Part 10

After the battle, Fleet Command ordered inspection teams to scour the wreckages of the ships that belonged to the Wurnak Da'i along with the base for anything that might prove useful in the future. The five SLGs hung around to assist as needed, taking turns standing off and providing early warning in case the aliens should come back. When Nightwing and Shadow Storm were not immediately needed for some task or another, they went back to the moon's surface to help with getting the Chel-Sar Se'nika back into space. When its crew signaled everything was ready, James and Mike brought their ships down and hovered above and on either side of the organic ship, activated their towing beams, and slowly lifted it from the surface. Once safely away from the moon, they remained at station keeping alongside and provided what assistance they could.

"Are you _sure_you don't want us to transport you to your ship, Commander?" James asked Rhuw-Rha'an, unsure as to how she and her crew were going to get to their own ship to begin making what repairs they could for the trip home.

"We appreciate your offer, Captain James Daugherty; however, it is quite unnecessary as we have our own means to 'transport' ourselves. Although our poor ship is still in less than prime condition, would you like to see her for yourself?" Rhuw-Rha'an asked.

"I would be honored, ma'am. Er, forgive me for asking, but just how are we going to get there?" James asked with uncertainty.

Rhuw-Rha'an grinned and wrapped her arms around James as if to embrace him.

In a blink, they were gone.

"Jamie!!!" Lilly cried out in shock at the sudden disappearance of her mate and the alien commanding officer.

There was no warning, no sound other than the soft sound of air rushing in to fill the sudden void where they had stood only an instant before, no transport effect--nothing.

Lilly stood there, eyes wide open, and hands reaching out trying to feel him, not understanding what had just happened.

"What the...!" Zach exclaimed quietly as he stared at the now empty space.

"Woo, now_THAT _was something!" they heard James send openly.

"Jamie! Where...where_are _you?!" Lilly asked in dismay.

"I'm okay, Lil, I'm on the other ship, Rhuw-Rha'an teleported me over with her. Ye gods, what an experience!" James sent back excitedly in reply.

"Jeezers, Jamie, ya 'bout made me spray myself!" Lilly said still half scared and half angry at not having any warning, which James picked up on.

"Sorry, Lil, I didn't know what was going to happen. When we come back, I'll be sure to give you a heads up first, okay? And I promise to behave myself while I'm over here, so don't worry about that, okay?"

"I could deal with you bangin' one of those gals a lot better than havin' ya disappear in front of my eyes, not knowin' what happened to ya!"

"I'll be back before you know it, and then tonight we'll have a good laugh about it while snuggling together in bed."

"Sorry, Commander, Lilly was a little frightened by our sudden disappearance, and I had to reassure her that I'm okay," James apologized.

"I understand Captain, my apologies--I did not wish to distress your mate. She is an interesting individual, so full of life and the living of it, yet, she shares you with others?"

"Yes, I have four mates, and we have, on occasion, included others," James replied carefully, not trying to sound boastful.

"Interesting. I find it amazing that so many different sentient species live on your world, and you seem to get along well enough. On most worlds with parallel evolution, the subordinate species usually end up becoming extinct at some point, or else becoming a slave race, but this did not happen on your world?"

"The so-called 'modern humans' became the dominate sentient life form on our world, after other early hominid types died out thousands of years in the past, but then we created the G.E.L.F.s, or genetically engineered life forms, a little over five hundred of our years ago. It was a bit tough going for the first two hundred years, but finally we figured out how to all live together peacefully. One of my ancestors was the very first human to become mates with a G.E.L.F.--well, actually I guess it was technically three. It was two of his children who began teaching what we call "The Great Lesson", and that's why we are all one people now. In fact, it is the founding philosophy of the Sol Federation of Worlds," James explained.

"That is interesting. I would like to learn more of this if time permits," Rhuw-Rha'an sent.

"I can do more than just simply tell you about it--like every member of our family, I have the memories of my ancestors that have been passed down from one generation to the next, and I can share those with you if you'd like," James offered.

"We also, of course, pass the wisdom of our ancestors from generation to generation, perhaps in a similar manner. We are alike even as we are different. Perhaps we will have a quiet moment to embrace in thought on the way to our home world," Rhuw-Rha'an sent with a slight grin.

"I would like that, Commander."

James began looking around at his new surroundings once his eyes adjusted to the dimmer light within the organic ship.

"Can you see well enough, Captain James Daugherty?" Rhuw-Rha'an asked, knowing that the lighting onboard her ship is much dimmer than that in Nightwing.

"The light is fine, Commander. I have night sight, so it only took a moment for my eyes to adjust to

the difference," James replied.

"That is well. We Mûr Tua'ansa are a night dwelling people, Captain. Come, let us begin the tour then," Rhuw-Rha'an offered, and she began showing James her ship.

As they walked along, James sent privately, "You may call me 'James' if you wish, Commander."

He looked up at Rhuw-Rha'an and met her eyes--she seemed somewhat surprised that he gave her permission to use his given name.

"Petty Officer Canberra explained to the rest of us what your crewmember, Miss Zhir-Chi'an, told him about the use of names among your people. As I understand it, a person's given name on your world may only be used by family and close friends. While I do not wish to presume too much, I see no reason why we cannot be friends, both as a people and as individuals," James explained.

Rhuw-Rha'an considered his offer, "These Terrans have given so much of themselves for our sake and yet they neither ask for nor expect anything in return. They have dared greatly in rescuing those of us who were captured by the Wurnak Da'i and still lived, fought with bravery to protect us, and they have been openly honest and friendly towards us. I can find no reason why we could not try to be friends--it must start somewhere, and he is as worthy of such an appellation as any," Rhuw-Rha'an thought to herself. Placing her hands on James' shoulders, she sent, "Then let us friends, James, if not yet formally as a people, then at least as individuals tried and true by trial and by fire in the empty places far from our homes."

James smiled and reached up to put his hands on her shoulders and sent, "At least as individuals...with hope, perhaps the other will come in due time."

"Let us hope," Rhuw-Rha'an agreed with a smile.

They continued walking, and a short distance later, James felt something coil around his forearm, gripping it gently. He looked down to see the end of Rhuw-Rha'an's tail wrapped around his arm just above the wrist.

"And you may call me 'Rha'an', James."

"I'm telling you, it was just...just...awesome!" Mindy exclaimed to Moira.

"May I take a look?"

Mindy poked her head out of her office and took a quick look around in Sickbay. It was deserted for the moment, so she motioned for Moira to follow her into her quarters and then shut the door behind them. Mindy worked her way out of the top half of her uniform and then peeled off her black tank top.

"See?" Mindy said directing Moira's attention to her back.

"I see nothing," Moira replied quietly as she leaned down for a closer look.

"That's just it--it's totally gone! Even my fur is back to its normal color! It's as if it never happened...here, run a scan on it for yourself and you'll see what I mean," Mindy said excitedly, handing Moira a hand-held medical scanner.

Moira adjusted the

controls of the device and made a slow, thorough scan of the area on Mindy's back where the burn scar used to be.

"You are correct; there is no trace of it that I can find. The skin, fur, muscle, bone, nerves...everything appears normal. Fascinating," Moira said as she finished the scan. "May I touch it?"

"Sure," Mindy agreed.

Moira felt Mindy's back and detected nothing out of the ordinary. The area where the scar used to be felt normal, as it should.

"Frer-Sha'an's ability is...extraordinary, to say the least," Moira said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I can't begin to describe how it felt! And that song they sang while she was healing me...I was crying, it was so beautiful! It was like...like a heavy weight was lifted from me and I feel...whole. Yeah, for the first time in years, Moira, for the first time in years, I-I'm alright...," Mindy spoke softly at the last, paused, and gave a deep sigh of relief before pulling her tank top back on, and then the upper half of her uniform. She sat there on the edge of her rack for a moment, and then looked up at Moira and said, "You know, I think I'll have to buy myself a new dress, a backless one, and then I want...well, if it's okay with you, Lilly, Tanya, and Shauna...I would like to ask James if he'd dance with me. At least once."

"I see no reason why any of us would object, Mindy. You know that you are always welcome to join us," Moira said with a slight smile, giving Mindy's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I know, but...you four are his mates, and I'm just...um..."

"You are practically a part of the family, Mindy," Moira interjected gently.

"If only you knew how much I would like to be his," Mindy thought to herself as she smiled shyly.

*Bamf*

Zhir-Chi'an teleported herself into the bunk room she shared with Kfan-Hre'an, and saw her friend look up momentarily as she arrived.

"They went through everything," Hre'an sent in disgust as she went back to picking her things up off the deck.

"So it appears. Do we at least have our clothing left?" Chi'an asked.

"I believe some of mine is missing...I cannot imagine what they would have wanted it for," Hre'an replied.

"I would rather_not _imagine that," Chi'an sent back with a shudder.

"True enough, my friend. We were lucky that the Terrans came and freed us before...," Hre'an trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. The two women exchanged glances, knowing what could have happened to them if they had not been rescued--other captives had not been as fortunate.

Quickly changing the subject, Hre'an said, "It appears that Felix Canberra has taken a liking to you, Chi'an. What do you think of him?"

Chi'an stopped what she was doing for a moment to look at her friend.

"As I remember, he could not keep his thoughts to himself about both of us," Chi'an smiled, recalling the healing session for the Terran woman.

Hre'an grinned and sent, "True, and I must admit they were interesting thoughts from one so different, and yet, perhaps not so different."

"At least he has proper eyes, teeth, and a tail...even if he is covered with fur," Chi'an nearly chuckled.

"And so short," Hre'an added with a grin. "So, what of it, my friend...what do you think of him?"

Chi'an thought for a few moments while she picked her own things up off the deck.

"He is a good soul and pleasant enough while in his company."

"Would you have him?"

"Hre'an!"

"Ha, your thoughts betray you, my friend...you are curious about the Terran male! I admit that I, too, am curious, though I find that I fancy their Science Officer for some reason. Perhaps it is only because we are far from home and our prospects are few," Hre'an said in circumspect.

"Yes, I must admit my curiosity, and perhaps you are right. Our Honored Mothers may not be inclined to allow us to satisfy our curiosity, however," Chi'an agreed, remembering the words her own mother said to her the day she asked permission to join the Imperial Star Service, "...I will do so on the condition that you will not bring dishonor to our House."

"Surely there could be no harm in finding a little pleasure where we may, especially after what we had just been through," Hre'an suggested, followed by a shudder of disgust as she held up one of her undergarments--the center portion appeared to have been chewed upon by something large. "Ruined!"

