1

"Personal log entry, Terran Standard Date: 2515-01-17; time: 0818 hours FCT. We are still on course for NGC-2359, though on our last stop we have learned of an interesting race known as Drianedan who are said to inhabit a densely forested world. From the information Rissanivi was able to find about them, the Drianedans are an ancient race, perhaps even older than Rhuw-Rha'an's people, and are said to have unusual abilities. We plan on stopping to visit them, providing they allow us into their space.

"We are now fully in the Perseus Arm of the galaxy, over twelve thousand lightyears from Terra. After breakfast this morning, Tanya said that we are nearing the outer border of the Galactic Habitable Zone. From here on out, Rissanivi has indicated that we are heading towards the area of space once part of the Theronesian Sovereignty. I remember reading something about them--they were one of the early interstellar governments that ruled a large territory for a long period of time. The Theronesians were said to have moved on to explore beyond the fringes of the galaxy after their sun burned out. If we should find any of their worlds, who knows what--if anything--might still be left on them after all of this time. Miss Thavi is chomping at the bit to see what remains of their infrastructure, and I admit that I'm a little curious, too. From what Jhan-Kri'an has told me, the Theronesians had an understanding of physics beyond that of her own people which allowed them to simply pass through a portal device and appear at a distant world an instant later. I can't imagine how that level of technology would change things. Kri'an also said that the Theronesians had gotten the portal tech from an even older race, perhaps it was the one they know as the Kær'aûla.

"Elí surprised us last night after dinner with a story of her people's long search for a safe haven from which they would never be forced to leave. She mentioned a part of space they had once passed through on the way to the world they now live on. It was a sad part of the tale she told--many of her people perished when they were attacked by what she described as 'a Darkness'. Elí said her people call that region of space, 'ahjee wal'nA Fa'er-nansq', but she then refused to say what it meant or any more about it. Moira later said that from what she had learned of the Fansq language, it meant something like, 'where angels cry.' That seems a bit ominous, though perhaps it's understandable given their nature.

"Our 'friend' is still following us at extreme sensor range. Ever since we first saw the 'wolf ship'--for lack of a better term for it--near the Élenswena colony's system, it has been keeping its distance. Except for the one time it passed close by us when we were making for Esba'in so that Rissanivi could get permanent repairs to her ship, it has stayed behind us just barely within range of our sensors. I wish I knew who it was and why they're following us. Maybe they'll eventually get around to introducing themselves...hopefully nicely.

"We should make the star system the Drianedans call home in a few days. I hope they will allow us to visit for a bit--I think it would do everyone some good to have a few days of liberty, if we can get it.

"End log entry."

James sat back in his desk chair and thought as he took a sip of his coffee. A lot had happened in the past several months since they left Terra for Élendor Prime and took up the hunt for the strange artifact called The Heart. The trail it had left behind was still detectable and it was still leading them straight towards the nebula, NGC-2359, also known as Thor's Helmet. Once they crossed the so-called Galactic Habitable Zone Outer Border, some 15,000 LY[1]from Sol, it would be the farthest any Terran vessel had gone--and the nebula was another 5,000 LY beyond that. Unless the trail left by The Heart took a turn somewhere or ended by then, it could very well take them all the way to the Outer Arm of the galaxy, over 25,000 LY from Sol. James wondered if both Nightwing_and _Se'nika would be able to make that distance and return home unscathed--a lot can happen in space, particularly far from home in unexplored territory. If anything happened to either ship, it could take months or years--if not decades--before any Sol Federation ships could make it out this far, and that was if they could be found at all. James had promised everyone that he would bring them all home again and he was intent on keeping his word.

* * * * *

"You still looking at that, Thavi?"

The Thabbani structural engineer glanced up from the mini holo-display she had been using to study the structure on Élendor Prime that had held The Heart.

"Thavi still figuring out something about what made structure so hard."

Lt. Cdr. Murrali H'alwa, the Cana'aran physicist, looked over Thavi's shoulder at the display.

"You've been at that for months, Thavi...if it hasn't given up anything new by this time, I doubt that it ever will."

Thavi looked up at Murrali, and with a look of mild exasperation, said, "Structure been on Élendor for over a billion years and still look like new--Thavi know it will take time to figure out. Hey, Murrali make progress on energy patterns in chamber, yet?"

"Moira has been giving me as much computer resources as she can spare on analyzing them. I feel like we're still missing something, though," Murrali replied, shaking her head slightly.

Thavi sighed slightly and her long ears drooped a bit.

"Thavi know what you mean. Still need to know what type of energy that Heart crystal-thing put out." After a brief pause, she added, "As near as Thavi can figure, the energy field permeating structure acts like type of force field that reinforces it, but...where does power come from to keep it going?"

"Reinforces it? How?" Murrali asked.

Thavi worked the controls of the display to show what she had been theorizing.

"Look here. Energy keeps atoms locked in molecular matrix--don't know how yet, but does. Nothing will break matrix as long as energy field exists."

"So, you're trying to tell me that structure will, what, last forever?" Murrali asked incredulously.

Thavi shrugged her shoulders and said, "Until something negates energy field...Thavi think so. If could find how to make the material in that structure, infuse it with the energy, imagine ships and other things made using it. Could make a probe casing that would survive diving into a star, a knife that would never break or get dull, a ship that could not be blown up..."

Murrali thought about what Thavi had suggested, and then remembered some old legends she had read about when she was at the Fleet Academy on Terra.

"What you said about a knife...that reminds me of an old Terran legend about a bladed weapon. I think it was a sword some king had that supposedly was thrust into a rock."

"Ah, Murrali means Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur," Thavi said with a smile. "Thavi like that story. Terran humans have all sorts of stories about such things--Thabbani do, too. Maybe Thavi tell story tonight about Dakanevinbanansathchan and his Hammer."

"Daka...who?" Murrali asked with a perplexed look.

Thavi frowned slightly in indignation.

"Dakanevinbanansathchan, as he was known by Thabbani, was a great metalsmith in the Age of Winelenaan[2]who created a hammer that could work the hardest metal of all, forged in a fire made from a piece of the sun. The hammer was given as a gift to a goddess who used it to forge mighty weapons to strike down powerful evil beings." Thavi looked thoughtful for a second and then added with a mischievous smile, "Maybe same one who made Excalibur in the Terran stories."

* * * * *

When it was time to knock off for the ship's day, Lilly straightened up her workspace and went to the captain's cabin, entering through the door that led to the private part. Once inside she found that she was alone, so she sat down on the edge of the bunk and lay back to rest for a bit. Lilly closed her eyes for a time, trying to not think of anything but relaxing. But a thought entered her mind that wouldn't go away. Lilly had brought her PAD to the cabin and it was lying on the bunk beside her. With a soft sigh, she felt for the device, picked it up, and thumbed it on. Opening her eyes, Lilly tapped through the menu, found an image file, and opened it. The interactive image she displayed was that of the chamber on Élendor that had held The Heart. Lilly looked at the two central figures for nearly a minute before adjusting the view to the relief images on the chamber's wall, finally stopping on one in particular.

"Why do I feel like I know you?" she quietly asked aloud, gently touching the image.

