Very few stasis pods remain in orbit, and most of those are nonfunctional. The great majority crashed when the alien construct nearly destroyed the planet. However, there is one exception--or perhaps two? One strange shape with two protoforms inside, both already partially online, two stasis pods crushed together...whatever it is, it finally begins to descend toward the planet's surface...

At the Predacon base, the oddly profiled stasis pod showed up on the scanners Inferno was intently watching. "Royalty! A stasis pod is crashing!" he shouted.

Megatron turned quickly. "A stasis pod? I had thought that all of those were already on the ground, yee-es. But no matter. Tarantulas, you will retrieve it and see to its reprogramming. Inferno will assist you."

"Yes, my Queen!" said Inferno, saluting, and he hurried out. Tarantulas followed him a bit less eagerly.

Rattrap, grumbling to himself, happened to glance upward as the stasis pod--pods?-- streaked across, a bright line of light on an otherwise darkened sky. He activated his comlink. "There's a stasis pod comin' down, fearless leader. I'm goin' in."

"We read you, Rattrap," Optimus replied in a voice slightly overlaid by static, "I'm sending backup. The Predacons will be going after it, too."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't remind me." Rattrap shut off the connection and started in the direction the pod had been headed.

The ground around the stasis pod smoked from the heat of its re-entry. From the top, not one, but two scanners came up and began to sweep the surrounding area. Lights flickered on and off along two separate covers. A computerized voice spoke. "Suitable beast forms selected. Warning--unauthorized connections have been made. Sixty percent chance of data loss if connections remain."

Tarantulas stepped out from the trees, with Inferno tagging along behind. From his angle, there seemed to be only one control panel and door, so he stepped up to it and began to work. He opened a side panel and pulled from somewhere a Predacon chip. He put it in, but the control board remained blank. He slapped it on the side, and it lit up.

"Data loss now unavoidable," warned the computer. "Repair pod immediately if current connections are not wanted."

Tarantulas ignored it and continued to try to get the control board to respond. The lid began to creak open.

Not noticed by either Predacon, Rattrap watched from the trees. His gun raised, he took careful aim and fired. His shot hit Tarantulas in the back, and the spider doubled over.

Inferno spun, his flame gun tracking toward the source of the shot. Rattrap leaped out of the undergrowth, and a violent exchange of fire ensued.

Unseen by the combatants, the stasis pods cracked open in two places. Two shadowy figures crept out. They were both small cats, obviously in beast mode. Both stared at the battle happening only a few feet away from them. They exchanged glances, and seemed to come to a conclusion. They turned and walked away.

Deeper in the forest, the sounds of battle muffled by the leaves, they came to a halt and sat down. "What..." started one, a brown and black tabby, with tiny speckles of white.

"Is going on here?" the second, a gray and white spotted cat, finished. They looked at each other, surprised.

"You're Cloudwalker," said the first.

"And you're Starstalker," the second replied. "I feel something..."

"So do I," agreed Starstalker. "I think it's a mind-link. Do you remember anything about what happened in the stasis pods?"

Cloudwalker closed her eyes. "Maybe. You think that's why?"

"Yeah. When our pods collided, we were linked. Kind of...sisters, I guess." Glancing back at where the battle could still be heard, Starstalker asked, "What do you think is going on back there?"

"I have no idea. Philosophical differences, maybe?" Cloudwalker grinned.

"Maybe," Starstalker laughed. "I just want to know..."

"...what's happening," Cloudwalker completed her sentence again. She laughed slightly at herself. "I wonder if that will happen often."

"Probably. You know, I feel like I should be able to do something else. A shield of some sort. But I can't." Starstalker frowned.

"Yeah. It's weird," Cloudwalker agreed. "I wonder which side we're on. The ant or the rat?"

Tarantulas, having recovered and followed the two into the forest, spoke up. "Both of you are Predacons. You are enemies of the rat, who is a Maximal."

They both whirled toward him. "Who are you?" growled Cloudwalker.

"I am Tarantulas. Your leader."

Starstalker snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about. What's a Maximal?" She paused. "Come to think of it, what's a Predacon?"

Tarantulas looked a bit less sure of himself. "You are Predacons, as am I. We fight the Maximals."

Shaking her head slightly, Cloudwalker made a skeptical noise. "I'm not gonna just rush out there on your say-so."

Starstalker nodded in agreement with her sister. "Yeah. Do you have any proof? 'Cause for all we know, we're Maximals. Or maybe neither."

