(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ENVOI>>
With a ripple of dimensional brilliance, the Eloi'a flagship TIELDA'S PRIDE ripped open its path between the continuums and vanished from space-time. The commands of that ship's master now given, there was no longer any reason for them to stay in this place, of course. Soon enough, the crew of that ship noted with relief, they would be reunited with the comrades in the fleet -- soon enough they would be making the long return voyage across the darkness between the galaxy and the Cradle of Stars.
Soon enough.
Meanwhile, a tiny black knifeblade of a vessel commanded by the Eloi'a operative named Saakli moved silently and invisibly through the skies of Minbar. The darkness that had enveloped Larieken half a world away earlier in the day had now reached the city of Tuzanor... and once again, the name of that city was about to be proven all too apt, as Saakli's vessel slipped down amongst the trees on the north slope of the Valley of Sorrows. Moments passed then, moments in which the dark-winged commandoes made themselves ready for the task ahead, and then, unseen by all due to a certain *few* aspects of Eloi'a technology the Speaker had neglected to tell President Sheridan about, the operative and his followers stepped out of their craft, extended their wings, and rose into the night sky before turning down-valley towards Tuzanor.
The moment commanded was coming... it was almost here. While several miles away down the valley, another member of that same species, cast out by her father for the crime of being right, struggled with her bonds, and with the mask that covered her face and mouth. She would scream, cry out to the world to prevent what was to come, but the planners of this... operation had timed things only too well. Nirisha knew she would escape from her bonds eventually, to act as an ambassador of despair and ill news... but not until it is too late.
Unless... yes, perhaps if she cried out in a different way, the human Observer she first reached out to days before and a lifetime away might hear her... perhaps Julia Tikopai will be able to sense her distress through the mental channel that only four beings on the planet are capable of using, and one of those, she knows, still needs her help. She will give that help gladly, but first, she must escape.
And time is running out.
* * *
"So when will you be leaving?" Jennifer asked Julia, as she finished cleaning up the aftermath of dinner. Julia did not reply at first, her eyes on the stars above Tuzanor, bright again now that the storm had broken.
<Julia, *please* help me>
"Help you?" she said, turning towards her friend with a frown. "With what?"
"I beg your pardon?" Jennifer replied with a frown. "What I *said* was..."
<Julia!> the cry came, louder now, and in a moment of sudden realization, she suddenly realized that the cry in the dark had not been from anyone now present -- but the voice *was* one she recognized... the voice of the visitor who had cried out to her before. "In Valen's Name, Jennifer!..." she suddenly exclaimed, "Can't you hear her?"
"Hear who?"
"The Eloi'a Observer, the daughter who said little, but whose expression spoke louder then words!" she replied, as she moved towards the entrance of the Westcastle household to claim her cloak. "She's asking me for help!"
"But how is that possible?" the older woman replied with a frown. "The Eloi'a and their ship left orbit several hours ago -- for you to hear this visitor crying out for help, must mean..."
"That she's still here! And since that's the case..."
"We'd best find out *why* she's still here." Jennifer flatly replied, reaching for her own cloak.
"No... you should stay here. The children need you -- and anyways, there are plenty of Rangers from my ship on shore leave in the area at the moment, as well as a few other friends from the old days... I can handle this."
"You're sure?"
"Very sure. Are you *ever* going to stop worrying about me?" was Julia's final retort as she made her way down the corridor.
"You need to ask?"
* * *
Half way around the world, Larieken still stood on the edge of what was, the moons now riding high in the sky. The question his father had asked him, he had still not found an answer to it -- the decision had been a more difficult one to make then he could have possibly imagined...
"Hello, *brother*." a familiar voice called from the shadows behind him. "Still as predictable as ever, I see."
He sighed, before turning his gaze aside from the sea, and towards the barely seen figure standing before in in the darkness. "Ariekaas... I have been expecting you. You have something to say to me." Not a question, merely a statement of fact.
