Onboard the Starchaser Angel Transport Ship, Insoo stifled a yawn and did another broad scan of the area.  They were still a full Pulsar Day from planet Earth but he could see it on the radar.  While they hadn’t intercepted any other messages beyond the one Victoria had apparently sent a day ago – based on the transmission time, they were continually monitoring for any other signals.  Especially since the previous transmission hadn’t been very encouraging.

                Two angels dead and a demon encroachment on the planet where the Heir had been located was not the best of news.  Insoo was certainly confused since he hadn’t detected any demons on his previous trip here.  “I suppose it’s also good we haven’t detected anything else,” he shrugged, not seeing anything about departing demon ships either.  If they were cloaked in shadow, it would be hard to notice them regardless, but often times trace elements could be found.

                “How’s it looking?” Seyong interrupted his thoughts as the other Royal angel came to join him on the spacious bridge.

                Looking over his shoulder, Insoo caught sight of the slender man with dark brown hair that slanted into his angular face.  Equally brown eyes peered back, the colors at odds with the standard slate colored uniform they both wore.  “Quiet,” he shrugged in response, mouth quirking to the side as he raised a brow.  “I’m hoping that’s just because everyone is lying low instead of the alternative.”

                Seyong grimaced and stared ahead as if he could see the planet from here.  “If it is the latter, that will be more than enough justification to charge the demons with breaking the Nonaggression Pact and then we’ll all be in a world of trouble,” he grimaced, clearly troubled by the possibility.

                “Victoria’s hard to get rid of though,” Insoo laughed once, still leaning around his seat.  “I know you saw her in the Great Feud and she trained me too after it.  If she’s got a ship, she isn’t going down easy,” he promised with as much confidence as he could.

                “She’s not the one I’m worried about,” the former guard explained with a gusty breath.  “I’d feel better if we knew more about Gunwoo’s condition at this point.  The kid always had a knack for trying to get into trouble,” he scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

                That Insoo had no good answer for.  He’d looked alright the last time he saw him.  Sure, he was wingless, but he was okay.  When Emperor Yunho had sent them off, he hadn’t mentioned anything about knowing his son had lost his wings, but neither did he know how to broach the topic without causing him more preemptive grief.  Neither had he mentioned it to Seyong yet.  His peer would find out soon enough anyway.  But he did have to wonder what had ever happened with Changmin.  When Empress Boa had asked him to retrieve the angel, he had found it odd.  Now… it was anyone’s guess.  He hadn’t heard any news of the other angel recently so he didn’t know if Changmin had simply returned to wherever he’d been before or been sent somewhere else.

                “If Victoria managed to find him, he’s probably fine too,” Insoo mentioned at last, focusing his attention back on the screen.  The ship they had been given permission to fly was bigger than the individual ones he was accustomed to, but it was also considerably more spacious inside.  A half-crew could fit in the cockpit comfortably, there were decent sized sleeping quarters within, and a reasonable transport bay for storing goods or a medium sized ship or two.

                Seyong clucked his tongue and then shook his head.  “How much longer until we arrive?”

                “Should be about seventeen hours,” Insoo confirmed with a quick check.

                “Hmm,” the other Royal hummed, stepping closer.  “Alright.  I’ll take over for now.  You can get some rest to change over when we get there.”

                “You sure?” Insoo asked, eager to take a break but not sure if he was being earnest.

                “Yeah.  You’re the stronger pilot.  If we run into trouble down there, it’ll be better if you’re the one who’s rested and ready to fly,” he winked, nudging the seated angel on the shoulder.

                “Hah!  You just want to fight something hand to hand if a demon’s around,” Insoo snorted, though he did ease out of the chair to make room for the other angel.

                “You’re not wrong,” Seyong chuckled in easy agreement.

                “Alright.  I’ll be back in a few hours,” the other angel winked, ruffling Seyong’s hair in a teasing manner before he hurried off with a smirk and a laugh.

                Seyong huffed and smoothed his hair back down while he settled into the pilot seat.  “Childish.”

                Inside the cockpit of Victoria’s skimmer, Changmin sighed and tried to settle the roiling sensation in his stomach.  A full day had already passed since they’d been discovered, but he was still unsettled and somewhat banished from the Heir’s side.  Assigning him to watch duty was just one way of keeping him and Gunwoo separated.  He resented the order, but understood why Victoria gave it as well.  “So stupid,” he murmured, peering through the holoscreen to watch Victoria working with Taekwoon and Wonshik while Gunwoo assisted them.  It was equally obvious he didn’t like the setup either if his continued glances towards the ship was any indication.

