(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ENVOI>>
The SHARD OF NIGHT; high orbit around Talangahta IV, several hours after the ground battle.
"Your prognosis, Doctor?" Julia inquired, as she entered the SHARD's medical section.
Veyshahk turned aside from the conversation he had been having with his assistants, and approached her, his face grim, and yet composed. "I will thank you for not wasting time in getting back up here, Val'na, and must apologize for not speaking to you sooner. Anla'shok Terrien, while she suffered many broken bones and no few internal injuries during your encounter with the Z'shailyl hunters, had been operated on and is out of danger, although I do not believe she will be up to normal duties for some time to come. The other two have had their broken bones set, and will be able to return to their duties in due course."
At that point, the doctor fixed his captain with a critical gaze. "If you do not mind me being blunt, may I make a suggestion?"
Julia lowered her eyes, and nodded; they'd all made mistakes during the mission, and she'd been expecting this... if not from him, then from another of her senior staff. "While I understand your need to help find a cure for your people, Val'na, you must at the same time remember that the safety of your crew *must* come first. And also, that trusting the word of one who once served the Great Enemy may have lead you into this situation."
"And what of the Z'shailyl?" she inquired, perhaps a little too sharply. "Have you healed his wounds, as well?"
Veyshahk nodded. "I have. I believe he wishes to speak to you." The doctor turned away, and gestured her to follow. A moment later, Moreil was revealed, sitting on the edge of one of the Section's beds. The Z'shailyl began to rise to his feet as she appeared, but then hissed in pain. "Not bessst choice, at moment to rise." he muttered. "Glad I am, that you have come, Julia Tikopai... I have much to sssay to you."
"And I to you." she replied. "When first we met, Moreil, I was overly critical and suspicious of your motives in joining us... perhaps too suspicious."
"Cannot blame you for thiss response; too many memoriess of the Dark Oness, your kind hass."
"The actions of the present," she continued, "May allow us to forget the shadows of the past, Moreil. When Aazhvar, our mutual enemy, acted to injure one of my Rangers, you put yourself in harm's way to protect her from further harm... this was an honorable act, Z'shailyl, and one I will not soon forget."
"Then, requesst to make, I have."
"I'm listening."
The Z'shailyl sighed. "Now have no home, have nowhere else to go, and battle to free my people is just beginning. And with crystal destroyed, and most of the information I gathered lost, the road to that freedom will be a long one. For now, I offer my servicesss as a guide to you and yoursss... if you will take me, that isss."
"Many of the others do not trust you." she reminded him. "Would you make the attempt to earn their trust, as you have earned mine?"
Moreil shrugged. "Have no other choice, if quessst is to succeed."
"Then you may remain aboard this vessel... for the time being, that is."
"You will not regret thisss." Moreil promised her. "I will even ssswear by your Valen, if you believe it necessary."
"You have not yet earned that right." she coldly informed him. "And even though we may now be allies, I do not believe you ever will."
"We shall have to sssee, will we not?" was the Z'shailyl's last word, as Julia turned away, and left the room. There was, after all, a call she had to make...
* * *
"So." Jaiena Mithrush muttered, as Nicholas levelly gazed at her image, "I suppose this is goodbye, then?"
"Yeah, sure looks like it, doesn't it? It's a big universe, and now the mission's finished..."
"We might not ever see each other again.
Ever."
"Ever." he freely admitted. "Except..."
"Except?"
"If we do find the cure, there's bound to be a hell of a celebration back home; and everyone who helped to find is probably going to be invited."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"January 1st, 2272." he slowly began, as an idea began to form. "There's this little cafe in Geneva, right outside Earthdome..."
* * *
Below. The labyrinth.
"How is it that Rangers were working alongside Earthforce?" one of the surviving Z'shailyl Hunters exclaimed.
"I do not know," Aazhvar replied, his eyes glittering darkly. "I have no answers to your question, and certainly no proof..."
"But you have suspicions."
"Yes. Many suspicions." Aazhvar turned aside, and thought on the matter some more. Yet again, the ship that could not be seen had appeared, and attacked his forces, and the appearance of the Rangers could *not* have been by chance. A pattern was beginning to form... a pattern he did not like in the slightest.
But perhaps something could be done. As soon as Viknahz returned to pick them up, there was one he would have to speak to about this. One who might be *very* interested in hearing of this matter.
* * *
"I don't suppose I can make you change your mind, can I?" Julia's mother inquired, as she idly reclined in the captain's seat of her command.
"Mother, if we stay too close to one another for an extended period of time, we'll probably drive each other nuts!"
Bethany Tikopai laughed, before nodding ruefully. "I wasn't going to say it... I'm kind of glad you did, though. And as much as I don't want to agree with you, you *are* right."
"Then this is farewell, at least for the time being. But remember..."
"Your secret is safe with us, Julia. Although, even in a perfect world, it won't last forever."
"I know, and both the Drakh *and* the Z'shailyl will be on the lookout for us, now. But the longer the secret is kept, the more good we can do, and the longer the EXCALIBUR will stay safe. We have different roads to follow, now, is all."
The captain of the DE'MOLAY nodded, somewhat sadly. "'And sorry I could not travel both.' I understand; we'll see on the other side, then. DE'MOLAY out."
"That..." Klairika observed, as the Warlock Class Destroyer began to turn away, its jump point already forming, "Sounded like a quote of some kind."
Julia turned towards her first officer, and conceded the point. "A long time ago, there was a human who wrote a poem that described our situation quite well. That was one line from the poem, and this was how it ended.
'I shall be telling this with a sigh," she quoted from memory, "'Somewhere ages and ages hence. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference.'"
"We," the Brakiri observed, "Shall have to see about that one; the road we are following has only just begun."
"And we can't go back, now can we?" Julia straightened in her chair. "Stand by to activate jump engines; it's time we got going. We have a destroyer to guard, and a cure to find."
"And the Rim..." Larieken dryly observed, "Awaits."