"Black Fire"

Written by Sapphira and based on Earth: Final Conflict, Fifth Season

Sequel to "If Only For One Night"

Archives: You want it for public use, let me know where its going and you can take it…

Disclaimers: I do not own Earth: Final Conflict, I'm just borrowing the storyline and characters for a while. I am not gaining any profit by my actions.

AN – Both "If Only For One Night" and "Black Fire" have been moved  in their entirety to adultfanfiction.net  … you will still find the first few chapters to both stories here on ff.net, but they are only those first few chapters that didn't have any adult content in them. To find out what happens next when the rating goes up, you'll have to conclude your reading over there… or you can e-mail me a request and I'll send them to you.

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Chapter One

Yulyn stood by, and watched helplessly as Jaylis, Howlyn's second-in-command and runner up for the Throne, released his cleaves and ran them deep into Howlyn's solar plexus, lifting him clear off of his feet. Feeding off of his King's energy force, and declaring himself the new Ruler of the Atavus.

Yulyn struggled against the Atavus soldier restraining him. Trying to reach his father. To do what, he didn't know. Jaylis had always waited for the opportunity to remove Howlyn as an obstacle from his path to Ruler, and now he finally had his chance. And he was going to make it count.

Yulyn hadn't known what he was thinking when he had sealed off the exit way, and locking himself in with his father, except that he had wanted to give Renee and her crew a chance to work things out from their end. He had stayed in the hopes of convincing his father to give up this insanity, and make peace with the human race.

Howlyn wouldn't listen to him. He was who he was. The Leader of a race that couldn't afford to lose…

"You, and your mother… You never understood. We are Warriors, Son! If we leave this planet, in the face of human aggression… What good are we?"

Yulyn watched in despair as Howlyn's eyes closed, and the breath left his body. His stubbornness and pride had meant his death.

Jaylis casually threw Howlyn's body away. It landed heavily on the floor of the command deck, as the Atavus male holding Yulyn released the boy.

He threw himself down at his father's side. Howlyn hadn't always been like this. Yulyn remembered what it was like before they had all been taken from their home planet. Before they had come to Earth.

It was those memories that he still fought for.

******

Renee sprinted down the alien corridor that she hoped led to the Command Deck. Liam had informed her that the ID drives had been brought back online. They didn't have much time. They were running against the clock.

Liam and his crew had headed down to the Engineering Room, in the hopes of deactivating the ID Drives, while Renee tried to get to Yulyn, and convince Howlyn to abandon this fight, and leave peacefully.

She knew she was going to have a hard time getting him to listen to her. It would be the first time that she stood face to face with him since the Spa.

That moment spent in the apartment complex, standing at the portal with Yulyn at her side, didn't count. Needless to say, Howlyn hadn't been very interested in her at that moment, except to be furious at her for, what he believed, was holding his son and heir captive. He hadn't had a chance to allow his advanced senses brush over her, and pick up on the slight little flicker of Human/Atavus life force within her body.

As much as she tried to hate him, she was still very much attracted to him. Their night in the bathing chamber two months ago still haunted her dreams.

Renee pressed her palm protectively against her still flat stomach, as she sped up her pace. Her daughter lay within her womb, and it was counting on her to keep it safe and somehow solve this conflict. This child was Howlyn's as well. And she knew that he was more likely to think this day was just getting better and better for him, then to just abandon this fight for the sake of their offspring.

He would seek to gain control over her, and hold her at his side, and at the same time, fly his ship into the low orbit of Earth. Destroying anything and everything in its path.

Renee couldn't allow that to happen. She didn't quite know exactly how she was going to stop it. She just knew she had to try. For their daughter's sake. She knew she was placing them both in danger… Something she had sought not to accomplish. It wouldn't take Howlyn long before he sensed her condition. Not the way he tended to zoom in on her when they were in each other's presence. Nor any other awakened Atavus on board, when they realized that they had the perfect playing card in Howlyn's newly conceived young, as well as the human female he had wished to take as a mate.