The figure on the wall looked like any of the female skunk G.E.L.F. members of her family, but one in particular kept coming to Lilly's mind. Looking over to the dresser space, Lilly put down the PAD, got up, opened the side-by-side doors, picked up a 2D photo, and went back to the bunk to sit down. Holding the photo in one hand and the PAD in the other, Lilly looked at both images.

"I'll be damned if ya don't look like my twentieth great grandmother...but ya got my hair style. There's no way you could be anyone in my family. The G.E.L.F.s were created by humans a bit over five hundred years ago--that place on Élendor is billions of years old, so what gives?"

Lilly couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen the image of the skunk G.E.L.F.-like being on Élendor before, but...where?

"C'mon, talk to me, girlie...I know you somehow. Who are you?"

After staring at the image a few minutes and racking her brain, Lilly laid back in exasperation and closed her eyes. When she had nearly drifted off to sleep, an old memory came to her, causing Lilly to suddenly sit bolt upright.

"The library!"

Quickly gathering up the photo and her PAD, Lilly rushed off to the ship's library.

* * * * *

It was nearing 1800 hours on Nightwing, and this particular evening was one of the regularly scheduled crew mixers. With all three ships at a dead stop in normal space and at station keeping with each other, the crews met for dinner on Nightwing and would have ample time to visit with each other.

James entered the crew's mess and met Tanya who was talking with Aren-Tal'an and Rissanivi.

"Captain," Tal'an sent, saluting in the Mûr Tua'ansa manner, acknowledging his presence.

"Um, hi James," Rissanivi said flicking her tongue at him and then smiling.

"Tal'an, Rissa," James said giving each a quick nod. Looking at Tanya, James asked, "Seen Lilly lately?"

"Nyet."

James raised an eyebrow momentarily.

"Moira, do you know where Lilly is?"

/* "Lilly is presently in the ship's library at the computer terminal." */

"Would you remind her that it's dinner time?"

/* "As you wish, James. Is there anything else I can do for you?" */

"Uh, will your avatar be joining us this evening?"

/* "Yes. I am nearly finished with cleaning up for dinner--I was assisting Sonya and Ivor with some maintenance on the forward beam cannons when I was inadvertently sprayed with coolant. I will have to replace a uniform and a work smock." */

Casting a quick worried glance to Tanya, James asked Moira, "Are you okay?"

/* "My synthetic skin has recovered from where the coolant made contact; however, parts of the work smock and my uniform shattered from the extreme cold. Fortunately, Sonya and Ivor were not within the trajectory of the coolant spray. I will be joining you shortly." */

"Very well. Write up an accident report and put it in my inbox. Do you need Mindy to check you out?"

/* "I am fine, James. The repellency of the work smock and my uniform prevented much of the liquid helium from soaking through before it boiled off, and my synthetic skin was able to quickly recover. The report is now in your inbox for your review." */

"Understood. We'll be waiting for you."

Everyone in the crew's mess had heard Moira relate what had happened and a hush fell about the space. When Moira was finished speaking, it took the various conversations a bit to build back up, though there was a general feeling of relief that Moira's android avatar was unharmed.

James, Tanya, and Shauna had just sat down at their table to eat, along with Rhuw-Rha'an and Rissanivi, when Lilly entered the crew's mess and headed straight for James. The expression on Lilly's face clearly showed she was keyed up about something.

"Jamie, I figured it out! I know who she is!" Lilly blurted out uncharacteristically.

"Who are you talking about, Lil?" James asked calmly.

Tossing her PAD in front of James, Lilly pointed at the image on it.

"Her!"

"Uh, Lil, despite the fact that that being has a passing resemblance to one of our ancestors, there's no way of knowing what her name is, or if she was even a real person," James argued.

"Nuh uh, I'm tellin' ya, I know who she is! Look here...!" Lilly put down the 2D photo of her ancestor next to her PAD, and then she put a print copy of another image next to those. "See, here's the figure on that wall--her hair is like mine, but she looks a lot like my twentieth great grandma Rosie. I've been rackin' my brain thinkin' I knew I've seen her before, and...I found it! Right there! How many times have we read that story and seen the old pictures of the characters? And how the heck did he know?!"

Lilly had her hands on the table and leaned over it, looking James in the eye.

"That's gotta be her!"

When Rha'an looked at the three images, her expression changed from curiosity to mild surprise.

"Who is the person depicted in this image?"

"That's a character in story that an ancestor of ours made up over five hundred years ago," James replied.

"Was your ancestor ever on Élendor?" Rha'an asked.

"No way. In that time, the farthest away from Terra any human had been was on its moon, Luna--we wouldn't make contact with any other species for at least another two and a half centuries," James replied.

"Yeah, and that structure was made over a billion years ago, so no way the folks who built that thing could've known about that book or us G.E.L.F.s," Lilly added.

When Tanya looked closely at the images, she pulled her ears back and she felt her hackles rise. Moira's android avatar entered the crew's mess and headed for the table James was sitting at.

"Ah, Moira, take a look at these images--tell us if you think these two are the same person or not," James instructed.

After a few moments, Moira said, "the image on the printout is a remarkably accurate depiction of the relief figure on the wall of the chamber."

"They're the same person, I'm tellin' ya," Lilly insisted.

"Moira, what do you think?" James asked, still not convinced that they were of the same individual.

"I must agree with Lilly--even though this image is a drawing, I calculate a better than ninety-eight percent match."

"But...how?"

"I do not know, James."

"Captain, if I may?"

"Go ahead, Tal'an."

"Given that your ancestor could not, as far as is known, have made a trip to Élendor Prime, and given that the makers of the chamber that held The Heart had created it billions of years in the past, it is equally unlikely that they would have known of your ancestor long before he was born. However, of the place you took us to on your family's grounds, I am certain that one or more of the First Ones had been there at some point in your history. Did you not say once that your ancestor had spent considerable time in the glade, as you call it?"

"Yes, we know from his notes, and those of others, that he had."

"Among those of us who have been there, several have had powerful experiences, yes?"

"Well...yeah."

"If Felix Canberra was able to have seen us so clearly in the vision he had there before your ship's first mission, might your ancestor have somehow seen this person and chose to draw her?"

James looked at Tanya, John, and Lilly, before looking back at Tal'an.

"I...suppose it could be a possibility, yes."

John piped up and asked, "Hey, I remember reading that he'd disappear for several days at a time out in the old forest, and everybody thought he was off wandering with the wolves."

"What are you getting at, boychik?" Tanya prompted.

"Well, what if he wasn't?"

"Huh?" James said.

"Aren-Tal'an said she's certain one or more of the First Ones had been there...what if one of them had been there then?"

"Ya think he might have met one of those First Ones?" Lilly asked her cousin John.

"Well, it's just a thought, but...what if he did? Or, what if they had inspired him through a dream or something? I mean, we've been thinking the wolf guy who was in the picture with Arlan, Miss Eriksson's brother, and his Élendorian mate, might be a First One, or at least kin to them in some way. And then there's that strange wolf-like ship or whatever it is that's been following us. We've seen what it did back near the colony--there's no ship known with that amount of power, isn't that right, Moira?"

"You are correct, John--no world in the Sol Federation has ever documented such a vessel before," Moira agreed.

