Sang the Stray (Completed)

38. A Second Helping

"Uncle has the private room at the cafe reserved for us. He wants to work with Marc on a new muffin infusing qehve grains." Luke reported.

"Excellent, Tsee Toma agreed to meet at First Shift Ninth Kasse. We will leave in small groups, staggered so as not to attract a crowd too soon." Tsee Blackbourne decided.

"Oh, Uncle will be glad for the extra business, once someone recognizes one of us. I am just surprised no one has made the family connection yet," North said.

Tsee Blackbourne nodded, saying, "Yes, you all have done a good job at being discreet, but the Setari Watchers are rather adept at rooting out that kind of information. However, I am confident Tsa Taylor will have no trouble dealing with any overzealous fans, if it comes to that. Tsens Lee and Taylor, you will head out first, followed by Tsets Korba and Coleman. Then Miss Sorenson with Tsets Griffen and Taylor."

"Qehve?" I asked Nathan and Luke who I waited with to leave for the cafe.

"It is a hot beverage with a mild stimulant. It's very popular for squads with First Shift assignments and MedBay Third Shift," Ista Green answered. He, Gabriel and Tsee Blackbourne would be the last group to leave.

"The Dining Hall qehve is fair, but Marc's brew is so much better. He takes it seriously. You will have to try the iced qehve that he mixes chocolate in," Nathan mentioned and Lukes eyes widened.

"Oh, yes. Chocolate Iced Qehve, Sang, you will love it!" Luke exclaimed.

Our groups left in five joden increments and Luke and Nathan were leading me in a circuitous route through Konna's shopping areas towards Uncles cafe. Once there we entered through a side door, Uncle waving us in and directing us to a private room near the back.

"Little Ave, it is good to see you again," he said warmly as I passed by. I smiled back at him. "Lucian, you take good care of her," he added when Luke draped an arm around my shoulder.

After all of Fourth Squad arrived there was only a short delay and the Second Squad member started trickling in. I was only slightly surprised to see that Corey did indeed have a twin who came in with him and Raven first.

"Sang, nice to see you again," Corey greeted me with a bright smile. "This is my brother Brandon." I took note of the different color shirts they wore to remember who was who. Though, there might be something different about their eyes. I hoped that their Setari rank stripes would be different colors if we ended up on-mission together. Raven wore a sleeveless top that displayed tattoos all along his arms. When I went to the mall with Jessica, several people had virtual body art which would flicker and shift, but Ravens tattoos were actually inked into his skin. He noticed me looking at the tribal pattern that ran down one shoulder to his elbow.

"See South, I tell you girls like sexy ass," he said to North.

"Don't you mean sexy art?" North replied, "And my name is North."

"Same," Raven said, shrugging, then sat down in the seat across from mine. "You wanted to meet Little Ave, so here we are. Has South given you fruit yet?"

I looked over at North quizzically and nodded, saying, "Yes, he has brought me a couple meals with fruits and vegetables."

Raven nodded, then asked, "What about Nathan or Silas? Did you eat fruits they give you?"

"Um." I pressed my finger into my lip and Nathan, sitting next to me, pulled it away linking our hands together. "Yes, I guess most of Fourth Squad bring me a meal that had some fruit." Pretty much everything I had eaten while on Tare was either from the sea or the hydroponic garden. Where was he going with this?