Chi'an looked and then indicated her own disgust.

"Some of mine are missing as well."

"We have been violated in nearly every way but one...and thank the All Mother we have been spared that_!" Hre'an sent bitterly. "_What are we to do for clothing until we arrive home? We cannot stay here for the voyage home, and we surely need a proper cleansing now, yet our poor ship should not be taxed any more than she should until her systems are regenerated."

"Madam Moira said that if we needed anything we should ask Felix Canberra, as it is part of his duties," Chi'an replied.

"Including these?" Hre'an asked with a bit of playful sarcasm as she held up her ruined undergarments.

Chi'an grinned and replied, "Perhaps also with demonstrating their cleansing facilities."

"Then we shall ask," Hre'an smiled mischievously.

*Ba-Bamf!*

Felix hissed and spun in a typical feline cringing move with hair raised at the unexpected sound of air suddenly being displaced and two figures appearing out of nowhere right next to him.

"JEEZERS!!!"

"I'm sorry Felix Canberra, did we startle you?"

"Startle hell, you about made me jump outta my fur! Could you give a body a little warning first before you do that, ey?" Felix exclaimed trying calm himself down from the initial shock.

Chi'an and Hre'an grinned to each other before returning their attention to Felix.

"Madam Moira said that if we needed anything we were to come to you," Hre'an sent with a subtle sweetness.

"Um...*cough*...what can I get for you two ladies?" Felix asked.

"There are two things that we find ourselves requiring...," Chi'an started.

"The Wurnak Da'i went through our personal belongings and...," Hre'an held up a pair of her ruined undergarments for Felix to see, "...what we found of our things, they are no longer fit to wear."

Felix felt shocked for two reasons--first and foremost was the thought that they were lucky that didn't happen while the undergarments were being worn, and the second was because she was actually showing her undergarments to him...and being just a little playfully bold about it.

"Er, I can see why. So, you need some replacement uniforms and such, ey? Well, I'll have to get your...um, measurements, and I'll need something for the computer to use as a pattern, preferably something that's not been...chewed on," Felix explained.

"We have brought with us what remains of our clothing and personal items, Felix Canberra, if that will be of help," Hre'an offered.

"Well, okay then, if you both will follow me, I'll take you to our AQMS and we'll see what we can come up with," Felix said.

"Lead the way, Felix Canberra," Chi'an said as she stepped aside a little.

"Zhir-Chi'an, please, call me 'Felix'--and same for you, too, Kfan-Hre'an," Felix insisted.

The two Mûr Tua'ansa women stared at him for a few moments and then exchanged surprised looks with each other. This sort of thing would be unheard of on their own world--especially for a male to openly ask not just one, but two females who were not blood kin to call him by his given name.

Seeing the looks on their faces, Felix guessed that what he said must have been out of the ordinary.

"It's a little awkward for Terrans to hear someone call us by both our first and last names, and...well, I was hoping that maybe...we could be friends."

"Ah, and just what kind of 'friend' would you like to be with us...Felix?" Chi'an asked, teasing a little as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

Before Felix could come up with an answer to that, he felt something slither up his back and over his other shoulder, brushing the side of his face.

"I...er...," he started to say as he moved only his eyes to see what was on his left shoulder with a look of uncertainty.

"Chi'an, did you not just recently mention about how our Honored Mothers may not be inclined to allow us to satisfy our curiosity?" Hre'an reminded her friend with hint of humor in her sending.

"As you said, Hre'an, we are far from home...," Chi'an replied coyly, which made Felix's tail twitch more.

"True enough, my friend," Hre'an agreed, and then to Felix she sent,"Well, then, I, too, shall call you 'Felix', if that is your wish," after she put her hand on his other shoulder.

"We do have one other request of your services, Felix," Chi'an reminded him.

"Er, what might that be, ey?"

"We wish to be shown how to use the cleansing facilities on this ship. Perhaps after we acquire some clean clothing, you would be kind and show us."

"Er...sure, no problem, ey," Felix agreed, casting another quick glance with his eyes only at the black, snake-like tail that had been gently caressing his neck.

Once they arrived to the space on the ship containing the AQMS, or "Automated Quartermaster system", Felix had Chi'an and Hre'an take turns in the body measurement scanner, to find their sizes, and then he laid out each article of clothing they needed reproduced so that the system could scan and make a digital model to fit the body of each woman. After making a few corrections in the 3D holographic patterns, the system went to work manufacturing the number of each item requested. When finished, the clothing came out in two neatly folded bundles, plus two pairs of the odd tall, open-toe footwear that is a cross between a boot and a sandal. Each requested a dozen each of the matching white undergarments, short skirt, and sleeveless top that is long in the back and revealing in the front with the proper insignia on the shoulders that make up their uniforms. Felix had seen the Mûr Tua'ansa CO wearing her uniform earlier when she was with the captain, and he thought it was an interesting contrast to their gray skin, black markings, and black hair. It wasn't really much of a uniform, and it didn't seem quite as practical as the one-piece flight suit-style uniforms he and his own shipmates wore. Still, though, on these ladies it looked rather attractive, especially given their tall, statuesque forms.

"Well, here we are, ey," Felix said as they arrived outside the spare berthing compartment that Chi'an and Hre'an would be sharing. He showed them how to operate the door from both sides, and where to put their things. "I'm sorry that the racks aren't any longer than this."

"Racks?" Chi'an asked with a puzzled look.

"Oh, er...the beds," Felix replied giving one a few pats. "On military ships they're called 'racks'--it's a term that goes back several hundred years."

"Ah, you have your own--what is the word in your language that is used to describe a set of specialty terms?"

"Jargon."

"Thank you. 'Jar-gon'...a storage container that is no longer present?"

"Heh, not quite. Moira?"

/* "Yes, Felix, what may I help you with?" */ Moira answered.

"Would you give Zhir-Chi'an the definition of the word, 'jargon', please?"

/* "Certainly. It means..." */ Moira proceeded with rattling off the dictionary definition of the word and its origin. /* "Anything else I may be of assistance with, Felix?" */

"I believe that will do it for now, Moira, thank you."

/* "You are welcome, Felix." */

Felix paused a few seconds as a way to let Moira know that he was finished talking to her, and then he continued with his discussion with Chi'an and Hre'an.

"They do appear rather small, though we will be happy to make do with what is available. They surely will be better than the floor of a cold holding cell," Hre'an sent, pushing on the mattress with her hand.

"Oh, that reminds me; you come from a warm climate, ey?" Felix asked.

"That is correct, Felix, our species originated in a warm forest environment, and although we now inhabit many different climates on several worlds, we still prefer warmer temperatures," Hre'an explained.

"If it feels too cool in here to you, the temperature, humidity, and lighting controls are over there on the bulkhead," Felix said, pointing to the small environmental control panel.

"Thank you, you are so thoughtful," Chi'an sent with a little smile. "Now that we have our sleeping area and clean clothing, perhaps you would be so kind as to show us to the cleansing facilities?"

Felix looked up first to Zhir-Chi'an, then to Kfan-Hre'an, and said, "If you both will follow me, please, I'll show you how to work the shower."

He led them into the "head", as a restroom is called upon a ship, which is adjacent to the berthing compartment, and gave a quick demonstration of the use of each of the amenities--the sink, toilet, and finally the shower. The two ladies were thankful that they would not have to clean themselves in a cramped space as they had wondered, given the size of the average crewperson on board Nightwing. The showers on the ship were of a standard size built to accommodate G.E.L.F.s and other species that may be tall or have longer tails, such as the Elendorians, since once in place the showers couldn't be easily modified.

"It will be a joy to feel clean again," Hre'an sent openly to both Chi'an and to Felix.

"Yes, that it will my friend. Perhaps our 'rescuer' would like to join us...after all, it_would _be a shame to use their precious queth sliat without sharing," Chi'an agreed as she wrapped the end of her tail around Felix's wrist.

"Like the sleeping shelves, this 'shower' is a bit small...it might be interesting fitting the three of us in there at once," Hre'an suggested with a grin, and she wrapped the end of her own tail around Felix's other wrist.

"Eh? Y-You want_m-me_ to...to join both of you...in there?" Felix asked in astonishment, looking from one to the other.

"We know that you are curious about us, and we admit to our own curiosity of you. If it does not violate any restrictions...would you join us?" Chi'an asked gently.

"Er...I-I'm still on duty...for another two and a half hours. Um, maybe we could meet for supper later?"

Felix was thrilled that they had extended the invitation, but one thing he wasn't was a slacker--Felix had some reports to work on and requisitions to submit before they got underway for Mûr Zhæn, and if he left now, he would just have enough time to finish by the time to knock off ship's work for the "day".

"Oh, of course, Felix...we do not wish to interfere with your duties," Chi'an sent apologetically.

"But we will be happy to join you at mealtime, is that not so, Chi'an?" Hre'an sent.

"Indeed. Perhaps we could do this another time?" Chi'an suggested.

"Sure. Well, I have to get back to it...I'll see you later, ey?" Felix said, excusing himself.

"Certainly. Call to us when you are ready," Chi'an replied, as Felix took his leave.

After a moment, Hre'an said, "Well that is a small disappointment, however, it would not do to keep him from fulfilling his duties--they must come first."

"That is true, my friend. Go ahead and take your turn, I will wait until you finish," Chi'an sent softly.

While Chi'an waited for her friend to get cleaned up, Chi'an sat on the edge of the bottom bunk and thought about Felix.

"I hope that we did not offend him by offering to share in cleansing together. Perhaps his people may have a different ritual for the bonding of friends...I shall have to ask my counterpart on this ship, perhaps after I have cleansed myself I shall ask Madam Moira where I may find Petty Officer Cara Bronski. Hmm, I noticed that Felix did not respond to hri'fal[1]...perhaps he is not permitted to while on duty; I shall ask my counterpart about that as well."

Chi'an continued musing about Felix until Hre'an stepped out of the shower.

"Ah, by my grandmother's horns, it is good to be clean again, Chi'an! This 'shower' of theirs...it is a delight!" Hre'an exclaimed when she entered the berthing compartment proper."While not the same as a bathing pool back home, it does have some interesting features. While trying the different spray patterns, I accidentally found one that was...rather enjoyable."

Chi'an looked up with a grin as Hre'an walked to the locker she had put her things in.

"I wondered what was taking you so long," Chi'an sent with a teasing smirk.

