Chapter 12: Gifts

The next day Rei took me shopping.

"What are we looking for?" I asked. We were inside a travel shuttle heading deeper into the city this time.

"Tammy asked if we could get her some items for her projects."

We traveled almost to the center of the city before getting out in front of a bunch of small shops. Rei glanced at a map on the hologram bracelet she wore.

"It should be close by here," she said searching around between people. "There it is!"

It was a small store filled almost to the brim with electronics and trinkets. Rei began gathering specific items while I surveyed the stuff on sale. Something glowing caught my attention. I picked it up to take a closer look.

It looked like a little star in a tiny black vial.

"Ah, I see you activated the firestar."

I turned to see to see a woman with scaly jet black skin. Definitely not human, but she did have soft green human eyes.

"Those are rare," she said. "It's one of the galaxy's tiniest stars. It's said that if it resonates well with you, when you die, it will also burn out and be reborn anew for someone else to carry."

I looked down at the vial in my hand. The firestar flickered for a moment before slowly burning out. What did that mean? I wasn't dead. I raised my eyebrows at the woman, wondering if she had an explanation.

"Ah, so it's not you, but someone your soul has connected with who would resonate well with it. They've left an impression strong enough to allow the star to glow momentarily."

I didn't know how, but I knew Kiko was the one who activated it. It had to be her. She loved the stars; she was the only one who spent more time in the sky deck than me.

Once, when we were both gazing into space I'd glanced at her, and suddenly she was more intriguing than the rare meteor shower of lights we were lucky enough to witness. Her face lit up as streaks of light glittered the dark room like it was raining twinkling stars. I knew she could feel me watching because soon her eyes met mine, but I still couldn't look away. We had held each other's gaze, and I was mesmerized. Then she smiled, making my heart race. That was the first time I knew I wanted to stay on the Jago. A memory I would never forget.

"How much?" I asked.

"Since you know someone who will resonate well with it, I'll sell it to you for six thousand Yomen."

I wasn't sure if that was a bargain or not, but I wanted to get it for Kiko so I bought it. Then I felt bad only getting something for her, so I browsed around to find gifts for the others.

I looked in a pile of scrap I thought Tammy would find interesting and found something else that caught my eye.

It was small and rectangular, and I could easily squeeze it in my fist, but what I liked about it the most was its color. It was mainly silver but also radiated a sheen like Tammy's hair. I didn't know what it was, but it reminded me of her and was pretty, so I decided to get it.

It was harder to find stuff for Rei and Cashel, so I ended up getting them memory flashers. They were rings that could capture an image and display it as a hologram or you could send it to another programmed ring, which is what I figured Rei and Cashel would do the most.

Altogether I spent almost my entire allowance on gifts. I didn't care though because it wasn't like I had any other reason to spend it. I helped Rei find the rest of the items on her list; then we headed out to flag down a shuttle. I was about to call one passing by, but she suddenly gasped and grabbed my arm, pulling me aside.

"There's one more place I want to go." She shoved the bags into my arms. "You know how to get back right?"

"Uh—" I juggled all the bags in an awkward pose. "Wait. Where are you going?"

"Just to this place right here. I won't be long."

She shoved her way into a building with the large illuminated words "Gambling Hall" at the top.

Seriously? I never knew she liked to gamble. But then I thought about the card games we always played on the Jago and how Rei always won, and it clicked. This wasn't a gamble for her; she was using her soul link. She was in there to make money for certain.

The patrons wouldn't like someone like her coming in and taking all their money.

This had 'bad idea' written all over it.

The place alone looked like it beckoned all sorts of troubled roamers. Its windows were barred and boarded. That meant they were worried about thieves and they didn't want people to see inside. Kiko would kill me if she found out I left Rei in a place like this, so I followed her.

The air was thick with rancid smoke. Groups of people sat at tables making bets and playing games. Rei was already at a table playing cards with a small group. I moved over to the food lounge and sat in a place where I could still see her.

I had a meal and waited for her there until she was finished. She occasionally cheered loudly; no doubt she was on a winning streak. Eventually, I saw a group of men, of a variety of species, point at her. They approached her like a stalking predator.

One of them hissed at her, "Hey there, girlie. You've made a lot of money; you wanna share some of that with me and my buddies here?"

Eyes glued to her cards, she casually blew them off with a flick of her hand. "Yeah right, get your own winning streak."

I sensed this meeting wasn't going to end well. As I made my way over, the scowling man grabbed her arm.

"Let her go!" I demanded.

The guy turned to me. He had empty black eyes and spikes jutting out of his hairless skull.

"Pathetic human. Who do you think you are, ordering us around?"

No one sitting nearby seemed to care that we were being harassed. In fact, a few patrons casually moved seats with an annoyed grumble.

Their leader spoke again but this time to his friends. "We'll take 'em with us and teach 'em how to act toward a superior species."