Tarantulas seemed at a loss for words. "But...but...I reprogrammed you! You're Predacons!"

"Ah-ha," commented Cloudwalker, "so we were Maximals."

"No, um...I mean..." Tarantulas trailed off.

Starstalker snickered a bit. "I think maybe we should go break up that fight. We'll decide which side we want to be on...some other time."

The mind-linkers walked away. They were laughing silently, through their unique link.

Tarantulas stared after them in frustration. He didn't want to fire at them, for there was still a chance they would turn to his side.

Starstalker and Cloudwalker looked through the trees at the fire-fight, where Inferno was laughing maniacally and spraying everything with flames and Rattrap was trying to avoid him. After a hurried consultation, the mind-linkers clambered into the branches overhead.

Starstalker carefully approached Inferno, out of sight in the leaves. She looked down at him, then looked at a dead branch that was directly over him. She transformed to robot mode, pulled out a slender yet strong knife, and sliced the dead limb from the tree trunk. It landed right on top of Inferno, knocking him to the ground and pinning him.

"Arrgh! You will buuurn for that!" Inferno yelled.

Starstalker smiled and followed the branch down. She grabbed Inferno's gun, broke it in two, and threw the pieces far out of Inferno's reach. /One down, one to go./

/I got it covered, sis,/ Cloudwalker's thought came to her.

Rattrap cautiously approached her. "So, are you a Maximal?" he asked, drawing his gun, and was about to shoot Inferno when Cloudwalker tackled him from behind. She was slightly smaller than he was, but large enough to keep him down.

Starstalker grinned at his startled _expression. "Guess again."

"Predacon?" he groaned.

"Still wrong," Cloudwalker told him mirthfully.

"But then--" he started.

"We're neither one," explained Starstalker. Inferno tried to struggle up and she pushed him down again. "For now, anyway. We're going to be watching both sides for a while."

"So don't be surprised to see us," Cloudwalker said, getting off of him. "And absolutely no shooting at us. Or else." She made a threatening face.

Rattrap stood up slowly. "I'll remember that. Um...would you mind keeping him down while I leave?" he gestured at Inferno, still vainly struggling to reach his now nonfunctional weapon.

Starstalker grinned at him. "Not for long. You'd better hurry." She pushed the ant down again.

Rattrap rushed away.

Cloudwalker turned towards the forest, where she knew Tarantulas was listening. "And the same goes for all you Predacons. Remember that!"

Starstalker pushed Inferno's face into the dirt, sliced the branch pinning him to pieces, and leaped away, laughing. Cloudwalker followed her.

Inferno pulled himself to his feet, yelling incoherently after them. Tarantulas came forward. "Well, this is very...interesting."

They started back to the Predacon base.

Starstalker and Cloudwalker scampered away, laughing. "Well, which side do you think will annoy us first?" Cloudwalker asked.

Starstalker looked thoughtful. "Probably the Predacons. If those two were any judge, they have pretty short tempers."

"Maybe. Then again, we really don't know much about any of them." Cloudwalker grinned. "We do need to learn about them, though."

Getting a slightly alarmed _expression, Starstalker said, "Don't go causing trouble, now. We shouldn't be irritating people."

"Don't worry," Cloudwalker assured her, "I won't cause trouble." She got a speculative look in her eye. "Not much, anyhow. Couldn't we just watch them?"

"Oh, all right," Starstalker gave in, "but I have to go with you. No fair doing jokes I can't see."

Cloudwalker smiled. "I knew I could count on you. Let's go!"

They began to follow the Predacons' tracks. Cloudwalker stopped only once...

Rattrap finished telling Optimus what had happened, and the Maximal commander leaned back with a sigh. "Well, let's just hope these two don't join the Predacons. From what you've told me, that doesn't seem too likely."

"They looked pretty independent to me," agreed Rattrap. "But I don't know about it. They seemed sorta...close. Like they each knew what the other was doing. And the stasis pod's computer kept saying something about connections, or links, or somethin' like that."

"That's odd. They both came out of the same pod?"

"No, I don't think so," Rattrap said thoughtfully. "Looked more like two pods crashed together."

"Hmm. Interesting. Did they seem to be able to communicate without talking?" asked Rhinox.

Rattrap thought about it. "Yeah, it was kinda like that. Whaddiya think it is?"

