The Enemy  Part 7
By valerafon
An earth man and an alien woman battle on a distant planet.


This work of fiction should not be read by anyone under the age of 18. Please
do not read further if you are offended by graphic violence and sexual
content.

Chapter Seven: Into the Abyss

The beautiful lady felt a familiar tug. Resolutely, she gathered herself for
the coming battle, but before she was yanked to a place between heaven and
earth, she left a very small part of herself behind. It would have to suffice
for she needed every bit of herself for the coming battle.

For a brief moment, she was suspended above the gallant band and she could
clearly see the desperate struggle beneath her. Forgetting her own imminent
danger, she gave her full attention to the scene stretched out below her.

The storm was at its apex. A sheer wall of wind and rain pelted the small
party below making movement unbearable, almost unendurable. Even the powerful
unicorn was buffeted back and forth as he trudged forward directly into the
wind dragging the makeshift sled with its all important cargo. And the man, at
the unicorns side, desperately trying to will his injured and tired body
forward. Sometimes he would fall, but he always got up and never gave into the
storm, and his only concern was for the sled and its valuable cargo.

The scene below touched the great lady and she whispered out loud, "They have
endured so much!"

And then the scene began to fade as the tug became a pull and then an
irresistible summons that she could not oppose even with all of her incredible
powers. In an instant, she was nowhere. Or more accurately, she reasoned, a
non-place between order and chaos. A place where even her great powers were
very limited...and he knew that. It was always in this realm where he chose to
confront her...One great being to another.

There was no form or substance to this place, just a swirling chaotic void.
Even she did not know exactly what it was or where it was located, but she
thought of it as some sort of a buffer between order and chaos between
substance and nonexistence. Even the black holes which spawned her had
infinitely more order than this region.

In this place, she had no form, just pure mind, pure will. But strangely, it
always felt as if she was floating with a corporeal body and the sensation
unnerved her...as it was intended.

Always, the overriding sensation, here, was an all encompassing loneliness. It
was the only time she felt this strange sensation in all the countless eons
that her patterns of order had existed . It made her feel strangely akin to
the beings she protected and nurtured. It also, she realized, made her
vulnerable...as it was intended to do.

The feeling lasted only a few moments, but of course, time really had no
meaning here, and then she sensed a greater power than herself. It was "The
Thing!". At first, it would invade her awareness like a mist swirling below
her, and then like an all encompassing cloud it would slowly swirl and curl
its way completely around her, completely engulfing her inside of it like a
devouring amoeba. As it encircled her, the cloud began to spark with some form
of unimaginable energy. And this pure energy of uncreation touched her mind,
her will, like little lightening bolts of some completely pure malevolent
primeval force..And this force felt irresistible.

This primeval force had a name, and its name reverberated through the eons.
This name was known on countless worlds and in every dimension. It was Chaos
the disrupter, the reducer, and it always won in the end. As always, she would
ask herself why had the universe been made this way? And always, she had no
answer.

As it enveloped her, she could feel its power, its malevolent intent, and its
pure hunger to devour her... Its need to scatter her pure thought, to
completely disrupt it. As always, it was so difficult to fight this basic
force of the universe. She was resisting the stuff of creation itself or
rather the inexorable forces of uncreation, but fight she must and fight she
did.

As the battle raged, there was this incredible yearning, in every fiber of her
being, to give in to its hypnotic attraction...to join with it, to be one with
it, to end the fight, and to yield.

Then as always, she felt another presence touch her mind. It was him....He who
had yielded and given himself to Chaos.

He always touched her mind in a whisper and it was the same this time.

"Why don't you give in, and be one with the only true God?" he had the
audacity to ask her.

That was always his first question when they met.

With great effort she answered back, even as the field around her intensified.

"Never!"

"You can't win, Why struggle?....Chaos will always win in the end." And then
in a more alluring voice he added, "Join me!....You can't imagine how
wonderful it feels!...And you will understand so much more!"

At that moment, the pure energy fields hit their apex and they danced and
crackled around her with incredible power, touching her, enticing her, and
beckoning her.

It was difficult to think, to answer. She fortified herself, using much of her
reserves, and she replied with firm resolve, "Never!....

Begone!"

Then he used a different tact.

"You must know your plan will never work!...The woman will die!...The man will
not succeed!....But I do like the unicorn, that was a brilliant stroke."