Renee gritted her teeth, and positioned her phaser cannon more securely on her shoulder.

Chapter Two

Renee had just managed to make it to the entrance of the Command Deck, when she saw an unfamiliar Atavus male, take hold of Yulyn threateningly, "Your father's disgrace, is your disgrace!"

Yulyn stood up to him boldly, looking him straight in the eye. "Kill me, and you will die here having learned nothing!"

"He's right!" Renee spoke up, stepping fully onto the deck, bringing up her phase cannon and shooting the Atavus soldier who came charging at her. His body disintegrating into a green, pulsing energy life force. Completely destroyed. Where the hell where these weapons a few months ago?

"It doesn't have to be this way!"

Jaylis watched this new arrival cautiously. He wasn't familiar with the weapon she carried with her, and for the first time since awakening from stasis, he felt unsure about how to precede. Maybe he had killed Howlyn too soon, but Jaylis couldn't have allowed Howlyn the chance to kill him. Everything he had worked towards for over 3 million years would have been for naught. He had been planning and conniving for too long, to have allowed the opportunity to remove Howlyn from power to pass by, even if it most assuredly meant his own demise. It would be worth it to have taken Howlyn from his position.

Maybe the dead king's whelp would be worth something after all. At least until he learned the full capabilities of this newly evolved species.

"Who are you?" Jaylis growled. His grip tightening on the young prince. There was something about this female that rubbed him the wrong way. His senses were trying to tell him something….

"She is someone I know and trust!" The boy spoke up, despite the tightening of Jaylis's grip.

Renee cautiously took a step closer. Her eyes flickering to Yulyn momentarily to ascertain that he was still in one piece, before focusing back on the Atavan male. She didn't like the way he was studying her.

"Stop the carnage. We can all work together on this. Try to find a solution." Renee tilted her head to the side as she slowly repositioned her weapon. She didn't like the way the male was calculating his options to what she believed wasn't probably going to be surrender.

Yulyn sensed it too, "Listen to her!"

"I think not!" Jaylis snarled in response. He started to smile. Ah, so that was what it was that had been tickling at his senses from the moment the female had stepped into his view. She was with child, and unless his senses were a little cross wired from the 3 million years in stasis, the child she carried had been sired by an Atavus male. The Atavus male laying at his feet, to be precise.

Renee saw the dawning of comprehension in Yulyn's captor, as he ascertained Renee's condition. Great, just great.

"I know who you are now." Jaylis hissed. His eyes glaring fire at Renee, as she tensed, waiting for whatever was to come. "Howlyn must have fallen farther than I realized, to have taken a human, livestock, as a mate."

Renee gritted her teeth, as Yulyn looked at her in shock. His under developed senses unable to pick up what Jaylis's had. Renee didn't look back at him. Instead she kept her eyes trained fully on Jaylis. Waiting for the other shoe to fall. She felt her daughter leap in fear within her womb. Sensing it's mother's concern.

"Let's try to keep civilized about this, okay?" Renee took a step closer. "Let the boy go."

Jaylis continued like he hadn't even heard her. "You know, I always knew that Howlyn had fairly good taste when it came to women. His first wife was strong and beautiful, if a bit misguided in our role in things. Juda, well," Jaylis started to chuckle. "Juda was Juda."

"But this… I didn't expect. Makes me wonder what he saw that is so special in you. Enough for him to place his seed within your womb." Jaylis evaluated his options. He could kill the boy, and try to take control over the human, to evaluate her himself. It would be his final victory over Howlyn. To take his Queen and offspring to be as slaves... But judging by the way that female was holding that weapon of hers, he didn't think he would live long enough to enjoy the kill. Besides, first feeding on the father… then the son... That was just plain gluttony.

