Disclaimer: They aren't mine, never will be. Just having a little fun.
Summary of Realized Reality: Crais and Talyn rescue Crichton from his orbit of Earth. They went down to Earth to get supplies and allow Crichton to see his father. Once they leave Earth they go in search of a wormhole to take them back to Moya. Moya was just about to leave the area Crichton disappeared from when Talyn appears out of a wormhole. Turns out Crais is the father of Aeryn's child. This pretty much finishes destroying any relationship Aeryn and Crichton had. She decides to leave on Talyn once the youngster is willing to starburst. Scorpius knows her protection is the only thing keeping him alive. Ends with Talyn attempting starburst to flee a PK command carrier only to be sucked down a wormhole.
Obviously nine sentences cannot do the story justice. Recommend you read it if you haven't done so already.
Since there are two story lines, I will alternate between the two. I'll try to give equal coverage to each, but sometimes one may prevail in a given chapter due to the need to establish new characters, locations, situations, etc. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Even if it's just a short note telling me what you think. I'm thinking of leaving the time markers in. If you have strong feelings one-way or the other let me know. They are time from Aeryn's visit to the surgeon.
Part 1
{3 weekens}
The morning after Crais and Talyn were pulled down the wormhole Aeryn had gained control of her sense of loss. She could definitely think a little more clearly. It occurred to her that Scorpius had warned them previously when the Peacekeepers were near. He hadn't done so this time. She found it odd that he hadn't warned them. Unless. She thought back to the conversation she and Crais had about their departure. Scorpius didn't want her to leave.
She stormed down to the half-breed's cell. She had an air of menace about her. "You knew!" she accused.
Scorpius casually approached his cell door and asked innocently, "Knew what, Officer Sun?"
"You knew the command carrier was coming and purposefully didn't tell us."
"Why would I do a thing like that?" he maintained his innocent demeanor.
Aeryn knew that she was no match for Scorpius physically and made sure to stay out of his reach. "You wanted to make sure I didn't leave. To do that you had to get rid of Talyn. If that meant he was captured or just separated from us after starburst you didn't care. You need me here to keep you alive."
"I have no idea what you are talking about. My source on the command carrier did not contact me." He wasn't lying. He had a proximity detector that picked up on long wave emissions from the command carrier.
"If I find out you had something to do with this you will not live to regret it." She stormed off down the corridor.
Scorpius did not regret his decision. He doubted she could ever prove he knew of the command carrier. Even if she did, he was too useful to kill.
Talyn had remained relatively calm. He had a few microts of hysteria, but Crais was able quickly calm him down. Talyn accepted the fact that his outburst was accomplishing nothing. Crais did not ask Talyn to starburst. In part because they did not know which direction to go and in part because Talyn's confidence had been destroyed once again. Crais had used his ample free time to analyze the facts surrounding his current predicament. If Scorpius had an informant on the command carrier, he clearly should have been aware of its presence prior to Talyn's sensors detecting it. Crais knew that Scorpius was a very adept technician. It was likely the half- breed had tapped into Moya's systems. If that were the case, he would have known that Crais was onboard Talyn.
Talyn chirped at Crais. "Yes, Talyn. I believe that Scorpius allowed the Peacekeeper vessel to close. He hoped that with me onboard, your starburst would take us far from Moya, thus ensuring his safety."
Talyn chirped again. "I understand your desire for vengeance. Aeryn gave Scorpius her word that he would not be harmed. Until she revokes that promise, I will not harm him." Talyn chirped. "If we can prove he is responsible, we may be able to convince her. Until then I suggest we concentrate on finding a way to return to Moya."
For the next three solar days Aeryn avoided everyone. She stood her watch in command and would come to the center chamber long enough to get something to eat. Normally she took her food back to her quarters. D'Argo, Chiana and Crichton were beginning to worry about her, but none of them had been able to approach her about their concerns. Aeryn really needed a friend, but she didn't know whom to approach. She didn't even know what she would say. Once again she wished Zhaan were here. The Delvian would know what to say to make her feel better, to help her understand her feelings.
She was so preoccupied with her grief that she didn't notice Chiana enter command. "You look like you could use a friend, Aeryn?" she asked gently. Aeryn was still pained that Chiana had told the others about the pregnancy. "I'm, uh, really sorry about telling everyone about your pregnancy. That was pretty stupid of me. I don't want you to feel sore at me."
