"Akio, Akio, wake up," a voice too loud to be a whisper but too quiet to be a shout broke through Akio's dreamy haze, but it was more of a rescue than anything else.

Jolting awake, Akio steadied her breathing, sweat dripping down the sides of her face. She hadn't slept peacefully for a long time. Between scrambled memories of Saso and the murders, it seemed as if each night was a rotation of nightmares. Checking the time from the clock on the wall, Akio sighed, it was the only true indicator of time when in deep space. "Daira, it hasn't been more than three hours since our meal. If you don't mind, I'd really like to ge--"

"I have my first mission."

Akio took in a sharp breath to prevent herself from cursing. While she knew this day would come, a part of her had hoped it would be pushed into the future until she found a way out for the both of them. "Congratulations." Forcing herself to smile, Akio sat up, adjusting her grey nightgown. "Are you allowed to share the details?"

She knew her oi'ek were likely displaying her concern with the light violet that could often be mistaken for grey in the dark, hopefully Daira saw them as grey.

Dairia nodded eagerly, her two sleep braids bouncing about, though it was a contrast to the darkened expression on her face, the uncharacteristic sneer. "I'm supposed to infiltrate a vigilante group, and kill whoever is leading it."

There was more to it than that. As Akio stared into Daira's chocolate eyes, she could feel dark, dangerous emotions wafting from the child. Vengeance. "Where is this mission taking place?"

"Frelim," the word breathed out like a curse, heavy, dripping with inner rage and torment. It was Daira's home world, the place where her parents were murdered. "Sector five."

Starshit. This wasn't good. Did the commanders not know about Daira's connection to that place? Or was this intentional? Sending a child hellbent on revenge into a group with a bunch of unknowns was dangerous, stupid. There was a higher than seventy-five percent chance that it would be a failed mission. "Daira, I think you should ask for a different assignment. Frelim is too closely connected to your emotions, you won't be able to do the job to the best of your abilities."

Shooting to her feet, Daira narrowed her gaze, looking vicious in the light glow of the green vine-like plant on the dresser. "You just don't want me exacting justice. Those bastards murdered my parents. I'm going to kill them. I'm going to kill them all." Her shoulders heaved, her fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. "You don't understand, Akio. I thought you'd be happy for me."

Akio got up, her body heavy with the intensity of the hatred, anger, hurt, and thirst for revenge wafting off of the girl she regarded like a younger sister. "There's no proof that these are even the vigilantes that murdered your parents. If you go in blinded by rage, you could kill innocent people."

"No one is innocent! That's what you've always told me!" Daira spat. "Especially not a group of vigilantes. The galaxy would be better off without them."

Would nothing get through to her? It seemed when Akio argued, it only made it worse. Her chest grew tight, making it difficult to breathe. She had to look away, allowing herself relief from feeling it all. "I'm not letting you go."

Sharp pain shot through Akio's rib cage when Daira's metal fist collided with her abdomen, sending her flying, her back slamming against the wall. "How dare you try to take this from me. You're not my mom, Akio. We're not even family. You have no say in this."

Spitting blood, Akio pushed herself up, despite the searing pain from the point of impact. The words hurt, but she knew Daira was only acting out because of the pain that tore her up inside, the pain Akio watched her suffer through every night. "Even if these people were the killers, revenge doesn't fix anything. It won't bring your parents back."

Another hit whistled through the air. Akio blocked it with her metal arm, the resounding clank echoing through the sleeping quarters. "Stop. This isn't helping anything."

But Daira didn't listen.

Akio dodged the onslaught of kicks, avoiding the debris that shattered around her. It was better that Daira took her rage out on Akio than others. All this did was further solidify the knowledge that this mission would break her or turn her bitter and cold. That couldn't happen. Akio wouldn't allow it.

Kicking off the wall, Akio leapt over Daira's head with a front flip, before swinging to take out her legs and pinning the raging child to the ground. A sharp, stabbing sensation nearly made Akio double over.

It was just the rib, she'd be fine. "Calm down. Don't let your emotions rule you."

Pressing her knee into Daira's back while gripping her arms behind her, Akio waited patiently for her to stop thrashing, her chest heaved with each pained breath from the broken ribs. "This is why you can't go. It will put you and others in danger."

Daira cackled almost madly. "You're one to talk. I heard you wept like a baby when the Commander shot the G'si you failed to pull the trigger for. Coward. Hypocrite. After Saso, everyone's been waiting for the day that you decide to go rogue. Maybe I should put you down before you endanger us all."

