'Old Friend'

Da'an's Office
Da'an is sitting in his chair. His face is especially solemn, it even shows in his bluer than blue eyes. The Taelon waits patiently, thinking. A young woman is standing beside him. She stands very tall considering she is only 5'5", the sun that filters in through the window shines off her black hair. Her eyes glitter in anticipation, but her face shows nothing. Agent Ronald Sandoval and Lieutenant Siobhan Beckett walk in and greet Da'an. Lt. Beckett is tall, about 5'9", her red hair is pulled back into a French twist as usual. Sandoval stands at 5'10", considered by most as handsome, he has black hair and deep brown eyes. Sandoval is momentarily thrown off guard when he glances at the woman, but he quickly regains his composure, but not before Beckett noticed.
    "Agent Sandoval, Lt. Beckett, I would like you to meet Edana Martinez. She is presently a new Companion Agent. The synod finds her to be a valuable asset and has appointed her my attache. Maj. Kincaid shall be her assistant. She shall be implanted at the nearest possible moment. Go and show her to her office." Da'an says as he motions toward the entrance and gestures for dismissal. The Taelon watches as the three Companion Agents leave his office and head for the main building.
    "Why are you working for the Companions?" Beckett asks coolly. She is already suspicious of Agent Martinez.
    "That's classified information, Lt. Beckett." Edana replies with a smirk.
    "If your work is classified, who has clearance on that level?" Sandoval asks sounding somewhat perplexed.
    "As of yet . . . no one." Edana replies. They walk into the office intended for Agent Martinez. She walks around the office admiring the alien architecture.
    "Lt. Beckett would you mind summoning Captain Marquette and Major Kincaid?" Sandoval orders, without looking in her direction.
    "Right away," Beckett answers, giving Edana a warning look with her green eyes. She steps outside the office to use her globallink.
    "How are you and Lt. Beckett involved? The two of you don't seem like a match for partners. Clearly, there's some sort of interest there but it's one-sided . . . " Edana trailed, realizing she had hit a nerve.
    "Agent Beckett and I have been working together for the past several months in the protection of the companions. There is nothing but respect between us." Sandoval says sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than the strange woman in front of him.
    "I'm just calling it the way I see it." Edana says, being a nuisance.
    "What are you doing here?" Sandoval asks impatiently.
    "I can prove the interest on her part." Edana, standing close to him, looking up into his face. They are standing so that Sandoval's back is to the virtual glass window and Edana can't be seen by Beckett, who is looking into the office over her global. She doesn't look too happy.
    "Lt. Beckett will ask you what went on in here while she was outside . . . before the week's end. I guarantee it." Edana says backing up slowly with a mischievous smile on her face. With an impatient look on his face it's apparent that he is completely aggravated by this person and her actions. Lt. Beckett walks in slowly as if she's wondering if she might be interrupting something.
    "They're on their way." Beckett says loudly as she walks into the room.
    "Thank you. Agent Martinez, this will be your office for as long as you are working here with the companions," Sandoval says turning around to face Beckett. He straightens his tie very mechanically. Much to his relief, he sees Major Liam Kincaid and Captain Lili Marquette walking down the corridor toward Martinez's office. Liam is tall, about 6'2" and thin, but not by any means, weak. Lili is about 5'10" and her petite stature is misleading, this woman is an ex-Marine. Sandoval adjusts the button on his jacket and turns to face the women as Liam and Lili walk in the door.
    "Agent Martinez, may I introduce Maj. Kincaid and Capt. Marquette. This is Agent Martinez, Da'an's new attache. Maj. Kincaid will be your assistant and shuttle pilot, he will help you get familiar with your surroundings . . . " Sandoval says as his global goes off. He steps to the side to answer it.
    "Agent Martinez, when will you be undergoing implantation?" Beckett says acquiescently.
    "Implantation?" Liam asks in wonder. He looks over this new Agent. Her black hair is pulled back much like Beckett's. Her dark face had little make-up but then she didn't need it.
    "Agent Beckett was just reminding me that I am to be implanted as soon as possible." Martinez seeming somewhat bored with the idea of implantation. She was slightly annoyed at Beckett for making the comment. She looked over at Liam and thought he looked nice. The Taelons sure knew how to pick them.
    "You are being implanted so soon?" Lili obviously surprised at this information. She walked up to the other women to discuss the pros and cons of being implanted. Liam watched while Sandoval was talking earnestly into his global. Sandoval snaps his global shut and looks at Liam with a look that says 'What do you want?' Sandoval pulls out his pocket watch, glances at it momentarily, then replaces it in his pocket.
    "Please excuse me, but I must be going. I hope you will adjust well to your new surroundings." Sandoval says as he leaves the office.
    "Capt., are you sure you won't reconsider my offer to help you become a Companion Agent?" Beckett says insistently.
    "I've told you before that I do not wish to become a Companion Agent." Lili says rather agitated.
    "Why do you refuse? Are you afraid you can't handle it?" Beckett says challenging Lili. She stepped up to Lili as if threatening her. Liam snaps to attention as the tension in the room begins to rise.
    "Beckett's right. Companions Agents have an advantage over all other humans. Enhanced memory and physical prowess, all things that humans want anyway." Edana says almost as if she cares about whether of not Lili is implanted.
    "What would Agent Sandoval say if he knew that you refused any effort of mime to help you further your career?"
    "Actually, Agent Sandoval would prefer that I wasn't implanted at the present time." Lili gathering her things to leave the office and Liam followed her suit.

