Tetsuwah is wandering in the streets in a very suspicious manner, and, after noticing something, he runs away, without figuring out someone is watching his steps, and suddenly, in an abrupt way, an aerodyne came out from the skies and without any advice, guns him down...
Later on, Dr. Elaki Kalahahaii receives the sudden visit in her house from a man, a Mustelid (badger) named Amhast an Therka an Enchawah the CEO of Enchawah Corp., the company she works and lives for. Enchawah explains he can speak freely with her now that her house is secure, something that creeps Elaki a lot. Then, Enchawah explains to Dr. Kalahahaii he consider her a very valuable asset for the company, despite working for the ConFed, but Elaki cannot avoid snark to him about her condition, as she lives basically for them in an hereditary form. Enchawah denies this, and he just recognize her and her family's talents and their contribution to the company. He also explains they are watching her, for her own protection. Elaki replies if it has something to do about with working for the EDF in a top-secret project, something that Enchawah replies about if she is aware about what Tetsuwah's intentions on her.Elaki furiously replies about what the hell he is implying with that and Enchawah answers that Tetsuwah was not only a spy for the ILR, but also a Talent with the ability of Telepathy. He also adds, while monitoring him, they also learned about her work in Ish-tako space. when she and the EDF found the human spaceship and the female corpse. They also informed about the incident with Tetsuwah with the ConFed, while keeping secret any information about Elaki's work with them.
Elaki asks if there's something else in the whole thing, something that he confirms. And she asks what are his plans for her, also pointing out neither Enchawah security forces nor the ConFed wouldn't act in that way. Enchawah explains, when they explained to the ConFed about the incident with Tetsuwah, rather than trying to stop any further ILR intelligence work in their own soil, they are now trying to murder Elaki in an attempt to prevent any further classified information leaks, even if she wouldn't had a way to stop someone like Tetsuwah anyway. To makes matters works, the ConFed doesn't care what either the ILR or Enchawah Corp. might know about the spaceship and its Lost Technology, but they are more concerned about keeping the status quo at any cost and she is now the weakest link, due of her being an outsider from the ConFed. The only thing he, Amhast an Therka an Enchawah, can do right now, is offer a safe sanctuary for her in Enchawah space.
Elaki is very surprised about hearing such stuff, and she ask Enchawah why he is interested on protecting her, and he replies she is very valuable for the company, due of her exceptional talent and intelligence and they cannot afford to lose her on the hands of either the now-corrupted EDF, the ILR or anyone else. He also doesn't request any particular demands other than her loyalty to Enchawah, something that, given the circumstances, she doesn't need to do. Enchawah asks when she can go start to work in her new posting, as she asks if she can work outside Endly, her own homeworld. She also adds what happened with Tetsuwah and Enchawah quietly explains that Tetsuwah decided not to surrender to the authorities. After that, he leaves Elaki's house, leaving her completely heart-broken.
Later on, Elaki, still sad about her own fate and Tetsuwah's tells the news to her brother Chatti. He tried to calm her by pointing out how Enchawah recognized her talents. She explains she will leave Endly soon, very likely to the Rim space. She also explains about the death of Tetsuwah and his job as an spy and a telepath, a fact that shocks Chatti, as Enchawah himself was the one who told that to Elaki. Chatti tries to confort her by asking her if she wants to see their mother, but Elaki replies she wants to keep this as a secret for her, mostly to avoid worrying her. Elaki also laments Tetsuwah's demise, as she thought she already found a good boyfriend and now that he is dead, she asks for Chatti's company. Meanwhile, Chatti tries to further convice her to talk with her mother, at least to talk about Enchawah and she have a life to live after all, even after that tragedy. Elaki cannot do any other thing than asking Chatti to leave her alone for a while.
In the ILR, we see Ipcha Tankannahai with his fellow classmates in a simulator, when the they had to control a seriously damaged spaceship being attacked by the EDF. Despite their attempts to save the ship, they cannot do anything else and it's finally destroyed. Their instructor warns them they should do better the next time unless they want to become space dust for real.