Rhinox frowned. "I'm not sure, but it sounds like a mind-link of some sort. Possibly, when their pods crashed into each other, the protoforms were partially combined. It would usually have destroyed them both, but in this case it didn't."

Rattrap smiled slightly. "Starstalker and Cloudwalker will probably be watching both us and the Predacons. This should be fascinating..."

Starstalker was silently creeping through the ventilation shafts of the Predacon base. The security systems did not pick up the mind-linkers' energy signatures, because they were neither Maximal nor Predacon.

She crept to a duct, listening carefully. Below, in the Predacon control room, Megatron was talking--rather loudly, as usual. Starstalker pricked up her ears and waited.

"You failed to reprogram the protoform?" he was saying to Tarantulas.

"Yes, Megatron. But there were two of them! And they haven't joined the Maximals yet, either," Tarantulas tried to explain.

"Two of them?" asked Megatron, suddenly interested.

"Yes, Royalty!" agreed Inferno. "Two new ones came out!"

"Hmm. And what exactly did these two say?"

"They will join whichever side they like better, after due consideration," answered Tarantulas. "Either us or the Maximals."

"Is that so. Well, we must make sure they choose us." Megatron smiled evilly. "Yee-es."

Starstalker shook her head, worried. /Just what does he mean by that?/ she thought.

Cloudwalker was watching Waspinator and Quickstrike play cards from an overhead air vent. Since neither of them was any good, it was a singularly boring pastime. She stroked the back of the small, black creature with one white stripe that she had smuggled in.

"Do ya got any threes?"

"Wazzpinator hazz a three," the wasp buzzed reluctantly.

Quickstrike grinned and grabbed the card. "How about...uh...tens?"

"Go fish!"

Cloudwalker let out a sigh. "Ask him for nines," she whispered under her breath. Waspinator didn't hear her.

Suddenly, Quickstrike's com unit activated. "Quickstrike! You will go to the eastern jamming tower immediately. I will give you further instructions once you reach it," Megatron's voice ordered.

Quickstrike, startled, dropped his cards, and managed to knock the rest of the deck off the table as well. "Right, Boss-bot! Uh...where's that?"

"East, you idiot! Now get going!" Megatron yelled.

Quickstrike almost ran away. Waspinator sighed gustily. "Now Wazzpinator have to play fifty-two card pickup all by self. Not fair," he whined, and began to clean up the mess.

Cloudwalker grinned, and silently followed Quickstrike from above, leaving the animal behind. Just then, she heard a thought in her head that was not her own--/Just what does he mean by that?/ Cloudwalker stiffened, startled, until she realized it was only Starstalker.

/Probably some sort of side effect of our mind-link,/ she thought, and wondered if Starstalker could hear her as well. Maybe. Then the context of her sister's thought came through. /Hmm. I wonder if Quickstrike's little trip has something to do with us.../ She shook her head. /Nah. Couldn't be./

/I think./ Cloudwalker shook her head slightly again. /On second thought.../

She followed Quickstrike out, taking care not to be seen.

Starstalker caught an echo of her sister's thoughts, and frowned. It was terribly risky for her to go running around in the open like that. Still, they did have to know more about Megatron's plan, and he wasn't talking.

She hurried through the tunnels, pausing only to place small, nearly invisible listening devices at the edges of several grates.

Somewhere deep underground, in a shielded facility, Felien was worried. This isn't in the time-line, she fretted. Has just my being here messed it up this much? But I haven't done anything!

Unless this is an alternate time-line. Could that be it? Felien shook her head. But then I would be in it, too. So I shouldn't be able to figure it out. Or else I'm not in it, but everyone else is. She sighed, and keyed the computer for a printout. I'll just keep watching. There's no significant alteration yet, according to the readouts. I think, anyway.

I wonder if Bernian and Ehnen are having problems like this.

Starstalker and Cloudwalker met up outside, and continued following Quickstrike. He didn't seem to have the slightest clue what was going on, but they had nothing better to do. At least he would lead them to a jamming tower--whatever that was.

After perhaps an hour, Quickstrike reached a large structure. He keyed his comlink. "I'm here, Boss-bot! What do ya want me ta do now?"

"Very good. Wait there for the others to join you," Megatron commanded. "I will give you further orders then."

Cloudwalker looked at Starstalker and shrugged. "I guess that's about all we're gonna get," she whispered. "We should probably go check out the Maximals now. We've only seen the one."

