The tower on Dragons Moon had reached a lull in the messages and the pod transports on the schedule. But as Akadeanna got up from her control couch to go get an energy drink, something drew her attention to the observation windows. Glancing out, she could see the Quitallen vessel still parked over by the isolation dome.
Lifemate? Vornath quietly rumbled, joining Akadeanna at the windows.
After 400 years in the void and with the destruction of Quitall, the surviving denizens of that world no longer had the means to repair their vessel. So, slowly, over the past several years, it had been dismantled, the salvaged materials reprocessed and repurposed for the building of their city, Luna's Heart. What now remained was merely a skeleton of the former vessel. The last vestiges were scheduled for demolition the day after tomorrow. But the Quitallens were not saddened by the loss of their vessel. They had been returned to the lands of the living, rejoicing in that impossible escape from oblivion.
And it was all thanks to the Dragons Moon tower, the Talents who manned it, and Akadeanna's shape-shifting daughter, Luna.
The lift door to the control room hissed open, a child stepping through. "Mommy?"
Turning and smiling, Akadeanna waved her six-year-old daughter over.
Six years earlier, with a fluttering heart and great joy, Akadeanna and Vance had finally conceived a child. They had named her Atera after the child Akadeanna and Luna had first met aboard the recovered Quitallen ship. At first, the happy couple wasn't sure how to care for or raise the little girl, but, fortunately, the Quitallen survivors were more than willing to instruct Akadeanna in how to raise a changeling child.
Luna was beside herself with joy, absolutely doting on her baby sister. They were inseparable, filling the family's quarters with hours of laughter and happiness. What Akadeanna hadn't expected… and she silently chided herself because she should've… Luna had formed a very strong attachment to the son of F'lessan and Tai! Akadeanna was torn about how to deal with the attraction, but from the beginning she had said she trusted Luna and Akadeanna wasn't about to go back on her word. She had to admit… they were a handsome couple… and clearly in love with each other! Ah, well, what's a mother to do?
"Hello, Atera!" she greeted the child, planting a delicate kiss on her daughter's head. "How goes your studies?"
"Okay," the child shrugged, peering out the windows. "What's onee-chan doing?"
"Why don't we go find out?" Akadeanna replied, setting her energy drink down.
The huge access door to the control room hissed aside, a strong breeze blowing through the opening. Vornath took the lead, moving to the edge of the landing platform.
"Do you remember what we practiced?" Akadeanna asked her child.
Vigorously, Atera nodded, grinning from ear-to-ear.
Seconds later, a swirl of dragons of many sizes and colors, some bearing riders, soared past the landing platform. Grinning proudly, Akadeanna could tell the smaller one in the lead was Luna in her dragon form.
"Ready?"
"Ready!" Atera cheered.
With but a moment's concentration, Akadeanna and Atera shape-shifted into their dragon forms. Vornath took off, joining the flight. With but a moment's hesitation, Akadeanna and Atera joined her, soaring up higher and higher, eventually pulling to the front of the group alongside Luna. And there, slightly higher and off to the side winged Vance astride Benth, both of them beaming with pride at their family.
Abruptly, one more unusual dragon joined the flight.
Elara! Akadeanna exclaimed.
The Dragons Moon sentience had certainly learned a lot in the past several years. The dragon Akadeanna could see was composed of several interconnected segments of rock, flapping for all the world like a real dragon. And sitting astride the rock dragon's neck was the child stalagmite that had first appeared in the communion cave!
The focused application of Elara's TK abilities was absolutely stunning in precision and control to produce the fluid movement of the rock dragon's wings. All Akadeanna could do was shake her head in amazement and laugh her head off as the flight soared ever higher into the skies of Lua dos Dragões.
It had begun as a journey into the unknown… a way to expand the capabilities of the FT&T… plus a means to offer the Dragonriders of Pern a possible future once Threadfall had finally come to an end. The discoveries had come fast and furious. No one had suspected that the Sadr 6 moon was sentient… until it introduced itself to Akadeanna.
Then the disturbing revelation that those in high places had intended to weaponize the innocent sentience… and the heartbreak and sense of betrayal that had followed. Thanks to everyone's combined efforts, that sinister plot had been squashed like a disgusting bug, the guilty convicted and sent to prison.
Then came the recovery of R'mer's Ruse, the Quitallen vessel lost in the teleport void. Who could've guessed how critical the arrival of the dragonriders would prove in identifying the anomaly and, ultimately, in the vessel's rescue. The survivors aboard the vessel were now rebuilding their lives, thanks to Elara's generosity and desire to help.
Tai's timely identification of the anomalies had ultimately led to the vessel's recovery. Her efforts had since been duplicated at all the FT&T towers. Many vessels were still missing following other teleport accidents and their identification and retrieval was given the highest priority. Several new anomalies had been identified and soon efforts would get underway to begin the retrievals.
What had started out with hesitancy and trepidation had matured into a firm resolve. Everyone on Dragons Moon was looking to the future, glittering brilliantly on the horizon, all determined to make it a reality! With a dizzying lift of heart, Akadeanna knew she would be part of that future. Huzzah!
~~ FIN ~~
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