"Go!" she said, even more firmly to the entity. Then she quickly added, "The
plan will succeed! I will defeat your master!...Leave me!... ...I pity you!"

Immediately, she felt him shrink away from her mind as her reproach had its
desired effect. And in that moment, she reached inward even further and found
what she was looking for and it was transforming. Instantly, she began to glow
and transform. She was no longer Heim, but a bulwark, a wall against
Chaos...And she had a name, like Chaos, from the beginning of time itself.

Now, her voice boomed in the darkness as her transformation continued, and the
great being became tangible even in this place. And it was like a star had
just turned on as the great being unfurled completely and its light filled the
darkness.

"Go!....You are a creature to be pitied and I have no further time or use for
you!...And take your master with you!"

In an instant the cloud was gone...and she felt the other retreating as well.
But before she felt him no more, she heard a far off whisper, "You will join
me!...You will!....You will!..You will!"

Slowly, the whisper faded away as she regarded the other with complete
contempt, and then with a profound sadness.

When the voice was completely gone, the great being immediately transformed
back into Heim once again, and she thought of where she needed to be.....And
she was there.

The storm had been raging for hours with an intensity Bannon had never faced
before on earth or on any other world, and the pure force and eerie howl of
the wind seemed to add such a surreal feeling to their desperate plight as
well. For the first time in his life, he felt out of control like he was
finally in a situation that was beyond his mental powers, beyond his human
endurance. Even his great knack for surviving seemed like nothing to this
ferocious storm.

Why was he still moving? Why was he still trying? It would be just so easy to
lay down, close his eyes, and give up, but something was still driving him,
and this something was new and it was powerful and it gave him a resolve and
tapped an energy that he could have scarcely believed he possessed. What was
it?

For a moment the unicorn stopped. Bannon's mind did not search for the reason.
For it was moments like these that he needed to check the valuable cargo on
the sled, and make sure it was secure.

As he moved forward, he could barely make out her face in the driving rain.
Her lovely features always stirred something deep inside of him, and this time
was no different. From her countenance, he could not tell if she was alive or
dead, and she felt so cold to the touch. He checked her wound and it was not
bleeding. Was her body trying to heel itself or had her heart stopped pumping?
Bannon really didn't want to know the answer to that question. If she was dead
their would be no reason to keep moving.

As he gazed upon her face, he thought that she still was so very beautiful
even through all of this. She was so strong and unyielding as well, just like
some primeval element of nature, and as he continued to look at her, a tear
rolled down his cheek and mingled with the rain before the wind swept it away.
In that moment of catharsis, his mind answered the question to why he hadn't
given up. He loved her, and he would do what ever it took even if it meant
facing the whole Gamulan Empire or any other force that may be arrayed against
him. Somehow, he would survive again, and a new word entered his vocabulary.
"They" would survive.

The moment was transcending as such moments always are, and even as this new
realization filtered into every part of his being, a thin smile crept over his
face. He knew she was still alive even without checking. She was just like he
was, maybe even more so. Death could not master a creature such as this...and
his thoughts were not arrogance.

As he gazed upon her, lost in his thoughts, oblivious to the storm, the
unicorn started to move again and the sled jolted forward and her face was
lost in the night and the rain. For a moment, he peered into the dark
picturing her face in his mind. Then, with a greater resolve, he fortified
himself and willed his own body to move forward, ever forward into the storm.

The small band relentlessly trudged onward into the night and the driving
rain. Minutes had given way to hours, and the hours seemed like an eternity,
but the storm kept raging and they kept moving. Always, the unicorn led the
way. In time, the shelter of the forest eventually had given way to the great
open plain, and the storm hit them with even more fury, but they kept moving
forward, ever forward into the storm.

As Bannon willed his completely exhausted body forward, he kept his arm in
front of him to protect his face from the stinging rain. The pain in his arm
was unbearable. It was like someone was taking a hot poker and stabbing his
shoulder with it. At least the horrific pain in his mind took his thoughts
from the storm and focused his efforts. All he really had to do was keep
moving and make sure the valuable cargo on the sled did not fall out. He did
not need to see where he was going. All he had to do was follow, but why was
he following this creature?

