FSE

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This Story Series Features groups of various kinds, MFM, FFM, MM, FF Sex, and Intense BDSM themes at times, but if you are looking for wall-to-wall sex, look elsewhere, you have to get through a lot of story to get to your sex. ;)

As always, if you are not of legal age to read adult stories, well, don't read this one. All characters here that resemble my friends, and others, are used with permission.

I have decided to post the entire incomplete story so far, with the hopes that this will get me motivated to go the rest of the way with the story. This is RAW, barely edited storyline, so please forgive the obvious mistakes.

The story continues! Still no sex in this chapter, a bit less violence, some action, a few explanations, and more plots seem to wind up. There is a new player in the conflict and the crew has to deal with them. I do hope you are all enjoying the story so far, things are rapidly approaching novel length, for my first time ever.

If anyone wishes to work with me on this, I would welcome the help!

---

"Councilman Jae'rith, I have it on good authority that the humans had a secret facility where they equipped warships with Tethian weapons and these dreamer weapons, potentially in large numbers."

Dalarin looked around at the council members that occupied the chamber; those most directly involved with the fleet and their war efforts. He looked at their faces, a mixed palette of disapproval, disgust, anger, and in some faces, even a hint of eagerness at the prospect of a resurgence of conflict, with all the new technology they could steal or develop during such a conflict.

Soon after the disastrous experiments that lead to the destruction of a small moon, Dalarin found that the council wanted to confiscate all of the remaining sleepers in his care. They also called him to testify about the events of the experiment and his own observations, or so they said. What wasn't said is that several council members with their own supporters wanted to get their hands on the technology so they could try and figure it out and duplicate it on their own. So far, he'd managed to resist their "requests" as they were not couched as orders, nor did they have a resolution from the council to force him to turn over the hibernation chambers, but he could not resist the summons from the council.

He was entirely unsurprised when he saw the list of council members that would attend, as they all were the most xenophobic, atavistic, or greedy of the bunch.

He was surprised though when he received a transmission from N'Tanya. It was as couched and cryptic as she ever was about what she found there, but she at least told him about the human space station, the strange behavior of the ships that vanished, and the destruction of the system. She also indicated an unexpected boon, she'd picked up Lilanthe on the station...and Dalarin still wanted to know how the Sillen managed that particular bit of magic.

"What do you mean? What kind of authority?"

Those questions came from to his right, who would be Councilman Ti'neth, one of the prominent figures in charge of the intelligence agency, and one of the ones pressing hardest in the attempts at forcing Dalarin into turning over the hibernation chambers.

"As you know Councilman," Dalarin started, turning to face Ti'neth, "I have a few agents of my own. When I heard about these kidnappings I tasked one of my most reliable assets to track down and get as much information as possible about the missing dreamers and the unknown technology implanted in them." At Ti'neth's nod he continued, "I lost contact with my asset for some time and feared it gone, but luckily another...asset, not entirely under my control managed to locate and retrieve it. This was only secondary to their task. They apparently discovered the location of this station and conducted an independent raid to retrieve as much information and material as possible. They also managed to cripple the facility in question."

Dalarin crossed his arms behind his back. He was in his formal robes, trimmed and decorated with all the displays of his rank, house, and accomplishments. The council tended to like to bully subordinates in the various branches of their civilization's service, especially the military, but Dalarin was determined that he would show them that he could not influenced by any given member of the council. He'd even been considered for the council in the past, but refused the "honor" in favor of command of his own vessel.

"So, this...asset, has additional dreamers in custody, as well as technologies retrieved from this clandestine base?"

"Yes councilman," Dalarin turned again to face Jae'rith, "though they were not able to transport the dreamers in hibernation chambers. I expect they are waking up and being tended to as we speak."

A general murmuring among the raised seats of the council rose at that comment.

"Gentle-beings," Dalarin said, raising his voice to interrupt, "this potentially gives another route of proof or information into this technology. I have been reluctant to wake any of the sleepers, especially after the events in the Pae'noth system, but if this asset is able to wake them safely I am sure they will be able to find out more about how all of these dreamers were captured."

One of the council members leaned into the light. Dalarin recognized the sharp face of Kaelen, one of the greedier councilmen, and one who had a particular hatred for N'Tanya. The pirate managed to both bring to light Kaelen's illegal sale of technology to an undeveloped race, and steal said technology and turn around and sell it herself for a tidy profit. Kaelen only avoided expulsion from the council and even jail through a fairly hefty set of bribes, and she never forgave N'Tanya for the loss of status, money, and the fact that the rest of the council decided that N'Tanya was working in "the best interests of her people" and pardoned her for any crimes related to that particular incident.

"Captain Con'gretio, this 'asset' that you seem to have barely any control of, this wouldn't be your cousin, the known, and wanted criminal N'Tanya Tsarchon, would it?"

Dalarin smirked slightly at Kaelen's phrasing, but wry amusement crept into his tone as he replied,

"Though I am aware that there is a warrant for my cousin's arrest from several races and planetary systems, none of them are those we have enforcement treaties with. I was not aware that there were any new charges pending for Captain Tsarchon here, which means she is not a wanted criminal among her people, as far as I know."

Kaelen leaned back in her set again and set her hands on the platform in front of her, "perhaps she has no active criminal charges pending here, but this still does not mean that any information that the...captain provides is reliable at all. She is obviously out for her own gains, and we have no cause to believe her when she states this was a human built, controlled, or run facility, assuming there was a facility at all of course, and she's not been one of the ones kidnapping these innocent victims."

"I assure you councilman, I trust Captain Tsarchon's information, even if I did not I have corroboration as she retrieved another of my assets. She did not want to give me specific details, even over secure channels, but she states that she has information that will provide a great amount of illumination into these incidents."

Jae'rith spoke up again, "How did they expect you to retrieve this information?"

"I am due to meet with them, though they have not specified where as of yet, as my asset wishes to hand-deliver the information to me, so I can determine its proper use."

Jae'rith's eyebrow rose slowly, "Were you going to share this with us any time in the near future?"

"Of course councilmen, I would never hold back information that is...important to our potential political situation with other races, especially after the test just conducted."

"Good, then captain Captain Con'Gretio you are tasked from this council with retrieving any and all necessary data relating to this dangerous and highly volatile technology, as well as any connection that may positively link these events to the human's government. You will also secure any being implanted with this technology for isolation, for their own safety and the safety of others, of course."

Dalarin couldn't hide his incredulous look as he looked from one councilman to the next, "I cannot ask Captain Tsarchon to turn over the dreamers she retrieved, they are awake now and have all the rights of any sentient being. You are essentially asking me to kidnap them...again."

Kaelen leaned forward and slid an ornately penned and signed document into the light. Dalarin recognized the council's seal on it, something only used for documents as important as declarations of war, or emergency orders to deal with threats to their entire race. Dalarin looked up to Kaelen, whom had a triumphant look on her face,

"These...weapons are no longer capable of travelling without being a risk to our very species. This document authorizes you to use any means to secure beings implanted with the dangerous technology. Anyone who tries to interfere with you carrying out this duty is deemed a traitor to the council, and is subject to summary arrest. If your cousin refuses to turn over the implanted, you are to capture her ship, and incarcerate her crew...do you understand?"

Dalarin stepped forward and scanned the document, in brief, it reiterated what the council member just said, and he frowned as he rolled it up carefully, determined to take a closer look at it later. He stepped back to his spot in front of the council, his face grim as he turned to look at the almost open greed now on the face of almost every individual in that small half-circle.

"I understand."

"This also means that you are hereby under orders to turn over any of these weapons to the council for their proper isolation and study. Do you understand these orders Captain?"

