E:A Vol 2 Ch 13—January 2, 2119

Chapter 13: January 2, 2119

“We began the live trials last week,” Ja’val said. “I chose ten Rayth from the general population and ten from the traitors. This past week I monitored and tested their regenerative abilities, and ran other baseline tests like strength, endurance, and so on. Tomorrow I will administer the serum. The following week, they should be eating food regularly, though in small quantities, and will obviously still need life force energy. By the end of the first month, I am hoping that they will be subsisting entirely on food. When that stage is confirmed, I will again run the same tests that I just performed to see if there is any negative side effect to their regeneration abilities, strength, and the other areas I focused on, but I also want to make sure that they haven’t lost their ability to use life force extraction.”

“Will you expand the trials? Twenty doesn’t seem like very many,” Vince said.

“I wanted to keep the number of Rayth at risk low,” Ja’val answered. “If things seem to be stable at the end of the third month, I will ask for another twenty, perhaps more. I’m not willing to rush this. There may be something that doesn’t show up for a year afterwards. Any anomaly that pops up, even an almost negligible loss of strength will cause me to stop. I have to be sure.”

“Meanwhile,” Kol’non spoke up, “The Rayth who volunteered, the ones from the general population, most of them do not have human mates. I would have expected that number to be much smaller. So we chose five with human mates, and five without. Most of the traitorous Rayth see humans only as a food source, so there was not really any way to divide up that group.”

“Has this caused any uprisings on your homeworld?” Vince asked.

“A few protests,” Zy’nayth said, “but the population, throughout the Empire, seems to be supporting it. I had not expected it since the number of traitors was much higher than I thought and they are rebelling against this sort of thing. But apparently, they truly are not the majority, for which I am thankful.”

“As we all are,” Vince said. “So, if everything goes well with the trials, how soon could you start administering the serum to the population at large?”

“I would like a full two years of trials,” Ja’val said, “just to be sure. I know it may seem like a long time, but I feel as though it is important. I am also bringing in other scientists to observe the studies and will, of course, ask for their opinions. Dr. McKenna, Dr. Carson, I will also be arranging for you to join us weekly as we run tests, that is, if you would be willing to.”

“I was hoping you’d ask,” Becket said. “It’s not going to be an issue, you know, with us being human?”

“No. You will be protected. The scientists I have chosen, for the most part, wish to meet the humans who’ve been willing to help us end this war.”

“For the most part?” John asked.

“A couple are suspicious of their intentions. They won’t be a problem. I’m sure that once they meet the two doctors and get to know them, their suspicions will be put to rest.”

Victoria looked at her husband, “You sure about this? I’m more than willing to go, but I know you might not want me to.”

“It is an isolated environment. Ja’val will be with you at all times. You will be safe.”

“Then both of you will be willing to bridge out with me tomorrow morning for the administration of the serum?” Ja’val asked.

“Yes!” both Becket and Victoria said simultaneously.

John smiled, “You didn’t even have to ask. So, this is looking good. Any word about human inhabitants in the area around the Rayk homeworld yet?”

“So far, all scans are negative. We did find some Rayth villages, workers building the ships,” Kol’non said.

“Any Gyhan?” Kaven asked.

“No. This is strictly a Rayth operation,” Kol’non replied. We’ve detected no humans on the space station or on the neighboring planets. The traitorous Rayth are most likely just passing along what is necessary for them to achieve their goals. They don’t want to give the Gyhan their most advanced technology.”

“Speaking of which,” John said, “wouldn’t it be worth a shot to steal those battlecruisers instead of blowing them up?”

“Our weapons can’t compete with them,” Kol’non said, “and our shields can’t take many hits.”

“You’ve told us they can’t detect us when cloaked. What if we could steer our little shuttle into their hangar bay? Just go in the front door.”

“My warship,” Zy’nayth spoke up, “has 1,000 Rayth on board. Those battlecruisers have at least double if not triple that number. Even if you got in unnoticed, you would most likely not be able to disembark the shuttle undetected. You would not make it to the bridge of a battlecruiser with the sheer numbers of Rayth they would have near them or on board them.”

“What about taking control from the hangar?” Chris said. “You and Ja’val have worked quite a few miracles when it comes to programming things.”

Zy’nayth thought about it as he ran his fingers through his scruffy white hair.

