The next morning Gene made an announcement to the other three.  "I've found out about a fairly large bounty on a guy on Heiphon that I think we should check out."

            "How much is it worth, Gene?" Jim asked.

            "Twenty thousand wong, I think."

            He whistled.  "That's a lot of money!"

            "I know.  Mel, are you up for this?"

            "Of course."

            Gene glanced over at Elara.  "I know you're meeting with your friends tomorrow, and we won't get back until tomorrow night at the earliest, so do you want to stay here and meet them, or go with us and postpone the get-together?"

            Elara mulled it over for a moment.  "I'll stay here."

            "Will you be all right here, by yourself?" Melfina asked with a frown.

            "I'll be fine.  Besides, it's high time I start relearning how to live on my own again.  My ship will be repaired in a little over a week, so I'll be leaving soon anyway.  Would it be all right if I remained here?  I can always get a hotel room if it would be an inconvenience."

            "Don't worry about it.  You can stay here," Jim told her.

            "That's good.  I have to catch up on some work, anyway, so I'm going to go visit the corporate offices here.  This will give me a chance to finally finish checking out some proposed software ideas."

            "Are you sure you'll be all right here?" Melfina queried again.

            "Hey, I relied on myself by myself for eight months before I met you three, and I don't think the skills have left me yet, so I'll be just fine.  I won't get bored—trust me."

            "All right, then.  It's settled.  Elara, we'll try to be back no later than Saturday," Gene promised.

            "That's fine.  Take your time on this bounty.  For the price on his head, I doubt he'll be a walk in the park."

            "We will.  Take care, Elara," Jim said.

            "You, too."

            Fifteen minutes later the three had left, leaving Elara alone.  She sighed and called a cab to take her to the corporate offices.  She did not return to the warehouse until ten that evening.  "Sheesh," she said aloud, "I had no idea I had that much work piled up.  I'd best keep that get-together tomorrow short.  I've got a lot more work to do."

            The next day she went to Skye's house on the other side of town and visited there for five hours.  She was able to meet his seventeen-year-old girlfriend, Alaina, and the two hit it off immediately.

            "Hey, don't I get to hang out with either of you?" Skye complained an hour after the two had met.

            "I don't know…have you been a good boy today?" Alaina asked him with a smile.

            "Have I?"

            "I doubt it, knowing you," Elara told him.

            "Aww…" he pouted.

            The two girls laughed and continued talking.  Elara left their house later on feeling much refreshed and able to tackle a large amount of work that afternoon.  I think I'm going to go back to the warehouse and grab a bite to eat before heading into work, she thought as she entered the car the offices had provided for her.  It wouldn't do for the president to faint from hunger at her desk, now, would it?

            Elara parked her car in front of the warehouse and went inside.  In the kitchen she began preparing a light meal for herself when a wave of emotion swept over her.  It was a mixture of anxiety, determination, concentration, and a trace of fear—and it was not her own.  What the—what is going on here?  If these aren't my emotions, then whose are they?

            Suddenly an image came into her mind.  There was Gene, holding his caster and pointing it at a shadowed figure.  They were in an abandoned building crumbling from disrepair and age.  Gene looked fairly tense, and his expression was grim.  Then the image changed somewhat.  Now the shadowed figure was no longer shadowed, but in full view.  He was a tall, muscular, older man with shifty eyes and a leer to his lips.  His fingers were crossed, and his mouth was open in such a fashion that he seemed to be saying something.  Gene had taken a step back, and his caster seemed to point downward from its earlier position, no longer directly on the other man.

            The image changed again.  Gene was on the ground, and the other man was laughing.  The feelings Elara was receiving had changed to more fear and anxiety and an increasing feeling of insecurity.  The feeling of determination had vanished.  Jim? she thought suddenly.  The image shattered and the feelings vanished.

            Elara found herself sitting on the floor of the kitchen, her hands clenched to the point where her knuckles were white.  "What was that?" she wondered aloud, and was stunned to find that her voice was shaking.  All of a sudden she remembered something her mother had once told her.

            "Mother, what's a Guardian?"  Elara asked.

            "Where did you hear about Guardians, dear?"

            "From Grandfather—he was telling me stories about his brother, and he said something about his being a Guardian, but he never told me what they were."

            "Guardians are special people with special powers."

"Special powers?"

            "Yes—such as being able to link their minds with the minds of others, cast energy, increase their speed and reflexes, and even be able to fly for a short time."

            "Then why haven't we heard more about Guardians?  I mean, wouldn't they be all over the place fighting the bad guys and stuff?"

