William Boone was lurking out of sight in the upper levels of the Embassy, the area reserved for private quarters, listening at the top of the ramp. He could hear Da'an introducing Zo'or to the press, and heard Zo'or's announcement of the Taelon's intent to go into death stasis, and their dependency on humanity for help. He heard the murmurs of astonishment that rippled through t he crowd, and was pleased. It looked like they were finally getting the break they so desperately needed, with time running out.

It had been difficult for Da'an to do, but once the North American Companion was convinced of the necessity, he had acted bravely and forcefully, refusing to allow Zo'or to drain any more of his energy. As the time for Zo'or's entry into the stasis wing drew closer, Da'an began applying pressure, resulting in this press conference and what amounted to a Taelon apology to the human public. With Zo'or in stasis, Da'an could assume leadership, and would be much more likely to gain human support during the Taelon's most critical hours.

Suddenly Boone sensed an undercurrent of fear in the crowd. He heard Liam Kincaid give the order to halt, and shots were fired. Breaking cover, he ran to the top of the ramp, his eyes scanning first for his Companion. Da'an was seated in his chair, intently observing the tense scene before him. A man, no, not a man, a bionic armed with grenades, was slowly moving forward. Liam Kincaid had him at gun point, but something was wrong with Da'an's protector. As the creature advanced, Liam Kincaid collapsed, leaving Da'an defenseless. Boone swiftly raised his gun and fired. At the same moment, Tina de May, a rookie protector assigned to the Embassy, also discharged her weapon. The combined force sent the bionic hurdling through the virtual glass window, to detonate in the air above Washington.

Boone quickly checked the scene. Da'an was safe, but Kincaid was down. He ducked back upstairs and contacted his Volunteer force to apprise them of the incident. It did not appear that this attack would compromise Boone's plan, provided Da'an's protector was capable of resuming his duties. He watched from the ramp as the med team took Kincaid to the biolab, then using a personal portal, he left Da'an's private chambers for the Mothership.

^^^^^
Boone was relieved to receive information that Liam Kincaid would be returning to active duty as Da'an's protector. The Volunteers at the Embassy were reporting that Kincaid still seemed to be unwell, but had insisted that he would continue to protect Da'an until the last moment. Boone, of course, was there to see to it that it never came to that, but he needed the young protector to stay close to Da'an and remain vigilant against any possible threat, as he had told Kincaid when he briefed him about this operation.

The Commander scanned the reports coming in on his global. Everything on the Mothership was running according to schedule. Da'an had called in important human officials and the press to witness the Taelon's entrance into stasis. This, they hoped, would provide reassurance to the human governments and public that Zo'or's mad reign had indeed come to an end. Da'an alone possessed the energy to remain out of stasis, and by forcing Zo'or to submit, Da'an would then be able to work with human society to solve the core energy problem, and establish a cooperative arrangement.

The most critical moment, Boone knew, would be the point of no return for Zo'or. It was difficult to anticipate what the unstable Taelon's reaction would be, and Boone wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.

Working his way up the corridor to the stasis wing, the protector decided to do one last security sweep before the officials and press arrived. He stopped in the doorway of the death chamber, an uneasy feeling invading his soul. Looking at the still forms of hundreds of Taelons, William Boone shuddered. At least his beloved had time before this fate awaited him.

Caught off guard in a somber mood, Commander Boone never saw what hit him.

*****

Liam Kincaid joined Da'an at the stasis chamber, ready to take action if anything happened to disrupt Boone's plans. When the Commander had contacted Liam about the operation, the young protector was ready to assist. He had hoped for quite some time now that Da'an would find a way to replace Zo'or as Synod Leader, and believed that this would go a long way in bringing peace between the two species. Even with his recent medical problems, he was determined to see this mission through.

Kincaid scanned the room, attempting to remain alert, inspite of his physical condition. His eyes narrowed as he saw Zo'or enter the area with a company of stormtroopers. This was exactly what Boone was concerned about. He hoped the Commander and his Volunteers were ready to move if necessary.

It was obvious now, that Zo'or suspected the truth about Boone's mission. He knew that the plan was to keep Da'an out of stasis. Deactivating the stasis chamber, Zo'or called on the Commonality to judge Da'an's actions, and Kincaid waited tensely for the result, preparing himself to remove his Companion to safety.

