The pistons of the exit ramp hissed as it lowered and Amity leaned out. The air smelled fresh, but a little dusty. She glanced back at the passengers inside, then stepped gently down the metal ramp, looking from side to side for the aide team.

Athena followed down and set a hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest. We can handle this."

Amity stared at her out of the corner of her eye, slightly leery. "I've helped this far. I'll help finish."

Athena's face tightened. "You're exhausted. How do you expect to help people when you're this tired?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Amity shrugged her off. "Besides, your Ammehkuc trust me well enough."

Athena set her hands on her hips. "The Ammehkuc value life, not stupidity."

Amity glared. "So it's stupid to want to help!"

Athena held up a hand. "Please, calm yourself. I don't mean to offend you, but I need you to be reasonable about this."

Amity breathed out and stepped back. "Okay, reasonably speaking, you need all the help you can get."

Athena shook her head sharply. "All we need to do is get these people to shelter, and if we can't the med teams can just come here. We're done."

Amity frowned and looked away, then nodded.

"Rest," Athena repeated.

"And Amity," she added as she turned to leave. "Thank you for your help."

Amity's eyes lightened and she smiled wearily, then meandered forward, breathing in the cool air. Staring across the dusty plain, she saw the tall, metal complex of Regis Colony and a vast sea of dark blue pup tents surrounding it. Her shoulders sagged and she turned back to the ship.

Leaning up against the landing gear, she slid to the ground and sat, stretching her legs. She clasped her arms behind her back and stretched her shoulders, then picked up her tail and brushed the dust out. Noticing Machina at her side, she unclasped it from her belt and set it across her lap, touching her fingers to either end and closing her eyes.

A gentle breeze blew by as she waited for it to speak. "Machina…?" she asked softly. "Are you the Ammehkuc?"

The blade sat silent, then shook slightly. "No, and yes. The blade is but a channel to us."

"Why haven't you spoken lately?"

"You have not sought us."

Amity opened her eyes and frowned, then let out a breath. "Suppose that's fair…" She closed her eyes again and spoke. "Jx and Athena told me about you."

The sword didn't reply.

"What are you?"

"The concept does not exist in your experience."

Amity grimaced. "You speak, don't you?"

"We accommodate so you may understand."

"Then accommodate more!" Amity threw up her hands, then quickly set them back on the blade. "You're obviously powerful, you can predict tragedies. Come help us!"

The blade vibrated quickly. "We cannot. We have limits."

"Limits?" Amity's eyebrow raised.

"Beyond your understanding."

"So you rely on mortals?" she shook her head. "Jx told me what your name means. You're still far superior to us."

"Superiority does not diminish worth. There are some things only you can do."

"Like what?" She crinkled her nose.

"Time will tell."

"I see." She frowned, then sighed and ran her hand along the blade's cool, flat surface.

Jx stepped down the ramp and put a hand above his eyes, staring into town. Turning and catching sight of Amity, he exclaimed, "There you are!"

"Hm?" She looked up, then stood and brushed herself off as he approached. "Yeah, just meditating a little."

He shook his head. "I don't know what Athena said to you, but I'm sorry if it was harsh."

"No," Amity raised a hand to stop him. "No, it made sense."

Jx scratched the back of his head. "Was worried you'd run away."

"Me?" Amity laughed. "Do I seem like the type to run?"

"Well," he smirked. "No, I suppose not."

She hooked the sword to her belt. "Anyway, you were looking for me?"

"Yeah, just that." He shrugged. "Asked Athena where you'd gone and thought I should come find you."

"Aha." She smirked. "Nice of you."

"Yeah." His shoulders slumped. "Just glad you're okay."

"Thanks, really." She smiled, then pointed her thumb at the ship. "Athena says you're all set in there?"

He threw down his arms at his sides. "I guess so." Lowering his head, he scratched his brow. "We're here, they're safe enough. Just waiting for the med teams to show up." He shook his head. "Can I confess something to you?"

She nodded, watching him gently.

"I don't know what I'm doing." He frowned. "The last I heard from the Ammehkuc was back on the station. They told me what to do up to the escape, but now?" He shrugged. "Silence. And I'm trying to do the right thing, but it's just not working. Not like the Ammehkuc plans, when everything falls together perfectly."

Amity stood beside him and set a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You're doing what you can."

He lifted his beak in a half-smile. "Thing is, I'm their representative. I'm the one who's supposed to keep faith in them even when they don't make sense. I can't afford to be weak like this."

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she held him and spoke softly. "It's okay. You're mortal; you have doubts. We all do. It doesn't make you weak."

He smiled and slid from her grip. "Thanks. At least you understand." He glanced at her sword. "Have they told you anything, by chance?"

She stared at the blade hanging by her side. "I tried just now, before you arrived, but didn't get much. I want straight answers and there just aren't any to be had."

Jx smirked. "Sounds annoying. But still, the opportunity to speak to them on a whim?" He chuckled. "Typically they just transfer orders to me and I follow them. Only time I've actually spoken to them was when I visited their home."

"They were there?" Amity's eyes widened. "Did you see them?"

"I saw something," he replied. "Forms they let me see; ones they knew looked the way I thought they should."

