"Where are we going this time?" Sasori inquired as he drudged down the hall after Konan. It was too early to be up, and his feet were still disagreeing with his brain on the whole walking concept.

"Ze bridge, monsieur. I assume you want to see our 'ome planet wiz a good view, oui?"

That was right, Konan had promised to wake him and the rest of the refugees when they approached Verden. His mind drifted more towards alertness at the realization that he would get to see the enemy's home front at long last, as opposed to diagrams or projector slides in an office space.

It appeared Sasori wasn't the only one to feel this way about seeing Verden. He arrived at the bridge to see the other humans gathered together near the large window at the front of the ship, gazing out into the black void of space. The Falks, for their part, remained stationed at the rows of computers lining the room, focused more on their work than star gazing. Just another difference between the species, Sasori guessed.

"Danna!"

Sasori turned to see Deidara at a nearby computer terminal, typing away between two brunette Falks. Upon seeing that the redhead had arrived, however, the blond was quick to abandon his work station and rush up to the duo, skidding to a halt in front of Konan and grinning widely at the pair. "Hey Sasori, un! Did you sleep well?"

"Just fine," the Akasuna lied. Konan may have been a good judge at when people were telling the truth, but experience had taught him Deidara wasn't as skilled in that area. "When did you get here?"

"A few hours ago," Deidara answered as his smile gave way to a frown, which immediately directed itself towards the female leader. "Konan dragged me out of bed and told me I had to help land on Verden, un. I didn't even get breakfast first!"

"Shouldn't you be at the computer then?"

"What? ACK!" Deidara suddenly seemed to remember that he was, in fact, supposed to be doing a job, and quickly high-tailed it back to his seat, which managed to thoroughly upset his neighbors who were just getting resettled after the blond's initial outburst.

"Deidara is not, 'ow you say, ze brightest bulb in ze candy store," Konan commented.

"That's putting it mildly," Sasori agreed. Still, seeing Deidara be such a ditz was comforting, in a way. He'd grown rather attached to the Falk in the brief time they'd been together, and wasn't prepared to accept the idea that all of the things that had transpired between the pair were not because Deidara wanted to be friends, but rather because the blond was a manipulative monster that required Sasori's assistance in reaching his goals. "So, how close are we?"

"Do you see zat green orb on ze left? It is about ze size of my fist at ze moment." Sasori peered through the window and saw a planet that appeared to match Konan's description. When he nodded, Konan took that as her cue to go on. "Zat, ma chére, is Verden. We shall arrive very soon."

"When will I and the others be outfitted with atmosphere equipment?" Sasori inquired. Landing on foreign planets was extremely dangerous for humans; the slightest difference in gravity or atmosphere contents was enough to wreak havoc on their internal organs. Hell, half of basic training had been emphasizing how important it was to make sure artificial atmospheric conditions were kept stable during space travel and how to react should this become compromised. The trainees had been bombarded with more photos of failures in this area than he cared to remember; everything from the ancient photos of astronauts being carried off shuttles because their bones were too weak to support their frame, to the more recent (and graphic) depictions of careless humans setting foot on foreign planets with no protection whatsoever.

This wasn't to say that Sasori et al were unprepared for less than affable conditions. His standard-grade armor was equipped with a filter and gravity neutralizer, in the event he was stranded on a foreign planet for a short period of time (such as his rescue attempt with Deidara). The fact that the blond had needed zero armor (as he'd found out upon returning to the ship and finding Deidara bare of any) was a testament to how much better adapted Falks were to the realms of deep space than humans.

"Ah yes, I was worried you were going to ask about zat," Konan muttered with a sheepish look. "You see, we 'ave been putting nano-bots in ze food for a few days now-"

"WHAT?"

"Please listen to me before you are flying off the wagon! Zese are designed to 'elp your body process the excess 'elium and neon in our atmosphere, as well as periodically give you nitrogen! I swear, you 'umans are so delicate it's ridiculous you've lasted zis long."

"And the fact that your gravity is heavier than ours? I'd rather not have my spleen pop like an over-ripened tomato, if you don't mind."

"Calm down, monsieur Sasori! We 'ave been increasing ze gravity from Earth levels to Verden's normal level over your stay aboard! You should feel nozing more zan a slight headache and loss of appetite for a few days."

"You are one clever, conniving mastermind," Sasori commented.

"I shall assume zat is a very 'igh 'uman compliment. Now, anyzing else, or 'as my brilliance completely blown your mind?"

Sasori resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he was amused, but wary of the animalistic side of Konan he'd seen displayed far too often should she become enraged. "Why exactly do you need so many people working at these terminals?"

Konan sighed and shook her head. "Getting a non-army ship on and off Verden zese days is about as easy as getting a 'uman ship to do ze same. If ze sensors pick us up, one of two zings will 'appen. Eizer we will be shot down wiz the planet's defense satellites and burn up in ze atmosphere, or we will be forced to land, inspected by ze auzorities, and zen killed by firing squad."

"Dear Kami."

"To avoid zis, we 'ave set up a sort of…what would you call it…bah, you 'umans and your languages! Essentially it is a dead zone zat keeps any transmissions from being sent or received will entering ze atmosphere, so unless a person is viewing our ship wiz an actual pair of eyes, we will appear to be a meteor. Once in ze atmosphere, we receive transmissions and bounce zem out ze ozer side of ze ship, so it looks like nozing is zere anymore. Zey assume we 'ave burned up in ze atmosphere, and we can land safe and sound."

"Wow. I mean…wow."