The others grabbed our arms and started dragging us out the back door. Rei wasted no time retaliating. She easily slipped her hold and kicked the leader in the face. With a cry, he stumbled against a table, and Rei ran towards me. If the leader was mad before, he was pissed now. He called over more of his buddies, and they blocked her path and whipped out their blasters.

"Rei!" I shouted, struggling against the guy holding me.

She kicked over a table and jumped behind it. Zapping sounds filled the air as they fired at her. Surely, someone would interfere now, right?

But if anyone was coming to help, they were taking their time about it, and of course, of all days, Rei's pistol blaster was with Kiko today for maintenance. I got a glimpse of her behind the table before I was overpowered and slammed to the ground with a powerful punch to the ribs. I could've sworn I was hit with a sledgehammer. The pain was immense, but my concerns were with Rei as I struggled on all fours back toward her.

Their leader shoved through his people to face me. "You humans never learn."

I held my ribs and glared at him. "It's sad you need your friends to take down two lowly humans."

Wrong answer. I was sure he wanted to kill me now. His eyes glowered as he slugged me hard on the cheek. I collapsed to the ground, still conscious somehow but in a lot of pain. The leader held up his fist, revealing steel-plated knuckles embedded in his green-tinted skin.

This was going to hurt.

"Hold him down," he ordered as he slipped off his jacket.

They pinned me to the ground, not that I was able to resist at that point, and the leader hovered over me, ready to pound my face in when someone appeared from the far corner down the street. It was a silhouette of a girl. I couldn't tell who it was, but when the guys saw her they panicked.

"Oh shit, it's her! Let's get outta here. Get him in the ship quick!" one of them shrieked.

They threw me in their ship before I could see this mysterious person, but I had a feeling I knew who it was. There's only one person I knew who could induce this kind of fear.

The thugs sped down the alley, turning corners and looking for an area to flee into the sky, but it was too late. Something thudded against the roof, and suddenly it was disintegrating into a fine powder and blowing away. It didn't take long for her to slip inside the ship and knock the screaming men all unconscious before they could even pull out their blasters. It wasn't her skill that shocked me; it was the fact that it wasn't Kiko.

The ship came to a slow stop, hovering just above the ground. The young woman focused on me.

How is it I always get saved by gorgeous women? It could've been the glow of her of her golden hair tied neatly in a high ponytail, or her pensive face luring me toward her emerald eyes, but I couldn't help but take in the sight of her.

"You all right?" she asked. She had a strange accent but sounded sincere.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. Breathing hurt, and half my face was throbbing and swelling.

She chuckled, catching my obvious lie. "I saw what you did in the Gambling Hall."

Was she referring to the fact that I couldn't do anything to help Rei?

"Rei!" I had to see if she was okay. I tried to get up, but a sharp pain from my ribs stopped me.

"She's fine," the woman said quickly, stopping me with a light touch. "She was contacting someone when I last saw her. I promise she's fine." The sound of sirens approaching caught our attention. "We should get out of here. It'd be a big mess if we were caught."

I didn't know what to do, or how to get back to Rei. The woman helped me out of the ship and put one of my arms around her neck.

"I have a place not too far from here. You can stay there for now," she said.

I didn't have much of a choice since she was half-steering, half-carrying me, so I let her lead the way.

She took me to her own ship, and as we flew she told me that her name was Lux and that she was a bounty hunter. What were the chances? I apparently had a knack for getting mixed up with a certain type of girl. We flew a little farther toward the middle of the city than I hoped, but eventually we made it to her place just as the sun set and the lights in every building simultaneously burst to life.

Her place turned out to be everything the Jago apartment wasn't. It was elegant, sleek, stylish, and very clean. She settled me on one of the many couches.

"Sorry it's a mess," she apologized.

I looked around. A stack of papers was spread all over a large table. Did she consider that a mess? I didn't want her to see our apartment.

"This is your home?" I asked, looking at all the couches.

"Well, this level is, yes."

"The entire level?" I tried to hide my shock.

"Yes. Why?"

"Uh, I was just wondering." I shrugged and immediately winced at the pain in my ribs.

"Let me help with that," she said. "Take off your shirt."

My head cocked. "Uhh …"

"You can trust me."

She seemed trustworthy enough.

"Okay." I felt awkward undressing in front of her, especially because she had to assist me, but I hoped she could help somehow. My ribs throbbed, and my face was already swelling so much it was starting to pinch my eye closed.

She rubbed her hands together, and her palms emitted a yellowish light. I didn't expect that, although by now I really should have been ready for anything. She placed one hand on my cheek and the other on my ribs.

"What are you doing?"

"It's all right." She smiled. It was a beautiful and caring expression. "I'm able to break down or repair any molecules I touch. All I'm doing is repairing your damaged tissue."

She came closer to my face, and her gaze bored into mine. "You have pretty eyes," she murmured.

I looked back into her green eyes. "Thanks." My lips had barely uttered the word when the room nearly blew apart.

BOOM!

Someone barged through the wall from the entrance patio and was searching around frantically through the cloud of debris.

It was Kiko.

