1

Zhir-Chi'an gave the apartment one last nostalgic look before she shut the door for the last time. For the last six months, she had been on Terra acting as a Diplomatic Cultural Aide, learning everything she could about the people and their customs, and it was quite an experience for her. It was the longest that she had ever spent on another world, and while quite different from her own homeworld of Mûr Zhæn, she had quickly come to appreciate the wonders she had found there. Technology-wise, Terra was far behind in many areas from what Zhir-Chi'an was used to, however, in other areas--notably in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Terra was far ahead. Zhir-Chi'an thought of Nightwing's A.I. entity, Moira, and smiled to herself. In a little while she would be meeting the crew of the black starship and its A.I. entity. The apartment she had been living in, while not luxurious, was ample for Zhir-Chi'an's needs while she needed it, and it was strangely "comfy", as her Terran-born Élendorian friend Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna would say. The past few days had been spent packing up her personal things to either ship back home or transfer back aboard the Chel-Sar Se'nika, which was on its way to Terra. Zhir-Chi'an was looking forward to returning to her ship and being with her crewmates again.

"Be well, little abode. I shall remember my time living within your walls during my stay on this world," Chi'an thought to herself.

With a barely audible sigh, she shut the door and locked it for the last time.

About two hours later, Zhir-Chi'an arrived at the Geneva Starport after making a stop at the Sol Federation Department of State offices to announce her release from diplomatic duty and that she was returning to her former duty as Sensory Specialist First Grade on the I.E.S. Chel-Sar Se'nika. Her ship was by this time due to arrive at a military starport near Fairbanks, Alaska within the hour. Chi'an stopped by the big observation windows in the security area and looked out at the various craft currently at the huge starport. One caught Chi'an's eye, causing her to smile.

"Ah, there it is," she thought as she looked out and saw a sleek, stealthy personnel shuttle of the kind used by the Sol Federation Space Service's black long-range scout ships. Slipping the comm set that she had been given into her ear, Chi'an tapped the earpiece and said, "Zhir-Chi'an to Talon-One, I see you, and I will be there momentarily."

* * * * *

Captain James Daugherty had just returned to his ship's shuttle after his meeting with Ja'f'darwe Nael'saroon, Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary, of the Élendorian Union...and the uncle of Miss Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna, the diplomatic attaché that had accompanied his crew to Mûr Zhæn, when he got a call from his younger cousin, Ensign John Donnelson. John was heading home for a few days when his father, Admiral Kenneth Donnelson, told him that James was in Geneva. John had transported down to the starport where James was at so that he could hitch a ride with his older cousin and do some catching up.

"Sir? Ya mind givin' a couple fighter jocks a lift home?" John called out, poking his head into the open rear boarding hatch of the shuttle.

"Hey boychik, they actually cut you some slack and let you have some downtime?" James shot back with a grin as he greeted his younger cousin.

"'Boychik'? Man, you've been hangin' around Tanya too much, Jamie, you're startin' to talk like her! Yeah, our crew chief told me and 'Dizzy D' to get lost while he has the guys do engine maintenance on our Peregrine [[1]]. We put in for few days of special liberty while you're still home, and I guess our WC [[2]]was in a good mood, so we got approved. Dizzy's got a relative who's working in Anchorage, so she's going to visit her. She'll be here in a few minutes," John explained.

"I take it that's your pilot?" James asked.

"Yeah. Ever fly with a Veswan before?"

"Can't say that I have, why?"

"I've been wondering if the rest of them are anything like Dizzy," John replied.

"Why do you say that?" James asked, raising an eyebrow a little.

"Well, there's a good reason why she got called "Dizzy D" in flight school...the woman's nuts. Whatever you do, do not let her take the stick on the way home! John said with a grimace.

"I've been called worse," James chuckled.

"Dude, this gal is bonafide squirrel bait, I tell ya!"

James was about to say something when he saw a diminutive female wearing a military uniform heading towards the shuttle. When John saw the expression on his cousin's face, he turned to look out of the rear hatch.

"Yep, that's her."

Diwenzi Cha'rhu'ez, or "Dizzy D" as she was known by her call sign, was fairly average looking for a Veswan female. A slim 142 cm tall, with collar-length iridescent blue/green/black hair, short dark gray fur, sharp facial features, rodent-like hands and feet, and a short tail. Veswans were known for being quick, fearless, and playful. However, if they felt threatened and cornered, they could quickly turn vicious. Despite John's reservations about Diwenzi's flying style, the two generally got along well. He was the more cautious, reserved, and level-headed of the two--for a skunk G.E.L.F. that had a little wolf in him, like his father the admiral, that was saying something.

John made the introductions according to military protocol, junior to senior.

"Sir, this is Lieutenant Diwenzi Cha'rhu'ez, of VF-937, Fourth Space Fleet. Ma'am, this is my cousin, Captain James Daugherty, the CO of S.F.S. Nightwing, SLG-78, of VP-307, Sixth Space Fleet."

Diwenzi came to attention and saluted James, and then shook his hand when he offered it.

"An honor to meet you, sir. It's not often any of us fighter jocks get to meet a scout ship pilot, and a famous one at that," Diwenzi said with a grin, showing a mouthful of small, needle-sharp teeth.

"About the only time anyone sees us is when we're resupplying or in for overhaul," James quipped. "John tells me you're heading to Anchorage?"

"If you don't mind, sir, I figured I'd see if I could catch a ride to Alaska with you and 'Runway', and then take a rail pod down to Anchorage," Diwenzi replied.

"One more won't hurt, I suppose. I'm waiting for one other person who will be coming with us," James said.

"Anybody I know?" John asked his cousin.

"Doubt it, boychik. Might as well get aboard and stow your gear, it might be a little while before she gets here."

While they were waiting, James called Moira to see how things were going.

[James]: "Talon-1_to _Nightwing."

[Sylvia]: "Stewert here, sir."

[James]: "Patch me through to Moira, would you, Syl?"

[Sylvia]: "Just a moment, sir..."

A few seconds later...

[Moira]: "What may I do for you, James?"

[James]: "How are things going?"

[Moira]: "The Se'nika is enroute from the FOS and should make planetfall within the next thirty minutes. Tanya set us down at the Eielson military base. She did remarkably well flying me for the first time. I reserved the space next to me for the Se'nika_, and sent the coordinates to their navigator. Most of the crew are onloading supplies at the moment, and Sonya confirmed that the weapons onload will take place tomorrow morning. We are apparently getting upgraded torpedoes, which has our Weapons Officer excited. Shauna, Sylvia, and Lilly finished the adjustments to the communications system, so we should have cleaner transmissions while in hyperspace. I've forwarded their work on to Admiral Donnelson for dissemination. Has Chi'an arrived yet?_"

[James]: "Still waiting on her. Hey, would you tell Lil that our cousin John is catching a ride home with me? He's got a few days liberty, so I'm sure she'll want to spend some time catching up."

[Moira]: "That is Admiral Donnelson's oldest son, am I correct?"

[James]: "That's affirmative."

[Moira]: "As you wish, James. Oh, Tanya says that they should be finished with the onload by the time you arrive...and as long as you, quote, 'don't make an unscheduled stop in Siberia, you'll have time to take us out to dinner,' unquote."

[James]: "Siberia? Why would I want to go there?"

[Moira]: "I do not know for certain, James. Do you wish for me to ask her?"

[James]: No, she's probably yanking my chain about something. As soon as Zhir-Chi'an gets here, we'll be on our way home. I'll let you know when we lift."

[Moira]: "Very well, James. We will be waiting for you. Nightwing_out_."

"Who was you yakkin' to, Jamie?" John asked after he had secured his bag in the small cargo compartment of the personnel shuttle.

"I was just talking to Moira to see how things were going," James replied.

"That's your ship's A.I., right?"

"Yes."

"Dad told me a little about her. He seems rather impressed with her, and you know dad doesn't impress easily."

James smiled and said, "Yeah, well, you'll get to meet Moira and my crew when we get home. Boychik."

John shook his head a little.

"Did Tanya put you up to calling me that?"

"Heh, just getting you ready for when she sees you," James replied with a chuckle.

"Aw, jeez, it's going to be bad enough when Daisy and Rosetta find out I'm home--they're not going to leave me alone the whole time!" John groaned.