"We also have no records of such a 'ship' in our archives," Rha'an added.

James picked up the printout and studied it closely and then compared it to the image taken of the relief figure on the chamber's wall. When he finally looked up and met Lilly's eyes, goosebumps formed on James' skin.

"I told ya it was her," Lilly said quietly.

James looked back at the printed image in his hand and his eyes fixed upon the title, which sent a shiver through his body.

Meri

* * * * *

Unseen by anyone from the three ships were another set of eyes that had been watching discretely.

"Ah, my sweet child, you have figured out another piece of the puzzle. You know who it is, but you still do not know what_she is to you. In time, child, you will meet her and the others and _then_you will understand. She knows you are coming--they _all do."

Naoia smiled to herself. She started to reach out to the one named Lilly, but stayed her hand.

"Soon enough, child...soon enough. Your own journey of_the heart _to The Heart will be the hardest, I fear, but I _will_catch you in time--be assured of that, my dear."

Naoia continued to observe while Char'ena kept watch.

"Oh, what's this, a story? Ah, I like a good story, and the youngsters who call themselves the Thabbani have such wonderful stories--even if the little scamps do have a tendency to run everything together. Well, this should be interesting..."

The First One listened in rapt attention, smiling and nodding her head in places. She remembered the events told in the story, particularly since some of her friends had been involved. Of course, with all such stories, there had been some changes to it over time, but the core of it was true. Naoia made sure that the Thabbani female had her people's original version as they understood it at the time the events took place.

* * * * *

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" James called out after dinner was over and everyone was starting to gravitate into small groups. When he had the full attention of all present, he continued. "It has been brought to my attention that Miss Thavi wishes to share a story with all of us that relates, after a fashion, with what she's been working on. There are only a few Thabbani myths and legends that have been translated into other languages due to the complexity of their own, though Miss Thavi says the one she wishes to share with us tonight is one she can easily tell for us. Miss Thavi, you may proceed."

Thavi got up upon a corner bench seat and asked for the lights to be dimmed to one third their normal brightness.

"This story an old legend among Thabbani about the great metalsmith, Dakanevinbanansathchan, who lived long ago. Thavi know big people have trouble with Thabbani words, so Thavi keep them short." She paused for a few seconds before continuing. "The Age of Winelenaan began thirty-three thousand Thabbani years ago and lasted for eleven thousand years. Like on many worlds, it was an age of myths--myths are based on legends, and legends are stories based in fact. There is a truth in this story that Thavi suspect relates to how structure on Élendor has lasted this long." Thavi took a sip of her drink and continued.

"Dakanevinbanansathchan--Thavi call him 'Dakanevin' for now--was said to be tallest Thabbani ever, with eyes bright like the sun, and unmatched in strength even to this day. Dakanevin lived alone in the wild places among the mountains, though would come to walk among the people from time to time, bringing precious metal tools and other things. Dakanevin taught Thabbani metalsmiths how to find metal ores, how to extract the metal and make strong alloys, and how to work them. From Dakanevin, Thabbani learned to make tools for working wood and stone and metal.

"Many tales exist of tools Dakanevin made that lasted long after others had worn out or broke. One such tale is of a hammer Dakanevin made to work the hardest and rarest of all metals--mirindalethansalrilen. Thabbani scientists and metalsmiths have tried for many, many cycles to find source of it, to recreate the process of making, but not much luck. Some say it came from beyond the world, that it was a gift from the stars. The Hammer of Dakanevin was forged in a fire made from a piece of the sun, the only fire hot enough to work--Thavi call it mirindal for big people. While forging the tool, Dakanevin infused it with chanitha--it comes from a very long word, even for Thabbani, that means what others might call, 'Essence of The Great Foundation'. The amount of chanitha something has determines how strong it is--the more chanitha, the stronger and longer lasting a thing is. The Hammer of Dakanevin was indestructible, it was 'forever'. It alone could work mirindal. One ability of The Hammer was that it could direct the will of the metalsmith into whatever metal it touched, make it do what was needed of it.

"One evening, a goddess who had heard of The Hammer, came to Dakanevin and told of beings in the dark places between the stars that Thabbani could not understand. Thabbani not know what 'good' and 'evil' were until meet other people from other worlds. Many Thabbani still assume all others are like own people until prove otherwise. It was said that when Dakanevin was shown by the goddess what evil beings do to others, Dakanevin wept, and asked what could do to help stop those beings who lacked chanitha and had broken, becoming twisted things of Chaos and Darkness. The goddess said weapons were needed to fight the evil beings, weapons that could not break, that would blaze like the stars.

"Dakanevin went home and thought on what the goddess said. After a time, Dakanevin met the goddess again and gave designs for weapons, that they needed to be made out of mirindal to work. Dakanevin offered The Hammer to the goddess and would show how to use it, if it would stop The Broken Ones from hurting others. The goddess smiled on Dakanevin and took both with her beyond the stars to work, to perfect mighty weapons of Light. When things were ready, they went to other people to teach how to stop The Broken Ones.

"Dakanevin returned home for a while after being gone long time, but not come back alone. The story says Dakanevin came with huge being with scales like metal, claws like gems, great powerful wings, and eyes that shone with fire. They rebuilt Dakanevin's Forge, and huge being made fire in it with chanitha--it still burns there to this day. No one not of Thabb has seen it, but all Thabbani metalsmiths have. Dakanevin and friend told Thabbani stories to teach things that would be helpful one day in distant future, but then both left Dakanevin's home in mountains one night--the last that was seen was a bright, colorful, comet streaking away beyond the stars, taking Dakanevin with it. There was a message left, when some went to look, saying one day Dakanevin would return...and not alone.

"Many others know Thabbani are best builders. All things Thabbani make--buildings, bridges, relationships...everything, Thabbani try to will chanitha into." Thavi paused long enough to take a sip from her drink. "The Great Foundation...it is what holds everything, the one thing that can never be broken, that which is beneath the multiverse, beneath reality and all realms of existence, that everything is built upon. Chanitha, Thabbani believe, can be tapped and directed into things, make them stronger, harder, last longer. With enough chanitha, things don't break--can't break. Time has no effect on chanitha. The structure on Élendor Prime--Thavi believe was infused with plenty of chanitha. Structure is permanent beyond age of planet, beyond age of star, beyond age of galaxy...maybe even beyond age of this universe. Thavi think the structure was not made in this universe, that it was made by those who time does not touch. Same for big crystal thing called The Heart. Thavi show big people an image of a weapon said to have been made by The Hammer of Dakanevinbanansathchan."

Thavi pulled her PAD out of a pocket, entered some keystrokes, and activated the holo-projection system in the crew's mess. The image displayed astonished everyone.

"Where was this image found?" Rhuw-Rha'an asked openly, using her telepathy.

"Carved into rock wall at The Forge of Dakanevin during the Age of Winelenaan--it was one of the weapon designs known to have been created by Dakanevin."

"How...can this be?" Plel-Whu'an asked in wide-eyed wonder. She removed her ever-present weapon from its carrier and held it up to the image displayed by the holo-projector.

The similarity between the two sent chills through nearly everyone.

After Thavi finished, Lt. Cdr. H'alwa said, "Thavi, it seems like you're wanting us to believe in magic."

