4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure about that?" I scowl at the uzain telling me to overwatch the take-off in the control room instead of at the entrance of the spaceship. As the coach, I should be at the door to make sure everyone is back on the ship, instead of with the driving crew, which is usually the captain's job.

The uzain is a newer fighter, so... I wonder whether he mixed up. But no matter how new he is, he should know how things go.

He nods. "Yeah, I asked the captain for clarification too, but that's what he told me."

"Where's he?" According to my list, he isn't back on the spaceship yet. There is still a bit of time, so I'm not worried. It isn't like we are departing without him, anyway. It's more just for discipline. Captain doesn't get to go against the rules he set just like that.

The uzain shrugs. "I don't know. I'm not with him."

"So, how did you know what to tell me?" Something is off, except I can't point a finger at what.

"He told me before he sent me back to the spaceship."

Now that sounds like what happened to me. Captain told me he had something to take care of and he told me to come back and get ready for take-off. I'm not supposed to peek at his plan, and he doesn't have to report to me, but still...

I shrug. "Fine. Who is going to be keeping track of the list while I'm in the control panel?"

"I can do that for you."

I watch him for another while before I hand him the tablet. "Okay, I suppose you will report to the captain when you're done?"

"Yes, I'll do that."

I walk off toward the control panel. There is still time. I suppose I'm standing here until it is time to take-off. There's usually nothing to do other than checking to make sure everyone that's on shift is there, and staring at the time until we can leave.

As I head down the corridors, my mind wanders to the woman at the fishball stall again. Maybe I want more fishballs. But it doesn't make a lot of sense.

It has been a day since we stopped there, but I'm still thinking about her.

I rub my horns when the urge to talk to her gets stronger and stronger. It feels like leaving without doing anything is wrong. I barely met her, and we didn't even exchange a word. Why do I keep thinking about her?

A heat swirls along the markings on my chest, which confuses me. But I ignore that. I'm here to be a warrior, not to be hanging around with a female.

At the control panel, the team is more or less intact and ready to go. There is still time. I take a seat that's next to the captain's elevated seat.

Something doesn't measure up, but at the same time... I hate how uncertain that feels. It almost feels like Captain is hiding something from me. What can that be? There should be no reason to hide things from me, but...

I rub my horns. Maybe I should stop thinking about that and focus on... There's nothing to focus on other than staring out of the window, which faces a wall of the parking lot.

It takes a while before Captain finally shows up. I stand alongside everyone else to greet him.

Captain nods. "Okay, let's get going. We have places to go."

The team starts the take-off and I sit again. Captain is on his screen already, which feels like he is dodging me.

I lift my brows at that. "Captain, is everything going well?"

"Oh..!" He lifts his head and blinks. "Yeah, everything's going well. Why the question?"

"I wonder why you sent me here when I should be at the entrance instead."

"That's no big deal. Figured I may be arriving a bit too close to the departing time. At the door, it's just checking the list, anyway. A less experienced uzain can do that."

The more he said, the more it felt like he was trying to hide something from me.

I ask, "So... The thing you said you had to do when you sent me back earlier..."

"Oh, that's solved perfectly."

There is a knot in my stomach, and I don't believe a single word from him. I've been working with him for a bit, but I've never felt this way. Something has to be wrong.

The broadcaster announced our departure and got everyone prepared. I turn to stare at the window once again. The spaceship starts moving and it doesn't take long before we are out of the space station. Back into the darkness of the universe, with faint dots of planets out there far, far away.

Captain goes back to his screen again, as if he doesn't want to be sitting idly so I won't be talking to him.

I ask, "Can I get ready for the coming training sessions?"

"Sure, go ahead." It feels like he can't wait to send me away. All of this...

Maybe I'm overthinking. Or am I?