"Oh, I don't know, I think you've got some competition for their attention. Poppy's girls seem to have taken a liking to my Yeoman for some reason," James said with a mischievous look on his face.

"Better him than me. Hey, guess who just turned eighteen?" John said the last giving James a sly look.

James furrowed his brows in thought, trying to think who it might be...then his eyes widened.

"Ye gods..."

It was John's youngest sister, the curvaceous "bombshell" skunkette, Jo.

"So, hey, this is one of the new Nighthawk class shuttles, eh, sir? Diwenzi asked, coming forward to check out the cockpit.

James turned in his seat to look at John's Veswan pilot.

"Yes, it is, Lieutenant. Are you familiar with them?"

"I've read the spec's--pretty impressive for a personnel shuttle. More like a Light Attack Fighter in a lot of respects, but with jump capability. How does she handle?"

"This particular little bird has already given some bad guys a taste of what she can do," James said with a slight smile.

"Yiezwa [[3]], you were in that mess out in sector one-four-nine, that's right! We sat through the briefing on the attack, going over the breakdown of the tactics the enemy used. I thought scout ships generally don't take on direct action roles," Diwenzi said excitedly.

"You don't know my cousin, Dizzy. He used to fly PCGs during the R'Hinsa Campaign, if that tells you anything," John piped up.

It didn't take much to get Diwenzi excited about combat missions, and to pass the time, James obliged his audience of two with a few stories of some of the missions he went on.

While they were talking about things that fighter jocks are typically fond of discussing, complete with hand movements, a call came in. After he answered it, James said, "Well, hate to break this up, but the person we've been waiting on will be here any second..."

*Bamf!*

"YIEZWA!!!"

"JEEZERS!!!"

As soon as Chi'an teleported herself into the shuttle, she noted the other two people, though she immediately faced James and saluted him in the manner of her people by placing her left hand on her right shoulder and bowing her head. James stood and returned her salute and then held his hands out with palms up.

"Good to see you again, Zhir-Chi'an, how have you been?" James asked

"I have been well, Captain James Daugherty. I am ready to return to my duties, though I will miss my time on your homeworld. How have you and the others been these past six of your moon-cycles?" Chi'an asked, placing her hands palm down on James'.

"We've been keeping busy doing little things here and there. Now that the Se'nika is here, we'll both be heading off to do what we're supposed to be out there doing," James said with a smile. Turning to the others, James made the introductions. "Lieutenant, Ensign, this is Sensory Specialist First Grade, Zhir-Chi'an of the Mûr Tua'ansa Imperial Exploration Ship, Chel-Sar Se'nika. Zhir-Chi'an, this is Lieutenant Diwenzi Cha'rhu'ez and Ensign John Donnelson. The Ensign is one of my younger cousins--his father is Admiral Kenneth Donnelson. I'm sure you remember the admiral."

Zhir-Chi'an saluted and bowed towards each of the two junior officers.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance." To John specifically she said, "I have had the honor of meeting your father upon my arrival. He is...how shall I say...an interesting individual."

"Um...yeah," John said looking up at Zhir-Chi'an, who was easily at least a head taller than James.

Once they were through with the introductions, James had everyone take their seats and began powering up the shuttle.

"C'mon, boychik, you can sit in the right-hand seat and keep an eye out for stray traffic. Just keep your fingers off of the targeting sensors--we don't want to scare the pants off of the civilians," James said with a smirk.

"Roger that, cuz. Jeez, this is the first time I've got to fly with you since that time you rented that hopper and took us kids fishing for the weekend," John said.

"You caught a pretty good-sized chinook that time, as I recall," James said, thinking back to that time as he started to taxi towards the main runway.

"Yeah, you had to wade in and net it," John said with a smirk.

Once the shuttle cleared the immediate vicinity of the Geneva starport, James headed east across the Eurasian continent towards Alaska.

* * * * *

Tanya and the crew watched excitedly as the I.E.S.Chel-Sar Se'nika landed at the military base and taxied its way to the berth next to Nightwing. The exploration ship got a lot of attention from the ground crews and others in the vicinity--it was the first time they had ever seen a living organic starship based on technology that was thousands of years ahead of their own. When she pulled alongside Nightwing, what served as landing struts seemed to _grow_downward from the hull until they made contact with the ground and then became rigid.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Zach said aloud to no one in particular.

"She looks a lot better than the first time we saw her, ey?" Felix asked, noting that the damage that had been done by the Wurnak Da'i had been completely...healed...for lack of a better term.

"That she does," Zach agreed. "I wonder if the Se'nika remembers us."

Felix looked at Zach and said, "One way to find out, ey."

Felix approached the organic ship with his arms out from his sides a little, showing open hands. He sent to the ship, "Hey, do you remember me? I'm Felix Canberra...we rescued you and your crew."

He stood there for a bit wondering if he was just wasting his time, or if the ship might actually remember him. Just when he was about to turn away, the skin of the ship above him began to alter, and crisp sigils of the Mûr Tua'ansa script appeared. Felix recognized them and, remembering what Zhir-Chi'an had taught him of her language, he began to smile.

"Ey, she _does_remember, ey!" Felix said with excitement, pointing up at the letters.

The ship had spelled out his name.

It was not long before two parallel tendrils grew out of the ship's underside at an angle towards the ground. Between them grew what appeared to be steps, and then a section of hull softened and opened up. Madam Commander Rhuw-Rha'an descended first, moving with grace and dignity. Behind her came the rest of her crew: Thir-Bre'an, the Pilot; Aren-Tal'an, the white-haired Navigator; Shen-Lir'an, the equivalent of a Communications Officer; Kfan-Hre'an, the Detection Systems Operator / Technician; Ksen-Mir'ta, the ship's Engineer, Vren-Kan'ta, the Main Drive specialist; Tres-Nua'ta, the Secondary Drive specialist; Hfel-Sri'an, the Ship's Systems Technician; Jhan-Kri'an, the equivalent of a Science Officer; Yris-Nir'an, a science tech; Gaen-Mar'an, the Stellar Cartographer; Frer-Sha'an, the Healer; Tres-Sal'an, the equivalent of a Weapons Officer; Plel-Whu'an, who was in charge of the Defensive Systems; Sran-Rua'ta, the ship's clerk; and Mris-Ahn'ta, the ship's cook.

"We meet again, and under better circumstances, Commander Tanya Dvoretsky," Rhuw-Rha'an said when she greeted Nightwing's Executive Officer.

Wagging her tail excitedly, Tanya barked out, "dabrO pazhAlavat'! [[4]]It is good to see you again!"

Rha'an smiled as they placed hands on each other's shoulders.

"Where is James?" Rha'an asked after a moment, not sensing him in the vicinity.

"He's picking up Zhir-Chi'an in Geneva using our shuttle. They should be here in roughly a half an hour," Tanya replied. "I'm sure she will be happy to be with her shipmates again."

"I will be happy to have my Sensory Specialist back--Zhir-Chi'an is very good at what she does, and I would not wish to replace her. We have all missed her presence while she has been on her special assignment for the Empress."

"She has kept in contact with us while she's been here on Terra, though I think Petty Officer Canberra has met with her a time or two when he could," Tanya said with a soft smirk.

"I would not doubt that. The vines of those two have become entangled, as we say."

While the two crews were busy greeting each other and catching up, Tanya and Rha'an stepped aside to watch, and also to discuss something.

"I heard you were able to get permission to come with us. Did that take a lot of doing?" Tanya inquired.

"Not as much as I thought it would. Her Majesty is interested in learning as much as possible about how our people may...I believe you would say, 'get along'. This joint mission will further the bonds between us, I am sure of it. Even though we are a much older race, we are not so fixed in our ways that we cannot learn from others. While I do not know what we may find among the stars, I believe the journey itself will be worth remembering," Rha'an explained.

Tanya thought on that while she watched her crew interact with Rha'an's.

"At least our own seem to get along, ah?"

"Indeed so," Rha'an sent with a smile.