                At least he could stare without the fear of anyone noticing or reprimanding him.  Gunwoo really was someone to admire, even if he was just barely an adult that still acted like a child sometimes.  Victoria wasn’t wrong when she’d called him one.  After all, it was childish behavior to run away from your responsibilities.  It was equally childish to want something now just because you might not get it later.  Under normal circumstances, he would have resisted Gunwoo’s request too.  He knew the other had been promised long ago, and he’d been equally certain how he felt would never matter.  Even learning of Gunwoo’s feelings wouldn’t have changed things enough to make him cross that line.  But…

                Reflexively, Changmin pulled a wing into his lap to it, the gesture soothing.  “You have no idea what’s about to happen do you?” he laughed softly, the sound bitter as he stared at the slender form of his Prince.  At the very least, Changmin figured he would be banished.  He might lose his wings and he might be put to death.  It was hard to say.  Regardless, he would probably never see Gunwoo again and it was just as likely he would die somewhere far away from him.  And that, more than anything, was why he’d finally given in.

                Fingers tightened on the wing and he took a shuddering breath as he remembered how it had felt with Gunwoo.  He’d joined with other angels before.  He’d even made love to some of them, but this had been different.  He wanted Gunwoo to remember always how he felt about him.  It was his one chance to show him and there’d been a sense of desperation in their joining.  Pulling away had been harder still, knowing it would likely be the last time he’d get to hold him.  And now all he could do was watch from afar and pray to the cosmos that the young angel could return to being the Heir without too much difficulty.

                Changmin didn’t regret his decision.  But novas he was going to miss sharing himself with Gunwoo again.  He was going to miss the angel enti- “Stop it!” he snapped at himself as he pushed his wing away and gave his body a solid shake.  “You did what you came to do.  Be happy about that,” he reminded himself as he focused again on the four outside.

                Victoria was trying to teach Taekwoon and Wonshik about their powers.  Gunwoo was supposed to be stepping in to help when he needed to, but he was so distracted she hardly called on him.  Fortunately the two were quick studies.  Taekwoon had already known about most of his strengths and Wonshik was quickly learning to use his in turn.  And both seemed delighted by the celestial and infernal armor they had the ability to summon.  He knew the feeling.  It was quite empowering, if he was being honest.

                But it was boring and frustrating being relegated to watch duty.  He was glad nothing had cropped up from the demons, but it made for tedious hours passing by slowly.  Taking a deep breath, he leaned back into the seat and turned his attention outward again.  Even if it was boring, it would only be a matter of time before something changed…

                He still jumped in surprise when a signal beacon started blinking on the dashboard approximately an hour later.  For a moment, Changmin just stared at it, waiting to see if it would be an error, but when it kept going, he reached out a tentative hand and pressed the button with a steadying exhale.  A vaguely familiar voice filtered through the coms and Changmin inhaled as he realized it was Seyong.  He hadn’t expected the other former guard to be sent this way as well…

                “Attention Royal Song Victoria.  This is Royal Kim Seyong aboard the Starchaser Transport Ship.  We are approaching the planet MRD-176-HP-25 and should arrive on day 287 around 1400 hours pulsar time.  If you are receiving this message, please respond for further instructions.”

                At the arrival time, Changmin checked the ship’s clock to confirm it was the 287^th day of the pulsar year but quite early yet.  They wouldn’t be here until tomorrow if their calculations were accurate.  The bigger concern was responding.  He frowned when he realized the signal was not coming directly from space as he would have anticipated.  Instead, it was being bounced off of something and aimed their general direction.  It made him nervous, but using his divination gave no indication of foul play or intent to harm.  All that remained was to let Victoria know.

                He tapped the record button so make sure there was a copy in case the signal stopped and then stepped out so he could make the announcement to the others in the cave.  “Victoria!” he called, waiting until she turned to face him before he continued.  “We’ve received an incoming transmission from Royal Kim Seyong.”

                “Seyong?” Gunwoo reacted first, surprise making his eyes go wide.

                “I’m coming,” Victoria confirmed immediately as she glanced at Gunwoo and then took to the air to fly up to her ship.  Landing on the wing, she gestured for Changmin to step out, waiting for him to clamber free.  “I’ll speak with him alone,” she explained, eyeing him to see if he was going to argue.

                “Yes, ma’am,” Changmin nodded in confirmation, hopping down so that he was on the ground once more.  Victoria disappeared inside and closed the top hatch behind her, leaving the other four by themselves.

