Smugglers Cove (Love2write and Silence)

Andy pushed her way over in the massive pool and whispered to Star. "I was going to strip on the other side of the door. Thought there was maybe a locker room. Instead I walked in on the guys side of the bath." Busting into giggles again she turned a bright red. It was still embarrassing enough to be in a room of naked women. Gradually the red faded from her face till Star said something about the doctor. Immediately the red flooded into her cheeks again. "Nothing..." Reaching up she twirled a finger in her hair and grinned. "He's nice and stable. I like that. Predictable and a few other things. Maybe I'd like there to be something."

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This time it was Killian's turn to wonder what got started. Timo was already rattling off a series of things that didn't make any sense at all. "Wait..." Still the boy rambled on and finished his idea with great enthusiasm. By the end of it Killian wasn't sure how to address the boy but, it had to be done. "No Timo. Star is not the woman who gave birth to you and I've never had any kids. Mike is a friend, Andy is a friend, and Kato is a crew member." Putting a hand on the boy's shoulder he sighed. "A crew is like having a family." Perhaps it was harsh to break into the boys world that way. Killian didn't know what else to do. Timo needed to know the truth and the captain didn't want the boy to be disillusioned.

Grabbing the clothing off the bed he went to the man's side of the room to change. Being in a large communal room had left them all with almost no privacy so the girls just turned their backs and the guys turned their backs if someone announced they were going to change.

Since the Bippens knew that Chippequoti were naturally not fat they had made his clothing a little better fitting. Mike looked the captain up and down. "Hmmm....I wish they figured out I'm not supposed to be this big." Shoving his hands into the belly of his shirt Mike pushed it out. "We're all starving except you." Killian was the only one that the bubble people seemed to think was healthy.

A smirk grew on Killian's face and he chuckled. "Oh well something had to go right." No matter that the pants fit him or that the shirt was a little more slim fitting than the other's it was still annoying. The shirt had a slight V and the pants were loose but, there weren't any useful pockets.

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One of the Bippen's grabbed Star after the dinner. "I must say that I would be tempted to go get a Chippequoti for myself if they could all be so tame. They're not plush like we are...but looking at his arms I don't think I would mind." The arms were the only thing that she could see underneath all that clothing and he seemed to be less intimidating in their clothing than he had been in his smugglers clothes.

Scooting next to the little Star woman she grinned. "Now tell me what you plan to do now that you're released from the Chippequoti prisons?" That brought an entirely new question to her mind. "Did your Chips imprison you?!" Part of her was still afraid that perhaps this one was sinister and it lured unsuspecting victims along with its learned charm.
 
(Lol, Mike is a friend, Andy is a friend, and Kato is a crew member.)

Star chuckles at Andy's confession. "Then you should let him know. He's probably completely unaware."
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Timo lowered his head, his enthusiasm destroyed in an instant by Killian's correction. "Well, I didn't want you as a dad anyway." He grumbled sourly and stormed off.

Star pulled Killian aside after he'd gotten dressed and everyone was distracted with other things. Her expression held a look of stern disapproval that he hadn't seen in several weeks. "Why'd you have to say something like that to him, Killian? He's just desperate for a family, and its pretty much that way anyway."
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Star chuckled lightly at the bippen woman's comments and then even more so at her worry that Killian was enslaving them. "Killian would never do that to us. It was the other chips. It's complicated but basically they didn't like me as a possible mate for him." She shrugged. "Um, as for what we plan to do...we're hoping to integrate ourselves into your people's society. Get jobs, save up money till we can buy a ship and then...who knows after that. Don't suppose you know of any work suited for us?"
 
(Well he still don't like the doctor.)

Getting pulled aside by Star was surprising. Killian stared into her eyes and growled right back at her. "I didn't do anything except tell him the truth. You're not his mom and I'm not his dad. What's so damn wrong with making sure the kid doesn't get himself mixed up?" Families were a rather touchy subject for the captain and he didn't like to see anyone get mixed up in them. Seemed in some ways that they were as much heartache as they were joy. For himself it was a disaster though he did like the way the Chips lived.

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The woman nodded. "You never know. Can't trust a Chip. They're wild minded folk and they turn on their own kin. How can you trust them with someone that's not related by blood?" Somehow it all related back to blood and she nodded. "Aye and that's only so long as it suits them. If a mate becomes weak or sick they kill the mate and then seek a new one. There isn't room for any kind of weakness. How did you convince him to keep you when you were crippled for a time?" That had been so far the most impressive of the tales that she'd heard.

Gradually it all moved to jobs and the woman rubbed her hands together. "What do you do?" It would help to know what the newcomers were good at. Nodding she took a deep breath. "It would be best to talk with the council about your place here. You're not Bippen and the presence is uncommon. They may want to observe you for a time yet."
 
"Mixed up? Killian..." Star crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed. "Think for a minute, what does a dad do? They provide shelter, clothing, food. They protect the child with their lives. They pay or plan on paying for education. They are example to the child of how to grow up. They love the child and and care about them. The only missing in your case is blood! Your thoughtless comment just now, told him you didn't want to do any of those things for him, much less love him! Can't you see how hurtful and unnecessary that was?" She demands.
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"Killian isn't like the other Chips. He didn't grow up with them and learn their values. He grew up with humans. And while yes he's a bit less emotionally understanding as humans, he still has a good heart. He cared enough about me to take care of me even when I had nothing to offer. He's...different." She adds hesitantly. The conversation between her and him regarding Timo had been tense and left her wondering if he really was so different.