The Bridge
Sandoval walks onto the bridge where Zo'or is sitting at the helm, waiting for him to arrive.
    "You wished to speak with me Zo'or." Sandoval says somewhat apprehensively.
    "I will be leaving Earth soon to give counsel in other areas of Taelon existence. I believe you will stay and serve Da'an in my absence. A new Agent has been added to our ranks, I believe you have met her. Agent Martinez was added without my consent, but she was approved by the others in the Synod. I will be in contact with you in the future and I will require a report from you about her activities." Zo'or says with his usual disdain for anyone not Taelon.
    "Yes, Zo'or. Why has she come to work for the Companions?" Sandoval trying not to say or ask too much, that would raise the powerful Taelon's suspicions.
    "That is what you must ascertain." Zo'or says with no further explanation. He gestures for Sandoval to accompany him away from the bridge. They leave the bridge for the shuttle bay.

Martinez's office
Lili and Liam have just left the office. Beckett and Martinez watch as they leave.
    "Well that was not the best way to start off here, but what can I do?" Martinez rather sarcastically. Beckett picked this up right away.
    "What are you? You seem to have no feelings for anything." Beckett is exasperated by Edana's attitude.
    "Focus. That's what it is. Don't mistake that for a lack of concern. It is a gift from my family. It has served us well." Edana in an emotionless tone. Her facial expression mirrors the one Sandoval usually wears.
    "You know Agent Sandoval very well. That much is evident. How do you know him?" Beckett with a jealous edge to her voice.
    "You might do better to ask him that question yourself. Now if you excuse me, I need to get better acquainted with this new equipment." Edana making it obvious that she wanted Beckett to leave. Beckett leaves knowing that she is no longer welcome. Edana sits at her desk and her videolink goes off. She answers it.
    "Agent Martinez, please meet me in my office. Bring Maj. Kincaid with you." Da'an then he signs off. Edana calls Liam on his global.
    "Kincaid, Liam." She says for the videolink. He answers, curious about what his boss could possibly want after a few hours on the job.
    "Maj. Kincaid, Da'an wants to see us in his office immediately, come to my office first." Edana says before she signs off abruptly. Kincaid looks at Lili who's global went off at about the same time. She looks back at him as she snaps her global shut.
    "What do you think is going on?" Liam asks. They start walking out of Lili's office and down the hall toward the other Agent offices.
    "I don't know but Sandoval ordered me to Da'an's office immediately." Lili as she stops at an intersection in the hallway.
    "I am to report to Martinez first. I don't know what she wants to say to me. She doesn't seem like the type of person who likes to talk." Liam says humorously. Lili gives him a look that says to be careful.
    "How 'bout I go with you? I don't think she likes anybody. Anyway I wouldn't want you going up against her alone." Lili looking mischievous. Liam shrugs and walks down the hall to Edana's office. They walk into her office where she is sitting at her desk staring into the screen. She looks up and is surprised to see Lili with Liam. She stands up and walks toward them.
    "I'll talk to you after the meeting. We are running late. We shouldn't keep Da'an waiting." Martinez says rather indifferently. They all leave her office and walk down the corridor to Da'an's office.