                “Changmin!” Gunwoo called uncertainly as he was the first to move, closing the distance between them with hesitant curiosity in his eyes.

                “Woo,” the taller angel smiled, one hand reaching out tentatively, the invitation open.

                Gunwoo grabbed it and stepped up to embrace Changmin.  He lifted his chin to rest it on the taller shoulder and sighed.  “They’re almost here aren’t they?”

                “Yes.  They are,” Changmin confirmed, holding tight with one arm as he leaned his head against Gunwoo’s.  There was little point in trying to hide whatever they had now, so they simply took comfort in each other for the moment that Victoria had given them.

                “When?” the Heir whispered, shifting to press his mouth against the shoulder, muffling his words.

                “Tomorrow.”

                “That’s too soon,” he complained, hiding his face as both arms circled the lean waist he was clinging to.

                “I agree,” Changmin confirmed, glancing up to see the slightly saddened expressions of Taekwoon and Wonshik.  They looked away when he noticed them, but it seemed they didn’t know how to react to the news either.  Their future was just as uncertain as his, but in different ways.

                All too soon, Victoria was returning from her ship, glancing between the four with unreadable eyes.  Even when she got close, Gunwoo remained against Changmin, mutely defiant.  “A transport ship is en route to pick us up at 1400 PT tomorrow,” she explained, her attention lingering on Changmin and Gunwoo.  When Wonshik shifted with a half-raised hand, she frowned at realizing what the problem was.  “They’ll be here around,” she paused to do the mental calculations in her head, “seven or eight in the evening tomorrow.”

                Changmin frowned at the time.  It was later than he would prefer it to be.  Darkness would be falling and the demons would have more of the advantage then.  “Should we not wait for daybreak?”

                Victoria grimaced, confirming she’d realized the timing issue as well, but then shook her head.  “The sooner we get off planet, the safer we’ll all be.”

                “What about us?” Wonshik asked, pointing out she hadn’t explained their part yet.

                “Seyong wasn’t sure but they will send a message to the Negal Cemeste in the meantime.  For now, we will take you aboard in accordance with the Confirmed Sentient Species Act.  I’m not sure if you’d be classified as angels or demons, but you are certainly no longer human.  By that stretch, you are at least a new creature well within the universal protection of the Galactic Council,” she explained matter of factly.

                “Oh,” Wonshik blinked, nodding in slow understanding before he slung his arm over Taekwoon’s shoulder with a grin.  “See?”  An impassive face with narrowed eyes looked at him, but then nodded once without saying a word.

                “Where are they picking us up?” Changmin asked, his grip tightening around Gunwoo slightly.

                “On this island,” Victoria nodded her head towards outside the cave.  “Earlier scans and divination runs showed it to be free of humanoid life so we should be able to set up without drawing undo attention.  We’ll head out tomorrow afternoon to wait for them,” she instructed, gaze shifting to scan the cave.  “I’m going to head back into the ship to see if I can figure out what keeps bouncing these signals our way,” she added with a furrowed brow, troubled by it.

                Changmin was glad she’d noticed.  He figured she would but it was nice to have confirmation.  “Any ideas?” he wondered softly, abundantly aware of how nice it felt to be able to hold Gunwoo just like this.

                “No,” she sighed, exhaling gustily, cross with the admission.

                When Gunwoo asked what they were talking about with a perplexed frown on his face, Changmin remembered he wasn’t able to understand the Earth language anymore.  When he summed it up for him, the Heir had a possible idea.  “It could be the contact liaison,” Gunwoo offered hesitantly, chewing his bottom lip as he spoke.

                “Contact liaison?” Victoria murmured thoughtfully, appraising Gunwoo for a moment.  “That is possible, though I don’t know why they wouldn’t have tried to contact us directly themselves.”  Gunwoo shrugged and shook his head.  “Do you know who it is?” she followed up, looking towards the ship before settling her gaze on him again.

                “Not really.  I was trying to figure out if someone named Kim Myungsoo was, but I never managed to get close to him,” he admitted with a twist to his mouth.  That had been right around the time he’d been captured after all.

                “Hmm.  I will see what I can find,” the Royal nodded to herself with narrowed eyes.  “The rest of you should take a break for now.  Tomorrow will be busy,” she promised with an absent nod, wings shifting as she rolled her shoulders.

                “Of course,” Changmin nodded, his breath disturbing Gunwoo’s hair.

