It was a tired but pleased group of guardians who returned to the colony a day later. Elbereth expressed her delight at finally being able to take the scented bath she had wanted so much two days ago, and left to do just that. Everyone else had similar ideas. The group broke up and went back to their rooms to clean up and rest.
Elbereth was just relating her tale to Varda when her vision phone signalled an incoming call.
"Oh who could that be now?" she grumbled. She didn't want any more missions today, that was for sure.
"Shall I answer it?" Varda offered.
"No, it's fine," she replied, getting up and accepting the call. An image of Scarlet appeared before her.
"Hello Scarlet," Elbereth greeted without enthusiasm. She knew what a call from her instructor meant.
"Hello El," she replied. "Can you report up to President Dallgun's office right away?"
"Um, sure," Elbereth replied uncertainly.
"You're not in trouble," Scarlet laughed. "Hurry up though."
"I'll be right there," she said, cutting the call off and hastily putting a clip in her hair.
When she arrived, she was surprised to find Zaler waiting in the corridor outside. He gave her a toothy smile and said; "summoned too?"
She smiled and nodded back, clearing her throat and glancing back down the passageway. When she returned her gaze to him she found him still looking at her, and it gave her that strange, uncomfortable feeling. After a moment she lowered her gaze again, feeling self conscious.
"Hey, Elly..." Zaler began softly. She looked up at him quickly. "Listen," he began. Whatever else he was about to say never passed his lips, however, as Scarlet appeared at the doorway.
"Come on in, you two," she beckoned them.
Elbereth stole a last glance at him, and found he was doing the same. Hurriedly, she shrugged and turned her attention to the other company in the room – Scarlet, headmaster Nav and President Dallgun.
"Scarlet tells me you've shown your trustworthiness," Dallgun addressed Zaler. "So we've decided to give you your guardian's license back."
"Really!" Zaler beamed.
"Yeah, I trust you," Scarlet smiled wryly. "Just remember, I'll still be watching you though."
"Of course, Ma'am," he inclined his head to her. "Sirs – thank you," he said with heartfelt gratitude to Nav and Dallgun.
"Congratulations!" Elbereth smiled, touching his arm lightly.
Zaler just grinned – today was definitely a good day for him.
"And Elbereth," Dallgun began, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room once more. "You too, have been considered fit to be issued your full guardian's license." He couldn't stop his mouth curling up into a smile.
"Oh, really! Me too! Oh thank you!" she gasped, overjoyed, her face beaming and her eyes sparkling. "Oh my goodness! Oh – Scarlet you're wonderful!"
Scarlet simply laughed and patted her shoulder. "That doesn't mean either of you will be getting away though," she said. "You're to remain under my command."
"I'd like nothing more!" Elbereth said shyly.
"Ha – same here," Zaler agreed.
"Well, off with you all now," Dallgun grinned. "I hear some of the others are throwing and impromptu party in honour of the success of the operation and the removal of the Seed."
"We can celebrate you getting your licenses there too," Scarlet suggested brightly.
"Sounds good to me," Zaler agreed.
"Oh!" Elbereth exclaimed, "I need to change into something nicer."
That made everyone in the room laugh. Elbereth rushed back to her room to change, and they went along to the popular guardian haunt, the Club Commune, where the party was under way. Laia was there talking with Louise and Saphira when they arrived. Elbereth could see the tip of Sheba's head bobbing about in a crowd to her left.
"You haven't seen Leo or Tonnio about have you?" Laia asked Scarlet as they arrived before the chatting group.
Scarlet shook her head. "Sorry, Laia, but not since we got back."
"I wonder where they all got to?" Saphira said. "I thought I saw them earlier with that red-headed guy they hang around sometimes."
"Ethan Waber?" Laia asked.
"I think so," Saphira shrugged.
"Well we've got cause to celebrate," Scarlet announced before Laia could grill her companion. "El got her license – she's a guardian now!"
"Well done!" Louise grinned, clapping her on the back. Similar words of praise came from the others.
"And Zaler got his back," she added when she had the opportunity.
"Oh nice going there!" Laia nodded.
"Just don't screw it up this time," Louise laughed at him.
Zaler gave them all a sheepish look and said; "I'll try my best not to let anyone down."
"I'd buy you a drink, El, but you wouldn't be able to drink it," Louise teased her. Elbereth just giggled.
"I see no real harm in her having just one," Scarlet said with a grin spreading from ear to ear. "I don't think anyone will notice."
Louise winked at them at went towards the bar.
"So, Mister Guardian," said Scarlet, addressing Zaler, "were you expecting this to happen?"
"No way," Zaler admitted. "I have to say, I really did think you still didn't trust me."
"Well I'm putting a lot of trust in you now," Scarlet told him seriously, "so please bear in mind that if you decide to start misbehaving again, it's on my head. It took an awful lot of persuading on mine and Nav's part to get Dallgun to agree with us."
"Of course," Zaler said, taken aback.
What Scarlet neglected to say was that she and Louise were already on thin ice with him. She sighed and hoped her instincts would be correct on Zaler.
Louise returned with a drinks tray. Scarlet took the drinks off and handed them out, knowing right away which one was for who. Elbereth sniffed hers curiously.
"It's not strong," Louise reassured her. "Just a blend of fruit juice with a little cherry-blossom liqueur."
Elbereth tasted it tentatively and smiled. She was enjoying herself immensely, listening to the happy chatter of her friends and enjoying the curious taste of this drink. The atmosphere was light. She could clearly feel the sense of exuberant hope that filtered through the groups talking. Some were even singing.
"Uh oh, someone's being a bad girl!" Sheba popped up behind her suddenly.
