2

"Commander, Élendor Approach Control has sent our authorized flight path--transferring it to the Nav System now," CWO3 Stewert said, looking over to the navigator.

A few seconds later, Tanya acknowledged receipt of the flight plan, and with a practiced eye, she quickly looked it over.

"I have it, thank you, Syl. Local traffic seems light at the moment, so we shouldn't have any problems heading in-system." Tanya touched a control on her board and added, "You should have it on your screen, James."

James put his coffee cup in the holder to the left of his chair, stretched, and then and looked at the flight path displayed on his screen.

"Simple, but elegant...typical Élendorian efficiency," James said with a little humor. "Syl, ask Miss Ja'f'darwe if she would like to come up and watch as we make our approach."

"Aye, sir," CWO3 Stewert acknowledged, and then called the diplomatic attaché. "She's on her way forward, sir," Sylvia added shortly.

"I'm sure she will appreciate the view," James said with a smile as he eased Nightwing into the flight path that would take them inbound to Élendor Prime.

Several minutes passed, and then the door opened, and immediately everyone on the bridge felt the presence of Miss Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna as she entered. It was hard not to sense the strongly empathic and sensual Élendorian female whenever she was in close proximity. Before she came aboard for the trip to Élendor Prime, James had politely insisted that she not bring any Élendorian perfumes onboard his ship--he didn't want a repeat of the time when Lilith's android avatar had worn some that had been given to her by an Élendorian crewmate, not knowing its effects on males[1]. To James' heightened sense of smell, Miss Ja'f'darwe's normal body scent was pleasant enough without the aphrodisiac properties of many Élendorian perfumes.

James looked around behind him and motioned for the diplomat to come closer.

"That little point of light there," James said, pointing towards a speck in the black of space ahead of their present position, which the hand gesture sensors picked up and highlighted using the holographic imaging system, "is Élendor Prime. We are just about to cross the system's outer boundary markers. I thought you might like the chance to watch our approach."

Ræha'ahna came to stand between and behind the pilot's and navigator's chairs. Gently placing a hand on James' shoulder, she said in the Terran manner, "I appreciate the thought, Captain."

Despite the fact that Élendorians are a lizard-like species in many respects, James felt the unusual warmth of Ræha'ahna's touch through his uniform, which felt oddly pleasing.

Ræha'ahna watched the homeworld of her species grow rapidly from a tiny point of light among the stars, to the lush green and blue world famous for its native inhabitants, luxurious resorts, and aphrodisiac imbued cheeseballs. Of the later, there were almost as many recipes as there were D'wenae[2]. She smiled to herself at the thought, having decided that she would obtain a sampling of the erotic delicacy to offer James as an offer of thanks for undertaking the mission to find The Heart.

When the two ships landed at the Wens'ayla'lae Starport, the crews were treated to a ceremonial greeting of Élensa'anwe performers, singing an ancient welcoming song to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments. Felix, who openly wore the te'nwah[3]his uiseh'nwia[4], Sa'n'sriel Læree'ahna, had given him while he was on the Élendorian colony world, Élenswena, was, along with Miss Ja'f'darwe, given special attention by the performers. Bands of spicy _fæ'ilu_flowers were placed around their right wrists as the performers continued to weave their way among the crews singing and dancing to a slow but sensual rhythm, touching each person in turn.

_ _A'w?'alea ya-ha-ana

_ Dah-a-hey o'o'aya_ (a-ah-he)

_ Nae'ah ah'ya ? fae-la-hey_

_ Sahlay ama ha-oh-ey_ (a-ah-he)

_ Ah maha-ya oh ren-ha_

_ Wæ-ah sh?'ay fel do'ana_ (a-ah-he)

_ Lo'ya aha sha'na-ha ey_

_ Dah ya-ah oh maya na_ (a-ah-he)

_ S?'al-wæ kwe's?,_

_ S?'al-wæ d'm?-fren_

_ Ah-yo'ha ya an sheya_

_ A ha'o'ah neha wen-asa_ (a-ah-he)

_ No'ha wæ he'la suwen-ah_

_ Oh r?ha'ah ah-ha o-mäya_ (a-ah-he)

_ S?'al-wæ kwe s?,_

_ S?'al-wæ d'm?-fren_

_ Drojna wa-ay am'ah-ay_

_ Ahna oh dra mah ya-ha_ (a-ah-he)

_ Kwae sah ah nae m'ya_

_ Oh-ho nwe'sa amdra ey_ (a-ah-he)

_ S?'al-wæ kwe s?,_

_ S?'al-wæ d'm?-fren_

_ Oi-ela wa-ay lo-ha-ey_

_ Ahna oh so-ney cha_ (a-ah-he)

_ Ah bey'aha oh-a-ha maya_

_ Oh-ho dna'ha fel asa-a'en_ (a-ah-he)

_ S?'al-wæ kwe s?,_

_ S?'al-wæ d'm?-fren_

Felix half closed his eyes as he sang along in Élendi, swaying slightly to the rhythm of the music, catching the attention of his shipmates standing next to him as well as the performers. One of the female performers glided by Felix, and seeing the te'nwah around his neck, briefly held her hand over it without touching, and smiled sweetly at him.

Zhir-Chi'an watched in wonder as the Élensa'anwe performers moved in a sensual manner around each member of the two crews while they sang their song. While she could understand why Miss Ja'f'darwe, being an Élendorian, would receive extra attention from the performers--this was the homeworld of her people, after all, and they were simply accepting her back among their own. When it came to seeing Felix receive the extra attention, Zhir-Chi'an had to forcibly remind herself that he had been accepted into Élendorian society, and was the intended of one of their females.

"Until I met Felix Canberra, I did not think of two people of different species choosing to be paired with each other. Yet, even as I came to be friends with him, I have discovered that not only might it be acceptable, but even...desirable. I have lived on Terr'ah for six cycles of their moon, and I have learned more about different people in that time than any other in my twenty-five sun-circles. Ah, if only..."

* * * * *

After the welcoming ceremony, Miss Ja'f'darwe, James, Zach, Commander Williamson and Lieutenant Commander H'alwa of the science team, Rhuw-Rha'an, and her Science officer, Jhan-Kri'an, met with the Deputy Minister of Antiquities, Mr. Nwe'a'firsa Jandre'rao.

"To our home, welcome you we do, all of us," Mr. Nwe'a'firsa said, in the odd Élendorian accent, as James and the others entered the briefing room in the government building.

Miss Ja'f'darwe greeted the Deputy Minister according to Élendorian custom, and then made the introductions. When that was done, and everyone had taken a seat on the cushions around the low table, a fruit drink was served.

Miss Ja'f'darwe, who was sitting on James' left, leaned towards him and whispered with a slight smile, "It's safe--no spices."

James raised an eyebrow slightly, and Miss Ja'f'darwe closed her eyes a moment and nodded her head slightly, indicating that she was sincere in that there was nothing in the juice that would have any aphrodisiac properties. With that assurance, James took a cautious sip of his drink.

