I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO THE CW NETWORK. THIS IS A WORK OF FANFICTION BY OMEGABEAST.

Captain Keller has been traveling from planet to planet for years looking for his mate. One day his ship locates an injured life-form on another planet. After a series of images infiltrates his mind, he knows he's found his mate, but unfortunately her situation is dire. His crew rescues her, but she isn't what he expected. Both are drawn to each other, but she fights him every step of the way, fear controlling her emotions about what he is. Can they overcome her misgivings and misfortunes, and be the mates they're destined to be?

It is often said when a body gives up the ghost, the spirit transitions to the afterlife, and thereafter, a torrent of rain is dispatched, with one single purpose, erase every imprint of the deceased from planet earth.

DARKNESS blanketed the sky followed by a downpour of rain. Each drop mixed in with the tears streaming down Catherine's face. It was of no consequence to her as grief seized her body and pierced her heart. Weariness consumed her until she mentally faded into oblivion. With the fight in her detracting, her knees buckled and she tumbled to the muddy ground. Forlorn, her body rested on the gravesite of the one person, whose love for her had never wavered, her mother. Reluctant to face the dire reality of her life, she cried until even her tears retreated, leaving her feeling bereft. Eventually the sun descended, signaling an end to her mourning. With night emerging, the graveyard was the last place she wanted or needed to be. Taking one last look at the pile of dirt housing her dearly beloved mother, she stood up. Drenched and muddy, she ran to her car and jumped in. On any other day, she would've never dared enter the vehicle in such a state, but this wasn't any other day or even a good day for that matter.

Her body welcomed the feel of the cushioned seat. Closing her eyes and allowing her head to fall back against the headrest, her body succumbed to the exhaustion from the events of the past week. It was hard to believe how much her life had changed in almost a year. One day she had awakened to a beautiful sunny day and taken her mom to her annual checkup, and from there, everything went downhill, including her life. After a myriad of tests, her mom had been diagnosed with Cancer and given nine months to leave. Nine heartbreaking months. With each passing month, Catherine's heart broke even more. Almost a year to the day, her mom closed her eyes, never to open them again. And now she sat in her car wishing she was trapped in a dream instead of reality.

A flash of lightning illuminated the car followed by a ferocious clap of thunder that brought her back to the present. With haste, she inserted the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine roared to life, and she shifted the gear in drive, praying she made it home.

The storm had the roads flooded and visibility was difficult, if not impossible. Squinting her eyes and forging ahead, her heart worked overtime in her chest. She recalled the numerous times she wished it had been her diagnosed with a terminal illness instead of her mother. Now traveling the treacherous, meandering road, her life contingent on surviving the journey home, her only thought was living and making her mother proud.

Suddenly, her ears registered the sound of tires screeching and sliding, and thereafter, a set of headlights headed straight for her vehicle, blinding her in the process. With only a second to spare, her eyes closed, and she was certain death had come to claim her at last.

"Sir, we have received a distress signal from a planet called Earth," Commander Len stated, sliding his fingers across the screen in front of him.

"Are we able to ascertain a visual?" Captain Keller asked.

"Negative, sir. Our systems are not unable to backdoor in on a signal, since we are approaching a solar storm. We need to change our course or exceed the hypersonic range, which would allow for entry to the planet.

"Sen, what data do you have on this planet?"

"The inhabitants are human. They speak a language called English."

"Captain, we have an unstable visual. It appears a lifeform has been injured, a human," Sen said, producing a weak holographic image.

"Why would we pick up..." Captain Keller trailed off. After so many years, it could not be. But it was the only explanation for his vessel detecting one single lifeform. He opened his mouth to inquire about the sex of the human, but his words came up short, when his eyes locked on the visual. He gripped the handles of his chair until his knuckles turned white, as a series of sharp pains pierced his body. His eyes closed on their own accord, while he struggled to understand what was happening to him. Images of a beautiful female penetrated his mind. He watched as the vessel she was traveling in, collided with a larger vessel, ejecting her from the conveyance. Her inert body lay on the passageway, her breathing labored, and her life nearing a tragic end. His heart jolted in his chest, when her pain assaulted his body. A feeling he had never experienced before, traveled throughout his body, and seized his heart. Instantly he knew the identity of the female, and what needed to be done.

...

Lem ran over to the Captain. "Sir, are you all right?"

He watched as his leader fought an unseen force. To their collective relief, his glowing amber eyes opened, exhibiting a rare emotion among their kind, fear. "We have a problem...my mate is in trouble. She is on the brink of death, and I do not need to tell you what that means," he stammered.

Everyone in the control center were stunned and shocked speechless. For years, he had traveled from planet to planet in search of his mate, every trip producing the same results, no sign of his mate. He had been at the point of relinquishing any hope of ever locating her. If this new development proved to be accurate, the captain's life would change as well as the lives of their people, for Captain Keller was not only their commanding officer aboard the ship, he was their leader on the planet of Zion.

Silence permeated the room waiting on the captain's next words. They would come with a risk, but every member of the crew were ready and willing to face the dangers ahead, knowing the outcome would benefit their leader.

"Raise the deflectors and prepare for entry. Set the speed for Mach 29 and everyone secure your harnesses."