Dalarin grit his teeth at the smug tone of voice that accompanied those instructions, his gaze met Kaelen's and he gave a quick nod,

"Yes councilman, I know exactly what you want."

*

"What do you suppose it means?" Nasir asked curiously as he reread the message received through the comms just a few moments ago.

N'Tanya frowned as she lightly tapped the console next to the display. A single line of text lay on the screen, the cursor blinking as though it waited for a response. There would be no response forthcoming though, since as soon as the message arrived one of their established comm links went out, the one they set up between the Starlight Dreamer and her cousin's ship the Driving Blow.

Cargo is unsafe, council made claim; see you at the place where you chose your life on the day of your rebirth.

"I think that somehow my cousin has gotten either him, or me in trouble," N'Tanya frowned and shook her head as she looked at the message one more time, gnawing her lower lip lightly. When she noticed she gave herself another shake and hit the ship wide comms.

"Lilanthe, report to my office please...five minutes."

With a thoughtful look N'Tanya walked off the bridge, while the rest of the crew watched her, puzzled looks on their faces at the sudden change in her attitude as the door slid shut behind her retreating figure.

*

N'Tanya looked a thousand kilometers away, at least to Lilanthe's gaze when she entered the office.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes...I received a message from my cousin not too long ago, just before he destroyed our only real-time means of communication."

N'Tanya flipped a data pad around, which displayed the cryptic message, and showed it to Lilanthe.

"What do you make of that message," she asked simply.

Lilanthe noticed that N'Tanya flipped her clan dagger between her fingers, one of the habits she and her cousin shared whenever they were nervous, Lilanthe noted, before she looked at the message.

"I think that your cousin has lost what little control of the situation he had at home, and the council is stepping in, most likely for their own purposes,"

N'Tanya nodded in return, "I agree with that, thought what worries me is the note in there that the 'cargo is unsafe'. I know that you have your ethics, such as they are, regarding the information you need to get to my cousin but I need to know what you found out, especially if it is going to potentially endanger my ship."

"Ok..." Lilanthe conceded, while she gave a rumbling breath of a sigh, "I skimmed the information on the crystal...it is filled with biology, genetics, physics and neuroscience well advanced of anything I know...but I did keep catching mention of 'alternate dimensions' and 'unstable biological translation points'."

N'Tanya's expression shifted, and the dagger stilled somewhat, "Ok...what does all of that mean?"

"I don't know about the technical details, but I think it's everything the...source had on the implants they put in the sleeper's heads. All of them are dreamers, or potential dreamers, but I think you knew that already."

N'Tanya nodded, "Indeed, Samantha is proof of that, and so it pretty much confirms what we thought it was, so what? That's not new information for anyone involved, what's changed?"

Lilanthe shook her head again, while her tale gave a sweeping slash behind her, "I don't know...but I can tell you what I found out during my, time at the station. Whatever the humans are up to, it is big...you rescued a couple of dozen of these sleepers, but they have more. Hundreds, maybe thousands more they've collected over the cycles. They've also finished mounts for and refined enough weapon systems they could likely equip an entire battle fleet, perhaps multiple fleets, if they had enough raw resources."

The dagger started flipping again between N'Tanya's fingers, fast enough that Lilanthe saw small nicks appear in her skin, blood welled up over the blade while N'Tanya's gaze darkened.

"What's the rest?"

Lilanthe noticed N'Tanya's eyes grew hard, and she just nodded slowly,

"I think I have...gathering point, maybe. It is either a refit area, or a staging area, or something. I think it's where they coordinate their fleet, or conduct their raids from them. I can only speculate...but there was a lot of tech, including sleepers going to that area."

N'Tanya went silent, thoughtful, while she placed the dagger's tip on her desk. Lilanthe watched for a couple of moments before she licked her lips a little and interrupted her thought,

"What about you? You must know what he's talking about with the "place you chose life" comment."

N'Tanya looked up, a grim smile again on her face,

"My cousin still wants to meet up, though he may not trust his current communications crew. Someone must have squealed to get the council involved in all of this. So he's telling me where to go, and when."

"Which is?"

"Someplace I'd never hoped to return to ever again in this life, and he wants to meet...seven days from now."

"What are you going to do?"

N'Tanya pressed the dagger into the desk, digging out a small groove into the hard surface,

"I don't think I have many choices, I certainly can't handle a battle group with one ship, can you?"

Lilanthe shook her head slowly,

"Then I think I have to accede to my cousin's request for a meet, he needs this information. He can do something with it, even if it takes the council forever to make a decision."

"And the sleepers we picked up from the base?"

"We have to stash them; my cousin's timetable gives us enough time. I think I know a place where they can be comfortable for the time being."

"And then?"

"Then we see about upsetting the council again, and you give the four beings that might be able to tell us if we are in a lot more trouble then we think all the information you have."

*

N'Tanya couldn't help thinking that she was stepping into a room where the occupants were just told they were on a very short walk outside the airlock without a suit, from the expressions on the four beings sitting around the conference table.

Dunner, Sires, Samantha and Kagami looked up from their discussion when N'Tanya walked in.

"You've all had time now to investigate the information provided by Lilanthe, and from your obvious states, I'm assuming you've found out a few things."

Samantha nodded, and N'Tanya thought she looked like she had unshed tears glistening in her eyes, "Yes...I...I was never supposed to wake up...none of the people we rescued were supposed to..."

N'Tanya looked to Dunner and Sires, whom nodded slowly. N'Tanya sat down and carefully crossed her hands in front on the table.

"Explain...please."

Sires looked down at the data in front of her, and scrolled through notes of some sort,

"The technology is really quite impressive, if horrific, if I understand it right. The technology is Tethian, apparently some of them made it to Earth after the destruction of their home world, and the humans put them to work developing inter-dimensional technology, what most cultures refer to as 'Dreamspace'."

N'Tanya waved her hand, "I know my history Doctor; they would enslave dreamers to carry their ships through the Dream so they could conquer other worlds...but their technology wasn't really compatible with dreamer biology, and they killed their pilots after just a few jumps. I'm somehow not surprised that a few of them survived their race's genocide though...it's not exactly easy to wipe out an entire race."

Sires nodded, but continued, "The humans apparently took their technology, and together they've...advanced it quite a few steps. These new technologies, these implants, they built them to provide another means of getting to Dreamspace, without needing the cooperation of the Dreamer. The Dreamer is just...an, umm, I guess you would call it a conduit for the technology's function. They provide the biological connection between our space and Dreamspace."

N'Tanya looked to Samantha, "You mean, the subject doesn't have to be awake for this technology to function? They would just be able to transport between the dimensions as they pleased," she licked her lips, "I can see why slave traders would be so interested..."

Dunner shook his head, "That's not quite right captain..." he looked to Kagami, "I think she can explain better."

Kagami crossed her hands into her robe, though N'Tanya could see a hint of the disturbance behind the otherwise placid exterior.

"Captain, a pilot doesn't just switch a ship and their crew from one space to the other, we also have to focus on our destination, be aware of other minds impinging in the dream, and shield those unfortunates who are not blessed as we from the hazards of Dreamspace. If one doesn't have that guidance, at best a jump through the dream fails...at worst; ships have been lost."

Dunner continued, "That's where it looked like this technology failed...without an, umm, guide?" Kagami nodded, "they found that the subjects didn't transition anything to Dreamspace."

Samantha looked up, and wiped her eyes lightly, "They ripped open a hole to it. That's what we saw at the star base,"

"And what we encountered when we plugged Samantha in for the first time. Luckily we stopped the reaction before it grew too large to control," Kagami interjected.

"So let me get this straight, the humans found a way to use people, Dreamers, and create a direct hole from one space to the other?"