"Arrest him", Zo'or ordered, and as the stormtroopers moved in to take Da'an, Kincaid pushed the Taelon out of the area, blocking the path with a grenade. As he rushed Da'an down the corridor to the portal room, Kincaid wondered what had happened to Commander Boone.

^^^^^
Boone groaned as he rolled over on his back, and raised a hand to the throbbing area on the back of his head. Squinting, he tried to focus on his surroundings. He was lying on a hard concrete floor. The air felt cold and damp, and somewhere in the distance he could hear water dripping. Attempting to sit up, he felt a wave of nausea roll over him as the room began to spin. He leaned against a wall, and closed his eyes, trying to recall how he got here.

Suddenly the man stiffened and sat bolt upright as he remembered what he had last been doing. Da'an! How long...

"Well, Commander Boone, I'd say that it's a pleasure to see you again, but in fact it's just a nuisance."

Boone opened his eyes to look on the one person in the world he did not want to see right now, Ronald Sandoval. Zo'or's protector was standing some distance away, the all too familiar look of disdain coloring his dark countenance.

"Nice to know you missed me,Sandoval."

"You know, I've suspected for quite some time that I've had an unauthorized visitor frequenting the Mothership. I have to admit, I never suspected it to be you."

"Well, next time you and Zo'or decide to terminate an experiment, make sure it's really terminated."

"Yes. I'm sure there's a very interesting story there, but I really don't have time to hear it. I'm due on the Mothership where I get the extreme pleasure of watching the Taelons enter stasis."

"Sort of causes an employment crisis for you, I would suspect."

"Not really. I intend to be self-employed. At any rate, I certainly don't need any loose cannons disrupting my plans, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do with these accommodations a while longer. "

"And then what?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet, Boone. But I promise it will be most satisfactory."

Boone watched the FBI agent leave the room, then calmly began assessing his situation. He wasn't cuffed or tied in any way, which led the Commander to suspect that there was a containment field in place. The room seemed to be an abandoned factory of some kind. A short distance off sat his warden, eating a disgusting looking sausage sandwich. Boone looked closely at the man, who stopped in mid bite to take notice.

"Hey. So you're the famous Commander Boone."

"Yeah. And you're the infamous Tate."

"That's the breaks. I'd give you a bite of this, but I never know when the boss is going to give me a relief man."

"That's okay. I pass."

"Your loss."

Boone looked around. In addition to Tate, the place was manned by a handful of Sandoval's Volunteers. Boone scanned each of them, hoping to find one of his own among them, but without luck.There was nothing to do but wait, and watch for the first opportunity.

^^^^^
Liam Kincaid was sick. Very sick. According to Dr. Curzon, his Kimera DNA was becoming toxic to his system, and without the stasis technology he had secretly downloaded, he would die. There was nothing much to do about it now, so Liam was determined to get back on the job and try to keep Da'an out of Zo'or's hands. That wasn't going to be easy, since Zo'or was planning an assault on the Embassy.

Back at the Embassy, he had only found more trouble. Da'an was beginning to rethink their plan, worried that Zo'or would die before submitting to stasis. That's when Da'an had made a startling confession to Liam: Zo'or was his child. Suddenly so much of Da'an's inconsistent behavior toward the Synod Leader became clear, as Liam realized he'd been protecting his own offspring. Da'an was a parent. Liam had always thought of Da'an as his spiritual parent, at least before the betrayal, and he now found himself longing to reclaim that relationship before it was too late.

Liam was about to open a discussion with Da'an, to try to bring reconciliation, when Protector de May had entered and exposed Liam's theft of the stasis tech. Suddenly the companion he now so desperately wanted to protect had lost faith in him. As Sandoval's stormtroopers began their assault, de May swept his companion away to the roof. As the weakness overtook him, all Liam could think was "why?"

^^^^^
Da'an's former protector had no idea how long he had been incarcerated, but it was long enough that he was beginning to get significantly worried. If something was going to go wrong on the Mothership, he was sure it would have already happened.He just hoped Liam Kincaid had felt up to the job. With every minute that passed, Boone's tension became more palapable.He tried contacting Da'an through their psychic link, but to no avail; Da'an tended to shield his mind pretty tightly during dangerous situations. Hearing the outer door open, he looked up, and seeing a familiar face, finally felt as though his luck had turned.

