Don't worry, Elouise 82. There is much trouble on the way for the crew, especially for Marina, who will find it rather hard to remain her perfect self. Get ready, everyone, here comes the conflict!

Chapter Twenty-two

When Marina woke up, she could smell wood smoke, which was odd, because the heater ran on a power generator, not wood. Why, that was archaic. She opened her eyes slowly, surprised at how dark it seemed. She was sure that it must be morning by now. She felt as if she had slept for eons.

"Marina, just be still and stay calm," came Julian's voice from close beside her.

She felt his arm slide around her shoulders. "What is going on?" Her eyes finally opened completely. Her heart nearly stopped. There was smoke everywhere, thick, black, billowing smoke, blocking Catronis' sun from view. "Julian! What's happening?"

"Just calm down." Julian was kneeling beside her, his eyes large and worried. "Something has happened."

Marina felt her stomach clench. "What? Is everyone all right?"

"Most everyone, yes."

"What do you mean 'most?'" Marina snapped.

"There was an explosion. Gentanar attacked us last night. We--we're his prisoners."

"What?" Marina felt cold all over. "What? Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"Marina, we tried. He--he froze you in sleep, just as you froze all of his creatures."

"If only he hadn't! I could have--I could have done something!" Marina cried. She stood quickly and looked around. Catronis 6 looked much the same--except that the forest around it was burning, and the walls were charred. "Why did he bomb the forest?"

Julian stood beside her. "It was a distraction. He and his men scaled the walls while we tried to stop the fire from reaching the base. We succeeded, but…" Julian swallowed. "So did they."

"Where is everyone?"

"Inside the buildings."

"Then why are we out here?" Marina asked, frowning in confusion and despair.

"A good question." Julian looked near to tears.

"And one I will kindly answer," said a voice from nearby.

Marina and Julian turned. Neither was surprised at the voice's source.

"Gentanar," Marina muttered, making the name sound like a curse.

"The very same." The handsome blonde man smiled brightly. He walked closer. He looked like an angel of light with the dark backdrop of smoke behind him. He finally stopped walking when he was very close to the couple. "I wanted you out here. The two of you are my favorite prisoners, so I set you apart from the others." He nodded to Julian. "By the way, doctor, it was good of you to open the door for me."

Marina glanced at Julian quickly. The doctor tightened his jaw and said nothing, staring at the ground. "Julian… is this true? Why did you--?"

"Some of the colonists died, Marina," Julian said quickly, not meeting her eyes. "We were fighting a losing battle. We did what we had to, to save our lives. And yours."

"You opened the door for him?"

"I was one of the ones who actually did the ugly deed, yes." He finally looked at her, his eyes shiny and sad.

"Oh." Marina felt oddly disappointed in Julian, and in the others. Why hadn't they fought harder? Why hadn't they found some way to awaken her? Surely she could have done something. Surely they could have done something…

Doubting your friends and your lover? came Gentanar's voice in her mind. His mental presence stroked hers soothingly, smoothly. They don't quite have my skills, do they? Who do you think woke you up at last? Certainly not this arrogant young doctor.

Marina looked at Julian again. He certainly did not look arrogant. He looked tragic--ashamed, sheepish, and dreadfully sorrowful.

"I'm sorry, Marina," he whispered, as if he were the one reading her thoughts. "We tried." His voice shook a little.

Do you know that your friends just left you lying there after they found that they could not wake you? They were so busy defending these colonists that they don't even know. Sure, Bashir checked on you once or twice, but… They didn't seem overly concerned about you to me.

Shut up. Stop it. Get out of my head before I put up shields. My friends were doing their jobs. You're twisting things.

Am I? I thought I was simply stating facts…

Marina slammed her mind shut on him, glaring at him. She quickly glanced at Julian. He was looking at her intensely, as if she were one of the specimens in his medical lab. Was he doubting her, too?

"Come with me," Gentanar said quickly, before either of them could speak to the other. "Both of you. We are leaving this place."

Marina shook her head. "What about the others?"

"They will not be harmed," the psychogenotron said.

"I don't trust you," Marina replied.

"Look into my mind." Gentanar stepped closer and reached out, taking Marina's wrists in his hands. He placed her fingers on his temples. "Mind meld with me." He reached to touch the pointed tip of one of her ears. His touch was surprisingly gentle and warm. "Then you can see if I am telling the truth."