Amity shook her head. "Okay, I'm going to hazard a guess that you don't know what they really are. But to the best of your knowledge, what do you think they are?"

Jx pondered it. "Well, for all our scientific knowledge we have yet to discover the nature of spirits, how they exist and operate, so the Ammehkuc may well be spirit beings."

"Could be…" Amity mulled it over. "It's a thought, at least."

"So…" he turned to her. "Would you like to walk into the colony with me? See if we can find something for these people."

"Sure," Amity smiled and followed him.

xXxXx

"So have you been here before?" Amity looked up at the rusty grey structures as they walked briskly down the dirt path. Peasants and refugees littered the sides of the street, some conversing, others with baskets of goods. A lynx sat in the corner by a doorway, playing a small accordion.

"Nope," Jx shook his head. "I've seen a map so I have some idea where we're going."

"Where's that, exactly?" She jogged forward to catch up, distracted by the sights.

"Umm…" He looked at the sign over the building to his left, then pulled a small datapad from his pocket. "There's a distribution center around here…" He stared a couple doors down. "Is that it?"

Amity strolled forward and checked the sign, then nodded to him. Jx approached and pushed the door open, hearing the soft chime of a bell. A female feline secretary looked up from her desk and set her pen down, focusing on Jx.

"Can I help you?"

Jx nodded and set his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, uh, we just landed and were expecting an aide team to meet us. Escape ship from Station Delta." As she checked her appointment book, Jx added quickly, "If you have the supplies, I could just bring them back myself."

"I'm sorry, sir, but that's against regulation," she stated flatly, continuing to search her book before stopping on a page. "Here we are. Says a team will assess your needs in the next couple hours, and see to them later this week."

Jx frowned and Amity stepped forward, setting her hand on the edge of the desk. "There's a lot of hurt people onboard. If we could just have something to bring back to them?"

The secretary shook her head. "I'm sorry, but that's against—"

"Do you have a manager?" Amity interrupted.

"Yes," the secretary replied.

"I'd like to speak to them."

Setting the book down, she pushed back her chair and walked to an undecorated door and knocked, keeping an eye on Amity with an unamused stare. Jx glanced nervously at Amity as the door opened and an old terrier stepped out, arms crossed behind his back.

"Yes, Sandra?"

The secretary waved a hand toward Amity and Jx. "Survivors of Station Delta, looking for medical supplies. Told them it's against regulation."

Amity opened her mouth to speak but the manager spoke first. "Can I see a recent inventory?"

Sandra lifted a page from her desk and handed it to him. He mulled it over. "Hmm, think we can spare something." He pointed toward the backroom door with his elbow. "Two medkits, and some rations."

"Very well, sir." Sandra nodded, then turned to Amity. "Right this way."

Jx glanced at Amity with a smirk and Amity smiled.

Opening the door to the storeroom, Sandra entered and pulled the door shut behind her, then returned with a cardboard box containing the kits. "Here you are." She passed it to Amity.

"Thanks." Amity nodded.

Sandra shrugged and returned to her desk.

Jx waited until they had left the building, then put his arm around Amity. "Great job!"

Amity grinned widely and hugged the box. "Thanks. Let's get this back to the ship."

"Sure thing!" Jx smiled and reached toward the box. "Need any help with that?"

She shook her head. "I'm set. Lead on."

Jx nodded. "Okay."

xXxXx

Amity knelt and handed a ration pack to an old badger. "Thank you," he spoke, grasping it between his bony fingers and trying to pull it open.

"Here, let me help." Amity took the plastic package and opened it, then handed it back.

"Thanks." He nodded slowly.

Amity smiled and set her hands on her lap, rising to her feet. She looked over at Jx and he tilted the box toward her, showing it empty. He brow tightened with concern. "Was there enough?"

"Just." He nodded, holding the box at his side. "Thanks again. Nice to have even this much."

She smiled and loosened her shoulders. "Just glad to help."

The badger stared up at her. "Miss?"

"Hm?" She glanced down at him.

Pouring a handful of food, he held it out to her.

She lifted a hand, wincing as her stomach tightened. "Thanks, but I'll be fine."

He held it farther and she sighed, cupping her hands under his. "Thank you," she grinned and blinked her eyes as he handed it to her, then glanced at Jx. "May I share this with my friend?"

He nodded and she stepped over to Jx, dividing the portion between her hands and giving him half.

"That was nice," he spoke quietly, taking a bite.

"Yeah," Amity smirked. She chewed and her eyes lightened. "Haven't eaten all day."

He swallowed. "Vincent get rations too?"

She shook her head. "Turned it down. Said he ate before we left." She smiled and shrugged. "I wonder about him sometimes."

"Yeah." Jx snorted and took another bite.

"And Athena's all set?"

"Yeah," Jx shrugged. "Doesn't eat. Not sure how that works, but I admit it'd be nice if I could do that."

Amity snickered. "Yeah." Finishing her food, she swallowed and wiped her hand on her pants. "So," she glanced at the crowd and set her hand on her hips. "I was wondering… could you take me to see the Ammehkuc?"

Jx looked at her with eyebrows raised. "Umm, I could. Once things are set here."

"Yeah," Amity nodded. "That's what I was thinking."

"Okay," Jx nodded, finishing off his rations, then looked around. "Let's see how Athena's doing."