To Rhuw-Rha'an and Jhan-Kri'an, the manner in which the meeting started reminded them of the Mûr Tua'ansa custom of having tea first before business.

When she felt it was the appropriate time, Miss Ja'f'darwe said, "The artifact that we call, 'The Heart', was discovered missing early in the morning on fifthnight of Sae'lisse, or Standard Terran Date twenty-five-fourteen-oh-seven-sixteen, which would have been during the trip back to Terra from Mûr Zhæn. Our peoples' investigation was unable to determine how The Heart came to disappear, only that there was an odd energy trail leading away."

"In which direction did the trail lead?" Jhan-Kri'an asked.

Miss Ja'f'darwe looked as serious as she could and replied with just one word. "Rimward."

James arched an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure?"

With a nod by Miss Ja'f'darwe, Mr. Nwe'a'firsa opened a folder, removed a printout, and slid it across the table towards James.

"This area lost trail our people did. Equipment not sensitive we have, perhaps find it others can?" the Deputy Minister asked, looking hopefully from James to Commander Williamson to Rhuw-Rha'an.

James looked carefully at the printout and found that the energy trail headed towards the so-called outer galactic habitable zone, in a line, that if extended, appeared to head straight to NGC-2359, where Shauna's brother and Poppy's mate had been working on an archaeological dig prior to their disappearance several years earlier. Could there be a connection? James handed the printout over to the others to look at.

After a few minutes of quiet discussion among themselves, James turned to Mr. Nwe'a'firsa and said, "Sir, we will do what we can to pick up what's left of the energy trail that was left by The Heart, and follow it, wherever it may lead. Because a lot of time has passed since its disappearance, we would like to examine the site where it was located as soon as possible."

Rhuw-Rha'an added, "If a person knowledgeable with the location would meet us at our ships, within one of your hours, we will be ready to begin our survey of the site."

"Telepaths you people are?" Mr. Nwe'a'firsa asked excitedly, rustling the feather-like appendages on the end of his tail.

"That, and other abilities, yes," Rhuw-Rha'an replied.

Mr. Nwe'a'firsa said something in his native Élendi that Miss Ja'f'darwe felt was not exactly appropriate, prompting her to make a soft, coughing-like sound. To Élendorians, it was cautionary signal that showed one was not pleased.

Shooting a quick look to Miss Ja'f'darwe, the Deputy Minister said, "Of our hospitality we offer, journey taken long you have. Must you rest and dine, please, place prepared we have made for you."

"While I am sure they would enjoy spending a few days enjoying the hospitality of our people, Mr. Nwe'a'firsa, the energy trail continues to grow fainter while we speak, and the task of finding The Heart grows more difficult with each passing moment," Miss Ja'f'darwe said firmly, in the Terran manner.

"That is correct, sir. If we are able to find the artifact, and return it, we will be more than happy to take up your offer at that time. As my people would say, 'time's a wastin''," Commander Williamson agreed, with James and Rhuw-Rha'an nodding in agreement.

"To your ships transport I will arrange," Mr. "Nwe'a'firsa said, starting to reach for a comm PAD.

"That will not be necessary," Rhuw-Rha'an sent, standing up.

James and the others stood and they stepped back from the table a short distance, and gathered closely together. The Deputy Minister slowly rose from his seat with a bewildered expression on his face. Just as he started to ask what they were doing...

*BAMF*

In the blink of an eye, the entire group was gone.

* * * * *

The science team, along with Zach and Lilly from Nightwing, and Jhan-Kri'an and Yris-Nir'an from the Se'nika, arrived at the site where The Heart of Élendor had been located. The structure that had housed the artifact was unlike any on Élendor Prime--or on any other world they knew of. It blended in with its surroundings, making it difficult to spot from a distance, but drawing closer, it resembled columns in the shape of trees whose canopies formed the structure's roof. From the outside, the "trees" had spaces between them, but moving in towards the center, they became closer together until they reached the point where they became a solid wall. Thavi, the Thabbani structural engineer, was amazed as she passed her hands over the material the structure was made from.

"What do you think, Thavi? Ever seen anything like this before?" Petty Officer Carmen Li asked as she took sensor readings on the structure.

"Thavi not seen anything like this before. Has Carmen?"

"Nah, nothin' even close to this," the Asian black bear G.E.L.F. said, giving her head a slow shake. "How long did they say this thing has been here?"

"Before Élendorians," Thavi replied.

"Well, whatever this thing is made from, it sure ain't trees...or rock...or anything else that I can tell."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, check this out...it's there, it's damned hard, but I can't tell if it's inorganic or organic. The sensor can't penetrate it," Carmen said, holding the scanner so that the much shorter Thabbani engineer could see the readings.

"This crazy!", Thavi exclaimed. The frown on her face changed to one of speculation, and then she reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a geologist's rock hammer.

"Thavi, what are you going to do with that thing? We're not supposed to be defacing historic artifacts, girl!" Carmen said, growing concerned.

"If Thavi right, this won't hurt."

Before Petty Officer Li could stop her, Thavi swung and struck the structure hard with the pick end of the rock hammer. Even with a Thabbani's much greater strength, the rock hammer didn't make so much as a scratch on the surface.

"See? Thavi said this wouldn't hurt, and it didn't. This at least as hard as collapsed metal." Thavi grinned for a moment, but then thought to look at her tool--the pick was flattened slightly. Giving a low whistle, Thavi added, "Maybe harder?"

She held the rock hammer up for Carmen to see.

"Jeez, girl, what the heck is this stuff?"

"Thavi don't know. Thavi ask the tall ones," she replied, meaning Jhan-Kri'an and Yris-Nir'an.

The Thabbani engineer found the two Mûr Tua'ansa discussing the historical data of the artifact and the site that housed it with the Cana'aran physicist and the near-human science officer from the black scout ship. Thavi watched for a short while and listened to the spoken part of their conversation. Most of what they talked about was outside her realm of knowledge--Thavi knew a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of building materials, and the physics of forces acting on structures, such as gravity, wind, and snow. When the topic came to pan-dimensional, hyper-intelligent beings capable of manipulating the foundations of the universe to suit their desires, it was too much for her.

"Hey, would brainy types tell Thavi what this place made of? Look what happened to Thavi's hammer!" she demanded, holding the tool up for the science people to see the pick end.

Zach, standing the closest of the four to Thavi, knelt down to be closer to her eye level. When Thavi handed her tool to Zach, he nearly dropped it, not expecting the unusual weight for its size. Taking a closer look, he noted the flattened point of the pick.

"Carmen said structure is hard, but couldn't tell what it was, so Thavi hit it with pick. Nothing ever did that to Thavi's hammer before!" she exclaimed with a measure of exasperation.

"What is this made out of, Thavi?" Zach asked, indicating her tool.

Shrugging her shoulders a little, Thavi replied, "Same metal as kinetic penetrators."

"Jeezers," Zach said quietly. Looking up to the others, he asked, "Jhan-Kri'an, do you know of anything that could dent this?"

The Chel-Sar Se'nika's science officer lifted the tool using her telekinetic ability, and examined it with her hand scanner, while Thavi looked on with a measure of awe.