Then once again, the unicorn stopped moving. This time, Bannon peered ahead to
see what it was doing. It was looking from side to side and Bannon thought
trying to see ahead in the blinding rain. But what was it searching for? And
why was he allowing it to lead?

It was the dream. It had seemed so vivid so real when it happened. He had
thought it was just a delusion from a pain racked and overtired mind, but then
fate had stepped in and put him in exactly the position the dream had
indicated. His decision seemed obvious, so right for the moment, and the
unicorn seemed to sense it to, to know what was required of it. It was a
little spooky Bannon thought. Or was their something else guiding them?

Then Bannon thought of the beautiful lady. Was she real? An audible laugh,
which was drowned out by the fury of the storm, leapt from Bannon's lips.

Then becoming more serious, Bannon whispered to the storm in a very formal
manor, "Thank you, Milady!"

And Heim heard the prayer, smiled, and answered back.

For a moment, the storm seemed to slacken, and Bannon heard a sweet voice
reply, "Your very welcome." Then the stormed immediately intensified again.

Bannon stopped dead in his tracks as he was taken completely by surprise. He
looked about for a few frantic moments, then attributed the voice to
exhaustion and his situation. It had to be a delusion conjured up from the
depths of his exhausted mind. Man! Get a grip! He told himself firmly, and
then he started to trudge forward once again.

The Goddess Triumphant seemed to shudder as it jumped back into normal space,
and then all the stars appeared again, but now the ship was a few light years
from where it had been moments before, and just a few hours from Regna. Their
destination appearing as a tiny dust ball in the center of the main viewing
screen.

To jump so close to the planet had been a necessary risk because time was
everything now, and it would shave days off their arrival. As Tiani expected,
the ship and crew had performed flawlessly.

On the bridge, the Com officer calmly asked Tiani a question.

"Do you want to contact Gamula?"

Tiani gave it only a moments thought before replying, "No, we have our
orders."

Her next question haunted her, but she had to ask it none the less. With a
single-mindedness of purpose, Tiani focused her full attention on the screen
and the little asteroid at its center, and inquired, "Is the force field still
in place?"

Not looking up from the screen or her duties, the Science Officer replied,
"Yes Sir!"

With her own eyes still riveted on the tiny moon, Tiani betrayed some emotion
by sighing deeply. It was a sigh of relief. Everyone on the bridge knew the
implications to that answer. Glaxxana might still be alive.

Still staring at the screen, Tiani silently renewed her recent vow. I have
come for you "Creature," and nothing or no one will stop me from killing you
and throwing your dead body before the queen back on Gamula. If she wants you,
she can have you, but you will be thoroughly dead.

She stared a moment longer at the viewing screen, turned her head to where she
expected her second to be, and then she started to bark out her orders.

Torianna, her second, who had silently moved by her side took it all in.

"Prepare for battle!" Tiani ordered. "We're not sure what we'll encounter down
there so arm the squads appropriately."

Her second nodded her assent, but before she left, she inquired, "And the
Delta Blaster?"

The question made Tiani realize once again how capable her second had proven
to be, and that thought pleased her.

Nodding, yes, to the question, Tiani elaborated, "We may have to punch a whole
in that force field if the Meridians won't cooperate."

Torianna listened carefully, acknowledged Tiani's orders with a nod of her
head once again, and then quickly moved off.

Then Tiani turned back to the screen and focused even more intently on the
small asteroid at its center.

But she had one final command before the ship prepared for battle.

"Get me the Meridians on FTL!" she ordered. "Maybe, they'll be reasonable."

Because of the breach in protocol, she expected them to be scared. Maybe, that
would make them reasonable.

At daybreak, the storm was still raging. Bannon was at the end of his rope.
The only thing that kept his legs moving was the dark outline looming ahead of
them on the horizon. It seemed to appear out of nowhere at first light. Bannon
had no idea what the outline might be, but it did seem as if the unicorn was
heading directly for it.

The terrain was unfamiliar to Bannon. His experiences on this planet offered
no clue as to what type of feature it might be. Maybe, it was shelter, a cave?
That was something they desperately needed. The woman needed attention or all
there efforts would be for naught. Whatever it was, it did offer hope,
something to focus on in the storm, but the only problem was that it didn't
seem to be getting any closer, and time was running out.

