Boone met Liam and Kuzak at a corridor intersection, and together they made their way to Deck D. "Fill me in...how did she get Ariel?"

"As soon as the Mothership went on alert, Volunteer Dru left the medbay to take Ariel to a secured room. Tazog came out of the portal at the same time. She nabbed Ariel, and dragged her off towards Deck D. The Volunteer didn't fire, because she didn't want to endanger the child."

"Deck D...what all is on Deck D?" Kuzak asked.

"Various laboratories, the computer core and.....auxiliary control."

Boone stopped and looked at Liam. Simultaneously, the two protectors broke into a dead run, with Kuzak right behind. After travelling what seemed to be miles of twisting corridors, they arrived at the entrance to auxiliary control, only to find that the door had been sealed by an energy barrier. Boone opened his global and hailed the bridge.

"Bridge here, Volunteer Bailey."

"Bailey, what's the status there...."

"We're locked down tight, Commander, with guards in place."

"No, what I mean is...."

At that moment a shudder went through the ship and a whining sound was heard. Both men groaned in realization that the ID drives were being powered up.

"Bailey, who's powering up the drives?"

"Not us, Commander...."

At that moment, Ja'tan's face appeared on Boone's global.

"Commander, I do not seem to have control of this vessel."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Ja'tan. I think Tazog is controlling it from auxiliary. Aren't the new security protocols working?"

"They must be faulty, Commander. The ship has logged that it is under the control of a Taelon."

"Ja'tan, this is Kincaid. Whose energy signature is the ship allowing to access?"

"According to the logs, the ship is under Da'an's authority. As Synod Leader, he outranks me. I cannot override."

Liam looked at Boone. "She's used Da'an's signature through Ariel to access the ship's controls."

"You're right, Liam. Ja'tan, as soon as you get a course, let me know." Boone closed his global and looked intently at the Jaridian. "Do you have any idea where she's planning on taking us, Kuzak?"

"It could be any number of outposts, and possibly even Jaridia itself. I gather from this action and some conversations I overheard, that her mission is to man this vessel, then bring it back to Earth as the instrument of your planet's destruction."

"Sneaking in the backdoor?"

"Not really. We simply have not been able to make Taelon ID technology compatible with our own. The government would take great pleasure in using the Taelon's premier ship against their new allies, then making it their own. It would seem to them great point of justice."

"Well, I have no intention of becoming the High Command's object lesson.We have to stop this ship and regain control", Boone insisted.

"But the computer's reading Ariel as Da'an. We can't take control from the Synod Leader, and it requires Synod approval to break the security protocols. And the majority of the Synod are on the moonbase."

"Wait. We have backups of all the old security protocols. If we uploaded them back into the computer core..."

"Then Zo'or would outrank Da'an..."

"Do you think he'll do this, Liam?"

"We can only try."

"Good. You go talk to Zo'or, I'll handle the computer. I'll meet you on the bridge."

******

Da'an drifted in and out of consciousness as the energy neutralizer field hummed in an effort to disperse the random energy cycles that still played across the trembling form of the former North American Companion. Captain Lili Marquette sat at the Taelon's bedside, keeping the promise she had made to William Boone. She sighed as her mind went back to the scene in the gardens the other day. She could not forget the look of contentment on Boone's face as he held Da'an in his arms and shared his mind with the Companion. Obviously much had transpired between the Taelon and the Commander since Lili's departure.

Boone and Da'an had always been drawn to each other, that was obvious from the start. But in all the times Captain Marquette had chided Boone for his "relationship with Da'an", she never expected that such a relationship could become so...well...intimate. And yet, now that she thought about it, the clues were there early on. Boone's quiet insistence to Jonathan Doors that Da'an, and Da'an alone, should be granted the benefit of the Liberation's doubt. His anger when Doors accused him of becoming too 'enamored' of his Companion. The catch in his voice as he called Da'an back from the void. The way he held the Taelon's hand when he returned from the void, and, again, when he was lying ill with the Jaridian bacteria. All indicators that he was becoming very connected to the Companion even then.

She still didn't know how Da'an had saved Boone's life, or what had happened between them that cemented the bond that was already there. Only that Boone had been Lazarus, and Da'an had saved him from Zo'or. But from what Liam had told her, William Boone had been secretly working on his Alliance Underground since a few months before the crackdown. He had told no one about it, Human or Taelon, and had only revealed himself to Da'an when the diplomat was arrested for treason and Boone had to rescue him from Zo'or's manipulations. Since then, the two had apparently become increasingly closer. So close, in fact, that only a few days ago Captain Lili Marquette had embarrassed herself by intruding on them in the gardens.

