Preview: In but a few short weeks both the Liberation and the Commonality suffer major losses. The battle lines are redrawn and for several individuals life begins anew...

Acknowledgments: A great deal of the material in this story is based upon events which occur in the series. Credit for these elements goes to series writers Paul Gertz and Jonas McCord.
 
Disclaimer: Earth - Final Conflict, all characters and images therein are the property of the Tribune Entertainment Company. Several characters appearing in this story are my own creation. Any similarity with anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.

Authors notes: This story incorporates some elements of the first few episodes of the second season, but is, in point of fact, "An Alternate EFC Story line". "Script appearing like this denotes use of the Taelon language, Eunoia." <Script appearing like this denotes mental communication or thought.>  As always, I am in no way receiving 'privileged information'. Any advice, criticism and kudos are always welcomed. Please contact me at the above e-mail address.

        Together they entered the darkened audience chamber to find Da'an seated stiffly in his chair. He was hardly recognizable, for his eyes fairly blazed with anger and pain. Everywhere his skin was visible, his inner pathways could be seen pulsing through his human-like form.
        Sandoval's mouth dropped open as Da'an rose and stepped down from his chair.
        He projected a look of such intensity... Was it anger?
        A stream of harshly spoken Eunoia issued from the Companion, as without warning, he lunged forward and grasping Zo'or's jumpsuit, spun him to the ground. He followed by quickly placing a foot on his rival's chest and pinning him to the floor.
        Sandoval took a step backward, uncertain of what he should do. His movement drew Da'an's attention and the North American Companion lifted his head to glare at him.
        "You shall not listen to this one!" he commanded forcefully in English. "He is Umrathuma himself!"
        Before Sandoval could react, Zo'or knocked Da'an's legs out from under him.
        The Companion had the presence of mind to fall on top of his opponent.
        Zo'or rolled, managing to come up atop Da'an. He reached down to grasp the North American Companion's head even as the palms of his hands began to glow.
        Sandoval panicked. Zo'or had Shaquarava! If he didn't act quickly, Da'an would be killed!
        But, before he could take more than one step in their direction, something extraordinary occurred... Even as Zo'or gripped his head, Da'an raised his hands, palms outward. There was a blinding flash as energy was discharged, striking Zo'or in the chest and catapulting him across the chamber.
        The U.N. Representative slid down the wall and came to rest in an unmoving heap.
        Sandoval stared in disbelief as Da'an came to his feet and glared at him, apparently believing that he might attack as well. When he bowed, the Companion seemed to relax and slowly moved toward the his fallen rival.
        Zo'or's eyes fluttered open and he tried to focus on the Companion, but he seemed unable to move.
        "You are not the only one... to have gained something from Boone's antibodies," Da'an hissed down at him.
        Turning away from his vanquished foe then, the Companion struggled to compose himself. Then he wilted as a look of shame washed over his face.
        "Carry Zo'or to the shuttle," he commanded in a quiet tone. "We must, both of us, report before Quo'on.
        With a sigh of relief, Sandoval stooped and lifted Zo'or, who seemed to once more be unconscious.
        He refused to mention Zo'or's knowledge about Boone. The man was gone, after all. If he truly were a spy, he could do no more damage. As for Da'an....
        Sandoval sighed inwardly. He had no proof, and besides, with Boone gone the Companion was effectively crippled. There was little chance that he could pass secrets along to the resistance even if he so wished - not without getting caught.
        The implant smiled inwardly as he moved towards the shuttle bay with his burden. Perhaps he would now be returned to his position as Da'an's attaché...
 
 

        Zo'or opened his eyes to find Sandoval squatting before him, rubbing his hands. Instantly, he slapped the implants hands away.
        "Leave me be!" he said, indignantly, as he struggled to sit up. He made it to his elbows before collapsing back onto the meditation mat. He let his gaze wander about the chamber and recognized it as his own aboard the home ship.
        "How came I to be here?" he asked, although he was already picking up on his situation from the commonality.
        "Da'an had me carry you before Quo'on," the implant said slowly, carefully. "You've been unconscious for over an hour..."
        "Spare me your attempt at softening the news," he spat. "What is my situation?"
        "The Synod leader has decreed that you be confined here without an energy stream for the next twenty one Earth days."
        Zo'or digested the information.
        This could work in his favor... if he could recover his strength before his release. Without an energy stream, such a feat would normally be impossible, except....
        Except that he had discovered something very interesting in the time he was with Nivian...
 

        "There is no reason for this course," Quo'on said, as he circled his brother.  Again he took in his sibling's appearance and was shocked to the very center of his being by what he saw.
        The North American Companion wore an expression of such sorrow that even those of his own kind, who had never experienced that emotion, would know it immediately for what it was. He was unconsciously mentally broadcasting his misery as well, frightening and driving away all those whose curiosity led them to investigate the disruption in the Commonality.
        "There is every reason for my withdrawal," Da'an whispered back. "I cannot carry on my duties. I cannot... " he stopped with something which sounded suspiciously like a swallowed sob.
        Quo'on got up the courage to place his hands on the Companion's shoulders. He knew that those Taelons who formed permanent bonds tended to fade quickly away when their loved one joined the void. He had never thought that Da'an's loss of his human love would trigger the same behavior...but now he worried that it had.
        "Da'an, you must not join the void," he cautioned. "William Boone will see you again soon enough. Now, he would wish for you to continue as North American Companion. He would wish for you to continue building a bridge between our peoples."
        Da'an sighed. "This I know...however, I am not able to do so at the moment. My mind is filled with such thoughts that I fear I shall go mad! I have attacked one of my own people!" He turned a pleading expression on his brother. "I cannot go back to the embassy - not when every room brings Boone to mind! Someone else must fill in for me until such time that I may once more function in that capacity..."
        Quo'on nodded and then pulled Da'an close. "I shall contact Eh'har. He will oversee your protectorate as well as his own," he whispered. "We shall release a statement to the news media." Pulling back, he squeezed his sibling's shoulders reassuringly. "I am sorry for your loss. Go now and heal that you may return to us both wiser and stronger than when you left."
        The Companion nodded. "I can be found within my chamber here," were his parting words.
        Quo'on watched as he slowly shuffled from the room. Without Da'an, his position within the Synod was weakened. Those who thought as Zo'or did now equaled his own supporters in number...
        According to Synod standards, he could not confine Zo'or for more than three human weeks.
        He hoped that Da'an would return before Zo'or once more began influencing the Taelon ruling body.

