Red Eagle 3 part 2: Out Here

“Oh hey.” Renee replied. “Didn’t think you make your way down here.”

“I wasn’t going to, but alarms kept going off.” Pylon said. “Figured I should check.”

“Oh I should have told you to shut those off.” Renee said, with a hand in her face. “I've been overriding them. So I didn’t think you’d mine, but…”

“You’re a navigator aren’t you?” Pylon walked over. “You should just be able to push this button… then this one… enter your code?”

“Do I need to turn this back on in like 3 days?” Renee asked as she punched in a few numbers and letters.

“Naw it should have a calendar now that’s it's official.” Pylon paused for a moment. “I guess I should check that actually…. Yep all good to go.”

“You’re not just saying that, and gonna fix it for me later are you?” Renee asked. “Oh, wait.” She pushed a few buttons. “Yeah no it actually does. Okay, fair enough.”

“You could’ve wrapped home. I get it’s not the best spot but surely it’s—” Pylon began

“They shut it off.” Renee said. “My home port id is wiped, and everything.”

“Wait what?” Sara replied, as she walked in. “Was down at the bar our species doesn’t have holidays are this month, but more importantly, Miss Lywing!”

“I spent the time and took my third C.A.R.D assessment yesterday.” Renee said. I wanted to make sure I had a clear head for it.”

“You… you can’t go back?” Sara replied.

“I was wondering what that power surge was.” Pylon said. “That should account for everything.”

“Pylon!” Sara said. “Seriously?”

“What?” Pylon asked. “I got a ship to look after, and Renee seems fine with her results.”

“But she…” Sara looked, and saw Renee shuffling through her deck laying out 10 cards. “You know the risks, huh?” Sara replied.

“A very long time ago.” Renee said. “Mom was very clear on what could be the consequences. Dad backed her up. Don’t even get me started on my brothers.” She stretched in her seat.

Delma came out of almost nowhere looking over the cards. “What did I just get back to?”

“My home code doesn’t work as of about 2 months ago.” Renee replied.

“What?!” Delma asked. “You've been cooped up in here for days?”

“Hey now not everyone has holidays around this month.” Sara replied. “I kind of wish she had told me, so we could’ve had a match but it’s not like I don’t get it. I like the new cards actually.”

“Yeah?” Renee asked, shuffling then back up.

“Hey, if color shows up in a fight? Just make sure you blaze it bright.” Sara replied. “That’s been a rule with spectrum for as long as I can remember.”

“What is the Nexus going on down here?!” Targus asked, as walked back in as well.

“Renee’s had her home code shut down, so she has been in here all these days.” Sara replied, looking like she was scolding her. “Or doing her 3rd card test.”

“Wait, what?” Renee asked. “But you just said that not everyone has a holiday?”

“Which I standby” Sara replied, as Targus walked up. “But even a species, as infamously “reckless” as my own. Have a home code, because it means something. We registered like 17 of them, and almost know up 5 of them at a time.”

“I got registered to here like… pretty much the moment I started doing testing.” Pylon said. “I mean I get machine humanoids find it more important but still.”

“Enough!” Targus replied as stepped towards Renee. “You are all forgetting something very important. As advanced as the Luxkem are they are… cultists. Some might say trained. But you miss Renee.” Targus typed in few things before a card. “Will always be welcomed in Alchano.”

“Captain is that really gonna… nevermind—” Sara replied, as walked away with the rest of the group.

“I told you, mom!” Renee replied to no one as tears ran down her face. “I told you it was different out here.”