9

"Ooo, there they are..." Kei'sa said just loud enough for Sa'niv and Fier'na to hear her.

"We have their language in our translation matrix, right?" Sa'niv asked his sister.

"Yeah, Char'ena updated it," Fier'na replied.

"Okay, well, I hope they're as friendly as we've been told. Keep your body shields ready to activate just in case," Sa'niv cautioned.

Seeing those from the small craft looking nervously at them, Sa'niv raised his right hand and waved in what he hoped was a friendly gesture.

"Well, here goes..."

"What if they start shooting?" Fier'na asked as they began walking towards the other vessel.

"I instructed the ship to keep a transport lock on us, just in case," Sa'niv replied.

"Good thinking, Nivs," Fier'na said.

"If we're the first people from the Sol Federation to make it out this far, how in heck did humans get out here and get a ship like that?" Carmen asked quietly, watching the trio start walking towards them.

"Are we sure they actually _are_human?" Zack added.

"Look like humans to Thavi."

"They are...and they are not," Plel-Whu'an sent to the others in the group.

"What do you mean?" Cdr. Williamson asked.

"There is something similar to the Dra'kans about them--they are not quite what they appear to be," Whu'an explained.

"Damn," Cdr. Williamson said quietly.

"Hey, at least one of them has strong mental abilities. Do you feel it?" Fier'na pointed out mentally.

"Yeah, sis, I feel it. They're checking us out," Sa'niv confirmed.

"I feel it, too. I think it's those tall ones. Remember the training the Nomenarans gave us, though let's not get anyone riled up--we're not here to pick a fight with people we're supposed to make friends with," Kei'sa reminded them.

"They do not appear to have any weapons that I can detect," Whu'an sent to Cdr. Williamson.

"Let's hope they don't have any tricks up their sleeves that we need to worry about," he sent in return.

"Interesting choice of words, considering that their garments do not have sleeves," Whu'an sent with some amusement.

Cdr. Williamson was forced to agree since the three strangers all wore identical close-fitting shorts and a soft vest-like top--with apparently nothing underneath. The only other items each had on them was a black wristband on the right wrist and a dull gray device about the size of a badge clipped to the waistband of the shorts. There were no insignia or other markings on their clothing, they wore no jewelry, and...no shoes.

"A pleasant good day to you," Sa'niv said in greeting, holding his hands out palms up.

"At least we may be familiar with the greeting gesture," Cdr. Williamson thought.

Hoping it was like the Mûr Tua'ansa greeting, Cdr. Williamson held out his hands and placed them with palms down on the stranger's hands.

"It's certainly turning out to be an interesting day. We...didn't think there were any other Terrans this far out."

"We are from Y'Nahra, a world you may not have heard of, though...you will, eventually. My name is Sa'niv, this is Fier'na and Kei'sa. And you are...not the one called, James, I think."

"No, Captain Daugherty is on our ship in orbit. I'm Commander Phil Williamson, I'm in charge of the science team. We stopped here to take a quick look before heading on."

"Nice to meet you, Commander. You follow The Heart--yes, we have been informed of your journey," Sa'niv said with a slight smile.

"Why does everyone we meet seem to know why we're out here?" Cdr. Williamson asked with a bit of a frown.

"Because everyone you have met has been expecting you," Sa'niv replied.

"How? Oh, wait, I suppose it's that First One who has been following us for the past several thousand lightyears, who probably dragged us out here in the first place, and I suppose you're not allowed to tell us about her," Cdr. Williamson said, answering his own question.

Sa'niv got an amused look on his face and said, "I suppose the Drianedans and the Dra'kans mentioned that to you already."

"Yeah, they seemed rather insistent on that point," the commander agreed. Sa'niv simply nodded his head and smiled. "Well, then, allow me to introduce you to the others..." Cdr. Williamson added.

When they got to Ivor, the one named Kei'sa stepped up to him and slowly reached a hand out to touch his face, though the clear polymer face piece prevented her from making physical contact.

"You are a Vulpinii...?" she asked, looking confused.

"Na maw, a'm a rid fox G.E.L.F.," Ivor replied, which deepened Kei'sa's confusion.

"Wait, what was that you called him?" Cdr. Williamson asked.

"A Vulpinii," Kei'sa said. "They are one of the ancient Woodland People back on our homeworld. A good friend of mine, Lae'ra, is one."

Cdr. Williamson, who was highly skilled in xeno-linguistics, pondered upon the name a few moments.

"What is it, Phil?" Dr. Garland asked.

"That name, Vulpinii...it shares in common two things with Terra: the ending was used on several of the tribal names among the ancient Celts, such as the Helvetii and the Scotii; and 'vulpin'...that's similar to the scientific name for 'red fox', which is Vulpes vulpes. But...how could a name of a people on one world be similar to...unless..." he looked directly into Dr. Garland's eyes.

"...Unless they had been there," she finished the thought.

"Remember when Char'ena met us on Elysinar and she seemed to single out some of the crew? What was that she said...something like, 'I know your kind, too'. And then when Lilly showed her some old family photos, Char'ena said she knew one of Lilly and James' ancestors from five hundred years ago," Zach pointed out.

"Then..." Cdr. Williamson started to say.

"Wait, you say you have _met_Char'ena?" Kei'sa asked incredulously.

"As a whole, at least twice--once on Elysinar and then again on Dra'ka, though she met separately with one of our crew while we were on Elysinar." Zach replied.

"On Dra'ka, she brought friends of hers, and got between the captain and that one guy...Kh'nar, or something," Dr. Garland added.

"What did Char'ena look like?" Fier'na asked, wanting to make sure.

"A big wolf about this tall with strange eyes," Zach replied, approximating the height with his hand.

Sa'niv, Fier'na, and Kei'sa exchanged surprised glances.

"She de-merged from the ship? I didn't think that was possible..." Fier'na sent privately to her brother.

"There is a way, though I haven't heard of any doing it before," Sa'niv replied to his sister. To Zach he said, "She must have been really curious or something, because Great Lupins usually don't associate with the Younger Races--or much with anyone else, other than the First Ones."

"Do you know where they come from?" Zach asked Sa'niv.

"They're native to the same realm the First Ones come from and they're a lot smarter and more perceptive than you might think. I don't know much more than that about them, other than they're truly immortal," Sa'niv replied.

"What do you mean by 'truly' immortal?" Dr. Garland asked.

Kei'sa replied, "No matter what might happen to them, anywhere in the multiverse, they don't really die--they always come back."

"How is that possible?" Zach asked, not believing it.

"I'm not sure, but I think they might be a manifestation of the realm they come from--as long as it exists, they exist," Kei'sa said.

"Great Lupins must be made_of _chanitha if can't die--only those things that can break, die. If Great Lupins don't break...they are forever," Thavi said in quiet awe.

"Something like that, I think," Kei'sa said with a slight smile.

"Commander, should we not continue with our survey while we still have light?" Jhan-Kri'an suggested.

To Sa'niv, Cdr. Williamson said, "We...need to finish up our survey before it gets dark. You're welcome to come along with us, if you'd like."

Sa'niv, Fier'na, and Kei'sa exchanged quick looks and the two ladies each gave a quick nod of their head.

"Certainly,' Sa'niv said in agreement. "Um, I'd suggest being careful of the wildlife--some of the nastier ones like to hide in dark places underground."

"Oh? Have you been here before?" Cdr. Williamson asked.

"We arrived a couple days ahead of you and ran into one that didn't take our presence very kindly," Fier'na said, making a disgusted face. "Whatever it was, as one of my Skunatii friends would say, it was enough to 'frost yer berries'."

