Chapter Two

Later on that morning, Teela was sitting in the Officer's Mess, absent-mindedly picking at her breakfast - a tray of scrambled eggs, toast, three pieces of Talaxian bacon, and a mug of black coffee.

"Hi!" said a cheerful masculine voice, snapping Teela out of her reverie.

Teela looked up towards the voice. Before her stood a tall, trim, athletic-looking man in his early thirties carrying a breakfast tray. He had close-cropped brown hair, a gleaming smile, blue eyes, and wore a dress uniform bearing a captain's insignia.

"Mind if I sit down?" the dark-haired stranger asked.

"Go right ahead," Teela replied, motioning the stranger to sit down.

The stranger put his tray down on the table and took a seat directly across from Teela. "Captain Atreyu," he introduced himself, extending a hand in greeting.

"Captain Teela," Teela replied as she shook Captain Atreyu's hand.

"Teela … Teela," said Captain Atreyu to himself, trying to place Teela's post. "You're Captain of the Guard, aren't you?"

"That's correct," Teela replied. She then added, "And what do YOU do?"

"I'm a Chaplain," Captain Atreyu replied. "I'm here at the Palace on temporary assignment."

"Welcome," said Teela shyly.

"Got any plans for today?" asked Captain Atreyu, making small talk.

"I'm accompanying The Royal Family to the Evergreen Forest today," Teela replied unemotionally.

Captain Atreyu raised an eyebrow in concern. "You don't sound too happy about it," he said.

Teela absent-mindedly poked her eggs with her fork, lost in thought. After what seemed like an eternity, she said, "I envy him."

"Envy WHO?" said Captain Atreyu, his interest piqued.

"Prince Adam," Teela replied.

"Why?"

"He knows his parents," Teela replied softly.

"And you … DON'T?" Captain Atreyu inquired.

Teela shook her head … No. "Not my real ones … No," she said.

"What do you mean your … 'real ones'? " Captain Atreyu probed.

Teela sighed. "My biological ones," she said.

"You're adopted?"

Teela nodded solemnly. "I love Man-At-Arms dearly…"

"This … 'Man-At-Arms'," said Captain Atreyu. "He's your … adoptive father?"

Teela nodded. "Yes," she said. "I love him dearly … but…"

"But WHAT?"

"There's a large part of me that's … missing," said Teela. "Who am I? Where did I come from? Who were my parents?" She then added, "I'm sorry if I'm boring you…"

"No, no … you're not boring me," Captain Atreyu replied. "This is my job." He then added with a grin, "I'm a people person who's not aggressive enough to be a recruiter … so they made me a Chaplain."

Teela smiled back at Captain Atreyu. It was then that she noticed a certain … something … hanging in the air. A certain … electricity, almost.

At that moment, Evil-Lyn sat in her lavishly appointed lair at Snake Mountain, gazing into her crystal ball.

All at once, she received a psychic signal: somewhere on Eternia, a novice telepath - an unshielded telepath - had just emerged.

Evil-Lyn tuned into the frequency. Teela, she grumbled to herself.

"How much do you know about your … 'real' parents?" Captain Atreyu inquired.

"Not much," Teela replied. "Father's dead … or so I've been told. As for my mother … she's pretty much a question mark." Teela paused. "She's alive … but other than that, I know nothing."

"Don't you have a birth certificate?"

"I wasn't born in Eternos," Teela replied matter-of-factly. "I wouldn't know where to begin looking."

"Has Man-At-Arms been any help to you at all?"

Teela shook her head … No. "He won't tell me anything," she said. "He keeps telling me that she'll tell me 'someday'." She then added bitterly, "I wonder … When will that be? Over my CASKET?"

The sides of Captain Atreyu's mouth twitched, flustered. "I … doubt they'd wait THAT long," he said.

"Everyone seems to have forgotten just exactly what it is that I DO for a living," said Teela. "I'm a soldier, a warrior … I could die in battle tomorrow!"

"That's true," said Captain Atreyu.

"You know what my greatest fear is?" Teela asked rhetorically. "My greatest fear … is that I'll die without ever knowing."

"That WOULD be a shame," said Captain Atreyu.

"I keep wondering … am I a bastard?" Teela asked. "The end result of some lady-in-waiting's roll in the hay with a footman? Is THAT the reason everyone's so hush-hush about my mother?"

Captain Atreyu clasped his hand over his mouth, trying to suppress a laugh. "I doubt you're a bastard," he said finally, regaining his composure.

"Why all the secrecy, then?" Teela shot back. "Why all the pussyfooting around? If I'm not an embarrassment to someone, what else could it be?"

"If you really WERE a bastard, do you think for one moment that the Palace would permit you to hold such a high-profile position as Captain of the Guard?" Captain Atreyu asked. "They would've had you commanding a weather station in the Region of Ice!"

Teela smiled. "Maybe you're right," she said softly.

"I'm sure you'll find her," said Captain Atreyu with a smile.

She seeks her mother, thought Evil-Lyn to herself as she scanned Teela's incoming thoughts. Perhaps I can use this to my advantage.