Exhaling slowly, Akio reminded herself again, hurt people, hurt people. Daira didn't mean the vile things she said, she was just a hurting child longing to have peace in the aftermath of a tragedy. Which was exactly why she couldn't go.

"I hate you," she hissed.

Despite the knowledge of the situation, it still hurt. Each word stabbed into a piece of her hearts, tearing into the deeply emotional nature she couldn't control. Akio cleared her throat, as the taste of metal coated her tongue, trying not to allow tears to fall from her watering eye. "When you calm down, I'll let you up. If the commanders catch you acting out like this, they're going to isolate you."

Finally relenting, Daira stopped squirming. "Fine. I'll stop, but I'm not apologizing."

Releasing her, Akio went over to her dresser and removed the pill bottle from the knapsack, downing a few. She'd need to visit medbay for this, but first, she'd need a good excuse that didn't involve exposing what actually happened. Fighting with troop members was a major offense, and often brought loyalties into question.

A sharp headache assailed her, along with a few blurry images. It brought on a sense of familiarity of this moment, but nothing more. Almost like this had happened before.

Daira stormed out of the room, pausing for a moment in the doorway. "I just wanted you to be happy for me." And with that, she disappeared.

How could Akio be happy? The commanders were going to take the light from the kid's eyes if they sent her. Daira would never be the same. More blood shot up Akio's throat. She sputtered, painting the floor in lavender, along with the pills she had swallowed. The pain in her abdomen increased tenfold and it became difficult to breathe. Gasping, she collapsed to the floor.

Rapid footsteps were the last thing she heard before the world blurred out of focus and disappeared.

...... ....... ........ .......... ....... ....... ....... ........ ...... ....... ....... ...... ......

Blinding light appeared and disappeared as Akio slipped between consciousness and unconsciousness. Her memory was fuzzy as to what happened, all she could feel, all she could focus on, was the stomach churning pain.

"What happened? How did her plating bend like that?"

"It's not just a rib? Starshit."

"The metal's sliced through the lung."

The voices became a dissonant murmur with undefinable words before turning to silence.

Akio felt as though she blinked before she woke in a healing capsule. The rounded chamber was comfortable and easy to breathe in. Several wires were attached to her chest, arms, and neck, the liquids within were meant to balance the mix of chemicals that prompted faster healing, with those that kept the body from being overwhelmed in the process. Akio remembered using these after every installment.

The static of an intercom turning on alerted her to the coming questions.

"Your protective chest plate was hit with enough force to cut several ribs and slice into your lung, what happened, Six?" Doc's voice held the slightest bit of concern, which was weird. He never cared about the numbered weapons, at least he hadn't seemed to.

"I don't know, doc. My memory is hazy." As the words left Akio's mouth, it came flooding back. Daira. But no matter what, no one could find out about that.

"Who on the ship attacked you? Was it a troop member?" the doc asked.

Akio swallowed. "I don't know."

Hopefully the faint blue glow of the capsule combined with the distance made it difficult for Doc to see the telltale pink pulse of her lies. Akio breathed, clearing her mind the best she could in an attempt to will her oi'ek back to grey.

Doc sighed. "That's fine. I'll have one of the teams investigate. You're lucky Iyar found you, or you would've bled to death."

Daira almost killed me. She didn't mean it, not my Daira. . . Starshit, the mission!

Bolting up, Akio tore all the wires from the multiple places on her body and opened the cylinder capsule. The briefing room was not more than a mile away from here, she could make it before anything was set in stone if she ran. But how would she get them to understand the full danger of this without throwing Daira in confinement? Her parents, she would just mention the murder, it would be enough, it had to be.

"Six! Get your ass back in that capsule, your body isn't fully recovered from the surgery," Doc cried, running out of his office.

Lavender blood dripped from each point the needles had been inserted in, while stitches that extended from her breast bone down to her hip pulled agonizingly. It seemed they had to replace the whole plate.

Akio gasped for a moment, gathering herself as her legs trembled, it didn't matter. This had to be stopped. No matter what. Akio didn't care who else was sent, it just couldn't be Daira.

Jogging awkwardly and bumping into walls, Akio sprinted down the hall, the silver medical robe flitting about in a breeze of her own making. One mile, she could make it, she had to.

Bewildered stares and whispering followed after her. It wasn't normal for anyone to flee from medbay, much less in a state of near collapse.

Akio's bare feet alternated in gradually increasing speeds as she turned control over to the enhancements within her legs, leaving the nurses and doctor chasing her far behind. This wasn't a big enough deal to warrant guards, yet. Hopefully it would stay that way.