"If you select spray pattern 'F3' and use 'Mode-M', it is nearly as good as...well, you will find out for yourself!" Hre'an sent suggestively while getting dressed.

"Very well, then, I shall give it a try."

Chi'an enjoyed the shower as much as her friend had, and afterwards she found that the clothing created for them by Felix fit perfectly, though they felt a little odd--most likely it was due to the difference in materials used in their construction. However, Chi'an and Hre'an were grateful to have had a thorough scrubbing and clean clothes again after their period of captivity at the hands of the Wurnak Da'i.

"This is a rather interesting ship that you have, Rha'an. You say that she was actually_grown_, eh? I've been wondering if we might be heading towards that same direction with our own starships, since we've been incorporating more and more organic technology into them."

"Thank you, James. Yes, our dear little Se'nika was grown--it was a joyous day when she came free of her birthing pod and took her place among the stars." Rha'an stopped for a moment and gently placed her hand on a bulkhead. "It saddens us to feel the abuse she has suffered. If you had not come along when you did, I...I do not wish to think what our fates would have been."

James could hear the subtle sounds made by the ship and he thought he could feel...something, perhaps a shift in its mood, if that was possible. He certainly could sense the shift in Rha'an's mood.

"At least we were able to save some from further torment and death, and I hope the Wurnak Da'i will get the message to not come back," James said, placing his hand on Rha'an's arm.

"And if they do...?"

"Then we will kick their tails all the way back to their home world and make sure they won't bother anyone else for a very long time," James replied firmly.

Rha'an looked down at James and started to grin.

"I do not doubt that, James."

As they continued along with the tour, James marveled at the layout and functioning of the organic ship, and at the same time he was saddened by the damage the Wurnak Da'i had done to it.

"They do not respect life, in any form, it seems," James growled softly at one point, observing the damage.

Rha'an sensed what James was feeling--he was making no effort to hide his contempt of the Wurnak Da'i for what they had done to the ship and to those they had taken captive.

"You have not yet seen what they did to the poor people that lived on the fourth world in this star system...," Rha'an shuddered as she remembered the horrors their probe showed them.

"I don't think our people have had time yet to investigate any of the other planets in this system--they've been too busy cleaning up the remains of the enemy ships we destroyed," James said calmly, though he could feel the revulsion Rha'an felt. "Can you show me...?"

"I will do better--I will share our recording of what we discovered with your people. Come with me...," Rha'an replied, and then she led James to the Command Pit.

Under normal circumstances, Rha'an would only enter the space on the level where her command chair is located, this time she entered the lower level on the right side.

"This station is where our Sensory Specialist does her work. Poor Zhir-Chi'an was the first of us to see the carnage."

Rha'an set about working the controls to bring up the recording from the probe. In a few moments, she sent the image stream to the main holo-screen so that James could have the full impact of what the rest of the command crew saw. James didn't say a word throughout the entire playback, though Rha'an saw the expressions on his face--it didn't take a telepath to understand what played through his mind.

When the playback finished, James was silent for a while, and when he finally spoke, he said, "Rha'an...thank you for showing me this, for it explains something I think. May I share something with you...in here?" he asked pointing to his head.

"Would you prefer someplace more private?"

"That would be fine, though first, if you want to share that with us, can you do a tight beam transmit to my ship? I can have Moira save it and send it on to my superiors."

"That is easy enough to do; it will only take a moment..."

While Rha'an set up for the sending of the video record, James contacted Moira via his comm-set.

[James]: "Daugherty to Moira."

[Moira]: "Yes James?"

[James]: "I'm over on the Se'nika...the commander wishes to share a video recording with us and she is going to transmit it to you via tight beam transmission. I want you to save it, and keep it secured for the time being--when I get back, I'm going to want to speak with the admiral about it before sharing it with the crew."

[Moira]: "As you wish, James--I am ready to receive."

With a gesture from James, Rha'an sent the recording--it took only a few seconds for the transmission to complete.

[James]: "Did you get it all, Moira?"

[Moira]: "Yes James, I have the file saved. Do you wish for me to send a note to Admiral Donnelson that you wish to speak with him upon your return?"

[James]: "Please do. I'll let you know when we're about to return."

[Moira]: "As you wish, James. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

[James]: "That's it for now, dear, I'll see you in a little while. Daugherty out."

James removed his comm-set from his ear and as he was putting it back into the upper sleeve pocket on his uniform, Rha'an asked, "Did Madam Moira receive the file?"

"Yes, she did, and she has it saved," James replied.

"That is well. I have never met a computer intelligence such as her before, she seems so..."

"Real?"

"Yes, I find it quite amazing that she has such personality--it is as if a living mind had been captured and stored in circuitry. Tell me that is not so with her!"

"Heh, no, she was created in a computer lab, though she is alive--she's just not a_biological_ being," James said.

"Ah, I believe I understand," Rha'an sent in relief. "The machine form she controls...what is your term for it?"

"Oh, you mean her android avatar," James replied.

"Yes. It is remarkably life-like. We do not have such machines--are there many of those on your world?"

"She could easily pass as any other person, except for the fact that she can't be sensed and doesn't have the telepathic ability...and that's something Moira wishes she had. The android avatars are mostly just on our starships as an extension of a ship's A.I. to assist their crews, though they are actually counted as being a part of a ship's crew compliment," James replied.

"Your ship_wishes _to have the ability to speak to you thusly?" Rha'an asked with a degree of surprise.

"Yes, she does...in_both_ of her forms. We don't know how to do that yet, though we could mimic it in a way through an implantable transceiver, but it wouldn't be the same. Maybe someday a way will be found to give her what she wants," James replied, recalling the other wish Moira has, but keeping that to his own self.

Rha'an thought on that a moment and sent, "Our own ships can to an extent, though we have kept them limited. It could be done, I suppose, though that is not in my area of knowledge and I am uncertain as to what it would require." She paused for few seconds and then said, "If you still wish to, we may go somewhere more private to embrace in thought."

James smiled briefly and said, "Lead the way."

James followed Rha'an out of the Command Pit and a short distance away she stopped by a section of bulkhead that seemed to have marks forming a faint outline. Placing her hand on what looked like a dark patch in the pattern of the bulkhead's material, it glowed with a dim luminescence for a moment, and then the surface softened and an opening formed. James watched the process in fascination--when they stepped through the opening, he lightly ran the fingers of one hand along the edge. It felt soft, supple, almost like that of a large, green leaf of a jungle plant. Once in the room on the other side, Rha'an again touched a part of the bulkhead, and the process reversed itself, closing and sealing up, and becoming hard once more.

"That is...amazing," he said quietly.

Rha'an smiled and then sent apologetically, "I regret that my quarters are not quite as expansive as yours on your ship. I do not have a separate compartment in which to conduct ship's business, though perhaps you will find the surroundings comfortable. Please, if you will be seated there, I shall join you in a moment."

James nodded his head once, and sat on the couch-like "chair", though his feet did not quite touch the deck.

"Geez, I feel sort of like a kid here with the size of everything," James thought to himself. "Rha'an is certainly a tall lady...just like Shauna is. Hmm, I guess they might be about the same height, give or take a little. In a way, she does look a bit young to be commanding a starship, though who knows just how old any of these folks are. What was it that their science officer, Jhen-Kri'an, said about the difference between their years and ours? Oh, yeah, one of their years is equal to five point two eight of our years. Geez, their home world must be at the outer edge of the habitable zone around their sun to have an orbit that long. I wonder what she's doing...ooo, nice backside! Okay, gotta think of something else..."

When Rha'an and her crew went over their ship checking for damage and what had been taken, she was relieved that the Wurnak Da'i did not find their way into her quarters. It is one of the places in the ship that is especially hardened against sensor scans, particularly since it lies next to the ship's "brain". A few items had been knocked over or otherwise jarred out of their place when the ship was incapacitated, but no harm had come to the ceremonial items kept in her quarters for safe keeping. While she was getting the special drinking vessels and a jug of water from the Mûr Thel-Raleen, or "The Source of Souls", Rha'an paused for a moment. Although James had quickly shifted his thinking to something else, she had inadvertently caught the unguarded thought, and smiled to herself.

"So, my form is looked upon favorably by one who is so alien...yet, perhaps we are not so to one another, after a fashion. At least his thought was pleasantly in the appreciative, and not a vile one. A small comfort, true, but one nonetheless...and we are far from our own. If he was not already mated, it might be a temptation..."

Rha'an said nothing of the thought, nor did she give any indication that she knew of it, when she joined James on the pushily cushioned couch-like seat--one of the few indulgences she allowed herself in her quarters. She handed one of the drinking vessels to James, unsealed the stopper on the jug, and poured from it.

"This queth sliat is from the most sacred spring in the heart of the birth forest of our people--every ship carries some with it. In our language the spring is called Mûr Thel-Raleen--The Source of Souls." Rha'an poured some of the water into her own drinking vessel and then set the jug on the nearby table. Holding hers next to his, she continued, "Hear the words spoken by our Ancient Mothers, in the soft still of Blessed Night, among the protective Tykua-niya vines...

"Senwui ni-chana fah oi-tvah hærwi naoa,

m'toi ahsui lluisse varswe ith.

Uuinna havrilen soneh aivelreen jhenwa

Mûr Tua'ansa wen franeh t'ui suea ahwu."

This was the first time that James had actually heard any of the Mûr Tua'ansa speak aloud. He had wondered if they even could, given that they seemed to communicate exclusively by telepathy. James found Rha'an's voice to be quite pleasing, in a sensually husky way. As she spoke the words, James saw an image in his mind of people sitting on the ground in a forest. The place was surrounded by long vines with long spiky growths hanging down from the trees, and gently illuminated by some sort of natural bioluminescent globes. Sitting on a great fallen log were the old women, the Grandmothers, the heads of their respective clans. One of these James seemed to know somehow--a distant relative in the ancient past. He knew then that Rha'an must be sharing a memory with him that had been passed down from generation to generation. A name came to him, "Rhuw-Hwe'ana"...and a meaning, "Honored Mother who sees beyond the trees, of the line of Rhuw." The words apparently had no direct translation in Standard English, though Rha'an explained as best she could.

