A/N: Remember what I said in C12 about the hardcore editing being done? Well, this chapter proved me wrong. Having been away from C14 while editing the rest of the book, when I came back to it, I realized a major overhaul was necessary. Funny how concepts and little tidbits written further on in the story impact previous segments. Such was the case here. A couple of contradictions and flaws in logic and you have to rewrite an entire chapter. Luckily, I caught it before posting this chapter in its original form. I've mentioned before the really hard work is in the editing, not writing the original draft, right? This little incident proves the point all over again.

C14's focus is exploring the similarity between Eshaarus and Humans through Ettwanae's POV. Questions abound. Meanwhile, Den-neer's focus is his mission – retrieve Archangel.

Chapter 14

Warren concluded that the biggest problem with the small ship was the lack of a shuttle. Volu needed to land relatively close to where her non-winged occupants wished to go unless Warren or Ettwanae played air taxi. Her bay was certainly large enough for a small skimmer. 'Ground transport issues can be evaluated later,' he decided. Right then, they needed to drop off Flint near his home on the outermost fringes of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, metro area.

Volu deftly avoided detection by NORAD and other eyes in the sky, but Warren was primarily concerned about SHIELD, which employed more sophisticated scanners to protect Earth from extraterrestrial intrusion. If they were challenged, Warren hoped his name and X-man status carried enough weight to let them pass, albeit likely with escorts. That scenario, however, would include unwelcome questions he'd have to dodge. With her advanced U'larr technology and a little old-fashioned stealth thrown in, Volu slipped passed everyone. Wrapped in her phase field, they remained invisible as she touched down in an open field not far from Flint's home.

A slightly worried looking teenager stood in front of the open bay door, duffle in hand. "You won't forget to come back for me, right? I'm just visiting Mom, not stayin'. Ettwanae…Volu – you know that, don't ya?"

Ettwanae closed the gap between them and placed her hands on Flint's shoulders. "We won't leave you, I promise." She gave him a quick hug and then stepped back. "Remember to keep the comlink with you at all times in case we need to reach you. Be careful about how much you say about us. Stay in the general area – don't go far." Flint rolled his eyes with the maternal instructions. "Now go visit your mother and have a good time. We'll be back at this very spot in two days as agreed. Don't you forget." She smiled widely.

"Not a chance!" Flint assured as he turned and bounded out the hatch. With a quick wave, he trotted off through the field.

"Goddess, I hope he's careful."

"He understands the importance of caution, Ettwanae." Gatebi studied the Eshaaru's face, touched by show of protectiveness.

Tender feelings toward the winged alien also washed over Warren and he smiled when her eyes caught his. "Next stop Centerpoint, Long Island. Volu, if you would."

The bay door dilated closed, followed by the ever so slight sensation of movement. Within minutes, the same scene played over again, only at the outer reaches of Worthington manor in a small clearing nestled amongst its woodlands. Warren stood outside and looked back to Ettwanae standing just inside Volu.

"You are welcome to join me – both of you."

Ettwanae had her arms wrapped around herself protectively, her face revealing worry. "No, Gatebi and I will stay with Volu. I don't want to leave her alone." Then she took an almost hesitant step to the bay threshold. "Come back," she requested in a near whisper.

He looked her straight in the eyes. "I keep my word, Ettwanae," he assured. With a leap and downbeat, he winged toward the estate house.

###

She watched him until her keen eyes could no longer follow beyond the wooded knoll and shivered, but not from cold. Ettwanae feared he would change his mind or that others would convince him to stay on Earth. If she looked at the situation from an outside perspective, his decision was rash and foolhardy. Their chance of success was slim. Even if they found Etxan'Ir, what were the odds they'd find a cure for the nannites? No way to know. As for breaking Ztar's bond to Warren…another long shot. No, from anyone else's viewpoint, Warren was making a choice to join strangers on a mission with almost no hope of gaining what he wanted. She was certain whomever he told would point that out.

As if sensing her fears, Gatebi approached and placed a hand over hers that still clutched her arms close. "He will return. Do not worry."

Ettwanae gave her friend a single nod. "Volu, if you feel secure here, we'll remain. If not, we should return to orbit."

"We are safe for now."

Ettwanae soughed. "It feels empty."

