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Here is part 3 of the 3 part final chapter for Silent Guardians. Hope it is a good read.

For Reference:

Kyree (key ree): anthromorph wolf-like race

Kenseng (ken sang): anthromorph tiger-like race

Drala (dra la): anthromorph reptilian-like race

Arastos (a rest tos): alien starship www.sofurry.com/page/298134

Arastos Crew:

Kanolos (ka no loss): male kyree, starship helmsman, mated to Riyla

Riyla (ri la): female kyree, starship captain, mated to Kanolos

Shyla (shy la): female kenseng, starship tactical officer/cook, mated to Yanashi

Yanashi (ya na she): female kyree, starship tactical officer/physician, mated to Shyla

Eriras (ear rass): female kenseng, starship engineer, mated to Taylo

Taylo (tay low): male kenseng, starship engineer, mated to Eriras

Lumina (loo men na): holographic female kyree construct, starship supporting A.I.

Keith (key th): male human, human ambassador/starship operations officer

Territory Map Diagram: www.sofurry.com/page/222716/

Calmando

Written By: Spudz

There was darkness... pain... confusion.

Taeskea's body felt as if it had been torn apart completely; the drala couldn't feel his limbs... his vision was completely blurred.

What had happened? Where was he? He couldn't remember anything.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the confusion began to melt away, instead replaced with a sense of panic. He couldn't move... there was something restraining his body... no, wait... it was a harness... he was sitting in a seat.

It was as if someone had slapped Taeskea across the face, as his recollection returned in a single instant. Gods... what had happened to the escape pod?!

The admiral was still secured to his seat, which had been ripped from the floor and now lay awkwardly against the side of the hull. However, the true horror he felt was due to the complete absence of the capsule just forward of his own seat's position. The crew members who had sat in front of him were just simply... gone.

Upon reentry, the pod's parachute system had partially failed, resulting in only one of the three chutes deploying. The spacecraft had subsequently crashed onto the planet at nearly five times the velocity of a safe landing, crushing the forward hull almost completely. The resulting force of the crash had literally severed the pod completely in half, right in-between the two rows of seats.

As Taeskea took in his surroundings, the admiral realized he was staring out into the snow-covered terrain of Earth. This comprehension drew his attention to the biting cold, which enveloped the exposed compartment of the pod. All around the crash site, dense stands of trees closed in the small patch of open ground, where a thick layer of snow lay under the drala's hanging feet. He had come down much further north than originally planned.

Another startling revelation made itself known... Taeskea's right foot was twisted almost completely backward at a sickening angle. He felt no pain, but knew that this injury would hinder his mobility and survival. Not to mention the eventual pain that he would no doubt experience if the drala attempted to move. Still, at least he was alive.

Nevertheless, Taeskea had to get himself away from the shattered remains of the escape pod. With a grunt of effort he reached up to depress the harness releases across his shoulders. Immediately the restraints came free, causing his bruised body to fall forward out of the ripped open pod to land on the cold snow beneath.

Taeskea was not prepared for the overwhelming pain that flowed from his broken leg, as a muffled cry of agony escaped his mouth upon impact. Oh... it was amazing how much torment one's body could ravage the mind with. It was similar to having someone stab a knife into his leg over and over again, causing the drala's vision to tunnel inward as he fought to remain conscious.

All the while, the crash scene around him remained eerily silent.

Taeskea didn't know how long he lay face down in the snow, before he felt hands carefully hook under his arms. Unable to see who was standing above him, Taeskea groaned in anguish while he was slowly turned over to stare upward toward the clear blue sky... to see the concerned face of his helmsman standing over him.

"Oh... thank the gods you're alright, sir," the officer spoke, his expression melting into utter relief.

Taeskea uttered a weak chuckle at the drala's statement. "Not completely... my leg is in bad shape."

The helmsman turned his attention to the limb in question sympathetically. "Help will be here soon, sir. The fleet should have a rescue team on scene shortly. Just stay right here."

The admiral's brow creased with pain as he attempted to sit upright... and managed to do so only after great effort. "Where are the rest of the survivors?"

In reply, the officer's expression turned grim. "I'm sorry sir... only you and I survived the crash. The others..." The drala's voice cut off as he averted his gaze. "They... didn't make it."

Taeskea swept his eyes across the crash site in horror, only to find death and destruction all around him. For a brief moment his gaze settled back on the ripped open segment of the escape pod he had just fallen out of, to find three other crew members still buckled into their restraints. The shock of seeing their torn, lifeless bodies made the admiral sick to his stomach, forcing him to hastily look away.

"I don't know how we survived," the helmsman added dismally, while Taeskea continued to look around in muted horror. "I don't know how, but I think I'm ok for the most part... no broken bones at least."

The crushed forward segment of the pod was only feet away from where the admiral lay. Simply looking at the crumpled wreckage was all the evidence he needed to know that the five crew members within were dead. Taeskea realized he should've been dead himself. The fateful decision to remain behind while the others entered the escape craft first had certainly saved his life... it just wasn't fair. Had he sat anywhere else in the spacecraft, he would most certainly not be alive right now.

Sometimes however, fate had other plans for its victims...

Taeskea could feel his body start to go numb from the cold. He was still sitting in nearly six inches of snow, which at least served to dull the agonizing pain from his broken leg. There was no telling just how remote the region was that they had crashed into. Aside from the two drala, the landscape was ominously devoid of life... a fact that was quickly unnerving him.

