Taking A Chance

Rainer's Kit

Keith and Lance were both changing into Blade uniforms when Jaya came into the room.

'Can I come with you?' he asked. 'Do they have kits my age there?'

'There are a few there at the moment,' said Keith. 'The base isn't somewhere you can run around and play. You'd have to stay with us.'

'I will,' Jaya promised.

'Get your shoes on and tell abuela you're coming with us,' Keith said.

Jaya hurried away to do as he was told. When they went downstairs, Jaya waited for them by the front door.

'I let papa know what is going on,' said Maria. 'He agreed you need to go and get her. He's on his way home to help me move things around.'

'Hopefully, we won't be gone long,' Keith said.

They headed out to the ship and were coming in over the Blade base twenty minutes later.

When they landed, Keith turned to Jaya and knelt down. 'I need you to understand that the Galran are different to humans. They are rougher and are lead by aggression and dominance. I don't want you to be scared of anything I do, okay.'

Jaya nodded. 'You're just doing your job.'

'That's right. Stick with me or papa, don't wander off.'

'Okay.'

They followed Keith out of the ship and were met by Malay.

'Where's the kit?' asked Keith.

'In Rainer's room,' said Malay. 'He's not tending to it at all.'

'Right, I'm going to take the kit with me,' Keith said and he was sure he saw relief on Malay's face. 'Has Naran got any further information on the Zanberrians?'

'No, he's waiting to hear from Gage,' said Malay. 'Zev has been causing trouble again.'

'No surprise there,' said Keith. 'Anyone listening to him?'

'A few, but mostly he's being shutdown before he can get going.'

'I'll have to do something about him,' Keith muttered.

'Not while you are with kits,' Malay warned.

As they walked, most of the Galran go out of their way and paid Keith the respect he deserved. They turned another corner and that all changed.

Lance had never seen a Galran so big as the one that stood in the middle of the corridor, behind him, three others.

'Or little leader graces us with his presence again,' the Galran said.

'Get out of the way, Zev,' Malay hissed, pulling her blade from it sheath.

'We need a leader that doesn't need a female to stand up for him,' Zev mocked. The three behind him laughed.

They came to a stop a few meters from Zev. The Galran looked Lance over and sneered.

'That mated you?' Zev asked. 'That puny human.'

'Careful,' Keith warned.

'I'm not scared of you little man,' Zev hissed.

Either end the corridor started to crowd with curious Galran. If Keith was going to keep face here, he was going to need to bring Zev down, and he knew this had been coming for a while now.

When Zev laughed and looked over his shoulder at his followers, Keith made his moved. He was so fast Zev didn't have time to react. Keith jumped, pushed off from the wall with one foot, slammed his other into Zev's chest, knocking him from his feet. Keith was suddenly crouching on the Galran's chest with his blade to Zev's throat.