Disclaimer #1: This is a futuristic Uber-Xena work of romantic fiction. The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Ephiny, Iolaus, Solari and, oh yes, Argo, belong to MCA/Universal, and are used without intent for commercial profits. Author's copyright does not extend to said characters. The author retains all rights automatically attached to the creation of this work and to the independently created characters. In other words, they're all MINE!

Disclaimer #2: This story depicts a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult women. Nothing too graphic, just a PG-13 rating. I’m in this one for the plot ; - ). If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, have a cup of herbal tea and a long hot bath. You really need to relax.

Disclaimer #3: Violence warning. This story contains references to abusive behavior necessary for plot development. I’ve tried to keep graphic descriptions to a minimum, but if this sort of thing disturbs you, please stop now.

Disclaimer #4: Apologies and acknowledgment to Gene Roddenberry for the unauthorized loan of food replicators and holo suites. I found them to be rather useful home appliances. To get yours today, call Ronco at 1-888-555-1212.

This story is Book 2 in The Colonization Trilogy. Trying to read this before Book 1, The Amphipolis Expedition, will be like watching The Empire Strikes Back without watching Star Was first. You'll still understand the main story, but the nuances will be lost.

Special thanks to Barbara Maclay for her dramatic renderings of Commander Xandra Lawless and Dr. Brie O'Conner. To see them for yourself, just click the links or visit Barbara's Home Page at www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/2591/graphics/. Be sure to check out her other delightful Xena artwork.

Also many thanks to my beta readers who tactfully smoothed out all the rough edges.

I welcome all constructive feedback, all bigots will be sent to the great recycle bin in the sky.

Chapter 9

Stephanie made sure that Sandy was safely strapped into the co-pilot's seat before taking her own seat at the helm and firing up the shuttle. Her grim expression was the only outward sign that she was consumed with worry for her commander. She conducted the pre-flight check sequence in silence and, handling the controls with a practiced ease attained with years of experience, guided the shuttle smoothly out of the shuttle bay.

Sandy sat quietly, gazing out at the stars. She tried to 'feel' her Mama, but there was nothing there. She was sure that this was because of the distance between them -- it just had to be. The only other reason for her not to be able to sense Xandra was if she were dead and her Mama had to be okay.

Sometime about halfway through the flight, Stephanie realized that she had a traumatized child on her hands and should probably talk to her. The pilot wasn't very good with children and had no idea of what to say to this stoic child. Observing Sandy surreptitiously, she was momentarily stunned by the expression on the child's face. God, she looks just like Xandra when she's planning something. "You okay kid?"

"Hmm?" Sandy responded, slowly pulling her gaze from the vastness of space to meet Stephanie eyes. "Ah...yeah, I guess so."

Relieved that she didn't have to deal with a hysterical child, Stephanie turned her attention to setting the correct trajectory for entering Gaia's atmosphere. Maybe it's better to wait until we get landside and let people who know what they're doing handle this.

Several long minutes passed in silence before Sandy spoke again. "Stephanie?" She paused and waited for the pilot to return her gaze. "Will my Mama be all right?"

Shit...what do I tell her? One look at the child's face made the decision for her. As Sandy stared steadily into her eyes, she realized that lying to the daughter would be no easier than lying to the mother. Taking a deep breath, the pilot answered as honestly as she could. "I don't know kid, but if anyone can find a way to escape and save the colony, it's your Mom."

Sandy nodded and settled quietly in her seat; satisfied that she had gotten a truthful answer, even if it wasn't the one she really wanted.

Every inch of her body was enveloped in pain. Some places burned, some were bruised, some cut...it all seemed to run together, making it impossible for her to determine where one injury ended and another began. She tried to open her eyes, but they were swollen shut. Taking a deep breath, she was rewarded with sharp pains in her torso, indicating that she had several broken ribs. The raw feeling of torn flesh between her thighs let her know she had been brutally raped.