"All--all right," Marina said. She felt unsure, but she had to know the truth.

"Marina--" Julian started, his voice full of caution.

"Stay out of this, human," Gentanar snapped. "You know nothing of our ways."

"Marina." Julian's voice was low and cold. "Don't let him tell you what to do."

"I'm not the one telling her what to do," Gentanar replied. "I was simply offering a suggestion. You, young man, are the one who is trying to dominate this young lady's life."

"I am not!" Julian exclaimed hotly, taking a step forward. "Marina, you don't have to do anything he says."

"It's okay, Julian," Marina said impatiently. "I have to know if he is telling the truth. And yes, we have to do what he says. He is our captor."

"Marina!" Julian cried. "Where are you? Where is the powerful psychogenotron who defeated so many foes in the past? Where is the girl who said she would stand up to Gentanar? Can she have fled away so fast?"

I'm still here, Marina sent to Julian. We just have to play along with him for now, all right? She sent her thoughts laced with impatience and annoyance.

I don't think so, Julian thought at her. His eyes were stormy. I know you are powerful. Surely you can do something.

It's a little late for me to do something, now isn't it? I could have done something if someone had woken me up!

We tried that! Honest to God, we tried!

Well, you failed, so here we are now. Marina winced, wishing she could take the words back.

Julian looked stricken. Marina, what if you couldn't have done anything? Are you so proud as to think that you are the one factor that determines who wins the victory?

Well, isn't that what you want me to be? You want me to do something, be the hero. But I--I can't.

Julian stopped thinking at her. But she could sense his feelings. He was angry at her, but more than that, sad, hurt by her thoughts. "Why can't you, Marina?" he whispered aloud. "Why?"

Marina was silent. She turned back to Gentanar. "All right. I'll mind meld with you."

"Marina, that means he can get into your mind, too," Julian warned. "Don't do this."

"I'm strong enough to do this, Julian," Marina replied, not looking at him. She was confident that she could get inside Gentanar's mind without him getting into hers. Why wasn't Julian? If he believed that she could make some aggressive move against Gentanar, why didn't he believe she could do this?

"She's right, you know," Gentanar said smugly, smirking at Julian. "She's strong enough. Why can't you see that?" He slipped an arm around Marina's waist, resting his hand in the small of her back.

"Get your hands off her," Julian said through his teeth.

Marina tensed, not sure what to do. She felt like she had to mind meld with this man, but… She certainly did not feel comfortable with his arm around her, no matter how handsome he was.

"You don't think she loves you enough to resist me?" Gentanar asked suddenly.

Marina quickly pulled back from him, not liking the way this was going. She stepped back, stepped closer to Julian.

Julian was silent.

"Come on, Marina." Gentanar motioned to her. "Let's try this again."

"Please--please don't--don't touch me," Marina stammered, feeling nervous and very cold.

"You didn't like it?" The blonde man smiled crookedly.

"Just--just don't."

"Who are you to give orders? As I recall, I am your captor."

Marina felt the anger emanating from Julian. The doctor was barely holding it back. "It--it'll be all right, Julian," she said quickly. "I have to do this."

"No you don't, Marina," he replied quickly, grabbing her arm. "He's lying. Can't you figure that out without having to mind meld with the man?"

"If I were lying, would I openly invite her to read my mind?" Gentanar asked, crossing his arms. "Since you are my prisoners, this is a very kind act on my part."

Marina turned to Julian and quickly kissed him on the lips. "It's okay," she said quietly, touching his face.

He shook his head sadly, taking her hand in his and holding it against his cheek. "No it's not," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Marina drew her hand gently from his. "It will have to be." She turned and walked to Gentanar. "All right. I will mind meld with you." She reached out and touched his temples with her fingers, trying to ignore his arms going around her, trying to ignore it when he pulled her close to him, trying to ignore it when he put his cheek next to hers.

But Julian could not ignore it--especially when Gentanar looked over Marina's shoulder and smirked at him.

"No!" Julian cried. "I will not allow this! Marina, that man is using you!" He took a step forward.

Marina felt the anger flaring up in Gentanar, and the power. "No!" she cried, breaking from the man's grasp.

Gentanar sent some thought, some mind power at Julian.

Julian suddenly bent over and collapsed to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself.