"I do... and it is this. Our father has made you an offer you cannot accept. Return to your Anla'shok and your ship of space... your place is not here any longer."
"And if I should choose to ignore your kind offer?" he replied, his tone neutral. "If I should find our father's offer an acceptable one?"
"Then let me make my meaning more plain..." Ariekaas replied, his voice now laced with steel. "I will not be lead by one who chose to abandon his place at our father's side -- who even now willingly serves a changling human full of of pride beyond her years... who consorts with humans, and walks where he should not have. You are of the Anla'shok, Larieken... your place is *not* here any longer."
"This is not your decision to make."
"And why not?" Ariekaas challenged. "If I do not make this decision, who will? If you step forward to lead us after our father is gone, our family will weaken. I will will not have it!... but I *will* have your answer, Larieken, here and now. Leave, while you still can -- or stay, and face my wrath!
Which will it be... brother?""
A moment passed, a moment meaured in sadness and deliberation.
And then, Larieken made his decision known.
* * *
The walkways between the towers were quiet now, as Jennifer looked down over Tuzanor from her high aerie. William would be back soon, of course, he had just sent word that the President and his Council had just finished going over the documents of alliance with a fine tooth comb... so why did she feel so cold? What was setting her on edge?
Looking out over the city as she did, she did not see the three shadows descend on the far side of the aerie, and slip inside. Did not hear their silent feet, claws sheathed, whisper across the floor. She did, however, hear her daughter's sudden, panicked cry a moment later... a cry that was just as quickly silenced. Her heart leapt within her chest, then, and she turned away from the view and moved inside at a run...
To come to a sudden and horrified stop at the sight before her... of the black cloaked trio of avian creatures standing in the middle of her dwelling, in the heart of her domain. Nearly she screamed, then, as the realization came clear that it was happening to her *again*. Again, an enemy had carved their way to the heart of all that was light, to wreak havoc upon her family. Only this time, the target was not her... instead, the target of these new enemies was the limp, unconscious bundle of child gathered firm against the chest of one of these *Eloi'a* who had invaded her home.
Involuntarily she reached for the pike at her side... and just as suddenly, with dread growing by the minute, realized it wasn't there... that she had left it at her bedside, only moments before. "Put her down!" she cried.
"I think not, human," the leader of the invaders replied, his voice silky smooth... and full of death. "Seen us you have, as he commanded -- now we go!" And even at that, even knowing the act was almost certainly futile, she flung herself at the black-garbed creatures in front of her... and watched, almsot despairingly, as the leader cast a knowing glance at one of his associates... and in unison, all three raised weapons in her direction, and fired.
A brief moment of pain followed, and then darkness.
* * *
"Skeir'g Saakli," one of the lesser operatives noted, as Saakli briefly bent down to check that the human still lived, "Our veil will soon be pierced... we must go, now!"
"There is agreement," Saakli replied. "The Fallen One is unharmed... merely shocked out of awareness, as our Master commanded. The child is ours, no one knows that we are here... no one will know until it is too late.
We are done with this place -- we go. NOW."
And with that said, all three Eloi'a shimmered back to near invisibility, and with a single mighty leap, sprang across the room into the aerie, the child slung between them, and out into the night beyond.
* * *
While a few moments later, William arrived in the doorway to his home, and stopped in mid-step, unable to believe what it was he was seeing -- his wife laid out on the floor, dead to the world... her face full of pain. He moved then, not wanting to believe in his fears, it couldn't be, they couldn't have!
They had. His son, while as unconscious as his wife, still remained, but his daughter? His daughter was gone... stolen from him, stolen as Gideon has stolen Jennifer from him before the fiery moment at Z'ha'dum, years before.
And while there was no proof these Eloi'a had taken Celia from him, William, his thoughts now ice and anger, knew he would get the proof he needed from Jennifer, soon enough. And then?
Then, the pursuit would begin. And he knew, all too well, who would choose to lead that pursuit, and why. "And heaven help *anyone* who gets in her way." he whispered.
