I was surprised to awaken on my own the next morning. If it was even morning. Hadn't Captain Shay said he'd wake me up? Maybe Captain Shay had only been a dream. No, I was in the cave. And if the cave I remembered was real, then Shay must be, too, my half-awake brain reasoned. I slowly rolled over and sat up.

"She's finally awake!" a voice crowed. "Look! Look at that! It's a miracle!"

"Shut up, Tuck," I snapped good-naturedly. I felt something crawl over my legs. Spike, I realized. She was as happy as ever. I wondered if she even remembered being set on fire.

"What time is it?" I asked. "And for that matter, what day is it?"

Shay smiled. "It's the day after the jailbreak," he answered. "By now it should be late afternoon. Tuck went out and checked a few hours ago. He forgot the way out."

"What?" I turned to my teammate, mocking. "The infallible Tuck?"

"Hey, I never said I was infallible," Tuck protested and added, "Technically," at the same time as I said, "Maybe not in those words."

"Anyway," Shay broke in authoritatively, "Tuck now knows the way out again, so let's get out of here while it's still light. Torches leaving will make us too visible."

So we took some near-dead torches from the near-dead fire, and began following Tuck through the dark, narrow cave tunnels. I'd learned to have great confidence in Tuck's ability to get where he was going, but I was still nervous when after several minutes of walking the darkness still showed no sign of opening up into light. And it didn't help when our feeble torches went out completely.

"Don't worry. It's not much farther," Tuck reassured us. "I still know the way."

He was right. I thought I was imagining it at first, then saw that it was real � evening light against the walls of the cave. We rounded one more curve and saw a circle of light at the end of the passage. Bright, beautiful sunlight � the first I'd seen in over twenty-five hours.

I was cautious as I stepped out into the world again, not knowing if Barons were lurking nearby to shoot us down the instant we emerged. But the coast was clear as far as I could see. Staying close to the wall, we moved along the valley floor away from the ruined prison. Only then did it occur to me that we shouldn't have been able to walk out of the cave at all.

"Hey!" I said. "This wasn't how we came in."

Tuck turned and looked at me. "There're a hundred different pathways through that cliff," he said. "You expect me to find the exact path we used before?"

"Actually," I remarked, "I think this one's better. This way we don't have to climb down the cliff, and I think we're closer to the end of the valley here, anyway. Right?"

"Yup," Tuck agreed. "Your sense of direction's improving, Bryt. Maybe I'm starting to rub off on you."

"That's all we need," Shay commented.

"You're just jealous," Tuck shot back good-naturedly. "Jealous because I'm the only one here who knows where we're going."

"Okay," Shay slyly conceded. "But I'm the only one with a clue what we're doing."

"So in the end it all comes down to...down to..." Tuck looked perplexed. "What?"

"The fact that this whole conversation is pretty pointless?" I finally asked.

Shay laughed. "Actually, I was thinking that."

"Me too," Tuck grinned. "And Bryt once again proves her psychic powers. That's what it all comes down to."

"Psychic powers?" Shay asked, looking at me. We were now out of the valley and back in the forest. I hoped we hadn't disturbed the puffans who lived here too much, using them as a medium to fight our battle. But as Shay had said, it was too late to change the past. All I could do was hope for the best.

I almost laughed. "I don't have psychic powers," I explained, then gave Tuck a sly smile. "Tuck's just not so great a liar as he thinks he is."

"Really?" Shay asked, holding up his hand before Tuck could protest. "Normally I'd probably agree with you, but I happen to know for a fact that Tuck is an excellent liar. I've had plenty of experience with that particular talent of his." Shay spoke with mock temerity. "And you can see through him?"

"Well, not always," I said. "A lot of times I can tell when people are lying, though, or I can tell what they're thinking. Even if I've never met them before."

"You mean you can read minds?" Shay was incredulous.

"No, not exactly," I tried to explain. I did not want my Captain thinking I was some sort of empath or something. This was a sometimes-convenient trick that I had, not a major skill. "I can't tell what actual thoughts someone is thinking, only their emotions. And I can infer ideas from that. And I can usually tell when someone's not telling the truth or the whole truth...unless of course they're exceptionally skilled like Tuck is." I added this part of Tuck's benefit � he took such pride in his skill. "And also I can sometimes sort of influence people to do a certain thing. Actually feel a certain way so they'll do a certain thing. But it's not something I can really control. It doesn't always work, either."

Captain Shay continued looking at me curiously. "It sounds to me like you have some real skills," he finally said.

"Told you." Tuck gloated at me, his eyes twinkling. I couldn't decide whether I'd liked Tuck better before we'd found Captain Shay or after. It seemed like now that someone else was here to take responsibility, Tuck felt he could act like a child. Maybe he was just happy over the success of his jailbreak, no matter how severely Shay had reprimanded him for his foolish actions. He probably felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, I realized. The prison was destroyed. He had his revenge.

I rolled my eyes. "I just told you I don't have any real skills," I complained. Inwardly I was amazed that I could argue with a War Captain. But Shay was even easier to talk to than Captain Gill was.

"Maybe not yet," Shay admitted, his eyes shining. "But I'll bet you've got potential. Did anyone ever suggest that you become an empath?"

