REBELS AND SAVIORS

Malfeasance

“So anyway, there we were - heading for the planet after taking out three Imperial cruisers, and I say, ‘Michael! Don’t be daft, man! Stay and fight! We can take out the fourth.’ But Michael was having none of that...”

“Since you’re the Captain, shouldn’t he listen to you?” asked one woman, hanging on Sean’s left arm and listening to his tale.

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But never was there a more stubborn man born than Michael. Ack, you should’ve seen him when we were young. He was the terror, but I get ahead of myself...” Sean said, pouring himself and his companions another round from the bottle. “So there we were burning up in the upper atmosphere, and I thought to myself, ‘This is it, Sean old boy, the last count. You poor hapless bastard, no you’re never going to discover what all this love stuff is for yourself,’ as the ground was rushing to meet us...” Sean paused as the young women sufficiently fawned over him, and commiserated his lack of time and love.

“Anyway, there I was on my way to dying, a virtual virgin with the whole love thing, myself...”

“You’re a virgin?” One woman asked in wonder.

“In the practical sense?” Sean looked his companions over... “Absolutely, a total virgin. Never been in love, never experienced it...but I really, really wanted to, and with Michael, that blackheart, stealing the Princess from me...”

“And now he was trying to kill you?” His companion asked in a hushed tone. “That’s just mean!” She wrapped herself around him, the better to pet his poor tortured soul. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Did I tell you that I find virgins so incredibly sexy?”

“Really? This could be a dangerous job...you have any friends?”

“Word is you’re looking for special compensation?” Sean looked up at the man who would be stupid enough to interrupt him in the middle of making an obvious deal regarding having his ‘love’ virginity tweaked.

“I’m a little busy here, pal.” Sean indicated the six women he had at his table.

The man shrugged, “Guess I heard wrong.” He turned on his heels to leave when Sean groaned. Dammit!

“Hey, not so fast there, buddy!” Sean quickly stood and peeled a few of the women off him, stopping to kiss one. “Ladies, duty calls. But you wait for me, and I'll be back...I promise.”

“But, Captain...” Sean motioned to the barkeep to bring another bottle to the table.

“Now ladies, what kind of man would I be to shirk my duty? I need to see this man, so have another drink, and as fast as that, I’ll be back.” Sean smiled his most charming smile and set off after his contact.

It took some doing, but he finally talked the man into a drink. They were in the back, in a dark corner that faced the general room. The man seemed nervous and cautious, so Sean plied him with drinks.

“Three sets? That’s a tall order.” The man drank down his drink. “It’ll cost and take time.”

“Credits, I have...time I don’t. I need them two hours ago and I’m willing to pay.”

“This price might be too high...show me what you got.”

Sean just laughed and poured another drink. “Sorry, I wasn’t born yesterday. My credits stay safe until I see the product.”

“I can’t work that way. I need some scratch, a sort of down payment of goodwill on your part...”

“How much of a down payment?” Sean asked appearing casual, but his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Ten thousand now, the remainder when the job is done.”

Sean didn’t even blink. Instead he tipped his bottle, and poured himself another drink. Taking the drink and downing it, Sean looked at the man directly, a hint of a smile on his mouth.

“Well, then we’d be having a problem, wouldn't we? That’s a lot for a goodwill gesture, and what’s to stop you from making a good profit and then melting away with my credits?”

The man noticed a patrol of Imperials entering the establishment. “Well it looks like you’ll need to find some trust in me, doesn’t it?”

Sean didn’t even flinch, or appear bothered by the entrance of the Imperials. He calmly drew his gun, and jammed it into his companion’s gut under the table, while drinking his next drink with his other hand.

“Then it seems we have a problem. Contrary to appearances, I just don’t trust that easily. Now I'll offer half that amount, and I don’t leave your side until you’re done.”

Sean poured another drink and stared unfalteringly into the man's eyes. Smiling a slow smile that crossed his face, but didn’t reach his eyes, Sean watched the man’s nervousness increase as the Imperials came closer.  Sean’s weapon was nestled against his gut. Sean lowered his blaster to the man's groin and waited.

“Deal! Just take that damn thing away, give me my credits, and let's go!”

Almost out of thin air, Sean seemed to pull out the five thousand credits and passed them to his companion. The man quickly grabbed them, and started to count.

“Don’t be a total fool and insult me with counting them here. We don't have the time.”

The man shrugged. “Time I’ve got...trust I don’t.” He quickly put away the credits, and walked deeper into the establishment with Sean on his heels. They went through a trick door, and found themselves outside in the back alley. Sean kept his weapon drawn and at his side in case it was an ambush.

Following the man through twisting alleyways, they entered a shop through the back. The place was quiet and dark. It was obviously a dry goods shop that was closed for the day, that the man used to do his illegal transactions at night.

“This your place?”

The man shook his head. “My sister’s.”

“Who is standing right here.” Sean turned to see a young woman coming out of the shadows to stand next to them. She had moved silently, and Sean cursed himself for letting anyone that close.

“I’ve a contract. Don’t ruin this for me.” The forger begged.

The woman just shook her head. “Nothing legal, I’m sure.” The sarcasm was apparent.

The man just shrugged. “You stay here. I’ll go start work on the papers.” He quickly went up a back stairs leaving Sean with his sister.

“He’ll get caught one day.” The woman looked at Sean without amusement or even real interest. “And what am I supposed to do with you?”

Sean just smiled. “You wouldn’t have any food, would you?”

“Perhaps, but it’ll cost you.”

“That’s fine, as long as I can watch. I’m a great cook myself.”

The woman just made a face. “Really? In my experience men are lazy bastards that want to be waited on hand and foot, and can barely feed themselves.”

Sean followed her up the same stairs that his ‘employee’ had just climbed, watching the long lean lines of her back, and her nice ass.

“You obviously know the wrong kind of man.”

“There are other kinds?” she looked back at Sean and shrugged again. “That remains to be seen.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat. Some say that my stew is to die for.”

~~~

Michael lifted his weapon into Sean’s face.

“It’s about fucking time! You’re late.”

“I ran into problems.”

“What else is new? You get the papers?”

Sean nodded, squatting next to where Michael was resting with Maria in his lap. Sean looked at the lump next to Michael that was all huddled up.

“What’s that?”

“That is the loudest, whiniest, most annoying Immaculate to ever be born, and if you wake it before we have to, I’ll shoot you between the eyes.”

Sean noted the seriousness of Michael’s tone and just nodded. Then looking at the sleeping Maria, he frowned.

“What’s wrong with Maria?”

“She overextended herself. She had to use a enormous amount of power to get to that ‘thing’,” Michael indicated the lump sleeping next to him and Maria, “and then she had to open a distortion corridor to get us out of the Temple.”

“Can she get us back to the Trinity?”

“She is awake.” Maria said quietly.

Michael put his hand on her face and tipped it up so he could look her over. Swearing under his breath, he took in the exhaustion, and her pale skin, almost translucent.

“You can’t open a new distortion, not right now.”

“I can try.” Maria struggled to stand up, and Michael quickly unfolded his body from hers and helped her. Maria stood up, holding his upper arm as he supported her, and she concentrated.

Nothing happened.

Finally she sagged against him, and Michael folded her close to him. She was barely keeping her feet.

“She can’t.”

“Walk? We could walk out.” Sean said. They had walked into town, so it would follow that if they could avoid the Imperials, they might make it out.

“I’d have to carry Maria, and that...” Michael pointed to the sleeping Immaculate, “...I doubt has ever carried herself more a few feet, not without braying about it.”

“Oh God, don’t tell me that the new Immaculate is going to make me fond of the ‘Lizzard’?”  Sean just shook his head. This job was becoming annoying.

Michael started to say something, but a mark on Sean caught his eye. Looking closer, Michael made a pissy sound under his breath.

“You were off fucking a woman...or, something while we sat here?”

“What?” Sean feigned innocence. But Michael pointed to his neck, and Sean’s hand came up to cover the offending mark.

“You’ve got a mark and a bite on your neck, so unless you ran into hickey-producing marauders or Imperials, that means...”

“Hey, I was waiting for the papers and sort of had a run-in with the forger’s sister. Pain in my ass it was too, when the damn brother came back and didn’t appreciate me and his sister using the kitchen table.”

“Uh huh. I see, and...”

“Oh stop your bitching! I had to shoot the bastard. And you don’t see me making nasty remarks about the mark on your neck.”

Michael’s hand quickly came up to cover his own neck. Maria just chuckled.

“Other side,” she said softly. She looked at Sean sternly. “I wasn’t going to mention it.”

Michael looked at Maria, and a small smile moved over his face, but then he looked at Sean and it was gone.

“Let’s get this straight. You hired a forger, and while waiting for him to do his work, you fucked his sister on the kitchen table, and when he returned to find you...indisposed, you shot him?”

“Only in self defense, and in the leg. Mere flesh wound. I paid the fair lady her brother’s wages, took the papers and came here, not even bothering to finish what I was doing before being interrupted.”

That had to count for something. Sean didn’t mention that he was on his third round with the fair Lady Irene, but that wasn’t pertinent to the situation. The fact was, he had left business undone. He should be commended on his dedication.

Michael just made a face at his friend and then looked at the quiet Maria next to him. She needed sleep, food and time to get her strength back before they could leave. They couldn’t stay where they were.

“We can’t stay here, and I doubt we can make it out of the city before the Imperials find us. Pierce will be able to track both the Immaculate and Maria. So we need to find a place to let her rest for a couple of hours, and keep guard.”

“I’ll go find us some lodgings.” Sean frowned at the state Maria was in. She looked distracted and almost unable to understand them at all. “How we going to mask them from Pierce?”

“Alex.”

Michael and Sean both turned at the sound of Maria's voice. They had both thought she was asleep again. She was being held up by Michael, with one of her arms around his neck while the other held his upper arm.

“Alex is a more powerful force than both Courtney and I combined. Pierce knows his signature, his power, and what he feels like. If you contact Max and have Alex come down to the surface...”

“He can lay a false trail and pull Pierce’s attention away! Or at least distract him.” Michael finished. Maria just nodded and laid her head back on his chest.

“That might work.” Michael nodded to Sean. “You find us accommodations for the rest of the night, and I’ll contact Max.”

“Done. So who sleeps with the Immaculate?”

“She sleeps alone. Untouchable, remember? And personally, I refuse to share a bed with you until you’re checked out for herpes and other diseases.”

Sean looked indignant. “Hey those space herpes were a long time ago! They never let you forget. Bitch, bitch, bitch...” Sean took himself off before Michael warmed on his favorite subject.

