10

( Note: The author recommends listening to "Guardian Angel", by Elias Nilsson [https://youtu.be/ehRWzT8eLMo].)

The faint smudge against the darkening eastern sky suddenly became a streak of rainbow-hued light that hurtled straight towards them. When it was beginning to look as if it was about to reduce their LZ to an impact crater, the streak suddenly slowed and became the now familiar form of the huge wolf ship that had been following them since it had dragged them away from Élenswena.

The wolf ship touched down at a distance beyond their ships--its size dwarfing them into looking like toys. It walked a short distance towards them and then stopped, standing tall and proud. A swirl of light emerged from its "chest" area and descended quickly, touching down perhaps ten meters in front of them. Within the swirling light, a faint outline of a form took shape, and within the form there were a pair of eyes--lupine eyes--blazing like miniature suns. A profound sense of awe enveloped everyone as it transformed before their eyes, coalescing into a living, breathing being that appeared to absorb the swirling light as it became solid. When the transformation was complete, before them stood a tall and stunningly beautiful female anthro wolf whose intense wild eyes shone with an inner light of their own. She walked towards them with grace and dignity; her languid voice, when she spoke with its archaic accent, carried the weight of ages; her demeanor was that of a patient grandmother.

"So, my young friends, we meet at last. I already know everything about each and every one of you, so there is no need for you to introduce yourselves. I am Naoia Anensu'ena[[1]](#ftn1), I am a First One. It has been a while since we have walked openly among the worlds of this universe, though we have always been with you. We were there when your worlds began--we will be with you when they end. Our creation, which is known simply as The Heart, chose_you_from among the Younger Races in this galaxy to be the ones we reveal ourselves to when the time was right. That time is now at hand. As for_why, well, that is a bit of a story, and you will hear all about it in a bit. First, though, let us greet properly..."

Starting with Rhuw-Rha'an, Naoia gave each in turn a welcoming hug, saving Tanya, Lilly, and James for last.

"In some ways, you are very much like my granddaughter," Naoia said, which surprised Tanya. "And you, James, share some things in common with my granddaughter's bond mate. And_you_, dear child..." she said to Lilly, running her fingers through Lilly's white fur-hair, "...are surprisingly like a very special Skunatii female I know. I believe you have seen a recording she made for you."

"Meri?" Lilly asked in wide-eyed wonder.

"Yes, dear, that's the one. You'll get to meet her,and the others," Naoia replied. "But first, I'm sure you're wondering why_here_, as being the place where we meet. Well, for starters, there_was_ that little incident with your love mate, my dear little Rissanivi, and I'm sure the rest of you have wondered about that after being told about it." Seeing the looks on the faces of everyone, particularly on James, Lilly, and John, who were related to Poppy, and through her girls, to Arlan, Naoia added, "Rissanivi may know the way_to_ the vault where the Kær'aûla left all of those technological goodies of theirs for deserving members of the Younger Races, though you will never be able to get_into_it without help. Even your people will not be able to get in unless someone_lets_ you in," Naoia said the last looking directly at Rhuw-Rha'an. "Let's all go for a little walk, shall we? I'm sure you would like to stretch your legs after all that time in your little ships. Oh, and as for_those_things you're wearing, you won't need them."

Naoia smiled and then the light in her eyes flared. A shimmer pulsed outward from her through the air, speeding away in all directions.

When the light in her eyes returned to the level it was before, she said, "There,that will last a while."

"What...just happened...? James asked.

"Oh, I just altered the atmosphere a bit so that you can breathe without those things. Now then, let's go for that walk, shall we? There are a lot of interesting things along the way."

A short while after they started walking into the ruins of the city, ST1 Li checked her scanner and was shocked by what the instrument was telling her. There was now sufficient oxygen in the air where there was none before.

* * * * *

As they walked along, Naoia pointed out particular places of interest and even showed them how they used to look in the far distant past. She was quite the historian, acting as if she were a tour guide instead of the unimaginably powerful entity that she was. Every once in a while, though, she would pause and look up for a moment or two, before carrying on.

In time, they made their way to the protected underground repository of Kær'aûla technology. As Nial-sa'fel had done twenty-two years earlier for Rissanivi and her friends, Naoia worked her own particular "magic" to unlock and open the door. Once everyone was in and the door had shut, the same procedure replayed as before, only as soon as the scanning beams came on, Naoia waved a hand.

"They're with_me_," she said to the machines.

Unlike the last time Rissanivi was there, a lone figure appeared and spoke with reverence.

/*First One...your presence is an honor. How may I serve?" */

"The last ones who were here were friends and relatives of some of those with me--one of them you should remember," Naoia replied.

/* "Yes, First One, the Vey'ani is remembered." */

"Good. We're here for a short visit so that they can sniff around a little, though while we're here, make_sure_none of your contraptions displaces my young friends this time. I don't want to have to go looking for them. Besides, we have those pesky Dark Bloods roaming around near here. Make sure_those_ idiots don't get in here."

/* "Yes, First One. Is it time that I should send for my people?" */

"You do that. The Theronesians have returned, along with others," Naoia replied.

/* "It shall be done." */

"Well, now that we have_that_out of the way, you dears go ahead and look around a bit--I need to chat with some friends about something. You'll be safe in here as long as you don't piddle with anything without being instructed on what it does. Don't worry about your ships, they're well-guarded. I'll be back shortly," Naoia explained, just before she disappeared in a swirl of multi-hued light.

"Well, that...went better than I expected," James commented.

"Indeed, this Naoia_, seems...not quite what_I would expect such a being to be," Rha'an sent.

"Ya, she seems kinda nice," Lilly added.

"Da, but she made air breathable again...what_else_ can she do, ah?" Tanya pointed out.

"I'm not sure I want to find out, especially after we saw what that wolf ship of hers can do," Zach said.

"I agree," James said, siding with Zach. "As long as we're here, we might as well look around. We should get as much visual evidence as we can_without_ touching anything. We don't know how long we'll get to be here and this is the size of a large warehouse. Have everyone keep a lookout for anything that seems out of place, something that might be a clue left by Cameron, Hauvri'ahn, and Arlan. Move out."

Most of James' crew carried the small video recorders that he had Rissanivi take with her the time when she got to fly on D'Narial's back to the council meeting on Dra'ka. They went about dutifully gathering images of as much as they could of the fantastic technological treasures that had been left by the Kær'aûla for the Younger Races to eventually be given, if or when they would be ready for the technology. Rissanivi found the crystalline object that had had displaced Arlan forward in time and across thousands of lightyears, and she pointed it out.

"Um, James?"

"What is it, Rissa?"

"Um, this...this what did time thing to Arlan."

"Jeezers..." James whispered as he leaned down a little to look at it a bit closer, keeping his hands clasped behind him. "It...just looks like some glass sculpture or a light that somebody would have on a table."

"Looks kinda pretty," Lilly observed.

"Yeah, well, like the lady said, don't touch it," James reminded her.

"Don't hafta worry 'bout that, Jamie," Lilly said emphatically, giving her head quick little shakes.

In another area, Hfel-Sri'an was cautiously peering among various objects with her crewmates. For a moment, she had a mental image of a black bird who looked at her, made a quiet though raspy "caw", and then pecked on an object. The image was only there for a moment.

"That was odd," she thought to herself.

Then she saw it. Using her telekinetic ability, Sri'an lifted the item that looked strikingly familiar. The more she thought about it, the more it looked...just like what the bird was pecking on.

"Madam Commander...Honored Captain, I have found something that should not be here," Sri'an shouted mentally.

"Jeezers, that's a data chip! A_Federation_data chip! Where was it, Sri'an?" Shauna demanded, having gotten to her ahead of James.