"You Tate?", the Volunteer asked.

"Yeah. What'cha need?"

"I'm your relief."

"That right? Things must have gone well up there, the boss is being generous."

Picking up the remains of the carton of ice cream he'd been scarfing down, Tate gave a mock salute to his prisoner.

"Nice to meet you, Commander Boone."

"Yeah, it's been a real picnic, Tate."

As soon as Tate was out the door, Boone urgently addressed Volunteer Bailey. "Update!"

"It's not good Commander. The operation went sour. Zo'or busted in with a company of stormtroopers and tried to arrest Da'an. With so many press and all there, we couldn't really respond. We were afraid of a shootout with civilian casualties. Kincaid, however, was able to get Da'an safely away to the Embassy."

"Da'an's alright?"

"For now, but rumor is that Zo'or is planning an assault."

"On their own Embassy?"

"Yes, sir. The story is that the ANA is getting pretty antsy. They're worried about a Taelon civil war."

"Damn. Then we need to get the hell out of here, Bailey."

"Agreed, sir."

^^^^^
"Why?", Liam gasped as he sank down on the roof, trying to focus on Tina de May. It wasn't supposed to end this way. He and Boone were going to ensure Da'an's leadership, giving Taelons and humanity a chance, but because of de May, Liam had lost Da'an's trust. Zo'or had ordered an assault on the Embassy, and without Boone or Liam to protect Da'an, the rookie led the diplomat straight into Sandoval's trap. In spite of Liam and Renee's attempts to stop him, the FBI agent had portaled away with Da'an to the Mothership. Zo'or would force the Companion into stasis, and there would be no one to challenge him. The ANA would have no choice but to take drastic action.

As Liam watched, de May dematerialized, the world became unfocused again, and the young companion protector collapsed on the rooftop of the Washington Embassy. His mind seemed to race, pondering all the possibilities, all of the lost promise, as everything went black....

*Why?*

^^^^^
"I beg of you Zo'or, to do what is right for our species."

"I have done what is right."

Da'an lay immobile on the stasis bed, knowing that his child would not show him mercy. Zo'or's fear of stasis had blinded him to all but his own need, and he would obtain Da'an's energy in whatever way possible, with little regard for the future of the Taelons or humanity.

"But, if you do not enter stasis, the Mothership will not be able to carry out her mission imperative."

"The mission imperative is flawed...and you are a traitor. Let this be your final thought as you enter the lingering death of stasis."

Zo'or plunged his hand into his parent's core matrix, and Da'an, gasping in pain, felt the energy leave him, and his life slip away.

*You have doomed us, my child....*

Then thinking of the dream that was lost, Da'an sent his last thoughts of love to the one who shared it, as the cold gray of death stasis embraced him...

^^^^^
William Boone and Volunteer Bailey were in a furious shootout with Sandoval's guards. Bailey had taken the opportunity to free Boone from the energy field, and the rest was plain, ugly, guerrilla warfare.

They were trying to make their way to an outbuliding where Bailey had a portal set up. From there, they would sneak back onto the Mothership, but the guards had them pinned behind a pile of scrap in the yard.

"Bailey, cover me! I'm going to make a run for it!"

With that, Commander Boone raced up the hill toward the outbuilding. Bailey was doing an excellent job providing cover, and Boone was at the door of the shack when his mind felt a surge of affection from his Companion. Then, just as suddenly, the beloved presence slipped away.

*No! *, his mind screamed. Frozen in his tracks and suddenly unaware of his surroundings, William Boone barely felt the searing pain of an energy blast hitting him in the chest. He went down, and as a familiar darkness engulfed him, his mind was still trying to connect with the one he loved...

*Da'an...*

^^^^^
To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream......

