10 The Striker

Jesse laughed and slapped his arm. "Don't make it sound so terrible. You didn't even ask what his crime was."

Alekai's eyes were razor sharp.

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you!" Jesse looked at Tom with something akin respect. "He was caught stealing a First Class Starship and flying solo across the galaxy with Queen Midalia as his co-captain!"

Tom gave her a sidelong glance. "It was for a good cause, okay?"

Alekai gave him a suspicious look. "Pray tell."

Jesse reached out and grabbed an egg roll. "He rescued the Queen from the Hornet's Nest, so that meant he didn't get instant death."

"He just got sent to Earth for the duration of eighteen years. A slap on the wrist, really."

Tom harrumphed. "It was only supposed to be eighteen years. It's turned into over nineteen years! Your old fogey grandma forgot all about me!"

"Nobody forgot you, Tom. They were just waiting for the right time."

"Right time for what?" Alekai stuffed a piece of chimichanga into his mouth and had to suck in some air. It was so hot it nearly burned his tongue.

"We were waiting for me to get old enough to travel on my own. As it is, I'm two weeks shy of seventeen. I'm technically still a minor."

"Ahhh." Tom nodded with understanding. "That makes sense. You two are part of a team and they had to find someone who was compatible enough with a dunderhead like you."

Alekai rolled his eyes. All of this was so overwhelming that all he could do at this time was chew on the hot food and let his mind absorb the information.

Jesse gave another smile. "We do have something else for you."

Tom Duncan turned to her with eager eyes. "Something more?"

Once again, Jesse reached into that mysterious space in front of her and pulled out a bundle. She placed the bundle on the table and carefully removed the fabric layers.

Inside was the smooth pale pink iridescent sphere of what looked like the top of an egg.

"Oh you gotta be sh*tting me!" Tom Duncan protested. "I just finished unshackling myself from this boy here, and you are shackling me up again with another facking egg?"

Jesse laughed. It was a tinkling laughter that affected Alekai in ways he didn't know how to explain.

"You did such a great job with Alekai Vartis that you've been chosen as the next Hatcher for another Queen's brood. You can always decline, but you might want to take on this mission. It's got a big ticket payment attached at the end of your term."

Tom's face was stoic. "What kind of payment?"

She lowered her tone in a conspiratorial manner. "You'll get your own ship!"

At Tom Duncan's gasp, she giggled. "It's only a Class F starship, which means it's barely enough to get you around."

"But I'll be flying again!" Tom hugged his body with joy.

"One other thing of great interest."

She tapped on the egg.

"This one is a dragon!"

"Oh my…" Tom reached out and touched the top of the egg with reverence. "Is this egg from my world?"

"Yes. It is from Queen Midalia's first brood. And you get to be the Hatcher of one of her eggs."

Tom's eyes sparkled. "How is Queen Midalia? Is she well?"

Jesse nodded. "She asked me to give you something." Jesse reached into the space in front of her and extracted a small item.

It was a tiny pouch.

Tom Duncan looked at the pouch and then took it from Jesse without saying anything.

Alakai blinked. He'd never seen Tom's face so devoid of emotions.

"Aren't you gonna open it?"

"Nah. I know what it is." He tucked it into his jeans pocket and got up.

"So when are you leaving?"

Jesse shrugged. "I haven't had the chance to brief Alekai on anything. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do yet."

"Well, take a few days and acclimate to each other. You two will have to spend a lot of time together, so might as well get to know each other a bit more."

"Wait. What exactly is it that I'm supposed to do?"

Jesse grimaced. "You're supposed to be the Striker."

"A what?"

She huffed with exasperation. "Oh please. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You struck that wasp out there so fast, I didn't even know he had invaded our space till he was on the ground!"

"A wasp found you guys???" Tom Duncan gasped.

"Yes! I destroyed the scout ship so this one must have been a stray." Her eyes grew large.

"Tom, you should have seen how fast Alekai struck. He was so quick, that wasp didn't even have a chance to fire his weapon!"

Tom nodded. "Well, he is a snake after all. They are legendary for being the fastest Strikers in the galaxy."

Alekai scratched his head. "I don't remember it being all that fast."

"You weren't watching from outside your own head. I saw the whole thing." Jesse's mouth was an O of amazement.

"I barely blinked an eye and you'd taken the wasp down. It was that fast."

Alekai shrugged. It didn't seem that fast to him, but what did he know.

"So if I'm supposed to be the Striker, what are you supposed to be?"

Jesse smiled. "I'm your Core Support and your Shield."

"My Shield? You're five foot tall and about a hundred pounds at best. I'm 6'3" at two-hundred pounds. How are you supposed to shield me?"

"I shielded you with my carapace when we were shot at, didn't I?"

Alekai shrugged grudgingly.

"Alekai, she's your Core Support and your Shield. Be nice to her because she's the one who's gonna be saving your hide from now on."

He turned back to Jesse. "Did you bring your Gear?"

Jesse nodded. "I was going to show him the Gear after we took care of business with you."

Tom Duncan waved a dismissive hand. "Heck, show him now. No time like the present."

"Now?"

"Do it." Tom Duncan ordered.