A/N: Okay, as promised, here is another installment quickly on the heels of C7 and it's a much longer segment, which I know some of my readers prefer. I lost count of the number of edits this chapter went through, but the time has come to release it. Hope you all find C8 a worthwhile read.

Our story foundation has been laid. Groundwork is complete. Key characters are all in their assigned places. The balance of the saga springboards from this pivotal chapter. Here we go!

Chapter 8

"You scanned me even though I expressly said no scans," he charged heatedly. He and Ettwanae were alone on the ship's bridge the morning of their scheduled return to Earth. Well, alone except for Volu – hard to escape a ship you're in the belly of.

"It occurred while I scanned your communication device. That is when I found the bionites. I apologize for any inappropriate actions," the guilty party offered as her excuse.

Ettwanae held her breath. Would Volu's confession ruin any chance they had of convincing Warren to stay?

He was livid. Another violation of his person. Warren wasn't going to be fooled into thinking it was unintended as the admission implied. "You would have me believe that your discovery was accidental as a result of scanning my cell phone?"

"Yes."

Of course, that was exactly what she'd like him to believe. He tried again. "Did you scan me intentionally?"

He heard/felt the odd sensation of Volu sighing. "Yes, Warren. I scanned a small portion of your body intentionally."

"To determine if I'm Eshaaru," Warren accused flatly.

"I had hoped to at least learn the probability, but I did not get to that point when I found the infestation."

'Good God, how many more people are going to learn about Apocalypse's handiwork? At this rate, the whole fucking galaxy is going to know!' he steamed silently. "I want you and Ettwanae to forget what you know. I don't care how you make that happen, but I want it done!" He stepped back from his "host." She was too close and it was uncomfortable.

Ettwanae blinked. "How can we do that?"

"Volu's a telepath – figure it out. Mindwipe, selective memory erasure, whatever it takes. I don't want either of you carrying around that information. It's too dangerous. And I want to return to Earth immediately. You sound recovered to me, Volu."

"It doesn't work that way!" Ettwanae retorted sharply, her ire rising at the suggestion. "What is done, is done. I'm sorry we know about the nannites and that you are upset, but we can't just forget."

Warren eyed the alien suspiciously. "Do Gatebi and Flint know as well?"

She swiped a stray, golden lock from her cheek. "Of course not. I wouldn't tell them unless you wanted them to know."

"Apparently, she doesn't hold to the same moral standards," he snapped with a sweep of his arm at the ship.

"I told Ettwanae because they represent a potential danger to her…and the others," the ship explained in tones suggesting the logic of her actions should have been obvious.

Warren wasn't expecting that angle. "What kind of danger?"

"The danger of not knowing what they are capable of, Warren. What exactly are they capable of? Why do you have such advanced technology within you? How did this happen?"

'Damn the whole fucking situation,' he summarized privately. "That's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't." He crossed his arms with a huff. "You are in no danger from the nannites. Are we underway yet for Earth?" His wings twitched in response to his agitation, something that he almost always found annoying.

"Warren, did you want the bionites? Are they of your choosing?"

Touchy subject. "Are you keeping me here against my will?" He would not let them dodge the issue.

"I would not do that, Warren." The ship replied. "However, I require a little more time to fully recover. Phasing to FTL at this time would be unwise."

"I'm not buying it. You're stalling."

"We will return you to Earth when Volu is able. Trust me, Warren." Ettwanae implored.

"Again, we're back to trust. Volu broke that trust. I'm held by strangers after being taken without my consent. Thus far, I've no proof that anything you've told me is true; including that Volu is unable to go to FTL." He leaned forward abruptly, wings rising slightly behind him. "Tell me again why I should trust you?"

"Warren, do you want the nannites removed?"

Volu's question got his full attention. Jerking into a straight-as-a-rod stance, he narrowed his eyes at Ettwanae wishing he could do the same with the Eshaar'ne. "What are you two suggesting?"

Ettwanae eased a half step closer. "Do you want to be rid of them?"

'God, yes, I want to be rid of them! Give nearly anything to be free of Apocalypse's legacy.' But he wouldn't share that just yet. "You can remove them?"

"We cannot, but there are others who perhaps have the knowledge." Volu's reply was entwined with proffered hope.

"Who are these others?"

"Not so much a who as a what," Ettwanae said with another small step toward Warren. When Volu had told her of the bionites within Warren's body, she was horrified. Why were they there? Who was responsible? But they perhaps gave her and Volu a bargaining chip, assuming Warren didn't want the biotechnology infestation. That assumption needed confirmation.