She looked up as the bippen asked her about her skills and she mentioned that she was good a cooking, had some navigation skills. Aside from that however, most of her skills were smuggler skills and she wasn't sure that was a good topic to bring up at the moment.
She nods as the bippen mentions the council. "Of course. They don't know if they can trust us yet. I understand. Thankyou."
 
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Brows furrowing he listened to Star talk about a father figure. "How the hell was I supposed to know that's what a dad does?" Killian snapped angrily at her and continued, "It didn't look that way to me. I just figure its best if the boy knows the truth. No reason letting him get all confused over that. I'm not a dad anyway and he was providing all those things for himself when he was working." His stomach was starting to burn with the anger. It was impossible not to be upset with Star getting so angry with him. "I'm doing my best." With that he shook his head and flopped out on the bed.

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The Bippen looked at Star for a moment during the explanation with an odd expression. At the end of it there wasn't much to say. This woman was defending the Chip quite a bit lately. Perhaps they would have to see what happened in time before trusting them to leave the immediate area. "I could ask for a small council to see you as a group and run some assessment tests. They would highlight areas of your probable skill." It would be interesting to see what the group tested as in the long run.
 
"You don't have to snap at me." Star snaps back, then takes a breath trying to calm again. "I'm just telling you how your statement just affected someone we both care about. Can you put down your own pride and way of thinking for 2 seconds and try and see this from his perspective? If we're gonna survive as a couple you're going to have to learn how to see things from other people's point of view and not just your own."

Kato came over to Star and Killian who seemed to be in the middle of an argument. He felt uncomfortable interrupting but he was getting worried. "Timo ran out about 20 minutes ago and he hasn't returned yet. Should we go search for him?"
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Timo put on the over sized shirt and pants he'd been offered before leaving the building. He ran down the steps and out into the city. He didn't know where he was going or where he'd end up, he just ran. Killian's words hurt, and no one had spoken up to challenge him. He was the Captain afterall. That's right...he just happened to be the Captain of the ship he'd runway on. Despite everything Killian had done for him, he'd been stupid to think that Killian could ever be what he truly wanted. What he actually needed. A father...and now he was keeping Star from being his mother either. Timo frowned deeply, swiping away burning tears that streamed down his face as he ran. He turns a corner hitting colliding with one of the male bippens and ricocheting off his massive belly.

Timo landed on his rump hard. Rubbing it he looked up at the bippen. "Hey, little human. What'chya doing running around this time of night, eh?"
Timo just shrugged. The bippen reached down offering the lad a hand and pulling him to his feet.
"You don't remember me do ya? I'm Rill. I was part of the group that rescued your half-starved group from the chip's cells." The Bippen chuckled, his fat bully bouncing like santa's.
Timo shook his head. "Sorry. Um, I'm Timo."
"Timo...that's right. The little star tamer told me about you and the rest of the crew while we were flying. Quite a family you got there."
"Their not my family." Timo looked at the ground, frowning sorrowfully.
"Of course they are! You've lived with them for months. Gone on missions. Nearly died together. Protected each other. If that's not family, I don't know what is." The Bippen nodded firmly. He gave the boy a curios look. "Eh...you really think they aren't...what happened lad? You were clearly very close with them when you got on our ship."
Timo shrugged, then the tears started down his face again.
"I know what you need. A good drink. C'mon."

Rill put an arm around Timo's shoulders and walked him down the street to a noisy little pub. He sat the boy at the counter and joined him. The stools were large enough to accommodate Rill's massive bottom. Timo almost had to laugh at the image. "Two guntham ciders." Rill orders. The bar tender pulls out too glasses, filling them with a goldish-green looking fluid and gave them over to the two.
Timo sniffed it. It smelled sweet so he took a big gulp. There was a massive burn to the drink once it hit his throat. Enough to bring tears to his eyes. He set it back down, shaking his head as he pushed it away and then began coughing.
Rill laughs. "Haha. Without fail, all the youngsters react the exact same way. Just give it a few and try it again." Rill took a big swig of his. "So, what makes ya think they aren't family eh?"
Timo looks down at the glass. "I...I asked Star if she would be my mom...and Killian if he would be my dad, but...but he said they weren't. They were just friends. That the crew was only like having a family." He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"Now see, there's your problem lad."
Timo looked up at him questioningly.
Rill took another drink, prompting Timo to do the same. The boy did, hesitantly. This sip didn't burn nearly as bad and had a much better flavor.
"I don't know how families are in your human culture, but here with us Bippen, its whomever you love. That's why we all stay together and work together. We all love one another. Sometimes...there's a special sort of love that happens and the other person becomes more than family and get the little bippens from that...but most of the time, its just normal love. And we all protect one another, look out for one another. That's what makes us family. Doesn't matter if we got the same blood or not. And just cause you do have the same blood, doesn't make you family...see?"

