Time for another lovely fic by yours truly! This little beaut takes place 6 months after the last chapter of Divisions. So... it would help if you read that.. and the preceeding fics... to understand this one. :D Read on and enjoy!

....If Zim was mine, it would be on Cartoon Network. And since it's NOT... But all characters not appearing in the show are mine. Except Rael. He belongs to himself.

1: Departure Plans

On Irk, when it rained, the drops of water rarely fell at a constant rate.

It usually fell in short bursts, drizzling in a mist between showers. Most Irkens were restless at these times, pacing in their homes, their work places, or bars, their conversations hushed and centering around when the weather would take a turn for the better. Ships rarely took off in the rain, few transports moved from their snug, secure docking bays. Sometimes, it seemed as if the whole planet shut down during rainstorms.

Min's apartment complex was no different. The elevator had broken down, leaving him virtually stranded in his apartment until it was repaired. Due to the rain, the stairs were slick and dangerous, and the backup elevator would take hours to get its program booted up. For all its advances, he would have thought that Irk could have gotten everything to work on a rainy day.

"Lidge understands," Pira reminded him. "She's probably tearing her antennae out over the delays today anyway... yours isn't gonna bother her anymore..."

He glanced over at her. The student was hunched over one of the many cluttered tables that were scattered throughout the apartment. An old sketch of a design long-since abandoned was in her hands, her eyes scanning it intently. All around her, on the table, were various bits and pieces of objects that had, at one time, been identifiable. "I suppose..." he sighed, studying her. "It might just make her madder than a wet rat person, though."

"So?" She shrugged. "Not like you can help it."

Rain made him irritable. He started to pace the room, glancing at the weather report every so often. It didn't help. All the reports said was more of this infernal rain on the way. He could tell his motions were making Pira nervous, but left it up to her to make him stop. His legs would not cease walking of their own will anyway. So, he waited for her to speak up.

"You need to take Lidge out and-"

"PIRA!"

She looked up, shocked. "What'd I say?" Her eyes were huge.

Min rubbed his forehead in annoyance with his own rash actions. "Nothing, Pintsize... nothing..." he muttered. "Sorry... blasted rain has me all... running over myself..."

Both were silent for a moment, listening to the blare of the weather report over the steady drum of the rain against the apartment's single window. Min was lucky enough to have an outer wall apartment, rather than one of the inner ones that was surrounded by hallways and other tenants on all sides. Of course, right now, the gift of having a window seemed more like a curse. Trying to keep calm, he tapped his fingers against the windowsill, thinking. A soft clicking came from the table as Pira began her tinkering. He glanced over at her, watching. So much like... He purposely stopped. This was not the time he wanted to dredge up year-old memories of that painful day.

"Like I was saying," she said. "You should take Lidge out and have a drink. Both of you need to relax. Lidge's antennae'll fall out if she doesn't relax more often..." Her voice slurred slightly as her attention passed from conversation to the object. "Have some fun..."

Min cracked his knuckles absently. Once he got into work, he'd ask her, he decided. Pira was right. Both of them needed a bit of a break. Lidge was overworked, stressed, and exhausted every time he saw her. And even then, seeing her was seldom. Kaml kept her by his side most of the time, a constant shadow for his student to turn to if she ever needed him. As much as he cared for the older Irken, Min had come to resent his presence of late. He was always there when he wanted a private moment with Lidge. Always looming in the background. Maybe everyone needed a break.

Impending Doom II was in full swing, with repair orders coming in continuously, accompanied by huge pieces of machinery that would become small battleships with the mechanics' expert crafting. Most everyone in West Jihi or the other hundreds of repair shops on Irk, no matter how much they detested OID II, could see the flipside to all this work. Their students would never be trained better than they were being now, in the midst of all this orderly chaos. Work hours, however, had been doubled some days, causing the number of days off to be cut almost in half. To compensate for this, pay had been increased and most had never lived better. Min himself couldn't remember a day in the past week when he had cooked any meal in the apartment. He attributed part of this, however, to the fact that he hadn't been home nearly enough to even try to start cooking.