            "There are limits to these powers, Elara.  They can't use them for themselves—they only come into play when someone they care about is in danger.  Then, and only then, are they able to use these powers.  Once the danger has passed, they are normal people with normal 'powers' again."

            "Does it run in the family, Mother?"

            "It might, dear.  It just might."

            Elara's eyes widened as the impact of that long-lost conversation hit her like a falling rock.  That's…that's impossible!  If I actually am a Guardian—and how else can I explain those emotions and images?—why didn't these powers come into play when my brother was killed?  Does one grow into these powers?  I mean, does one have to be a certain age before they'll work for the first time?  How would I find out, anyway?  Maybe the database at the offices will have something on them…

            She hurriedly made a lunch and had begun eating it when another thought hit her.  Whose emotions were those?  And why did everything go away when I thought Jim's name?  Wait a minute…what was it that Mother said?  "They only come into play when someone they care about is in danger."  Jim?  I care about Jim?  Of course I do…but it would have to be fairly powerful feelings for me to link up with him like that…and he's on another planet! 

            Is he still in danger?  The thought hit her forcefully.  How would I "reconnect" with him?  Should I just reach out for him or something?  Well, here goes…  Elara tried to push her mind out toward the thought of him, and found it surprisingly easy—she simply followed the trail the "connection" had left. 

            Images swarmed up before her again, but this time they were not stationary, nor were they silent. 

            Sonoron Kai was chanting something.  How do I know the man's name?  Elara wondered.  Oh, yeah, I'm connected to Jim now, and he must know it—they found out about the bounty on him, didn't they? 

            Off to Jim's left, Gene groaned as he struggled to rise.  I wonder if I can somehow channel some of my energy into him.  But how?  Carefully, she pushed out a 'tendril' from her connection with Jim and brushed against Gene's consciousness.  "Gene, get up!  Come on, you can do it!  You're strong.  Be careful—he's chanting something from the Kei Pirates' repertoire."

            "But I've handled that before."

            Elara was stunned to get a reply.  She tensed for a moment before she realized that was what Gene did.  He must have thought that it was himself talking when it was actually me, and simply added on the end part as a habit.  She sighed relief. 

            "I wonder what he's going to throw at me."

            She recognized the 'voice' and realized she was still attached to him somewhat.  Frowning, Elara tried to place the chant with the type of attack it would bring.  "A number 10 should take care of it," she thought at him carefully.

            "It's worked before, hasn't it?"

            She sighed with relief.  Good…he's still thinking it's himself doing the talking.  That had better work.

            "Gene!  Are you all right?" Jim called out, his voice laced with anxiety.

            He did not respond.  Instead he loaded his caster with a number ten shell and armed it.

            Kai cackled over his chant.  The cackle said what his voice could not.  "You really think that thing will affect me?"

            Gene set his face grimly.  "This had better work."

            "What are you doing, Gene?"

            "Trust me, Jim.  Keep your readout steady on him, and give me a warning."

            The image switched to that of the readout.  "Okay."

            It returned to Gene.  Five seconds later a barely audible beep was heard.  "Gene!"

            Kai raised his hand, palm facing the downed Gene.  He finished his chant.  A wave of black wind raced toward him.  Gene fired.  A red energy ball answered the wind.  There was a bright flash, and both forces disappeared.

            "What?" Kai exclaimed in astonishment.  "You have number ten shells?  I didn't think those existed anymore—"

            Gene quickly reloaded his caster and fired.  He caught Kai in the chest, cutting off his words, and sent him sailing.  Another shot sounded, and Elara realized it was Jim who had fired the second time.  The image shifted, and Jim ran over to the fallen man's side, his gun drawn.  "He's dead, Gene."

            "Good," he replied with a groan as he tried to sit up.  "Okay, whoever you are—thanks for the help, but mind giving me a little warning next time?  A new voice in one's head is enough to make one think that it's time to visit the nearest lunatic asylum."

            Elara gasped, and the 'connection' broke.  The kitchen came back into view.  That…that was weird.  I'm a Guardian for sure now…but who is it that I am "protecting?"  Is it Gene, or Jim?  She frowned.  No offense to Mel, but Gene is just not my type.  That means it's Jim…  Shifting her position, she leaned back against the cupboard door and closed her eyes.  Jim…why him?  I mean, he's a great guy and all, but still…I mean…I never would have dreamed that I would fall for someone like him…  He can never know.  It would never work.  We each have our own businesses to run…it just wouldn't work.  Besides, he probably doesn't even return the feelings.