Thavi thought for a second and replied, "A time long ago, people on many other worlds would think a Thabbani's strength was magic. What Mûr Tua'ansa people do would be thought of as magic. On ancient Terra, people would think creation of G.E.L.F.s as magic. Things everyone today know and use would be thought of as magic by primitive people. To people who made structure on Élendor, everyone else are the primitives."

"Miss Thavi is right," James said, standing up. "A couple thousand years ago, the humans of Terra would have been convinced that most of us were 'demons' and our tools and weapons were magic items. The fact that we can travel between stars would have been inconceivable to them. Things like that structure, or The Heart for that matter, might as well be like magic to us for all we know how they were made or for what purpose. Even Plel-Whu'an's weapon--damned if I know how it works, though I sure don't want to be on the receiving end of it after seeing what those can do. Most weapons I can understand, but frankly, that thing is downright scary."

To reinforce his point, Whu'an shifted her thoughts and activated her weapon, making the energies emanating from it glow brighter than the last time she had demonstrated it when they were at Esba'in. Thavi, seeing it for the first time, looked in awe from the projected image to the replica of The Blade of Mûr Tua'ansa in Whu'an's hand, and muttered something in her native, chittering language that no one else but Moira understood.

"It appears that the First Ones have been to Thavi's homeworld as well," Moira thought to herself.

* * * * *

"Ah, well told, my child, well told. Just enough to whet their appetites a little more and make them wonder, even yourself. Ha, 'goddess' my tail...how many times have one of us been called such by the Younger Races? I've lost count. No matter, child. You will come home to where it all began for a visit--all of you, even your scaly friend--and then we'll see how much you perceive."

Naoia smiled, and then rubbed her chin in thought as she contemplated the next stop in their journey.

"I suppose I really should tell the Drianedans that these good children are coming. The little dears get a bit testy when they have unannounced visitors. Really, they should get out more often than they do and make some friends. I think they will like this bunch, though, if given the chance."

/* "Mistress?" */

"Oh, what is it, dear?"

/* L'nar says there has been progress made on the issue of the Fansq. A suitable young world has been found within the territory marked by the Terrans and their friends. He made sure one of the black ships found it. When it is finished giving it a good sniff and leaves, he says they will begin making the adjustments and other preparations." */

"Ah, good, good. Those poor dears...such a sweet people. They've been wandering around looking for a safe home quite long enough, I think. It's a wonder they've survived this long on their own. Well, tell L'nar he has done well, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out."

/* "As you wish, Mistress." */

"Oh, Char'ena, I think I'm going to pay a little visit to the Drianedans. Would you be a good dear and keep following our friends until I get back? I won't be long."

/* "Certainly, Mistress." */

"Thank you, dear. I'll right back."

Naoia stood up, took a step, and disappeared in a swirl of light.

* * * * *

"Ship's log entry, Terran Standard Date: 2515-01-20; Time: 1547 hours FCT. We are approaching the boundary of Drianedan space. Rissanivi said to look for a marker buoy and send a specific message of greeting along with our intent, and then sit and wait for a reply. With luck, they will be curious and invite us in closer for a look--if not, then we're not to engage any vessel that might approach, no matter what its size may be. Rissanivi was emphatic when she said not to underestimate their power, which is reported to be considerable.

"End log entry."

* * * * *

"Any sign of one of those marker buoys yet, Zach?" James asked when the ship was almost to the coordinates that delineated the boundary of Drianedan space.

Closely monitoring his screen, Zach replied, "Sensors are picking up an energy signature off our port quarter, bearing two-eight-niner relative, at plus one-seven-point-three degrees; distance...three-one-point-seven-eight klicks."

"Put it on my HUD[3]and send it to the other ships," James instructed.

"Aye, sir...done and done," Zach acknowledged.

"Syl, inform the others that we're moving to the specified distance from the buoy to give the greeting," James ordered.

"Aye, aye, sir." A few moments later, "Captain, Thir-Bre'an and Miss Salnuano have acknowledged and will follow our lead," Sylvia announced.

"All right, let's go ring the doorbell and see if anybody's home," James said.

Easing the controls, James carefully brought _Nightwing_closer to the buoy, and activated the ship's navigation beacons to make it somewhat easier to be seen. When the ship was in position, James began to give the prescribed greeting.

"Honored citizens of Elysinar, this is..."

/* (static burst) "Nightwing, Chel-Sar Se'nika, and_Ilissenri, _yes, we have heard of you. One of our ships will arrive to grant you entry across our border. Hold your position until it arrives--your wait will not be long." */

"Sir, the channel has been closed on their end," Sylvia said quietly.

James looked over at Tanya in disbelief.

"How did they know...?"

All Tanya could do was shrug her shoulders.

"Sir, Commander Rhuw-Rha'an wishes to speak with you," Sylvia announced after receiving the call.

"Put her through--main viewer," James ordered.

"Aye, sir, main viewer..."

"Rha'an?"

/* "James...we received the reply, in our own language. We do not understand how they knew the names of our ships." */

"You heard it...in Tu'an?" James asked incredulously.

/* "Yes. Shen-Lir'an says the reply was directed at each of our ships. I take it that you heard it in your own language?" */

"Affirmative. Were we scanned by something?" James asked.

/* "Not that we have been able to determine. We also did not sense any mental probing. It would appear that the Drianedans have been told that we were coming, though by who..." */

"I can't imagine, Rha'an, unless..." James turned in his seat enough to look over his shoulder. "...Zach, is our 'friend' still with us?"

"Still there, same bearing and distance since it has been following us," Zach replied, making a quick check.

"Did you get that, Rha'an?"

/* "Yes. You do not suppose it somehow knows who we are..." */

"After seeing what it can do, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it had tapped our computer systems and learned everything about us while we were all unconscious after it dragged us across the galaxy like play toys."

Rhuw-Rha'an looked thoughtful for a moment.

/* "An interesting choice of words, though I understand your point. Still, I find it unsettling that a people we have never met before seems to know who we are." */

"I concur. Well, I suppose we sit here and wait for somebody to come fetch us."

/* "Kfan-Hre'an will, as you say, keep an eye out for anything moving towards our direction. Se'nika out." */

"Channel closed, sir," Sylvia announced.

James gave a nod to his Comm Officer, and settled into his seat to wait.

True to their word, the wait was short--less than ten minutes. A small ship, slightly smaller than Rissanivi's courier, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and headed straight towards their position. The Drianedan ship made a sharp left turn so that it remained within the border.

"Captain, they're hailing us--audio only," Sylvia announced.

"Put it through," James ordered.

/* "Follow us on a parallel course, maintaining this distance. Do not stray. We will signal you with further instructions when it is time." */

Before James could say anything, Sylvia said, "They've closed the channel, sir."

James stared at the Drianedan ship in exasperation for a few seconds.

"Hmpf, that was short and to the point. Syl, relay those instructions to the others. I'm turning to match their heading."

"Aye, aye, sir," Sylvia replied.

The three ships followed the Drianedans as instructed, running parallel to them, and keeping the same distance as at the marker buoy. They traveled over one hundred kilometers without so much as a peep from the Drianedan ship.

