3

"Ship's log entry, Terran Standard Date: 2515-01-24; Time: 1000 hours FCT. We have departed Elysinar and are enroute to the 'gate' we passed through when we first entered Drianedan space. It has since been learned that this entire star system is surrounded by quite lethal defensive satellites--the items that were thought to be simply marker buoys. The technology is far more advanced than anything previously experienced, which effectively renders the targeting and weapon systems undetectable. When asked what happens if one of the defense satellites should be destroyed, it was learned that they are self-replicating. Many of these satellites are hidden by stealth fields, which is why few were seen the first time. The Drianedans have had many hundreds of millions of years to perfect their defenses, as well as the rest of their technologies, which have been blended in with their environment and structures so well as to be unnoticeable. No doubt to less advance cultures, the Drianedans would seem magical. Once their initial reservations are overcome, they are a charming people.

"From information given by the Drianedans, the next system on the trail left by The Heart is called, 'Dra'ka', which is home to an unusual race of reptilians. Our guide, Rissanivi, has heard of them, and will tell us more about what she knows this evening after dinner."

"End log entry."

"Well, there's the gate," James announced as it came into view.

Althena, who had chosen to travel the distance from Elysinar to the boundary of Drianedan space, said, "I will signal the escort ship to come alongside."

She touched the center stone in the pendant of her necklace and spoke briefly to the commander of the escort ship in her own language. To James, hearing Althena speak in her native Elysil[1], he could imagine her race giving rise to stories of a variety of supernatural woodland beings in European cultures on Terra, if they had ever been there in the ancient past.

"They will be within range momentarily, Captain," Althena said when she was finished.

"Very well, we'll hold position here," James acknowledged, bringing Nightwing to a full stop. "Syl, contact the others and let them know to hold position here until Althena departs."

"Aye, sir, contacting them now."

"Tanya and I will see you to your ship, Althena. Zach, you have the conn."

"Aye, aye, sir," Zach acknowledged. "Ms. Silnarel, it was a pleasure meeting you. We all enjoyed our visit to your world."

Althena smiled, and touching both him and Sylvia on the shoulder, she said, "If your travels allow you to return this way again, all of you will be welcomed as friends. One day we will meet again, whether on Elysinar or somewhere out here among the stars. Until then, be safe, and may the forest always be in your hearts."

Zach and Sylvia both placed a hand on Althena's and said their goodbyes. James let Tanya get up first, and then he followed her and Althena off the bridge. After giving the rest of those onboard the opportunity to say their goodbyes, James and Tanya led Althena to the port docking tube where they waited for the escort ship to maneuver alongside.

"Captain, Commander...it is nice to know that there are still good people in this galaxy," Althena said with sincerity.

"When the time comes, you can count on us to do what we can to help stop those Dark Bloods and their minions you've told us about. Ever since we encountered the Wurnak Da'i, we've been learning as much as we can about them and the others we've had run ins with. Commander Rhuw-Rha'an and her crew had been captured by the Wurnak Da'i--they won't forget what they went through, or saw what their captors did to others. Like she said the other day, they are formidable when they have reason to be," James said.

"They were captured...and escaped?" Althena asked, surprised to learn of the incident.

"We and our four sister ships were the ones who rescued them. Two of those ships, and Nightwing, took Rha'an, her crew, and their ship, back to their homeworld. We have since established diplomatic and trade relations with the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire and other civilizations near them," James explained.

"Ah, that explains why they have chosen to come with you on your mission--they do not forget their friends. Whatever happens, you may count on them to stand with you," Althena said.

"How do you know this, ah?" Tanya asked.

In a conspiratorial voice, Althena leaned closer and said, "Three thousand years ago, I visited their world. It was beautiful...and also quite deadly, if one was not careful. Their world does not suffer fools. That said, if you should return there and are given the opportunity to be shown more of it, by all means, take them up on the offer--there are wonders on Mûr Zhæn that may provide interesting experiences which you will always remember."

"We plan on stopping there on the way back to...um, excuse me a moment," James said to Althena, having been interrupted when his comm set beeped. Tapping the button on it, James said, "Go ahead, Syl."

[Sylvia]: "Sir, the Drianedan escort ship is in position alongside and ready to attach."

[James]: "Very well. I'm extending the docking tube now."

When the tube was fully extended and made contact with the other ship, James initiated the seal and pressurized the tube.

[James]: "Syl, tell them we have a positive seal and pressurization is complete."

[Sylvia]: "Aye, sir. Stewert out."

"Well, looks like your ride is here," James said with a smile. He knelt down on one knee so that he could be closer to eye level with Althena. In seriousness he added, "In case something happens and we don't_get to see each other again, it was an honor making your acquaintance and a great privilege to visit your world. Hopefully, though, we _will meet again. And, if somehow you make it to Terra, we'll be happy to show you _our_forest, won't we Tanya?"

"Da, though you will need warm clothes, especially if it's winter when you come," Tanya agreed. She knelt down, too, and added, "We _do_hope to see you again. Take care, ah?"

Althena gave Tanya a friendly hug and said with a gentle smile, "I plan on being around a lot longer, my friend. Be safe." Turning to James, she took hold of his hands and said, "We know The Heart has called you and those who follow you. It will test you--in doing so, you will learn something of yourselves and of those who are also with you on the journey of_the heart _to The Heart. If you are found worthy, it may bestow upon you a gift. Whatever happens, do not despair--you are not alone. That is all I am allowed to say on it." She smiled ruefully and hugged James. "You are not alone." Giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead and then touching his cheek, she smiled again and said, "I must go."

James and Tanya stood, and then James opened the airlock.

"Be well, Althena Silnarel of Elysinar."

"And you, Captain James Daugherty of Terra."

When the outer airlock door on the escort ship was beginning to close, James thought he heard Althena's voice in his head again.

"We have been to your world, too."

Thinking quickly, James sent, "Althena..."

"We will meet again."

"I'll be..." James muttered, standing there in disbelief while the boarding tube retracted.

"What, moi lyubov?" Tanya asked, cocking her head slightly and sliding an arm around his waist.

"They are telepathic!"

* * * * *

With their short stay on Elysinar now behind them, the three ships departed Drianedan space and again took up the trail left by The Heart. After making the jump to hyperspace, they quickly settled back into their usual shipboard routine.

On the Se'nika, Gaen-Mar'an sat at her station in the Stellar Cartography Room, surrounded by a 3D holographic image of space. She watched as the real-time map displayed the astronomical data being collected, analyzed, and cataloged. The stellar cartographer made quick notes on anything that could be of interest to future explorers who might eventually come this way. Ahead of them was a small gap between dense dust and gas clouds and the energy trail they had been following went right through it--beyond that lay the Galactic Habitable Zone Outer Limit, and five thousand lightyears beyond _that_lay the nebula designated by the Terrans as NGC-2359.

"It looks much like a pass through the mountains--what shall we find on the other side of it?" Mar'an thought to herself.

On Nightwing, Tanya was having a similar thought while viewing the small gap between the two dense clouds of dust and gas.

"Looks like narrow canyon between mountains, da? We'll be first Terran ship this far from home, assuming the ship that brought Shauna's brother and his team out here was not one of our own."

* * * * *

When it was near dinner time, all three ships dropped out of hyperspace and linked up for a pot-luck meal, sharing among themselves what each could contribute from the supplies on hand. They had replenished their stores while on Elysinar, which included seeds that Elí and Meyleh were planning on growing in Hydroponics according to the directions given by the Drianedans. Rissanivi offered some space on her small ship for the growing of plants, which would add to their overall supply of fresh food.