        Julianna Belman shuffled unsteadily into the main conference area of the Liberation's underground headquarters. Everywhere around her people were working, talking animatedly and even laughing.
        She moved to a chair in a corner which was relatively quite and dark and all but collapsed into it as Jonathan entered the room with Lili and Augur. The three of them were in the midst of a heated conversation - probably about Beckette.
        She watched them with haunted eyes and willed her heart to calm itself.
        'How am I going to do this?' she thought. 'How can I be the one to bring such news?'
        Just then Jonathan spotted her.
        "Julianna," he began as he moved towards her. Then he saw her face. "What's happened?"
        "Boone!" Lili called out. "Is it Boone? Please don't tell me..."
        The entire room went silent as everyone turned to hear what was going on. Rising to her feet, Julianna slowly approached Lili, a look of pity upon her face.
        "Da'an contacted me a short time ago," she said softly. She shook her head and found it difficult to go on. She was a doctor! She should be used to being the harbinger of bad news by now! After a moment, she took control of her voice and continued. "He told me... things... Afterward, I found Agent Lassiter waiting outside my front door with something for you. He said that Da'an wished you to read it before all your 'friends'..."
        Lili hesitantly took the folded paper from her outstretched hand and opening it, began to read aloud:
        "It is with the greatest of pain that I inform you that my Implant, my friend, William Boone, has traveled on to greet the void.
        "Truly, I know not how I shall continue on without him."
        "Quo'on asks that I not follow Boone. He makes the valid point which I now impart to you - We must not surrender to the darkness. If we honor him, we must, all of us, continue as he would have wished."
        "I therefore have temporarily withdrawn from my position as North American Companion until I find myself once more able to continue the struggle towards understanding and union which is required of both our races."
        "Finally, I have given Dr. Belman an understanding of those events which led to William Boone's premature journey into the void. She has agree to pass this information on to you. I trust that you shall forgive me for not doing so myself. Already, I sense plans being put into motion, plans to remove myself and those who think as I do from any future struggles. My continued existence upon this plane is not assured... however, I shall endeavor to contact you when I am able."
        Until then, Peace Lili... to you and your friends."
        The paper fell out of Lili's nerveless hands. She had barely made it through the letter without sobbing, but now she broke down completely.
        Augur gathered her close as he himself struggled to hold back tears.
        Of all those gathered within the room, only Jonathan Doors' seemed untouched by the news. His CVI did not allow him the luxury of grief - or any other strong emotion.
        "How?" he rumbled dangerously in his unique, gravely voice.
        "Zo'or." Belman spoke the name as though it were a curse. Her eyes hardened as she wiped away her tears and met her lover's gaze. "The little bastard snuck into the facility last night and vaporized..." Again she began to lose control. "...at least he never knew what happened..."
        Lili suddenly pulled away from Augur. "I don't care if I have to volunteer to replace Will as Da'an's implant - I'm going to get myself a skrill and vaporize that arrogant Taelon troll!"
        Augur snorted. Then he saw the look she turned on him.
        "You're not serious..."
        "You just watch me!"
        "That's enough!" Doors moved to stand directly before Lili. "Remember what Da'an said, Lili! If you honor his memory, you have to continue the fight - the way he would have wanted you to. That does NOT include blasting Zo'or out of his boots! ...At least, not at this time..."
        She dropped her eyes to the floor. "So what now?" she whispered. "Where do we even begin?"
        "We begin by watching the news - by seeing what the Taelons are going to do next," the billionaire answered. "Then... we decide what needs to be done..."
 

        Within a few hours, the Taelons interrupted radio and television programming to make the sad announcement. In an unheard of first, the Taelon leader himself broke the news to the world.
        Quo'on, in his human guise, appeared on screens all around the world.
        "It is with the greatest of sadness that the Taelon Synod announces the passage of Commander William Boone," he said softly.
        "Late yesterday afternoon, the sole implant and attaché to our North American Companion was seriously injured while fulfilling his primary duty as protector to our people. He passed peacefully on to the next level at zero two hundred seventeen hours Eastern Standard Time."
        "William Boone was possessed of a compassionate and caring nature. He was much loved by both our peoples... however, although his passage will be mourned by every Taelon and Human who knew him, there is one amongst us who grieves beyond the rest."
        "Our North American Companion, Da'an, is stricken by the loss of his close human friend, so much so that he is currently unable to resume his duties as a Companion. He asks that you forgive him this. He will return to you when he feels that he can once more execute his duties proficiently."
        "In the interim, the Pacific Companion, Eh'har, shall also assume the North American chair. His responsibilities shall be great and Da'an asks that you treat him kindly."
        "I leave you all with a thought - a reflection - if you will... Herein perhaps lies William Boone's greatest achievement; that a human could feel such empathy and friendship for a Companion that his passing would leave said Companion crippled by a grief which no Taelon has felt for millennia... "
        "That a human and a Taelon forged a bond of friendship and trust... should give us all hope for the years to come."
        

        A short time later, the sorrowful Taelon entered the very small lab whose sole purpose had been the gestation of a new human life. A very special life at that, for it was all which remained of the human Da'an had come to love - William Boone.
        Da'an was amazed by the preparations Dro'vha had made for this event. The lights were dim, the room quiet and before the small tank which still supported the infant a warm bath, towels and a blanket had been arranged. A chair had been pulled up as well - a high-backed rocking chair of all things!
        The North American Companion smiled at Dro'vha. "I see that you have thoroughly researched this event," he said, impressed.
        "I wished everything to be optimal."
        "When can we begin?" Da'an asked, as he stepped forward and peered into the tank. It was difficult to make out the form inside, for the tank was kept in a darkened area.
        "The time is now." Dro'vha signaled to the scientist who had been responsible for the clone's development. "This is Ban'hn," he told Da'an, as the scientist took up a position before the tank.
        Da'an watched avidly as, without preamble, Ban'hn reached into the tank and lifting out the slippery human infant, placed it into the warm bath. Quickly, he rinsed the child and placed him on a towel. He then picked up a hose of some sort and expertly suctioned the infant's mouth and nose.
        The child balled up his little fists and scrunched up his face in apparent displeasure at what was happening. Even before Ban'hn cut it's unnaturally long cord, it began squalling at the top of it's lungs.
        Da'an looked on in amazement as the infant's color went from a blue-gray to a pink tone.
        The newborn continued to cry as he was dried off and firmly wrapped in the blanket as Da'an found himself fighting the urge to scoop the child up and comfort it.
        Dro'vha turned a knowing look on him. "Please sit," he told the Companion, gesturing to the rocking chair.
        Da'an quickly complied and the infant was passed over to him by Ban'hn.
        As soon as he cradled the child, it stopped crying and Da'an stared at the infant as it looked back at him with large, green blue eyes. Slowly he took in it's fine, red hair and then unwrapped it for a moment as tradition dictated.
        Finally satisfied that the newborn was healthy and whole, he gently re-wrapped it and held it close to him. He felt an unreasoning sense of pride - and a growing sense of strong attachment to the child whom he had already decided should be raised by Boone's sister.
        Holding the child in the crook of his arm, he rocked it and smiled gently as it drifted off to sleep.
        He could not keep it, for it would be unfair to raise it apart from it's own kind.
        He would have to say his good-byes before he could no longer bring himself to do so.
        Reaching out to it with a hand, he moved to gently brush its cheek, but as soon as their skin made contact, something extraordinary happened...
        There was a sudden wrench - a pain which felt as though a part of him had been torn away...and then a thin, blue stream of energy fled his fingers and was absorbed by the newborn.
        As quickly as the pain had started, it ended.
 

 

        He suddenly emerged from an alien world of timeless, twisted sensation and blurred reality to find himself gazing up into the face he loved best...  Why did Da'an look so big?
 

        The child opened its eyes again, only this time there was an unnatural intelligence in them.
        Da'an began to quiver with reaction and could do little else but stare.
        He was holding Boone!
        "Da'an, what is happening?" Dro'vha asked, having sensed the Companion's distress.
        The startled Companion glanced around the room, and noting that Ban'hn had departed, turned back to address his fellow diplomat.
        "Somehow, a large portion of Boone... which I unknowingly retained... until now... has moved on to the infant. It now has Boone's consciousness!"
        Dro'vha blushed blue and stared at the baby intently. "Does he possess all his memory, or only his personality?" he asked.
        Da'an gently laid a hand on the newborn's head. After only a few seconds, he blushed a brilliant blue. The look he turned on Dro'vha was one of pure joy.
        "This IS Boone!" he announced in melodic Eunoic tones which conveyed his exultation. Then, as though receiving a warning from the infant itself, he frowned. "No one must know of this. Boone must remain dead in the eyes of our people and the general human population. It is the only way to guarantee his safety!"
        "I will see to it that an acceleration chamber is set up somewhere secure. I believe we can have him back to adult stature within a few months..." Reaching behind him, he grasped a baby bottle off the counter and handed it to Da'an. "In the meantime, I assume that you will care for him?"
        "I shall." Da'an settled back into the chair and with softly glowing eyes, fed the newborn its bottle as he rocked the chair.
        The infant latched onto the bottle and devoured his first meal greedily, bringing a smile to the Taelon's face. For the first time in many weeks, he felt that there was some hope for the future.
        Again he laid a hand upon the child's head. Boone's thoughts were jumbled and very confused - but they were there. Eventually, he would be fully restored.
        Until then, Da'an would show him every care. He would not lose him again!

