"Captain Tkarro? This is Commander Rose in the CNC. Items of business. We're approaching the Freight-liner, Aeriolus. King Kruag in in his shuttle and ready to depart to it as soon as we're along side." "I have been in contact with Tall White Lady. She and some of the survivors of the USCOMM ship, 'Mauler' on the small freighter 'Handbag' over the surface of Hel." "An update on another ...circumstance." Dokka Tkarro heard his wife, Jin come in. She had a miserable looking Toxic in tow. Jin saw he was listening and took her uniform off and hung it up in her closet and laid down on the bed. Toxic waved and sat down nest to her. Dokka continued with a smile at his wife, "Go on, Commander. My wife and Toxic just came in." Rose did so. "About six hours ago, my son, Jalisco, with Jeet, Jahntu, and a human gunnery sergeant named Lil Damocles entered the subterranean 'volcanic tubes to search out what those telepaths had done with Toffet Delgado and his wife Kella." Toxic looked excited. She exclaimed,"They were asleep in a dark place next to a big scary monster! Upsilon almost woke him up!" There was a pause as Rose asked, "How do you know Upsilon is Jalisco? How do you come by this information?" Toxic looked confused, "Who is Jalisco? I was talking about YOUR son, Rose. You know--Violet's brother?" "How did I know? Because it was about Kella and Toffet! I'm sure Bluebell knows, too. She was dead with us,too for a while. I guess it was four years ago. We have a bond!" Rose paused. She said over the intercom, "Bluebell knew you were back, but nothing about the others. No other information other than that. TWL is expecting them back within an hour." "One other important piece of information. We located a shuttle in the jungle ten kilometers from where the freighter with the survivors is floating over an opening to the tunnels. We read what might weapons fire in the vicinity. There are clouds over the area and dense jungle. The IFF shows it to be from a ship lost with all hands in the orbit, last month. If anything else happens, I'll notify you. Permission to leave the CNC to have lunch with my mate? I'll leave Lt Commander Zeelob in command." "Permission granted. I might try to take a nap until something happens on the surface, after I deal with other problems. Enjoy your new mouth! Tkarro out." Dokka turned to Jin and Toxic. To Jin he said,"You look provocative. What's up?" She sighed. "When Toxic gets in trouble, who does she come to?" "You." He was feeling a little odd about this. "When Toxic needs a father figure, who does she...?" Dokka cut Jin off. "ME. WHAT are you getting at? This isn't a follow-up to that 'almost assault' that happened last year when you and Aldus Panchetta got into it about Toxic's treatment?" Dokka was curious. Jin looked at him levelly, "I want us to adopt Toxic officially! We can..." He held up a hand, "WHOA! She has a father. Her mother is dead. She already has family." Jin fell back on the bed with a humph. "SOME family! He's biological ,but colder than a robot. ROSE is machine-life and adopted Lime with the warmth and love of an open heart. When you married me, you took on the ONE obligation I have in the world. HER." Dokka frowned and said, "This isn't the wasteland, and you aren't as diseased as a leper anymore. There are laws and procedures now. Toxic's a grown woman." Jin sat up. "NO she isn't. That is a seven or eight year old brain, suspended for almost thirty years in the body of an alien clone that LOOKS full grown! Did you know that Toxic can't even read?" Dokka looked surprised. "Holy ...crap. That really complicates things. Fleet might support my taking this ship after SB-1 got destroyed, but they'd kick Toxic off unless we do something, since the Four Sisters System if off-line. Things always go better when Toxic's around." Toxic blinked and smiled. Dokka said, "We'll ...come up with something." --TO BE CONTINUED!--