RolePlayGateway™

In the cargo hold of the station there rested a statue of a young woman wearing clothes from the 21st centuray with a sword on her back and wolf ears and a tail. it belonged to one of the rich people on the station and he asked for it to be stored here little did he know that this was more than a mere statue... that someone had turned a living being into a statue and that soon she would return to normal and have no clue where she was.

Arthur unlocked the controls by plugging his metal handcuffs into the lock's power.

Of course, after he woke up from being electrocuted, he tried to steer the ship away. He managed to aim it over the top of the station.
Phew[/], he thought. He then turned around and saw Evil Arthur. Arthur was greeted by him with a swift kick through the ship's cockpit windshield.

Arthur fell out of the ship to the side and quickly reached out to grab the ship's left wing.
[i]Evil Arthur was steering the ship into the cargo bay..? THROUGH A WALL?

Arthur flew forward and through the wall, along with the ship. Lying on the ground, he was paralyzed under wall rubble. He watched Evil Arthur walk over to him and start digging him out of the rubble, with his back to a statue.
Arthur

The statue seemed to be takeing on a skin like color and breathing can be heard from it while EA (evil arthur) was working. the statue's transformation triggered the alarm for those who happend to somehow sneak on board just as it finshed transforming and the girl spoke for the first time, "ari? kate? guys?"

(OOC: I hope I have not confused anyone with my description of Kykherhenha, but I picture her more of a canine type. In size I mentioned that she was like a large tiger. Sorry about that)

“Anything you need will be at your disposal, Captain Zanj’sheh,” I said. “Now I must tell you that I am rather new to all this, but I am sure with the help of the crew here I will learn quickly. As for the information regarding trade planets… well, the planet where I’m from… I mean, the planet where I’m living now might interest you.”

I looked at the strange female with Captain Zanj’sheh, and wondered what she was thinking. I began to feel rather uncomfortable because she seemed to be staring at me, sizing me up. I had not felt this uncomfortable since I was a cub and had been sexually abused by Queen Anhaverha.

Do you think they’re symbiotes? Kykherhenha sent.

No, I don’t think so, I replied. I wondered why Kykherhenha had asked that. Surely, symbiotic relationships like Kykherhenha and I had were rare in the universe.

“I am honored to meet you,” I said to the one called Jessi the Aeryn, wondering why Captain Zanj’sheh needed to introduce her when she had already done so. Was he controlling her, or was she controlling him? Why did the Captain have that expression on his face, as if he had eaten spoiled G’halhar fruit?

“I am honored to meet you,” one of the crew members mimicked. “We don’t even know what we’re dealing with here.

“In case you don’t know it,” I said, “this space station is open to all visitors. That’s why it’s been placed here, where anyone can come and replenish their supplies, refuel, and even stay if they wish.”

“Couldn’t they get someone else to be the liaison?” another crewmember asked. “I’m not going to listen to some animal tell me what to do.”

I did not want to hear this, and I definitely did not want to get into an argument with the crew, the majority of which were Alharhanians and apparently anti-Tereskadian. While there were laws protecting Tereskadians on both Tereskadhar and Alharhan, out here, lightyears away from both planets, the prejudices and bigotries were still strong.

“That is your prerogative,” I said. “But right now Captain Zanj’sheh and Jessi the Aeryn are our guests, and they will be treated as such. So just leave your prejudices behind you, all right?”

the girl walked around in the main area of the station one hand on her sword incase of a attack.

"ok guys this isn't funny anymore! come on out or drop the illusion!" she yelled as she looked around then bumped into a hald lizard and half human like creature.

"s-sorry!" she said as she was swatted aside like it was nothing.

"ungratful girl!" the creature said as it pulled out a beam knife to which the girl pulled out her sword as she got up and everyone could see that it was like a katana but with a pitch black blade.

"back off!" the girl said in a 'don't mess with me' tone.

Jessi watched the display between the beings that inhabited this station, the seeming lack of respect for the one called Thekherham by others of the crew. Captain Zanj'sheh bowed at the offer of knowledge of a possible trading planet. For all of the Hoop-Kah's faults he was a consummate trader and the prospect of a new planet fired his blood.