"These words are known to all of us, shared from great many long nights ago, and even the Empress herself must harken to their wisdom for none are above their truth. In the tongue of your people, 'Senwui ni-chana fah oi-tvah hærwi naoa, m'toi ahsui lluisse varswe ith' cautions us to be respectful of all life for it is the gift we must share in equal measure with each other, with all living things.All that we take, we must give in return or that which we have will be taken from us. ' Uuinna havrilen soneh aivelreen jhenwa Mûr Tua'ansa wen franeh t'ui suea ahwu' reminds us that we are all of us connected to and part of the Soul of the All Mother, without whom the universe would be a barren house without joy, and what good is a house if there is no life sheltered within it? The universe would be a sad place if there were no others to share our likenesses and differences. Here in the Great Night among the stars themselves, I share with you, James Daugherty of Terra, queth sliat from Mûr Thel-Raleen, from the birth place of my people, from my mouth to yours."

Rha'an took a drink from her drinking vessel and then turned it around and held it to James' lips for him to drink from it also.

Not knowing what else to do, James simply nodded his head once and let Rha'an give him a drink of her water. When he had had his drink, she turned the vessel back around and--looking James directly in the eye--finished the rest. When she made a small gesture towards his drinking vessel, James took it as an indication to repeat the procedure with her.

He sent, "I thank you for the sharing, and in return I share with you the water--the queth sliat--of Mûr Thel-Raleen, from my mouth to yours." James took a drink, turned it around and gave some to Rha'an; when she finished, he turned it back around and looked her in the eyes as he finished the rest. When he finished, he added, "Though I may not be from your world, Rhuw-Rha'an of Mûr Zhæn, at least we both live in the same universe, and the house is indeed a joyful place because of it."

Rha'an smiled broadly--an act that would have made most humans, especially those from long ago, nervous for it showed the powerful fangs and sharp triangular teeth in her mouth. It was, actually, the first time he had seen Rha'an--or any of the other Mûr Tua'ansa for that matter--really smile.

After they set the drinking vessels aside, Rha'an turned on the cushioned seat to face James. She reached towards the side of his face, and James thought she was going to brush her fingers against his cheek. Instead, she gently rubbed the inside of her wrist and forearm against it, and James thought he smelled something that he had not detected in either her or the other's scents before, as the soft, thick, fur-like hair on her arm rubbed against his cheek. Whatever the scent was, it was pleasing, and James felt rather calm and relaxed.

"Let us embrace in thought, James...share with me that which you will."

James closed his eyes and felt almost as if he was falling, but then he felt as if he was lying on his back, and something soft and furry gently stroking his face.

"Share with me ...," he heard Rha'an say softly in his head.

James shared the memory of the night in the glade when he heard the mental cry of a million people in shock, fear, and pain...and then suddenly stop as if cut short. He now understood that it was the people of the dead world that Rha'an and her crew discovered, who had cried out and had been felt all the way to Terra. Rha'an found this remarkable even as it saddened her to think of those who had perished at the hands of the Wurnak Da'i. As psionically gifted as her own race is, why then, was it the Terrans who had heard the cries of those slain? James then shared with her the vision Felix had the next evening while his entire crew was in the glade and had shared with his captain and shipmates--it was the vision of her crew's own capture, imprisonment, and torment at the hands of the Wurnak Da'i.

"You...you knew_of us?!_" Rha'an asked in surprise when she saw Felix Canberra's hand reaching out to one of her own.

"We did not know at the time who it was that Felix had seen in his vision, though Moira had heard from the Ganthorens that one of their merchant vessels had nearly been caught in this area as your own ship had been. They barely escaped in time, and from their sensor data, Moira was able to learn a few things--she is very resourceful," James replied.

"The Ganthorens...it is only recently that we have learned of their people beyond the fringe of our known space. How do you know of them?"

"We have recently established trade relations with them. This part of space is still new to us, and our scout ships were scheduled to head out here to begin mapping. I suppose that eventually we would have stumbled upon one another," James replied.

Rha'an continued to hold the furry hair on her forearm against James' face as she held his head in her lap.

"I am glad that you and your people did come...we are indebted to you, James. It is a debt that my crew and I, and our poor ship, too, are glad of. When we reach our home world, perhaps the Empress herself will wish to thank you personally--it would be a rare honor if she so chooses."

James did not yet know that he was currently resting his head in Rha'an's lap--the pheromones in the scent glands of her wrists seemed to have relaxed him more than she had anticipated, and to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation, she kept him from being aware of it.

"Let me share something with you, James...," Rha'an sent, and she proceeded to show him her home, her family's estate on the outskirts of Fan-Træ'il, a beautiful small city on the forested banks of Lake E'la-Wrai where she grew up.

In return, James showed Rha'an his own home in the wilds of Alaska, and also of the ancestral home of his family, and the glade. She grew particularly interested in his memories of the glade and let him know her curiosity.

"It is a very special place, Rha'an...perhaps someday you and your crew can come to my world and I can take you there," James sent after giving her some of its history.

"I would like that, James."

Rha'an gently sat James upright and then allowed him to once again be aware of his physical orientation.

"Perhaps it is time we should return to your ship so that you may converse with your superior," Rha'an suggested.

"Um, yeah...geez, I didn't doze off, did I?

"No, though you had become quite relaxed. It will pass shortly and you will feel more energetic. I will put things away here, and then we will return. I believe you wished to let your mates know..."

"Yes...I did tell Lilly that I would let her know. Heh, surprising a skunk is not necessarily a good thing," James chuckled.

Back onboard_Nightwing_, James had Sylvia place a call to Admiral Donnelson who was still on the Titan.

[Adm. D.]: "What do you have for me, James?"

[James]: "Commander Rhuw-Rha'an has shared a video recording from the sensor probe they were examining one of the two planets in this system's habitable zone. What they discovered was rather...sickening. They found that the planet had been inhabited, but the entire population had been slaughtered. Yes, sir, you heard me right, they were_slaughtered_, there's no other way to describe it. As soon as they saw what had happened, the commander had their communications officer send a copy of the probe's findings back to their equivalent of Fleet Command, and were attempting to leave quickly in case the perpetrators were still around when their ship was disabled by the Wurnak Da'i and the crew incapacitated. Sir, I believe it was the mental cry from the inhabitants of that world we experienced back home. The commander sent a copy of the probe's video to_Nightwing_, and she wants our people to see it. I haven't shared it with my crew yet, though I promised her that I would send it to you. Before anyone goes down to that planet, I think they should see this recording. I don't know if this was just a colony world or what, but I think if it was, then somebody needs to find out whose colony it was and try to contact their government to let them know what happened. I'm sending a copy of the recording to you now..."

[Adm. D.]: "If it is as bad as you say, then we should send a small team down to see if they can determine who the former inhabitants were. I'll take a look at this recording with my staff, and go from there. On another matter, you've got the clearance to proceed with taking the Mûr Tua'ansa people back home along with their ship. In case their government is open to the idea of establishing diplomatic relations, Command is assigning an ambassadorial attaché to join you on the trip. Since your previous report stated that they are a matriarchal society, they're sending over a lady by the name of Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna to accompany you--she should arrive via shuttle within the hour."

[James]: "Wait, they're sending an Elendorian?" James asked, surprised by the choice. "Shouldn't they have sent someone actually_from_ Terra, since it was Terrans who rescued the Mûr Tua'ansa crew?"

[Adm. D.]: "Miss Ja'f'darwe is from Terra, James...she was born in Annapolis and has lived her whole life there, except for the year she spent on Élendor Prime with her D'wena. She's the niece of the Elendorian ambassador and well trained in diplomatic work."

[James]: "And the fact that she just happens to be strongly empathic doesn't figure into it, does, it, sir?" James said more like a statement than a question, with a dose of sarcasm tossed in for good measure.

[Adm. D.]: "We're just the military, James; our job is to do...what the political types do is not up to us."

[James]: "I hope they realize that the Mûr Tua'ansa are powerful full telepaths and they're not going to be buffaloed by any slick tricks from a diplomat, no matter who it is. Just for the record, sir, I think they should have sent someone whose species originated on Terra...or just let us handle it. No offense meant towards the attaché."

[Adm. D.]: "I understand your concern, and believe me, I argued the same thing with the CNO, and he actually agreed, but...the political wonks whined and they got their way. Again. At least the Federation Council agreed to let you be fully in charge of the mission--Miss Ja'f'darwe is coming along as an advisor only. However, if the Mûr Tua'ansa government wishes to explore diplomatic relations, she will be able to explain our end of the process to them in detail."

[James]: "Having an Elendorian female onboard is going to make things interesting. Oh, that reminds me...don't let her bring any Elendorian perfume on my ship. I've had a recent experience with some that I don't care to repeat, and if it wasn't for one of my petty officers who has extensive knowledge of Elendorians, our little rescue mission might have been at least delayed."

Admiral Donnelson gave James an intensely curious look.

[Adm. D.]: "Out with it, James...how did you find this out?"

[James]: "Well, sir, long story short...Lilith came over for a visit before we left for that Wurnak Da'i base, and apparently an Elendorian female on her crew had given Lilith some perfume without explaining its properties on males, so she put some of it on. When we greeted each other, it had a rather powerful--and immediate--effect on me. Moira's avatar was with us, and she caught me before I fell over, and then they both took me to Sickbay. Petty Officer Canberra was there getting supplies and he knew right away what it was, and how to counter its effects. I found out later that he spent seven months on Élenswena, an Elendorian colony world...and he wears a te'nwah, if that tells you anything."

[Adm. D.]: "Jeezers, I've heard some stories about Elendorian aphrodisiacs and such...it's a good thing your crewman knew what to do. A te'nwah, eh? Hmm, if I remember correctly, things must be pretty serious between him and his lady friend if he's wearing one of those, because it's not some little trinket picked up from a street vendor. Okay, well, as soon as the attaché gets aboard, you're free to depart when ready. As a precaution, I'm ordering Shadow Storm and Dark Fire to fly escort just in case...they can assist with the towing to give your ship a break, and also cover your ass if any bad guys show up along the way."

[James]: "Understood, sir. We'll see you on the flip side...Daugherty out."

James leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. While he had absolutely nothing against Elendorians for they are a quite pleasant people to be around, he just didn't look forward to the distraction of having one of their women on his ship. Rha'an was going to have a few of her people at a time over on their ship to keep an eye on things there, and...

"...Rha'an, why can't I get my mind off of her? What did she do to me? Might be a long shot, but...maybe I should have Mindy give me a once over just in case. Oh, now my stomach's grumbling...geez, it's still a while yet until it's time to eat. I'll stop by the galley and grab something to snack on, on the way to Sickbay. Now, if I can just keep from wanting to munch some mouse muff while I'm there, I'll be okay," James thought wryly to himself.

