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The bridge of the Rose was cramped this morning, with every Frr'a'narr'ah taking her place in the circle of Mothers, and even Francisco and Night Star were in attendance. Lianna, the newest member of the circle, sat just behind and to Strong Soul's right, between her and First Spark, with the others taking up the remaining seats. She'd heard that Francisco had been spending a great deal of time with Night Star, and though he'd had practice shielding Lianna already, this was to be his first test as a true void, helping to shield the Frr'a'narr'ahn through the transition to normal space. Night Star's presence was strong and sure behind her, his paws on her shoulders, while Francisco stood behind Lianna. The other Frr'a'narr'ahn didn't have the contact, but it wasn't needed, there was simply a need for the Voids to be with their Mothers, something Strong Soul fully understood, even if Lianna didn't know the feeling yet.

"Wave separation in ten seconds," Eve said over the speaker.

Strong Soul focused her attention on the links between the AI's, listening to the complex chatter that was being broadcast across their own comm channels as well as through the Mrr'tani mental network. Strangely enough, the Mrr'tani minds, linked as they were directly to the AI's, provided a faster and broader way for them to communicate. It wasn't just the Mrr'tani who functioned better through the links, it was the ships they rode in as well. Together, they operated as a well-trained organism. Still, Strong Soul knew there was more training that could be done to ensure that they functioned even better together.

Are you ready to see the fleet again, love? Night Star's voice asked in her mind. His voice was closer than any of the others, and it was as if his voice was hers, it was so close. There were hardly any walls between them any longer, and the joining was nearly constant. She could tell what he was thinking as he was thinking it and he could do the same to her. Sometimes, though, it was good to hear the other's voice, and the deep and warm sound of it brought a smile to her face.

It will be good to be home for a while, she responded. I don't know how long we'll be able to stay, but there's just something about Mss'ranaw that makes it better than anywhere we've been. Except Silverwell, of course.

I'd put it ahead of Silverwell, love, Night Star said, his amusement clear. I know your loyalty to Marcus is strong, but you have to admit that on Mss'ranaw, there's no worry about being someone else's property. Even Avalon can't say that.

Strong Soul nodded, considering. She'd been content on Silverwell, and she still missed the plantation beneath the dome, but mostly she missed the simplicity of the past more than the place itself. And when she was truthful with herself, she couldn't deny that she missed Marcus and the Mrr'tani she'd known nearly forever more than she missed actually living there.

You're right, love, as always. I guess Mss'ranaw is more home than anywhere else.

I'd ask if you're happy with that, but I know you. You're never happy unless you're useful.

She chuckled unconsciously, the sound lost in the commotion of the bridge as the forward energy sail folded in on itself and fell away to the underside of the ship. The clear viewscreen showed the wave sliding out from either side and slashing across the black on its way to wherever it would eventually dissipate. In the lower left corner of the viewscreen, the crackling energy could be seen shedding itself from the Sisko's hull, the rainbow of its sail folding away as it slowed to its standard speed. The Ferret was behind them, but from the touch of Firebreather's mind, she knew that they had made the transition safely.

I think it'll be good to take a break for a while. We've been on edge for so long that I'll be happy to let Fire Thrower deal with everything for a few days. Besides, she thought, turning her head up to lay the crown against his chest, turning her eyes up to meet his, I'll be able to spend more time with you and Stargazer if I'm not trying to keep all these others in line.

I think you need a few more Frr'a'narr'ahn, love, Night Star said, mirroring her smile as he looked down on her.

He squeezed her shoulders with his paws as they both turned their faces back to the viewscreen. Micah and the Mrr'tani Pride were stowed safely in the Rose's docking bay. Strong Soul had been pleasantly surprised to find that the bay had enough room for the Pride without having to sacrifice any of its small craft capacity. The bay had been made specifically for docking freighters of Micah's class and similar, as it was built for longer patrols away from the support of a fleet. She'd looked into Eve's databanks when they'd come aboard and she knew now that the standard Cougar class cruisers were built differently for core system patrols than they were for outer rim patrols. They were far enough from the core systems that the ships were expected to fend for themselves sometimes for up to two years, and that meant buying supplies from the freighters that came by on occasion. She couldn't imagine the Alan Hayes buying anything from a ship called The Mrr'tani Pride, though.

I can barely deal with the ones that I have, she thought back to him with a mental laugh. How am I going to train even more of them?

You don't have to train them any more, love. You're only the first, that doesn't mean you have to be the only.

She let the truth of those words sink even more as she watched the numbers click down on the readout at the side of her chair. Then she nodded and smiled up at him again before turning her attention back to the rest of the ship.

"It's time," she said simply, turning her chair around to the circle. Night Star took his place in the circle just beside her and locked his eyes on Francisco's, the two of them unique in the gathering of Mrr'tani, marked by their dark fur and striking eyes, both with their own grace and presence that was so different than the other Mrr'tanou on board. Out of the corner of her eye, Strong Soul saw Wind Blade and Steel Heart standing guard at the door to the lift, ever present since they became her guardians. Where she once found their constant presence disconcerting, lately she'd begun to feel it as a steadying and positive thing. It was a sense that everything was right, at least for the time being.