Whatever had happened, it was over for now and she didn't remember a thing. The meditation technique had worked. She knew she was lying naked on a cold hard surface, but something soft cradled her head. Although she couldn't see, she heard soft sobbing coming from above her. "Who?...Where?" she managed to croak from her abused throat.

"Oh God, Xandra. I'm so sorry, I didn't know." Arianna laid a gentle hand on her face and brushed the hair from her eyes. "I didn't know you were pregnant. I'd never have let him do this if I'd known."

"Am I...am I going to lose the baby?"

"I don't think so. Not if we can get you out of here before he wakes up again. Can you move?"

"Move?" Xandra would have laughed if she could. "I can't even open my eyes."

"I can help you if you'll let me. I tried while you were asleep, but you resisted."

"I was in a deep trance. I put myself under so I wouldn't feel what he was doing. I think it worked too well...must have pissed him off a lot. How are you going to help?"

"I'm an empath Xandra. I can heal the worst of it...maybe get you able to walk. But I don't know what we'll do then."

"I'm gonna have to kill him Ari," she whispered. "There's no other way. Can you get me strong enough for that?"

"I don't know Xandra...he's still weak from the cryo sickness, but you're pretty trashed yourself. I'll do the best I can. Just relax and let me in."

"Ari?" Xandra breathed softly. "Please save my baby."

"I'll try, I promise."

Arianna breathed steadily, preparing herself for the painful task ahead of her. She knew she would feel Xandra's pain intimately. She'd had this experience herself many times in her youth, but he'd never done so much damage to her all at once. Clearing her mind, she laid her hands gently on Xandra's body and allowed her mind to monitor both lives in her care. Xandra's heartbeat was slow, but steady. The baby's was very weak and that scared her. She wasn't sure if she could save them both, but she had to try. There was no one to monitor her, so if one of them died, Arianna might die with them. All their survival hinged on her ability to set this to rights.

Arianna went deep, finding all the internal injuries first and healing each one as she went. She managed to stabilize the infant's heart rate and heal most of the damaged tissues of Xandra's uterus and vagina. Moving on, she mended three broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. Checking for head injuries, she was grateful to find that there was no permanent damage there. She reduced the swelling around Xandra's eyes and the bruised throat that made it so difficult for her to speak. She tended each of the cuts and burns on her abused flesh and closed the whip marks on her back, buttocks and thighs.

When she had done all she could, she carefully withdrew. Leaning back against the wall, she sobbed with the pain she'd encountered in her friend's broken body. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she realized that Xandra was her friend. When she'd been in her mind, she realized that Xandra hadn't abandoned her. She had tried to get to Arianna all those years ago, but Aaron had hidden her over and over, threatening to kill Arianna if Xandra kept trying to find her. That was why they had kept moving during those years...to keep Xandra off their trail. Now she knew that Xandra had felt her greatest failure in life had been her inability to save Arianna. The young woman's resolve hardened into a tangible thing. She would save Xandra and return her to her family -- no matter the cost. She had been very wrong about Xandra and she hoped they both lived to forgive each other.

Slipping from beneath Xandra's head, Arianna crept across the room and sealed the door with a medical privacy code that even top ranking military personnel couldn't override. Hoping that they would awaken before her father, she once again cradled Xandra's head in her lap and fell into an exhausted sleep.

Brie sat staring into space as she gently brushed the hair from her sleeping child's face. She was a jumble of emotions -- relief that Sandy had been returned to her virtually unharmed, consuming fear for her soulmate and white-hot anger toward the man who had caused all this. With a sigh, she turned her attention to her daughter. After a few moments of watching her sleep, she silently rose from her chair and left the med lab in search of the colony's acting commander.