        With Dro'vha's aid, he managed to smuggle the infant and some supplies into his chambers, where he prepared to remain until such time as the acceleration chamber was finished being constructed.
        Preparing his meditation mat, he plopped down onto it and spent long minutes staring at the infant as it slept in his arms. Never had he felt such profound affection for any being as he now felt holding his restored...and quite helpless... other. After a while, he curled up on his side with Boone cradled against him and slept deeply for the first time since he had acquired the ability.
        In his dreams, he explained to Boone everything which had happened.

        Dr. Park immediately entered the claustrophobically small room which had been set up as a hospital room and frowned at the monitor read outs. Her patient's blood pressure had suddenly shot way up, as well as her heart rate and...
        Beckette groaned and began tugging against her restraints.
        "Oh my God!" Park breathed.
        Leaning down, she felt her patient's belly and wasn't very surprised to find it hard as a rock.
        The Implant was in labor.
        "Siobhan!" she said loudly, as she smoothed the woman's hair back and then patted her cheeks. "Open your eyes, hon. Look at me."
        As though emerging from a restless dream, Beckette squinted and shied away from the light.
        "Where am I? Ughhhh.... My back! Oh! My head!"
        Park loosened her bonds and worked the bed controls so that both the head and the foot were slightly elevated.
        "What do you remember?" she asked the rapidly blinking implant.
        "Agent Sandoval and I were in Saint Michael's Church..." she whispered hoarsely. "Ahhhh....uhhhhh.... Oh, my head! What's wrong with me? My belly! Have I been shot? Oh God! I look as though I'm going to burst!"
        "Siobhan....this is going to be very difficult for you to understand at first... but do you remember Hag'el?"
        "Sure. We were tracking him down."
        "The man you met in the church was not Agent Sandoval."
        Beckette's eyes widened. "Hag'el?" At Parks' nod she froze. "He kissed me!"
        "That was three weeks ago and I'm afraid he did more than just kiss you." Dr. Park placed a hand on the implant's abdomen and patted it gently as it began to relax. "Hag'el managed to impregnate you, Siobhan. You've been in a coma ever since."
        Siobhan's eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted.

        When she again opened them five minutes later, it was to find Jonathan Doors, Lili Marquette and Dr. Belman in the room with her! She had fallen into the hands of the Liberation...
        "My head...." she whimpered. The pain had become intense. She felt as though a drill were perforating her skull.
        "Your CVI was damaged somehow during your encounter with Hag'el," Belman explained.
        "So I am to die..."
        The doctor grasped her hand and squeezed it. "Don't be ridiculous. We'll replace the implant - and yes, you'll still have free will."
        Siobhan frowned. "How do you know..."
        "Boone told us," Doors replied. "He was one of ours."
        Boone was a liberation spy? Beckette's already painful head really started throbbing. "...but... I thought that he and Da'an..."
        "Da'an was aware of Boone's connections," Lili added. "They were working together to help save both our peoples... but then you had to show up and start getting nosey..."
        "I don't understand..."
        "You followed me to the church, remember? You were about to blow my cover and expose our base, when Hag'el showed up," Lili hissed. "We had to call Boone in and in an attempt to make peace with Hag'el, he was critically injured, but not before he vaporized the alien."
        "I'm sorry," she gasped, as another contraction seized her. "William Boone has my deepest admiration, as does Da'an. I never would have..." She had to stop talking for a while, until the contraction eased off. "I pray that Will is recovering," she finished weakly.
        There was silence in the room.
        Finally Dr. Belman spoke, "Zo'or killed him three weeks ago - only hours after the battle. Da'an has withdrawn from his position and Zo'or himself has disappeared."
        Beckette closed her eyes. "What are you going to do with me then?" she whispered, as she turned her head away from them.
        Doors cleared his throat. "It seems to me that that's all up to you..."
 
 
 

        Upon the completion of his brief exile, Zo'or immediately made his way to a shuttle with Sandoval in tow. His implant had spent at least ten hours of each Earth rotation with him during his imprisonment and his presence had allowed the Taelon to retain his strength.
        Quo'on most likely anticipated that he would spend the next forty eight hours close to an energy stream.
        Now was the time for him to finalize his plans...
        As they boarded the vehicle, Zo'or took the pilot's chair himself and began the preliminary startup procedures.
        "Will you tell me where we're going?" Sandoval asked.
        "I must make some final arrangements..." he threw back over his shoulder. "...and you shall continue the search for Nivian Ibraham. She must be removed from what is to come and escorted to the safety of the home ship."
 

        Belman emerged from the small hospital room shortly after a baby's cry began echoing throughout Liberation headquarters.
        "You can come in now," she said. "but only two at a time, please!"
        Doors and Lili pushed their way to the front of the crowd and followed her in.
        Beckette lay on her bed with an infant in her arms, her expression kept alternating between joy and sadness.
        "May I introduce the newest member of the liberation, Liam Kincaid," Belman announced.
        "Liam?" Lili asked.
        "Kincaid?" Doors questioned.
        "Liam is the Celtic version of William," Beckette explained. "and Kincaid was my mother's maiden name." She offered the infant to Lili, who quickly waved her hands before her.
        "Uh, no. I'm not good with babies," she said, as though the thought of holding one terrified her.
        Amazingly, it was Doors who stepped forward and took the child. Cradling it like a pro, he unwrapped the baby and apparently satisfied that it looked completely human, rewrapped it and rocked it gently.
        "I can see you've done this before," Beckette drawled.
        "Joshua Doors is my son," he answered.
        "So I've heard," she answered amusedly.
        "Some things you just never forget..." The billionaire handed the infant back to her. "You understand that Dr. Park will need to run some tests on him?"
        "Yes. So long as he isn't hurt, that will be fine."
        "Have you considered our offer?" he asked.
        "The one where you give me a new CVI and send me back to companion service while keeping my child as insurance for my silence?" She winced as her head began pounding again. "I've thought it over and I have a better suggestion."
        "And what might that be?" Doors asked suspiciously.
        "We do things as you suggested... but, I take over Boone's role."
        "What?" Lili and Belman asked together.
        "I go back to Kha'rha, but I remain your operative. My Companion is every bit as approachable and open-minded as Da'an. I'm sure that with some time, that we could become as effective as the team you lost."
        The three resistance members stared at each other.
        "What about Liam?" Lili asked.
        "No one can know of his existence," the woman on the bed answered. "He must stay here with you. I'd like to say that I have deep feelings for him, but this has all happened so suddenly for me that I feel as though birthing him was simply a strange dream." She sighed deeply. "Truly, I feel it best that I not be allowed to grow too attached to him."
        "But he's your child!" Belman protested.
        "He's the child I have always wished to have, but I see now that there is no way we can remain together. I'm not a monster, doctor. I'm thinking about his safety and about insuring that there is a world left for him to grow up in. His safety still ensures my silence.."
        Doors nodded. "Good enough. I accept your suggestion." he turned towards Belman. "When will you reimplant her?"
        "The sooner the better, but I can't get started until Park arrives to begin her studies of the infant... Where IS she?"
        "That's a good question..." Lili mused. "I never saw her leave."
        "She's like that," Doors muttered. "I've warned her about it before, but she insists that when one of her patient's needs her that she's going to leave." He placed the infant up on his shoulder. "I'll take care of this little fighter until she turns up."
        He left the room as three sets of amused eyes watched.
 