Gatebi tilted her head and gave Ettwanae's hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. "Indeed. Yet with Flint gone for a while, it will be a peaceful interlude," she offered with a grin. Ettwanae couldn't help but chuckle. The mood lightened, they headed up to the main level.

Ettwanae grabbed a snack from the galley and went to her room, crawled on the bed, and lean against the wall at its head, knees pulled up. She felt like isolating herself within her chamber's warmth and comfort. It would likely be a long couple of days waiting for Warren's return. Already, the separation was tugging at her.

While she was tempted to join him at his residence, another part of her wanted to remain distant from it. He claimed this world as home. This planet he averred as his genetic heritage. Her heart told her otherwise. Everything about him said Eshaaru, yet other things – little things – cast an ever so slight doubt on his Eshaaru origins, or least the purity of it. A deep scan by Volu of his DNA could resolve the doubt, but he had forbid it. Volu was honoring that command.

'If you're honest with yourself, Ettwanae, you are frightened of what Volu will find,' she confessed to herself. 'Frightened that he may be right. That he is simply similar enough to fool your own Eshaaru essence into believing he is what you want him to be.'

Taking a slow bite of the zante, she tipped her head back against the wall. 'Does it matter if he's not Eshaaru?' she questioned. 'We are connected; we are soulbounds for a reason. Perhaps Ozshi'wanae is telling us his heritage isn't important, or that I should go on faith that he is as he appears…to trust.'

"What are you thinking about, my Poda?" The question entered the room gently.

"One guess, my Other."

"Warren."

"Yes."

"He will return," the Eshaar'ne affirmed.

"The pull of his friends and home will be strong. They may convince him this is all folly."

Volu was silent for several heartbeats. "Desiring freedom from the foreign technology is not folly. That possibility will drive him to return, amongst other reasons."

"Other reasons meaning me."

"Yes. You are soulbounds. That is undisputable."

"It's the disputables that worry me, Volu. What if this is some wild misunderstanding? What if he is what he says he is? What if he's not Eshaaru?"

"I will not say that is impossible since the universe is filled with the seemingly impossible. The external indicators all say he is Eshaaru, but the anomaly in his lifeforce pattern raises questions. Yet your Aru and Ura recognize him as like kind and claim him as your soulbound. That should not be possible without the Eshaaru species marker."

"Then how?"

"Perhaps enough of his energy is Eshaaru pattern, though why your Ura is accepting of his missing species marker is a mystery."

"Maybe it is meant to be. Maybe Ozshi'wanae means for us to be together."

"That is as valid an explanation as any."

Ettwanae took a bite of her zante and munched in silence, contemplating questions without answers. "If that's true, then why the bond with Ztar?"

"Only Ozshi'wanae would know. However, coupled with his desire to be cleansed of the nannites, Warren has two powerful motivators to help us find Etxan'Ir."

She shook her head at the contradictions. "If she wants us to be together, it makes no biological sense – if we cannot consummate, we cannot breed. We know Eshaaru are near extinction. Wouldn't she want me to be with a mate that can give me a child?"

"It does seem counter-productive."

Ettwanae took in a deep breath, "Or perhaps there are no more of my kind. Perhaps he is the only possibly – close enough – and she brought us together to find Etxan'Ir."

"Close enough in this case, my Poda, would mean he is of mixed genetics. But since Eshaaru cannot breed with anyone except their own kind…"

"…a half-breed should not exist. If not for the false bond with Ztar, we'd be like any other Eshaaru pair – his missing marker is apparently irrelevant."

Volu was quiet for too long, and Ettwanae began to wonder if something was wrong. She was about to ask, when the Eshaar'ne broke the silence.

"A dying race can become desperate for a way to save their species. Desperation can lead to unorthodox methods."

"What are you thinking, Volu?" Ettwanae stopped chewing.

"That there are possibilities I did not previously consider."

"Such as?"

"Such as seeding genetic material within other similar species. Humans bear an amazing resemblance to Eshaaru – almost too much so. That alone raises profound questions."

Ettwanae sat up in attention. Scenarios started coming to her in rapid succession, but she wanted Volu's opinion before formulating any hypothesis of her own. "We know the Eshaaru are a constructed species. Is it possible the U'larr used ancient Humans as an ingredient in the genetic recipe? Could that be a reason why my Ura and Aru accept him even if he is Human?"

"Quite possible. And if other Eshaaru realized that, they could have gone back to Humans as a path to avoid extinction by placing the seed of Eshaaru DNA."