Timo nodded slowly. The drink was making his brain fuzzy and his body warm. "So...Killian, Star, Mike, Kato and Andy are my family because I love them?"
"Exactly!" Rill claps the boy on the back and finishes off his drink, ordering a second.
"But...what if they don't love me back?" Timo asks.
"Then...they aren't family. But...I don't think you have to worry about that with your crew, lad. Something tells me every one of those folk would protect you with their lives."
"How do you know that?"
Rill taps his nose. "Bippens have an eye for this thing. Tis how we know when someone is family or not. Speaking of which, your kin are probably getting mighty worried right about now. Let's go take you back to them. Eh, finish your drink first...twill make you feel better."
Timo nods and finishes the drink then follows Rill back to the communal housing, feeling a little better than before and a bit lightheaded. He tried to follow Rill, but his feet wouldn't do what he told them. "Rill...I...I feel funny...." His vision blurred and he fell, never feeling the kiss to the pavement.
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Rill whistled lightly as he carried the limp Timo over his shoulder up to where the humans were staying. He knocked politely at the door. When it opens, he grins. "Hello. I believe you've lost someone. I'm here to return him." Rill passes him off to one of the crew members and says, "Oh, don't worry, he's just passed out from a bit of cider. Poor thing was in a tizzy so I bought him a mug to calm him down and uh...well, he doesn't seem to have the same metabolism as bippen children his age, despite being such a small sprite. And if you don't mind me saying...he could use a bit of family assurance if you know what I mean." Rill popped up on his heels. "Well, I'd best be going." He taps his chest in a salute and turns away.
 
There was no such thing as privacy. Killian might have been laying back on the bed listening to Star continue to snap at him and Kato felt the need to come over and say something. At first Killian glowered at the man till he said something about the boy being missing. "Damn it!" Hissing under his breath he tightened the belt on the shirt and started for the door. Why the kid would just take off didn't make sense. It wasn't like Killian had lied to him. Without waiting for anyone he started out the doors and down the halls.

One of the Bippens noticed the captain's furious pace. It was not a good sign. Still they didn't do anything for the time. For now they put out a silent alarm to watch the Chippequoti and see if he would get himself into any kind of mischief. For the sake of Star and see what he was really like without the any oversight or supervision they would just watch for now. A little bit of concern rose when he left the building as they had been asked not to. Still they sat back and watched. There was no way that he could cause too much damage by himself.

Killian rounded a corner and came to face a city full of the same round buildings as the one he was staying in. They were obsessed with everything being round. Staring down the streets he jogged almost all the way around every house that he found and then he would move onto the next street and circle it then jog around the houses just to be sure he wasn't missing anything. "Timo!" After a long while and finding himself winded along with his leg throbbing he started back for the house they were staying. Wherever the kid went he didn't know. This time Killian moved much slower and while he felt defeated in his attempt to find the boy he still watched just in case. There was no sign of the boy and that had him worrying. It was the second time Timo had gone missing since their exploration into the other systems.

Slowly he made his way up the stairs and into the house. The captain made his way to their rooms. It looked like everyone else had already come back to the rooms and he was the last one to get here. Timo was laying on his and Star's bed. Killian looked at the woman. "Where was he? I ran almost the whole sector looking for him." Turned out the boy had been on the opposite sector. Rolling his eyes Killian sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed at his leg. "What was he doing over there?"

This all had to boil back down to the family stuff again. Taking a deep breath he pushed himself up off the bed again. "I need to get some water to drink." Maybe that would help him calm down. It was frustrating to have the boy get such hurt feelings over something so small. Not to mention Star was still somewhat angry looking. After he finished the water Killian returned to the bed. Leaning to the side he peered at the boy's face. Then he sniffed a little. "How did he get drunk?" Plainly the boy smelled like a mini distillery and Killian didn't want to sleep with him but, that was likely going to be the arrangement because he had said so earlier and they didn't want the kid running off again.
 
"One of the bippens ran into him in the other sector." Star explained, relieved that Timo was back safely but still frustrated at Killian's stubborn refusal to acknowledge he'd hurt Timo. "He was upset so the bippen took him for a drink, not realizing humans have a different metabolism from bippens. He didn't know it would affect him like this. But at least he was trying to comfort him." Star said that sentence accusingly. "I was right when I said you hurt him...he was even crying to a bippen about it."

She sighed and stroked Timo's warm forehead. "I know you don't get it Killian." She says, her tone much softer and sadder. "You grew up without a family and you learned to take care of yourself. But Timo's not as strong as you alright? He's much more sensitive and he needs to know he's loved and cared for. So...you aren't his biological dad...so what? He's still looking to you and to me to give him that assurance that he's loved and he's not going to be abandoned again. When you talk to him...even when its in truth...you gotta make sure he always comes away from the conversation feeling safe and loved. No matter what." She looked up at him and added. "That's one of the lines."
 
Killian stared at the woman for a long time. He didn't know what to say about her 'line'. It was all so complicated. "Well I'm not going to lie to the kid about anything." Laying down on the bed he noticed that Timo was right in the middle of it. Putting the boy off to one side or the other wasn't a good idea. One way the boy would get all the attention from Star the other way Star would be angry again so Timo had to sleep in the middle.