Cdr. Williamson looked quizzically at Fier'na and asked, "Skunatii...another of those Woodland People you folks mentioned earlier?"

"Yes," Fier'na replied.

"How many different kinds of these Woodland People are there?" Zach asked.

"There are four groups that came from the same continent we come from, though there are other people who come from other parts of Y'Nahra. We're fairly unique, as worlds go, since we have always had a rather diverse population," Fier'na replied.

"Interesting," Zach said.

The science team picked up their gear and continued to explore the area while the trio of Y'Nahrans followed along. They continued to chat as they walked, though Plel-Whu'an kept a discreet watch on the three.

"There is something about these three individuals that continue to bother me," she sent privately to Jhan-Kri'an. "I do not think they are quite as they appear."

"I agree, Whu'an, I sense it as well. They hide their thoughts too well for Terr'ahns_, and they possess a far greater technology than our own--perhaps even greater than the Dra'kans. Come look at this..._" Kri'an said, facing away from the three Y'Nahrans and holding her hand scanner so that she could discretely share the readout with Whu'an.

"How is that possible?" Whu'an asked, surprised by the data.

"I do not know. Their life signs are unusually robust, and then there is this..." Kri'an replied, pulling up more data she had secretly collected.

Whu'an's eyes paled as she saw on the scanner's display an aura of energy surrounding each of the three Y'Nahrans that was similar to only one other species they had encountered so far--the Dra'kans.

"What are they?" Whu'an asked Kri'an privately.

"I do not know. They are much like the human Terr'ahns we have met, yet...not. They may have abilities we do not understand."

"They do not carry any weapons that I can see. Do you think they may not need them?" Whu'an asked with a bit of nervousness creeping into her sending.

"That is one possibility. We do not know the functions of the two devices they wear," Kri'an said cautiously.

"We should inform our Madam Commander of meeting these people," Whu'an suggested.

"I will do so after conferring with Commander Williamson," Kri'an agreed.

* * * * *

"They what?!" James asked incredulously when Rhuw-Rha'an told him of the situation down on the planet.

/* "They have apparently made contact with three individuals who claim to be from a planet called, Y'Nahra. Please ask Miss Salnuano if she had heard of such a world," */ Rha'an said.

"Uh...hang on a moment," James said, muting the transmission. "Syl, contact Rissa and ask if she knows of that world." Sylvia gave a quick nod of her head and called over to the _Ilissenri_to speak with Rissanivi. "Moira?" James, inquired, looking up.

/* "Yes, James?" */

"Search query: any references concerning a planet called, Y'Nahra. Let me know if you find anything."

/* "One moment, James..." */

Before James had a chance to unmute the channel with Rha'an, Moira found something.

/* "James, the only reference available concerning a planet by the name of Y'Nahra is found in fiction; specifically, the trilogy written by your ancestor in the early twenty-first century, which I believe you and several others among the crew have been reading. The three who claim to be from that world--if that world does exist, and they truly are from there, then I advise caution as, like the Dra'kans, they may be more than they seem. That story also contains information about the beings we have learned are called First Ones. If the one following us, or the ones that Navigator Aren-Tal'an has spoken of, are indeed the same as those in the story your ancestor wrote over five hundred Standard Terran Years ago and as both the Drianedans and the Dra'kans have informed us about, then..." */

"Then they could snuff us out without even being aware of it," James interjected.

/* "A possibility. However, given the events and encounters we have experienced to date while on this mission, I think they are not only acutely aware of us, but also have some unknown plan of which we have been made a part of," */ Moira pointed out.

James thought on that a moment, and then recalled something D'Narial had said when they first met. "This was put into motion some time ago, be sure of that." He wondered just how long ago--and how sweeping in scope--has the chain of events been unfolding to bring all of them to where they are now, and perhaps will be soon, before all is said and done.

"You may be right, baby cakes. I'm starting to feel like we're all just pawns in some sort of cosmic chess match," James said, rubbing a hand across his face.

/* "That is an interesting analogy, and...another possibility." */ Moira said thoughtfully.

Casting a glance over to Tanya and slowly shaking his head, James unmuted the channel to Rha'an and filled her in on what Moira found. Rissanivi had little to add about the world of Y'Nahra, only that it was considered a myth, and according to that myth, the entire star system the planet was part of had been hidden from the rest of the galaxy by some kind of fold in space.

* * * * *

The science team, along with the three Y'Nahrans, stood in the remains of what was once a shopping mall, looking at the slowly deteriorating forms of mannequins used to model clothing. The clothing worn by the mannequins had turned to dust long ago, and the colors of the forms had all but faded, yet there was enough left to give some idea as to what the former inhabitants of Fren'a looked like.

"They s-s-certainly were interes-s-sting looking," Lt. Armus Slis'issa, the Sabiji chemist, commented thoughtfully, looking at one of the more intact mannequins.

"I agree, Armus," Dr. Tamian Teros, the Bafasi Paleogeologist of the science team said, standing next to his colleague. "Makes one wonder what they might have become if they _had_reached the perfection they sought."

"Would they have become perfectly incorruptible, or perfectly corrupted?"

The two scientists turned to see Sa'niv was standing behind them and also looking at the mannequin. They had not noticed his approach.

"That is an interesting question, young sir," Dr. Teros commented.

Sa'niv smiled inwardly as he was a lot older than his youthful appearance suggested.

"My brother has his moments," Fier'na said with a grin, walking up and joining him. "And for the record, the three of us are older than we look."

The last comment Fier'na made got everyone's attention.

"Um, just how old are you?" Dr. Garland asked cautiously.

"The Ancient Mother and Sire of our race are immortals, so...take a wild guess," Fier'na replied with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Before anyone could speak, Kei'sa announced, "It will be getting dark soon. We should be heading back."

"It's not a good idea to be out around sunset," Sa'niv reminded them.

To punctuate his admonition, the black wristbands the three Y'Nahrans wore sounded a chime and a yellow stripe of light glowed around each.

"Perimeter alert," Sa'niv said for all to hear. Holding his wristband closer to his face, he spoke to it in his own language, "Show me." A holographic projection appeared displaying a grid map with their current location. Several red blips appeared to be slowly heading in their general direction. "We need to get moving--now," he insisted after seeing the data on the life forms heading their way.

"How many of us can you teleport back to the shuttle at once?" Cdr. Williamson asked Jhan-Kri'an.

"We can relocate the eleven of us at one time," Kri'an replied.

"What about you three?" he asked the Y'Nahrans.

"Our ship has been keeping a transport lock on us the whole time," Sa'niv replied.

"Listen up everyone, we're going back now. Grab your gear and form up!" Cdr. Williamson ordered.

"We'll wait until you're out of here before we transport back ourselves," Sa'niv said.

Cdr. Williamson nodded his head once in acknowledgement and gathered those from Nightwing and the _Se'nika_together. When everyone had joined hands, Jhan-Kri'an, Plel-Whu'an, and Yris-Nir'an, teleported the group near the shuttle.

"Neat trick--wish we could do that," Fier'na said wistfully.

"Maybe eventually we'll get to do what the Ancients do, but this is as good for now," Sa'niv said, holding up his right wrist a moment. "Ready, Kei'sa?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," she replied.

"Ship, transport us back," Sa'niv spoke to his wristband, and the three dissolved into swirls of light and disappeared.

The science team appeared next to the shuttle, Talon-1, and shortly after that, the three Y'Nahrans emerged from their ship.

"Let's get this gear stowed!" Cdr. Williamson ordered. "Mr. MacCloud, make ready for getting underway."

