Copani Story

[Zack Ryan]

Originally posted by Scarlett O'Hara
..........Zak looked at P’Mela and smiled playfully. But she wasn’t looking anywhere except at the fire. DennizM continued to study her seriously while Morgana took in every nuance, every detail around her. When P’Mela shifted in her chair, her long sleeve pulled up slightly and Morgana got a good look at the bracelet she was now wearing and thought “The third one!”.

ZR caught Morgana's thought, and the turmoil in DennizM's mind. He probed and pushed at P'Mela's mind and found a block, then another until he had found 7 separate blocks, each represented by alternating Black and White boxes, one inside another. The lock on this box was simple and he opened it with ease, revealing both the weapon and sheild locks in the computer. "So she can reveal the information needed" He closed and relocked the box, knowing he would be back soon. He looked at each of the people there, thinking about each. Morgana is an unknown, her mind chaos on the surface and he will leave it alone for now. DennizM and P'Mela were unknowns. There was a definite link but he could not figure it out without more and substansive probing into their minds, which he could not do now. Standing, he asked if there was more for them to discuss.

DennizM desparately wanted to stay and talk to P'Mela, while e-Morgana couldn't wait to get away to talk to Cadfael without an audience. P'Mela merely waved her hand, signaling that she no longer wished to participate, though she had begun to regain some of her color. "Morgana answered for all of them, "No". "In that case", Zack muttered, "goodbye for now, I will see you soon.

DennizM began to put up an arguement when Morgana stoped him and they left the room.
In the Bay Morgana put her fingers to her lips and signalled to be quiet. DennizM nodded his head and touched her forhead with his finger and they were in the alley behind the bar.

Back on the ship Zack began to talk to P'Mela but she was in no mood to talk to HIM! Standing she punched a few studs on her bracelet and was gone, back to her ship. Reverting to his true personna, he strode from the room, moving quickly to the hanger deck and began to run towards the other end of the deck, some 7 miles away. This was how he was able to clear his mind, putting everything into the run, allowing no intruding thoughts. His last thought was about those seven blocks in P'Mela's mind. Who put them there and why, and then he began to run.

 

[Scarlett O'Hara]

Materializing back on Te’Zsing, she felt another wave of nausea overcome her, just as the ship said hello to her. Unable to answer him, she ran to the nearest facility. Luckily there were facilities located all over her ship. Finally purging her system, she headed to her quarters to refresh. Te’Zsing was questioning her nonstop and she was snappishly answering questions. His sensors were blinded by Zak’s ship and he had to rely on information sent through the docking lines. Just as she stepped into her quarters she demanded “Privacy mode, please.” knowing that ship had certainly obeyed her!

After a long shower, and other amenities, she went into her bedroom, finding a large mug of fresh cold juice placed by her bedside, by one of the bots, no doubt on Te‘Zsing‘s orders. After drinking the refreshing and soothing drink, she slid nude into her regular bed alcove, and snuggled into her silk sheets. She wondered why she was so sick following this jump. Or it could have been the food prepared on Zak’s ship, though it seemed very much like what she was used to eating on earth, only spicier! Tossing and turning in her bed, she had dozens of questions buzzing chaotically through her mind and no answers.

Part of her problem was dealing with conflicting attitudes about ZakRianan. Less than a week ago, she would have killed him without thought or regret, thinking only that she had the last of the Copani she was contracted to kill, and she could go home. 764 Copani Seekers in 700 years. Not a very sparkling record considering they were the most prominent species outside the j’Son’jon Empire. But they were a formidable enemy. Zak had even alluded to her tactic for catching Copani Seekers. That only worked for so long before they changed tactics to evade her. P’Mela also realized that ZakRianan was also bothering her on two other levels. Pride was something she held deeply. She didn’t like the slur he made about her ship being tiny. Anything would be tiny compared his monstrosity of a ship. Why did men always think size was all important? His ship was 15 miles across and wasted space for one life form to flit around the galaxy! Her ship was a Hunter-Killer, sleek and beautiful in its lines, and deadly. And it sang to her and argued with her! Her other resentment centered around his dismissive attitude of her. Sometimes he seemed dismissive and other times over protective. There was no sense to it!

The headache was beginning again and the nausea. There was a screaming inside her skull pounding to get out. “Shahidan. Shahidan.” P’Mela didn’t even know what language it was but this was the second time it had happened this week. Turning onto her left side, she spot her mug of fruit juice and drank it quickly. Didn’t she drink it all before? Lying back, she thought about Zak pushing against her mind while they were in his conference room. She had felt it and mentally screamed for him to stop. It stopped but was it because he stopped it or he stopped because she had demanded it? Feeling sleep consuming her, she quickly recited the ritual night prayer "Water for the Tribe" and then quietly slipped into a deep relaxed sleep. Her last thoughts were of her beautiful desert planet.