He got up and walked out the back door to his cabin, and stopped in the crew's mess along the way. James wasn't sure exactly what he wanted when he walked in, so it took him a few minutes to decide on something. When he got to the lift, he heard someone call out, "Hold please!" and saw that Petty Officer Bronski was trotting towards the lift from the other direction. James held the doors open for her and waited for her to enter.

"Thank you, sir!" she said slightly out of breath as she joined him in the lift.

James smiled and nodded his head.

"Deck three, Sickbay," James announced to the lift, and then looked at Cara.

"Engineering," she told the lift.

The doors shut and they were soon on their way.

When Cara saw the dessert bowl filled with slices of cheese and apple--one of the captain's favorite snacks--she asked with a grin, "Got the munchies, sir?"

Glancing at the bowl in his hand and then at her, James replied, "Yeah, guess I didn't eat a big enough lunch or something," he grinned. James held the bowl out and offered some to Cara. "What some? I've got plenty."

Cara hesitated just a second and then said, "Thank you, sir," and took a piece of apple.

"How are things going, Petty Officer Bronski?" James asked.

"Oh, um, just fine sir. I'm just on my way to check out some test equipment from the tool crib so I can do some PMS[2]on the starboard sensor array. I just have to make sure they're still within calibration specs...should take only thirty minutes at the most," she replied.

"Very well, we still have ample time before we depart for Mûr Zhæn. Just be careful--I wouldn't want you to get hurt again, okay?" James said with a grin and giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"I will, sir," Cara agreed with mild embarrassment.

The lift slowed to a stop and a soft chime sounded to indicate the desired location.

"Well, this looks like my stop. See you at dinner," James said and stepped out of the lift onto third deck near Sickbay.

"Aye, sir," Cara said in return, giving a little wave.

When the doors to the lift closed, Cara relaxed a little--she always got a little nervous when she was around officers, especially high ranking ones such as her CO. In a way, she was glad that Nightwing was a more relaxed ship than her last one, but then since it was and also much smaller, it meant that she saw both the CO and XO on a regular basis instead of just during inspections or chance encounters in the passageways.

"He is kinda nice for a captain, I guess. Donnelson sure seems to love him. I suppose it can be pretty hard on her at times, having an officer for a mate. They have to be so careful when they're together, especially on a station or base...like that time we all went to the club back when we were still in the yards. I know she wanted to dance with him so badly, but she couldn't, and McElroy felt sorry for her so he asked her to dance with him. He's a sweet guy, really, I guess it's no wonder Miss Stewert seems to like him so much. Oh, looks like I'm coming up on Engineering...," Cara thought to herself.

When the doors to the lift opened, she started to step out, but was surprised to see one of the Mûr Tua'ansa crewmembers standing next in front of the lift door.

"Oh! H-Hi...er, excuse me, I-I wasn't..."

"Pardon me, madam...?"

"Oh, I'm EW2 Cara Bronski."

"...Cara Bronski, I should have not stood so close to the doors. Please..."

He stepped aside with a slight bow and indicated for Cara to proceed.

"Uh, thank you. You're...?"

"I am Propulsion Specialist First Grade Vren-Kan'ta, at your service, madam."

"Um, I-I'm not a 'madam'...I'm an Electronics Warfare Technician, Petty Officer Second Class."

Vren-Kan'ta bowed his head and sent, "I apologize--I did not wish to offend."

"Oh, it's okay, you didn't. Um, I...I need to get going; I've got some equipment to check before we get underway. I-I guess I'll see ya around."

Cara left Vren-Kan'ta staring after her as she hurried off to get the test equipment she needed.

"Jeezers, that was pretty awkward! They seem pretty nice and all, but I wish they didn't look so scary!"

James walked into Sickbay and found Mindy checking her inventory of supplies.

"Oh, 'afternoon, Captain...is there something I can do for you?" she asked, a little surprised that he came in.

"Hi, Mindy. Yeah, I, um, need a little favor...would you mind giving me a quick check over to see if there's anything unusual in or on me?"

Mindy put down her PAD and got a concerned look on her face.

"Sure, have a seat on one of the bio-beds and let me get my scanner," Mindy replied and then she went to the charging station where she kept the hand-held scanners. When she came over to James, she asked, "Are you feeling okay, sir?"

Looking around, James replied quietly, "Well...I don't know. Rhuw-Rha'an took me over to her ship for a tour, and while we were over there, we got to talking about what they found when they were exploring this system and then I wanted to share with her the experience I had back home. She gave me a drink of water from some spring that's considered sacred to them, and then she touched my face."

"Touched your face?" Mindy asked a little perplexed.

"Yeah, but it was with her wrist, not her fingers. She was rubbing that hairy part of her arm on my face, and I felt...well, like I just melted or something. I got really relaxed, and I thought I might have dozed off, but she says I didn't. There was a scent, too...I can't describe it, but it was, I don't know...different, kinda pleasant."

"I didn't think they_have_ much of a scent, at least not that I've noticed," Mindy stated.

"Yeah, you're right, I don't think I've smelled any scent from them after they've had a chance to get cleaned up from being in captivity. Anyway, for some reason, I just can't stop thinking of Rha'an, and I don't know why," James said, looking Mindy in the eye.

She knew James well enough to know that it was troubling him.

Giving a quick glance towards the doors, Mindy ran her fingers once through his hair and said softly, "Well, let's see what we can find out, then."

Switching on the scanner, she held it close to James' face, looking for any biochemical substances that might be on his skin.

Seeing the slight frown on her face, James asked, "Find something?"

"Well...I'm not sure. Just a sec, I want to get a few samples."

Mindy switched off the scanner, put it down, and got some sterile swabs, two small bottles, and some sample vials. One of the bottles contained sterile distilled water, and the other had alcohol--she first rubbed a dry swab on his skin, then wetted a swab with the water and rubbed that over part of James' cheek, and then repeated it again in a different area using another swab wetted with alcohol. Each time after she swabbed an area, Mindy cut off the head of the swab into one of the vials.

"Okay, I'm going to run these and see if there's anything on them that's out of the ordinary," Mindy explained, and then proceeded to prep the samples for the analyzer. While the samples were being processed, Mindy collected a blood sample to check for any unusual chemical or biological agents.

"Well, that's going to take a little while to run. In the mean time, er, are you having any particular kind of thoughts about the commander, or are they just...?" Mindy asked quietly, moving closer to James.

"Well, it's nothing specific, actually, I mean, I'm not having any thoughts of sexual nature. At least I don't think so...of her. Rha'an's kind of attractive in a strange way, but, you know...what...I want..."

"Is it...the same thing...I want...?" Mindy asked almost in a whisper, feeling her pulse quicken at being so close to James.

"Er, got any plans for tonight...?"

"Maybe..."

Just then the medical computer spoke it its carefully measured voice.

/* "Foreign biochemical substance found--analysis indicates similar formulation to class of hormonal substances known as pheromones. Empirical formula to follow..." */

"Damn...that was quick," James muttered in quiet exasperation.

"Hold that thought, James...," Mindy whispered in his ear, and then tore herself away to look at the results of the analysis.

"I've _been_holding that thought ever since Lilith waylaid me with that Elendorian perfume," James said with mild sarcasm as he drummed his fingers on the edge of the bio-bed.

Mindy looked over her shoulder and gave him a coy grin at his remark.

"Me, too," she agreed, before turning back to the display. "Well...will you look at that...," Mindy said, giving her tail a bit of a swish in excitement at finding something new.

"Do I want to know what it is?" James asked cautiously.

"Well, if this is what I think it is, you got dosed with a pretty strong pheromone that acts like a calming agent. This stuff looks like it could calm even the most hysterical person, kind of like how a mother's scent can calm her little ones when they're frightened," Mindy explained.

"Perfumes...pheromones...what's next, Elendorian cheese balls and Cana'aran wine?" James groaned, shaking his head slightly.

"Mmm, now _that_sounds good!" Mindy said looking over her shoulder with a sly grin.

James regarded her for a moment and then said, "Maybe I should see if Canberra can get his hands on some."

Talking about the cheese balls reminded James of the bowl of sliced cheese and apple that he had brought with him to snack on. While Mindy was concentrating on the chemical analysis of the samples, James quietly slipped behind her and as he put his arm around her waist, he held a slice of cheese in front of her nose.

"I'll share..."

"Oh! James, you...mmm, you would?"

"I believe the proper medical phrase is, 'open wide and say ah...'," James said giving Mindy a nuzzle behind her ear.

She giggled lightly and took the offered piece of cheese.

"You are so_bad_!"

"Heh, Lil tells me that all the time. Come to think of it, so does Tanya. I think even Moira is catching on," James said with a smirk.

Mindy shook her head and said, "How do they put up with you?"

James grinned and held up another piece of cheese.

"Believe it or not, but Moira can be just as bad when she gets in the mood."

"Moira has...moods?" Mindy asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, maybe not quite like we do, but she does...unless she's really good at faking it.

/* "I heard that, James." */

James grinned broadly and looked up towards the overhead and made a kissing gesture.

"Are your ears a-burnin', dear?" he asked with a chuckle.

/* "Only when_you _are talking about me, James." */

Both James and Mindy could hear the tone of amusement in Moira's voice.

/* "Actually, James, I wanted to let you know that the ambassadorial attaché the admiral spoke of is on approach. Shall I have the flight deck readied, or the portside airlock?" */

"Have Sylvia call that shuttle and find out if they're just delivering, or if she's planning on bringing it along."

/* "As you wish, James. One moment, please..." */

"We've got someone from the Ambassadorial Service coming with us?" Mindy asked, flicking an ear back.

"Unfortunately...and to make it even more interesting, Command sent an Elendorian woman. She's supposedly along just as an 'advisor', but you know how that goes," James said rolling his eyes a little. "Oh, and before you ask, I asked the admiral to make sure that she doesn't bring any perfume onboard my ship."

Mindy grinned and said, "I'll make sure I have enough detox meds synthesized just in case."

*Snort* "Probably a good idea, Min. Oh, hey, will this stuff wash off my face, or am I stuck with it until it wears off?"

"I'm sure a little soap and water will do the trick. You can use the head in my quarters if you wish."

"Thanks, Mindy, I think I will. Help yourself to what's left," James said, gesturing to the remaining cheese and apple in the bowl.

/* "James, the shuttle bringing the ambassadorial attaché will not be staying, and the pilot requests permission to come alongside and attach." */

"Very well, inform the pilot that permission is granted. What's the shuttle's ETA?"