What could they do now?

The helmsman seemed to read his thoughts. "I already checked the pod's emergency beacon... it was destroyed in the crash." The drala's shoulders sank as if a weight had been dropped onto him. "All we can really do is wait for rescue."

For nearly a minute neither spoke, allowing the quiet to envelopment them as both came to terms with the gravity of their predicament. The forest around them remained silent. There was no sign of life whatsoever. Not even a breeze wafted through the trees. The crash site was completely and utterly still.

Finally, Taeskea uttered a labored sigh. No good came from dwelling on what was and could've been. He had to keep his focus on the here and now. "Alright... how about we try splinting this troublesome leg. It hurts like all hell."

The helmsman was about to reply, when a faintly audible hum caught both dralas' ears. As they went quiet and listened intently, the perceptible drone grew louder, steadily building in volume until Taeskea recognized the unique resonance of impulse engines. Thank the gods; the fleet had already located the crash site.

The admiral felt relief wash over him... until the impulse engine sound grew louder still.

Instead of the familiar high pitched whine of Domain starships, this sound was deeper, more guttural... the unmistakable characteristics of a Federation vessel.

Taeskea's hope sank as the enemy warship crested the nearby tree ridge. She was small, most likely a scout vessel class. Her hull was sleek and smooth to the eye, with four large slipstream nacelles protruding off the rear superstructure in a quad-pod configuration... the ship looked fast just hovering over the tree line.

While the metallic blue hull was quite a striking feature of the vessel, the main focus of the admiral's attention was on the massive cannon chin-mounted under the bow. He had never seen such a strange weapon design before. A small part of his mind wondered if this was the slipstream weapon that had decimated his fleet... no, that couldn't be it. The ship was just far too small to be capable of inflicting so much damage.

Movement out of the corner of Taeskea's eye drew his gaze quickly over to the helmsman, who was slowly removing a plasma pistol from a holster on his hip. "Don't throw your life away!" the admiral hissed. "They have the advantage... there is no sense resisting."

The officer hesitated for a brief moment, before removing his hand from the weapon.

Instead the two drala remained motionless as the starship slowly moved to hover several hundred feet over their heads. Where could they go? With Taeskea's leg broken, they had no chance of making an escape. There was no sense even trying. They could do nothing but wait as the Federation ship loomed over them menacingly.

As the drala looked on, a bottom segment of the hull parted from the rest of the superstructure, revealing a massive compartment within the bowels of the ship. However, instead of floating down to the surface below, the gravity lift access hatch instead slipped sideways along the outer surface of the exterior, fully revealing the space beyond.

"So... they want me alive it seems," Taeskea breathed quietly, almost low enough under his breath to not be heard by the helmsman. "They've wanted me from the very start."

As if to answer his question, the gravity lift activated directly above the two drala, inundating them in transparent blue light. Taeskea relegated himself to his fate, as the energy of the lift slowly pulled his broken body out of the snow up toward the hovering ship. The bastards were taking him as their prize...

For what seemed like an eternity the admiral and drala officer floated in midair, defying gravity in quite an uncomfortable fashion. Taeskea almost wished that the Federation had just killed him outright. He had no idea what sinister plans they had in store for him.

His enemy would be most unforgiving... they had every reason to be. The Domain had decimated the Federation, heartlessly destroyed their military and killed so many in cold blood... it was only fair that they cruelly returned the favor.

Taeskea's life was forfeit.

The brightness of the midafternoon day was abruptly cut off when the drala passed into the interior of the vessel. At that moment, as the prisoners remained suspended in midair inside the dimly lit space, the main gravity lift door once more slid sideways to become flush with the outer hull, sealing the compartment off from the outside world.

With the door now secured back into place, the gravity field dissipated, resulting in the two prisoners floating down to land on the deck below, the admiral finding himself still in an awkward sitting position. Taeskea couldn't help but grunt with pain, while his broken leg once more throbbed in agony against the hard unforgiving deck.

Struggling to force the pain from his mind, Taeskea tried to take in his surroundings. Yet he couldn't see anything but the vague outlines of large containers stacked around him in the faint light. Obviously, this was the vessel's cargo hold.

"Please disarm yourselves."

The strange disembodied voice caught both Taeskea and the helmsman by surprise. The speaker was feminine, speaking the drala's own language flawlessly in a manner that shocked them.

"I will only repeat myself once... disarm yourselves."

With a start, Taeskea remembered that his counterpart still had the plasma pistol stowed in his holster. "Get rid of your weapon," he spoke hastily, gesturing to the firearm protruding from the drala's hip.

The officer needed no more persuading as he quickly reached over and removed the pistol from his person, before tossing it away to land in the shadows of the hold far from reach. They were now completely at the mercy of their captures.

The cargo hold went quiet once more, leaving its occupants to wonder anxiously what came next.

For several minutes, the drala prisoners waited in silence, until finally, a faint silhouette phased into view among the shadows of the crate stacks. Slowly the shadowy figure moved toward Taeskea, while the drala strained his eyes in the relative darkness to see clearly.

Unexpectedly, instead of an individual hailing from Federation origins, Taeskea found himself staring into the eyes of a human. His skin was fair for his race, while he retained an average physical build that seemed at odds with the human's tall stature. He also sported an interesting halo-like device across his brow, though for what purpose Taeskea wasn't sure.

The drala's attention was then quickly drawn down to the plasma pistol holstered against the human's hip.

