"Well, well, well. What have we here. The chicken has come home to roost."

"Oh, shut up Sandoval. That's not even the way that saying goes, and if I had my way, they'd put me in that cell with you...then we'd see who does the best chicken imitation."

"Frankly, Captain, after all this time; I'd welcome the change."

Lili Marquette was sitting in the floor of the cell she shared with her daughter, waiting for someone to inform her of their fate. They had taken a desperate step in attempting to come to Earth, but one that was necessary. It was not their intention, however, to be captured by the Mothership and brought face-to-face with Zo'or, and Captain Marquette was prepared to do whatever it took to see her mission through.

Captain Marquette looked over at the human occupying the cell opposite her. So Zo'or had finally gotten tired of Sandoval and thrown him in the klink. That was some consolation, anyway. The sound of footsteps brought Marquette to her feet, and she waited expectantly as Liam Kincaid, William Boone, and a couple of armed Volunteer guards walked down the corridor and stopped in front of her cell.

"Hey..." Marquette started, in a friendly manner.

"Captain Marquette," Boone responded, formally.

Lili assumed that her colleagues were putting on a front for Sandoval's benefit, so in a defiant voice she asked, "Well, which one of you has Zo'or appointed to do the interrogations?"

Boone continued, "The Synod Leader is going to want to speak with you himself, Marquette. But in the mean time, Kincaid and I will be taking statements from you and your friends, there. Please come with us."

Lili motioned to Ariel, who was playing quietly in the floor. "What about her?"

Boone looked dispassionately at the child, and with his voice registering a complete lack of concern, replied, "She can come with you."

Boone and Kincaid led the way, as the Volunteers escorted Marquette and the Jaridians to separate rooms for questioning. Kincaid went with the male Jaridian, Kuzak. Volunteer Bailey took the female, Tazog. Boone stopped at a door, and gesturing for Lili to enter, followed Marquette and her daughter into the interrogation room. Volunteer Tanya Dru dropped by with some toys to keep Ariel busy, and giving Lili an encouraging smile, disappeared into the corridor.

"So, how old is she?", Boone asked.

"Chronologically, or developmentally? They're not the same. Chronologically, she's only a little over a year old. Developmentally she's two, maybe closer to three, in human terms. She's fairly verbal in Jaridian, and is starting to learn English."

Ariel looked up, realizing that she was being spoken of, and stared intently at Boone. It was then that the protector noticed that the eyes that were so curiously fixed on him were Taelon blue.

"Mommy.....", Ariel pointed at Boone, waiting for her mother to give her a label.

"Uh...Boone, sweetheart. This is William Boone. You've heard mommy talk about him. He was mommy's friend."

Ariel looked inquisitively at Boone, then laughingly shook her head. "Da'an," Ariel insisted.

"No honey, this is Boone."

"No, Da'an," Ariel insisted, and attempted to illustrate her point by raising her two hands in front, then clasping them together.

"Sometimes I really don't understand her. Honey, this is Boone."

Making a concession to her mother's lack of comprehension, Ariel replied, "Boone-Da'an," and went about the business of examining her new toys.

Boone gestured for his ex-colleague to take a seat, and seating himself across a small table, pulled out his datapad to make a recording.

"Hey..." Marquette started, "You're certainly looking official. Look, Boone, we have to get out of here. It wasn't our intention to have Zo'or place us under lock and key. We need a private meeting with the resistance, and maybe Da'an."

Boone punched the record button, and pushed the datapad to the center of the table.

"So, why do you need to see Da'an?"

Marquette looked at the datapad, the red record light blinking, "Is this on the record?"

"You better believe it."

"Then I'm not saying anything." The ex-Marine's eye narrowed and her face hardened as she looked at the man who used to be her friend and colleague. Boone sat back in his chair, his arms crossed and his face a stony mask. "Boone, I don't know how you're still alive, and I don't know what they've done to you, but if you've become some taller version of Ronald Sandoval, then you can...."

Boone suddenly stood up and slammed his hand down on the table, cutting off the Captain's words. Fixing her with a hard look, he leaned in to make his point.