"SARTH!" She stopped abruptly, taking in the sight of Lux and me on the couch. She was still right in front of my face, her hands on my bare ribs and cheek.

My mouth dropped when I realized the position we were in.

"Kiko!" I exclaimed.

Her gaze shot to the ground as she spun back around. "I'll give you a moment." She fled the room. I'd never seen her so flustered.

"No wait! It's not—nothing happened. Hold up!" I pleaded, trying to get up to chase after her.

Lux let go of me and stood. "You're pretty much done anyway," she said.

All my swelling was gone, and I grabbed my shirt and threw it on.

"Thanks for the help," I said quietly. Then I ran out through the torn wall to where Kiko was. She stood on the patio, her hands holding the railing as she stared out over the city lights.

"What were you doing!" she asked, without turning around. "Rei told me you were in trouble and I find you here with … with her!" She spun and stabbed a finger in the direction of the woman who was now standing with arms crossed, glaring at Kiko from inside.

"She saved me from those guys at the Gambling Hall and brought me here to help me!"

"As destructive as always I see, Akiko," Lux said in a displeased tone. "Thank you for ruining my entryway. Now you better run along before Breccan comes by."

Kiko glared at her but didn't say a word. She turned around and flagged a shuttle. I'd never seen her so mad. It was scary.

When the ship arrived, she got in, and I was about to follow, but she slammed the door in my face and yelled at the driver to go. I stood there, watching as her ship powered up and hovered away from the loading platform.

Ughhhh! I didn't understand why she was so mad. At least let me explain the situation!

I turned around to see Lux shaking her head with an amused smile as she watched Kiko's shuttle disappear into the overhead traffic.

"You'd better go before Breccan comes," she warned.

"You know Breccan?"

"Yeah, he owns the building," she said, her voice back to her normal, kind tone. "And he won't be pleased to learn that someone from the Jago destroyed part of his building."

"Oh, good point." I flagged my own shuttle. "Thanks again for saving me. I'll see if we can help with repairs."

"Don't worry about it. It was nice to meet you, Sarth." She smiled and waved.

I dreaded the return to the apartment. I was sure Kiko was furious at me, and I hated the thought of her ignoring me again.

Everyone eyed me as I walked through the entrance, except Kiko, who I assumed was in her room. Rei was the only one who looked truly happy to see me. Cashel chuckled and shook his head while Tammy simply stared at me.

"I'm glad you're alright." Rei gave me a hug.

"I'm glad you are too," I said sincerely but with a weak smile.

#

The next few days were hard. Kiko did avoid me, and I was getting frustrated about not being able to explain myself. One day it was just Tammy and me in the apartment, and I decided to talk to her about it. I always shared my thoughts with her because she was a good listener who gave good advice.

"I don't understand what I did wrong," I said.

"You did nothing wrong."

Today Tammy was working on some part for a space ship, and I helped her clean the pieces. We had to take on part-time jobs to pay for the damages to the Gambling Hall because apparently Kiko destroyed the place even more when she arrived. Lux really must have covered for us because there was no word about getting Breccan's building fixed.

"Then why is she angry with me?" I asked.

"She's confused. According to Rei, she was very worried about you when she heard what happened, and she took off to find you. When she saw you safe with Lux she didn't know what to think so her first emotion was anger."

Tammy had explained earlier that Lux was Breccan's First Mate and second-in-command of his crew.

"Lux was only trying to help though!"

"Where Kiko is from, touch is an intimate gesture, especially on the face. How you feel about your actions is felt very differently from her perspective; therefore it is difficult for both of you to comprehend each other's emotions about what she saw going on between you and Lux."

I had thought it was silly that someone placing their hand on my face could make anyone flip out this much, but I obviously hadn't considered how that had looked to her. Plus I had been shirtless. Maybe I was beginning to understand Kiko's feelings. I imagined seeing a man kiss her and immediately dropped the thought from my mind. No. I didn't even like the thought of it.

I changed the subject. "I bought something for you."

Tammy looked up from her work as I took out her present and handed it to her. I hadn't really been in the gift-giving mood lately; not to mention the fact that it would be awkward timing to try to give Kiko the firestar, but she wasn't here, so I figured this was as good a time as any.

If Tammy ever showed emotion it was in the slightest, so I was pleased when her eyes glowed with the pulse of her hair.

"It reminded me of you, so I had to get it," I said happily.

She must've known what it was because she opened it, which was something I didn't know it could do.

"You know what it is?"

A voice speaking in a feminine monotone came from the small gadget: "Catalogued entry number 56,378. No reaction. End entry."

"It's a data preserver," she said as she pulled out a glowing hair from inside the device. "It's from my home planet. I thought these were all destroyed long ago. Thank you."

She closed the glowing hair in her fist and closed her eyes. After several moments she opened her hand and looked down at the hair. It stopped glowing, and she tossed it aside.

"What was on it?"

She tucked the data preserver inside one of her many pockets. "Nothing important. Just a detailed description of our people torturing humans for enjoyment."

I looked at her, appalled.

"Joke."