"Captain, I'm picking up a large object ahead," Zach called out suddenly.

"Main viewer," James ordered.

Zach touched the appropriate controls and displayed the image of the object.

"What the heck is that?" James muttered.

"Whatever it is, it's big, and it's generating some serious power. The object is a flattened hexagonal shape ring, five hundred meters wide by two hundred-fifty meters tall," Zach replied, studying his screen.

"Is that the outside dimensions?" James asked.

"No, sir...inside dimensions."

"Jeezers," James said quietly.

The Drianedan ship stopped a distance away from the structure on their side of it and then gave additional instructions.

/* "You may enter the gate and follow us to Elysinar." */

There was a sparkly flash of light as what appeared to be a forcefield was deactivated. The three ships passed through the structure in single file with Nightwing taking the lead, followed by Rissanivi's courier, and Se'nika bringing up the rear. After they had passed through, there was another flash of light as the forcefield was reactivated.

"Seems odd to require ships to pass through that thing," Sylvia commented.

"And why the forcefield? Anybody could have simply flown around it," Tanya pointed out.

"A checkpoint, maybe? Were we scanned?" James asked.

"Not that I could tell," Zach replied.

"This is getting weird," James said quietly.

"Da," Tanya agreed.

* * * * *

Noran looked apprehensively towards the sky. The strangers would be arriving soon and he was to ensure arrangements were made to provide the proper hospitality one would show a guest in one's home. In the whole of his life, some three thousand years it had spanned so far, Noran had rarely dealt with those of other races--most of those were not happy dealings. However, the First One vouched for these strangers, and who was he to go against _her_wishes? It was made plain to them all that she would reveal herself to these strangers when she felt it appropriate, and not before.

Noran lowered his eyes to the ground and slowly shook his head, causing the silver-white locks of his hair to shimmer in the bright starlight. Like nearly all of his people, Noran was wary of strangers, and the idea of having not one but three vessels full of them landing on Elysinar was enough to unsettle anyone. Taking a long, slow breath, he went to check on the preparations. As he walked away from the landing pads of the spaceport, the scent of the surrounding forest grew stronger, easing his mind somewhat.

* * * * *

"Ship's log entry, Terran Standard Date: 2515-01-20; Time: 1620 hours FCT. We have arrived at the planet Elysinar, homeworld of the race known as the Drianedans. Sensors show the planet has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, gravity, and climate similar to our own homeworld. The difference is that instead of large oceans, Elysinar has myriad small seas peppered throughout the heavily forested global landmass. We are currently awaiting final clearance to make planetfall at what constitutes their main spaceport. From orbit it appears small compared to those we have been to on other worlds, though we have been told that it can easily accommodate our three ships.

"It appears that the wolf-ship is still with us, holding off at the same distance. The Drianedans have made no mention of noticing it. It is not known if it had to pass through the same portal-like structure or not that we had to use. It seems one mystery is piling upon another."

"End log entry."

* * * * *

After being made to pass through an orbital decon station, the three ships were escorted to the main spaceport on the planet's surface.

"Listen up. This is a First Contact situation, so I want everyone to be on their absolute best behavior. We have no idea what might offend these people, or what they might expect from us. All we know so far is that they somehow expected us and can communicate in our language--perhaps they have some translation technology or telepathic ability. Apparently, the reports on these people indicate that they are a very old race--perhaps a great deal older than our Mûr Tua'ansa friends, and that they seldom interact with other species. We therefore must not underestimate their capabilities. When it comes time for us to leave, I want it be on good terms and not with our tails tucked between our legs--or worse. Do I make myself clear?" James made eye contact with each person on his ship. Seeing that they all understood the gravity of the situation, he continued. "Very well, then, let's show these people that we are worthy of their hospitality."

Stepping off of the forward boarding lift, they proceeded to meet up with Rissanivi and the crew of the Se'nika. James stood next to Miss Ja'f'darwe, Rhuw-Rha'an, and Rissanivi, as they waited for someone to show up.

"Sense anyone nearby, Rha'an?"

"There are several, though they remain out of sight for the moment. There seems to be some apprehension among all, though one individual is more unsettled than the others."

"I wonder what they're waiting for," James said quietly.

"Um...maybe they, what you say...shy?" Rissanivi suggested.

"Perhaps they are observing us to see if we become impatient," Rha'an offered.

"I suppose we'll just have to continue to wait right here until they get around to greeting us," James said.

"Remaining calm and relaxed may be the best option, Captain," Miss Ja'f'darwe suggested.

"Noted. Well, at least the climate is pleasant, and the air has a nice smell to it," James observed.

After several minutes passed, Tanya joined James to see what the holdup was.

"They said they would meet us here, da?"

"That's what they said," James replied.

"Where are they?" Tanya asked.

"They are nearby, though they seem to be waiting for some reason or another," Rha'an replied.

"Hmm, for a spaceport, this place seems dead, ah?" Tanya commented after glancing around, not seeing any activity.

"They might have diverted all traffic to other places," James said.

"Kfan-Hre'an detected low spacecraft activity while we were still in orbit. Since the Drianedans have little contact with others, perhaps their space traffic is minimal," Rha'an suggested.

Thinking on it, James agreed with Rha'an.

"That's a possibility."

* * * * *

"We should go meet them, Noran, or do you intend on keeping them waiting until they become insulted and leave in disgust?"

"We have no need for outsiders, Althena. Besides, we did not invite them to come," Noran replied.

"Of course not, we just sent a ship out to meet them, brought them into our space, and asked them to land on our world. That seems like an invitation to me," Althena shot back sarcastically.

"Only because she willed it!"

"And do you think Mistress Naoia is not out there at this very moment wondering what is taking you so long to greet these people she obviously wants us to meet?"

"Her beast ship is not in our space," Noran replied quietly.

"Fool, she and her beast ship could be anywhere they want to be, and you know it! I have no doubt she's watching right now, thinking up something interesting to do to you for being rude to those people--we're supposed to be showing them our hospitality, not how badly we can treat them! Stand there and be an idiot, I am going to greet them properly as the guests they are!"

Althena marched off in disgust, leaving Noran to catch up with her. She was curious to meet the strange folk who the First One wished for her people to get to know. Althena knew that Mistress Naoia, whom they have had dealings with for many generations, would not have guided these strangers to her world if there was not good reason for it. What that reason might be, Althena was not privy to, but she would do as instructed with no qualms, even if the others were hesitant.

When Althena saw the strangers, she nearly stopped in her tracks in surprise, for several among those wearing the black uniforms looked very much like races from the world her own people had originated from when the galaxy was young.

* * * * *

"Someone is approaching, James," Rha'an sent.

"About time," James said quietly.

They saw a slender, diminutive female with silvery-white hair, delicate facial features, and upswept pointed ears, walking towards them. Not far behind her were a few others of similar stature and appearance.

"Jeezers, those people make you look tall, Thavi," Carmen whispered when she saw the Drianedans heading towards them.

Thavi looked up at Carmen and said quietly with a hint of sarcasm, "Thavi can't see--too many big people in the way!"

"I'd guess they're about chin height to you. You definitely wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in a crowd of these folks!" Carmen whispered. "Come around to this side--I think you'll be able to see them."