"If you're going to shoot me, then get it over with," Taeskea nearly spat, speaking in Federation Basic. He had no grasp of any human languages, and he expected the human to not understand what he had just said.

Yet, recognition played across the man's face, as he shifted his stance slightly. "You're no good to us dead, Admiral Taeskea."

Simply hearing the human speak flawlessly in Basic was enough to floor Taeskea. But then again, he reminded himself, the Federation did possess language dubbing technology.

"Why would we go through so much trouble only to execute you?" The human punctuated his words by crossing his arms contemptuously. All the while, his expression remained completely unreadable. "You're much more valuable to us alive."

"Is that so?"

Taeskea remained sitting on the deck of the cargo hold, his broken leg still outstretched before him. Meanwhile, the helmsman continued to stand uneasily alongside the admiral, cautiously regarding their captor.

"Indeed," the human replied coolly. "Also, you will address all of your comments and queries to me from here on out."

As the man remained standing several feet from where Taeskea sat, the admiral took notice of movement behind him. Three additional shadowy figures soon materialized from the dark corner of the hold, each remaining back far enough to partially conceal their forms.

From the drala's perspective, two possessed the physical wolfish characteristics of the kyree race, with the first's jet black fur almost perfectly concealing the individual's outline in the shadows. The other, retaining a fur pattern of multifaceted grey, stood alongside the first; while the third form was that of a kenseng's feline features, marked by white striped fur.

Taeskea felt a stab of fear shoot down his spine as three sets of predatory eyes regarded him from the shadows, almost glowing a sinister golden yellow. The calm neutral composure of the human was not shared by his counterparts behind him... their hatred and spite was clearly palpable.

It was almost as if the man was holding back the others from tearing Taeskea apart. Surely the human noticed his counterparts stalking Taeskea from the shadows; yet, he paid them no mind.

"My name is Keith." The man spoke, while gesturing with both outstretched hands to the bulkheads of the cargo hold. "You are aboard The Federation Axis vessel Arastos."

Taeskea suddenly fixed Keith with a critical look, trying his best to ignore the malicious glares from behind the human. "What exactly do you want with me?"

Keith again folded his arms. "We need your help," he replied simply.

"Help?" The admiral's expression took on a quizzical look. "Help with what?"

"It's simple," the human continued, his appearance still neutral and unreadable. "We need your help to end this pointless war."

Taeskea chewed on Keith's words for a brief moment in thoughtful silence. What exactly did he mean by that?

The thinnest trace of a wicked grin graced the man's expression at the sight of Taeskea's confusion. "You know as much as we do, that this whole conflict was born out of nothing but the greedy imperialistic desires of the Domain Council."

"You fucking bastard!"

The drala helmsman's exclamation echoed off the bulkheads of the cargo hold as he surged forward toward the human in a rage.

With incredible speed, the plasma pistol was out of Keith's holster and quickly leveled on the advancing drala, who immediately froze mid step. The human's neutral gaze was now gone, replaced instead by a menacing glare.

Keith said nothing while a silence took hold, before the helmsman slowly backed away to once more stand alongside Taeskea. Still not uttering a word, he replaced the pistol back into its holder and then turned his gaze to the admiral again as he spoke. "I ask that you mind yourselves while aboard. I have no time for such stupid outbursts."

The officer held his tongue while Taeskea nodded his head ever so slightly.

"We wanted to gain your help, admiral," Keith continued. "...because you understand the foolishness of the Council's decision to start this war... hell, you've stated that very fact yourself."

The human's words resonated with Taeskea like a gunshot. "How the hell did you know that?!"

"That would be my doing."

With a start, the admiral's head snapped around to the new voice, which belonged to a white-furred female kyree. She was practically standing right next to where Taeskea sat, startling the drala as to how she managed to sneak up on him so quietly. However, he managed to quickly overcome his shock.

"And how exactly did you garner that information?" he asked inquisitively.

The kyree's muzzle parted in an impish grin. "Easy... I've been watching your every move over the past few days."

"What? How?!"

In reply, Lumina dispersed her holographic form, causing the drala's eyes to nearly pop out of his head. Before Taeskea could gather his senses, the A.I.'s hologram reappeared on his opposite flank, much to the admiral's further surprise.

"I have to say that your network security systems were rather lackluster," Lumina continued, a slight hint of gloating evident in her tone. "I could easily worm my way through your fleet with ease."

It took a moment for Taeskea to recover his composure. "You... you were the one that disabled the armada before the Federation attack?!"

"The very same."

The admiral had heard about the Federation's efforts to develop artificial intelligence. Yet he had not expected such an entity that was so lifelike. Had she not simply disappeared in front of him, he would never have realized he was talking with a construct.

"Incredibly lifelike for an A.I.," Taeskea spoke evenly, giving Lumina's hologram a once over with his gaze. "Your personality could use a little work though." He stared intently into her wolfish eyes while the construct's expression melted into a scowl. "Arrogant... self-righteous... I bet your colleagues can't stand your attitude and haughtiness." The drala knew he had drawn blood as Lumina's scowl became a wicked snarl with fangs bared.

The construct leveled a finger at Taeskea as she took a step toward him. "Listen you worthless piece of shit! It was by my will alone that you are still alive right now... choose your words wisely." She took another step as her finger ended up only a scant few inches from his face. "Commander Ja'laski wanted you dead... and I could've easily gone along with her plan."