"I am sure that will be fine my dear liaison Thekherham, I hope I pronounced that correctly, please I would request some time for my crew to merely get off our ship and enjoy some R and R." The Captain said, as he finished he glanced at the Aeryn, asking, "I am assuming this is acceptable?"

Craning her neck, Jessi peered at the captain, as she did so the amber energies flared and swirled about her head, the eerie glow fell upon the Hoop-kah, as it did so the eyes of the captain grew wide, his mouth opened as words tried to form but nothing came out. Jessi's voice rasped, "Captain, I agree to allowing the crew some time for relaxation. I suspect we shall be here a while as you and the astro-navigators speak with the cartographers of this station for new trade planets."

Turning her attention towards the liaison, Jessi said, "I wish to know about potential threats to this trade vessel. Perhaps we can speak at a later moment?" Jessi bowed slightly at her hips and whirled about, striding with quick sure steps back to the ship. As she did so she waved a hand, the two other Xindhi that had stood inside the air lock emerged, in their hands wicked bladed halberds, as they assumed a post on either side of the airlock.

Captain Zanj'sheh watched the Aeryn walk towards the ship, clearing his throat at the sight of the other two, he glanced at the crew of the station, "I am afraid the Xindhi who escort us take their job of security seriously. Perhaps you can show me the station? I am delighted in meeting new races." He said with forced humor as Jessi the Aeryn turned and watched the small gathering, the energies that flared from her eyes glowed brilliantly, causing her skeletal visage to vanish briefly in the glow, only to reappear, it was as if she were smiling.

Gulping Captain Zanj'sheh turned and said in a strained voice, "Come, please liaison Thekherham, perhaps we can begin this tour?" Glancing back at the Xindhi, the Hoop-kah captain once again raised his hands and formed the pyramid, "Blessed dreamers, I shall live and share my experiences with you." He murmured as he felt compelled to follow ritual, even though he resented the Xindhi, he reacted as he had been taught as a child, to always praise the dreaming queen and offer what experiences one had to her and the Xindhi to understand.

I still felt a bid uneasy speaking to this unusual being, but I composed myself. “That will be acceptable,” I said. “If I may ask, how many crewmembers will be coming here?” I hoped it wouldn’t be too many, although there was plenty of room at the station. “As for the pronunciation… “ I slowly enunciated my name… “Tee kee’ rahm.”

I looked at Captain Zanj'sheh, and wondered if there was some kind of animosity between him and this Jessi. I was so occupied with trying to figure out the relationship between these two aliens, that I almost missed Jessi’s next question.

She wants to know about potential thread to their trade vessel, Kykherhenha sent. You should pay more attention.

Uh… I heard the part about wanting to speak later. Aloud, I started to tell her there was a meeting room on Level 9, but she had turned and gone to two other aliens who had emerged from the airlock and now stood like two statues near the airlock. The weapons they held looked rather formidable.

I should contact Captain Dhantrel, I sent.

I listened to Captain Zanj'sheh’s request to see the station. That should be easy enough. I had explored the station from top to bottom, and I had walked the ring many times.

I looked at the crewmembers, and I could see that they were relieved to have the two aliens out of the way. I glared at them, my ears laid back, and the black tip of my auburn tail twitching. I knew they would not tangle with me.

I watched as the Captain performed some kind of ceremony. The crewmembers nearby watched silently; I knew some of the more bigoted ones wanted to make a comment, but they showed enough respect to keep their prejudices in check.

If I had my way, I sent, I would weed out the… the undesirables, and hire those who have no qualms about meeting different alien species.

It’s the money, Kykherhenha sent. Stay here a few months, and you’re set for life.

“Unless you’re a teacher,” I muttered aloud. I turned to the Captain. “If you will come this way…” I headed for the door, leading to the corridor, my whistling dragon, as always, beside me. “To give you a bit of background…” The door slid open, and we stepped into the corridor. “I’m sorry, Captain Zanj'sheh, I don’t know where to start… Perhaps a bit of history. This station was built about thirty years ago by Alharhanians and humans, and Tereskàdians… like me. That was well before my time… Uh, Kykherhenha and I have been here six months now and… and…"

Are you losing your words? Kykherhenha asked.