Kagami nodded, "Yes, but they found it's not all dreamers, it's actually even a smaller percentage then that...maybe one in ten dreamers has the sensitivity to become one of their 'conduits'."

"All of the ships at the star base, they dived into that...rip, I guess you called it, wouldn't that mean they all killed themselves?"

Dunner shook his head again, "Not necessarily captain...it gets worse."

"Worse?"

"Yes...do you know what a wormhole is?"

N'Tanya smirked a little, "I know the theory...every race has it sometime or another...you use gravity systems to warp space so you create a tunnel through space-time from one place in the universe to another. In theory, its faster than Dreamspace travel, but in reality the energy to create such it is so astronomical that no one has pulled it off."

"Now they have, in a way."

N'Tanya blinked, "How?"

"The humans combined the quantum entanglement communication technology your people sold them, with this new technology. Any two points with this technology, and one of the dreamer catalysts could open one of those rips...but they can use quantum entanglement to I guess you'd call it...synchronize the two rips and create a tunnel through Dreamspace from one point to the other."

Kagami nodded somberly, "Travel would be near instantaneous, like when I transport the ship to a place we've been before...but they would not need anyone on board the ships travelling through the portal to shield them...the link itself would be the shield."

A voice spoke up from behind, and Lilanthe slipped in from the door around N'Tanya, "So you get to move your ships without dreamers, but only places you've been before, it's an advantage, sure, but I don't see why that is so critical."

N'Tanya frowned slightly, she hadn't invited Lilanthe in, but she was not hugely surprised she'd interjected.

"Well," Kagami started, "I think this conduit would potentially pierce what we consider 'standard' Dreamspace blockades. There wouldn't be any Dreamspace presence until the portal actually formed...and once it did, well...you've seen what it does to me."

N'Tanya nodded slowly, "all you would have to do is get one of these into space around your target, and you could both get your entire fleet behind their lines, and disable every pilot in the area..." she licked her lips, suddenly dry, "they could slaughter entire fleets that way."

Samantha sniffed slightly, "and when you were done, if you wanted...cut off one end of the portal, and you get what we encountered at the station. Without an endpoint or the system regulating things, the tear grows out of control."

N'Tanya looked from Sires to Samantha, "What about the sleepers we rescued, are we in danger of them opening one of these portals?"

Samantha shook her head, "The circuitry is built to respond to control inputs and power through the implants...as long as they don't plug into anything they won't cause us any problems."

Sires cut in, "Without any command input to the implants though, if they plug into anything that provides power, the circuitry just seems to...want to open one of those tears, and it will continue to do so until whatever it is runs out of power."

N'Tanya closed her eyes a moment, then looked intently to Samantha,

"What about you...be honest with me...are we in danger?"

"No..." Samantha began, but Kagami quickly cut her off, "On the contrary captain...I think she may potentially be our savior."

N'Tanya's gaze snapped to Kagami's, "How?"

Kagami met N'Tanya's gaze calmly, "She is not like the others, she has gained control of the machines in her head...and yet it still seems she retains the link to the Dream. If this circuitry is built to manipulate the connection between our reality and the Dream, she may be able to counteract the effect of others opening these rifts."

"May be able to?"

"There are few certainties in life captain, but she offers us an option we did not have before."

Lilanthe looked somberly at N'Tanya, "I've also been looking over the other data I've collected...the transport logs and refit orders trailed off severely not too long ago. Perhaps our involvement has accelerated their timetable, but whatever they are going to do...they are going to do it soon."

*

Samantha hit the door access chime, she tried not to shift like a little schoolgirl outside the principal's office, but she couldn't help shake the feeling that she was on the way somewhere to get into trouble.

After a moment, Kagami's soft, melodious voice came from the door speaker.

"Yes?"

"It's...umm, it's Samantha...may I come in?"

"Of course you may, the door is open."

Samantha nodded, realized Kagami couldn't see it, and hit the door control. As it slid aside, Samantha looked around. This was the first time she'd been in the Pilot's quarters, so she was a little surprised when she noticed it didn't look all that much different then hers. Despite the ship's size, space was still at a premium, but as the Pilot Kagami rated slightly better quarters then the rest of the crew. It really only amounted to an additional dozen square feet or so, but that was enough to make her bunk an actual full sized one, rather than a fold away. Samantha glanced over and noticed the full bathroom as well, one privilege very few of the crew earned.

Kagami was on the bunk, covers carefully made, her legs folded up in what Samantha would call lotus position, her hands at rest on her knees. As Samantha stepped in and the door swooshed shut behind her, Kagami looked up slowly and tilted her head to the side in an expression of curiosity.

"Welcome to my quarters Samantha, what brings you here for the first time?"

Samantha shifted a bit more as she felt the discomfort tie her stomach up into knots, and for once she didn't use the internal machines to suppress the feeling. Instead, she licked her lips and looked up into the Kzinsne's silver-grey eyes.

"I...I wanted to talk to you about what you said to the captain..."

"Yes," came the simple, questioning reply.

"You told the captain that I might be able to counter the rifts that the others with the machines create. Why did you say that? Every time we've tried plugging me into your machine it took all I could just to keep the machines from making me open a rift here in the ship and burning out your journal. I can't imagine trying to fight what we saw at the rogue station."

Kagami's muzzle parted in a slight smile, "Do you not have faith in yourself, and your ability to control the machine? Every time we've worked together you've found it easier to suppress the machines urge to rip a hole from here to the dream..."

"That's different!" Samantha protested, "those are the machine in _my_head...it's trying to make me do something, I just have to make it stop. You're talking about something else entirely, something powered and controlled by something else completely. Something someone else is doing...out there," she gestured almost frantically to the bulkhead, "that's so much different!"

Kagami retained her smile, something that for a moment just made Samantha even madder, before she noticed Kagami's tails swish behind her in amusement, "Is it really all that different? Tell me what you experience when you feel one of those...rifts, how does it feel different from the ones you suppress when we do our exercises?"

Samantha stopped short on her building tantrum at the calm certainty that radiated from the Pilot. She actually stopped and considered for a moment, though she couldn't help an almost train of thought rambling as she considered,

"Well...it's more powerful...for one. It's like with the ones they create I can actually feel something tearing inside my head. The ones I suppress just feel, I don't know...like someone sticking a pinhole through a filter...I can put my thumb over it and just stop the flow. Those feel like everything is just pouring into my head...it feels like I don't know...space itself is screaming."

Kagami nodded, "Those of us blessed by whatever gods you believe in with the gift to sense the connection between our world and the other space are uniquely attuned to the very nature of those spaces. It's what helps us bridge the gap between here and there. Some species think it is an instinctual understanding and perception that the Dream is just another way of experiencing the reality of our universe. My people believe that the dream is actually the universe's mind, and we all touch it as the universe seeks to understand it. These...portals, are hurting the very mind of the universe, so it does not matter if it is in your mind, or generated with someone else's mind, you are feeling that injury to the universe itself."

Samantha almost instinctively moved to the edge of the bed and perched on it while she looked to Kagami, "What does that have to do with me being able to close these...portals?"

Kagami hmmed, "A doctor can heal a patient's injury, regardless of whom caused the injury, correct?"

Samantha nodded in agreement,

"Well...I believe that you will be able to act as the Universe's healer...the machines in your head that open these tears are the same as the ones that are in the others, but you've developed another gift. Your other machines, the ones that have blended with you are giving you a way to close and heal those tears."

Samantha shook her head disbelievingly, "That's a nice belief, and a lovely theory...but we can barely stop me from ripping open these holes myself. I don't see how I'm supposed to understand this enough to heal the universe, as you say."

