regarding Chapter One

This story is a continuation, although I feel that it will stand perfectly well on its own.
The first two novels will most likely be combined into one as the second follows so closely from the first and neither is extraordinarily lengthy.

There is a great deal of emotion, naturally, in the writing of such a story. Between the characters and the action, the words and the feelings evoked - my own and theirs - there has to be a connection or else the story will not come together. This particular adventure has been a couple of years in my head due to various factors. The general outline is worked out, the ending is known to me :) and as I type the details become clear.
Keep in mind, however, as you read, that this version is "as I write" and has not been particularly edited except for spelling and grammar (mostly).
As usual, I ask for constructive criticisms and advice. Feedback will be greatly appreciated.

O

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Chapter 1

                “NO! Don’t leave, please!”

                Awakening in a panic, heart pounding, I sat up in the bed, clutching the blanket in shaking fingers. Disengaging my tight grip, slowly, painfully, I felt around me, not certain what was happening, trying to focus. My fingers met resistance, something warm and familiar.

                “I’m here, Elizabeth, I’m here,” a voice said. I shook my head, trying to focus on that voice, trying to place it. “Come back to me, please, Elizabeth.”

                The fog in my brain slowly began to lift, and my eyes began to clear. Something touched my shoulder, I shrank away. An arm, it was an arm, persistent, wrapping around me, pulling me close to...

                “Paolo? What happened?”

                My husband, kneeling on the bed next to me, had both arms now holding me close. His face was clouded with worry, his deep grey eyes focused intently on mine as I turned to face him. He was still wearing his uniform, which meant that I had not been asleep for very long. Even the Captain would have changed out of his uniform if he had been lounging in his quarters getting ready for bed.

                “You called me, my dear. You were fearful, I had to be with you. I do not know any more than that. You woke almost as soon as I arrived. Although, you were apparently not quite awake until just now. What do you remember?” His voice shook as his own fear surfaced. The fear was for me, resonating through me just as though it were my own.

                In the dimly lit dark of our bedroom I could just barely make out the shadows of the bed curtains, framing the room beyond. The hanging planters near the large windows drew my attention, even though they were not actually visible other than as vague shapes. There was neither sound nor movement, just a quick diversion of attention. It was quickly overtaken by the more immediate issue at hand.

                My instinct took over and I gave my husband as much comforting warmth as I had in me at that moment. That very act was comforting to me as well, as I allowed myself to feel the soothing warmth as it flowed through me to him. His arms somewhat relaxed their intense grip on me, but still kept me close against his body. The fabric of his Federation uniform felt scratchy, rough against my bare skin, but I didn’t move.  We sat there for a brief moment, and my mind wandered ever so slightly.

As always I was taken by the contrast between us, both in our choice of career and in our physical appearance. My brown skin and eyes, slender yet muscled body and small stature is what can only be considered a complement to my Captain’s fair complexion and tall powerful presence. As a Botanist, having athletic tendencies is a helpful thing, it allows me to do my own “gardening”, so to speak. Having thick dark hair and shapely breasts and legs is a bonus which comes with genetics, as well as the disciplines of Yoga and Tai Chi. I realized that my mind was procrastinating, so I took a deep cleansing breath and let it out very slowly as  my thoughts coalesced.

His deep grey eyes shifted to look at me as he waited for me to speak.

I thought carefully, as my heartbeat and my breath slowed, encouraging his to do so as well.

                “It was dark, Paolo, dark as Space. But there was someone there.” My head was clearing, I could just almost see who it had been. “There was something familiar about them, but I knew that I had never met them before. Their feelings were so clear. So clear. And there was something else... it’s gone now.” I shut my eyes, focusing on the memory. “So powerful, immensely powerful. But also somehow vulnerable.”

A hesitation, then, “And my arm burned.”

                There was the slightest sense of surprise, accompanied by concern. Not a trace of fear left. My Captain was again in control, and his strength bolstered mine. His fingers stroked down my arm, my left arm, and  he once again tightened his hold on me. His lips brushed my cheek and softly moved down to my neck, tingly heat following. He spoke against my skin, ever so gently.

                “And you do not know who they are? Do you suppose they are real? You have been contacted in the past...You have been given true visions before.”

                “I have no way to know for sure, Captain. But it certainly did feel like the real thing!” The memories were swirling around my head now, but as I focused harder, they grew more distant, almost purposefully. I shook my head again, and curled up closer to my husband, reaching out to his loving warmth as he opened himself up to me.

                But as I allowed myself to relax into his embrace, just as he was moving his lips once again down my neck, we both suddenly tensed. There was a feeling, a feeling of chill in the air, a cold breeze that cut through my head like an icicle. I felt it in my bones, in my heart, and I knew that the Captain felt it as well. He is not Sympath as I am. But we have that special connection between us, and when we need to we are able to share our feelings, and thoughts. The freezing cold intensified, and my eyesight grew dim as my head filled with fog. My hands grabbed for his. The full impact of his alarm, renewed, swept through me as I slipped back into the darkness of the dream. But this time was different. This time, I was not alone.