"Right," Starstalker agreed. "Rattrap. He went off that way," she nodded in the direction. "But let's leave a transmitter here. Just in case." She pulled a small device from somewhere under her fur and set it up near a rock, where the tiny camera could get a good view.

The mind-linkers carefully withdrew from sight before they broke into full speed toward the Maximal base. "Should we sneak in again, or just announce our presence?" asked Cloudwalker.

Starstalker looked thoughtful for a moment. "Let's sneak in first," she finally decided. "After we know more about them, we can decide for sure whether to let them know about us."

They slowed, then stopped, in the grass only a short distance from the base. Their patterns blended almost perfectly with the grass. Cloudwalker peered closely at the gray, damaged ship. "Do you think they have security systems?"

"Probably," said Starstalker. "I don't think they will pick us up, though. Our wiring is too irregular."

"Are you sure about that?"

"No," Starstalker admitted cheerfully. "But we can handle it. And anyhow, from what the Predacons said, the Maximals aren't the sort to scrap people who don't shoot at them." She grinned at Cloudwalker. "So don't lose your temper. And try to stay low."

Cloudwalker laughed a little. "Yes, ma'am. Shall we go?"

"Indeed we shall," Starstalker smiled. "Over there. A ventilation duct entrance. Our way in."

The two crept to the gaping hole. Starstalker climbed up first and vanished inside in one direction. Cloudwalker began to leap up as well. However, she slipped slightly on the smooth metal, making a slight clatter, and nearly fell before hauling herself fully into the vent.

On the other side of the walls, Cheetor heard the suspicious noise. He walked to its origin, which seemed to be inside the wall. "What was that?" he wondered. "Something broken in the vents?" He opened the access panel.

Cloudwalker heard the sudden clank, and saw the light as Cheetor opened up the small hatch. She glanced around quickly, but the only way out was past the open panel, since the space was too tight to turn in quietly. "Cloudwalker, battle mode!" she whispered, and aimed her hand laser. /Oh man, I'm in trouble now,/ she thought. /And Starstalker is gonna kill me. If I don't manage that all on my own./

Cheetor saw the shadowy figure, and, stared in shock for a moment. It was just long enough for Cloudwalker to leap out and knock his gun away. He made an attempt to get it back, but Cloudwalker was already holding it firmly in her other hand.

"Um...who are you?" asked Cheetor. "Maximal or Predacon? Are you from that stasis pod?"

Cloudwalker gave him a smile full of teeth. "Name's Cloudwalker. And you're right on both counts."

"Huh?" Cheetor struggled to get up, but found Cloudwalker's hand laser pointed right at him. "Um, are you going to shoot me?"

"Depends. Are you going to try to keep me here?"

"No?"

"Good answer." Cloudwalker shoved Cheetor down, hard enough that he was dazed for a few seconds. By the time he recovered, she had disappeared into the vents again.

Cheetor tapped his comlink. "Cheetor to Optimus!" But only static answered him. Cloudwalker had disabled it.

Cheetor sighed, and began to race to the bridge.

Cloudwalker crouched in the tunnel and tried to calm herself down. Starstalker? she tried to contact her sister. /We've got trouble. We have to get out of here./

/I thought I told you to keep out of sight!/ the answer came.

/Hey, I tried. Not my fault some curious cat heard me./

/Okay, okay./ Starstalker's thought was slightly amused. /I've placed just about all my transmitters, anyhow. Back out the way we got in./

/All right. See you there./

Cheetor burst into the command room. "Big bot! There's an intruder!"

"Who is it?" asked Optimus, instantly alert.

"Said her name was Cloudwalker. She knocked me down, probably could have scrapped me pretty quick, but she didn't. She wouldn't say which side she was on, either."

Rattrap snorted. "Neither, probably. And I'll bet we've got two intruders. Or none, now. They won't stick around."

"What?" asked Cheetor, puzzled.

"There are two new ones," Optimus explained. "Named Starstalker and Cloudwalker. They haven't joined either side yet."

"But shouldn't they be Maximals? If the Predacons didn't reprogram them? And if they did..." Cheetor trailed off, confused.

"The pods were damaged. All the data tracks were lost. And Starstalker and Cloudwalker formed a mind-link."

"I still don't understand why they're here in the base." Cheetor shook his head. "And what's a mind-link?"

"They're gonna pick a side to join," Rattrap told him. "And they can talk ta each other from anywhere. Pretty useful."

"The one I saw is a pretty good fighter. I hope they don't join the Predacons," said Cheetor.

The others agreed.

