Kern flew over Dy'lun so that Jenny could take in everything that there was on the surface. Some of the ships were huge, probably warships that had crashed here from a fight. There was so much that she just could not stop talking. It was like seeing a child walk into a sweet shop for the first time and not knowing where to start or what to pick. When he thought that she had seen enough he circled back round to head down to the only place that had any form of life also a place that you could land a ship. It was possible to land anywhere, but it had been established long ago that you should pay your respects to the Hillans and ask before exploring. They landed and headed for the structures that had been seen from above.

"Hello," said Kern, to the first Hillan he saw.

Having been here before he was familiar with their species. Hillan had in the past been four-legged creatures, but over time had evolved to what he was familiar with. The rear legs still acted as legs, but had grown thicker as they became stronger and the muscles had increased in mass. What had been front legs had shortened and became arm like, but not quite. They were shorter than a human arm and lacked an opposable thumb. When working on machinery both hands were required. It was believed that is why they were shorter than a human arm, because they seemed to work better with machinery if the hands could move closer together. Neither were they fully upright having only evolved to a stooped over position. Hence why the legs had become stronger. They had a long face. Almost like a snout, but not. Just a means of describing the look. The eyes were kind of on the upward surface of the long face, but just slightly on the side. There was a small mouth at the tip of the face. Hillan had a very smooth skin, something that would be comparable to the suede hides that humans on Earth had. At least his translator was working. Another surprising thing was that they had an excellent memory. The only Hillans he had ever encountered were here on Dy'lun. He had never been sure it was their home world or of they had travelled here and then settled.

The Hillan he had said hello recognised him.

"Kern."

This really did surprise Kern as he had not been here in so long that he could not actually remember when that was. What was really bad is that Kern had no idea who had recognised him.

"How have you been?" he responded.

The Hillan noticed that Kern was not alone.

"This is Jenny a good friend of mine."

"Ah, Jenny," he said.

"I was hoping that she could stay as a guest for a while. She loves broken machines and ships and likes to make things from what she finds."

The Hillan smiled, as they too really liked to build. He waved for them to follow. There was something that he had been building and wanted to show them. It looked similar to a motorcycle on Earth, but wasn't.

There were no wheels on it, the vehicle floated on the air. Jenny was curious and asked if she could look. The Hillan was really pleased that she took an interest in his work. He was using small turbine fans that was powered to give a fast-high air output, which is how the vehicle was lifted off the ground. Jenny could see that it was only hovering. It still had no propulsion. Jenny enquired as to what his intention was. He shrugged and said he found the parts and the idea came to him. She asked if he had considered adding a small engine to it propel it forward. He hadn't, but would look at it.

"Dush," came a voice.

They were obviously with Dush as he moved his head. A female Hillan was walking towards them.

"Ninu, guests," he said, pointing at Kern and Jenny.

They both greeted her. Dush explained that Jenny was a builder; as he called it and wanted to spend time building with them. They kind of misunderstood what had initially been said, but Jenny was fine with it. Kern could tell that she wanted to stay. Ninu explained that she was sister to Dush and that her mother and father were elsewhere at the moment, but Jenny was welcomed to spend time and build with them.

Jenny turned to Kern.

"I think I will be staying," she said, looking at Kern.

"You need anything before I leave, I have a long journey. I need to be getting to Mirrial?" he asked.

"I will be fine I can take care of myself and they seem friendly enough."

"I get the impression that they think you want to learn from them how to build."

"That's fine it's always handy to know what another's knowledge is and I'm sure they will be able to learn from me too."

"How will you let us know if you need anything?"

She smiled at him. "Seriously I'm an engineer, you don't think I can my make own communication relay or something else to be able to contact you."

"Well if I get chance when I've been to Mirrial I will try and stop by."

"Don't worry I have a lot to do here."

He nodded and said farewell to Dush and Ninu. Then headed back to his ship.