“Hey, you said you helped design those things,” John said, “you have to know a way to sort of remote control it.”

“If we could set that up,” Kol’non said, “we still have the issue of two or three thousand Rayth you would have to keep at bay. And that’s only one ship, not including any others that may be there when we begin this operation, and also does not include the crew of the space station itself.”

“What about that empty ship you used at Vaan?” Be’atta said. “If we can get control from the inside, we could lower whatever defenses that keep you from teleporting people out. You could teleport them all to that ship like you did with those three rebel ships around Vaan.”

“I do not think we could teleport the entire ship out at once, simply due to the size of the battlecruiser we intend to steal,” Zy’nayth said, “and there would still be at least one other battlecruiser we would have to contend with and the space station itself.”

“Do the FTL in and out trick,” Simon spoke up.

“That was on the flagship, not and empty old warship. It is not capable of handling that type of stress on its systems.”

“It’s going to be at least a month before we get the final report about humans in the area. And a few weeks after that, I assume, to finalize any invasion plans. You guys can get it ready in that amount of time, right?” Chris asked.

“I will assess the situation,” Zy’nayth said, “this idea does intrigue me. However, it will change our operation significantly. We cannot attempt to steal a ship and destroy the space station on the same mission. If we destroy the station, we lose the ship. If we steal the ship, security on the station will undoubtedly become nearly impenetrable.”

“Can the ship blow up the space station?” Kaven asked.

“There is too much risk,” Zy’nayth said. “It would not take the station long to realize the ship was no longer under their control. The second battlecruiser would attack you, and though I could teach you how to fly the ship, it would take a different level of training to teach you about combat flying and its weaponry. And we have only scratched the surface of what defenses the station has.”

“Sir,” Kol’non said, “if the Colonel can gain control of the battlecruiser, either you or I could teleport aboard it and…”

“It would still be too risky to go up against another cruiser even with another battlecruiser. Remember it will be without a full crew. And right now, we only know of two cruisers. There is a possibility that there are more. However, there are a few possibilities I would like to work through with you.”

“We could,” John said, “send in a second team to take out the space station.”

“That is not an option, Colonel,” Zy’nayth said. “If we fail in any aspect of this, I do not want anyone to know about Expedition: Andromeda’s involvement in this. I trust only the ability of those around this table to complete this mission.”

He tapped on his computer tablet, flipping screens this way and that, then expanding it so that there were now three screens he was working on. “I believe I may have another solution.” He tapped a few of the holographic keys and the main screen of his computer display appeared on the large screen in the room.

“Problems that need to be dealt with,” he said, “the Gyhan base on Vaan; the Rayk planet; the battlecruiser manufacturing facility; the battlecruisers themselves. For now, let us leave the Rayk planet as an issue to be dealt with later and focus on the other three items.”

“I believe we can steal one battlecruiser, that is worth the risk. However, we first need to find out if there are more than two of these ships out there. My ships have not encountered any more of them since the attack on Terra 2. They will keep scanning. The one area we have not been able to get close to is the space station where they are being built. Commander,” he said to Kol’non, “we are going to have to find out how many there are. We can use the empty ship and control it remotely. Ja’val can adjust the scanners appropriately, widest area possible while traveling as fast as possible and still be able to get an accurate reading, or at least a semi-accurate one.

“If there are only the two cruisers, we can plan a coordinated attack. I can commandeer two cargo transports. I will not be able to do that until the last possible moment. But there are two that have regular runs here and here,” he pointed on the screen. “Close to the system, but also close to outposts where we can transfer the cargo, at least temporarily. I can have enough men ready to handle the a battlecruiser. The transports can hold the traitors. We teleport the traitors in, then my team will teleport aboard the battlecruiser and head to our homeworld.

“And while we are stealing that ship, John, your team will be sabotaging the base on Vaan. Therefore, they lose one of their battlecruisers, the Gyhan forces on Vaan, and a large complement of the Rayth traitors all in one day.”

“And the space station?” Be’atta asked.

“Once we have control of one of the battlecruisers, my men on the second transport, which will be led by the First Commander, can invade it and take it over. Then it will be towed back to the Rayth homeworld.”

“The second battlecruiser?” Chris asked. “Don’t forget it.”