                “Are we done for the day then?” Wonshik asked for confirmation.  When Victoria nodded without looking back, he shrugged and gave another shake to Taekwoon’s shoulder.  “See?  Things are working out okay.  Little by little,” he grinned, the expression a bit forced but real enough.

                Changmin and Gunwoo watched her go, equal tension coiled in their bodies.  Tomorrow would be it then.  With more people on the ship, they both knew they wouldn’t be allowed privacy.  They didn’t even have it now.  Gunwoo wondered if maybe, just maybe, Victoria would let them stay together tonight.  Not to do anything, but just to be together.  It was selfish and probably childish, he knew, but he wanted it all the same.

                Without a word, he found one of Changmin’s hands with his and interlocked their fingers.  “I’m sorry I ran away,” he murmured without looking up to meet the other angel’s eyes.

                “Brat,” Changmin chuckled softly, tightening his hold on Gunwoo’s hand.

                He did look up then, searching dark brown eyes in the partial light coming in from the outside.  “Thank you for coming for me.”

                “You don’t have to thank me,” the taller angel murmured in response, shaking his head.

                “Still,” Gunwoo insisted, tilting his face up a bit.  “I’m glad.”

                Changmin’s lips pulled into a bittersweet smile.  He leaned forward to press a chaste kiss on the partially covered forehead.  “Then so am I,” he promised, pulling Gunwoo into his arms so he could hold him tight.

                Lounging irritably in the cockpit of his ship, Jiho muttered under his breath and scowled fiercely.  During the light of day, moving around was inadvisable – and problematic with all the new air traffic that little confrontation had stirred up – and he was completely annoyed he and his had been avoided thus far.  They’d lost sight of Jaejoong and Hakyeon after those damn Earth creatures came to investigate the exploding station, making detection likely if they’d tried to act at that time.  He was pretty certain the demons had either managed to take over or hide away on one of the flying vessels to get away from him in the aftermath as well.

                He also knew that at least one of their ships had gone up in the explosion and that the other was likely hidden somewhere they couldn’t get to it or non-functional.  Jiho was leaning towards the latter, else he figured the two would have made some sort of move by now.  A more obvious one anyway.  Jaehyo was still reporting at regular intervals during their evening patrols, but Yukwon had gone silent the other day.  The longer the silence lasted, the more certain Jiho was becoming that Jaejoong had somehow managed to overtake him.

                “Cocky- Yukwon,” he spat, tail flicking in short bursts of speed.  He was smart enough to not try his luck with Jaejoong, but if he happened to see Hakyeon alone…  Those two had never had a good relationship to begin with.  And there had been that weird flicker of something on his console, but it hadn’t been enough to really track it down.  The bigger problem was that it had happened during the day.  He would be damned if they’d gone against his express orders not to move when they might be noticed.

                “Jaehyo, report,” he instructed on his coms to make sure he was sitting alone.

                “I’m here boss,” the immediate response flowed back quickly.

                “Any sign of them?”

                “Not yet.  They’re a slippery pair,” he grimaced, the expression obvious in his voice.  “Any word on Kwonnie?”

                “The little ’s still silent,” he grumbled, angry at his own inability to confirm what had happened.

                “Damn.”

                “Yeah, so keep your eyes open too,” the Captain commanded.  “We’ll be moving again tonight,” he promised with a predatory hiss.  “I’ve got a pretty good idea where the angels might be, which means that Jaejoong and Hakyeon will probably be fairly close too.”

                “Got it, sir,” Jaehyo responded confidently.  “I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

                “You better,” Jiho smirked with a feral expression.  As soon as Jaehyo signed off, he cut communications to the other demon’s ship and then opened a channel to Yukwon’s.  It had been silent but that didn’t mean someone else wasn’t listening in.  The signal itself had never gone black after all.  “Jae,” he started off in a quiet, taunting tone.  Silence.  “If you’re listening to this, then I have a message for you, you treacherous, novas cursed, slag shard.”  Still silence and Jiho laughed.  “I will find you and I will kill you.”  No response.  It only pissed him off more.  “And if you killed Yukwon, I will make sure Hakyeon pays for it.”

                Jiho stopped sending and leaned back, waiting for a response.  He glared at the incoming signal button, mentally commanding it to flash an answer back.  But it remained cursedly inactive.  Growling at the sheer lack of response, he leaned back with closed eyes as he rested his head on the rest, determinedly not counting the moments until nightfall.  Mismatched eyes creaked open when he heard the incoming signal alarm bleep at him.

                “Sounds like fun, Ji.”