            Elara opened her eyes, stood up, and sighed.  I'd better be getting into work soon.  They'll probably be back tomorrow morning, and I want to get as much work as I can done before they return.  Sighing again, she quickly finished making up her lunch and left the house with it in hand.

            She returned to the house an hour later than she had the night before.  Exhausted, the young president lumbered up the stairs to her room, where she collapsed on the bed.  But she could not fall asleep.  I can't get him out of my head, she repeated to herself for the tenth time.  Finally, after an hour of tossing and turning, Elara fell into a worn out slumber.

            The next morning she woke up late to the sounds of people mulling about downstairs.  They're back already?  Sheesh, I really must have slept in!  Hurriedly she changed into shorts and a nice shirt and combed her hair.  Elara walked down the stairs to see Gene and Jim seated at the table and heard Melfina in the kitchen.

            "What happened, Gene?" she asked when she saw the bandage around his arm and shoulder.

            "A little injury from taking that guy down," he replied with a cocky grin.

            "I wouldn't say you took him down, Gene," Jim interjected.  "I thought you were a goner when he first shot you."

            "You got shot?" Elara queried.  I don't remember him getting shot…oh, wait, that must have been when I was getting just infrequent images.

            "Hey, I'm all right now.  I'll be fine in no time."

            "So, you guys got the bounty on him?"

            "Yeah," Jim answered.  "But we only ended up with ten thousand because of the spaceport fees, food costs, and extra caster shells."

            "You had to use a caster?" I have to act like I have no clue what happened because that would give away my secret.

            "Yeah—he was using some Kei Pirate techniques."

            "Oh, I see.  Well, I'd better get going—I return to Inura in about six days, and I want to be on top of my work when I get there."

            Melfina entered the room with a tray full of food.  "You leave in six days?"

            "Yeah—I found out how long it would be before the Free Spirit would be repaired."

            "Oh."

            "See you three later," Elara said as she walked out the door.  It shut loudly behind her.

            "Six more days…" Melfina repeated with a sigh after she had left.

            "That's not very long, is it?" Jim asked.

            "No, it's not," Gene responded.  The three ate their breakfasts somewhat silently, and as soon as each was done they left the table to go work on their own tasks.

            The next four days went by in similar fashion.  The day before Elara was to leave she took them down to the repair bay where her ship, the Free Spirit, was docked.  Gene and Jim whistled when they saw it.

            "Nice ship, Elara," Jim complimented her, his eyes taking in its shiny blue hull.

            "I rather like it myself," she said with a grin.  At the aft of the ship flying sparks could be seen as a technician worked on the third engine.

            "It looks sort of like the Outlaw Star, doesn't it?" Melfina asked.

            "Yeah, it does," Gene echoed.  "It's a bit smaller, though."

            "It's a grappler ship, so of course it would look somewhat like your ship.  But it's been modified to the point so that a single person can pilot it—it doesn't need a crew.  Besides, Reid takes care of anything I can't."

            "Is Reid your computer?" Jim inquired.

            "Yeah—although he has a better sense of humor than Gilliam does.  I bet they would have interesting conversations."

            "I'd better get back—I've got some work to do," Jim said after another few minutes passed by.

            "I'm going to stay for a while, okay?  I need to make sure that the repairs are going smoothly," Elara told them.

            "All right.  We'll head back, then.  See you later," Gene said.

            "'Bye."

            With a note of pride Elara walked around her ship for the next hour or so.  She had just finished up talking to the head repairman when her cell phone rang.  "Hello?"

            "Can you get back here soon?" Melfina's worried voice asked.

            "Yeah—what's wrong?"

            "I'll tell you when you get here."  A dial tone sounded, and Elara realized she had hung up.

            What could have rattled up Mel that badly? she thought as she raced back to her car.  Something terrible must have happened.

            Getting back to the house in record time, Elara was out of the car almost before the keys were out of the ignition.  The door opened for her, and Melfina shut it behind her.

            "What happened, Mel?" Elara asked breathlessly.

            Wordlessly she handed over a sheet of paper.  Mel, she read, don't get overly excited about this.  A guy came to the door while you were still at the store and challenged me.  Jim and I left to take care of him.  We'll be back soon.  Love, Gene.

            Elara glanced up at her after she finished reading to see the unshed tears in Melfina's eyes.  "They didn't even tell me where they were going," she said, choking up.  "And he could get killed."

            Elara's hands began to shake.  Oh, no…it's that feeling coming back again.  Her muscles tensed, and she began to breathe faster.  She could feel energy surging through her.  But it's different this time…much different.  She reached out and tried to find Jim, but somehow she could not.  Her heart started racing.  Where is he? she wondered, almost panicky.