                In the months since we had left Hegrioa, our lives had become what we could only think of as ordinary. For us, that is. As ordinary as our lives could ever be. In comparison to what we had been through, almost from the moment we had met, the past year had been quiet. Ordinary. We had been able to finally get into a real routine, almost as though we were a normal couple, living and working together normally. We were surrounded by family and friends. Both of us love our work, we had each become what we were meant to be. Not many can say that they are living their dream, but I do not think it is an overstatement in our case. And our private life is ever the more satisfying for being so satisfied with the other aspects of our lives.

                However, indeed almost from the moment we had met, we had been involved in the conflict then raging throughout our Galaxy. Even allowing for the fact that my husband is the Fleet Commander for the Federation, we had become more deeply entangled in the hostilities than almost anyone else. Of course, it was mostly because of me. As a lifelong career Botanist, it would have never occurred to me that I, Elizabeth Thorne, plant doctor, would be integral to the saving of the Federation from any sort of danger. Why would anyone think that? No-one would, except that I am one of very few Alpha One Sympaths in the Galaxy. I have never met another, though I know from my experiences and a few stray feelings that they are out there. Lesser Sympaths, yes, they are more common, but Alpha is quite rare.

                At first, I had thought that I had gotten myself involved in the War because of the Captain. However, it was not too long before we found out that I had been the focus of the attention of an alien culture for more years than I cared to think about. The fact is, that although I share my life with my husband, I am alone with my abilities, alone with my certain Destiny. There are things that I cannot share. It seemed that this particular situation was one for the both of us. Whether that was for the good or bad remained to be determined.

               

                It was such a comfort, having my Captain there in the dream with me, his arms holding me tightly. Even as we sank into the dizzy darkness, I could feel that something was quite different. The sense of Power was overwhelming around me. There was nothing identifiable in my vision or mind, and yet I felt a vague sense of recognition.

                “There is Danger.” That voice, echoing in my head, seemed so familiar, and yet I knew that I had never heard it before. “There is great Danger. You must beware. We are coming.”

                “What? Who are you?” My voice, even in the dream, was shaky. My Captain’s arms tightened and tensed.

                The darkness lifted, just a bit, enough that I could just barely see my husband’s face, watching me carefully. His grey eyes were glistening as he felt that deep, intense voice reverberate through his head. I could sense his thoughts churning over his desire to protect me and the ways he knew to do that. And the futility of those ways.

                “You will be diligent. We cannot protect you, not yet. Beware.”

                My left hand began to burn, the prickly sensation moving up my arm as I flexed my fingers and shook my hand. That feeling was all too familiar indeed, although it had been many months since I’d had any unusual sensations in that arm. It was something I could never forget, yet had become so distant it was almost as vague as a memory could get. As a Sympath, one of the perks is to be able to push away, or rather subdue temporarily, feelings that one does not care for. It takes a bit of training and years of practice, however, though it seemed that in this case I had been quite successful.

I didn’t dare try to look down, afraid of what I would see. The green vines and orange flowers emblazoned onto my dark skin had stopped their movement very shortly after we had left Hegrioa. By the time we had arrived at Earth, neither the Captain nor myself had anything more than beautiful patterns adorning our left arms. Now, however, I had a very strong feeling that that was no longer the case. And yet I was afraid to look. That would have meant acknowledging what was happening, and what that in turn could mean for my future, and my Captain’s.

                Finding my voice, I had to ask, “Protect me from what? Please, can’t you tell us anything?”

                “We are coming, Elizabeth...” The voice grew more forceful. “Captain Paolo Bianchi.”

                The Captain started, then gripped me more tightly. “Yes.”

                “You are in danger as well. Perhaps even more immediate danger. You too must be diligent. You must each watch over the other.”

                Together, we answered without hesitation, “Of course!”

                The sensation of Power began to grow more distant. I knew whoever was there was leaving. Leaving us with too many questions, and we had no way to know which ones to ask first. We were not given a chance. Suddenly, they were gone, without warning.

                “NO! Wait! Don’t leave, please!”

                It was too late. We came to ourselves, in our quarters, on our bed, just the two of us. I just sat there, stunned, confused, as the Captain slowly got up and began to remove his uniform. I refused to look at my arm, or his, choosing to stare at the weave of the blanket, counting the stitches.

                “Elizabeth.”

                I shut my eyes, breathing deeply before reopening them to turn my head toward him. He was standing next to the bed, backlit by the light of the now-powered terminal on the desk. His black hair, his fair skin, his athletic body framed perfectly within the rectangle created by the bed curtains. Catching my breath as always at the sight of him, I still lowered my eyes before once more turning away.

                “Yes, Captain.”

                “Look at me, Elizabeth. We have no choice in this, my dear. You know that our path was chosen a long time ago.”

                He climbed back into the bed, pulling me close. He ran his hand over my hair, which was even more wild and unruly than usual after having been so abruptly and unpleasantly awakened. I could feel his heartbeat as he enfolded me in his arms, his skin so warm against mine. As he moved to take my left hand in his own, I managed to avoid looking at it until he brought it up in front of my face.