"I don't know about you, Canberra, but I could go for some fresh meat," Sonya said as she loaded her tray from the selections available. "Re-sequenced protein...joy."

"Put enough barbeque sauce on it and you won't know the difference, ey," Felix suggested with a wry smile.

Looking askance at her shipmate, Sonya asked, "And what was _that_made out of?"

"It does have real tomatoes in it--the Fansq gals have been growing 'em down in Hydroponics. As for the rest of it...you'll have to ask Lt. Slis'issa, ey."

Sonya, who was in the process of adding the barbecue sauce on her "meat" selection, paused for a moment and said, "Ugh, 'better living through chemistry'...we should've brought a friggin' supply ship with us!"

"Ey, I'll see what I can find the next time we pull in somewhere, ey," Felix offered.

"As long as it's real meat and it's fresh...and edible, too!" Sonya retorted.

"It's already on my list, ey."

"I'm tired of taking artificial supplements."

"At least we ate well on Elysinar, ey."

Sonya finished loading her tray with food and picked up a glass to get some water.

"That was a few days out of, what...the past year?"

"Ey, we ate good on Élendor, too, and Esba'in--don't forget that, ey," Felix replied.

Sonya thought for a moment and said, "Okay, ya got me there. Esba'in was more my kinda place.

Felix thought, "You're a 'big city kitty', that's why, ey," but what he ended up saying was, "The place seemed kinda rushed, to me, ey. Felt like something was wasn't right."

Walking over to their table, Sonya thought on Felix's comment.

"Yeah...I suppose it did. Every station has its own feel to it, and it might have just been the way those aliens normally acted."

Læree'ahn, who had remained quiet up to this point, said, "Nervous all were, felt it I did."

"About what?"

"Tell her, beloved, dream you had," Læree'ahn gently prompted.

"You had one of your premonitions or something," Sonya asked Felix, pausing between bites.

Felix halfheartedly poked at his food with his fork a few times.

"It was...a bit intense, ey. Fire, people screaming...sections being carved up..."

"Tell about other," Læree'ahn prompted.

"Huh? Oh...I suppose this is where it gets weird. I saw huge glowing animal-like shapes tearing up the ships that were attacking. One...I guess it was like a bear or something, took a swat at one and shredded it like it was nothing. There was a big ship, one of the hostiles--I saw what seemed like wolves attacking it. They brought it down and ripped it open with their jaws. When it exploded, it didn't seem to faze them at all, they just went on to the next. I saw one hostile trying to get away, but one of the 'wolves' caught the aft end of it, and then...a beam of white light came out of its mouth and blasted through the ship length-wise. It was vaporized inside-out." Felix looked up at Sonya and added, "That's all I remember, ey."

"Jeezers, Canberra..." was all Sonya could say after hearing his description, her jaw slackened, and she nearly dropped her fork onto her tray.

"Shared it, my Felix did with me," Læree'ahn said, putting her arm around her mate.

"Hey, have you seen the playback of what we recorded when those hostile aliens were trying to break through into our space at Élenswena?" Sonya asked Felix.

"No, ma'am."

Sonya thought a moment and then said, "Stop by Fire Control tonight before taps and I'll show ya. Part of what you said is similar to what the recorders caught video of. McElroy and I watched it several times with Stewert--it's enough to make your fur stand on end."

After dinner was over it was time for general discussions on anything of interest. Tanya brought up their current location, displaying it using the holo-projection system along with the trail left by The Heart.

"For those who have not seen it, this was the view ahead at 1508 hours..."

Tanya played back the video recorded during their passage through the gap in the dust and gas clouds--the crew's mess was silent except for the quiet sound of the air handling system. Shortly after the gap, a transparent horizontal orange line came into view.

"This line represents the Galactic Habitable Zone Outer Limit--we crossed it at 1554 hours. According to the records, we are officially the first Sol Federation ship to have crossed this line. It also means we are the farthest away from our home worlds any of us have been," Tanya explained.

"Um, not me," Rissanivi piped up. "Vey'ani been here, been there, all around this part."

"Do you know anything about what is ahead of us?" James asked.

"Um, sure. Want show?" Rissanivi asked, blinking her eyes and flicking her tongue.

"If you wouldn't mind," James said with a little smile.

Rissanivi rapidly flicked her tongue a few times and smiled as best as her reptilian face would allow.

"For you_, I tempted to show_ everything," Rissanivi thought to herself, though what she said was, "Sure, don't mind."

Rissanivi stood in a slow, almost sensual manner, and walked lithely between the tables to where Tanya was standing. It was difficult not_to watch how Rissanivi moved about--from the tiny bird-like movements of her head to the way she walked with a fluid grace that at times seemed more reminiscent of a snake than a lizard. It was enough to stir feelings of jealousy in Sylvia, though to Mindy there was something about it that made her instinctually uneasy despite the fact that she found Rissanivi quite pleasant and likeable. Dr. Garland, the golden mantled ground squirrel G.E.L.F., had also felt an odd uneasiness watching Rissanivi move. Sonya, on the other hand, watched with the fascination of a large cat observing small prey--but, she tended to do that with everyone; except the Mûr Tua'ansa crew members, who gave_her the willies at times. From her seat next to James, Lilly watched it all, noticing everyone's reaction, though she paid closer attention to how the Vey'ani pilot acted around James.

"Um, can make this part bigger?" Rissanivi asked Tanya.

"Da, use this," Tanya replied, handing Rissanivi her PAD which had been set up to act as a remote for the display.

After receiving a quick demonstration of how to use the controls, Rissanivi zoomed in on a star that was ahead of them.

"This place, not been to but know about. Two inner planets big gas giants, then rocks, then Dra'ka. Home to big, big people...like me, but different. Way different. Old, old, people, too. Not sure if they still go places. Many stories about Dra'ka--some think people like me somehow come from Dra'ka long, long ago. Maybe even, um, people like Mr. Slis'issa or people like Élendorians. No one remembers now. Dra'kans, that what they called, are said to look different when want to. Um, sometimes like me, only big this way..." she indicated height with her hands, "and sometimes scary big, this way..." Rissanivi got down on her hands and knees, stretching her sinuous tail straight out behind her, and let out a long, throaty hiss. Standing back up, Rissanivi added, "They fly, too."

That caused some murmurs among the Terrans.

Cara spoke up and said, "It sounds like you're describing a dragon."

"Dragon? Um...dragon...maybe. What one look like?" Rissanivi asked.

"Moira, would you display some images of mythological dragons from Terra?" Cara asked.

Moira's android avatar nodded her head and looked towards the display. The image changed to show dozens of smaller images of various renditions of dragons.

"Which one of these looks the closest to what you're trying to describe?" Cara asked.

Rissanivi looked through the assorted images until she found one that she thought was the closest and pointed at it.

"Um, this one?"

Moira's avatar nodded her head, and then the selected image filled the display. If such a living being actually existed, it would have terrified the largest predatory animal on every known world.

After a moment of silence while everyone looked at the image, Mindy said, "How can something get that big, really? There's a size limit I remember reading about, that dictates how big an animal lifeform can get, depending on factors such as density, gravity, climate, available food source, metabolism, and the like. On heavy gravity planets, lifeforms are dense and don't get very tall; on light gravity planets, water worlds, or in the upper atmosphere of a gas giant, lifeforms can get fairly large, but their density is low."