"It was there," Sri'an replied, pointing to where she had found it.

"Um, Big C and lady were here last. Um, lil' ol' me remember!" Rissanivi said, once she found out what was going on.

"Li, scan that for fingerprints," James ordered.

"Aye, sir," Carmen acknowledged. Using the scanner pack she carried with it's extended capabilities, Carmen set the controls to pick up latent fingerprints and scanned the data chip. "Got one!" she called out after several moments.

"Can you upload that to the ship?" James asked.

"Can't, sir, this place is too heavily shielded. It'll have to be done outside," Carmen replied.

"Alright, put it into a specimen bag and hang onto it. We'll check it out back on the ship," James ordered.

The crews continued walking down the rows of equipment, making a visual recording of everything they could, until Naoia returned.

"I suppose you dears could spend several days sniffing around in here," Naoia quipped the instant she reappeared, startling those nearby.

"It would take...months, at least, to properly catalog everything here!" Dr. Garland said with excitement, holding her arms out and turning around in a complete circle.

Naoia cocked her head slightly to one side and smiled a little.

"Maybe one day, child, though for now you have other things to do."

"Do you know anything of my brother, Cameron Eriksson?" Shauna blurted out to Naoia. "He and Hauvri'ahn were here, along with Arlan Schneider, and a guy named...Nial-sa'fel, or something like that."

"Yes, dear, I know them," Naoia replied gently.

"Is he...?" Shauna started to ask, hoping for a definitive answer.

Before Naoia could respond, Rissanivi nervously came forward, holding the end of her tail in her hands.

"Um...old, old,old_one...friends, got lost, lil' ol' me try find, but, um...met _new friends, they help find other friends. Um, no...nobody know where friends got lost to. Um, miss them, miss special guy, too...was here with, before. Um, you...you know, maybe, were find?"

Naoia smiled and replied to both, "They were on their own Journey, just as all of you are...well,almost all of you." Naoia looked at Rissanivi with compassion. "The Heart didn't give them any choice, dear, their Journey wasn't yours, though...in a sense, you_have_been on one of your own. You will see them again, dear, and so will you, Shauna."

"They...they're_alive_?" Shauna asked in shock.

"And they're waiting for you,_all_of you," Naoia replied with a warm smile. "Well, then, if we're all done here, why don't we go back to your ships where we can be more comfortable. I'm sure you will have thought of a lot more questions by then."

* * * * *

They had no sooner arrived back at the ships when James suddenly cried out and would have collapsed if Lilly and Tanya had not caught him. "What's wrong, dear?" Naoia asked in concern, touching his cheek with her hand.

"Don't...know. Something...Erlanna...?" James struggled to reply.

Naoia perked her ears up at the mention of Arneora's assistant and she looked off into the distance for a moment--and then she grew angry.

"Why that...!" she snarled. Turning back to others, she commanded, "You six, come with me!"

For James, Lilly, Tanya, Shauna, Moira, and Frer-Sha'an, everything dissolved into a swirl of multi-hued light; when it subsided, they inexplicably found themselves standing before The Council on the floor of The Great Hall on Dra'ka.

The Council members were seated in The Hall, apparently discussing something, when the appearance of Naoia and the six mortals brought their talk to an abrupt end. Right away James, his mates, and Sha'an, noticed they were next to a statue that wasn't there the last time.

"Kh'nar!" Naoia said angerly, demanding his attention.

"M-Mistress_Naoia_! Er...wha...what are_you_..." the head of The Council started to say, his expression going quickly from one of surprise to one of fear.

James and the others saw the First One's hackles raise and her lips drew back in a snarl, but what happened next was truly frightening. A deep, menacing growl filled the chamber and the light in Naoia's eyes flared brightly with amber fire. Around her body swirled little motes of reddish light like the sparks of a bonfire. The Great Hall shook violently as if an earthquake had struck, knocking things over, and causing James and the others to hug each other tightly in awe and fear. When the brilliant glow of her eyes diminished, the chamber stopped shaking.

"What did I tell you_not_ to do, Kh'nar?!" Naoia demanded with deadly seriousness, giving the Dra'kan leader "the stare".

"We...have done nothing..." Kh'nar started to say weakly.

"THIS, you idiotic fool!!!" Naoia's eyes blazed again with amber fire as she shouted, pointing behind her at the statue. The chamber shook violently with her fury.

Feeling mysteriously drawn to the statue, James slowly reached a hand out--it bore an exact likeness of the_Dra'ka Nulen_'s assistant, Erlanna, but the expression on the face was one mixed with fear, shock, and pain. James was heartbroken to see something that made such a terrible mockery of someone he knew as a sweet, decent, and caring person--when he touched its surface, it was_warm_.

"Erlanna..?!" James exclaimed, not believing what he sensed.

Lilly came to his side, touched the "statue", and then looked up at James in horrified shock. Words completely failed her and tears began to flow as the realization hit.

"What did you_do_ to her?!" James demanded, turning towards The Council, his face turning red with anger.

"They_bound_ her," Naoia replied icily for them.

"What does_that_ mean?" Lilly asked, looking worriedly up at the First One.

"It's like being turned to stone--only worse; she's still_aware_," Naoia explained.

Lilly covered her mouth with a hand and grabbed a hold of James' arm, saying, "That's...horrible!"

Summoning a haughty expression, Kh'nar replied, "That one went against The Council's directives and gave you mortals information we choose to withhold, and was punished accordingly. Return the cylinder_with_ its data intact, and--perhaps--we _might_show leniency."

Before James could find words to say in rebuttal, Naoia demanded with another earthshaking growl, "My_tail_, you would! Undo this!"

Kh'nar folded his arms and said, "This is_our_ world, our problem, and we will do what is necessary to keep our people..."

"I know the_real_ reason why you_did this, Kh'nar! Undo this, _now..." Naoia said in a threatening voice, "...or I_will_." She stepped back and put her hand over Erlanna's chest, daring him.

The sound of a deep breath being taken caught Naoia's attention. Moving only her head to face the source of the sound, a guard who had quietly moved into position to flame, suddenly gave a strangled cry. James, Lilly, and Tanya, heard a sound they immediately recognized, having heard it before, in varying degrees, from their homes in the sub-Arctic of Alaska and Chukotka--the unmistakable crackling sound of water freezing rapidly. When they looked past Naoia, the guard was frozen solid and covered with frost.

Slowly moving her head to look once again at Kh'nar and the other members of The Council, Naoia said, "James is_not_going to be giving that little data contraption back to you. I figured one of you tail-for-brains might find where James had it stashed on his ship, so I went and got it, and then gave it to Char'ena for safe keeping until they were far enough away. I'll put it to you this way--you're_not_ getting it back. Deal with it. It's information the Younger Races need to have, and Erlanna did the right thing by giving it to them. As for one other particular item in that fool cylinder, well,we don't see any harm in them having it--they'd get it eventually on their own, so what's the difference whether they get it now or a few of turns of the seasons from now? None. Now, as for_this_ youngster," Naoia said, motioning with her head towards Erlanna, "I think she's suffered enough from your idiocy,Kh'nar."

Naoia turned to look back at Erlanna and a pulse of energy sprang from her hand, enveloping the assistant's form--when it faded, she was returned to normal and started to collapse, but James and his mates rushed in and caught Erlanna, easing her down.

"Hey, you okay, girl?" Shauna asked with concern, hugging Erlanna.

*cough* "I...how...?"

"Not sure how she did it, but...we're here. It's gonna be okay now..." Shauna said softly.

"Yeah *sniff* we gotcha, girl," Lilly said, hugging Erlanna.