Once that Tankannahai and his fellow classmates hit the showers, they complain about the lack of real action and having to do all those simulations, while Tankannahai himself was wondering in his mind this is not a videogame but the real thing, and that without going into the point they were beated in a very simple simulated mission. One of the classmates figures out why is Tankannahai so quiet, something he comments being not the kind of person itching for some blood in the battlefield. They later ask him why he is there and, after he replies he want to be an engineer, they verbally berated him due to the fact why he is studying with the battle line officers rather than the academy. Tankannahai replies, without telling them about his father-in-law, Col. Tom, that being in the Officer's Training School (OTS) rather than the academy will look good in his records if he had some battle experience under his belt, a fact that surprise his fellow classmates, since they are going to see some action, and finding hot chicks along the way, but one of them pointed out they're too far from hom, very likely many months of distance from anywhere, albeit they can return home in less of a day via Faster-Than-Light Travel, according with Tankannahai. He also adds they're very likely to be stranded there for a few weeks, so he also tries to convice his friends to continue practicing in the simulator, but they refused, as they think the machine is rigged and they cannot beat the simulator by regular means. Tankannhai, annoyed by the attitude of his fellow Lepines, ask them to stop blaming their bad performance to the simulator, regardless if it was programmed to always being victorious or not. Unfortunately for him, his words are starting to piss his peers a lot, due of the language he used for describing the situation, but luckily for him, the Net warns them they are going to return home, something that was a relief for him when the things were starting to get hot.
Later on, Tankannahai and the rest of the crew of the training ship are in a breafing room, as one of the NCOs (non-commisioned officer) warns them they are going to see real action after all, and all the trainees will be studying double in the simulators, and that goes double for them and, especially for the engineers like Tankannahai. And before getting dismissed, the NCO wanted to talk personally with Tankannahai and the officer warns him that being related with Col. Tom will not save him, especially if he tries again to spew intellectual shit to the rest of the crew, and they're NOT going to tolerate that some pretty boy with more brains than brawn affect the morale within the crew. He also warns him they already had the whole incident with his classmates recorded and they could include it into his permanent files if he tries that ever again.
Meanwhile in Ekosiak, we see Col. Onni Hitzok talking with Governor Enko Genyanaka in her officer, while gloating in front of him how she could screw Hitzok's life. Hitzok cannot avoid to snark in front of her if she already did that. Genyanaka knows that Hitzok is very popular withing the people of Ekosiak and the only thing she wants is for him to disappear from her sight, and not content with it, that his name also disappears from the whole Ekosiak solar system. And she will make him responsable for any third-party activity done on his name. When Hitzok mentions about what could happen with Dea, her sole name angers Genyanaka and she threats him that, if he continues to speak with Dea, she will tarnish his name by blaming him on attempting a coup against her, so the mob could take care of him. She also gloats she could get creative about finding new ways to screw him up. Hitzok, without even blinking an eye during the whole verbal beatdown, asks if he can retire from her office, something that quickly agreeds... in a very ridiculous way.
While in the street, Hitzok wonders how Genyanaka is completely paranoid and she wouldn't stop at nothing on eliminating him. He also adds how Dea, in the meanwhile, figured out how the hacking technology must have come from the ConFed's secret services, but it's very unlikely someone like her could had that technology in her hands. And, to make matters more complicated, Genyanaka had some nebulous connections, probably related with the late Aito Kho and his conspiracy, so he will request extra protection for Dea, as Genyanaka really hates Dornthantiis like her.