"Don't make accusations at me, Marquette! This is not about me...this is about you! You and your Jaridian mate who came here to destroy the Taelons and Humanity! This is about someone who sold out her own species in order to gain revenge on a dying race! One of whom, by the way, repeatedly shielded her and kept her resistance butt out of the fire, only to be rewarded by betrayal and attempted murder! So don't play moralist with me! When I ask you a question here, you're going to answer it. That's your choice! Understood?"

Boone sat back down in his chair, closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in an attempt to regain his composure. His uncharacteristic outburst had frightened Ariel, who was whimpering in the corner. Lili got up to comfort her daughter, thankful for the opportunity it gave her to collect her thoughts. Lifting Ariel into her lap, she sat back down in her chair, and quietly waited for Boone to continue.

"Let's try again. Why do you want to see Da'an."

Ariel laughed at the mention of the Taelon's name. Repeating the hand clasping gesture she had made previously, she shyly looked at Boone. "Boone-da'an", she giggled.

In spite of himself, Boone smiled at the obvious implications. Obvious to himself and
Ariel, at any rate. But how the child could know was beyond him...

"Look, Marquette. It's safe to talk to me. I'm not Ronald Sandoval."

"Oh. Well..." Taking a deep breath, she decided to risk it. After all, this was Will Boone, the most decent human being she had ever met. Surely he would never turn her over to Zo'or. "Tazog, Kuzak, and I represent the Jaridian Peace Movement. Tazog was made leader after Balvak's death. We came back to Earth to try to establish a working relationship with Humanity and with Da'an."

"Boone-Da'an," Ariel piped up.

"Things are getting bad on Jaridia, Will. It's a military regime. The people have little say, and, well, it's just difficult."

"So how did you go from being the loving mate of a regime leader, to champion of the Peace Movement?"

"How did you go from being resistance hero, to Taelon toady."

She regretted it the minute she said it, but it was too late to recall the words. The two sat and looked at each other in a cold, stony silence. Boone stood up, and picking up his datapad, headed for the door.

"Hey, wait. Are we done?", Marquette asked.

"You and I definitely are. Kincaid will be in in a few minutes." And with that William Boone, the man Lili Marquette had loved more than any other, angrily left the room.

^^^^^
Captain Marquette knew exactly where the Volunteers were taking them...to the bridge. She had walked these corridors many times and knew them well. But looking around her, she noted that things had changed. There was no sign of the implanted "drone" workers, and the Volunteers who were passing in the corridors would laugh and stop to chat with each other, something that was never allowed in the past. In fact, the Mothership itself seemed to be glowing a brighter blue, and Lili wondered if it was just her imagination.

Tazog and her friend,Kuzak, walked grimly behind Lili and Ariel. Lili had met Tazog shortly after she went underground, and they had a good working relationship. Vorjak had been very much a military man, and Tazog was like him. In her, Lili had found a sister in arms, someone she felt a kinship with. Her friend, Kuzak, was someone she had only met once before. He was quiet, kept to himself, and Lili was somewhat surprised that the Peace Movement had sent him along with them on this mission.

Ariel looked around, wide-eyed with wonder, as she walked hand-in-hand with her mother. She was a pretty child, with her mother's dark hair, and very little of the Jaridian scaling to mar her skin. And then there were her eyes. Big and blue, and certainly not Jaridian. That fact alone had made her something of a feared outcast in their little community, and it was only Vorjak's position that kept her from being reviled and taken away by the government. With Vorjak gone, though, there was no one left to protect them; so Lili and Ariel had gone underground, and discovered the Jaridian Peace Movement.

And now they had come full circle, and instead of defending themselves to the High Council, they would be confronting Zo'or and the Synod. Lili wasn't sure that this was an improvement.

As they stepped into the outer rim of the bridge, Ariel gasped, and laughing merrily broke away from her mother. To Lili's horror, the child ran straight to the command chair and climbed up into the occupant's lap. Lili closed her eyes, waiting for the outburst that was sure to come from Zo'or.

"Da'an!", her child called in a happy voice.

