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Days go by slow when you are in space, or at least that’s what I had always thought, but the day I had been waiting for finally arrived and I turned 18. I celebrated it with a simple dinner and then we all engaged in a very pleasant conversation. I wasn’t expecting any presents from the boys but like so many times in the past they managed to surprise me again. Kevin, Howie and Brian had bought me some new clothes while we were on K-Tawoor, including a fantastic pilot jacket, and Kevin had added a little something to it that made it even more special, a badge. It was a black and blue badge with a silver rim and identical to the one that Brian had, indicating that I was a flight engineer too. Some years ago Kevin and Howie had made three badges showing the identification number of our ship and the interplanetary signs for their ranks, one for Kevin who was not only our captain but our pilot, the other for Howie, the copilot and first officer and the third one for Brian, the flight engineer. And now I was receiving one of those too. Nick looked a little disappointed by the gift but when Kevin assured him that he would be receiving one soon, he smiled. Kevin told him that since I had received a gun before him, then Nick could receive the badge before turning 18, maybe for his 16 year b-day.

Nick’s present was really funny. He told me that he was about to finish his droid and he would be giving it too me for a couple of weeks so it could help me with my chores. That was his gift, that and a promise not to bother me for a week.

Dana and Rual were fascinated with our celebration and even the professor and Stuart were a little intrigued. Birthdays, like any other feasts, were something from the past. Humans didn’t celebrate anything any more, there weren’t holidays, there weren’t parties. Our guests had already been astonished at our little Christmas dinner since Christmas was something that people didn’t remember anymore. Christian festivities, as well as feasts from any other religion, were already long forgotten by the time we were growing up in Earth, and things didn’t change in human space stations, if anything, people had even less reasons to celebrate. But for the Littrells, Christmas and birthday parties were, like books and music, family traditions. We had kept them in our family for centuries and we weren’t going to give them up.

My birthday brought another less pleasant surprise though. Later that day Nick had the first of those dreams. We couldn’t imagine at that time that his nightmares would be more frequent during the next months.

He woke up screaming. I was already awake by then, I guess I had sensed him suffering and the minute I opened my eyes I heard him yelling. Brian and Howie were already at his side by the time I reached his bed.

“Nicky, what is it?”

He was agitated and sweating and for a minute the only thing he did was shake his head, I wasn’t sure he was completely awake because he wasn’t really looking at any of us, his eyes fixed on something in front of him. I saw the door get opened and Kevin entered the room. No one else came to see what had happened so I assumed it hasn’t been the screams what had made Kevin come running but the feeling that something wasn’t right with one of us.

“Nick?” Brian was trying to calm him.

“She is in danger,” he finally said looking at Brian.

“She? Who is in danger Nick?”

“I don’t know but she needs our help. She is in danger.” There were tears in his eyes.

“You don’t know? What did you see buddy?” Kevin asked taking a seat on Nick’s bed.

“She needs us.” He looked at me and for some reason a shiver went down my spine when I saw his blue eyes. “He needs you AJ. He needs your help.”

“Nick.” He turned his gaze to Brian again. “Do you remember anything of your dream?”

“It wasn’t a dream.” That’s what I was fearing.

“What did you see?”

“I don’t know. I….” He had closed his eyes and was shaking his head again. I noticed he was biting his bottom lip so hard that it was about to bleed.

“Nick!” Kevin didn’t even yell but his voice made Nick open his eyes.

“I’m tired, Kev, and I really don’t remember.”

“It’s okay buddy, just go back to sleep.”

He closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately, Brian’s hand still on his shoulder. Knowing Bri he would probably stay the whole night at Nick’s side.

“You can use my bed Howie, you will be more comfortable there than in that sleeping bag on the floor and I’m staying here with Nick.” See, I knew it.

Howie just nodded before being the one to ask what I guessed we all had been thinking.

“Do you think it wasn’t a dream like he said Kevin?”

“Nick would know it if it was a dream. I think this is related to his powers.”

“Which means that he will probably experience this again?”

Kevin just shrugged after hearing my question so I opted to ask something else.

“Do any of you know who  that girl is?”

“No, but we'll probably find out soon”.

I wasn’t sure if I liked that answer.


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Nicky had another two dreams during the next days. It was always the same each time, he waking up yelling and not remembering anything the next day except that a girl was in danger and that she was asking for our help, especially for my help.

The dreams had made him less hyper, he seemed to be tired all day and when he wasn’t quiet he was moody, which was even worse. Brian was the only one who could calm him but the fact that Bri was spending more time with Dana wasn’t helping. Nick was resenting losing his partner in crime, his Frick, to this girl, and he had already showed it in several ways, including a couple of harsh comments in front of Dana. Brian had demanded an apology from Nick the second time, Nick had apologized to Dana and told Brian to go to hell in the same sentence. They later made up but I was afraid they could fight again any minute.

The only one besides Brian who could make Nick smile was Rual. The big guy had became a good friend of Nick too and he was helping him with his droid since Brian had left the project. That seemed to be the only distraction in Nick’s life; he didn’t even looked excited with his birthday coming close. To make things worse, not only for Nick but for all of us, a couple of days before his birthday we had an encounter with some Empire ships.