"I can order in tonight," Pira was saying. "It's not too hard. I've seen you do it enough." She paused in her work long enough to smirk at him. "Go on. Ask her!" The little mechanic began to fairly bounce in her chair.

"Okay, okay," he said, smiling slightly. "I'll ask her if we ever get into work today."

Pira swung her good leg back and forth under the chair. "Why don't you nap or somethin'? I can tell you when the guys are done on the elevator."

The last of his finger joints popped angrily, the sound audible above the drone of the rain. Min winced and shook his hand. He hoped he hadn't accidentally harmed anything important in there. A mechanic with a crippled eye could work, but a mechanic with a crippled hand had less value than a glass of ahki at a fine liquor distributor. "Yeah... why not?" As if in response to the suggestion, he yawned. "You better wake me... soon as they stop. Okay?"

"Sure," she promised, grinning widely.

How was a minute to breathe too much to ask? Just a minute to stop, push the never-ending piles of padwork, orders, and assignments away, lean back in your chair, and take a deep breath? Why was that too much to ask?

And another thing. How had Regert put up with this?

She felt like beating her head against the desk just to ease the throbbing pain behind her eyes. There were stacks upon stacks of both finished and new orders piled around her, many of which she wouldn't get to until early this morning. And these were all just today's. She needed a drink, and badly. But, more than a drink, she needed an hour-no, ten minutes-of good sleep.

A thud behind her caught her attention. Kaml with more orders. She wanted to cry her magenta eyes out, letting all the datapads short out from her tears. "How many more?" she asked, trying to keep the misery out of her voice.

"One."

Startled, Lidge looked up. Min stood in the doorway, a concerned smile on his rain-soaked face. His gray eyes, warm with affection for her, filled her with relief. All the stress melted away the moment she saw him. Fluidly, she rose, holding her arms out to him enticingly, knowing he wouldn't resist her hold. Min laughed, embracing her.

"I take it you feel better now?" he asked, sliding his hands down to her waist. "No more head banging?" Gently, he stood on the tips of his toes and kissed the bruise forming on her forehead. "Kaml was terrified you'd be giving yourself head trauma."

Lidge's antennae arched at his touch. "I'm fine," she lied. "Just... stressed out... thinking too much, too much paperwork... not enough sleep." The last sentence, at least, was true.

"Then I guess you wouldn't be open to a drink tonight?"

"What time?"

Her answer was so quick it made Min laugh once again. "Right after work. You can get to bed early or drink yourself to sleep." He smirked teasingly. "Whichever comes first." With a yelp, he ducked Lidge's swing. "Hey! Take off my head and you get no more breaks!"

Huffily, Lidge went back to her desk, sinking reluctantly into the seat. Min followed, peering over her shoulder. His eyes widened at the number of unread datapads stacked in various piles across the black surface. "I could help with these..." he began. "Pira's more than competent with the work..."

She shook her head. "No... I can do it. I have tonight to look forward to." She smiled up at him through her eyelashes. The effect was only slightly seductive, which was exactly what she had been hoping for. "I'll meet you right after I run an errand." She allowed her antennae to twitch. He smelled of rain and the inside of a warm voot runner, not of oil and engines. It was a strange smell, not one that was usually associated with a mechanic. She purred.

Min turned to go, not hearing her pleasure. Lidge didn't try to stop him, there was too much padwork for her to indulge in the little fantasies she locked away in the dark corners of her mind. The mere thought of them made her blush. Whistling, she turned back to her paperwork.

"Did it come yet?"

Would the interruptions never end? Irk, she hoped not. "Did what come, Cerol?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the datapad before her. Inwardly, she hoped he wouldn't notice her avoidance of his blind-eyed stare. Recently, it had become more haunting, even accusing, than it had been before. She knew perfectly well what he waited so breathlessly for, but repetitions of this same scene had taught her which of her lines hurt him the least.