* * * * *

On the way towards Alaska, James took a sub-orbital path over Siberia. Not much to see from that altitude, aside from the curvature of the horizon and the darkness of space above. It was a more efficient path flight and avoided some storm systems by flying high over them. Zhir-Chi'an looked down at the cloud tops and watched the flashes of lightning illuminating their interiors. During her six-month stay on Terra, Chi'an had experienced some of the wilder weather systems. From her present location, the storms far below looked pretty--when she had been on the ground in the middle of a raging thunderstorm on the North American continent, it was truly an awe-inspiring experience for her. The weather on her homeworld of Mûr Zhæn was not quite as prone to such violence. Some of that was due to the weather control system, and some was due to the topography, the distance from their sun, and other factors.

Chi'an was glad that the captain was taking a quicker route to their destination. The alien female she was sharing the flight with, Lieutenant Diwenzi Cha'rhu'ez, was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Ah, how does one tolerate such a person as her? The constant chatter, and she does not even try to shield her thoughts! I pity the captain's cousin if he must fly with that nerbif_! She even_ looks like one! By my Honored Grandmother's horns, I swear I will make her sleep for the remainder of the flight!"

"How are you doing back there, Miss Zhir-Chi'an?" James called back, about halfway into their flight, noting that she had said next to nothing since they left Geneva. When she didn't say anything immediately, James turned enough in his seat to look back. Chi'an met his eyes with a strained expression, and the twitch in her tail told him that she was agitated about something. He sent privately, "Something bothering you, Chi'an? You may speak freely with me."

Chi'an struggled with her thoughts for a moment, and then sent privately to James, "It...would not be right for me to do what I find myself thinking. Sir." She remembered at the last second to add the "sir", according to Terran custom.

"And what would that be?" James asked becoming curious. When he sensed Chi'an's hesitation, he added, "Whatever is on your mind, Chi'an, you're free to tell me--it'll stay just between us, no worries, okay?"

Chi'an nodded her head slightly once, and then sent, "That female officer...she is..._annoying! I...I would make her sleep for the remainder of our trip, if..._"

James chuckled, causing his cousin John to glance over at him.

"Your first time around a Veswan, eh?" James asked privately, adding a bit of humor.

"AH! Are they all like her?"

"They do tend to be chatty, yes," James replied.

"I...pity your poor cousin who must serve with that nerbif_!_" Chi'an sent.

"I'm not familiar with that term...what does it mean?" James asked, glancing over his flight controls.

"A nerbif_? It is a small, nervous, furry animal on my world that lives in the forests and makes its home in holes it digs into the ground. They live in large groups, and make a lot of noise_." Chi'an sent James a mental image of a nerbif, and he had to suppress a laugh--the rodent-like mammal that she showed him did look surprisingly similar to a Veswan.

"I see what you mean," James sent with humor. "So, what was that about making her sleep...how would you be able to do that?"

"It is simple..." Chi'an sent and then she, without thinking, demonstrated one thing a full telepath was easily able to do.

In mid-sentence, Lt. Cha'rhu'ez promptly took a snooze.

James and his younger cousin John both turned and looked at the female officer, who seemed to be peacefully asleep in her seat.

"Chi'an, you didn't...?" James started to ask.

Chi'an's eyes widened and paled in embarrassment at what she just did.

In a near panic, she said, "AI! I did not mean to...I...I will wake her!"

"No, that's okay, Chi'an, might as well let her sleep until we get over the Bering Sea. To tell the truth, she _was_beginning to get a little annoying. Ensign, _absolutely_not a peep to Cha'rhu'ez about this, hear me?"

"Understood, sir, mum's the word," John said, facing his older, higher ranking cousin. He tried real hard to keep a straight face as he muttered to himself, "Jeez, _that_sure would come in handy at times."

When James began their descent over the Bering Sea towards the southwest coast of Alaska, he had Chi'an wake Lt. Cha'rhu'ez.

"(*Yawn*) Yiezwa, I feel tired for some reason," Lt. Cha'rhu'ez said as she came to.

"We've had a tough training cycle, Dizzy, so maybe it's just catching up to you. I know _I'm_looking forward to catching some sack time when I get home," John suggested.

They actually _had_been rather busy, which was why their fighter required more maintenance than usual, and it wasn't much of a stretch, since they both had been feeling the pressure their squadron had been under.

"I s'pose you're right, Runway. I need to find me a warm body to snuggle with."

Lt. Cha'rhu'ez gave John a suggestive look, which didn't go unnoticed by Chi'an.

"Ah, tell me these two are not...!" she thought to herself.

"In your dreams, Dizzy...Dad would have both our tails if you got your way!" John said in mild exasperation.

James shook his head in amusement--he remembered a former co-pilot he used to fly with who always dinged on him every chance she got back they were fighting the R'Hinsi.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but still...not sayin' I'm the best, but, ya don't know what ya might be missin' out on," Lt. Cha'rhu'ez teased.

James looked over at his younger cousin and raised an eyebrow.

"By the way, just how did you end up with the call-sign of 'Runway'?"

Before he could reply, Lt. Cha'rhu'ez butted in with a laugh, "It's because of that big ol' white stripe down his back!"

"What is a...as you say...a 'call-sign'?" Chi'an asked, having no idea what they were talking about.

"Oh, that's an old tradition among military pilots, Zhir-Chi'an. Everybody gets one given to them. It could be because you did something really stupid, or outrageous, or it might be a play on your name. If you've been in combat, you generally get to keep yours for your whole career. Mine's "Wildman", by the way," James explained with a slight grin.

"How did you earn that_, if I may ask?_" Chi'an inquired.

"Oh, that's easy," John piped up, "dad said it was because he 'flies like a madman'."

Zhir-Chi'an and Lt. Cha'rhu'ez both looked questioningly at James.

"Heh, I don't think my uncle is ever going to let go of how I flew him and his team through Demon's Canyon on Chandor IV," James said with a little smirk.

"Chandor IV?! Yiezwa! You were there, sir?" Lt Cha'rhu'ez exclaimed in wide-eyed awe.

"I flew an _Osprey_class PCG [[5]]with Strike Group 92 on several missions there, Lieutenant. I met two of my current crew members during that battle. I don't think the R'Hinsi quite knew how to deal with a pilot like me," James explained.

"Yeah, dad said you flew upside-down through that canyon at nearly tree-top level, playing some ancient classical music, while 'cheerfully blasting anything that moved'," John said.

"It was Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries', if you want to know," James added.

"If I may ask, how large a craft is a 'PCG'?" Chi'an asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, they're nearly as large as your ship, Zhir-Chi'an."

"How fast did you pilot your craft?"

"I was going at least twenty-four-thousand kilometers per hour through a narrow canyon with lots of heavy gun emplacements. I took out several on my first pass.

"On your first?! How many passes did you make?" Lt. Cha'rhu'ez asked incredulously.

"Four, altogether--in and out twice.

"Yiezwa!!"

Zhir-Chi'an's eyes widened and her tail twitched.

"I do not think our own Thir-Bre'an would do such a thing!"

James grinned--there were only a handful of pilots crazy enough to attempt such a feat, and those were currently pilots of four of the five Spirit class long-range scout ships.

* * * * *

"So, when do we hafta head to Élendor Prime, Jamie?" Lilly asked while she was putting a few things away in the bedroom back at their home later that day.

James tossed his coat on the bed, and as he began unzipping his flight suit, he said, "We have to leave in no more than five days. Did we get all of the supplies loaded aboard?"

"Yeah, they're gonna do the weapons onload tomorrow morning, so Miss Redhill and McElroy will be handlin' that. We got everything else onloaded and stowed by the time you got in, so now we just gotta get everyone and their stuff onboard. Hey, Moira said she heard we might be getting some people coming with us. You know anything about that?" Lilly asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, the Élendorian ambassador's niece is coming along, at his insistence, since she knows the language and the culture...and can get us in to meet with the right people. There's a science team coming, too--they'll arrive a day or two before we lift."

Lilly thought about the ambassador's niece, Miss Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna, remembering her from their trip to Mûr Zhæn and back.

"So, ol' Miss Ja'f'darwe is goin' with us, huh?" Lilly asked after a few moments.

"Yeah, at least to Élendor--don't know about after that," James replied, putting on a pair of sweat pants, a sweatshirt, and his house shoes. He came up behind Lilly, put his arms around his mate, and held her close. "Whatcha thinkin' about, Lil?" James asked softly.

