On Moya
"Advance scouts, nothing more." Crais contacted Moya on the view screen,
and was explaining to Crichton that the Prowlers' formation was a scouting
party.
"They are sent in response to an auto-beacon. Braca's ship must have had one. He didn't log his mission so they are not expecting us." Aeryn clarified.
"When they come into range, alert Talyn."
"Hey Crais?" Crichton called before Crais broke the connection, "You all right?"
Aeryn looked over to John.
"Yes Crichton." Crais replied stiffly. He broke the link.
Aeryn and John looked at one another.
"Did you see him?"
"Of course I saw him, he looked awful!" Aeryn replied
"When have you ever seen Captain Cool look like that on the comm. link?"
"Do you know what is wrong?" Aeryn asked.
Crichton considered telling her. He decided that maybe this brother might go a long way toward softening Crais. First the guy falls head over heels in love with Stormy. Love with a capital L, too. A blind man could see how Crais felt about Rainne. A Human! John loved the irony. Now this brother thing.He figured maybe even the former Captain had a shot at being.something more.
"I'll let him tell you when he's ready." He looped his arm over Aeryn's shoulders. Now all they had to do was kick some Peacekeeper ass and it would be a really good day.
On Talyn
The chime at the door was unnecessary, Rainne knew it was K'Tahli. Talyn had showed her approach.
"Come in, please." Rainne looked as exhausted as K'Tahli felt.
"Will he be all right?" K'Tahli asked.
"Eventually. Ashan seemed to take it well."
"Not at first, but it was easier for him. He suspected he might have other family all along."
"I can see how that might make the shock a bit milder."
"Rainne?"
"Yes?"
"How did he take Talyn's acceptance of the relationship?"
"That is difficult to say. He was not up to talking about it. He needed some time to himself."
"As did Ashan."
"What about you?" Rainne asked.
"Oh, I am well. Tired, it has been a long few solar days." She gave a bit of a half grin, "There are some perks to being married to a healer. He gives a great relaxing massage. We didn't get to talk much either." Rainne didn't need telepathy to read that statement correctly. The both grinned. Rainne's smile dimmed a bit.
"Speaking of healing." Rainne began. The tentative tone in her voice made K'Tahli look up at her.
"Can you help me? I think I can use my.talent to help rather than to kill."
"How?"
"I am not sure. I know that the power is strongest when I am angry or threatened. I can't control it. I see it like your teleporting. You have control and direction, but a hard time with power. I seem to have power to spare, but no control and direction."
The idea took shape in K'Tahli's mind as Rainne was speaking.
"The easiest way to blend our strengths would be to link minds. I don't know if I could do that with a human. I am willing to try if you are?"
"What about the rest of my memories?" Rainne looked haunted. "Remember when you first came aboard?"
"Like it was yesterday." K'Tahli shot back. Rainne allowed herself to grin back at K'Tahli. So much had happened, it seemed like longer than a solar day.
"I could not bear to go into Talyn's neural cluster. The powerful leviathan can help me unlock those memories. I am not ready to face them all. I may have done things, seen things.I can't handle..." Rainne faltered. K'Tahli reached forward and touched her fingertips to the tops of Rainne's cheekbones.
"Rainne, I can go around those memories, shield them. Neither you nor I will see them. When you are stronger, you and Bialar can face them in the cluster."
"Then let's get to work."
Less than an Arn later, an external explosion rocked Talyn.
"Report!" Crais commanded as he picked himself up off the floor.
Talyn was in pain, but managed to report a positive status report. A prowler had broken from the advance squad and attacked. The blast did no real damage, just knocked out his stabilizers for a moment, and flash- burned some sensors. Talyn rolled and took the prowler out with a single burst of his aft turret.
K'Tahli came running into command, stopping shy of the cluster. She was pale, shaken
Crais strode up to her.
"Are you injured?" his concern was genuine.
"No, it is not I who is injured. It is Rainne."
Crais' vision blurred and the floor seemed to tilt.
"Is it serious?" he fought for control, but his voice wavered.
"I don't know. When the ship tilted, a storage container broke free from its moorings and pinned her to the floor. I was able to remove the box, but she was pale, bleeding. I don't know how badly."