"I agree with Chief Sorrel," Jhan-Kri'an sent openly. "While such a being as that would make for a delightful story to frighten little ones, I doubt a living thing could grow to that size and sustain itself for long."

"On Thabb, biggest animal is the arthaswananachuhitherwansachim--it's not much taller than Chief Sorrel, but is about four to five meters long, about one to one-point-five meters wide, and has sixteen short legs. They move slow most of the time, but can move fast if want to. Thabbani have found fossils of bigger animals--all short compared to big dinos of Terra," Thavi added.

"Um, I...might have picture image," Rissanivi said. She rummaged through her belt pouch and found a data storage device. Inserting it into her own equivalent of a PAD, Rissanivi quickly looked through the files it contained.

"Oyba, here...found it! Only few known picture images of a Dra'kan," Rissanivi said.

Tapping a series of keystrokes, the unit displayed a holo-projection of a Dra'kan, with beings of other races standing in front of it.

The Dra'kan dwarfed them all.

* * * * *

Naoia chuckled lightly to herself while she listened in on what was being discussed on Nightwing.

"Oh, are they going to be in for a surprise when they meet Arneora!"

Taking a sip of her tea, the First One thought back to the last time she had spent visiting Dra'ka and seeing the sights. The Crystalline Falls of Yeniras was one of her favorite places to visit when the moons were full. When the light was captured and refracted by the large crystal growths, it lit the mist that hung in the air about the wide waterfall in a gentle kaleidoscope of colors. The palatial Grand Hall with its long, statue lined mall was also impressive, though Naoia thought it was a bit overdone by her own tastes.

"They do like their statues," she mused, taking another sip of her tea.

The statues in question were of famous Dra'kans, all larger than life size, and perched so that they looked down upon those who walked--or flew--between them. It was enough to unnerve lesser beings who felt that the statues were sitting in judgement of their character. Some claimed that the faces followed them as they passed by. To Naoia, they were simply old acquaintances--some fondly remembered, others not so much.

"They better not ever make a statue of me--I'll have it stalk the ones who made it so that they'll be constantly looking over their shoulder, wondering where it'll pop up next to bite them on the tail!"

Naoia snickered at the mental image of a Dra'kan sculptor being chased by his own creation. She typically wasn't one to play such pranks--that was more Sa'leh's thing, though every once in a great while, Naoia _had_been known to get creative when dealing with certain individuals. Like her friend, A'aleen, Naoia wasn't one to take "no" for an answer when she felt she had good reason not to.

* * * * *

Arneora, having changed back to her smaller anthropomorphic form after meeting with Naoia, walked through the archway that led into her private chambers. No sooner than she sat down in her salon to think, there was a soft chime.

"What is it this time?" Arneora thought scornfully, reaching for the crystal orb on the table.

"Speak!" she commanded. When she saw who was displayed in the orb, her expression softened. "Ah, D'Narial, come in!"

Arneora put the orb back onto its holder and leaned back on her lounger, waiting for her visitor. D'Narial, although young compared to Arneora, entered with a quiet, dignified demeanor, which she had always found charming about him. His taste in clothing and adornment was rakish without being flamboyant--another thing she admired.

Stopping at a respectable distance before her, D'Narial bowed.

"Dra'ka Nulen."

Arneora slowly nodded her head.

"Young Master D'Narial, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Our Watchers have spotted the three small foreign vessels Sire Nehv-re'dan spoke of. They will arrive in approximately two planetary days at their current velocity and course. Do you still wish for me to meet them before they enter homespace?"

"That would be the appropriate thing to do, I think. Mistress Naoia insisted that we should be gentle with them and not give them a fright--she no doubt will be watching them closely."

D'Narial bowed and said, "Of course, Dra'ka Nulen. I shall see to it. Are they to be brought here, first, or to the Grand Hall?"

"Observe them--if they are as Mistress Naoia says, then bring them here where they will be my personal guests," Arneora replied.

"And if not, then to the Grand Hall?" D'Narial asked.

"Where they will stay in the usual guest quarters for the duration of their visit."

"Of course, Dra'ka Nulen," D'Narial replied, again bowing to his elder's wishes.

"You may as well run along and go meet these 'friends' of Mistress Naoia. Report to me after you have made contact and again when you have had an opportunity to assess their character."

"Of course, Dra'ka Nulen. My ship is ready to take wing--I shall leave immediately. By your leave...?"

Arneora nodded her head and gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Fly with honor, young Master D'Narial."

With a courtly bow, D'Narial turned and left Arneora, heading directly for his waiting ship.

* * * * *

Along the way to the portal chamber, D'Narial smiled slightly to himself and shook his head.

"No doubt the First One meant that the Dra'ka Nulen herself should be gentle with the mortals."

When he arrived on his ship, the Faln Aore, D'Narial noted that the three incoming vessels were still maintaining course and speed.

"They will be easy to catch at the rate they are going."

The Faln Aore spread her wings as the main drive engaged, and then slipped into trans-dimensional waveslip mode. This particular form of travel had been developed and perfected by the First Ones, who gave it to their children and their children's children when they were ready for it. To D'Narial, it meant that he could arrive at any location within the galaxy within moments--useful for catching the minions of the Dark Bloods in the act whenever they were up to no good, which seemed to be happening more and more often. He re-entered normal space a sufficient distance ahead of the three smaller vessels, staying out of their direct flightpath so as to not appear confrontational.

When his ship was just coming into range of their sensors, D'Narial announced his presence.

* * * * *

/* "NANORAKOOR AMALEDAN. THENAR'DA CHALLE, DRA'KA VANOR-CHELA, FALN AORE. CHU ALKH NISHAG." */

"AI!!!" Sylvia exclaimed, quickly holding her hands to her ears.

The booming voice came over every speaker in each of the three ships, causing everyone but Moira to wince at the loudness and cover their ears.

"What was that?!" James asked, looking back at his Comm Officer.

"Don't know, sir. It was painfully loud, whatever it was!" Sylvia replied.

"Sensors just picked up a large...ship, I think, ahead and to our starboard, just off our flightpath. It doesn't match anything we've encountered so far," Zach announced.

"Put it on the main viewer," James ordered.

When the holographic projection of the alien ship appeared, everyone on the bridge stared at it. Before James could contact the other two ships, an energy beam erupted from the strange alien ship, sweeping across all three.

"A high-powered scan...!" Zach said over the loud humming sound the beam made as it impacted all circuits.

/* "James, something is...accessing my...data storage." */ Moira said.

"Can you lock it out?" James asked nervously.

/* "No, all attempts to do so have failed," */ Moira replied.

"What is it after, can you tell?"

/* "It appears to be concentrating on language areas. It..." */ as suddenly as it happened, everything returned to normal. /* "...has stopped," */ Moira finished with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Are you okay, Moira?" James asked with concern.

/* "Running diagnostics...nothing appears to have been altered, except for a new entry in the translation matrix," */ Moira replied.

"New entry? What kind of entry? Is it some form of malware?" James asked.

/* "It is identical in nature to all other language files--apparently we have been given the ability to communicate with an unknown species." */

"Unknown...maybe they just told us who they are. Is there any way to run what we heard through the translation matrix? Anyone?"

"It didn't come through any of the communication channels," Sylvia said.