In many ways it was disappointing to have to sleep with the boy between them especially since Star was still very focused on the boy. It was impossible not to feel a little jealous of her attention. "Already told you I'm doing my best." There wasn't any point telling the boy a different story in the morning. That sort of thing never worked out well. Killian had said that the crew was as close as you got to family and he figured he would just have to show the boy that he was going to take care of him. Much the same as he had planned only the fact was that Timo would probably never forgive him. The captain wasn't sure how long it took children to forgive but, it had to take a while.

Early the next morning Killian felt an elbow start to grind into his side. Grunting he pushed at the offending elbow and then he froze and opened his eyes. Seemed that Timo had the same reaction. Killian stared at Timo for a moment and then sat up. "Headache?" It was more than likely going to be a small side effect of having too much to drink. The boy was still a little woozy looking. "I've got a few things that help with hangovers." Pulling the boy out of the bed he sniffed again. "Ugh..." Why human smelled so bad when they drank he didn't know. "You're going to take a bath to try and relax the muscles in your head and back." It always helped get rid of some of the tension that made the headaches worse.

Thankfully the bath house was mostly empty so Killian stripped down and had the boy strip. The two of them waded into the water. Mostly Killian came along to make sure the boy didn't drown. After he was sure that Timo wouldn't smell like soured cider he had him get out of the tub. "Then we need to get you something to eat." Somehow it came about that the boy wondered how he knew what to do for a hang over and Killian chuckled. "Because I do it sometimes too."

It had been a long time since he'd done something that stupid. When they finished breakfast he took Timo back to the room and laid him down on the bed again. "You just lay there till your headache is gone." Now that he was sure the boy was settled and feeling somewhat better Killian headed out to watch some of the Bippens.

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A Bippen man came to sit next to Killian on the bench. "I noticed you were running yesterday. What was it for?"

"Looking for the kid." Grumbling a little bit the captain looked over at the Bippen. "What do you know about the Chippequoti?" There was a surprising amount of history that Killian didn't know about. Somehow everyone had just assumed that he knew. At least some of it started to make sense. Nodding he looked at the man. "Guess that might make sense of why you don't like my kind that much."

"She keeps saying your different. Are you?" The man stared into the Chip's eyes. They were the same bright color as his people and there was the wildness to them as well.

Killian shrugged. "Maybe but, I wouldn't stay different for long if I lived there. Can't afford to be anything but what they expect if you want to live very long."

Quietly the Bippen nodded. The two of them sat together for what seemed like forever and then he looked up at the Chippequoti. "I think she's right. You're not quite the same as the rest of them. There are some things that never change." Smiling a little the Bippen poked his fat belly. "Things like these. Don't worry, the council will have a hearing about what you can do here in later on today. They'll want to talk with you apart from the woman. "They call her the Chippequoti tamer." A smirk came to his face. "I knew when I saw you yesterday that wasn't her doing. There was a drive and purpose. One that only a person can decide for themselves." Gently placing a hand on the Chippequoti he peered into his face. "Someday Chips...."

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Killian tried to be calm for the meeting. Mike was taken into a different room for testing and everyone was split off somewhere with a small panel. He glanced around at the stern fat faces peering back at him. The captain waited for a while and then he shifted on his chair. It was difficult to tell what they were waiting for. Shifting again after several minutes he finally sighed. "Isn't anybody going to talk or we gonna waste the whole day staring at each other?"

A slow murmur started through the group of observers. It wasn't at all what they had expected. They had guards but, they had thought he would be more volatile and perhaps at the least loud and demanding. The overall attitude was close to the same as most Chips. Gradually the fat men started to ask questions and bring in various samples of work for Killian to test his hands at.

By the end of the test Killian was returned to a small waiting room. Kato and Timo were already seated. Mike was brought in a few minutes later and then Star. They were waiting to hear what they could do but, had to wait for Andy to be done.
 
Timo followed Killian like a zombie as the Captian kindly helped him with what he called a "hangover". The boy wasn't sure why he was having one but he decided he never wanted one again. The hot bath helped somewhat but the pounding in his head didn't fully fade. "How do you know so much about what to do with...hangovers?" Timo questioned. His first words spoken to Killian since waking. The man was been strangely much nicer than normal. Was it because of yesterday? As he nibbled on breakfast the Bippen's words bothered his mind, but it wasn't until Killian tucked him back into the bed that he gathered the courage to ask. "Killian...do you love me?" He asks shyly, staring at his knees.

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Star wasn't sure how she'd done on the test. Personally, she hadn't felt that confident. Her answers had been vague, not wanting reveal very much about her violent past. She could tell by the looks on the Bippen's faces that they knew she was holding back. Finally the test was over and sighed in relief. "Where's Andy? She still not back yet?" Star questions.
Timo shook his head, looking much better than he had this morning. Kato had made sure to look him over as well and ensure that his health hadn't been put at risk by the well-meaning Bippen.

Star took a seat beside Killian. She'd seen how'd he'd so kindly cared for Timo this morning, working hard to make up for yesterday, even if he didn't fully understand what he'd done wrong. That alone meant alot to her. "Thanks." She says quietly to him, taking his hand. "For helping Timo the way you did this morning." She smiles lightly.
 