Ettwanae let the scenario play out in her mind. "But if that were true, we should see many winged Humans. Warren himself mentioned others similar to him. Volu, can you find out more?"

"Comnet information about Earth does not mention winged beings, but neither does it mention the proliferation of mutants we know exist. I will search Earth databases."

"You've told me before that you don't know any details about our genetic origins."

"Sadly, my Poda, that is true. The Eshaaru history node or Etxan'Ir may contain that data, but I do not."

"May Ozshi'wanae curse the people who took the nodes from the repository!" she fumed. So much of her past was stolen in that act of vandalism. What more of her heritage was taken, she may never know. The unknowing burned to her soul.

"Many hypotheses spin off the possibility that Human DNA played a role in Eshaaru creation. I will research what Humans know of their genome, as well."

Ettwanae nodded absentmindedly...wild possibilities were running through her mind – cross-breeding, even forced or stealth impregnation of Human females. Technologically, it would be a straightforward process if Humans and Eshaaru were genetically compatible. Morally, though, would her people have gone that far? Eshaaru cannot be cloned, that much they knew. A failsafe built into their genetic structure. The DNA degraded significantly with even a single replication to the point of being nonviable according to Volu's medical knowledge.

Faced with too few breeding pairs, did her people become desperate to the point of using another species as surrogates? Maybe one of the original DNA donor races? Was one of those races Human? Was Warren a half-breed? If yes, why was he left on Earth separate from the Eshaaru? Were the Shozen threat to blame? Did the Eshaaru hide Warren in plain sight on a planet full of mutants? Were there others? Had someone planned to return for him? Or was he left to wait unwittingly for another Eshaaru to find him? Was Ettwanae that Eshaaru? She shook her head. The questions became bigger and more profound the more she contemplated and her mind swam with imaginings.

"What are your thoughts?" Volu broke softly into her ponderings.

"That there may be much more going on that we know or can imagine…that Warren may be only a small piece of a far greater plan." Ettwanae rubbed her temples to stop the cascade of questions. "We know so little…it's all jumbled and chaotic. None of it makes sense."

"We are but small creatures seeking order amongst the apparent disorder, my Poda. What we perceive as chaos may simply be random glimpses of greater workings. With Ozshi'wanae's guidance, we will find answers."

"I hope you're right. Instincts tell me we're being guided or manipulated. Whether it's by forces for good or evil is the question."

"Or forces of both."

Ettwanae hugged her knees tight, pulling her wings forward to form a momentary cocoon. "That is even more distressing." She dropped the wings back to her sides. "Is it safe for me to stretch my wings, Volu?" she asked, feeling the need to take a break from complex contemplations.

"From what I'm learning, this planet has many beings of amazing abilities, including various modes of flight. Not all are of honorable intent. Stay near. If I call, return immediately."

"I will," she said bounding off the bed. "It'll feel so good to get into the sky."

Leaving her quarters, she ducked her head into the gathering room. Gatebi was there reading – her usual pastime. "I'm heading up," she advised, using her code for pleasure flight.

"Enjoy," the Alcab said without looking from her PI.

Ettwanae smiled as she headed to the lower level. Gatebi sometimes lived more in her books than in the real world. Her feet never touching the planet called Earth, Ettwanae sprang into its warm air. She wondered if Warren's homeland was always such, or if it was the warm season. Gaining altitude, she scanned the countryside with sight so acute that without trying, she spotted a small animal scurrying across a roadway some distance away.

With powerful beats, snow-white wings lifted her aloft until she saw a large building over the knoll. 'Warren's home? Has to be. Goddess, so big!' But then Flint did say that Warren was very wealthy. Coming to a hover, she scanned the immaculately manicured grounds, the fine detail of the mansion's architecture, the colorful flowers that were everywhere. Fountains, sculptures, outdoor sitting and eating areas were scattered throughout the gardens. 'Beautiful.' For a moment, she regretted not accompanying Warren, but she pushed it aside and focused on enjoying her first leisurely taste of Earth.

Looking around, she took in what Warren called Long Island. Apparently, the territory named America was subdivided into provinces. If Long Island was indicative of his America, it was a fertile land. Rolling hills, lushly green, dotted with many large homes and other buildings. She knew, too, that not too far away was a very large city where Warren's business endeavors were headquartered. He mentioned he may need to visit that facility before they left Earth. Venturing higher, she spied water and land beyond.