Kagami gave a low sound, which Samantha interpreted as her version of a 'hmm' sound as she looked over the human woman, "I think perhaps the difficulty is that you have never truly experienced the Dream. You have been carried through it, but you have never taken your own journey there and truly understood what it means to feel the nature of the universe's dream."

Samantha shook her head, "No...and something tells me that I doubt the captain would let me plug on in and take the Dreamer out on a little jaunt, even if I knew exactly _how_to do it," she commented sardonically.

Kagami nodded, "That is true...but there may be another way." She hesitated a moment, "though this other way is not exactly one I would necessarily prescribe in most cases."

Samantha blinked, "What do you mean? What other way?"

Kagami kept that small smile and slipped up from the bed. Samantha watched as the alien walked over to her small shipboard locker and retrieved a set of data cable jacks from them. These were loose though, they looked like they didn't attach to any specific device or terminal.

"What are those for?" Samantha couldn't help asking.

"Until now, we've had you try to control and communicate with my journal. I think it has given you the ideas behind experiencing something else that is attached to your mind and body as an extension, as something more of 'you' correct?"

Samantha nodded, "I'm getting the hang of it, at least."

Kagami returned to the bed and slipped back onto it, resuming her cross-legged position, "These are so that I, rather then connecting to any machine...can connect to another pilot. I believe I could connect with you, and help you experience both what it feels like in the dream, and help you with your efforts controlling the machines."

Samantha blinked and just looked at the cables, "Why didn't you say you could do that before? You could have helped me directly all this time!"

"Because," Kagami started in a wry tone, "such an act is considered the height of intimacy between pilots. It is not telepathy, you will not be able to read my thoughts, and I yours. Communication will be...easier, and just as you could sense all of the functions, and perceive all of the controls of my journal, when we are linked you will experience my body as an extension of yours...and I will do the same for you. I might be able to approach examining the machines from a...different angle and help you both control the machines and understand the connections to the dream the machines force."

Samantha licked her lips, "You'll...be able to feel what I feel?" She reached out hesitantly and brushed her fingers over the cables.

Kagami nodded, "Yes...as if your body was part of my own."

Samantha shivvered, "But you really think you will be able to help me gain control?"

Kagami nodded again, "I would not offer if I did not think so."

Samantha closed her eyes tightly for a moment. When she opened them again Kagami's gaze was on hers, the alien looked calm, compassionate even as Samantha's mind whirled.

"All right...let's do it."

*

It turned out that 'doing it' was actually much simpler then Samantha expected.

"Come here then, make yourself comfortable," Kagami guided Samantha onto the bed and lay her gently onto her side, "since you do not yet know how this will feel to you we don't want you moving too much, as this will likely be disorienting at first."

Samantha nodded, and suppressed a shiver again as she settled on the bed. She curled up a bit into a fetal position and licked her lips, "what...what happens if something goes wrong..."

Kagami gently smoothed Samantha's hair down, "If something goes wrong, we will both know...and I will disconnect from you. I would do nothing to intentionally harm you; you understand this, yes?"

Samantha nodded in return, "I'm...more...scared of what the machines will do."

Kagami smiled again, "I have faith."

Samantha watched as Kagami reached back and seated the four main jack connections into place at the back of her neck. She couldn't suppress another little shiver as Kagami shifted down and lay on the bed next to her. Kagami's back brushed Samantha's lightly, and the light touch of tails on her thighs actually solicited a bit of a nervous giggle, cut off as she felt Kagami snap the jacks into place in the back of her neck, and then settle down next to her.

At first...nothing seemed different. Samantha closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing as she had when they first tried connecting her to Kagami's journal box.

Then...she felt something...it felt like her breathing had an echo, as if she was gradually breathing _more_in some way. She also became aware that she could feel the bed...on both sides of her body. One side felt weirder then the other though, like there was something...thicker in the way that rubbed against something. It was such a weird sensation it sent another shiver through her body...from ears down to the tip of her tails....tails?!?!

She definitely could feel them, external, yet somehow part of her, swishing slowly, moving muscles she never experienced before. She couldn't help it, she gasped and felt her heart jump up a couple of notches...which is when she felt another heart beating slowly as hers sped up. She whimpered as she suddenly felt wrong as more and more differences and conflicts between the sensory inputs flooded into her brain.

Calm...sweet one...calm yourself.

The words seemed like they formed in her ears and her mind at the same time. She experienced them like she was having the words as her own thought, but somehow different. They sounded a little like Kagami's voice...but tinged with a sound of chimes and the taste of something fresh.

Kag...Kagami? T...that's you?

It took a moment for her to realize she hadn't spoken, the words formed in her own head, though they 'tasted' normal, like any other thought she'd had.

Yes. I am here, calm yourself .I can feel your body racing, you are feeling me, as I am feeling you. Those sensations...they are what I feel.

Samantha whimpered again, and she felt/heard it not just from within her own head, but as if the sound was coming from something external, with just enough change that it sounded...wrong.

I..I thought this wouldn't allow you to read my thoughts...what's going on?

A shift, and Samantha felt arms slip around her shoulders and draw her back against something warm, at the same time she felt her/their hands slide around her body and rest a smaller form against her/their chest.

It is not telepathy .I cannot peer into your mind. It is more....what your brain does as it translates your thoughts to words. You perceive me as I form my words, as I perceive you as you form yours. Let me help you. I know this is strange, but let me help you calm.

Almost immediately Samantha felt a wave pass through her, it was an almost physical manifestation of security and empathy. A wave passed through her and left the muscles behind relaxed, her heart slowed, her breathing slowed.

What did you do?

She could almost "see" Kagami's wry smile as the pilot's words formed in her thoughts,

I have a bit more practice with this then you, young one. I am experiencing and touching your body like it is a part of me much faster than you adapt to mine. I am more practiced because of my connection to the ship as well. I just gave you a bit of a help relaxing certain muscles. Let me help you another way. Concentrate on my breathing and my heartbeat; understand what you experience as part of you, and external to you.

Samantha nodded, which felt even stranger, since she both felt the movement in her neck, and yet somehow felt it as a shifting sensation against her/their chest. She tried to focus on the breathing, and the heartbeats. At first it felt so...alien that she could feel another heartbeat, another set of lungs taking in air and releasing it again. She felt her own heart calm, and after just a moment, match the other heart's pace. She could still feel almost an 'echo' between the two, but it was comforting to have such a strong feeling of that heartbeat ringing in her mind...both of them.

I understand more now about the machines that have invaded you... came Kagami's "voice", they are such complex things...it seems one of them has found harmony with you. These others though....

As Kagami trailed off, Samantha felt the other machines 'wake up' to both the intrusion, and to the presence of another power source they could feed from. Samantha sensed it didn't matter that the power source was a person, it just reached out anyway and grabbed hold of Kagami.

Kagami! Samantha screamed into her head as she felt the other female's heart suddenly pick up speed.

She felt sudden cold energy wash through her as Kagami's body dumped all sorts of chemicals into her system to provide biological energy for the sudden drain. At the same time Samantha felt the sensation of reality _twisting_inside her as the machine drew on Kagami.

_Samantha...help me..._Kagami's mental tone was suddenly less sure of herself. Samantha could almost hear the panic as the other woman's metabolism shot up to supply an artificial demand.

Samantha turned inward and ruthlessly tried to suppress the machines hurting her friend. She threw all of her will at it, but found that it was drawing at a speed faster then she could suppress...somehow Kagami's own connection as a pilot was making the tear form faster in reality, even as it seemed to be killing the Pilot.

Samantha...here...use what I found, came Kagami's voice along with some kind of mental image.

She could see the machines through her mind, one tinged and glimmering with channels of blue light, the others with sickly green and black tendrils branching through her system. She realized suddenly that it was how Kagami "saw" the machines, and it gave her a way to fight them.