Shortly thereafter, his wife returned to her senses -- and her tale relayed to him. As well as *another*, equally interesting piece of information -- a revelation that had him in motion only minutes later.
* * *
While miles away, Julia paused in mid-search, and cried out her shock, as she suddenly, and keenly, felt the pain of someone she held dear to her heart. "Val'na Tikopai..." one of the Rangers accompanying her inquired, "Are you well?"
"I am..."
<You must hurry!> Nirisha suddenly exclaimed then, for only her to hear. <The first moment of sorrow has come upon us, the moment of the *taking*.>
<What do you mean?> was Julia's worried question, as she and the others pressed on through the trees towards their goal, the others following their leader without question, even though they thought the quest ultimately a futile one.
<The taking... what should not have been. What is. What will be.> A few more minutes passed then, and then, the beam of light from her lantern swiveled in her hand almost involuntarily and came to rest upon a grey-cloaked figure lying bound upon the ground, her wings also bound, beating against the ground beneath her. <Release me, please!>
The searchers sprang into action, then, and soon enough, Nirisha rose to her feet, her expression one of panic and alarm. "He has... he has commanded the taking, Julia-Seeker-Tikopai, he has done what should never have been done. Your Saarlveii', the one named Westcastle, chose to thwart his will... this is not done, she did not realize what it was she was doing!"
"Why are you still here?" she exclaimed.
"He cast me out, for daring to question his authority... for *daring* to speak out against tradition!" Nirisha cried out. "And now it is too late... now he has taken the child of your Saarlveii', the path is sorrows is upon us!"
"Taken her?"
"There is no time for questions, human!" Nirisha snapped, and with a single step, the Eloi'a stepped forward and grasped Julia's hands in her own. "SEE what I have seen."
And she did... in that moment, she saw all that Nirisha had endured at the hands of her father... saw the searing purpose in Aeilyn's eyes, as he had ordered his dark servants to capture Jennifer's daughter, and knew also, in that moment, what it was they would have to do. "We have to rescue her -- you will help me?" she asked, her tone now icy cold and certain.
"I will." Nirisha replied. "It is my destiny... and yours."
Unfortunately, at that moment, other parties and other purposes chose to intrude... as a brilliant spear of light stabbed down into the clearing they were standing in, and a figure, cold of eye and certain of purpose, descended down that column of light, and Julia quailed at the death in those eyes. This man who was her leader had dealt out death before, and now he stood only feet from a member of the race who had stolen his child. If things got out of hand, the only chance they had to reclaim what had been taken might be lost. Her expression resolute, she stepped forward, into his path.
"Sir... as much as I know you want to take this out on her, you can't - do - this. Nirisha is Aeilyn's daughter, she knows him better then any of us!"
"In this instant I speak not to you as friend but as High Councillor to ship's-captain. Val'na Tikopai..." the Rimstalker warned, as other Rangers swarmed forward to surround the now frightened Eloi'a, "Get out of my way."
"You must know I can't do that, sir."
William drew breath to speak again then, his eyes sparkling angrily, but before the words came, another voice cried forth, a voice that Julia knew, for she had only just recently met this man, in a place far, far from here. And the word this man cried was a simple one, but full of command.
"STOP!"
"What?" William exclaimed, turning as the man in question emerged from the shadows beyond the clearing, his expression authoritative, his manner crisp, his clothing dark as the night around them. "And who might you be, sir?"
"He was right about you," the man commented, casting a critical glance in their direction, "And absolutely accurate about when I should arrive in this place. You're both troublemakers, but then again, it's the troublemakers that get things done, isn't it? Allow me to introduce myself -- my name... is Alwyn."
"You're a Technomage!" William accused a moment later, as Julia let out a sigh of relief, and silently thanked her occasional ally, Galen, for coming to the rescue again... albeit in a most unusual manner.
"But of course I am!" Alwyn drolly replied. "And now that I've managed to distract you from your prior intent, did I happen to hear someone mention the words, 'rescue attempt'?"