"Is he with her?" Crais growled. There was no doubt as to "He" was.
"Yes." K'Tahli was not going to volunteer that information, but she would not lie either.
"I will take you to her."
"I know where she is. We are never really apart on Talyn."
As they rushed toward Rainne and Ashan's location, K'Tahli wondered if he and Talyn were aware of the breakthroughs the girls had made combining their powers.
"Shh. Relax Rainne. Let me see where you are injured."
She winced when Ashan pressed a tender spot on her ribs. His fingers gently traveled her midsection, assessing damage. For Ashan it was a slow journey, he had never touched or tried to heal a human before.
"Ow!" She could not help but cry out. His hands stopped over the cracked ribs. Closing his eyes, he called on all of his training. He wished for K'Tahli's amplification, but she needed to go get Crais. The name caused his concentration to falter, briefly. His need to heal this woman overrode any concerns Ashan may have with his brother right now. He could feel the bones begin to knit beneath his hands. Rainne heard the humming sounds in her mind.
Ashan continued his examination. He found no other internal injuries, some light bruising he soothed. His fingertips tingled, and his eyes went wide. He splayed his fingers over her lower abdomen.
"Rainne, give me your hand." He said through his concentration. "Put your hand on mine. I am going to draw from you." He seemed a little frantic, but she complied.
She knew now why there was an instant rapport between Bialar and K'Tahli. It existed here with Ashan. She looked down at their hands. Her hand began its familiar glow, but somehow the light was softer, it pulsed. It echoed her heartbeat. She noticed Ashan's hand seemed to have a tiny, fragile light. As her light pulsed, the faint light under her hand brightened, and began to pulse very quickly. Ashan's face broke into a relieved grin and he let out the breath he did not realize he was holding.
"What was that?" Rainne whispered, although she did not dare hope.
"Your first communication with your unborn child." Ashan smiled gently down to her.
"You saved its life?"
"No, sweet sister." He kissed her forehead, "You did. I just knew where to direct healing. You healed the child yourself." Rainne squeezed her eyes closed. Emotions washed over her relentless and powerful as tides. She curled her body, reflexively shielding the precious life she and Bialar had created. The life that could have blinked out before she knew it was there.
"Rainne!" Crais rushed to her side. He saw her tears, the pain etched in her face.
"Can you help her?" He directed the question to Ashan, who had sat back to allow Crais to gather Rainne in his arms.
"She is well. She had a broken rib and some.internal bleeding." Ashan responded. He watched Crais, as he held and soothed Rainne. His touch was as tender as any Ashan had ever seen. Ashan looked back at K'Tahli, who had followed Crais into the passageway.
"I see now, wife, what you tried to show me."
"I am glad."
"He still does not accept me, he never will."
"He will. Give him time."
"I think this may even be too much for time to heal."
"We shall see."
"We should return to Moya."
"Why?" K'Tahli did not want to return to Moya. She did not want to leave her friends.
"They have much to discuss. He needs time. I need time." K'Tahli studied Ashan's face.
"Now it is you who are hiding something." she whispered to him.
"Yes." Ashan smiled in such a way that she knew it was not news to fear. K'Tahli returned his smile, reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him. His arms came around her, pulling her to him. She arched her back and pressed in closer.
"Ferrian." The harsh command broke the reverie. Crais had helped Rainne to her feet. He held her close to his side, even while issuing commands.
"I owe you my gratitude for assisting Rainne." The formality was back. "Whoever you are."
"It was my duty and my pleasure." Ashan returned the nod, ignoring the rejection of his identity. Now was not the time to continue this fight. "But we must return to Moya."
"What if the Peacekeepers return? Moya is unarmed!" Rainne protested. She knew that Moya would be able to starburst, but she wanted to keep her new friend.
"True." Replied K'Tahli, "But Talyn will be close by, correct?" She looked at Crais, "You have no plans to abandon your friends and. allies?"
"Never." He held back a tiny smile. She was spunky, just like his Rainne. "You will be missed." Crais removed a glove and touched the tattoo on K'Tahli's face with his fingertip.
K'Tahli turned, and she and Rainne embraced. No words were needed. When they stepped back, Ashan came forward and held onto Rainne's hands. He leaned in and touched his cheek to hers. He whispered in her ear. She smiled.