"You were fortunate Naoia became aware of what happened. I have some understanding what it is like to be immobile and yet still be aware of what is happening. I would not wish that on_anyone_, A.I. or biological, mortal or immortal," Moira said, taking a hold of Erlanna's hand.

"Da, eti tupyye kozly!" Tanya added[[2]](#_ftn2).

"James..." Erlanna said his name weakly, reaching an unsteady hand to touch his face.

James knelt close to Erlanna, held her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"We brought the cavalry," James said jokingly with a smile, nodding his head in Naoia's direction. More seriously, he asked quietly, "Are you going to be okay?"

Sha'an sent openly, "She will be if I can help her."

Erlanna smiled and nodded her head.

"My...friends..."

Naoia smiled briefly as she watched James and his mates--including Moira's android avatar--hug and show Erlanna their friendship, love, and compassion as Frer-Sha'an summoned her healing skills.

"See? Now_that_ is how you should treat people," Naoia said, turning back to face Kh'nar and the rest of The Council. "You could learn a thing or two from them." Naoia gave a derisive snort and then walked over to the frozen guard. "And_you_, child, should know better than to try to barbeque_me_ with that little trick--it won't work. I can think of some places that are bit toastier than anything _you_can flame, so you might want to remember that in case you don't want to end up in one of them. I know of a nice nearby star that wouldn't mind_roasting_that fool tail of yours. Now, why don't you be a good boy and go thaw in the corner?"

A tinkling, crackling sound came from the guard's body as it nearly instantly thawed, leaving him to shiver violently as he collapsed.

"Quickly, take him someplace to get warm!" one of the nearby Council members said to another guard, who then--with the help of a third--dragged their fellow away.

Shaking her head and muttering something under her breath, Naoia went back to where James and his mates were comforting Erlanna.

"Why don't you dears take her back to her quarters so she can pack a few things. Erlanna is going to come along with us--Arneora is just going to have to find another assistant for the time being," Naoia said gently. Before any of them could say anything, they disappeared in a swirl of multi-hued light.

"Now, Kh'nar, I_warned_ you to leave that poor girl alone, but no, what did you go and do? Exactly what I told you_not_ to do. Did you think I wouldn't be keeping an eye on her? And the rest of you_fools_..." Naoia's eyes flared again and the chamber trembled. She swept her terrifying gaze across the other Council members, causing them to draw back in fear, "You_knew_ what he was doing--Arneora told_you. You're supposed to _listen to her!" Naoia turned her withering gaze back on Kh'nar. "So, you thought that if she was petrified for giving that data cylinder to James, she couldn't testify to what you were doing to her, and then you were going to secret the poor girl away so you could have your fun with her just to get back at Arneora for giving you a sound thrashing for not taking no for an answer all those turns of the seasons ago. Well, I showed what you had been doing to poor Erlanna to our_own_ council and--to borrow an interesting acronym from one of James' ancestors--your situation is officially FUBAR." Naoia started walking slowly towards Kh'nar, causing the others to quickly get up and move as far away from him as they could.

Shrinking back in fear, he said, "N-No...I-I will not...I-I swear, I will_not_ touch her again!"

"Oh, you most_certainly_won't be touching her again--or anyone else, for that matter," Naoia growled.

"P-Please...mercy...!"

"There is_no mercy_ for you, Kh'nar!" Naoia said with a snarl, eyes fixed intently on him.

"No!!!"

Naoia grabbed Kh'nar by the neck and threw him to the center of the floor.

"Let The Hunt begin!"

Naoia's howl resounded beyond the boundaries of the cosmos, all the way to the realm of Ayoo-t'ahna nal-Zhidôr--the home of the First Ones. When she finished, she lowered her head and fixed her fiery, earth-shaking gaze upon him for the last time.

With a dangerous iciness in her voice, she said, "I don't take 'no' for an answer."

* * * * *

When they appeared in a dimly lit room, it took James a moment to get his bearings and recognize where they were at.

"There's a couch over here..." he said with a nod of his head in its direction.

They helped Erlanna over to it so she could sit down.

"Can we get ya somethin'?" Lilly asked.

"Drink..." Erlanna said dryly.

"Um, do ya want water, or...?" Lilly asked.

*cough* "W-Water...fine," Erlanna struggled to say.

"I'll get it," James said quietly, and went off to get some, hoping he could remember where everything was at. When James returned with the water, he helped Erlanna drink some of it. Setting the goblet down on a nearby table when she indicated that she had enough, James knelt down before Erlanna and held one of her hands in both of his.

"Feeling better yet?" he asked, showing his concern.

Erlanna nodded her head and asked, "When did you return?"

"Shortly before Naoia undid whatever was done to you. We were standing on Chenau-Ri looking at stuff and talking when I felt a pain hit me. She touched me, looked off in the distance, got mad, and then brought us here somehow. I think she's still in the Council Chamber--I imagine it's not the safest place to be at the moment," James replied.

"Yeah, that ol' gal 'bout scared the_fur_ off me the way she got all bent outta shape at the head guy!" Lilly said with a little shiver.

"The First One_did_ seem quite upset," Moira's android avatar agreed. "She apparently means for you to come with us; if you are able to, perhaps you should gather some belongings together. We may not be here long," Moira reminded.

"I...think I...can stand," Erlanna said.

With Moira and Shauna steadying her while Sha'an provided most of the assistance by using her telekinetic ability due to Erlanna's weight, they got her up and then they helped her pack what she thought she could get by with for the foreseeable future, since none of them had any idea when they might return again to Dra'ka.

* * * * *

The pack of Great Lupins were enjoying a bit of gentle play with some smaller friends of theirs when they heard it. Everything seemed to hush all around them, listening to the sound. The leader of the pack stood--his ears fully erect. When the distant sound faded away, he lowered his face and turned to the other members of his pack.

"We are summoned."

"What for, beloved?" his mate asked, coming to his side.

"The Hunt," he replied.

"Who calls?" she asked her mate.

"Naoia Anensu'ena."

She knew the name and what it meant if that one called a Hunt.

Facing the rest of their pack, the male Great Lupin ordered, "Follow! We avenge the wronged!"

When the rest of the pack leapt to their feet, their small friends quickly scurried to cover among the giant trees and undergrowth of The Forest and watched as the Great Lupins howled their answer to the summons. Rainbow-hued light flared brightly around each of them as they ran, faster and faster, streaking away and disappearing beyond the bounds of Ayoo-t'ahna nal-Zhidôr.

* * * * *

When Erlanna was ready, James called out, "Naoia? We're ready whenever you are."

They stood there waiting for what seemed like several minutes--when they were beginning to wonder, the room suddenly dissolved and they reappeared in the Council Chamber.

Noticing that the members of The Council were no longer seated and were instead shrunk back to the sides of the chamber with expressions of shock and terror on their faces, James asked quietly, "Uh, Naoia, what...what's going on?"

"Simple, old-fashioned justice, child--First One style." Seeing the confused look on the faces of James and his mates, Naoia added, "That idiot, Kh'nar--he's not going to be bothering_any_sweet young ladies again. Ever."

Shauna saw Erlanna hang her head and watched as a tear rolled down her cheek. It crystallized and then fell to the floor, shattering.

"Are you_crying_, girl?" Shauna asked quietly in disbelief, which drew the attention of James, Lilly, Tanya, Moira, and Sha'an.

"One of us is no more..."

"Huh?" Shauna asked, not quite understanding the situation. James cleared his throat to get Shauna's attention, and then slid a finger across his neck in a slicing motion. "Oh," she said, getting what he meant. "The scumbag got what he deserved, then."

"You do not understand..." Erlanna tried to explain, "...we are all diminished by it. His shame is upon us all."