"No more verbal dancing. Just tell me what the hell you're trying to say." The words came out in a snarl. 'God, I hate it when people tiptoe around.'

"A race of beings known as the U'larr. They dwelled within this galaxy for eons. Nearly immortal and of unimaginable intelligent and power. They are the creators of the Eshaaru and Eshaar'ne."

'Creators? Thought they believed Ozshi'wanae created their races.' He'd let details go for now. "More gods?"

Ettwanae shifted nearer to Warren. "No, they were not gods, but they served our goddess. The U'larr left this galaxy long ago."

"They don't sound like 'a what' to me. Explain." He suddenly noticed Ettwanae was much closer and he edged in the opposite direction. He'd not allow manipulated libido to cloud his thinking.

Volu picked up the conversation. "They left behind an immense repository called Etxan'Ir. It contains not only the vast knowledge of the U'larr and the other ancients, but science and philosophy gathered from all the sentient species that followed. The Eshaaru continued to populate Etxan'Ir with information even after the U'larr disappeared. Imagine it, Warren. A library holding knowledge from across time and space. The accumulated technology and wisdom of civilizations that have come and gone through the eons. Within it, there must be knowledge of how to remove the nannites. Ettwanae and I are seeking that library."

Warren's mind went into overdrive with the implications of such a repository. Knowledge is power. Anyone with enough smarts to use even a fraction of the information such a library would contain could rule the galaxy. But was it true?

"If you're seeking it, this Etxan'Ir must be hidden?"

Ettwanae nodded. "Yes. Its location is a secret kept through the millennia by the U'larr and then the Eshaaru."

Warren was confused. "But you're Eshaaru…"

"I am, but I don't know where it is."

Irritation flared again. "Then how the hell do you intend to find it? The galaxy is a big place."

"There are ways." Volu piped in.

Ettwanae pulled her amulet up by its chain. "This can lead the way."

"So why haven't you used it?"

"The amulet is waiting," Volu answered.

Warren was being lead down a path bit by bit and he didn't like the bread-crumb tactic. "Again, just say what you want to say," he demanded.

Ettwanae opened her mouth to speak, but Volu beat her to it. "The amulet contains a great deal of information intended as a guide for those tasked with bringing knowledge to Etxan'Ir. The Eshaaru were created by the U'larr for that purpose, and the Eshaar'ne created as helpers and companions for the Eshaaru. The amulet will reveal its knowledge only to Eshaaru ready to perform their duties. Ettwanae is not yet ready."

"Do I have to ask how Ettwanae becomes ready?" Warren had a sneaky suspicion what the answer would include, but would not jump to conclusions.

"That is a threefold answer. First, she needed to come of age."

"I have," Ettwanae confirmed.

"She had to be joined with an Eshaar'ne."

"Obviously, I did."

"And she needs to be bound."

His instinct was spot on. "As in soulbound." Ettwanae nodded. "And I'm supposedly your soulbound." Another nod. He whirled away and snapped his wings in agitation. They were attempting to manipulate and it riled him. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he steadied himself with a couple deep breaths, then turned sharply back to the alien. "What the fuck are you trying to say? Or is that literally what you're saying needs to happen?"

Ettwanae dropped the amulet back down her front. "Warren, I'm sorry. I understand what we say sounds farfetched, but if we are indeed soulbounds, if we can activate the amulet, we can find Etxan'Ir. When we do, we may be able to remove the nannites – if that's what you want." She wanted to reached out and hold him in her arms to reassure of their good intentions, but she stayed rooted in place. "Do you want to be free of the nannites?"

He refused to answer and fired back his own question. "Why do you want to find the library?"

Ettwanae seemed to shrink at the harshness of his tone. "I- I want to find our people…maybe my parents. Etxan'Ir may tell us where they are."

'Assuming anyone of them are still alive,' he thought cuttingly, while glad he didn't say it aloud. Warren reassessed everything. Is this what the whole soulbound business was about – locating some ancient library so she could find her people? They were trying to use him for their own ends and his wrath grew at the conclusion. Yet like the proverbial carrot, freedom from the nannites dangled.

"You have proof this library exists?" He redirected. "Or are you chasing some legend handed down from generation to generation with little proof it was ever real?"

"My mother and father were gatherers of Etxan'Ir. Is that proof enough?"

"Not necessarily. You said you were left on Sat'rey at age three and haven't seen them since. Where are you getting your information?"

"From the amulet node we've already retrieved – it is my family's memory node. It clearly shows my parents were gatherers."