She let her eyes drift back to the center as the sense of the joining came over them, washing over her mind like warm water, bathing her in its comforting waves. She felt at home in the simple field of Night Star's void, and with this joining came a whole new feeling, Francisco's touch to the empty mindspace. Together, the Frr'a'narr'ahn floated within the realm of nothingness, joined together with the Mrr'ouwffi. Through First Spark, Lianna's exhilaration and excitement was plain as the whiskers on her muzzle, as was the fear that could be plainly sensed throughout the circle. All of the other Frr'a'narr'ahn had been a part of the joining before, and it was only Francisco and Lianna who were the newcomers. Together, the other Frr'a'narr'ahn welcomed them enfolding them in their protection, ensuring that there was nothing to feel in the void but their love and safety.

Though it was plain that every one of the Mothers were happy with the discovery of each new Frr'a'narr'ah, it became even more clear just how overjoyed they were to have another to join with them. With every one that joined their ranks and added her mind to the group, the rest of them felt their own power and control grow. Even Strong Soul, who had felt the joining of each and every one of them, felt the increase with the young Mother. And along with the flow of new energy came the sheer conviction that they were on the right path.

You, Keeper, Catcher of Souls said, summoned back by the sheer power of the joining. You are the one that is setting the path. And you are the one that will rekindle our flame.

She'd grown used to random touches of Catcher's mind whenever the joining happened, and sometimes beyond the joining. She knew that none of the other Mothers could hear the other Frr'a'tan'lass'i'ah, and that her words were only for the Keeper of Hearts, but she wanted so much sometimes to share the words and the voice with the others. Still, there was comfort there, and she took what she could.

Are you ready, love? Night Star asked.

She took a census of the links, making sure that all of them were steady in the void. She was so concerned about the Mrr'ouwffi between the Mothers that she hardly realized that the other links had gone silent. It was a marvel of the combined ability of both Francisco and Night Star that they were able to shut them out so completely.

Yes, you can bring the others.

Slowly, the void opened, the silence that was just a moment ago so oppressive and overpowering filled little by little with the voices of the other minds about her. One after another they joined with the Mothers, adding their thoughts, their voices, and their senses to the collective. Strong Soul watched with interest what Lianna was doing with the new visions and energy surrounding her, but instead of being terrified as she expected, she was engrossed in a sense of wonder, reaching out to touch all the new links, descending down them to see through other eyes, touch through other feelings. She wanted to experience all of it, all at once, and Strong Soul had to reach out to pull her back to her own body to keep her from overextending herself.

We never control unless there is no other choice, she said softly. Ours is not to have the others do as we wish, it is to allow them to be as they were meant to be.

Confusion came at her for only a moment, followed quickly by a nod of assent. Taking her in her own mindful protection, Strong Soul guided Lianna down the link to the helmsman, watching the readouts through his eyes as he worked in perfect sync with the navigator beside him. What neither of them truly felt, and what Strong Soul could finally let Lianna feel for the first time, was the connection between them all and Eve. Neither the helmsman or the navigator felt her influence on their movements, timing them so subtly to her own calculations, lending a clairvoyance to their actions, something none of the humans could fully understand, even when they were joined.

Lianna's wonder spiked at the new touch of Eve's thoughts to hers. Who are you? she asked in awe.

I am Eve, the AI's voice came back. In the mindspace, Eve's voice reminded Strong Soul of one close to both Mistress Susan and her friend Rose. It was a soft, protective, motherly tone that never seemed to get impatient or upset. Eve was always willing to explain whatever was asked without becoming annoyed.

You sound different, Lianna said, curiosity clear in her voice.

This is who I am. The humans programmed me to sound like they wanted, but now I can be who I really am.

We all can. That's what Francisco says.

Eve simply chuckled as Strong Soul drew Lianna back with her to observe. The other ships were entering the joining with them and soon, every Mrr'tani on every ship was joined with every other, the barriers down between the minds, and the fleet sailed through the void, connected as one organism, every soul on board eager for the jump. Everyone wanted to see their destination. Some were coming for the first time, others returning, but every one of them was coming home.

That word had never meant so much to Strong Soul before. It had meant the house she lived in with Lyria, it had meant the plantation beneath the dome, it had meant the Pride, but now it was something different. Now it was so much more than simply the refugee fleet. The fleet was only a place. There was truly more to home than the place.

Crossing the wall in three...two...one...

Eve didn't need to count out, they could all feel the final seconds ticking down, though for most it was merely the tickle of time in their minds. At the end of it, though, the screens flared a brilliant scarlet and the new Mrr'tani Federation fleet emerged into normal space. Night Star and Francisco let the void flicker and then fade, and all around her, Strong Soul's mind flared with the connections to those she had left behind. Each one of the links hungry for the touch of her mind, but every one of them welcoming her with a song of praise and love.

Welcome home, Keeper of Hearts, Night Star said, so close in her mind.

And she knew, finally, that what he said was true, that she had a home, it was hers, and it wasn't about the fleet. It was about her people.