Aeryn took a deep breath. "I'm not sore at you, Chiana. I was a little hurt, but I realize everyone would find out eventually. I would have preferred to tell them myself, but you can't change the past."
"No, you really can't. I, uh, know what you are going though and thought you might like to talk." Aeryn shot her a look that caused the Nebari to amend her statement. "Well, maybe not exactly, but I know what it's like to have your love life messed up."
Aeryn smiled warmly, "Thank you, Chiana. This has been really hard for me. I wasn't really ready to come back to Moya. I only came back because I knew this was the only place I could come to recover. I didn't want to face him yet. I knew I wasn't ready. That's why I left after we destroyed the command carrier. I only stayed that long because that's what John wanted us to do. We knew that we couldn't allow anyone to have that power."
"Do you think that might change?"
Aeryn knew that Chiana and Crichton had been spending a lot of time together. Aeryn placed her hand on her stomach. "I doubt it. Not with Crais' child growing in me."
Chiana looked away, "Yeah."
"What? Do you know something?" Aeryn demanded.
Chiana didn't want to tell Aeryn, but she was afraid not to. "We've, uh, talked about it. I don't think I should be sharing it with you, though." Chiana was backing away.
Aeryn realized she had taken on a threatening demeanor and tried to calm herself a little. "I'm sorry. This is a tough time for me. I would appreciate anything you could tell me."
Chiana considered this for few microts. "Well, he's still upset that you are keeping secrets from him. And I think you already know that he doesn't like the idea that Crais is the father."
"That's obvious. Anything else?"
"I think he still cares for you, he's just tired of the pain."
"I think we both are. Thank you, Chiana."
Crichton had seen Aeryn sulking around. He kept thinking that he should talk to her. Perhaps he had been too hard on her. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell her that. She was avoiding him. She was avoiding them all. He was glad he had Chiana to talk to. He wondered how Aeryn was able to go on with all those emotions bottled up inside. She was unwilling to accept his sympathy. When he arrived in his quarters he found Chiana waiting for him.
He sat on his bed. She came up behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. "You're too tense. You should relax."
"Mmmm. That feels good." He rolled his neck lazily.
She rubbed his shoulders for few microts in silence before continuing, "I talked to Aeryn earlier."
He tensed and asked in an offhanded tone, "What did she say?"
She tried to work the new knots out of his shoulders, "Nothing much. She's still hurting. Couldn't get her to say anything about her past."
"That it?"
"Pretty much. She didn't say it but I think she misses Crais." Chiana was trying to push this relationship in her favor. She wasn't lying, but she was telling Crichton what it took to push him towards her.
Crichton turned around, grabbed her, and pinned her to the bed. "Let's not talk about him," he said softly.
{5 weekens}
It took Talyn and Crais two weekens to find an inhabited planet. He had been surprised by the lack of space traffic in this sector of space. He had at first he thought he had returned to the area of the galaxy where Earth was, but none of the stars matched those they had charted. Normally, Crais would have enjoyed the opportunity to explore, but he was eager to return to Aeryn.
The planet was a farming community and had a small spaceport that could only be classified as a remote outpost. He was able to purchase about a weekens worth of supplies and directions to the regional capital. They suggested he might have more luck procuring navigational information there.
The first two days of the three-day journey to the regional capital were uneventful. Talyn had taken to humming to himself lately. Crais wondered where Talyn had picked up that strange habit. Crais found it strangely soothing. On occasion he would join Talyn. He was getting ready to prepare a simple meal for dinner when Talyn informed him he had detected a ship nearby. Crais closed his eyes and used Talyn's sensors to take a look. The ship was operating on minimal power, propulsion was disabled and score marks were clearly visible. Talyn scanned for life. There were two life signs. Crais quickly checked the dimensions of the ship. It would fit in the hangar. He had Talyn bring it aboard. On his way to the hangar he grabbed his pulse pistol.
When he arrived in the hangar Talyn opened the doors and Crais proceeded cautiously towards the unknown ship. Talyn had his weapons drawn, prepared for the possibility of trouble. The hatch to the unknown ship remained closed. Crais assumed that meant the occupants were unable to open it. He had Talyn send a signal that would activate the airlock.