Thavi went around to the other side of the Asian black bear G.E.L.F. and caught a glimpse of their hosts.

"How about that...Thavi not shortest anymore!" she whispered excitedly.

"Welcome to Elysinar. I am Althena Silnarel, and this is Noran Foresti," the lead female said in oddly accented English.

"An honor to make your acquaintance, ma'am. I'm Captain James Daugherty of the Sol Federation Ship, Nightwing; this is Madam Commander Rhuw-Rha'an, of the Mûr Tua'ansa Star Empire Imperial Exploration Ship, Chel-Sar Se'nika; this is Miss Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna of the Sol Federation Diplomatic Corps; and this is Rissanivi Salnuano of Vey'a II, our guide to this part of the galaxy."

"You are not from this region?" Althena asked, tilting her head slightly.

"No, ma'am. We...come from a long way away, towards the galactic core, over ten thousand lightyears from here," James replied, hoping she would understand that unit of measure.

"Why are you so far from your homes?" Althena asked.

"Well...that's a bit of a story. The short version is that we're on the trail of an artifact that disappeared from the homeworld of Miss Ja'f'darwe's people. The energy trail we've been following headed towards a nebula approximately five thousand lightyears past your star system, though...just how we got out this far so quickly, well, that's where things get strange," James explained.

"How long have you been traveling on this 'trail', you call it?" Noran asked.

"A little over one of our years."

Althena and Noran exchanged confused glances.

"The technology of your vessels would not allow you to make that crossing in the amount of time you say," Noran said.

"You're right, it wouldn't, but...something or someone dragged us over eight thousand lightyears in a blink of an eye. Whatever or whoever it was, they've been following us at a distance, like they're making sure we keep going in the right direction. All attempts to communicate with them have been met with silence so far, though they don't seem hostile. In fact, they saved a colony of Miss Ja'f'darwe's people from attack by a hostile advanced race we of the Sol Federation of Worlds had not encountered before, though our Mûr Tua'ansa friends have. The 'ship'--if one can call it that--which has been following us is unlike any we've seen before."

Casting a quick glance to her companion, Noran, Althena said, "There will be ample time to share your story with us in detail, Captain, though I am sure you are weary after such a long trip. Come and enjoy our hospitality. We have readied accommodations for you--I hope you will find them sufficiently comfortable during your stay. We do not often entertain outsiders, especially--if you will forgive the expression--large folk."

James smiled and said, "We humbly accept your gracious offer to allow us to visit your world."

Althena smiled slightly and bowed her head.

"If you and the others would follow me..."

"Of course," James agreed, giving a quick hand signal for everyone to follow.

* * * * *

"Have you ever seen so much green, Elí?" Meyleh asked her friend, looking in wonder at the abundant plant life that surrounded them.

"Only in dreams..." Elí replied, equally in awe of the forest they had walked into.

As the two Fansq females followed the others, they passed by a large cluster of fern-like plants around the base of a huge tree. The plants were taller than Elí and Meyleh, and many of the trees they could see were larger in both height and diameter than any they had ever seen before.

"I do hope whatever world our friends find for our people will look half as good as this one!" Meyleh exclaimed.

"I agree. We have had so little for so long, what might we do with such a world?"

One of the Drianedans heard Elí and Meyleh's conversation and moved closer to speak with them.

"Tell me of your world."

Elí and Meyleh were taken by surprise for they had not noticed the Drianedan male approach.

Hearing their sharp intake of breath and sensing their reaction, he said politely, "I apologize, I did not mean to startle you. I am Aral--do I understand correctly that your people's world has little to offer?"

For a moment Elí and Meyleh looked as if they were about to bolt, though something in the Drianedan's voice held them.

"We...have not had...a world of our own for many generations. We find one, but then we must find another when others come to hurt us or control us. The world our people are on now, we have not been there long, and already others find us and come to take some of us...to do things to," Elí said.

Casting a glance towards the others they were with, Aral asked quietly, "Have these people taken you away from your home?"

"They saved us from others who had hurt us," Meyleh replied, touching her jaw where it had been broken by one of the Pliq raiders. "These people chased away the bad ones, told them to leave us alone. Bad ones came back to hurt us again, but these people saved us again. They had no reason to risk themselves for us. We are friends now. Elí and I chose to follow the captain and his people, to learn more about them. They offered us a world we can make our home, where we will be safe, where we can live and do as we wish. These people keep their word--we trust them."

Aral sensed the truth in Meyleh's words and the certainty of her conviction regarding the others she and Elí were with, and what she had said matched what they had been told by the First One, but Aral kept silent on that bit of information.

"We have kept to ourselves for a very long time, though that was not always the case. Once, we explored the galaxy, met other races--some good, some not. That was during the Elder Days, when the galaxy was young. Much has changed since then. Many have come and gone--some have moved on, others have faded into the long night among the stars, but we remain." Aral looked up at Elí and Meyleh and added, "It is good that you have made such friends."

* * * * *

"This is a lot like home," Diwenzi said, looking around at the forest. "But the trees--they're big!"

"Kind of reminds me of California," John said.

"Where is that?" Diwenzi asked.

John looked back at Diwenzi, and with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Terra, North America, west coast. You graduated from the Fleet Academy, and you don't know where California is?! Are you serious, or are you just yanking my chain to see what kind of a reaction you'd get?"

"Oh...that California..."

"Jeezers, Diz, have you been chewin' on those funky-looking _alapzi_seeds again?"

"Huh? No...why?"

"Because you're not firing on all thrusters, that's why! C'mon, spill...what's got your brain in a spin?"

"Oh...just thinkin' of home, I guess."

John raised an eyebrow.

"When was the last time you were back," he asked quietly, having become concerned by the way she spoke.

Diwenzi looked down at the ground for a moment, and then lifted her head.

"About three years ago."

"That was, what, right after you got accepted into Flight School?"

"About then, yeah."

John remembered what one of their squadron mates had homeported at NAVSPASTA-56[4], which was located in the Veswan star system, before transferring to the Nelson. Lt. Billy "Chowdah" Crowder had told John about Veswans when he found out that the ensign would be flying with Diwenzi. One of the things that LT. Crowder insisted that John understood was, "You can take a Veswan out of the forest, but you can never take the forest out of a Veswan." At the time, John thought that was just a colloquialism, but seeing the look in Diwenzi's eyes as she gazed at the massive trees on Elysinar, he began to grasp the truth of the saying. Veswans make their homes in the forests and woods of their homeworld, which were traditionally underground burrows patterned after the homes of their ancestors. One time back on Terra, Diwenzi had demonstrated her ability to climb trees by removing her boots and leaping on the nearest one.

"Hey Diz, I wonder what the view is like from up there," John said quietly, looking up into the trees.

Her eyes grew wide for a moment and then a feral grin appeared on her face.

"One way to find out...!"

Quickly removing her boots and tossing them to John, Diwenzi bolted to the nearest tree and jumped.

"What the frak is she doing?" Shauna asked, thinking the fighter pilot had gone crazy.

Everyone stopped and looked up--Diwenzi was scampering up the trunk of the huge tree like a chipmunk or a squirrel.

"Lieutenant! Get back down here!" James belted out.