"Aye, sir," Zach acknowledged.

"So, just how large are those things heading this way?" Cdr. Williamson asked Sa'niv.

"They are pack hunters--we seen some yesterday," Sa'niv replied, and then requested a holographic image of the beasts from his ship's computer via his wristband.

"They look like they could be nasty buggers," Cdr. Williamson said with a grimace. "Ugly, too."

"I suppose hunting must be good here for them--it is a sizeable pack. They will take on just about anything, and they are particularly nasty." Sa'niv dismissed the image and requested an update on the positions of the animals. Checking the grid map, he said, "We best get inside, they're almost here."

"Roger that. I suppose you will want to follow us back to our ship..." Cdr. Williamson said.

"We will be right behind you," Sa'niv acknowledged with a grin.

As Talon-1 and the Y'Nahran ship began to lift, Zach saw the pack of predators come from between some buildings.

Switching on the visual display in the passenger section, he announced, "Here's a look at what was coming towards us."

They estimated the pack size to be between fifteen and twenty individuals, each easily the size of a Terran tiger. The expressions on their faces as they watched the two spacecraft fly overhead were of cunning, intelligent creatures that walked in a semi-upright manner, using their heavy tails as a counterbalance.

"Ew, they look like something out of a horror vid," Dr. Garland commented with a little shiver.

"Yeah, definitely not something _I'd_want to tangle with," Cdr. Williamson agreed.

"I doubt they would last long on Mûr Zhæn," Plel-Whu'an sent matter-of-factly.

"Why Whu'an say that?" Thavi asked.

"Many animals on our homeworld are either venomous or have poisonous defenses of one kind or another. Even we have our own," Whu'an replied.

Seeing the questioning look on Thavi's face, Ivor piped up with, "It's th' fangs, mum--they're lik' a cobra's, ainlie worse."

Thavi knew about some of the various poisonous snakes on Terra, having seen specimens on display at the visitor's center in a wilderness area in the North American Southwest.

"Don't know about those, but Thavi seen a rattlesnake once."

"Our venom destroys blood, tissue, and nerves, and is excruciatingly fatal within a very short amount of time among our own people--in others, I understand the end has come more swiftly," the normally soft-spoken and gentle Yris-Nir'an sent.

"In your own people...? Who would do that to their own kind?" Dr. Garland asked incredulously.

Whu'an replied, "When the Athwan_, or 'honor duel' as you may think of it, is invoked, it is the only weapon allowed. The duel ends when one either capitulates or dies_."

"You...you have duels...to the death?!" Dr. Garland asked, totally shocked at the idea.

"Although rarer in these times, yes. In our past, they were more common," Whu'an replied calmly. "Honor is very important to us."

"I...I guess so..." Dr. Garland said quietly, shrinking back into her seat.

"Apparently not all Terr'ahns_share the same sense of honor_," Whu'an sent privately to Nir'an.

"Perhaps, though their Honored Captain is certainly willing to make a stand where honor is concerned, even if it is for a former adversary," Nir'an observed, alluding to the incident in The Great Hall on Dra'ka.

"True enough. He has proven himself to be fair and just," Whu'an agreed.

"Indeed so," Nir'an seconded.

* * * * *

"We're in position," Sa'niv announced.

"So, we're actually going to just go over there and be neighborly with them," Fier'na said with a hint of reservation in her voice.

"That is what we're supposed to do," Kei'sa reminded her friend.

"I'd feel better doing this the _old-fashioned_way--on the ground, neutral territory, around a fire..." Fier'na said.

"Yeah, yeah, we get the idea, sis. Just remember that Mistress Naoia will be watching us, so don't get too carried away. If we do this well enough, maybe she'll let us tag along with her to their world," Sa'niv said hopefully.

"What for?" Fier'na asked slyly, resting her arm on her brother's shoulder. "Wanting to check out the local ladies to see if any might be...compatible, eh? Are you wanting to start your own pack, is that it?" Fier'na suggested with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, I'm just curious to see how much they're like us or not, that's all!" Sa'niv shot back defensively.

"And I suppose you might want to leave some female with an interesting surprise growing inside of her, too! I can just imagine the shock when her little one changes for the first time when the blood asserts itself!" Fier'na said with a laugh.

"Not fair!" Sa'niv whined. "What will happen to the poor male you change in front of that's not expecting it?"

"Well, I suppose we'll see what he's made of, won't we, right Kei'sa?" Fier'na asked her friend with a sly grin.

"Is that all you two ever think of?! Now behave yourselves while we're visiting! We're here to make friends, not little ones!" Kei'sa admonished sternly.

* * * * *

"So, their own transport system is going to deliver them here without ours having anything to do with it," Shauna finished explaining about the incompatibility between the two mechanisms.

"They must use something a _lot_different, then," Sonya commented.

"They apparently can transport themselves over a much greater distance than we can. Damn, I'd love to poke around inside that ship of theirs to see what makes it tick," Shauna said wistfully.

"I wouldn't mind a peek myself," James agreed. "Let them know we're ready."

"Aye, sir," Sonya acknowledged, sending the signal.

"This should be interesting, James," Rhuw-Rha'an sent privately.

"Let's hope it doesn't get too_interesting, given what your crew members discovered_," James sent back, referring to the discrete scans made by Jhan-Kri'an and the observations of Plel-Whu'an.

"I agree," Rha'an sent.

Within moments, the three Y'Nahrans materialized in swirls of light, in a fashion similar to how D'Narial had materialized when he visited aboard Nightwing.

"We come with peace in our hearts of being and no ill will towards any. We bear no weapons and do not wish to harm. May we enter?" Kei'sa asked formally; all three showing empty hands.

"Of course. Welcome aboard Nightwing, I'm Captain James Daugherty, the commanding officer of this ship. Who do we have the pleasure of meeting?" James asked.

"I am Kei'sa, this is Sa'niv and his sister, Fier'na. We are from Y'Nahra, though I do not know if you have heard of it," Kei'sa replied, stepping down from the platform in the transport chamber and walking casually towards James with her two friends following.

"Actually, we have, though only in a story that was written several hundred of our years ago. As far as we know, it's only a fictional world that was somewhere in the galaxy," James said cautiously.

"It exists, though it is well hidden from all, save those of our own world, a few individuals among the Elder Races, and the First Ones, of course," Kei'sa said with a light smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Captain Daugherty--we have heard much about you," she added, holding her hands out with palms up, in the same manner as the Mûr Tua'ansa.

"Nice to meet you, Kei'sa. I hope what you've heard wasn't exaggerated too much," James said with a wry smile, placing his hands palms down on hers. When she glanced at the others, James added, "Allow me to introduce Commander, First Grade, Rhuw-Rha'an, the commanding officer of the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire's exploration vessel, Chel-Sar Se'nika."

"Commander," Kei'sa said, bowing her head slightly and holding her hands out with palms up.

"On behalf of our Empress, the Empire, and my own, I greet you and yours, Kei'sa of Y'Nahra," Rha'an responded. "I find it interesting that we share the same greeting gesture."

Kei'sa smiled and said, "There is a bit of a story behind that. If I remember correctly, it goes back to around the time of Bren-Fire Maker. She was taken to the realm of the First Ones where she was given the ability to forge the original of your weapon, and while there, learned other things that she passed on to your people after her return."

Rha'an's eyes widened briefly upon hearing that the legendary smith of Mûr Zhæn had once walked in the homeplace of the First Ones.

"It was not told exactly where she had gone to, or for how long, only that she had 'journeyed beyond nus-Sava'en_for a time_'," Rha'an sent.