Mirrial was a warm humid planet. It had clear blue rivers and lakes. There was no pollution there. The plants were not of wood or anything like that some reminded Kern of marine plant life, but were living on the surface. The shapes of some reminded him of mushrooms with the dome tops. They didn't grow with a stem just grew from the ground up like dome topped conical plants. Once they were fully-grown the Mirrials were able to carve the inside and use it as a home. There were many of these seen. The flowers that grew were like fine tendrils of bright colours from a study rubber like stem branch from a rubber like trunk. He had little understanding of the types of plants he had seen on various worlds, but Mirrial was so bright with colours. The clear blue water, lapping on a fine white sand beach, that then stretched up to fine grass like tufts that were spread across the land with these varying shape and sized soft rubber like plants with the fine flower tendrils of multi colours.

Not all of Mirrial was like this, but this area was inhabited with Mirrial and they had cultivated the land and grown a lot of the plants like this. There was a sea that stretched to the other side of the world. It was a smaller world than Earth or even Senti. The sea was several miles wide. Some Mirrial had ventured to the other side. Even Kern had travelled there and met with another race that shared the world with the Mirrials. They were the Bendarans a canine race. Kern had landed at the area that had been designated a safe landing area. It was cleared of all plant life and the ground had been marked to signify that it was to be used for landing. It was well away from the area that was inhabited. It was considered that the space vessels might bring pollution so had been given an area some distance from where the Mirrials lived. You then had to walk to where they lived. There were no vehicles or machinery that ran of any kind of fuel that could pollute their system. It was a simple life on Mirrial. Even simpler than those who were living on Gattis. The temperature here was not as hot as there, but he could understand why Shepa'lai had chosen it as an alternative home to Mirrial.

Kern had only been here a few times in the past and much had grown since he was last here, just over fifteen years ago. He had to try and remember the path to get to the house where U'nar'renai lived. He saw several other Mirrials as he walked and greeted them. However, none responded to him. Had it really been that long that no one had remembered him. He saw the house where U'nar'renai's friend lived. She was outside and Kern waved to her. Really, he thought, perhaps they had forgotten him. He remembered that her house was in front of a small hill with trees growing high from it. Once he was clear of the trees the land opened up and he could see the hills and small groves of trees. Now he was able to remember where her house was. Strangely enough every time he came here, he had always felt relaxed.

He saw the house, but was unable to see U'nar'renai anywhere. Most Mirrials liked the outdoors. It was rare for them to be inside. So, either this was one of those rare times or she was probably visiting another Mirrial. He walked up to the door and knocked. There was no answer.

Kern was unsure where U'nar'renai would be. It had been a long time. He hadn't seen her on his way here so he decided to take a walk to where he knew that she liked to sit. It was only a short walk. There was a place that she had taken him to. It was a small clearing around the corner with trees growing over the area, white sand that ran to the edge of the lake. When she was alone, she would go there at night and lie beneath the stars. Kern was approaching the area and saw a young Mirrial woman in the clearing, but she saw her kneeling in front of something. She was a slenderer build so could not be U'nar'renai. Looking at the top of her head he could see that her growth there was still that of a young person. As he walked closer, he saw that she was knelt before a grave marker.

"Hello," he said.

The young woman turned and looked up. She had not seen anyone like him here before.

"Hello," she replied back.

She got up off the ground and looked at Kern.

"I didn't mean to disturb you I was looking for someone and there was no reply at her house and I remembered that she came here at times."

"My mother used to come here too. Who are you looking for?"

"U'nar'renai."

The young woman was momentarily shocked and couldn't speak for a moment.

"Then you did come to the right place," she said, looking down at the grave.

Kern had not taken the time to look at the grave when the Mirrial woman had spoken. When looking at her he had been surprised. Young Mirrial women rarely had colour to their body when young. Yet she had a strong presence of pink across her body, which would imply she had made many transformations. Just like how Shepa'lai had. Kern read the grave marker. It was not a head stone like on Earth. It was a stone polished smooth and then the name carved into the top. It read "U'nar'renai."