"It seemed to have been a form of induction, coming through every speaker, as near as I can tell," Zach said.

/* "It is still in the buffers for my audio pickups. I will route it through the translation matrix and play it back at a normal level," */ Moira announced.

"Let's hear it," James said.

/* "Beginning playback...'Greetings friends. This is the Dra'ka interceptor, Faln Aore_. We meet here'_." */

"Well, that...certainly seems to the point," James commented. "Syl, contact the others and tell them to drop to normal space. We'll hold here for a bit until we find out more about the ship ahead of us."

"Aye, sir." Less than a minute later she announced, "They're ready to drop when we are."

James nodded his head, and then activated the All-Call circuit from his panel.

"Attention all hands, this is the captain. We have been contacted by the Dra'kans--apparently, they wish to meet here. We're dropping to normal space in five...four...three...two...one..."

James brought Nightwing out of hyperspace, with the other two ships following suit. They came to a stop at what they assumed to be a respectable distance from the Dra'kan ship.

"Syl, open a channel," James ordered.

Sylvia touched a few control pads and then said, "Channel open, sir."

James nodded to his Comm Officer and said, "Dra'kan vessel, this is Captain James Daugherty of the Sol Federation Ship, Nightwing. We..."

/* "Yes, Captain, we know of you and those who travel with you. We also know of your mission. You may approach so that we may meet face-to-face as is proper. Proceed to a distance of five hundred of your meters from this vessel and hold there. We will meet shortly thereafter." */

"They've closed the channel on their end, sir," Sylvia quickly announced.

"Oo-kay. Syl, patch me through to Rha'an and Rissa--conference call mode," James said.

"Aye, sir...establishing conference mode," Sylvia acknowledged.

When Rhuw-Rha'an and Rissanivi appeared side-by-side on the main viewer, James asked, "Were you scanned and then contacted as well?"

/* "Scanned, yes. We heard the exchange between you and the Dra'kan ship," */ Rha'an replied.

/* "Um, yep and yep. Heard other in Vey'ani...how you hear?" */ Rissanivi asked.

/* "Interesting. We heard the Dra'kan in Tu'an and you, James, in your own language," */ Rha'an replied.

"Moira found they somehow inserted a language file into our translation matrix. We're assuming it contains the necessary information to use our translator to communicate with them," James said. "We heard them in Terran Standard English."

/* "We have discovered a similar addition to our own translation matrix," */ Rha'an acknowledged.

/* "Um...yep, me, too. Dra'kans old, old, people--been around longer than, um, Drianedans. Very powerful, we not upset. Should go meet like they want. We go now?" */ Rissanivi asked, glancing out the window of her control cabin and flicking her tongue nervously.

"We better not keep them waiting, then. Let's move out," James agreed.

Rha'an nodded her head once and then closed her channel.

/* "Um...James?" */

"Yes, Rissa?"

/* "Remember what said...no matter what they look, Dra'kan older than appear. Way, way, older. We like, um, what word...bug? Bug...yeah, we like bug to them. Be careful." */

"We'll be careful, Rissa," James said with a slight smile. He glanced over at Sylvia and gave a quick nod and she closed the channel. Facing forward, James added as he began moving the ship closer, "Well, let's not keep them waiting."

* * * * *

As per the instructions given, James brought Nightwing_alongside the Dra'kan ship, _Faln Aore, standing off at five hundred meters. To his right were Rissanivi's courier and then the Chel-Sar Se'nika.

"Jeezers, look at the size of it!" Zach exclaimed, looking forward out the bridge window.

"That's an interceptor? I'd hate to see one of their battle cruisers," Sylvia said in awe while looking at the alien ship.

"No kidding," James agreed. While he examined the large ship, it occurred to him to check on a certain other ship. "Zach, what about our 'friend' that's been following us, are they getting closer or did they stop?"

Zack turned back to his instruments, touched a few control pads, and put the image on the main viewer.

"Their forward velocity has slowed. It looks...like it's walking."

Zach zoomed in on the strange wolf ship and indeed it _did_appear to be walking in a wolf-like manner at a leisurely pace. It came closer than it normally had been following, now well within normal sensor range, and then it stopped and appeared to sit. The wolf ship seemed to be making a point that it was watching.

"Zach, zoom in--see if you can get a good view of it," James requested.

"Increasing magnification to times two hundred fifty," Zach called out. "Now at times five hundred."

The image of the wolf ship resolved sharply enough to get a better view than they have had for some time. Rainbow-hued energy seemed to flow slowly in an odd, nearly mesmerizing pattern around the wolf ship. It turned its "head" so that it looked directly at Nightwing.

"Do you think it knows we're looking at it?" Zach asked.

At that moment, the wolf ship made a gesture that was unmistakable--it wanted them to pay attention to the Dra'kan ship.

"I think that just answered your question, Zach," James said.

"Jeezers! Uh...switching the viewer ahead at normal magnification," Zach said quietly.

The wolf ship's "head" moved as if it just gave a little snort, and then perked the "ears" up and forward while dropping its "nose" a bit--it was giving "the stare", which made both James and Tanya uneasy.

"Da, you do that," Tanya said quietly, dropping her own ears instinctively.

* * * * *

It wasn't long before they were contacted by the Dra'kan ship.

/* "This is D'Narial of the Dra'ka interceptor, Faln Aore_. I will meet with you on your ship, Captain Daugherty, since it is the larger of the three. Inform the other two ship commanders to join us. I will transport to the part of your ship where small craft are stored in thirty of your minutes. No special requirements are necessary. This shall be an informal meeting_." */

"They closed the channel on their end, sir," Sylvia announced before James could speak to the Dra'kan.

"Doesn't mince words, does he?" James asked rhetorically with a bit of annoyance. "Syl, contact Rha'an and Rissanivi--tell them to be over here in fifteen minutes. Have Redhill transport Rissanivi."

"Aye, sir," Sylvia acknowledged.

* * * * *

James, Rhuw-Rha'an, and Rissanivi grew quiet when it was almost time for the Dra'kan to appear in Nightwing's hangar bay. Of the three, only Rissanivi had grown up hearing about the Dra'kans, and now she was about to come face-to-face with one. Among humans of Terra, dragons were things of fairy tales and mythology--aside from the large monitor lizard known as a Komodo dragon on his homeworld, and the surprise bit of knowledge given by Althena Silnarel that the Drianedans had been to Terra, James began to wonder if the Dra'kans had been, too. Rha'an's own people had no myths about beings who resembled dragons, though she had seen her share of large animal life forms during her time in the Mûr Tua'ansa Imperial Star Service.

Promptly, at thirty minutes after their last communication ended, there was a multi-hued swirl of light that formed a large shape before it diminished and coalesced into a bipedal form at least a head taller than Rha'an. The Dra'kan was powerfully built and covered with overlapping scales that had a metallic quality about them, ranging in colors from gold to silver, copper, and bronze. Two horns extended behind and slightly upward from the back of the skull.

Briefly touching what appeared to be a jewel on a wrist bracer, the Dra'kan spoke.

"I am D'Narial, Master of the Faln Aore."

"Welcome aboard Nightwing, Master D'Narial of Dra'ka. I am Captain James Daugherty, this is Madam Commander Rhuw-Rha'an of the Mûr Tua'ansa exploration ship, the Chel-Sar Se'nika, and this is our guide in this part of the galaxy, Miss Rissanivi Salnuano of Vey'a Two," James said, making the formal introductions.