Killian was about to leave the room and the boy decided to ask him a difficult question. The captain stopped and stared at the boy for a long moment. "I've never said that to anyone. Words don't mean as much as actions. You watch what a person does and how they treat you. That's how you'll know if someone loves you or not." That wasn't quite good enough for the boy so he decided to answer in a more direct fashion. "In fashion I do." It was all the better he could get for now. Saying I love you was almost a phrase to gag on. He'd heard it enough times used in a frivolous manner that he'd refused to use it for years.

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Finally Andy emerged from one of the rooms and she was beaming. "Oh I thought the whole assessment was quite fascinating."

Killian turned to look at her. "That's strange. I thought the whole assessment was a bunch of shit. Touch this, do that, read this, follow the instructions." Using a higher pitched voice he tried to imitate the man he had next to him throughout the testing once it started. Only things I was good at was shooting, running, and a few other things that included numbers." Anything that had to do with reading he'd failed dismally because he couldn't read fast enough and half the words were so big he couldn't quite decipher them.

At last a little man came in with the reports. Each of them received one that would lay out the jobs that were considered suitable for them within the society based on their talents and abilities.

Andy was given a free range of almost anything though she scored highest in the arts. "Well now isn't that exciting." Eagerly reading hers over she grinned from ear to ear and then looked to Timo. "How'd you do?"

Mike stared at his and chuckled. Reaching up he scratched his head. "Apparently I'm not suited to engineering. I should be a gardener. If they ever saw the plants that I cared for they wouldn't have said that. Still says I do have ability in engineering and it is left as an option." That was probably a good thing. The man wouldn't have wanted to start his life or career over.

Finally Killian opened his up and stared at the page. The number he could read and some of the words. Most of it wasn't as clear to him as he wished it would have been. Handing it to Star he had her read it to him. Sounded like he would be suitable as a bodyguard, hunter, warrior, explorer, or map maker. "I could have told them that." Growling he reached for the paper before Star could get to the last one. It was something that he could read and he didn't want her to get that far and see what they listed as a possibility. Somehow that one talent was something that didn't seem to fit and he didn't want her to think that he could do it or was actually good at it.
 
Timo was thrilled with his results. "I should be an explorer or a doctor or an engineer or pretty much anything doing with ships." He laughed.
Star ruffled the boy's hair then helped Killian with his own results, laughing as Killian grumbled that he could've told them that, obviously. He moves to snatch it out of her had before she'd finshed which causes her to glance at the last category. "Killian! It says you have the capacity to be an artist." She gasps happily as he glowers at her and takes the paper away. "You should paint something for me Killian!" She says eagerly then snickers at his uncomfortableness. "Aw c'mon. Its a good skill. I'd love to see it. Your's too, Andy. I didn't know you were so creative."

Star looked down at her own, frowning slightly. Some of the results were inconclusive. Tests that had included multi-faceted puzzles, organization, or focused concentration had all been affected by her still healing brain. During the last several weeks she hadn't come up against any of these things and was just beginning to think that maybe she was fully healed and she could forget all about it. This, just brought all those painful memories back up to the surface. When Killian questioned her she looked up and forced a smile and positive voice. "Oh, well, they think I'd be a good diplomant, negotiator or teacher or something along those lines. Apparently I'm not suited for ship life at all." That was true, to an extent. Though these results were based on their "best guess" due to her other personality, emotional and cognitive processing results. She couldn't disagree. These were things that did sound appealing. It was just frustrating to know that she still had places to heal in. Granted the progress she'd made with Kato's help in 2 and a half months had been near miraculous.

"What about you, kato?" She asks.
"Hmmm, doctor of course, but my top results were science related. They suggest I'd be most fulfilled as a scientist."
 
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(An artist. Rofl....I would never have thought of that. Especially funny cause my art sucks. Dun dun dunnnnnn....Kato is really looking like tougher competition now.)

Folding the paper up and trying to stuff it into a pant pocket he finally remembered he was in one of their ridiculous suits. He couldn't even shove the paper anywhere except inside his shirt or maybe the belt that kept the shirt closed. "No I don't paint. I draw." Painting had never been on his list of things to try and he wasn't sure how to do it. At least Andy was happy with her results. Sounded like she could just about anything she set her mind to. Killian held his paper protectively but, he leaned over to look at Star's. "What you get?"

No ship life?! Killian could almost feel the doctor preparing to say how he wasn't suited for ship life either. "That's bullshit you do great on board a ship." Something was nagging at the back of his mind. Maybe she didn't like being on board the ships. This was horrible. He'd fallen for a woman not well suited to the kind of life that he lived and loved. "Star you still like ships don't you?"

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Now that they were all served with their potential careers among the Bippen's it was time to leave the room. Killian was a little frustrated when they got separated again. Each of them were ushered into a room with someone that would give them the appropriate tools for their work. Naturally the Bippen's were not about to arm Killian with weapons so instead they had him working on maps and charting of the land. There were a few unexplored areas that needed to be mapped. Mostly they were areas that none of the Bippens wanted to roam into.

