The War Revealed - 3rd Novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 26 .

Owen

We had moved to Esther's, Minmin's and Shel's quarters hours earlier. There was still no update from the captain. The G.E.F. had jumped several times to reach a different area of space - I wasn't sure exactly where - but we hadn't jumped in awhile.

Vai slept on the couch. Warpaint stood over him. Shel sat in one of the chairs. Minmin sat in the other chair. Esther and I sat on the floor with our backs up against the couch. She looked at me strangely for a moment before she turned her attention to Minmin.

"Do you think we'll move on Brist soon?" Minmin asked.

"I don't know," Shel replied.

"What do you think all that about a presence was about?" I asked. The Awakened One had sat in his usual spot in the shuttle bay and closed his eyes as soon as we got back. He hadn't spoken with us since and because Vai was tired we retired to let him sleep.

"I don't want to hope it is more Awakened Ones," Esther said. "I don't want to get my hopes up only to have them dashed."

I had thought it might be more Awakened Ones, but they had been so stubborn about joining us before it was difficult to believe they would come now.

The door opened. I had expected it to be Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa or my mom or dad, but it wasn't. It was El. Shel immediately stood, but hesitated when he saw her. A small smile touched her blue lips and that was all Shel needed. He rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her. The rest of us stood and watched the mother and son reunited. Vai shifted behind us. One brief look told me he had awaken. He swung his long legs over the side of the couch and stood beside Esther.

"You all did well out there," El said as she and Shel broke their hug. She came forward and sat in the seat Shel had just occupied.

I had been busy out there and hadn't given it much thought, but I didn't remember seeing her out in the fighting. She must have been though. El wouldn't have sat on the sidelines for that.

"You saw us?" Esther asked.

El shook her head. "No, but people were telling me that you destroyed an entire ship by yourselves."

"Are you here to stay?" Esther asked.

"No," El said. Shel tried to hide it, but the disappointment was barely there on his face. "I must return to the SingingStar," she said. "I just wanted to stop in and see you all in person." Her hand reached up and enclosed with Shel's. "Accompany me back down," she said.

"You're leaving now?" Minmin asked. "But you just got here."

"I believe the captains's meeting with the Gathering council is almost over. We should be ready to move." El stood. Shel walked by her side while the rest of us walked behind her. We moved through the almost empty corridors to the elevator and down to the shuttle bay.

When we reached the shuttle bay, the Awakened One's large eyes fluttered open and he stared at us. El led us to his side.

"I've only come to give my greetings," El said. "I must go back to the other ship now."

The Awakened One merely cocked his head in her direction.

El turned to go to one of the shuttles, but Vai said to the Awakened One, "What about that presence? Are you ready to explain it yet?"

"What presence?" El asked. I was glad I wasn't the only one who hadn't noticed it. In fact, Vai seemed to be the only one who had noticed it.

The Awakened One stood and towered over us. "You shall see," he rumbled.