And he did have the guardian status over the ship to consider. It would never fly now, and it had to be destroyed to keep it safe from other species that might try to steal the technology. He was sure that there had to be some place on this planet that still had remains of when the Atavus had ruled. Some place they could retreat to, regroup, and then attack the human race when their Atavan numbers had increased, and their odds of survival improved. Naturally with him as the Ruler.

But the female… she was carrying the future heir or heiress to the throne. She was too dangerous to remain alive. The idea of a half breed ruler was almost as bad as the thought of Yulyn ruling in his father's stead.

"Look. I don't know what bone you have to pick with Howlyn, but there is a bigger issue at stake here. Your ship is damaged, and your species have been weakened by remaining on Earth as long as you have. You are not as strong as you once were. Make peace, so no more of either of our people have to die."

"Never!" Jaylis hissed. His sense of authority threatened by the commanding tone in the strange female's voice. He quickly activated the destruction of the ship. He started to reach over to activate the portals, and awaken the Atavus soldiers in stasis, so they could scatter and regroup at a later date, when Yulyn took advantage of his momentary lapse of concentration, and darted away.

Renee watched as Jaylis activated something on the computer terminal in front of him, and Yulyn managed to pull away from him. Without hesitation, she brought up her phase cannon as Jaylis tried to go after the young prince, cleaves extended. Pulling the trigger, she watched as the threat of Howlyn's second-in-command, faded away to green swirls of dead life force.

"You all right?" Renee questioned as Yulyn enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Yes. But Jaylis has initiated the ship's self-destruct protocol."

"How much time we got?"

Yulyn glanced back at the computer screen at the alien images flashing across. "Three minutes, maybe more. Maybe less."

Renee's mind raced with different case scenarios. "OK, the ID drives, they're still functional, right?"

Yulyn thought for a second, then confirmed by nodding his head.

"If we extract them, they could power the Taelon Mothership."

Yulyn caught on. "The Taelon Mothership would get me home!"

Renee smiled. "That's the theory. Liam!" she called into her ear piece receiver. "Meet me in the Engine Room."

"I'm almost there…"

Renee grabbed Yulyn by the arm, "Come on,"

Yulyn pulled her back, concern in his eyes. "What about the Atavus? The other ones onboard the ship?"

Renee looked back at him in surprise and confusion. "What?"

"We could keep them in stasis for their safety, and then transport them to the Mothership."

Renee looked around her as the ship began to shake. "Yulyn, there isn't time!"

"For what?" he challenged. "To save my species?! To show mercy?!" Yulyn's voice became more serious. "Renee, my father is dead. My brethren will follow me now. We can go home."

Renee felt a cold shock flood through her at the mention of his words. "… my father is dead…" She couldn't believe it. They hadn't come this far, for Howlyn to die.

But the truth was written all over Yulyn's grief stricken face. And Renee knew what she had to do, and she prayed there was enough time to do it.

Grapping her global, she linked into the Taelon Mothership. Ra-jel's concerned visage appearing. "Miss Palmer?"

"Ra-jel! Target the Mothership's tractor beam onto my coordinates. Prepare the stasis deck for…"

"Our stasis deck is already prepared, Miss Palmer, and I am activating the Particle Transporter beam now. I am pleased with your decision."

"Yeah, let's just hope it was the right one." Renee answered back, glancing at Yulyn.

Renee paused before running down the corridors toward the Engine room. She couldn't leave like this. Not without making sure there wasn't any chance that Howlyn was still alive. She owed at least that much to Yulyn and her daughter. And to herself.

"Yulyn, go on to the Engine Room!"

"What! Where are you going?!" Yulyn looked at her like she had gone mad. Maybe she had.

"I'll be right behind you!" She assured him, pushing him in the direction of the corridor. "I've just got to finish something first."

"Renee…the ship! It's going to blow any-"

"Go!" Renee's tone left nothing open for discussion. She watched for a moment to make sure Yulyn followed her order, before turning back into the Command Deck.