Lili's eyes flew open in surprise, as the command chair swiveled around in her direction. There sat her daughter on Da'an's lap, her little arms sweetly wrapped around the Taelon's neck, giving him the biggest hug she could possibly manage.

Lili searched around the bridge. Catching Liam Kincaid's eye, she shot him a questioning look, and received an thin smile in return. She glanced over at William Boone, who wasn't paying her the slightest mind; his warm attention was fully occupied by the little drama unfolding in the command chair. Returning her gaze to Da'an, she searched the Taelon's face for signs of disapproval, but found none there. Stepping slightly forward, Lili ventured to offer an apology to the Taelon, who seemed to have moved up in rank; and made the attempt to bring her child under control.

"Uh, Ariel sweetie, let's not bother Da'an anymore, okay?"

"It is quite all right, Captain Marquette. Ariel and I are well acquainted."

"I.....don't understand.."

Ariel adopted an attitude of patient explanation that her mother sometimes found annoying. "Da'an is Zo'or Da'rhu'shee. Da'an is Liam Da'rhu'shee". Then pointing to herself, "Da'an is Ariel Da'rhu'shee."

Da'an smiled, and reaching out, tenderly cupped Ariel's face in his hands.

"As I said, Captain, Ariel and I are well acquainted. We have a link, formed from the infusion of my energy at her birth. We have been in communion for quite some time."

"Say", Liam Kincaid laughed, "You're becoming something of a career Da'rhu'shee."

Da'an smiled indulgently at his younger protector, and sent his love to him through the Commonality.

"Well, that's better", Liam smiled.

Boone laughed softly and shook his head at the thought of a three-way sibling rivalry.

"And I'm not taking any of you to Disney World", he commented.

"Boone-da'an!", Ariel gleefully sang, clapping her hands. Da'an blushed and the protectors laughed; as Lili smiled nervously, completely lost.

"Captain Marquette, perhaps you will tell me the reason for your return", Da'an requested, as he carefully put Ariel on the floor and watched her run to her mother's side.

Lili began by describing the conditions on Jaridia which was in a near state of collapse. The negative effects of their long war with the Taelons and their own government's scorched earth policy for neighboring planets had left the people in dire straits. For obvious reasons, they had difficulty establishing supportive relationships with other cultures, and their own natural resources were dying. Food and other essentials were rationed, with the state controlling everything. The people were getting tired, but the penalties for speaking out against the state were extreme and very swift. A Peace Movement had been established, to influence the public to take a stand against the High Council, and seek peace with the Taelons and other races. News of a possible alliance between Earth and the Taelons seemed to strengthen the Taelon position, and would guarantee the extension of the war, something the people of Jaridia could ill afford. With the High Command issuing threats against Earth, the situation was becoming more desperate. The Peace Movement had decided to attempt an alliance with Earth's resistance, and wanted to reestablish their relationship with Da'an, in the hopes of bringing peace and restoration to the Jaridian people.

"And what, Captain Marquette, would induce me to trust you as an ambassador, since our last two encounters were, shall we say, less than congenial?"

"Da'an, I wish I had a good answer for you. I know you believe I betrayed you when I tried to destroy the Mothership. All I can say in my defense was that I was acting as any soldier would in a time of combat. It's in my training. Zo'or moved against my people in a military action, I was responding. As for the other..."

Lili's voice broke off. She looked at her precious child, who had just been sitting in the lap of the being whose energy gave her birth; the friend she intended to sacrifice for her baby. Somehow, there were no words to explain how it had all happened. How could she explain to the Taelon what had happened to bring her to that decision, and how she had been willing to do anything to give her child life. And how could she explain that when she looked into her child's face, she couldn't regret that decision .

Tazog stepped forward, and giving Da'an a Jaridian salute of honor, requested permission to speak.

"Da'an, I must step forward in Captain Marquette's defense. At the time of her joining with Vorjak, she was under the direct control of the High Command."

"Please explain."