She had wanted to talk to Stephanie when the shuttle had first landed, but she'd had her hands full comforting her daughter whose composure had finally broken the moment she'd seen Brie. Before she could settle the child and see that she got something to eat, Stephanie had been swept away by the command staff filling her in on what had been done and what still needed to be accomplished. There had been a few emotional moments with Sandy as she explained to the child that they would once again be separated as Sandy was sent to the safe zone with the other children and Brie remained in the main settlement to supervise her med lab. Sandy finally agreed, but begged to be allowed just one more night before being separated from her mother once again. Brie had relented almost as much for herself as for Sandy. She needed her daughter close by so that she could reach out and reassure herself that Sandy was safe.

Brie found Stephanie in Xandra's office, pouring over the schematics of the Artemis, searching for a way to remotely disarm the disrupters their sensors had detected aimed directly at the settlement. The past few hours had been thankfully filled with the organizational details of preparing the colony for siege. Hill had gotten a good start on things before Stephanie took over, but there had still been many decisions to make and tasks to assign. She had been surprised, but pleased to find that the military personnel among them had forgotten little in their four years under a civilian government. The crew of the Artemis still operated like a finely honed machine.

Pausing to rub her tired eyes, Stephanie noticed Brie watching her from the open doorway of the office. Stephanie thought she had never seen such a defeated expression on the intrepid doctor's face. Sighing, she started to speak, but just couldn't find the words. Brie mercifully raised her hand, palm out and said "It's okay...there was nothing you could do. And you brought my baby back to me. I just...I need to know, does she have a chance?"

"Brie, I just don't know. But I'll tell you the same thing I told Sandy...if anyone can survive this, it's Xandra."

Brie lowered her head as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "Thanks Steph...thanks for telling me the truth."

As the colony's second-in-command watched, Brie slowly turned and walked into the night, fear and sadness clearly evident in her stooped shoulders and bowed head.

Chapter 10

Pleasurable images flooded his mind, as he slowly became aware of where he was and what he was doing here. A few hours sleep had energized him and he was ready to indulge his psychotic desires once again. Breathing deeply, he decided that he'd never had this much fun with any of the others -- not even Carla or Arianna. Xandra was the finest prize he'd ever owned.

Rolling over and sitting up, a goading voice echoed in his mind. Too bad she's withholding it from you Aaron. She's holding back the best of her pain...the suffering you want to see in her eyes. She should be begging you for release...begging for death. But when you look in her eyes, she's not there.

Standing and pacing the room, he muttered to himself with intense dissatisfaction. How? How can I make you feel the exquisite torture? What can I do to make you stay? Where is your mind going as I'm peeling the flesh from your bones? Probably in the arms of that irritating little blonde.

"That's it!" Abruptly he stopped his pacing and turned purposefully toward the door. "That's it! I know how to make her stay! I'll threaten her irritating little blonde bitch! She'd never do anything to hurt her precious family...her precious whore! She'll have to stay and feel it this time."

Heading down the corridor, the man walked with a bounce in his step like that of a child anticipating a day in an amusement park.

Xandra awakened to instant awareness. A quick inventory of her injuries revealed that she was in much better shape than she had a right to be. She lay still as she examined the problems facing them. Her analytical mind easily wrapped itself around the situation and played out each possible scenario.

Her immediate goal was to disable DuMonte, contain him and call for help from the planet below. Realizing it might not be possible to achieve her task and keep the man alive to face a planetary tribunal, she accepted the fact that she just might have to terminate him. A slow smile spread across her face at the prospect. No matter how civilized she pretended to be, Xandra was a magnificent beast at the core of her soul. She would enjoy wrapping her powerful hands around his throat and squeezing the life from his miserable body. This was the man who'd taken Sandy, threatened to harm her. This was the man who'd cruelly abused little Arianna, who turned her into the pale imitation of a woman in whose lap she lay as she slept.

Shifting her weight onto her side, she used her arms to push herself into a sitting position. Taking a few deep breaths, she rose slowly to her feet, stretching. The soft pops of her spine re-aligning itself echoed in the silence of the room.