The air in the ship was stale but breathable. The only illumination came from the emergency lights. Talyn guided him to the life signs. He was guided to what looked like a passenger cabin. There was an older woman on the bed who had sustained several injuries. Slumped in a chair was a younger woman. They appeared to be Sebacean, but Crais had learned long ago that appearances could be deceptive. He shook the younger woman and she came around.
"Wh-where am I?"
"I found your ship drifting in space. I have brought it onboard my ship. I need to take your companion to medbay for treatment. Can you walk?"
"Yes," she stood and stretched.
Crais picked up the older woman and led the younger to medbay. "What species are you?"
"Sebacean. Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"For treatment. I want to make sure I do her no harm."
She sounded a little ashamed as she responded, "Oh. Who are you?"
By now they had reached the medbay and Crais was hooking the older woman up to the diagnostics. "Bialar Crais." He answered absent-mindedly. He studied the readouts and began a treatment regimen after consulting with Talyn.
"I am Visha Maren and that is Calla." Visha paused a few microts watching all the activity. She sounded concerned as she asked, "Is she going to be all right?"
Crais thought there was something familiar about her name, but he couldn't place it. He consulted the readouts again, "I have stabilized her. I believe she will recover fully. You may remain here or I can escort you to quarters."
Visha didn't like the idea of being alone on a strange ship. Now that her adrenaline was wearing off she was feeling a little afraid. "I prefer to remain here."
Crais nodded his head at her, "As you wish." He was about to walk out when it occurred to him she might be hungry. "I was preparing a meal when we detected your ship. There is enough to share if you are hungry."
"I'd like that." She followed him down the corridor. "Where is your crew?"
"I have no crew. It is just Talyn and I." He saw the confused look on her face and continued, "He is a Leviathan, a living ship."
"Oh. I've heard of them, but I've never seen one." She looked around in awe and amazement.
While he finished preparing their meal he decided to ask her a few questions. He discovered that she and Calla were explorer-archaeologists. They had been working together about ten cycles. He strongly believed there was something she was hiding from him, but he decided now was not the time to pursue it. They had recently been attacked by pirates who stole most of their cargo. She had managed to secrete part of their cash and some of the more valuable pieces before the pirates boarded. Crais was surprised they traveled in an unarmed ship. "I would think that someone who deals in valuables would not travel in an unarmed ship."
"We've found that being armed attracts more trouble than it prevents. Besides, some planets don't let armed vessels land. Our ship isn't large enough for any sort of transport, so we decided against being armed. How bad is the damage?"
"DRDs have already begun repairs. Talyn has accessed your database in order to get enough information to repair your ship. Some repairs will be beyond the skill level of the DRDs and will require one of us. A preliminary survey shows that we will have to procure some parts from a planet. It appears that key parts in your drive system have been removed."
"Yeah, that was their brilliant idea to get rid of us. They didn't want to pull the trigger, but didn't want us to be able to identify them. They figured we would die by either suffocation or freezing."
Crais thought that this type of behavior was quite cowardly. Talyn checked the database on the smaller ship and began checking his scanners for a matching profile. Crais smiled to himself. Talyn was doing the job Peacekeepers were originally founded to accomplish. Visha saw his smile, "What are you happy about?"
"Talyn is scanning for the pirate vessel. If he locates them, he intends to ensure they get the justice they deserve." He then explained to her how his relationship with Talyn worked. He was also forced to admit that Talyn was a hybrid. He could see the color drain from her face when he mentioned the word Peacekeeper. "Visha, what's wrong? I am no longer a Peacekeeper and have no desire to ever be one again. As a matter of fact, if they find out I am still alive, they will try to kill me."
That seemed to reassure her a little. "I guess I don't have to worry about you turning me in, then. I ran away ten cycles ago. I could not support the Peacekeeper way of life. My father, Councilor Zallas Maren, had chosen a suitable husband for me. Rather than marry the monstrosity of a man my father had chosen, I ran away. Calla mostly raised me and wouldn't let me leave alone. We headed into the Uncharted Territories and beyond, just to get beyond his reach."
Crais now knew where he had heard the name Maren before. Councilor Maren was one of the more ruthless members of the High Council. Back when he was a Peacekeeper he had idolized the man. He then focused on the last part of her conversation. "Do you have starcharts of your journeys?"
"Of course. Why?" she asked Crais curiously.
Crais, in broad terms, explained his predicament. He didn't wish to get into any personal details at this time. She agreed to help him, though she warned she had no information on Tormented Space. They would correlate the astronomical data in the morning. Visha was eager to return to Calla's side.