I had been daydreaming in my room when the communication system turned on and I heard Kevin’s voice ordering me to go to the laser cockpit immediately. I didn’t imagine anything serious happening but that was the kind of order that I would never hesitate to follow.

I found Rual already sitting on the laser cockpit but I didn’t have to ask him what was happening since a quick look to the monitors showed me the seriousness of the situation: Three fighter ships from the Empire were following us.

“They had been behind us for some minutes now. We didn’t make so much of this at first but they seemed to be getting closer.”

It was common to see all kind of Empire ships in the outer space, even B-fighters like these, but they usually didn’t care for civilian ships like ours. Once in a while a cruiser would get in contact with us and asked for our flight permission, never even bothering to double check the codes, which we appreciated since ours, like those of every outlaw, were forged.

“Alex” Kevin voice resounded in the laser cockpit.

“Yes”

“What do you think?”

“I think I can handle two but I’m not sure about a third one. They seem to know what they’re doing and we are too close to those satellites. I’m afraid I can lose at least one the minute I shoot my first laser, and that would put them in an advantageous position.”

“Our shields can resist the attack of one ship so if you are sure you can get rid of the first two we have a big chance.”

I looked at Rual and saw him nodding.

“Okay,” I replied

“I’m gonna keep the same course,” Kevin added before cutting off the communication.

“I don’t get it. Why would they attack us? They never attack ships like this one?” I said under my breath.

“AJ” This time was Brian’s voice the one coming from the communication panel.

“I hear you Brian.”

“We are having problems with the shields.” What?

“Meaning?”

“Shoot the one on the right first because if that one attack us we are not going to resist Bone. The failure is in the main valve of our right reactor.” Came my brother’s reply from the engine room.

“I’m turning the ship now AJ. Are you prepared?” Kevin spoke up.

“Yes,” I said taking a deep breath.

“Good luck bro!”

“Same to you Kev.”

It was a matter of seconds. I felt the violent turn of the ship and saw the B-fighters launched their attack. The one at the left shot its laser but it was too late for them, Kevin had managed to do a fantastic maneuver and I didn’t miss my aim, the flames of the explosion almost caught a second ship- that would have saved me some time. After I fired another missile the pursuit began. Rual was at the other side of the cockpit shooting the lasers all the time but these weren’t causing major harm to the fighters. Kevin and Howie were the best pilots I knew and they managed to avoid their lasers and projectiles until I was able to take aim again. This time I failed and my mistake had consequences. We received a shot on the left side. I felt lucky though, I knew they could have caused us more damage.

“There’s no way we can confront them, Kevin.” I was screaming now. “I have no shooting angle.”

“Just wait for my signal AJ…Aww shit!”

Kevin last turn had been a big mistake too, and we were facing the lasers of the second fighter now. I didn’t see my whole life passing in front of my eyes like people say it happens, but I thought about my mother and I didn’t have fear anymore. The whole situation didn’t last more than a couple of seconds; inexplicably the next thing I saw was the cannon of the fighter turn a little to the left.

What that hell?

The explosion shook the whole ship but I didn’t hesitate, my quick reply didn’t leave space nor time for the fighter to counterattack and the next minute a second ship was history.

“Why the hell did they do that? We were into their hands. They could have destroyed us.”

“Everyone is okay?” I heard Howie asked; the last fighter was chasing us again.

“We lost three panels,” Nick replied from his place in the computer room.

Another group of little satellites made us all change our courses. Now we were almost in front of a fighter again and an idea crossed my mind.

“We are close again Kevin. I need you to turn to the left when I tell you.”

“What? Are you crazy AJ? That would leave us in front of him.”

“Just trust me Kev, but you will have to do it the second I tell you.”

“There was a moment of silence but it didn’t last more than a few seconds.”

“Okay AJ. Do it.”

I turned around to look at Rual again. The big guy gave me a smile and I tightened my grip on the joystick and looked at the radar.

“Now!” I said preparing myself for the movement and as soon as I had the ship on sight I shot the missiles. The last explosion came together with my sigh of relief, I realized then that I had been holding my breath.

Screams of enthusiasm could be heard across the whole ship. I left the laser cockpit and reunited with my brothers and the rest of the crew in the pilot cockpit.

“Great job AJ!” Kevin came towards me and gave me a hug.

“This little guy is an amazing shot,” Rual commented as he entered the room behind me.

“But I don’t get it,” I said again. “Why did they attack us? Empire fighters never attack ships like these. And why didn’t they destroy us when they had the opportunity.”

“I really don’t know.” I knew that Kevin was as stunned as I was.

“I think I have the answer.” I really wasn’t expecting to hear that from anyone and for the look we all gave Stuart I was sure the others weren’t either. He was sitting in one of the cockpit seats in front of the communication computer.

“I intercepted the communication line of the Empies and found a very interesting message. Would you guys come here?” He moved a little to the left and the computer screen appeared in front of my eyes.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; right there on our computer screen were our faces, the five of us. We were wanted.

“Wanted alive” was the legend on the bottom of the message, a legend written in all the languages existing in this universe. “Be careful, these dangerous creatures are not humans.”

“Would you like to explain this to me Kevin?” Stuart said to my brother.

It seemed that my father had already let know the Empire that we were the 5 chosen ones.



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