Samantha drew on her own reserves, and on the machines with their blue channels, the internal/external perception that Kagami fed her, even as she rapidly grew weaker.

The tendrils of blue suddenly spread outwards quickly; they branched out through her mind and sought out the black and green tendrils coiled around her systems.

The two seemingly fought to usurp each other, but with each touch of the blue tendrils it keyed her immune system to the invading machines, and with the control granted by Kagami's outside perceptions she was able to set it into overdrive.

The blue quickly entwined with and rejected the black, replacing cellular connections, ripping the black out and denying it power. With each tendril, disabled Samantha felt the machine draw on Kagami less.

The twisting tear she felt growing inside almost visibly shivered. She felt it stop, then shrink again as the black tendrils twisted apart; broken and thrown away into her blood system to get removed by her own immune and cleansing system.

Samantha almost cried out as the machine in blue circuitry spread out fully, enveloping her brain, a secondary neural network she could only see through Kagami's dual perception, fully part of her, and cleansed of the other machine. She shuddered as she felt the tear snap shut, felt through some sense she could only call a connection with reality itself.

She/they went limp. It was only then that Samantha felt the sweat soaking her body, both on her skin, and intermingled through what she recognized as the feeling of Kagami's fur. She/they panted loudly as the adrenalin high left her body, which is when she discovered exactly how weak Kagami felt. She became aware of a great weakness passing through the other female's body.

Kagami...Kagami!_She projected; _please tell me you are ok...

Even as she asked, she knew that something was wrong. The pilot felt like she was fading. Samantha extended her perceptions; she opened herself as much as she could, she tried to "see" what was wrong with Kagami.

It didn't take long to find what was wrong, the drain on Kagami's systems had forced her body into shock as too many chemicals flooded her system, triggered by the interface.

_No no no...._Samantha chanted in her head as she turned over in her/their arms and grabbed Kagami close. She realized that she felt a sudden chill, and recognized that it was coming from Kagami's overtaxed body.

She opened her eyes...a mistake, as she suddenly realized that she could see not just through her eyes, but through Kagami's, black overlaying the room. She grabbed the covers and pulled them around them, before she again pulled Kagami in close against her body.

You're not going to die...not helping me, she pleaded, as she reached out to Kagami's biology.

It was different, alien, but close enough that with the machine's help she was able to push Kagami's body and bring her metabolism up again slowly. She realized she almost instinctively amped up Kagami's natural circulatory system to process the toxic level of hormones and chemicals in her system.

She pressed her face to Kagami's, realized tears streamed down her face as she coaxed Kagami's systems back up slowly from their fatal downward spiral.

I...I certainly...don't intend to die helping you,. came Kagami's weak voice in Samantha's head, I think the goddess is not done with me....not yet.

Despite the weakness there was a note of amusement in the other female's voice.

Samantha couldn't help it as she burst out in a sharp laugh.

You can't say the goddess is done with you...you're the goddess. You're my goddess thank you...thank you...thank you...

_ I should reprimand you for blasphemy...but I think this time the goddess might just forgive you, besides I am too tired._

Came the voice...before it faded out.

Kagami?

Samantha started anxiously, before she realized the other woman had slipped off into a deep sleep.

The rhythms of a sleeping body shared with her drained body was soothingly hypnotic, and Samantha soon found that she slipped away into welcome sleep soon after.

*

She was standing in the door of her quarters on the ship, but she couldn't remember how she got there. The last thing Samantha remembered she'd managed to help Kagami regain control of her body after the implants in her body tried to the kill the alien woman, and they'd collapsed, entangled in the pilot's bed.

Now that was an unusual experience,

Samantha mused as she looked around.

She suddenly realized something seemed wrong; she couldn't really 'touch' the machine in her head. She tried to reach it, but there was merely silence in her head where she'd always received a response.

Huh, did I burn that out as well? I hope not, as much trouble as having a computer in my brain was, it was really helpful at certain points.

A soft musical chime sounded from the entrance to her chambers, a shimmering descent chord that pinged gently on her awareness.

Wait, the door chime can sound like that?

She walked over and touched the control.

The door swooshed open, revealing the furred, tailed form of the pilot behind. For some reason though, Kagami was completely nude. Samantha blushed and ducked her head,

"H...hello Kagami, umm, I didn't expect to see you so quickly, or...ummm, so fully," she stammered out.

Kagami paused for a moment, tilted her head to the side, curious, and then laughed,

"Oh, you mean like this," she gestured to herself, "my apologies."

Samantha looked up again, and Kagami was in the same simple slip-dress she'd worn when Samantha went to her quarters earlier that evening.

"How did you do that?"

Kagami gave her an askance look, "What do you mean...wait, do you not realize where you are?"

Samantha looked around, "We're in my quarters, aren't we?"

Kagami laughed, her tone musical and liquid, which also confused the heck out of Samantha,

"Samantha, touched...we are not in your quarters...we are not even in the ship, we are in the Dream!"

Samantha blinked, looked around, "What do you mean "we're in the dream"? I've never dreamt of the ship before or, umm you."

Kagami smiled warmly, "The machines have truly stifled you before now if you've never been into the Dream before, especially with your connection and gifts. Tell me, before you fell asleep after our connection in my quarters, did you disconnect us?"

Samantha shook her head, "I don't think I even had the energy...I just put my head down and...wait, you mean that we're still there? We're in your bed?" she looked around frantically, "You're in my head?"

Kagami nodded slowly, her look still amused, "Indeed...I did not intend for this to happen, but when two dreamers remain connected into sleep, they often share the dream realm." She hmmmmed, "Perhaps I did not intend for you to experience it this way, but I suppose this is just as effective."

Samantha licked her lips and looked around, then touched the bulkhead...it certainly felt real to her.

"But why the ship? Why these quarters?"

"I was too tired to guide our dream as I usually would, so I suspect your subconscious picked a place comfortable for you, but familiar to both of us. I can remember the start of the dream, I appeared just outside the door just now...perhaps as a sign that you wanted me to seek you out."

Samantha considered as she looked around, "This is my dream then?"

Kagami held up a finger, "Our dream...we shape it equally, though right now you are guiding it more then I. I could however make a change if I chose,"

Kagami held up a finger and pressed it against the bulkhead that went 'shipboard'; to Samantha surprise, her finger pressed right into the solid bulkhead like it was clay. Kagami worked her hand in, and then opened the wall as if she was pulling a hole in rubber. From the other side of the hole sunlight streamed inwards. A soft breeze accompanied by floral scents and the warmth of a sunny day brushed against Samantha's skin.

Almost with awe Samantha stepped up to the round hole Kagami shaped in the bulkhead. On the other side grass hills of deep, dark green spread outwards underneath an apparent endless sky, slightly more purple then Samantha ever experienced when on Earth.

Samantha turned back to Kagami, "Where is that? It's beautiful..."

Kagami smiled, "That is my home, or at least a place I found peace when I was a child. It comes easily to my mind, and it isn't so different from your world that your brain accepts the vision and experience. Our connection allows you to even feel the parts of my senses that remember the last time I felt the sun on my face as I ventured into the hills."

Samantha put her hand towards the circle, and then paused, before she looked to KAgami,

"What do you mean...so different?"

Kagami tsked, "My, they really do give you no education on your world do they." Kagami gestured towards the portal, "That is an image from my mind but it is a shared image, most of my people would have experienced something like it, so it is a common image."

She grinned to Samantha, "I would suspect artists or writers of your world may have even described it at some point in your past..."

Samantha couldn't help it, she reached out and put her hand through the hole. Sure enough, she could feel warm sun, breezes and a slight humidity as she entered the other 'world' "It does seem...familiar."

