A Temporary Diversion *

Characters: Sofor, Jahar, her son

The main spaceport was bustling on the Andalite homeworld. It floated in the lower atmosphere just above the clouds, complete with atomospheric moniters, keeping the pressure and the temperature at a barible level. Even though it took a transport to get to the station, normally discouraging civilian hoof traffic, it was crowded with excited, nervous, and scared people. They were waiting to see if their loved ones had truly come home.

The war had been so bloody. It was so swift a killer now, even though it had lasted so short of a time. The electorate had been wrong: it was not going to be a short and easy squirmish with their slug parasitic enemies.

Jahar was amongst them, waiting for her own husband. However she, like the rest of the public, knew exactly where he was, which ship, and exactly what time he was coming. That was because he was coming home, not as a decorated war hero, but as a disgrace. He, along with the rest of his unit, were awaiting a trial when he alone had already been court marshelled. Most didn't know what he did, only speculated, and that was worse in some ways. But Jahar knew exactly what he had done.

Her young son pulled her out of her reverie, fidgeting, restless, and intimidated of the crowd around him. His arms were slack around her lower torso and front legs, eye stalks twisting and turning rapidly observing everything around him. Dispite being shy, it was a treat for her young son, most of his time was normally spent around the familial scoop, and the surrounding feilds and woods. On this day he had been to one of the only remaining cities on the planet, as well as seen a proformance by a new up incoming dance-the term had been estreen-while he would see his father at the end of the day.

{Keep still Malderan,} she fussed, even though he mirrored what she was feeling. He silently tried to obey his mother, though his hands continuously signed the word father, father to her.
One of the smaller cruisers finally docked, warriors flooding out, carrying small sacks that carried personal items; the civilians rushed foward. Jahar kept her ground: it wasn't the ship. Most were just warriors, a few were low ranking princes, but they had come home safe and sound, save for a few battle burns here and there. Another ship docked, a similar model, more warriors, home for a short leave, a temporary retreat. Cruisers passed by, unloaded, then flew off to the floating space station in orbit for maintenence.

Soon, she began to notice some of the higher ranked warriors stepping off onto the space port, some of them familiar comrads of her husband. Many of them apeared to be famous pilots and captains, each carrying their own sacks as well. The station was more crowded than ever, even though some of the families began to filter out, taking a transport back to the surface.

{Ah, Jahar, it is nice to see you again,} said an older warrior. Like so many of the others, he was covered in battle scars, including a particularly nasty one below his eye. And yet, he seemed as energetic as ever.

{Sofor, it is nice to see you as well,} smiled Jahar. She stepped forward to meet him. Her son followed behind her warrily, his large eyes focusing on the strange warrior that stood in front of him. Malderan began to tug at her short fur.

{My your son has has grown a bit-he might get his height from his mother's side!} he snapped his head back as he laughed. Jahar merely shook her eye stalks at his terrible joke. The very young andalite continued to tug gently at her fur, until she noticed him, her eye stalks meeting all four of his own. He signaled for permission to speak as was customary, looking between her and Sofor after a few seconds of silence.

{You shouldn't have to be so traditional around me,} the old warrior said gently to both of them. {I would like to think of myself as a very close friend to you.}

{Go on Malderan,} urged the young mother, pushing him forward gently with one of her hooves.

{Do you know father? Are you great like him?} the young child asked, eyes wide.

Sofor grinned at him widely. {Why of course I know your father. I fought many great battles with him!}

{Are you on trial as well?} asked Jahar privately while he answered the youth.

The old warrior turned one eye stalk over towards her, and even though the grin in his eyes remained, his stature stiffened. {No, not anymore. The only one who is on trial now, is Alloran. The electorate is going to pin it all on him, and let the rest of us go free.} He turned the eye stalk away to look at her son, unwilling to watch the hopeless rage rise up in Jahar at the news.

{Why yes,} Sofor replied easily to her young son, {He's seen many, many aliens-he's been all over the place!} He raised his arms wide, indicating all the space that Alloran had been to as an example.

{Where did you get your scar?} asked Malderan, continuing his interrogation. A delicated finger pointed to his own eye.

Sofor didn't even skip a beat, pointing to the scar below his eye. {This one? You know how your mother has to do the night ritual every night before you go to sleep in your scoop? Well one night, my mother forgot!} He bent down towards the young child so that they were looking at each other face to face, his face completely serious. {And out snapped a wicked spirit! He tried to drag me off into an alternate demension, but father caught me-though sadly, not before the spirit reached out once more and cut my face! And here, it left a scar!}

Just as Malderan began to pout, Jahar crossed her arms over her chest, closing her main eyes in mock irritation. {You are incouragable! Now I am going to have to deal with him having nightmares for the next few days!}

Old Sofor began to roar with laughter, and the young child looked between the two, confused at why they were laughing at such a terrible, serious matter. Sofor bid them both farewell after a few more words with the young mother, before returning to his own family who waited for him at their own transport. Another wave of laughter shook his body when he stood with them. Jahar watched him leave, and turned to look at the main platform as soon as his door closed, her worries returning as she waited for Alloran.