One
by Starhawk

My mind was elsewhere as I made my way to the Bridge. I'd just escaped Dark Spectre's gathering of evil--with possibly valuable information--and needed to get the Megaship out of orbit and away as soon as possible.

My reflexes were a little slower than they should have been; I wasn't expecting trouble on my own ship. I didn't even register the murmur of voices drifting down the hall, and it took me a moment to comprehend the people I saw on the Bridge: humans, oblivious to my presence as I stood frozen in the doorway.

She caught my eye first, probably because she wore the same color my little sister had always favored. She had soft brown hair, and an exuberance that shone in her eyes--and she looked like she'd been through a war.

Her eyes caught mine--or so it seemed, since I know she shouldn't have been able to see through my helmet. For a moment, though, I forgot that I was morphed, and I just stared.

Then he turned around--turned, more importantly, away from the controls. My brain shook away the fog of planning that had encompassed it and started to scream the warning that the onboard computer had neglected: *Intruders!*

I stepped back, even as he moved forward. My eyes flicked to her behind my visor--she still stood motionless, her wide eyes showing more sympathy than surprise, which unsettled me further. I backed up another step, and my long-ignored reflexes kicked in.

My hand shot out, and I slapped the override next to the door. I was already running when I heard someone hit the floor, and I guessed one of them had rolled out into the hallway beneath the closing door just before it clanged shut. I hoped to reach the Bridge's second exit and trap the remaining intruder, but another pair came around the corner and I wasted precious seconds dealing with them.

By the time I reached the other door, she was there, and something about her--probably the shock of a girl in yellow again after all these years--made me reluctant to strike her. I ran on, heading for the lower decks.