"Oh! Hi Sheba!" Elbereth said, turning around to see her friend grinning at her.
"Drinking at your age," she tutted playfully.
"Well – you see, I got my license today," she flushed proudly. "So Louise got me this to celebrate it."
"Congrats!" Sheba exclaimed. "I know my instructor says she's thinking of putting me forward too. I'll have to push to make it soon – can't have you lording it over me now can I, Princess?"
Elbereth giggled. "Mina says I can have mine tomorrow, I can't wait!"
"Oh hey – there's Cal. Cal! CAL!" Sheba yelled as she noticed one of her friends across the room. "Be right back," she said, nipping and ducking through the crowd.
Elbereth smiled and shook her head. When she turned her attention back to her own group, she was surprised and just a little flustered to see Zaler was watching her while the conversation went on around him.
"Enjoying the party?" he asked with a sideways smile.
"Yes, very much. It's not at all like the parties we had at home. They seem more..." Elbereth searched for the word.
"Lively?" Zaler suggested.
"Yes! And more fun," she added. She finished the last of the delicious tasting drink and set the glass down. "So – you're happy with getting your license back?" She was aware he was still watching her, and the lack of talking had unnerved her slightly.
"I didn't even think Scarlet liked me that much, let alone argued on my behalf like that," Zaler shrugged.
"I suppose it means you proved yourself," Elbereth shrugged too.
"Well so did you, Princess," he said. "Considering our last mission anyway."
"I got scared and almost cried like a baby though," Elbereth reflected, grimacing.
" Hell – everyone there was scared El," Zaler shrugged. "I think even I wanted to cry!"
"Really!" she said in surprise.
"Thought we were gonna kick the bucket for a few nasty minutes in there, yeah," Zaler nodded.
"Ha ha! You wanted to cry too!" Elbereth danced a little jig and clapped her hands.
"Shhh! Don't tell the world!" Zaler frowned. Suddenly the frown faded and was replaced by an impish grin. Before she could argue, he swept Elbereth up into a little dance, grabbing her hands and whirling her around, before ducking down and lifting her up on to his shoulder.
"Aiiee! Put me down!" she squeaked, still half laughing. Zaler ignored her and began to run in and out of the groups of people.
"Oh they're just excited," Scarlet dismissed. Everyone glanced over at her and then back to the giggling pair. Their attention was drawn back to the little group again when someone spoke up next to Scarlet.
"This is how our new generation of guardians behave now is it?" said Laia, but she was smiling as she said it. The rest of them laughed, and from out of the crowd Sheba ran up and caught the back of Zaler's shirt as he ran yelling; "Wooooo!"
"Hey everyone – look!" came a voice from the other side of the room. On a screen fixed to the wall Gurahl Channel Five had been showing, but the sound had been drowned out by voices. Now, someone turned the volume up.
"The AMF are mobilising as we speak and preparing to launch a final attack on this satellite – or Hive. It is thought that this Hive escaped the Confinement System because at the time it was activated, it was well out of orbit."
"There's still Seed!" someone shouted.
"I knew it!" said someone else.
Zaler slowly put Elbereth down and Sheba came around to get a better view. All three of them exchanged glances and turned back to the screen.
A young human reporter was now on the screen, in the news room and speaking with an AMF general via satellite link. "So what implications does the presence of this Seed Hive have?" she was asking.
The stoic General answered; "Nobody knows that right now. All we know is that we must hit it with everything we've got and destroy it as soon as possible."
At this everyone in the room cheered, and the party, though subdued, continued. Instead of excited chatter and singing there were now hushed, serious conversations going on amongst the groups of friends.
"I knew it!" Elbereth said, shaking her head. "I just knew that was too easy."
"Cheer up, El – it's just one stupid satellite, and then they'll be wiped out," Zaler shrugged.
"Oh Zaler, I hope so," she replied, unconvinced.
The news reporter continued. "The AMF inform us that the operation will commence in the next three or four hours. Stay tuned for full coverage of their progress, exclusively on Gurahl Channel Five!"
"Might as well stay here and find out what the outcome of the attack is," Scarlet shrugged.
"Do you think they'll succeed?" Elbereth asked her fearfully.
"Knowing the AMF, yes," Scarlet answered nonchalantly. "They'll just hit it with all the missiles they can muster and probably blow it into oblivion."
"I'm glad!" Elbereth sighed.
They stayed on, chatting and drinking into the night. Elbereth had grown tired and sleepy yawns were creeping up on her – but she didn't want to sleep until she knew the Seed were gone once and for all. Presently, though, she did eventually succumb to sleep.
"Should I wake her?" Louise nudged Scarlet, and jerked her head at the little, curled-up newman in the seating booth next to them.
Scarlet laughed when she saw this. "Might as well leave her until this is over. Hope it's soon – the bar's closed," she grumbled.
When Elbereth was stirred, it was well into the early hours of the morning. The attack on the Hive, it seemed, had needed to be delayed by a couple of hours. The proprietor of Club Commune had graciously allowed his customers to remain there but would not re-open the bar. This meant quite a lot of the party who had been drunk when she fell asleep were now almost sober. Still, the room was giving up raucous cheers, which must have meant only one thing.
"Did they do it?" she rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Yes, they turned it into powder!" Zaler punched the air a couple of times. "Scarlet knew as much anyway."
Next to him, Scarlet nodded.
"I'm so relieved!" Elbereth sighed.
"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to drop now. I'm going to bed!" Louise said, stifling her own cavernous yawn.
"Same here," agreed Elbereth. She followed her friends out of the noisy club and hoped that for once, the nagging intuition that was telling her this wasn't over yet, was wrong.