Da'an's office
Zo'or and Da'an are in the middle of a heated discussion with the Synod. Sandoval watches from the videolink pretending to be too busy working that he is not listening to what the Taelons are saying.
    "I am your leader. It is the very same beings that voted me in that keep secrets from me. I do not believe this is how things have been governed in the past." Zo'or says with a haughty gesture.
    "I seem to recall that Katya Petrenko was murdered by your order. Your fear of her abilities, your pettiness ruined what could've been a beneficial opportunity to understand what humans are capable of. You could have saved us if you had let her remain alive." Da'an says to make an impact on the Synod.
    "Katya Petrenko was a threat to the Commonality and to our race." Zo'or says before he is cut off by Da'an.
    "We will never know if that was actually the case." Da'an, his voice full of sorrow.
    "What does this have to do with Edana Martinez?" Zo'or says trying to get to the point. Sandoval glances upward at this comment. Zo'or walks nervously around the room.
    "We believe that keeping you out of this particular case will help us to understand why you fear humanity so much." A Taelon in its natural state says from the datastream.
    "Yes, Edana Martinez came to us willingly and offered herself to the Taelons. What she has to offer intrigues us and we plan to study her as long as possible. You may get in the way of the plans we have for her. This is to ensure that we get every possible chance to study every particle of her being without contamination." Another translucent Taelon says from the datastream.
    "This is unacceptable. I will not allow it." Zo'or says firmly.
    "What you will allow is irrelevant. You must accept it. Not one being will tell you anything until we all feel the time is right." Da'an says equally as firm. Edana, Lili, and Liam walk into the office. Da'an waves away the datastream. The humans all gather around Da'an's chair. Zo'or continues to walk about.
    "Thank you all for being here to hear this." Da'an as he welcomes everyone to this rather unusual meeting.
    "What is going on, Da'an?" Liam asks curiously and he ignores the look that Sandoval gives him.
    "I am leaving Earth. That is what this is all about." Zo'or says as if that is all that needs to be said to these mere Humans.
    "Zo'or will be out of reach and I will retain command on Earth while Zo'or is away." Da'an explains to the Humans. They all look at each other, wondering what the others are thinking.
    "When will you be leaving, Zo'or?" Sandoval asks complacently.
    "Immediately." Zo'or says curtly. "You will all be needed here to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Da'an shall the leader of the Taelons on Earth while I am away. You will all serve Da'an in the same way you would serve me." Zo'or says that last bit in sarcasm and a smirk on his face. He gives Edana a once-over, then he walks to the portal and is transported to the Mothership, where he will travel elsewhere.
    "You are all dismissed to your duties. Make the necessary changes to your schedules. I shall spend more time aboard the Mothership in Zo'or's absence." Da'an says seeming slightly satisfied with his new position. They all leave Da'an's office. They walk down toward their offices.
    "Wow. I wonder what's going on," Lili says to break the silence.
    "I'm sure if we were meant to know, we would have been informed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see about an appointment. Maj., would you please show me to Dr. Belman's lab?" Edana says as she walks away and Liam follows her. Lili raises her eyebrows, surprised at Edana's authoritative attitude. Sandoval and Lili watch as Edana and Liam walk off toward Dr. Belman's lab.
    "So . . . what do you think about our newest recruit?" Lili asks Sandoval.
    "I don't." Sandoval says walking away leaving Lili standing alone in the corridor.