She hadn't noticed Howlyn's body before. She had been too focused on Jaylis and Yulyn to have cared about the unmoving body of some Atavus. It had never occurred to her that it belonged to Howlyn.

Renee felt a lump build in her throat as she knelt by Howlyn's body. He was pale and unmoving. The viscous wound in his lower chest open and slick with blood.

Renee shook her head, as she felt something constrict around her heart. Damn his arrogance!

Renee briefly touched Howlyn's smoothly ridged forehead, as she came to a decision. She didn't know what the burial customs were for the Atavus, but she was pretty sure they didn't include getting blown up on a ship from hell.

She pulled a miniature transporter beacon from her pocket, and slapped it onto his unmoving chest. After activating the beacon, she pulled out her global and linked into the Mothership again, as she ran as fast as she could for the exit. Knowing Liam would be there with the ID Drives.

"Ra-jel! Lock onto the transporter beacon located in the Command Deck, and beam the body back to the Mothership. Secure it on one of the quarantine vaults in the Medical bay. Hurry!"

Ra-jel studied Renee's words for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Renee rounded the corner heading towards the exit, and almost collided with Liam, who was carrying the ID Drives. Yulyn right behind him. The entire ship's warning tones were ringing off the walls. The entire ship was screaming now in protest. Shaking violently under their feet.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Liam bellowed at her. His face lined with anger and concern, as he shoved Renee roughly in front of him and down the exit. Tossing her one of the ID Drives.

"I'll explain later. Preferably 'away' from the ship that is currently exploding around us!"

The three of them exited the ship, and ran down the recently dug tunnel, leading the way out. They barely managed to throw themselves clear, before the Atavan ship blew. The force of the blow causing the cavern around them to shake violently.

"We did it." Liam gasped as the dust began to settle. A smile spreading across his face.

Renee sat up slowly. A hand covering her stomach protectively, as she felt the smaller tremors racing through the stone floor at their backs. Yulyn watched her speculatively.

"Yeah, let's just hope it was worth it." Renee glanced over at Yulyn. Meeting his gaze. She knew she would have to explain herself to him sooner or later. But for right now, she was just glad to be alive.

Chapter Three

"I keep hearing that we're all connected, but there's a shoehorn in those ID Drives." Renee griped good-naturedly at Liam as she made the final adjustments.

Liam smiled back at her. "Whatever it takes to get the job done."

"My sentiments exactly. Ra-jel, try it now." Renee watched and waited as the Taelon Mothership struggled to come alive. Slowly stuttered awake with the new, but alien, ID Drives in place.

Renee grinned in satisfaction as she stepped off the platform to hug Yulyn. She planed to tell him before she left the ship, that she had portaled his father's body into the medical bay.

"I promised I'd get you home." Renee wrapped her arms snugly around the young prince.

"I guess this is goodbye." Yulyn stated as he pulled away. The shine of emotion reflected in his eyes. Somewhere along the line, Renee had become part of his family. Renee felt the same.

"Hey, don't be sad." She gently squeezed his shoulders, "We're all connected, remember? You and I have a bond that transcends time and space."

"So why break it now?"

Renee looked at Liam in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"This was but one of the many possible outcomes, Renee. And it was the strength of your will that made it happen. And it is that same will, that could open the next chapter."

Renee cautiously eyed Liam. Realizing he was coming around to a point here that she probably wasn't going to like.

"I'm confused."

******

Renee stalked back to her small Taelon ship in agitation, after learning of Liam's and Ra-jel's 'plan'. The two followed in close behind her.

"Oh no, I don't think so. You see, this 'chapter' of my destiny is over. No offense, but I just want to resume an alien free lifestyle, thank you very much." Renee turned back to look at them as she stepped up onto the docking bay. "Ra-jel, it's been interesting dealing with you… Liam, let's go." With that, she turned back around. Fully expecting Liam to follow her in.