It’s just… My whiskers twitched, a sign of indecision. This was my first job as liaison, and I felt like a fool trying to get my words in order. What did this alien want to see? Everything? Something specific?

Kykherhenha read my confusion like an open book. Ask him, she sent.

“Captain,” I said, “is there anything specific you wish to see? We are currently in the cylinder… it has fifty five floors, so it will take some time to see everything. The ring is for accommodations… it has an upper and lower level, each divided into eight sections… so as you can see…” My voice trailed off.

Captain Zanj'Sheh, seemed to relax visibly as they moved from the line of sight of Jessi and the other Xindhi, "Oh well let us find a cafeteria and have something to drink yes? Perhaps to eat as well." The smile that broke on the face of the Hoop-kah was a genuine one, "I am sorry my dear liaison, but I have found that the presence of the Xindhi have a disturbing effect upon people who are leery of new races." Chuckling slightly, "They are effective when dealing with those who have malicious intentions, but when dealing with traders and peaceful races, they can be unnerving."

Looking at Thekherham, Captain Zanj'Sheh said quietly, "I notice some animosity between you and others, is this normal? Between your species I mean?" Casing a sidelong glance at the liaison and his companion, "What type of being is this creature that accompanies you? Is it a pet, or somehow an aspect of your power, your anima?"
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile the other Hoop-kah crew members tat disembarked from the Zummila, glanced about, their eyes wide as they took in the other members of the station's crew, slowly huge smiles spread across their faces as they hurried past the Xindhi. As they did so, several looked back at the skeletal beings fearfully, once safely past they began talking among themselves in rapid fashion. Upon reaching the milling crewmembers of the space station several of the Hoop-kah all spoke at once, "Where can we find a cantina or cafeteria where we may eat anything besides ship food?"

The blue-skinned Hoop-kah all seemed relieved to be off their ship, even as they stood in a large space station a few snuck glances at the Xindhi that stood silently by the air lock, "Thank the several gods we are off the ship." One said shuddering as he turned quickly away from the Xindhi, "I am glad we can talk to others who are flesh and blood. See their faces and not the grinning skulls with glowing eyes staring back at you."

A few others chuckled as they agreed.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aboard the Zummila, Jessi the Aeryn sat in her obsidian chair, behind the captain's chair, her fingers tapping slightly on the stone. Beside her Chaucer rasped, "I am concerned Aeryn, the Hoop-kah have been acting very nervous of late. I believe the Captain and several officers are among those who seek to dissolve the relationship between the Hoop-kah and the dreaming queen."

Jessi paused her tapping, "I fear you may be correct Chaucer, but we shall see what happens the next few hours."

Chaucer bowed and stepped back behind the chair, the orange energies dimmed as he assumed his stance as guardian to the Aeryn. Jessi resonated the holon with prana, reaching out trying to understand the nature of the station and those within it.

I glanced at the blue-skinned alien. “Let me answer your question about Kykherhenha first, Captain. She is what is popularly known as a whistling dragon. On the third planet, Alharhan, where I live now, there is a human who crashlanded on Tereskàdhar when he was ten years old. Only survivor… Anyway, to make a long story short, he said the actual species name for a Tereskàdian’s life companion was rather long, so he called her a whistling dragon. He said when she is in the air it reminded her of a dragon. Of course you may not realize that the legendary dragons of planet Earth were reptiles and Kykherhenha here is a mammal. And yes, she can whistle... sometimes she whistles tunes that she has heard, and sometimes she improvises.”

We had been walking toward the elevator when I suddenly stopped. I looked around, trying to think of which cafeteria to take my guest. Level 35 would do nicely. When we approached the elevator the door opened. “Thirty-five,” I said.

“Kykherhenha is part of me, as it were,” I continued. “We are conceived at the same time, and born at the same time. We know each other’s thoughts, both conscious and subconscious. I think loners… those who do not have a life companion like me, do not understand what our relationship means. So she is definitely not my pet or… what did you call it, my anima? That I do not understand.”

