Heron and Byron were sitting in a nondescript room in a quiet part of the IES station. They met with Chugalug every now and then but were otherwise left alone. That was by design and under instruction from X Bear.

  The case to reevaluate Dirt’s classification to Off Limits was being compiled and the in person testimony of Heron and Byron was critical to the evidence. Unfortunately Hunting Tours Incorporated had learned about the case and were making enquiries as to the whereabouts of all the witnesses.

  About one hundred years ago a reevaluation case under the mythical “Section 8” was tried but failed due to “lack of evidence” and then “lack of standing”. If no-one was around to testify they had been harmed, what was the issue?

  Denton was determined Dirt would be reclassified and gave X Bear full discretion to keep the witnesses safe.

  “I’m bored,” sighed Byron for what felt to Heron for the thousandth time.

  “Careful,” warned Heron, “Remember what happened last time you were bored?”

  Byron leant back and looked up at the ceiling and scratched his head, “Nope.”

  “Remember on Dirt you were taking care of me when I was injured and you went for a walk?” said Heron, motioning his arms to encourage Byron to think back.

  Heron then put on his best Tri-D adventure voice, “And our hero Byron stealthily patrolled the corridors…”

  Byron dropped as he remembered, “Oh yeah. You heard that?”

  “But this time’s different!” he protested, “Nothing can find us here.”

  Byron put on his much better Tri-D voice, “Our heroes Byron and Heron bravely stayed in their secret hideout, waiting for their eventual escape and Section 8 court case. No one knew where they were.”

  Byron stopped mid speech as the locked door swished open and closed. He looked at the door in surprise when he heard a voice, “We have to move! They have found us!”

  X Bear was inside the room and beckoning them to get up and move.

  Heron got up snd grabbed their prepared ‘go bags’ looked at Byron and said, “See?”

  They travelled across the station to another room not much bigger than a closet vis a maze of corridors and secret tunnels.

  With the door closed and an exhausted Heron and Byron sitting on some cartons, X Bear said to them sternly, “We need to make new plans. HTI are very determined for you to disappear.”

  “We have disappeared,” said Byron.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “I think they want it permanent,” said Heron who then turned to X Bear,”But where can we go?”

  “That is exactly the issue,” said X Bear, “But I do have a tricky plan. Have you considered being consultants?”

  Before either could answer, he added, “Do you have sweethearts at home?”

  Confused by the sudden change in topics, Heron answered the second question first, “We both have our future wives waiting for us at home. The planned mating ritual is in a year’s time.”

  Byron added, “Yeah, Noryb is waiting for me and Noreh for Heron. We were to make our careers in the Federation and then bring them with us to start our lives together.”

  Byron then stopped and considered their situation, and asked with a worried expression,“Umm, can we still do that?”

  X Bear answered, “I think I have a way. Are you prepared to do something a little different?”

  Byron looked at Heron and they both shook their heads in agreement.

  “I’ll get back to you,” X Bear said and disappeared out a quickly swooshing door.

  ****

  Father Pacioli was saying his evening prayers when he heard a gentle swish from his closed doorway.

  “Greetings Padre,” said a smug X Bear, “We mean you no harm.”

  Father Pacioli turned to X Bear and replied, “Indeed. How can I help you?”

  X Bear sat next to Father Pacioli on the lounge snd said, “I am sure you remember Heron and Byron. I am helping them and thought of you.”

  “Really?” said Father Pacioli, “How could a little chaplain on a Non Compatible planet possibly help them?”

  “We want you to provide some witness protection for them. Consider it ‘Sanctuary’, if you prefer. HTI are getting desperate to silence witnesses that are critical to our Section 8 case for reclassification.” X Bear explained.

  “Section 8?” asked Father Pacioli.

  “It’s under the Imperial Exploration Code that allows a planet to be reclassified,” explained X Bear, “It was last used several hundred years ago, and considered to be irrelevant considering the superior testing requirements now, but we are sure we can use it. We just need the evidence which takes some time for a revolutionary case like this. It’s not just Earth this affects.”

  “Then that could be a while the lads need to stay here,” said Father Pacioli, and considering a little more added, “But won’t they get lonely? Two aliens on a distant Hunter Planet?”

  “I thought of that,” said X Bear, “We will bring their fiancées - I think that’s your term - with them. You can marry them here if they want. I also thought they could help you as consultants. ‘FOP consultants’ would work, I think.”

  Father Pacioli’s eyes twinkled as he considered the situation’s possibilities.

  “What is their home planet like?” he asked, “Desert, cold, jungle, wet? We want them to be comfortable.”

  “Jungle and humid is their preferred climate,” said X Bear, “A bit like this place.”

  He waved his small arms around as if to indicate the surrounding woods and jungle near the very humid Canungra base in Queensland.

  “Indeed,” said Father Pacioli, “I’ll check with Major Tierney, who will check the ARRG bosses.”

  “Can we get an answer quickly?” Said X Bear, “They are in danger.”

  ****

  Denton provided a small stealth shuttle for this operation. Kurt was now an experienced pilot and happy to try his wing at a new vessel.

  “Approaching Earth now,” he announced to his passengers, “Please fasten your seatbelts and put your trays into position. Thank you for flying Kurt Airways.”

  X Bear looked at his passengers who were confused by Kurt’s message. In case of accident a small protective bubble would form around their seats and they had no trays.

  Kurt coo’d a chuckle at their mystified looks, “Just a little Earth humour my friends. Landing in a moment.”

  With a light thump the shuttle landed and the side door opened. X Bear jumped out first, followed by Heron and Byron holding hands with their future mates. They blinked in the sunshine and liked the humid atmosphere. They saw the dirtling known as Black Hat standing there in greeting, smiling at them.

  “Greetings! We mean you no harm. Welcome to your new home. Dirt.”