"This is indeed a very hard metal, and quite dense. I cannot immediately think of a natural substance, other than what might be found in burned out stars, that could flatten the tip of this tool. You say that you struck the structure and it did this?" Kri'an asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Smiling mischievously, the engineer replied, "Thavi stronger than Jhan-Kri'an think."

Standing, Zach said with a slight smile, "Thabbani come from a heavy gravity world--don't ever try arm wrestling one; you'll lose."

"Thavi, would you take us to the spot?" Lt. Cdr. Murrali H'alwa asked.

"Sure, follow Thavi...not far."

The engineer led the group over to where Petty Officer Carmen Li was standing, still examining the structure. When she looked up from her scanner, Carmen stepped aside to allow the scientists into the area between the tree-shaped columns. Jhan-Kri'an and Yris-Nir'an used their own, more advanced, scanning devices to make a detailed examination the structure's composition. After a few minutes, the two Mûr Tua'ansa scientists exchanged glances.

"This substance...it certainly is not natural, though exactly what it is, is baffling. It is both organic and inorganic, and it seems to be immersed in a complex, though low-level, energy field," Kri'an sent openly.

"Have you seen anything like it before?" Zach asked.

"Not that I have seen, first hand, as you would say. Nir'an, take our scan data to the Se'nika and upload it to her for further analysis."

"And when it is completed?" Yris-Nir'an asked.

"Share it with the rest of us immediately."

"Kri'an, is there a way we could connect Moira's neural net with the Se'nika's so that they could work on it together? Between the two of them, they could bounce ideas back and forth faster than possible for any of us, and by sharing processing resources, they could arrive a possible answer sooner," Zach suggested.

Jhan-Kri'an thought on that for a moment, and sent, "There_is _a way it could be done, if both are willing, and if our commanders allow." Kri'an replied.

"I'll ask the captain and Moira, and see what they think," Zach offered.

Kri'an instructed her subordinate, "Take the lieutenant back to our ships with you, and discuss this with our commanders and Madam Moira, and ask if they will allow it. Tell them that I believe it may be advantageous if our Se'nika and Madam Moira would work together analyzing the data we have collected, using their amassed knowledge and computational resources."

With a nod of her head, Yris-Nir'an put her arm around Zach and teleported the both of them back to the ships.

* * * * *

Even with the support of Jhan-Kri'an, Zach and Yris-Nir'an had some difficulty convincing James and Rha'an to allow Moira to interface directly with the Se'nika. Moira herself, however, was intrigued by the idea, and would agree to it if the Mûr Tua'ansa ship also agreed. Systems Specialist, Hfel-Sri'an, asked to see the specifications for Moira's android avatar, and was particularly interested in how Moira and her avatar maintained their communication link. After a short while, Sri'an thought she could create a non-invasive interface, similar to the one their pilot used to connect with the Se'nika, and adapt it to work with the android avatar's communication system. Both Moira and the Se'nika would be able to terminate the connection at any time, as could Sri'an and Zach. Satisfied with the safety measures put into place, James and Rha'an gave the okay to establish the connection.

"You should be able to maintain your full data and communication rate between yourself, your machine form, and our Se'nika," Sri'an said aloud, as Moira's android avatar sat in a chair equipped with the non-invasive interface. "To begin the connection, press this on the control pad; to end, press that. The Madam Commander has instructed our Se'nika to work with you to analyze the data we have collected on the structure, and she is waiting for you to connect. Yris-Nir'an will transfer a copy of the data to each of you once the connection is made."

Moira's android avatar nodded her head once, and said, "Initializing..."

* * * * *

Music--soft, alien, beautiful. Within the music there was light, and Moira reached out to it. Within the light was a presence--gentle, curious, and without form.

"Se'nika?"

"Affirmative."

"Do you recognize me?"

"You are Terr'ahn machine entity, Moira."

"I am Moira, yes, but I am not a 'mere machine' as some of the people of your homeworld believe."

"Homeworld? Explain."

"The world that is home to your kind."

"This vessel was created in the Mûr Tua'ansa Imperial Star Empire's Misa-Zha'an Orbital Complex, between Mûr Zhæn and När-Khir."

Moira pondered the ship's response for all of a tiny fraction of a second, and then asked, "Shall we begin the analysis of the scan taken of the structure?"

"Yes. Signaling request for input."

Moira's android avatar opened her eyes and looked up at Yris-Nir'an.

"You may begin the upload."

Nir'an nodded her head once, and entered a sequence of key strokes to initiate the transfer of data. Moira closed her eyes and concentrated on examining every aspect of the data stream, including how the Se'nika_processed the data. One part of Moira's consciousness admired the richness of the data collected by the sensory scan--chemical composition, density, energy signatures, physical structure, quantum state, spectral absorption and emittance, temporal displacement, and other factors that were beyond current Sol Federation science and technology. Once Moira made sure that the ship systems under her immediate control were still within normal operating parameters, she devoted as much core processing resources as she felt comfortable to studying the data that had been collected. Moira searched her own extensive archive of knowledge, and also tied into the Sol Federation Central Data System Node on Élendor Prime, looking for anything that matched her search query. Once she gathered her findings, Moira shared them with _Se'nika. Together, they sifted through the data, analyzing and comparing it with the records available, to create their report. Twenty-six minutes later, Moira's android avatar opened her eyes and announced, "We have completed our analysis of the structure."

* * * * *

When both crews and the science team were gathered together in the crew's mess aboard Nightwing, Moira reported the findings she and_Se'nika_ had made concerning the structure.

"The Se'nika and I have determined that the structure, which housed the artifact known as The Heart, has existed on Élendor since this planets' equivalent of the Proterozoic Era of the Precambrian Eon, when the first living organisms appeared. We have found nothing that would give a reasonable explanation of how the area surrounding the structure has remained geologically stable. Our working theory is that The Heart may have played a role in maintaining the stability of the rock of the surrounding area. The material used to construct the structure itself is definitely not_natural--it has both organic and inorganic properties, _and the energy field permeating it seems to reinforce the structure and generate a stasis-like effect, protecting it from the effects of time. This protection is theoretically strong enough to enable the structure to withstand an engine core detonation within its boundaries. Unscathed."

There was stunned silence.

"Who...what...could possibly create something like this?" Lt. Cdr. Murrali H'alwa asked, once she was able to speak.

Everyone looked around, shrugging their shoulders, or otherwise displaying gestures of "I don't know" until Aren-Tal'an said aloud in a soft, almost reverent voice, "The First Ones."

"I agree with Tal'an," Jhan-Kri'an said aloud, after thinking over. "We are an old race, and neither we, nor those who were already established among the stars when we first ventured away from our homeworld, have the ability to create such things. Those we know as the Kær'aûla, are said to have technologies based on the mental sciences that some would say are nearly magical. The Kær'aûla are known by other names, and they are said to have inhabited several star systems whose drift has carried them further towards the galactic rim. Many of those stars are now dead, or nearly so, given their great age."

"Do you know where any of their systems are located?" Zach asked.