The elevator eased to a halt and the doors hissed open. Kykherhenha and I stepped out, waited for Captain Zanj'Sheh. “This is the food level.” I sniffed. “I should tell you, Captain, and perhaps you may have noticed if you’ve seen my teeth, that I am a carnivore. A pure carnivore; I can’t eat anything but meat.” I started to head for what was known as the ‘General Cafeteria.’ This was where the general population and guests who had just arrived at the station ate. There were other places to eat, but they were geared more for specific groups, such as scientists, or technicians, or medical staff. I did not feel like listening to their prattle.

“I’m sorry, Captain, I usually don’t talk this much, but I can see you are curious about me… as I am curious about you. Perhaps when I have finished given you my… life story, you would do me the honor of telling me a bit about yourself… your species… and the… Shindi… Xindhi…”

The cafeteria we entered was huge, and it was half-filled with beings of all kinds. Most of them were Alharhanians, as well as humans, but there were also tall, skinny reptilian beings, beings with dainty gossamer wings who looked as if they wanted to fly but could not because no one was allowed to fly in this room, beings with heads that seemed too large for their bodies and eyes that seemed too small, and only a hint of mouth.

“My mate and my daughters will be arriving here tomorrow,” I said. “We’ve been separated for about six months, and my youngest is still in…” I paused, shook my head slowly. “It’s a long story, Captain, but let’s just say my species is marsupial. I don’t know if you know what that means, but I can explain later.” I indicated a table near the back of the room, away from the mainstream, as it were. “I should tell you one more thing about Kykherhenha, and I hope it does not offend you. I say that because some of the species are offended by this, but I cannot help being what I am. If you look at Kykherhenha’s belly you will notice two teats. We Tereskàdians are a highly… uh, specialized species when it comes to diet. As I have already mentioned, I am a carnivore and I eat raw meat… again, I hope that does not offend you, and the only liquid I can drink is the milk of my whistling dragon. I have done so since the age of five, and I will continue to do so until my death. Again, if my activity concerning Kykherhenha offends you, I will wait until she and I are in our quarters before I drink.”

I sighed, hoping that the Captain's curiosity about my relationship with Kykherhenha was satisfied. Perhaps, perhaps not. If I wanted to I could tell him a lot more about it, but I was getting hungry. “I don’t know about your diet, Captain, but if you do eat meat, I would recommend the jrhameldhan steak.” I sat down, and Kykherhenha sat on her haunches to my right, beside the table. “Now you wanted to know about animosity between my species and the Alharhanians? I’ll tell you about that, but you know what. I’ve been chattering away here like a nrherhadel, and I haven’t given you much chance to get a word in edgewise. So why don’t we order dinner, and I’ll let you have your say.”

Captain Zanj'sheh chuckled as they sat at the table, "I am fine my dear liaison with what ever you eat. I am a guest please do not feel you must explain yourself to me. Jrhameldhan steak eh? I think I shall have that then. If a carnivore recommends a meal one should take it as good advice."

Looking around the room and at the myriad of species that were present, so many creatures he was unaware of, so many he would like to establish lines of trade. Turning towards Thekherham, Zanj'sheh sighed as a man with the weight of the world upon his shoulders, "So you have no knowledge of the Xindhi, it is pronounced Zin-Jai, by the way."

A tight frown formed upon his lips as he glanced around, "The Xindhi is an ancient race; they came to my world Al-Hazred nearly ten thousand years ago. The ancient Hoop-kah worshipped them as gods, although the Xindhi never claimed to be such, but to see skeletal beings riding on the winds, controlling the elements of nature itself would surely seem godlike to a primitive people." As he spoke, the anger became evident in his voice, "They shaped, and controlled the future of the Hoop-kah, keeping us from war, keeping us safe until it was time to advance us. Controlling our fate as one controls the fate of a pet."