"There is always more to an event than what gets recorded in the history books," Kei'sa said with a wry smile.

Moving on to the next person, James said, "This is my Executive Officer and Navigator, Commander Tanya Dvoretsky."

When Kei'sa greeted Tanya, she said, "You are of the Lupins."

Tanya felt her hackles begin to raise--there was something about the apparently human woman that threatened to trigger an instinctual response.

"My ancestors were created from the wolves of our world by humans."

Kei'sa smiled gently and said, "In our tongue, 'Lupin' means 'wolf'. You might be interested to know that they--along with several other species on Terra--actually originated on _our_world. We will try to explain a bit later."

Tanya and the others exchanged surprised looks at what Kei'sa said.

"This is my Ship's Engineer, Lieutenant, junior grade, Shauna Eriksson," James continued.

Kei'sa looked up at Shauna's face as if remembering something when they greeted each other.

"Fier'na, do you have it with you?" Kei'sa asked.

"Ah, yes," Fier'na replied, reaching into a pocket of her shorts. "When I found this on Fren'a, I thought it looked out of place, so I picked it up and took it back to our ship. I cleaned it and had our computer try to find a match to the style, which it did. There are words inscribed on the underside that our computer was able to translate."

Kei'sa added, "We were given your name and what you looked like, and were told to give it to you with the instruction that you are to hold onto it for a while."

Shauna took the piece of jewelry from Fier'na and examined it a few moments.

"I...I'm not sure, but...I may have seen something like this once, when I was a kid," she said with an expression of uncertainty.

"What is it, Shauna?" James asked quietly.

She slowly handed the piece of jewelry to James who recognized the language of the inscription if not the actual words.

"This is in Élendi...you say you _found_it on the planet below?" James asked, raising an eyebrow, looking at Fier'na.

"Yes," Fier'na confirmed.

Shauna's expression went from one of puzzlement to one of wide-eyed surprise.

"It's Élendorian? How...? You mean...?"

"Better show that to Miss Ja'f'darwe to make sure," James said cautiously to Shauna.

"It is definitely Élendorian and...it belongs to Hauvri'ahn," Kei'sa said, speaking the name quietly.

"That was...my brother, he was here?" Shauna asked, looking confused.

"They apparently had stopped here on their way to Chenau-Ri--that planet is the one you have been heading towards, near the nebula ahead," Kei'sa said, gently putting a hand on Shauna's arm.

They had just been handed the first tangible evidence that Cameron Eriksson, Sy'k'rell Hauvri'ahn, and Arlan Schneider, had come this way, confirming they were on the right path.

"How do you know about Shauna's brother and his mate?" James asked Kei'sa.

"Your Guide told us," she replied.

"You mean, the First One who has been following us?" James asked carefully.

"Yes, Captain. You are on the journey of the heart to The Heart--she is your Guide. It will not be much longer before you meet formally," Kei'sa acknowledged.

"And, like everyone else, I take it that you're not allowed to say anything about that particular First One," James said.

"That is correct, Captain," Kei'sa replied.

"Why not?" James pressed.

"You will have to ask her," Kei'sa said firmly, though with a slight smile.

When she was introduced to Sonya, Kei'sa commented, "Ah, you are like the Pumatii on our world. I would not doubt that you share their warrior skills and physical prowess."

For once, Sonya was speechless--she couldn't think of anything to say to that bit of information, whether appropriate or not. Instead, Sonya simply gave a quick little smile, though when she met Kei'sa's gaze, she found something about those amber-tinged green eyes that made her feel uneasy.

"If you will come with me, I will introduce you three to the rest of our crews," James prompted.

"Of course, Captain," Kei'sa responded with a nod of her head, casting a quick glance towards her friends and motioning for them to follow.

Later in the crew's mess, and after the rest of the introductions were made, Shauna showed the piece of jewelry she had been given to Miss Ja'f'darwe.

"This is an Élendorian n'lenda chéwë bracelet. It's traditionally given by a male to his mate on the first anniversary of their joining. The style is in that of the Hy-leni_Provence, which is where _D'wena Sy'k'rell is from...and also where The Heart was located. On the underside, in Élendi, are the names of Hauvri'ahn and Cameron and the traditional verse from The Scroll of Sy'lanfriel--I'll translate it for you."

"Those who were once one alone, became two, and two became one. One star, one circle, the two now one world, never apart, in light or dark, always seen, always felt, always one."

Shauna closed her eyes and recalled the vision she had of her brother and his mate when James had taken the crew to the glade near his family's ancient homestead before their first mission. The words spoken by Miss Ja'f'darwe enabled her to see the intense love between Cameron and Hauvri'ahn.

"I...I think I understand something now, how they must have felt for each other," Shauna said almost in a whisper. As soon she said that, she thought she heard an oddly accented voice in her mind say, "They still do." Shauna popped her eyes open and blinked, wondering where that came from.

What Shauna--and everyone else--didn't see at that moment was a ghostly, otherworldly form standing beside her, whispering into her ear and smiling softly as a grandmother would comforting a child.

Although not able to see her, Kei'sa sensed the presence of the First One nearby.

"Mistress Naoia? Are you here?"

"Yes, child, and not a word to anyone, either."

"I won't, I promise! I...I just thought I felt you were close by," Kei'sa said, extending her mind into that otherspace where the First Ones visited with each other.

"Your skills are improving, my dear child. Keep up with your training and eventually you'll be able to join me here," Naoia said.

"You really think so?" Kei'sa asked excitedly.

"You should know me well enough by now that I never say things if I don't mean them," Naoia replied lightly. "You're getting there, and don't forget to practice your other skills as you get the chance. Remind those other two they need to do the same."

"I will, Mistress. Um, should we show these people some of what we can do?"

Naoia thought a moment and said, "Stick with the simple things for now so you don't distress them too much."

"What about changing?" Kei'sa asked carefully.

"You will want to explain that first before doing it. Those Mûr Tua'ansa might react strongly and you don't want that to happen. Despite how far along you are, they still have some abilities you don't yet--and don't ever get one angry enough to bite you. That nasty venom in those fangs of theirs is quite lethal," Naoia replied.

"Yes, Mistress, we'll be careful," Kei'sa acknowledged.

"Good. Now, I believe James is about to ask you a question, so you should turn your attention back to him. I'll be here if you need me."

Kei'sa blinked, returning her thoughts to those she was with just in time.

"We do have a lot of questions, you understand," James was saying.

"Of course, Captain. We will try to answer the ones we are allowed to as best we can. In time, I am sure all of your questions will be answered," Kei'sa said with a smile.

James nodded his head slightly while meeting Kei'sa's eyes with his own, saying nothing for a few moments.

"We know humans didn't just suddenly appear on Terra--it was a gradual process of several hominid species intermixing and evolving over a long period of time. So, if you're _not_from Terra, how did humans get to Y'Nahra, if that's where you're from?" James asked.

"Well, I suppose that is as good of a place to start as any, Captain. Y'Nahra is a very old world, in fact, it was one of the first in this galaxy with sentient life. You may already know that the First Ones guided the development of many worlds..." Kei'sa started to explain.

"We've recently come to understand that, yes," James said.

"Good. Now, keep in mind that this universe was still very young when the First Ones arrived. The period known as 're-ionization' was nearly complete and the first proto stars and galaxies were forming. From those short-lived giant stars came the smaller, longer lived ones..."

"The main sequence stars," Lt. Cdr. Murrali H'alwa interjected.