"That's enough Lumina," Keith interrupted softly, almost in a whisper. The construct's anger had not been mirrored by the human, while he continued to stand nearby with a stoic calm. "We won't get anywhere if any of us let emotions cloud our judgment."

With her muzzle hanging open, Lumina had been on the verge of another stinging verbal assault when Keith's words stopped her. Turning, she regarded him thoughtfully for a brief moment, before nodding silently in understanding.

As the A.I. moved away from Taeskea, Keith turned his attention back onto the admiral. "This senseless war has only given rise to needless hatred and anger. We have to move now to end this before these strong emotions give rise to more awful atrocities against both sides."

"What makes you think such a thing will happen?" Taeskea countered dubiously.

Keith seemed to search for the right words before speaking. "If there is anything I've learned from human history. It is that warfare spawned from overconfidence and brutality... only leads to disaster." The human's expression softened slightly as he uncrossed his arms. "For my kind, World War II was no greater example of this historical lesson. My country was ruthlessly bombed by another in a surprise attack not unlike the one committed by the Domain. The two powers subsequently went to war... and my country eventually ended up dropping nuclear weapons... killing scores more than the lives lost in the initial surprise attack."

Keith sighed heavily before he continued. "Politically, our two countries are now close allies... but, on a baser level there is still a general subdued sense of animosity that exists between countries... namely that Japan resents our use of nukes to bring about a swift and decisive end to the war. There is just no comprehending the number of lives lost during that fateful conflict."

"And I guarantee that we will not give up," Lumina added acidly. "...until proper retribution has been delivered for the atrocity committed against our military." The kyree hologram's gaze became foreboding. "You managed to expel my influence from the network for the moment... but, if this war continues, I'll continue to do my part by wreaking electronic havoc against the Domain on a planetary scale... and I am not the only one of my kind." The last statement escaped the A.I's muzzle almost in a whisper.

Taeskea absorbed all of this in silence, until anger suddenly consumed him. "Do you think I wanted to invade Earth?!" The indignation was clearly evident in his voice while he slammed a balled fist onto the deck. "I can't begin to express how mortified I was when I learned of the surprise attack!"

"That's why we need your help," Keith spoke evenly, keeping his voice level. "Pull your forces away from this planet... help us avoid what could be a very long and bloody struggle."

"I can't just up and abandon my military duty," Taeskea countered, calming down somewhat. "As much as I detest my role in this conflict, I have to comply with the orders I've been given." It was painfully clear from his look that a war of emotions was clashing within him.

On the one hand was the drala's sense of duty and honor for the Domain, as well as his commitment to serve in the military. On the other, Taeskea's morals weighed heavily against his obligation to follow the orders of his superiors. The lives of many were balanced precariously on his shoulders.

"Don't forget about the Ebola outbreak," Keith added, serving to rudely slap the drala out of his thoughts.

"Yes..." Taeskea stammered. "I had almost forgotten about that insidious virus."

Keith fixed him with a serious regard. "There is no telling how quickly it will spread without proper containment."

"I never contacted my superiors to inform them of the Ebola virus to begin with... I just had no time." The admiral's distress was clear as his gaze fell to the deck.

In the ensuing silence, Keith scrutinized Taeskea carefully. He had retained preconceptions about the admiral before meeting him. Yet, the drala he now stood before was anything but the authoritative tyrant he had painted in his mind. It had definitely been wise for him to insist on excluding the kyree and kenseng crew from this dialogue... he could clearly feel the anger radiating from Riyla, Eriras, and Yanashi through the neural link while they remained in the shadows just over his shoulder. Yet, their malice had softened notably since first meeting their captive.

"Well, then that is the first thing we will do," Keith added bluntly, causing Taeskea's attention to snap back up to look at him in confusion.

"Why would you do that?"

"The crimes of the few shouldn't condemn the fate of many." Keith gestured to himself for emphasis. "I could never allow such a terrible plague to spread throughout an innocent populace... because a few political figureheads decided to foolishly start a war. Where is the justice in that?"

Incredulity played across Taeskea's expression. "You would help your enemy even after all that my kind has done?!"

"I don't consider the drala my enemy," Keith replied simply, eliciting perplexed looks from everyone within the cargo hold, kyree and kenseng included. "My anger is only directed toward the few heartless bastards that issued the orders to start this war."

Abruptly the human took a step toward Taeskea, while motioning with both hands to the admiral imploringly. "So, I ask you not as an enemy, but... maybe as a potential ally. Help us end this."

It was at that point the commanding drala remembered he wasn't alone. Turning, he caught sight of his helmsman, who had remained utterly quiet during the entire previous exchange. "What do you make of all this?" Taeskea asked, switching to his own language. That damned A.I. would understand him, but he really didn't care at this point.

The drala officer was at a loss for words, as his mouth opened and closed several times in false starts. Neither of them was prepared for this completely unforeseen change in events.

"Sir... I have no idea what to do," the helmsman finally replied in their own language, shaking his head. "Honestly, we really have no options at this point anyway."

Taeskea snorted with derision. "That is certainly an understatement. We're completely at the mercy of this crew."

Both drala turned their attention back to Keith, who continued to stand politely in silence with hands still outstretched toward Taeskea.

"What if I refuse to withdraw from the planet?" the admiral inquired, while glaring directly into the human's eyes shrewdly.

Keith raised an eyebrow at the drala's query as he lowered his arms. Even faced with such a daunting situation, the admiral still made sure to assess his options carefully. "If you elect to turn my offer down, then you will be treated as a prisoner of war. No physical harm will come to you as a result." Unknown to Taeskea, the human's last remark was meant as much for him, as well as for the kyree and kenseng crew still standing in the shadows ominously.