Kagami nodded, "All of the dream is connected, almost all species have at least some with a subconscious connection with this place. Common images like this, where nearly an entire race has a shared experience becomes something of an 'impression' on the dream. Other species, other races that touch the dream can pick up those shared impressions...and so integrate them into their own subconscious. It often inspires inspiration and creativity. It is also why many races resemble things from your fairy tales and stories...those impressions left an image that your race envisioned at some level."

Samantha licked her lips, "I've seen a lot of aliens I've never even considered before though, some of them even on this ship." She shuddered, "Like nothing I've ever seen, or can even remember in our stories and tales."

Kagami nodded again, "When a race's mind is too different, too separate to have a common image with another race most races either reject them, or they become the part of a race's horror or dark images."

Samanthe turned back to Kagami, "You're telling me that everything, imagination, creativity, originality, art...they are all just...products of some sort of quantum connection. Nothing we 'created' is truly original...just thoughts from other races."

Kagami shook her head, "Some choose to believe that. My people believe the Dream is a place where we get closer to our creation, the goddess that brought the universe into being. She wants us to create, to invent, so she gives us ideas that come from our brothers and sisters across the stars, because they all mix and something new comes out of it."

Samantha shuddered and clasped her arms around herself,

"This seems too big for me...you're saying I can see other people's dreams...I can visit what, some sort of great racial memory?"

Kagami grinned indulgently, while her tails gave a swish behind her, "Not exactly...we can share each others' dream because we are connected, but when it is just you and the dream it is all within you. You can choose to shape and meld your world, and accept the impressions and flows from the great dream...or not."

Samantha continued holding her arms around each other as she considered things. She'd always been a vivid dreamer, she could remember the fantasies she had as a child and how she never understood how her brain could come up with some of the images that formed in her dreams. She gave a great shuddering sigh as she also remembered some of the nightmares.

As the nightmares formed in her mind, without her notice, the walls of the dream bedchamber started sagging as if they were melting, becoming soft and liquid. Little holes appeared in the walls, leading out into pitch darkness.

Samantha suddenly felt Kagami grab her arms, "Samantha! Whatever you are imagining, stop! You will attract the predators!"

Samantha jerked up and noticed the dark holes as they formed in the walls. She somehow got the impression of something lurking just behind the holes, waiting to come in when the holes grew large enough.

"W...what, what is that?" She shook her head, tried to clear the images from it.

"The great dream is not entirely harmless..." Kagami looked around quickly and swiftly passed a hand over the hole to her 'world' that had somehow darkened. The hole closed quickly, Kagami quickly moved from hole to hole, sealing them over until the walls looked 'solid' once again.

"There are things in the great dream which feed on minds...your people consider them nightmares. Some of them are, but some of them are much worse. If they find an exposed, sensitive mind, with a connection to the dream, it gives them a way to feed...and they are so so hungry."

Samantha watched Kagami's quick, almost frantic movements, "But all this is not real...how can they harm us?"

Kagami actually looked cross for the first time as she looked back to Samantha, "Have you paid no attention to all you've learned so far? The dream is a real place, how else could we go from world to world, how else could those infernal machines work. Like any real place, there are things that live there. They must eat...they would take your mind, you would simply never wake up."

Samantha shuddered, and concentrated on reinforcing the image of her shipboard cabin in her mind. Immediately the walls strengthened, seemed more real once again, and she no longer felt the...things at the edge of her perception.

Samantha looked around quickly, and with a groan, she sat down on the edge of her 'bed',

"I thought the machines were enough to deal with, now you're telling me that I have to deal with all of 'this'," she gestured around vaguely, "as well."

Kagami looked around at the secure walls one more time and gave a short nod of satisfaction. She then slipped onto the bed next to Samantha and nodded.

"I hate to pile so much on one so young...normally you should have been trained for cycles before ever getting your implants. Alas, you do not have that indulgence, you will have to...umm, what is the human expression? Leap, and try to find out how to fly on the way down?"

Samantha managed a weak smile, "Not exactly, but close enough,"

Kagami gave another small smile, "Well, then at least you have someone falling with you who already knows how to fly." Kagami reached out and gently pulled Samantha close, "so we shall teach you, yes?"

Samantha nodded slowly and leaned against Kagami's shoulder, "Yes...I suppose I will have to learn."

*

It was obvious at first glance, that boots hadn't set foot on the decrepit station in a very long time. Solar radiation had done its work and sterilized every surface that passed into exposure in the many cycles the half destroyed structure continued it's lonely circuit around a barren rock of a planet. Like many stations built for activities generally frowned on by the galactic community it was off the beaten tracks, stellar speaking. The nearest inhabited system was dozens of light years away, so that dreamers would have less of a chance picking up the small number of sophants that would transit through the system. The only reason to be here was if you knew it was here, and you had a purpose...or someone had a purpose for you there.

The view screen showed a desiccated corpse drift through the blown out wreckage of the half of the station that was still exposed to hard vacuum. The vacuum and solar radiation had effectively mummified it, in good enough preservation that the look of horror on the being's face was visible as the sensors did a visual and radiation scan of the entire structure.

Nasir shuddered slightly at the view, and changed the view after a few moments, after a glance back at the main station. N'Tanya stood there, arms crossed in front of her, expression unreadable as the Dreamer did a slow transit around the station and scanned it from every angle for any active sensors, or any passive ones they might be able to catch with an echo, or any other signs that the station was anything other than it seemed to be...dead.

"Captain, it looks like we can't pick up any signs of active energy from the station. Any onboard reactors have been dead long enough for any residual heat to die down, so, potentially a dozen cycles or more. The intact half of the station looks like it still has integrity though, so it just needs some power, heat, and atmo and it's potentially habitable."

N'Tanya nodded sharply, "Any signs anyone else is here?"

He shook his head, "No captain, sensor net is out there, and we can't see a thing. Either no one is here yet but us, or they can hide a hell of a lot better than we can."

N'Tanya's expression didn't change, but Nasir could see barely held tension along her jaw, and her fingers clenched a bit harder on her upper arms.

"All right, set up a portable cycler for us, and get a section of the station up and running again. Then prep a shuttle."

She looked to the console and tapped a control, "all right Kagi, you know what to do, right?"

Kagami's smooth digital voice spoke up from over console's speaker, "yes Captain, but you know that I don't like the idea of you leaving the ship again. Something about this whole thing seems off."

N'Tanya let loose a slight shuddering sigh, "I can't tell you that I like it either; but given the message and what we found out I have to give my cousin a chance at letting us know what is going on. He can do more with the information then we can, we're not a warship."

"I know Captain, but just...be careful, yourself and our young human, ok?"

N'Tanya smiled slightly, "When am I ever anything but?"

*

At the airlock to the shuttle, a familiar lithe form waited, leaning against the metal's heavy frame. She was already in her pressure suit, helmet tucked under her arm.

N'Tanya smirked as she walked up to the airlock, suited up once again in her power armor, as she looked to Lilanthe,

"Going somewhere?"

"Of course," she replied with a half smile, just barely showing her sharp teeth, "I still have a promise to keep with your cousin, and you know how I feel about promises."

N'Tanya shook her head slightly and gave a slight grin, "Which is why I expected you, you darn spy...and why I picked a four person shuttle."

Lilanthe's eyeridge rose in a curious look, "Four people? Who else is coming?"

"I am...it's me!" came from down the hall.

N'Tanya gestured to the approaching form of the human girl, still struggling to get into the last few pieces of her armor, "She wouldn't take no for an answer either," she said in a slightly exasperated tone of voice.

Samantha hopped the last couple of meters to the door as she crammed her foot into the armor's boot. N'Tanya looked pained, but Lilanthe looked like she was stifling a laugh as the human finished the last attachments and sealed the body of the suit.