"Aw, give her a break, cuz, Diz hasn't been home in years. Climbing trees is like a sport to them," John begged.

"Are her people forest beings, by chance?" Althena asked John as she watched Diwenzi's display of tree climbing prowess.

"Yes ma'am," John replied, nearly holding his breath.

Diwenzi leapt from branch to branch as if she was a gymnast, moving higher and higher as she went.

"Damn, one slip from that height and she's a goner," James growled.

"The lieutenant is certainly quite agile," Thir-Bre'an noted in amazement.

"She flies the same way," John muttered.

Diwenzi felt the thrill of the climb, jumping acrobatically from one branch to another, her sharp claws easily finding purchase in the rough texture of the tree's thick bark. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. Looking up, she grinned, for the tree seemed to go up and up, high enough to touch the low clouds passing overhead. At this point, she was already over two hundred meters above the ground, and still had not yet reached the top.

Aral, sensing a change in the weather, said, "Your friend should come down--it will be raining soon, and it will not be safe for her to be up that high."

"I'll call her," John offered, reaching into his sleeve pocket to get his comm set. "Donnelson to Cha'rhu'ez...hey Diz, you'd better come back down, there's a storm system moving in and it's going to start raining." John waited several seconds for Diwenzi to answer. "Diz, pick up!" After a few more tries, John said, "She's too caught up in what she's doing."

"Don't look at me...I'm not chasing after her!" Dr. Garland said emphatically when Cdr. Williamson started to suggest something.

"But Angelina, you're a squirrel..."

"I'm a ground squirrel...I don't climb trees!" she retorted.

"I will inform her of the change in weather," Aral said.

Before anyone could inquire how he intended to do so, Aral walked straight to the tree Diwenzi was climbing--and disappeared into it!

"What the..." James started to say in disbelief.

A moment later, Aral walked out of the tree's trunk onto the branch Diwenzi was in the process of jumping to.

"It will be raining soon, you should..."

Startled by the sudden appearance of the Drianedan, Diwenzi miscalculated and frantically clawed at the branch, but was unable to get a hold on it.

"AAIIIII!!!" she yelled as she fell.

"Diz...she's falling!" John exclaimed.

"I will catch her," Thir-Bre'an sent.

*Bamf!*

Thir-Bre'an teleported herself so that she appeared close enough to Diwenzi to catch her.

"I have you, Pilot Cha'rhu'ez. Be calm. I will have us both safely on the ground in a moment."

Using her ability to self-levitate--an uncommon psionic trait among her people--Thir-Bre'an slowed their fall, teleported most of the distance to the ground, and then gently levitated them down the remaining few meters.

"Yiezwa, that was fun!" Diwenzi exclaimed as they made contact with the ground.

"You nearly ended yourself by falling from such a height," Thir-Bre'an gently admonished.

"I woulda caught a branch on the way down," Diwenzi said with a sheepish smile.

"And likely injured yourself in the process, no doubt. I believe your Honored Captain is somewhat annoyed, and his younger cousin was quite concerned for you, as were we all."

Diwenzi looked at John in surprise.

"He was?"

"Whether he wishes to admit it or not, he does_enjoy your company. I believe the Ensign would be quite dismayed if you had been hurt, or worse_."

"He...would?"

"If you wish, we may continue this later. While I understand the feelings you experienced during your climb, it is best not to annoy your Honored Captain," Bre'an suggested.

"Ai-a. Thanks."

Thir-Bre'an smiled slightly, placing her hand on Diwenzi's shoulder.

"Lieutenant Cha'rhu'ez."

Diwenzi swallowed hard and stood penitently before James.

"Sir."

Softly James asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, sir."

Although James spoke in a low, even voice, his lupine-like eyes bore into the Veswan fighter pilot, causing her to flinch.

"While your athletics are remarkable, Lieutenant Cha'rhu'ez, I expect better restraint while we are guests, unless there is a proper place and time for such displays. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

James locked eyes with her for several seconds.

"You are out of uniform, Lieutenant. Square yourself away."

"Aye, aye, sir."

Diwenzi came to attention and held it until James gave a slight nod of his head, then she promptly turned and went to John, who was still holding her boots.

"Jeezers Diz! You would've died falling from that height!" John exclaimed quietly, helping her to put her boots back on.

"I woulda caught that branch if that guy hadn't popped out of the tree and messed up my concentration!"

"Huh?"

"Ai-a, that guy...Aral, I think his name is, he just stepped out on that branch like he came out of a lift or something!"

"No way, Diz, nobody can walk right out of solid tree," John scoffed. "Maybe he can teleport like the Mûr Tua'ansa can."

"I'm tellin' ya, skunk-butt, he came out of the tree!"

"Look at that thing--no way anybody could..."

John and Diwenzi were both looking at the base of the tree when Aral appeared to step out of its trunk as if walking through a hologram and headed over to Althena. John was dumbfounded by what he saw.

"I told ya, skunk-butt!"

* * * * *

"Naoia, may I speak with you a moment?"

"Nehv-re'dan! What a pleasant surprise! Why, of course you can, dear. What's on your mind?"

A swirl of light appeared and coalesced into the physical form of a male First One.

"I wished to inform you in person--I met with the Dra'ka Nulen, Arneora[5], a short while ago. She extends her greetings, and has agreed to meet the young mortals you are interested in."

"Excellent, Nehv-re'dan!" Naoia said excitedly. Thinking a moment, she asked, "Our friend does understand that they are likely to be a bit overwhelmed..."

"Of course. I made certain that she knew who she would be seeing, and why. Arneora promised to behave herself," Nehv-re'dan replied, ending with a wink.

Bemusedly, Naoia slowly shook her head.

"That scamp, she hasn't changed a bit in the last nine rotations. I don't know who's worse--her or Sa'leh."

Nehv-re'dan chuckled and said, "My bet would be on Sa'leh."

"Well, she is your sister, so you ought to know how she is as well as anyone," Naoia said with a slight smirk.

"True enough. Se'lan[6]takes after her great, great, grandmother a bit much, I think," Nehv-re'dan agreed.

"She's a scamp, too--always has been, but she just might meet her match in wits when she meets our young friend, James."

"The human who flies that black ship?"

"Near-human, more precisely...at least that's what he's called among his own. Has some wolf in him."

"Interesting...do I want to know how that happened?"

"Oh, it was A'amahi's doing, several hundred turns of their seasons ago. She whispered into the ears of certain humans and then slipped a little donation from some of the children on Y'Nahra into the mix when they weren't looking. Over the turns of the seasons since then, A'amahi has kept an eye on things, giving a little tweak here and there as needed. I have to admit, it worked--a bit unorthodox, but can't argue with her results," Naoia explained.

Nehv-re'dan rubbed his chin for a moment, and then with a little wave a hand in the air, an image appeared showing what the mortals were up to at the moment.

Looking intently and then pointing to certain ones, he asked, "So, these individuals are not actually a Skunatii, a Pumatii, a Vulpinii, or a Lupin, then?"

"Not precisely. Their ancestors were created by the humans, with A'amahi's help--and the aforementioned 'donation' and continued tinkering," Naoia replied.

"Ah, no wonder why you've been so interested in these particular mortals." Nehv-re'dan watched the scene playing out before them for a few moments. "This scaled one...her world was not one we seeded, if I remember."