Ogg walked out of the dark corner and stood next to her bed, looking down at her. Looking at the mug of fruit juice he frowned. Usually one of his special fruit cocktails put her to rest but it took two this time. She was certainly more troubled than he had ever seen her. Reaching down his pulled the finely woven blanket, called a Shakti in her language, up and over her, tucking her in like a child. As he straightened up, he smiled at the irony of the Shakti. It was a deep russet color with a bright copper dragon woven across the center in fine metallic threads. Ogg roared in laughter again at the dragon symbol as he popped out of her ship and onto the deck of the Copani ship. Propping comfortably back on one of the small ships, he watched as the long limbed Copani ran, unaware of him on his ship again. Then as an afterthought, he popped back into Te’Zsing’s computer core, and tweaked a little. Suddenly, the little ship had his own sensors and systems back online.

 

[Cadfael]

Seconds later.. there is a flash of argent, and DennizM and Morgana stand above Scarlett's bunk....

"I hope we are here for honourable reasons" smirks Morgana, raising one eyebrow

"Well I have to admit... I have been dying to get her top off" DennizM laughs and he takes down her jerckin from the hook on the wall. He runs his fingers over the patch on the arm... he then looks at the sleeping P'Mela..."so little Bird... who clipped your wings I wonder?" he mutters... he then places his fingers lightly to her forehead... and looks at Morgana...

"The barriers are still there, they have been tampered with" he frowns.... "but... but she thinks they are there for someother reason" he chuckles "whoever was tampering would have had one hell of a surprise if he had let the secret out of THIS Pandora's box, not to mention this lady herself"

Morgana steps over and looks down at P'Mela... "is she one of them... one of the ones you told me about"

"I am not even sure they exist... it was just a germ of an idea when I had to leave" DennizM probes some mor... "but yes... I think she is" with a curse he turns away... "that bitch has a lot to answer for... for this" he points to P'Mela "most of all"

"Then lets get started" Morgana says "I wanna meet this Queen of yours... I want to stand there as you tear her heart out"

"Thats the spirit!!!" chuckles DennizM as both he and Morgana disappear in a silent flash of white, and reappear standing on the hull of the small warship... enclosed within a coccoon of air. DennizM then closes his eyes and drops the mental blocks that hold Cadragon in place... his form shimmers and expands... Cadragon floats centimeters from the hull of the ship and Morgana assumes her usual place.... Cadragon then winks out of existance...

 

[Zack Ryan]

Originally posted by Cadfael
"Thats the spirit!!!" chuckles DennizM as both he and Morgana disappear in a silent flash of white, and reappear standing on the hull of the small warship... enclosed within a coccoon of air. DennizM then closes his eyes and drops the mental blocks that hold Cadragon in place... his form shimmers and expands... Cadragon floats centimeters from the hull of the ship and Morgana assumes her usual place.... Cadragon then winks out of existance...

Zack sits up from the console, the light retracting and winking out. Smiling, knowing that all is still well and that the defeat of the empire can still be accomplished. P'Mela is a royal but totally unaware, DennizM and Morgana will be worthy allies and he needs to be much more careful when he peels back the blocks. That he can do it, no doubt, but that will take more time than he likes.

"ONCACON!" he calls out and within seconds the android is standing beside him. "That little freak has given her ship back it's eye's and ear's. Leave that but blind it to anything to do with this ship and get it launched into space, in orbit around this satellites planet." When the android had finished it's tasks ZR lifted off Phobos and made for the second planet, settling beneath the vapors generated by the heat and water, sinking into the mud and vegetation of the planet.

Once settled, Zak enjoyed a delicious meal, a long sleep and then boarded the Demon Class War Ship hidden among all the other transports aboard. Since it looked and acted like any other of the transports hiding it was an unnecesary thing to do, but made him feel better. As he climbed into the star filled void, he moved to the space between this solar system and the next. Here the remnants of an exploded 11th planet orbited their sun, beyond the scope of their science to detect.

He moved his chair tight into the console, pressed a stud and the beam of light split and entered his brain through his eyes. Instantly he became as one with the ship, as if it were an appendage. "Activating" the weapons systems he spent the better part of an hour reducing the largests pieces of the debris to pebbles. Finally he headed back to the third planet, reverting to Zack Ryan and leaving the ship to Oncanon as he came back to the bar via the alley. No little odd person this time, but for some reason he felt he was there with him nonetheless.