D'Narial nodded slightly towards each as their name was spoken, though his eyes lingered slightly longer on Rissanivi. After casually glancing about, D'Narial brought his attention back to James.

"There is a place where we may sit and be more comfortable, yes?"

"Our dinning facility has more room, though our library would be more comfortable...if you don't mind a smaller space," James replied.

"A library...a place where one may sit and read, to learn of things, yes?" D'Narial asked.

"That is correct," James acknowledged.

"Then that would be more appropriate for quiet conversation, I would think," D'Narial said, gesturing with his hand for James to lead the way.

"Then, the library it is, if you will come this way...?"

D'Narial nodded his head and followed James, with Rha'an and Rissanivi following behind them. The Dra'kan had to duck his head in several places, though he seemed to not mind. Even the short ride in the lift didn't faze him as far as anyone could tell. Rhuw-Rha'an was unable to pick up any surface thoughts from the Dra'kan, which to her meant that he had a far more disciplined mind than most others who were not of her people.

Once in the ship's library, D'Narial headed straight for the couch and sat upon it, since it was the largest place to sit.

"May I offer you something to drink?" James asked.

D'Narial thought a moment and then replied, "Something cold, not sweet, I think."

"Ladies, would you care for anything?" James asked Rha'an and Rissanivi.

They both asked for juices. James contacted Felix and had him bring the drinks to the library. A large iced tea for their guest, fruit juice for the ladies, and coffee for James.

Tasting it, D'Narial held up his glass and looked appreciatively at its contents.

"An interesting beverage. Quite enjoyable, in fact." James and the others saw what appeared to be a slight wisp of vapor escape the Dra'kan's nostrils. Lowering his glass, he met the eyes of James and Rha'an and said, "News of your exploits have reached us on Dra'ka. That you have gone out of your way to help others has not gone unnoticed by many, including those of us among the Elder Races who still maintain a watchful eye." D'Narial took a sip of his iced tea and glanced at Rissanivi before continuing. "Your choice of a guide through this part of the galaxy is commendable, though perhaps not just for the distant connection between the Vey'ani and ourselves. They are a hardy people, and well-traveled, and they have proven resistant to the machinations of certain others that I am certain you have heard of by now."

"The Dark Bloods and their followers," James stated.

"Correct. You have had encounters with some of those, so we have learned." Looking directly at Rha'an, D'Narial added, "And you, young lady...you and those you lead were most fortunate. A harrowing ordeal, no doubt, though one met with dignity and courage." He took another drink of his tea, which was followed shortly by another wisp of vapor. "The one who follows you...I understand you have not met, yes?"

"We still don't know who it is, or even what, for sure," James replied.

"But you have met her companion, the Great Lupin," D'Narial said, watching their expressions closely.

"You mean, Char'ena?" James asked.

D'Narial smiled ever so slightly.

"I find it interesting that she revealed herself to you. She must have been intensely curious, and particularly so of one among you to whom she spent time with personally."

James raised an eyebrow and asked, "Lilly?"

"I believe that is the name I heard, yes. The Heart has a special interest in her as well," D'Narial replied, carefully watching the expressions of his hosts.

"You know about the artifact known as The Heart?" Rha'an asked aloud.

A bemused smile formed on D'Narial's face.

"Artifact. That hardly begins to describe what The Heart is." He took a thoughtful sip of his drink, which was promptly followed by another wisp of vapor from his nostrils. "The Heart...it was created by the First Ones, far back in their dim past. It is both what you might think of as a machine and a being, of sorts. It answers to the First Ones, though it has its own mind and will. The item that you think is The Heart, is only a part of it--the actual Heart is said to be located in the realm of existence the First Ones come from. It exists in multiple places and times at once. You have deduced a fraction of its nature from what you and others have observed...from the particular manifestation of it whose trail you follow."

James and Rha'an exchanged surprised looks.

"Do you have any idea why it decided to call us to it?" James asked.

D'Narial took another sip of his iced tea and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"All I can say is that once it decided to choose you, it set into motion a chain of events that would make sure you were in the right place, at the right time, and for the right reason. By whatever standards it operates on, it chose you to be tested--and you are being so, even now. The mind of The Heart, or of any First One for that matter, is far beyond what you and I may understand, and I am of one of the Elder Races. We Dra'ka are as much beyond you as you are from the simplest of creatures, and even the Dra'ka Nulen--she who is wisest among us--knows only a little more than I have told you of The Heart and its creators." D'Narial took another sip, followed by wisp of vapor. "The First One who has been following you is your guide, if you will think of her as such. She is tasked with helping you find it, and make sure that you do. Only a First One may correctly know the location of The Heart, or any of its manifestations--all others require assistance, which, I believe, you already know. One more thing about this--it is said that what you are now on is a 'journey of the heart to The Heart. By that it means your own heart of being, by whichever term you wish to call it in your own tongues, is making a journey of discovery that--at the end--will result in you becoming more than you were before starting upon it. You will learn more about your own selves as well as those who are on the journey with you...and perhaps more about the larger nature of existence and your connection to it."

James thought about what he and the others had just been told, and then asked, "So, the fact that we've met the Drianedans, and now you, that it was all planned by The Heart?"

D'Narial smiled slightly and replied, "You may wish to think of it that way, yes. As for meeting myself, well, that may have been to satisfy my own curiosity as much as anything, but you will meet with the Dra'ka Nulen on our world, and stay as her personal guest. I am sure you will find the experience...interesting, as well as enlightening."

"So, you say that only a First One may find The Heart...does that mean the one following us knows where it is?" James asked.

"Oh, certainly. This was put into motion some time ago, be sure of that. I know the First One who has been following you, though do not bother asking her name--she made it quite clear that she will tell you herself when the time is right," D'Narial replied.

"Can you tell us anything helpful we should know about when dealing with these First Ones?" James asked.

D'Narial rested his chin on his hand for several moments, considering what to say next.

"Since they have not openly been to your world within the living memory of your people, of them I will say this..." D'Narial looked quite serious at James and Rha'an, "...they are beings of immense power, and they have abilities you cannot imagine. None have been able to discern their true forms, so far are they removed from any life form known to this universe. However, we--those of the known races that exist here and in other places--will generally perceive them in the only two ways our minds may grasp. One is whatever material form they choose to take; the other appears to us simply as a globe of swirling light with a vague form at its center...and the eyes, you will not mistake those. Every culture has had beliefs in various beings they call gods, at one time or another in their development. The First Ones are beyond those; however, they do not consider themselves to be such. Think of them more as guiders and caretakers, as teachers and guardians. They are generally of a benevolent nature, as far as is known, though do not anger them--once their anger is set loose, space itself will tremble and the repercussions will be long felt. There is a battle to be waged, one that has been long in coming, and you of the Younger Races will decide which side you wish to take. You will be given the opportunity to make your choice when the time comes."

"So, it is true, then, yes?" Rha'an asked aloud. "From what we have seen for ourselves or have heard from others, there is a Darkness that has been spreading. Those of my own have experienced a part of it--if not for the efforts of those of this ship and others like it, we would not be here to hear your words," Rha'an added with a slight shudder.

D'Narial looked upon Rha'an with a measure of compassion.

"The Wurnak Da'i Dominion. Our Watchers know of them," he said softly, but then his demeanor became tinged with hostility. "Rest assured, they will be among the first to fall."