*****

*Why?*

*This is the dark time, Liam*

*Ha'gel...why are you here?*

*A Kimera spirit was chosen to push you to the point of ultimate human despair...death.*

*Why have you done this to me?*

*You are the agent of your salvation, Liam. A lesson you must learn, and then teach. Have faith, Liam..have faith.*

^^^^^^
*The dream...William...*

*Da'an....*

*Ma'el....please do not reproach me, my parent.*

*Reproach you, my child? Why would I reproach you?*

* I have failed, Ma'el. I have failed the vision.*

*Does a tribulation, then, equal failure? Do you not know that the more noble the dream, the more difficult the path?*

*But we are in stasis, and I have lost the goodwill of humanity.*

*There are many ways of arrival, Da'an. Do not now narrow your focus. Have faith.*

*I do not know if such a dream is possible now.*

*Which dream, Da'an?*

*The survival of our species...and humanity. Our people working in cooperative partnership for the good of all. This was my dream.*

*As it was mine. And yet, Da'an, it is still too small. Expand your dream beyond what you know.*

*I will try, da'rhu'shee*

*And remember, as you pass through the unknown, saa'mim, you will discover truth.*

^^^^^
*Da'an....!*

*Will....*

*Kate. Oh, Kate. So I've finally died.*

*Not yet, Will. You still have too much to do.*

*I don't know. I thought I'd found a purpose to all of this. But, now I don't know."*

*Why? What's caused you to doubt your purpose?*

*I lost Da'an, just as I lost you.We were going to build a bridge between our species, but now.. *

*I see. Tell me about Da'an.*

*What?.*

*What is your relationship like?*

*It's unlike anything I've ever known, Kate. I love Da'an, but in a way I never knew could exist. He can touch my mind and my soul in a way that I know no human ever could. I can't compare it to anything. I love Da'an the way I love Da'an.*

*Will...don't you see? You and Da'an have built that bridge between you. You are the example. Have faith, and hold on to Da'an, no matter what.*

*But, I can't do it alone.*

*You are not alone, William Boone. You are not alone.*

^^^^^
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come....must give us pause.

^^^^^

Liam Kincaid was practically running down the corridors of the Mothership. He had never felt so alive, had never felt so much a part of the world. Suspended between life and death, he had finally made all the connections. He understood, he finally understood! He had been returned to this life, and he knew he had a job to do, they all did. He entered the stasis chamber, and moved to the controls, intending to reverse the stasis protocols.

"You touch that control panel and I swear, I'll kill you."

Liam whirled around to face William Boone, standing just behind one of the stasis beds, a gun aimed right at the Major's head. The Commander was bandaged, his left arm in a sling, and he looked deathly pale; but the grim and dangerous look in his eyes made Kincaid stop short.

"Trust me, Boone. I have to do this."

"You so much as twitch a finger on that control, Kincaid, and they won't even find an particle of your DNA to identify."

"Commander, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? I should think that's obvious, Major. I'm doing my job, I'm protecting Da'an," the Commander replied, bitterly. "I've been an outstanding protector, Kincaid. Outstanding. Reliable, dependable, always there when I'm needed. Surely you can see what a wonderful job I've done....protecting....Da'an...."

Boone's words trailed off miserably, as he lowered his head to look at the translucent form lying on the stasis bed in front of him. Suddenly, a choking sound wracked the body of he big man, and he sank to his knees. Dropping the weapon, he wrapped his one good arm around the still, fragile Taelon, and laid his head on Da'an's breast. Liam Kincaid dropped his gaze, knowing now that Boone's fight had become very personal.

"What happened, Boone?"

The Commander looked up at Kincaid, sorrow and loss reflected in his deep brown eyes.

"What happened? I got careless. Sandoval caught me out on the Mothership, and put me under guard in a factory somewhere. My Volunteers broke me out, but not before I got shot. They had to drag me into the portal and sneak me into the medbay. What happened? I failed him. I promised to be here when things got rough...and I wasn't, and I failed him."

"Boone..."

"I failed Da'an, I failed the Taelons, and I failed humanity."

"No, you haven't..." Kincaid started, but Boone shot abruptly upright, and regaining his composure and his weapon, stepped out from behind the stasis bed.

"Don't you understand, Kincaid! It's over! Da'an and I had a dream--to build a bridge between our species, but we failed. The Taelons are in stasis, the Jaridians are on their way, and humanity is doomed! All that's left now is for me to stay by his side until someone puts an end to both of us."