~~~

“Alex?”

“I am almost ready. I was checking on Isabel and Lonnie.”

Max couldn’t stop himself. “How is Isabel?”

Alex knew. He looked at Max and he knew. “She is better. This morning she actually walked around a little. Lonnie has been taking care of her. I think she is almost back to normal but her knee took some damage. Kyle said it would heal. He repaired the ripped ligament, so now it is just sore to walk on.”

Max nodded. Isabel. The thought of her was bothering him.

“Michael wants you to move around the planet. We’ve prepared a small fighter craft with Maria's shielding so the ship won’t be detected, but Pierce should still be able to feel you.”

“Maria thinks that I am strong enough of a force to draw Pierce’s attention?”

“Yes.”

Alex just shook his head no. “She is wrong. She is damn near as powerful in disturbing the Path as I am, and when you add in the Immaculate and Michael...They are in grave danger.”

“Michael?”

Alex nodded. It was Michael who had moved the matrix, bent it so many years ago. Even then, unknown to himself, he was reaching out for something or someone. The path of their destiny was wrapped together. There were no coincidences. They were all joined.

“His connection to Maria is growing stronger. As is his connection to you. I can feel you both, and even you, Max are pushing the fabric around you.”

“I don’t like this, Alex. It’s not true.” Denial. Denial was good.

“How did Michael contact you, Max? We are in a communications blackout. So how do you know?”

“Michael. He talks to me.”

“Mentally. You have always been able to feel him, know him. But did he ever talk in your head?”

Max shook his head no. “It was a feeling, almost like images, or a sense of ‘knowing’ before.”

“But now?”

“His voice. Actual words.” Max rubbed the back of his neck. “What’s happening to us?”

“I think that the stronger Michael becomes, the stronger you become. Your twin link works that way. Sean has no twin and is no longer bonded, so he is not using his innate abilities.”

“Michael? He’s changing because of Maria?” Max couldn’t believe it. Sean and Michael were right. The love thing was a sickness, a disease to be caught.

“No. What is happening to Michael started a long time ago. I think that Michael was born to a destiny, and somehow along the way the rest of us became part of it. Maybe that is why he was born unbonded.”

“There’s a legend about an unbonded Attilaan. Is it Michael?” Max wondered. He always suspected that Michael was different.

“Like most legends and prophecies, it is hard to say until it happens.” Alex gathered his remaining gear and walked with Max to the landing bay. “I thought he was The One, then I thought it was Maria, but now...now I am unsure what it all means.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Retrieve them before Pierce finds them.”

“I should go with you.”

Alex just shook his head no. “Too many ships looking for us. Your place is here. On your Bridge.”

Max had to agree. They were hidden, but Pierce had to know that Alex was near. Something or someone had to have drawn Pierce to Kheb. He was probably thinking he was tracking Kathleen’s unborn child and found the Immaculate instead. 

~~~

Sean stood watch in the small room he had acquired for the night. The Immaculate was asleep on a small settee. She complained all the way to the room, all the way up the stairs and then had a fit when she saw where she was to sleep. Sean had to agree with Michael - their new Immaculate was nothing if not annoying, and he now appreciated the quietness of Liz.

Michael and Maria were sharing the only bed. A lumpy narrow cot that barely had room for the two of them. Michael was awake watching the room as Sean watched the street below. Maria was asleep, or what appeared to be sleep.

“She moves a lot.”

Michael moved his hand over her back as if in comfort. “She does.”

“Dreaming?”

Michael shrugged. “She doesn’t say what causes it. It rarely wakes her. I don’t think she knows how much she moves, but whatever it is, it disturbs her.”

Maria moved in her sleep again, burrowing even more into Michael’s skin almost as if he were too far away. The sounds she made in her sleep were soft, but full of sorrow.

“She’s dreaming, Michael.”

“Yes. Tonight she is.” Michael looked down at the small body against his own. “She sometimes cries in her sleep, but the next morning she doesn’t seem to remember it.”

“What does she dream about?”

“Not sure. But she once told me that when her people died, all their voices rose in screams of horror and then suddenly they were gone. There was nothing but the void of silence and she was alone.” Michael moved his hand up her back to rest under her hair at the nape. “I think that’s why she can’t be silent or still.”

Sean suddenly felt tired. Sixteen years of just trying to survive. If this was to be the rest of their lives, he didn’t want it. He looked over at the two on the bed. They were so close and intertwined. Sean never thought he would ever see Michael so close to anyone. Then he noticed Maria’s hand.

“Is her hand down your...”

“Yeah. Her favorite place I’m beginning to suspect.”

“Maybe we should change shifts? You can watch the street, and I can...” Michael calmly set his weapon to kill and pointed it at Sean. “Hey! Just joking. You used to have a sense of humor.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Sean conceded the point. “Okay, so you didn’t, or at least not one that other people understood.” Sean chuckled to himself, enjoying the moment of making Michael react. Returning to his position, he continued looking outside.

“Michael, I’ve got movement on the street.”

Michael was suddenly on his feet to stand with Sean at the window. In the dark, they could see Imperials moving into position. Michael waited until it was clear that they were surrounding their rooming house.

“We’ve got to move.” Michael went to wake Maria. “Maria, come on wake up. Maria!”

She slowly pulled herself from sleep. Her limbs were so tired. Heavier than she ever remembered. Never before had she come so close to...”

“Maria! Wake up!”

“Michael.” Sean warned.

“I know. Come on, honey, I know you’re tired, but we need you to wake up and work.”

“Imperials?” Maria voice was soft and far away.

“Can you open us a way home?” Michael frowned. She was too out of it. Giving her a shake, he swore aloud when it was apparent that she had fainted.

“Maria! Dammit. It’s not going to work, Sean.”

Michael got off the bed and took his weapon to cover the door. Courtney finally stirred to the sounds of increased action and noise.

“What’s going on? Why did you wake me?”

“We’ve got company. Imperials.” Sean said over his shoulder.

Courtney just sat up on the side of the settee. “I don’t like this place. I don’t like you. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to go home to the Temple.”

“Shut up!” Both Michael and Sean said at the same time.

She just pouted at them, and sat back in a huff. Rude. All these people were so rude. The Priests weren’t rude. They were just boring. Frowning at the wall next to her, she suddenly stood up and screamed running to the other side of the room next to Michael and Sean.

Both men turned to see an opening forming in the wall. A Distortion corridor. Michael swore and grabbed his clutch weapon low on his left leg. Pointing it at the distortion with his other weapon covering the door, they watched as a figure emerged.

Alex.

“Alex, damn you!” Michael lowered his weapon as they heard the doors below kicked in.

“You boys need some help?”

“Alex, if you can open that thing again, then do it!”

Alex nodded and suddenly the corridor was back, as Sean broke the cardinal rule and grabbed the irritating Immaculate, dragging her into the rift against her will. Michael heard the soldiers mounting the stairs. He reached down to take Maria.

“I’ve got her.” Alex pulled Maria to her feet, and her eyes opened to look at him. She nodded as she moved into the corridor with Alex helping her. Michael was at their side covering the door when it burst open. The soldiers stood there looking into the distortion corridor stunned, when Pierce pushed them out of the way to enter the room.

Alex pushed Michael through, not trusting him to not to want to stay and fight. Still holding Maria up, they both looked back at Pierce for a moment before stepping through.

Pierce watched the corridor close behind them, and stood there staring at a wall.