His arm once again tightened around my waist, his fingers dug into my wrist as I tried to squirm away. I shook my head, denying. He did not ease his grip, his aura was serious and unyielding, though still loving and affectionate.  There was not a chance that he was going to let this go.

                Another deep breath, a feeling of inevitability... then I had to look. Tears started in my eyes as I saw that the vines, lush and green against the brown of my skin, were indeed in motion once again. Beautiful as they are, they are a symbol of something that was deeply frightening to me. Another symbol of how I am so very different from everyone else. And a symbol of how we were perhaps under the control of something or someone beyond our understanding. My Captain brought my hand to his lips, kissing my palm gently and looking into my soul with those unbelievable grey eyes. Of course, as he did so I saw that the vines on his arm were also moving, swaying in an invisible breeze. The tears fell, I could feel them running down my face.

                I crawled into his lap, letting his warmth and love wash over me as he gently wiped the tears from my cheek. He leaned back against the bed-board, never letting his grip on me loosen even a little. A fingertip under my chin lifted my face to his, and he lowered his head to kiss me. Ever so softly, tenderly, his lips so warm on mine. The kiss blossomed, growing more passionate as my hand moved to brush against his powerful chest, then to grip his shoulder and pull him even closer. The warmth in us grew as we allowed ourselves to be overtaken by the passion.

                We both jumped, startled, when the Klaxon blared.

                “Captain Bianchi! You are needed on the Bridge, Sir! There is a ship approaching. It may be Agrint.”

                The Captain was already up out of the bed and half dressed before Commander Walker finished speaking.

                “On my way, Commander. Are they scanning us? Are their weapons armed? Is it only one ship?” He finished buttoning up his uniform jacket, stepped back into his boots, and blew me a kiss before he walked quickly toward the door. “I will let you know when I know anything, Elizabeth. It seems your friends were correct about danger. Please stay here.”

                Nodding, I answered, “Yes, Sir.”

                Commander Walker’s voice came over the communicator as the Captain disappeared out into the corridor. The tone of his voice was concerned, but not fearful. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I knew that I would feel if anything extreme were happening. I had been aboard the Draco for long enough now that I could sense and distinguish the feelings of everyone on board. All one thousand of them.

                Pointedly not looking at my left arm, I slid out of the bed and went into our lounge. I had a feeling that I would soon need strength, and since I had no inclination to sleep at the moment, I chose to work out. My Yoga had saved my mind on many occasions, and I hoped that it would again. The bright white and blue stars greeted me as I entered the lounge, beautiful against the black of Space outside the huge windows. The flashing of the red Alert light above the door was a reminder that all was not well, but I needed to try my best to ignore it for the moment.

                The feelings of tension were growing amongst the Crew, pressing against my mind as I began my practice. I knew that I had to unfocus, had to clear my mind in order to relieve the pressure. As I moved from position to position, my breathing in tune with the poses, my brain finally was able to relax. My body knew what to do, I had done this many many times before.

                I had been at it for a while, almost ready to finish, almost ready to begin my end-of-routine breathing, when suddenly something stopped me short. There was something, something or someone interfering with my concentration. My heartbeat sped up, my body went into automatic defense mode. Without thinking, I found myself in a defensive stance, knees bent, fists raised, though I had no idea why. At first. Then it became crystal clear.

                A split second before I felt the blow to my stomach, I felt the stab of pain in my head. A familiar pain, one that I had not expected to feel again. This was not a physical attack. This was another Sympath, going after my mind. I doubled over, gasping, even as I reached out to find where this attack had come from. Unfortunately, I did have a good idea of who it was, though not where. The pain was indeed a familiar one, coming as it did from an old foe. What I found shouldn’t have been a shock, but it was.

                He was on the enemy ship. And it was an Agrint ship. They were back, and it seemed from the flavor of his emotional state that they were not after the Draco herself, they were coming after me. They couldn’t know of the Ship’s new defenses, put in place after our return from Hegrioa last year.

                I almost laughed at the brazenness of the assault , but this was too serious. My instincts kicked in, and my reaction to the attack was in the form of a powerful mental thrust, back along the path of his own attempt. As the blow connected, I felt his reaction, his pain. Then, I smiled.

                “You didn’t learn your lesson, did you, Mr. Knowles? You really should know better.” I knew that I was only speaking to myself, but it was a pleasant thought for a second or two that perhaps he would hear me. Then I shuddered as it occurred to me that if he were able to hear me, I might be able to hear him as well. And I certainly did not want that.

                “Elizabeth! Are you all right?”

                My skin tingled with the pleasure of feeling my Captain’s thoughts, speaking to me in my head.

                “Yes, Paolo, I am fine. Though there is something you need to know.”

                “We already know, my dear. I was going to call you to warn you that Peter Knowles was aboard that ship. But it seems you have figured that out for yourself.”

                I felt the loving smile behind those simple words of confidence.

                “Yes, Captain. And I am all right. Please don’t give this event another thought.”

                “Easier said than done, my love. However, it seems that the Agrint ship is moving off, perhaps to work out another plan of attack. I will join you soon.” His thoughts left me, with the brief sensation of a kiss on my cheek.