>>5967077Seated at the table, having already gathered their own breakfast, are three members of your bridge crew engaging in conversation to varying degrees. Your Engineering officer — Finder-of-Zephyrs — continues to explain his latest idea over a barely touched bowl of cereal to your Tactical officer — Coen La’afette — who replies without looking up from his datapad while occasionally sipping from a steaming mug.
Meanwhile your small scaly Operations officer, who needs little introduction, spins his chair at a dizzying rate — chipping in his opinions every so often while he waits excitedly for a massive stack of pancakes soaked in butter and syrup to cool. You take the opportunity to lean over the table to snag a warm piece of buttered toast, which catches your little brother’s attention.
“Oh hey Dal-
-finally back from-
-the dragon’s den?”
Kiro squeaks in welcome, speaking every time his chair whirls back around to face you.
“What was so important-
-that Dad had to interrupt-
-our beauty sleep?”
He struggles to arrest his rotation, but his toes can’t quite reach the floor seated as he is on the human sized dining chairs.
“I think you said something-
-about your nightmares and tests-
-before I nodded off again, right?”
<span class="mu-i">Well, this is getting old quickly.</span> You reach out and catch the spinning Marrok, having to steady him too as he sways dizzily in the aftermath.
“Kehehe, thanks.” He giggles wheezily as he clings to you for support, “Was that it? A nightmare about our test today? Because if you didn’t hear, it’s been canned! We have the last two bells free!” He cheers.
You aren’t sure how best to reply, considering your Father’s standing orders regarding what you learned in your simulated dreams last night. On one hand, you trust Kiro implicitly and could really use some help both in putting to rights your muddled memories,as well as searching for answers regarding the mysterious entity Peedee. But on the other hand, any word of your search that somehow makes it back to the ship’s AI might cause trouble not only for you but anyone else caught in the crossfire. Even the thought of such a thing happening causes you to flinch guiltily, which doesn’t go unnoticed in such close proximity to your brother.