"...Yes. The star around which Y'Nahra formed was one of those early stable stars. When our world was nearly ready to support the simplest life forms, the First Ones 'seeded' it. I am not a biologist, so I do not know the details of how that was done. Over time, they guided the development of the life they had planted there into the many that arose. Our world is rather unique in that several sentient species evolved simultaneously, among them were those you would call 'human'. Not having been to your world ourselves, we do not know how much alike the humans of Terra and those of our world are--or how different. Your world was among those that the First Ones seeded, using some of the life forms from Y'Nahra as the basis. Certain of the animals of your world came from ours and, as I understand it, they carry most of the information needed to recreate some of the sentient species from our world. Some of your G.E.L.F.s, as you call them, are the recreation of those we know as the Woodland People--they just needed a few more adjustments, which were quietly provided without anyone suspecting. Your scientists merely thought they had little flashes of inspiration-- 'the whisper you do not hear, yet do', as we say. About five hundred turns of the seasons ago on your world, there were twenty-four human males who were part of a military genetic enhancement experiment. The scientists who had taken part in that experiment were never able to recreate their results exactly, and their accumulated data kept getting destroyed by unusually powerful storms until the last of it was finally lost. That was no accident. Those twenty-four men all carried one more piece of the puzzle that when inserted into the genetic material of those animals, unlocked the recreation of the Woodland People on Terra. It also provided the humans with what they would need to eventually become more than what they were," Kei'sa explained.

There was silence for several seconds.

"My twentieth great grandfather was one of those men you mentioned," James said, breaking the silence.

"So was mine," Zach added.

"We know," Kei'sa said with a slight smile, which raised some eyebrows.

"You said something back on the planet's surface about those Woodland People, when you saw Petty Officer McElroy..." Cdr. Williamson brought up.

"Ah, yes," Kei'sa said. "To you he is a G.E.L.F., to us he is one of the Vulpinii. And you...you are one of the Pumatii, and you two are of the Skunatii," she added, pointing in turn to Sonya and then to Lilly and John.

Lilly picked up the PAD she had brought along and showed the three Y'Nahrans the picture she had shown Char'ena.

"One evening while we were on Elysinar, Char'ena--I suppose ya know who she is--came and visited me while I was sittin' outside watchin' the sunset by myself. She wanted to see what I was lookin' at, so I showed her some old family photos. She said she knew our twentieth great grandfather, but wouldn't say how. Then, when I showed her this_picture, which was drawn by him over five hundred years ago, she shared a memory--of _her! And toppin' it all off, there was this in the structure on Élendor Prime that held that Heart thingy. That was made over a billion years ago, so how the frak did he know who she was or what she looked like since there was no way he could've been on Élendor?" Lilly demanded to know.

Kei'sa looked at the image displayed on Lilly's PAD and then showed it to Sa'niv and Fier'na. The three exchanged quick looks at one another.

Quietly, Kei'sa said, looking back at the image on the PAD, "He made a remarkable likeness of her."

"Should we show them the message?" Fier'na asked softly.

"This is as good a time as any," Sa'niv suggested.

Kei'sa thought a moment and nodded her head.

"I suppose so, since Char'ena already showed her," Kei'sa agreed.

"What message?" James asked.

"This one..." Kei'sa replied.

With a nod to the other two, they stood, forming a triangle. Kei'sa spoke into her black wristband and then they held their right forearms parallel with the deck, facing towards the center of the triangle they formed. When a life-sized 3D holographic image appeared, Lilly held a hand to her mouth and had to be supported by James. John stood in awe next to his two cousins with a hand on Lilly's shoulder. Although the image spoke in a language they did not understand, the computer on the Y'Nahran ship translated it into Terran Standard English in a very close reproduction of the figure's own voice.

/* "Hiya, I'm Meri," */ the figure said, giving a circular wave of her hand. /* "If ya are seein' this, then ya must be one o' those the First Ones made from me, an' yer on ya way here. I hope ya turned out okay an' all, 'cause I wanna meet ya when ya finish yer journey thingy. Don't worry, hon, I went through it, too--scared the jeebers outta me, but...hey, ya'll make it, the ol' gal watchin' over ya will make sure ya do. Oh, an' don't be a fraidy kit if ya meet Char'ena--she's my buddy, an' she'll be there when ya need her, even if ya don't know ya need her. She'll know when ya do. Oh, an' in case yer wonderin', tho' I don't look it, I'm not a young kit anymore. If I think too much on it, it squishes my berries knowin' how long me an' Kuri have been around. This whole immortality thingy is still kinda weird, but I guess it's okay once ya get used to it. Well, I s'pose it kinda helps havin' others around who are, too. Huh? Oh...sorry, hon, I gotta cut this short, they're tellin' me it's gonna take up a lotta space or somethin'. These computer thingies ain't my bowl of berries, tho' this ol' gal can still dance a step or two an' wow the young'uns. (*smiles*) Well, see ya soon, I hope!" (*blows a seductive kiss and winks*) */

When the holographic recording finished playing and the image faded out, Lilly stared at the empty space where it had been for a few more seconds and then turned around, wrapping her arms around James.

Diwenzi, who had been standing next to John, saw the expression still on his face after the recording made by the beautiful Skunatii female ended.

"Yiezwa, she's a looker! How am I gonna compete with her_?_" she thought to herself, not being able to know what John was actually feeling at the moment.

"Damn, Lil was right...she is_the great grand momma of all us skunk G.E.L.F.s!_" he thought to himself.

With a tear in her eye, Lilly looked up at James and sent privately, "Jamie...if only twentieth great grandma Rosie knew she really did have a momma, of sorts!"

"Lil...I...I don't know what to think of all this! Is this just some elaborate sick hoax, or...is Meri actually real_?_" James sent back.

"She's gotta be real!" Lilly exclaimed mentally.

Looking over to Kei'sa, James asked, "Just how long has she been alive?"

"Meri?" Kei'sa asked for clarification.

James nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Long before Arneora was hatched," Kei'sa said.

"But...the star your world orbits..." Murrali started to say.

"Would be burned out by now, yes, and it is, but it has been replaced. Twice," Kei'sa replied with a slight smile.

"What?! How?" Murrali demanded.

"Simultaneous transport with a younger star," Sa'niv replied, shrugging his shoulders. "We find one, preferably without any planets, and then swap ours out with it. The first time was a bit scary, but it worked without perturbing the orbits of anything in our system."

"But surely your planet's core would have cooled by now!" Murrali argued.

"We replenish the naturally occurring radioactive elements deep down whose decay keeps the core hot," Sa'niv explained.

"I can't imagine the technology that could do such things," Murrali said, shaking her head.

"Just a matter of scale, is all," Sa'niv said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"You still didn't answer Lilly's question," James said to Kei'sa. "How did our ancestor know about your world and people who lived on it so long ago?"

"Was their ancestor taken from his homeworld to yours and then returned?" Rha'an asked.

"I do not believe so. Most likely he was given the story subconsciously and was not aware how or by who," Kei'sa replied.

"Do ya know who gave him the story?" Lilly asked.

"No," Kei'sa replied, shaking her head, "but you might ask your Guide after you meet her--if anyone would know, she would."

"I think I will," James said with a determined look.

Cdr. Williamson brought up something Kei'sa had said.

"Kei'sa...earlier you mentioned that you didn't know how much the humans of Terra were alike or different from those of your world. Myself and Petty Officer Bronski are the only two full humans on this ship, so, other than the limited form of telepathy we now have, how much different from us are you?"

Kei'sa nodded her head slightly and replied, "I thought you might ask that question eventually. Keep in mind that the humans of Y'Nahra have been around a lot longer than those of Terra, so they have had more time to evolve. Physically, the humans of our world look much the same on the outside as you do--perhaps a bit taller on average, though. In other areas, such as intellect, senses, awareness, mental abilities, and the like, they are fairly advanced."