Felien frowned. The mind-linkers couldn't be allowed to make any significant changes in the time-line. If they did...well. Depending on the magnitude of the changes, anything could happen. From the instantaneous destruction of the universe, to a change in the color of her clothes that day.

Maybe she could let them know about the danger. About how the time-line had to be. They didn't seem the sort to misuse such information.

But no. That would put too great a pressure on them. Perhaps she could just bring them here? Warn them not to make big changes?

No, that would be interference. She couldn't afford to get in trouble again. Another time loop like the last might end in disaster. Permanently this time.

Possibly just a few hints would be enough, though. A note wouldn't be interfering too much. She'd done it before, after all. And along with a few slight technical changes...

Felien set to work.

A few miles away, Starstalker and Cloudwalker were listening to this conversation through a small speaker, which caught the transmissions of Starstalker's devices.

"They won't attack us," Cloudwalker stated. "I kinda like the Maximals. They seem nice. And the Predacons are a little...slow. If you know what I mean."

"Of course I do," grinned Starstalker. "And I agree. On most counts. But Megatron isn't like most of his troops. He's pretty cunning. And they're mostly awfully treacherous, besides. Joining them would be like...like walking into a marsh. We'd never be able to trust the ground."

"Yeah. So. Have we made our decision?"

"Yep. I think we have. Let's go." Starstalker smiled slightly. "Through the front door, this time."

The two trotted off. Suddenly, Cloudwalker spotted something. It was a smallish opening in the ground. "Hey. What's that?" she asked, nudging her sister.

"I don't know. Looks like a cave or something. Should we go in?" Starstalker looked at the opening, a bit suspicious.

"Why not? Let's!" Cloudwalker loped toward the dark hole. Starstalker sighed, and followed.

Inside, there was only a piece of paper stuck to the rough wall. Starstalker looked at it. "How odd."

Cloudwalker stared at it. "You got that right. What's it about?"

"Us, obviously." Starstalker shook her head. "This is weird."

"Do we do what it says?"

"I don't see what it would hurt. It looks to me like this Felien is really trying to protect us." Sighing, Starstalker took the paper off the wall and folded it up. "Well, to the Maximal base we go. We'll do what this asks and not interfere much, but I'd still rather join them. Especially after that little joke of yours."

"Sorry."

The mind-linkers left the cave and headed toward the Maximal base. They did not notice the winged child who popped into existence and filled it up with dirt, as the hills they passed hid her from view.

Inferno, flying overhead, saw the mind-linkers on their journey. He turned on his com-link. "Royalty! The two new ones are heading for the Maximal base!"

"Openly or in secret?" asked Megatron quickly.

"The Maximals will see them long before they reach it."

"They must be joining the Maximals! We will not let them gain the advantage, no. We will destroy them! Yee-es!"

Megatron was confusing Inferno. "What are your orders, my queen?" he asked.

"Attack those two. I will send backup. And don't call me that!" Megatron commanded him.

"Yes, my queen!" answered Inferno, apparently not having heard or understood. Megatron growled unintelligibly, and terminated the connection.

Cheetor, out on patrol, heard the sound of explosions in the distance. Were the Predacons attacking the base? No, it was too close for that.

He tapped his comlink. "I hear something, big bot. I'm going in." Not waiting for an acknowledgment, he activated his jets and sped toward the noise.

Things were not going very well for Starstalker and Cloudwalker. Inferno had caught them by surprise, and was now attacking with all his firepower. Also, Megatron had sent Tarantulas to reinforce him. The mind-linkers had been driven to underneath an overhanging cliff, which the Predacons were now attempting to collapse. They fired back at Inferno, but he was flying erratically and laughing crazily, so the bolts rarely hit him. Tarantulas was behind rocks, firing when he got the opportunity.

Starstalker risked a peek out from the shelter of the rocks, and jumped back just in time to avoid being blown apart. The cliff was beginning to tremble severely, and rocks were tumbling toward the two.

"What do we do?" asked Cloudwalker, panicky. "The cliff's going to fall right on us!"

"I don't know!" Starstalker cried. "We can't go out there, we can't stay in here--wait. Wait. Maybe..." She examined her left hand, the one without the laser, then Cloudwalker's right hand. "Yes!"

The cliff began to break down under the Predacons' weaponry...

Cheetor arrived on the scene just in time to see rubble from the collapsing cliff bury the mind-linkers. Inferno saw him, and flew over. A mid-air battle began, and continued until Tarantulas hit Cheetor from below.