"I couldn't just let her go alone..." Samantha panted, "It's my people doing this, I have to try and convince hers that it's not all of us, some of us are victims as well." She shook her head, "We're not weapons, we're not dangerous, we're people; they need to see that."

Lilanthe did stifle that laugh at that pronouncement, but her tail swished behind her quickly as she suppressed her amusement, before she looked back to N'Tanya, "She's quite the idealist, isn't she." She commented in N'Tanya's tongue, which received a puzzled look from Samantha.

N'Tanya snorted, "I'd like to think we all are at one point, and then the universe teaches us otherwise," she replied in the same tongue, "but you and I both know you can't dissuade an idealist."

"Or a crusader," Lilanthe commented idly.

N'Tanya's eyes narrowed, "Or that...no." She then turned back to Samantha, "Sorry about that...but are you sure about this? This is not like a fight, there is likely very very little I can do to protect you if something goes wrong."

Samantha nodded in a determined fashion, "Yes...I'm sure."

"All right then...all aboard, and we'll see if we're about to do something incredibly foolish."

*

The shiver that passed through N'Tanya was obviously not just the chill, Samantha considered.

With portable power generators and air cyclers, the crew of the Dreamer managed to restore mostly full function to about half the intact section of the station. The artificial gravity was still a bit light, and the heaters brought things up just above freezing, but at least they had fresh(ish) air, and their respective pieces of armor did the rest.

Still, Samantha shuddered as she remembered the flight to the station. They had to weave through the wreckage, and though the intact part of the station was evacuated probably whenever they other half was destroyed, the wreckage contained more than a few mummified bodies...or at least parts of them anyway.

Samamtha looked around the large room they occupied. It looked like almost every other cargo area Samantha ever saw, though there were little differences that made her curious. In one corner of the room was a dark funneled hole, stained with something unknown. Brackets occupied the wall, set in regular intervals, with rings bolted to them. Similar brackets went down the center of the room, but jutted up from the floor, though there were no rings attached to those brackets. Samantha walked up and touched one of the rings gingerly.

"What was this room used for, do you think?"

She looked back at the other two. All three of them carried their helmets with them, but left them off so they could communicate more easily. Lilanthe looked at her with what she thought was...sympathy? Pity?

"This was...livestock storage." The dragon-formed woman said slowly, obviously choosing her words carefully.

"Really? What kind of animal would they ship all the way out here for storage?" She asked, taking a quick second glance at the various attachments around the room.

"People," N'Tanya said flatly, "sentient beings...this was a slaver station."

Samantha blinked and glanced around, "S...slaves? That really happens? I thought that was just something that our government made up so that we wouldn't go anywhere."

N'Tanya turned her gaze to Samantha, and Samantha couldn't help cringing a little at the suppressed anger obviously just beneath the surface,

"Whenever there's a profit to be made on anything...someone is going to exploit that profit. And hey, especially when it's not your own race, why should you care what someone wants to do with it? They're not worth as much as your own people, right?"

N'Tanya smirked,

"There are too many that profit from slave trading for it not to happen...especially when it makes a, convenient way to deal with problems...or potential problems."

N'Tanya turned away; she faced the only entrance to the room they hadn't rigged up. Ostensibly all the doors were sealed but that one door, but in reality every other door to the place would blow out with a touch of a control on N'Tanya's armor. One in particular would blow to a corridor they'd deliberately left open to vacuum, a straight shot back to the shuttle parked just outside the station.

Samantha turned to Lilanthe, whom looked to the back of N'Tanya's head as though she could see right through it to the thoughts within. She then turned back to Samantha and tilted her head to the side, while her tail slapped the deck, her version of a shrug, Samantha supposed.

She was just about to ask another question, when their comms came to life.

"Captain, something just entered real space near the station...confirming readings...it broadcasts that it is the Driving Blow, but it if it, she's had a massive refit. We're getting a communications request captain, non-directional broadcast, they can't see us."

N'Tanya nodded sharply, "Patch them through, but relay it through one of the drones."

"Yes Captain."

There was a brief pause as the systems synced, and then,

"Cousin, since we're talking, I can only assume this is you?"

"Indeed it is," N'Tanya replied tersely, "here as you requested, however ubiquitously."

"We can't pick up the Dreamer; I do hope nothing happened to it."

"The _Dreamer_is fine cousin...and I'm sure your sensor officer is right about now telling you where you can find me."

Another pause, and then,

"You're _aboard_the station? I didn't mean...I didn't intend for you to ever...."

N'Tanya managed a look of satisfaction, Sam thought, as Dalarin sputtered a bit over the comms.

"Well, we all do what we must..."

"Is Lilanthe there?"

N'Tanya nodded; Lilanthe touched a control on her suit,

"I'm here Dal."

"You have the information then?"

"Yes...and more, it's worse than you might think."

"That's just what I didn't need to hear. When are you coming to deliver it?"

N'Tanya cut into the conversation at that point, "Well Cousin, here is the thing. Given your last message, we're obviously a bit wary right now, so why don't you come over here. You can get the information and we can...chat."

Silence again. Samantha couldn't help counting in her head. The other two women looked so serious, and the tension was oppressive in the air. She'd just counted 90 when the comm came back up.

"I understand...we're prepping a shuttle now. I'll be there shortly; Loftwyn will accompany me, if that's ok."

N'Tanya nodded, even though there was no way they could see it across the audio-only comms,

"I expected as much. See you soon."

*

The slight hiss of pressure differential accompanied the door sliding open, as two figures in significantly less armored pressure suits stepped into the chamber. N'Tanya held a plasma pistol trained on the door, and as soon as the two figures stepped through, hands rose quickly in the near universal sign of surrender.

"You are acting quite cautious cousin; it is just Loftwyn and I, as we told you."

N'Tanya's lips held a faint smirk, but she kept her pistol trained on the two figures,

"I'm sure you can understand why I'm not exactly feeling trusting right at this moment, why don't you take off those helmets, so we can talk face-to-face?"

One of the two figures nodded slowly and undogged the fastenings on his helmet. There was a bit of hesitation from the second one, but soon enough he followed suit, and with another slight hiss of discharging atmo the two soon had their helmets off and tucked under their arms.

Samantha never met N'Tanya's cousin before this moment, but should couldn't mistake the command presence he exuded. He and N'Tanya both projected confidence that was almost a physical sensation. Samantha licked her lips as N'Tanya holstered her pistol.

"I think you'll forgive me if I don't come over for a hug...but your last message has me rather on the edge of just abandoning this whole thing and leaving for the deep systems. I've done what I can."

Samantha noticed the other alien was looking over the entire room cautiously, though he didn't look like he was overtly puzzled by the room's purpose. Samantha idly wondered if slavery was just something most races took for granted, but she shook her head as Dalarin stepped forward.

"I understand cousin," he replied, "and I wouldn't have asked you to come here if I wasn't sure it was of vital importance that I get whatever information you have, and warn you."

N'Tanya nodded, "I thought so, and what Lilanthe and my crew have explained to me..." she sighed, "you're right."

Dalarin's eyebrow rose in a manner that matched N'Tanya's so precisely that Samantha had to stifle a small giggle,

"You've seen the data then?"

"And more..."

Lilanthe stepped forward with a data pad, and a crystal. With a motion from N'Tanya Dalarin carefully took it and looked briefly at the pad,

"This is?"

"A crystal," Lilanthe started, "A data crystal from a group of Tethian refugees the humans have held prisoner for tens of cycles. They've forced them to work together developing this technology. The pad is the data I managed to steal from their systems, both on their home world, and at the base I had to hide on for some time, before N'Tanya picked me up."