"How come _we_got picked to go on this little treasure hunt? I mean, shouldn't we be out lookin' for those Wurnak Da'i idiots, or somethin'?

James nuzzled Lilly and said, "Apparently Command thinks we'd have a better chance to quickly find whatever happened to that artifact, or whatever it is, because of Moira's abilities. The sooner we find it and get it back, the sooner we can go do something else."

"What if we _don't_find it right away...what then?" Lilly asked, turning around so that she could face James and put her arms around his neck.

"I was told that we find whatever trail that we can, follow it wherever it goes, and either come back with it, or come back with our tails between our legs."

"Jeez, I don't quite like the sound of that," Lilly said, giving James a concerned look.

"Yeah, our uncle wasn't too happy about it, either. He'd rather we'd be doing something _slightly_more useful, in his opinion," James said with a hint of a smirk.

"I can think of something I'd rather be doing..." Lilly said suggestively, looking over to the bed and back at her mate.

James grinned and said, "I'll get the lights..."

* * * * *

"It is good to have you with us again, Zhir-Chi'an. We have all missed your presence, even our dear Se'nika has marked your absence," Rhuw-Rha'an said as she greeted her Sensory Specialist, who had been on a special assignment on Terra for the Empress.

"It is good to be back among my own, Madam Commander," Chi'an said in return as she saluted the commanding officer of her ship.

The entire crew of the Chel-Sar Se'nika gathered around and touched Zhir-Chi'an, physically and mentally, happy to include their returned crewmate among their number once again.

"Mres-Ahn'ta has prepared your favorite dishes from home," Shen-Lir'an sent with a smile.

"We shall feast in honor of your return," Thir-Bre'an announced, casting a quick glance to Rhuw-Rha'an, who nodded her head once slightly.

The rest of the Se'nika's crew heartily agreed, and they boarded their ship to prepare for the occasion.

Zhir-Chi'an walked through their ship on the way to the quarters she shared with Kfan-Hre'an, and marveled at the regeneration work that had been done in her absence. The last time she had been aboard the Se'nika was when they had been returned to Mûr Zhæn after their rescue from the claws of the Wurnak Da'i by the crews of the black scout ships. Although she had been in contact with the crew of Nightwing during her stay on Terra, she found that she missed the company of her new friends. One in particular, YM2 Felix Canberra, was on her mind as she stowed her belongings. Chi'an thought about attempting to reach out to him with her mind, and as she was putting her uniforms away, she recalled the time when Felix had his ship's clothing device make replacements for both her and Hre'an. Chi'an smiled, fondly remembering the time she and Felix spent together.

"Ah, my friend, even though I know you are destined to be with another, I have missed you. Long after your Path ends, I will remember you, and the warmth of your fur. I never imagined it could be so enjoyable with one not of my kind, but...it was, and perhaps we may have an opportunity to share ourselves again, one more time," Chi'an thought to herself.

Sensing Hre'an making her way to their compartment, Chi'an quickly finished putting away her things.

* * * * *

"Well, fox boy, that's the last of the small munitions and power cells, what do ya say we call it a day and grab a bite over at the base's mess hall?" Sonya suggested when she and Ivor finished stowing the ordinance in the ship's armory.

"Aye, mum, ah dinnae ha' much at lunch," Ivor agreed.

"Me neither. I don't know why those boneheads thought we should have damn rabbit_food for lunch! Jeezers, we only have _one_herbie on the crew, and that's Miss Eriksson. Even Chief _Sorrel eats a little meat now and then!"

"Aye, whin she's nae gnawing oan they brazil nuts, shell 'n' a'," Ivor commented, shaking his head.

"I guess it's better than her gnawing on other things," Sonya said, giving Ivor a sly glance. When he didn't say anything further, she rolled her eyes in mild exasperation. Changing the subject, Sonya asked, "So, do you and Syl have any plans for the next few days?" She figured that they would, since the two spent as much time together as they could during off hours, though she hoped to squeeze in a little time alone with her Gunner's Mate for herself.

"Aye, we've bin planning oan aff tae that het spring again," Ivor replied.

"The one the skipper took us the last time we were here?"

"Aye, mum."

"Hmm, Syl...in a bikini...now that's something I wouldn't mind seeing again." When Ivor gave a Sonya an odd look, she added, "Well, she _does_have a hot figure, farm boy, you can't deny that. And by the way, speaking of hot bods, I was hoping...maybe... you know..."

Sonya put her hand on Ivor's arm, causing him to hold up.

"Mum?"

"We never did get to do anything since that rescue op out in sector 149. I was kinda hoping maybe we could squeeze in a little quality time before we head out into the black again," Sonya explained softly.

Ivor thought back to that time and remembered what he had said in the lift after loading ordinance into the shuttle.

"Aye, ah haven't forgotten. Mibbie we could--the skipper said we git five days afore we hurl."

Feeling a bit hopeful, Sonya began her rumbling purr as they headed towards the lift.

* * * * *

/* "Shauna?*/

"Hey, Moira, what's up?

/* "I have found the information you requested concerning your brother, Cameron." */

Shauna put a hand on the machinery she was checking over to steady herself--she was not expecting to deal with that at the particular moment.

"Uh...would you send it to the terminal in my stateroom? I, um, I'll look at it later."

/* "As you wish, Shauna. Would you like some assistance so that you may finish earlier?*/

"Um...no, that's okay, Moira. I'm almost done with this, and then I just need to update my maintenance log," Shauna replied, trying to get her mind back on the work at hand.

/* "Let me know when you are ready to leave so that I may arrange our transportation to Gelfheim, unless you desire to make other arrangements." */

"Just give me a little to finish up here, and pick up some things from my cabin."

/* "As you wish, Shauna. I will let the others know." */

Moira heard the stress in Shauna's voice, and filed it away in her memory. She thought it would be prudent to offer whatever support she could when the time was more appropriate.

After Shauna was finished with her work in Engineering, she made her way forward to her stateroom up on Deck One, which was across the passageway from James' cabin. She sat down at the small desk and turned on the terminal's screen. Shauna hesitated before opening the file Moira had compiled on her brother, who she had never got to know, and no one in her family had mentioned. Finally, after a few moments, Shauna opened the file. There were photos of Cameron, and selecting one, she enlarged it to full screen.

"My...(*choke*)...brother..."

Shauna gingerly touched the image on the screen with her large, three-fingered hand. Her brother, Cameron, was a handsome Clydesdale G.E.L.F., with the same colored hair as hers. He had a gentle smile and was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and cargo shorts, having paused long enough from his excavation work to pose for the camera. Shauna found that her long-lost brother had been a xeno-archeologist, and he was on a dig on some planet she wasn't familiar with. Looking through the other photos, Shauna saw an Élendorian female with him, apparently one of his co-workers, for she was similarly dressed for working on an excavation project. There was another male standing near him, who was holding some artifact they had teased from the ground. Shauna thought the other male looked odd at first, until she recognized why. He was a "near human" with strong skunk G.E.L.F. features.

"Hmm...I wonder..." she thought aloud to herself, thinking that she would have to show this to James and Lilly.

In the photo's background, there was another person who was working alongside some others clearing away the dirt from some object or another, only the person was looking right at the camera. The eyes seemed unsettling to Shauna, for some reason. She had gotten somewhat used to being around Tanya, though this particular wolf G.E.L.F. had a decidedly wild intensity in his gaze that made a nervous shiver run through her body.

* * * * *

"A ruble for your thoughts..." Tanya inquired of Shauna on their way home from the military base.

"Uh?"

"You seem preoccupied with something. Has 5917 been up to something again?" Tanya asked with a slight smile.

"Um...no, he's been behaving. For once. I was...just thinking about something else," Shauna replied.

"Oh? What might that be?"

"Just some personal stuff."

Tanya crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave the Ship's Engineer a mild form of "the stare".

"Shauna, you should know by now that we can talk about anything that's bothering you."

"Yeah, I know, I'd just rather wait until we get to the house, if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself, dear," Tanya said, though she continued to look at Shauna. Shortly, her comm unit beeped, so she pulled it out of her sleeve pocket and placed it in her ear. "Dvoretsky here."