"But that's just it, Boone. It's not over! I know that now. Look, you were the one who told me that I needed to look at the relationships between species. You were the one who said that we had a common future with the Taelons, something that Da'an's been saying all along. I've been a dull student, but I finally get it! Kimera, Taelon, Jaridian, Human...we're all connected, we all need each other. None of us can stand in this universe alone...this was your vision, your dream...remember?"

"And--it's--over."

"No, it's not. But you have to trust me. I need to bring the Taelons out of stasis, so that we can all work together. Believe me, I have absolutely no desire to hurt the Taelons...they're a part of me, a part of all of us. Help me, Boone. Don't let Da'an's dream die here."

William Boone's eyes narrowed as he gave Liam Kincaid a dark look. Circling back around Da'an's bed, he leaned over the still figure of his beloved Taelon. Softly tracing Da'an's features with his fingers, he looked up with a ragged sigh.

"Do what you have to, Kincaid. I won't stop you. But you better hope you're right, because the Taelons don't have many chances left."

"I know. It will be all right. Just have faith a little longer." Kincaid moved to the control panel. "You'd better get lost, Boone. As soon as this thing's activated, Zo'or and all you-know-what will be down here. I don't think it's quite time for you to come out in the open."

"I...I want Da'an to know..."

"I'll explain things to Da'an. You can catch up later. Now, get going."

Liam's eyes followed Boone as he disappeared into the labyrinth of the Mothership. As he turned back to the control panel, his glance fell on the still figure of the North American Companion. Smiling affectionately, Liam Kincaid moved to the diplomat's side, and gently stroked the Taelon's cheek.

"This is for you, too, da'rhu'shee", Liam whispered. He then quietly walked to the stasis center, accessed the controls, and began the stasis reversal.

^^^^^
After paying another secret visit to the medlab, Boone navigated through the convoluted inner decks of the Mothership, making his way to Da'an's private quarters. Volunteers had updated him on the stasis reversal, and he knew that the Taelons had overruled Zo'or and agreed to share the energy reserve equally, giving all of them a few months extra time.

Using a seam opener, Boone entered his Companion's chambers. In the soft purple/blue of the room, he could see his beloved sitting in front of the large viewing wall that looked out into the expanse of space. The blue and white swirls of the human's planet spun among the stars there, in seemingly perfect peace.

Quietly, so as not to disturb the Taelon's meditation, Boone sat down beside his mate, taking in every detail of his Companion's finely sculpted features. Da'an sat with eyes closed, his porcelain face serene and peaceful, and Boone was reminded of the awe he'd felt the first time he had glimpsed this captivating and ethereal being.

Da'an slowly opened his eyes and turned to his protector, the realization of the loss they had almost shared communicated the moment their eyes met. Circling an arm around the human's neck, Da'an initiated what, for him, was a very human interaction, and carefully pulled Boone closer until he rested his head against theTaelon's.

Boone, left without words but needing to say so much, placed his good hand on his beloved's cheek, tenderly stroking the Taelon's lips with his thumb.

"Da'an, I...almost...I wish I could....."

"Then, why do you not?", the Taelon spoke, in hushed tones.

Boone drew his dearest one close, and tentatively pressed a kiss to his cheek. Sensing no resistance from the Taelon, he slid his lips upward, and gently kissed each of his mate's closed eyelids. As Boone pulled back, Da'an slowly opened his eyes and the human found himself suspended in an enchanting realm of celestial blue. Boone lowered his head, and slowly, almost reverently, caressed the Companion's soft lips with his own.

Capturing the human's good hand in his smaller one, Da'an twined his fingers into his mate's; and as their palms met, Boone drew a long, slow breath at the touch of the mind he had so desperately sought just hours earlier. With a deep, contented sigh he relaxed in his Companion's embrace and allowed the violet-blue mist of Da'an's consciousness to once again envelope his soul.

*****

"A forgiveness delegation. That's a wonderful idea. Now, I wonder what Taelon could have possibly thought of that?" Boone asked, as he snuggled next to his Companion.

"I am determined that we will use our remaining time on this planet wisely, and do everything possible to repair that which has been damaged. I am pleased that I have been able to convince the Synod of the rightness of such an approach."

"And Zo'or?"

"Zo'or has been somewhat humbled by recent events, and has been remarkably cooperative".

"Then let's hope nothing happens to change things".