            "Are…are you all right, Elara?" Melfina asked, noticing her reaction to the note.

            "I have to know where they have gone," she replied through clenched teeth.

            "But…but they didn't say," she reminded her.

            Elara closed her eyes and tried to find him again, and this time she was able to.  "They're in the junkyard on the other side of town," she told Melfina after a moment.

            The other young woman looked at her in shock.  "How do you know?"

            Elara glanced at her.  "I just do.  It would take way too long to explain.  I'm going."

            "Wait—let me come with you."

            "I don't think you should.  You'd be in grave danger."

            "So will you."

            "I'll be fine.  Trust me."  As she spoke she walked out of the door and into her car, started it, and drove off in the direction of the junkyard.

            Once she was there she turned off the car and left it, not bothering to lock it.  Elara ran as fast as she could through the junkyard, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a man grab Jim from behind and point a pistol at his head.  Her heart raced even faster, and she could feel the strength coming to her.  How am I going to get over there without that man noticing?  Suddenly she spotted a large pile of junk behind the man, and piles leading to it.  I think I can sneak around that way…I hope. 

            Carefully Elara crouched and began to walk as quickly as she could in the position she was in around to the large pile.  Once she was there, she thought, Here goes nothing.  With a burst of speed she ran up over the pile and jumped from the top to land directly on the man holding Jim captive.  He hit the ground with a grunt, and a swift blow to the back of his head knocked him out cold.

            Jim whirled around.  He looked at her with a shocked expression when he saw her on top of the man and then quickly knock him out.  "How—how did you do that?" he asked her, his voice shaky.

            "No time for that now, Jim.  Here, take this gun and hang on to it.  Where is Gene?"

            "He's a few hundred feet that way," he replied, pointing.

            "What are you doing out here so far from him?"

            "I was trying to find a good vantage point so I could help him out when that guy pounced on me.  We thought there was only going to be the one guy who challenged him—I guess we were wrong."  He glanced at her with a frown as a thought came to him.  "How did you know we were here?"

            "Lucky guess.  I'd better go."

            "Where are you going?"

            "Hey, you said yourself that you were wrong about there only being one guy—what if there is more than two?"

            Jim's eyes widened.  "Let me go with you."

            "No—you need to be Gene's lookout.  Just be careful, all right?"

            "All right."

            Elara then dashed off in the direction Jim had pointed out.  Why do I still have the extra strength?  Jim is no longer in danger…or is he?  Maybe I have to get rid of the entire known threat before the Guardian stuff goes away again.  That makes sense…  Elara rounded another mound of junk and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Gene on his back on the ground with three men standing over him, each with a gun pointed either at his head or his chest.

            Glancing around, she tried to figure out what she could do to take out three men at once.  Then she noticed the slanted roof off to her right.  I wonder if I could run off that and get enough air to land on all three at once.  Wait…what was it Mother said?  Something about Guardians casting energy or something.  Can I do that?  Well, there's only one way to find out…

            She moved over toward the lower end of the roof, tensed herself, and ran as fast as she could toward and up it.  Whoa!  I'm going fast!

            Suddenly the end of the roof was in sight.  Bracing herself, Elara ran at top speed toward it and jumped off the edge.

            She did not fall.  She continued to fly—glide, rather—toward the three men.  Gene's astonished glance up at her attracted their attention skyward, but before two of the three could react, Elara had conjured up four balls of energy and thrown them at the two men.  Two hit each one directly on the top of the head, and they collapsed in unison to the ground. 

            Elara found that she could no longer concentrate to make more energy weapons because she began to fall.  The third man pointed his pistol up at her as she fell onto him and got off two shots.  When she made impact she heard the bones in his neck pop, then crack sickeningly when they hit the ground directly on the back of his head.  Two swift blows knocked out the other two again as they stirred slightly.

            The danger apparently over, Elara weakly rolled off the dead man's body and landed with a thud on the ground, breathing rapidly.  Gene got up slowly and walked over toward her.  "How the heck did you manage to do that?" he asked her incredulously.

            "Do what?" she replied faintly, trying to put on an ignorant look.

            "Watch out!" Jim cried from his lookout post.

            Elara saw what Jim saw—a fifth man topping another mound with his gun drawn.  Gene could not see him because the man was behind him.  Before anyone—even the fifth man—could do a thing, Elara had drawn Gene's pistol and shot him.

            "That's a number nine!" Gene cried out right after Elara had fired.