The drala admiral snorted again. "I should be so fortunate. Your Federation will bleed me dry of any useful information I might have." Taeskea motioned to his head to emphasize his point. "I know how valuable the knowledge I possess is to your military. Your interrogators will use whatever sinister techniques they can to get what they want from me." His last words were practically spat from his mouth.

"Do you not trust my words, admiral?" Keith calmly replied. "I give you a solemn promise, that what I say is the truth." The human turned toward Riyla, who gave a slight nod of agreement in silence. The captain may have been angry as all hell, but she still retained enough self-control to understand Taeskea was not her enemy.

The drala uttered a heavy sigh. "You understand how much this decision weighs on my shoulders?"

"Honestly, I can't fully appreciate the level of responsibility you have. Nevertheless, I do realize that what I ask goes against your military duty and obligation."

"Let me make something perfectly clear," the admiral suddenly spoke tersely. "I am loyal to the Domain. I will never betray my kind no matter the circumstances..." He trailed off, as Taeskea weighed his words carefully before continuing. "But... I see no other solution to this senseless war."

From Keith's perspective, it was as if a massive weight had been lifted off Taeskea's shoulders. Suddenly, the drala's gaze became keener... his expression taking on a new resolve as the admiral finally came to a fateful decision.

"Alright... I will comply and withdraw completely from the planet," Taeskea spoke evenly, while regarding the human. "I already have enough blood on my hands. I won't risk any more lives for a war I don't believe in."

Keith simply nodded his head in understanding.

"I just ask that you pull your forces back to give me time to orchestrate the withdrawal," Taeskea requested, keeping his tone diplomatically professional.

"We already have. Once our ship picked you up, the rest of the fleet pulled back several light-years to await the outcome of this very meeting."

Taeskea was obviously stunned by this revelation, although he recovered his poise quickly. "If what you say is true, then you have my full cooperation."

At the drala's words, Keith allowed the faintest smile to grace his expression. "I'm glad that we have your help."

"Don't think my cooperation will change the course of this war, though," Taeskea cautioned. "What you ask of me is effectively treason. There is no telling how the Domain Council will react to my decision." The admiral uttered a pitiful laugh. "Hell, my superiors thought this whole ill-fated campaign would be a resounding success... and now look at me."

"Do you really care what the Council thinks?" Keith inquired, almost rhetorically. "They've done nothing for you. Fuck them... what have they done besides send you here to do their dirty work?"

It was as if the human's words had struck deeply into Taeskea. The admiral felt used. While he ordered countless servicemen to their deaths, fighting tooth and nail for a planet that ultimately was of little strategic and economic use to the Domain, those that had orchestrated this pointless war stood back and watched from afar safely.

Taeskea had always harbored resentment toward the politicians that governed the Domain. There were widespread food shortages, crippling labor deficits, and trade shortfalls... and the Council determined the best course of action was to go to war? Not only that, but they had angered a reliable and peaceful trading partner, one that was routinely providing aide to help the territory rebound from its troubles. And now, a terrible plague threatened to consume countless innocent lives, further worsening an already ominous situation.

Admiral Taeskea was done fighting for the senseless ideals of others. "I suppose you're right." The drala's gaze briefly looked over toward a stack of containers nearby. "You're absolutely right."

"There's no telling how matters will turn out from here on," Keith added, shifting his stance while again folding his arms across the chest. "However, at least we can take a step in the right direction here and now."

The admiral nodded his head slowly with agreement.

In the ensuing silence that followed, Taeskea made a move to stand, forgetting that his leg was still very much broken. The resulting stab of pain quickly reminded him of that fact, as he collapsed back with a cry of anguish.

At the sight of Taeskea's pain, Keith turned his head to the side. "Yana..."

Wordlessly the grey-_furred _kyree padded out of the shadows to stand alongside Keith, a portable med kit clasped in her hand. Pausing for a moment, she stole a glance at the human, who in turn motioned for her to proceed.

As Taeskea looked on in curiosity, the kyree crossed the distance between the two parties and came to stand beside him. Yana never made eye contact with her patient while she then knelt down beside him, placing the medical kit on the deck as she did so. Instead the kyree concentrated her attention on her task, by first opening the suitcase like container and removing several medical instruments.

"Sir, are you sure you want to go through with this?" the drala helmsmen asked tentatively from alongside his superior, while Yanashi carefully placed a numbing band around Taeskea's thigh.

Taeskea regarded the other drala carefully for a second. "At first I was hesitant," he replied. "But, I know now what needs to be done... and I can't accomplish that by fighting against an enemy that really should be a powerful ally."

The helmsman didn't reply as he silently mulled over his superior's words.

At that moment, Yana activated the band around the drala's thigh, which quickly worked to numb his entire leg. With a sigh of utter relief, Taeskea felt himself relax as the pain melted away.

"We've certainly gotten ourselves into quite a mess," Keith spoke, still remaining where he stood while Yanashi began to manipulate the drala's leg to set the bone back into place.

The grey kyree's task was made easier by the use of a handheld medical scanner, which clearly displayed the break on a holographic display when she passed the device over Taeskea's limb. The procedure was only a matter of patience and skill for Yana as she coaxed the fragmented bone back into place through a series of careful movements, scanning his leg periodically throughout to assess her progress.