Just as the rain seemed to slacken, Bannon's legs gave out once again, and he
fell. Somehow, he found the energy to pick his head up out of the mud and
brace himself on his hands. The unicorn had stopped and was looking back at
him with a look that seemed to be imploring him to get up once again and go
on.

"You better go on without me," he told his new friend as his last bit of
energy gave out and he crashed back down into the mud.

He heard the sled start to move, but he didn't have the strength to look up
and watch it disappear. Instead, Bannon was resolved to his fate, and he even
closed his eyes and welcomed oblivion when something intruded in on his
ignominious death.

It was that damn unicorn again. It was trying to push him with his snout. Why
won't he let me alone Bannon thought? Why can't he let me die in peace?

Then Bannon saw the sled and as the unicorn moved it into position, he somehow
understood. He wound his good arm around one of the poles of the sled, moved
as much of his pain racked body onto the sled as he could being careful not to
jostle the woman, and hung on as best he could. Slowly, the sled started up
once again, and he felt his body being dragged along, half in and half out of
the sled. The path was a muddy swamp and at least that made the journey a bit
easier on his pain racked body.

Bannon was in and out of consciousness over the next hour, but he somehow
managed to stay attached to the sled, and when he finally did regain his
senses, he realized that the sled had stopped. With supreme effort he managed
to get to his feet, and it was only then that he realized that the storm had
broken, the wind had died down to a whisper, and the rain had diminished to a
light drizzle.

As he stood on unsteady feet and looked forward, he saw a wondrous sight. A
large ridge was looming above him, and about a third of the way up the ridge
was a huge cave.

He looked up and then he looked back at the unicorn. In a weary and tired
voice he asked the unicorn, "How are we going to get up there?"

Slowly the queen made her way into the bowels of the great temple of Heim,
past the guardian statue with its great sword to the Chamber of Awakening.
There, with a wave of her hand, she dismissed her body guards.

Her captain hesitated and gave her a look of concern.

The queen instantly understood as was her way, and in a calm voice, she tried
to allay her bodyguard's fears.

"Go! And wait outside, for me, in the Hall of Virgins. I will be safe here."

With a silent nod of her head the captain left the old queen to the silence of
the chamber.

Once alone, the queen felt the years of service to Heim overwhelm her and she
noticeably slumped. She closed her eyes and prayed to her goddess. Silently,
she prayed for the great burden she carried to be lifted from her, but she
knew, deep within her soul, she was still the best choice to lead her people,
and that was why she was here.

At that moment, a priestess silently entered the chamber. It was the leader of
the sect of Vestal Virgins. As soon as the old queen saw her enter, her stoop
left her and she portrayed a more regal pose. The old queen was not surprised
to see the leader of the sect. It was custom that the high priestess attend
such an important dignitary and be present at such an important ritual.

The young Priestess moved before the queen, bowed, and then waited. The queen
took out a pouch and handed it over. The priestess looked at the pouch and
then back at the queen in wonderment, before she bowed once more and
acknowledge the gift.

As soon as the offering had been placed by a small statue of Heim for
consecration, the Priestess turned and with an outstretched hand bid the old
queen to follow.

As she did, the old queen wondered again if she was doing the right thing. Her
prayers to Heim went unanswered, and she could find nothing in the sacred
texts that offered a path to follow. Silently, she wondered if she was on a
course to destruction. If the whole Gamulan Empire was on a course to
destruction.

And now she was about to do the same thing that she had chastised Tiani for.
This holiest of ceremonies took months of preparation, and she was about to
desecrate it by forcing it months ahead of its time.

As she walked towards the Altar of Cleansing and was about to be bathed in the
Waters of Purity and adorn the ceremonial robes, she knew she really didn't
have a choice. She had to know what was happening there on Regna. She had to
see through Glaxxana's eyes. To see the man, the warrior from the blue planet
who had upset everything. Instinctively, she knew he was the key to
everything. She must have him!

Patiently, she waited as her robes were removed and then she stepped into the
holy grotto. As the waters of purification washed over her, she silently
wondered if when she drank the focusing potion, all that she would see would
be darkness. That would signal Glaxxana's death. It was her greatest fear, but
a fear that had to be overcome. She had to see, she had to know for she was
being challenged now in the council, and she couldn't let a lesser person lead
in this most crucial of times..And it was not arrogance for she was the
greatest queen the Gamulan Empire had ever known.