An increase in the intensity of the neutralizer field's incessant hum caused her to glance at the Taelon. Da'an lay very still, the ripples of uncontrolled energy surging across his body; his face, as it so often was, a quiet mask. She shook her head and softly laughed. Da'an had a way of engaging you, that was certain, and in spite of herself, Lili had found herself growing fond of the Companion. She wondered what it was like for Boone, being so closely tied to this unique being, mind and spirit. She had touched on that experience once...twice if you counted Ariel's birth...

Ariel. An overwhelming panic ran through her at the thought that her daughter might be in danger. She closed her eyes and breathed a little prayer for her child as she whispered her name.

"Do not be concerned, Captain. Ariel is well, although mildly afraid. I have assured her that all will be well."

Lili opened her eyes to see Da'an giving her a weak but reassuring smile. "Thank you, Da'an. It seems you and I are destined to be bound together one way or another. I wish I could explain..."

"There is no need, Captain Marquette. We have all behaved in desperate ways in the last few years. What we must now see...."

A particularly forceful surge of energy cut off the Taelon's words, as his body shook and shuddered under it's influence. The fragile form of the Companion convulsed with such intensity that Lili was almost afraid it would tear apart. As the violent episode subsided and the last tendrils of the energy snaked across the Taelon's body, Captain Marquette gently reached through the field and took the Companion's slender white hand into her own.

"Thank you, Lili." Da'an whispered, as unconsciousness once again claimed him.

"It's the least I can do, Da'an. For you, and for Will."

******

When Liam arrived in the gardens, Zo'or was standing stock still in the middle of the largest arboretum, an intent look on his face.

"Liam, the ID drives are being engaged."

"That's right, Zo'or. We have a big problem, and we need your help."

Zo'or lowered his gaze to meet Liam's. "I fail to see how I may be of assistance."

"Zo'or, the ship's being hijacked by Tazog, the Jaridian who came here with Captain Marquette. We think she's attempting to take it back to Jaridia and that she wants to use it against Earth. Of course, the Jaridians won't spare Taelons, either."

"I still to not comprehend what you might need of me."

"We need you to come to the bridge and take command. Boone is altering the security protocols again, so that you will have command clearance. We need you to stop the ship."

"I am but a humble gardener..."

"Now, but that wasn't always so, Zo'or. Don't you remember? You were Synod Leader."

"No. I would not be Synod Leader. I could not."

"You were Synod Leader, Zo'or...and you commanded this ship."

"You are mistaken."

Zo'or turned and began furiously arranging pots around a sitting bench. Exasperated, Liam began pacing the walkway, trying to find a way to make his friend understand, trying to help him break through his self-imposed barriers.

Suddenly the protector turned, and grabbing Zo'or's hand, raised his own in an offer to share. "Look, Zo'or, look. Let me share with you something of who you were."

An uncomfortable Zo'or looked at his friend, hoping to find an excuse to refuse. Seeing that Liam was resolute, he hesitantly and slowly placed his palm against the protector's, entering into a sharing. The Taelon's eyes closed, and he blushed in astonishment at the images Liam Kincaid was projecting into his mind. After some seconds, he broke the connection, an oddly perplexed look passing over the Taelon's face. "I must discuss this with Da'rhu'shee..."

Liam watched as Zo'or's expression became closed, indicating that he was communing through the Commonality. After only a few brief seconds, his eyes abruptly flew open, a startled look appearing on his face.

"And..?" Liam asked, hoping that Da'rhu'shee had been up to the challenge.

"Da'rhu'shee says it is time I tended to my own gardens..."

Liam sighed. Sometimes Da'an was just far too much like Ma'el. "What exactly did Da'rhu'shee mean by that, Zo'or?"

Zo'or's eyes narrowed as he regarded his friend closely. "It means that I must now grow. As a seed has died to form this tree, so I have died to myself. But now I must grow into that which I need to become."

"And that means..."

The Taelon's eyes glinted, as he squared his shoulders and met his friend's challenging gaze.

"That means I am aware of a short cut to the bridge. Come Major!"

*****

When Liam and Zo'or entered the bridge area they found Boone, Ja'tan, and some of the Taelon engineers busy uploading the old security protocols into the Mothership's computers.

"How's it goin'?", Liam asked.

"Almost done." Boone looked up to meet Zo'or's eye, pressing him. "Zo'or, you know what we need?"

The Taelon lifted his head in a proud, authoritative gesture that was reminiscent of Zo'or, the Synod Leader. But when he addressed the human, his manner carried none of the smirking condescension so characteristic of his former self.

"Indeed, I am fully aware of the situation, Commander Boone."

"Very well then, Zo'or. We'll be ready in a moment."

William Boone gave the Taelon engineers the last of the data chips, and turned to Zo'or, a softer, more personal note in his voice.

"Zo'or...Da'an..."