Ridding himself of the nannites was a powerful enticement. Had Volu telepathically probed him and learned of that desire and now used it to ensnare him? Warren wanted to believe there was hope of freeing himself from the Apocalypse's handiwork, but the scenario they presented was so implausible; almost ludicrous in its twists and turns. Did they really want him for another reason? Yet sometimes the most outrageous explanation is true. Why invent such a cockamamie story; something he'd have a hard time swallowing?

"I don't believe you." He'd see how they handled blunt rejection. "None of it. All bullshit," he denounced, folding his arms across his chest.

"It's true!" Ettwanae pleaded. "I'm telling the truth. Please, believe me."

"Then show me proof," he spread his wings threateningly and locked his eyes to hers with piercing intensity. "Show me why I should believe one word coming out of your mouth – or your Eshaar'ne's for that matter. So far, all I've heard are fantastical stories and excuses."

She felt like crying – the emotions were overwhelming. The man she believed – knew – was her soulbound was keeping his distance in every sense of the phrase. 'What a mess you're making of this, Ettwanae!' she condemned herself. "Warren, I- I don't know what you want to see or hear. What would make you believe me?" she struggled to repress the tears and keep her voice steady.

"Ettwanae, perhaps the amulet can assist," Volu suggested in soft tones.

She looked to him, hope rising in her eyes. Part of him wanted to believe her, to fill those eyes with laughter. Shaking himself mentally, he refocused. "I don't know until I see it."

"It will not be proof that Etxan'Ir exists, Warren. Nor will the memories contained within the node cause you to believe if you choose not do so. But we can offer the captured moments as testament to Ettwanae's parents and what they sacrificed to protect her and fulfill their purpose. Do you wish to see what we have to share?"

Warren considered whether or not it would be a trick performed through advanced alien technology. Still, it may be worth seeing what they were offering as evidence. "I do," he replied, almost daring them to convince him.

Ettwanae walked to the bridge console, removed the amulet, and placed it in an indentation matched perfectly to its shape. She pressed the memory node with one finger and the gem-like device began to glow. Immediately the bridge darkened and they were transported via 3-D holographic imagery to a livingroom-like setting where two adult Eshaaru stood with an infant in the woman's arms. They looked exactly like he and Ettwanae with golden hair, blue eyes, tall and lean, large white wings, and stunningly beautiful.

The child was also winged. 'Ha!' he thought in that instant of realization. 'Another argument in favor of me being Human.' His wings spouted when he was 16 years old. Tucking the observation away, he continued to watch as the mother gently held and cooed to her child, the infant Ettwanae he assumed. The couple was speaking a language he did not understand and wished his embedded translator was turned on. Then something changed and the voices were in Turzent. 'Volu must be translating.'

"How she grows, our little Ettwanae!" the man exclaimed with a huge smile and a brush of his hand over the child's head. "Soon you will be safe, my little one." Young Ettwanae babbled in her mother's arms as her parents looked into each other's eyes.

Then Warren realized he recognized the surroundings. "You are on Volu?" he asked, looking at Ettwanae.

"No," the reply was a whisper. "We're on my parent's ship. Volu's mother – Bae."

Smiles had faded from the faces of the couple, replaced with etchings of pain. "T'Azrued, we should not delay any longer. They are close." Her eyes were brimmed with tears.

The man nodded and pulled the woman and child into a loving embrace. Warren knew instantly he was witnessing a good-bye.

"Be safe, my beloved. I will meet you at Etxan'Ir. Wait for me three standard days, no longer. If I do not arrive by then, I will not be coming to you."

The woman set the infant down on a cradle-like riser, and then turned back to her spouse. "My s-soulbound, vow to m-me you will come," she pleaded in a voice that cracked with emotion and took him into her arms, holding him tightly, wings drawing forward to cocoon them. Her obvious distress tightened Warren's chest in empathy.

"I vow to try with all my strength, but I will not let them have you and Ettwanae. This ends now."

The woman pushed back to look into her husband's face, her shaking hand brushing his cheek. "May Ozshi'wanae be with you and protect you."

"And with you."

Then the man detached himself from his wife and left the room. T'Qilla fell to her knees sobbing, head resting against the cradle holding their child.

The recording faded out. Warren looked over at Ettwanae – tears were streaming down her face. Something very bad was about to happen all those years ago, but what? "Ettwanae, what was going on?"

She cast watery eyes to him. "T-the S-shozen were after them. They were running. My f-father was going to act as a decoy to allow my m-mother and me to escape. H-he never came to Etxan'Ir. Mother waited – she waited so long! But he- he never came."

