Chapter 2- The Light
Crais awoke, he had no idea how long he had been asleep, but he felt much better. He considered showering and cleaning his wounds up. Suddenly he had the feeling he was being watched.
"Talyn! Lights!" He shouted while trying to find his pulse pistol only to remember he hadn't taken one off the command carrier. It was now that he looked about his quarters and saw her sitting on his desk. She was staring at him with the most intense green eyes had ever seen. Long flaming red hair framed her tan face. He could see pointed ears sticking through her hair. She was lithe, but carried herself with athletic grace. He estimated she was almost as tall as he. She did not appeared to be armed, but continued to watch him. She made no move and no sound. He wondered how she got onboard. Even with his limited sensors Talyn should have picked up her ship and alerted him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Onara."
"Onara. And how did you get here?"
"On my ship."
This is going to take forever. In a slightly more irritated tone he continued his questioning. "Using more than three words, how were you able to find us and get onboard?"
She tilted her head to one side and looked at him curiously. "I heard your cry for help. I was the only one in the area and came to investigate."
He observed that here voice was almost musical. "How could you hear a distress call? Our communications are down."
"I didn't say I heard a distress call. I said I heard a cry for help." She saw the look of confusion on his face and continued, "This ship is a leviathan. My people are mildly telepathic. Normally we can only sense others of our species, but I heard your ship call out in pain. I have always had strong sense of curiosity, maybe too much. At least that's what my father says. I made contact with your ship and let him know I was here to help. He let me onboard."
"And why were watching me."
"I have never seen a Sebacean up close before." She got up and approached Crais, reaching for his face, "You are wounded. I can help you."
He flinched away from her touch, "I'm fine." She gave him that look again and he continued cautiously, "What sort of help can you offer?"
"First I can help you clean and dress your wounds. Then I can help with some of your repairs. I'm not that bad a mechanic. If we can get your ship mobile again, I know a place where you can get parts and equipment to repair the more serious damage. It's not too far from here."
Crais was wary. He feared there might be a Peacekeeper presence where she was suggesting. "I don't mean to shun your help, but I would prefer to avoid any Peacekeepers."
"Oh, there are no Peacekeepers on Kandor. It is my homeworld. We have been able to keep to ourselves. You will be safe there."
"It doesn't seem that I have much of a choice."
"Not if you want help. I doubt that anyone else will find you out here. This is a rather remote sector."
"First, I wish to know why you are offering help to a potentially dangerous stranger."
"I have always had a soft spot for those in need. You and your ship are nearly helpless. Now that I know of your distress I cannot just leave you here adrift in space."
He thought how like John Crichton this statement was. For the first time since he left the carrier he found himself wondering if it had worked. Had he destroyed the carrier? Had the others been able to escape? He would have to find out. "Very well, I... accept your offer of help, but I will clean myself up." She remained where she was. Sensing she had no intention of leaving, "Talyn will direct you to the galley where you can wait for me."
She tilted her head curiously again, but turned and left. Quickly, Crais showered and cleaned his wounds. It felt good to be clean and in clean clothes. He didn't know what to think about Onara. She didn't seem to be hiding anything, but he was curious at her offer of help. Most beings he had met were reluctant to do something for nothing. He wondered what she might want in return for her help. He proceeded to the galley where he found her working on the galley equipment.
"Onara," he waited until she looked at him, "I know you have offered your help freely, but I am afraid that I will not be able to pay for any repair services. I have a limited amount of funds at my disposal."
"Don't worry about the cost. I can take care of that. Shall we begin repairs? I have finished here."
He was surprised at how quickly she had been able to repair the galley equipment. It would have taken him twice as long as it took her. "You finished the repairs to the galley equipment most efficiently. I have noticed that you have asked me no questions about who I am."
"You will tell me when you are ready. I can tell that you have been through much recently. I did not want to upset you by asking about your past."
"Don't you want to know my name?"
"If you feel it is important for me to know."
"Don't your people use names?"
"Not normally. Most of our conversations have both verbal and telepathic parts. There is no need to use names unless you are in a crowded area."
He found this arrangement very unusual, but he had seen many unusual things since leaving the Peacekeepers. "I am Bialar Crais. I would like you to use my name when you address me. My ship is Talyn, a leviathan as you have noted, albeit a young one. Come, we will begin with repairs in command and proceed from there."
It took several arns to finish the repairs that would bring Talyn's navigation and sensor systems back on line. During this time Crais found himself telling her much of his story. He didn't give many of the details of what he did as a Peacekeeper, but instead concentrated on the time he had spent with Talyn. He wasn't sure why he did this. A part of him suspected her telepathic nature had something to do with this, but it also could have been the air of innocence she had. She was extremely bright about starships and other mechanical devices, seemed to have a decent level of knowledge about leviathans, and could even converse about several of the planets he had been to in the Uncharted Territories. Now it was time to learn something about Onara.
"Onara, how did you acquire all of this knowledge? You do not seem the type of person who has traveled to all of these places."
"I have been to many of them. Others, father has made me learn about. He saw that I received quite an extensive education. As to knowing about leviathans, I have traveled on one before. I found it a most enjoyable experience. Let me enter the coordinates for Kandor and then we can be on our way."
At Talyn's reduced speed they were able to reach Kandor in two solar days. During that time they told stories about their travels. Even with all she was telling him, she seemed to be hiding something. She would mention her family in passing, but would quickly change the subject when pressed. He wondered what she was hiding.