"Our first priority should be to isolate the Ebola virus within your fleet to prevent further propagation," Keith continued in the meantime. "Once that is accomplished, we can work to draw this war to a close... as well as contain any further outbreaks that crop up elsewhere."

Taeskea nodded his head in understanding.

After a few minutes, Yana finished setting the break and began the delicate process of binding the bone together with a handheld surgical grafting tool. Using slow sweeping motions, she passed the small pen-shaped device across the fracture with expert skill, directing the tool's coalescing beam onto the broken bone. Almost instantly, the break started to mend as the grafting mechanism fused the fracture together, bypassing clothing, skin, and muscle to leave no outward trace of its handiwork.

With everyone present watching in silence, Yana finished her work and moved back from her patient, nodding her head with satisfaction at her handiwork as she did so. Still keeping her gaze lowered, the kyree then quickly replaced the medical instruments back into their respective case, before standing once more with a flourish of her wolfish tail. The whole procedure had only taken a few minutes.

"Thank you for your help," Taeskea spoke sincerely to the kyree.

Yanashi allowed herself a faint smile as she regarded the drala for the first time. "You're welcome. The break is as good as new." With that, she moved to stand near Keith.

Curious, Taeskea tested the newly healed leg, noting how he experienced no pain. Slowly, he moved to stand upright, making sure to carefully support his weight on the good foot in case things went bad. However, with nothing less than a gasp of surprise, the drala found he could stand normally once more, resulting in quite the astonished look.

"Fascinating," Taeskea spoke in awe, touching his mended leg with a hand as if expecting the repaired limb to be an illusion of some sort. "How I wish we had medical technology like this."

"Such is the miracle of modern medicine."

The new feminine voice emanated from behind Keith, as the black kyree, who had remained quiet up until now, stepped out of the shadows suddenly. Her gaze was carefully neutral, although a slight grin was perhaps evident across her muzzle while she padded forward. "I'm sorry I did not introduce myself earlier... Keith insisted that he head up the dialogue when we first met... my name is Captain Riyla."

With Taeskea looking on, the kyree came to stand before him professionally, and extended a hand out in his direction. He wasn't exactly sure what she wanted at first... and then it dawned on him that this was a human custom... the handshake to forge a relationship, as well as to solidify an agreement between equals.

"I was probably a little hasty in my judgment of you," Riyla continued earnestly, her hand still outstretched. "I hope that we can work together to right what has been wronged."

Without any hesitation, Taeskea carefully reached up and grasped the kyree's offered hand, shaking with her as a sign of good faith toward their agreement.

Any lingering tension within the cargo hold was expelled by the human gesture of agreement, allowing everyone to breathe a silent sigh of relief.

"I never thought I'd find myself here" the drala spoke, shaking his head.

At his words, Riyla allowed herself a meager smile, while her tail wagged happily for a moment. "There is a first time for everything... I'm just glad to have you on our side now."

Taeskea snorted derisively, but returned her smile with a sincere one of his own. "Regardless of the outcome, I believe I'm making the right choice."

"I hate to interrupt this crucial moment," Lumina interjected hesitantly. "But, I believe Kanolos needs you Captain Riyla... he's passed out at the helm station."

The black kyree's pointy ears folded flat as she suddenly remembered her mate. "I'll be right up to look after him."

By the time Arastos had made it to Taeskea's crash site, Kano was on the verge of blacking out from the immense strain imparted on his body by the pilot neural interface. However, before the other crew could attend to his condition, the fox-furred kyree had insisted they leave him to take care of their drala guests. Thus, with much reluctance, Riyla had left her mate on the bridge, with Shyla to look after him in the meantime.

"I'm sorry to take my leave so suddenly," the captain began, turning toward Taeskea once more.

Before Riyla could continue, the drala held up a hand to stop her. "I understand."

The kyree hesitated for a brief second, before she closed her muzzle and nodded slightly.

It was obvious to Taeskea that this Kanolos was close to Captain Riyla; perhaps he was even her mate. The fact that she wasted no time exiting the cargo hold validated his observation.

With Riyla now on her way to the bridge, Keith again assumed the lead. "We should make contact with your fleet right away. I can escort you to our bridge to do so." At that moment, an alarming thought crossed the human's mind. "I hate to ask this... but, are you still technically in command of the invasion armada at this point?"

The surprising question gave Taeskea pause. Since the crash landing, he had not given that problem any thought. In the event of his death or capture, the leading regional commander automatically assumed control over the armada. However, there was a good chance the Domain fleet was still searching for him at this very moment, under the assumption he was not in enemy hands.

"Considering the circumstances, I am still in command of the fleet," the admiral replied. Although, there was no telling how long he could maintain his authority given his inauspicious decision to suddenly side with the enemy. He could only speculate how his choice to betray the Council would go over with those that served under him. There was a real possibility of a mutiny or a mass desertion of starships and personnel at the very least.

Taeskea uttered a long and drawn out weary sigh. "I suppose I am now considered a traitor by the Domain Council." He looked down at his hands. "In light of that fact, once we sort out the problem with this Ebola virus, I suppose my next course of action is to do something I have never even in my wildest dreams considering doing." He paused briefly, as if reassuring himself that what he spoke next was the truth. "I'll cut my ties to the Domain Council completely... and fight against the very government I had previously sworn to protect."

The drala's startling words visibly jolted Keith. "A rebellion?! You would take things that far?"