/* "Tanya, Shauna's voice pattern analysis shows that she is clearly stressed. I recommend that you let it drop until we arrive. I suspect I know what is on her mind, and she may be waiting for either more comfortable surroundings, or to speak with James about it in private first." */

Tanya looked over at Moira's android avatar, who looked back while slightly raising an eyebrow.

"Okay. Dvoretsky out."

Tanya removed the comm unit from her ear and placed it back into her sleeve pocket. Slightly shaking her head, Tanya turned to look out the window of the rail pod as they headed north towards Gelfheim.

"I wonder why Moira waved me off?" Tanya thought to herself.

Later that evening, after dinner, Shauna sat quietly on the wraparound couch in front of the fireplace with James, Lilly, Tanya, and Moira's android avatar. She nursed her mug of mulled mead while staring into the flames. Lilly and Tanya were doing the majority of the talking, though James had noticed that Shauna was being unusually quiet. He reached around Lilly and touched Shauna on her arm as an unspoken reminder that he was there. Shauna took one more sip from her mug and then glanced over at Moira. When she spoke softly, Lilly and Tanya immediately grew quiet and attentive.

"I...asked Moira to see if she could find anything on my brother."

James prompted after a moment, "And?"

Shauna set her mug down and picked up a PAD that she had kept close by ever since she got to the house.

"Tell me what you see," Shauna said, handing the PAD to James.

Thumbing the device on from standby, James looked at the image that was keyed up.

"Is that him?" James asked quietly.

"Yeah, that's Cameron. Take a closer look."

James looked carefully at the whole image, not missing any of the details.

"See anyone you recognize?" Shauna asked.

"This guy...he looks like..." James trailed off, thinking back.

Lilly, curious as ever, also looked closely at the image.

"Hey, that's Arlan, the guy that Poppy used to be with, he's the father of Daisy and Rosetta. He was on a dig with your brother? Jeezers, what are the chances of that?"

"Yeah, that's who I was thinking it was. I didn't know him very well. Poppy's kits were born at the end of the R'Hinsa Campaign, and I wasn't around much then," James added.

"Notice anything odd about that guy in the background?" Shauna asked quietly.

"This one? The one looking at the camera?" James asked, pointing at the wolf G.E.L.F. male.

"Yeah."

"I've had my share of hard looks by mom when I was a kid for doing something crazy, but...," James commented.

"Yeah, I love your momma as much as anyone in the family, and yeah, she can sure give ya a hard look when she feels a need to, but, jeezers--not even Uncle Kenny ever had a look like that in his eyes! What do ya think, Tan?" Lilly said, giving her tail a twitch.

When Tanya looked at the wolf G.E.L.F. in the image, her hackles raised slightly.

"Ah, more like a wild wolf, I'd say. Where was this taken?" Tanya asked.

"Out near NGC-2359 [[6]]. A long dead planet where they found traces of a civilization that predated the Theronesian Sovereignty," Moira answered.

"The Theronesian's? Weren't they around about the time the Mûr Tua'ansa were heading out into space?" James asked raising an eyebrow.

Moira's avatar cocked her head slightly to one side and said, "Accessing...by my calculation, that would be likely, James. Of this older race that predated the Theronesian Sovereignty--themselves now long gone, not much is known where exactly they originated, though there have been rumors of artifacts occasionally surfacing around that sector, and others nearby. According to what little _is_known so far, the apparent technological level was far more advanced than that of Rhuw-Rha'an's people."

"And they're way ahead of us. Jeezers." James said quietly.

"That is correct, James. Are you familiar with the race known as the First Ones?" Moira asked.

James thought for a few seconds, and then said, "Yeah, I've heard talk of them, mostly from old pilots who've spent a lot of years out in the boondocks. They're a myth, the stuff of legends. Why?"

"You may wish to ask Aren-Tal'an what she knows of them," Moira replied.

"What's that got to do with Shauna's Brother?" James asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"From what Moira dug up, my brother was part of a research group that was trying to find out anything they could that would prove once and for all whether the First Ones really existed or not. There's a lot of strange things out there, James, things that made my brother and your cousin's mate disappear," Shauna answered.

"Okay, so two people out of all the worlds we currently know about, disappeared. That's hardly cause to think mythological beings are responsible," James countered.

Shauna was just about to say something when there was a knock at the front door of the house, which immediately got everyone's attention. Lilly got up and went to the door to see who was.

"Yeah, sure, c'mon in," they heard Lilly say to someone. "Jeez, you walked from the rail platform? Well, get your tail over by the fire and warm up." Lilly came back into the great room with a taller person who was wrapped in a luxurious fur cloak. "Sit yourself down right here and hand me your cloak. Do you want something hot to drink, like some tea or coffee or something?"

"Tea would be fine, thank you."

When the visitor removed their fur cloak, James, Tanya, and Shauna were surprised.

"Miss Ja'f'darwe, this is a surprise," James said, rising to greet their unexpected visitor in the Élendorian manner. "We weren't expecting you for another couple of days. Please, have a seat and warm yourself." James offered his place on the couch to her.

"Thank you, Captain. I apologize for the suddenness of my arrival. My uncle thought it best if I traveled somewhat discreetly, though it is not so easy for one of my kind to move among yours unnoticed, and especially not in this region," Miss Ja'f'darwe said with a wry smile.

"I suppose not," James agreed.

Lilly brought out the tea, and filled a mug for Miss Ja'f'darwe. She added a bit of honey to her tea, and took a sip. After letting the mug of hot tea warm her fingers a little, she set the mug down on the coffee table and reached into her shoulder bag; pulling out a data chip, she handed it to James.

"This contains what you need to know about the 'artifact' that went missing from my people's homeworld, and the area surrounding the structure that held it. Just how it suddenly disappeared, no one has been able to figure out. I know that the Sol Federation is sending a science team along with us to add their expertise to this mystery, though wherever it leads, I am coming with you. If we can find and recover it, I'm to make sure it is returned to Élendor. The Heart gives off quite an exotic and complex energy signature, and it is hoped that we will be able to track it. All of the data that Élendor has collected on it is there."

Miss Ja'f'darwe picked up her mug of tea, and took a cautious sip, letting her hands be warmed by the heat of its contents.

"So, just what _is_this Heart-thingy?" Lilly asked.

Miss Ja'f'darwe took another sip of her tea, and then leaned back.

"We're...not exactly sure, to be honest. We do know that it has been on Élendor Prime long before our race evolved. It has communicated with various people over the course of our history, so we know that it has some sort of an intelligence. We also know that if someone were actively searching for it, they somehow get...misdirected. If the Heart actually calls to a specific person, then they have been--for lack of a better term for it--guided towards it. Basically, if it doesn't want you to find it, you won't, and if it does want you to, you will. The power in it has been incredible, though it had been slowly degrading as near as we could tell. Maybe that has something to do with why it disappeared--maybe it couldn't stay hidden. There are those who believe it was taken, but there are also some who think maybe it might have left on its own. There's just no way we've been able to tell. Since the Mûr Tua'ansa are an old race, my people thought that perhaps they might have the technology to help find it," Miss Ja'f'darwe explained.

"And since we were the ones that saved one of their ships and her crew, they might wish to return the favor by helping us find this thing," James suggested.

"Correct. I...understand that they have accepted to help?" Miss Ja'f'darwe asked, taking another sip.

"Madam Commander Rhuw-Rha'an and her crew are joining us," James said.

"Good." Miss Ja'f'darwe was pleased to have the crew of the IES Chel-Sar Se'nika_working together with the crew of the S.F.S. _Nightwing. They were known, and that made her feel better about the mission to find the Heart and, hopefully, return it.

"Um, Miss Ja'f'darwe, this is, um, kinda off the subject, but, by chance do you know anything about a lady named Sy'k'rell Hauvri'ahn?" Shauna asked the diplomat.

"I know of their D'wena, as do all of our people. They have been the traditional caretakers of the Heart. Why do you ask?"

Shauna handed Miss Ja'f'darwe her PAD and showed her the photo.