 

        It was with some amazement later that day that Lili found herself called to Washington by the acting North American Companion, Eh'har.
        As she entered the main corridor, she heard voices around the bend and slowed to listen.
        Agent Sandoval was talking with one of the guards...
        "You're sure that it was Dr. Ibraham?" the implant asked.
        "Definitely. Commander Boone had already cleared her for entrance to the embassy at any hour of the day or night. I recognized her as soon as she showed up."
        "What happened to her? Her visit here seems to be the very last time see was ever seen." There was silence for a while and then Sandoval tried again. "The woman's life may be in danger. Zo'or himself has ordered that she be found. If you know anything and refuse to divulge your knowledge..."
        The guard sighed. "Commander Boone is dead, so it's not like I'm betraying his trust... " He took a deep breath. "The Commander took her out of here. All I know is that she was to receive a new identity and the treatment which she most definitely needed..."
        "Treatment for what?"
        "She was quite mad."
        Lili backtracked down the corridor and then preceded forward again, making certain that the two men would hear her approach.
        "Captain Marquette!" Sandoval greeted her warmly, holding out a hand to her. "I haven't seen you since..."
        "...The funeral - I know," she responded as she took his hand.
        "I didn't have the chance to tell you that I never believed what Beckette thought - that you were a spy," he continued.
        She forced a smile. "It means a lot to know that you trust me." There was an uncomfortable silence before she withdrew her hand. "I'm sorry. I can't stay and chat. Eh'har is expecting me..."
        "Of course." He stepped aside to let her pass by.
        Lili quickly strode the rest of the way down the corridor and entered the audience chamber.
        Although she knew what to expect, her first face-to-face meeting with the Taelon was unnerving to say the least.
        He looked exactly like Zo'or!
        Fortunately, the strange Taelon who had once been assigned as Boone's assistant was present within the audience chamber. His warm greeting did much to help set her at ease.
        "Captain Marquette," the Companion greeted her, as she bowed slightly before him. "I thank you for heeding my request." He indicated the other Taelon. "I believe that you have met Dro'vha?"
        "Yes, I have." She nodded again to the other diplomat and with a sense of both joy and sorrow noted that he still wore the fanny pack Boone had once purchased for him.
        "Dro'vha suggested that it was past time that we met," Eh'har continued. "I am well aware that my appearance is... unsettling to say the least, which is why I have waited these three weeks before summoning you." He rose then and approached her slowly. "Dro'vha will vouch for my identity," he said, as he stopped before her and lowered his gaze.
        "This is Eh'har," the other Taelon stated. "William Boone, as well as Agent Sandoval and other implants familiar with Taelons, are able to identify him by the colors and patterns of his true form."
        On cue, Eh'har assumed his true guise. "I am a contemporary of Da'an - older than Zo'or, and therefore you will note that my energy matrix is of a shorter wavelength."
        Shorter wavelength? Lili's brow wrinkled for a moment before she realized he was talking about his coloration.
        "You're a bluer tone, while Zo'or has more pink and lavender tones!" she translated.
        Eh'har's human guise reappeared, making his smile obvious.
        "Just so." He held out a hand to her. "I fear that Da'an's existence has taken many startling turns lately," he said, as she clasped it. "I suspect that he will need you more than he ever has before... in the times yet to come. If ever you... or he, require my aid, you need only ask."
        She found herself swallowing hard. "Thank you," she whispered.
        "There is one more thing... You must agree to visit with me as soon as I return to Hawaii."
        "Why there?"
        Eh'har smiled. "It is of the gravest importance that you do so. Please say that you will."
        "OK. I will. Are you expecting to return soon?"
        "I fear that I shall."
        "Zo'or?"
        With an affirmative nod, Eh'har withdrew his hand and slowly walked from the room.
        "He certainly isn't anything like his brother!" she said to Dro'vha.
        "No. He is not, which speaks well for his other parent's contribution to his being," he responded.
        Lili looked at his fanny pack. "I see you still wear it," she remarked.
        "It is a remembrance of one who called me friend," he whispered. "I am proud to have known him and this token from him pleases me greatly..."
        Lili nodded and ready to take her leave, spun on a heel.
        "Wait!" Dro'vha called out.
        Before she could do more than look at him curiously, he was beside her.
        "Da'an awaits you at your abode. Please meet with him as soon as you are able."
        Lili's eyes widened with surprise.
        "Thank you!" she called out as she moved off at a trot. She had been hoping for the chance to see her friend for so very long!!

        Less than one quarter of an earth rotation later, Da'an sat within his chamber, contemplating the view of the Earth. Boone was sound asleep upon his meditation mat, allowing the Companion the freedom to ponder subjects which might perhaps have otherwise upset the human.
        He had decided to withdraw from the Commonality sooner than he had originally planned. Instead of waiting for Boone to emerge from the tank, he would accomplish the feat just before Boone entered it.  His withdrawal would be made with no announcement or explanation to the Synod or his fellow Taelons.
        He would simply do it.
        Rising from the small chair, he moved closer to his mat and stared down at the sleeping infant with a tender look upon his face. He had tried to keep the risks of what he was about to do from Boone, certain that his other would strongly object to his intended course of action.  William would rather risk his own life than jeopardize Da'an's...but, he seemed not to understand that the reverse was equally true.
        Withdrawing from the rest of his race before Boone was once more separated from him by the necessity of the acceleration chamber... was risky, however, the alternative was worse. Da'an could not stand by and allow the possibility that Boone would be discovered - not when there was a way to prevent so dangerous an occurrence.
        He would somehow find the strength to sever himself from his people and trust that separated or not, his bond with Boone would see him through the coming trials...
 

        Collapsing suddenly to his knees, Da'an cried out as he felt the touch of his brother's fleeing consciousness.
        Quo'on was gone from this plane never to return...
        Falling forward onto his arms, he remained on hands and knees, struggling to come to terms with the latest loss of his life. He knew not how long he remained that way, but the sudden crying of his infant friend finally brought him around.
        Rising slowly and unsteadily to his feet, he started towards him, but then inexplicably changed course and headed for the chamber doorway. He was aware of Boone's sudden silence and the indignant look which crossed his face, however...
        Da'an stepped out into the corridor just as Dr. Park rounded the bend and nearly collided with him.
        "Dr. Park? What is your purpose here?" he managed to ask the equally startled human in a calm tone.
        "Da'an! You ARE still alive!" she exclaimed with apparent joy. Seeing that the Companion did not react, she answered his question. "I'm on an assignment. I was asked to fetch certain items from Kee'sha's old laboratory."
        Da'an's eyes narrowed, for there was little doubt in his mind that he had just been lied to. Before he could ask another question there was the sound of someone approaching at a run and Agent Sandoval nearly slammed into them.
        "Da'an!" he exclaimed with surprise. "Quo'on..."
        "I am aware that my brother is no longer amongst us," he responded shortly. "Who is responsible for this atrocity?"
        "Joshua Doors!" the implant spat. At the Da'an's incredulous look he added, "I saw him! He had a skrill!"
        Da'an stared in complete shock as Sandoval turned to address Park.
        "I don't know what you're doing here doctor, but I suggest that you depart. Immediately!"
        With a quick nod, she headed off toward the nearest shuttle bay.
        The ex-Companion watched her go.
        Sandoval fidgeted. "I need to continue my search..." Receiving a nod of approval, the implant continued down the corridor.
        Da'an entered his chamber and quickly moved to pick up Boone. Discussing the strange occurrence as well as the loss of Quo'on, they quickly surmised that Joshua Doors could not have killed the Synod Leader.
        Furthermore, they were in agreement that Da'an could very well be the next victim...
 