"You look human, but you talk as if you're separate from them," Cdr. Williamson pointed out.

"In a way we are," Kei'sa said, her words immediately stopping any side discussions and getting everyone's undivided attention. "Because of our Ancient Mother and Sire, we are of a different breed, you might say. She was mostly human by birth, until the ceremony where she was adopted by a First Born of the First Ones and his bond mate; he is of the Ayoona-lu-Nehm'a, one of the Five Elder Races that sprang forth on our world from the children of the First Ones. I am a direct descendant of those two--Fier'na, Sa'niv, and I are of the race that began with their union." Sensing the change in attitudes, Kei'sa remembered Naoia's words of caution. "We can show you, if you wish, though we do not want to overly startle anyone."

James thought a moment and said cautiously, "Alright, as long as it doesn't endanger the ship and everyone in it."

"We will keep things simple enough to give you an idea. Fier'na, if you would?"

"Certainly," Fier'na agreed. Taking a quick look around the crew's mess, she spied Zach holding his coffee mug. Walking over to him, she put her hands around his mug and asked coyly, "May I warm this up for you?" She lifted the mug towards her face and, while giving Zach a sultry look, she pursed her lips and made like she was gently blowing on the mug's contents. To Zach's amazement, the temperature of the coffee in the mug suddenly rose to a near simmer. With a light laugh, Fier'na sauntered over to Ivor and said, "Ooo, you look like you would be warm and cozy to snuggle with."

"He is," Sylvia said, narrowing her eyes and taking a possessive stance, wrapping her arm around his.

"A little frosty, are we?" Fier'na asked with a sly smile, looking Sylvia in the eye.

The air temperature in the crew's mess suddenly dropped dramatically, making everyone feel as if they had just stepped outside into an Alaskan winter. The cold lasted only a few moments before the air returned to normal.

"Oyba! Not...like...cold!" Rissanivi said slowly, huddling in her seat.

Walking back over to Kei'sa, Fier'na said to all, "I have the ability to manipulate heat energy--I can make things melt or burst into flame, freeze, or anything in between, if I want."

"Well, you better be _careful_with that because some of us can't tolerate such low temperatures, not even briefly," Mindy said with heavy sarcasm as she went to check on Rissanivi.

Before Fier'na could say, "Huh?", Sa'niv grabbed her arm and sent, "You didn't need to make it that_cold, tail-for-brains! Poor lady's cold-blooded!_"

"Oh," Fier'na sent in return to her brother. "I am sorry, I...got a little carried away," she said remorsefully.

"I think we have a good idea as to what you're capable of, Miss Fier'na," James said, tapping his fingers on the table a few times and not looking very pleased. "I trust further demonstrations will be less detrimental."

"Of course, Captain," Kei'sa said, casting a stern glance at her friend. "My own abilities are not so noticeable. For one that I may easily show you, I will need someone to assist..." Kei'sa glanced around at everyone and then pointed to one. "You...would do nicely."

Sonya's eyes widened when Kei'sa pointed to her.

"Me?"

"I know several Pumatii and I know you can do what I need. This will only take a moment," Kei'sa replied with a friendly smile.

Hesitatingly, after experiencing the previous demonstration by Fier'na, Sonya got up and joined Kei'sa.

"Um, what do you want me to do?"

Holding her arm out, Kei'sa said, "Claw me."

"Huh?!" Sonya exclaimed, surprised by the request.

"Claw me," Kei'sa said calmly.

Sonya looked worriedly at James whose expression read as "If that's what she wants...". Putting her hand on Kei'sa's offered forearm, she asked, "You're sure?"

"Do it," Kei'sa said softly.

Sonya hadn't purposely clawed anyone in several years and that was during an altercation in a night club outside the Fleet Advanced Weapons Training Center on Mars. Extending her claws, Sonya pressed them against Kei'sa's skin and, pausing long enough to look her in the eyes, quickly raked them across. Kei'sa grimaced at the pain and looked down at her arm to see blood quickly welling up in the fresh claw marks. She held her arm up for all to see--there were a few quiet gasps heard among those present. What happened next amazed everyone, especially Mindy and Frer-Sha'an. Before their eyes, the blood stopped flowing down Kei'sa's arm and the wounds closed up within seconds. The blood itself quickly turned to reddish brown powder which Kei'sa brushed off with her other hand. There was no trace whatsoever of the wound. Sonya looked dumbfounded at Kei'sa's arm and then at her own hand--the blood on her claws had also turned to a powder and was falling off as she watched.

"How the frak did you do that?!" Sonya asked in wide-eyed wonder.

Loud enough for all to hear, Kei'sa said, "I have the ability to self-heal. We all do, to some extent or another--in those of my bloodline, the ability is strongest."

"That is...amazing!" Mindy said.

"Indeed so. Do you have the ability to heal others as well?" Sha'an asked out of curiosity.

"I can, though I am not as proficient as some," Kei'sa replied with a slight shrug.

"You said something about having more than one ability..." James said cautiously.

"I do, though they concern themselves with awareness and intuition--not something that can easily be demonstrated," Kei'sa replied with a slight smile.

"Understandable," James agreed.

When he looked at Fier'na's brother, Sa'niv held up his hands apologetically and said, "Other than piloting, the only things I am good at are fixing, fighting, and having fun."

"Sounds like a typical guy, huh, girls?" Lilly asked with a smirk, giving James a little nudge.

"That would be like a typical female_on our homeworld_," the usually quiet Mres-Ahn'ta--the ship's cook on the Chel-Sar Se'nika--sent openly with a straight face, eliciting chuckles from the other males of their crew and a few among the crew of Nightwing.

"My piloting skills are all you need to concern yourself with," Thir-Bre'an shot back openly to Mres-Ahn'ta, raising an eyebrow, causing several of the female members of the crews to laugh and his eyes to lighten in color in embarrassment.

Kei'sa noticeably cleared her throat and waited for everyone to quiet down and turn their attention back to her.

"Aside from our individual abilities, there is one thing in particular that sets us apart from the humans of our world."

She definitely had everyone's full attention.

"And what might that be?" James asked, wondering what new surprise they were about to witness.

"Have you had the chance to see any of the Dra'kans change?" Kei'sa asked in return.

"You mean, from their anthro form to their full form?" James asked to clarify.

"Yes," Kei'sa replied.

"Actually, yes, we have--a few times," James acknowledged.

"Good, so hopefully this should not be as much of a shock to you, then," Kei'sa said.

"Here it comes..." Jhan-Kri'an sent privately to Plel-Whu'an, who gave a slight nod of her head, remembering the scanner data she was shown while they were on the surface of Fren'a.

While looking right at James, a multi-hued pastel light erupted from and swirled all over Kei'sa's body which then began growing taller and reshaping itself. Moments later, the human form of Kei'sa had been replaced by that of an anthro wolf female just over two meters in height with reddish-brown fur. Tanya's hackles raised instinctually upon seeing Kei'sa's new form and she immediately positioned herself in front of James in a show of possessiveness.

Kei'sa looked down at Tanya and smiled, saying, "I have no desire for your mate, Commander--if I had, I doubt you could best me in a challenge. However, please remember our oath when we entered your ship--we are bound by that in ways you may not understand, and we will not willingly break it for any reason."

With a nod from Kei'sa, Fier'na and Sa'niv both initiated the change in their own bodies, turning into similar tall anthro wolf beings, though with darker fur of black and grays.

Rissanivi breathed in sharply, which made a hissing-like sound.