The large black and red doors came into sight of her regular eye. Two guards stood at the ready, ensuring that no one outside of weapons and commanders were allowed inside. "Six? I thought you were in medbay." One of them cocked her head to the side in obvious confusion.

Wheezing, Akio nodded, her bloody hands pressed against the door to catch her breath. "Are they in there for the briefing on Frelim?" Akio was positive they were, but it never hurt to confirm.

The guard nodded, adjusting their grey uniform and black blank mask.

Akio straightened, preparing to carry herself with confidence to make up for the disheveled appearance. It would be of no use to talk to them while seeming mad. "Open the doors. I have something I need to do."

The guards nodded respectfully, and opened the doors.

"As I was saying. . ." Commander Sava turned her purple masked face from Hao and Daira who were seated in the center of the large room behind a desk. "Six?"

The lead commander of the troop, along with the five others that sat on heightened chairs beside her whipped their heads to stare at Akio as she took heavy steps towards the center of the room.

Hao's chair screeched across the floor as she ran to Akio's side and wrapped an arm around her waist. "What happened, Akio?"

When Daira glanced over, her face fell, but was quickly replaced by a stoney glare. "I thought only those summoned to the mission were allowed in here."

Hao's whiskers twitched as she glanced between Akio and Daira, it was obvious she was forming her own theories, or perhaps, already knew the answer. "No. Other weapons are allowed."

Gasping as the pain hit her in waves, Akio leaned into Hao, grateful for the soft fur shoulder against her face. "Commander Sava, I would like to request permission to speak to the commanders."

Commander Sava flicked her long raven hair behind her, and glanced over at the others who gave her a nod. "Permission granted. You may proceed, Six."

"Daira Hemec, also known as forty-five, is unfit for this mission," Akio stated, about to open her mouth to give her reasoning when Daira shot to her feet.

Daira growled, storming over to them. "Akio should be in medbay, she's delusional from medications and cannot be trusted."

Towering over Akio, Daira glanced at her frail state. There was a menace behind her eyes, accompanied by a self-satisfied smirk which faded as soon as it appeared.

Akio stared into the girl's eyes, wanting to confirm what she saw. She was shocked by what she read. Daira was satisfied, sadistically content. The idea made Akio feel sick. What happened to the child she knew? Or had she always been blind to this?

Narrowing her brown eyes, Hao, intentionally placed herself between Daira and Akio with her reptilian hand up as a warning.

"Silence. Akio has permission to speak, you, do not. Sit down, Forty-five," Sava commanded.

With an indignant huff, Daira walked back to her chair, and sat down, her hands clenched into tight fists.

Akio shook the fog clouding her pain-ridden body. "If you look at her file, you will find that sector five of Frelim is the place where Daira's parents were murdered by a group of vigilantes. There is too much trauma and emotion tied to this place. She is unfit to carry out this assignment."

The commanders whispered among themselves, deliberating as Commander Sava brought up Daira's file to confirm the accusations.

A gentle presence tickled Akio's mind, soft like a feather. "Daira did this to you?" Hao's voice echoed in her head, it was oddly monotone like a statement.

"Yes. It's why she can't go," Akio thought back in reply.

Commander Sava closed the file. "Six is right. We will find someone else to carr-"

"I'll go." Akio's offer shocked the room to silence.

Another commander leaned over the towering bronze stone desk. "Six, you are in no condition to take on a mission right now, we'll find someone else."

Squaring her shoulders with gritted teeth, Akio tried to look the best she could while blood dripped from multiple wounds and oozed from beneath the partially torn stitching. "A few more hours will fix me up and I'll be ready to go. I would like consent to open an investigation into whether this was or wasn't the vigilante group that murdered Daira's parents as well as carry out the original mission."

The murderous glare Daira shot might as well have been a pulse of energy. Her body trembled in silent resentment.

Commander Sava held up a royal purple hand, silencing the other commanders. "Permission granted."

If not for the masks on their faces, Akio was positive she would've seen their jaws drop.

Daira slammed her hands on the desk, breaking it in half before leaving the briefing room. Behind her, the door swung open with a resounding thud.

Doc and the nurses' voices drifted inside for a moment as they continued arguing with the guards before the door closed once again.

"Get yourself back in that healing capsule and prepare for departure in the morning, Hao can pass on the information from the briefing to you when you're on your way to the planet." Commander Sava leaned forward. "But watch your back, Six, this planet is currently in political and specist chaos. Not everyone will be welcoming to a Se'li."

Chapter wordcount: 2698

Total Wordcount: 9895