/* "Approximately ten minutes." */

"Okay, have Tanya and Petty Officer Canberra meet me at the portside airlock, I'll be on my way shortly."

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

After a slight pause, James said to Mindy with a little grin, "I guess I'd better get scrubbed."

A short while later James, Tanya, and Felix were standing next to the airlock waiting for the Ambassadorial Service shuttle to attach. James noticed that Felix was wearing the te'nwah his uiseh'nwia had given him while he was on Élenswena on the outside of his uniform. Normally, that wouldn't be allowed, given the regulations concerning the wearing of jewelry or other ornamentation. However, given the situation, James let it pass since the VIP arriving is an Elendorian.

/* "James, the shuttle is in position for the docking tube," */ Moira announced.

"Acknowledged," James replied, and nodded to Canberra to extend it.

When the docking was complete, Felix announced, "We have a positive seal and the tube is pressurized, sir."

"Open it up," James ordered.

"Aye, aye, sir."

Felix unlocked the pressure door and opened it, allowing the three of them a clear view to the far end...and of their guest.

"Ambassadorial Attaché, Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna, reporting as ordered, sir. May I have permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted, Miss Ja'f'darwe, and welcome aboard Nightwing," James replied, holding his hand out and raised to eye level with his palm facing towards his left. She held her own hand out and touched the back of his hand with the back of hers in the traditional Elendorian version of a "handshake". "This is my Executive Officer, Commander Tanya Dvoretsky, and my ship's clerk, Petty Officer Second Class Felix Canberra--he will see to your needs while you are on_Nightwing_."

Miss Ja'f'darwe bowed curtly to Tanya, and when she faced Felix, her eyes went straight to the te'nwah he wore.

Felix held his hand up as the captain had done, only he said, "S?'al-wæ kwe's?, s?'al-wæ d'm?-fren, uia Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna. Nia Canberra Felix awi Sa'n'sriel, sheya anweia", giving the traditional greeting phrase including his name and the D'wena he has been made a part of.

Miss Ja'f'darwe's eyes widened in surprise and she fanned the brightly-colored feather-like protrusions on the end of her tail.

"S?'al-wæ kwe's?, s?'al-wæ d'm?-fren, Petty Officer Canberra. I'm impressed; I was not made aware that someone on this ship was fluent in the language of Élendor. Your_uiseh'nwia_ is undoubtedly very proud of you," Miss Ja'f'darwe said holding her hand over, but not touching, the te'nwah hanging around his neck.

"I served on Élenswena for six months, and then spent an extra month of my own time there," Felix explained.

"Ah, you did not wish to be parted from your uiseh'nwia...if I may, which of you chose?" Miss Ja'f'darwe asked.

"We both chose, of our own free will, before her D'wena on the twelfnight of Ail'een Ra'swe-faern," Felix replied calmly, looking her straight in the eye.

Miss Ja'f'darwe smiled and rustled her tail.

"A most auspicious time for such a pledge. I wish the two of you well, and may the D'wena of Sa'n'sriel grow stronger for it," Miss Ja'f'darwe said with a slight bow and holding her hands up in an attitude of blessing.

Felix bowed a little lower than Miss Ja'f'darwe in acceptance.

"Now that the pleasantries are aside, Captain, I would like to be shown to my quarters--it's been a long trip on short notice, and I'd like to relax a little before dinner. It will be at the usual time onboard military vessels, I trust?"

"Certainly, Miss Ja'f'darwe, Petty Officer Canberra will direct you to your berthing compartment, and dinner will be held in the crew's mess--if you wish, I will have Moira call you when it's time." James replied, and with a nod, Felix led the attaché to her quarters.

When they were out of earshot, Tanya said quietly, "She has an unusual accent for an Elendorian."

James snorted softly and said, "The admiral said she was born and raised in Annapolis, and has lived there all of her life, except for the year she spent on Élendor. Apparently she has dual citizenship, both there and on Terra."

"Ah, well, that explains the accent at least. I didn't know Canberra knew so much about their culture," Tanya said, wrapping an arm around James's.

"Yeah, it surprised me to learn that he's so involved with an Elendorian woman--he's practically engaged to her. Not quite, but almost. That should be an interesting couple," James added the last with a little smirk.

"I wonder if he has any pictures of her."

"I wouldn't doubt it. I heard Sylvia tell him once that she had a channel open for him when it was time for anyone to place a personal call, so I guess they keep in regular contact. Long distance relationships suck, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do, but we've managed somehow, haven't we baby?"

"You got it, Tan. As much as I'd like to slip a bone to my favorite wolf right now, I guess we'd better start making headway for Mûr Zhæn.

"Ooo...I'm gonna remind you of that, tonight," Tanya said with a grin.

"You do that," James said nuzzling his mate and giving her a kiss.

When it was fifteen minutes before the scheduled time for dinner, James had Sylvia call all hands to the crew's mess, including Rhuw-Rha'an's people, for a quick meeting before the meal.

"Now that we're all here, I've got a couple of announcements to make. First, Fleet Command has assigned Ambassadorial Attaché Miss Ja'f'darwe Ræha'ahna to us in case the Mûr Tua'ansa government should wish to consider establishing formal relations at some future date. She's along for the ride as an advisor, and to answer any questions government officials on Mûr Zhæn may have on how best to proceed. I expect my crew to extend the usual courtesy to her while she is aboard_Nightwing_. Secondly, we've been given clearance to proceed to Mûr Zhæn when we're ready. Shadow Storm and Dark Fire will be accompanying us as escort, and also will assist with towing the Chel-Sar Se'nika to give_Nightwing_ a break as needed. At 0800 tomorrow, we will get underway at sub-light speed just to make sure there won't be any hitches, until we're clear of this system, and then we'll make the jump to hyperspace. One other thing: I have something that Commander Rhuw-Rha'an wishes to share with us--it's what they discovered when they first came to this system on their exploration mission, prior to being attacked by the Wurnak Da'i. It's...pretty disturbing, and there's no real 'good' time to ever see something like this, though I think we all need to see it so that we can understand something. What they saw...well, it is my belief that it has to do with what many of us back home experienced during the 'psi event'. If I show it now, it's likely to ruin your meal; if I show you after dinner, it's likely to cause you to lose your meal; and if I show it later tonight, it'll ruin your sleep, and I need us all to be well-rested."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Miss Stewert?"

"I need to know...I want to see it."

"Aye, sir, tha' makes two us," Ivor said.

"Count me in, too," Lilly said.

As James looked about the crew's mess, he received the same from the rest of his crew.

"Alright, if you want to see it now, I suppose this will be as good--and bad--a time as any. Just remember, I warned you it's not something you'll want to remember."

"Captain," Rha'an quickly jumped in and sending so that all present could hear, "this is something that should not be forgotten. Not all of my own crew has seen what I and those in the Command Pit saw that day. We have not yet had time to sit together embraced in thought to share the experience. Perhaps it may help if those of us who can will explain the events as they unfold."

James looked at Rha'an and then swept his gaze across the room, making eye contact with each and everyone present.

"Very well. Moira, if you will dim the lights and activate the holographic imaging system..."

"As you wish, James," she acknowledged through her avatar, who was standing nearby.

In the darkened room, the images from the probe began playing. Rhuw-Rha'an began by explaining why they came to this system, and what led up to the launching of the probe. Zhir-Chi'an, who was standing next to Felix, took up the narration from there, explaining how she was remotely guiding the probe so that it would pass over with the sun behind it, up until the first close up view of the bodies appeared. There were gasps, moans, and even a few sobs, as both crews saw together the full extent of the carnage and destruction inflicted by the Wurnak Da'i upon the poor, hapless world. Commander Rhuw-Rha'an once again took up the narration as she explained the actions taken immediately after, up until they were captured. When the video record finished playing, James shared what he had experienced while alone in the glade with all, and so did Sylvia. Felix took a turn at sharing again what he saw in his own vision. This was all new to the Commander's crew, save for her, which James had already shared this information with her in private. Poor Miss Ja'f'darwe was moved to tears, for she had also been one who had felt the multitude of minds cry out and then silenced that night. Zhir-Chi'an looked down at Felix and wrapped her tail around his, with a look of awe and wonder in her eyes. From so far away, he had had so clear a vision of_her_ and reaching for her just as he had done when he entered the holding cell...she looked up at her commander who met her gaze.

"How could he have known?!" Zhir-Chi'an pleaded.

"I have no answer to give you, for it perplexes me as well, just as how these Terrans heard the cry of those poor people and we did not. Perhaps it is something unique to them, or perhaps the All-Mother meant for them to hear. When I submit my report upon returning to our home, perhaps the news of what happened will reach even to the Empress herself."

"And if it should?" Zhir-Chi'an asked.

"Then we shall stand together with the Terrans before her when they are summoned," Rhuw-Rha'an replied.

Later that evening, Zhir-Chi'an mentally searched for and found Felix, and then she willed herself to his location.

*Bamf*

"Well, that felt good," Felix thought to himself when the drying system finished blow-drying his fur after his shower. As is typical of most feline G.E.L.F.s, Felix didn't take any more time than necessary in the shower--no amount of genetic engineering ever successfully removed the general dislike of getting wet from most cats. He went back to his rack and put his things away in his locker, getting his brush out to smooth his fur. He worked quickly to give his arms, legs, tail, head, front, and as much of his back as he could reach a once over before getting into bed. Ivor was already in his rack reading a book on his PAD, Cara was sitting at the table trying to finish a letter home before they left Federation space. Lilly's rack was, of course, unused, since she was moved into the captain's cabin. On some nights, Felix had the berthing compartment all to himself, and on other nights maybe one of the others might be there--it seemed seldom these days that the three of them were all there at the same time. Ivor spent some nights with Miss Stewert, and Cara spent some with Miss Redhill. Felix thought the ship had become something of one of those ancient "soap opera" entertainment shows--Cara ending up getting involved with the puma, who in turn seemed to have something for Ivor the fox, who is in love with the bat (and who didn't_dream of being with _her). Lilly is the captain's second cousin and_his mate, and their XO, Commander Dvoretsky, is also the captain's mate. "_Lucky stiff," Felix had thought with wry humor on several occasions about his CO. He thought briefly about the other women of the crew--Lt Eriksson, Chief Sorrel, and then there is Moira. "Miss Eriksson's a looker, I suppose, but she'd squash my carcass. The chief's a nice gal, but I've seen the way she looks at the skipper--I wouldn't doubt he's shaggin' her, too. Hell, I would! Moira...now she's gorgeous! Well, her avatar is anyway. I guess Mr. McCloud and I are the two left out, ey. He's got his gal waitin' for him back home, and mine's almost on the other side of the Federation." Felix fingered the te'nwah hanging around his neck and thought of her. "Læree'ahna, I wonder what you're doing right now. Are you missing me as much as I miss you?"