Suddenly he realised why Shepa'lai had been insistent for him to come to Mirrial. U'nar'renai was someone who he had come to care for very much and they had grown very close together. He slumped to the ground in front of the grave. It was hard to hold back the tear that formed in his eye. Reaching out he laid his hand on her grave. The young woman knelt down next to him. She did not know his kind, but could see the grief in his face. It took a while before he could speak.

"How did she die?"

"She died giving birth to me. I never knew my mother. There was a letter to me. From what it said she was ill before I came. Her friend raised me, but because of my father I was not accepted by most. Now I live at my mother's house alone."

Kern only heard most of what she said.

"Your father?" he asked.

"He was not Mirrial, she said that he was someone who came and stayed for a while, but she came to love him very much. He stayed for a long time and then one night here they spent a special moment. Not long after he left and then there was me."

Kern looked at her. His eyes looking over every detail of her body. He could see U'nar'renai as he looked at her.

"Your mother had always said if she had a son, he would be called U'nox'i and if she had a daughter," he said, looking at her, "she would be called Ully'anni."

The young woman looked at him. "I am Ully'anni."

"I'm Kern."

"Then you are..."

"Yes," he replied

Ully'anni hugged him. She held him tight she had been alone for so long and thought that she would never see him. Kern could feel how hard she was holding him. He hugged her back and realised that she just didn't want to let go. After a while he had to let go of his hug and ease Ully'anni from him so he could talk to her. They sat for a while talking. He mostly talked about her mother from the time he had met her and the time that he had spent with her on Mirrial. Ully'anni asked about why he left and what he had been doing. Then she asked why he had returned.

"Shepa'lai told me I had to come she didn't say why."

It was now Ully'anni's turn to be surprised.

"She is still alive."

"Yes, you didn't know."

"No. I was told that she had been exiled and could never come back to Mirrial. In the letter it said that if she was still alive. I should find her, but I have never left here neither has most Mirrials. It is said to be so bad out beyond the stars."

"I do understand the Mirrials your mother explained a lot and how they feared me being here. They are right there is a lot of bad in the universe. There is also good too. There are so many races so many things to see and experience."

Ully'anni sat thinking for a while.

"I would like to see Shepa'lai. Actually, I must see her now I know she is alive."

She got up and started to gently run back to the house. Kern got up and followed at a walk. As he got there, she met him at the door.

"I have to give her this."

She was holding a pendant.

"I think I understand that she said that she would know when I had come to Mirrial. Are you sure you want to do this? You have been here your whole life."

"Yes, but I did not know you and I did not know if Shepa'lai lived or not."

Kern nodded he could understand. A short while ago she had no family and now, she had. He watched as she packed a few items not that Mirrials had many possessions. They lived very simply compared to those on Earth, who seemed to hoard everything. There clothing was simple and light. It was hot and humid here all year round so they wore very little. He knew that she would be cold when she left this planet and asked if she would be able to make something thicker and cover her better explaining that she would be cold. He knew that he would have to go to Gattis when he left here, not just because it was what he knew both were expecting, but also because he wasn't sure what his next step should be with Ully'anni and he still needed Shepa'lai's help too.

Kern had to stay several days. Ully'anni visited her mother's friend and explained about everything that had happened and that she wished to leave to spend time with Kern and also to see Shepa'lai.

"You know that it will not be liked. Mirrials do not leave here. After the harm that has been caused."

Ully'anni could understand her concern.

"But they are both family and I have a duty to kin so I need to see Shepa'lai. You should understand our ways and that it is important I honour my mothers wishes."

She nodded and agreed to help her. When they had people come to trade, she had been coaxed into buying materials for new clothes. She had wanted to try something different. The fabric had proven too thick for the Mirrial climate, but would probably be suitable for Ully'anni going off world. She helped her make several garments for her travels. When she was ready Kern suggested a combination of Mirrial and the new clothes as they were going to Gattis that was hotter than Mirrial. Ully'anni dressed as he suggested. He was unsure about the advice, he was suddenly in a role that he had not foreseen, but he did the best he could. When all plans had been made it was time to go.