"They are sent in response to an auto-beacon. Braca's ship must have had one. He didn't log his mission so they are not expecting us." Aeryn clarified.
"When they come into range, alert Talyn."
"Hey Crais?" Crichton called before Crais broke the connection, "You all right?"
Aeryn looked over to John.
"Yes Crichton." Crais replied stiffly. He broke the link.
Aeryn and John looked at one another.
"Did you see him?"
"Of course I saw him, he looked awful!" Aeryn replied
"When have you ever seen Captain Cool look like that on the comm. link?"
"Do you know what is wrong?" Aeryn asked.
Crichton considered telling her. He decided that maybe this brother might go a long way toward softening Crais. First the guy falls head over heels in love with Stormy. Love with a capital L, too. A blind man could see how Crais felt about Rainne. A Human! John loved the irony. Now this brother thing.He figured maybe even the former Captain had a shot at being.something more.
"I'll let him tell you when he's ready." He looped his arm over Aeryn's shoulders. Now all they had to do was kick some Peacekeeper ass and it would be a really good day.
On Talyn
The chime at the door was unnecessary, Rainne knew it was K'Tahli. Talyn had showed her approach.
"Come in, please." Rainne looked as exhausted as K'Tahli felt.
"Will he be all right?" K'Tahli asked.
"Eventually. Ashan seemed to take it well."
"Not at first, but it was easier for him. He suspected he might have other family all along."
"I can see how that might make the shock a bit milder."
"Rainne?"
"Yes?"
"How did he take Talyn's acceptance of the relationship?"
"That is difficult to say. He was not up to talking about it. He needed some time to himself."
"As did Ashan."
"What about you?" Rainne asked.
"Oh, I am well. Tired, it has been a long few solar days." She gave a bit of a half grin, "There are some perks to being married to a healer. He gives a great relaxing massage. We didn't get to talk much either." Rainne didn't need telepathy to read that statement correctly. The both grinned. Rainne's smile dimmed a bit.
"Speaking of healing." Rainne began. The tentative tone in her voice made K'Tahli look up at her.
"Can you help me? I think I can use my.talent to help rather than to kill."
"How?"
"I am not sure. I know that the power is strongest when I am angry or threatened. I can't control it. I see it like your teleporting. You have control and direction, but a hard time with power. I seem to have power to spare, but no control and direction."
The idea took shape in K'Tahli's mind as Rainne was speaking.
"The easiest way to blend our strengths would be to link minds. I don't know if I could do that with a human. I am willing to try if you are?"
"What about the rest of my memories?" Rainne looked haunted. "Remember when you first came aboard?"
"Like it was yesterday." K'Tahli shot back. Rainne allowed herself to grin back at K'Tahli. So much had happened, it seemed like longer than a solar day.
"I could not bear to go into Talyn's neural cluster. The powerful leviathan can help me unlock those memories. I am not ready to face them all. I may have done things, seen things.I can't handle..." Rainne faltered. K'Tahli reached forward and touched her fingertips to the tops of Rainne's cheekbones.
"Rainne, I can go around those memories, shield them. Neither you nor I will see them. When you are stronger, you and Bialar can face them in the cluster."
"Then let's get to work."
Less than an Arn later, an external explosion rocked Talyn.
"Report!" Crais commanded as he picked himself up off the floor.
Talyn was in pain, but managed to report a positive status report. A prowler had broken from the advance squad and attacked. The blast did no real damage, just knocked out his stabilizers for a moment, and flash- burned some sensors. Talyn rolled and took the prowler out with a single burst of his aft turret.
K'Tahli came running into command, stopping shy of the cluster. She was pale, shaken
Crais strode up to her.
"Are you injured?" his concern was genuine.
"No, it is not I who is injured. It is Rainne."
Crais' vision blurred and the floor seemed to tilt.
"Is it serious?" he fought for control, but his voice wavered.
"I don't know. When the ship tilted, a storage container broke free from its moorings and pinned her to the floor. I was able to remove the box, but she was pale, bleeding. I don't know how badly."
"Is he with her?" Crais growled. There was no doubt as to "He" was.