Dr. Belman's Laboratory
Liam and Edana walk into Dr. Belman's lab where she is working at one of the tables. She looks up as the two agents walk toward her.
    "Hello Liam. Who do we have here?" Dr. Belman inquisitively.
    "Dr. Belman, this is Companion Agent Edana Martinez. She is Da'an's new attache." Liam says.
    "Hello Agent Martinez, welcome to our side." Dr. Belman says ambiguously. She gives Edana a once-over, then she turns to cover what she had been working on.
    "Agent Martinez is expected to be implanted as soon as is humanly possible." Liam raising an eyebrow at Dr. Belman.
    "Follow me." Dr. Belman leads them to a small room off to the side of the lab. "This is where you will undergo the procedure. Please make yourself comfortable." Dr. Belman leaves to talk to Da'an.
    "You sure are anxious to get this procedure over with." Liam comments.
    "I'm sure you felt the same way just before you were implanted." Edana says warily.
    "Actually, I have not been implanted." Liam says smirking.
    "I don't understand. How can you effectively protect Da'an if you are not implanted?" Edana says disconcerted.
    "My skills allow me to protect Da'an by never putting him in a situation of danger. In the event of an emergency, I can competently rescue Da'an from danger." Liam says defensively.
    "Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to anger you . . . it's just that my defenses are up. This is a new place for me, and I adjust by picking everyone and everything apart." Edana says apologizing.
    "That's okay. It's alright. I understand." Liam trying to hide a smile.
    "This whole procedure is a little scary. Do you know anything about it?" Edana asks nervously.
    "From what I understand . . . a 'needle' will enter under your chin and curl around inside your brain to hit a few key points. Then it releases the cyber-virus into your brain at those specific points. The effect is an enhanced mind to match newly enhanced abilities." Liam says drawing on his father's memories.
    "Does it hurt?" Edana asks warily, jumping up to sit on the table.
    "Um . . . yeah. I believe it does." Liam says. He turns to see Dr. Belman as she walks in carrying the receptacle containing the CVI.
    "Dr. Belman can answer any more questions about the procedure." Liam gratefully turns the conversation over to Dr. Belman.
    "Lay down here and let me strap you in. What is it you want to know about the implantation?" Dr. Belman asks Edana. Edana nods and they begin to discuss the procedure in detail. Liam walks away to use his global. He calls Lili.
    "Marquette, Lili."
    "Where are you?" Lili says as soon as she answers.
    "Dr. Belman's lab. Agent Martinez insisted I stay and answer her questions." Liam exaggerated slightly.
    "She made you stay?" Lili asks uncertainly.
    "At first, she made it seem that way. Now, I know she was just scared and needed someone here while she was being implanted." Liam says sounding almost concerned for Edana. Lili noticed.
    "Why Liam, it seems you have a crush." Lili says to tease him. He just looked confused.
    "A crush?" Liam asks.
    "Augur can explain it later . . . what's going on now?" Lili almost laughing.
    "They're ready to begin implantation. Lili, I'll see you at Augur's later." Liam snapping his global shut. He walks over to the table where Edana is strapped down. Dr. Belman walks to meet him.
    "What's the story?" Belman asks in a whisper.
    "Da'an appointed her this morning. I don't know if we can trust her yet, I don't think we'll ever know. We haven't had the time to approach her yet, but it seems to me she might have turned us in if we tried." Liam whispers back, then he walks over to Edana.
    "How are you doing?" he asks Edana.
    "Are these restraints really necessary?" Edana asks tugging at an arm restraint.
    "You'll find out soon enough. Dr. Belman told about the whole implantation process, right?" Liam says gently as if he was talking to an old friend. She would have nodded but the restraints held her head in place.
    "Yes, Dr. Belman explained everything to me." Edana says nervously.
    "Don't worry. You have the most qualified doctor working on you." Liam reassures her and steps aside as Belman moves the implantation device over her.
The apparatus flexed its arm and then the organic needle coils and flexes itself. Edana stares at it with wide eyes and thinks 'That needle is going in my head.' She shudders. The needle straightens out and entered Edana's brain just under the mandible. Edana's body tenses as the needle makes its way through her brain. She would have screamed but she was afraid she might damage something. Tears stream down her face. The monitor denotes the path of the needle through the brain and displays the areas of the brain affected by the cyber-virus. The needle felt like it was burning in her brain. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and let out a shrill scream that sound as if her whole body was begging for release. The needle quickly withdrew from her brain. Dr. Belman pulls the apparatus out of the way and begins taking vital signs. She had to make sure her patient took to the implant.
    "How are you feeling Agent Martinez?" Dr. Belman asks softly. She began unfastening the restraints.
    "Try to sit up." Liam says anxiously. It was becoming evident that Liam liked this new person. That he saw something in Edana.
    "Agent Martinez, please sit up and try to focus on me." Dr. Belman says. Edana tries to sit up and is overwhelmed by vertigo.
She looks at Dr. Belman and then sees her mother as she was six years ago, she sees her mother walking through a garden. It almost as if she was there all over again. Edana shakes her head and puts her hands on her temples. She couldn't control the memories she was seeing or how vividly she was seeing them. The next image was of her best friend, they were young. They were running in the grass in his backyard. The images are flashing rapidly before her eyes making it hard to determine what is real and what is a memory.
    "That's alright, what you are seeing in natural. Soon you will be able to control it. For now just let your mind wander with the thoughts until you feel you can control them." Dr. Belman says sympathetically. She moves Liam to the side to talk to him.
    "What are you thinking?" Liam asks her curiously.
    "Da'an's instruction for the CVI seemed a little odd. She has the motivational imperative to protect the Taelons, specifically Da'an . . . but she is not to receive a skrill." Dr. Belman sounding concerned.
    "That is odd. Why give someone the absolute desire to protect you and yet deny them the only means to do so effectively?" he pondered aloud.
    "I guess we will find out in time . . . one question . . . Why are you here with her and not another implant?" Belman asks, it was her turn to be curious.
    "She instructed me to accompany her. She was brought in over my head." Liam explains. They both look over at Edana. Dr. Belman is surprised to see that Edana has already taken control of her newly enhanced mind. She sits there looking at them as if she had been waiting for them to notice her.