            "What?" she exclaimed, glancing down in horror to see that the pistol was Gene's caster.  I'm too weak to handle the aftereffects of a number nine caster bullet!

            The fifth man with horror written all over his face was sucked into the small black ball with a sickening cry of agony.  Black lightning shot out from the ball out to Elara and enveloped her.  She fell back down to the ground with a groan as it sucked at her energy.

            "Elara!" Gene and Jim cried out in unison as they saw her fall.  Gene knelt down beside her and Jim raced over from where he had been toward the two.  Gene shook her shoulder gently.  "Can you hear me?"

            Her eyelids fluttered.  "Yeah," she whispered weakly.

            "How the heck were you able to do all that stuff?  And if you can do that, how come you weren't able to fend off the bastards who raped you?" Gene demanded.

            "It takes a while to explain," she said faintly.

            "Gene," Jim cut in, "we should take her back to the ship to recuperate before she explains.  Here, let me help you up," he addressed her.

            "Jim, if she lies down for a minute, she can explain."

            "I don't think we should push her like this," Jim disagreed.

            Elara frowned and whispered with a hint of annoyance, "Sheesh, stop arguing.  If you guys must know…I'm a Guardian."

            "A what?" Gene asked, confused.

            Jim's eyes grew wide.  "A Guardian is someone who gains special powers—like what we just saw—whenever someone they care about is in danger…" he trailed off as a thought came to him.  She likes Gene, doesn't she?  I had always known there was no hope for me, but now I know for sure.

            Elara's cheeks were tinged with a light shade of pink.  Now Jim knows…and he doesn't care about me.  I should have figured that.

            "We should get you back to the house—can you walk on your own?" Gene asked her, completely oblivious to the impact of what Jim had just revealed.

            Elara nodded.  When she sat up she winced as fiery pain lanced up her ribs.  Her hand went to her side.  She then drew it away to find her palm covered in blood.

            "You're hurt!" Jim exclaimed when he saw her hand.

            "Never mind…I don't know if I can make it on my…" she began, trailing off as she lapsed into unconsciousness.

            Immediately Jim scooped her up in his arms and began to carry her back to the place where he and Gene had left the car.  Gently he laid her in the back seat, and then he and Gene sat up front, the latter in the driver's seat.  He kept glancing back at Elara to make sure that she was all right.

            Soon they returned, and Melfina dashed out to greet them.  After embracing Gene, she glanced over at Elara in Jim's arms and gasped at her condition.  "We'd better get her inside so I can bandage her wound," she said with an authoritative note in her voice.

            The two guys did not argue.  Jim took Elara up to her room, where Melfina then shooed them out and shut the door after grabbing the first aid kit.  A few minutes later she left the room and shut the door behind her.

            Jim ran up to her seconds after she had left.  "Will she be all right?"

            "I think so.  It looks like the bullet just nicked her, and she's exhausted.  I gave her something for the pain that will also help her sleep.  I doubt that she'll be waking up anytime soon."  Melfina glanced back at him.  "How did you guys manage to get out of there all right?  Gene told me that there were five guys there after you."

            He explained, but was interrupted when he told her what Elara had done.  "How did she do that?" Melfina asked.

            "She's a Guardian."

            "What's a Guardian?"

            Jim slowly explained that to her, carefully watching her face for any sign that she noticed what he had figured out back at the junkyard.  I don't know how she would react if I told her Elara has a crush on Gene, so I won't say anything.  With a small sigh of relief Jim did not see any recognition on Melfina's countenance.

            The rest of the day passed by uneventfully.  Jim was a little worried when night fell and Elara had not yet stirred, but Melfina did her best to allay his fears.  "Don't worry, Jim," she said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "She needs the rest, and I think she'll be almost her normal self in the morning.  You'll see.  Now you need to get some sleep.  Pacing won't do you any good."

            "All right, Mel.  Where's Gene?"

            "I think he went out to the ship to check something out.  He'll be back soon."

            "Are you going to wait up for him?"

            "Yeah.  Good night, Jim."

            "Good night, Mel."

            Slowly Jim trudged up the stairs, his face troubled and his shoulders slumped. 

            Melfina watched him leave.  I wonder what is bothering him so much.  I can tell he likes Elara, and obviously she cares about him.  So why is he so down all of a sudden?  Is it because she's leaving tomorrow?  Yeah, that must be it.  And the fact that she's asleep is taking away time he could have spent with her.

            With a heavy sigh she turned away from the stairs and sat down on the couch to wait for Gene's return.