"Long time no see AJ," the alien boy exclaimed, clasping a hand on Ajax's shoulder.

    His voice had no emotion in it; it sounded almost mechanical.

    "What took you man? I thought your parents grounded you," Ajax returned the gesture by smacking the alien boy on the back of the head.

    "Nope, other family issues. My sister was caught four Earth months ago so we've been searching for her."

    "Sorry to hear that," Ajax frowned.

    Sylvie trailed behind, listening to their conversation.

    "Nah, she's tough, she's probably fine," the alien boy waved a hand, dismissing the topic, "I see you haven't been killed yet."

   "Yeah, it seems everyone's after me now," Ajax put both hands behind his head.   

    "They are, Evo put a large price on your head," Jinx handed him a piece of paper.

    "Wow, that is a heck of a price."

    "If you didn't fry every bounty hunter you encounter maybe you could live without always looking over your shoulder."

    "Now where's the fun in that?" Ajax smirked.

    The alien boy's brown eyes met Sylvie's emerald ones and he asked, "You found another human? How?"

    "Adelar actually bought her out of a slave auction."

    "It's a her?"

    "Yes, I'm a girl, anything wrong with that?" Sylvie snapped.

    The alien boy raised his hands in surrender, "Hey, I didn't mean any offense, it's just the first time I've ever seen a human girl."

    "You and me both," Ajax mumbled to him.

    "I'm Jinx, I've known Ajax here since I was 12 and he 13."

    "Sylvie Mullan."

    "I'm guessing since you're a slave you have the scars?" Jinx asked.

    "How do you know?" Sylvie absently rubbed where one of her scars started on her shoulder.

    "Every slave has some sort of injury when they leave from those camps. My species are widely know for female slave dancers, so believe me, I know."

    "How long is your scar?" Ajax asked, now interested in the conversation.

    "I've got seven, and each is at least a foot long, maybe even two feet," Sylvie's scars tingled as she spoke.

    "Can I see them?"

    "NO! Why would you even ask such a question?"

    "If they're that long they must be some pretty cool looking scars."

   "Okay, can we just drop this subject and move on?" Sylvie crossed her arms, feeling defensive.

    Everyone was quiet until they reached the house. Ajax opened the door explaining to Jinx that Adelar and Haloami were away. Sylvie collapsed on the couch; Ajax and Jinx sat on the short table in front. If this is how life is going to be, I'll be dead in the next week, she sighed deeply. What still confused her was how the fight in the Hummer Station even started.

    "Ajax."

    "Hm?"

    "What happened there?"

    "I shot a hole in a guy's cup," he snorted at the memory.

    Sylvie leapt up, "You started that fight?! You-" what she screamed at him was so vile that it caused Ajax and Jinx to flinch.

    "I might need to get a bar of soap for her mouth," Jinx muttered to him.

    "Easy Sylvie, there's no need to get worked up," Ajax told her softly.

    "We were almost killed!"

    "But we weren't."

    "You can't just always be searching for trouble!"

    "I don't go looking for trouble, but I do enjoy befriending it."

    "Eventually you'll be dead if you continue like that!"

    Jinx had been watching this argument like a tennis match, not daring to get involved.

    "Listen," Ajax started, "I've been doing this since I was 13, everything's fine."

    Sylvie didn't know what to do, how can I trust someone who is willing to risk his life just to have a little bit of fun? she wondered, storming off to her room. The boys winced hearing the door slam.

    "Well, that was dramatic," Jinx frowned, moving to sit on the couch.

    "I guess, human girls are just like alien girls."

    "Except human girls are more emotional and are short, How tall is she? Like five foot two inches?"

    "She is on the small side," Ajax mumbled, "I don't think she'd live a day on her own."

    There was a long silence between them then Jinx spoke up, "I found a smuggler that's brave enough to get you off of this scum-bucket. But he might want more now that she's coming along."

    "Got that covered," Ajax pulled the leather wallet the Mouseling supposedly 'dropped.'

    "Do you even know how much money is in that?" Jinx gave him a skeptical look.

    "No idea," Ajax handed the wallet to him, "but I know you can hack your way to the money."

    Jinx gave him another skeptical look, "You didn't have this planned out did you?"

    "Of course not. Now hack away," Ajax ordered playfully.

    Jinx rolled his eyes and brought out his holographic computer, "They really need to make these credit systems harder to access," he murmured to himself, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "Blasters! This person is rich!" he exclaimed.

    Ajax leaned over and let out a low whistle, "That should be more than enough."

    "The smuggler's name is Leory Gunnger. You'll find him at the Hummer Station two days from now."

    "Okay then," Ajax stood, "I'll go pack up and tell the girl to do the same."

    "Wait!"

    "What?" Ajax froze mid-step.

    "Wait for her to get over her crazy emotions and then tell her. If she isn't out, just knock on the door and tell her," Jinx advised, folding away his computer.

    Ajax nodded and followed Jinx's advice.