She took a deep breath of Earth's air. It smelled of things growing, hints of something salty mingled with the unmistakable odors of a civilization that polluted its atmosphere. She expanded her senses to feel the magnetic field of the planet. The tug to her right would be the strongest pole. 'Should ask Warren if he can feel the magnetic flow, too.'

Risking greater distance between her and Volu, she soared higher for a more expansive look. Before her was water meandering around juts and peninsulas of land, the undulating shoreline offering sandy beaches. Beyond the stretch of water was land much more densely populated with structures of all sizes and shapes. Behind her, the island rose up and then down again to the opposite shore. Beyond that, she saw nothing but blue water.

She watched people stroll along the beaches and water vehicles folic on the waves. People were having fun, enjoying life, basking in the Earth system's yellow sun, tossing their cares away for a few hours, maybe longer. A touch of envy swept through her. 'Wish it was me,' she yearned wistfully. 'No Shozen, no Etagllot, no quests or puzzles to be solve. To just…be.'

Closing her eyes, she imagined her and Warren flying carefree in the sunlight as the wind caressed them and the skies called their names, beckoning 'come play within me.' Their children would dart and dash around them in a game of catch-me-if-you-can, laughing the joyful laugh of innocence as they rode the winds.

Sighing and opening her crystalline-blue eyes, she began a series of aerial maneuvers she'd created when still quite young, pretending to be chasing a pequek, one of Sat'rey's few flighted creatures. After a while, she grew tired of the imaginary chase and dived toward the ground, pulling out of her plunge just in time, swooshing the tops of the tall plants and startling a group of winged animals. She looked at them more closely with keen vision – their wings and feathers were very much like hers. In fact, nearly identical.

She reached out with her mind. / Volu? / She felt the acknowledging mental touch. / I'm seeing flying animals with wings that look a lot like mine, right down to the feather pattern. Would you research them? There may be a connection to what we were discussing earlier. /

While Volu performed her data mining, Ettwanae played a bit longer in the blue firmament before curiosity overtook and she headed in, eager to learn what Volu discovered.

###

Warren spent only a short time at the family estate before deciding to head to the X-mansion. He considered whether to request escort in light of the Etagllot threat. If the renegade Eshaar'ne and the mysterious telepath/telekinetic was lying in wait, he was no match for them alone. 'It's only a short flight – will take just minutes,' he argued against caution. He decided to alert Charles to his departure and reply on the man's telepathic monitoring and X-man tracking technology to ensure his safety.

And so a brief phone call later, Warren was ready for the first item on his to-do list. If Charles wasn't willing to act once again in Warren's stead at Worthington Industries, it changed all other plans. Hence, Xavier was top priority. As he rose above the manicured estate lawns, his couldn't help but look in Volu's direction. Sharp vision quickly caught a white-winged figure in the sky above the ship. His heart skipped a beat in momentary fear Ettwanae would be exposed, but then he reminded himself of Volu's superior technology – the Eshaar'ne would detect anyone approaching long before Ettwanae was endangered, as long as she stayed close.

Longing quickly replaced fear. He admired the graceful beauty of what appeared to be aerial exercises. 'Funny, she does the same thing I do,' he mused. He watched for a few mesmerized moments, allowing himself to feel her pull, his desire for her, before shaking himself loose from the spell. 'Time to get moving.' He darted off in the direction of Salem Center for the short 30-mile flight across Long Island Sound and over a piece of Connecticut to Westchester County.

###

"Archangel is airborne with a trajectory toward the Xavier Mansion," Bae announced.

As soon as the other Eshaar'ne had gone planetside, they had moved into near Earth orbit. Then when Volu landed outside Archangel's estate, Den-neer ordered Bae to position herself above that location in the upper fringes of Earth's atmosphere.

"Move us to within my telepathic and telekinetic range of the target. I will take it from there," he commanded, wasting no time getting to the lower level next to the bay hatch. Den-neer would simply stun Archangel with a telepathic burst and then pluck the unconscious body from the air. Simple. Quick. It was a tactic he should have used during the previous attempt, he felt in hindsight.

Then he remembered his orders. "Inform Elder Phai of the pending capture."

"Acknowledged."