His heart hurt for Ettwanae. A father sacrificing himself for his family. "I'm sorry," he offered softly and then remained quiet as the Eshaaru struggled to rein in her emotions.

"Warren, the memory clearly refers to Etxan'Ir," Volu's voice was almost jarring as it broke the silence. "It was the place T'Qilla went to wait for T'Azrued – it exists. They were gatherers and knew the place well."

Warren said nothing at first, but let what he saw and heard sink in. While the recording mentioned Etxan'Ir, it proved nothing about what Etxan'Ir contained. "I need to see more before I buy into some vast repository of knowledge."

"Naturally, I did not believe that one memory alone would convince you we speak the truth."

The bridge melted away once again as the new recording began. Suddenly, they were in the galley with T'Qilla and T'Azrued as they ate a meal, seated side by side.

"And so the Tchutchka knowledge base has been uploaded? The data is stable within Etxan'Ir?"

"Yes. Since the last recorded transfer, the Tchut have advanced significantly. It appears our predecessors hadn't visited this world for some time."

"And the artifacts – I hope they prove to be worth the risk."

"They are the age the peddler claimed. Their worth is significant. We should be able to restock after a stop on Gamas I." T'Azrued leaned back from the table and pushed his dish away, apparently done eating though food remained on the plate. "I only wish there was another way. I'm ashamed of what we've become."

A look of concern came over T'Qilla's face. She reached out her hand and placed it over T'Azrued's as her wing extended behind him in a feathery embrace. "We do what we must to survive. All will be well, my soulbound. We must trust in Ozshi'wanae – she will guide and protect us."

As T'Azrued looked into his mate's face, Warren could see him searching the deep-blue eyes. "I trust her wisdom, but there are times when she chooses for us paths we would not choose ourselves. I know that sometimes sacrifices are necessary. Yet we are creatures of self-will. We can choose to do other than what heritage destined for us."

T'Qilla's face suddenly hardened. "I will not accept that. We have served our purpose faithfully. Etxan'Ir must not be abandoned. What it holds is far too precious to risk losing. All that knowledge from so many species – would you have us simply soar away? No, I will not sacrifice what we've spent years rebuilding. We continue, my love. Until breath no longer stirs in our bodies or another generation takes our place, we continue to serve."

"T'Qilla, we are a hunted people. There are few of our kind left. Perhaps those of us that remain need to focus on rebuilding our race."

The female looked as if she was going to argue further, but instead her face softened. "If that is your worry, beloved, we can do both – rebuild Etxan'Ir and rebuild our race. We could start now, if you wish," she ended bringing her face close to his and her wing wrapping him even more tightly.

Warren's chest tightened at the tenderness and the love that emanated through the old recording. 'A people perhaps hunted into near extinction?' He looked around for Ettwanae, but she'd left the bridge when he hadn't noticed. 'Too much for her?'

"We can try again, my T'Qilla. Perhaps this time, Ozshi'wanae will bless us," and he took her offered mouth gently and the playback ended.

As the room brightened, Warren did a mental jerk when realized he'd seen T'Azrued's face before. The image of the supposed dying Eshaaru he was shown on Fjai. Then another realization – where the Shozen and the Etagllot one and the same? His blood ran cold.

###

Ettwanae stood just outside the door to the bridge, leaning against Volu's firm/soft wall. Tears she couldn't stop ran down her cheeks – tears she didn't want to stop – for if they one day didn't come at the sight of her parents, she believed that would be the day she'd truly lose them forever.

How can pain and longing go so deep for mother she had only a handful of fragmented memories of? For a father she had no memory of at all? But they were close to her in the memory node. She'd grown to know them through that precious piece of technology. If she and Volu hadn't been able to retrieve it, how different things would be. She shook her head in amazement that they had found it at all. 'Thank you, goddess!' she prayed her gratitude for the hundredth time.

She knew from the date imprint she'd had been conceived about the time of the recording. Ozshi'wanae had answered her parents' prayers. If only things had turned out differently. If only she'd grown up in their loving arms; had known them; been given the chance to tell them how much she loved them. The tears came with renewed enthusiasm. She gripped the place on her chest where the amulet always rested.

Memories captured in the node showed two soulbounds who loved each other with a depth and intensity she believed few people experienced, at least from what she'd seen thus far in her short life. T'Qilla and T'Azrued's devotion was total. Their love was what they were. It was beautiful.

Now she had a chance for that kind of love. Her soulbound was in the next room, but he denied their connection. 'It's not supposed to be like this!' Or that's not the way Volu said it happened when soulbounds met. Yet Volu's memories may not be without fault. Was Ettwanae being foolish in her unquestioning trust of her Eshaar'ne's recall?