“As long as we get one of them,” Zy’nayth said, “I can handle the second. Everything will be contingent on getting that first battlecruiser under our control.”

“Sir,” Ja’val spoke up, “I still believe it is of vital importance that the Rayk planet is destroyed.”

“And I fully agree with you,” Zy’nayth said. “However, if we can wrest control of these ships instead of destroying them, we will be in a much better position, with more powerful weapons, to destroy that planet.”

“I’d rather fly one of those things instead of blowing up a base,” John smiled.

“I cannot blame you,” Zy’nayth said. “We have a month until we have a full report from the ships in the area. Ja’val, I want that empty ship ready to leave in a week. Can you do it?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“John, continue to working on your plans to sabotage the space station and simultaneously work on the sabotage plans for the Vaan base.”

“Good thing I had already started on those. Will Kaven be allowed to join us on that adventure?”

“Kaven, yes, his team, no. And your plans for the Vaan excursion must include the probability that you will not be picked up. You will need to make your way back to the bridge.”

“Noted.”

“Sir, am I to assume that the currently empty ship will be lost during this mission?” Ja’val asked.

“Yes. She goes in, scans, blasts the information to us. I am sure that any ship entering the space around the station will be engaged and destroyed.”

“I need to think things over further,” Zy’nayth said, “and how this may impact the serum trials. We can meet again tomorrow at the same time, if that works with your schedules.”

“Tomorrow will be fine,” Vince said, “this group is at your disposal.”

“Then I shall be in my chambers if you have questions. Kol’non, would you accompany me? There is much we need to discuss.”

Kol’non nodded and walked with him and Victoria to their chambers. “Do you think this multi-strike attack will be successful?” Zy’nayth asked as they entered his chambers.

“As long as there are only two battlecruisers. But even if there are one or two more, we may still at least pull off stealing one, or possibly, two ships.”

“I do not believe there are other ships, perhaps one being assembled, and it could be near completion, but if I have calculated things correctly, I do not think they would have had time to complete a third ship.”

“Third ship?” Lutia asked as she entered the main room, hearing the men enter.

“A possible third battlecruiser,” Kol’non said.

“I hope not,” she said, “I get nervous when you guys say your flagship can’t handle one of them. Can I get either of you anything?”

“No, thank you,” Kol’non said.

“Are the children down for their naps?” Zy’nayth asked.

“Yup. Just a few minutes ago.”

“Thank you for watching over them,” Zy’nayth said. “Unless Victoria needs something, you are free to leave.”

“Go and hug your husband,” Victoria said, “thanks for helping out.” Lutia smiled, gathered her book and a few other items she’d brought, then left.

“If you’re going to be here, I’d like to check on a few things in the infirmary and then run down to the mess and get some groceries,” Victoria said.

“We will be here for some time,” Zy’nayth said.

She kissed his cheek, “I should be back before the kids wake up.”

The two commanding Rayth discussed the idea of stealing not just one, but both of the battlecruisers, destroying the Gyhan base on Vaan, and various contingencies that could occur. They discussed their current flagship’s capabilities, the possibility of bringing in other loyal Rayth ships, and what advantage, or disadvantage that would bring to the table.

“Zy?” Victoria asked as the discussion continued well into her dinnertime.

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but all this talk of shields and defenses and jumping to FTL, well, I was wondering…maybe you’ve already talked to Vince about it, but in case you haven’t, I remember you saying how fast this ship was, and how strong the shields were. Couldn’t you use our city-ship in some way to help out?”

“I would not want to risk the lives of the people here.”

“Well, we have a month or so, right? We could move people to the mainland or see about taking temporary lodging some place like Elgolia.”

“There is no bridge on the mainland. And if Terra 2 was destroyed in the mission, then what would your people do?” Zy’nayth asked. “No. I will not use this ship.”

“What about using its technology?”

“We have been working on a way to incorporate what we can into our ships. It is not an easy task.”

“Well then, I’ll keep my mouth shut,” she smiled, as she went back to her dinner.

February 6, 2119

John looked at his watch, “Well, we’re on time, I hope the High Chancellor is on his end.”

“Never known him to be late,” Kaven replied.

“Should be at a safe distance now,” Simon added.