A puff of darker, smoke-like vapor came from D'Narial's nostrils and a slight glow lit his eyes for a moment. Rissanivi, who had been silent nearly the whole time, suddenly felt a desire to be elsewhere at the brief display of anger by the Dra'kan. From the stories she had grown up with, Rissanivi had no doubt that if D'Narial had truly been angry, he could have slagged the entire portion of the ship they were in. The Dra'kan chugged the remaining tea in his glass, including the ice cubes, which was followed by a faint hissing sound and a more pronounced cloud of vapor wafting from his nostrils.

Softening his expression and looking at his glass, D'Narial said, "That was most excellent."

"Would you like some more?" James asked.

D'Narial contemplated the likelihood of ever tasting such a beverage again.

"That would be appreciated. Who knows when I may have another chance to enjoy more of this."

James called his Yeoman, instructing him to bring more iced tea for their guest. When Felix arrived with a pitcher of tea, he refilled D'Narial's glass and set the tray with the pitcher nearby in case he wanted more.

"Ah, thank you, you are most kind," D'Narial said gracefully to Felix.

"You're welcome, sir," Felix responded, with their guess giving a nod of his head in return. "Anything else, Captain?"

"Ladies, would you care for a refill?" James asked.

"I would enjoy another, yes," Rha'an sent to both James and Felix.

"Um...I still work on this one," Rissanivi replied.

"I'll take a refill, James said quietly to Felix.

"Aye ma'am, sir..." Felix said, taking Rha'an's glass and James' mug.

While Felix was off to get refills, D'Narial stood and casually looked at the collection of printed books in the ship's library, lightly running his clawed fingers over their spines.

"I have always enjoyed reading. There is nothing quite like discovering the creations of those who tell wonderous stories, and tell them well enough that you feel you are there, within the story itself. And then there are the histories laid down for others to learn from. In my personal collection, I have histories and stories from many worlds, some now long gone and forgotten by all but a few," D'Narial said the last quietly with a tinge of sadness. "When you have lived as long as I have, the echoes of the past become like old friends who live on in my memory. As long as they are remembered, they are as immortal as I." Turning back to the couch and gesturing towards the books, he added, "These are a treasure beyond metals and stones; guard them well, and visit them often so that they, too, may be remembered."

"We have many thousands more in electronic format, stored in our computer system. I still like an old-fashioned book in my hand, though," James said with a smile.

D'Narial's face brightened.

"Ah, you are a reader, excellent! Do you write as well, by chance?"

"I haven't tried my hand at that, though I do have an ancestor who wrote several books. We have copies of them in the computer," James replied.

"Perhaps we can arrange a trade during your visit--some new material would be a delight to explore," D'Narial said.

"Certainly, I'll see that a copy of our book collection is made available to you," James agreed with a smile.

"And I will do the same," D'Narial said with nod of his head.

"We also have a number of histories and stories collected from across our empire, if you would like a copy," Rha'an said to D'Narial.

"Um, I have some, though maybe not, um, what word...lo, lof, lofty? Um, yeah, that," Rissanivi offered quietly.

D'Narial smiled and said, "Any would be appreciated, of course."

Rissanivi blinked rapidly a few times and smiled as best as she could.

They chit-chatted with D'Narial for another half an hour or so, and then he announced that he should return to his ship.

"I have enjoyed our visit. If you will follow my ship, I will escort you into our space and to our world. There is a sizable landing facility available with ample support services and hangarage for your ships. From there, transport portals will deliver you to most locations--those will be explained in more detail upon your arrival," D'Narial explained.

"It was an honor and a pleasure meeting you, sir. We are looking forward to visiting your world," James said, extending his hand.

D'Narial grasped James' forearm and placed his other hand on James' shoulder.

"I welcome the chance to visit further, Captain." Turning to Rha'an, he held his hands out with palms up which she accepted by placing her hands on top of his. "Madam Commander, it is a pleasure to have made your acquaintance. I trust your people will find their stay enjoyable."

"We are honored by your offer of hospitality and hope to return the same someday," Rha'an said, bowing her head.

D'Narial looked thoughtfully at Rha'an and said, "I believe I may do so, perhaps when the current situation calms a bit."

Lastly, D'Narial faced Rissanivi.

"So, am I everything your stories have said of my kind," he asked with a slight smile.

"Um...don't know, maybe...some," Rissanivi replied nervously.

"There is no need for you to fear me. Although quite distant, there is a connection between our people, though perhaps not in a way you might think. I believe you will find your stay as enjoyable as the others will."

D'Narial held his hand out, palm facing Rissanivi, who slowly placed her palm against his. He smiled and bowed his head slightly. Stepping away from the three, he touched something on his wrist bracer and said, "Until we meet again." D'Narial dissolved into swirling multi-hued light and disappeared.

After several seconds of standing there, looking blankly where their guest had been, James asked quietly, "Ever get the feeling that we're in something that's way over our heads?"

"Repeatedly, James," Rha'an sent, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Oyba-lin! Um, big time, you bet!" Rissanivi exclaimed quietly, putting an arm around James'.

* * * * *

"Personal log entry, Terran Standard Date: 2515-01-25; Time: 2133 hours FCT. The meeting with D'Narial, the Dra'kan ship master, seemed to have went well today. We learned a few things and he confirmed some other items we've had suspicions of. The surprising part, for me, anyway, was when he mentioned that he was immortal. I've never met anyone who was truly immortal before--actually, I don't think Rha'an or Rissa had either, up to this point. Well, I don't know about Char'ena, the huge wolf-being that Althena said was the companion of a First One. I still have trouble trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Althena is over four thousand years old. D'Narial said that his kind is as far above us as we are above 'the simplest creatures', as he put it. He seemed normal enough to me, I suppose, but then we only talked for roughly an hour. Not a lot of time to really get a good understanding of a species you've just encountered for the first time. What he said of the First Ones, though, should be enough to scare the heck out of anyone. D'Narial acted like he was holding something back--maybe he had a good reason to. Come to think of it, Althena seemed very careful about what she said of the First Ones, too. After what we witnessed of the wolf-ship earlier today on the bridge, before meeting with D'Narial, I can't shake the feeling one or more of those First Ones may actually be watching us somehow. Given what D'Narial hinted at as far as their abilities, I don't know if I should feel comforted or paranoid knowing one or more may be looking over my shoulder as I type this, and that there is no way I could ever know if they were or not. D'Narial said he knows the First One who has been following us, and that it is a 'she'. Perhaps that might explain why Rissa became scared when she first saw Tanya...could there be some similarity between that First One's material form and how wolf G.E.L.F.s look? The two central figures in the chamber that had held The Heart on Élendor certainly looked like wolf G.E.L.F.s, only larger and wilder looking, I guess is the best way to describe them. Well, whoever 'she' is, it seems clear that the First One who has been following us will appear to us on her own terms.

"Lilly still seems have some particular part to play in all of this, though what, exactly, nobody seems to know--or is willing to say. I don't scare easily, but this bit about The Heart and Lilly...ye gods, I hope nothing bad is going to happen to her! I don't think I could stand losing Lil...but I promised Uncle Kenny that I will bring her home, and everyone else, too. We've been fortunate so far--I hope our fortune continues to hold.

"End log entry."

James leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes a moment. They were still underway to Dra'kan space, which D'Narial had sent a brief message saying that it would be another two days at Nightwing's normal cruising speed. After the meeting with D'Narial, James had half seriously made a comment to Tanya that they should put an info graphic in the galactic star map where the border of Dra'kan space was, saying, "Beyond this point, there be dragons."