Summary of Realized Reality: Crais and Talyn rescue Crichton from his orbit of Earth. They went down to Earth to get supplies and allow Crichton to see his father. Once they leave Earth they go in search of a wormhole to take them back to Moya. Moya was just about to leave the area Crichton disappeared from when Talyn appears out of a wormhole. Turns out Crais is the father of Aeryn's child. This pretty much finishes destroying any relationship Aeryn and Crichton had. She decides to leave on Talyn once the youngster is willing to starburst. Scorpius knows her protection is the only thing keeping him alive. Ends with Talyn attempting starburst to flee a PK command carrier only to be sucked down a wormhole.
Obviously nine sentences cannot do the story justice. Recommend you read it if you haven't done so already.
Since there are two story lines, I will alternate between the two. I'll try to give equal coverage to each, but sometimes one may prevail in a given chapter due to the need to establish new characters, locations, situations, etc. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Even if it's just a short note telling me what you think. I'm thinking of leaving the time markers in. If you have strong feelings one-way or the other let me know. They are time from Aeryn's visit to the surgeon.
Part 1
{3 weekens}
The morning after Crais and Talyn were pulled down the wormhole Aeryn had gained control of her sense of loss. She could definitely think a little more clearly. It occurred to her that Scorpius had warned them previously when the Peacekeepers were near. He hadn't done so this time. She found it odd that he hadn't warned them. Unless. She thought back to the conversation she and Crais had about their departure. Scorpius didn't want her to leave.
She stormed down to the half-breed's cell. She had an air of menace about her. "You knew!" she accused.
Scorpius casually approached his cell door and asked innocently, "Knew what, Officer Sun?"
"You knew the command carrier was coming and purposefully didn't tell us."
"Why would I do a thing like that?" he maintained his innocent demeanor.
Aeryn knew that she was no match for Scorpius physically and made sure to stay out of his reach. "You wanted to make sure I didn't leave. To do that you had to get rid of Talyn. If that meant he was captured or just separated from us after starburst you didn't care. You need me here to keep you alive."
"I have no idea what you are talking about. My source on the command carrier did not contact me." He wasn't lying. He had a proximity detector that picked up on long wave emissions from the command carrier.
"If I find out you had something to do with this you will not live to regret it." She stormed off down the corridor.
Scorpius did not regret his decision. He doubted she could ever prove he knew of the command carrier. Even if she did, he was too useful to kill.
Talyn had remained relatively calm. He had a few microts of hysteria, but Crais was able quickly calm him down. Talyn accepted the fact that his outburst was accomplishing nothing. Crais did not ask Talyn to starburst. In part because they did not know which direction to go and in part because Talyn's confidence had been destroyed once again. Crais had used his ample free time to analyze the facts surrounding his current predicament. If Scorpius had an informant on the command carrier, he clearly should have been aware of its presence prior to Talyn's sensors detecting it. Crais knew that Scorpius was a very adept technician. It was likely the half- breed had tapped into Moya's systems. If that were the case, he would have known that Crais was onboard Talyn.
Talyn chirped at Crais. "Yes, Talyn. I believe that Scorpius allowed the Peacekeeper vessel to close. He hoped that with me onboard, your starburst would take us far from Moya, thus ensuring his safety."
Talyn chirped again. "I understand your desire for vengeance. Aeryn gave Scorpius her word that he would not be harmed. Until she revokes that promise, I will not harm him." Talyn chirped. "If we can prove he is responsible, we may be able to convince her. Until then I suggest we concentrate on finding a way to return to Moya."
For the next three solar days Aeryn avoided everyone. She stood her watch in command and would come to the center chamber long enough to get something to eat. Normally she took her food back to her quarters. D'Argo, Chiana and Crichton were beginning to worry about her, but none of them had been able to approach her about their concerns. Aeryn really needed a friend, but she didn't know whom to approach. She didn't even know what she would say. Once again she wished Zhaan were here. The Delvian would know what to say to make her feel better, to help her understand her feelings.
She was so preoccupied with her grief that she didn't notice Chiana enter command. "You look like you could use a friend, Aeryn?" she asked gently. Aeryn was still pained that Chiana had told the others about the pregnancy. "I'm, uh, really sorry about telling everyone about your pregnancy. That was pretty stupid of me. I don't want you to feel sore at me."
