After searching a dozen landing bays on Koshi, I was beginning to think our search was futile.

We had followed the transport to Koshi, but once it had jumped again, I had lost the lock on its location. Now, on a planet full of ships and landing bays, I had no way of locating it on the Phoenix. So here I was, following Kam and Kade through the dozens of bays in search of one elusive transport ship. I suddenly wished I was back on the Phoenix, helping Lenna and Axon with the repairs.

Walking behind the boys was an interesting experience, however. I was just far enough away that I couldn't hear what they were talking about - and I wasn't about to use my abilities just so I could. But I could make out the inflection of tone, the light laughter that would light up their faces occasionally. It would bring a smile to my own face. Whatever they were talking about, it was nice to see Kade smiling and laughing so freely. We didn't do that very often these days. Who would've thought that it would be my old childhood friend to bring that out, again. Kam put his hand on Kade's shoulder as they laughed about something. Maybe it was the dim lights of the docks, but I was pretty sure I saw color bloom on Kade's cheeks.

As they kept walking, my attention was grabbed by a nondescript sign just inside one of the many alleys off the landing bays. I don't know why it caught my attention, but the closer I looked, the more intrigued I became. On the bottom right corner, barely visible in the dim light of night, was a symbol. It was a circle with a vertical line going through it. The symbol itself wasn't that interesting, but the way it glowed when I looked at it was. "Uh, guys? I think I've found something."

At first glance, the inside wasn't any more fancy than the sign outside had alluded to. But when my eyes adjusted to the strange purple lighting, I noticed something instantly - the woman's behind the bar was someone we knew.

She turned at the sound of the door and her eyes widened ever so slightly. With a nod of her head, I followed her towards the back of the room. I snagged Kade's sleeve at the last second, pulling him along behind me. I didn't look to see if Kam followed, I just figured he would. We went through a small doorway and entered another room. It was a lot smaller than the bar on the other side of the wall and looked like a living room. There was an old couch and a coffee table; blankets and pillows sat in one corner beside a mattress on the floor.

The woman stopped and turned, a small smile on her face. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon."

Returning her smile, it was hard to picture the Xenu woman I had rescued only a few weeks ago. She looked a lot better than she had in that cage. "That makes two of us. How are you?"

Kala smiled softly before shrugged her shoulders. She gestured to the room around us, "Well, as you can see, I'm doing okay. Got a job running this place and the boss has given me a room."

"That's wonderful, Kala. Really, I'm so glad."

She looked passed me, to where I knew Kade and Kam still stood. "So, what's brought you back to Koshi?"

Glancing at the boys, an idea started to form in my head. Turning back to Kala, I smiled. "Got some free time?"

After filling Kala in on everything we had learned since our first meeting, I sat with my hands clasped tightly in my lap. I could feel Kam looking at me out of the corner of my eye but I didn't dare turn to see the expression. My idea would either help us win this fight we found ourselves in or it wouldn't. I didn't see how there could be an in-between.

Minutes passed where the only thing on Kala that moved were the snake-like pieces of her hair. Finally, she nodded her head slowly. "Okay, so you want my help - and any other Maji I might know - to destroy this station out in the middle of nowhere and put the GPF on our heals? Again?"

Cringing, I shook my head. "No...well, yes, but not-."

Kade bumped my shoulder and took over, "The GPF won't be on your tail because they won't exist anymore. At least not to hunt Maji. And," he gave me a pointed look, "we have a new toy that will help with that, too."

She didn't look convinced. "We can't destroy that station without help. If we don't, they'll just keep kidnapping and murdering us. We have to stop them." I took a deep breath, to steal myself for what, I wasn't sure. "We have a new device that will make your blood appear normal to scans. When this is all over we can give them to you - and others - just in case. But if we don't do this...Kala, so many more people are going to die."

Her lips made a thin line as she thought. Turning to Kam, she raised an eyebrow. "And who are you? I might be willing to trust them with my life but I don't know you."

I could see the muscle on the side of Kam's jaw flex. But then he visibly relaxed his shoulders. Too appear less of a threat? Maybe. "My name is Kameron Levir. I've been friends with TJ since we were kids."

I could tell that didn't answer her question, not the way she wanted it, anyway. Her brows creased and her lips looked even thinner. Deciding I didn't have anything to lose - it was best to be honest, anyway - I came clean. "He's a Lieutenant in the GPF and he works for my father."

"Your father?"

Pursing my own lips, I simply nodded. "We all have pasts we don't like talking about." I glanced at Kam before looking back at her. "But know that Kam and my father aren't working for RI and the GPF. They're trying to stop this, too."

Leaning back in her chair, Kala huffed out a laugh as she crossed her arms. "So you say."

"I wouldn't lie to you about this. I'm like you, remember?"

"So you say."

"Fair." Looking at Kade, who shrugged a shoulder, I looked around the room. The bar was empty now, the last customer having made his way home shortly after we arrived. An empty bottle sat at the end of the counter. Biting my bottom lip, I made the bottle lift off the counter and deposited it into the correct garbage can. "Proof enough for you?"

Man, Kala's poker face was so good I honestly wasn't sure. It made me wonder what her life had been like before the GPF had ruined it. She obviously didn't have a family to go back to, or she wouldn't have stayed on Koshi. But I'd have bet what little money I had that whatever life it had been, it hadn't been easy.

After a few more seconds, a sigh deflated her chest. "Alright. Yeah, I believe you." Leaning closer to the table, she laid her hands on the surface, "What's this plan you've got?"

I could feel the boys looking at me, probably wondering the same thing. But I wasn't ready to voice it just yet. I didn't think they'd approve - I knew my father wouldn't. "Are you going to help us?"

She looked each of us in the eyes before nodding, almost reluctantly. "Yeah, yes I will help you. Even if I think this is all a crazy suicide mission." She shrugged, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "I'd never forgive myself if I didn't and more people went missing."

Returning her smile, I nodded. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

A/N

I apparently had a thing for "K" names while writing this...Kala is gonna need a new name, haha!