"Yes." K'Tahli was not going to volunteer that information, but she would not lie either.
"I will take you to her."
"I know where she is. We are never really apart on Talyn."
As they rushed toward Rainne and Ashan's location, K'Tahli wondered if he and Talyn were aware of the breakthroughs the girls had made combining their powers.
"Shh. Relax Rainne. Let me see where you are injured."
She winced when Ashan pressed a tender spot on her ribs. His fingers gently traveled her midsection, assessing damage. For Ashan it was a slow journey, he had never touched or tried to heal a human before.
"Ow!" She could not help but cry out. His hands stopped over the cracked ribs. Closing his eyes, he called on all of his training. He wished for K'Tahli's amplification, but she needed to go get Crais. The name caused his concentration to falter, briefly. His need to heal this woman overrode any concerns Ashan may have with his brother right now. He could feel the bones begin to knit beneath his hands. Rainne heard the humming sounds in her mind.
Ashan continued his examination. He found no other internal injuries, some light bruising he soothed. His fingertips tingled, and his eyes went wide. He splayed his fingers over her lower abdomen.
"Rainne, give me your hand." He said through his concentration. "Put your hand on mine. I am going to draw from you." He seemed a little frantic, but she complied.
She knew now why there was an instant rapport between Bialar and K'Tahli. It existed here with Ashan. She looked down at their hands. Her hand began its familiar glow, but somehow the light was softer, it pulsed. It echoed her heartbeat. She noticed Ashan's hand seemed to have a tiny, fragile light. As her light pulsed, the faint light under her hand brightened, and began to pulse very quickly. Ashan's face broke into a relieved grin and he let out the breath he did not realize he was holding.
"What was that?" Rainne whispered, although she did not dare hope.
"Your first communication with your unborn child." Ashan smiled gently down to her.
"You saved its life?"
"No, sweet sister." He kissed her forehead, "You did. I just knew where to direct healing. You healed the child yourself." Rainne squeezed her eyes closed. Emotions washed over her relentless and powerful as tides. She curled her body, reflexively shielding the precious life she and Bialar had created. The life that could have blinked out before she knew it was there.
"Rainne!" Crais rushed to her side. He saw her tears, the pain etched in her face.
"Can you help her?" He directed the question to Ashan, who had sat back to allow Crais to gather Rainne in his arms.
"She is well. She had a broken rib and some.internal bleeding." Ashan responded. He watched Crais, as he held and soothed Rainne. His touch was as tender as any Ashan had ever seen. Ashan looked back at K'Tahli, who had followed Crais into the passageway.
"I see now, wife, what you tried to show me."
"I am glad."
"He still does not accept me, he never will."
"He will. Give him time."
"I think this may even be too much for time to heal."
"We shall see."
"We should return to Moya."
"Why?" K'Tahli did not want to return to Moya. She did not want to leave her friends.
"They have much to discuss. He needs time. I need time." K'Tahli studied Ashan's face.
"Now it is you who are hiding something." she whispered to him.
"Yes." Ashan smiled in such a way that she knew it was not news to fear. K'Tahli returned his smile, reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him. His arms came around her, pulling her to him. She arched her back and pressed in closer.
"Ferrian." The harsh command broke the reverie. Crais had helped Rainne to her feet. He held her close to his side, even while issuing commands.
"I owe you my gratitude for assisting Rainne." The formality was back. "Whoever you are."
"It was my duty and my pleasure." Ashan returned the nod, ignoring the rejection of his identity. Now was not the time to continue this fight. "But we must return to Moya."
"What if the Peacekeepers return? Moya is unarmed!" Rainne protested. She knew that Moya would be able to starburst, but she wanted to keep her new friend.
"True." Replied K'Tahli, "But Talyn will be close by, correct?" She looked at Crais, "You have no plans to abandon your friends and. allies?"
"Never." He held back a tiny smile. She was spunky, just like his Rainne. "You will be missed." Crais removed a glove and touched the tattoo on K'Tahli's face with his fingertip.
K'Tahli turned, and she and Rainne embraced. No words were needed. When they stepped back, Ashan came forward and held onto Rainne's hands. He leaned in and touched his cheek to hers. He whispered in her ear. She smiled.