The captain emerged from the room with a box full of little tools. Wandering up to the communal bedroom he sat on the edge of his and Star's bed that they were sharing. Picking a little line and scope out of the box he decided to test it out on the room. When the other's came in the room almost looked like a web and he had begun writing numbers all over the floor. It was all washable anyway. "Well its a little more sophisticated then the one I used to work with. Makes things a lot easier." Glancing up at Star he took a deep breath. "I don't want to leave you here, but they're having me head out tomorrow for the mount." Passing a book to her he added "Look at page 327. They have no information on it and I need to go chart it out and give approximate descriptions with numbers and whatever else I can write." He hated to admit that his writing was impossible to read. Drawing pictures was perhaps the only thing that he did well for description and he'd even gotten to the point that he could draw weather with some sort of accuracy. In a symbolic manner that most anyone understood looking at it. "What do you do tomorrow?"
 
"Of course I do." Star assures killian, squeezing his hand. She'd begun to notice that he responded to her better and seemed to communicate better when she touched him. "True I'd rather be on a beach or someplace peaceful... but I don't care what any stupid test says about what I'm supposedly suited for. If it's with you, I'm happy." She smiles at him.
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A stack of books were plopped into the table in front of Star. She looks at the bippen. "What are these?"
"Bippen culture. Starting next week we're going to have you start teaching a class on the differences between the human culture and the bippen culture for our future explorers and captains." He says.
"Wow...there's alot." Star almost felt overwhelmed by it all.
"Choose a topic and research it." The bippen shrugged. "Don't worry. You'll do fine."
He left her and picked up the books, taking them to her bed. Entering the rom she found killian in the middle of some sort of strange mapping experiment. She shook her head at his explanation and sat dowm on the bed, looking over the books she'd been given. She was amazed by the incredible amount of cultural differences and similarities. Killian came over talking about his new exploration adventure. He handed her a book explaining what he was supposed to do. "Well if they haunt explored it yet ...there must be a reason. Be careful, alright?"

When asked what she was doing, she told him. "Never in all my years did I ever think I'd become a teacher for an alien race." She chuckled and shook her head then raised an eyebrow at Timo as he approached cautiously. In his hand was a small book and pen. "Um, they asked if I wanted to go exploring with Killian or go to school with star. I...i said I wanted to go exploring. Is...is that ok with you?" He asks hopefully. Star have Killian a warning look to be nice no matter his answer.
 
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Killian almost rolled his eyes when Star got all serious on him. "Of course it hasn't been explored for a reason. That's the only thing that makes it fun." There wasn't any fun in exploring something that you already knew about. Peering over her shoulder he stared at the stack of books. One lip curled up involuntarily. "Ugh....I would rather read graphs." That had been the majority of his books on board his ship. They were mostly navigational or graph type books. Rarely did he read anything that told him about people, places, or things. At least not in words. Places and things could be found with numbers and the rest was a mystery to solve.

Only a few moments later the boy showed up. Somehow he was a mix of both of them. It was odd that Timo was a bit of a teacher and explorer according to the Bippens. The captain's jaw dropped when the boy wanted to come with exploring. "Ah....I uh...." Catching the look from Star he frowned at her. Not like he was gonna be rude. This was something that would be much easier to answer than some of the other kinds of questions he'd been asked in the last few days. "I'm fine with that, I just need you to listen to me if I say to move or stay." If the boy hadn't been born human he looked like he would have lifted off the floor and gone flying.

****************************************************

Though early mornings were not Killian's favorite he couldn't help waking up every few hours. Finally the morning star had risen high enough in the sky that a shimmer of light came across the floor. Sitting up in his bed he leaned over Star and kissed her. "I'll be back in a few days." Instead of going in the explorer clothing he changed back into his smuggling pants and vest. They were more familiar feeling and he liked the pockets. Stuffing them full of the tools he then walked over to Timo and shook the kid awake. "Time to go."

Killian waited with the boy at the supply room to get a little bit of food to get through a few days. The Bippen's were more concerned about the expedience of the exploration than they were about the cost of supplies. Next the two of them caught a ride out to the base of an ice capped mountain. Slipping into a coat Killian winked at the boy and then put on a pair of black sun glasses. Light reflecting off the snow was almost blinding otherwise. Getting here was the easy part but, they were going to get to walk back home since the driver couldn't wait forever and nobody knew anything about the area.

By mid day the captain glanced back at the boy. "Keep up." He didn't like having to slow down but, it was becoming evident that he would have to. Finally they appeared to be getting somewhere when the road was out of sight and a giant gulley opened up in front of them. Then the ground started to shake. Killian swayed a little on his feet. Gradually the ice cracked beneath him and he grabbed Timo and threw the boy for the nearest ledge. "You stay up there" Pushing with one foot he moved himself to one side and jumped for the ledge. It was almost like the whole ground shook and moaned. Swinging one leg up onto the ledge Killian pulled himself up on it and peered down. The ground churned for a few moments and then stopped to reveal more ice floating to the top. It was very unusual.

Pulling out the book he started to draw a picture of what he saw. Perched on the ice ledge he waited for several hours before they started to move again. Drawing took more time but, it looked good. "Ok I think we better stay out of the gulley for a while."
 