"My..." he stopped. "They didn't send me a file... did they...?" She heard the door begin to close. Nervous, she shifted in her seat, but Cerol did not turn around. She heard his tapping footsteps disappearing down the stairs. With a sigh, she sank deep into her chair. It was unbearably hard, turning poor Cerol down almost every day. He wanted a student so badly... And it was unlikely he'd ever be awarded one. Nurseries were uncomfortable granting students to Irkens who had been involved in the Uprisings. No matter how calm their current lives were, they frowned on it.

She sighed. Her... involvement-to put it mildly-in the Uprisings had definitely blacklisted her on every Nursery on Irk. Unless Kaml could take on a third student...

Abruptly, she averted her thoughts from those dark matters, turning her attention back to her work. Save for a few interruptions, the inbox's pile slowly decreased in size. It actually felt as if she were getting something done for once. Eventually, she let her mind wander, drifting into places she knew it shouldn't go, across paths that should have been left alone, and run into ideas that never should have seen the light of discovery. Lidge slipped off into her daydreams, ignoring the blush that crept into her smooth green cheeks. Time passed quickly. When she snapped awake, at least a good half hour had disappeared without her knowing it.

"Blast it," she growled. That was working time she'd allowed to get away from her. She was half-ready to snap her pen in two pieces.

"I'm sorry, Miss Tikem?"

Lidge jumped. She glanced up into dark red eyes, a fact that startled her even more the interruption did. A mask hid the lower half of a male Soldier's face, and a dark red cloak draped around an imposing frame. Lidge's antennae flattened. "Rael," she said demurely. "What brings you here...? Reports put you on some planet, reconstructing governments of some kind..."

A slight flush crept, almost imperceptive, into the Soldier's cheeks. "I believe those reports are somewhat... exaggerated," he replied. "As to why I'm here... I sent my personal cruiser in for lazer-scar repair on the hull and engine casings."

"Ah! Yes. It should be ready. Min Kaalae was working on it." The last bit was added as a bit of a prideful flaunt of West Jihi's talent.

Rael nodded. "Good, good. Although, I shouldn't doubt any of West Jihi's mechanics," he complimented right back. "There were those who were afraid the new management may hurt customer relations and business in general." He offered her his arm. "Shall we go and prove these asinine theories false, Miss Tikem?"

She tipped her head forward in a slight bow, her antennae falling back a fraction as she rose. "Thank you, Rael," Lidge said genuinely. Taking his arm, she allowed herself to be led into the main workshop area. There was no shame in being escorted by Rael. He was the only Soldier that Students considered trustworthy, and he openly opposed his fellow Class when it came to issues with Students. To be in Rael's company was viewed as an honor, rather than a shameful torment. Rumor had it that he even had feelings.

Multicolored eyes glanced up at the pair before turning back to their respective projects. Those few that lingered hurried to work after being physically or verbally reprimanded by their fellow mechanics. Light snickers drifted through air, accompanied by the usual antennae-rending sounds that were always present in workshops. Rael smirked. "Attentive bunch, aren't they?" he commented.

"You have no idea." Lidge began down the stairway, leading him now. "This way, sir. Station twelve is the Kaalae station."

He nodded. "Yes... my voot is rather... noticeable isn't it?" An almost sheepish look crossed his face, only to vanish in an instant.

The voot cruiser was black, not a pale shade of purple as most were. It had a sleeker, more stylized, look than the others, with small designs in red splashed across its hull. Dangling from the ceiling was Min, applying a final coat of sealant to the cruiser. There was no longer any trace of the blaster scarring from a recent battle and the tinted viewpane had been replaced. Min noticed them, and motioned to Pira to bring Rael his forms. She scurried out from around the ship, limping hurriedly on her single crutch, her little face hopeful. Rael looked somewhat startled, and somewhat amused. He let her take the time she needed, neither hurrying her nor asking her to slow her eager pace. "Here," she said, breathlessly handing him the pad. "You can take it today, sir." Her antennae flicked back shyly.

"Thank you, Miss Kaalae," said the Soldier, smiling faintly. He scanned the neatly written pad briefly. "All of it seems in order. Of course, I would expect no less of an up-and-coming Kaalae mechanic."

