The Secret War - 1st novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 26 .

Owen

My house arrest couldn't have been rescinded at a better time. The next day in class Teacher Miller informed us that we would be stopping at the K'thaktra colony of Mazax VIII. There were no restrictions about me going planetside. I just couldn't smuggle anything onboard with me.

My okulus beeped to tell me who would be in my group this time. I triple checked it sure it had to be wrong because I couldn't be paired up with Spencer instead of Vai. And Viko and Mark from the Remembrance would be joining us. Friends of Spencer's. At least I would have Shel and Minmin with me. From what Vai told me the day before at dinner, Spencer had done a pretty good job at pissing off Minmin. A smile crept onto my face as Teacher Miller talked about the Mazax system.

As soon as class was over, I turned to Vai and said, "Who are you going with? Why aren't we paired together?"

Spencer stood up behind us and crossed the room to his Remembrance friends.

"Can't you switch with Spencer?" I asked. "Tomorrow is going to be torture."

"You're paired up with Spencer?" Vai asked.

I nodded.

Shel and Minmin took an interest in our conversation, but hadn't interjected anything themselves.

Vai sighed out low and deep. "I'm not allowed planetside any more. I can't switch. Sorry."

"Your father really won't let you?" Shel asked. "It won't be like Brist. We're not going to study wild animals away from civilization, just some ancient ruins right on the outskirts of a major city."

"My father won't bend," Vai said. "And I don't think I should push him too much right now. Maybe after the next few trips I'll try to convince him again."

"But Warpaint," I said. How was I going to survive planetside - well, Spencer and his friends - without the bodyguard?

"Sorry," Vai said. "I'll make it up to you somehow."

I didn't know how he could make it up to me when my - his - bodyguard wouldn't be with me. Oh well. I could always punch Spencer in the crotch before his friends beat me up - like last time.

"I'll be there," Minmin said.

"Yeah," Shel added, "Minmin will be your bodyguard."

She nodded and her long ears flopped back and forth.

"Thanks, my friends." I didn't think Minmin could be as good as a mechatronic bodyguard that had an Aether Shield, but she would be fine against Spencer and his friends. And there was Shel. Although he hadn't volunteered to help me like Minmin had. Oh well. I was fairly certain I could handle Spencer one on one, just not with his friends too.

"What time do you need to be at the shuttles?" Vai asked.

I pulled up the message again. I had only looked at who was going with me. Once I saw Spencer's name, I forgot to look at the time.

"Eight a.m.," Minmin said.

"Ugh," I said. "Early."

"Same time school starts," Minmin said.

"Right. Early," I reiterated.

"What time is that planetside?" Vai asked.

Minmin looked at her in ansible okulus, but Shel replied right away, "Between one and two p.m."

"I'll see you planetside then," I said to Minmin and Shel.

"Bye," Minmin said to me. To Vai she said, "I wish your dad wasn't so strict so you could come with us."