~~~

Pierce leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He could no longer feel them. Wherever they had gone, they went fast.

“My Lord, we are docking with the Imperial cruiser, Tiberius.”

Pierce just nodded.

“The ground units?”

“Call them back. We are leaving the system.” Pierce stood to watch the Tiberius getting larger as they approached for docking.

Pierce once back on the Tiberius, went to his rooms. The Captain was waiting for him. They walked the corridors with the Captain staying slightly behind.

“My Lord, your orders.”

“Return us to the Empire, take us home to Pompeii.” Pierce’s door opened. He stopped in it and said the Captain behind his back. “Contact his Royal Emperor, Khivar. I require a communication link.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Pierce entered his rooms letting the door close in the Captain’s face. Standing at the port, he watched the fleet prepare to leave the Upper Kingdom.

“My Lord, his Royal Emperor, Khivar.”

“Put it through.”

Pierce waited as the man’s voice came over the link. “Report.”

“The disturbance was not Kathleen or her Eminent child.”

“Alex?”

“No, it was a young woman hidden in the Temple of the Immaculate.”

“Did you acquire her?”

Pierce paused. “No. She was liberated from my grasp.”

There was a cold silence, and when Khivar’s voice returned it's bass tone was deadly cold. “Liberated by whom?”

“Alex.”

“Rendezvous with my ship, Octavian. I wish an audience with you within the next forty-eight hours.”

Pierce allowed himself to feel fear. Something he hadn’t felt since the change and his power had manifested. He quickly swallowed the fear, confident that Khivar could not kill him without damaging space beyond repair.

“We are preparing to jump from the Upper Kingdom.” Pierce paused and then frowned. “Another thing, your Majesty.”

“Speak.”

“There was a woman. She bent the fabric almost like a force, using it as a weapon. She and Alex escaped through a distortion field with the others.” Pierce gulped hard. “They winked through space.”

There was a thunderous silence.

“Anterraan. Only they could travel in winks.” Khivar’s voice came over the com. “Belay the order to rendezvous. Order the fleet into a full spread search. I want you to find the Shiva, and bring me the Anterraan. Do not return without her.”

Pierce acknowledged his orders and disconnected the link. Did Alex do it or did the woman? Could his visions of a child born to Kathleen and Alex be wrong? Maybe Alex held all of Kathleen’s power. Alex. Where did you go?

~~~

Michael placed Maria in a med bed in the back of the Trinity. Kissing her quickly, Michael shut the restraining hatch and moved forward.

“Is she asleep again?” Alex asked. He felt tired. Almost too tired to move.

“Yes. She opened a distortion field before with little to no problem. What happened?”

Alex shrugged. “I do not know. I was not sure I could do it myself. It must be a present from my child.”

“How did you find us?”

“Maria. She is a strong presence. I narrowed in on her.” Alex looked at the surly woman being belted into a seat. “Our Immaculate?”

“Whiny pit viper is more like it. Whoever destined her to be an Immaculate had a wicked sense of humor.”

Alex grabbed the side of the ship to steady himself. “Michael, someone else will have to pilot the fighter back to the Shiva. I am too weak.”

Michael nodded and helped Alex into the back bay and placed him in a bed much like Maria’s. Staring at them for a moment, he went forward.

“Sean, take the Trinity home. I’ll pilot Alex’s ship.”

Sean just shook his head no. Michael wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving Maria in anyone else’s hands. Hitting his friend on the back, he headed for the door.

“Sorry, mate. You might be one of my best friends, but nothing is going to convince me to spend more time in the Whiny One’s company.” Sean pointedly looked at the Immaculate who was pulling at her safety strap and bitching constantly under her breath.

“Coward.”

“My mother raised no fool.” Sean was gone before Michael could comment.

Michael made his way to his pilot’s seat. Passing the Immaculate he wondered if he knocked her out, would that be a bad thing.

“When can I get out of this stupid seat?”

“Shut up!” Michael rushed to take off and return to the Shiva so he didn’t have to deal with Courtney for a moment longer than necessary.

~~~

“Captain, the Trinity and his Eminence’s ship have redocked.”

“Sam, you’ve got us a course out of here?”

“Aye, Cap.”

“Then punch it. Get us some distance from this mess.”

“Jump in four, three, two, one...”

Max felt his body move forward and elongate in an instant before it realigned within the jump corridor. They moved out of the jump in another part of space free of Imperial searchers.

“Deck Officer, inform the crew that we remain on alert. Normal operating procedures are in effect, but alter the shifts for double shifts at all times.”

A tall lean man at Max’s right acknowledged as he went to carry out the orders. They would push the night energy of the Shiva to daytime-carrying temperatures to accommodate the increased activity.

“Repair crews to all main systems. I want my ship back on line before we meet up with Imperials. Full systems diagnostics.”

“Aye, Cap.”

“Tell Director of flight operations to get those fighters armed with new shield grids, and the new weapon arrays. I want them to transverse shields like the Zephyr.” Max turned in his seat and looked at his operations officer.

“Caleb, what is the condition of repairs on the Zephyr?”

“She’s flightworthy, Cap, but just barely. The Princess made repairs, but has belayed them to work on the Shiva. Also the ship maintained some damage that requires replacement of her hull in spots. The metal alloy is unknown  to us.”

Max just swore. He wanted that ship working! Actually he needed it. It was the fastest, toughest ship on the Shiva. The loss was unacceptable.

“Captain, the Imperial sensors are online in this sector. They are on full scan. We just hit six of them in the last few moments.”

Max cussed a long blue streak. They needed a place...any place...safe from Khivar in order to take their shields offline and continue repairs. They could hold out there for a short while, but all indications were that they needed to return to the Thorns until all repairs were complete. But then a problem to that option presented itself. The Thorns' activity knocked out their sensors, and they couldn’t see what was approaching. With Pierce able to hone in on Maria, Alex, the Immaculates, Kyle, and even him and Michael, they were running out of options.

The best solution was to find a place safe, let Maria translate the manuscript for the last gem and then complete the mission now that Khivar was aware. Michael was going to hate that.

“Sam, keep us out of hot water. You have Conn, I'll be in Medical.”

Sam acknowledged Max, and took his position reading reports coming in. “Engineering, my console is showing a bus light in the auxiliary fusion generators.”

“Acknowledged, Bridge. The powering couplings on the front phaser array just went down as well.”

“Get them up, Mister. Full damage control teams.”