Marina acted fast. She quickly slapped Gentanar with all of her might and ran to Julian's side, pulling him into her arms. She glared up at Gentanar, who was laughing at the sight. "What did you do to him?" she shouted angrily.

"I merely undid the healing that his mind had already begun on his wounds," the psychogenotron explained. "A mere trick. Everything in the body is controlled by the brain, so everything can be manipulated. You could have healed him completely by now." He laughed at Marina's incredulous look. "Well, you can't heal him now. Not with me here. I would just block it."

"Julian…" Marina murmured, stroking his forehead, running her fingers through his hair. Hang on, she thought to him. I'll do something.

"If you try anything, I'll make sure he doesn't survive," Gentanar said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts, even though she had them--and Juilan's--blocked from him.

Marina glared at him.

Just don't let him trick you into anything, Julian thought to her, his presence weak and wavering. And don't let that infernal pride of yours get in the way of your good sense, he added. He smiled wryly at her.

I'm paying for my pride now, Marina replied. She looked up at the sky. God forgive me…

(LINE)

Gentanar led Marina and Julian, who staggered along with Marina's support, to a storage building outside of Catronis 6's walls. It was furnished with a sleeping roll, a fire pit, logs, matches, a make-shift chimney, blankets, water, and food. Gentanar had prepared it for them already.

Marina shot him an icy glare as she helped Julian down on the pallet.

"He was right, you know," her enemy said, smiling brightly. His teeth were extraordinarily white.

"About what?" Marina asked, not looking at him. Instead, she focused her attention on Julian, checking on the bandages around his waist, feeling his warm forehead.

"I lied. Of course your allies will come to harm."

Marina's heart missed a beat. "What are you going to do to them?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Hmmmmm… I don't know." He rubbed his square jaw. "That all depends on you, I suppose. If you cooperate, I might be convinced to spare them…"

Marina looked up at him, trying to keep her features void of emotion. "And if I don't?"

"Much harm will come to them, I assure you." He nodded to Julian. "And even more to him."

"I appreciate it," Julian snapped, sitting up on his elbows and wincing. "I feel so special."

"Shut up or you'll feel even more special, you arrogant little--"

"Gentanar," Marina spoke up quickly, slipping a protective arm around Julian's shoulders, "Why did you ask me to mind meld with you if you knew that I would discover that you were lying?"

Gentanar smiled proudly. "Our genius of a doctor figured that one out quite early on, didn't you, Julian?"

Julian was silent.

"Marina, you have no idea how attracted to you I am."

Marina felt suddenly nauseated.

"It's true. I want you not only to be my partner in greatness, but also my partner in…" He chuckled. "… other things."

"That is sickening," Marina replied. "I am not attracted to you… like that."

"But you are attracted to me," Gentanar said smoothly. "I have felt that already. And I am certain that you are attracted to me 'like that;' you just don't want to admit it." He turned quickly to face the door. "Well, I will leave the two of you alone. I must gather up my troops and my prisoners. I would rest if I were you. Tonight, I will show you my home." The door slid shut behind him.

Marina leaned against the wall, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. I should have done something. I should have… But I can't now. It's too late…

"Marina… Are you all right?" Julian asked, his voice a bit shaky.

Marina suddenly wrapped her arms around him, careful of his injuries that had been unhealed by Gentanar. "I'm sorry," she whispered, lying beside him on the pallet. "I'm so sorry. I hurt you. It was awful of me, the things I said and thought. You were right. Forgive me." She curled up against him, fighting down tears.

Julian kissed her and drew her head to his shoulder. "I do. I'm sorry, as well. We asked so much of you… Relied too much on you. It was too much pressure…"

Marina shook her head, feeling tears spring to her eyes. She had lost the battle against them. "No. I--I was so arrogant. I thought I could face anything. And now that I've faced Gentanar, now that I've seen his power…" She hiccupped against his shoulder. "I'm afraid. I've never been so afraid in my life--of him, of myself, for you."

Julian didn't say anything. He just let her be, gently stroking her hair and brushing the tears from her cheeks.

"You're the hurt one," Marina said suddenly. "I should be comforting you."

"You are," Julian said, smiling at her. "And Marina, I think you can heal me. Remember what Gentanar said? What a breatkthrough in medicine this would be!"

Marina sat up on one elbow, her hair coming loose from its tie and falling around her face, settling on Julian's chest. "You're right! I've got to give it a try!"