How to do it? That's the question. Xandra knew that DuMonte was weakened by the after-effects of cryo sleep sickness, but then, she wasn't in top form herself. Still, with a little clever deception, she was sure that she could disable him. She continued to plan as her body moved through a series of Tai Chi exercises intended to sharpen the mind and open the body's channels to the proper flow of energy. As she moved from one form to the next, an idea was born and grew to logical maturity.

The slight sounds of Xandra's movements and measured breathing awakened her companion. As the younger women moved gingerly and moaned in discomfort from the awkward position she'd slept in, Xandra brought her exercises to a conclusion and stood quietly waiting for Arianna's eyes to open.

"Xandra?" Arianna called sleepily.

"Yeah, it's me kid. Come on...wake up. I need your help and I'd be willing to bet we don't have much time."

Arianna looked up with sleep heavy eyes and blinked as she saw her childhood hero displayed in all her naked glory. Her brain instantaneously registered the perfection of Xandra's strong body before her mind switched into professional mode and began to visually examine the extent of the damage and progress of the healing that had taken place.

"You look better than you did when he brought you in here, but you could use another treatment."

"Sorry, no time for that now. I'll just have to get by the way I am now. Actually, I feel pretty good considering. Thanks, I'd never have made it without your help." Xandra's level gaze took in the configuration of the room. It appeared to be standard crew quarters stripped of any furnishings. Only the built in replicator and computer console adorned the room's barren plasteel walls. Well, it's not much, but we can make it work.

Stalking across the room to the replicator, she requested two high energy drinks and returned to settle cross-legged on the floor of the otherwise barren room next to the young doctor. "Drink this and I'll tell you what we're going to do..." She offered one cup to Arianna and sipped her own before continuing.

The man grinned evilly as he wound his way toward his destination. The whine of the ship's main power source the only sound besides his malignant chuckling. He was only a few turns from his destination when the sound changed and died as the lighting in the corridor faded into blackness. Halting mid-step, he wondered what was causing the power loss. A few seconds later, low light illuminated the corridor as emergency power kicked in. Glancing carefully around him, the man slowly resumed his journey, doubt nibbling at the edges of his previously confident attitude.

Approaching his prisoner's 'cell,' he paused, fingers moving quickly over the security console to the left of the door. When the door did not immediately respond to his commands, he slammed his fist against the impenetrable plasteel and cursed loudly in a fit of rage. "Shit, nothing works right on this over-modified piece of junk." His anger eventually gave way to logic. Ah...you idiot! Of course it doesn't work on emergency power. You have to open it manually.

Releasing the control panel cover, he exposed the manual controls and hit the door release. The door slid about six inches before grinding to a halt. Frustration combined with anticipation as he grasped the edge of the door and struggled to push it further. In his weakened condition, he was only able to move it a few more inches before pausing for air. Leaning against the small opening, he searched the room for his prey.

There she was, just as he left her. Lying naked on the cold, hard floor. Her dark hair spread in tangles around her head and shoulders, face turned away from the door. Smiling with delight, he gathered his strength and forced the door open enough to slip sideways into the darkened room. Just as his body cleared the narrow opening, a heavy fist flew toward his face, landing squarely against his jaw.

Stumbling to his knees, he reached for his side arm while visually searching the room for his assailant. Movement directly in front of him caught his attention as the prone figure rose facing him and he saw Ari’s face instead of Xandra’s. Taking aim, he fired his disrupter just as a bare foot exploded from the darkness to strike his wrist, spoiling his aim. The next blow, when it landed, nearly snapped his neck, slamming his body, head first, into the plasteel wall to his left. He slid limply down the wall into a broken heap, looking up into icy blue eyes before the darkness closed in around him.

Xandra paused, watching for signs that DuMonte would fight on -- wanting an excuse to wring the life from his worthless body. Panting in her efforts to control the violence threatening to conquer her thin civilized veneer, she slowly gained control of her emotions and knelt beside her tormentor, checking for life signs. She quickly scanned him with Ari's medical analyzer. Looks like he's down for the count.