Augur's Place
Lili walks in and makes herself at home. Augur walks in and looks at Lili with an exasperated expression.
    "Comfy?" Augur raises his eyebrows at her. He's carrying a plant.
    "Oh, yeah." Lili from the chair.
    "Shouldn't you be at work? You know chauffeuring Sandoval somewhere." Augur says suspiciously. He puts the plant down on a table and arranges it to his liking.
    "Geez. You sound as if you don't want me here." Lili pretending to be put out. Augur gives her a look that says 'Cut the crap.'
    "What's the deal?" Augur determined to get something out of this woman that intrigued him so.
    "Nothing. I'm on a break. There's a whole other person who doesn't like me and so I'm taking a break." Lili says not offering any other explanation.
    "Someone new on the frontier, huh?" Augur watching her carefully. Maiya walks in and looks at the two of them. Then deciding she wasn't interrupting anything important, she took a seat near Lili.
    "What's going on?" Maiya asks wondering why Augur was looking at Lili expectantly.
    "Lili was about to tell me why she's here instead of at work."Augur says pointedly.
    "Okay, alright. There's a new Companion Agent, just brought in today. She looks very familiar . . . but I can't place her. Anyway, I would have asked her if only she and Beckett hadn't ganged up on me with the whole implantation issue." Lili says sounding very agitated.
    "Who is this new Agent?" Maiya inquires.
    "Her name is Edana Martinez. She's being fitted with a CVI as we speak. Liam is supposed to meet us here as soon as he gets a free moment." Lili says indifferently.
    "What do you know about this new Agent?" Maiya trying to sound innocent.
    "What are you asking, Maiya?" Lili says suspiciously, she narrows her eyes.
    "It was just a question." Maiya trying to cover the thoughts going through her mind.
    "No, Maiya. I don't know if she is connected to Sandoval in any way." Lili exasperated.

A few days later
Sandoval's Office
Sandoval is sitting at his desk looking over a few files on the computer. Beckett walks up to the door and knocks. Sandoval looks up and nods.
    "Good evening, Lt." Sandoval says switching off the screen.
    "Good evening." Beckett says smiling enigmatically.
    "What brings you here at this time?" Sandoval asks as he looks at his pocket watch.
    "I came to ask you about Agent Martinez. How do you know her?" Beckett asks bluntly.
    "What did she tell you?" Sandoval counters with a wary glance at the open door.
    "She told me to ask you." Beckett. She seemed to be jealous.
    "Then it's better you didn't know." Sandoval says standing up and walking over to the door.
    "What's going on?" Beckett probes.
    "I don't know." Sandoval answers solemnly. His videolink beeps. He glances over but can't see the screen.
    "I have work to attend to as I believe you also do." Sandoval says practically pushing Beckett out the door. He shuts the door behind her and rushes around the desk to answer the videolink.
    "Sandoval here. Oh, it's you." Sandoval says very displeased.
    "What kind of greeting is that?" Edana says acting hurt.
    "What do you want?" Sandoval says agitated.
    "Why don't you show me around the city?"
    "When are you supposed to be implanted?"
    "We'll talk about it over dinner. Sounds good, huh?" Sandoval doesn't answer, he just gives her a look. The smile melts off her face.
    "Fine. I'll see you around then." She signed off very disappointed. Sandoval signs off too, he hated to see that look in her dark brown eyes. Then he signs back on.
    "Beckett, Siobhan." He says to the videolink.
    "Agent Sandoval, what can I do for you?" Beckett's assistant answers. She was obviously afraid of the Agent.
    "I was looking for the Lt.?"
    "I'm sorry . . . Lt. Beckett has gone rock climbing, I don't know when to expect her back."
    "Do you know where she went?"
    "No, she doesn't like to be bothered when she's climbing. I'm sorry. If you wanted to lea-" Sandoval signs off abruptly. He sits back and sighs.

Augur's Place
Liam walks in to see Lili and Maiya talking over Augur who is trying to connect some wires into his computer. Lili looks up as he walks in.
    "Hi." Lili says.
    "Hey, Liam. Heard you were Agent-sitting the other day." Augur says with a smirk. Liam gives Lili a *look*.
    "We haven't seen much of you lately." Maiya comments.
    "Well, I've been busy." Liam replies.
    "Yeah, I'll bet." Lili mutters under her breath. Augur looks at her with a confused glance.
    "Where have you been these last few days?" Maiya asks.
    "Working . . . Martinez is learning how to use the Taelon technology with her CVI. Which reminds me . . . Lili, how long does it normally take to recover from implantation?"
    "Somewhere between three and four hours . . . why?"
    "Well we have a winner. Edana Martinez recovered in 15 minutes. She was functioning like a normal person in less than half an hour."
    "What does that mean?" Maiya asks curiously.
    "It means . . . that we have an unusual woman on our hands." Augur says suspiciously.