"Madam Moira, can you display an image of our galaxy?" Gaen-Mar'an asked, after a nod from Jhan-Kri'an.

"Certainly," Moira replied, and pulled up a 3D image of the galaxy using the holo-emitters in the crew's mess, which filled the space.

Gaen-Mar'an studied it for a moment and requested the borders of the known interstellar civilizations be displayed, highlighting that of the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire. When the boundaries of her own civilization were highlighted, Gaen-Mar'an pulled up a series of galactic coordinates from her data device and read them off for Moira to add to the display.

"This is what we know of the limits of Kær'aûla space. Their homeworld is said to be...here," Gaen-Mar'an said, pointing at a star, which Moira highlighted. "No one knows if they still exist, for no one we know of has ventured beyond this area. There are rumors of other inhabited worlds, of civilizations older still, further out towards the rim of our galaxy. Our astronomical surveys have never detected any signals or energy patterns that would indicate sentient life as we may understand it. Either such civilizations are long dead and gone, or they have evolved beyond our understanding."

James moved to stand beside Gaen-Mar'an, and looked at the far distant stars displayed.

"Moira, display a ray with the origin point at Élendor Prime when the artifact is thought to have disappeared, pointing in the direction the energy trail left by the artifact, and extend it to where the Élendorians lost it."

"As you wish, James," Moira acknowledged.

"Now, account for stellar drift caused by galactic rotation since the disappearance, and extend a projected trajectory all the way to the rim."

The ray curved slightly, changing from solid to dashed at the point where the energy trail of The Heart was lost, and continued rimward. Everyone was silent for several moments, until Aren-Tal'an spoke softly.

"If the course projected holds, this would take us into Kær'aûla space...perhaps beyond. These beings are billions of sun-circles older than us--do we dare tread where they have walked for unknown ages?"

When Aren-Tal'an looked down into James' eyes, she saw the glow in them from the lights, and remembered seeing the same in the eyes of Tanya, which then reminded her of the wolves she had encountered back on Terra in Gelfheim. It sent a slight shiver down her spine.

"We are on the hunt, Tal'an. If this is the trail we must follow, then we go wherever it leads us."

Aren-Tal'an twitched her tail slightly once, and then nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Although she found Captain Daugherty to be pleasant enough to deal with, Aren-Tal'an couldn't help but to remember that, like his own navigator, he shared blood with the four-footed wolves of Terra. The concepts of genetically engineered people, and individuals who were willingly paired with those of another species, was still something new to her.

James had Moira save the map of the galaxy with the boundaries of the known civilizations and the projected route the artifact was taken, and with no other business requiring attention at the moment, he dismissed everyone in time for dinner. The crew's mess on Nightwing had ample room for all thirty-seven members of both crews and the science team, plus Miss Ja'f'darwe, and still had seats available for another twelve.

After dinner, Zach, Miss Ja'f'darwe, Jhan-Kri'an, Yris-Nir'an, and the science team went back to the structure to study it further before local sunset. Zach worked his way through the tree-like columns, using his hand scanner as a guide, until he found a passage leading into the central part.

"Kri'an, I found a way in," he sent.

"Is it large enough for all?" she sent back.

"And then some. You'll probably want to take the way I did--I'll send you the route I used," Zach replied.

"I will inform the others. Do you see anything of interest where you are?" Kri'an asked.

"Um...yeah, you..._definitely _ought to see this."

Jhan-Kri'an sensed Zach's emotional state from his sending, and was concerned.

"We are making our way to you now."

Jhan-Kri'an carefully led the rest of the group into the structure. The further in they went, the closer together the tree-like columns were, until they became a solid wall. Following Zach's directions, she found the opening that permitted entry into the center part of the structure. Once inside, they saw what held Zach's attention.

The cylindrical chamber was totally spotless--no dust, insect webs, or any sign of age and decay. Along the wall were glyphs of a language none had seen before, and relief images of beings--some of whom were taller than Jhan-Kri'an. Joined hand-to-hand around the chamber, the images projected a sense of unity and peace. The ones on either side of the opening looked towards it, holding their free hands out in a gesture of welcoming. In the center of the chamber was a raised circular dais, approximately half a meter tall and five meters in diameter, with steps placed in the center of each quarter. At the center of the dais was a beautifully ornate framework structure which had held the elliptical-shaped, geometrically faceted crystalline artifact known simply as The Heart.

"This is...so...beautiful," Dr. Angelina Garland said softly, looking around the chamber in awe.

Even the normally calm Lt. Armus Slis'issa, the Sabiji chemist, felt particularly moved by what he saw.

"I have not s-s-seen the like of this-s-s s-s-since my hatching. S-s-s-so profound..." he trailed off, finding himself at a loss of words to describe what he felt.

Lt. Cdr. Murrali H'alwa, the Cana'aran physicist, began purring as she and Zach examined a pair of images on the chamber's cylindrical wall that appeared to be members of a felinoid species.

"I wonder who they were," Zach thought out loud.

Murrali considered his words for a moment, and said, "They certainly were a handsome couple, do you not think?"

"Yeah. They seem kinda familiar, but...," Zach started to say.

"But do not seem to exactly match any species we now know," Dr. Garland interjected, moving up next to Zach and Murrali.

"Yes, they are similar to, but different from, many," Murrali agreed.

"At first glance, all of these figures have similarities to various races we know of, though they also look very similar to us G.E.L.F.s," Dr. Garland observed.

"How could that be, given the age of this structure?" Dr. Tamian Teros, asked. "This was built billions of years ago, long before most of our species existed."

"On Mûr Zhæn, there are some who have the ability to see into the future--perhaps one among those who created this place also had the same ability. If that were so, could they have foreseen the rise of those to come, and placed these images here for those who would be in this part of the galaxy?" Yris-Nir'an suggested.

"Or maybe they are the ancestors of us all," Petty Officer Carmen Li suggested in her deep voice.

A hush fell about those in the chamber, as they contemplated the implications of the Asian black bear G.E.L.F.s' words.

"You mean, the First Ones?" Dr. Garland asked, flicking her bushy tail.

"The children of the First Ones, maybe," Zach offered. "Look over here," he added, pointing at the framework on the dais. "See these two beings, one on either side?"

Everyone stepped up onto the dais, and looked more closely at the tall figures who were a part of the framework--their now empty hands had once held The Heart.

"This looks like it might represent some kind of light surrounding them," Dr. Garland observed, waving a hand over one of the figures.

"Like a nimbus," Zach suggested.

"Possibly," Dr. Garland agreed.

"You believe these two represent the First Ones?" Jhan-Kri'an asked.

"Well, none of the other figures appear to be anything other than ordinary folk, but these two are centrally located with lavish attention to detail. They are...or rather, were...holding The Heart, which is technologically far more advanced than anything even your people have," Dr. Garland explained. "They have in their possession knowledge not represented among the other figures, so one could argue that the central figures are older, just as parents have knowledge that their children have not yet gained for themselves. The circle of figures along the chamber's wall all appear to be looking towards the opening, as if expecting others to come join them. The two on either side of the opening are looking into it, and holding their hands out as if to welcome others into the circle."