Volu had old knowledge – basic technical data transferred from her mother when she was still young, such as the medical memory files and some general racial history. But anything after Volu was joined with her first Other was gone….potentially hundreds or even thousands of years of missing memories. Should Ettwanae be questioning the information Volu retained? Could those memories have been corrupted?

Ettwanae wiped at the tears. 'No, without another source of information, go with Volu's memories and knowledge,' she reassured herself. If she was being led down a fictitious path by a memory-damaged Eshaar'ne, she'd prefer not to know. At least the node proved Etxan'Ir existed.

And now she had a chance for a mate with whom to share the lonely and dangerous search. Gatebi and Flint were steadfast friends, but they weren't Eshaaru. They were wonderful and supportive to the point of risking their lives to help her, but still…they weren't her kind. She needed other Eshaaru. She needed Warren. If only he would accept they were meant to be together.

###

Warren was shaken. Sadness and quiet desperation – that is what he sensed from Ettwanae's parents. These hidden people called Eshaaru were perhaps on the brink of extinction long before Ettwanae was born. What had transpired in the ensuing years? Had the Shozen succeeded in hunting down her parents and any other Eshaaru? Why the genocidal campaign? Was Ettwanae the last of her people?

Add to that the very real possibility that he had seen an image of Ettwanae's father as he lie dying at the hands of the Etagllot years ago. Was the first scene he'd witnessed been right before T'Azrued's capture? The timing would be about right if he estimated Ettwanae's age correctly. Should he tell her? Was he certain enough that the man in the Fjai image was her father? Maybe it was another Eshaaru – maybe they all looked remarkably alike, especially if they were a genetically engineered race. And what of the possibility the Shozen and Etagllot were one and the same? He decided to hold off. He could always tell Ettwanae later.

Then he took a deep breath. Whether or not the Fjai Eshaaru was Ettwanae's father and that the Eshaaru were a dead or dying race had nothing to do with him. He needed to focus on why he was watching this supposed evidence – to learn if there was a chance that a place call Etxan'Ir may be key to purging the nannites.

'What have I seen?' he asked himself. 'Two Eshaaru who mentioned a place holding knowledge from many species, a place they apparently fed information to on a regular basis. A place, though, from the sound of it needed rebuilding. If that's the case, how much knowledge had been lost? And what kind of knowledge are we talking about?'

"Do you wish to see more?" Volu's voice cut into his analysis.

"Do you have any recordings from inside Etxan'Ir?"

"Naturally not. The library is not to be so violated." Her tone was one of indignant disapproval.

"No disrespect intended, Volu."

"I apologize, Warren. Of course, you would not know of such things. What do you need to see?"

What did he need to see? 'Do you want to be convinced?' He did. Warren wanted to believe freedom from Apocalypse's last claim to him was possible. Was there anything they could show him that he couldn't call a trick or a fantasy? Was there any evidence that he wouldn't mistrust? Not really – he had no reason to trust anything about the odd group. 'So where does that leave you, flyboy? What does your gut say?'

Many times in his life, all Warren had to go on were his instincts. Right then, they were telling him Volu and Ettwanae's story was the truth – at least truth as they believed it. "Does the node show anything related to nannite technology being gathered?"

The pause was a little too long for Warren's liking. "Unfortunately, no," Volu replied. "But it does reference extensive biotechnology being gathered."

"Show me."

The bridge transformed once again. Ettwanae's parents were in the storage bay of their ship, looking through various stow tubs.

"Bae, how long until our next opportunity to resupply?" T'Azrued asked as he set an empty tub atop another.

"15 days in Commonwealth standard cycles."

"We may need to resort to monle for some meals." The tone and expression that crossed T'Azrued's face told Warren that prospect was not to the man's liking.

"That would stretch food stores until we reach Fentiq," the female ship confirmed.

Lifting a tub up with ease, T'Qilla nodded as she moved the container to a new location. When it hit the floor with a thud, Warren guessed it had been quite heavy in actuality. "Then that is what we do. Every other meal will be monle."

T'Azrued groaned. "No options?"

T'Qilla laughed. "You will survive, my soulbound! A small sacrifice on our part is worth what we gained. The biotechnology of the Daerje is quite advanced and a worthy addition to Etxan'Ir."

Her mate snorted. "I'm not convinced. The Daerje could have chosen a closer star system to inhabit. Now my stomach pays the price for their decision to alienate themselves from their interstellar neighbors."