Timo peered wide eyed at the gulley as it shifted and moved beneath them. "That was scary." He managed a nervous laugh. He got up to move again but Killian insisted they stay for a bit before moving again. "A bit" turned into several hours and eventually Timo, bored and cold, fell asleep on Killian's lap. By the time he was woken up to get moving again, Timo's stomach was growling. He reached into the rations pulling out some dried fruit and nibbling on it as they walked. "What do you think we'll find out here? Think there are polar bears? What if there are more aliens? Why is it so cold here but warm in the city?" Timo...ever the curious boy began his endless tirade of questions.
*******************
"Star?" A hand touched her shoulder, waking her from her nap. Star blinked open her eyes. She'd fallen asleep reading the history of the Bippens. Kato stood over her with his usual stoic expression. "Dinner is ready. I figured after a day of studying, you'd be hungry."
Star's stomach growled in response. "Uh, yup. Nice figuring." She pushed the book off her chest and stood up. "So, what have you been up to all day, Kato?" She asks with a yawn as they walk.
"I've been reviewing the Bippen's medical books and way of treating certain things. As far as I've been able to tell, there are at least 50 different diseases that have been cataloged by the Bippens that their kind suffers from.
"Oh...lovely. Hopefully none of those are deadly to us." Star shudders slightly.

She joins the rest of the crew at dinner, missing the feeling of Killian's form beside her and Timo's infectious enthusiasm.
"It is quiet without the boy." Kato notes, picking up on Star's thoughts.
"Yes...but they'll be back soon." She nods to encourage herself and began to eat. Still, she couldn't help but be a little worried for them.
"Yes...they will." Kato nods. "So, tell me what you have learned in your studies thus far."
Star does, glad for the distraction.
 
Killian gently tapped on Timo's head. "Hey." How the kid fell asleep so fast he didn't know. "C'mon we got to move." It was a little surprising to find that the boy wanted to eat and they hadn't really done much of anything. The man bit his tongue though and chose not to say anything. Working his way further back into the ice cap with Timo it seemed to gradually get colder. Finally he was forced to move down to the lower level again. "We need to see if we can get out of the wind." Killian dropped down first and then he helped Timo down. The two of them barely made it a few steps and then it started to feel mushy.

"Ooh something's not right." Testing the ground in front of himself Killian stomped on it and then stepped forward. It was too strange to be in a cold climate and then have a mushy piece of ground only a few hours after the ground had been churning less than a space knot behind. "C'mon just stick close to me and be careful." With another step forward he cringed. It was highly unsettling to find that the surface was not as it should be.

Nearing the edge of the blackened ground Killian leapt. Instead he began sinking into freezing water. "Timo hurry up. Jump over me." It didn't matter that the kid tried. Timo landing on top of him and quickly scrambled over. Then the black mass moved a little. Killian kicked a few times and clawed his way out of the water. With his legs half froze he didn't know what was going on. "Oook." The man's voice wobbled slightly as he stared at the giant mass. Taking a took from his pants he extended the 'pointer' as he called it and poked the mass. Forcing the 'pointer' into the mass he jumped back when it moved and then blood started to seep out of it. "Timo....We'd better get moving."

The two of them ran for a short distance before Killian saw the ground beginning to crack ahead. This time he moved onto the ledge with the boy before getting caught in the mess. For the second round he noticed that underneath the churning ice was a black mass. Whatever it was, this was a creature of fearsome size. "I think it's an animal." Killian waited for the thing to stop moving and then he cautiously let himself down. Walking over to where it was he stood near the edge where it appeared that the ice was thick enough to support his weight. "It's a whale?" Chuckling a little he moved around it a few more times to be sure that's what it was. "How could it be inland like this?" At least this was inland so far as he could tell.

"This is sacred ground." A voice behind them sounded and Killian whipped around. Just as he turned a dart hit him in the shoulder. "Hey!" Tearing the dart out of his arm he started up the side of the ice toward Timo again. Last thing he needed was for something to happen to the boy. "What the hell are you talking about. Sacred ground."

A man dressed in mostly gray and green stared at him for a long moment. "It is the place where whales go to die."

Killian shook his head. "There is no such place." He was starting to think that maybe they were in the cold too long and he was hallucinating all this. "Nooo..." Gradually he started to notice things were spinning and then it all faded into a slurr of voices and jolting movements.

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When the captain woke up he was in a little hut. Rolling onto his stomach he pushed himself up and snuck to the edge of the house. Pushing the flap aside he noticed that there was an entire green village in the middle of the snow covered mountains. They were strangely simple looking and yet they stayed hidden from the Bippens all this time? Then he saw it. The carcasses of thousands of whales. Looking behind himself his eyes got wide and he began looking around the village. Everything here was built from the whale bones. Did the Bippens only have ways of monitoring what gave off signal? Had they lost track of being able to search and explore in person? Machines could not get here because of the harsh cold. It had almost froze Killian out and he was in a heavy coat.

Suddenly Killian remembered the boy had been with him. "Shit...." Ducking back into the hut he pulled every blanket off the floor. "Timo!" There was no answer and then Killian darted outside. "Timo where are you?"
 
