Soron sat locked in  the crew quarters, contemplating how he might escape.
   But if he did escape, there was nowhere to go. He had failed his mission, and would probably be killed if he found a way back to the Blood Terror.
   The two Earth kids had locked him in there hours ago, or at least it felt that long, after he told the girl the coordinates to Titan. The girl had seemed reasonable, intelligent even. She had understood him when he told her how the engines worked on a basic idea. The boy, though, seemed all action, no brains.
   Eventually, seeing no immediate reason to escape and with nothing else to think about, he fell asleep.
   Soron opened his eyes in complete darkness. Somehow, he knew he was dreaming, but it felt real. the air was cold and dry, and it felt like he was standing on solid ground, though he couldn't see it. Experimentally, he held his hand in front of his face. That he saw.
   While he couldn't see anything, he could hear sounds, some like predators and wild creatures, others like soft, foreboding tunes that primitive cultures played to honor death and shadows. And he could tell that there were presences everywhere, like a sixth sense. In the darkness, things were moving, and not all of them felt to have good intentions.
   Soron stepped forward. When nothing happened, he tried again, and soon he was running across the invisible ground. Strangely, he felt he needed to go somewhere, where someone would tell him what this place was, and more. Thinking it was just a dream, and that there was no harm in letting it continue, he didn't resist.
   Suddenly, the feeling said he needed to stop, and he slowed down, twisting his head this way and that, seeing absolutely nothing but darkness.
   Soron decided that nothing was going to happen and it was time to wake up when the shadows parted in front of him, revealing a very dimly lit rock. He started to approach, and his heart leapt when two green glowing spots appeared behind it, eyes on a massive being of shadows...
   He woke abruptly to see the boy shaking his shoulder. Soron had fallen from his sitting position to his side in his sleep, and he felt the beginning of a neck cramp, the result of sleeping without a pillow.
   It might have been better to move to the bunk, he thought, ruefully rubbing his neck. His thoughts wandered briefly to his dream, but he dismissed it as a regular nightmare.
   "Now that you're awake, we might as well talk."
   Soron looked up as the girl entered the room and narrowed his eyes. The boy didn't look very pleased with the idea.
   They had both found the washroom. He figured the girl was the one to figure out how it worked. All the mud and grass was gone, and they had found the extra clothes.
   The girl was average height and fair skinned, with light blond hair that had an unusual ice blue streak that matched the color of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back and she wore black leggings with a black jacket and boots.
   The boy was taller and had steely gray eyes. His hair was a metallic blond and looked like the kind that could never be brushed, shaggy and spiky. He had chosen a gray outfit.
   The girl walked past the boy, so they could see both sides of him, making sure he didn't make a threatening move.
   "We can't call each other by gender, since that would get pretty annoying, so I'll go first. My name is Jax." she gestured at the boy. "This is Ayden."
   Soron studied her for a moment. She seemed genuine about starting a conversation. He stood up and brushed off his coat before replying. "Soron."
   "Well then, Soron, we would like to know about who sent you. As you probably know, nobody has visited Earth in sixteen years."
    Soron considered how he would reply. He could keep his vow of silence, but there was no point. He would never go back to the Blood Terror, even if he wanted to. If he was honest, he was most likely to survive, and quite possibly find shelter in human society.
   "I belonged to a band of space pirates that wanted to find valuables left behind on Earth. The captain put me in charge of the mission." he said.
   Ayden didn't miss the past-tense. "Belonged?"
   Soron looked evenly at him, not letting slip the fact that his heart was pounding as he hoped they believed him and let him live. "I failed my mission. If I go back, or if they trace where I've gone, They will kill me. Therefore, I no longer belong with them." he turned his gaze to Jax. "Now for my question, how do you know mechanics?"
   She raised an eyebrow. "My parents were starship engineers."
   Ayden jumped in. "Would you mind explaining the patron waiting for you on Titan?"
   It was Soron's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What?"
   Jax shot a look at Ayden before she replied. He probably wasn't supposed to mention that. "We received a transmission recently telling us that we had a patron waiting for us. Since nobody knows we exist, it can only be for you."
   Though he didn't show it, Soron panicked. Was it possible that the Captain had found him?
   No. The Captain may have revelled in fear, but he did not announce that someone was waiting for him.
   Jax was watching him closely and despite his best efforts, his eyes widened slightly in shock. She translated his reaction correctly as dismay, and nodded. She definitely wasn't stupid. She looked at Ayden. "He doesn't know any more than we do, so lay off."
   "What, me?" Ayden wore an innocent expression.
   "Anyways," she said, dragging out the word, "I'm assuming we can trust you, Soron?"
   Soron shrugged. "That's really up to you. If I said yes, you might think I'm trying to get the best of you. If I said no, you would probably just kill me right here."
   Jax smiled. "In that case, we trust you. Care to fly copilot?"

   Ayden watched Soron from the backseat of the cockpit, directly behind the pilot's chair, where Jax was preparing to pull them out of tunnelspace. Despite what Jax had said, Ayden didn't trust Soron one bit.
   Maybe it was the green eyes. Every time Soron looked at Ayden, he couldn't help thinking the guy could see into his soul. That, plus the unnaturally pale skin and black hair made him seem like a young version of the sorcerers Jax's parents used to tell about in stories. Bottom line, he was creeping Ayden out.
   Now, Soron sat motionless in the copilot's seat, staring out at tunnelspace, obviously in deep thought. His brilliant green eyes were reflected in the viewport, and they shifted so that it seemed like they were looking Ayden straight in the eye. He realized he was staring and looked away, barely suppressing a shiver. Definitely creepy. Ayden really hoped that they never saw each other again at Titan.
   Jax pulled the switch bringing them out of tunnelspace and the stars returned to the skies. The giant orb of Saturn hung in front of them, nearly filling the viewport. Directly below them was a small cloud-wrapped moon, barely worth looking at next to the monstrous planet. Titan.
   Soron opened a channel and Jax acquired their landing vector and pad. They flew into the atmosphere, and their view was obscured with cream clouds. Once, Ayden thought he saw a strange, winged creature go by at an amazing speed.
   When they exited the clouds, the dome of Xanadu rose up from a plateau that looked wider than the ruins of London. A squadfighter dropped next to them and directed the ship to a hole in the dome. After they entered, Ayden looked back to see the hole disappear.
   Jax and Soron deployed the landing gears, and the ship landed with a soft thump. The fighter flew off as they switched off the systems and engines. When they could delay no longer, they headed to the hatch that led outside, where their "patron' was waiting.
   Jax stepped out first, marveling at every thing, probably trying to figure out the mechanics of the dome. Soron stepped out after her, looking unimpressed. Ayden came out last, making sure Soron was always in his sights. He brought his bow along as well, just in case.
   "Welcome to Xanadu." A small, golden skinned woman appeared. "I am your patron, Tyri Brenka."
   Soron squinted his eyes. "Do I know you?"
   Tyri chuckled. "No, but I know you. Soron, Ayden, and Jax, correct?"
   Ayden felt his jaw drop, as Soron and Jax exchanged glances. How did she know their names?
   "I suggest you come with me. I have a lot to tell you."