As the robes were carefully fitted on her regal personage, a smile lit her
features, and an awareness entered her being as she thought about her greatest
protégée and one of only a few persons she truly cared about. The woman she
called her daughter, the greatest warrior in all the Gamulan Empire and maybe
in all the galaxy. All would be lost if she was dead....But with a certainty
that defied logic she spoke out loud and interrupted the silence, and startled
the attendants, "My daughter is not dead!"....And it was not arrogance.

Somehow, they had managed the steep rise and the narrow paths with there
ominous vertical drops, and the cave loomed just ahead. Bannon was beyond
exhaustion, but not beyond caring. From somewhere, he had to find something
more. He had to find the energy to care for the woman because the woman was
everything.

By this time, the storm had moved on and both suns were peeking through the
clouds. The day on this small moon would prove to be a glorious one, and with
the rays of the sun, Bannon found that something extra.

Moving through the entrance of the huge cave, Bannon yelled, "Whoa Boy!" and
the unicorn stopped with its burden a few meters inside the cave entrance. For
a moment, Bannon looked around and saw nothing but a few scattered rocks. Over
the last two weeks he had run into several dangerous animals, and all he could
hope for was that this cave was unoccupied.

Taking a deep breath, he peered into the darkness at the back of the cave. He
saw nothing and could hear nothing. Exhaling a deep sigh of relief, he set
about his main task. After he had unhitched the makeshift sled from the
unicorn, he paused for a moment and looked back at his new friend. The unicorn
had his head turned and was staring back at him, watching him carefully.

For a brief moment he forgot his main task and approached the unicorn. It
watched him warily. Throwing caution to the wind, he grabbed the head of the
great horned beast, petted it, then hugged it close to him.

"Thanks boy!" He said tenderly.

The unicorn responded by opening it huge mouth and whinnying. It was as if it
understood him, which by this time, did not surprise Bannon.

Still holding on to the great head, "He said even more tenderly, "And thank
the god that brought you here."

And Heim heard his prayer and was pleased.

As soon as he let go of the wondrous creature, Bannon went back to the sled.
He knelt down and beheld the female once again. She was still a sight to
behold. From this distance her beauty almost took his breath away.

Hearing a noise, he took his gaze from the woman and saw that the unicorn had
settled down to the ground and had made itself very comfortable near the mouth
of the cave. It was still watching everything he did with those big wide
bright eyes, but it seemed to be at peace.

He smiled at the great beast for a moment, but his smile didn't last for long
as he refocused on his main task. He wasn't sure if the woman was still alive,
but he was about to find out. With trepidation, his hand moved to the woman's
throat and he searched for a pulse.

What he found exalted him. He found a pulse and it was strong. THE WOMAN WAS
ALIVE!

Trying to calm himself, his joy turned to tenderness as he beheld her, and he
could not fight the urge any longer. Gently, he bent down and kissed her
cheek.

Immediately, the unicorn made a large commotion.

Turning to the unicorn, Bannon spoke softly to it. "I know, I stole that
kiss....I promise you the next time, we kiss, she'll be awake."

As if it understood, her guardian immediately calmed, looked at him intently,
and then closed it eyes.

Bannon returned his attention to the beautiful woman. As he started to fumble
with her bandages, he mumbled to himself, "Just great! I'm hear with the most
beautiful woman in all the galaxy, and I have a mythological creature for a
chaperone.

As he unwrapped her bandage, he was surprised to find that the bleeding had
stopped entirely, and the wound seemed to be better than he remembered it.
Could she possibly be healing that fast? Then he remembered who he was dealing
with, and he knew the answer. She truly was an extraordinary creature.

After the wound had been cleaned and the bandage changed, he stared at her
once more. His only concern now was her loss of blood, but he was sure her
incredible body was dealing with that even now.

That only left him with the task of finding some food. Oh Hell! He thought to
himself that can wait, and he collapsed in a heap next to her. Just before
darkness overtook his completely exhausted mind and body, he had a new
thought. What about the future? For the first time in a long time, he thought
he might actually have a future. Had he muddled everything up?

He yelled out loud to the walls of the cave, "To hell with everything!" And
then he tenderly put his hand on her arm and thought, WE will find a way!