The Next Day
Edana's Office
Edana is sitting at her desk looking into the screen. Liam walks in looking at her suspiciously.
    "Hello." Edana says without looking up from the screen.
    "Good morning, Agent Martinez." Liam says trying to sound cheerful.
    "Please, call me Edana. It'll make things a little easier . . . especially since we spend practically all day together." Edana says.
    "Alright, Edana. Call me Liam." He says as he sits.
    "Okay, Liam, you know you don't have to spend every moment here, I was joking when I said that." She says leaning on the desk, she grinned at her tall assistant.
    "Well, what else am I supposed to do? I am your assistant, so give me something to assist you in." Liam says as if he is bored. He really spent all day in her office because he liked looking at her. She was wearing her hair half up and it shone she moved her head. Her hair was long and trailed halfway down her back.
    "Well . . . if you're that eager to work . . . you can get me all the dossiers on every person who has ever worked for the Companions that includes deceased as well." She watched him carefully. There was something about this man that drew her toward him, but he was always looking at her. Not that it was a bad thing, but it gave her little chance to study him.
    "Wow, and you're just getting started." Liam as he flashed his breathtaking smile.
    "Yes, sir . . . " Edana trying not to lose herself.
    "I'll get right on it." He stands up to leave.
    "Oh, uh, by the way, what level of clearance do you have?"
    "Level five."
    "Really?" Edana is in disbelief.
    "I was Da'an's only protector for a long period of time. I have access to everything any other Companion Agent does." Liam states as he leaves the office. She stares at him as he leaves, her eyes wander downward, and then she shakes herself and turns back to her screen.

Resistance HQ
Liam walks in and strides over to where Augur is working on a computer, no doubt on some moneymaking scheme. Augur looks up and sees him coming.
    "Hey Liam, what's up?"
    "Nothin' much."
    "Then what are you doing here during work hours?" the computer genius asks suspiciously.
    "Alright. Lili said something the other day that has me confused." Liam says hopefully.
    "Shoot."
    "Lili said that I might have a crush on Edana. What's a crush?"
    "Eh. It's one of those things Humans learn as teenagers, believe me you didn't miss much. Um . . . no. Uh . . . wait. Can you access the memories of Beckett and Sandoval?" Liam nods uncertainly.
    "Okay, I remember Lili saying something about Beckett having a thing for Sandoval. From what I gather . . . it was not returned. Do you understand?" Augur looks at Liam expectantly, Liam concentrates and tries to reach into his parents memories. (Flashback: Beckett's hotel room the night she came on to Sandoval.)
    "I think I understand now." Liam says then walks out of HQ leaving Augur somewhat confused. He shrugs it off and goes back to work.

Later that week
Sandoval's office
Sandoval is going over some files on the computer. He is so busy that he doesn't notice that someone has entered his office . . . or that she's sitting on the other side of his desk. Edana clears her throat and is pleased to see that Sandoval is shocked to see her in his office.
    "Hard at work I see." Edana says with an enigmatic grin on her face.
    "What do you want?" Sandoval asks regaining his composure.
    "Come to dinner with me this weekend."
    "I have work to do."
    "No, you don't."
    "What are you talking about?" he gives her a look that says 'What have you done?'
    "Da'an has just come to realize that you have not had one single day to yourself in the past three years. He has decided to give you the weekend off from your duties." Edana says as she picks a piece of lint off her sleeve.
    "Why has he not told me this?"
    "I told him I would tell you. And I have . . . so you have no excuses." Edana says triumphantly with a dazzling smile.
    "Fine. Saturday night." Sandoval says giving in. Edana smiles at him, and Sandoval rolls his eyes.

Liam's Apartment
Lili is walking around Liam, who is working at his desk very diligently.
    "What are you doing? You've been sitting at that desk for hours." Lili says demanding to know what is so important that her friend is ignoring her.
    "I am working. I've been putting this off for almost a week now. I promised to get this in as soon as possible, and Edana is expecting it soon." Lili raised her eyebrows.
    "When did she become Edana?" Liam stops typing momentarily.
    "She said it would be easier on the both of us. Alright."
    "Ah-huh, sure. Whatever you say." Lili says spreading the sarcasm on thick.
    "Come on, Lili. Let me work. I have to get together dossiers on everyone who has ever worked for the Taelons." He says frustrated.
    "You know what I've got a bunch of those in my files... wait." she pulls out her global. She punched in a few keys then uploaded the files into Liam's computer.
    "There, now how many more do you have left now?"
    "Wow. Did you do all of these?" he says going through the dossiers.
    "Combination of the dossiers I came up with while working for Boone and for Sandoval."
    "You know what? I'm done." he downloads the dossiers into his global. He puts on his leather jacket and they leave for the embassy.