“Aye.”

~~~

“Michael, back off. You’re crowding me.”

Michael ignored Kyle as he stared at Maria on the medical bed as Kyle was looking her over. Alex was in the bed next to her.

“What’s wrong? Why is she so weak? Can you do something? Maybe she needs a...”

Kyle in irritation turned from his patient, and faced a hovering concerned Michael head on.

“...space to breathe? You go stand over there. Now.”

“Kyle...”

“Now. Or I’ll call your own security teams and have you kicked out of my medical unit. Go!”

Michael’s face shut down. He walked a few paces from Kyle and the others, but refused to wander too far.

Kyle sighed. It was hard on Michael, he knew. It seemed the more the man rushed to keep Maria out of trouble, the more time she spent in Medical. Reading her life signs, Kyle cussed under his breath, as he quickly scanned Alex as well.

Their readings were all wrong. One internal organ system were shutting down, then coming back over and over. If the two of them were machines it would be as if their internal systems were shutting on and off. Kyle watched as Alex’s heart stopped sending the monitoring beds alarms insane, and just as suddenly his heart started beating again.

Maria monitoring bed was showing the same results as her kidneys shut down, then suddenly were fine.

“Kyle, what the hell is going on?” Michael ignored Kyle’s order to stay out from under foot and was suddenly at Maria’s bedside again, holding her hand.

“Best I can tell, and having no experience with this, it appears both of them are fluxuating. Their organs are there, they just suddenly shift out of phase to the rest of their bodies, and then shift back into phase just as fast.”

“Stabilize them...get them back.”

Kyle looked at Michael and shook his head. “I don’t know how!”

Max entered Medical to the sound of his brother shouting in irritation and fear. Kyle and he were having a heated discussion, and Max looked over at a young woman in red with an irritated look on her face as well.

“What's going on? Michael, calm down and stop harassing Kyle.”

Michael suddenly became quiet, as Kyle explained the situation to Max. The Immaculate in the corner was busy ignoring the situation and picking up various objects to look at. Every once in awhile she would sigh in boredom and complain a little. No one paid her any attention.

“Maria’s opened distortion fields before. On Zion she opened two in a row and she had no ill effects.” Michael reminded Kyle.

“Michael, I know that she did it before, but that doesn’t change what's happening to her body now.”

“Can I go look around?” Courtney whined in the corner.

Michael just screamed at her, “No. And put that down!”

Max looked at the two. Maria was completely out. She was unconscious, but Alex kept regaining enough energy to wake up.

“Alex, stay with us. You need to tell us what to do. What's going on?”

Alex opened his eyes slowly as if they were too heavy to withstand the draw of sleep. He cleared his throat.

“I feel like shit.”

“You look like it as well. What’s going on, exactly?”

Alex turned his head to look at Maria. Her skin suddenly took on a transparent glow as energy rushed across her skin.

“We are phase shifting. Maria said distortion fields were the first step in learning to phase shift.”

“Maria can’t phase shift. She can, but she can’t. It requires too much of her, and she told me that the sacrifice is her body.” Michael watched her his hand tightening on hers.

Kyle, who was monitoring Maria’s internal fluxing, frowned. “It’s speeding up!”

“What? What's speeding up?” Michael didn’t want to hear it. He looked down at the hand he was holding, and it suddenly disappeared. Standing back from the bed he watched Maria as she suddenly blinked, and then was gone. “Kyle!”

They all stood there helpless and unsure, when suddenly she blinked and then was back. Kyle quickly checked the monitors. It had stopped. All her internal systems were in normal working order, stable, and she was breathing normally.

“Maria!” Michael rushed the bed and quickly gathered her up into his arms holding her tight. She was slowly waking. Michael looked down at her as her eyes opened.

“Hey.”

“Dammit, I swear, Maria...”

“You do little else.” She reminded him gently.

“Maria, don’t scare me like that again.” Maria didn’t promise. She couldn’t. Michael didn’t bother to let her go. Reality hit him hard. He had just had a brush with what was ultimately going to happen to her, except that next time she wouldn’t come back.

Kyle quickly checked Alex’s vitals and situation. He was still phase shifting, but the rate was increasing.

“Maria, what happened?”

“I used too much energy too fast and opened too many distortion fields, not letting my body come back to a balance. It caused a phasing overload.”

Kyle looked at Alex and back at Maria. “And Alex?”

“The same. He opened one distortion and then another one immediately. I can do that with no problem, but Alex isn’t evolved enough to withstand the energy expenditure. His body will shift internally faster and faster until his entire body shifts at the same time, and then he will shift back. It’s almost like a computer reboot, a rebalancing.”

Michael refused to let her go, but he was confused. “You opened two distortions on Zion, and you had no problems.” Michael frowned. He couldn’t have missed that.

“The two power blasts I used to take out Khivar and his men was done by bending the fabric of space around them, concentrating it into one large movement, and forcing it forward. It is the same principle as the temporal displacement fields, except I didn’t allow the fabric to open.” Maria ran her hand down Michael’s back in comfort. “It was equivalent to opening ten distortion fields at once...I did it twice. And then I opened another corridor to get us out of the Temple.”

Max came forward to stand with Kyle. “Alex is less able to withstand the shifting.”

“He’s not evolved to withstand it. In some ways, neither am I. The Ancients evolved over thousands of generations to be able to shift through space and time. My people mixed with the indigenous people of our solar system to add ‘cohesion’ back to our genetics. I am...less evolved than the Ancients, more like you, so my abilities are limited.”

“What is the most number of distortions you’ve opened at once, consecutively and without a problem?” Kyle asked.

“Six.” Kyle’s brow went up at that. She had successfully managed an equivalent of twenty-one. She must have used her energy supply to the point of extinction.

“Why can’t Alex shift more?”

“His body takes too much energy to maintain itself. My people, the Ancients were once as you...warm blooded with internal self-regulating heat systems. But when they altered to ‘shift’ they became cold-blooded. They needed the energy necessary to maintain and regulate a balanced body temperature to be shunted to ‘shifting’, so evolutionarily their bodies made a trade off.”

Maria moaned in relief as the door came opened and a distraught Isabel and Lonnie rushed into the medical unit searching for their brother. She was still too weak for the usual thirty questions. The fatigue was increasing. Food and sleep for a good day would set her right, but the longer she resisted the lull of sleep, the more exhausted she became.

“Alex!” Isabel rushed passed the others, with Lonnie fast on her heels. They both stopped in horror as Alex’s internal systems finally increased their shifting to speed to allow him to ‘blink’ out.

“Alex!” Max quickly took Isabel’s arm and waiting hoping that wherever Alex went, his body would find enough cohesion to return. Max didn’t realize that he was holding his breath until Alex came back, and he released it. Letting Isabel’s arm go, he watched at Alex was suddenly surrounded by his sisters.

Kyle read the monitors, and smiled at Max. “He’s back to normal, or normal for an Eminent One.” Kyle went and gently removed Lonnie and Isabel from their brother. “Let this be a lesson to you, Alex. No more shifting too soon.”

Alex just laughed softly, his body still feeling too tired to stay awake. Reaching up he gently stroked first Lonnie’s and then Isabel’s cheeks to reassure them.

Kyle looked around the room, and then at his two patients. Time to trim the fat.

“Everyone out. These two need rest, and they’re not going to get it with the group of you hovering over them.”

Maria pushed away from where she was resting against Michael’s chest. “My Immaculate...”

Michael just moaned. “She is unfortunately still with us.”

“I need...”

Kyle took the decision from her hands. “What you need, Maria is to sleep.” Kyle looked at his new assistant. “Lonnie, take the new Immaculate and show her to her quarters with Liz. A small orientation on the galley and how to use the replicators would be good.”

Lonnie quickly kissed her brother and approached the other blonde woman sitting in the corner of the room brooding.

“I’m Lonnie.”

“Courtney. Please tell me you are going to get me out of here.”

Lonnie nodded. “I’m going to take you to your room and show you around.”

“Thank god!” Courtney stood up and smoothed down the red sheath she was wearing. “I can’t believe I found a place more boring and stifling than the Temple. The Priests were a total hoot with all their rhyming phrases that made no sense, and they forced me to go to school. But all these people do so far is tell me to shut up. How rude.”

Lonnie made a sound of understanding. “You’ve no idea. I was forced to remain in prison in my room for over six months, and when they finally let me out, I got in trouble for going down to the planet.”

“I knew it! This place is going to be a total waste. I really need to get a better job than this Immaculate thing. Did you know that one of the rules is no men?”

Lonnie just shrugged. “Except for my brother, Alex, I really think men have little to recommend them. One actually slapped me and called me worthless, and the only man I’ve every been involved with betrayed me to my worst enemy who wants to kill me.”

“Pigs.”