        Eh'har was surprised to sense Dro'vha's arrival and moved to the shuttle bay to greet him. Perhaps they could discuss Da'an's situation...
        He found himself further surprised to see that the diplomat had a human female with him - and that she carried an infant.
        The other Taelon moved to greet him as the female trailed behind. When they stood together, Dro'vha spoke, "This is a friend. I had long since promised her a shuttle trip to Washington. She will be on her way now..."
        "If she is friend to you, then she is always welcome here," Eh'har responded. "Will you stay? There is much to be discussed..."
        "I shall..."
        As the two of them moved off towards the audience chamber a guard moved forward to escort the woman to the front entrance.
        He had looked her over from his post near the doorway.
        She was of average height, with medium length, curly red hair, a pale complexion and freckles. The navy colored dress complimented her well. Now that he stood beside her, he could see that her child had the same red hair and green eyes.
        He decided to give it a try. "First time in Washington?" he asked.
        "No."
        "Will you need a taxi?"
        "Yes... please."
        The guard shrugged. She was most definitely the shy type, he decided. Still... she wore no wedding ring.
        "Listen..." he said in an enthusiastic tone. "If you'd like to catch a bite somewhere later..."
        The woman stared at him in confusion, but after a quick glance at her child her eyes narrowed. "I thank you for the offer, however... I never eat...dinner."
        Confused and disheartened, he decided it was still worth another try. "Breakfast tomorrow then?"
        Again she looked at her infant and then swung it expertly up onto her shoulder. "I am already... attached," she said firmly. "Now, you were going to obtain a taxi for me?"
        Disappointed, he nodded. "Right this way," he said, as he led her down a side corridor.
 
 

        "Joshua! You have to get out of there - now!"
        Doors blinked in surprise and stared at his monitor. "Lili... what are you talking about?"
        "The Synod Leader, Quo'on, was just assassinated by someone impersonating you! The Taelons are already contacting Thompson and demanding that you be remanded to them to answer for the crime!"
        "What!?... That's absurd! I've been here all day..." he thought about that for a minute. His home office was not a public place... "I don't have an alibi..." he swallowed.
        "Word from Dro'vha is that Zo'or is already in the process of assuming Quo'on's office. Da'an has withdrawn from the commonality and is in hiding. Everything is falling apart!" Lili's face was grim. "Zo'or will have the majority of the Synod backing him and if he wants to pin this on you, you'll be dead within twenty four hours if you don't follow Da'an's example and get lost!"
        Joshua felt himself beginning to panic as he came to his feet and began gathering together a few of his belongings. "Where can I go?" he asked. "Will my father consider offering me shelter?"
        "I have a friend..." she answered. "You should be safe at his place until we can work things out with Jonathan..."
 

        When Lili showed up the three of them were seated around Augur's table amid the remains of a meal and she was surprised to see Augur holding Boone.
        Joshua immediately shot her a look which implied he was grateful for her presence, while Da'an merely nodded before turning and taking Boone from Augur.
        Augur glared at her.
        "Sorry," she whispered. "I've been so busy that I never had a chance to tell you..."
        "Would it have been that hard to pick up your global and give me a heads up?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Seeing that she had no good reply ready, he reached out and pulled out the remaining chair for her before continuing in a sour tone, "Have a seat. I would have given you dinner, but I had unexpected..." Here he indicated his two guests, "... company."
        "All right, I said I was sorry!" she groused. "What do we know?"
        "Well....Let's see...." Augur went into sarcastic mode. "Joshua here is the number one fugitive on the planet and he's staying at my place, which makes me an accomplice. Da'an is the number two fugitive on the planet and if his Taelon friends find out I'm hiding him here, they'll have me vaporized. Then there's the matter of the little ex-implant cum resistance leader now turned baby. I'm sure that Zo'or wouldn't mind doing something horrible to me for helping him out either...although...." Augur's face softened for a moment. "I'm so damn happy to know he's not dead, that I really don't mind him staying."
        In Da'an's arms the infant cooed, causing the Taelon to blush blue.
        "What did he say?" Lili asked.
        "He says that he's grateful, but that he knows his friend would never turn any of us away..."
        "Watch it red! I'll tan that little fanny of yours the first time you start squalling in the middle of the night!"
        Da'an fixed Lilii with a long suffering look. "While you were not present, we discussed Mr. Doors' options," he explained. "We all know that he did not kill Quo'on... however, I fear that exonerating him shall prove all but impossible."
        Joshua spoke up. "I have no alibi and, in addition, Sandoval claims to have seen me do it. He supposedly shuttled up to the home ship with me..."
        "I surmise that Zo'or used a holographic device like my own to cloak a skrill-weilding implant in Mr. Doors' likeness," the ex-Companion continued."
        "Why don't you know this for certain?" Lili asked. "Why don't your people? Aren't you all joined within the Commonality?"
        Da'an looked down at the floor.
        "You've already done it, haven't you?" she asked. "That's why your people don't know what happened to you..."
        "Done what?" Augur asked.
        "I have severed myself from the Taelon consciousness," Da'an explained. "It was the only way to ensure Boone's safety... and now my own as well. Zo'or had a ....liaison with a human woman many months ago. I believe that through a joining with her, he has learned how to keep secrets from our brethren, even as I once learned how to keep Boone's true status from them."
        Augur stood up and began clearing the table. "So what do we do now?" he asked.
        "I'll contact Jonathan about Joshua," Lili said. "But as far as Da'an and Boone go, Boone's going to be gone from us for a few months... and I think Da'an would be best off staying here for a while. That OK Augur?"
        The techno-wizard sniffed. "I put up with Sahjit for a while. How much trouble could a renegade Taelon be?"
        Lili smiled at him briefly before biting her lip and reaching out to pat Doors' hand. "Same thing with you, Joshua. We're going to have to watch and wait and see if we can give you back your life, but..."
        "Yeah, I know. It doesn't look good..."
        "One last thing..." At Augur's raised eyebrow, she continued. "Best that we not tell Jonathan that we know where Da'an is - not yet, anyway..."
        "Agreed," the two men answered together.
 
