Sparks flew as Jace used the equipment to weld together more pieces of the space fighter craft. "There is nothing?" Shilla asked in shock as she looked at the various files that Jace had been looking over for the last week. The others had been working on the cruiser and taking apart the other temporary space ship they had built while he had been working on this smaller one.

"Not a single thing." Jace answered with a sigh. "They mentioned it several times. But it looks like the only ones who knew were the pilots and the leader of this facility. They did not want everyone using it so they kept it a secret." He had to rewire the entire ship and adjust a few things. But after doing so he was confident that this would be the fastest space craft he would have flown so far. There was even plenty of room to install a gravity drive as well which would speed it up and allow him to camouflage as well.

"They completely scrubbed its existence from all records. What do you know about this UEE?" Shilla asked in annoyance. "Because I have never even heard of them before." She then stopped for a moment, "actually I remember it being attached to a ship name but nothing else coming out of it."

"That is a surprise. I figured it would have at least been a foot note in your peoples history when your neighbors the Xenar were wiped out." Jace pointed out with a chuckle.

"It was. Although humans coming into being was more notable since your species was far more reproductively compatible." Shilla answered. "But that turned out to be a moot point since you ended up retreating far away from our territory."

"Huh?" Jace frowned but continued to work as he got lost in his own thoughts for a moment before coming back. "The UEE, as mentioned before, was the backbone of the height of human exploration and colonization. In fact, as far as I can tell, they sent humans to other galaxies before finding other sentient creatures in their own backyard. That is how amped up their exploration was. The UEE stood for the United Earth for Exploration. Simple but it proved the point that they stood for exploration above all else."

"Then what is with the weapons and armaments?" Shilla pointed out literally as she nodded at a missile that was installed on the craft but was removed by Jace. He looked over at it and chuckled.

Jace shrugged as he finished what he was working on before moving on to another component. "Clearly they ran into something or someone who did not like them exploring to their hearts content. You know how hostile the universe is. Especially against a budding adversary."

"They started creating weapons in response to hostilities. But it was already too late." Shilla sighed as she started to understand what might have happened. "They saw the writing on the wall and destroyed evidence of the intergalactic travel points when they realized their enemy had never discovered it."

Jace nodded in agreement. That was the same consensus that he had managed to reach. "They were thorough to the very last paper. You can tell where they removed text or replaced reports to leave a gap of information."

"But even then, the absence of information should be leaving a trail." Shilla pointed out. "Could there be something we are missing?"

"No." Jace answered with a shake of his head turning back to the ship.

There was silence for a few minutes as Shilla made an unreadable expression before frowning. Then finally clarity hit as she understood and looked up at Jace. She spoke in her native language with several words that Jace could only describe as curses before she addressed him in the shared language they used. "You know where it is. Don’t you?"

Jace shrugged and grinned slightly before turning completely back and working on one of the fuel conduits. "I am not going to tell you. That secret is going to stay with me until we leave this galaxy. I mean you have to understand, it is a secret my distant ancestors took to the grave for a reason. What reason do you think they did that?"

Shilla sighed. "Well as long as you know where it is."

"Roughly." Jace answered.

Shilla narrowed her eyes. "That... nevermind." She gave up after a moment. "So now we have a possible target on our back after learning about the intergalactic travel points. Who do you think will come after us and how long until they do?"

"They are more likely to come to this facility and by the time they come here. All of the physical records, technology of note, and anything else of use will be aboard that cruiser." Jace informed her as he pulled over the welding equipment.

"That is why you have Cain and the others cataloguing everything. You need an accurate count of what you can bring and what may need to be destroyed." Shilla determined with a sigh. "What are you going to do about the facility itself when we leave?"

Jace shrugged. "Leave it on autopilot. Let the locals take it back if they can. Whether that is the local empire, the rebels that are covering this system, another nation, or even independent groups. Whoever manages to capture it can keep it." Jace answered with a shrug.

Shilla frowned as a thought occurred. "But the power source-"

"Will be replaced. Cain’s next item on the docket is to manufacture a replacement reactor that is inferior so we can take both miniature sun engines with us." Jace explained as he finished welding and moved so he could put the final touches on the back of the space fighter craft.

"That is not going to be easy. With that much literal power follow us around..." Shilla left her words open as she looked for a reaction that Jace did not provide.

"I know." He answered. "I am sure it will not be long before problems start coming to us." He then began welding on another external plate. "That is why I made a powerful friend and am going to make a quick run to grab the stabilization stuff we need. Was there anything else or..." He trailed off as he glanced over at her to make a point.

Shilla huffed. "I already know the answer to my constant question. I am going to check on the others. When are we leaving?"

"In an hour." Jace answered before glancing at the door and frowning. Then he looked back at what he was welding. "Take the files with you. I have no more use for them and it would be a good idea to keep them locked down." He reminded her.

Shilla looked out the door and then smiled after a moment before gathering up the papers and folders. He was about to have an unwelcome guest and did not want the files around for when they did come. She walked out the door and sped past the person who had started listening in on their conversation. She did not even spare the woman a glance as she walked past.

Shilla generally understood actions and learning about Jace’s history understood his hesitance to embrace his mother. But regardless she was more upset with the woman since her own mother had only ever just been out of frame so Shilla could grow without being coddled. His mother had out right abandoned him to a fate that did not necessitate growth but instead made it necessary for him to learn to survive at the cost of others.

Which made him excellent for shady work that required lots of killing. Buy made him a bad commander. The only reason he had such success was because of his ruthless planning that had him making several moves to orchestrate the outcome he wanted.

Jace was finishing with one of the plates and preparing to jump down when Catherine walked in. "I hope you do not mind speaking with an old woman like me." She described herself as old but she was not physically old.

"I will listen, but I probably will not respond." Jace told her as he jumped down and moved to a work table. Setting down his welding tool and mask before grabbing a wrench and moving to the underside of the ship.

"That girl." Catherine moved to a table with the tools he was using so she would have an excuse to watch his face when he turned away from the ship to grab a different tool. Probably trying to watch his facial expressions. "Why was she so angry with me? The Xenar said I did something to her but would not disclose more than that."

Jace thought about how to respond for a few moments. There were many ways this could go and many ways he could respond. But with the way she was acting... there was only one way she knew it should go.