"She...apparently was somehow involved with my brother, Cameron Eriksson. That's them together on an archeological dig on some long dead planet way out in the boonies near NGC 2359. They apparently found something out there, and not long afterwards, they and that near human guy disappeared. I...I'm supposed to look up her, um, family, I guess, so that they can tell me about my brother," Shauna explained.

Miss Ja'f'darwe studied the image on the PAD for several seconds...and then rustled the feather-like appendages on the end of her tail.

"I have seen inscriptions like these before," she said quietly. Casting a glance around at all present, Miss Ja'f'darwe added, "Carved into the rock on Élendor Prime, where the Heart was located."

* * * * *

With only four more days remaining before embarking on their mission to find the Heart of Élendor, Shauna went to the house where her grandparents had lived. James and Tanya were tied up in meetings at Fleet, and couldn't accompany her; however, Lilly and Frer-Sha'an were able to. Frer-Sha'an's reason for coming was due to her belief that this trip was significantly tied to Shauna's healing. Although it was difficult for Shauna to return to the place where she had suffered so much abuse at the hands of her step-grandfather and her grandmother, she was determined to see it through. Shauna had shared with Frer-Sha'an the experience she had in the glade the first time James had brought his crew there. One of Shauna's cousins, Erika Logan, met them at the house when they arrived in their rental grav car.

After greeting each other, Shauna introduced Lilly and Frer-Sha'an to her cousin.

"You gonna be okay?" Erika asked, concerned for her cousin's well-being, before they entered the house.

"Yeah, I think so," Shauna replied, glancing over to Frer-Sha'an, who nodded her head once.

"The past can no longer hurt you," Frer-Sha'an sent.

"Yeah, we'll be right beside ya the whole time if ya need us," Lilly added.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Shauna said, "Let's get this over with," and they entered the house.

The air in the house was stale, and the light was only dimly penetrating the curtains. There had been no one living in the house since Shauna's grandmother had to move into an assisted living facility a few years ago. Of her step-grandfather, he had reportedly run off to be with another female, who also a granddaughter, only to have been reported to the authorities for continuing his abusive behavior and other illegal activities. He had been arrested, tried, convicted, and put into a detention center. He would not be harming anyone else. As Shauna walked through the house, she noted what was different since the last time she had been there, over ten years ago. She was surprised when the memories came back, but they no longer haunted her as they once did, thanks to the healing Frer-Sha'an had performed when they were on Mûr Zhæn. One memory _did_come to her that seemed to inexplicably guide her, and that was of the dream-like vision she had in the glade near the ancestral Daugherty home in Alaska. Shauna felt something tug at her, drawing her to the basement room that was her biological grandfather's workshop. To the best of her knowledge, the door had been shut and locked ever since her grandfather was found dead, and her grandmother had never let anyone near it. They stood there at the door--Shauna tried it, but, of course, it was still locked, and Erika didn't have a key for it.

"Well, I guess we either call a locksmith, or bust it open, if you really want to get in there," Erika said, shrugging her shoulders.

"If I had my toolkit with me, I could get the thing unlocked easy enough, but I didn't think I'd be needing it on this trip. I suppose I'll have to kick it in..." Shauna said with resignation in her voice.

Just as she was getting into position to kick the door, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"May I try?" Frer-Sha'an asked.

"Uh, sure, go for it, if you wanna give it a whirl," Shauna replied, pushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

Frer-Sha'an nodded her head slightly, and then put her hand over the locking mechanism. It was a simple, old-fashioned, mechanical keyed lock--a reproduction, actually, of a twentieth century model that seemed to fit her late grandfather's personality. Within a few seconds, there was a click, and the door opened.

"How did you do that?" Erika asked in amazement.

"As a healer, I am able to manipulate small structures within a body by will alone. This was a simple enough mechanism to overcome," Frer-Sha'an replied.

"You...you're a telekinetic?" Erika asked.

"All my people are, Erika Logan. Though we all have the ability to move fairly large objects, such as the vehicle we arrived in, for example, moving small objects such as the workings of the lock, takes some skill. I could have just as easily relocated myself and the three of you into the room without having to open the door," Frer-Sha'an explained.

"Huh?"

"She could've teleported us in there," Shauna said matter-of-factly.

"Jeezers...!"

"So, what are we lookin' for again?" Lilly asked, eying the clutter in the room, once they were in.

"A box," Shauna replied.

"What kind of box?"

"I'm supposed to know it when I see it."

"Oh, jeez, we might be here for a while...," Lilly said with growing dismay. There were a lot of boxes and storage containers.

Shauna didn't say anything--she moved slowly about the room, glancing here and there, with an expression on her face that indicated she was trying to remember an elusive memory. After about ten minutes of poking around, Shauna lifted her eyes towards the ceiling. Acting on a whim, impulse, intuition, or whatever else it could have been called, Shauna reached up and lifted a ceiling tile. Poking her hand up into the opening, she touched something that shouldn't have been there. Carefully, she pulled out a plastic container approximately the size of a shoebox for human-sized footwear. Setting the container on the workbench, she lifted the locking tabs and removed the lid.

After several seconds, she announced, "I think this is what grandpa wanted me to find."

Inside the container were letters, photo prints, and some memorabilia that had once belonged to her older brother, Cameron. Among the various items, Shauna found a data chip that had been placed inside a small envelope. She put everything back into the container and sealed it up.

"This is going back with me, so I can take my time going through it all," Shauna said to her cousin.

"Fine by me. It's going to take a week or more to go through all of this stuff, but if I happen to find anything you might be interested in, I'll hold it until you can come by again," Erika said.

"You okay?" Lilly asked Shauna quietly after they left to catch a flight back to Alaska.

"Yeah, I guess so," Shauna replied.

"Whatever you may find in that box, if it should unduly trouble you, you may count on my assistance," Frer-Sha'an offered, placing a hand on Shauna's shoulder.

"Yeah, ya got me, Jamie, Tanya, and Moira, too," Lilly added, taking a hold of Shauna's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I know, and...I appreciate it," Shauna said with a small smile.

* * * * *

With three days left before departing for Élendor, the crews of Nightwing and Se'nika gathered around the rock in the glade. Night had come early, for it was growing late in the year--autumn would soon be giving way to the long frigid arctic winter. Zhir-Chi'an stood in the chill air, taking in the wonder of the place. Around her she sensed the expectant stillness of the glade, and felt as if many eyes were upon them, looking out from hidden places among the trees. Above, the aurora slowly danced to a timeless rhythm only it knew. She remembered the time when Felix had shared his vision onboard his ship before they left for Mûr Zhæn after their rescue. Chi'an's large slit-pupil eyes were wide with awe, as were those of her crewmates. There were places on her own world where one could sit still and feel where the Ancients had walked, and so it was here in this glade. It had the same feel.

"Hre'an, do you feel it?"

"I do_, my friend...this place...we surely must be in the presence of the All Mother herself! The spirits of so many are about us here!_"

"I agree! Ah, it is as when we were gathered at the Alter of Hfa-Raleen_during the healing of Lieutenant Shauna Eriksson..._"

Aren-Tal'an, the white-haired navigator of the Chel-Sar Se'nika, sat very still and listened. As one of the Khea Mûr Tua'ansa, she was naturally more sensitive, psionically, than the rest of her crewmates. Opening her mind, she could hear in her head the echoes of events that had happened in the glade. When she opened her eyes, Aren-Tal'an saw that a light fog had settled in the clearing. Movement caught her attention, and looking a bit to her left, she saw two ghostly shapes emerge from...where, she could not exactly determine. The shapes were in the form of the four-footed furry beings who had greeted the two crews earlier upon their arrival at the small community called Gelfheim. Aren-Tal'an watched the shapes moved silently, purposely, towards Captain Daugherty and his mates. She could not be certain if others saw what she was seeing, as the two ghostly shapes seemed to greet the captain just as the other four-footed beings had, though he sat and became still for a moment, his eyes closed and a smile formed on his face.

"Their vines are bound together as one, and to this place," Aren-Tal'an thought to herself of the captain and particularly two of his mates, the ones named Lilly and Tanya. "The love between them is unlike any I have felt before, so strong it is, and they share it with those around them. Will it be enough to sustain all of us in the nights ahead?"

The glade was everything Rhuw-Rha'an had learned about it when she had embraced in thought with James the first time she had brought him aboard her ship.

