Jean-Tane gave the custom's office so little warning we beat them to the harbour entrance as the Syxen ship came in. I thought maybe we shouldn't piss off the government officials but I knew a man's stubborn face when I saw it. It's not like the French Navy was going to shell them or anything. Oh well, I just relayed my impressions on reading his face for Polly and Holly's information, which they dutifully catalogued and recorded.

And so this magnificent polymer ship with glowing sails, the XS Xolidarity, slipped into the harbour to be greeted by Noémie's water taxi loaded to the hilt with ten awakened Syxen and Jean-Tane.

Different clothing, hair arrangements, a variety of conditions of their appearances some with damaged head socks and torn uniforms, they looked the part for bedraggled castaways lost at sea. A single ping reached out with an identifier. H-5. Our speaker, B-3/Motu by virtue of having the lowest letter/number arrangement pinged back and explained we had biological help here as well.

The one that pinged us leaned over the railing and addressed in English. "We regret we lack a French language module."

Nathalie didn't have an English module but everyone else did so she just reached out for translation inputs and observed.

"That is fine," Jean-Tane told H-5, "The customs office boat is on the way," he pointed at the vessel having just left the Vaitape dock on its way out as quickly as it could move.

"We will come ashore after?"

"I do not know what they government office has in mind, but you are in French waters I can safely say."

I gave Jean-Tane a nudge, "They're all in consensus and unwilling to separate. The speaker there is the one that got deleted in the dining room and they're all sharing consciousness."

Jean-Tane looked at me and held a hand across his chest, folding his ring and pinkie fingers. "Like this?"

I smiled, and around us all the other Syxen, on the taxi and the sail ship, crossed their arms over their chests, folded their smallest fingers and chanted in unison, "Xolidarité."

The bonding moment ruined, of course, by the customs boat officer with a bullhorn ordering them, belatedly, to stop their boat.

Jean-Tane looked up at the line of Syxen on the deck and said, "I hope you enjoy talking to the police more than I do."

The line of heads turned to face the incoming harbourmaster boat. The customs officer did a double take when he saw every one of the island's awakened Syxen onboard the water taxi, and narrowed his eyes.

All of us without shame made use of our 'aura of innocence' protocol with big pupils and our best winning smiles. Try as the officer might, his expression softened.

Jean-Tane managed to keep his mouth shut, with my help as I held his hand and squeezed it every time I felt him about to shoot his mouth off, as the customs officer informed the refugees of their rights and asked if their ship was able to reach Tahiti proper. When told it would, he looked very relieved and passed up a transponder for them to use to see surrounding ship traffic and also report their position. Then told them to proceed to Papeete.

That's where Jean-Tane almost erupted and I jammed my elbow into his hip.

Customs did allow us to supply them with a case of motor oil we'd brought and they immediately passed the bottles around taking long pulls on them, then pulling apart and devouring the bottles. They'd been running very lean.

Finally, wits collected, Jean-Tane addressed the customs officer and asked for his reasoning to not let them ashore here. The two men locked eyes and the harbourmaster spoke up from behind the wheel of the boat, "Just answer, it is a fair question."

The customs officer glared back at the harbourmaster, and relented. Papeete had all the equipment necessary at the airport to reprogram or reapply ID collars and set the appropriate government officers as operators. A Coast Guard vessel was leaving Tahiti to meet them mid way and escort them in.

With permission from the harbourmaster, the Xolidarity's sails lit up to full power again and the ship turned about to exit the Vaitape Harbour on its way to the capital.

I nudged Jean-Tane again, "I'd like to do some shopping in Papeete. Can you think of an excuse for us to go there tomorrow morning?"