"Computer...activate main power, authorization code 87624 alpha Lawless 1." Although her voice was weak, the computer was able to confirm her voice pattern and the whine of the Artemis' main power coming online filled the room. As normal lighting was restored, Xandra's eyes were drawn to her companion lying lifelessly across the room. The smell of burnt flesh filled her lungs and her heart sank as she realized the source.

Xandra moved quickly to Arianna's side, long fingers pressing against her throat in search of a pulse. Finding a very weak throb, she noted that the blood pumping from Ari's side was spurting in time with that pulse. DuMonte's shot had missed her heart, deflected by Xandra's blow, but he'd done critical damage nonetheless.

This kind of injury was beyond the commander's limited first aid training, she had to get help. Not bothering to secure DuMonte, Xandra lifted the broken young woman in her arms, cradling her as gently as possible. With main power restored, she had only to enter the correct code and the door slid to a fully open position. Xandra wasted no time as she strode purposefully through the corridor on the most direct path to the ship's med lab.

As she entered the med lab, she was instantly aware of the sweet memories this room held for her. The wife and mother wanted to savor those pleasant images and rest safely in their comfort. The practical soldier knew where her duty lay and brushed aside temptation. She deposited her companion in one of the stasis beds and activated the controls with shaking fingers. The last two days had nearly depleted her considerable strength.

Crossing the room, she sank into a seat at the computer console and activated the communications system. "Gaia, this is Lawless. I need a medical team and a security team up here immediately."

The crisp, professional tones of her second-in-command barely hid the relief and concern in her voice. "Right away Commander. Are you all right? Is the ship secured?"

Xandra sighed deeply, knowing that the answers to both of these questions would terrify her soulmate and distress her friend. "No and no, Hunter. But try not to scare Brie to death, okay? I'm not gonna die or anything. Just get up here as fast as you can."

"On my way. Hunter out."

Leaning back in her seat, Xandra considered the current situation. She was feeling weaker by the minute and although she was reasonably certain that DuMonte was in no condition to challenge her again, she couldn't afford to take any chances. Rising to her full height, she straightened her shoulders and left the med lab. Despite her iron resolve, her strength was waning. Better get it over with before I collapse.

Retracing her steps, she made her way back to DuMonte. He appeared no better than when she left him, still unconscious, breathing labored. Xandra knelt, intending to pull him over her shoulder and carry him from the room. As she knelt, she felt a warm, wet, stickiness between her thighs. Looking down, what she saw nearly stopped her heart. Blood, thick and red, flowed slowly from her vagina, down the creamy whiteness of her thighs. Sharp pains tore through her belly as tears spilled from her pale blue eyes. After a few moments, the pains passed and she was able to catch her breath. Don't have much time left. Hooking her hands under DuMonte's arms, she began dragging the dead weight of his body out of the room and down the corridor.

Xandra was completely exhausted from the strain of moving DuMonte's body and fighting against what she had finally identified as labor pains. Knowing that she had to get herself into a stasis chamber as soon as possible, she had completed her task with all possible speed and returned to the med lab. The last of her reserves were fading as she sank on to the stasis bed. Curling her body into a fetal position against the pain in her belly, she activated the stasis unit and tried to focus her mind on her soulmate as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Chapter 11

Stephanie worked as quickly as possible to prepare the first team headed to the Artemis. The colony only had two of their shuttles landside, the Argo and the Aphrodite. The Argo was larger and accommodated more personnel, but what the Aphrodite lacked in size, she made up for in speed. Since the need for a medical team had been the commander's first directive, Stephanie decided to send most of the medical personnel on the Aphrodite.

Six of the eight shuttle seats would be occupied by medics and the other two would be military personnel. Their orders were to secure the bridge and access to the ship's weapons system. Right now, with the disrupters targeting the colony, the settlement was still in grave danger.

