The Last Atonian

Chapter 2:

Almost instinctively, Suzan, Xander, and Don took a step away from Veerna as Sareen turned to her slowly. "You fool," the Federation officer hissed at Veerna. "This is all your doing! How could you?"

Veerna crossed her arms. "Even if I hadn't been caught, and even if I hadn't allowed myself to get arrested, you still would have the last Atonian on your ship, and Rulon still would have come after you," she said in her best lawyer voice. "So yelling at me isn't going to do anything. Shore up your defenses! We're a sitting duck here."

"She's right," Xander agreed, grimacing when Sareen turned her glare on him. "Officer Sareen, permission to search the ship for this Yulia Threden?"

"Hold," Sareen said.

The communications' expert spoke up. "Officer Sareen! A message from the Federation, requiring an immediate response."

Sareen turned her back on Veerna and Xander, marching over the communications' computer. She read through the message with narrowed eyes before heaving a sigh. "Send acknowledgement of the order," she said. She turned back to Veerna. "Well, cousin, it looks like the Federation isn't quite ready to be rid of you yet. If you agree to cooperate in finding and keeping the Atonian out of slavers' hands, the Federation will offer you a full pardon for your crimes."

"A pardon, huh?" Veerna said. "Sounds good."

"But your handler will be with you," Sareen added, shooting Don a poisonous look. "Don't mess this up, Collego."

Don looked about as happy with the arrangement as Veerna felt. "Are you kidding me?" she said. "I have to drag this useless lump around? He thinks I'm crazy!"

"You are crazy!" Don defended himself. "You're a murdering lunatic!"

"I haven't murdered anybody in ..." Veerna scrunched up her face as she thought. "A week?"

Don threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "See?"

Sareen frowned at them. "You work with her," she said. "Federation orders." Then she turned her back on them both.

"Holy moly, Donny," Veerna commented. "That break-up must have been rough."

Xander coughed. "Ten minutes, remember?" he said. "Then Rulon comes and ruins our day. Can't have that. We should split up, try and find the Atonian. Any idea what she looks like?"

Suzan nodded. "Indigo hair. All Atonians had indigo hair," she said.

"Great," Xander said with a sigh. "So we scour a huge prison ship for one girl with purple hair in ten minutes. Sounds awesome! Everybody ready?"

Sareen glared at him from over her shoulder. "Get a move on! All available personnel not manning security and defenses, search the ship for an indigo-haired girl. She is not to be harmed. Get moving!"

Xander went to grab Suzan's arm, but she shook her head. "We'll cover more ground if we separate," she said. "Good luck, Xan!" She quickly moved off.

Xander considered going with Don and Veerna, but Don was already bickering with her. "It would be logical for a scared slave to hide where there aren't any people," he was saying.

Veerna rolled her white eyes. "Except if she's smart. Then she'll go where people will think she won't go and—"

Xander didn't stick around to hear the rest. It was obvious the two of them wouldn't be moving for some time, and speed was key. He shouldered his rifle and sprinted down the opposite corridor Suzan had gone down. Veerna and Don had the right idea, but neither was the right person to come to a decision about where the Atonian would hide. Don was too logical, and he was also right about Veerna—she was nuts.