T'Qilla's twinkling laughter filled the bay. "Bae warned us the trip was long. You could have agreed to short rations and we'd not be running out of food!"

"T'Qilla is right," the Eshaar'ne interjected with a superior tone. "My calculations clearly showed that without a drop in your consumption rate-"

T'Azrued cut off the ship. "Very well! I admit my guilt," he said with a wave of hands and a spread of wings. "Next time I will be more obedient. This time, I'll pay my penance and eat monle every other meal, all in the name of the Daerje medical and biotech data we bring to Etxan'Ir." He smiled at his wife who had her hands on her slender hips, head cocked in the same way Warren had seen Ettwanae do once before. "It will be a quite an addition to the library, won't it? We performed well."

The female nodded, dropped her hands, and moved gracefully toward her mate. "We performed well indeed. The U'larr would be proud of their avatars." When she reached T'Azrued, T'Qilla brought her lips close to his. "As I am proud of you." The hologram faded as the couple's kiss began.

Warren said nothing as he considered what he was shown.

"That memory entry clearly refers to advanced biotech knowledge. Simply given the number of races mined for data, Warren, we can extrapolate that more than just the Daerje data is available on the subject."

"But you've no proof – no guarantees."

"No. Just as we have no guarantee that Etxan'Ir will tell us where our people might be," Ettwanae countered from behind him as she reentered the bridge. "We are going on hope." The blue eyes were rimmed with red.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "It is both painful and comforting to watch the recordings."

Ettwanae had a good point. Several times, Warren had gone only on hope. Sometimes, that's all you have. "If I believe what you showed me, Etxan'Ir exists and is as you've described it. Whether or not it holds knowledge that can rid me of the nannites is unknown. And there's always the chance that even if we gain the know-how, we may have no way of applying it. That concerns me."

"Your concern is valid. We cannot predict the outcome of what we will find."

Ettwanae gave Warren a searching look. "You want to be free of the bionites?"

"I do."

"Then we will find a way," she assured with a slight smile.

'There's always a price, Worthington. You better know what that is before plunging headlong into a decision you may regret.' He pulled his gaze from her. "If Ettwanae and I are able to bond, what happens between us? What am I committing to?" Volu was quiet for several heartbeats. 'What is the alien thinking?'

"If you had reacted as typical under the circumstances of First Meeting, I would tell you that you would be mated for life. But you have not reacted entirely as expected. Therefore, I believe that what happens between you and my Poda will be only as you choose. Your will is strong, Warren. You will make your own decisions regarding Ettwanae."

"Perhaps I didn't react as you expected because I'm not Eshaaru, Volu."

"Perhaps."

The ship didn't sound convinced. Warren considered one more time. It was a huge leap of faith with little concrete evidence supporting a decision to fly off on an interstellar quest. Yet, what did he have to lose? If he trusted Volu and Ettwanae meant him no harm, all he had to lose was a chunk of time. That he'd done before – he'd willingly given Ztar nearly two years of his life and under duress, four years. That turned out well in the end. This time, it would be for himself and possibly finding an answer to a problem that had held him hostage for far too long. Then a potentially discussion-ending thought came to him.

"What is the cost to Ettwanae?" He asked with a glance at the Eshaaru, who was being oddly quiet.

"She also risks much. As Eshaaru, if she is bound to you, she cannot be bound to any other."

"What does that mean?"

"She will never mate with anyone else for as long as you live."

"As long as I live?" That was puzzling.

"The bond is broken only by death."

That price sounded high and threw a new light onto Ettwanae's situation. "The whole issue may be irrelevant anyway. Don't I have to be Eshaaru to bond with her? Won't the amulet know I'm not?"

"The amulet only looks for the sign that Ettwanae has been bound – not with whom. Ura has already determined you are a suitable pairing."

Warren was uncomfortable with Ettwanae's continued silence. "Are you okay with all this?" he asked turning to watch her closely.

"I am."

He sighed. What he picked up from her was hopeful determination. Should he put both of them at risk for his desire to be rid of the nannites? If the bonding worked, when it came time for him to leave, she'd be left alone and unable to take a mate. Was he selfish enough to live with that consequence if her race needed every member of breeding age to do just that? On the other hand, was he selfish enough not to try to help her find Etxan'Ir?

"So when the amulet detects she's bound, then it will reveal the location of Etxan'Ir?"

"Yes, but only after we find the two remaining nodes. The amulet must be whole," Volu answered with hesitancy in the voice.

Warren blinked. "You didn't mention that before." Ire stirred.

"An unintended omission. I apologize."