"Since our sharing, I have wondered how one of James' own came to know of us in his vision when we were held captive so far from this world. I know my Sensory Specialist has struggled with that knowledge since it was shared with us. These_Terr'ahns _are a remarkable people for so young a race--I have no doubt that, in time, they will become much more than they are now. Ah, James, my friend...where will this path lead us that we are about to begin together?"

Ship's Systems Technician, Hfel-Sri'an, sat quietly and tried to enjoy the sensation of peace that permeated the glade. As the youngest crew member of the Chel-Sar Se'nika, the capture by the brutal Wurnak Da'i had happened early in her first tour of duty, and it had left its mark upon her. Hfel-Sri'an had been a joyful optimist when she first came aboard the Se'nika, but lately she had become more subdued and was beginning to have trouble getting her rest, which did not escape the notice of her family and friends...nor of others. Since their arrival in the community of Gelfheim, a black-feathered bird had taken to watching Sri'an, and wherever she went, it was always nearby, watching. This evening, the bird had followed her to the glade, flitting from tree to tree, until it took up a perch on a branch to watch from the edge of the glade. Sri'an had not noticed the bird, since it had seemed content to just watch quietly from where it was perched. While attempting to let the stillness of the place ease her thoughts, Sri'an felt a strong presence unlike any other she had ever sensed before. In her mind, she saw a black shape emerge from the forest and come towards her. The image frightened her at first, but then she heard a soothing voice in her mind that spoke to her like a kindly elder to a child.

"There is no reason to fear, child. You are safe here, at the beginning, just as you will be when you return at the end."

"I...do not understand..." Sri'an sent in her thoughts.

"Understanding is not important--that will come later. Now is the time for preparing, soon enough will come the time of doing."

"Preparing...for what?" Sri'an asked.

"The journey ahead, of course. It is always best to begin with a fresh start--find your peace, and rest, child-not-of-this-world. You will not be alone," said the dark shape.

"But, my crewmates will be with me, and our friends..."

"Ah, one may be among many and still be alone. Wherever 'The Three' are, I will be there. I have always been wi them, as have others. Although you are not of this world, I will watch over you as well as you travel with those who are of this place."

Sri'an thought for a moment, and then asked, "But, who are you? I...I do not understand..."

"When the sun rises again, seek the one of light and dark; show her this, and you will learn."

Hfel-Sri'an heard a raspy, throaty "Caw! Caw! Caw!" and opened her eyes. There was no one else, other than her crewmates and those of the other ship about her, but then her eyes were inexplicably drawn towards her lap. There lay a feather, black as night--how it got there, she had no idea. Sri'an hesitantly picked it up, and felt a chill run through her body, all the way to the end of her tail.

* * * * *

The next day, the crews of both ships and Miss Ja'f'darwe met with Admiral Donnelson for a working lunch onboard Nightwing at the Eielson military base near Fairbanks. Before they began, James met privately with the admiral in the captain's cabin, with Rhuw-Rha'an and Moira's android avatar present.

Admiral Donnelson put down the PAD and rubbed his muzzle for a moment.

"You are going to make my fur turn totally white, I swear," the admiral said quietly with a straight face, glancing at the others present.

"Sir, all of this is starting to look like its connected in some way," James said. "Nobody knows where that artifact came from or just exactly what it is, who made it, and why they had put it on Élendor. The writing around it is the same style as was found on that dead world Cameron Eriksson and Arlan Schneider were working on before they disappeared, and Aren-Tal'an said the same style of writing was found on Mûr Zhæn during their pre-spaceflight era. Nobody has ever been able to translate that language."

"That is correct, Admiral. All that we know of the writing in question is that it predates the Theronesian Sovereignty. I concur with James that these things seem to have a connection," Moira said.

Admiral Donnelson thought for a moment, and then asked, "What do you think of this, Commander?"

"I find that I am in agreement with the captain and Madam Moira. The three individuals went missing several of your sun-cycles ago, and recently the 'artifact', as you call it, went missing on Élendor Prime. It does seem odd that the same ancient indecipherable script has been found on my own homeworld, the dead world that was being investigated, and on Élendor, in places where strange things have been known to happen. Admiral Donnelson, my crew and I are prepared to see this through with Captain Daugherty and his own, wherever it may lead us, however long it takes," Rhuw-Rha'an said.

Admiral Donnelson rubbed his muzzle in thought for a few seconds and then said, "Very well, then, when you get to Élendor Prime, find out what you can, and we'll go from there."

During lunch, when Hfel-Sri'an happened to glance over at Lilly, she remembered what was told to her in the glade the night before.

"Seek the one of light and dark...did the spirit mean I am to give that feather to Petty Officer Lilly Donnelson? Her fur is black and white, and it said that it has always been with 'the three'..."

Sri'an thought about Lilly's relationship with the captain and his second in command, and remembered Felix having told her about them. Having deduced that would likely be what was meant, Sri'an went over and sat next to Lilly.

"Forgive my intrusion, Lilly Donnelson, when we were in the glade, I was...told...to show this to 'the one of light and dark', and I suspect that you are the one I am meant to learn of its meaning," Sri'an said, holding up the black bird feather.

"Um, where did you get that at?" Lilly asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"It...appeared...on my lap, while we sat in the glade. I do not know how it got there, or what it means."

"That's a feather from a raven."

"Is that of some significance?" Sri'an asked.

"Well...yeah. Among the Inuit people up here in Alaska, their ancestors believed in a creator being called Raven who made the world and all living things on it, and when they complained about how dark it was, he flew off into the void and came back with the sun. Among Jamie's ancient Irish ancestors, ravens were associated with a certain powerful goddess, and the birds were thought to be connected to the Otherworld. Among the Scandinavian people, two ravens traveled between the nine worlds and relayed all that they saw and heard to their chief god. For G.E.L.F.s, the first one of us was a raven by the name of Edgar Corvus. He lived up near our twentieth great grandparents' home, and he was a close friend of theirs. Nobody knows whatever happened to ol' Edgar--he just wasn't seen any more after they died. For the past five hundred years or so, people claim they've either seen ol' Edgar walking among the trees, or talked with him, in the glade. Jamie told me he's had dreams where Edgar came and talked with him. Every time I see a raven around home, I kinda wonder if somehow it might be him keepin' an eye on things. It's kinda weird, but, I dunno...it's kinda neat, too. If ya wanna read up on ravens in myths and legends, I'm sure Moira can dig up all sorts of stuff about them for ya."

"I would be interested in that, and I thank you for the suggestion. I will ask Madam Moira if she would be kind enough to provide the information," Sri'an said.

"I hope it helps. Anyway, did you have some kinda vision or such by chance when we were all at the glade last night?" Lilly asked.

"In my mind, a dark shape came to me and spoke like an Honored Elder. It said that it has always been with 'The Three', and that it and others will be watching over us during our travels," Sri'an replied.

Lilly felt a tingle run through her body.

"Jeezers...," she nearly whispered.

That afternoon, the science team arrived and were ushered aboard Nightwing, where they were introduced to both crews. Admiral Donnelson introduced the team leader, who then introduced the rest of his team.

"Alright, listen up, everyone. As you know, Command has assembled and assigned a science team to this mission, to help you find the artifact, and discover whatever you can about it. They have orders to assist with shipboard duties as necessary, and they understand that if things get hairy, they're to follow the instructions of the crew of whichever ship they happen to find themselves on, given the situation. I'll turn this over to Commander Williamson, and let him introduce his team. Commander..."

"Thank you, Admiral Donnelson. It's ironic that although I study languages, I'm not much on public speaking, so...bear with me. *ahem* I'm Phil Williamson, I hold the rank of Commander, and I'm a forensic xeno-linguist with a PhD in the field. My assistant team leader is Lieutenant Commander Murrali H'alwa of Cana'ara, who is our physicist; Lieutenant Armus Slis'issa of Sabija, is our chemist; Thavialasoona Anshathuaithsan, of Thabb, is a structural engineer with an amazing ability to know if a structure is sound enough to enter--you'd be surprised how often that comes in handy on a dig. Next, we have Professor Tamian Teros, from the University of Silea on Bafasa, he's our paleogeologist; Professor Angelina Garland, from the University of Spokane, is our xeno-archaeologist; and finally, we have Petty Officer First Class, Carmen Li, who is our sensor tech. We look forward to working with you on this mission--we'll try to stay out of your way while onboard, though if we find anything interesting once we hit dirt, well, that might be another story."