"Hey, hold up there...what he did, he did of his own choice, any shame there might be was on him and him alone, not everyone else. He messed up and paid the price for it. It's not your fault, or anyone else's...unless someone_knew_ about it and didn't do anything to stop him..." Shauna glared at the council members for a moment before turning her attention back to Erlanna, "...then they can catch some of the blame, but...nah, what_one_ person does isn't the same as everyone doing it," Shauna said, casting another quick glance towards the still cowering council members. She hugged Erlanna and added, "It's not your fault, girlfriend--he didn't_have_ to do what he did, he chose to. His choice, his fault, his punishment. Let it go...just...let it...go."

"You should listen to her, child," Naoia said gently, knowing in her own way what Shauna had gone through in her youth. "I warned him and he insisted on being an idiot. So,I dealt with him, _my_way--it's over."

Turning to face the terrified members of the council, Naoia admonished, "The_next_ time--if there is a next time--any of your people decide they want to brutalize someone just because they think they can, you_might_ want to remind them of this unfortunate incident, and help them get their act straight_before_ it becomes necessary for one of us First Ones to step in and deal with it. You're supposed to know better and be setting a good example. Believe me, I do_not_ enjoy having to do what ended up needing to be done this day. There are a lot of_other_things I'd much rather be doing. Now, the lot of you, go home--and don't forget to go out of your way to be nice to someone once in a while, and_mean_it!" Naoia made a dismissive gesture with her hand, sending the remaining council members back to their homes in swirls of light. With a little snort, she turned back to James and the others and said, "We're done here. I'd better get you back before your friends become overly worried about you."

Everything dissolved into swirling multi-hued light--when it faded, they were standing in the same positions as before, with the addition of Erlanna, on the long-dead planet known as Chenau-Ri.

* * * * *

"What_is_ this place?" Erlanna asked, looking around in wide-eyed wonder at the dead alien landscape.

"It's Chenau-Ri, dear. I'm sure you've heard of it," Naoia replied.

"But...it doesn't look_anything_like the images I've seen of it!" Erlanna exclaimed in dismay.

"It's been dead a long time before you were hatched, my dear. I'll let James and the others fill you in on what has been going on out here while I attend to something. I will be back as soon as I can," Naoia explained.

"M-Mistress Naoia?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you, for..."

Naoia hugged Erlanna and said quietly, "I'll ask Khal-sa'hul[[3]](#ftn3)to pay you a visit so he can help you deal with all that nonsense with Kh'nar, though you might want talk with Shauna when you get a chance. Young as she is, the poor dear really_does understand what you've been through."

Before she left, Naoia pulled James and Rha'an aside.

"I need to attend to something, though I will return as soon as I can."

"Problems?" James asked quietly.

"Something does not..._feel_right. Kei'sa and her friends won't be far away if you need them, and you have Erlanna--she's more capable than you think."

Naoia then turned and walked away, disappearing in a swirl of multi-hued light.

"I don't know if I should feel reassured or feel like we should run as far away from here as fast as possible," James sent privately to Rha'an.

"I agree. I find myself reminded of shortly before the Wurnak Da'i appeared, only, it may be their masters this time."

"Now that is a scary thought," James sent, frowning.

"If only it would be the an'im-Raleen_and_ not their masters..."

James and Rha'an watched with trepidation as the giant wolf-ship leapt into the air and accelerated away in a streak of light.

* * * * *

Dark Bloods. The bane of the Milky Way galaxy. Their minions, the Wurnak Da'i, had been the first to send back reports of black, star-traveling ships, who had not only attacked them, but had also shown unusual tenacity and cleverness. That was, until their advanced scouting group was destroyed. The "message" that was sent contained a figure that looked very much like ones they had been seeking for generations, from an early world that the Dark Bloods had quietly infiltrated after they discovered its connection to the feared First Ones, a world where they had been ruthlessly purged from and then hidden from them. The Dark Bloods had not forgotten that world and wanted it. Badly. They wanted their vengeance...and its secrets. When the Wurnak Da'i had captured two ships whose crew consisted of those who bore a strong likeness to some of those who were from that early world they had been searching for, the Dark Bloods knew they had found more of those who the First Ones had touched. Then, when the Nekharns had discovered another black ship while attempting to bring a captured gateway to a new world even further out where they wished to establish an outpost, only to have been defeated by none other than a First One's beast ship, the Dark Bloods began to focus their attention on finding it. The Pliq had reported contact with a "ship they could not see" that was in league with a different ship that the Dark Bloods knew was of the Mûr Tua'ansa, an older race that had denied them in the past,and_had a First One's beast ship following it, they kept track of which direction it was heading. And it appeared to have been leading the beast ship ever closer to their own territory. Irenda. Esba'in Station. Niria. It had been traveling in a line that apparently would take them through the territories of the Drianedans and Dra'kans. They had been in the vicinity of Fren'a...and heading straight for the ancient dead world of Chenau-Ri. But, not without passing by one of the Dark Bloods' old ships, left to lie in wait, to watch, in case the Theronesians should return. The old ship, sensing the presence of those from the early world that they coveted so much, also sensed the presence of a First One's beast ship. When the Dark Blood ship attempted to enter_darkspace, the beast ship caught and killed it. Its death scream alerted others...including more beast ships of the First Ones. The Dark Blood ships tried to confuse and elude the beast ships, for they knew they could not outrun them, but they wanted that black ship--they wanted to find out what was so special about those in it that a First One traveled with it.

The two large Dark Blood ships that had been tracked by Kri'liana and Trae'lan were joined by others, including a smaller one, in the realm known as_darkspace_--the negative reflection of the multiverse. By their calculations they should emerge through the barrier into the "prime" realm of existence near the ancient homeworld of the Kær'aûla. Hopefully, while the black ship was still there. The plan was simple enough--emerge from_darkspace_, capture as many as possible, and pass back into_darkspace_. They were to be taken to Mâr An'sanim, alive, "to study".

* * * * *

In the otherspace that First Ones used to communicate with each other, Naoia met with her two V'Aertii friends, Kri'liana and Trae'lan, as well as with Saleh and her brother, Nehv-re'dan, and A'aleen.

"Something doesn't feel right," Naoia began. "I think those fool Dark Bloods may be trying to come through the dimensional barriers from the Negative Material Plane near where my young friends are."

"We know there were at least two of their larger ships heading in that direction," Trae'lan said.

"Rha'ena spotted a small one hanging around Chal A'mûl, though by the time we got there, it was gone. They had slipped through the barriers," Saleh added. "Rha'ena and I will be there in a moment--better to have an extra set of eyes looking where you're not."

"You might want to stay hidden from their view until needed," Nehv-re'dan suggested to Saleh.

"I can do that," Saleh agreed.

Kri'liana asked the difficult question that was on the minds of all, "Do you think this is going to play out as The Heart intended?"

"As much as I would rather it didn't, I suspect it will, and I need to be ready for it."

"I will be waiting for you to arrive, my friend," A'aleen said.

* * * * *

/* "Mistress, something is entering this space-time emanation. It comes through from 'below'." */

"That must be those fool Dark Bloods. Be ready for them--they may scatter like the bugs they are as soon as they crawl out their hole," Naoia cautioned.

/* "Yes, Mistress." */

Space appeared to rip open, almost as if a seam in an article of clothing had been pulled too much and the threads could not hold it together. Then another "rip" appeared. And another. And another. Not two, but several large Dark Blood ships crawled out from the rips in space, and they were not alone--smaller vessels appeared with them, flying about like a swarm of angry, grotesque hornets. Char'ena ran towards the closest large Dark Blood ship, beams of fiery golden light shot from her eyes. Right away, the swarm of smaller vessels headed straight for Char'ena's face, trying to obscure her vision while firing dark bolts of purple-tinged energy. Seeing what was happening, Rha'ena snarled and leapt into the fray, lunging for the tail of one of the large Dark Blood ships. Almost immediately, another swarm of smaller vessels dived towards her face as others were doing to Char'ena.