The ship sounded sincere, but Warren wasn't sure he believed Volu, but chose to drop it. "Why does the amulet need all the nodes?"

"It ensures gatherers are fully prepared and understand all that came before them. It is not a commitment to be undertaken lightly."

"So we need to first become bound and then find the other two nodes before we can do anything about locating Etxan'Ir?"

"Yes." Volu confirmed.

Warren was concerned. This was going to be much more complicated than simply activating the amulet. "And how do we find the nodes? Do you have any idea where they are?"

"Once the amulet senses the bonding, it will help us locate other nodes. Activation comes in stages as each node is added. When the amulet is complete, it will be fully awakened and able to guide us to Etxan'Ir."

"Tell me again what you hope to gain from finding Etxan'Ir?" Warren asked directly of Ettwanae.

"What happened to my people, maybe even my parents. And if any others are alive, I hope Etxan'Ir will help me reach them. It could answer so many questions I don't even know to ask yet. I have to find it, Warren. I need to find my people – I don't want to go on living apart from them." Tears were forming again in her eyes. Ettwanae's demeanor became one of determination and desperate longing. "I will do anything. The alternative is to continue to live isolated and alone. Volu and I need to be with our kind."

"And if the bonding works, you accept the ramifications? You realize the cost when we part company and I return to Earth – that you cannot mate with another?" He looked hard into her eyes. He needed to know she understood and accepted the steep price. Ettwanae was clearly considering her answer as the silence stretched out. 'Good. Don't jump in without weighing all consequences carefully.'

When she finally spoke, her tone was firm. "I accept the ramifications. I understand the risks – we may be bound, we may not find what either of us is looking for, and you will leave me in the end. But if I don't try, Warren, how can I live with that? My amulet is incomplete – I have few options. We've tried to recover the remaining nodes, but are without trails to follow. Even if I find the nodes, the amulet will not activate unless I'm bound. You are my only hope. I will not walk away from this chance no matter what the cost."

Warren locked eyes with Ettwanae. "You are certain."

She raised her chin in a near defiant look. "Yes."

It was then he decided. He'd take the leapt of faith if only to be able to tell himself later he'd left no stone unturned to free himself. "I'm still not sure I believe this will work, primarily because I am Human, not Eshaaru. I'm not even convinced Etxan'Ir is everything you claim, but I am also willing to take a chance. There will be terms and conditions. First and foremost, if we try this and the bonding fails, you will take me home immediately."

"Agreed." Volu answered firmly. Ettwanae nodded.

"By some miracle, should the bonding take and we decide to search for the nodes and Etxan'Ir, anytime I say I want to return to Earth for whatever reason, we do so – no excuses, no delays."

"No delays," the Eshaaru assured, her eyes brightening.

"But before we go anywhere, we make a pit-stop on Earth. I need to arrange for my absence."

"Understood. It will be done."

"Absolutely, Warren," Ettwanae also confirmed with eagerness.

"I don't do well in confinement. That will need to be accommodated."

"Ettwanae is of like need. We stop routinely for everyone's benefit."

"And when I decide to return to Earth permanently, there will be no arguments, no attempts to keep me against my will."

"I will not force you to stay, Warren. I vow to you." The words of promise were firm. "Just give us…me…a chance." Ettwanae took a tentative step toward him.

Warren was satisfied and his gut hadn't raised any alarms. Then he wanted to lighten the mood. "One last condition. Do you have any Dison on board?"

Ettwanae tilted her head in a way he hadn't seen before – almost bird-like. "Dison?"

"You know, that sweet, fiery drink that's all the rage in the Empire?"

"I- I don't think so…" The puzzled expression gave his libido a quick yank.

"If it is something you require, Warren, we will obtain it." Volu added.

He smiled one of his best smiles for the beautiful woman in front of him that he'd soon be in bed with. "Let's just say it would make any journey more enjoyable."

Ettwanae's eyes widened and sparkled. "You're staying? You've decided?"

Warren raised his hand in a halt gesture as Ettwanae appeared to be ready to jump into his arms. "Whoa, one step at a time. First, we need to see if the bonding works. Then we talk about staying."

The Eshaaru clasped her hands in delight, wings spreading in obvious elation. "You won't regret it, Warren, I promise you. It will be wonderful! You'll see! We're meant to be together."

Again, her enthusiasm was running ahead, but he'd let her relish the fantasy for a few moments before clipping her wings. For in the end, he was going to be using her for his purposes, just as he'd been used so many times before. Warren, though, would do what others rarely had done for him – he'd tell her that in no uncertain terms. Then if hearts were broken, she could never say he hadn't been clear.