I opened my mouth to argue some more, then stopped. Why was I playing down my own skills? Why did I want my Captain to think I was capable of less than I really was? I mentally groaned as I realized the answer to that question � I was reading again. Without even meaning to. Just as I'd been unintentionally doing to Tuck a moment ago, I was reading Shay's voice. And I didn't like what I was reading. And why not? I groaned out loud as I realized the answer to that question. I looked up at Shay.

"You're not going to send me to some facility for Pathic Training, are you?" I asked, desperately hoping I was wrong.

"It would be an invaluable skill," Shay solemnly told me.

"Great. Just great." I sulked. "I've been training for the past three � four � five years, and now you want to send me away for more training."

"You'll see the value of training later. Trust me � it will make a difference. Besides," Shay added when my expression didn't alter, "in the little time you've spent as a missioneer, you've certainly done plenty."

I automatically looked down. I didn't have to read to understand that. The edge to his voice was sharp. I decided to take it as a hint to stop complaining. Shay might be easygoing, but I knew I shouldn't take advantage of that. You don't argue with War Captains.

"If you can develop full empathic skills, or any pathic skills, for that matter, you'd be of extreme value as a missioneer," Shay continued. "And 'Empath' is one of the best titles a missioneer can attain."

I wanted to laugh bitterly. I wanted to shout that I was only eighteen! Not even old enough to graduate! What did I care about a title?

But of course, that would have been stupid. I didn't say anything at all. I wouldn't argue anymore, but I wasn't going to give in that easily, either.

"Think about it, Bryt," Shay said wearily. "I'd rather not have to order you to stay and learn, but if that's what it comes down to..." his voice trailed off, and I knew I could be stuck. Captain Shay might seem gentle, but he was still firm. Maybe if I tried to influence him...I shook off that thought, both shocked and amused that I would consider trying to manipulate my own Captain.

When it grew too dark to travel safely, we made camp for the night. We didn't light a fire � too great a chance of being spotted. Shay was asleep almost instantly. It was no surprise � he'd been awake for the last day and a half. Once I was sure my Captain was asleep, I rolled over onto my stomach on the soft ground. I asked Tuck, not quite accusingly, "Why'd you have to open your mouth?"

I could dimly see Tuck look up form his position on the ground near me. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb with me," I warned him. "I'm psychic, remember? Why'd you have to tell Captain Shay I can read minds? You know I can't really."

"Don't you want the full extent of your abilities to be known?" he sounded mildly surprised.

"I do not want to go off to another training school and delve into minds. I'm here; I want to stay."

Tuck laughed softly. "Bryt, you've had a taste of battle, and I guess it tasted pretty good. It's not always going to. Shay's right. We were lucky."

I wanted to yell at him for hypocrisy, though I couldn't quite figure out why. "Tuck, I know war's not supposed to be fun. That doesn't mean I'm not going to fight."

"You sound like me." I could picture the boyish grin.

"And I don't know who you sound like," I pointed out.

Tuck turned an accusatory gaze on me. "What are you implying?"

I sighed. "Nothing." I hadn't been.

"Good." Tuck rolled onto his side to face me. "I guess sometimes even I wish I wasn't fighting. I just don't think about it too often. All the more reason I want to end it. And don't even say it!" he said loudly before I could make some teasing comment about him trying to save the world. "Bryt, if you want to make as much of a difference as possible, you've got to use every weapon you have. And you've got a pretty awesome weapon. Maybe it'll take some time to develop and refine, but you've got to do everything you can. Have a little patience. You owe it to your cause."

"Stop moralizing me," I said, though I knew he was right.

"Sorry." Tuck didn't sound sorry at all. "What do you think you should do?"

I growled under my breath in frustration. Yes, I knew what I should do, but I sure didn't want to do it.

Do it, Bryt, I grimly told myself. Things could be a lot worse. I could have to make a much tougher decision, or be in serious trouble, with all I'd done in the past two days. Training to be an empath was the least I could do.

But I still didn't like it. And I was still annoyed at being forced away. So I risked sparking some unnecessary trouble and asked Tuck how come he'd gone back to the cliff with Shay and Mina after the battle. He'd seemed so eager at the prospect of vengeance.

Tuck didn't answer for a long time. I almost began to regret asking the question, or at least regret my sarcastically sweet tone of voice.

Finally he said, "You won't understand, but I'll tell you anyway if you really care."

"Yeah." I nodded, all sincerity now.

"I started to go back to the general prison," he told me. "Maybe it was all me, and I just couldn't take being back there. But what it seemed like � it seemed like Seile was fighting me the whole way." He paused and I stared up at him, enrapt. "She didn't care about revenge. She'd be rolling over at the irony if I died trying to avenge her death. She was telling me how much more good I could do helping you and Shay and Mina and all the newly freed Cols than I could trying to find the executioners at the general prison." His voice grew bitter and pained. "There was one other thing, too," he added softly.

"What?" I whispered.

"I didn't want to become a murderer. Not yet, anyway. Maybe I felt a little bit of what Mina did," Tuck confessed. "I never actually enjoy killing, though in battle it's something that has to be done. But I've never killed anyone in cold blood before. Never killed anyone just because I hated them."

I raised myself up on my forearms and asked seriously, "So it's okay to kill someone if you don't hate them but you can't if you do?"

"This planet is pretty screwed up, isn't it?"'

I lowered myself back down and rolled over onto my back, looking at the night sky full of stars, so far away. "You know, I never thought so," I said.

"Of course not." With no warning Tuck was as arrogant and cruel as ever. "That's another thing they don't want you to think at Mission Training."