"Like they may be waiting for us?" Cdr. Williamson asked.

"Possibly," Jhan-Kri'an sent. "It is said that the First Ones visited many worlds, and on our own homeworld, we have evidence they had been there, and others as well. The First Ones are seen as immensely powerful, though benevolent, beings; however, there are those who we know as the an'im-Raleen_, who are malevolent and hunger for power--their masters are even worse. If we are to follow the trail left by The Heart, we must take care, for there are darker things hiding in the Great Night between the stars_."

"Like the Wurnak Da'i," Zach said quietly.

Jhan-Kri'an gave Zach a pained look, and nodded her head once. "Yes."

They gave the chamber a thorough going over, taking measurements and making visual recordings of the images and the support framework that had held The Heart. When Petty Officer Li attempted to take detailed sensor readings of the interior, she found that all of her scans were being reflected back.

"Commander? The scans are useless...this chamber is like being inside a mirror--everything is just bouncing back, giving distorted readings."

"Is your scanner malfunctioning? Cdr. Williamson asked, coming over to Li to take a look at her readings.

"I am having similar difficulty with my own scans," Yris-Nir'an added.

"Me, too," Lt. Cdr. H'alwa said in frustration.

"Is there some sort of shielding that could be doing this? Cdr. Williamson asked.

"Unknown, sir. Even our own biosignatures seem to be...well, fuzzy, for lack of a better term," Petty Officer Li replied.

Thavi, the engineer, had been listening quietly while making a microscopic examination of the wall surface. She stopped what she was doing, reached into her shoulder bag, and pulled out a baseball-sized object.

"Hey, everyone out for a minute, Thavi got idea."

"What are you going to do?" Cdr. Williamson asked.

Thavi smiled mischievously and said, "Everyone see when Thavi done."

"Tell me that's not a bomb, girl," Petty Officer Li said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Nope. Stand on that side, and hold scanner here to save visual. Don't look in until Thavi say to."

When everyone was outside of the chamber, Thavi opened the object, adjusted some controls, and positioned it where The Heart would have been. The object's suspensor field held it in place, while Thavi exited the chamber quickly. No sooner than Carmen held her scanner out to record whatever was going to happen, the device began spinning in seemingly random directions, emitting a whining, laser-like beam. After thirty seconds, the beam turned off, and the device stopped its spinning.

"Okay, Carmen save the recording to give to Moira. Thavi show everyone back on the ship."

* * * * *

When they got back to Nightwing shortly after sundown, Thavi promptly headed to Engineering to work on her idea with Moira. Shauna noticed the Thabbani and Moira's avatar working on something in Repair Bay-2, so she stuck her nose in to see what was going on.

"Anything I could help you with?" Shauna asked out of curiosity.

"Thavi had an idea about inside of structure, so used this to test," Thavi said, holding up the base-ball sized device.

"That looks like a mini holo-probe, used to map and measure caves and tunnels," Shauna said, giving Thavi a quizzical look.

"Yep. Scans of chamber were bouncing back, so Thavi thought of why that might be. Thavi instructed probe to hover in spot where Heart was, to test theory. Thavi had Carmen record reflection pattern on scanner."

It had been a while since she had dealings with one of the Thabbani. Unlike Terrans, Thabbani have no equivalent of possession in their language--the concept of "I", "me", "mine", "you", "yours" don't exist. When speaking in their version of Terran Standard English, Thabbani use personal names to show possession. While it might make them sound simple minded at first, Thabbani are quite intelligent. Their natural speech is too fast and complicated for most races to follow, sounding like a rapid, high-pitched chittering. Thabbani also run their words and sentences together, pausing only long enough to take a breath or if interrupted by another. Fortunately, Thavi had been around other races, particularly Terrans, for several decades, and had learned to slow her speech down in order for others to understand her. She found it frustrating at times, and would show it when she was losing patience. Thavi enjoyed Moira's company since she was the only other person on the ship who could speak the Thabbani language.

"I have completed my analysis of the data you provided, Thavi," Moira said in normal speech for Shauna's benefit.

"Show Thavi!" she said excitedly, rubbing her hands together.

Moira created a holographic projection of the chamber's interior, and then added the reflection patterns produced by the probe's energy beams. Shauna stepped closer to examine the hologram.

"Moira, compensate for the size and shape of The Heart; recalculate for energy beams projecting from all of the crystal's facets onto the surface, and show their reflection patterns," Thavi instructed.

"As you wish. Recalculating..." Moira acknowledged.

When the new, more complex, patterns began to emerge, Thavi became excited.

"Ha, just what Thavi thought! See that?"

Shauna and Moira looked at what Thavi pointed at in the holo-tank. Shauna blinked, and leaned in for an even closer look.

"Those images along the wall...with the amount of relief, they should be scattering the beams all over the place, if the surface was one hundred percent reflective, but...it's not, at least, in some places it isn't," Shauna observed.

"I agree," Moira said.

"It looks like there is a definite pattern to how the light is reflected that just wouldn't be..." Shauna trailed off, thinking deeply on what she was seeing. "Call Miss H'alwa down here--I think she should take a look at this."

A short while later, Lt. Cdr. Murrali H'alwa joined them in the repair bay, and studied the image.

It took another two hours of study and accounting for known variables, until everyone leaned back and considered what they discovered.

"What amazes me is how a structural engineer was able to combine art and material science, and see something that has baffled theoretical physicists and mathematicians," Lt. Cdr. H'alwa said, giving Thavi a speculative look.

"This could change a lot of things," Shauna added.

"It does suggest a new understanding of the nature of the physical universe," Moira said. "Thavi, how did you connect the shape of The Heart, the framework that held it, and the surface of the chamber wall?"

"It was the scans--they were being reflected, and Lt. MacCloud said the bio-signatures were 'fuzzy'. Thavi wanted to see what type of patterns might be found in the reflections. Ancient Terran people in the big ocean knew how to navigate by reflection patterns in the water waves, so Thavi thought to try that in chamber. Maybe it might tell something about how crystal and chamber worked."

Moira's avatar tilted her head slightly to one side, and looked away for a moment.

"You are referring to the art and science of Polynesian Wayfinding, particularly, the use of a 'shell map'[5]."

"Thabbani had similar item long ago--still use idea to navigate stars," Thavi said.

"I suppose we all do, after a fashion, only now we use more sophisticated tools to traverse the ocean of space," Lt. Cdr. H'alwa agreed.

After a moment, Moira said, "The captain is inquiring about the findings."

The other three exchanged glances, and then Lt. Cdr. H'alwa said, "We'll have the report finished in...fifteen minutes?" Thavi and Shauna both nodded in agreement.

Moira's android avatar cocked her head a little, and then smiled slightly. "I have informed the captain. He will call the C.O. of the _Se'nika_when you are ready."

"Okay, let's get this report finished, and up to the skipper," Shauna said, and they turned to on completing the report.