"Ettwanae, I caution you, hold onto your heart. I've been the pawn of too many people over the years in their twisted plots and games. I will not allow that again by you or anyone else. I'm doing this for me and for what I want first and foremost. Consider yourself being used for my purposes as of this moment. I can be an asshole. I can be cruel. When I want something bad enough, I am stubborn and sometimes even ruthless. You may not like me as much as you're fantasizing. If the bonding doesn't trigger the amulet, I will likely decide to stay on Earth." The sharp edge in his voice he hoped cut through whatever visions of a fanciful life together Ettwanae may have been forming. "Do you understand?"

Ettwanae's eyes went wide, but she nodded. And when the obviously protective Volu remained silently, Warren looked for signs that she and Ettwanae were in telepathic communication. What he saw told him they were.

###

Ettwanae was taken aback by the harsh words. Cruel? Ruthless? She'd felt none of that from him. But the warning was callous and cold. Was it true? Was her soulbound not the person she'd imagined?

/ My Poda, what are you feeling? /

/ That his heart is hard. That it could be how he has resisted first meeting. /

/ It may well be. Does that make holding to your decision more difficult or easier? /

She considered that for a moment. / Easier, I think. If he is not all I had hoped, any parting will be less painful, at least in some ways. /

/ Remember, Ettwanae, whether or not he is Eshaaru, he is of another race – Human – in all ways that matter. His perceptions and motivations are unlike yours. It will be as if you are bound to someone of a another species. Can you accept that? /

/ I was raised as something other than what I am. That may help, Volu. Even if it will be difficult, I accept it. What else can I do? /

/ We can always continue to search for Etxan'Ir and our people as we have. /

/ With no more leads to follow? We've been trying, Volu, and where has it gotten us? I see no other options before us. Warren represents our only hope. I won't throw this chance to the winds. /

/ Then you have decided? /

/ I have, Volu. Actually, my heart did the moment I saw him. Now my mind has also decided. We will attempt the soulbinding. /

Ettwanae refocused her vision on the man watching her intently; the man she was about to tie her very soul to.

###

Ettwanae's demeanor changed. She suddenly seemed to grow older and wiser before his eyes as she held his gaze. "I understand your words. I have been warned, Warren of Earth. We each search toward our own end, but the path we travel is the same. I accept your conditions. And if we succeed in becoming bound and the amulet recognizes our pairing, here are my conditions. First, you will join us fully committed to our quest and not abandon us lightly. If the journey becomes treacherous, you will stand by us, as we will you. We take care of each other – all five of us. Loyalty and honesty is essential and you will abide by that. I am going to trust you as you will trust me, for if we do not, then suspicion will sabotage us. And when our journey is over, regardless of the outcome, you will return to Earth and I will leave you there, unless our souls tell us both we should remain together. Do you accept my terms?"

Warren was impressed and a bit shamed. While his terms were all about him and hard technicalities, hers involved the soft issues – trust, allegiance, and teamwork. Her terms felt so similar to the code of the X-men, especially all those years ago when Xavier gathered his first five students. Warren decided then and there he was going to like Ettwanae.

He smiled. "I accept your terms, Ettwanae of the Eshaaru."

Returning his smile, she drew close for the first time since their conversation began. "Then we have a pact. Volu, when will you be able to phase?"

"I should rest a few more imperial hours."

Ettwanae's body seemed to relax and open, the wings spreading slightly. "Then we should take the first step in our possible journey together, Warren," she suggested, seductively narrowing the gap between them. Desire flared so suddenly, it swayed him. "When you're ready, Volu, we head to Earth whether or not the bonding happens."

"Yes, Ettwanae."

Her pupils dilated with desire and the blue of her irises deepen. Each subtle movement of her body enticed. Her every curve begged for his hand to follow it. 'Oh, god, Worthington! Should you fight this?' he asked himself. It was his last bit of resistance and questioning. 'Why? What have you got to lose?' Warren took the next step to close the distance between them. 'Not one damn thing,' he answered. As the Eshaaru reached her hand toward him, he took it and felt a tingle pass between them. 'I think this is going to be incredibly good,' he allowed himself in anticipation.

###

I think the lead-in to the next chapter speaks for itself, but don't get ahead of yourselves. Surprises await.

P.S. Have I told my wonderful reviewers how much your words of support mean to me? May the gods and goddesses bless you! And if you are a silent reader up until now (and from the visitor counts, there looks to be quite a few), please consider dropping in a thought or two. The rest of us would love to hear from you!