John again looked at his watch then pulled out the detonator and let out a sigh, “All right. Zy’nayth, this one’s for you, my friend.” With that, the first of hundreds of explosions went off in the Vaan base which triggered other explosions in rapid succession.

Chris reached out and steadied himself against a tree. “Now that’s a big bang,” he said.

***

“Both ships’ crews are on the transports,” Ja’val told the Second Commander of the Raythian Fleet on board of the fleet’s Second Ship. “Confirmation. The High Chancellor and his crew are on Battlecruiser One.” He paused and waited. “Good. Battlecruiser Two now under control of the First Commander. Battlecruisers engage FTL now. Second, let’s get out of here.”

***

“I picked up the flash signal to FTL from his ship,” Ja’val said as he talked over the video feed to the First Commander, “he made the jump.”

“Then where is he?” Kol’non asked, “Where is that ship?”

“Sir, I could risk going back and scanning the area,” the Second Commander stated.

“No. I’m sending you a list of crewmen I want transferred to this ship. I’ll go back. If there’s a third ship or something we failed to find, this ship stands a better chance against them.”

“First Commander,” Ja’val interjected, “the scanners on this ship can search a wider area much faster and with the FTL modifications I made, we can jump sooner than you could. We should go.”

February 7, 2119

“I assure you,” the First Commander said as Victoria gripped the arms of the chair, “we are doing all we can to find out what happened.”

“Victoria,” Ja’val said, “there was no debris. He made the jump. We just don’t know where he went.”

“Are you sure there wasn’t a third ship? Anything that could have followed him?” she asked.

“Nothing showed up in our scans,” Ja’val said.

“What if they were cloaked?” Vince asked.

“I checked through the second battlecruiser once we rejoined the Commander,” Ja’val replied, “there is no evidence of a cloaking device, nor was there anything in the database we retrieved from Vaan. I’m confident that they didn’t possess the technology to cloak.”

“And even if there had been another ship, the High Chancellor is the most capable person to take them on in a fight. As good as he is in hand-to-hand combat, he is just as good as a fighter pilot.”

“First Commander, what can we do to help in the search?” Vince asked.

“I’m afraid there’s nothing…”

“General, receiving a signal for you,” came the voice over the intercom, “it’s Colonel Hagen.”

“Three weeks early?” Vince asked, “Send it through.” After a few seconds they heard John’s voice.

“General, grabbed ourselves a little ride back. They don’t have the frequencies set up here to alert you yet, so I thought I’d just let you know that we’re gonna be popping into the control room in about a minute. Provided the High Chancellor knows how to work the teleporter.”

Victoria heard the unmistakable growl of her husband in the background and nearly burst into tears. “He could have told someone where he was going!”

“Hey, don’t yell at me,” John said, “I’m just the messenger. See you in a minute.”

Victoria was already bounding down the stairs from the conference room and waiting for her husband to appear. After what looked like a warping or bending of the air, John and his team along with Zy’nayth appeared in the control room. Victoria threw her arms around her husband. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? Don’t ever do that to me again!”

“I thought that I would be back before the others returned to Terra 2. I wanted to surprise everyone with having Colonel Hagen and his team with me.”

“Well, now that everyone is accounted for,” Vince said, “let’s stand down. All of you have been out for over a month. Get some rest. Shall we debrief in the morning?”

“I am afraid that we need to head to the homeworld,” Zy’nayth said. “The work on our end is not quite finished.”

“Can’t you stay at least overnight?” Victoria pouted.

“I have already caused a delay. We must leave immediately.”

“You can at least see your children first.”

“I intend on taking them, and you, with me.”

Victoria smiled, “Really?”

“Yes,” then he looked over at his First Commander, “Have the Second move to the battlecruiser; the Flight Commander can take the flagship. We will bridge to the homeworld once the children and their supplies are packed. From there, we will teleport to the flagship. Everything else will proceed as planned. Science Commander, Lutia may join you if you would like.”

“Thank you,” he smiled.

“She’s watching our kids,” Victoria said, “you can come with us.”

***

The chamber door opened and Ja’val entered first, nearly running to his wife and drawing her into a kiss. “We must hurry,” he said, “we need to pack your supplies then bridge out. If you wish to join me, that is.”

“Of course I do.” She turned to Victoria, “They’ve been fed and I just put them down for their naps.”

“Thanks. Go on, I need to pack too.”

