<USS Avalon> Choices and Chicken

"You shouldn’t have lowered the ramp," the teen female protested petulantly.
 
I lack the energy to beam him aboard, the oldest teen male answered reasonably.
 
"You wear yourself out, and us as well, on their behalf. You leave us 
defenseless against them," she pressed.
 
I doubt the two with him earlier would agree with your assessment, he replied, 
his voice sounding more and more tired each time he responded. We are not 
defenseless.
 
The youngest could be heard deeper within the shuttle, insisting between 
gasping sobs, "I’m sorry…I’m sorry….I’m sorry…"
 
"Don’t be," the second male consoled her gently. "you had no choice."
 
"Niq…says…there’s always…a choice…" she argued, crying harder still. 
"We’re….not ….weapons…"
 
"There was a choice, you’re right…" the older female told her. "We could have 
let them kill him, or we could have protected him. We chose to ensure his 
survival, and our own as well. That doesn’t make us weapons."
 
"What…does it…make us?" the child asked, her eyes still filled with tears.
 
"Tired." A boy of perhaps eleven answered, a wry grin upon his face. "And 
hungry. Right?"
 
The tiny girl considered that a moment, then nodded tentatively. "Can I have 
chicken?"
 
"Sure," he answered, shaking his head slightly to the others when they opened 
their mouths to speak. "You can have anything you want." Opening his arms, he 
gestured for her to join him where he sat. Once she was seated next to him, he 
held his fist out in front of him, concentrating, then slowly opened his hand. 
There above his palm floated a small vortex, opening slowly of it’s own accord, 
the smell of fried chicken wafted from within. "Go ahead," he encouraged. 
"Reach in and get it."
 
"Nobody gonna slap my hand this time, or scream or nothing, right?" she asked, 
remembering other misadventures with this method of ‘finding’ things they 
needed. 
 
"Nope." He answered, hoping that was true. "Just grab it quick." Just in case, 
he added mentally, though he didn’t say it.
 
The child reached through the small hole and pulled back a drumstick. Looking 
around sheepishly, she reached back and grabbed the rest of the plate. "Want 
some?" she offered the others. 
 
All but the eldest accepted.
 
Close the hole quickly, he told the boy who held the orb open. The major is 
coming.

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