Jim pivoted in his seat again to check for Sy. They'd been at breakfast for almost fifteen minutes now, but the younger boy hadn't shown.

Braxton laughed. "What's gotten into you? You've rotated more times today than a periscope."

"Nothing's gotten into me, everything's perfectly normal." Jim answered without turning back. Where was he?

"Uh huh. And that's why your softspot isn't here and you keep craning your neck around."

"I'm just worried about Sy," Jim felt his defenses go up. "He had a rough time with the mission yesterday."

Matt set a gentle hand on Braxton's shoulder. For once Braxton and 628 were not side by side, instead sandwiching Matt between them protectively. Braxton's expression softened. He threw an arm over Matt's shoulders and pulled him close. "Yeah, I can understand that."

Jim finally returned his attention to his friends at the table. "So whatever did happen in your mission? I swear 628 was the only one to give details last night!"

628 had been more than enthusiastic about describing the way he had attacked the upperclassmen while disguised as a young boy. Apparently most of them had been completely unprepared for an aggressive child and had utterly panicked.

Braxton shrugged casually. "Eh, you know how it is. We got taken out before anyone else. Bad luck, am I right?"

"You don't have bad luck, Braxton. And no one takes you out first." Jim paused, then grinned over at their favorite engineer. "Except maybe Varian."

"Matt can too when he remembers I don't have magic to counter his."

Matt flushed and looked down at the table. "Your skills make up for your lack of magic, Braxton. And I shouldn't rely on it alone."

Braxton winked over at 628. "True, my skills are pretty impressive. Right little buddy?"

628 perked his ears up. "Yes! Braxton destroy naturals!"

"You said it!"

Jim laughed. "That's still not what that meant."

"It is too." Braxton answered brightly.

"I still don't believe you were taken out by an accident," Jim returned the conversation to his previous inquiry. "So what happened with you guys?"

"Nothing." Braxton snapped. "Drop it."

Matt nudged Braxton gently. "You don't have to protect me from Jim, Brax. But thank you." He turned towards their curious companion and took a deep breath. "The mission we signed up for was set on my home planet. I freaked out about it, so Braxton shot me in the leg so I wouldn't have to go through with the mission. He was arrested for it."

Jim laughed. "Yeah that sounds about right. How was jail, Braxy? Pretty sure you're the only one here that's been, so I suppose that makes you the expert in the matter!"

Varian choked on his eggs. He waved off Matt's concerned look and gulped down his juice.

"Boring," Braxton relaxed slightly. He squeezed Matt's shoulders one last time before returning to his breakfast. "I took a nap. Matt had to wake me up when the others returned."

Jim crunched down on a piece of bacon. "Only you could find jail to be a comfortable napping spot."

"Why was he incarcerated? And why am I surprised he was. Sy, what sort of company are you keeping?"

Jim about shot a foot in the air from the unexpected voice behind him. He spun around to face the man that spoke, his heart practically beating out of his chest. "De Châteaupers!" Beside the tall blonde stood a shorter, more comfortable figure. Jim relaxed, his face lighting up. "Sy!"

"Hawins." Zephyr nodded his greeting.

"Braxton, Matt, 628, Varian. Have we all been introduced?" Braxton drawled from the other side of the table.

Sy tactfully ignored him. "Mind if we join you?"

Jim gestured to the free seat beside him. "You know you belong here, Sy. And your friends are welcome anytime you want them."

"Not any time," Braxton muttered.

"Any time you want them." Jim reiterated. The two newcomers set their trays on the table beside each other. Jim flashed them a grin. "Tuck in! We were just discussing yesterday's missions."

"That's why we thought we might join you," Sy answered shyly. "Zephyr said he heard back about his results, we thought we'd share with you, Jim."

"D'nahsy insisted." Zephyr stated simply. He folded his hands together and looked to Sy. Sy clasped his hands and nodded. Jim quickly locked his fingers together to follow suit. Braxton snickered.

"Father of us all," Zephyr started in his usual strong, rich voice. Jim got the distinct impression he was speaking space common for their benefit, despite the fact only Jim and Sy were partaking in the prayer. Matt and Varian politely sat quietly through their respects, though the other two boys continued to dine.

As the two boys beside him finished with their 'Amen's, Jim unfolded his hands. Sy unrolled his breakfast burrito. He opened a small condiment package so he could draw his usual star in the sticky green paste.

Zephyr snorted. "What are you, five?"

Sy's face went red and he ducked his head. Wordlessly Braxton set down his own wrap. He opened it before him and reached over to snatch a random packet off Zephyr's tray. Maintaining eye contact he tore it open. He only broke their gaze to duck his head so he could draw his own star.

Jim had never loved Braxton more.

Sy gave Braxton a small, grateful smile. The kind that conveyed his true appreciation for the reciprocant. Jim considered hating Braxton again. Before he could get too deep into those thoughts, Sy interrupted them unintentionally.

"Zephy, you were going to tell us about yesterday?"

Zephyr nodded. As he set to fixing his breakfast just right he explained, "My results were given last night. Mission was considered a success, appropriate handling of the case, appropriate hand off upon escalation, appropriate documentation."

Braxton rolled his eyes. "What, you here to tell us you didn't do anything wrong?"

Zephyr frowned at him. "I received points off for my distribution of tasks. They felt I had not made full use of the skills of all assigned individuals."

"What's that mean?" Varian inquired. He leaned around Jim so he could see down the table to their newest addition. "You put someone in the wrong spot?"

"Essentially." Zephyr sighed. "D'nahsy is not...suited for footwork. And Hawkins is extremely impulsive."

Braxton tensed. "Now wait just a minute, you aren't about to blame Jim for your low score!"

Zephyr rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored Braxton's tone. "Hawkins did fine on the mission. He received full marks as far as I can tell, possibly down a point or two for backtalk. I didn't see his results. However, D'nahsy was essentially nonexistent in the mission. He should have been behind a computer screen. He had no business down in the mine. The smart choice would have put him on a simple task, controlling the elevator perhaps-"

"Sy is not a button pusher! He's one of the best analysts you could get!"

"Jim," Sy's voice was quiet, "we both know that's not true."

Zephyr ignored them both. "As I was saying, incorrect distribution of tasks. I should have had a more experienced individual down there. Someone able to handle things appropriately. We only had feed from Hawkin's camera. Hawkins was the only one relaying information, at all. D'nahsy's headset was working, we could hear him the few times he spoke, but he was completely removed from the mission. Might as well not have even been there."

Jim's tension was getting worse. "He put more into that mission than anyone else," he growled.

Sy touched his knee gently. He shook his head and smiled. "Zephyr is right. I shouldn't have been down there, we all know that. I wasn't prepared."

The oldest boy sighed. "I suppose it worked out for the best though. They told me that if I had not recalled you as I had, things would have been very different. You were sent down weaponless, it was a surveillance mission. I had the option, of course, but I thought it unnecessary. If I hadn't pulled you back because of D'nahsy's pathetic performance-" Jim growled again at that statement, "-then you both would have been killed. Simulated, of course. There was a 'mage' waiting down the other path. If I'd sent you to investigate alone, you both would have been 'killed' the moment he saw you."

"Well then," Braxton's cheerful voice cut through the somber silence left in the wake of Zephyr's announcement. "I suppose we should be grateful that Sy is useless. On that note, cheers to canon fodder!"

Sy was the first one to laugh. Lifting his glass of juice, he tapped it against Braxton's coffee cup. "I'll take it. Cheers, Braxton."