“How long will we be gone?” Lutia asked. “I need to know how much food to pack.”

“Plan for a week,” Zy’nayth said, “if it is longer, you and Victoria can bridge back and get more supplies.”

Lutia nodded then headed out with her husband. As soon as the door shut, Victoria reached up and pulled her husband down into an almost violent kiss. “When Kol’non said they couldn’t find you…Zy, don’t scare me like that.”

“I am sorry. I thought I would make it…”

She kissed him again, “It’s okay. I’m just thankful you’re okay.” After one more kiss she sent him to pack up the kids’ things while she went to get food.

“So why do we get to join you this time?” Victoria asked as she boxed up the food.

“With two battlecruisers at my command, you should be safe,” he replied.

“Do we get to stay on the island?” she asked, hopeful.

“Once things are dealt with, perhaps.”

“Dealt with?”

“I do need to provide the High Council with the information about the rebel bases that have been destroyed, the battlecruisers they built to fight their own people, and the manufacturing facility. And I need to…”

Victoria stopped his comment with a kiss, “I thought it was something quick and easy. High Chancellor Zy’nayth, I love you.”

He gave her a smile and returned her kiss. “You are my heart, Victoria.”

February 11, 2119

“We should have been informed about this alliance with the Terra 2 humans as well as stealing these battlecruisers,” a member of the High Council said.

Zy’nayth looked up from his massive desk in the council chambers, “I need not inform anyone of any plans I make. I did not need to do it as Supreme Commander, and I certainly do not need to do it as High Chancellor.”

“Sir,” another member spoke, “we are here to help you make decisions that are best for our people. You don’t have to carry this burden on your own.”

“When I do not fully trust members of the High Council, I will not inform them of plans I make regarding the capturing of traitors.”

“Sir, surely you aren’t suggesting there are traitors among the High Council?” Ny’van asked pretending to be shocked at such an idea, though he himself had his concerns.

“I am saying that I do not fully trust them. However, my loyal men are now in the process of apprehending the key commanders that have been involved in this conspiracy. Since I have evidence, proof, that they are traitors, I will be using telepathy on them to find out who else has been involved. Therefore, until I have questioned them, you are to remain planet-side and will be given quarters here in my estate until then.”

“You’re arresting us?” one of the Council members fumed.

“I am confining you to this palace,” Zy’nayth replied. “Your families may join you if you wish. Think of it this way, Councilman, if I had evidence of any treason on your part, I would not arrest you, I would kill you.”

“How many of these key commanders are there?” Ny’van asked, “diverting attention of the Council.”

“Twenty-one. Five of whom are military. The rest are civilian. The military commanders have already been apprehended. My men are gathering the civilians now.”

“And this manufacturing facility?”

“Once the traitors have been captured, my men will return to the facility and arrest those working there. The facility will be towed back here where we can continue the work.”

“Towed?” a member asked, “From the outer end of the galaxy?”

Zy’nayth turned to him, “Yes.”

“But surely having it close to that planet of energy would supply us with…”

The High Chancellor had the Rayth by the throat and against the wall before he knew what was happening. “I never revealed the location of the facility. And I have not revealed anything about the energy planet. How did you come by this information?”

The Rayth’s blue eyes locked on Zy’nayth’s silver ones. “I am not a traitor,” he said, “I have simply been monitoring activity of the flagship.”

“If true, you would know that the flagship has been nowhere near that planet.”

“Sir, I beg of you, I only wished to do what was right for our people. Turning us back into humans is not the answer.”

“I never said it was.”

“But the serum? The research?”

“You have been supplied with all of the information on the serum. It does not, at least it should not, turn us back into humans. That is why we are conducting these experiments. I do not wish Rayth to lose any of their abilities. If I thought we would, I would not have allowed these tests to be run.”

“But, sir, your mate is human, your children…”

“I do not wish to be human,” Zy’nayth growled, “I wish only to end the war with the humans and the only way to do that is to be able to feed off of something other than a human’s life force.”

“But your brother said that…”

“My brother wanted only to remain in power indefinitely. He did not care for our people.”

“Sir, I beg for mercy. Please, I did not wish to betray our people. I was…I believed what your brother told me.”

“And what did he tell you? That I wanted to be human? That I wanted all Rayth to be human?”

