no friend of mine," Jose declared. "I don't know where she is and I don't care. We're better off without her."

Saber looked towards the door hopefully when he heard running steps, but it was only Davie Quinto shouting for Tuesday.

Tuesday turned towards him looking surprised and apprehensive as Davie stopped before him panting.

"I just," he forced out. "Just wanted to say I'm sorry I've been a total ass about not being classmates and room-mates this year and I ... I suppose I've totally ruined our last year of school, but I just realised that I might never see you again and I ... I really didn't mean to ruin our friendship."

And Tuesday, ever the good Christian, did hug him and promised to write. Saber could only hope that Davie's contrition would last and he wouldn't soon be exhorting Tuesday to join the army in his letters.

Then there were more footsteps as Nanouk and the Ahmeidi twins rushed towards the car a minute past the appointed time.

"Where were you, Nanouk?" Anna demanded as the twins shared a last hasty hug.

Hassan would be staying on Yuma until he received his assignment while Hussain was going home to spend the holidays with his parents.

"We had to see Miss Molly," Nanouk explained as he squeezed into the back of the car to sit next to Anna. "Me and Hussain want to be room-mates next year and there's little chance of that happening by coincidence. You have to say it right now. There are so may cadet rooms in the dorms. It's nothing like high school."

"So you are going to be a Star Sheriff?" she asked beaming.

"And an engineer. Might as well have two legs to stand on," Nanouk declared.

But where was Hannah? It was high time they left now. Checking in at a busy space port often required long waiting in lines. There was luggage to be registered, security checks to be gone through, tickets to be claimed and shown and the space port was notoriously short on staff.

Hannah however took her time. She arrived almost two minutes late, dragging her suitcase at a leisurely walk.

"Hannah," Saber said. "What took you so long? Hurry up! Aren't you eager to get home?"

"Why would I be?" she asked him in return. "It's not like anybody wants me there."

She let him put her suitcase into the trunk and got into the car, but not even Ian could get her to join into their songs or smile even once on the way.

Saber wished Colt were there. Surely he'd have been able to do something with the girl.

The Omawombes left them right in the car park of the space-port thanking Saber once again, but clearly eager to be on their way.

The rest of the group carried their trunks into the arrival and departures hall where Anna and Nanouk were immediately pounced on by their eager parents.

"I'm sorry we are a little late. There were some last minute arrangements to make at the school," Saber explained to Anna's mother while Ian collected the reserved tickets for himself and Hussain.

"There wasn't one for Hannah," he told Saber a little worriedly when he returned. "Maybe we should call back and double-check that with Miss Molly."

Saber nodded and looked around for the little girl. Where had she gotten to?

"Over there," Ian said pointing towards the ticket line.

"One child to Emmerel," he heard her say to the clerk. "No, I'm alone. Is there a law against that?" ... "I didn't think so either." ... "So, can I have my ticket now?"

She didn't even look back at them when she went through the first security check a little while later.

"I'll see what I can do with her next year," Ian promised. "And I'm sure Colt will as well."

And then he and Hussain too were gone and Saber returned to the car alone. The school year was finally over. All he had left to do was drive back to the Academy and hand the key back to Molly and he'd be free. In a few weeks he'd start back into space on-board Ramrod where he belonged and hopefully never would have to teach again.

The car felt strangely empty and silent. Saber turned on the radio.