The Argo would leave the surface soon after with a full security team and the remaining medics. Stephanie would pilot the Argo herself. She wished she had gotten a more complete report from Xandra, but suspected that it had been all her commander could manage to contact the colony at all. Something was wrong -- very wrong. Stephanie's internal sensors had been on red-alert since her brief conversation with Xandra.

Her feeble attempts to conceal her concerns from the settlement's chief medical officer had failed miserably. Brie knew immediately that her soulmate was in trouble. Her reaction however, completely surprised everyone. Turning Sandy over to Karyn Rose with a few quiet words and a reassuring hug, she threw herself into preparations for the flight, making sure that the medical team was prepared for any situation they might find upon their arrival. They gathered supplies and instruments that they had stripped from the Artemis' med lab before settling on the planet.

The Aphrodite was ready to move out less than an hour after receiving Xandra's message. The Argo would follow as soon as they were ready. Stephanie paused in her preparations to watch as the Aphrodite lifted from the surface and sped upward at a steep trajectory to clear the planet's gravitational pull.

Brie sat in silence as the shuttle sped across the starlit expanse bringing her ever closer to her beloved. The sick feeling in her belly was more a result of worry than the extreme maneuvers indicative of the pilot's haste. Stephanie had been quick to tell her that, although Xandra wasn't in good shape, she had said she wasn't fatally wounded. What Stephanie didn't know was that Xandra was pregnant. They hadn't had time to share that happy news with the baby's other parent before the crisis had begun. When Sandy had turned up missing, all thoughts of a new child had flown from their minds -- until Xandra left to give herself up to DuMonte.

Even if Xandra came out of this okay, there was still an unborn child to worry about. Who knows what kind of trauma she had been subjected to? Xandra was the strongest person Brie knew, but strength only went so far in protecting the fragility of new life. She could only hope for the best.

About twenty minutes before reaching their destination, the co-pilot received an in-coming message from the Argo. They too were enroute and had just entered sensor range of the Artemis. Sensors were showing 33 life forms in cryo sleep and 3 normal readings. That meant that two of the space pirates were awake and potential security risks. Hunter instructed her people to split up on arrival. One of them would accompany the medical team to the lab and the other would secure the ship’s bridge and shut down the weapons systems.

Brie’s patience was wearing thin by the time the Aphrodite entered the shuttle bay and settled gently on an open pad. She was out of her seat barking orders to her staff even before the shuttle doors were opened. Pushing her way to the front of the ship, Brie tried to take the lead. The co-pilot gently blocked her way as the pilot opened the door. Slowly, the young man slid the door open and exited the shuttle. He held his weapon ready, while the co-pilot followed close behind, scanning for life signs as they moved down the ramp.

After what seemed like an eternity, Brie and her team were on their way toward the med lab. Bracing herself for the worst, she entered her old domain and found her eyes drawn to the stasis units. There lay two women, both dark-haired, naked and hurt. Although her face was obscured by the tangled mass of her hair, Xandra’s form was unmistakably the larger of the two.

Brie was torn between her fear for her soulmate and her need to function as a doctor. Her professional side took control, but just barely. Stepping to the computer console, she quickly scanned the readings from the two stasis units. The stranger’s indicated a disrupter wound to the chest, damage to the right lung and heavy bleeding prior to stasis. Xandra’s…well, it was difficult to determine what to treat first. The computer indicated a number of injuries to vital body systems in various stages of healing. Narrowing the search, Brie saw what had finally caused her lovers collapse. She was hemorrhaging internally, her damaged uterus trying to abort the fetus within.

"Well," Brie raised her eyes to her team "let’s get moving people. Both patients are in critical condition."

Brie turned to the other doctor on the team. "Michael, you handle the pirate and I’ll…"

Michael Winslow stopped his colleague with gentle fingers on her lips. "No Brie, I think it would be best if I took care of Xandra. You remember that old adage about doctors treating their own family members?"