The Captain looked through the video relay at the graying old man. He looks
worn out the captain thought as he prepared to give his report. He knew he
liked the old man, but for the first time the captain found a certain kind of
kinship with him as well. I have the burden of my mission and he has the
burden of billions of lives to protect. Then in a moment of catharsis the
captain realized that they might be one in the same.

"Sir, I am in position at Coleus Prime. I await your orders."

"Proceed Captain!"

"Sir?"

"Take your ship to Regna. Once there, you are to find Bannon and protect him
at all costs. I will not be far behind."

The captain digested his orders for a moment and asked the next logical set of
questions.

"Sir, is the woman dead? Is Bannon in trouble?"

Donavan admired the captain's logical mind and his courage. He truly was the
right instrument at precisely the right time.

In a gentle voice he filled the young man in, "Captain, the woman is not
dead...Everything is clouded....Expect the unexpected."

"Sir, your coming to Regna?"

"The fleet leaves within the hour, I will rendezvous with them shortly
thereafter."

The captain was stunned at that revelation and he asked, "The fleet, Sir?"

"I believe things are falling apart. You must hold things together till I get
there....And remember to expect the unexpected."

"Yes, Sir," he said comely and the screen went blank.

The captain had answered back in precisely the right manner to Donavan's
information and orders, and that had pleased the old man. Then he thought
again, the right instrument at precisely the right time.

After the screen went blank and feeling his years catch up with him, the old
man slumped in his chair and he asked himself the question that he dreaded.
But will it be enough?

The President of the Federated Worlds chose that moment to walk through the
door and intrude on Donavan's thoughts.

He walked up to Donavan's desk with a grave look on his face, and staring out
at the blue orb just beyond the window, he asked, "Is there any further news?"

Somberly, the high advisor filled in his president.

"News has arrived that the woman has stabilized. She is still incapacitated,
but without intervention she will live."

"And where the hell is Bannon?"

Donavan answered cryptically, "That is the sixty four dollar question."
Donavan didn't know the origin of that phrase, but it was applicable and still
in use.

To offer some hope, Donavan threw out an educated guess.

"Our best strategists think he may be having difficulty reaching her and
finishing the job. He could have shot her across a river, and is working his
way towards her right now."

The president turned and looked directly at his chief advisor and asked, "Do
you believe that?"

Donavan had never lied to his president and he wasn't about to start now.

"No sir," he said comely. "It doesn't fit Bannon's modus operandi. He is the
ultimate planner. He would leave nothing to chance."

The President took it all in, and then asked incredulously, "Then what the Sam
Hell's going on out there?"

"Indeterminate at this time," Donavan replied.

"Damn it! That's not good enough!" was the presidents predictable response."

Somewhat ignoring the president's last statement, Donavan had the unpleasant
task of dropping the other shoe.

"Sir, the Meridians have just informed us that there has been a severe
violation in protocol, and they have terminated the Meridian Compact. The
force field around Regna has been turned off and the contest terminated. There
will no longer be any more reports as to the status of the two combatants."

The president continued to look at the earth as it floated before him in
space, and a in a surprisingly calm voice he asked, "And what is the nature of
this violation?"

Donavan hesitated for just a moment. It was enough for the president to take
his gaze off of earth and to look directly at his high advisor.

"There has been an incursion, by a Gamulan warship, in Meridian space."

The high advisor turned back to the blue planet before he uttered, "My God!"

Donavan didn't wait for a reply. He also informed the president of his plans.

"The fleet can leave within the hour."

"By all that is holy, send them," the president replied. "And I want you there
too. We need to gather intelligence, and I want you there to interpret it and
to make the right decisions before this spirals completely out of control."

"All ready taken care of, sir."

The president gave him a momentary look of surprise and then he nodded and
smiled. As he walked out, he added, "God speed, Harry!...Come back to us
safe....I just pray there's a Union of Federated Worlds to come back too."

Donavan was touched as the president left his office. It was the first time
the president had ever called him by his first name. It was a personal touch
he thought lacking in the man, and then he realized something. Maybe, the
president didn't expect Donavan to return.

The old queen had been staring at the candles for almost an hour and nothing
had happened. She refused to let her mind go to the place where an inevitable
conclusion lay dormant. She had not yet lost heart, but she did feel the
steadfastness in her daughter start to wane. Her great faith in her young
protégée was being tested to its limits.

