Polaris

Comrades

Making amends with the two presented both an incredibly easy task, and one that involved a little more talking then I preferred. With Faye all she wanted was help with a couple bounties, as long as I couldn't partake in my cut. With me mostly being her eye in the sky from a post with my rifle, and very rarely having to run point. Once she was satisfied with the number in her bank account, I was left to deal with Spike. Who, up until this point, had been giving me the cold shoulder. Interacting with me only when he needed to, and even then it was done when it was absolutely necessary. This hot and cold nonsense with Spike was starting to get old. The damned Hunter just needed to make up his mind. Friend or foe?! A topic I'd have to pick his brain on later. As for now, in order to even talk to him about the whole ordeal I'd have to get the edgelord alone. Which, even with the size of the BeBop was easier said than done.

I no longer caught him napping while I was returning from a hit or bounty. If I did, there was no way I was waking him for something like this. There were no more midnight snacks or asking how it went. Leaving me often to patch up my wounds on my own in the dark. When I finally would run into him, I felt like a deer in the headlights. Especially while standing between him and the only way in and out of the galley.

He went to walk past me without a word, only to firmly push him back in. Blocking the doorway best I could. Even spreading my wings for dramatic effect.

"We need to talk." I began. Only to earn a scoff from the Bounty Hunter as he rolled his eyes.

"Right. Like that phrase has ever worked out for anyone. Plus, there's nothing to talk about anyway. I clearly touched a nerve. Joke went a little too far. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me," Deciding he was done with his piece, he attempted to push past me. Hitting my shoulder as he went. Another shove and he was back in the galley, "Let me past."

"I'm not done!"

"I. Am," A firm push and I was against the wall on the other side of the hallway, "Shoulda moved when I told you."

"Spike!" I was quick to grab at the hem of his jacket, "But all I did was stand there and did nothing! I let him hit you! I-"

"Let him? You can't control another person's actions. I'm not going to fault you for what he did! I am, however, getting really fed up with this!" He gestured to me and the hold I had on his jacket. That tight grip on my shoulder returned, and pushing me at arms length was enough to just barely put Spike out of reach. The lanky bastard was using his height against me.

"So your vendetta is with him?" I softly asked. Only to get a stiff nod from him.

"I'd like to take the Enderian in a fist fight. Rather than being unprompted for-"

"I didn't say he was an Enderian." I cut in. Folding my arms across my chest. I caught a glimpse of a shit eating grin while Spike spun on his heel. Sauntering off.

"I did research. Especially with a Phantom onboard. Never hurts. Always better to be safe than sorry."

While he walked away, I was left with my gears spinning. What all did Humans know about Enderians? What even Helxians knew about Enders was the bare minimum.

For Quill's family, and for most Enderians on Heltix they had been essentially wiped out. Being mixed with what we - even on Heltix had considered Human. But, the special case with Quill was that he had enough of the Ender in his blood for it to physically take form. Quill was a special case, one that hadn't been seen for a milenia on Heltix. It was amazing that science hasn't taken him and dissected him for the sake of knowledge. Or some bullshit like that.