"Captain Marquette was manipulated in many ways by the government. They used certain memory and mind control techniques to gain her assistance in their attempts to discover the secret of ID travel, and used those same techniques to convince her that she must join with Vorjak to save both our species. Captain Marquette did not know until much later that Vorjak's intention was the destruction of both the Taelon and Human races. She cannot be held accountable for her actions during this time, and we hope you will be lenient."

Da'an lowered his head and looked at Captain Marquette with careful regard. He then turned his attention to the Jaridians.

"I have heard that the High Command has used such techniques, and this lends some credibility to your story. However, Captain Marquette is still under indictment for the attempted sabotage of the Mothership. The charges are severe, carrying the maximum penalties; and the Synod is not inclined to leniency. As a result of her actions, we cannot take the risk of keeping her on board. In addition, our recent encounter with Vorjak had made us less than trustful of your fellows,Tazog. You must understand our hesitation in believing you."

Da'an's gaze fell on little Ariel, still looking around her with a wonderment only a child's face can covey. Catching Da'an's eye, she smiled, her Taelon blue eyes sparkling engagingly. The Taelon tilted his head and returned the smile.

"However, the presence of the child changes matters; and so I will arrange for you to remain under house arrest on the moonbase. We will set quarters aside for you and optimize the environment for your needs. If your message of an alliance proves to be true, perhaps the Synod can be persuaded toward a less harsh judgement. But, understand, we cannot afford to be careless."

And with a graceful, but authoritative wave of the Synod Leader's hand; they were dismissed.

*****

Da'an was walking through the meditation gardens in the Mothership, and was surprised at how much improvement had occured in such a short time. With core energy redirected to create a proper environment, and the right amount of care, the plants that had been struggling, were now thriving, though few. Not unlike his own people. Things were slowly continuing to improve with Earth relationships. The Taelons had signed a non-agression pact with the United Nations and pledged good faith and full disclosure in all Human interactions. As a result, Taelon diplomats and scientists may soon be accepted back on Earth. It would take time to regain full trust, but Da'an was confident that such trust could be rebuilt.

He sat down on a bench to admire a particularly interesting tree. As he listened to the wind chimes delicately tinkling in the distance, he found his mind relaxing as he contemplated the garden's rare beauty.

"You are pleased, Da'rhu'shee?"

Da'an looked up into the face of his only child, but instead of the familiar smirk of a few months ago, Zo'or's countenence was that of a youth eagerly awaiting his parent's approval. Smiling, Da'an gestured for his young one to sit with him on the bench, something Zo'or was happy to do.

"You are pleased, Da'rhu'shee?" Zo'or asked again.

"Most pleased, Saa'mim. You have a gift for this, Zo'or. It is most beautiful."

"I have always loved plants. Do you remember how I would bring you flowers from the Cae'le'an fields, when we would walk there?"

Da'an smiled at a memory he had long thought dead; one of a young Taelon and a child, sharing an appreciation of nature's beauty. Yes, his child had always loved growing things. He had been tender, then, and exuberant. So much had happened to change him; and now, to change him again.

"Zo'or, do you remember our home on Taelon?", Da'an asked.

"Of course, Da'rhu'shee. We lived in a very nice home. I especially liked my room on the top floor, where I could see the whole city from my window."

"Yes, Saa'mim. And are you aware of where you are now?"

"Yes. We are on the Mothership, orbiting Earth."

"Why, my child?"

"So that the humans can become our friends."

"And, do you believe the humans should be our friends, Zo'or?"

"I suppose so, Da'rhu'shee. My best friend is a human--Liam Kincaid. I can see no reason why we should not be friends with Earth."

"And do you remember what it was like when we first got here, Zo'or? Do you know?"

Zo'or concentrated, trying to remember, a frown crossing his face.

"It seems...that perhaps it was not pleasant. I remember being afraid. I remember calling out to you, through our bond....you were always there, Da'rhu'shee. I do not know, though, exactly what it was like. But it does not matter, does it? I have you, and my friend Major Kincaid, and my gardens; so it does not matter, does it?"

Da'an lifted a hand and gently caressed his child's cheek.

"No, Saa'mim. It does not matter."