"Oyba-len!" she exclaimed with eyes wide with shock. "Look like one with Big C!"

"Who is that?" Kei'sa asked, cocking her head slightly to one side.

"She means my brother, Cameron," Shauna replied for Rissanivi.

"Oh, that was 'Traps'," Fier'na blurted out, giving a dismissive wave of her hand.

Seeing the confused look on everyone's faces, Sa'niv added, "His given name is Nial-sa'fel, but everyone calls him 'Traps' because he has a knack for those things--as in finding, removing, and making."

"Nial-sa'fel is one of the Ayoona-lu-Nehm'a on our world. They, like the First Ones, often have two names--their actual name and another that describes something about them. It may be something about their appearance or an ability or something they did," Kei'sa explained.

"So, how did this Nial guy get involved with my brother, if he's from way out here somewhere?" Shauna asked.

"Um, we're...not from _this_part of the galaxy," Sa'niv said, which drew shocked looks.

"Just where is your world, ah?" Tanya asked with a shrewd expression.

"We are not allowed to give out its location, though you would not be able to get to it even if you did know," Kei'sa replied.

"Why is that?" Aren-Tal'an asked, sending openly.

"Like your world, the Dark Bloods had come to ours during its early days, though the children of the First Ones defeated them with their parents' help. The First Ones cleansed away all traces of the Dark Bloods from Y'Nahra and then not only hid our entire star system, they moved it as well. The Dark Bloods greatly desire our world, as much out of vengeance as for its amassed knowledge, so it was agreed that no one would give out its location or how to get there," Kei'sa explained.

"But you may come and go as you please, yes?" Tal'an asked.

"More or less, yes," Kei'sa replied.

"Back to my brother...how did this friend or whatever of yours get involved with Cameron, and what happened to him, his mate, and their friend?" Shauna asked, insisting on knowing more about it.

"We do not know where, how, or why they met, only that Traps was their guide," Fier'na replied.

"Guide...?" James asked, wondering if Shauna's brother, Hauvri'ahn, and Arlan, had been similarly called by The Heart.

"Much like your Vey'ani friend, only he could safely get them in and out of certain places they needed to go," Kei'sa said, anticipating James' question.

"But where are they? What happened to them?" Shauna pressed.

"I do not know," Kei'sa said, shaking her head a little. "I would ask the First One when you meet her."

Shauna was growing frustrated because the Y'Nahrans knew of her brother, yet were either reluctant to tell more about what happened to him or didn't know any more than they had already said.

"My brother was the only person in my family that gave a damn about me, and he said he would come back and take me with him. My childhood ended up being crap hole because something happened out here that kept him from coming back and getting me away from my sadistic step-grandfather. I want to know what the frak happened to Cameron--is he _alive_or what?!" Pointing a finger at Fier'na, Shauna added, "How would _you_feel if your brother said he was coming to take you away from a bad situation and then he just disappears with no warning and you never see or hear from him again? What if years later some stranger shows up and hands you something that he had given his mate, and then tells you they don't know what happened to him..."

"Shauna, that's enough," James said firmly.

Kei'sa held up her hands and said, "We do understand. Believe me, if we knew more about him, we would tell you, but we do not. We may be able to do some things you cannot, but we are not omnipotent--that information was not given to us. I am sorry that we do not know any more than what we have told you. It was simply by chance that Fier'na happened to see the bracelet and picked it up while we were dealing with other things."

"Like whatever it was that did not take kindly to us being in its territory," Sa'niv added.

Shauna sat down on the nearest seat, lowered her head, and covered her eyes with a hand.

"I just wanna know..." she said quietly, trying not to cry in front of everyone.

Kei'sa sensed the frustration and mix of emotions in Shauna and felt a heaviness in her own chest for what she was going through. Changing back to her human form, Kei'sa went to Shauna and--sitting down beside her--took the engineer's hand into her own.

"I really do understand, and believe me, I would tell you if I knew," Kei'sa pleaded. "All I can think of is to ask the First One when you meet her--if anyone might know, or could find out, she would be the one."

Lilly, who had been quietly studying the three Y'Nahrans, stroked Shauna's mane and said quietly, "Hey, I don't think these folks are tryin' to yank yer chain. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't know that yer brother actually made it out this far. He said in that letter ya showed me where he was goin' and we're on the way there. The only way that bracelet got where it was is if they had been on the planet we're orbitin'. Until we know for sure what happened to 'em, I'm bettin' they're still around somewhere. If those First Ones are anythin' like what we've been told, maybe the one followin' us might know somethin' about 'em."

Shauna lifted her face and, looking Lilly in the eyes, saw the determined hope held in them. Slowly, her ears perked back up as Lilly's infectious smile began lifting her spirits and strengthening her own resolve.

Nodding her head slightly, Shauna said, "You're right. If they made it this far, maybe they made it to that other planet."

* * * * *

When the pre-recorded holographic message was played before the assembled crews, the computer onboard the Y'Nahran ship sent out a special coded signal which was relayed across the galaxy. The computer on the receiving end quietly noted and logged receipt of the signal, and then contacted the individual who had recorded the message.

/* "The message has been delivered." */

"Huh? What are ya yakkin' about? What message?"

/* "The one you recorded for the Terran Skunatii." */

"Wha...? Ya mean, somebody found'em?"

/* "Mistress Naoia has been following them--it was just a matter of getting Kei'sa and her friends to their location." */

"Huh? Oh...I s'pose so. Hey, any chance I can see what they look like?"

/* "An image was not sent with the signal--do you wish to for me to send a request for one?" */

"Yah, I wanna see. I bet my sis would, too."

/* "As you wish. I have sent your request for images to Kei'sa." */

"Thanks. Um, hey, where _is_my sis, anyway?"

/* "She is presently at her home." */

"I'm gonna pop over there fer a bit. Would ya let her know I'm comin'?"

/* "As you wish. Done. I have set the portal to her location for you." */

"Thanks, that's sweet of ya, hon."

Stepping up to the portal in her own home, Merri paused to look at the device, smiling to herself as she thought about it.

"I remember when we got these things. It still squishes my berries how they work, but, hey, it sure beats walkin' in bad weather." She looked over her shoulder and thought about the large apartment she had been staying in while working in the metropolis known as New Hope. "Things have sure changed since Kuri and I were lil' kits. Yah, it's a nice place an' all, but...I still miss the ol' den back in Hope's Spring. I guess I'll always be an ol' fashioned gal at heart. Well, I guess I better get my tail over to Kuri's and tell her about that message thingy. Hey, maybe she an' Dahmi will wanna go to The Grove and Grotto tonight..."

Meri smiled at the thought as she stepped through the portal.

* * * * *

/* "Mistress?" */

"Yes, dear, what is it?" Naoia asked, looking up from her tea bowl.

/* "Ærtan says he spotted the tracks of Dark Bloods in the rim. He thinks they may be skulking about somewhere near here." */

Naoia frowned and set her drink down.

"Who else is in our part of this galaxy?" Naoia asked.

/* "Kri'liana and Trae'lan say they just on other side of rim." */

"Ah, good. Ask them if they would mind making a pass or two through the area where Ærtan saw those tracks and find out where they went. We don't need those pesky Dark Bloods getting to Chenau-Ri before we do," Naoia said, curling her lip just a little.

/* "Yes, Mistress." */

"Oh, and Char'ena, dear...stay a bit closer to our friends, just in case."

/* "As you wish, Mistress." */

Although Naoia appeared to be staring into her tea bowl, she was actually looking much farther away.

* * * * *

"I have something to show you."