Edana's Office
Liam and Lili enter Edana's office. She is sitting at her desk. She looks up as they enter. Lili stays by the door and Liam approaches the desk.
    "Hello, Liam." Edana says cheerfully. Lili looks at Liam and is surprised to see him grinning at her. Lili thinks 'Liam never smiles like that.'
    "Edana, here are the dossiers you asked for." Liam says hands her his global to transfer the dossiers into her computer. They are standing very close together sneaking glances at each other. Lili couldn't stand the way they looked at each other and left in disgust. Edana sees Lili leave and makes her move.
    "Um... Liam. Are you busy Friday night?" Liam looks at her in surprise.
    "No, not really."
    "You know... I haven't really gotten to see much of the city... and I thought maybe you wouldn't mind showing me around."
    "Sure, my pleasure... How bout I pick you up around 8?" Liam says full of enthusiasm. He wears a big smile on his face.
    "Great. I'll see you then." Edana smiles back at him. Liam backs out of the office, still grinning. Lili is waiting outside for him, and he gives her a sheepish grin.
    "What the hell was that?!" Lili demands as the walk away from Edana's office.
    "What was what?" Liam says blushing slightly.
    "Back there. 'Hello Liam.'" Lili mocks Edana.
    "What's your problem, Lili? You jealous or somethin." he says teasing her.
    "Hey, wait a minute. This is about you and her, not me." Lili counters. Liam shrugs her off and keeps walking and Lili walks after him.

The Next Evening
Augur's Place
Lili is pacing the small apartment. Augur is sitting at his computer as usual, looking very annoyed at Lili.
    "Will you stop that?!" Augur shouts. Lili looks at him with an apologetic glance.
    "You'd swear it was you going out on your first date and not Liam." Augur says exasperated.

Flat Planet Cafe
Liam and Edana walk into the cafe and take a table. They order their drinks. Edana's hair is down and falls halfway down her back. Her dress was cut a good deal shorter than the one she wore to work. She wore a silver ring on her right hand on the little finger, it contrasted nicely with her dark skin. He was looking as dashing as ever. He was wearing a nice outfit completed with his leather jacket.
    "How do you like D.C. so far?" Liam asks her.
    "It's alright but work keeps me from going out. You know how it is working for the Companions." Edana says. Both of them are smiling like teenagers on a first date.
    "Yes, I know how that goes." He looks around for a moment then makes a decision.
    "Would you like to dance?" Liam asks rising from his seat. She stands up and follows him onto the dance floor. They dance in perfect rhythm with each other. Maiya watches from the bar. The videolink goes off next to her. It's Lili.
    "Maiya, I'm looking for Liam. Is he there?" Lili says anxiously.
    "Maiya, don't tell her. She's in a jealous rage." Augur says from behind her. Lili shoves him out of the way.
    "Why do you want to know if Liam's here?" Maiya asks casually, her accent throwing a perfect imitation of innocence.
    "Liam's out with Agent Martinez and I don't trust her. She reminds me of somebody but I can't place her head. "It'll come to me eventually. If he shows up let me know."
    "Alright, talk to you later." Maiya says trying not to laugh at Augur's antics behind Lili's back. She shuts the link off and turns to look at Liam and Edana. A slow song is playing, they look perfect for each other. They are holding each other close and then Liam whispers something in Edana's ear. She nods and he leads her to his place above the cafe.

Liam's Apartment
They walk in and Liam leads her to the couch.
    "Would you like a drink?" he asks getting up from the couch.
    "Uh . . . sure. Whatever, it doesn't matter much to me." She says smiling at him. He smiles back and goes for the drinks. Edana looks around his apartment. She looks up at the staircase curiously. Liam returns with the drinks and sits next to her.
    "What's up there?" as she sips from her glass.
    "Uh . . . that's the bedroom." Liam answers trying to sound cool but he was nervous.
    "Oh." Edana says blushing slightly but it was hard to tell on her dark skin. They continue to talk about all kinds of things, music, work, etc. Then there was a lull in the conversation. Edana used this opportunity to kiss him. It surprised him but he kissed her back.

Flat Planet Cafe
Lili sits at the bar looking around. Lili is worried about Liam but can't explain why. She had already managed to get Augur mad at her, and she didn't even know why he was mad.
    "Lili, what's wrong?" Maiya asks. Lili snaps to attention.
    "What?" Lili hadn't heard her.
    "This is what I'm talking about, you have been distant all evening. This is about Liam and that woman isn't it?"
    "Why did you see them?"
    "What worries you so much about this person?" Maiya asks ducking the question.
    "I see her and I know that I can't trust her. Something in me says that she is not right." Lili says frustrated.

Meanwhile . . .
Liam's Apartment
Somehow, Liam had pinned Edana on the couch, but she wasn't arguing. Suddenly, he stopped.
    "I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to . . . " Liam says sitting up. Edana sat up and grinned.
    "Don't be." Edana says and then takes his hand and leads him up the staircase. He goes willingly.