Instead of doubting, she focused her great mental powers to a degree she did
not even know she possessed, and then she felt the mind altering state take
hold. At first, it crept into the edge of her awareness, and then with ever
increasing speed it took hold of her, and then she felt a titanic jolt in her
mind, and then she was someplace else.

At first she felt tremendous disorientation and slowly, ever so slowly, the
scene became clearer. She was in a cave, and there he was before her. It was
the human, and he was carrying something in his hands...a strange animal and a
knife.

At first, the realization hit home that Glaxxana was alive and conscious. It
was a great relief to the queen, but then she realized he had a knife. Was
this "Thing" going to kill her daughter? The wave of emotion that swept over
her dimmed the image for a moment. Then she remembered the priestesses
warning. Great emotion can terminate the link, and once broken the link can
never be reestablished.

With great effort, she calmed herself and the image returned to clarity and
when she saw the man again he had put down the knife and that calmed her even
more. She intently focused on the man and not the surroundings, and she
studied him with interest.

He did not look extraordinary in the least and he was covered in grime and his
clothes had been ripped to shreds. He seemed to be busying himself with the
strange animal, and he was ignoring her daughter which seemed odd unless he
knew she was no threat.

Then all of sudden the scene began to dissolve. Was she losing the link? But
in its place another more surprising image started to take shape. It was a
lady dressed in white who was radiating with a bright white glow. It only took
her another second to realize that it was her Goddess the all powerful Heim,
and then another realization hit her with tremendous impact. Was Glaxxana
dieing?" Was Heim escorting her to heaven?

She could not let her emotions get the best of her. She had to focus. Then she
realized her Goddess was allowing her to see this and she calmed once again.
She saw the Goddess speaking. If only she could hear what she was saying.
Slowly, the realization crept in to the queens mind that Glaxxana was having a
vision, and Heim was allowing the queen to see this as well. The importance of
this fact was not lost on the queen. Glaxxana still had a role to play and
quite probably she was the single most important person in the entire galaxy.
The man now became secondary in her mind.

Then the vision slowly started to fade, and the queen was in the cave once
more, but now the man was paying Glaxxana greater attention, and he dropped
the strange animal and walked over. She could see him clearly now. She had to
admit his face had character even through all the dirt and grime.

What happened next completely startled the queen. The man gently bent down and
kissed her daughter and she could see one of Glaxxana's hands rise up and go
around the man's head, and then the link was gone.

The queen felt drained and she slumped noticeably after the ordeal. She still
had as many questions as answers, but at least she knew Glaxxana was alive,
and seemingly in no danger. That was the most important discovery the queen
could make.

Also, she had seen the human, the man. She felt she knew the answer to the
next question her mind asked. Near the end of the Entwining was Glaxxana
trying to kill the man? The queen knew that Glaxxana's hands, even in her
weakened condition, could easily kill him. She was certain that's what Heim
wanted her to see. In any event, the man now had a face as well, and if
Glaxxana didn't succeed in killing him, the queen, at least, saw his one fatal
flaw. It was the reason why Glaxxana was still alive. The man had fallen in
love with her daughter. It was the greatest weakness men possessed and why
ultimately the Gamulans ruled one third of the galaxy. Nature had given women
the ultimate weapon, a beauty and an allure that clouded men's minds and kept
them from rational thought.

One question still baffled her. What was Heim's role in all this? At least now
she had time to contemplate that question. Maybe, it was as simple as letting
the queen know that her daughter still had a role to play. If that was the
case, the man was surely dead.

As the queen recovered, she left the Room of a Thousand Candles and dashed
towards the council chambers. She now had enough information to keep herself
in power, and to complete the rest of her plan. For she alone possessed vital
information about Glaxxana, and knowledge was power.

It was one hour to planetfall and Tiani still stared at the middle of the view
screen, only now the small moon had grown to fill a sizable portion of it. She
was lost in her thoughts when she thought she heard the science officer report
good news...Or was it good news?

"Sir, the forcefield is down!"

She barely had time to digest that bit of news and all its implications when
her second yelled out, "A ship has just jumped into the system. Its two
degrees from the plane of the ecliptic, and three hours from the planet.