Rissanivi leaned away from Fier'na, who had by this time changed back into her human form, and cast a leery look at the Y'Nahran female.

"Um, you made air cold. I not like cold. It, um...bad, yeah, very bad for Vey'ani. You not make air cold again," Rissanivi said, looking hard at Fier'na.

"I said I was sorry..." Fier'na started to say, taking a step closer, but then a sudden movement caught her eye.

The end of Rissanivi's tail started to rise up like a viper that was preparing to strike. The hard tip was shaped like a spear point and nearly as dangerous--Rissanivi had given a demonstration of Vey'ani fighting techniques once. The burst of speed and strength she was capable of impressed everyone, even Thavi and Moira.

"It would be wise to step back, Fier'na," Moira cautioned. "Now."

"But I said I was sorry! I just want to..."

A sudden blur of green lashed towards Fier'na--and stopped suddenly only a few centimeters from her chest. The end of Rissanivi's tail was quivering slightly as if straining against something unseen.

"You should listen to Madam Moira."

Everyone's attention was now on the scene unfolding between Fier'na and Rissanivi. The voice everyone--except Moira, of course--heard in their heads was that of the youngest member of Se'nika's crew, the quiet Systems Specialist, Hfel-Sri'an.

"You are fortunate that I caught Madam Rissanivi's tail with my thoughts in time. Please move away from her--she is still quite upset over the demonstration of your particular skill earlier," Sri'an sent.

"Fier'na, do as she said," Kei'sa ordered, looking sharply at her friend.

Slowly holding her hands up in a submissive gesture, Fier'na took a few steps back.

James, who had not been far from Rissanivi, though had had his back towards her while talking to Sa'niv, went to his Vey'ani friend and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Rissa, I know you're upset, but she did apologize--repeatedly. Let it go. Please?"

Rissanivi looked up at James and blinked her eyes a few times while making quick little movements of her head. She looked back at Fier'na for a moment and then looked down at the deck. When James felt the muscles in Rissanivi's shoulder relax, he glanced back at Sri'an and slightly nodded his head; she released her telekinetic hold on Rissanivi's tail, which then lowered back behind her in a sinuous snake-like fashion. James sat next to Rissanivi and pulled her towards him, holding her a few moments while looking at Lilly and slightly shaking his head. He glanced back at Sri'an and privately sent a "thank you" to her. Sri'an smiled slightly and nodded her head.

Looking back at Fier'na, James asked calmly, "Did you want something of Rissanivi?"

"I...I just wanted to show her something. You asked Char'ena to check on someone on Esba'in Station--she had us three do it for her because she...was busy with something else. We found him and talked him into recording a message for her," Fier'na replied, indicating Rissanivi.

James thought back to when he had last spoke to Char'ena and recalled asking her to check on Rissanivi's friend if she could.

"Rissa?" James prompted.

Lifting her head, Rissanivi asked Fier'na, "Um, you...you find Casvan, on station?"

"Yes, we did. Kei'sa talked him into recording a message to you," Fier'na replied. "I...have it here, if you want to play it," she offered, pulling a thin, flexible display device out of a side pocket on her shorts.

James held his hand out for the display and Fier'na handed it to him, giving a quick explanation on how to use it. Activating the device, James gave it to Rissanivi so she could watch and listen.

"Casvan here. Hope you safe where you are, Rissa. Hope you get this. Dark Ones came here with followers, but--get this--old, old, old ones and others come and saved station! They watch over us now, keep bad ones away. Dark Ones made mess of things, but we rebuild! Lots to tell you someday if you come back. Old Casvan still fixing ships like always. Things good here, people safe, Casvan safe. You be safe, too, Rissa--and your new friends. Old Casvan know you one lucky eggling, so maybe you still okay out there, my good friend. Nilahni protect you!"

When Rissanivi's shaggy friend held his hand up, palm outward, as he signed off, she touched the screen where his hand was and held it there until the image faded. Rissanivi leaned into James and lowered her head. Lilly leaned over from behind and wrapped her arms around Rissanivi in a hug and held her. Rissanivi put a hand on Lilly's arm and heaved a sigh.

Softly, she said, "Um, Casvan good friend...we go way back, yeah, way back. Glad he okay."

* * * * *

The crews of Nightwing and the Chel-Sar Se'nika, along with Rissanivi in her small courier ship, the Ilissenri, said their goodbyes to the world of Fren'a, whose civilization had inadvertently doomed themselves to extinction thousands of years ago in their quest for perfection.

They followed the Y'Nahran vessel out of the star system and headed for their next destination--the long dead ancient world known as Chenau-Ri, located close to the bright nebula, NGC-2359. Behind them, following more closely than before, was the First One, Naoia Anensu'ena, in her great wolf ship. Traces indicating the recent passage of a Dark Blood ship had found by other First One ships in the Outer Arm of the galaxy--near enough to the parsec[1]containing the nebula that it caused Naoia to be concerned.

They eventually left the densely populated Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy and entered the sparse region between it and the Outer Arm. NGC-2359 was now clearly seen ahead of them, growing ever larger as they continued their way, following the exotic energy trail left behind by The Heart.

* * * * *

Kh'nar sat alone, brooding in his private chambers. Earlier, he had put on a smiling face before the citizens of Dra'ka and gave a speech telling of the Battle of Esba'in and the part Dra'kan ships had in thwarting the plans of the Dark Bloods and their minions. He remembered looking to the side and seeing Arneora, the Dra'ka Nulen, staring at him from her usual place in The Great Hall and making him uncomfortable.

Once, a very long time ago, Kh'nar had fancied Arneora, but her interest had been in another. Kh'nar had a fierce temper, and one thing he hated was rejection. Over time, as he worked his way higher and higher in the structure of Dra'kan society, Kh'nar continued to press his advances on Arneora. She, however, saw through his pretense and knew what he was truly after--prestige, power, and adoration. Arneora continued to reject him, and at one point he had angered her so much that she lashed him across the face with her tail hard enough to knock him down and then pinned him, threatening to flame him where it counted if he refused to leave her alone. Ever since that incident, Arneora kept an eye on Kh'nar, and made it a point to teach the younger generations to never become like him.

Kh'nar, knowing that the strong-willed Arneora would never be his, began to take an unhealthy interest in her beautiful, young assistant, Erlanna. He had taken his time planning how he would get back at Arneora for rejecting him over the eons they had existed. He would have the hatchlings he wanted, even if he had to force the much younger and more pliable assistant to become gravid--it would be his revenge for the humiliation of being soundly thrashed before his peers by a female.

However, his plans, machinations, and actions, had attracted the unfortunate attention of the one person he could_not_ afford to anger--Naoia Anensu'ena, a First One with a reputation of not taking 'no' for an answer. After the incident in The Great Hall, Kh'nar had his lackies find something--anything--that would prevent Erlanna from testifying against him. It was a race against time, for Inquisitor Fae'ela was building a mirindalethansalrilen-clad case against him. All seemed lost until one of his lackies discovered that a data cylinder had been taken and certain information had been copied to it. So well covered were the tracks that it was only by accident that one tiny slipup had been found, pointing to the person who had copied the information. It proved to be the one thing Kh'nar could use to silence Erlanna from testifying against him. Later, given time, she would be secreted away and then he would have his revenge.

Kh'nar and his lackies did not know James was in possession of Erlanna's crystallized tears or that he had been in direct contact with them. The connection now woven by love between an immortal and mortal would prove to be Kh'nar's undoing.

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[1]Parsec - an area of space within a galaxy measured by a ten-degree arc, five thousand lightyears deep.

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On to the Epilogue...