He fell, his jets knocked out by the blast, and landed near the huge pile of rock that used to be a cliff. Tarantulas advanced on him, laughing maniacally, and raised his gun.

"Cheetor, maximize!" he yelled, and reached frantically for his own weapon, but it was trapped underneath him.

Tarantulas was about to pull the trigger, when the pile of rocks burst out on one side, and Starstalker and Cloudwalker appeared, hand in hand! He shot at them, but the shots hit a force field that dissipated the energy.

Cheetor stared in disbelief. "Cloudwalker? Starstalker?"

Cloudwalker grinned at him as she fired at Tarantulas. "That's our names, don't wear them out!"

"But how did you..." Cheetor gestured vaguely toward the pile of rock as he got up and started shooting at Inferno, who was still looping and swerving in the air.

"Apparently, we have shield electronics in our arms," Starstalker explained. "When we complete the circuit, we can raise a shield. But it's spread out, through both of us. We have to be together to do this. I finally figured it out, just in time."

"Oh. I take it you've decided to join us?" asked Cheetor.

"Yeah. I guess that's why they attacked us." Cloudwalker smirked. "Or maybe they don't happen to like what we were doing in their base. If they know about it yet, anyway. And if they don't they will soon."

All three retreated, under cover of the mind-linker's shield. "What were you doing?" Cheetor inquired.

"Not too much, really," Cloudwalker said mischievously. "I just left a present. A little pet. It's called a skunk."

"Ah. Now I see."

"Welcome to the Maximals. Do you have any preferences on what duties you're assigned to?" asked Optimus.

"Actually...yes. Could we be assigned to patrol duty somewhere? Together?" Starstalker requested.

"Well, all right. If that's what you want," Optimus agreed, slightly startled. "You can patrol up here." He pointed to a spot on the map.

"Thank you," Cloudwalker smiled.

Felien was smiling as well. Starstalker and Cloudwalker were heeding her warning. Hopefully, they would not mess up the time line and attract the attention of the Vok, who were, at the moment, short-handed of those who had Changed, and were not paying much attention.

But if they do...

Felien shook her head firmly. They would not. She had no time for doubts. The time line was, so far, on track.

She hoped, at least. She didn't want to have to fix the time line in such a way as the adult Vok usually would. She was even beginning to like the two extra people that had come. Starstalker reminded her of herself a little, and Cloudwalker had a sense of humor rather like Bernian's.

Oh, well. Perhaps everything would work out without her meddling. And even if it did not, there would be a way to fix it. There was always some way to fix time lines.

Using one technique...or another.

Somewhere else in the galaxy, a worried Ehnen confided to Bernian what she had discovered. He stared at her for a moment, then turned back to what he was doing on his computer. "I don't know, Ehnen. You really think the Vok of the Nebula don't know Felien's on earth? I mean, they normally keep a pretty close eye on planets as heavily involved in the time line as that one is."

"Maybe you're right. But maybe not. What if they don't know? What if Felien messes up the time line completely?" Ehnen protested.

"Either way, it's not our problem. Ehnen, I'm going to forget about this. I suggest you do the same. Unless you really want to betray Felien."

Ehnen glared at him in frustration. "You know I won't do that. If Felien is caught breaking the rules that badly again..." She shuddered.

"My point precisely. So, ignore it. Pretend you never knew. Or else go help her keep it a secret," Bernian advised as he continued to tap away at his computer.

"What are you talking about? Bernian..." Ehnen tried to catch a glimpse of what he was working on. "Bernian! You're breaking into secure files!"

"That's right. I'm not going to get involved, but anything I can do from here..." Bernian shrugged. "The time line is most important. You know that. And there's a shortage of Changed Vok, ever since the disaster with that other planet."

"You're not changing any of the records, are you?" Ehnen asked anxiously.

"Not now. It's a possibility, though." Bernian turned to her seriously. "Ehnen, I know it's against the rules. But for whatever reason, Felien likes those people. And Felien is my friend. So, either turn her in, or leave her alone..." Bernian paused for a moment. "Or help me help Felien."

Ehnen stared speechlessly at her friend. "You're breaking pretty close to every rule in the book, you know."

"I know."

"They're going to find out sooner or later, and then we'll all be in for it."

"So you'll help?" asked Bernian, grinning.

"Of course I'll help. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." Ehnen sighed resignedly. "What do I do first?"