When Commander Williamson finished introducing his team to everyone, James and Rhuw-Rha'an introduced their crews to the members of the science team. Afterwards, the scientific equipment and supplies were brought onboard and stowed away in one of the cargo holds, and the members of the science team were shown to their quarters.

Later that evening, after supper was over, Shauna went down to the basement and got comfy in the modest family room. She had a large armchair there with a side table for her mug--one of the few things she had quietly requested upon moving in James, Lilly, and Tanya. Shauna opened up the box that she had brought from her grandparents old home, and began carefully going through its contents. Among the various documents and photos, she found a sealed envelope with her name on it. Opening it, she removed the paper and carefully spread it out smooth on her lap. With her hands trembling slightly, Shauna read the letter that had been left for her by her brother, Cameron, when she was very young.

Shauna,

I write this in hopes that one day you will read it, and find out my side of the story. The way the family is--mom is off being stupid somewhere, dad doesn't care about much of anything, granny is being a hateful ol' hag, and everybody else is upset just because I brought Hauvri'ahn home with me after we finished a dig out in the Beta-Sonaris 193 system. Hauvri'ahn is an Élendorian from D'wena Sy'k'rell, a prominent clan on Élendor Prime. She's a sweet lady, charming, intelligent, and it's amazing how much she knows about xeno-archaeology, without being full of herself. The Élendorians are probably the nicest race of people I've met in the galaxy so far, and I've been to a lot of places. Seriously, I think you'd like Hauvri'ahn, if you ever get the chance to meet her.

I mentioned that everybody is upset over me bringing her home. I think granny has a lot to do with that, because she wigged out after walking in on me and Hauvri'ahn sleeping together. It got so bad that we had to quickly pack up and leave. Granny has some weird ideas, and there's some guy she's been seeing behind Gramps' back--I had a buddy of mine discreetly check him out, and he's a real scumbag. If I could, I'd take you with us when I go to our next dig out near NGC-2359. That's a nebula way out in the boondocks that we're going to survey--I hear there might be something really, really old out there that could rewrite some history. I know you're just a little squirt, and you really need to be with mom, but I know she's not taking good care of you like she should, and she refuses to let me and Hauvri'ahn take you. Jeez, the family is acting like I'm shacking up with a Tarnellan assassin, or something! I'm trying to convince one of our cousins to take you in since everyone is hating on me just because my choice of girlfriends isn't one of our kind, and mom is probably going to split. Gramps would take care of you, but I don't trust granny. You're my lil' sis, and I'm trying to do what I can to watch out for you, but between our family and my work, I can't be around as much to keep an eye on things. I'll tell you what, though--as soon as I can get back from this next survey trip, I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of there. I'm going to leave some things with Gramps to give you...just in case there's an accident or something. Being way out in the boonies can get a little hairy at times because help is so far away.

Well, I gotta go, sis. I'll write when I can, and I hope it gets to you. Take care of yourself. Luv ya!

Your big bro,

Cameron

Shauna set the letter down in her lap and wiped a tear from her eye.

"If only he could've come back for me before grandpa died..." she thought to herself. After a minute or so, she sighed and thought, "At least he cared about me, that's more than I could say about the rest of my relatives. I guess Erika turned out a little better than the rest of my family. What a messed-up herd they are! At least James, Lilly, and Tanya care about me. And Moira, too, can't forget her. Jeez, the way she handled that Purist idiot months ago on the station...if Moira had been around then, and had gone after that dirt bag grandma hitched up with, I bet she would've thrown his carcass through the wall! Well, that's all in the past now, and like Sha'an said, the past can't hurt me anymore. Speaking of, for as scary as her people look, I've never met anyone as gentle and caring as Sha'an...except maybe Mindy. I guess Mindy and I both have had our demons, but thanks to Sha'an and her folk, we're okay now."

Shauna thought about that for a while, but then something jogged her memory. She looked in the box and took out the data chip she had found in it back at her grandparents' old home. Picking up her PAD from the side table, Shauna inserted the chip and opened a file on it. A video started playing of her brother, Cameron, lovingly holding a small happy child on his lap in a room decorated for the holidays. When the camera zoomed in, tears flowed from Shauna's eyes when she recognized who the child was.

It was her.

* * * * *

The day before lifting, James and Rhuw-Rha'an had everyone be onboard their respective ships by 1800. After stowing last minute personal items and other supplies, the crews performed inspections and ran system checks until their commanding officers were satisfied that they were good to go. Before retiring for the night, James made his customary walkaround through his ship. During his inspection, he stopped at the maintenance airlock next to the dorsal emitter array, and on a whim, he climbed up the ladder.

It was a clear late autumn night, when James stepped out onto the hull of his ship. It was one of the rare times he could be on the outside of the ship without an environment suit, and James savored the unobstructed view of the surrounding area. The tops of a few of the tallest buildings in Fairbanks, about 42 km to the northwest, could be seen from his vantage point on top of Nightwing. After a few minutes alone, he reached out with his mind to Rhuw-Rha'an over on the Se'nika, and invited her to join him. A short while later, she appeared next to him in a displacement of air.

"An interesting choice of viewpoints," Rha'an sent with mild amusement as she sat down next to James.

"One of the few times I get to do this," James said.

"Understandably so. Is that the city of Fairbanks?" Rha'an asked, pointing in the direction of the glow.

"Yeah. Can't see much of it from this distance."

The two commanding officers sat quietly for a minute or so, enjoying the view and each other's company.

"I am honored to have seen your home. It is a beautiful place...a bit cooler than I am used to."

James grinned and said, "Oh, it'll get a lot colder here soon."

"So I have been informed. I would like to return the favor, when the opportunity arises, and invite you and yours to my home on Mûr Zhæn."

"I'd like that. I'm sure Lilly, Tanya, Shauna, and Moira would enjoy the visit, too."

Rha'an smiled, and gently wrapped the end of her tail around James' wrist.

"Madam Moira has changed our perception of machine entities. It is amazing how much she is like any other living being. Some among us have wondered if our own ship could become fully sentient, if given the chance. Since I have met Madam Moira, I have thought of that myself." Rha'an turned and faced James. "Do you think, some night in the future, that she will be granted her wish?"

"I...don't know." James met Rha'an's eyes for a moment, and then looked up at the stars. "Who knows what we'll find out there."

Rha'an looked up in the same direction James was looking, and sent, "And when we find 'it', or 'it' finds us, will we be wise enough to comprehend its gift...or its danger?"

"I hope so, Rha'an."

Before she teleported back to her own ship, Rha'an embraced James, and sent, "We are with you to whatever end this Path leads us to."

"And we're with you, too, even to the ends of the universe."

Rha'an's eyes widened slightly, and then she smiled and kissed James on the cheek.

"Even so, my friend, even so."

* * * * *

Nightwing and the Chel-Sar Se'nika lifted from Eielson Military Base at 0900 hours the next morning, and paused in orbit while waiting for final clearance to depart the Sol system. When the go ahead came, James addressed both crews.

"We'll be breaking orbit any moment now, and once we reach standard distance, we'll make jump. As you know, our mission is to find out what happened to the artifact known as The Heart of Élendor, and--if there is any way possible--to return it. This may end up being a wild goose hunt, or we may find ourselves dealing with something beyond our comprehension. Either way, we're in this together to the hilt. Good luck to us all."

When the departure clearance came through, James had Sylvia contact the Se'nika, and both ships headed off into the black for Élendor Prime.

The Journey begins...

---

[1]Peregrine - the F/I-417 Fighter/Interceptor spacecraft

[2] WC - Wing Commander

[3]Yiezwa (pronounced: yi-EEZ-wha) - Veswani exclamatory word.

[4]Tanya says in her native Russian, "????? ??????????!" which translates into English as "Welcome!"

[5]PCG - Patrol Combatant, Gun

[6]NGC 2359 (http://www.constellation-guide.com/thors-helmet-ngc-2359/) is 11,960 light years from Terra.