Captain Zanj'sheh snorted and lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly as he visibly restrained himself from erupting in rage at the thought of his people being virtually slaves. Looking up he peered at Thekherham, "Forgive me, I am passionate about my people, and I harbor some resentment that our history has been shaped by cosmic horrors that have been birthed at the beginning of the universe."

Exhaling forcefully, the Hoop-kah murmured, "The rule of the Xindhi hasn't been as terrible as I claim. But it has been a rule, an imposition of will that has shaped my people and for that I shall never forgive them."

A rather tall, and much too skinny being with four arms took our order. He frowned at me because I ate only meat. That didn’t bother me at all; there would always be those who frowned on the eating of meat, especially if they were vegetarians, like the server.

“You and I have much in common,” I said, after the server had left. “With us, it is the Alharhanians. Actually, it was the Alharhanians. Hearing you talk about the Xindhi reminded me of what they did to us. They came to my planet hundreds of years ago, and established themselves there, despite the extreme conditions. We were so wrong when we thought they would leave again.” I sighed, looked at Kykherhenha. “I don’t want to bore you with details, Captain. It just brings back bad memories… of mass murder, and destruction… and rape…” My tongue ran lightly over one of his canines. “But now… now we have the Tereskàdian Act, a document that gives us full and total protection on both Alharhan and Tereskàdhar. It’s a book… about three hundred pages of everything you cannot do to a Tereskàdian… and his whistling dragon. But you know what the problem is?” I leaned forward, lowered my voice. “There are a lot of Alharhanians who don’t give a devred’s behind about the Tereskàdian Act. You saw that earlier. If I had been here twenty, twenty-five years ago, they could have killed me, and no one would have batted an eye.”

I stopped when the server came with their meal, carrying three plates in his arms. I set two of the plates on the table, one in front of Captain Zanj’sheh, one in front of me. The other he set on the floor for Kykherhenha. “If you would like some liquid refreshment we have fruit juices, milk from several animal species… water…or if you prefer, alcoholic beverages. As for me…” I nodded at Kykherhenha.

There was silence for a few minutes as I dug into my meat. I glanced down at Kykherhenha and noticed she was gulping down her meat as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Telepathically I told her to slow down, but I knew she was hungry. “You know something, Captain, I have noticed your attitude toward the Xindhi. It is not hard to see the resentment. If I may ask, do you wish that these… beings would leave? What will happen then?” I chewed my meat thoughtfully. “An Alharhanian once said these words about… oh, I’d say ten years ago. ‘The conquerors conquer and the conquered suffer. When has it ever been any different?’ You say the Xindhi rule hasn’t been terrible. I’m sorry to say this, Captain, but any rule by those who have no right to rule is terrible. With you it is the Xindhi, with us it was the Alharhanians.”

Captain Zanj'sheh enjoyed the steak, the idea of a wine to complement the meat twirled in his mind, and then his host spoke again. Glancing over at the being, he exhaled slowly, "I am unsure of what would happen. I know many in the senate are working to strengthen the ties between the Dreaming Queen and the Hoop-kah. However, there are many people, in the cities that feel it is time to break our ties, to become an independent people free to choose our own path in the multiverse." Putting down the fork, the captain lowered his head, "My father is a leader in the senate, and he feels we as a people should grow closer, become a more active partner with the Xindhi. As he often says all they want is for us to experience the multiverse and allow them to share those experiences."

Easing back in his chair, the Hoop-kah glanced around the cafeteria, the myriad of races moving, living, and eating in relative harmony. "Thekherham, tell me how does one deal with a race of beings who come and go as a dream. Who live in the shadowed realm between wakefulness and sleep?" Leaning on the table, Captain Zanj'sheh peered at Thekherham, "How does one deal with a race of beings who look as the Xindhi? There is a growing movement among the younger generation who feel the Xindhi are no longer needed, but the elders, the elders are the ones who advocate the continued coexistence between our races." Shaking his head, Zanj'sheh said softly, "How does one deal with beings that have no concept of life and death as we understand it?"

Smiling sadly, Zanj'sheh ordered some wine from the same four-limbed being, after the being left, turned again to his host, "How did your people achieve their freedom?" Again digging into his meal, the Hoop-kah waited patiently.