Aeryn took a deep breath. "I'm not sore at you, Chiana. I was a little hurt, but I realize everyone would find out eventually. I would have preferred to tell them myself, but you can't change the past."
"No, you really can't. I, uh, know what you are going though and thought you might like to talk." Aeryn shot her a look that caused the Nebari to amend her statement. "Well, maybe not exactly, but I know what it's like to have your love life messed up."
Aeryn smiled warmly, "Thank you, Chiana. This has been really hard for me. I wasn't really ready to come back to Moya. I only came back because I knew this was the only place I could come to recover. I didn't want to face him yet. I knew I wasn't ready. That's why I left after we destroyed the command carrier. I only stayed that long because that's what John wanted us to do. We knew that we couldn't allow anyone to have that power."
"Do you think that might change?"
Aeryn knew that Chiana and Crichton had been spending a lot of time together. Aeryn placed her hand on her stomach. "I doubt it. Not with Crais' child growing in me."
Chiana looked away, "Yeah."
"What? Do you know something?" Aeryn demanded.
Chiana didn't want to tell Aeryn, but she was afraid not to. "We've, uh, talked about it. I don't think I should be sharing it with you, though." Chiana was backing away.
Aeryn realized she had taken on a threatening demeanor and tried to calm herself a little. "I'm sorry. This is a tough time for me. I would appreciate anything you could tell me."
Chiana considered this for few microts. "Well, he's still upset that you are keeping secrets from him. And I think you already know that he doesn't like the idea that Crais is the father."
"That's obvious. Anything else?"
"I think he still cares for you, he's just tired of the pain."
"I think we both are. Thank you, Chiana."
Crichton had seen Aeryn sulking around. He kept thinking that he should talk to her. Perhaps he had been too hard on her. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell her that. She was avoiding him. She was avoiding them all. He was glad he had Chiana to talk to. He wondered how Aeryn was able to go on with all those emotions bottled up inside. She was unwilling to accept his sympathy. When he arrived in his quarters he found Chiana waiting for him.
He sat on his bed. She came up behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. "You're too tense. You should relax."
"Mmmm. That feels good." He rolled his neck lazily.
She rubbed his shoulders for few microts in silence before continuing, "I talked to Aeryn earlier."
He tensed and asked in an offhanded tone, "What did she say?"
She tried to work the new knots out of his shoulders, "Nothing much. She's still hurting. Couldn't get her to say anything about her past."
"That it?"
"Pretty much. She didn't say it but I think she misses Crais." Chiana was trying to push this relationship in her favor. She wasn't lying, but she was telling Crichton what it took to push him towards her.
Crichton turned around, grabbed her, and pinned her to the bed. "Let's not talk about him," he said softly.
{5 weekens}
It took Talyn and Crais two weekens to find an inhabited planet. He had been surprised by the lack of space traffic in this sector of space. He had at first he thought he had returned to the area of the galaxy where Earth was, but none of the stars matched those they had charted. Normally, Crais would have enjoyed the opportunity to explore, but he was eager to return to Aeryn.
The planet was a farming community and had a small spaceport that could only be classified as a remote outpost. He was able to purchase about a weekens worth of supplies and directions to the regional capital. They suggested he might have more luck procuring navigational information there.
The first two days of the three-day journey to the regional capital were uneventful. Talyn had taken to humming to himself lately. Crais wondered where Talyn had picked up that strange habit. Crais found it strangely soothing. On occasion he would join Talyn. He was getting ready to prepare a simple meal for dinner when Talyn informed him he had detected a ship nearby. Crais closed his eyes and used Talyn's sensors to take a look. The ship was operating on minimal power, propulsion was disabled and score marks were clearly visible. Talyn scanned for life. There were two life signs. Crais quickly checked the dimensions of the ship. It would fit in the hangar. He had Talyn bring it aboard. On his way to the hangar he grabbed his pulse pistol.
When he arrived in the hangar Talyn opened the doors and Crais proceeded cautiously towards the unknown ship. Talyn had his weapons drawn, prepared for the possibility of trouble. The hatch to the unknown ship remained closed. Crais assumed that meant the occupants were unable to open it. He had Talyn send a signal that would activate the airlock.
The air in the ship was stale but breathable. The only illumination came from the emergency lights. Talyn guided him to the life signs. He was guided to what looked like a passenger cabin. There was an older woman on the bed who had sustained several injuries. Slumped in a chair was a younger woman. They appeared to be Sebacean, but Crais had learned long ago that appearances could be deceptive. He shook the younger woman and she came around.