When it was time for lights out, and the majority of the crew were settled in for the ship's night, James headed back to his cabin after making his customary walk around the ship. Satisfied that everything seemed in order, James entered through the cabin's private door to get ready for bed. Tanya was minding the bridge during midwatch, Shauna was sitting on the edge of the bed poking at something in her left hoof, Moira's avatar was sitting patiently on the chair, and Lilly was already in bed, reading something on her PAD. When James walked in, Lilly looked up, smiled and made a kissing gesture, which he returned affectionately. James went about his usual routine of getting ready for bed, and after closing his locker, he joined Lilly in bed.

"What page are you on now, Lil?" he asked quietly.

"Just finishing up chapter three of the second book. I got about...five more pages to go," she replied.

James smiled and slowly stroked Lilly's fur-hair while he watched her read. Every once in a while, Lilly's eyes would dart over to James before returning to the story she was reading. When she finished the chapter, Lilly closed out the book reader on her PAD, thumbed it off, and put it on the nightstand.

"Ya know, you make it difficult to concentrate when you do that," Lilly said quietly, snuggling up with James.

He just smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"If you are ready, Shauna, I will switch the lights," Moira's avatar said.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess. Go ahead," Shauna replied.

Moira switched the main lights off after Shauna put her pick tool in the drawer of the nightstand on her side of the bed and got under the covers, and then she joined them in bed. Whenever Shauna laid next to James, she always felt warmer than his other mates, though he knew that was due to her slightly higher normal body temperature.

Turning enough so that he could touch Shauna's cheek, James kissed her goodnight. Content, she positioned her head so that her chin was over James' head and quickly fell asleep. Moira's android avatar leaned over Lilly and kissed James, and then hugged Lilly, before "powering down non-essential functions"--her equivalent of going to sleep.

"Jamie?" Lilly sent privately.

"Yeah, Lil?"

"That dragon guy...you said he knows the First One who's been following us?"

"That's what he said," James acknowledged.

"And he said she's supposedly our guide, or whatever?"

"Yep."

"I hope it's not the same gal in the story," Lilly sent.

"Why's that?"

"I dunno, that one just seemed kinda snooty."

James chuckled softly and sent, "I kinda doubt the one following us will be anything like that character, Lil."

"I hope she's nice and won't treat us like bugs or something."

"Well, we know her companion, Char'ena, is nice, so maybe she will be, too."

"Yeah, I suppose." Lilly was quiet for several seconds, thinking. "Jamie?"

"Yeah, Lil?"

"Love ya."

"Love ya, too, Lil."

James and Lilly both fell asleep, snuggled together.

Little did they know at that moment, they were being watched, as a faint, ghostly form looked in on them and smiled.

"No, my sweet child, you won't have to deal with Mashera on this journey. We will meet soon enough, though. Just a little bit more to do first before the hardest part, and then..."

The ghostly form of Naoia smiled a soft, grandmotherly smile as she reached a hand out, brushing a fingertip against Lilly's cheek, before withdrawing.

* * * * *

The next afternoon at 1457 FCT, the three ships and their escort crossed into Dra'kan space. There were no boundary markers or warning buoys, as the Drianedans had employed around their space, though as Rissanivi had explained it, nobody dared come here--even the worst of the criminal element avoided Dra'kan space as well as some of the old, supposedly "dead" worlds that had been long devoid of any thriving civilizations. When asked why by Rhuw-Rha'an, Rissanivi had replied, "Um, because things still walk old, old places, things not aware of little ones like us or don't care, things best left alone."

When it was nearing dinner time, D'Narial contacted them.

/* "We shall arrive shortly. Prepare to re-enter normal space on my signal. Stay in close proximity to my ship and do not stray. Follow me in to the landing area--from there I will take you to meet the Dra'ka Nulen_. She is expecting you. A place has been prepared to suit your needs according to your forms._" */

"Always short and to the point, da?" Tanya quipped after the Dra'kan simply cut off communication without warning.

"Seems that way, luv," James agreed.

They dropped back to normal space near the world the Dra'ka called their home approximately ten minutes later. As instructed, the three ships flew in close formation with the interceptor, Faln Aore, and followed it to the planet's surface where they landed at a huge starport. As promised, there was a hangar ready to receive them. Once in their assigned berths, support umbilicals automatically extended, adapting to each ship's particular connections and supply needs. Everything from power, gravity, life support, and waste systems were handled with total efficiency.

After securing all systems, the crews disembarked their ships and gathered together to wait for D'Narial.

"Yiezwa, it looks like someone could fit a T'Naran battle cruiser in here and still have lots of room!" Diwenzi exclaimed quietly.

"Da, been on one," Tanya agreed.

"You have?" Diwenzi asked in surprise.

"During R'Hinsa Campaign. The H'val came alongside to offer support after the Olympia was forced to withdraw due to battle damage after taking on the Z'chekt. She stayed with us until a tender arrived," Tanya explained.

"Wait, the Olympia took on the Z'chekt?!" Zach asked incredulously.

"Da, not by self, though," Tanya said quietly.

"And you survived?" Mindy asked, getting in on the conversation.

"Still here, da?" Tanya responded with a sly grin.

"As I recall, the H'val put a hurt on the Z'chekt," James said.

"Da, her CO dived at full battle thrust down from behind on the port side, with forward batteries on continuous fire. First time I saw a R'Hinsi ship on defensive," Tanya said. "N'cha, H'sil, and H'mon_arrived and joined fight--they chased _Z'chekt off with tail between its legs."

"Yiezwa, that must have been somethin'!" Diwenzi said.

"The T'Narans did a lot to turn the war in our favor," James noted.

The conversation might have gone on longer, but D'Narial and several other Dra'kans disembarked from the Faln Aore and headed towards the crews.

"Captain, Madam Commander, Miss Salnuano, this is my First, Qinara; my Weaponeer, L'Nuren; my Finder, Azurella; and my Smith, T'Ranael," D'Narial said, introducing the others with him, who nodded their head as their name was spoken.

"A pleasure to meet you," James said with a slight bow.

"Master D'Narial spoke kindly of you," the one named Qinara said, smiling slightly.

"We were honored to have him as our guest on Nightwing," James responded, again with a slight bow.

"That is the name of your black ship?" Qinara asked.

"Yes, ma'am," James replied.

Qinara looked admiringly at Nightwing and said, "Quite attractive, in a minimalist way. Sharp, efficient--like a claw. Flies well?"

"Like a dream," James replied with a smile.

Qinara nodded slightly and said, "Worthy of the name, then."

"Indeed so," James agreed.

"We will take you and the others to meet the _Dra'ka Nulen_now, Captain," D'Narial announced.

"Please, lead the way, sir," James said.

D'Narial nodded his head once and headed towards a doorway. James signaled his crew to follow, with Rha'an doing the same. James noticed that Qinara walked a pace behind D'Narial and to the side--he also noticed that Qinara, and the other female, Azurella, walked with a similar lithe gate as Rissanivi did.

They eventually came to a large room that had several elliptical archways along one wall--each were flat on the bottom and had a small standalone console. D'Narial approached the closest archway, stopping before its console. He deftly touched the controls in a particular sequence which activated the archway and an image of another location appeared to be displayed within it.

