Council Leader Vorik had completed his interrogations with the eight Kreq prisoners. Only Krem was no longer under the influence of the serum that their commander had injected them with. He was the only one who was no longer a puppet for the Kreq leader.

Jada was with him the entire time, using the same tactics she did with Kerm. She had asked about family, poking with questions, asking them about things that might cause them to falter and fight the serum. Anything that might make them think about what they had lost. It didn't work with any of the others. Krem was the only one.

Council Leader Vorik was now walking across the quad; he wondered if letting Krem and Mia speak was a good decision. They were family, but Krem was also the enemy until proven otherwise. Just because he was no longer under the influence of the serum didn't make him safe to be around.

Mia had been through enough. He didn't want her to get hurt. Even though he was on his way to see if she wanted to speak with him, Vorik still wasn't sure if it was a good idea. His gut told him that it was. Just because his gut told him it was, didn't mean it was a good idea.

Vorik was approaching Renn's home, where Mia was staying. She was still under Renn's care, not yet in a state of mind where she could take care of herself. Too much had happened to her in such a short time. She wasn't even eighteen yet.

Vorik was pleased that Mia was getting more comfortable around him. Before, it was only Renn. Renn was no longer the only one whom she didn't shy away from out of fear. They were making progress with her. It was taking a lot of time, but there was still progress. He hoped that Mia would get back to before she was taken by Travis. There were a lot of people who would support her, helping her to release some of the fear he had caused.

Council Leader Vorik pressed the call button at Renn's front door to notify him that he was there to speak with him. Moments later, the door slid open, and Renn stood in the doorway looking out. Past him, Mia was sitting on the floor with a puzzle in front of her. She looked up as Vorik entered Renn's dwelling before looking back down at her puzzle, ignoring him completely. All her attention was on the puzzle in front of her.

"Good evening, Mia," he smiled, bending down to her level to make her more comfortable.

Mia didn't respond. She only pulled another puzzle piece off the floor and tucked it into its place with the other pieces that fit together perfectly. After snapping it into place, she looked at the scattered pieces surrounding her and the finished portion of the puzzle, unsure which piece to pick up next. She kept her eyes on the broken pieces surrounding the completed portion of the puzzle, ignoring Vorik completely.

Council Leader Vorik tried again. "We captured a group of scouts from a Kreq ship that has been spying on us. The scouts are in the cells. There is one that you may want to speak with. His name is Krem. He is your father's oldest brother. Jada was able to dissipate the serum in his blood by forcing him to speak of his family. He was very emotional. It was that emotion that dissipated the serum from his blood. Would you like to meet him?" Vorik asked gently. He made sure his voice was quiet, not wanting to startle her.

Mia slowly picked up another piece of the puzzle and placed it in its place. It was slower than before, telling him that she had been listening to his words. Not looking up, she asked. "Why?" She spoke in a whisper, barely heard.

Vorik sighed, trying to speak as softly as he could. "What do you mean, why? Why did we capture the scout? Why are they in prison? I need to know which 'why' you want to know," Vorik explained to her gently. His questions weren't the best, but he needed to know what she was referring to so that he could give her the right information she was seeking.

Mia looked up from her puzzle. She stared at Vorik for a few moments before she spoke. "Why does he want to talk to me?" she asked. It was clear she didn't understand why someone whom she had never met wanted to speak with her. In her young mind, it didn't make sense.

Vorik sat down on the floor next to her so she didn't have to look up so far. He pulled a piece of the puzzle off the floor beside her and handed it to her. "When he was brought into the interrogation room, Jada noticed that you looked like him. He has the same auburn hair and the same vivid hazel eyes as you do. She asked him if he had siblings. He fought the serum as Jada spoke with him. When he found out his brother had escaped with their mother to save her, he had tears in his eyes." Vorik explained. "The emotion he felt for his family is what helped save him from the controlling serum."

Mia stared at Vorik, listening to every word he spoke. It was clear she was interested in hearing about what he had to say. She remained silent, not talking, appearing to think about what she had just heard. She only watched him as she listened to each word he spoke, her young mind trying to analyze everything that was said.

Vorik continued. "The more Jada forced him to face the knowledge of his family, the harder he fought the serum. By the time it was gone, and Jada no longer smelled it, she told him about you. He was in pain hearing about his family. He wants to meet you, but he said, only if you want to meet him. I could see the shame on his face from what he did under the influence of the serum. I think he might be worried you won't like him because of what he was forced to do."

Mia placed the puzzle piece she was holding in its proper place, snapping it to fit the rest of the puzzle. After a few moments, she nodded slowly. There was a long pause before she answered him. "I will meet him."

"Do you wish to meet him now? Or do you need to prepare yourself? I believe this is going to be very emotional for both of you," Vorik told her gently. "There is no rush. You can meet him when you're ready."

Mia thought about it for a moment, then looked over at Renn. "Will you be there?" she asked Renn slowly. Clearly, she felt safe with Renn. She didn't want to meet her uncle without Renn being by her side. She hadn't left Renn's home since she moved in. He refused to leave, not wanting to be out in the open. Renn had understood and kept her inside. He offered a few times to take her to the tavern for some food and perhaps meet others, but she had refused. She wasn't ready to meet anyone, not yet anyway.

Mia watched as Renn approached her, bending down to her level. "Do you wish for me to be there?" he asked gently. He wanted to give her the choice and not force his presence. It was one of the reasons that she trusted him so much. He never forced anything from her. No matter how small it was, she was always given a choice.

Mia nodded. "I don't want to go without you." Mia looked at Vorik. "Can I wait? I'm not ready to talk to him yet," she asked.

Council Leader Vorik smiled. "You can let me know when you're ready, and I will take you and Renn to speak with him," he told her.

Mia nodded, going back to her puzzle. She pulled another piece of the floor and snapped it into place. She ignored them as she continued to complete the puzzle she was working on. They were clearly dismissed. She would no longer speak with them.

Vorik looked at Renn. "Let me know when she's ready to speak with her uncle or if she needs to see me." Vorik watched her for a few moments as she continued to complete her puzzle, not looking at them anymore.

Renn nodded, then followed Vorik out. "Do you think she's ready? To see her uncle, I mean?" Renn asked, looking behind Vorik, watching Mia pull another puzzle piece off the floor and then snap it into place on the completed portion of the puzzle.

Council Leader Vorik nodded. "I think she's ready when she lets us know she's ready."

Renn chuckled. "I'll let you know when she's ready to speak to him or if she needs to see you, sir."

Vorik nodded as he stepped back through the door and away from Renn and Mia.

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