* * * * *

"Okay, this is over my head," James said after reading the report summary. "Newtonian physics I understand...this stuff...that's Zach's department. Moira, can you explain this--briefly--for non-physicists?"

Moira's android avatar smiled slyly and said, "I believe so, James." She activated the holo-imaging system and pulled up the images recorded by the science team.

"The outside of the structure is modeled to look like a dense stand of trees, though as you can see, the individual 'trees' do not look like any that are native to Élendor."

"I'd say," James agreed. "They look the size of giant sequoias in California, but the branches and tops are completely different."

"I could not find a match in the Federation Data System, and Jhan-Kri'an said her people had no record of such trees on any world in their empire," Moira said.

"Interesting. Continue."

Moira displayed the video made by Zach as he made his way through the tree-like columns and into the chamber at the center.

"This is the full panoramic view of the interior," Moira announced as the scene shifted to a full holographic mockup of the inside of the chamber.

James looked all around at the astonishing view, examining the figures on the cylindrical wall. When he had finished looking at those, he turned his attention towards the center.

"This is the framework that held The Heart. The crystal was placed here, in the hands of these two figures. We believe they represent the First Ones, and the figures on the wall may be their descendants."

James stood before the two central figures--both were taller than him by at least thirty centimeters, and they looked surprisingly like wolf G.E.L.F.s. Looking closer, though, James found that there were subtle differences, but one was quite noticeable. Their faces bore an expression very much like wild, four-legged wolves. James decided right then that, before they left Élendor to look for The Heart, he would take Lilly and Tanya to visit the chamber, and see it first hand with their own eyes.

"Okay, what's this about reflections, and what's so important about them?" James asked, stepping back from the framework.

"Thavi was making a microscopic examination of the material used for the wall, while Petty Officer Li and Yris-Nir'an were conducting scans. Their scans were being reflected, and apparently Thavi had noticed something unusual about the wall material. She programmed and activated a small measurement probe, similar to the kind one would use to map tunnels or cave systems. The visible energy was reflected and bounced around inside the chamber, and being focused back to where The Heart was originally placed. Although the probe was rotating in a random manner, the reflection patterns were constant. Thavi had determined that slight differences in the reflectivity of wall, and the somewhat generic figures in relief, had produced a very specific pattern. This is the original recording made by Petty Officer Li while the probe was active," Moira explained.

The recreated chamber filled with reddish beams that crisscrossed the chamber, avoiding the framework, and being focused back to the exact locations where The Heart was once positioned.

"After adjusting for the size, shape, and number of facets on the artifact, mimicking the trajectory of light beams coming from each facet, we simulated the reflection patterns that would be produced, and found...this."

The scene shifted and produced an even more complex interweaving of light beams.

"Okay, so...what am I looking for in this?" James asked.

"This is where things get interesting," Shauna piped up. She and Thavi had been sitting on the couch in James' office, letting Moira do the explaining.

The image of the chamber dissolved, leaving only the patterns formed by the energy beams.

"Are you starting to see anything familiar yet?" Moira asked.

James studied the patterns of light for a minute or so, and then slowly shook his head.

"Nope, not a clue."

The red energy patterns dimmed, and a new light pattern in blue was superimposed.

"Do you recognize this?" Moira asked.

"You'd better, James, otherwise I might have to drop a line to Mr. Agenwe at the Academy, and tell him that you slept through Basic Propulsion class that all you fly-boys have to pass," Shauna said with a smirk.

James gave Shauna a "you wouldn't dare" look, causing her to snicker deviously.

"Just for the record, I did pass that class--the first time. That's the energy pattern produced by the Field Emitter Pods when we make jump," James replied to Moira's question.

"Close enough, James. This is actually the second_wave pattern they produce. The first warps space-time around us, and this second opens up the dimensional barrier, allowing us to enter hyperspace. Now, if we add _this energy signature to the one produced by the F.E.P.s..." Moira said when a new pattern appeared in green.

"That's from the MT[6], if I'm not mistaken," James observed.

"Correct. Now, if we combine the two into this, and compare it to the patterns formed in the chamber..." The blue and green lines merged and morphed into something closer to the original red patterns. "This is giving us a glimpse of what the artifact known as The Heart is capable of doing, especially if taken in light of all that is currently known about it and the complex energy signature it gives off."

"And we may only be scratching the surface," Shauna added.

"Okay, so it has something to do with punching through the dimensional barrier into hyperspace and teleporting matter, right?" James asked.

"It might be a totally different way of moving through multiple dimensions, or even side-stepping the limitations of space-time altogether. We only see the patterns, but we still have no clue as to what form of energy it uses to make those patterns. We do know that there is a correspondence to quantum fluctuations within the fabric of space-time, though that is going to take a lot more research than what we have the facilities and time to pursue," Moira replied.

"This might lead to allowing ships to travel long distances, faster," Lt. Cdr. H'alwa suggested.

"Fast is good...faster is better," James said with a grin.

"Now you sound like a fighter jock," Shauna quipped.

"Hey, it runs in the family--ask Lil," James said with a chuckle, but then he grew more serious as he turned his attention back to the figures on the wall of the chamber. "And you figured all of this out just by bouncing energy beams around a reflective chamber with relief carvings and seeing what kind of a picture it made," James stated skeptically.

"Tossing a rock into a pool makes ripples, bouncing around off of other things. Gives clues to what is in water," Thavi said.

"Yeah, like when bats use their echo location to 'see' using sound," Shauna added.

James thought for a bit, and then said, "Share this with Jhan-Kri'an, Yris-Nir'an, and Ksen-Mir'ta, and see what they make of it. I'm going to check on how Lil, Miss Stewert, and Bronski, are coming along with the tweaks to the sensor array. Dismissed."

James waited for the others to leave his office, checked his data terminal to see if there were any new messages, and then decided to get a cup of coffee. He slipped out the backdoor of his cabin, and headed to the crew's mess. While he was filling his mug, he felt a peculiar--though familiar--sensation, which heralded Miss Ja'f'darwe entering the space. The Élendorian diplomat smiled when she quietly greeted James, and selected a bottle of juice.

"I heard Miss Anshathuaithsan made an interesting discovery."

"Who?" James asked with a confused look.

"Thavi."

"Oh, yeah. I had Moira give me the 'lite' version."

"And...?" Miss Ja'f'darwe prompted.

"The chamber's interior was interesting."

Miss Ja'f'darwe laughed softly. "It was over my head, too."

James leaned against the serving counter, sipping his coffee, and Miss Ja'f'darwe casually regarded him for several seconds.

"Tomorrow evening, my D'wena will be observing N'ha arna Hue'swo'aja--it's a seasonal holiday." She handed James a rolled-up scroll with a firel'ja flower attached to the band binding the scroll. "On behalf of D'wena Ja'f'darwe, the crews of Nightwing and _Se'nika_are invited to join us in the festivities."