Crais awoke, he had no idea how long he had been asleep, but he felt much better. He considered showering and cleaning his wounds up. Suddenly he had the feeling he was being watched.
"Talyn! Lights!" He shouted while trying to find his pulse pistol only to remember he hadn't taken one off the command carrier. It was now that he looked about his quarters and saw her sitting on his desk. She was staring at him with the most intense green eyes had ever seen. Long flaming red hair framed her tan face. He could see pointed ears sticking through her hair. She was lithe, but carried herself with athletic grace. He estimated she was almost as tall as he. She did not appeared to be armed, but continued to watch him. She made no move and no sound. He wondered how she got onboard. Even with his limited sensors Talyn should have picked up her ship and alerted him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Onara."
"Onara. And how did you get here?"
"On my ship."
This is going to take forever. In a slightly more irritated tone he continued his questioning. "Using more than three words, how were you able to find us and get onboard?"
She tilted her head to one side and looked at him curiously. "I heard your cry for help. I was the only one in the area and came to investigate."
He observed that here voice was almost musical. "How could you hear a distress call? Our communications are down."
"I didn't say I heard a distress call. I said I heard a cry for help." She saw the look of confusion on his face and continued, "This ship is a leviathan. My people are mildly telepathic. Normally we can only sense others of our species, but I heard your ship call out in pain. I have always had strong sense of curiosity, maybe too much. At least that's what my father says. I made contact with your ship and let him know I was here to help. He let me onboard."
"And why were watching me."
"I have never seen a Sebacean up close before." She got up and approached Crais, reaching for his face, "You are wounded. I can help you."
He flinched away from her touch, "I'm fine." She gave him that look again and he continued cautiously, "What sort of help can you offer?"
"First I can help you clean and dress your wounds. Then I can help with some of your repairs. I'm not that bad a mechanic. If we can get your ship mobile again, I know a place where you can get parts and equipment to repair the more serious damage. It's not too far from here."
Crais was wary. He feared there might be a Peacekeeper presence where she was suggesting. "I don't mean to shun your help, but I would prefer to avoid any Peacekeepers."
"Oh, there are no Peacekeepers on Kandor. It is my homeworld. We have been able to keep to ourselves. You will be safe there."
"It doesn't seem that I have much of a choice."
"Not if you want help. I doubt that anyone else will find you out here. This is a rather remote sector."
"First, I wish to know why you are offering help to a potentially dangerous stranger."
"I have always had a soft spot for those in need. You and your ship are nearly helpless. Now that I know of your distress I cannot just leave you here adrift in space."
He thought how like John Crichton this statement was. For the first time since he left the carrier he found himself wondering if it had worked. Had he destroyed the carrier? Had the others been able to escape? He would have to find out. "Very well, I... accept your offer of help, but I will clean myself up." She remained where she was. Sensing she had no intention of leaving, "Talyn will direct you to the galley where you can wait for me."
She tilted her head curiously again, but turned and left. Quickly, Crais showered and cleaned his wounds. It felt good to be clean and in clean clothes. He didn't know what to think about Onara. She didn't seem to be hiding anything, but he was curious at her offer of help. Most beings he had met were reluctant to do something for nothing. He wondered what she might want in return for her help. He proceeded to the galley where he found her working on the galley equipment.
"Onara," he waited until she looked at him, "I know you have offered your help freely, but I am afraid that I will not be able to pay for any repair services. I have a limited amount of funds at my disposal."
"Don't worry about the cost. I can take care of that. Shall we begin repairs? I have finished here."
He was surprised at how quickly she had been able to repair the galley equipment. It would have taken him twice as long as it took her. "You finished the repairs to the galley equipment most efficiently. I have noticed that you have asked me no questions about who I am."
"You will tell me when you are ready. I can tell that you have been through much recently. I did not want to upset you by asking about your past."
"Don't you want to know my name?"
"If you feel it is important for me to know."
"Don't your people use names?"
"Not normally. Most of our conversations have both verbal and telepathic parts. There is no need to use names unless you are in a crowded area."
He found this arrangement very unusual, but he had seen many unusual things since leaving the Peacekeepers. "I am Bialar Crais. I would like you to use my name when you address me. My ship is Talyn, a leviathan as you have noted, albeit a young one. Come, we will begin with repairs in command and proceed from there."
It took several arns to finish the repairs that would bring Talyn's navigation and sensor systems back on line. During this time Crais found himself telling her much of his story. He didn't give many of the details of what he did as a Peacekeeper, but instead concentrated on the time he had spent with Talyn. He wasn't sure why he did this. A part of him suspected her telepathic nature had something to do with this, but it also could have been the air of innocence she had. She was extremely bright about starships and other mechanical devices, seemed to have a decent level of knowledge about leviathans, and could even converse about several of the planets he had been to in the Uncharted Territories. Now it was time to learn something about Onara.
"Onara, how did you acquire all of this knowledge? You do not seem the type of person who has traveled to all of these places."
"I have been to many of them. Others, father has made me learn about. He saw that I received quite an extensive education. As to knowing about leviathans, I have traveled on one before. I found it a most enjoyable experience. Let me enter the coordinates for Kandor and then we can be on our way."
At Talyn's reduced speed they were able to reach Kandor in two solar days. During that time they told stories about their travels. Even with all she was telling him, she seemed to be hiding something. She would mention her family in passing, but would quickly change the subject when pressed. He wondered what she was hiding.