Pira flushed dark green. "Thank you, Sir." Almost hurriedly, the child disappeared around the other side of the cruiser, walking awkwardly with her crutch. Lidge saw Rael's eyes following her limping stride.

"She's improving beautifully, sir. I don't worry."

Both Boss and Soldier looked up. Min was smirking at them from behind his goggles. With an almost embellished ease, he swung down from the overhead piping, coming to land on the toes of his boots with a soft slap of concrete against shoe material. He rose in a slight bow. "Good to see you, Rael," he said, extending a hand and gripping Rael's wrist. "How's life beating up renegade Soldiers been?"

"Barbaric." A slight smile lit Rael's eyes. "She looks beautiful, as always, Min. The detailing is perfection itself."

"Blah," Min responded, shaking his head. He removed his goggles, letting them rest around his neck. "Had to redo it more times than I can count. I hate detailing these slarking things. Paint always runs."

"Maybe if you worked FASTER..." Pira's face appeared around the corner the hull created. "it wouldn't turn into such a goopy mess." She giggled.

"Hate to say it, but the squirt's right," muttered the mechanic, blushing under his eyes. "Anyway, nice seeing you, but, I should let Lidge get you and this hulking junk trap out of here. It's blocking the way for the paying customers."

Rael chuckled. "Good luck, Min. And Pira too. Take care of her..." he added as an afterthought. Once again, he shook Min's wrist. Then, taking his datapad, he escorted Lidge to West Jihi's massive doorways to await his voot. Her eyes followed Min as he deftly completed the last-minute checks on the voot's systems; they savored his lithe movements as if it were the last time she'd see him. So engrossed was she in her observations, that she didn't notice Rael's attention was on her until he grabbed her arm. Startled, Lidge whirled to face him, inadvertently pulling her arm from his grasp. The movement nearly removed her glove.

"What on IRK--!?"

"Hush." His voice was steel, cold and unbending. "You'll thank me in time."

Suspicious, Lidge took a step back. "For what?"

"For this."

Expecting him to pull a blaster out from under his cloak, Lidge tensed to flee. However, instead of a weapon, he held out a small diskette. She eyed it nervously. "What's that?"

"Since the Uprisings, we've been keeping tabs on you, Miss Tikem," said Rael, his eyes gleaming. He suddenly seemed taller. "You have been meeting with a certain Programmer called Oulis Jakhs. He is under suspicion of being the Hacker known as 'Adehal', meaning 'god' in the old language."

Lidge's eyelid raised a fraction. "A bit presumptuous on this Oulis's part..."

"Lidge, listen to me. I know what it is you're up to."

"That may be, but, honestly Rael, it doesn't scare me."

"And that doesn't surprise me." His face reflected no emotion. For a moment, Lidge was reminded of how Cerol Haye always looked when the fits of his first took him over. There was the eerie look of apathy, followed by a wild rush of hate, fear, love, any emotion at all, accompanied by babbling and then ended with a near comatose state. She quickly put it from her mind. Rael and Cerol were nothing alike. Nothing alike at all.

Hesitantly, she took the diskette from him. "Is this some kind of trap, Rael?"

"It's everything Oulis needs to make it so you can leave Irk unnoticed."

For a moment, Lidge didn't say a word. She could only stare at what she held in her hand. When she could open her mouth, Rael silenced her.

"Don't ask why I'm helping you. That part is irrelevant. All you need to do is take that to your new friend Oulis. He'll make it so no one realizes you're gone."

Unfortunately for what remained of Lidge's conscience, Min chose that moment to pull the voot cruiser up next to them. He hopped out of the cockpit, wiping his glove on his face to leave a streak of grease above a roguish grin. His eyes were lit up. "By IRK I love that thing!" he announced, planting his hands on his waistband. "Purrs like a horny Soldier!"

Lidge's chest ached. Even if Rael's little disk worked, one Irken would always notice her absence, no matter how incredible Adehal's abilities truly were.