 

        For two more days he had Boone to himself.
        His infant form was aware most of the time, sleeping only when he slept and letting out a short cry only when he had need of food, cleaning or reassurance. The entire situation was difficult for his friend, he knew. Those intelligent eyes watched everything he did and pleaded with him silently to end his current nightmare.
        At those times that Boone's horror became so great that he could sense it clearly from across the room, he would rush to cradle his friend so that their cheeks touched. Rubbing gently against the silky skin of Boone's now beardless face, he would croon softly to him in Eunoia and soothe him by reminding him that he would soon sleep until he was once again himself.
        He had feared that the bond they had finally cemented had been broken when Boone's consciousness had entered the infant, but this proved not to be the case. He had never realized that he had retained nearly all of his implant when his borrowed body had died! Although a very small portion of Boone had found its way back to his damaged form and been aware of Zo'or's murderous intentions, the majority had remained with him, fueling the rage he had felt toward Zo'or and giving him the strength to challenge his rival.
        Boone's presence in his mind, although hidden, had also brought him to the outer reaches of despair... Now that he was firmly established within his own flesh, their bond was functioning minimally, but well enough to enable his friend to sustain him through the silence in his mind.
        It was evening and the weather had turned chilly. Augur had graciously furnished them with an electric blanket to help keep them warm when the heat retained by the tin roof faded away.
        Da'an sat in a chair before the attic's only window wrapped within its folds with Boone fast asleep in his arms. He admired the cloudless sky and the emerging stars as he reflected upon all which had happened since his arrival on the planet nearly four years past.
        Never would he have imagined the path his friendship with Boone would take him down... To be actually living here, among the humans and cut off from his own people... He realized with a start that it was what his own parent had experienced.
        His respect for Ma'el continued to climb.
        The renegade's thoughts then turned to the events of the past few days.
        Lili had been reassigned as Sandoval's assistant, a position which gave the resistance an advantage, but which she herself did not necessarily appreciate...
        Joshua Doors was trying to fit in with the rest of his new... friends, however Lili reported that he felt that he was being given a free ride because he was the boss' son. In addition, the unfairness of his whole situation had only just begun to sink in. Lili felt that there were some very rough times ahead for him.
        Complicating matters, Da'an knew from Augur's ranting that Joshua was stepping up his pursuit of Lili, completely unaware that Augur himself was attempting to lay claim to her. The techno-wizard had been in a very bad mood the last few nights... and even Da'an could predict an ugly confrontation would occur. He still could not understand why Lili would not have already made a choice. Surely there was one whom she felt closer to?
        He sighed.
        The intricacies of human courtship were still nearly unfathomable to him.
        Then there was Siobhan Beckette...
        The implant had returned to Kha'rha with an explanation that she had awakened in an alley way with no memory, borne a strange child who aged rapidly to adult form and then awakened in Dr. Belman's lab. Belman herself had backed her up by stating that the now adult child had barged on in with a very ill and dying Beckette. Her CVI was rapidly deteriorating and she would have died very shortly had she not re-implanted her on the spot.
        Kha'rha had readily accepted the story and, according to Beckette, was simply happy to have her back. Sandoval himself had not been as enthusiastic and was currently leading a search for the hybrid being at the behest of Zo'or...
        The child, whom he had learned had been named Liam, was adult in stature now and quite arrogant according to Lili. Da'an explained to her that he was still but a child despite his outward appearance. Wisdom and humility would come soon enough. It would take time for him to separate himself from Hag'el's memories and develop his own personality.
        How he wished he might meet this hybrid child and help lead him as his parent would have, had he survived...
        Lastly, his thoughts turned towards Zo'or. What was he plotting now that he had the United States government at a disadvantage? The manhunt for Joshua Doors continued, as the President desperately tried to assure the new Synod Leader that Doors had not been charged with eliminating Quo'on. Da'an truly feared what the country's leadership might sacrifice in an attempt to restore good will...
        The hunt for him had been stepped up as well, with Lili reporting that every shuttle flight from the home ship the day of his disappearance was being scrutinized. Fortunately for him, his flight had ended at the moon base and Dro'vha had shuttled him from a different sector than the remote one he had landed at. Even if they tracked Dro'vha, they would know only that he had gone on to visit Eh'har...
        Just then there was a quiet knock at the door. Rising quickly, the he dropped the blanket and moved into the darkened area of the room amid the piled up equipment.
        "Da'an?" Lili called out, as she entered the room.
        He stepped forward, startling her.
        "Jeez! Make some noise before you appear out of nowhere."
        "What is wrong?'
        "Nothing's wrong. Dro'vha reports that the chamber has been completed and tested. He awaits only its future occupant."
         Da'an looked down at the small form in his arms. The infant's eyes were wide open and glittering with anticipation.
        "He is anxious to begin the process," Da'an informed Lili. "Please allow us a moment..."
        "Of course." The shuttle pilot withdrew.
        Da'an froze. Now that the time had come, he was distressed by the thought of giving over his...
        Boone's thoughts interrupted him.
        <"I am not your child,"> he reminded the Companion. <"I cannot remain like this much longer!">
        Da'an held the small bundle up so that their cheeks were touching. <"I understand this,"> he thought back. <"Yet it is still difficult."> He lingered a while, savoring the contact and taking satisfaction in Boone's enjoyment of it also. Finally pulling back, he walked to the door and opening it, stepped out onto the landing beside Lili. He smiled slightly at Boone and kissed him softly upon the forehead. "Pleasant journey, William. I shall see you again shortly," he whispered before handing him over to her.
        I'll take good care of him and report back as soon as I've returned," Lili promised. Then, wrapping the small human in the folds of her jacket, she turned and hurried down the stairs.
        Da'an stood there and watched until they were both out of sight.
        Then he turned and re-entered his makeshift room.
        All the color seemed to have gone out of his life...

        Liam sat bolt upright and shook his head.
        He could still hear that sad voice!
        Pulling on his shoes and a jacket, he left the hidden base, determined to find the wounded Taelon. He had no choice - this was more than mere curiosity. He would find no peace until he had done what he could for it.
        Instinctively drawn in the Taelon's direction, he exited the church and caught a cab to Augur's residence - he had long since memorized the addresses of all the local resistance members. Entering, he managed to avoid the alarm systems, though in truth he wasn't entirely sure of how he managed to do so, and climbing the stairs to the attic storage area, moved into the room beyond.
        He found the ex-Companion sitting in a chair before the window. He didn't even respond to his presence, but merely stared at the stars.
        "Da'an?" he asked tentatively, as he approached.
        The Taelon slowly turned his head to face him, startling him with his expression, for he had such a look of distrust upon his face that Liam immediately halted in his tracks.
        "What has brought you to me?" the Taelon asked.
        Knowing that his answer would forever determine their relationship, he took a breath and felt the right words flow from his mouth.
        "Your need... and my own," he whispered, holding out his hand.
        Amazingly, Da'an moved to take it and as they touched...
        ...everything suddenly changed!
        There was a flare of such brightness in his mind that he fell to his knees beside the chair. In seconds, his perception of the world - the universe changed and he knew who he truly was... where he came from, for he now saw his two human parents as Da'an had known them.
        He also saw Lili, Doors, Augur and Boone through his eyes. He saw the best of them and even the worst of them...
        He saw Da'an's people and Hag'el's and lived the moment when Da'an found out that everything he had been taught about the great conflict was a lie...
        ...And he saw what it meant for a race to evolve too far. He felt the careful, unfeeling perfection of their lives and understood that Da'an reveled in his current pain as well as in his joy, for he now found any sensation better than the barrenness of his former existence.
        Finally, he felt Da'an's essence and in that moment knew that there was nothing he would not do for him, or for Boone, whom he loved. The Taelon's motives were surely the most unselfish of any being he had yet met. He wished only that both his race and Boone's might survive, but if it could only be one, then it must be the human race. They had so much potential, and sadly, his own people were not what they might have been...
        He felt Da'an's acceptance of him even as a psychic tie - one which approximated that of parent and child, bound them together.
        Finding himself suddenly back in his own form, he stared at the blue being who sat in the chair, his human disguise abandoned for the moment and moving closer, rested his head on his new mentor's leg.
        After but a second, the Taelon began stroking his hair.
        The pain had ended - in both of them... at least, for now.

        Park stared down at the crumpled replicant and then at the hole in her suit where her skrill's blast had vaporized it. She had been careful and did not think that there was a chance that the virus had contaminated the room.
        Her greatest concern right now was in hiding the delivery device and explaining Rayna's condition...
 