"I'm not heading back, Renee." Liam spoke softly. Watching her closely.

Renee felt a chill of dread run down her spine. She didn't really fully understand where Liam had been the past months, but she didn't want to lose him to it again. She had already lost so many people she had cared about.

"You're not leaving again?" She asked shakily.

"I hadn't planned to." He reassured her, "And I think you should listen to what Ra-jel has to say."

Ra-jel jumped in, "Renee, it is understandable that your view of alien species has been unduly poisoned by Zo'or's malevolent leadership of the Taelon Synod,"

"Well, I can't say that the Atavus or Jaridians were much of an improvement." Renee replied sarcastically.

"Renee…" Liam began. Ra-jel cut off whatever it was he was going to say.

"Of all humans, you and Liam are the ones most capable of exploring the heavens. And then sharing the wonders with your own species."

Renee shook her head wearily. "I appreciate the offer, Ra-jel, but I just want to go home."

Liam smiled at her, like he knew something she didn't. "You've just got to let it go, Renee. There is a more noble purpose out there. And it's your destiny to be at the forefront of humanity's next great enterprise." He paused a moment before continuing, "Space travel."

Renee's eyes narrowed.

"It's the reason I came back." He explained. "To accompany you."

Renee looked between Liam and Ra-jel helplessly. Not sure as to how to respond to this well planed launch of attack. Yulyn had just come up behind them. Concern and hope on his features.

Renee knew what his vote was.

She had really just wanted to find someplace isolated and protected, where she could have her daughter in peace. And they wouldn't have to be involved in the rest of the world.

But on the other hand, did she really think that she could keep her daughter hidden for long? What kind of life would Renee be offering her child then? If they remained on Earth, she would always be alone or feared. Or locked up in some lab for experiments. She would always be on the run. What kind of life was that?

Or, she could agree to this wild plan of Ra-jel's and Liam's, and precede with her so-called destiny. And raise her child up among the stars as she deserved.

Unconsciously placing her hand over her stomach, she sighed. Knowing Liam and Ra-jel had played her beautifully.

"What the hell." Renee stepped down from the platform. "I guess a 'normal' life would have been way overrated anyhow." Renee walked resolutely back towards the portal. "But first, I'm going to pick a few things up at the Liar, and contact Hubble and Street. Let them know that I'm okay, and what's going on."

Renee held up a hand for silence when Liam would have protested. "I am not going to just disappear, and not let them know I'm alright. I know how that feels." Renee eyed Liam smartly before stepping past him. Liam rubbed the back of his neck a little ruefully, before following her out.

Chapter Four

"Renee, where have you been? What happened?" Juliet Street questioned her friend. Concerned seeing as how she hadn't seen or heard from her since the hospital.

Renee smiled at Street through her global. She knew that after picking up her things, and taking care of Sandoval's body, that she should have stopped by the apartment that Street was now sharing with that new love interest of hers. And judging by the rock on her hand, Renee figured it would be much more soon. But this goodbye was going to be hard enough, without having to stand face to face to the woman that Renee had called her closest friend and partner for the last year.

"It's finished, Street." Renee spoke hurriedly. "The Atavus' ship has been destroyed. The Atavus on board remained in stasis, and were beamed up to the Mothership. Yulyn will be the leader now, and we'll be escorting them back to the home planet. The worst is over."

"Whoa, hold it, and rewind! What do you mean 'we', and what happened with "Prince of Darkness" Howlyn, and his lapdog Sandoval?"

"They're dead." Renee stated quietly. Watching Street's eyes widen in surprise.

"H-How? I mean, what happened?"

Renee rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I don't really want to get into the details right now. It's done."

"Right. Are you okay?"

"As well as to be expected."

Street studied Renee for a moment before nodding quietly to herself. She didn't know what to say. She knew Renee and Howlyn had always had some twisted version of a relationship, right from the beginning. Attracted to one another. Pulled to one another. And for a moment in time, even lovers. But always on the opposite sides of this conflict. Both knowing they could never give up the fight for the other. Fighting each other, even hating each other. But both still wanting each other.