There was one rip that had gone largely unnoticed happened near the planet. A solitary Dark Blood ship, smaller than the other large ones, made its way through and headed straight for the surface.

When Aren-Tal'an suddenly cried out and went down on her knees, holding her hands to her head, Mindy ran to her without hesitation, pulling out her medical scanner from its holster on the way.

"Talk to me, Tal'an! What's wrong?" Mindy asked as she began to run the scanner over her.

"Th-They're...here!" she spoke aloud in halting breaths.

"Who? Who are you talking about, hon?" Mindy asked just as Frer-Sha'an arrived.

"So...d-dark...hate..." Tal'an replied with a strong shudder.

"I'm not finding any physical_injury_," Mindy sent to Sha'an.

"What is wrong, Tal'an? What do you sense?" Sha'an asked.

"An'im-Raleen...ilnra hu'tel-anuthri!" Tal'an replied aloud in the Khea dialect.

Sha'an frowned slightly as she tried to remember, then her eyes grew wide and paled with fear.

"What did she say, Sha'an?" Mindy asked worriedly, for she had never seen her friend so afraid before.

"The masters of the an'im-Raleen_...the Dark Bloods, they are here!_"

"CAPTAIN!!!" Mindy shouted.

Mindy quickly filled in James and Rha'an while Sha'an tended to her sensitive crewmate.

"We're sitting ducks here on the ground," James said grimly.

"True enough, however, at least we know we will not be shot at from_that _direction," Rha'an stated, pointing towards the ground.

James had to agree with her there.

"You may have better shields than we do and can move quicker, though we can 'disappear'--you can't," James pointed out.

"That is also true, James. We should make our ships ready to leave this place, just in case it becomes necessary," Rha'an suggested.

"And be ready to kick tail, if any of those Dark Bloods should get past our friend up there. If I have to, I'd rather go down fighting," James added.

Rha'an put her hand on James' shoulder and sent, "We will not be taken prisoner again, especially by those who are_worse _than the accursed Wurnak Da'i."

James smiled a little and said, "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste death but once." Anticipating her question, James added, "That was a line from a play[[4]](#_ftn4) made back in the...late fifteen hundreds, if I remember correctly."

"If our Path should end here, then let us be among those counted as 'valiant'," Rha'an said, still with her hand on his shoulder.

James put a hand on her shoulder and said with a feral grin, "That which doesn't kill us...should run."

Rha'an smiled back.

"Indeed."

James and Rha'an ordered essential members of their crews back into their ships to bring engines online and to man weapons systems. For_Nightwing_, it meant Cdr. Dvoretsky, Lt. Eriksson, CWO2 Redhill, and GMM1 McElroy; for_Se'nika_, it meant Ksen-Mir'ta, Vren-Kan'ta, Tres-Nua'ta, and Tres-Sal'an.

A short while later...

"Madam Commander! Look!" Plel-Whu'an shouted mentally, pointing in a southerly direction.

Rha'an and James, and everyone else still outside, quickly looked in the direction Whu'an was pointing. What they saw defied the senses. A dark "tear" in the sky opened, surrounded by writhing purplish streamers of energy. A smaller version of the horrific Dark Blood ship they had seen before appeared as if it was crawling out from some nightmarish crack of doom. It appeared to jump down from the height and onto the ground, and then it started to turn first one way then another, as if it was searching for something. As the "tear" began to close, the Dark Blood ship turned...and looked right at them. Its segmented tail raised up behind it, pointing its double-tipped end in their direction, and it started walking like some weird scorpion out of a fever dream.

Tapping his comm set, James said, "Moira, contact the Y'Nahrans...we got trouble with a capital 'T'!"

/* "I see it, James. Contacting them now..." */

"Redhill, bring all weapons online_NOW_! We've got incoming! Be ready to get those shields up and get somebody to man the MT!" James ordered.

/* "On it, sir!" */ Sonya responded.

James heard the sounds of the pulsar cannon pods opening and powering up, as well as both dorsal and ventral emitters, and the forward beam cannons coming online.

"Sal'an, bring weapons and defenses to ready status!" Rha'an ordered her Weapons Systems Mistress.

"As you command, Madam Commander!" Sal'an acknowledged.

"Williamson, get your team and their equipment onboard--we might have to lift in a hurry!"

"On it, Captain! Cdr. Williamson responded.

The smaller Dark Blood ship stopped its approach about six to seven kilometers out from their current position. Shortly after it came to a halt, several figures appeared out of what looked like roiling dark clouds, roughly one hundred meters away--it looked like they had some sort of weapons in their hands and were raising them as if to fire.

"TAKE COVER!" James shouted, drawing his own weapon and crouching behind a rock.

"Elí! Meyleh! Get down behind this!" Khel'zet demanded, hurrying them to hide behind a small yardang[[5]](#_ftn5) where Thavi was already taking cover behind.

"What is happening?!" Elí asked with fear beginning to creep into her voice.

"I believe those may be the Dark Bloods," Khel'zet said, trying to keep as calm as possible so as to not panic the two Fansq girls further.

"What do they look like, can you see?" Meyleh asked nervously.

Cautiously peering around the rock, Khel'zet took a quick look.

"They do not seem any larger than the human Terrans, though they have their heads covered with dark...what is the word...?" Khel'zet looked at Thavi and--using her hands--tried to mime what she saw.

"Hoods", Thavi replied.

Khel'zet nodded once and said, "Hoods. They have long dark coats with 'hoods'. I could not see much of their faces." She cautiously peered around the rock again for another look. "They walk as we do, on two legs."

"How many? Can Khel'zet see?" Thavi asked.

Khel'zet took another quick look but then jerked back quickly--a weird kind of writhing, purplish, lightning-like bolt with a dark center, lashed past near their position and struck another yardang nearby.

"What was_that_?!" Thavi asked wide-eyed when she saw the unnatural "lightning" flash past.

"I...do not know," Khel'zet replied, drawing her two_sa'jia_ blades. She glanced past Thavi at the two Fansq girls for a moment and said in a whisper to Thavi, "They must be protected."

Thavi grimly nodded her head and removed her rock hammer from its holder.

"Thabbani know how to fight. Thavi build things, but Thavi can break things, too. Tall people can't fight if broken--Thavi make_sure_ bad people stay broken."

Knowing how strong her friend was, Khel'zet had no doubt that if Thavi hit anyone short of a Dra'kan their full form, that they would not get up again.

When James and Rha'an saw the Dark Blood unleash some sort of weird energy bolt in the direction of Khel'zet and those with her, James opened fire on the individual with his weapon, which prompted Sylvia and Felix to fire as well. The situation quickly turned into a full-fledged fire-fight.

"Any idea how many there are?" James asked Rha'an as he quickly ducked back behind the rock.

Closing her eyes for a few moments, Rha'an searched with her mind.

"Perhaps twelve to fifteen."

"At least..." he paused to fire again, "...we're not outnumbered. Yet."

"They appear resistant to your hand weapons," Rha'an pointed out.

"Figures. They're too close for the ship's main weapons and it would take Syl about twenty minutes to get suited up in her heavy armor and fully loaded," James said.

"They would be upon us by then." Rha'an quickly considered their options. Looking around her side of the rock, she had an idea. "James...I shall return shortly."

Just when James glanced over at Rha'an he saw her activate her weapon.

"Rha'an, tell me you're not..." *Bamf!* "...going to..." *Bamf!* "...DAMN!"

