"Please tell me we wouldn't be forced to be naked ALL the time." said Keith.
"In fact, wearing uniforms is considered part of the discipline." remarked Jahv. "The one curious factor is that as far as I know, you four and Morik would be the first offworlders there. I'm not sure what that will mean."
"Look, we've got to find some way home!" insisted Davy. "Sooner or later my parents — and all of yours — are going to realize we're not just out camping in the woods!"
"Right now, I'm afraid, that's the least of our worries." said Jahv. "The only other thing is that something just isn't right about all this. Magistrates don't advance their careers by tracking down unusual cases. They advance their careers by maintaining law and order."
"Hey, he's related to Pol, and we've already found out what kind of creep he is." remarked Niklas.
"What about Arion?" asked Keyro. "He's free! Maybe he can find some way to help."
"I hope so." said Jahv. "Because for the first time, I'm out of ideas."
Arion walked into the bar on Garboris and shoved his way through to the counter, and caught the eye (one of eight) of the bartender. "Yeah?"
"You got Argelian tea?" said Arion.
"Green or pink?" asked the bartender.
"Green." said Arion.
"Hunh. Wouldn't figure a little runt like you could handle the strong stuff. Here." he handed Arion a cup. "That one and the next one are on the house if you can down that one in two gulps."
Arion did so. He'd had stronger stuff than this on his homeworld, but wasn't about to ask for a beverage from a planet he'd been banned from. "Next." he said.
The bartender raised four of his eyebrows and handed Arion another cup. Arion took it to the end of the counter where he hoped he wouldn't be noticed too much.
Argelian tea did not make one drunk. It tended to clear the head, if anything. Arion had pretty well decided to help Jahv and the others, although he didn't necessarily intend to return to Earth with them. The two could be separate issues. What he lacked was any sort of plan. Just transmatting them out wouldn't work. Even assuming the ship wasn't shielded, which it probably was, that would just get the Botaran Security forces on their tail and accomplish nothing. What was needed was a way to get them free in such a way that they would not be chased down again. And that was going to be the hard part.
"Aren't you Prince Arion of Korr-aacckk!" Someone had approached Arion from behind, and Arion has whipped around and grabbed the speaker by the throat. It was a Botaran. A young one, too, about Arion's own age — same age as Jahv. Light blue skin, about the color of the sky on Earth. Presently was he turning slightly purple from Arion's grip.
"I've had about enough of Botarans for one day." said Arion. "I just got kicked off a shipload of them that are messing with some friends of mine, which happen to include the only two Botarans I find tolerable. That doesn't include you. Do yourself a favor and run home."
Arion released the grip, but the young Botaran didn't move. "There's a Botaran ship here? I mean, besides my own?"
Arion turned to look at the Botaran again. And this time, he took the time to look. The boy was the same age as himself or Jahv, but there were certainly differences. The hair was not as well groomed, and was distinctly longer, almost shoulder length. The boy was dressed in what looked like a spacesuit that was almost as cobbled-together as this space station. The white boots and the olive green undergarment were of obvious Botaran design, but the boots were scuffed and there were a few tears in the undergarment, at the knees and elbows. The boy was wearing a padded vest not unlike what Morik had worn at the Halloween party, except this one was dark grey. The boy also had a thick holster strapped to his right leg, which barely concealed a fairly sophisticated-looking blaster pistol.
"Your ship?" asked Arion derisively, releasing his grip on the strange youngster, but not taking his eyes off of him. "Right."
"It was my father's until recently. He died from Graydon's Blight. I took over."
"Doesn't your planet have any child labor laws?" scoffed Arion. "Who are you and why are you pestering me?"
"My name is Toben. And I spoke to you because I figured you for Prince Arion. There's two Soluans on this station that have been looking for you for months."
Arion glared. "Those two losers are still here!?" This could be a further problem.
"Seems someone destroyed their engine core. No one's inclined to help them." replied Toben. "Now you said there was another Botaran ship here. I wasn't aware of any. What is it?"
"One of your Magistrate ships." said Arion. "Some friends of mine got tricked and captured."
"No Magistrate ship should be here, and no Magistrate would use methods like that." said Toben. "Hold it. Is the Magistrate's name Varek?"
Arion downed the last of his tea. "Yeah. Why?"
"He's a renegade." explained Toben. "I don't get back to the homeworld much, but I keep track of the news. Decided to start implementing his own form of justice on offworld cases. He's been disbarred and disgraced. So he fled to the outer realms looking for a way back. But it won't happen. He needs to be stopped."
"He thinks he's got a case that'll put him back in the good graces of your legal system." said Arion. "Ever hear of a couple of runaways named Jahv and Keyro, news-boy?"
"He has them?" asked Toben. "Of course I've heard of them! Their father — Amshat — is a quite popular scientist and the case of his vanished sons caused a big stir. Amshat lost his reputation and there's no doubt that only a heavy penalty for his sons can re-establish him. No wonder that a rogue like Varek took the chance to get them. In a way, they inspired me to strike out on my own after my father died. I should have returned to the homeworld and turned the ship over to my uncle. But the ship is the only real home I've ever had! All my life I've been taught how to run it and how to do business."
"What is your business, anyway?" asked Arion.
"Merchant, trader, mercenary — little bit of everything." replied Toben.
"Somebody would hire a kid as a mercenary!?"
"Well, that part hasn't been going as well. But the merchant and trader parts. I just say I'm handling the deal for my family." Toben switched back to the previous subject. "Look, Varek needs to be stopped, and I'm not about to let him take a couple of heroes like Jahv and Keyro back to the homeworld. It wouldn't do him any good, and it wouldn't do them any good. And you shouldn't hang around on this station, either! If those Soluans see you…!"
"That one, you don't need to explain." said Arion. "You got a way to get us out of this mess?"
"Yeah, but it'll cost you." said Toben.
"I don't — " started Arion.
"Relax. All I want is a question answered. Where the heck have you all been?"
Arion managed a very slight smile. "Hanging out on a planet called Earth with a Dorrian refugee and a bunch of other kids called humans."
Toben raised an eyebrow. "That sounds — interesting."
"That'd be one way of putting it." commented Arion. "Come on, you said you had a plan."
"We must return to my ship. This way." The two boys exited the bar, never noticing the two beings sitting in a dark corner.
"You saw?" said the one in a rumbling hiss. The other one merely nodded. "This could be our chance. Regain Prince Arion and get a new hyperdrive in the bargain. Let's get to the ship."
The hour for the boys' trial had come. They were led back to the courtroom. Pol was still there, as was the Magistrate. There was a surprise along one side of the room, however. Jahv's dome tent, now crumpled, and all of his equipment, smashed. It was a thorough mess.