“Your life has been better without them.” Lonnie said as they left the room.

Isabel watched her sister go with what appeared to be a new friend if not an alliance, and felt an increased despair. Lonnie with a cohort couldn’t be good.

Kyle left to have a warming bed set up for Maria. Max sat down on the side of Maria’s bed, noting his brother’s closeness.

“Maria, we need a place other than the Thorns to hide until we can finish repairs. It will give us time to make repairs, and you time to translate the next phase in this journey.”

Maria nodded. “The Thorns wouldn’t be good. Pierce would be able to trace us to the Thorns, and the sensors wouldn’t alert us of his arrival.”

“Someplace that he can’t track through.”

Maria thought about it for a moment. And shook her head. She was too tired to think, to sort out what was needed. Her eyes closed as she rested against Michael.

Max reached across the bed, and pulled her from his brother. Giving her a shake to wake her.

“Get your fucking hands off her!” Michael stood up and grabbed his brother’s shirt front.

Kyle rushed back in and pulled Michael off Max, while Max shook Maria again.

“Maria! Wake up! I know you’re tired, but I need a place. Someplace that Pierce can’t track us.”

“I don’t know...” Maria murmured weakly.

Max stood up and paced. He needed a week. Just a week to get the Shiva back into fighting trim. Maria had spent six years searching for the Saratoga. She had seen and covered more space than the group of them combined. If she couldn’t think of a place, then there wasn’t one.

“Cyrenaica.”

Max turned to Maria quickly. “Cyrenaica?”

“It's in the outer rim of the Empire. Hard to find. There is a planet system nestled in a field of positronic nexus waves. One of the inhabited planets is Cyrenaica.” Maria's face whitened as all the last remaining color drained from her. “The location is in my navigational computer on the Zephyr.”

Max turned to his brother. “Get the information and send the coordinates to the Helm.”

Michael nodded. Max thanked Maria before he left, but Michael stopped him.

In a voice that was low and menacing. “You ever touch her again, I’ll kill you.”

Max just looked at his brother. Michael had threatened him many times in the past, but this was the first time he believed him.

“Understood.”

Max went to leave, but Maria called him back. “Max, the Cyrenaics...don’t go to the planet, just use it as a blind.”

“Thank you, Maria.” She never heard him. She had fainted again.

Max left the room quickly to return to the Bridge.

“Captain.”

Max stopped in his tracks and cursed his luck. He’d been avoiding Isabel, and she just caught up with him. Abusing a sick Maria was already kicking up his guilt, and having Michael upset with him didn’t help. But this was the final straw.

“Lady Isabel. You look recovered.” Max turned and allowed his eyes to move over her face noting her healed wounds. “No scars I see.”

“It was hard, what you just did.”

“It was necessary.”

Isabel crossed her arms in front her. “I wasn’t criticizing. I was only commenting that it was a hard thing to do.”

“Lady Isabel is there something I can get you?”

Isabel looked at him and moved closer. “Yes, actually there is. But I’ll get to that. I was just acknowledging that your job makes your personal life hard sometimes. Michael is really upset with you.”

“He is.” Max sighed and ran his hands over the back of his aching neck. “Maria is...she’s...”

“The greatest love of his life?” Max looked at the woman sharply. “No shocker. It isn’t hard to miss how they feel about each other.”

“No, it’s not.” Max said quietly. He had lost his brother to a feeling that neither of them could understand nor find words to describe. But it was there. He felt it through his twin’s link.

“She is like your wife, Serena.”

Max’s face became shuddered and darker. “What do you know of my wife?”

Isabel moved closer crowding him into a wall, stopping mere inches from him.

“I know that when I kiss you, she comes between us. For a moment you’re completely mine, and suddenly you’re hers again.”

“I won’t talk about my wife to anyone, especially not you.”

“Let me tell you what I know. I know she is dead. I know she was a fierce woman - practical and efficient. I know she was beautiful and that she was Sean’s twin. I also know that if she comes between us it is because of you, not her. She lives because your guilt feeds her memory. You use her to keep me at a distance.”

Max grabbed both her arms and shook her making her hair fly around her face. “You know nothing! Nothing about me!”

Max would feel the horror later of his out-of-control behavior. Manhandling women was not one of his customary traits. But his insides were quaking under the stress and strain.

“I know everything, or I can...if you let me.”

Max looked at in anger, barely able to keep his hands off her, and suddenly taking in the long blond hair, the life in her golden brown eyes, and the clear honesty in her gaze.

“I can’t.” Max shook his head, but his hands were his worse enemy. Instead of pushing her away, they pulled her even closer.

“Max...” she breathed, “Oh hell, wrong thing to....” she thought.

Max heard her voice almost like a siren call. His eyes fixated on her mouth. He simultaneously shifted his hands on her as his mouth moved closer to hers. Isabel felt the fluttering in her chest as her heart beat out of control, racing. Max’s hands moved down her arms placing his hands against hers.

Isabel gasped as the skin of their palms touched. An electric shock of scalding arousal zapped from her palm, up her arm and then took a sharp U-turn down her body and right between her legs. She was instantly wet and a tiny whimper issued unbidden from somewhere deep in her stomach.

“I want...” Isabel’s mind short-fused as his mouth detoured to the side of her neck and her whole body screamed.

“Oh Christ...” Max growled and then they came together.

Isabel yanked on Max’s shirt pulling at it, trying to find the fastenings. She finally gave up to violently pull it out of the top of his leather pants and over his muscular chest. He helped her to pull it off and then threw it down onto the floor. His hands found the upper tie to her dress, and pulled it off in one hard pull as it fell to her waist, and then he reached forward and undid her bra - the front fastening kind she had decided to wear that morning. The bra fell down to join his shirt, as her breasts spilled out into his hands. Both of them managed to get almost into each other's skin, as his mouth found hers.

Max’s hands took both her breasts at once but he remembered dimly that he had  already been rough with her once, so instead he bent his head forward and began to gently suck and lick each of her nipples in turn. Isabel’s breath came in short gasps. She lifted one breast up from the bottom, encouraging him to take more of it into his mouth. She moaned as he nursed at her heavy, swollen flesh.

A part of Max knew very distantly that what he was doing was horribly wrong - totally incorrect and that now he had successfully damned them both. If he had stopped to think, the words ‘public corridor’ might have entered his mind. But the overwhelming sensations of suckling at Isabel’s breasts, of going back to a much earlier memory of something he could barely define as the ultimate comforting pleasure drove every thought of impropriety right out of his mind.

He was lost, hopelessly lost, and he never wanted to be found.

He gave in to the moment and focused all his attention on making Isabel writhe and moan under his mouth. The more he worked her, the louder the response and the more he wanted. The movement of his mouth shocked him as he felt the sensation on his own body.

Isabel knew this was probably, no, was definitely the most foolish thing she had ever done in her life. Foolish, dangerous and damaging in the long term. Yet, she couldn’t stop herself. God help me she thought - it, it’s been so long and she just needed someone’s touch, the feel of someone’s body against hers. She knew the man she really wanted wasn’t this Max but the one he hid inside, safe from pain and despair.  The first mistake a woman could make was to try to change a man. The change had to come from inside. It was his turn to make the move.

Isabel pulled back from him reluctantly moaning at the dangerous look on his face, the gleam of his darkened golden eyes. His hands reached for her again, and  she took another step back.

Not losing eye contact, she pulled her dress top up and refastened it. Unable to smile, or to even joke they shared a silent moment of lust and longing.

“I want to be in your bed. Feel you in me, over me, and all around me. I want to feel what only you can give me.”

Max gasped trying to control his breathing, his body protesting the distance she stood from him.

“I want you in my bed, too.”

Isabel closed her eyes briefly at the hollow sound of his voice, the stark sound of desire. He melted her with just a word, a look, and hardly a sound.

“I would be there in a heartbeat. And I would stay there, but I can’t.” Isabel shook her head when he made an attempt to move closer to her. “Your bed already has too many women in it, and I can’t and won’t compete with a ghost. I can share you with her memory, but I won’t share your bed with her.”

Isabel didn’t wait for his response. She turned to leave, but suddenly went back to move him back against the wall hard, her mouth on his again as he took her back inside, their bodies immediately out of control moving against each other in heat.

“Captain, I’m coming for you.” Isabel ripped herself from his arms and quickly took herself off to her quarters.

Max stood pasted against the wall where she left him, panting, and too aroused to move. A crewman walked by and looked down the hall to see his Captain standing back to a wall, shirtless and panting. Moving quickly, he left Max in peace to regain some of his iron control. Max’s shirt and Isabel’s bra remained on the ground at his feet.