Looking over his shoulder, D'Narial said, "Follow me," and then he simply stepped through the archway. Qinara stepped through next without hesitation, appearing to be within the image along with D'Narial.

T'Ranael bent down a bit to speak closer to James from behind in a soft voice.

"It is a portal--a form of instantaneous transportation, if you are unfamiliar with the technology. Simply step through as you would any doorway and you will arrive at the destination you see within. It is perfectly safe."

James looked up at T'Ranael who gave a slight nod. Giving Lilly a "here goes nothing" look, he stepped through the archway...and instantly found himself standing in a completely different location. Looking back, James saw the others looking at him, so he motioned for them to come on through.

The room they appeared in seemed to be a large foyer-like entryway with a corridor to the left and a huge door to the right. James noticed the furnishings had a certain archaic appearance similar to ancient Terran European Gothic--tapestries hanging from the walls, what looked like lit torches in sconces though they gave off no heat or smoke, statues, and other items. D'Narial led them down the corridor past several doorways leading off to other places, until he came to a particular door.

"Wait here," he instructed before entering through the door, shutting it behind him.

James casually looked around, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells...and then he happened to notice that Qinara was discreetly watching him.

"Maybe she's just curious how I'm handling the situation, or was instructed to keep an eye on me for some reason. I hope that's all it is..." James thought to himself.

As far as reptilians were concerned, James found Rissanivi generally easy enough on the eyes, and he didn't mind her company. At Lilly's birthday party, he was wowed along with everyone else by Rissanivi's exotic--and erotic--dance number. When it came to the two Dra'kan females, Qinara and Azurella, who had more than a passing resemblance to anthropomorphic dragons, he wasn't quite sure what to make of some of the looks he caught from them. The fact that they were supposedly immortal didn't help matters.

A short while later, D'Narial returned, this time leaving the door open.

"The Dra'ka Nulen is ready to greet you. Be respectful, as one should in the company of an elder, and speak truly at all times--she will see through falsehoods. And one more thing," D'Narial lowered his voice and leaned closer, "she can be rather... forward, if you understand my meaning. Try to remain calm and not entice her overly much, unless...you prefer..."

"I...believe we understand," James replied.

D'Narial nodded his head once and said, "I would not wish undue distress to fall upon anyone if they were uncomfortable with the thought. I will remain with you and attempt to mediate an acceptable withdraw should it become prudent."

"Thank you, I'm sure it will be appreciated," James said with a wry smile.

D'Narial smiled and slightly bowed his head, though when James thought he heard a faint snicker behind him, D'Narial looked up with his eyes only and glared just a little at Qinara, who promptly became still.

D'Narial led the crews into a room that looked like a waiting area of sorts, and then through a set of double doors into a cavernous chamber that was richly appointed. The other four Dra'kans remained near the double doors, two on each side, standing in a respectful posture. The far side of the chamber was filled with shadows, making it difficult to see what might be there.

D'Narial lightly touched James' shoulder, causing him to hold up. Softly, he instructed, "Stand here. When called upon, you and the Madam Commander step forward together."

James nodded his head and mentally relayed D'Narial's instructions to Rha'an.

D'Narial stepped two paces forward and bowed deeply towards the shadowy far side of the chamber. In his native tongue, he announced, "Dra'ka Nulen, I have escorted the guests as instructed."

The sound of something massive shifting slowly, of smooth metal sliding together with soft clicks in regular intervals according to the speed of hidden, sinuous movement, filled the ears and minds of the crews. From the shadows an aged feminine voice of great strength commanded, "Who speaks for these youth?"

D'Narial glanced back at James, a signal for him and Rha'an to step forward.

"We do, Honored Elder. I am Captain James Daugherty, the commanding officer and pilot of the Sol Federation scout ship, Nightwing. With me stands Madam Commander Rhuw-Rha'an, the commanding officer of the Mûr Tua'ansa Imperial Star Empire's exploration ship, Chel-Sar Se'nika," James replied with a respectful bow.

There was more movement followed by an intake of air.

"IL-NAKH'EN!"

A series of torches, like those that lit the large corridor, burst into heatless flame in rapid succession, filling the shadowy far side of the cavernous chamber with light. Rising from a cushioned area nearly the size of an Olympic swimming pool, the Dra'ka Nulen stretched and turned towards those gathered. James felt his knees weaken at the sight of a being easily the size of the largest dinosaur that had ever walked Terra. Rha'an stared in wide-eyed wonder and some amount of fear, her tail lashing from side to side, ready to relocate herself and James out of the reach of the massive jaws. Their crews took an involuntary step back, some clinging to others; and poor Rissanivi, who fell to her knees, hands covering the back of her neck, and curled up with her tail wrapped around her.

"Do you fear me?" The Dra'ka Nulen asked, her voice loud in their ears. When no one answered immediately, she added, "If you were minions of those fool Dark Bloods, then you would have reason to be afraid of any of us. However, since you are not, and have come as guests, then there is no reason for you to fear anything--you are safe here on Dra'ka." She extended the forearm of her right bat-like wing towards James, offering the nearly spear-sized thumb claw. "Young Master D'Narial speaks highly of you, as does an old acquaintance of mine who knows you. I am Arneora, the _Dra'ka Nulen_as those here wish to call me."

James, forcing himself to recover is composure, reached for and grasped the offered claw.

"It is an honor to meet you, Ma'am."

Arneora smiled and said, "Perhaps you find this form more appealing..."

Her entire body erupted with multi-hued pastel light and then condensed and reshaped itself. When the light faded, she stood before James in a form similar to the other two female Dra'kans present, only wearing a snug, form-fitting outfit not unlike something Rissanivi might wear, but without the head covering. Dumbfounded by what he just saw, James felt Arneora's hand in his.

"So, what do you think? Better?" Arneora asked coyly.

Quickly remembering D'Narial's earlier words, James replied, "It...would make dancing a bit easier."

Arneora looked shrewdly at James briefly and then laughed.

"And so it would," she agreed with a sly smile. Turning to Rha'an, Arneora held her hands out with palms up and said, "Welcome to Dra'ka, Madam Commander Rhuw-Rha'an."

Rha'an accepted the greeting and said, "We are honored to be in your presence."

Arneora smiled and nodded her head once. Looking about, she spied Rissanivi still on her knees, bent down in a ball. Bending down, Arneora gently placed a hand on the back of Rissanivi's head.

"Stand, child. There is no reason for you to be afraid. When you leave here, you will have new stories to tell the little ones who will follow you, that will paint a different picture of us than what you have been told." Arneora helped Rissanivi to her feet and touching her cheek, smiled benevolently. "There now, that is better." Addressing both crews, she said, "You have not yet had your evening meal--come, dine with me, and feel welcome in my halls!" Looking over her shoulder, Arneora asked, "Where is that assistant of mine? I have guests with empty bellies!"

"Shall I summon Erlanna for you and pass along your request?" D'Narial asked politely.

"That would be kind of you, young Master D'Narial," Arneora replied with a nod. "We shall go to the dining hall, and you," she said, turning to James and hooking her arm around his, "may sit next to me."

"I'd be honored, ma'am," James said with a slight bow.

"Ah, a charming fellow, and so well-mannered. This should prove to be an interesting evening," Arneora said with a grin.

D'Narial gave James a bemused look that said, "I told you."

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[1] Elysil - (pronounced: eh-LEE-sil) the native language of the Drianedans of Elysinar.