"Wh-where am I?"
"I found your ship drifting in space. I have brought it onboard my ship. I need to take your companion to medbay for treatment. Can you walk?"
"Yes," she stood and stretched.
Crais picked up the older woman and led the younger to medbay. "What species are you?"
"Sebacean. Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"For treatment. I want to make sure I do her no harm."
She sounded a little ashamed as she responded, "Oh. Who are you?"
By now they had reached the medbay and Crais was hooking the older woman up to the diagnostics. "Bialar Crais." He answered absent-mindedly. He studied the readouts and began a treatment regimen after consulting with Talyn.
"I am Visha Maren and that is Calla." Visha paused a few microts watching all the activity. She sounded concerned as she asked, "Is she going to be all right?"
Crais thought there was something familiar about her name, but he couldn't place it. He consulted the readouts again, "I have stabilized her. I believe she will recover fully. You may remain here or I can escort you to quarters."
Visha didn't like the idea of being alone on a strange ship. Now that her adrenaline was wearing off she was feeling a little afraid. "I prefer to remain here."
Crais nodded his head at her, "As you wish." He was about to walk out when it occurred to him she might be hungry. "I was preparing a meal when we detected your ship. There is enough to share if you are hungry."
"I'd like that." She followed him down the corridor. "Where is your crew?"
"I have no crew. It is just Talyn and I." He saw the confused look on her face and continued, "He is a Leviathan, a living ship."
"Oh. I've heard of them, but I've never seen one." She looked around in awe and amazement.
While he finished preparing their meal he decided to ask her a few questions. He discovered that she and Calla were explorer-archaeologists. They had been working together about ten cycles. He strongly believed there was something she was hiding from him, but he decided now was not the time to pursue it. They had recently been attacked by pirates who stole most of their cargo. She had managed to secrete part of their cash and some of the more valuable pieces before the pirates boarded. Crais was surprised they traveled in an unarmed ship. "I would think that someone who deals in valuables would not travel in an unarmed ship."
"We've found that being armed attracts more trouble than it prevents. Besides, some planets don't let armed vessels land. Our ship isn't large enough for any sort of transport, so we decided against being armed. How bad is the damage?"
"DRDs have already begun repairs. Talyn has accessed your database in order to get enough information to repair your ship. Some repairs will be beyond the skill level of the DRDs and will require one of us. A preliminary survey shows that we will have to procure some parts from a planet. It appears that key parts in your drive system have been removed."
"Yeah, that was their brilliant idea to get rid of us. They didn't want to pull the trigger, but didn't want us to be able to identify them. They figured we would die by either suffocation or freezing."
Crais thought that this type of behavior was quite cowardly. Talyn checked the database on the smaller ship and began checking his scanners for a matching profile. Crais smiled to himself. Talyn was doing the job Peacekeepers were originally founded to accomplish. Visha saw his smile, "What are you happy about?"
"Talyn is scanning for the pirate vessel. If he locates them, he intends to ensure they get the justice they deserve." He then explained to her how his relationship with Talyn worked. He was also forced to admit that Talyn was a hybrid. He could see the color drain from her face when he mentioned the word Peacekeeper. "Visha, what's wrong? I am no longer a Peacekeeper and have no desire to ever be one again. As a matter of fact, if they find out I am still alive, they will try to kill me."
That seemed to reassure her a little. "I guess I don't have to worry about you turning me in, then. I ran away ten cycles ago. I could not support the Peacekeeper way of life. My father, Councilor Zallas Maren, had chosen a suitable husband for me. Rather than marry the monstrosity of a man my father had chosen, I ran away. Calla mostly raised me and wouldn't let me leave alone. We headed into the Uncharted Territories and beyond, just to get beyond his reach."
Crais now knew where he had heard the name Maren before. Councilor Maren was one of the more ruthless members of the High Council. Back when he was a Peacekeeper he had idolized the man. He then focused on the last part of her conversation. "Do you have starcharts of your journeys?"
"Of course. Why?" she asked Crais curiously.
Crais, in broad terms, explained his predicament. He didn't wish to get into any personal details at this time. She agreed to help him, though she warned she had no information on Tormented Space. They would correlate the astronomical data in the morning. Visha was eager to return to Calla's side.