        Doors sat behind his desk and lifted his chin from his fist. "I hate to say this, but your Taelon friend is right. With Nivian Ibraham living down here with us, Zo'or wouldn't dare to try assault." He rose and walked over to where the afflicted scientist sat mumbling to herself. "I still don't see how it's going to prevent him from simply barricading us in... or out..."
        "As long as he thinks Nivian's continued good health is dependent upon our good graces, he won't dare try anything..." Lili answered.
        "What's to stop him from implanting another of us? From implanting you?"
        "We still need a backup base..." Augur put in. "If we could somehow link it with this one, the way rabbits link their burrows, then we could simply scamper off to a new location and collapse the tunnels behind us."
        "By destroying the old base... Yes. I had already thought of that back when the scarecrow nearly gave us away." The billionaire tapped his lower lip with a forefinger. There must be another way..."
 

        Twenty minutes later, she was standing before Zo'or's elder sibling within his personal chamber.
        "What?" she gaped. "You intercepted Park?"
        "That is correct, Captain. She believed that she was talking with my sibling, as I met her within the hospital room where they often rendezvoused." He blinked slowly. "When I discovered that my brother had a Liberation spy, I watched closely... When Da'an left us, I surmised that he found his way to his Liberation allies...You must understand that I cannot allow anything to happen to him. He must live to assume his rightful place as our Synod Leader."
        Lili's eyes widened. "Are you saying that Da'an is that high up in the Taelon hierarchy that he can become your leader?"
        The Companion nodded. "He refused. He said there was no point in trying - not while the majority supports Zo'or... Perhaps one day soon, this will change..."
        She nodded. "So, how did you keep Zo'or from asking Park about her accomplices?"
        "I simply told my brother that she had mistaken us and that I had obtained a list of her accomplices. Having no reason to believe that I would... mislead him, he asked their names."
        "...And you gave him false ones?"
        Eh'har smiled. "I have learned much from observing Boone. Zo'or was furnished with the names of several individuals belonging to a particularly viscous drug cartel. He also has the location of their stronghold."
        Lili shook her head. "Sandoval is bound to know this is a set up! As soon as Zo'or told him, he was bound to have checked up on them!"
        Eh'har smiled. "I removed all computer records of these individuals. They seem not to even have pasts now..."
        Her mouth dropped open. "Which would convince both Sandoval and Zo'or that they were Liberation members!!! You clever thing, you!"
        "There is a way in which you might thank me."
        "Name it."
        "Confirm that Da'an is safe. Is he with you?"
        "He's with me and some of his other friends. I don't think he'll ever be completely safe, but I promise you that we'll all defend him with our lives..."
        The Companion nodded. "It is enough then. He must survive to fulfill his purpose in this life."
 

 
         "Why do you risk contacting me in this manner?" Zo'or sneered into his data stream. "It displeases me that you would act so unintelligently."
        "There's no time!" Park looked frantic. "Nivian's here. The Liberation somehow located her and is holding her to prevent you from striking..." There was a squeal and the doctor disappeared from the monitor. In her place, Joshua Doors appeared.
        "The Doctor is correct, Zo'or. We hold Nivian Ibraham. A life for a life. You took mine away from me... and now I have a big piece of yours... Don't worry - she'll be treated compassionately. We'll even see that she receives the proper treatment... so long as you behave yourself..."
        "Wait!" Zo'or spoke quickly, but it was too late. The transmission had been cut.
        The new Synod leader wilted visibly. Park had no doubt already set the device which would release the altered virus. If she hadn't had the time to deactivate it, everyone in the resistance base would die... and so would Nivian!
        A shudder shook his form. Did he dare to storm the resistance HQ? Joshua Doors might kill his love if he did, but if he did not risk it, the virus would kill her anyway...

        A short time later, they, along with Doors, stood before the pallet on which Rayna rested.
        "You're sure that Park can't remove the device?" the billionaire asked.
        Belman snorted. "It'll be hours before she can stand, let alone perform so delicate a task. She's not even capable of telling us how to do it ourselves..."
        "If any of you has any notion of how we might do this, now is the time to speak." Doors stared pointedly at Da'an, who looked at the floor. There was silence. "Very well. We have no choice but to wait it out," he rumbled. "She said that it was set to go off at ten tonight. If she's not capable of defusing it before nine, we'll have Beckette come in and vaporize it with her skrill."
        He then turned to face Lili. "Put our guest in Boone's old room. He is not to ever leave it without a proper escort. Understood?"
        Lili opened her mouth to protest, but Da'an laid a hand on her arm, stopping her.
        "It is an acceptable arrangement," the ex-Companion answered.
        After he and Lili had departed, Augur moved to stand beside the resistance leader. "You once told Da'an that you were willing to build a bridge. This is hardly the way to do it!" He made no attempt to hide his contempt.
        "Yeah, well... I'd say that his usefulness to us is somewhat limited. He's more of a liability than anything else at the moment."
        "You're going to eat those words, Jonathan," Augur hissed. "And I hope I'm there to see it..."
 

        Lili moved off down a relatively new tunnel which had been blasted into the bedrock. "They're still working on digging out rooms in this section," she explained. "but Doors and Boone got the first two which were completed. "Boone had such harried, unpredictable hours that he really needed a place to crash for a few hours now and then..."
        She stopped before a metal doorway and slid her thumb down an ID plate on the side. The door slid open, and they entered.
        The chamber was large enough to accommodate a queen sized bed, a dresser and a small room with a doorway which in turn contained a commode and sink. Soft lighting was set into the rocky ceiling and a brighter, reading light was set in the wall over the bed. The only other furnishing was the oversized cushioned chair in the corner near the bed.
        Da'an walked about the chamber before stopping to open a dresser drawer. Within was one of Boone's favorite shirts as well as a few other articles of clothing. The Taelon laid a hand atop the material and looked up at Lili.
        "It pleases me to stay here," he said, as he removed his hand and closed the drawer.
        "Doors can't keep you a prisoner here," Lili answered as he moved toward the bed and seated himself upon the edge.
        "It matters not..." Da'an sighed, before moving further onto the bed and collapsing onto his side.
        Alarm bells went off in Lili's head. Moving forward, she knelt beside the bed and reached out to take his hand. "I know that something is very wrong - that you're not well. Please tell me what it is... don't hurt me, or the rest of your friends by keeping this from us!"
        Da'an's eyes blinked slowly. "This is... difficult for me... humiliating..."
        "Trust me."
        "Without the voices of the commonality, I am completely dependent upon Boone. His voice in my head, or even just his emotional presence, is the only thing which allows me to remain what I am..."
        "What you are?"
        "I fear that I am regressing, becoming a dangerous, animalistic version of one of my ancestors. It is the reason why none of us ever withdraws from the commonality... I thought that with Boone... but his mind is far removed from me, he slumbers so soundly within another dimension."
        "You've held on for four weeks though! You have less than two to go."
        "Liam's presence has helped me considerably, but it is not enough to allow me to forego the change which threatens to occur. When it happens, you must leave me locked within this chamber. You must not enter or allow me to leave, for I will surely kill any I may encounter..."
        Lili stared at him, horrified. "Then, there's only one thing to do. We have to awaken Boone now!"  She stood, intent upon contacting Dro'vha, when her global bleeped.
        Turning and shielding her surroundings from view, she answered it.
        Zo'or had another job for her... one which would keep her tied up until well into the evening hours.
        Turning back to Da'an, she laid a hand upon his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be back with Boone, Da'an. Just try to hold on a bit longer. I'll lock you in for now, but Augur or Liam will check on you, OK?"
        Da'an nodded his acceptance as she headed off to locate Augur - but not before locking the door behind her.

