Red sat in the pilot's seat for a moment before putting his forehead down on the panel. What had he just said to Ember? His face felt hot and he knew it was just as Red as his hair. I'm up for practice if you are.

He groaned. They still had some time left before they got to New Elysium if they weren't caught first. He jerked his head back up conscious that Ember of all people could look in at him at any moment. He tapped the side of his head, effectively killing any open channel she could listen in on. He could have done it with a simple thought but the movement had always helped him focus, he did it subconsciously. But it wasn't like she couldn't look in on him at any moment through the eyes of their ship. Idiot.

The door opened. "Hey Red, you got a minute?" Dag poked his head in. Red eager for the any distraction jumped up.

"Yeah, what's up?"

Dag pushed his way and closed the door. He looked somber as he turned around. He rubbed the back of his head. "Do you think she waited, man?"

"Waited?" His wife, it was the only person Red could think of, he knew that Dag was nervous about the upcoming reunion. Hell, he didn't even know if she was still alive. He paused, not sure how to answer.

Dag rubbed his hands together, his silver arm standing out under his dark brown shirt. It was a sign of how nervous he was. Dag was normally the calm one, the encouraging one. Today he looked broken, lost.

Red took a deep breath. "That Satellite had both our names in the message," he said finally. It was the best answer he could give. Dag had put his family on a ship Red had secured, although Red had never met his wife Zaira, or his son, Tomen. He had been fairly certain of their escape. Dag had had the choice to go with them but he'd stayed behind and gotten caught with Red.

Dag nodded, a faint smile popping up. "You're right." He took a deep breath. "You think they will recognize me?"

"Man, I don't recognize you." Red muttered, earning a laugh.

"How long has it been?"

"At least seven years." Red stood and stretched. He needed a distraction, anything to keep thinking about his last words to Ember. He wasn't sure if it was a good sign that she was still in her room. She probably needed rest and didn't want to face anyone at that moment either. But Red needed something to do. Anything. "Why don't we wake up T and Alt?"

Dag nodded. "Yeah, they need to be up. We'll be stopping for fuel soon, Ember's burning to get as far as possible for a charge up."

"What's closest?"

"Perilion."

Red nodded. They'd need to be ready, but first they really needed a break. He looked up only to find Dag studying him with a lifted eyebrow. "What?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Dag crossed his arms. "You are actually brooding... Where's Ember?"

"You know she can hear us, right?"

"So?"

"So, shut up," Red crossed his arms, his glance flicking to the door way near the ceiling that Ember used to get in.

Dag's eyes widened. "What did you do when she was flying like crazy? Yell at her?"

"If that would have worked..."

"As Captain, or?" Dag didn't finish.

"I did what I had to." Red could feel his face heat up. Dag liked Ember, especially since she'd proven more than willing to sacrifice herself several times over just to get them out.

"And that was what exactly?" Red's face flamed again and he crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing. Dag sighed. "Man, come on, you like her."

"No."

"No?" Dag shook his head.

"She's a loose cannon."

"So are you."

"I—"

"Hey, I can't help it if you're an idiot. Is it because she's from Neo-Tokyo?"

Red's eyes narrowed as he studied Dag. "No! Look, nothing happened..." His voice trailed off as Ember's sounded over the comms. If she could hear them, he couldn't tell.

"Coming up to Perilion, preparing to orbit."

Red tapped his head and switched on the private channel he shared with her. Dag's face lit up with a smirk as he watched Red. He knew they communicated without using the vessel directly. He rolled his eyes in a "whatever" gesture.

"Copy." Red commented. He glanced at Dag again. "Can we just go wake up our two sleeping passengers and worry about this later? I can't think about this right now..."

"Sure," Dag turned to the door. "I actually missed those two little miscreants."

Red nodded and didn't reply. He dreaded another confrontation with Ember now. She was literally everywhere on the ship. Except in his own room. He would have to brave the passengers just to get away from her now, and not avoid the passengers. The other day he'd wanted alone time with her...but now? He didn't know where he stood, and her reaction suggested it wasn't necessarily welcome, and he'd fled before she could respond. He'd play it off later. He was dreading getting to New Elysium now. He didn't want to see her go.

"Are we there yet?" T opened his eyes and grinned.

"Not quite," Red smile back at him and ruffled his damp hair. Alt was coming out of his own sleep and his eyes started roaming the room with a mechanical grind that reminded Red of Helion again. Alt had eyes resembling a set of permanent goggles on his face. Red reminded himself that he was getting them to a place where they could be properly attended to. He hoped.

New Elysium was a dream, he'd never set foot there. Red had sent others on ahead of him. He'd make sure they could go; certain coordinates were provided. He wouldn't take credit for what others had built. He'd been too much of a wanderer up until this point. Neo-Tokyo had tightened the noose and he'd gotten his neck caught in it.

Watching T and Alt climb out of their cryo units, his mind flashed back to the day he'd lost his second in command.

"Captain there is a large contingent at the gates to greet us."

"Any word?"

"No, but there has been a slowing of info traveling out."

"A slowing?"

"Let me correct myself sir, information regarding current rotations has come to a halt."

Red, or Captain Scott as he'd been then peered down at the waiting assembly. Nothing seemed out of place. His gut said something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what it was. He turned to Lars.

"Communications black out?"

"Negative sir, just a recall with no information as to why."

"A recall?" Red shifted to the window again, starting to sweat.

"Yes Captain, one at a time."