The Next Day . . . around noon
Liam's Apartment
Liam wakes up surprised to find himself alone. He lays on his back and remembers last night with a smile. He glances over at the clock, 12:30 it glares at him. He sits up and looks around, he sees no sign of Edana. He gets up and begins to get dressed.
Lili walks into his apartment.
    "Hey Liam!" she calls out. She looks around and spots the glasses on the table and takes notice of the lipstick on one of them.
    "Liam!" she yells up the stairs. He leans over the rail, dripping wet from his shower.
    "Lili. I didn't hear you come in. Hold on a minute." Then Liam disappears back over the rail. A few moments later, he comes down the stairs buttoning his shirt.
    "So what's up?" he asks
    "So you had fun last night?"
    "Yeah." He says smiling, again remembering last night. She just stares at him.
    "What?"
    "Nothing."
    "What's wrong?"
    "What could be wrong?"
    "You have been down about Edana from the beginning. Why?" Lili didn't respond. Liam grabs his jacket and leaves Lili standing in the middle of the apartment. She looked upset, she was really mad at herself.

Later . . . That Evening
Sandoval and Edana are sitting across from each other at a little table outside a quaint little bistro. The waiter walks away with their orders.
    "So, what do you want?" he asks as he observes his surroundings.
    "Wow. Direct. Nice to know you haven't changed much." She comments with a grin.
    "You didn't answer my question."
    "I think you know what I want."
    "When are you supposed to be implanted?" he asks, changing the subject.
    "Ha. Ron . . . I was implanted the first day I was in D.C." Edana wore a big smile, laughing at the expression on her companions face.
    "Then how are you able to still act this way."
    "If you can override your CVI, then so can I. Anyway, I was always the smarter one, I mean like minds . . . and everything."

Elsewhere
Lili comes practically stumbling out of a bar. Clearly, she's been drinking. She wanders around the streets of D.C.. She thinks ' I wonder what I did to make Augur so mad.'

Back at the Bistro
    "How did you know? That I had overridden my CVI?"
    "I saw a difference in the way you addressed the country. Actually, Mom noticed it first, she pointed it out to me."
    "Edana, Mom's been gone four years."
    "I have the gift. It helped me to override my CVI quicker."
    "The gift." He snorted. "That's all stuff Mom made up." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself rather than his childhood friend and sweetheart. Mom was a very special woman, Sandoval's grandmother, everyone called her Mom, even if they were in no way related.
    "I see a great many things. If I had been assigned to aid in the search for Beckett, I would have found her in time." She says firmly, then immediately she regretted what she had said. "I'm sorry, it wasn't your fault."
She reached over and held his hand and rubbed it with her other hand. About this time Lili staggers onto their street. She glances across the road and sees Sandoval and Edana. 'Martinez is holding Sandoval's hand!' she thinks. Lili quickly sobers up and walks off down an alleyway, before she could be seen. She thinks 'What am I gonna tell Liam?'
Edana has done her job in comforting her friend. They talked more about living at home via their CVIs. They remembered growing up together, their spouses and the grief they felt after they were gone.
    "Ron. You should have told me when Deedee died."
    "I was not in control and my CVI . . . it helped me to take control." He says firmly. "What about when Mark died?"
    "That was different. Mark died in the SI war. It was all over the news." Edana says fighting back tears. "I'm glad Mom was still around, or else I wouldn't have made it through."
She looked around. Her eyes glistened with the unshed tears. She made a decision.
    "Come on. I know a place with a brilliant atmosphere. Let's go lose ourselves." She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out of his seat. He didn't even notice where they were going until she pulled him through a door. She had taken him to the Flat Planet Cafe!
    "Whoa! Wait a minute." Sandoval stopped just inside the door.
    "What?"
    "I'm not exactly welcome here."
    "Come on. Anyone with a cash card is welcome here."
    "No. I'm really not welcome here." He said giving her a meaningful look.
    "Okay, fine. We'll stay long enough for me to talk to a few people and then we'll leave." They walked in at started to look around. Maiya had spotted them the moment they walked in the door. She waved to Angie to take over for her. She slipped out the back door and went up to Liam's apartment. When she walks in Liam and Augur are playing with some program on the computer.
    "Hey Maiya! Hey, aren't you supposed to be working?" Augur says as she plops down on the couch.
    "Sandoval is here." She says sounding tired. "I don't feel up to it tonight."
Liam looks up. He had noticed her acting differently lately.
    "What's that implant doing here?"
    "I don't know." Liam answers.

Back inside the Cafe
Edana heads for the bar. Sandoval follows looking around as he goes. He shook himself then kept going. 'There was no way she'd be here now,' he thought.
    "What people could you possibly have to talk to? You haven't been in D.C. long enough to have people." Sandoval says watching her as she blushed. He could always tell, even though most people couldn't. She just smiles and looks around. He shakes his head . . . 'it must be a guy.'