Rha'an teleported herself immediately behind one of the Dark Bloods who was at one end of their line, with her activated blade inside his torso. The disrupter energies quickly spread throughout his body, tearing him apart on the atomic level. The surprise was total. Rha'an moved quickly, thrusting her weapon into the Dark Blood beside the one who was still in the process of disintegrating, and then quickly teleported back next to James.

"There are now two less to worry about," Rha'an sent calmly.

"Damn...and people think_I'm_crazy," James quipped.

"Perhaps only when flying..." Rha'an sent with a sly smile.

"Dang, did you see that?!" Lilly exclaimed, referring to what Rhuw-Rha'an did.

"The Madam Commander has more experience at that than I do," Hfel-Sri'an observed.

"If only we had some air cover..." Lilly said, taking a shot with her weapon.

"One would hope," Sri'an agreed.

"Do you think you could relocate me some distance from here, Sri'an?" Erlanna asked. "I could change without being seen by them and come at them from above. The Dark Bloods may be able to resist normal fire, but...not_our_ fire."

"Ya_sure_ ya wanna _do_that?" Lilly asked incredulously. "Especially after what you've just been through?"

"You are my friends, Lilly--I must_try_. You cannot fight these beings alone. That is why we did not leave with the other Elder Races, we_knew_ you would need our help, even if...some of us lost their way," Erlanna said the last quietly, with a sad expression.

"Erlanna..." Lilly started to say, reaching out and holding her hand for a moment.

Erlanna gave Lilly's hand a gentle squeeze and then let go.

"Sri'an...?"

"As you wish,"

Sri'an put her arms around Erlanna and...

*Bamf!*

Sri'an and Erlanna appeared far enough away behind the cover of some dunes so as to not be noticed if anyone happened to be looking that way. It was far enough, and the dune large enough, that Erlanna could change to her full form and--hopefully--take to the air while the attention of the Dark Bloods was in another direction.

Sri'an had only witnessed Erlanna changing to her full form once, which the evening when she suddenly appeared in their midst after the attempted assault by Kh'nar. The bright silvery white light that emanated from Erlanna as she changed lit up the area between the dunes. Sri'an hoped that the glow would not attract immediate attention.

"I will be able to easily get airborne from here," Erlanna said after she changed forms. "You may return to the others, my friend."

"May the All-Mother guide you," Shri'an sent.

Erlanna smiled slightly, lowering her head to put her muzzle against Sri'an, who hugged her and ran her hand through Erlanna's mane.

"Tell James to keep the Dark Bloods' attention towards them while I dive down. I will circle around and try to flame the tail of that hideous little ship of theirs--that is its main weapon."

Sri'an gave a nod of her head and teleported back.

"She's going to do_what_?!"

"Honored Captain, I...I did not dare_argue with her!" Sri'an pleaded. "_I..."

James held up a hand and said, "I know, I'm not doubting you, it's just..."

"The First One did say that 'she's more capable than we think', did she not?" Rha'an reminded.

"Yeah, you're right, she did," James reluctantly agreed.

"Then we should do as Erlanna wished," Rha'an

The Dark Bloods were getting closer, nearly half the distance from where they had first appeared. As much as James and Rha'an wanted to open fire on the alien ship, they remembered the warning that Kei'sa had given when they encountered the derelict Dark Blood ship over a year earlier. The two commanding officers gave the order to their respective crews to lay down as much fire as they could to occupy the full attention of the Dark Bloods.

"Erlanna, if you're going to do something, do it now!" James sent to her.

Just as he was pulling his head back after firing, James saw a silvery light rise up into the gathering dark. Others among their crews saw it, too, prompting James to order, "Keep firing!" as they started to pause a bit to see what the light was.

As always when she flew, Erlanna felt the thrill of being free from the ground; but this time, it was different--instead of the simple joy one experienced while moving through the air in three dimensions, this was to do for real what all Dra'kans learned early in life. This was not a game--this was deadly serious. Like most of her kind, Erlanna had some skill with what some called "magic". While perhaps not quite as skilled as her mother, Valerna, Erlanna did have her own unique abilities. Once she had gained enough altitude, she spotted where the Dark Bloods were on the ground and how close they were to her friends. There would be little room for error. Rolling to her left and tucking her wings close, Erlanna dived towards the ground. Down and down she went, gathering speed. At about three hundred meters above the ground, Erlanna used two of her skills--instead of having her usual soft, shimmering glow, Erlanna blazed with pure white light. She roared her battle cry as she neared her target. The Dark Bloods on the ground looked up and immediately tried to shield their faces from the intense white light with their arms. "Hold your fire!" James ordered, when he saw her blaze like a miniature sun. It was then that everyone felt Erlanna's other skill that she used to good effect--Fury. She breathed hard as she sailed over the Dark Bloods and focused her thoughts on the flame, enhancing and intensifying it. Rock and sand instantly melted like ice in a blast furnace, the screams of those in the path of her flame lasted only until they were engulfed in the inferno where they were vaporized. Erlanna swooped up, flapping to gain more altitude, and circled around towards the small Dark Blood ship. It saw her and turned towards her direction, but Erlanna flew erratically, keeping it from getting an accurate aim. She climbed higher, and when she was nearly above it, she dived in a corkscrew spiral at break-neck speed. Again, blazing with pure white light, Erlanna roared and then inhaled as she approached the optimum distance. Having caught the small Dark Blood ship from behind, she cut loose with her flame, enhancing for all that she was worth. Erlanna hoped it would be enough to at least render the tail weapon unusable. She knew that a First One's beast ship could easily destroy it, though she was all her friends had at the moment to try and put a hurt on it. The psionically enhanced hypergolic fluids clung to the ship and burned intensely, as Erlanna flew away. She would not be able to flame more than a few more times until she would have to wait for the fluids to build back up again.

"Sa'niv, what was_that_?" Kei'sa asked, pointing towards the ancient ruins where their young friends were.

Through the interface, Sa'niv directed their cruiser's sensors towards the bright light.

"It's definitely_hot_, whatever it..."

"What is it?" Kei'sa asked impatiently.

"It...it's a_Dra'kan_ flaming something..."

"Flaming_what_?"

"Whatever it was, it's not there now. Wait...there's a small_Dark Blood_ ship down there!" Sa'niv said as soon as the image resolved.

"Get us there,quickly!" Kei'sa demanded.

"I'm gettin'! I'm gettin'!" Sa'niv acknowledged, increasing speed. "You might let them know we're coming."

"Doing that now."

/* "James, Miss Kei'sa is calling, she wishes to speak with you urgently," */ Moira said via his comm set.

"Put her through."

/* "Captain, we detected a small Dark Blood ship near you. Do you have a_Dra'kan _with you by chance?" */ Kei'sa asked.

"Yes, to both. They had some boots on the ground that we've had to engage, and Erlanna is with us--Naoia's doing," James replied.

/* "Understood. We are on our way to you--we will deal with that ship; make sure Erlanna is away from it," */

"Rodger that, Kei'sa. Glad for the assist. See you shortly."

"Rha'an, that was our Y'Nahran friends. They're on their way. We need to get Erlanna away from that ship before they get here because they're going to take it out."

"I will inform Erlanna," Rha'an sent to James. "Erlanna, please return to us quickly. The Y'Nahrans are going to destroy that ship and they want you away from it," she sent to their Dra'kan friend.

Erlanna had been coming around to make another pass at the small Dark Blood ship when she heard Rha'an in her head. She immediately changed course to head back around to the others.

It was not long before the Y'Nahran cruiser streaked down through the atmosphere in rainbow-hued colors, heading straight for the small Dark Blood ship that was still on the ground. When the cruiser opened fire, thunderous booms were not only hear, but felt, as the shockwaves created by super-heated plasma ripped through the air. Those of the crews from both ships where were on the ground had to cover their ears from the deafening staccato roar. And then the Dark Blood ship started to scream just as it detonated, cutting it short. It was still enough to have an effect, though not like when the old Dark Blood ship had been destroyed by the First One's wolf ship. Fortunately, no one was knocked down by the blast for they had taken cover behind the wind sculpted rock formations.