"Hey, Canberra, what's that around your neck?"

"Ey?" Felix said looking up, his moment of thought broken.

That necklace you always wear, I've never seen one like it before. Where did you get it?" Cara asked.

"Oh, this? It's a_te'nwah_, it was given to me by my uiseh'nwia," Felix replied.

"In English...?" Cara asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Ivor put his PAD down and rolled over onto his side so that he could get a better view.

"Aye, I've wondered that meself," he said, getting into the conversation.

"It's got the symbol of the D'wena, or clan, on it that my uiseh'nwia is part of. There's no direct translation in Standard, though it roughly means 'first chosen of the heart'," Felix tried to explain.

"What does _that_mean?" Cara asked.

"Er, kinda 'more than girlfriend, but not quite fiancé, I guess. Of the males she gets to choose from, I'm her first choice, just as she's my first choice."

Cara looked at Felix not comprehending what he just said.

"Say what?!"

"Ey, I was on Élenswena for seven months, ey."

"Élenswena? Ach, lad, tha' be an Elendorian colony, if I remember," Ivor said, definitely getting interested.

"It is," Felix acknowledged.

"So how did you get hooked up with a...," Cara started to say, and then...

*Bamf*

Zhir-Chi'an's sudden, unannounced appearance resulted in the usual reactions. Felix jumped and hissed, Cara uttered an expletive as she nearly fell out of her chair, and Ivor yiped--partly in surprise and partly from bumping his head on the bottom of the rack above him.

"JEEZERS, Chi'an! You're gonna give a person a coronary doin' that!" Felix exclaimed.

"Forgive me, Felix, I did not mean to frighten you. I...wished to see you...," Chi'an sent.

"Oh, aye lass, you be a seein' 'bout as much o' Felix as the rest o' us, him a standin' there in his skivvies," Ivor quipped.

Zhir-Chi'an looked quizzically at Ivor, not really understanding what he was talking about.

"I wish to see you...in private," Zhir-Chi'an insisted gently.

"Let me put something on first, ey? Can't go walkin' around the ship in just my underwear!"

"Clothing is not necessary, I will take you. Please?" she said holding out her arms.

Felix grabbed his issue PJ bottoms from his rack and quickly slipped them on.

Before Felix could ask, "Where are we going," Zhir-Chi'an grabbed him in a hug and...

*bamf*

They were gone.

*Bamf*

"Yeeoowl!" Felix cried out when Zhir-Chi'an teleported them both into the berthing compartment she was sharing with Kfan-Hre'an.

"Ah, I see you found him," Hre'an sent when they appeared in a sudden displacement of air.

Felix assumed the "feline cringe" posture while still being held in Zhir-Chi'an's arms out of instinct, due to the surprise of what he had just experienced.

"Be calm, Felix, it is only Hre'an," Chi'an sent gently, brushing the inside of her wrist against his face.

The effect of the calming pheromones secreted by the scent gland hidden beneath the fur-like hair on her forearm worked quickly on Felix, and he relaxed in Chi'an's arms.

She guided Felix over to one of the bottom racks in the berthing compartment and sat down, sending, "Sit with me."

As relaxed as Felix suddenly found himself, being somewhat at a loss to explain how he could be, he sat down next to Chi'an, though she pulled him closer. She glanced over to Hre'an who got up from the chair she had been sitting on and came over to join them, sitting on the other side of Felix.

"I must know, Felix, how is it that you saw me in your vision?"

"I-I don't know, Chi'an...honest! I just sometimes...know things before they happen. Most of the time it's just a feeling, like I know that I'm in the right place at the right time for something. Why I saw you that night...I don't know, I really don't know," Felix sent so that he could make sure that she would know he was telling the truth.

"But you came for us, guided by your vision...," Hre'an sent.

"Partly, I guess. Ships were disappearing in these parts, rumors spreading of something dark spreading, and then there was that cry many of us on Terra heard. They were all pieces of a puzzle. I can't shake the feeling that something was guiding us, though," Felix explained.

Chi'an and Hre'an looked at one another and Chi'an sent to her friend, "Perhaps our Madam Commander was correct, perhaps the All-Mother meant for these Terrans to come. But why me...why him?"

"I do not know, Chi'an; perhaps we may learn the answers to your questions in time," Hre'an replied with a sympathetic grin.

Chi'an looked back at Felix, who had been glancing back and forth between the two Mûr Tua'ansa females sitting so close on either side of them. Chi'an furrowed the starkly white eyebrows brows on her gray-skinned face for a moment in deep thought, and when she looked back at Felix, her face softened. Standing abruptly, Chi'an unfastened her uniform top and slid it off, exposing her bare chest, and then she unfastened both the short skirt and her undergarments, removing them as well. Felix felt a mix of emotions ranging from embarrassment to arousal, for he_did_ find Chi'an rather attractive, and he began to realize just how wildly erotic her markings looked. Hre'an stood as well, and with a sly grin, she also stripped in front of Felix as if it were nothing. Hre'an, being at least a good fifteen centimeters taller than Chi'an, looked even more statuesque than her friend, and Felix's eyes followed the sinuous markings on her as well, from her neck all the way down her long legs. Felix suddenly felt himself rising up into the air, lifted by an unseen force, and ending up being suspended between Chi'an and Hre'an so that he was about eye level to them.

Chi'an gently held his face with her hands and sent, "Felix...be with us tonight."

Felix felt himself being turned around--the sensation was similar to, but not quite, like being in zero-G.

"We promise to be gentle," Hre'an sent, running the end of her tail through the fur on his chest.

Being turned once again so that he was facing Chi'an, she caressed his face with the backs of her fingers, and asked, "You do still find us pleasing to the eye, do you not?"

"Well...um, yes, you're_both_ quite attractive, actually. Er, how...?" Felix replied, and started to ask how he was being held in mid-air, looking down at the deck.

"Our doing, Felix...we are holding you with our thoughts," Hre'an sent in reply.

"Oh. Why...?"

"Is it not best to look upon another on an equal level?" Chi'an asked.

"Well, I suppose," Felix replied, a little disconcerted at being suspended in the air with no visible means of support.

"Be with us tonight...please?" Chi'an asked.

Felix saw the look in her eyes, and it seemed to him that she is worried that he might say no. In truth, Felix really didn't want to be alone, though he really wanted to be with his Læree'ahna. He hadn't forgotten about Poppy, Lilly's cousin, since they had left Terra, and he had been keeping his promise to stay in touch with her. That seemed to make Poppy happy, and her girls, too. However, Læree'ahna and Poppy were both very far away, and Chi'an and Hre'an were right here, ready and willing. One of the things Læree'ahna had taught Felix, was that sex was something one did for fun...making love was something special to be shared only with one who you kept close to your heart. He knew for certain that she would have no problem with just spending a night with someone...the highly erotic Elendorians are, as they put it, a "sexually mature" race.

Felix reached out and gently touched Chi'an's face and said, "Okay, I'll stay with the both of you tonight. Um, just one thing, though...where are we going to sleep at? There's not enough room in one of the racks for all three of us."

"Leave that to me," Hre'an said, and shortly the mattresses from each of the four racks in the compartment were yanked out of their places, and set upon the floor in two stacks, with the pillows and blankets also put in their appropriate place on the mattresses, all without anyone physically touching them.

When that was finished, Chi'an sent, "I do not believe you will need these...," and Felix suddenly felt his PJ bottoms and skivvies pulled off of him and laid aside on one of the racks--again without being touched by anyone's hands.

"If you will get comfortable, I will get the lights," Hre'an offered, and Chi'an agreed.

They carefully set him back down onto the deck, and Chi'an lay down on the mattresses, motioning for Felix to join her.

"I have not been with anyone yet," Chi'an stated matter-of-factly.

"Neither have I," Hre'an added as she joined them under the covers after putting out the overhead lights.

"You haven't? Felix asked incredulously, looking from one to the other.

"No, on our world, our prospects for potential mates are, shall we say...limited," Chi'an replied.

"Why's that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Pairings on our world are--I believe you say--'arranged', as a matter of course to further the standings of our houses. Neither Chi'an nor I are currently of sufficient standing within our respective houses to be paired," Hre'an explained.

"There are many things our Honored Mothers must consider before choosing a male from another house to be paired with one of their daughters. It can be rather...complicated," Chi'an added.

Like most Terrans, Felix didn't think much of arranged marriages, though he kept his views to himself. This is, after all, a custom of a world alien to him, and it is not his place to either condemn or condone, but merely to accept as how things are done in their culture.

"Have there ever been those of your people who have become the mate of someone of a different species?" Felix asked politely.

"I have not heard of such a thing," Chi'an replied furrowing her brows in thought.

"Nor have I," Hre'an added, glancing at her friend.

"Have there been those of your world who have?" Chi'an asked.

"Well, yeah...a lot of people are. Most of our crew comes from families that are mixed-species. Our own captain has four mates, and they're all different. There are people who even become mates with those from other worlds."

That last part caused Felix to think strongly about Læree'ahna, and both Chi'an and Hre'an picked up on the thought.

"Felix, forgive me...I couldn't help but to sense it, the feeling was so strong. You...you are attached to someone not of your world?" Chi'an asked with a measure of shame.

"And I as well," Hre'an added. "We...did not know you..."

"Oh, um...yeah," Felix replied quietly, "it's not exactly something that I've kept secret, ey."

Hre'an sent, "Oh, Chi'an, we have shamed ourselves and our Houses!"

"Whoa, wait a minute," Felix said with firmness, "I think I need to explain something before you go thinking that!"

He spent several minutes explaining to Chi'an and Hre'an about his time on Élenswena, about the culture of the Elendorian people, and about his relationship with Læree'ahna.

"So, you see, you haven't done anything that they would find offensive in the least. There's no harm in having a little fun, ey?" Felix said at last with a little grin.

The look of worry melted away from the faces of Chi'an and Hre'an and was replaced with one of wonder as he shared his tale with them. Before either of the two Mûr Tua'ansa women could respond, Felix kissed Chi'an full on the lips for several seconds, and then he did the same to Hre'an. They were both surprised by the move--kissing, Felix learned shortly thereafter--is something the Mûr Tua'ansa don't do; not because there are any cultural taboos against it, it is just something completely foreign to them.