"It wasn't," Naoia acknowledged.

"What do you intend to do with her?"

"Oh, she can stay with her new friends--they seem to be getting along well enough, so why not? Besides, she's friends with these youngsters..."

Naoia brought forth an image of three individuals whom he recognized.

"Those are the ones who went to Chenau-Ri."

Naoia smiled at him.

"And you wish to keep them all together."

"More or less, for now. Once we walk openly again, you _know_who will kick up their nonsense another notch or three," Naoia said.

Nehv-re'dan frowned in disgust.

"Dark Bloods."

"They still insist on being a pain in the tail. Well, this is the last time for that." Naoia said firmly, crossing her arms.

"I've heard talk among the others that they're to be dealt with once and for all."

Naoia nodded her head and said, "And we won't be the only ones going after them."

* * * * *

/* "Mistress?" */

"Yes, dear, what is it?"

/* "I am curious about the young mortals. May I observe them up close?" */

"You're a rather big girl, Char'ena--I'd think you would frighten them," Naoia replied, curious herself as to why Char'ena suddenly wished to meet the mortals they had been following.

/* "There is a way that I can--it would be temporary, just a short while." */

Naoia leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and asked, "Your capabilities are quite able to discern the slightest detail about them from here. What do you want to do, give them a good, old-fashioned sniff?"

/* "Yes, Mistress." */

"But...why?"

/* "He is a human who is merged with wolf; I am a wolf who merged with machine. Once I knew the touch of others in the Before. We are the beginning--are they not the continuation of that? Should there not be a connection between the present and the beginning?" */

Naoia thought about that for a moment.

"But dear, we will be formally meeting them soon enough."

/* "Will they understand what I was, what I became...who I was and who I am? Did not part of my kind make part of theirs?" */

"Hmm, that is an interesting point, dear. So, do you wish to present them with a puzzle of your own?"

/* "Yes, Mistress...we play a game?" */

"A game...," Naoia said with a thoughtful chuckle. "I suppose this is sort of like a game--a game that teaches, a piece at a time. We are teaching them who and what they are, who and what they will become. In order to know where one is going, one has to know where one started. They have been given some pieces of our puzzle, and they have been doing a fair job of figuring out how those pieces fit together. And now, you want to toss in another piece and see what they make of it, and satisfy your own curiosity at the same time."

/* "Yes, Mistress." */

"Hmm..."

Naoia rubbed her chin in thought.

"Find a spot for us in some hills while I have a quick chat with our Drianedan friends. I'll get you close enough to walk in on your own like you're just another Great Lupin from our home 'out for a stroll'."

/* "Thank you, Mistress." */

"Well, this should be wild," Naoia chuckled to herself.

* * * * *

When James and the others entered the building their Drianedan hosts had prepared for them, it seemed to be an old maintenance hangar or warehouse that had been hastily converted into a lounge area.

As they entered the building, Althena said, "I must apologize if this is not quite as comfortable as our own homes. We have so little contact with larger folk, that..."

Althena stopped in mid-explanation when she saw what everyone was staring at.

Tanya dropped her ears and instinctually lowered her tail almost to the point of being between her legs. Lilly and the other G.E.L.F.s found themselves suddenly becoming inexplicably anxious. Poor Elí and Meyleh clung to each other as they felt a primal fear gnaw at their insides--their instincts were telling them to run and hide.

Sitting on the opposite side of the large open area was what looked like a huge wolf that had stepped out of a heroic fantasy movie. It was easily as large as one of the smaller breeds of four-footed horses on Terra. One feature in particular, however, was the most startling: the eyes. The wolf's eyes did not just "shine" like those of many animals with night sight--they blazed with an inner fire.

"Um, Althena, is that an animal native to your world?" James asked cautiously.

"No, but they have come here from time to time," she replied.

"Come here? From where? How?"

Althena hesitated a moment and said, "We...don't know exactly. We've never been to where they come from, or how they get here--they just appear, observe for a time, and then they wander off, disappearing into who knows where."

"Are they intelligent?"

"Quite," Althena replied.

The most sensitive of Rhuw-Rha'an's crew, Aren-Tal'an, intensely felt the huge wolf's presence--it was quite different from what she had experienced before when in the company of the wolves she met on James' homeworld.

"Honored Captain...this one...is not...like those of your world."

"What do you sense, Tal'an?" James sent back.

Tal'an's hands went to her head and she would have fallen over if it were not for her crewmates steadying her.

"Too...strong..."

The huge wolf being looked from James to Tal'an, and then back to James. It got up and walked over to stand before James.

Quietly, James said, "Hello."

The huge wolf being brought its head nearly nose-to-nose to his.

The vastness of space surrounded James, then he noticed that the stars were moving towards him, much as it would appear when the ship was accelerating through warped space prior to making the jump to hyperspace. On closer examination, though, the stars weren't stars after all--they were galaxies. Looking downward, James saw a ghostly path, and stretching before him were a pair of forepaws running down the path. Then "space" changed, and the path ran through a primal forest of such intense colors and hues and a crispness that seemed more real than reality itself, if that was even possible. Others were there, too, and a strong feeling of belonging washed over him.

The huge wolf lowered its ears slightly and greeted him in the same manner of the wolves that lived on his family's land. Cautiously, James rubbed the side of the huge wolf's neck, working his fingers into the thick fur. Then, surprisingly, the wolf spoke with an odd accent that seemed familiar, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You are leader of your pack?"

"I command my ship and those who serve on it," James replied carefully.

The huge wolf cocked its head a bit.

"Ship. I...understand. You are...James?"

"Yes. How do you...?"

The wolf being sat down and held a massive paw out to him.

"I am...Char'ena."

James briefly raised an eyebrow and then, using both of his hands, held the huge wolf's paw.

"Pleased to meet you, Char'ena."

The huge wolf sniffed James, then got up and began sniffing everyone in turn. When it got to Lilly, its expression softened.

"You are...like others I know." Raising its head, the huge wolf looked at Sonya and Ivor. "I know your kind, too." Looking back at Tanya, it said, "You look like others I know, too, only...not the same. Smaller."

Tanya and James exchanged surprised looks while the wolf being continued sniffing the others. When it got around to Elí and Meyleh, they were nearly in a panic.

Sitting down before them, the huge wolf nuzzled them both and said, "Your kind...we watch now, we keep safe. Char'ena go with you to new home."

The huge wolf stood up, walked a short distance away, and then turned to look back.

"We meet again. Soon."

Giving a short howl, the huge wolf being began walking away...and disappeared in a swirl of light.

[1] LY - Light Year.

[2] Winelenaan - pronounced: "win-el-EN-a-an". An early period of time on Thabb associated with mythic tales of heroes and wizards.

[3] HUD - Heads-Up Display.

[4] NAVSPASTA - Naval Space Station (pronounced nav-spay-stay)

[5] Arneora - (pronounced_Ar-neh-Oh-ra) the _Dra'ka Nulen, or wisest of the Dra'kan; equivalent of a scholar among one of the Children of the Drakorians.

[6] Se'lan - Short form of the actual name for Night Song (see "The Sacrifice for Peace").

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On to Chapter 2...