“Yes, sir. And no, sir. He said that you wanted all of us to be human so that you could rule, as a Rayth, over all of us. He said you wanted the power. That…you’d do anything to keep it.”

Zy’nayth released his grip on the Rayth’s neck and returned to his desk. “I had plenty of power as Supreme Commander. I did not want the chancellorship. I do not wish to rule the people, but it has fallen to me and I will continue to do my best to protect them, to help them, and to try to better their lives. Have I not proven this time and again during my ten thousand years of life?”

“Sir, thank you,” he said, “for sparing me.”

“I have not yet decided upon that matter. It is best if you provide me with any and all information you may have on these traitors.”

“I have none, sir. The information I received was always through anonymous channels. I will, however, here and now in front of the High Council and the world, should you wish to broadcast it, willingly submit to telepathic interrogation. I have only sought the best for our people, but I have erred in my judgment as to who to trust.”

Zy’nayth nodded, and following protocol, recorded the live broadcast of the inquiry. At the end of his questions, he determined that the Councilman was not a traitor, was misled, and did not have any information on the traitors.

“I do not condemn you,” Zy’nayth said, “I do, however, wish for you to remain here along with the other Councilmen.”

“Of course, sir. Thank you.”

Zy’nayth instructed the Councilmen that the guards would show them to their temporary quarters and that they could have their families join them. Then he retired to his flagship where Victoria and Lutia were chatting in his chambers while the toddlers played. He’d been planet side for three days, and though he had videoed in to talk with his wife and children, Victoria worried that things were not going well for him.

“How’d it go?” Victoria asked as Ky’nayth and Mik’kenna toddled their way across the room to greet their father.

“Exhausting.”

She gave him a tender kiss, “We were just about to get dinner ready. Do you want to rest or feed the kids?”

He smiled, “You already know the answer. I will tend to my beloved children.”

“Just making sure,” she kissed him again, “I’m glad you’re back.”

After their dinner, Lutia returned to Ja’val’s chambers who returned just a few minutes after she did. Zy’nayth allowed himself to be pampered by his wife and enjoyed his neck and back massage as he read to and taught his children.

“So the serum trials are going well?” he asked when the kids decided they wanted to play instead of listen to a story.

“Seems that way,” Victoria said. “Becket was here today. He’s absolutely thrilled to be here working with Ja’val’s team. He’s in his element,” she smiled. “Anyway, all digestive systems seem to be fully functioning now. Ja’val’s increased their food consumption and is starting to decrease the number of times they feed…and how much energy they are allowed to drain. So far, so good. Of course, we have a long way to go, but getting this far is encouraging. Oh Zy, I hope this works. I’d love to sit and have a romantic dinner with you. I’d love for you to enjoy a nice thick steak or drool over a homemade apple pie.”

“No bratwurst though.”

Victoria laughed. “I won’t make you eat anything you don’t like. I promise.”

“Victoria, what if I chose to not take the serum? Would you be upset with me?”

“You mean, never take it, even after we’re sure it’s safe?”

“That is what I mean.”

“Why? I wouldn’t be upset, it’s your choice, but I know this is something you’ve wanted for several millennia, so I guess I’d just want to know why you’d choose not to take it.”

“I do not want to be at a disadvantage,” he sighed. “Until I am sure that the High Council and the people accept the serum and there is no longer a threat of rebellion, I do not want to take a chance that the serum would, in any way, decrease my abilities. I am a fullblood. It may work differently on me.”

“It should be safe for you…” she stopped and kissed his ear then went back to his massage, “but I understand. I guess I’ll just have to hold on to that dream of a romantic candlelight dinner for a little while longer.”

“Are you sure you will not be upset?”

“I promise, I won’t be upset. Even if you choose to never, ever take the serum, I won’t be upset or mad or angry.”

“And if I choose to not give it to our children?”

Victoria’s massage stopped. She sighed then wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. “We would have to discuss it,” she whispered into his ear, fighting back the rising fear. “I want them to have it, you know that. But we have years yet before they could take it, and that gives us time to perfect the serum, if there is any perfection needed. But please, when that time comes, I want us to discuss it.”

“So you would be upset if I chose to withhold it from them?”

“Probably,” she said, “you know how I feel about the idea of them feeding on humans. And please, I don’t want to fight about this. You know I love you. I love our children. No matter what dietary habits you have. That will never change. I may not like it, but that doesn’t mean that I love you any less.”