Other Hoop-kah from the crew had managed to find their way into the large cafeteria; their strange twittering native language was one that the captain always found comforting. Seeing some of his crew, he smiled, using the fork he pointed to them, "They are indeed happy to be off the ship. To stretch their legs and meet others, it is good we found your station Thekherham, it was good indeed."

Then Zanj'sheh stiffened, his eyes grew wide as he glanced about, "Great Queen, eternal dreamer, I am merely a vessel for you to experience that which you dream. Allow me to continue thus." He said in a hasty voice, once he was done, he made the same pyramidal shape with his hands and fingers. Glancing up he meet the eyes of Thekherham briefly, "One never knows when the Xindhi are around. Better to follow ritual just in case." Standing he shouted to his crew and spoke rapidly, the crew turned and nodded vigorously, as they did so each of them appeared to do the same prayer and made the same gestures before they found a table, more subdued than they were when they had arrived.

The girl got some meat and sat down at a table ignoring the whispers that instantly sprouted up that she might be some kind of murderer out to take control of the station and a creature went to alert the guards before she got the chance to begin her killing spree. which she watched and sighed

"where am I....where are they?" she could be heard asking as the guards neared her to take her away to be questioned to confirm the rumors or to find out that she is safe and that that last dead visitor was just a accident.

Jessi sat silently in the bridge of the Zummila, the energies that waft and swirled from the eye sockets cast a pale amber light that caused the shadows to dance and swim eerily. Turning towards Chaucer, Jessi rasped, "Have you dreamt what I observed?"

Chaucer nodded his head slightly, "Yes Aeryn I have. I am puzzled by the actions of the crew of this station towards an appointed official." Jessi thrummed her fingers on the chair's arm, "Indeed. I found it puzzling and more unusual as I have dreamt the scene again. Perhaps there is unrest among the beings here."

The Xindhi warrior craned his neck slightly, "Aeryn do you feel we may need to secure the crews safety?" His hand gripped the halberd tightly, as he rasped the words. Jessi paused a moment then glanced at the ship's controls, the amber energies danced along the shiny surfaces, reflecting back.

"I am uncertain at this point, perhaps, perhaps not." Jessi stood and began pacing the bridge area, as she did so the prana flowed from her as a quick thrumming burst of energy. She was seeking any indication of possible danger to the crew. Turning she nodded then said quietly, "Perhaps dear Chaucer I should find our Captain and convey our concerns."

Chaucer bowed slightly, "As you wish Aeryn."

Jessi strode from the room, and quickly made her way to the air lock, as she did so the darshan flowed and began warping and bending the light around her, making her invisible, to the naked eye. Reaching out a bit with prana, she shifted the light so it would reflect back an empty scene on a camera.

By the time she left the ship and past the two Xindhi standing guard she was invisible to sight, either electronic or organic. The two gaurds barely even registered her as they were using the prana to sweep the end of the walkway to ensure none would come aboard unless they were of the crew. Jessi made her way past the crew who were working in the docking area, she made sure to move swiftly and silently, gripping her swords to mute their rustling against the chain armor.

Once at the elevator she began sweeping the area with prana to see if she could locate the good Captain Zanj'sheh and the Liaison.

Evil Arthur emerged from the shadows of the elevator holding his silenced revolver by his side.
He looked up at the person and said lamely, almost in a bored emotionless voice. "Surprise.", and kicked them in the face. After a few odd minutes of pouring gasoline over the person, he smirked as he climbed up through the elevator maintenance exit and started to climb up the emergency ladder. He glanced down and aimed his revolver at the elevator buttons. He fired, and saw it set on fire. With a person inside. He dropped his revolver and started to climb further up the ladder. Little did he know, the revolver fell into his back pocket and from the weight of it, tore it open and his climbing rope that he carried around fell down, touching the top of the elevator, waiting to ignite.


Meanwhile, Arthur lay under a pile of rubble, technically dead.