""Affirmative, Captain. Prepare for impact," Len stated before the ship shook and their heads snapped back against their seats.

"Access successful."

"Sen, lock on to my brain computer interface and retrieve the exact location of the female. Time is of the essence, as she is minutes away from her demise."

The captain continued to hold on to the chair handles, his control almost nonexistent. With his heart breaking for his newly discovered mate and the brunt of her pain assaulting his body, his symbiont begged to be released. Due to the ship size and the intensity of his passenger, unleashing him would be next to impossible.

"I've triangulated her location and locked on. Permission to beam her aboard. We have the healers on standby."

He jumped up. "Yes...and please assume command of the ship, I'm heading to sick bay."

"Yes sir," Sen said to his retreating back.

Captain Keller stopped and peered over his shoulder. "Set a course for Zion. We are going home," he said, before disappearing through the open door.

The crew had never seen their captain display emotions before and were astounded. If his mate was on the ship now, they all knew Zion would be reigning in a new day as well as a new queen. It had been so many years since the death of their last queen, they had forgotten what it was like to have one.

...

The captain sprinted to the lift, his thoughts jumbled in his head. He did not have a clue to what awaited him, but now her life would become his life and she could not die. He would not allow it. He had never heard of his kind mating with a species from this planet called Earth, and he had a sinking feeling in his stomach, it wasn't going to be an easy transition for him or her.

Once inside the lift, he was taken to sick bay. He stepped off the transport into a flurry of activity. His people had never encountered a human and were quite intrigued. As he approached the table where healers were working on the female, his breath left him as his eyes caught a glance of her porcelain skin marred with blood. Her slight body lay motionless and something akin to a dagger stabbed at his heart. If he had any doubts about her, his heart reassured him. For only his true mate had the power to evoke emotions out of him. And his emotions were going haywire, while his heart was dying a slow painful death. Yes, she was, without a doubt, his mate.

"Darnan, report, please."

Darnan looked up and his eyes widened. "A... A concussion, fractured ribs, punctured spleen, broken right arm and left leg, along with internal bleeding."

"Are you able to heal her?"

"Yes, I believe so. It appears her anatomy is identical to the females on our planet."

"How is that possible?"

Before Darnan could reply, a series of beeps sounded. Catherine's body convulsed on the exam table and then went completely still.

"We are losing her. Computer scan and report."

The captain dropped to his knees, his eyes began to glow, before expelling an orb of yellow light. The light traveled over to Catherine's body and penetrated her skin, and thereafter, disappearing. No one moved or uttered a word, as a trail of light illuminated the insides of her body. Soon her heartbeat returned to normal, and her eyes fluttered open. Having completed its mission, the ball of light departed her body, and returned to its origin, the captain's eyes.

...

Several blurry figures came into view as Catherine looked around. Blinking her eyes in rapid succession, the shapes became clearer. Several tall males stood over her, their eyes glowing a vibrant blue.

She appeared to be in a medical unit, but it was unlike one she had ever seen. She wondered why the staff looked like models. And then a tall man stood up, at least six-five, and walked over to the table. A distinctive scar ran from his right eye down his cheek, but by no means, did it distract from his handsome face. If anything, it made him sexier. He wore a black uniform with epaulets on the shoulders. The tall stranger approached and she did a double-take. Were his eyes glowing yellow? Okay, she was suffering from brain fog or had drifted into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Normal people didn't have glowing eyes. The meds must be kicking in. Even as she struggled with her surroundings, her heart gravitated toward the handsome stranger. It was as if she knew him, but how could that be?

"Are you okay?"

Wow. Was his voice real?

"Yes," she muttered, an uneasy feeling washing over her. "Where am I?"

"You're in sick bay. You had an accident and we rescued you."

Catherine knew there was truth in his words, but something was off about her rescuers, so she decided to test them.

"Did you contact my next of kin?"

"Your next of kin?"

"My family."

The men looked over at their captain.

"We don't have a communication link to your family," he replied

Catherine knew what her mind was telling her, but she couldn't believe it. She decided to try another tactic. "If I'm recovered enough, the doctor can release me so I can go home."

"Leave us." Captain Keller said.

...

Everyone shuffled out of the room, leaving him alone with the female. He looked at the tiny creature before him, wondering how to explain that she was on her way to Zion, her new home. As a warrior, he had shouted orders and did not think twice about how he delivered them, but as the tiny human looked at him, he knew normal protocol would not suffice. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, it occurred to him that she had not received the language implant and was still able to communicate with him. It would seem her planet was similar to his, and although, the news should have been great, that sinking feeling returned; alerting him of a bigger problem he would have to face soon. He made a mental note to contact the council later, and schedule a meeting upon his return.

"You are aboard the Black Titan headed for Zion, my home planet," he said.

"I'm sorry, I could have sworn you said your home planet. The medicine you gave me must be kicking in."

"I did and we should be entering our solar system soon," he said, grabbing the table. He remained calm, knowing they had just entered the wormhole.

"I demand you take me home. Now!"

He smiled at her. "My queen, in three days, you will be home, and the people of Zion will love you."

I know most of you read the preview of this chapter, so it's wasn't too much of a surprise. For the new readers, leave a review and let me know what you think.