Just a filler chappie before the grand Oban landing. So be patient and relax, have a drink. Margaritas all around!
Eva and Jordan needed to get back to their pit and prepare to leave for Oban. Aikka had left all of his belongings back in his hanger and as it was considered to dangerous for him to go alone and with out help, it was decided Kailua and Aikka would accompany the humans to their pit then sneak to the Nourasian pit, Kailua protecting Aikka. They were about to start out on this endeavor, when, a few yards from her pit, Kailua heard a rumbling. She turned back and saw a glow from within her pit. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was.
"Hit the dirt!" She yelled, shoving Jordan away from her and leaning back as a shot of laser passed between them. She looked up and saw Aikka and Molly on the ground, having lung themselves when she'd yelled.
"Shama! Shama get out here now! She stormed back to her pit and into a room. "What are you doing, you almost killed people! Didn't you notice when it discharged?"
"It didn't discharge it's perfectly safe." Replied Shama. She was a little than Kailua with flaming red hair cut into a layered bob, wearing goggles over her brown eyes and brown overalls over a bright blue shirt and her wings, and big boots. She had a welding torch in her hand.
"You wanna come outside and try that answer again?"
The two went out and saw Jordan looking dazed and Aikka helping Molly up. The tree a few feet away wasn't a tree anymore: it was ash.
"Oops." Shama said.
"You're gonna think 'oops'. What is that anyway?"
"New gun." Shama muttered, shifting her gaze.
"And why do we need a gun, if I may ask? We're out, we've been out for a while, remember?"
"Well, actually it's for the Earth ship. I met the mechanics, Stan and Koji, and I talked to them and offered to make a new gun for the turret since I know you like the gun-"
Kailua clamped a hand over her mouth. "Thank you. Shama this is Molly and Jordan from the Earth team and Prince Aikka of Nourasia. Guys this is Shama, mechanic, friend and all around pyro-maniac.
Said maniac glared at Kailua as she shook hands. She gave Shama a look that clearly said 'later'.
It's getting dark, we should get going." Jordan said. They made their way to the Earth pit. Molly and Jordan said goodbye, with a kiss of course, and Kailua and Aikka silently went silently towards his pit. Kailua searched for any minds that might want to take a crack at them.
"All clear." She whispered. Aikka nodded and, with him in the lead, they climbed the stairs to his room. Kailua stood guard with her spear at the door as Aikka packed his back with all the essentials. They were almost to the hanger door, both thinking it'd been too easy, when Aikka's teacher leapt out, swinging his sword. Kailua blocked it, taking a defensive position, her spear sideways.
She sent a distress call to Izzy, and saw something weird in his eyes. They were glazed over and dull, not bright and gleaming with battle lust. He's hypnotized? It was just enough of a distraction for him to push the spear down with one hand, raising his sword to strike with the other, Aikka stunned unable to do anything, but Kailua's wind covered her, acting like a shield, the blade sliced through feathers and hit bone. She bit back a shout of pain and slammed the butt of her spear against his head, knocking him out.
Izzy arrived, Kailua grabbed Aikka and ran, flapping up and landed both on the hawk. They sighed in relief; no force in the galaxy could match Izabella in agility.
"Aikka, your teacher, he wasn't attacking us of his own free will." Kailua called over the wind.
"What do you mean?" He asked as they slowed for a landing.
"He was hypnotized. I saw it in his eyes."
"Toros must still not be forgiving." Aikka said as they went in. They talked some more about what Toros could be up to while Kim bandaged her wing, they drew a blank, said goodnight and Kailua went to find Shama. She was in her 'shop' adding a few things to the gun. She looked up when her friend came in, and raised a hand in greeting; the other had a welding torch.
"So tell me, when did you meat the Earth mechanics? Did you just see one and follow him and introduced yourself or what?"
"Well, you're pretty close. I saw them coming back with the parts and decided to help and on thing let to another and here I am making a gun.
"Uh, huh. Which one?"
"Which one what?" Shama asked innocently.
"Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you, at all." Shama sighed and put the welding torch down, turning it off.
"The big one, Stan. He's so strong, and engineering, and smart and funny and…" She trailed off with a dreamy look on her face.
"Right. You do know I'm going to have to set this up now, don't you? But, then again I might not have to, since we're going to Oban as well to watch the race."
"That's right, when do we leave anyway?"
"Tomorrow morning I think, I don't know exactly when. You 'bout done with that thing? We need to hit the sack."
"Just about, one or two more adjustments and she's done."
"Right, g'night." Kailua yawned and went to her room, changed into her night shift, and went to bed.
Aikka, across the hall in his room for the night, was looking out the window. He was undressed, and I can't describe it because I'm a girl and I have no idea what guys wear to bed besides boxers and that doesn't seem princely, so sorry. He was staring up at the stars, which shown brightly as there was no moon. It had finally hit him that if he wanted to with the Oban race, and free his planet, he'd have to race against Eva. He went to sleep with this thought unaware that not too far away, Eva was thinking along the same lines; she loved Aikka but if she anted to win and bring her mother back, she'd have to beat him, and she planned to.
OK not much going on but I tried and introduced a new happy pairing in the making. Give your opinions: good, bad, neutral or otherwise.