"What a second." Street said, remembering something else that Renee had said. "What 'we' is escorting the Atavus back to their home planet? Renee, I thought we agreed that you were going to keep your feet on the ground where they belonged, after the conflict with the aliens was over."

Renee glanced around to make certain she was out of ear shot of the guys, before answering in a hushed tone.

"That was before I became pregnant."

If Street hadn't already been sitting down, her legs would have crumpled beneath her. She was already starting to feel a headache coming on.

"Please tell me it's Michaels' " Street begged quietly. Already knowing the answer.

Renee shook her head sadly at her friend. "If it was, then it wouldn't be necessary for me to leave Earth. You know that."

"Yeah, I kinda did. But, you can't go by yourself!"

"I won't be." Renee reassured, "Liam will be coming with me." Renee watched as Street went completely pale.

"Liam!, He's alive?! But how?!"

Renee shook her head. "I don't fully understand it myself, and I don't have time to try to explain. I need you to do a favor for me. Well, actually two."

Street shook her head, a little dazed. "Um, yeah. Okay. Sure. Anything." Street couldn't possibly imagine what the urgency was, that Renee couldn't explain what was going on.

"First off, I need you to contact Hubble for me. Let him know that the main threat is past now, and that Liam and I both are alright. And second…" Renee paused to make sure Street was listening carefully. "I want you to continue the search for the stasis chambers on Earth. There are hundreds of them out there, and unless you find them, the threat to Earth will never be fully behind us until they are located. Once you find them, don't mess with them. Chart their location, mark it, save it. Hopefully we'll be back soon to retrieve them. And don't let anyone know about what you're doing. Track down Augur if you can. Get him to help you. We both know he could never resist helping you." Renee added wryly. "You two are the only ones I know of that are smart enough to get this done."

Street just shook her head in stunned silence. What Renee was asking her to do was no easy task. It was going to be next to impossible.

"Please, Street. I need you to do this. For me." Renee stared pleadingly at her friend. Hoping she wouldn't turn her down.

"Alright," Street sighed, "I'll try, but you've got to promise me that this won't be the last time I talk to you."

Renee looked away for a moment. "I can't promise, but I'll do the best I can."

Street sighed, "I guess that'll have to do. Good luck, Renee."

"You too, Street. Stay the course."

Street smiled one last time, before cutting off the transmission.

Renee folded up her global. Confident that Street wouldn't let her down. She walked back over to join Liam at the front of the deck. Overlooking Earth. She had changed clothes already into a more comfortable, feminine, non-warrior type outfit. She had forgotten how much she preferred to dress like this. She had released her lengthened blond hair from it's tight ponytail, and it flowed down around her shoulders. She came up beside Liam, and started to speak.

"I realized just now that my whole life has been spent pursuing my own goals with a vengeance. Because now I know I'm heading towards something greater than myself, I can feel it. The great unknown. Right?" Renee leaned in teasingly towards Liam. Hoping he wouldn't think her foolish.

Liam smiled at her, "Yeah, but what part scares you more? Not knowing, or the idea of not having control?"

Renee laughed. "Both. But, it's liberating. I mean, the whole time on Earth we are looking for the answers to those questions; Who am I? Why am I here? What's my purpose?" Renee glanced back into the star-filled galaxy. "And there all out there."

"Maybe out 'there' is the answer to what this world is trying to be?" Liam spoke softly.

"Maybe." Renee acknowledged. Glancing back at Liam slyly. "So let's find out."

Liam grinned down at her in agreement, as Renee turned around and nodded her head at Ra-jel to begin. She met Yulyn's gaze for a moment, before turning back around, leaning closer to Liam, as the view of Earth disappeared into the blinding flash of inter dimensional space travel. Stars whizzing by them at an alarming rate. Renee felt a brief moment of vertigo, as her body seemed to almost feel the detachment from Earth, and all that was familiar.