        The acceleration chamber had long since been tilted into a vertical position and Dro'vha gazed with some excitement upon the now adult Boone. The human was younger than he had been when they first met, and according to Ban'hn, he was now just into his twenty eighth year of maturity. He had fewer creases on his face, all his previous scars were of course, nonexistent and his hair was a more vivid red, rather than the auburn it had been. All in all, he was still recognizably and unmistakably William Boone.
        Standing before the chamber, a folded towel and robe in his arms, Dro'vha watched as Ban'hn waved an arm over the console and the chamber began to drain. Within a minute, the last of the chamber fluid had disappeared and he flinched as the door popped open.
        "He should awaken within a few seconds," Ban'hn informed him as the tension in the room mounted.
        Boone suddenly jolted awake, coughing and spluttering out the last of the fluid from his lungs. Before either Taelon could move to support him, he fell to his knees and remained there, woozy and disoriented.
 

        Zo'or sat up straighter in his chair as Lili entered the room and approached him.
        "I'm afraid that I have bad news..." she said, as she lowered her eyes to the floor.
        He stood slowly as a deep seated panic began to take hold. "Explain."
        "The information passed on to you by your spy was inaccurate. We did not find either the rebels or their base. Instead we found a group of drug runners in their little strong hold."
        "This is not possible!" he spat as he descended to stand beside his acting attaché. "My spy's loyalty is not to be questioned..."
        "Unless the resistance had already found her out and re-implanted her," Marquette responded.
        Zo'or thought back on Park's frantic call to him about Nivian. "That is possible," he admitted. "...however, I suspect that something else has occurred in this instance..." He circled Lili, looking her up and down. "I expect you to provide me with proof of your discovery."
        "Of course. The files have already been uploaded for your convenience."
        "Good." He stopped directly before her. "You have performed your tasks admirably so far, Captain."
        "Thank you Zo'or."
        "Have you eaten your evening meal yet?" he asked as he faced her.
        "Yes."
        Zo'or's eyes narrowed as he detected the slight shiver which ran through her at his question.
        "Then you are dismissed."
        He found himself briefly amused by the speed with which she exited, but then his thoughts turned back toward the situation at hand. There was a traitor amongst them... and he feared that he knew who it had to be..."
 

        Lili hurried off towards the shuttle. She had instructed Augur to contact Dro'vha through Kha'rha when he called to request Beckette's presence. If the message had gotten through, she would find Boone waiting for her in a shuttle atop the Taelon Medical Research Facility...
 

        In Boone's chamber, Da'an frantically circled the room. The probe's presence and the sound of gunfire, explosions and screams which echoed throughout the system ventilation shafts had combined to wear down his defenses. He was changing!
        "Boone!" he cried out as he collapsed. In the back of his mind he could feel his other's presence again... but it was too little...
        ...too late...

        Within Boone's chamber, a creature vaguely resembling a Taelon rose to it's feet. It's mouth opened in surprise as it felt the nearby presence of the one it needed...
        Then the special one's mind cried out in horror as it saw the death of everything.
        "No!!" the creature roared in counterpoint to Boone's own scream.
        Lifting it's hands, it's palms aglow, it demolished the doors which kept it from it's mate...

        "Shhh..." Boone soothed in a whisper that the others could not hear. "It's OK now. I'm back." He was frightened by this change in his friend and wondered briefly if he would remain like this... Not that it really mattered all that much in the long run, but Lili had told him that Da'an found the thought of such a transformation humiliating. More than anything, he did not want his friend to suffer - he had done more than his fair share of that already!
        "Boone..." Da'an rasped out his name in a guttural tone and quivered as he continued to cling tightly.
        Reaching around his own back, the ex-implant grasped one of the Taelon's encircling hands and opened his mind to him...
 

        The lift doors parted, as Beckette and Liam entered the complex - and froze in shock at the destruction evident around them.
        "Holy..." Beckette breathed as she stared at the survivors who were only just emerging from cover.
        Liam's own eyes were instantly drawn to the odd couple in the center of the room. A look of fear crossed his face as he realized what had happened to his mentor.
        "Da'an!" He started forward, only to have both Lili and Augur grasp his arms and hold him back.
        "Whoa, there!" Augur said. "Boone's already taking care of him."
        "But, I must..."
        "No, Liam." Lili gave him a sympathetic look. "Da'an may be your adoptive parent... but he is far more than that to Boone. You know that. Leave them alone for now."
        The hybrid looked as though he might protest, but Beckette took his arm, freeing him from the other two. "Come on. Help me gather the survivors. We need to get them treated while the others fill us in on what happened here."
        Together they moved off with Lili following close behind.
        Augur stayed long enough to convince himself that Boone really was back and then followed the others with a sigh. His relief at their missing leader's return was profound. He snorted with amusement as he caught sight of Doors' face. The man was ghostly white.
        "Probably thought we were going to let him run the show alone again..." he muttered under his breath, but then noted the billionaire's blood soaked clothing. During the emergency he hadn't noticed that Doors had been injured.
        "He man, are you all right?' he asked, suddenly greatly concerned.
        "Fine," Doors answered gruffly as his son walked up and began checking his head.
 
 

        Boone gritted his teeth and, well aware that they had an audience, tried to maintain a blank expression. Da'an had most definitely changed! Gone was the calm and very subtle personality he had come to rely on. The Taelon's emotions were nearly overpowering him. All his fears and insecurities were laid bare... but the most unnerving sensation of all was the undisguised and quite desperate desire the Taelon was projecting - for him!
        He chalked that one up to Da'an's apparent regression... but...how could he help his friend? What should he do? He couldn't allow this to go on much longer...
        Almost instinctively, he performed a mental twist... and their bond re-established itself in a spectacular fashion! Their thoughts and emotions became one and the same... as an elated cry was torn from both. Together, they took back control of Da'an's form and as their minds finally disengaged, once more returning them to individual, but linked status, they found that they had somehow sunk to their knees and were kneeling together amid the rubble on the floor.
        Da'an was slumped against him, but when he gently gripped his arms and held him at arms length, he could see that his friend looked like himself once more.
        The Taelon's lids fluttered weakly before opening and she fixed so sweet a look upon her other, that Boone did something even he never suspected he would do.
        He drew Da'an close and kissed her full on the mouth!
        The contact was electric and Boone quite literally felt himself going cross-eyed behind his lids. Dimly realizing - with a thrill - that Da'an was actually leaning in to him and pulling him closer, he tightened his own embrace.
        The kiss began to deepen...
        "Somebody turn a hose on them quick!" Augur shouted, rudely interrupting the moment.
        With utter shock he broke contact and stared at Da'an. The ex-Companion's expression was a comical mix of both ecstasy and annoyance.
        "I'll kill him..." Boone whispered, red-faced with both embarrassment and anger. They were being stared at as though they were zoo exhibits!
        Da'an looked around at the people gaping at them and sighed. "Perhaps later... after he has helped to put things in order..."
        Boone barely had time to snort before he was pulled away by the people who had mourned his passing and now took turns hugging him as they cried or laughed their relief at his return - and their own survival of the day. He realized to his delight that not one of them cared that they had just seen him kiss the ex-Companion to North America - a being of a different species and from an entirely different galaxy!
        Da'an watched enviously for a moment before he too was unexpectedly swept into the crowd and soundly welcomed into the fold. One and all, they thanked him for their lives... and Boone's as well. Amongst people not of his species, he had finally found acceptance. He began to truly believe that there was hope for the future...
        Most of those gathered together were far too busy to notice when Doors signaled two armed soldiers to follow him and left the chamber...