"At this point, there is no turning back. By agreeing to withdraw from Earth, I'm effectively signing my death warrant." Taeskea's eyes returned to Keith. "I've always looked upon the Council's power with disdain; our territory has suffered greatly under their rule." He let out another labored sigh. "I might not like it, but perhaps it is my responsibility to change that, and maybe help change the drala civilization for the better. I suppose what I intend to do is indeed a rebellion of sorts."

Taeskea allowed his gaze to sweep the room, passing over Lumina, Eriras, and Yanashi as they continued to stand in quiet curiosity. "The ideals of the current Council do not benefit my kind... changes are sorely needed. Perhaps... perhaps I've been ready for this for some time now, and never fully realized it. I guess being captured by you was the final incentive I needed to go through with this decision it seems."

The admiral rubbed the back of his scaly head subconsciously. "I guess that shows just how fickle my loyalty really is."

"Nonsense," Keith replied quickly. "It shows that you understand the needs of the many over the needs of a few senseless politicians."

"I suppose you're right."

At that moment, Taeskea remembered that he wasn't the only drala present within the cargo hold of the ship. Turning, the admiral regarded his subordinate, who stood silently nearby with quite the shocked expression.

"I understand the grave implications my actions here will have in the future," Taeskea spoke, switching to his own language briefly. "But, that doesn't mean I have to condemn you to your fate as well." His gaze was sincere and earnest. "I understand if you don't share in my opinion of the Council... it is not my decision to make for you."

The helmsman offered a weak chuckle before replying. "You've been an exceptional commander... I'll gladly serve under you no matter what happens... count on it."

Taeskea couldn't help but smile at the drala's confidence in him. He had no idea how he could possibly mount a campaign against the Council. Did he even stand a chance of fighting against such a powerful adversary? There was no telling how events would play out. Nevertheless, the admiral took comfort in the fact that he would have the support of the men that served under his command... those that chose to fight by his side for a new government that is.

"I guess I really am going to do this," Taeskea spoke with awe, surprised at his own decision. He turned his attention to Keith once more. "What do you think, ambassador?"

"Ambassador?" Keith was clearly taken aback by the drala's words. It took him a second to respond. "Unfortunately I'm no ambassador, Admiral Taeskea. I just sort of took up the lead when we brought you aboard."

Curiosity flashed across Taeskea's expression. "Oh? I thought you were a diplomat by the way you've handled this discourse."

"Actually, I'm just a simple astronaut," Keith replied humbly. "...an astronaut who has had his world turned completely upside-down." He stole a glance over to Lumina, who smiled warmly.

"I never would've guessed. In any case, I should quickly get in contact with my own forces." The admiral had suddenly realized that his own armada was still under orders to attack any Federation forces within range. "Where do I need to go?"

Keith made a motion with his hand to follow. "I'll take you straight to our bridge. We can work with Lumina to establish communications there."

Taeskea wordlessly agreed as he fell in step behind the human. He was still quite dumbfounded on how this strange turn of events had come about. The whole situation was just... surreal... yet, this was really happening. He was about to commit treason against the Domain Council, possibly sealing his fate in the process.

However, something about the idea of rebelling just felt right to the admiral. The path ahead of him was unclear, leaving Taeskea to wonder if he might be throwing his life away. Actually, he was almost certain that he would die as a result of his actions. That particular fate was still a far more desirable consequence than knowing he had helped extinguish countless lives by fighting a war he truly did not believe in.

Taeskea had never considered the Federation as his enemy. They had been a key trading partner through such terrible economic times within the Domain. They had provided occasional humanitarian aid. Furthermore, not once had the Federation taken advantage of the crippling problems that plagued the drala race at every turn. Perhaps, before the war, they could've been considered allies at least on some level, though such a title had never been officially coined between the two territories.

Looking past this senseless conflict, it was obvious to Taeskea that any hope of recovering from the many problems that hindered the Domain relied on strong economic and political ties with the Federation and its allies. Conceivably, the best course of action would be to become allies in true form, if relations could be improved in any way from the dismal state they were at now.

No matter what happened, the drala admiral would make sure to keep close ties with the Federation.

Taeskea suddenly reproached himself. These were matters that he could worry about much later. Right now, his only concerns were reassuming command of the invasion fleet and subsequently pulling his forces off the planet quickly; one major problem at a time.

By now, Keith and the others had crossed through the door threshold leading to the main corridor of deck three. The sudden brightness of the passageway was rather painful at first, until their eyes slowly adjusted to the change in ambiance.

Not wasting any time, the human turned and made for the nearby stairway leading up to the deck above, with Taeskea in tow and the rest following behind him.

As they walked in the ensuing silence, a thought abruptly occurred to Taeskea. "If we're still on the planet's surface... how has this ship remained undetected by my fleet?"

"We're currently underwater in the Labrador Sea," Eriras replied from alongside Taeskea, speaking up for the first time. "That, coupled with some stealth countermeasures, allows us to remain concealed when we need to be."

Taeskea simply shook his head in amazement. "Then I'll bet money this is the very starship that was hiding under my nose when this whole invasion mess first started."

"Indeed it was," the kenseng engineer replied modestly.

"Humph... I really didn't stand a chance. It was almost unfair." The disbelief was quite evident in Taeskea's tone. "However, I can't dwell on that now." Visibly steeling himself, he continued to follow in Keith's wake.

As the admiral began contemplating how he would pull his forces back from Earth, Keith reached the stairway and mounted the steps quickly without pause. It was then that the neural interface still resting on his head came to life.