Dalarin looked surprised, but took a moment and looked more carefully over the data, scrolling through it with some speed,

"It's bad, Dal..." Lilanthe started earnestly, "They have a huge fleet, and they're planning something big."

Dalarin then looked up and gave Samantha a piercing gaze. She tried to hold it, but found that she had to duck her head after a moment. She shook her head and looked back. It almost looked like his eyes...shifted colors as he examined her,

"This then I suppose is what started all the trouble? The human you "rescued" on that human ship?"

"This "human" has a name," Samantha snapped, "if you bothered to look at me as more than an insect anyway. My name is Samantha, and yes, N'Tanya is the one whom woke me up, and pulled me off before I became another one of those...living components."

A raised eyebrow, the beginning of a smile, before Dalarin's face turned impassive once again, "Then you know, you have to know what will happen to her, and to you, if Samantha, gets access to any of your systems, or if they somehow get their hands on her again?"

"I think they would be in for a surprise..." Samantha replied defiantly, before N'Tanya could respond, "I've had time to work on these...machines in my head, and now I'm sure I can control what they do."

"Oh really? And what about the others you rescued? Are they all as 'safe'?"

Samantha blushed, "I...I'm not sure...they've not had the same experiences...they're just out of hibernation."

Dalarin looked back to N'Tanya, "The council wants them...all they see is that there is a new weapon out there they don't have. They're not going to care if she's safe, or if any of them are safe. If they're on your ship, they'll hunt you down."

N'Tanya smirked slightly at that, "Don't worry about how I take care of my ship cousin, they are well out of the council's reach now."

Dalarin shook his head, "You don't understand...several of them see this as a way to sanction imprisoning you. If you're harboring them, it gives them all the excuse they need."

N'Tanya frowned at that, "Who in particular?"

"Councilman Ti'neth and Councilwoman Kaelen have taken a personal interest in this, and you know how vindictive they are, not to mention the resources they can throw your way."

N'Tanya nodded slowly, "What about you?"

Dalarin shook his head, "They've ordered me to turn over the remaining sleepers."

Samamtha gasped, "You can't!"

"I don't have a lot of choice," he snapped back, "I'm delaying their order as long as I can, repairs, inspections, integrity of the hibernation chambers, etc. etc....but I can't hold them back forever."

"You have to do something to stop them! These are people! They had no say in what happened to them, they are the victims here!"

Dalarin turned his gaze to her, she thought she detected a note of sympathy, "They don't see them that way...they just see them as assets, especially expendable because no one else knows they have them outside the government."

Samantha turned quickly to N'Tanya, "We have to do something about them, you turned them over, it'll be your...our fault if something happens to t hem!"

N'Tanya looked back, "I'm working on something...." she looked at the readout on her arm and then back to Dalarin, "you have to convince the council that if they don't do something soon, they likely are going to get pulled into a war they most likely can't win."

Dalarin tilted his head to the side, "What are you going to be doing?"

N'Tanya grinned wickedly, "I'm going to teach the council a little something about humility, I think." She then looked to Lilanthe and Samantha, "Helmets, now."

Samantha blinked, but nodded and put on her helmet...just a few moments before a crackling sounded in her headset, as every channel came to life with an override signal.

"N'Tanya Tsarchon, you are hereby ordered to surrender in the name of the council, you will not resist or we will use force to secure you. You have 60 seconds to reply."

Dalarin looked startled, though Samantha thought N'Tanya looked like she expected it as the Dreamer came over their helmets,

"Captain, three destroyer class ships just jumped in system, right on top of you. They're surrounding the station and the Driving Blow."

"You know what to do, you have my orders," N'Tanya looked to Dalarin, "You might want to put your helmet back on."

Samantha wondered what that meant, when N'Tanya touched a control and blew the door leading to the vacuumed passage. The result was immediate; all of the atmosphere flooded the opening to space. Samantha tried to resist it for a moment, but then N'Tanya grabbed her elbow and gestured towards the opening. The howl of venting atmosphere prevented her from hearing anything, but she nodded as she tried not to panic as the gravity cut out a moment later. N'Tanya pushed her towards the door, her powered armor turning it more into a launch, as without the gravity and the rushing air shot her down the corridor like a bullet. Samantha spared a look back and saw Dalarin and his second slap their helmets into place as they braced against the vacuum, but Lilanthe flew like it was practically natural to her.

Samantha gulped and looked forward to the exit, tossed out into open space as the atmosphere vented and immediately crystallized in the exposed vacuum. The sun's glare blinded her for a moment, but it cleared quickly enough. Samantha gasped as she caught the sight of the three ships around the station. They looked huge to her gaze, menacing things in curved lines and sinister edges.

She only had a moment to take in the view though, because N'Tanya caught her by the arm again and gestured to the shuttle still parked next to the station.

"Just hold on." She ordered. Samantha nodded, but then realized she probably couldn't see it.

"All...all right."

N'Tanya and Lilanthe both seemed to have some kind of simple pressure thrusters. They used them and guided them all to the open airlock on the shuttle. After all three entered, the door closed and cycled behind them.

"Attention, you have 10 seconds to reply, any attempt to escape will be met with force."

"N'Ta...captain, what are they going to do?"

N'Tanya glanced back while she slipped into the pilot's chair, still in full armor.

"Them? Nothing lethal, the council wants me too much in one piece to blow us out of space,"

"S...so we can escape?"

N'Tanya responded with a grim smile,

"Oh, not a chance, but we have to make a show of trying." With that, she hit a few controls on the shuttle. Samantha felt herself thrust back, and she stumbled and dropped into one of the seats as the shuttle suddenly burned and dove underneath the station, putting the mass of the wreckage between them and the three ships.

Samantha wanted to ask more questions, but she found she had to suddenly concentrate on not losing what little she'd eaten, or falling out of her seat as N'Tanya threw the shuttle into a dizzying series of maneuvers as she flew through the various debris around the station.

"You cannot escape, power down your engines, or we will fire," came the same almost bland tone from the speakers.

N'Tanya grinned back again and hit a control on the console,

"Somehow I doubt that the dear councilwoman would appreciate if you returned with wreckage and bodies...but if you think otherwise, go ahead, take the shot."

N'Tanya grinned, "That will make them hesitate enough for me to do...this."

As Samantha watched, N'Tanya piloted the shuttle to the very edge of the station. On the other side one of the three ships sat facing them directly, not more than a few dozen kilometers from their position. N'Tanya hit a couple of more controls, and Samantha felt herself shoved back into the seat as the shuttle jumped out and accelerated directly at the ship in front of them.

"C...captain..we're...we're going to hit!"

"No we're not...and they're not going to shoot either...they might hit their sister ship." N'Tanya replied, her tone again attained that excited tone that Samantha had learned meant trouble...most often for her.

She couldn't help but watch the ship loom closer and closer though. It grew until it filled the entire front view screen. Samantha thought she spotted weapons' ports opening, she imagined missiles, beams, something coming out and being the last thing she was going to see. She grabbed her armrests tightly as the shuttle blew past so close she thought she might have reached out and touched the metal of the dark ship...and then they were past!

Samantha actually dared breathe out, "That's it...have we esc..." and then all the lights went out.

N'Tanya shook her head as she leaned back in her seat. "Nope...emp. We gave it a good run though I think."

Lilanthe nodded and leaned back as well, "I don't think I would have done better...nice pass by the way."

N'Tanya managed a wry grin, "I thought you'd like that."

Samantha looked from one to the other, "Are you CRAZY?!?!? They're going to capture us now!"

N'Tanya nodded and closed her eyes, "Yes...they are."

Lilanthe looked back to Samantha, "Trust us."

Samantha looked from one to the other, an incredulous look on her face...while the only thought that ran through her head was;

Do I have much of a choice?