"But Michael, this is different and I’m perfectly capable of…" Brie’s voice was rising along with her panic. Then she paused and in a brief moment of clarity she realized that Dr. Winslow was right.

"No Brie, you know you’re not. Now go do your job and let me do mine."

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Brie responded "Right."

Brie turned to the second stasis unit and proceeded to release their patient, directing the medics as she worked.

"Okay, get her prepped for surgery. Set up room 1 stat. Pressurized IV 6% Ringers and type match the blood. We’ll need to replicate at least three pints. She’s lost a lot and she’s probably going to lose more during the surgery."

Brie continued to monitor the sensor read outs on her patient as she stripped out of her flight suit and stepped into the sonic shower for the 60 seconds required for sterilization. Exiting the shower from the rear, she stepped directly into the surgical suite she'd designated. The room was an organized chaos as the medical team prepared for surgery. As one of the medics stepped forward to assist Brie into scrubs, mask and gloves, she lowered her head and mouthed a silent prayer for her lover and their child.

The young doctor looked up to see three pairs of eyes watching her, waiting for her to take command of the situation. She returned their questioning looks with one of grim determination and took her place next to the surgical table. "Okay people, let’s do it."

Stephanie was nearly at the end of her reserves when she finally entered the med lab. In the last three hours, her people had scoured every last inch of the ship, but hadn’t found that third life form. She knew from a brief conversation with Dr. Winslow that one of the pirates was critically wounded and in surgery, but the second pirate had succeeded in eluding her.

Stephanie stepped into the silent medical suite and was greeted by the sight of the young doctor seated quietly next to one of the treatment beds. Xandra’s pale, still form seemed smaller than usual, dwarfed by tubes, wires and machines. Brie held her hand and gazed intently at the monitors above the bed.

Clearing her throat to announce her presence, Stephanie approached the pair. One look at the doctor’s face let her know that she was very worried.

"Hey Doc. How is she?"

"Better than I expected, but still not good." Brie sighed and lowered her eyes. "We’ve done everything we could, but… We’ll know better in a few hours." She paused and raised her eyes to her friend. "Is the ship secure now?"

"How’d you know?" Stephanie arched one brow in surprise.

Brie smiled, wondering if the pilot had copied this gesture from her commander unconsciously or by design. "Well, when your young Lieutenant jumped in front of me at every turn, waving his disrupter all over the place, I kinda got the idea. You know, maybe you should continue training that bunch. I think they might have lost their edge."

Sinking into the seat across from Brie, Stephanie rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Exhausted, she was still able to see both the humor and the wisdom in Brie’s words. Smiling, she met Brie’s steady gaze and chuckled. "You know, you just might be right. Tell me something. How do you do it?"

"How do I do what?"

"How do you manage to keep your sense of humor with all that’s happened?"

"I have to…its either laugh or cry and if I start crying, I don’t think I can stop."

The two sat in companionable silence, Xandra’s labored breathing the only sound in the room. Stephanie watched the doctor and the doctor watched the monitors.

After several minutes had passed, Stephanie remembered that Brie had asked a question. Until now, she hadn’t wanted to burden the doctor with their security problems, but with the medical crisis under control; she felt that she owed Brie a response.

Rising from her seat, she began to pace. "We think DuMonte is still somewhere on the ship. On the way in sensor readings indicated three life forms…and now. Well, none of the ships are missing and there’s no other way off the ship." She lifted her hands in defeat.

Tears flooded Brie’s eyes and threatened to spill over as she spoke. "Stephanie…that third life form…Xandra’s pregnant."

Stunned, the woman stopped and stared at the doctor in disbelief. "Pregnant? Wha…when did you find out?"

"The night of Sandy’s party." Brie raised her hand as Stephanie tried to speak. "I know, I know…we were going to tell you the next day, but there was the council meeting and then Sandy was kidnapped and then…" Brie gazed helplessly into Stephanie’s eyes, silently praying for understanding.