“I do not wish to fight. I just want you to be prepared in case I do make the decision to withhold the serum from them.”

“Well, like I said, we have years yet. Don’t we?”

“Yes. And I still feel your tension. Please do not be angry.”

“Just caught off-guard,” she said, “I’m not angry.”

The kids were taken each taken to the bathroom where they took care of business before their parents put them in their cribs for the night. Victoria picked up a few things, did up the few dishes left from the day then settled in the bedroom. And just as she and Zy’nayth got cozy in their own bed, Mik’kenna started crying.

“I’ll check her,” Victoria said, “though she shouldn’t need to go to the bathroom already. Be right back.”

A few seconds later, she called to her husband as she carried Mik’kenna to him. “She has a fever. Honey, she’s burning up.”

Zy’nayth placed a hand on his daughter’s chest and used his own energy to heal her. “She has not been sick while I have been away, has she?” he asked.

“No. You saw her this evening, just as happy and playful as ever. She wasn’t hot when we put her to bed. Do you see anything?” She waited for a response and when she didn’t get one, she put her hand on his arm, “Zy, what is it?”

“The disease…the one that attacks our females, I believe she has it.”

“Well, can you heal it?” she asked, knowing perfectly well, he couldn’t. That was the issue with the disease, Rayth had no way of healing it.

He tapped his comlink and summoned Ja’val to meet him in his science lab on the planet’s surface. “Get Ky’nayth and summon Dr. McKenna. Meet us in Ja’val’s lab,” he said, already hurrying out of the chambers with his little girl in his arms.

Victoria nodded and hurried to get her son after grabbing her own comlink to talk to Becket. Within minutes they were all in Ja’val’s lab, even Lutia had joined them to help as best as she could.

“I have reduced her fever, but the infection,” Zy’nayth said, “I cannot eradicate it.”

Ja’val already had his scanning equipment in place as Zy’nayth tried to calm his frightened daughter.

“I would like blood samples,” Becket said pulling out his own medical kit.

“Anything you need,” Zy’nayth replied. Ky’nayth began to cry, now awake and sensing his sister’s distress. Victoria paced with him in her arms, holding him close, and trying to comfort him with hugs and kisses.

Ja’val and Becket both took notes as the scans were run. “She was fine all day, and after dinner,” Victoria said. “No sign of a fever when we put her down for the night. Then she woke up crying, not even an hour later. It was all so sudden.”

Ja’val began listing typical symptoms but Victoria shook her head at all of them. “None of those at all. She’s been her normal self. Nothing at all out of the ordinary all day. Lutia, you were with us most of the day, did you notice anything?”

“I don’t recall any of those symptoms either; she’s been her adorable self.”

“Scans are done,” Ja’val said, “Becket, you can take your blood samples now. Can you run these tests for me as well?” he asked sending him a file of what he wanted.

Becket read through the list, “All but one. I have no idea what this last one is.”

“Of course, that is a Rayth ailment. Just a small vial for me, and I will run that.”

“Will you need to return to Terra 2?” Zy’nayth asked, “Or can you use our equipment?”

“I have a small station set up over there,” Becket pointed, “for the tests were running on our serum trial patients. I can run my tests there. Okay, sir, I’m ready to start the draw, can you hold her steady for me?”

Zy’nayth sat and held his daughter’s hand and sent her reassuring thoughts. “Do not be afraid, my beautiful daughter. He is trying to help you. It will sting only for a moment.”

Becket quickly drew the vials of blood that he needed then went about analyzing it right away while Ja’val continued his examination of the toddler.

“Dada,” Mik’kenna said, reaching out for him as Ja’val worked with her.

“It is okay, my dear girl. I am right here.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Victoria asked.

“No, love,” Becket said, “you tend to your little ones. Though you can stand over my shoulder if you want and examine the results of the tests.”

Victoria walked over to her husband and put her free hand on his arm. “Hey, we’re gonna get through this. Look at what these two men have done for Rayth so far.”

“Here, sir,” Lutia said as she brought over a chair, “sit and rest.”

Zy’nayth looked at Ja’val and Becket, “Do not let my daughter die.”