~~~

“Michael...” Kyle gave up. Michael hadn’t moved since Max left and Maria fainted.

Kyle moved to pick up Maria to take her to the warming bed. She would be too cold in the normal air. Michael reacted violently.

“No!” He took her back, and picked her up in his arms. “Keep your hands off her!”

“Then put her in the warming bed, otherwise she’ll freeze.”

Michael shook his head no. “I’ll take her to our room, keep an eye on her and make sure she is resting.”

“Michael, stop it.” Kyle could read Michael in waves. Desperate. The man was desperate. Pain was almost all Kyle was reading. “I need to keep an eye on both her and Alex, and I can’t be leaving Alex to rush halfway across the ship to check on Maria.”

“I can’t. I didn’t know it would feel like this. Kyle, she...”

“I know.”

In that moment as Michael held her hand and she blinked into nothing, he didn’t know if she would come back to him. But she did - this time. It was in those moments of not knowing that Michael understood what his future and Maria’s entailed. She was going to blink with the Granilith, but there would be no coming back.

He held on to her like it was the end. Afraid that she would be taken from him before it was time, before he was ready. His hovering was increasing. His possessiveness was beyond normal boundaries, and Michael, who had spent a lifetime with warm blood and cold emotions couldn’t sort through all the feelings racking his body.

He was like an open wound with exposed nerve endings, and Kyle was barely surviving the barrage of emotions.

“Michael, trust me. Let her rest. You have work. She needs rest. Leave her with me, and if she needs you I’ll call.”

“Kyle.” Michael just shook his head.

“Michael, you need to go do something normal and get some of your control back. It can only hurt Maria to see you in pain. Please?”

Michael finally gave in. He placed Maria in the warming bed and resisted the urge to climb in with her. Standing back he was shocked to see his hands shaking.

“Kyle...Kyle, fix me.” Kyle closed the unit and pushed Michael into his personal office. Shutting the door from prying eyes, he searched Michael’s face. He was on his way to a major breakdown. Kyle couldn’t let that happen.

Kyle opened a drawer and pulled out he small vial with the clear drug Maria had given him.

“Michael, when this is over, I can give you this drug.”

“What is it?” Michael asked quietly.

“Maria gave it to me. For you. It’ll make you forget the entire last year...and her. It’ll ease your pain.”

Michael took the vial from Kyle and watched as it hit the wall hard, shattering as the liquid ran down in streaks.

“I really need to spank her when she's awake.” Michael said softly.

“Michael, she was trying to protect you from pain.”

“Pain I can handle. Lived with it before. I won’t trade one moment with her for all the relief in the universe.” Michael paced the room. “Dammit, Kyle! Grief relief?”

Kyle just shrugged, helplessly. Basically, yeah that was what it was.

Michael just laughed and shook his head. “She is a total loon! Even after she was gone she was planning to meddle.”

Somehow having to deal with another Maria scheme pulled him from the horror he was caught in. Taking a breath, he was ready to go on. “I’ll leave her with you, but you better damn well promise me to call me if she needs anything.”

Kyle held up a hand and made a face. “I promise!”

Michael just looked at him one more time, and shook his head leaving the room laughing. “Grief relief!”

~~~

“Liz, how we doing for damage control?”

Liz stopped working her panels and looked at Sean. “We still have twenty-three percent of the systems down or continuously faulting. I’m suspecting some wiring damage.”

“Damn. I just rewired the entire ship over three years ago. I replaced as many systems as I could at the time with energy relay circuitry to remove hard wire.”

Liz looked down at her hands holding the word pad. “We could install circuitry relays now. Remove all the wiring, and prevent this from happening again. Energy circuitry is just as prone to break down, but an internal diagnostic will pinpoint the break in the system instead of having to crawl through the ship searching.

Sean paused and looked at his newest, quietest assistant. Immaculate or not, silent or loud, he was hoping to keep Liz when it was all said and done. She was an engineering whiz.

“How much time we talking? Give me an estimate.”

“A week on the outside.” Liz sped up her explanation as a frown hit Sean’s face. “I know that is a long time, and internal sensor grids and shields will have to be taken offline, but we can piggyback the energy circuitry on top of the  exiting security sensors already in place running parallel circuitry along the way.”

“How many systems can be routed through this circuitry?”

“Everything. It will maintain and flow up to two hundred critical systems at one time. Since energy has no set direction, it merely needs a starting path, unbroken to an arrival point.”

Sean whistled under his breath. “You’re talking neural relays. Snaptic connections with snaptic inner nodes that allow a signal to jump and be rerouted.”

“Yes.” Liz looked slightly embarrassed. “It’s purely theoretical, and has worked in a smaller field. It could work.”

“I read the specs on it in an engineering journal last year. I thought it was groundbreaking fantastically brilliant! But the community was skeptical. I was hoping more specs would come out so I could convert some systems to test the waters.”

Liz avoided his eyes, and fidgeted trying not to appear involved in his flattery.

Sean’s eyes narrowed in interest. “You wouldn’t know who the creator of the theory was. Maybe we could get in touch with them...get some help.”

Liz mumbled under her breath, scrapping her foot against the deck.

“Pardon, your holy Immaculate...did you say something?”

“I’m the creator. I submitted the article.”

Sean laughed in glee and reached out to smack Liz good and hard across the back, but stopped himself remembering who she was.

“You know, you could be almost perfect if I could unfurl that stiff back, get you out of those Immaculate robes and playing poker, cussing and drinking to excess.”

Liz looked at the man in horror. “It is forbidden for an...”

“Yeah, yeah. Hold your water, little sister. You won’t be an Immaculate forever. There’s plenty of time to corrupt you to the pleasures of life.”

“Pleasures?” Liz’s voice echoed in a high pitched squeak.

Sean just laughed. He gathered his data pad, and went to go propose a system shutdown to the Captain. Grudgingly he admitted to liking his young charge and her quiet way of being everywhere at once. He almost felt really bad for her.

“By the way, Liz?” Liz turned back almost holding herself for his next horrible suggestion. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Liz watched him leave, and her small voice piped up after him. “Sorry?”

Later she met Courtney, her new roommate.

~~~

Max occasionally stole glances at Michael as he worked. His brother was silent and closed to him. Sighing, Max went to his Captain’s room and worked from his station there in silence.

They had yet to lay in a course for Cyrenaica. Michael was having a hard time breaking the encryption code on Maria’s onboard computer. The problem was that the symbols were foreign to him. Maria was still asleep.

“Come.” Max said at the signal requesting admittance to his private room.

Michael came in, and shut the door. His face was shuttered and unyielding.

“Michael?”

“I’ve got the coordinates. They are laid in at Helm. We are plotting jump vectors now into a slip stream.”

“You finally broke the encryption codes in her computer?”

Michael shook his head no. “Didn’t have to. I guess while I was recovering from a fever and chained to my bed, Maria gave you the coordinates and navigational information for the Thorns?”

Max nodded. “She did.”

“Well she did more than that. She dumped her entire navigation data bank into ours. We now have information on more than twice the worlds we did before. Included were the coordinates and navigational protocol for Cyrenaica.”

Before Max could comment, Sean entered the room without ringing for admittance.

“Max...”

Max just rolled his eyes at his friend. “Sean?”

Sean passed over the engineering plan. Max took a moment to read through the proposal.

Michael and Sean were exchanging blows and insults under their breath back and forth, while Max studied the plan.

“You want to take all our defensive and sensor systems offline?”

“I need to run parallel circuitry. It’ll be only for a week.”

Max rubbed his scar and thought for a moment. “That’s a long time to be dead in the water and helpless, with Khivar’s entire fleet actively searching for us.”

“I know. I was thinking we could send out small ship fighter patrols to police the general system as an early warning system.”

“Michael?” Max asked silently wanting his brother’s input.

“My systems offline?” Michael shook his head. “I don’t like it!”

“The new circuitry will fix the shorts your systems are experiencing, and it will allow us to read areas that are damaged through an internal diagnostic relay panel.” Sean rocked on his heels, his eyes gleaming. “Gentlemen, this is state of the art technology installed by the creature herself.”

“Maria?”

Sean just shook his head, his eyes twinkling in glee. “Liz. That’s right boys, my buggy-eyed straightlaced little engineering genie!”