Zo'or smiled in reassurance at his parent's protector and mate. "Yes, I too am aware of Da'an's suffering, William Boone. When this is over, together we will bring him encouragement and comfort."

Boone looked into Zo'or's eyes and felt a sudden, unexpected kinship. But as he opened his mouth to respond, the computer console lit up in an array of new patterns, and the engineers nodded their readiness to the security chief. "Zo'or, If you will take your place at the command chair..."

Liam watched his friend carefully, as Zo'or approached the throne-like chair that had been the symbol of his authority over all Taelons. After only a second's hesitation, the Taelon gracefully ascended the chair, and looking completely at ease, nodded to Commander Boone that he was ready.

"Zo'or, we're going down to Deck D. When the upload's done and we give you the go ahead, take this ship back from that damn alien."

Zo'or tilted his head and looked quizzically at the commander's choice of words, then smiled as their eyes locked in understanding. As the two protectors exited the bridge, Liam turned and gave his friend the thumb's-up, which the Taelon did his best to acknowlege.

Rejoining Kuzak and the Volunteers at the entrance to auxiliary control; Liam, Boone, and the security detail got into positions and waited for the bridge crew to give the signal. After what seemed to Liam to be an eternity, Boone's communicator beeped, and Ja'tan's voice was heard.

"The upload is complete, Commander."

Taking a deep breath Liam signaled the team to ready themselves. Leaving his communicator on to monitor the bridge, Boone gave the word. "Go, Zo'or."

With quick and deft movements, Zo'or activated the computer's Taelon interface, and entered a series of commands.

"Signature ID, Zo'or, recognized...Security level six clearance," the computer's impartial voice intoned.

"Computer, report on energy signatures in auxiliary control."

"Reading two beings. Reading energy signature, 'Da'an' and one unknown signature."

"Analyze unknown signature type."

"Unknown signature is Jaridian."

"Analyze proximity of Jaridian signature and signature Da'an."

"Signatures are approximately 2.66 meters distant."

"Computer...activate energy shield to isolate signature Da'an from Jaridian signature. Then immediately return navigational controls to main bridge."

"Shield activated. Returning navigation to bridge."

A roar of rage was heard from within the auxiliary control, as Tazog fought to regain command of the ship.

"Jaridian signature is attempting to breech security shield around signature Da'an", the computer informed."

"Increase shield levels as needed. Reset course on these coordinates....". Zo'or's voice was calm and commanding.

"Zo'or, we're ready to move", Boone informed the Taelon.

"Computer...override security measures at auxiliary control"

Within seconds the energy shields that sealed the doorway deactivated. Tensing for the conflict to come, the team prepared to enter auxiliary control; only to be met by Tazog, who appeared in the doorway, weapon blazing.

*****

Liam Kincaid hit the floor, and rolled out of the path of the weapon's blast. Looking around, he saw several of the Volunteers go down. Boone had dived behind one of the corridor's support ribs and was returning fire, so Liam crawled over to another one of the ribs and took aim. The heat of Tazog's weapon filled the air, as she sprayed the area in front of her. The Volunteers left standing dove for cover as Tazog grabbed one of the wounded Volunteers, and pulled him up in front of her to use as a shield. Dragging the man with her, she slowly began to back down the corridor, as the protectors and Volunteers held their fire, penned in their places by Tazog's random shooting.

"Tazog, you're out manned and outgunned. You can't make it out of here", Liam warned.

"Maybe not, but I will go down with the knowledge that I took as many traitors with me as possible."

Stopping at the entrance to the computer core, Tazog blasted a hole in the sealed entrance, and slowly began to back in with the Volunteer still shielding her.

"We can't let her have access to the computer core!" Liam called out.

"Tazog. You can't do this..." Boone's voice was hard and determined.

"Then someone will have to stop me, human."

At that moment, a weapon blast slammed into Tazog from behind, the Jaridian's body shuddering under it's impact. She dropped the moaning Volunteer and stood stock still, a look of agony crossing her scaly features. As the humans watched in horrified fascination, the weapon's energy discharge triggered a hypermetabolic response in the alien's physique. The Jaridian's body burst into flames, and Tazog self incinerated, leaving only a pile of cinders where she once stood.

"So be it, Tazog." Kuzak said, in a voice devoid of mercy. The Jaridian emerged from the computer core room, and walking to the entrance way that Tazog had only recently occupied, threw his discharged weapon down on the floor beside her remains.

"What the..." Boone and Kincaid exchanged looks, then crossed the corridor to study the would be hijacker's unexpected assassin.

"I thought this might be her next target", Kuzak offered. "So I took the liberty of recovering a weapon and securing this area. I hope you don't mind, Commander?"

Boone offered a bemused smile. "I think we can get over it, Kuzak."