Jessi watched in amazement as a lonely, sad, pathetic little being kicked another person in the face for no reason, then in their clearly attention seeking angst set them on fire. Shaking her head Jessi dismissed the incident as an aberration and continued seeking the area where the Hoop-kah captain and Liaison had gone. The prana flowed and weaved itself around the structure of the station until she resonated what she sought. Glancing at the figure that was lying in the elevator, the body long since extinguished from the stations safety features, stepped along the corridor until the proper lift thrummed the prana.

Stepping off the lift on the appropriate level, Jessi stood a moment as the prana washed outward and cascaded over everything before her, framing each person, each being, and each sound in the holons memory. After a few seconds, allowing the sensory information to register Jessi swept forward into the dining area, seeking the trio. The presence of security officers seemed to be an odd happenstance, but based in the inane actions she had witnessed earlier near the elevator it surprised her little.

Listening for a moment, Jessi heard them talking about someone else who committed a senseless act of murder for no reason at all. Apparently, a killing or suspected killing took place. Jessi merely watched the security personal continue on their way, clearly this space station was inhabited with anti-social, psychotic individuals who had nothing better to do than kill for no reason.

Pausing a moment Jessi flared the prana and wove the darshan around her, the electrical energy of the station flickered and flared. The stirring of a dream touched the other Xindhi, slowly the moments, the events; the understanding is shared between them. Near the ship, the Xindhi standing guard began twisting the darshan about them, drawing energy into their being. Faint humming swirls around them as their halberd blades take on a silvery-blue sheen.

Moving forward through the crowded cafeteria towards the Liaison and Captain Zanj'sheh, avoiding the security personal and the crowds, stepping lightly, ever closer towards the table where the three sat eating.

dammits I keep forgeting about here! as for her name till she reveals it its "the girl"

----

Sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet dangeling in the water sword STILL on her back was the girl. Having been detained and questioned she decided to find a place to relax and think about what just happened. She then closed her eyes seemed to tune everyone out, as if she could hear something that no one else could.

You keep looking at the door, Kykherhenha sent.

Rhalhea and the cubs should have been here several hours ago, I replied. I hope there is nothing wrong with the wormhole. I pushed back his chair, stood up. “I’m sorry, Captain, but I have to leave. I’m waiting for a ship…”

I didn’t wait for Captain Zanj’sheh to reply, but instead headed for the door. I knew I was being rather rude leaving the Captain at the table, but I was worried. I wished he could contact Rhalhea via our whistling dragons, but there was a matter of distance.

As I rode the elevator down to the docking area, I wondered if I was really cut out to be a liaison. Perhaps I should have kept my teaching job; that was pretty safe. I didn’t know what to make of this Hoop-kah captain, and the Xindhi. Strange beings… very strange.

A lot of unusual beings had boarded the station lately, and I felt that some of them were not here for a little rest and relaxation. The station had been built in a strategic location, right near what was a relatively permanent wormhole, and aliens from every corner of the galaxy had a chance to come here. I wondered if benevolence outweighed hostility.

When I entered Docking Bay 3, I saw Captain Dhantrel staring at the huge window that showed the ships tethered to the station, and the stars nestled in the velvety blackness.

“So how goes it with that blue-skinned alien?” Captain Dhantrel inquired.

“Captain Zanj’sheh?” I said. “He’s eating in the cafeteria on Level 35.”

“And what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for Rhalhea… and the cubs.”

Dhantrel looked at my abdominal area. “Transfer,” he said simply. “We received a message from the Phaselhar Temhar fifteen minutes ago. The ship should be here within the hour.”

“Is there something going on aboard the station?” I asked.

“Why do you ask that?”

“Well, earlier today I ran into an unusual character,” I said. “And… I don’t know… it just seems that…”

“Don’t concern yourself with that,” Captain Dhantrel advised. “Security is checking things out. This station is as safe as it has ever been.”

And that’s what worries me, I thought. Aloud, he said, “Page me when the Phaselhar Temhar comes in.”

The girl was leaning against a wall when Thekherham entered the room she looked at him and reached for her sword not knowing if he was going to attack or not but also prepareing to move if he turned out to make the first attack.

"hope the others are safe...." she muttred to herself as she gripped the hilt of the sword.