Max stopped to contemplate their options. Maria said that the planet and system with Cyrenaica would shield them from Pierce. Steepling his fingers together, Max nodded to Sean.

“Once we’re at Cyrenaica, you can take the main systems offline.”

“Max.” Michael’s voice warned.

“I know. It’s a calculated risk. But I’m forced to compare the overall risk versus the benefit. At this point, if we don’t effect some major repairs we can find ourselves in battle and have the weapons or shields lost due to shorts and damage.”

Sean felt like whooping it up. Exciting time to be an engineer.

“Michael, have Operations reroute and reassign personnel to engineering teams. I want this done quick, fast and by the numbers. No shortcuts.”

Sean just rubbed his hands together. “Well, boys, I’m taking myself off to talk to my engines.” Sean actually stopped and remembered something. “By the way, Max, this is a good thing. I’ve got first signs of core crystal fracturing. I can use the power module that Maria gave us to recrystalize them, but I want to save that for last, so all new systems come online with the new power matrix. The Shiva will be like a new ship, better than when she left dry dock.”

Michael remained silent as a whistling Sean left spreading his special brand of cheer around.

“What?” Max was almost afraid to ask.

“Why ask my opinion when you discount it?”

“I didn’t, Michael. I just had to weigh the options. Your security module is breaking down all day long, sensors didn’t even pick up the fire in the forward module, and if the core crystals fracture completely before we can replace or recystalize, we’re dead in the water.”

“I just don’t like it, Max.” Michael sat on the edge of the table and picked up things. “You weren’t there. Pierce. He was...he was all those scary things people thought of the Eminents. Why they were so revered and held in fear. He exuded power - corrupted power. Alex... Alex is different. His power is lofty, above, almost god-like...more an observer than a participant.”

“He is altering things to Khivar’s favor.”

“He is breaking the known rule of the Eminents. Their non-interference clause of being observers, mediators, guides and counselors, but no direct altering.”

“I think Alex has altered a few times for us. Perhaps the rules are sketchy and the lines of involving or not involving are smudged.”

Michael just shook his head no. “Pierce saw them. He saw Alex and Maria. He saw the distortion field.” Michael felt the coldness from that stare straight to his core, and his hands still shook from the coldness of the room. “He knows, Max. He knows that Maria is special, and once Khivar hears that we blinked through space...”

Max closed his eyes and rubbed his face. “He’ll know that Maria is an Anterraan - the last one.”

Michael just stared across the room. “I don’t know much, but I know that she touches me, parts of me that never been touched. It feels...complete.”

“Are we okay?” Max asked quietly.

Michael finally looked at Max, their eyes locked. Max could feel Michael, hear his thoughts, and he smiled at the mental picture of Michael kicking his ass.

“Understood, little brother.” Michael just smiled and went to leave. “Michael?”

Michael turned back. Waiting.

“This love thing? Are you ever afraid of it?”

Michael went serious and silent, and his voice was so low, Max had to move forward to hear him.

“Only of losing it.”

~~~

Pierce stood on the command Bridge aboard the Tiberius as Khivar’s Imperial transport docked. Nodding to the Captain, he went to meet a man he considered his Master…for now.

Khivar was a tall lean man, with expressive hands, and a quick quipping smile that didn’t reach his eyes in kindness. His light golden brown hair was worn long and to the neck, and his youthful looks belied his age. He wore a full regalia of black robes and the jewel encrusted lining of his position and power.

“Pierce.”

Pierce allowed himself to be irritated by Khivar’s unwillingness to refer to him as ‘My Lord’, the title of his Order. Smiling, Pierce nodded to the surrounding guards of Khivar’s personal guards. Ironically, they were all Attilaan warriors.

“Sire.”

“What is your progress?”

“I located a disturbance within the Aesculapian system.”

“And the search for the Eminent child?”

Pierce shook his head. “Nothing as yet. It is slow since I am the only one who can feel the disturbance. I have narrowed my search to women who are six to eight weeks pregnant. But the surrogate remains hidden.”

Khivar stood looking over the working command Bridge from the upper observation deck. The Tiberius was the second largest ship in the fleet. His own personal ship that housed the Granilith was the Octavian, the flagship of the Imperial fleet. It was six parsecs off the Tiberius, cresting in her waking shadow.

“Alex, he looked well?” Khivar asked.

Pierce bit his tongue as his eyes narrowed. Alex had been Khivar’s favorite. The reason he wanted to create Alex’s child. With a child under his control, Alex would have remained near and willing to do anything to protect it.

“He or the woman opened a distortion field. It could have been either of them. The woman...she was strong in a way I have never experienced. And Alex? He too has increased in strength, not from Kathleen, but some other way.”

Khivar stood with his feet apart, his hands behind his back. “The woman. What did she look like?”

“Small. Deceptively delicate, but strong. She almost crushed my skull against a wall with the wave of her hand.” Pierce, without thought, rubbed the back of his head where it still felt sore.

“Anterraans. They were such a mystery. A source of endless fascination. I would’ve loved to duplicate their knowledge, their genetics and their power. Watching them pass from existence was beyond me. I need that woman. And I want that child.”

A man approached Pierce with a message. He read it and sent the man away.

“Sire, we are entering the orbit of Deneb.”

Khivar nodded. “Go. Bring me that woman or the child. Find what is disturbing your precious matrix, and pray it brings me my desire.”

Khivar watched and listened to the events as they played on the surface of Deneb. His interest piqued at the mention of an Order of the Immaculate. Patience was never one of his virtues. He became agitated and tired with the amount of time it took before Pierce returned.

With Pierce was a tiny young blond woman wrapped in blue robes. Her eyes were the startling blue of the oceans of that very world. Her stature, though small, was defiant and bold. She walked alone, and refused the hands of anyone that would touch her.

“She is neither Kathleen or the Eminent child. Is she the Anterraan?”

Pierce felt sweat gather at his neck, as the penetrating stare of Khivar held him pinned to the spot upon which he stood.

“No, Master. She disturbs the force much like the other one at the other Temple. It is the same force that I felt. She is like the one that Alex and his people took from Kheb.”

Khivar looked at the woman and smiled a not-so-pleasant grin. “Pray you are important.”

The woman purposely turned her head from in defiance, ignoring him. Khivar laughed in delight, despite himself.

“Have her put on my transport. I will take her to the Octavian. We’ll see if she is impressed by my favorite machine.” Khivar looked at Pierce. “What are her genetics?”

“She is of this world, Denebian, but she is slightly unique. She is resonating at a frequency almost unperceivable. I believe it was her resonance that I felt.”

Khivar walked to the young woman and met her brilliant blue eyes. Smiling, he lifted her face by the chin.

“What is your name?”

She tried to remove her chin from his grasp, but he held it firmly, bruising her. Defiantly she spat out her name, “Tess.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Khivar, low-rated thug of our Universe.”

He tightened his hand on her smiling when she cried out.

“You would taunt me? The one who holds the very life of your world in his hands?” His smile widened as he noticed her distressed look. Staring out the front view, she looked at her planet below.

“Who are you? What is your importance to an Anterraan woman and her band of rebels?”

“I know no Anterraan woman or rebels. I am an Immaculate.”

“Not for long.” He lifted her curls, threading his fingers through them, maliciously pulling them. Laughing at her cry of pain, he walked away.

“Have her transported and instated in my quarters. I might get a few good uses out of her before she is wrecked. Order the Octavian to fire on the planet with the Granilith.”

Tess ran to the upper banister overlooking the command Bridge. “No!”

The Octavian, which was out of sight suddenly fired on the world below, and Tess watched as the Tiberius quickly left orbit to distance itself from her world.

The initial blast set the entire western seaboard of the largest continent on fire. The second blast boiled the oceans, and the third concentrated blast reached the core of Deneb.

“We punctured the core!” The alarms on the Tiberius sounded as general quarters were called. All hands were ordered to brace for impact.

The first compression wave hit the Tiberius, and Tess grabbed for the banister as she was knocked from her feet. The second and third waves hit equally hard, and when finally the waves lessened in frequency, she regained her feet and stared down at her world, burning in the cold of space. A large chunk of the planet was obliterated.

“Life signs?” Khivar asked as he examined his hands.

“None. They lost their atmosphere on the third blast.” The Captain tried to keep the horror from his voice, but the destruction was too great, the loss of life too terrible.

“Order Octavian to kill the two surrounding worlds as well. Let this be a gauntlet left to our band of rebels.”

Tess turned and threw herself at the receding back of the only monster she ever knew. Pounding hard and violently, he turned and grabbed her by her small wrists, crushing them under his hands. Smiling, he took one hand around her neck and pulled her to him, crushing her mouth beneath his. Kissing her with no intent on pleasure, just pain and humiliation.

“I will get good use out of you! I like a little blood in my bed.” Khivar laughed. He actually liked a lot of blood. He pushed her away, and then backhanded her to the ground. Lying there tasting the blood in her mouth, she spat words at him.

“I’m the Gem of the Granilith.”

Khivar who had turned to leave, suddenly stopped and looked back at the young woman lying on the ground in renewed interest.

“Explain.”

Tess reached into her cloak and drew out a crystal, blue and brilliant. Azure, pure and clear. The purity let light reflect through. She held it in her hand.

“My Princess will come for me. She will come for the Gem.”

Khivar approached her again, and grabbed her hard by the neck bringing her close to him. Tess tried to shrug him off, but he was too strong. Looking to her right, she tossed the crystal to a guard standing near. The man reflectively caught it, and in mere seconds, and in a scream of agony, he winked from existence leaving the crystal on the floor.

“What is it?”

“It’s the key to your Granilith. I, and I alone can handle and touch the crystal. I resonate to its aura. If I am defiled, my body chemistry will change and I will no longer be able to touch the crystal, as will no other living being.”

Khivar felt rage. He gazed into the eyes of the woman and felt helpless before her. She held in her very body the ability and knowledge he had sought for over twenty years. The secret to the true use of the Granilith.

“For your life, I’ll give you the chance to tell me everything.”

Tess laughed. “You’re out of luck. I am only one part of three Gems. Harming me will end it as fast as not holding the other keys.”

Enraged, Khivar hit her again. Tess fell to the ground, but she laughed. Khivar gestured for two guards to lift her to her feet.

“What are you?”

Tess smiled as blood ran down her chin from her mouth. Spitting the blood on him, she laughed. “I am she that will cut the thread of your life!”

Khivar wiped the blood from his face, and reached over to grab a handful of Tess’s hair dragging her head back. Looking in it, his face darkened to pure malevolence. “I may be unable to fuck you to death or defile you in any way, but I take just as much pleasure from watching you in pain...and there will be pain.”

Khivar pushed her away and ordered his guards to take her to his ship, Octavian.

Tess looked at Pierce, her eyes full of spite and hate. Seeing his Eminent emblem and the cloaks of his office, she spat at him.

“You who were born to protect! You betray your oath, your honor...you betray us all!”

Pierce watched as the took the young woman away, and for the first time since he had allied himself to Khivar, he felt fear. Her voice rose in his head, beating in a rising fortissimo into crescendo. Traitor. Traitor. Traitor.