She had a few seconds of time to admire the skill of the captain of that ship
because he had jumped in slightly closer than she had dared.

Then her second asked, "Shall we turn to meet her, sir."

Tiani turned her head back to the view screen and in a calm voice said, "No, I
know who it is...Continue on course....I'll deal with him on the surface.

Both the science officer and the second in command looked at one another for a
split second, and then they continued on with their preparations.

As the queen entered the chamber, her eyes went right to Tyrrana who was
sitting in her chair. So, she thinks she has already won Nianna thought. She
is in for a surprise.

As soon as the old queen entered and made her way to the great bench where the
queen and the other four women, one from each of the great houses, ruled all
of Gamula and all of the hundred conquered worlds. Tyranna yelled out, "Stop!
You no longer have a seat here!"

The queen in a calm voice answered, "You vote me out without a hearing!...But
can you question Heim's will?"

Tyrrana not one to be side tracked easily shot back sternly, "Clarify?"

The queen said to herself, the trap is sprung, and then she spoke to the four
women gathered in her most regal voice.

"I have just come from the Entwining. I have seen through Glaxxana's eyes, and
she is very much alive."

Two of the clanswomen spoke in low whispers to each other, and Tyranna turned
to watch them and to hear what they were saying.

The queen saw and thought to herself, weakness, she would not make a good
queen, and then she knew with every fiber of her being that today she must
prevail for Gamula's sake.

Trying to restore order, Tyranna hit her gavel on a ceremonial wooden block
several times.

But one of the other clanswomen shouted out, "What else did you see?

"I saw Glaxxana have a vision. She spoke to Heim herself.

Everyone but Tyranna, on the great bench, gasped. Again Tyranna used her
gavel.

This time it was Tyranna who spoke out coldly, "How does any of this make a
difference?"

Nianna smiled a thin smile and thought, deeper into my trap she goes. Then she
answered to all, "Heim has shown ME this so that we may understand that
Glaxxana still has a very important part to play, and because this great
secret has been revealed to me alone proves that Heim still has work for me to
do as well."

A clanswoman on the other side of Tyranna yelled, "You swear this!"

The old queen nodded to one of the guards and she nodded back. The guard then
went over to a small stone alter where a sizable statue of Heim stood guard
over a copy of the sacred texts. Carefully, she picked the book up and brought
it over to the old queen.

"Placing one hand on the sacred book and the other on her heart, the wily old
queen again spoke to the four leaders, "I vow to Heim herself and to my sacred
honor as queen that everything I told you is the absolute truth."

This time all four women conferred in low whispers. By the look on Tyranna's
face she could tell that it wasn't going well for the false queen. When they
were done, Tyranna left the old queen's seat and retook her old position on
the great bench.

One of the other clanswomen extended her hand towards the queens chair and
said, "Join us!"

"I can not the queen answered back."

Immediately, the other four women started to talk amongst themselves. This
time, not in such hushed tones.

Nianna extended her hands and tried to calm them.

"Ladies, I have much to do. I must prepare the fleet."

This time Tyranna regained her voice.

"To what purpose?"

"He will be coming!"

"Tyranna still confused asked, "Who?"

"The one clearly seen in Tiani's Entwining dream, and the one foretold here."

With her statement complete. Nianna turned to the sacred texts and began to
leaf through the holy pages till she reached the apocalyptic verses, the one's
dealing with a possible end time for her people. Taking her time, she reached
for and found her glasses. Putting them on slowly for effect she began to read
the pertinent verse.

"And the oldest shall be their leader and he will come from the blue planet.
And having felt that great harm was done to him and his world, he will gather
his forces and make war upon the Daughters of the Light. He will make deadly
war till almost the whole galaxy is undone."

Nianna paused, put her glasses away, and added, "Even now, I fear he is on his
way. We have broken the accord.... I must go and meet him."

The four women left the podium and made their way to Nianna. Once they were by
her side, they looked upon the passages in the sacred book themselves. The
oldest and wisest of the clanswomen, save for the queen, looked up and nodded.
The queen nodded back, and then left the chamber.

As she did so, Tyranna was still on her mind. When I return, I will deal with
you, but for now, I have greater concerns.

To be continued...

Will the two converging fleets start an intergalactic war? Will Tiani gain her
revenge? Will love find a way? All questions will be answered in the final
chapter.