Konan smirked at the flabbergasted soldier. "Oui. Now zen, I have important mittens to attend to, if you please."

Sasori was about to correct the Falk, but at that moment caught sight of Kisame leaning against one of the ship's windows. The redhead bid Konan farewell and crossed the deck to stand by the general.

-mm-

Kisame acted as though he hadn't noticed Sasori's approach at first, despite catching his reflection in the glass. Truthfully, Kisame simply wanted to be left alone with his thoughts; all he could focus on at the moment was the ever-approaching green orb of Verden, and Sasori by this point knew the reason why. Surely the redhead could take a hint and leave him alone… "Kisame?"

Apparently not. "What, Sasori." The shark's tone was flat, borderline irritated, and he still refused to look at the redhead.

Sasori, to his credit, was not about to back down. "Have you thought about what you'll say to him when we find them?"

This time, Kisame graced the Akasuna with a sideways glance. "Sasori, it has been three years since I've seen him. I have no way of knowing how much he's changed, what he thinks of me, and whether he even still wants to be on the humans' side after all the shit we've indirectly put him through. He could be maimed, sick, or a Falkian soldier now, if not a hundred other things. And he's not stupid, Sasori; after the first few months of not being rescued, he would have realized that help wasn't coming because I didn't authorize a rescue mission, and from their he'll deduce that I, the one human he trusted more than anyone else, thought that he was a worthless traitor who deserved whatever the hell his people wanted to throw at him. This is, of course, assuming that he's somehow still alive and competent after three years of living in a horrific war zone the likes of which you and I couldn't imagine if we read the entirety of Dante's Inferno and multiplied that horror by a thousand. So no, Sasori, I've yet to figure out the appropriate way to beg his forgiveness and pray he doesn't use those claws of his to skin me alive."

For the second time in a short while, Sasori found himself completely tongue-tied and unable to do anything more than blink dumbly at his commanding officer. Well when one put it that way, things certainly seemed bleak.

Kisame sighed at the redhead's discomfort and physically turned to look out the window again. He wasn't mad at the redhead; rather, he was angry at the circumstances. After the Falks had been intercepted three years ago, he'd been forced to shelve his feelings for Itachi and swallow a bitter pill that he'd been nothing to the young Falk but an easy way to gain information on the enemy humans that could be sold back on Verden to the highest bidder.

Now, however, the theory that Itachi did in fact care about him and the humans seemed more and more likely. Why hadn't Kisame considered other options, like a different traitor setting up Itachi? Idiot. Idiot, idiot, a thousand times over he was an idiot. And icing on the cake, being forced to confront the truth of what happened to the squad of dissenting Falks dragged his feelings for Itachi front and center stage in his mind. Kisame was beginning to see that he'd never stopped loving the young Falk, and his willingness to believe the worst about Itachi may have been a nasty side effect of heartbreak and betrayal. He deserved to be torn to shreds by Itachi for this.

Dear Kami, just saying the man's name was painful to him. How could have not known he still cared about Itachi until this fiasco? He'd refused to date, under the guise of a heavy workload that he brought upon himself so he'd be free from any interaction with potential dates. The shark refused to meet with any Falkian prisoners or diplomats during those three years as well. He'd assumed that it was because the sight of Falks disgusted him after the betrayal; thinking back, he realized the lurch in his stomach came not from anger, but sorrow at seeing the race his Itachi belonged to and the physical features that were so unique to Falks. And then, at the first sign that someone had heard about Itachi after his disappearance…Kisame hadn't even thought to question the words he'd heard Deidara speak through the cabin's door, but leapt at them like a dying man pouncing on a steak dinner.

Kisame sighed again and allowed his head to thump audibly against the glass window of the ship. This was an absolute nightmare. "I just need some time alone, all right? We'll talk when the ship lands. Now please go away, before I have to order you to do so."

"…Understood." Kisame didn't bother to watch the redhead as Sasori walked off to rejoin Konan.

-mm-

Much to Sasori's amazement, the VUM's plan went off without a hitch, and a mere two hours later the ship had broken through Verden's atmosphere and was preparing to land. "Konan, where exactly is the base?" Sasori asked.

"Ze exact coordinates are of no concern to you; all you need to know is zat we will be landing in a razer rural area, far from any eyes that may, 'ow you say, pry where zey do not belong. Now if you will excuse me, I must 'ave words wiz monsieur fishy."

"Present." The duo turned away from the windows to see Kisame standing behind them, looking about as cheerful as a sack of popped balloons. "What's the problem?"

"No problem; at least, not yet."

"Am I to assume that we're going to have a problem then?"

"I am getting to zat! Bah, I feel zat I could fit ze entirety of 'umanity's patience in a teaspoon!"

"Sorry," Kisame quickly apologized before the commander could become any more agitated. "I'm just stressed."

"Oui, I know zis; but you must focus on ze 'ere and now so zere is a chance to focus on ze zere and later, oui?"

"Oui. I mean, sure."

"Good. Now zen, listen carefully. You too, Sasori." The two humans leaned in closer to the blue-haired Falk. "Not everyone in VUM is as fond of you 'umans as I and ze crew aboard my ship are. I am sticking my neck on ze, what is it, chopping brick for you and ze ozer 'umans. If zey cause too much of a disturbance or problems, I cannot guarantee zeir safety. Same if I am relieved of my duties and replaced. Zerefore, it is of the up-top importance zat you keep zem in ze straight and narrow at all times."

"You have my word, the men will be kept under close supervision. Particularly Hidan," Kisame added before Konan could inquire about him.

"Very well zen. All zat we can do now is see 'ow good your word is."