~~~

“Bridge.”

“Max, I need Michael.” Max swiveled in his chair to look at his brother’s tactical station.

“What’s the problem, Kyle?”

“Just tell Michael to get down here immediately.” Kyle disconnected, and Max gestured for Michael to take off.

Medical was loud with the sounds of Maria’s cries. When Michael entered, his eyes found her immediately. She was pacing wildly and rubbing her face, running her hands through her hair making it all wild. Tears streaked her cheeks, and Kyle was talking to her softly, trying to calm her down.

Michael saw that Alex was still asleep.

“Michael! Thank god!”

“What the hell is going on here?”

Kyle threw his hands up in despair. “I don’t get it. I can’t keep her down. She keeps waking, and the more she wakes the more agitated she becomes.”

“Then fucking give her something!”

“I did. Too many times already. If I give her any more it could be lethal.”

Michael reached out and grabbed Maria around the waist, stopping her mad pacing. Her body was cold and she was shivering. The sounds she made were low moans and cries.

“Maria! Maria, talk to me!”

She finally seemed aware that he was there and threw herself into his arms. Michael tucked her in close, talking low in her ear.

“What’s wrong?”

“Tired.” Her voice was so wispy and small, Michael frowned.

“Then sleep.”

Maria sobbed against his neck. “Can’t. I can’t. I’m too tired to sleep.”

Michael looked up at Kyle. “Did you catch that?”

“No. What did she say?”

“She said that she’s too tired to sleep.”

Kyle understood. She couldn’t calm down or rest long enough to let the tiredness be taken over by healing sleep.

Michael cussed under his breath, and picked her up. This was bullshit. Forcing her to sleep in Medical was insane.

“Michael, where are you taking my patient?”

“To her bed, in her room, in the dark...with me. I’ll monitor her. If she needs anything, I’ll call you.”

“Michael...” Kyle gave up when the door closed behind Michael and Maria.

Michael headed straight for the bath once they reached their rooms. Maria hated sleeping without bathing. He quickly ran the hot water and removed both their clothes. Settling in the hot water, he moaned his appreciation as did Maria. Hot water relaxed her, made it easier for her to sleep.

The bath wasn’t a long one, just long enough to do the job. Settling into their bed, Maria found her favorite position covering his body, and she was soon asleep. Michael called the Bridge to inform Max of his whereabouts, and then he too went to sleep.

It was almost six hours before anyone bothered them. Michael quickly reached over Maria to answer the hail before it disturbed her.

“Yeah.” He ran his hand down Maria naked back to warm it, and keep her asleep.

“Michael.”

Michael just shook his head. Max. Of course it was Max. Who else would it be?

“Yeah.”

“I need to talk to you.”

Michael looked down at Maria. She was still restless, but at least she was asleep. Kissing her brow, he groaned as her hand stroked his skin.

“I can’t leave Maria.”

“I’ll come to you.” Michael swore as Max ended the conversation. Maria was moving deliciously over him, mouthing his masculine nipple in her sleep and making a low sound in her throat.

Max entered their room to find the large expanse of Maria’s naked back facing him, as she laid sprawled across Michael. His brother’s hand was holding her close, his one hand spanning the length of her back. His other hand was moving through her hair, carding his fingers through the silky length.

“Michael?”

“Shhh, not too loud. She doesn’t sleep very peacefully, and it took forever to get her asleep.”

“We’ve orbited Cyrenaica.”

“So now you’re taking the ship's systems offline?”

“Some already are down.” Max took a chair and brought it next to the bed so he could talk to his brother in a lower voice. “I looked up the information that Maria dumped into the computer.”

“Bad place or good?”

“Good as far as I can tell. It’s an independent world within this energy field, and the inhabitants are friendly. There are no Khivar sensors. It appears they’ve been left alone.” Max leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. “I contacted them.”

Michael frowned. Maria had told them to stay away from the inhabitants, to use their world to shield them, but do not contact the people.

“They offered us furlough privileges.”

“Did you accept?”

“Yes.”

Michael stopped stroking Maria’s skin and concentrated on his brother. “I thought you wanted all personnel to concentrate on repairs.”

“I do, but if we rotate the staff and allow them to go down to the planet for a few hours at a time to enjoy time off, I think they’ll work better. We’ve been running for a while, and after what happened in the Etruscan system, and loss of life...I think everyone needs a break.”

Michael had to agree, but getting their systems online...

“Repair crews will continue to run double staffed, but those down can take the option to get some off time down on the planet.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

Max looked at Michael and gestured at Maria. “She’s had it rough lately, and both of you seem to be taking turns in Medical. I was thinking that your name is high on the list of taking furlough. You should take a ship and Maria and go find yourselves a small place on one of the seaboards with long empty beaches, and spend time with her alone for three or four days.”

Michael was silent. Max was offering him a vacation away from worrying about Maria, the Granilith and watching her blink away out of his existence for a few days. He wanted nothing more.

“The thought is tempting. But Maria...I’m not sure she's up for a trip. Take us both off the work schedule for the next forty-eight hours, and if and when she wakes, if she wants to get off Shiva and take a trip down, we’ll take a ship. Otherwise, I’d appreciate having forty-eight hours uninterrupted to just get her awake and healthy.”

“Okay, you decide. Just let me know.” Max stood up. “You should know though that Maria only made one personal comment in her records about this place.”

Michael waited for Max to just tell him.

“Pleasure planet.”

TBC:  CHAPTER TEN: ATROPOS