9/5/2261
Alyen and L'Naym's Quarters
1:15 AM
L'Naym awakened from a light sleep and stretched. She glanced over at the clock and noted the time: 1:15 AM
Her slightly dry mouth and feelings of thirst reminded her of why she had awakened. Dr McCoy had explained
that increased thirst was a common response due to the increase in blood volume that pregnant women of many
species, Human and Nlian included, experienced.
Careful to not wake her sleeping lifemate, she reached over to the glass and small pitcher that had been placed
next to her side of the bed for the purpose and poured herself some water. The water was kept mostly frozen
during the day and put beside her before she went to bed so that it would be cool in case she needed a drink.
After finishing her drink she lay back down, knowing she'd soon drift back to sleep. Her thoughts drifted to the
past several days.
After leaving the Campor System and the site of the Quantum Storm, the Saratoga had spent four days traveling
to Starbase Sigma. They day before they arrived they had the potluck dinner she'd organized. Everyone had
enjoyed it and she had been able to see and feel the tension easing out of the crew as they reaffirmed their ties
with each other. Her heart had especially gladdened to see her Soul Brother smile and laugh, the shadows of the
Enterprise fading. It was her greatest joy…to give joy to others.
After two days at Sigma, the Saratoga had departed for their original intended destination, the Keelon System.
The USS Leonidas had flown threw it during its maiden voyage and their scans had detected tantalizing life signs.
The life signs had become apparent to the Saraotga two days after they'd arrived. The system had six planets,
mostly gas giants, and two large asteroid belts. None of the planets or their moons were inhabited, but the asteroid
belts were apparently a feeding ground for an incredible species of spaceborne lifeforms.
Of all the many lifeforms that the Saratoga had encountered this was one of the types that L'Naym found the most
incredible.
What is it like? she had often wondered. To soar among the stars without needing a ship and to have the entire
universe as one's home?
The encounter had reminded her lifemate of the spaceborne lifeforms he had encountered during his first
away-mission two years previously. Although these lifeforms were very different from the tiny ones he had seen.
They were much larger, about the size of a shuttlecraft. Their heads resembled Earth jellyfish, but they had long
snakelike bodies. Their bodies were mostly black, but their heads had bioluminescent stripes of blue which they
apparently used them to communicate with each other by changing hues and brightness. They were able to travel
at faster than light. When they were about to do, so their entire bodies would glow before streaking away.
So far they had seen two dozen of them. Their scientists didn't think that they were native to this system.
From what they could tell they seemed to be nomads and the asteroid field was a favored feeding spot during
their regular migrations. Each day new ones arrived while others left.
Starfleet was exited. There had been countless in and outgoing transmissions between the Saratoga and dozens
of different scientists on dozens of Federation worlds
The entire crew was excited. It was just what they'd needed- getting back to being a science vessel again.
Jim had been especially happy because this was just what he'd needed- the chance to get back to taking a closer
look and making new discoveries. In fact he had left yesterday for a twenty four hour away-mission with the Waverider,
in order to get an even closer look
She chuckled silently. Her Soul Brother would use any excuse to take out the Waverider. He loved to fly his 'baby',
as he called it.
Her thoughts turned, as they always did now, to her unborn baby.
It had been exactly sixteen weeks,(four months) since the Mating had struck and her child conceived.
Human mothers normally didn't start to feel their children moving inside them until 18-24 weeks (four to six months).
Nlian mothers started feeling them much sooner, not physically but telepathically.
She extended her senses and smiled as she felt her son. He had been sleeping but had come awake in a sudden
burst of movement. He was still too small to be felt physically, but he came through loud and clear telepathically
and she reveled in the feel of the tiny soul.
L'Naym felt her child doing a lazy somersault inside of her and love and pride filled her. *My precious little one,*
she silently said to the tiny presence. * You'll be a strong one, won't you?*
Something as delicate as the touch of a moth's wing brushed against her.
She froze, all of her attention focused inwards on the tiny spark within her. Until now all of her Soul
touches had been silently absorbed but now…
The Joined Soul reached out...
A precious tiny Soul reached back to her.
Nothing verbal….a simple brush of awareness.
A baby feeling his mother's touch and reaching back.
She gasped, tears of joy coming to her eyes. *Beloved!*
Alyen jolted awake beside her. *Beloved? What is it?*
*The baby!* she said joyfully, placing his hands on her stomach. *I heard him! Our son touched me!
He can communicate now!* She laughed from sheer joy.
Alyen silently reached out to their son
The other Joined Soul reached out...
And felt pure joy at the feel of a tiny responding touch.
The lifemates both felt their unborn child do another turn and then settle back to sleep. Afterwards they
lay awake in each others' arms, celebrating the event in silence.
Not all discoveries were found on the bridge of a ship, some were quiet but every bit as profound.
Some were trumpeted all over Starfleet while others were shared in silence.
When their Soul Brother came back they would share their joy with him, but this moment was theirs alone.