Killian found Timo sitting on the cold hard ground surrounded by the strange people. He looked scared and worried but unharmed. Some of the children around him were pulling at his hair and clothing, asking him questions which he was to nervous to reply too. He spots Killian and jumps to his feet in relief. "Killian!" He pushes through the people and grabs hold of Killian tightly, trembling from both fear and the cold.
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"Whoa, Andy! You got skills, girl!" Star exclaims, coming up behind the girl as she painted. "Seriously, that's really good. Where'd you learn to do that? Or is this all...instinct."
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Kato sat next to a bippen scientist who was explaining his current project to the human doctor. "So, you're saying you can synthesize an artificial treatment with the same properties as the marrow from Chips. You just need a live sample. For what purpose?"
The bippen scientist scoffs. "What purpose indeed? The chips, as much as we loathe them, seem to hold the key to long life in their bones. If we could replicate that...we could double the lifespan of the average bippen."
"How long is your lifespan now?" Kato asks.
"60 years, give or take a few."
"Hmmm, humans only have about 80 depending on how well they take care of themselves."
"So you see why this would be such an incredible breatkthrough! We just need your chip to willingly donate some marrow, and then once the serum is synthesized a willing subject to test it on once we're sure it'll work. We'd need someone who's young enough that their body will adapt to treatment and strong enough to withstand any potential side-effects."
"That would be extremely dangerous, not to mention potentially very painful." Kato says, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well, animals don't have the same sort of bone structure as humans, so there is no other viable test subject."
"Monkeys?"
"What's a monkey?"
"Never mind." Kato shook his head. "Who would willingly give themselves over to such a test though? And how could you willingly put someone in such a dangerous situation without guaranteed results."
"For science, my man! No one goes far in this field without a little risk. As for who...someone whose desperate enough to live a long life."
 
A Bippen came racing into the room. “We lost their signal.” Slowly his face fell. “We’ll have to tell Star that the boy and her Chip are missing.” So far the hadn’t seen anyone come back out and they were hoping that maybe the Chip would be more successful than any of their previous explorers had been. While they had some exploration talents they weren’t typically as advanced with their techniques as some of the other races.

Slowly the figure toddled toward Star’s room and knocked. “Important news for you.” With his head hanging he waddled over to stand in front of Star. “They’ve gone missing. We will send a monitor to wait at the entrance the same as we’ve done for the rest. It can sit there for as long as you like.” The other’s they had allowed the families to determine how long the monitor lasted at the entrance to the territory until they gave up hope. “The boy, Timo he went with, didn’t he?” The Bippen nodded his head sorrowfully. “I’m terribly sorry. Perhaps with the Chippequoti he will fare better. It was our hope that they would be successful where our kind have not been. There is plenty of hope that they have only hit a dead space for signal.”

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Killian almost breathed a sigh of relief when he found the boy. As much as he trying not to show his concern it was becoming evident. The captain was a little bit worried about the boy in the new strange place. "You just stick close to me ok? At least till we know its alright." For now it seemed that Timo was happy to agree to it. As the days passed nothing seemed to happen. They were fed everyday, had shelter, some clothing, and were allowed to wander almost anywhere.

The meat they ate was strange tasting. Killian didn’t complain. At least they were given food to eat and so far the people were friendly. It was interesting around the little bit of land here. Almost like a small utopia with green lush land in the midst of an ice cap. Most days Killian would walk around and draw pictures of what he saw. Mountains, the people, the visible borders of where they were. He was even allowed to put up his prospecting equipment to take samples and measurements. This was almost ideal as an exploring expedition. That was until he spotted some activity in the snow caps.

Squinting a little bit he moved toward the edge of the town to peer out into the snow. There were 3 of the natives and a Bippen that he hadn't ever seen here. One man on each side held onto the Bippen's arm and then the last one chopped it's head off. Killian turned around and pretended for the time that he didn't see the incident. The same odd smell of meat arose from the smoke house only a few hours later and he started to get an idea of what happened to all the missing explorers. For a time they were fed and taken care of then taken out of the camp, killed and eaten. Late that night the captain nudged Timo. "We need to leave now." Hopefully the boy knew better than to ask questions. This was one of those times when it was not a good idea.
 
Keep the monitor out there and just wait!? He had to be joking. As much as she knew Killian could take care of himself, she didn't want to risk that they'd gotten into trouble. Especially with Timo. "Mike! Get Kato and Andy! Killian and Timo could be in trouble. We're going after them."
"Oh, no. You can't..." The bippen's eyes widened and he shook his meaty hands.
"Like hell we can't. Get us a transport. Now!" She growled at him sternly, already packing up anything they might need for the journey.
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Timo groaned quietly as he rubbed his eyes. "What?" He saw the intense look on the Captain's face and knew better than to ask anything else. He grabbed his pack and followed Killian, holding tightly to his hand, or perhaps it was Killian holding his tiny hand tightly. "Ow..." He whispered loudly, as Killian tugged his arm a little to hard. Whatever had the Captain nervous, made him scared. He wanted to ask if Killian knew where they were going, but he was too scared to talk.

Two voices murmuring caught their attention and they ducked down behind some bushes as the two humans passed by, seemingly on patrol with torches in their hands. Timo's heart pounded. They'd seemed nice. He didn't understand why there were hiding but Killian must've had a good reason.
 
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