"Felix...you are a surprise!" Hre'an exclaimed.

"Yes! What else do you do that is so...different?" Chi'an asked excitedly.

Felix grinned and said, "Let me show you...," and he proceeded to kiss and gently lick his way along the full length of Chi'an's body, stopping in certain places to give them extra special attention. By the time he got to the fur-like hair near her ankles, he had without realizing it, found another peculiarity to Mûr Tua'ansa anatomy--a hidden scent gland that gives off a pheromone that acts as a sexual attractant/stimulant when released. Chi'an had never dreamed that being with a male--especially one as exotic to her as Felix--could be so...enjoyable. Oral sex is another thing that is completely foreign to the Mûr Tua'ansa, not that Chi'an--after experiencing it for the first time--would ever complain. Hre'an watched in wonder at what Felix was doing and how her friend reacted, and she could hardly wait for her turn at experiencing these new things.

Vren-Kan'ta lay in his rack while several others of his crewmates were preparing themselves for rest. He had been thinking about the trip home, of seeing his family and friends again, but then his thoughts turned to when he met the Terran woman earlier that day at the lift just outside of Engineering.

"It must be odd to go about with no tail--how does one walk properly, or even perform hri'fal for that matter?" he thought to himself.

Vren-Kan'ta noted that there were many different species of people who are properly called Terrans, and that was something he found difficult to grasp.

"There are so many different kinds of these Terrans...theirs must be a very strange world. I would like to see it once for myself, to walk their forests in the light of their moon, to look up and see their stars...I wonder if our own star is even visible from their world. Ah well, I suppose another time to think of such things."

/* "Taps, taps. Lights out. All hands turn in to your bunks and keep silence about the decks. Now taps," */ came the announcement over the intercom system at 2200, as the ship shifted to "nighttime mode"--the lights in all living spaces and passageways switched to night-sight preserving blue lights, while other areas of the ship--such as the crew's mess and the bridge--switched to dimmer white light levels. The main Engineering spaces always maintained full lighting levels, though auxiliary spaces, cargo holds, the hanger bay and flight deck, were normally dimmed unless full lighting was required, such as during General Quarters, handling cargo, or flight ops.

Rhuw-Rha'an mentally contacted each of her people to make sure they were settled down to get their required rest, and then she reported it to James, who was sitting across the table from her with Tanya in the crew's mess.

"James, my own are now all at their rest--we should be as well."

"She's right, hon; we need to get some sleep. We've gone over everything that we can think of, so c'mon before I have Shauna toss you over her shoulder and carry your tail to bed!" Tanya agreed, ending with a teasing grin, and giving his hand a little tug.

"Okay, okay...go on ahead while I put things away," James relented.

"Goodnight, Commander, see you at breakfast in the morning," Tanya said politely to Rha'an.

"Rest well, Tanya Dvoretsky," Rha'an sent, returning the courtesy.

When Tanya headed out of the crew's mess, James gathered up the cups and took them over to the cleaning station so that the automated system could clean, sanitize, dry, and return them to the appropriate storage compartment. When he returned to the table to retrieve his PAD, Rha'an was standing and waiting. He felt the end of her tail wrap gently around his wrist and he grinned, now that he understood what it meant. James did something unexpected, though, by lifting his wrist to his face and rubbed the end of her tail against his cheek.

Rha'an made a quiet little gasp of surprise--no male had ever been this bold with her before, though she had to admit that she found it strangely pleasing.

"James!" she sent gently with a hint of a smile on her face.

He looked up at her face and grinned, wondering what it would be like to kiss her on the lips...and perhaps other places as well, purposely not taking care to shield his thoughts about it. While James wasn't directly sharing what he was thinking, he wasn't hiding it, either, knowing full well that Rha'an could easily pick up such unguarded surface thoughts.

Rha'an's eyes widened a bit--due to the physical contact between them, she couldn't help but to pick up James' thoughts.

"James...you find me...desirable?" Rha'an asked, somewhat shocked at the boldness of his thoughts, and yet also finding them curiously appealing. A commander of a Mûr Tua'ansa ship, especially of the Chel-Sar class of exploration ships, often does not have the luxury of finding pleasure with another while on a mission.

"You are_rather attractive, Rha'an. Do you have anyone waiting for you back home?_" James asked.

"How do you mean?" she asked, not quite understanding.

Trying to ask as delicately as possible, James sent, "Do you have a mate waiting for you?"

That she did understand.

"No, I am not paired," she replied, and James sensed the wistfulness in her sending.

"Oh, well, in that case...," James sent, motioning for Rha'an to lean closer.

Grinning a little, James gently brushed her hair aside with his fingers, lightly running the tips of them along the edge of Rha'an's ear, and down along her jaw. When he held the tips of his fingers under her chin, James drew her closer yet...and then with a quick smile, he kissed her softly on the lips. Noting the puzzled look on her face, he kissed her again, longer this time, and deeper.

"What is this you are doing, James?" she asked with great curiosity, for this was something totally new to her.

"We call it 'kissing'--I guess for us it's something like what you folks do with your tails. It could be a quick little peck on the cheek like this...*smooch*...or something like this...," James explained as he kissed her as passionately as he might his own mates. When he finished, he asked, "What do you think?"

"I have never experienced the like before--it is something not practiced among our people," Rha'an replied, looking at James in wonder.

"But, did you_like _it?" James asked arching an eyebrow with a hopeful expression on his face.

"I...I am not sure...I think so," Rha'an replied.

"Well, that's a start, I suppose," James sent with a grin.

"Did you find it enjoyable, James?"

"Definitely."

Rha'an looked questioningly at James for a moment, and then a smile began to form on her face.

"Perhaps there will be time for another demonstration of your version of hri'fal," she sent suggestively, "but first we must get our rest for the journey to our home world."

"You're right, we should get some sleep. I'll walk you to your stateroom," James agreed, and they headed out together.

Rha'an was given use of the stateroom originally assigned to Shauna and Tanya, so that she could sleep in the extended bunk made for the ship's engineer who is a little taller than Rha'an. Being the eldest, Rha'an is naturally the tallest of the Mûr Tua'ansa crew of the Chel-Sar Se'nika at 243.84 cm[3]. Mûr Tua'ansa never completely stop growing over the course of their long lifespan, which averages between 625-675 Standard Terran Years in length. At nearly thirty-eight Mûr Zhæn years of age, Rha'an is similar to James' own age, although she is two hundred Terran years old.

Stopping in the open door of the stateroom, James was about to say his goodnights, when Rha'an pulled him just enough into the space with her tail for the door to close.

Turning towards him, she sent, "James...forgive me if this is not how things are done in your culture, but...I must admit to you that if you were not already mated, I would...I would be tempted to have you. At least until we return home...perhaps for even longer, if we continued to find each other's company agreeable. However, while command has its privileges, it also has its restrictions--something of which I believe you can understand."

"Rha'an, as much as I dearly love my mates, and they me, we have shared with others. It may not be something that is done in your culture, but in our house, there is only love and acceptance. Perhaps some night, if you desire, you may experience that for yourself," James said, putting his arms around her waist and looking up into her eyes.

"Your ways are so..."

"Alien?" James asked with a grin.

Rha'an nodded her head once in agreement and then continued, "...but I find that your people have some interesting...views."

"'Bout time ya got back, Jamie!" Lilly exclaimed quietly, tossing her arms around his neck when he entered through the back door of his cabin.

"Yeah, well, I got to talking with Rha'an about something...don't worry, Lil, I didn't bone her," James said with a grin.

"Would ya?" Lilly asked quietly, nuzzling her mate.

"I'm pretty sure_she_ would," James replied.

Lilly cocked her head a little to one side and gave James a quizzical look.

"Whatcha mean by that?"

"Rha'an told me a little while ago that if I wasn't already mated, she would be tempted to have me."

"Wow, I guess she kinda likes ya, or somethin'," Lilly said still speaking quietly.

"I guess. She asked me if I found her desirable, and when I said that she's rather attractive, she acted surprised. I found out that Rha'an doesn't have anyone waiting for her back home, and...I found out something else that's rather curious."

"What?" Lilly prompted.

"They don't know about kissing."

"Get out! Seriously??" Lilly asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Their version of showing affection is done with those snaky tails of theirs," James replied.

"Weird," Lilly said quietly, thinking back to when she saw one of the Mûr Tua'ansa pick up something with her tail and held it as if it was just another hand.

"Jamie?"

"Yeah, Lil?"

"Are ya gonna peel outta that uniform so we can go to bed?"

"Yeah, give me a minute..." James replied, and he began to get undressed.

A short while later, James was nestled between Lilly and Tanya in bed, with Shauna on the other side of Tanya--Moira's avatar had not yet joined them, for she was off assisting the SRBs with augmenting the towing array. Tanya fell asleep quickly and contentedly with her muzzle against James' neck. Now used to the idea of sharing the bed with James and his other mates, Shauna put her arm over Tanya and rested her hand on James' chest, her head above theirs on the pillows. Lilly nuzzled against her mate on the other side, though she stayed awake a little while longer, chatting privately with James.

"So Commander Rhuw-whatever kinda likes ya, huh?" Lilly asked.

"Rhuw-Rha'an. She seems like a nice lady...takes a bit getting used to looking at their eyes, though." James replied, stroking Lilly's fur gently.

"Yeah, they do kinda remind ya of some of those weird pictures from ancient times, but they seem like good people. I wish they weren't so dang tall, though!"

"Heh, yeah...," James sent, followed by an image of Rha'an's chest.

"JAMIE!" Lilly exclaimed, giving him a little smack with her hand.

"Well...it is_kinda hard to miss when it's right in front of your face. Don't worry, Lil, I like yours just fine--you know how I_ love to bury my face in your fur..."

"Mmm, yeah, I do."

"Lil?"

"Yeah, Jamie?"

"I love you so much..."

"Aww...I love you, too, Jamie, more than anything..."

---

[1]Hri'fal - "the initiating touch"; a mild form of sensual caressing among the Tua'ansa using their tails.

[2]PMS - Planned Maintenance System, it specifies when to perform certain routine maintenance on equipment to maximize its life expectancy and prevent unscheduled down time.

[3]In the English unit of measurements, Rhuw-Rha'an is 8 feet tall; James is 6 feet 4 inches tall.