Sinking back into the seat she had just vacated, Stephanie lowered her head in her hands and asked in a muffled voice "And the baby?"

"Stable for the moment. It’s going to be touch-and-go for a few days but I’m sure they can both survive this. Xandra will just have to take it easy for the rest of the pregnancy…no stress, lots of bed rest."

Stephanie snorted in amusement. "Xandra? No stress? Bed rest? I don’t think so."

"She won’t have a choice Stephanie. She really wants this baby too." Brie paused to gaze at her soulmate before continuing softly. "It’s a boy you know. The X/Y chromosome cross worked. The geneticists have perfected the technique."

Leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, Stephanie grinned and shook her head. "Well I’ll be damned. I’m gonna be a daddy."

Chapter 12

The golden afternoon sunlight bathed her body in contentment as she lay in the hammock she’d strung near the house last spring. A gentle breeze offered some relief from the oppressive heat of the day as the shade from the tree canopy crept ever closer, promising even cooler temperatures. The smell of wildflowers permeated the air and the musical sounds of birds floated from above her.

Being on medical leave had its advantages, but most of the time, Xandra was bored out of her mind. No lifting, bending or reaching. After her near miscarriage, she wasn’t even permitted to work with the animals. The worst part was that everyone else was busy putting the settlement back in order and getting on with daily life. At least she was still allowed to participate in council meetings, even if they did have longer and more frequent breaks in deference to her condition.

This morning had been spent writing her report to the council on her encounter with DuMonte. It was a task that she had been avoiding for months, knowing that it would reveal a part of her that she’d just as soon not admit to. Although she’d written her account in a succinct, factual manner, inside, she felt the looming darkness in her soul.

Now she wasn’t so sure. Sandy was safe, her own condition had stabilized and her baby was growing every day. Maybe she shouldn’t have condemned him to such a horrible death, but she just couldn’t find it in herself to feel remorse. Her report had been brief, revealing none of the intense emotion she had experienced. She doubted that the others would understand the demons driving her at that moment. The laws of the colony could have her facing murder charges for her actions and she knew it.

Wondering what the council would decide, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Brie stepped into the med lab, glad of the environmental controls that kept the building cool even in the afternoon of a Gaia summer day. She just spent the last several hours in council observing the review of Xandra’s incident report. She’d chosen to waive her voting rights since her interest was so personal, but had hoped that the rest of the council would see the situation the way she did.

A brief look at her patient reinforced her opinion. Four months now and the young woman had not regained consciousness. Her physical injuries had long been healed and there was no good reason for her to remain in a coma. Brie was convinced that her psychological scars kept her trapped in the depths of her own mind. The doctor was getting desperate. She knew some of what Arianna had been through from conversations with Xandra and she wasn’t sure if there was incentive enough for the young woman to return to them.

Making her decision, she turned to her assistant. "Sara, I need you to monitor me. I’m going to see if I can bring her out of it."

Sara turned a disapproving gaze on the young doctor, but kept her opinions to herself. Attempting to revive a coma patient empathically was dangerous. The fact that Arianna was also an empath only increased the risk since she could pull Brie in just as easily as Brie could pull her out. It all depended on who was stronger and more determined. The medic knew that Brie had been contemplating this course of action for several days. As time passed and the likelihood of Arianna awakening on her own became more remote, Sara was afraid it would come to this. Now that Brie had made up her mind, Sara knew there was nothing she could say to discourage her. She could only assist her friend and pray that she survived.

Brie settled on the pallet next to Arianna’s bed. Reclining, she waited for Sara to attach the probes to her temples, heart and pulse points. Sara finished her task by tucking a pillow beneath Brie’s head and squeezing her hand reassuringly. As she took her seat at the console, Brie rolled to her side and laid one hand against the petite woman’s head while resting the other against her heart. Closing her eyes, she began the breathing and meditation techniques that would allow her to go deeply enough to touch this woman’s tortured mind.

Part 4

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