She stood there for a moment, Liam giving her moral support, as her mind acknowledged what she had just agreed to do, what she had agreed to come along on. That combined with everything else that had happened to her today, was enough to almost completely drain her. She didn't remember when she had felt this tired.

She turned back around, stifling a yawn as she walked over to Ra-jel. "What now? How long will it take to reach the Atavus homeworld?

"Approximately ten to fourteen Earth days. It is located in a completely different part of the universe."

"It will take only that much time to get home?" Yulyn asked, surprised. "It took us months before to get to Earth."

"Ra-jel gave the version of a Taelon smile. "The Taelon Mothership is a little more… advanced than your Atavan ship was."

Renee nodded at Ra-jel as she stepped by the control systems. She decided it was about time to crash for a few hours, recharge her batteries, before getting some more info from Yulyn and Ra-jel, on what exactly they were looking at once they arrived at the Atavus homeworld. All sorts of scenarios ran through her head. All of them revolved around someplace that was constantly over a 100 degrees in temperature. Not exactly a nice vacation spot in Renee's book.

She just wanted to stop by the medical bay first. In order to put this day behind her, she had to put it completely behind her. And that meant figuring out what needed to be done with Howlyn's body.

"Renee! Please wait a moment."

Renee came to stop in the empty corridor and closed her eyes in surrender. She turned around to watch Yulyn pace towards her quickly. She knew he had questions that she needed to answer. But that didn't mean she had to look forward to it.

Renee watched Yulyn as he came closer, suddenly embarrassed. "Um, when we were on my ship, Jaylis said some things that… concerned me." Yulyn broke off, not sure as to how to continue. "Were you and Howlyn…?"

Renee decided to get this awkward situation over and done with right now. "Yes, Howlyn was interested in me for other reasons than killing me." Renee paused a moment before continuing. "He pursued me, and I fought him. I refused to become his… whatever the hell he wanted me for." Renee sighed, having a really hard time talking about this to Yulyn. He just watched her. "He… located me at a rather difficult time for me in the middle of this conflict a couple months back, and I would like to say that it was all his doing, but… I did…submit to him momentarily, before managing to get away." Renee looked away from Yulyn. She could feel heat rising into her neck and face. Silence cloaked the corridor, as Yulyn evaluated what she had just told him. Renee met his gaze as he studied her quietly.

"Are you with child?" He asked softly. Neither condemning not condoning her words.

Renee nodded. "It's a female."

Yulyn sighed, before nodding his head slowly. He looked at Renee one last time, and smiling gently at her in understanding, turned back around and headed back to the Command deck.

Once he was out of sight, Renee let out a huge breath of relief, and leaned up against the corridor wall. That had been harder than she had thought it would be. Telling the son of the man who's child you carried, about a pregnancy that never should have come about, seeing as how they were on different sides of a war… A son who now looked to you for protection, wasn't as easy as say, telling Street. Renee had never cared about what other people thought of her. She had answered only to herself.

So, now having been put in the situation to care for Yulyn and see that he got home safely, wasn't an easy one. She had a responsibility to him, as well as to her daughter. She didn't want to let either of them down.

Welcome to parenthood.

Chapter Five

Renee wearily stepped into the Medical Bay. She didn't know what she was doing here. It wouldn't make any difference. Howlyn was dead, and she needed to get that past her, and get on with life. She needed to figure out how to take care of her daughter on her own, and at the same time, protect Yulyn, and get him and his brethren settled back on their home planet.

She knew she should have told him about her having beamed his father's body back to the Mothership, but now, she didn't really think that that was a good idea. Maybe the past just needed to be left there… in the past. For both of them.