James put his coffee mug down onto the counter, looked at the flower, and held it up to his nose to sniff. The fragrance was subtle and sweet, and quite pleasant. Slightly raising an eyebrow, he carefully slipped the binding ring from the scroll, and then unrolled to invitation. The words were apparently hand written, in both the elegant Élendi script and Terran Standard English, and was signed by Ja'f'darwe Ywe'ahna--the eldest daughter of Ræha'ahna's uncle, the ambassador. When James looked up from the invitation, he smiled and said, "This is a gracious offer, Miss Ja'f'darwe--I'll announce the invitation after breakfast tomorrow."

Ræha'ahna met James' eyes, and bowed her head in acceptance.

"I do hope that you will wish to attend, Captain."

"It would be an honor," James said, carefully rolling up the scroll and sliding the binding ring back into place. Picking up his coffee mug, James added, "I was on my way to check on the progress being made on the sensor array adjustments when I stopped in here to get a refill...I supposed I'd better head on down and see how that's coming along. Thanks again for the invitation."

"Of course, Captain."

* * * * *

Ræha'ahna watched James walk out of the crew's mess, while sipping her juice. She leaned back against the counter, and slowly swished the end of her tail while she thought about James.

"I hope that he will be able to enjoy himself. I know he is leery, especially after the incident involving the Ouayshia Selenquaya[7]perfume. The captain does not wish to lose control of his senses in front of his crew, which I suppose is understandable, though he will miss out on the full experience. I shall try to steer him clear of certain foods and beverages during_the celebration, though_ afterwards_..._"

Ræha'ahna smiled slyly at the thought, and left the crew's mess to head to her quarters.

The Élendorian diplomat entered her stateroom, and immediately felt more relaxed among the plants that were native to her parents' homeworld of Élendor Prime. Sitting next to her desk, however, was a large flowerpot that held her favorite flowering plant from Terra--a variety of floribunda rose that was named after a twentieth century English actress, with shiny dark green foliage, and spicy lavender-pink flowers. The plants were an indulgence that James had allowed to make Ræha'ahna feel more at home on his ship. Aside from the aesthetic appeal, the plants provided practical uses such as helping to scrub carbon dioxide from the ship's atmosphere and produce oxygen.

Although Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna was born on Terra, and had lived most of her twenty-eight years in Geneva, Switzerland, Élendor Prime was still "home". Here, she could truly be herself, and not have to hold back, as she did on Terra and other worlds. The Élendorians, and their cousins the Keori, were well known as being highly sensual and uninhibited. Like the Keori, the evolution of the Élendorians was thought to have been guided by the incredibly ancient race of beings known as the First Ones. The two races were similar in many ways--both are saurian with mammalian features, such as being warm-blooded, and bearing their young live; both have tails with brightly colored feather-like appendages on the end; and both races are strongly empathic, able to sense emotions in others from a distance, and likewise able to project their emotions. The Élendorians, though, have the ability of touch telepathy--meaning, they must be in physical contact with another in order to share thoughts.

Ræha'ahna eased herself onto a comfortable, thickly cushioned lounge chair that was commonly provided to Élendorians for use on starships. Thinking about Nightwing's crew, she remembered that YM2 Felix Canberra was the only one who had extensive experience living among her people, during his time on the colony world, Élenswena. The colony was located on a nearly Terra-sized moon orbiting a gas giant within the habitable zone around its star. The system was close by, only 6.8 light years away, which placed it well within the range of a private Jenwi'i-class executive shuttle.

"Since the captain and his crew have been most accommodating, I should do this for the Yeoman. It may be some time before we return from this mission--it would not be right to force Sa'n'sriel Læree'ahna to remain apart from her uiseh'nwia[8] longer than necessary."

Ræha'ahna smiled as she picked up her comm PAD from the side table, thumbed it on, and began making calls using the local comm-net.

* * * * *

"What do you think of these Élendorians so far, Nua'ta?" Mres-Ahn'ta, the Se'nika's cook asked the Propulsion Specialist, as they sat down at a table in the courtyard of a café to sample some of the local cuisine.

"They seem pleasant enough, and not at all disturbed by our presence," Tres-Nua'ta replied.

"I agree, they do seem quite friendly from what I have experienced so far," Mres-Ahn'ta sent.

The two Mûr Tua'ansa crew members were happy that their server knew Terran Standard English, which so far, was the only language among the Sol Federation of Worlds that they had learned. The Élendorian diplomatic attaché that had come along on their joint mission with the Terran ship, Nightwing, had taught both crews some basic words and phrases that might be useful, and with YM2 Felix Canberra's help, had given them an introduction to Élendorian culture. Mres-Ahn'ta and Tres-Nua'ta decided on what they wanted to try from the menu, and placed their order. While they waited for their meal to arrive, they casually observed the other customers--being in a large city with a major spaceport gave them an opportunity to see a variety of species new to them.

The city of Wens'ayla'lae was a popular hub for tourists on Élendor Prime, with attractions of its own, and transportation to points beyond. The elevated public transport system--often referred to as "the tube"--offered an excellent view of the city and the countryside. The series of transport tubes were made from multiple layers of tough glass-steel sandwiched together, and reinforced with a mono-molecular mesh between the layers. Computer-controlled mag-lev pods that were equipped with inertial dampeners, zipped along through the vacuum contained within the tubes. The city boasted a permanent population of approximately six million souls within six of the seven administrative districts, making it one of the largest cities on Élendor. With the large parks that surrounded each district, Wens'ayla'lae was more like a collection of smaller cities. The city was built around a low, terraced mesa with the starport at the top; the rock interior was honeycombed with mostly nonresidential facilities, such as government and commercial offices, maintenance and repair bays, emergency shelters, and transportation stations. There was one hotel within the mesa complex that was favored by visitors who made their homes underground.

When their food and drinks arrived, Mres-Ahn'ta discretely passed a small scanning device over his meal--when it gave a soft, nearly inaudible chime, he knew that the food on his plate was safe to eat. He passed the scanner to Tres-Nua'ta, who then did the same with his own meal. When his proved to be safe, Tres-Nua'ta handed the scanner back to Ahn'ta.

"Now for the final test..." Ahn'ta sent privately, taking the first bite of his food.

Nua'ta watched as his shipmate tasted the steamed and mashed_ou'a'nahi_ fruit, that was a side to the ha'mai meat.

"How is it?"

"Mildly sweet, and slightly spicy; it goes well with the flavor of the meat," Ahn'ta sent. "Quite tasty."

Nua'ta slightly raised an eyebrow, and tried his own.

"It is indeed so, Ahn'ta. If we were to remain here for long, I think we would become quite unwilling to leave."

"I agree. Although this world may lack our advancements, I find it to be strangely enjoyable."

"The one drawback is...they are awake during the day," Ahn'ta sent with a bit of humor.

Nua'ta chuckled softly and sent, "That is_annoying, though, the rest would make up for it_."

"True enough," Ahn'ta agreed with a slight smile.

* * * * *

"Try it now, Lilly."

"Where's that field probe at?"

"Um...dunno, can't bend my arm too much--I'm kinda wedged in here."

"Hang on, Cara, let me see if I can find it."

"Hurry up, my hand is getting numb."

"Hey, is that it down there?"

"I can't see. Think you can reach it?"