“We’ll do all we can,” Becket said, “if I could move mountains for her, I would.”

After Ja’val made sure he had all the scans he needed, he told Zy’nayth and Victoria to return to the ship and get some rest. Instead, Zy’nayth took his family to the island home.

“I will return to the ship and get the food and baby supplies,” he said, “the children can sleep with us upstairs.”

Victoria nodded as she headed up the stairs with Ky’nayth in her arms. She laid him on the floor-covering mattress then took Mik’kenna from her father and laid her beside her brother. Both children, now thoroughly exhausted fell right to sleep. Zy’nayth was quick in fetching the items from the flagship and Victoria helped him put the food away.

“It’s okay to cry,” she said as she took his hand and led him up to the bedroom, her own tears flooding her cheeks.

“I cannot lose my daughter.”

“Hey, we’ve got the best doctors in two galaxies working on this. They’ll figure it out.”

Once in the bedroom he changed into his pajamas. Victoria had already changed and had opened the ceiling iris so the stars could shine down on them. She turned off the light and drew him into an embrace, “Zy, let it out, you need to.”

“I do not wish to alarm them.”

“You can sense when they’re awake, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go down to the spare room. Just for a few minutes to cry together.”

“I want to be here if she wakes.”

“And you will be. We both need a good cry.”

He sighed and nodded and then they returned downstairs and went into the spare bedroom and sat on the bed, holding each other and crying.

“I am sorry, Victoria,” Zy’nayth said as they returned to their own bedroom, “I know this is as hard on you as it is on me. I should be comforting you instead of the other way around.”

“We’re comforting each other,” she replied. “Zy…do your people believe in God?”

“No. It is foolishness.”

“Well, on Earth…” she curled up on the mattress on one side of her children while Zy’nayth curled up opposite of her, “there are tons of religions, but…my grandparents were Christians. They believed that there was only one true God. The Creator of the universe. And He had a Son, by a virgin. His name was Jesus. They believed that He was born without sin, that He was perfect and that His death…He was crucified…and that His death and resurrection…if you believed in Him…that somehow, your sins were forgiven. All of them. And you’d go to heaven when you died. I don’t remember much from what they told me, but for some reason, these last few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about it. I remember my grandparents praying over me. Praying for me. I thought it was stupid, even when I was a kid. Even more so when I got into science. But…they believed with such passion. I can still picture them on their knees by my bed praying. Would you mind if I prayed? Or tried to. I don’t really know what I’m doing, though. I should download a Bible onto my tablet and do some reading, I suppose.”

“Do you think it will help our daughter?”

“I don’t know, Zy. I just feel like I need to do this. These last couple of months, it’s been on my mind. A lot. I don’t know why. I haven’t thought about God or Jesus or anything since I went to college…and through all of that with Jason. If anything, that horror with Jason turned me stone cold towards God. I don’t know. It’s not gonna hurt to pray. I have to try.”

“Then pray. Show me what to do, I wish to pray as well. I do not believe in such mysticism, but I will try anything if it will spare my daughter.”

Victoria wiped at her tears as she knelt over her children, “I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’ll do my best. Here, take my hands, Papa and Nana always held hands when they prayed together.”

He took her hands into his own and bowed his head as she did. Then she closed her eyes and began to pray, as she remembered her grandparents doing. “Oh God,” she said, then began to weep, “God, please, don’t take our daughter. I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know how to pray. I only remember a little of what my grandparents told me. Help me. Help us. God, I don’t know if this Christian thing even works in another galaxy…but if you did create the universe…Lord, I don’t know…” she pulled her hands from her husband and wiped at her tears, “Lord, show me what I need to do. Show Becket and Ja’val what needs to be done to help our little girl. God please, help us. Please. Show me…show us the truth. Jesus, help us, please. Amen.”

She let out a sigh, “Sorry, Zy, I really don’t know what I’m doing.”

“It is all right, Victoria, I believe that if there is a Creator, then He would have heard you. Heard us. I prayed with you in my heart. Can you get a copy of this Bible in the morning? I would like to read it.”

She nodded then settled back on the bed, “I will. I do remember Papa always told me to read John first.”

“Colonel Hagen?”

“No,” she smiled, “no, there’s two testaments: old and new. The New Testament… I just know the Gospel of John is in the New Testament and Papa always told me to read it.”