Once the effects from the blast died away and the debris flung into the air had fallen, James and Rha'an got up from behind the rock they had been behind and stepped out into the open. Following their lead, the others started to come out from behind whatever cover they had found.

* * * * *

Char'ena and Rha'ena were both greatly annoyed by this new tactic of the Dark Bloods, sending swarms of gnat-like small vessels in effort to blind and confuse. However, as with swarms of actual bugs, there was always one sure-fire way to get rid of them. Both Char'ena and Rha'ena moved towards the large Dark Blood ships and appeared as if they were cringing, which encouraged the small Dark Blood vessels to gather closer, firing their little bolts of energy--they discovered, too late, that they were already doomed. The swirling bands of energy around both wolf ships quickly sped up, swirling faster and faster, and then they both simultaneously blasted out an expanding shell of energy that had the effect of a cosmic bug zapper. Every small vessel that had been swarming around them was destroyed and even the large Dark Blood ships they were near had been stunned. Kri'liana and Trae'lan quickly dived their own ships towards the Dark Bloods and began firing their weapons. Char'ena grabbed the ship she was nearest to and bit into it, blasting a blinding white-hot beam through its "kill spot". It immediately shrieked, quivered, and then its legs and tail curled up under it. When Rha'ena attacked and destroyed the ship she was closest to, the others turned tail and ran.

"Kri'liana, you and Trae'lan chase down those others and finish them off. When you're done, drag every bit of them back and make sure it all gets burned up in the star. Char'ena, you and Rha'ena do the same with the carcasses of these idiots. We don't want to leave any traces that someone can find and piddle with," Naoia instructed. "Saleh, be a dear and keep an eye on things here, would you? It's nearly that time..."

"We'll be ready, won't we, girls?"

/* "Yes, Mistress, we get done quick," */ Rha'ena replied.

"Naoia...?"

"I know, dear."

* * * * *

James looked out at the swath of fused sand and rock and could still feel heat coming from it. It was worse than what he had seen on Dra'ka when the Wurnak Da'i prisoners had been executed by the Dra'kan guards--there, it had been confined to one relatively small area, a number of stone pillars that the prisoners had been secured to. It was something quite different to see the full effect of what a Dra'kan was truly capable of. James felt a shiver run through his body. Erlanna's attack had killed all of the Dark Bloods who were on the ground.

Or so he thought.

Lilly had been behind another yardang next to the one he and Rha'an had been behind. When she saw James walk out into the open to survey what had been done, she got up and brushed the sand from her uniform and then her tail, before walking around the rock formation to join him.

The rest of the crews who were still on the ground started coming out from behind whatever cover they had found. Khel'zet and Thavi stared at the long swath that had been scorched by the incredible heat of Erlanna's psionically enhanced flame. It was the first time Khel'zet had seen such a sight and it left her speechless. Thavi, too, looked at the fused sand and rock in awe. Both felt the residual heat radiating from the ground. When Elí and Meyleh joined them and saw what had been done, they could not believe their eyes. Even though they had been frightened the first they saw Erlanna change into her full form, they had come to know her as being a sweet and gentle being. They had seen Erlanna in the air, ablaze in blinding silvery light, diving towards the ground; they had heard the loud roar from behind the rocks and then there was the fire. But what they saw before them in the remaining light was difficult for their minds to grasp.

"Something...something_moved_!" Meyleh said in hushed tones. "There!" she pointed.

"I saw it, too!" Elí added nervously. "There is_another_!"

"How could_anything_ survive that?" Khel'zet asked with a hint of sarcasm, waving a hand towards the area that Erlanna had flamed.

"There! By that rock, down low...do you not see?" Meyleh asked.

Khel'zet and Thavi both looked, though they did not see anything at first because they did not have the same eyes that the Fansq have. Elí and Meyleh's eyes were much more sensitive to ultraviolet light and they could see quite sharply anything moving with an up and down motion--like a bounding predator.Something was definitely rising up from a horizontal position at the base of the rock. Make that_two_somethings.

The two Dark Bloods had somehow managed to dive behind the rock formation just in time as the Dra'kan had started flaming the ground, incinerating their companions who did not move fast enough. Despite having planned to capture those of the black ship, now that the others_and_their own ship were no more, along with at least two that they sensed had been killed out in space, the two surviving Dark Bloods had only one thing on their minds--hate. Hate fueled their desire for vengeance. They would take down as many as they could, beginning with the one standing boldly before them in front of the next line of rocks.

Rha'an had headed towards her ship when Lilly, with her night sight ability, saw the two figures stand--one had his arm outstretched, pointing in James' direction. Reacting without thought, Lilly bolted towards her mate.

"JAMIE!! GET DOWN!!!"

Just as Lilly was about to tackle James, a writhing ball of purple-tinged darkness sprang from the hand of the Dark Blood. It hit Lilly's upper body as she shoved with all her might.

( Note: The author recommends listening to"They Fought As Legends", by Epic Score (Aleksandar Dimitrijevic [https://youtu.be/zSi5xhmzlQg].)

The Fansq girls, after seeing Lilly go down, did the unthinkable--they picked up rocks and began throwing them at the two Dark Bloods. Elí and Meyleh continued their rock throwing with the surprising skill of an expert marksman, keeping the two Dark Bloods off balance as Khel'zet and Thavi ran towards their adversaries. With her longer legs, she reached the Dark Blood that had hurt Lilly and, with her new_sa'jia_ blades in hand, she began attacking with all the ruthless savagery R'Hinsa warriors were known for. For those who saw, the transformation of the quiet, stoic Khel'zet they had come to know into the fearsome whirlwind of death they now witnessed, was something of a shock. Thavi ran towards the other Dark Blood who had some sort of staff-like weapon in his hands and looked as if he was about to use it. She leapt into the air and tackled him, screaming wildly like an enraged feral animal protecting her young, wielding her collapsed metal rock pick-hammer to devastating effect.

* * * * *

Even as James yelled out "CORPSMAN!!!" while dragging Lilly to the rocks, Mindy was already rushing to her side. Checking for a pulse and then for breathing, Mindy quickly pulled out her handheld medical scanner and began checking the extent of Lilly's injuries.

"Stay with me, Lilly," Mindy said firmly as she prepped a micro-spray injector. Giving the dose of medicine, Mindy again scanned Lilly. Frowning, Mindy tried another medicine. It wasn't working. James saw the worry in Mindy's eyes when she looked up at him. "I need Frer-Sha'an."

James gave a quick nod of his head. He knew it was bad--really bad.

"RHA'AN!!! Get Sha'an,NOW!!!. Lilly's hit!!!"

When he saw her appear, James yelled, "Over here!" Frer-Sha'an immediately teleported the relatively short distance and knelt down on the other side of Lilly from Mindy.

"I'm losing her, and I don't know why!" Mindy sent to Sha'an.

"What has done this to her?" Sha'an asked, passing her hand over the grievous wound to get a sense of it.

"I-I don't know, the Dark Blood said something strange and then a ball of some weird kind of energy shot from his hand towards James but Lilly jumped in the way to knock him down. She saved James, but caught some of it, and...it did_this _to her! I've never seen anything like this before!" Mindy tried to explain as quickly as she could.

Sha'an listened as she attempted to heal the wounds, but they not only refused to heal, they seemed to be getting worse.

"I do not understand this...her body_should _be responding, but..."