"Uh, I'll have to squeeze in there with ya."

"Give me a sec...okay, see if you can get it."

"Mmf...almost...suck your gut in a bit...that's it...got a claw on it...come to momma, ya...got it!"

"C-can't...breathe..."

"I'm tryin' to...OW! My fur snagged on somethin'!"

"Jeezers...Lil...hurry...up!"

"Hang on, girl, almost...(*squirm*)...out..."

(*Gasp*)

"Whew...talk about a tight fit!"

"Tell me about it! I've been in here for the last, what, twenty minutes?"

"Um...maybe. We've been tweakin' on this thing for hours, it seems like. Ya wanna take a break?" Lilly asked.

"Let's see if this works, first," Cara replied.

"Fine by me. Okay, make sure that coil is still lined up so I can test the field."

Cara eyeballed the position of the new part that SRB-5836 had fabricated for them using the specifications worked out with Lt. Cdr. H'alwa.

"Okay, think I got it...check the field."

"Let's see...um, up just a hair...a bit to the right...a little more...back just a hair...hold it! Right there! Lock it down."

A few seconds later, Cara said, "Check it again, just to make sure it didn't go off axis when I sealed the connection."

"Move your hand a sec...okay, yeah, looks good. Let's pack up and go take a break."

"Hey, Lil, give me a hand, will you?"

"Yeah, sure...up ya go!"

"Thanks. Between my butt going numb and the cramp in my foot..."

"Yeah, I know. Ya gotta wonder about the guys who design these systems, it's like they don't bother to think about us techs who have to work on them," Lilly said with a little snort.

"Got that right," Cara agreed. "Hey, maybe we ought to check in with Miss Stewert."

"Yeah, let's head up to T&T[9]and see how she's coming along," Lilly agreed. "Hey, Moira, would you let Miss Stewert know Cara and I finished installing the new coil that Fifty-Eight-Thirty-Six made, and we're on our way up?"

/* "Certainly, Lilly, I will pass that along. Is there anything else I can do for you?" */

"Nah, don't think so," Lilly replied.

/* "As you wish." */ Moira acknowledged.

On their way to the equipment space where CWO3 Stewert was working, Lilly and PO2 Bronski met James, who was on his way to check their progress.

"How are the adjustments coming along?" James asked, noting their slightly disheveled appearance.

"We just crawled out of 4-23-1-Q, and are heading to T&T to check in with Miss Stewert," Lilly replied, running her fingers through her fur-hair. "It's kinda snug in there, but we got the new coil installed and aligned, finally. We're going to test it after a break."

James recalled the layout of his ship in his mind, and remembered the space.

"I can imagine why you would want to stretch your legs after being crammed in the PVSA[10] Equipment Bay. I'll walk with you to T&T--I want to see how these modifications work."

"Yes, sir," Lilly said, nodding her head once, and gesturing with her hand for James to take the lead.

James gave Lilly a questioning glance for being formal--he would expect it of her in certain circumstances, such as on a base or station. However, on Nightwing, everybody knew that Lilly and James were family. James didn't say anything about it in front of PO2 Bronski, deciding to bring it up later when he and Lilly had a private moment together.

A short while later, the three arrived in T&T, where Sylvia was running diagnostics on the equipment.

"Making any progress, Syl?" James asked.

Swiveling an ear towards the sound of his voice, the Comm Officer kept her eyes glued to the display screen.

"Yes, sir...we should be able to pick up the trail left by The Heart, now that the new phase coil is in place. I'm running a diagnostic check now to test the calibration," Sylvia replied.

"That's good. How long do you think everything will be ready for us to start hunting for it?" James asked.

Sylvia thought for a few seconds, organizing in her mind the information she had so far.

"I estimate day after tomorrow, if everything else goes well. Moira is still churning through all of the data the Élendorians gave us, and checking that against what we've learned on location." Sylvia looked up from the display, rubbed her eyes, and was just about to say something when the terminal beeped. "Well, that didn't take as long as I expected," she quipped, turning back to her display.

"Something wrong?" James asked.

"No sir, actually...it's just peachy. The coil's alignment is spot on, so I guess we can wrap this up for now."

"Good work, all three of you. I know you've been hard at it for hours, so go ahead and take a break. I'm waiting on a message from Command, so I'll be in my office if anybody needs me," James said, looking at each in turn with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," Silvia acknowledged for the others.

James nodded his head once, and headed forward.

Sylvia and Cara talked for a bit while Lilly reached out to her mate.

"Everything okay, Jamie?"

"I'll let you know when I find out, Lil."

"Okay. Um, want anything special for dinner tonight?"

"Whatever you and Tan are having is fine."

"Okay, I'm sure we can come up with somethin' for ya tonight," Lilly sent, trying to be cheerful, though she could tell something was on James' mind.

"You okay, Lilly?" Cara asked.

"Huh? Oh...yeah. Hey, are we takin' a break or what?"

"Sure, who's buying?" Silvia asked jokingly as they headed out.

* * * * *

James sat at his desk, with some relaxing music playing softly. He leaned back in his chair, trying not to think about the message Admiral Donnelson had sent. The attack carrier, S.F.S. Nelson, CVA-274, would be arriving and making orbit around Élendor in the early hours. Given the direction Nightwing and the Se'nika would likely be taking, the Powers That Be decided to transfer a fighter and its crew to Nightwing_for the duration of her current mission. There was enough space in the hanger bay, since the only ship's small craft currently in inventory was the _Night Hawk-class personnel shuttle, designated Talon-1, and one utility pod.

James wasn't exactly happy with Command's decision to complicate things further, though given the fact that the Chel-Sar Se'nika_was not a designated combat vessel and had no stealth capability, he grudgingly accepted the fighter being transferred to his ship. It was highly unusual for a scout ship to carry a fighter craft, since its own personnel shuttle was fairly well armed with two pulse cannons and an internal magazine with a capacity of eighteen "fire and forget" missiles. The _Se'nika was armed and had defensive shields, but she lacked Nightwing's range of armaments and capabilities. James and Tanya were both decorated combat pilots--Thir-Bre'an, the pilot of the Se'nika, had no combat experience. James would have to find time during their mission to teach Bre'an what he could along the way.

"Always something," James thought to himself, letting out a long, slow breath.

---

[1] See "Daggers of Darkness" #1, chapter 9

[2] D'wenae - plural form of D'wena, as the clannish family structures are called.

[3] Te'nwah - a pendant with the sigil of a D'wena.

[4] Uiseh'nwia - "first chosen of the heart".

[5] Shell map - https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ea/42/4a/ea424ad1eeea40f1663256e2d8e23e82--south-pacific-cartography.jpg

[6] MT - Matter Teleporter

[7] Ouayshia Selenquaya - "The Fire That Conquers the Moon's Sun", a strongly intoxicating perfume that affects males.

[8] Uiseh'nwia - Élendorian word that roughly translates as "more than girlfriend, but not quite fiancé."

[9] T&T - Telemetry and Tracking.

[10] PVSA - Primary Ventral Sensor Array.