"But other than that, there is nothing out of the ordinary?"

"Accurate Sir." The AI was silent. He was agitated although he gave no outward signs. Red had flown with him enough to know that his short answers when he was used to getting long explanations about almost everything.

"Guess we'd better face the music and figure out what's going on." Red moved away towards the shuttle. "We're almost home at least. It will be all right."

But it hadn't been.

Lars had been deactivated on the spot. A short EMP wave that had killed Red's communications array and simply sucked the life out of Lars.

"Freeze aug." Red put his hands up as an anonymous soldier pointed his gun at him.

"What's going on?"

"My apologies Captain." Another man stepped in front of him. Red was too shocked to react, half of his body was not functioning. He felt disoriented, he couldn't pull into the net to find the news, something to tell him what was happening. "You are in fact an augment, Sir?" The man dressed in the same gray uniform as Red sneered the sir.

"Not sure what that has to do with anything..."

"You're decommissioned Sir."

"Excuse me?" Red stared at the man.

"Decommissioned." He strode up to Red's face, his grin lighting up his angular features. Red had the feeling he was enjoying this. "Trash." He sneered and stepped away.

"Lars." Red shouted as he was roughly grabbed and dragged away. That man's face was burned into Red's memory although he didn't know his name at the time. Red swore he'd rip his throat out if they ever met. If he ever put a name to him.

"Red—" Ember's voice drifted to him from across the console.

"Sorry," he stood, T and Alt were both eating protein bars, Dag was eyeing him again.

"You ok?" Her voice tinged with concern. He ignored it.

"Just working a few things out."

"Like?"

Red tapped his forehead and spoke onto their private channel. "I'm out. I have a spaceship with shitload of people that I didn't want to take, they all hate me."

"And you kissed the pilot."

"And there's that." He paused, groaning internally. "You decide to vent me yet?"

"What?" She laughed. "Of course not. But I am however beginning my orbit, 6 hours tops."

"Anyone following?"

"Not that I can see. But this is the closest star so it wouldn't surprise me if anyone showed up."

"What's the bare minimum to get to those new coordinates?"

She hesitated, Red lowered his head as he waited. "2 hours."

"You can collect that fast?"

"It's not that far... But I don't know if we'll be there or if it will another waypoint."

It made sense. Red looked up again at Dag, who was now staring at him, concerned. He mouthed two hours towards him and held up two fingers. Dag nodded and returned his attention to T, who was chattering questions at him.

"Make it two hours," Red responded. "We have no idea how much of a lead we may have. They could already have found us."

"On it."

"Oh, T and Alt are out if you want to say hi."

"I know I can see them. I would put them back if this gets hairy."

"They needed to be out."

"You needed them to be out."

He didn't argue about that. She wasn't wrong. "If they show up, we run. No heroics Ember. You copy that?"

"That depends on them, Red. Do I heroically get to save you all at least? Or die trying..."

"I'd prefer to live, if you can help it. Just don't go on a rampage and try to kill them by using our ship as a weapon."

"So, we'll flee..."

"Remember, we aren't armed."

"I told you, you have me, we're always armed."

"Am I going to have to kiss you again to get you to listen." It was out before Red could stop it. His mouth shut with his teeth clicking together. He tapped the side of his head again and closed off the channel before he could get a response. I hate myself, he thought, shaking his head. Open mouth insert foot.

He hadn't noticed that T had wandered over and was standing in front of him.

"So where is Ember?" T asked. His faced pinked a little as he did, showing up as scarlet under his blonde hair. "Is she--?"

"—piloting." Red cut him off. "You two want to go and see where she's operating from?"

"Is that a good idea?" Dag asked. "I mean there's only one chair in there. No crash couches for these guys."

Red hesitated. "OK, let's get them some quarters instead."

"My own?"

"One for both of you."

Alt looked over at Red and smiled, his eyes still roving. Alt didn't speak too much, but T was back to his old self. Red wondered what he'd been like on the outside, nothing slowed him down. Despite his condition he was full of life and wanted to get out there and see everything.

In the end, Red ended up giving his own room to the boys. It kept them closer to him, but also, he would have to stay in the pilot's room. He wouldn't have minded so much if he could have kept his mouth shut around her. The New Caledonians had accepted the presence of the boys readily. There were a few other children there, none their age but it hadn't mattered. T with his open personality was a welcome presence. His own preference for Red softened Red's image with the passengers and he delighted in telling them how Red had protected him in the prison and how he'd helped them escape.

"Red, we're at two hours. Orders still the same?" She was all business now, her voice coming from the nearest console. He'd closed his private channel, not looking for a reply or a conversation. He was sitting in his chair brooding, he hadn't been there long, but for once there wasn't anything else to do. No one was looking to kill him, ask him for help, or call him a murderer right now. He laced his fingers together.

"No sign?"

"None."

"Ok, yeah orders are the same. We'll play hopscotch."

"What's hopscotch?"

"Never mind, we'll burn for the next star over if we have to." Red rubbed his temple. They really weren't familiar with any old games, movies, or anything in Neo-Tokyo, the supposed bastion of knowledge. "It won't be a direct course, but we'll know if they are close."

"Got it."

"Ember?"

"Yeah," the response was wary.

"If we get to New Elysium in one piece, I promise to get you the biggest mounted rail gun this thing can carry. And I'll come back with you just to see you put a few holes into your old man."

"Ok, Red, now you sound like you just got out of prison. That I can handle."

Red only grinned.