Suddenly, Hitzok is being shot by someone, but luckily he evades the gunfire. He quickly found the aggressor, a Feline boy with a gun and, with his own gun, furiously request the boy to talk. The boy said he didn't know the gun was loaded and it was supposed to be intended a gag joke, and in fact, the gun was a toy, as Hitzok himself confirm. Later on, Hitzok's men proceeds to arrest the Feline hitman and he explains that someone gave the kid the toy gun, while someone else shoot for him from the shadows, while Hitzok could had return fire against the boy instead, and making him look bad along the way if he had killed the kid. After checking his personal records, they found out he doesn't have any "supposed" criminal records, but one of the officers explains to Hitzok he already knew that Feline and his criminal record is as larger than his tail, but after that officer checked his files, he found out, while his name appears in the Net, his criminal records are not, something supposely impossible to do, creeping Hitzok's men all the way... except for Hitzok himself, who is not surprised if they find more "impossible things" in the next days.
Back to Ish-tako's care center, we see Keena taking care of both Rojigo and baby Avian boy, along with a Canine baby as well. Rojigo, being a curious kid, tries to play with the Avian, but the bird bites his finger. The next scene deals with Erma along with Keena, while both Rojigo and the Avian were crying, very likely after Rojigo picked a fight against the bird. Keena cannot say anything else other than she will miss both of them, as Erma received a message (off-screen) that she must return to her home world of Dornthant as soon as possible.
Once in Erma and Alfon's bunk, we see both characters with the baby, while being all of them naked, and we see Alfon sourly discussing with Erma how did he feels about returning to Dornthant, her home planet, after basically more than ten years since she left the planet to join the EDF, not to mention Erma hasn't said anything else since she received her orders. Erma replies they will comply with the orders, no questions, as Alfon must return to the planet with her as well. Alfon angrily complains why they should return home, especially with the family, which she never talks about with him. And to make matters worse, she is being assigned to a logistic support role, basically working as a glorified freighter, something that Alfon points out is the worst thing that could happen to her military carrer, next to be demoted. The only thing Erma says is she doesn't know a thing about the whole thing, while bathing Rojigo with her tongue. Alfon wonders why Erma is taking the whole situation so coldly, as she could complained with her seniors about her reassignation, but Erma asks him to take care of Rojigo while she cleans the bed. Meanwhile, Alfon plays with the baby kitten in the bed, and they hide under the bed sheets just to play with Erma, but she later joins the fun as well.
Once Rojigo was well asleep, Both Erma and Alfon discuss about their orders of returning to Dornthant and Erma recognize she doesn't know what's going on. Alfon says their orders could be more specific, unless the EDF is hiding something from them. Erma doesn't believe those orders are their real assigment, as she is a very valuable asset just for working in a very low-ranking job, and she wonders why the EDF wants her in Dornthant for a job anyone can do there. The only thing Alfon cansay is he hope she could be right and he ask how's Toki taking the news. Erma explains that Toki is busy dating another guy.
- Almighty Janitor: According with Alfon, Erma's job in Dornthant is basically being a glorified freighter, something he considers the worst thing that could happened to her, but she doesn't mind so much.
- Death from Above: This is how Tetsuwah bites the dust: The Enchawah's security forces turns him into a red smear in the floor.
- Declaration of Protection: Enchawah swears to protect Dr. Elaki Kalahahaii from both the ConFed and the EDF, as they now wants her dead for letting Tetsuwah stealing secret info from her mind.
- Evil Gloating: Genyanaka gloats the ways she can screw both Col. Hitzok and Dea.
- Fantastic Racism: Genyanaka really hates Dornthantiis like Dea, albeit she like hates any outsider from Ekosiak.
- Heroic BSoD: Elaki is devastated by hearing the news of both Tetsuwah's death and his role as a spy for the ILR, not to mention being forced to work into another planet just to save her life.
- The Napoleon: For be the richest being in the galaxy, Enchawah is very short.
- Psychic Powers: Tetsuwah turns out to be a Talent, with the ability of reading people's minds, which is very handy for stealing top-secret info from someone's head without them figuring out.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: For the third time, Erma is reassigned again to yet another post, this time to her home planet of Dornthant for unknown reasons.