"It's sucking the life out of her," Naoia said, appearing in a swirl of multi-hued light.

James looked up and started to ask, but Naoia gave a dismissive wave of her hand and shook her head, saying sadly, "I may be able to do a lot of things, dear, but not that. Not my department, as you might say. However, I_do_ have a friend who is the best healer of all--the thing is, though, she's a long way away from here at the moment. We can..."

"Ja-mie...?" Lilly whispered hoarsely, causing Naoia to pause.

"I'm here, Lil," James said gently, stroking his mate's fur.

"I...I...luh...love...ya..."

Lilly's body spasmed and then went limp; the air that was in her lungs escaped slowly as her life signs faded.

"Lil...Lil...oh gods, no! Lil!!" James said desperately, gently shaking her shoulders.

"We're_losing_ her!" Mindy said, starting chest compressions. "Don't you die on me, Lilly! You stay with us! C'mon, girl,fight it!"

"There is nothing you can do, child," Naoia said.

"I am_not_ giving up on her!" Mindy said angrily.

Mindy felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"There is nothing_you_ can do, but_I_ can..."

Naoia gently, though firmly, pulled Mindy away and then knelt down in her place. She placed a hand on Lilly's chest and a stream of energy flowed from her forearm, through her hand, and then spread into Lilly's body.

"I thought you said you weren't a healer," James said as he watched in confusion.

"I'm not. I'm simply catching her before she passes beyond reach," Naoia replied.

"How?" Mindy asked.

"By giving of myself, I replace what the Dark Blood's 'spell', if you wish to call it that, is taking. It has altered her body and is negating her life force. In a way, I have bound her life force to mine. As I was going to say, we will take you to my friend. You'll have to trust me, James--I have her, I won't let her die," Naoia replied, meeting his eyes with her own.

"You said 'we'..." James prompted.

Naoia smiled a little and, lifting her face towards the sky, howled something in her own language. The sound of her voice--at once both primal and exquisitely beautiful--reached upwards towards the stars. When Naoia finished, she listened carefully, and then seemed to hear a reply.

"She'll be here in a moment," Naoia said when she lowered her face to look at James.

"Who?" James asked, not understanding.

"Char'ena," Naoia said with a sly smile.

"Huh?" James and Mindy said nearly in unison.

Casually pointing upwards at an angle, Naoia said, "Look that way."

Everyone looked in the direction the First One pointed--for a few seconds they saw nothing unusual, but then a rainbow-hued streak of light shot down through the twilight sky, apparently heading straight towards them. The streak suddenly slowed and coalesced into the form of the huge wolf ship, which landed as if simply jumping off a log. On the ground and looking up, the First One's wolf ship was so large that James thought he might only be as tall as one of its claws. It moved its head and looked down at them a moment and then to the remains of the two Dark Bloods who promptly disappeared in a swirl of light--when it looked straight ahead, it seemed to become rigid, as if locking into place. What they saw next defied the senses.

The wolf ship erupted in a scintillating glow and the realistic wolf-like characteristics appeared to withdraw, leaving behind a mechanical construct that only bore a stylized resemblance to an angular wolf form. From underneath the belly emerged a swirling globe of light that descended to the ground, solidifying into a familiar pony-sized shape that trotted towards them.

When Char'ena approached, she lowered her ears and looked sadly at the still form of Lilly with her strange glowing eyes.

"You catch in time, Mistress?" Char'ena asked, lowering her head and sniffing cautiously.

"Yes, dear, I have her. We need to take her home to get fixed up," Naoia replied.

"We go see Mistress A'aleen?"

"Yes, dear."

Char'ena nuzzled James, who hugged her in return.

"I carry Lilly now to homeplace--Char'ena keep promise. You come, too--we take all with. What heart takes, Heart gives--you see when get there. We go now, Mistress?" Char'ena asked, looking at Naoia.

"Did you get the rest of those pesky Dark Bloods, dear?"

"Yes, Mistress, made sure all gone. Nobody find anything, not even little parts," Char'ena replied.

"Good. Well, James, we should be on our way. Time is something Lilly is rather short on. All of you will come with us, even dear little Rissa. Just stay close to Char'ena."

Naoia picked Lilly up as if she were nothing more than a small child that had fallen asleep while watching a movie.

James gently cupped Lilly's head in his hands and while carefully avoiding the injured side, kissed her.

Whispering into her ear, James said, "I love you too, Lil, more than anything."

After stroking his mate's fur-hair a few times, James looked up at Naoia with tear-streaked eyes and nodded his head once.

Turning to her Great Lupin companion, Naoia said softly, "Come on, dear, let's get the children home."

Char'ena gave her tail a few wags and proceeded to trot on back towards the mechanical construct, stopped for a moment and looked back over her shoulder at James and made a short, quasi barking-like howl. Char'ena's form dissolved into a swirling globe of light which ascended into the mechanical form. It again erupted in a scintillating glow and the realistic wolf-like characteristics reappeared. When the head of the beast ship looked down at them, Naoia disappeared in a swirl of light, taking Lilly with her.

James wiped his eyes with his sleeve and then taking a few seconds to compose himself, ordered, "Everyone back to the ships! Prepare for immediate lift!"

Lilly's only hope for life was now in the hands of the First Ones.

* * * * *

( Note: The author recommends listening to"Interstellar", Composer: Composer Kaveh Cohen & Michael Nielsen [https://youtu.be/L8aWDh0G7RQ].)

They left Chenau-Ri behind, flying between the two cosmic wolves, Char'ena and Rha'ena, heading into the heart of the Thor's Helmet nebula. Everyone had their mind on Lilly's well-being, hoping or praying according to their beliefs, that somehow, the First Ones could save her. Those who had actually seen the grievous wound that covered nearly a third of Lilly's body, and especially those who knew what it was doing to her, it was only by the sheer power of love that gave them the slenderest thread of hope.

For James, their passage into the densest part of the nebula seemed to take longer than it actually did. Although his heart was heavy with grief, he mustered his strength and steeled himself to the task at hand.

When the clouds finally started to thin, James and Tanya saw something ahead. As they rapidly approached a group of objects that seemed familiar, Char'ena lifted her head and howled. Everyone heard the howl in their heads.

"Have Lilly, we take homeplace to get fixed up! Must hurry!"

The objects turned out to be several wolf ships, like Char'ena--they were the rest of her pack. They jumped to their feet and fell in with Char'ena and Rha'ena, surrounding_Nightwing_,Se'nika, and Ilissenri. The pack of giant celestial wolves ran amongst the stars, herding three tiny ships, traveling at an angle to the galactic plane, quickly passing beyond the edge of the galaxy and into the intergalactic void.

Rainbow hued light flared around each of the wolf ships from nose to tail, trailing comet-like behind them, appearing to dissolve them into running figures of light. The speed at which the pack accelerated to defied the senses and all known laws of physics--galaxies passed by in blurred, ghost-like streaks. James thought he could see a path, a trail of sorts, that they seemed to be following. It was like the vision he had seen when he first met Char'ena on Elysinar.

Faster and faster, they seemed to go, until a fog-like mist appeared ahead. The instant Char'ena and the other wolf ships entered it, there was a flash...

...and everything went black.

---

[[1]](#ftnref1) Naoia Anensu'ena - _pronounced: nah-OH-ee-ah AH-nen su-ey'-nah.

[[2]](#_ftnref2) Tanya says, "??, ??? ????? ?????!" or "Yeah, those stupid goats!"

[[3]](#ftnref3)Khal-sa'hul Dûrnaëlan - a.k.a. Spirit Feather, from "_The Sacrifice for Peace"

[[4]](#ftnref4) From the play, "_Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, c.1599.

[[5]](#_ftnref5) https://www.britannica.com/science/yardang