The flight to the other side of Oahu was silent. Everyone was wrapped in his or her own thoughts. Ibanez thought of Gossard – and ways she could ask him out without looking foolish. Dizzy and Zim tried to get some shuteye. Doc, Goss, Higgins and Brutto were playing cards in the hold; Higgins was getting the tar beaten out of him. The others were laughing up a storm. General Redwing, Lieutenant Rico and Carl were in the cockpit on vid-links trying to get a coordinated effort put together on Waialua before they landed. Nala sat in a jump seat, her eyes half-closed, absorbing it all. A small smile played on her lips. She had since morphed from her Power Suit to a black long gown with silk slippers and a thick black cloak. T'Phai sat next to her, silent. He wanted to ask her so many questions, but was afraid to.
"What would you like to know, Colonel?" She asked in his language. T'Phai was again taken by surprise. It had been so long since he had used his own language, his tongue felt clumsy as he began forming words.
"My mate…L'War. Is she -?" He began to ask, but couldn't finish the sentence.
Nala sighed deeply. She turned to him; her eyes were still glowing faintly, giving them the illusion of being deep wells of emerald green. "My dear Colonel, must I really answer this question for you? Will its' answer bring rest to your soul? Or will it make your blood boil and you thirst for the blood of your enemies instead?" she whispered, speaking to him as if she were a Village Elder. T'Phai truly did not know what he had expected. He just wanted to know. Nala put her small hand over T'Phai's large three fingered one. "She has joined the others who have given their lives to this war. I am so sorry to tell you this, S'Phai's son." T'Phai put his other hand over hers.
"I knew as much, my Lady. I…I just wanted to put the question of it to rest. She is at peace with the souls of our fore-bearers. Our children…are all I have left of her. Thank you." Nala bowed slightly. T'Phai stood up and bowed reverently to her. "I think I will check on the others." Nala nodded, smiling a small sad smile.
She leaned her head back in the headrest of the jumpchair. She was still so tired. She shouldn't have spent so much of her energy the night before – she should have known better. But for Carl, she would gladly have given her life. The few precious moments she spent with him made up for the decades of solitude. She was quite spent after her attack on the Arachnid Army. Had it not been for Carl…well; she wouldn't think of that. Solen, her Instructor, was in no way cross with her during their communication. He simply accepted what had happened. That surprised her greatly. He always lectured her on not stretching her Talents to their limits. Because, he would say when she would ask. There are some realms no one is meant to cross into. She never understood his cryptic answer – but she feared she would get its meaning soon enough.
She stood up from her seat, intent on going to the cockpit to see how far Carl, Rico and Redwing had gotten, when a pain so immense – and so surprising! - entered Nala's mind. She fell to her knees and holding her head, screamed, reeling from the attack. Carl immediately skidded from the cockpit, falling down the steps on his hands and knees next to Nala. Without warning, his nose began to bleed profusely. She screamed again, the sound going through everyone on board. Carmen gritted her teeth, trying desperately to keep the ship in the air. Rico and Redwing screamed, throwing their headsets off. Zim and Dizzy fell out of their bunks while the others in the hold screamed, dropping their cards and grabbing their heads. When the attack subsided, they all stood up and ran towards the cockpit.
"God!" swore Rico, holding his own head and looking to Carl. "What is wrong?" Carl looked back equally bewildered. His head was pounding; he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and put it to his nose to stop the bleeding. He put his other hand on Nala; then withdrew it quickly, as if he had been burned. "I don't know!" he finally yelled back in alarm. "She won't let me in!" She opened her eyes and Carl turned his head away quickly, crying out in surprise. The milliseconds that he looked into her eyes frightened him to his core. "Don't look into her eyes!" he yelled to everyone. "Someone is attacking her…and us psychically. She's trying to fight back." Carl looked up to Rico – and truly decided. He thought he could get around what Nala had said to him before. Once you begin down this path, there is no turning back. Whether or not the Human race survived, these would be his final hours as one.
"I have to help her," he said putting both his hands on hers. He gasped in pain; the attack she was undergoing was immense. But he was not going to let her fight it alone. It was because of him that she was involved in this war. Had she not found him and fallen in love with him, she would be safe – with The Others. Where you lead… he whispered into her mind.
"CARL!" she screamed through gritted teeth. "IT IS SHE! IT IS THE QUEEN! SHE IS…POWERFUL!" He put a hand on her face and lovingly stroked her cheek.
Nala, he whispered again. Let me help you. We can take her, TOGETHER.
Nala looked up to Carl. Her eyes were glowing softly now; their deep emerald green. Tears were streaming from them. Carl, she whispered in a small pained voice inside his head. Help me, please. Help me get inside HER head!
Carl nodded, moving his hands to either side of her face and closed his eyes. He felt resistance from the Queen, so he pushed harder. He then moaned loudly, throwing all of his Talents into the task. Nala joined him with a groan of her own. He felt her struggling with the Queen. The both of them were locked in a psychic battle to the death. Carl found the thread of consciousness that was Nala and in his mind's eye; he could see her as green energy. Throwing his hand up, he willed some of his own energy, blue in color, to go to Nala. It merged with Nala. The two colors began winding around each other, blending, and merging, becoming one. A dark cloud representing the Queen suddenly came into view. He saw the newly formed energy throw itself into the dark matter. The picture he saw suddenly vanished; Nala cried out again. He then felt the pressure inside of Nala's head subside – and they both felt The Queen shudder in…was that fear? And as quickly as the attack began, it was over. Nala fell over into Carl's chest, gasping for air. Carl leaned back, resting his head against the row of seats. He began to laugh suddenly. Nala looked up into his eyes and smiled. He could tell she was still in a great deal of pain – but she was whole. Everyone on board breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Why did she let me go?" Nala asked no one in particular. "She could have snapped my mind like a twig. She almost did." She turned around and sat next to Carl, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I…hurt now, Carl," she said in a small voice. "I have to rest. Or else, the next time the Queen and I square off -." Carl gathered her into his arms, holding her tenderly. He then put her head against his chest, the way she did to him the first time she held him. "Sleep, Nala. Rest. And when it's time – you're not going to meet her alone. That's why she let go. She knows me from before – on Klendathu. I guess the both of us really scared her." Nala looked up to Carl and smiled weakly. She put one of her arms around his chest. "I have to sleep, Carl. I am…" So tired, she said into his mind as she drifted off in his arms.
Johnny knelt down and looked into Carl's eyes. "I think the General and I can handle it from here. We've got about twenty minutes to 'Seattle'. A quick cat-nap for the pair of you will do wonders." Carl nodded in acknowledgement, but in truth, he wasn't the slightest bit fatigued. If anything, he felt totally energized. Even the headache had subsided. Dizzy came over and positioned a pillow behind Carl's head. Carl smiled in gratitude. He then turned to Johnny.
"Whatever this attack was – it took a great deal from Nala. We may have to change our plans ever so slightly, LT." Johnny looked to General Redwing, then to the rest of Alpha Squad. Everyone nodded in understanding. Rico looked back to Carl.
"Well, it looks like we all get a second audience with Her Majesty," he said grimly.