Renee looked around the abandoned room. Due to the newly installed ID Drives, the power had come back online in all decks. Alien computer screens and terminals had awakened from their sleep, and were humming quietly. Ready and waiting for use, although there was a rather noticeable lack of personnel to run them.

Renee looked around again grimly. There weren't very many fond memories here. It had been the Taelon version of a experiment by way of torture room. A lot of good people had had horrifying experiences here at the hands of both species. Most of them, finding only death.

Renee suppressed a shudder at the thought of imagined ghostly screams still ringing off the walls in here, and walked over to a remote area of the Medical Bay, and to the secured vaults that the Taelon's had used to lock away their "faulty" creations.

Vault 1-0-8 had been used to secure Howlyn's body.

Renee didn't bother opening the vault. She didn't want to see Howlyn again like that. She just wanted to get this done, and get out. She felt like she was walking upon someone's grave in here by herself.

She stepped over to the computer terminal adjacent to the vault system, and activated the terminal.

"Computer," She stated firmly, rewarded by a chime of acknowledgment. "Confirm that there is no life force detected in the carbon-based body in Vault 1-0-8."

"Negative. There is no life force present."

Renee let out a sigh and nodded slowly to herself. She hadn't really expected it to be otherwise, but she couldn't deny that one feeling of hope that had trickled in from the moment she had stepped into the Medical Bay. Up until now, when her suspicions were confirmed. Time to get on with it then, and pretend this never happened.

"Computer, prepare vault 1-0-8 and contained carbon-based body for extraction and release into space." Renee entered an authorization code, and started to shut down the system, when the Computer chirped a negative.

"Negative. No compliance can be made. There is no carbon-based body contained in Vault 1-0-8."

Renee groaned. Feeling her head start to pound. This day was just getting longer and longer. Ra-jel must have given her the wrong Vault designation, and now she had to start all over again.

"Computer, pinpoint the location of the carbon-based body within the Vault system." Renee waited impatiently as the computer completed its scan.

"No compliance can be made. There is no carbon-based body within the vault system."

Renee was confused. Surely Ra-jel hadn't ignored her request and had left Howlyn on the self-destructing ship?

"Computer, was a transfer particle beam redirected to the Medical Bay, in the last 6 hours?"

"Affirmative." The system chirped back at her.

"Has anyone else entered the Medical Bay in that amount of time?"

"Negative. No entries have occurred."

Renee felt a tickling of warning brush her mind. Her heart started to pick up speed, as she slowly made a sweep of the place with her eyes. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary. She glanced back at the terminal in confusion.

"But you can confirm that a transfer was made?"

"Affirmative."

"To Vault designation 1-0-8 ?"

"Affirmative."

Renee crouched slightly in a counter-attack position, her eyes starting to dart all over the Medical Bay, as her hand slowly crept to the phase pistol securely latched at her side.

"Computer, pinpoint the location of the carbon-based life form within Medical Bay." Renee didn't bother looking back at the terminal.

"Unable to comply."

Renee tried again, slowly turned around in a circle, preparing for attack. She could hear her blood literally singing in her veins from the adrenaline pumping through her body. "Computer, pinpoint the location of the carbon-based life form within the Mothership."

"Unable to comply. Computer can only confirm that the carbon-based life form did not leave the Medical Bay."

Renee hissed lightly under her breath. Pulling her phase pistol out. Making sure it was set on stun. She didn't know what kind of game this was, but she wasn't about to stick around to find out.

Renee charged towards the entrance to the Medical Bay, not foolish enough to stick around any longer.

Her hand had just reached out to slap the exit button on the keypad, when something grabbed her hard from behind, and threw her to the metal flooring. A body came down hard and feral on top of her. Pinning her in place. He had her disarmed and had her arms behind her back before she could even blink.

He leaned over her, closer to the side of her face. His mane swung forward to brush up against the exposed back of her neck. His hand twisted in her hair. His hiss hot against her ear.

"Leaving so soon, Renee?"

~*~*~*~*~*~