"You know Mr. Ambassador... you're very good with words."

Keith couldn't help but smile as Lumina's soothing voice resonated in his awareness. "You know I'm no ambassador," the human mindspoke with embarrassment.

"That may be," Lumina countered teasingly. "Still... you are quite convincing. I found myself caught up in your words."

Cresting the stairs, Keith continued on down the corridor of deck two, noting that the others were still right behind him. "I just said what came to mind. No fancy wordplay or anything like that."

He could feel the A.I.'s grin over the link. "Sometimes, that is all you need. By the way... did you realize you quoted Spock?"

It took a moment for Keith to recognize who Lumina was referring to. "Spock, from Star Trek? How so?"

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"Huh... I didn't even realize I had," Keith replied with surprise. "I can't remember the last time I saw the movie where that famous quote was used."

Lumina's amusement continued to radiate from the interface. "I think we couldn't have asked for a better Ambassador to Earth. I was truly impressed with how you handled the situation."

"Maybe I was channeling Leonard Nimoy during the conversation."

"Oh, hush you," Lumina chided gently_._ "That was all you. Don't downplay your role in this."

"It was really nothing... at any rate; I think society has a lot to learn from Star Trek."

Lumina wordlessly agreed, before she withdrew her influence from his awareness.

Still making his way toward the bridge, Keith refocused his attention back to the mission at hand.

They still had a war to win...

***************

Slowly consciousness fought to reassert itself, clawing its way through the haze of sleep and exhaustion to enter the waking world.

With great effort, Kanolos's wolfish eyes gradually opened, only to gaze out into the relative darkness of his quarters. He found himself resting comfortably on his bed under the soft sheets, which was definitely welcomed since his body was utterly exhausted. That fact aside, the kyree couldn't remember how he had ended up here. His awareness was still clouded by the residual effects of unconsciousness, bringing about a disorientating sense of confusion.

Why was he here? And why was he so worn out? It felt like Kano had run a marathon while carrying someone on his shoulders. The last time he had been this fatigued was after his first full length simulator run with the piloting neural interface... Gods!

Suddenly, the day's violent events came flooding back into his thoughts like a torrent, serving to slap the kyree back into full consciousness.

Was he still alive? ...that was a dumb question. Of course he was. What had happened with their drala captive? Had Riyla's plan failed to bring the admiral over to their side? The questions nagged at the kyree as he tried to sit up in bed... yet, his body couldn't muster the strength to so much as lift his head from the pillow.

"Damn... the piloting interface really did a number on me," he breathed wearily. With a labored sigh, Kano relaxed his body and allowed his head to rest comfortably on the pillow once more, resigning himself to his exhausted condition. The room wasn't on fire... so something must've gone right after he lost consciousness.

As if on cue, the doorway to his quarters swished open to reveal a silhouetted figure against the vibrant light of the corridor beyond, momentarily causing Kano to shut his eyes from the painful brightness.

When the door swooshed shut seconds later, allowing the darkness to reclaim the space once more, he again looked out to find his mate standing just over the side of the bed, hands placed contemptuously on her hips in mock annoyance.

"Look at you," Riyla cooed, shaking her head. "You're a mess. Why do I let you wear yourself out like this?"

"I don't know... maybe I'm so worn out because you drive me like a slave."

The black kyree laughed at that, while she began to unceremoniously disrobe. With haste, the captain's work shirt and pants were tossed aside haphazardly, soon to be joined by the rest of her wardrobe on the floor.

Riyla was dying for some much needed sleep herself, and she damned well wasn't going to waste another second before climbing into bed to join her mate, who looked rather comfortable beneath the silken sheets.

With matters finally beginning to settling down, the captain, along with everyone else, could allow herself to relax.

"Maybe ... my stud did perform quite exceptionally today," Riyla continued, before uttering a deep yawn of exhaustion.

Kano's tail wagged happily beneath the sheets. "I aim to please... in any case, how did things go? I really don't know what happened since I was drooling on my console at the time."

Now wearing nothing but her fur, Riyla carefully climbed onto the bed and slid under the covers alongside her mate. "I don't think I could've asked for a better outcome." She snuggled up against his nude form and rested the side of her muzzle against Kano's soft chest fur, relishing his familiar warmth. "Taeskea is in the process of pulling his assets off the planet... he wants to start a rebellion of sorts against the Domain."

Kano perked up at the news. "Really? I never would've thought that would happen." He reached up to massage one of her pointy ears. "So is he now an ally of the Federation?"

"I guess you could say that."

The fox-furred kyree chuckled as his mate murred happily to his tender caress of her sensitive ear. "That is certainly an immense relief," he replied somberly. The hand moved to give Riyla's other ear the same delightful attention as the first. "But... what do we do now?"

"Hmm?"

"Where do we go from here?" Kano reiterated. "Earth... humanity... what do we do?"

Riyla simply closed her eyes. "I don't know... let someone else figure that mess out... I'm tired and want to sleep."

"I can agree to that."

A thought suddenly crossed Kano's mind. "You know... I remember a certain kyree promising she would ravage me mindless several days ago once this whole mess was over." He punctuated his statement by lightly poking Riyla on the tip of her nose.

His mate kept her eyes shut as she replied. "I don't think either of us is in any shape to do that now."

"Point taken. Tomorrow... you can have your way with me then."

Riyla's muzzle curled upward slightly with a smile.

"Tomorrow..."