###

"What I learned is very intriguing," Volu announced as Ettwanae settled into her bridge chair. "The flying creatures are called Aves by the Human scientific community. And you were right – the wing structure and feather formation are amazingly similar to as yours. I ran a comparative scan between you and one of the birds flying nearby."

Volu paused for effect, causing Ettwanae to chuckle. Sometimes Volu was a bit dramatic. "And…"

"And there are matches to certain sequences of your genetic code."

Ettwanae grew excited. "You mean we may have found a source species?"

"That would seem to be the case. The birds as they are commonly called are many and varied. Let me show you." Volu sounded excited as well.

A holographic collage of images popped up and birds in a multitude of markings, colors, shapes, sizes surrounded her. Ettwanae stared at them in awe. "They're beautiful!"

"Indeed they are. If I were looking for genetic material for winged flight, I would come to this planet – choices abound." The pictures faded and a detailed image of an internal wing structure materialized. "Here is the structure from a bird called a peregrine falcon." Another scan image sprang up. "Here is your wing structure."

"Nearly identical!"

"There is more, Ettwanae." The images winked out to be replaced by two side-by-side flight feathers. "Can you guess which is yours?"

Ettwanae looked back and forth between the two. "I can't see any differences."

"Precisely. Yours is on the right and one from a falcon is to the left."

Ettwanae was stunned. It was more than she could have imagined. "Volu, this is amazing! Do you think we really have found the ancestors of Eshaaru flight?"

"I believe it is a strong possibility."

Thoughts turned to the man over the knoll. "Warren says he is a Human mutant. His wings are identical to mine. Is he part falcon?"

"I cannot answer definitively without comparing the genetic codes. Humans have mapped their genome and I compared that against the map in my medical files of Eshaaru DNA. What I found strengthens our hypothesis – there are identical sequences."

Ettwanae took in a sharp breath. "Does that mean Humans are the donor race?"

"More accurately, one of several donor species. I found limited genome mapping of Aves and again, certain sequences are a match. However, there are many sequences in Eshaaru DNA that match neither Human or Aves."

"What about Warren?"

Volu sighed. "He has forbidden me to scan him any further and I have abided by that and have no answer. Meanwhile, his lifeforce obviously reads as Eshaaru. If it did not, Aru and Ura would have rejected him."

"Did you find anything about other winged Humans?"

"There is mention of several others, but little medical data with which to run comparisons. Also many of Earth's religions depict winged beings astonishingly similar in appearance to Eshaaru. The data is building in favor of two theories – Humans were a donor race and Eshaaru DNA was seeded within the Human population at some point in the past. Yet there is a larger question."

Volu stopped there, forcing Ettwanae to prompt for more. "Which is?"

"Why so many of the races in this region of the galaxy look fundamentally the same."

"You're right! Like variations on the same theme. The hand of a single creator? Ozshi'wanae?"

"Or that of her creation."

"The U'larr," Ettwanae whispered as the full impacts of that single concept swept over her.

"I'd like to discuss everything with Warren, but I fear he would not be open to all aspects, particularly any suggestions that he is Eshaaru."

"I concur. In time, he may agree to allow me to deep-scan his DNA for the answer. Until then, let us keep our contemplations and theories to ourselves."

Moving a wing forward, she extended its reach to spread the feathers and study with careful scrutiny. She ran a hand along the leading edge. "Falcon wings…maybe." She held her enthusiasm in check. "A very real possibility, right Volu?"

"Yes, Poda."

She stroked the brilliantly white wing, marveling in its structure and the joyful gift it gave. "It is amazing what the U'larr did, isn't it? To take raw genetic material, blend it, give it life - Aru, grant us our abilities and gifts…all blessed with Ura from Ozshi'wanae herself."

"Truly amazing – the art of creation realized in her original creation, the U'larr. Together, they brought us forth – each for the other in a wondrous conjoining."

"What did they look like, Volu? The U'larr?" She thought it odd she'd never asked that question before.

"The ancient knowledge says they were corporeal yet not…beings of her light, but also of physical existence."

"Maybe they glowed all the time how Warren and I glow when we channel together."

"That is a possibility, my Other. A beautiful possibility."

###

A/N: Feedback time, if you will. Was this interesting? Not so much? To me it didn't seem reasonable that Ettwanae and Volu wouldn't consider and explore the questions raised in this segment, but what do you think?

Next time: Den-neer closes in.