 

[Scarlett O'Hara]

P'Mela stretched and awoke slowly. Something felt different. Gravity! The gravity felt different. "Te'Zsing! Check on environmental systems, especially gravity control. It feels......" The ship didn't wait for her to finish. "Good Morning, My Love. Yes the Gravity is back to our standard. The Copani has released us to space and taken his ship to Venus."

P'Mela stretched and realized that the heavier gravity on the Copani ship had been most tiring. She was more accustomed to her standard. As she finished her morning routine and exercise, she dressed. Walking into her control room, she started firing off questions to Te'Zsing. As she settled into her well worn recliner, she thought that ZakRianan's sudden dismissal of her ship was more than strange. A frown crossed her face which Te'Zsing immediately noticed.

"P'Mela, have we misjudged the Copani?" She didn't answer the ship. She wasn't sure what the answer was. Several minutes passed while they both worked. Then she said "Te'Zsing, any responses from that second message I sent?" "NO!" came the firm answer. She smiled knowing that the ship had disapproved of her contacting her old lover Aik Haw. "Did the Copani communicate any reason for his sudden disparture?" she asked. "NO! He's a Copani. They don't say much." Despite herself she laughed at the ship! His moods were as easy to read as anyone she had ever known. But at least he was consistent.

"Then we wait." she informed Te'Zsing. "We wait, we do redundant systems checks, we review the latest intelligence on various fleets. We strategize."

As the day wore on, she had the strangest "flashbacks" of her dreams the night before. After time dilation jumps she always had a mishmash of dreams. She dreamed of her desert planet, that was really a lush rainforest planet populated by reptelian beings. She shivered despite herself. Snakes! A planet of sentient snakes! The thought made her skin crawl and for the rest of the day she kept looking at her feet expecting to see something slithering around her. Even her shadows cast against the walls of the ship seem to remind her of her dreams the previous night. The way the scaly creature would weave back and forth, ducking and stretching as they communicated. Gods rot it, she hated snakes!

 

[Ogg]

Zack sat in the bar awaiting the arrival of his expected guests. He smiled to himself if you could call it a smile, it was more of a lopsided smirk, buy hey what golden skinned alien really needed an excuse to smile on this planet and even more importantly by who’s standard was his smile judged. With a sudden startling realization he stood up with his chair crashing to the floor. The local patrons of the bar looked towards the noise then back to their drinks only seeing in their minds eye a man with beer spilled on himself. Yet, in reality Zack Ryan stood their shaking in disbelief. Was he loosing control of his own mind? Where had such a strange stray thought about his smile come from? Zack looked around the bar, then he reached out with his mind looking fro anything that might be considered odd or resisted his probe. Nothing. Zack regained his composure and sat back down awaiting the Dragon and his lady. First he would deal with the dragon, an elder of the universe. Please... this poor drunken excuse for a flying lizard couldn’t light a cigarette at in a nuclear firestorm with the aid of a blowtorch and then there is the sorceress, ha! Her magic consists of a scorching tongue that impales the soul of the male gender of most species, making them wish for death. Ah her effect on males is like that of the terrain female praying mantis who eats the head of the male after mating. Yet at the same time she is so desirable and mysterious, like forbidden fruit. Zack was suddenly sweating and Copani don’t sweat! Those were stray thoughts, not his own. He was loosing control of his own mind, how was that possible? Zack looked around the bar again, sure enough in a darkened corner was the odd little man, and he was laughing.
Zack was sure he hadn’t been there before, and his mind was still unable to detect anything special about him at all. What was going on? Zack decided to take action, when suddenly Ogg spoke to him in a merry tone, ”Did you know The centre of the universe is a cube with sides of 2 inches, hovering one foot above the second shelf of the wardrobe in room 5, house 2, Fife Park, St. Andrews, Scotland.” The little man then doubled over in laughter as Zack just stood there in the bar surrounded by humans on the third planet from this solar system’s sun, in an out-of-the-way back water galaxy, and he felt as if the whole multiverse was suddenly laughing at him.

 

[Scarlett O'Hara]

P'Mela ate her dinner that evening, sullen and irritable. Te'Zsing tried jokes and poetry, and even her favorite songs and she kept telling him to shut up and rerun the diagnostics and the wargames scenarios she had told him about. Unless someone came to the table with something stronger than two jokers, this poker game was going end badly and quickly for the little blue-and-white marble called Earth.

For some reason she couldn't get her mind off the Copani. Zack Ryan in human form was charming, no doubt about it. But in his Copani form, he was down right beautiful and intriguing. She couldn't believe she was thinking about a Copani in such noble terms! After a long soak with more of her precious scents from homeworld, she went to bed early. Even the fruit juice on her bedside didn't relax her.

After two hours of tossing and turning, she got up, slipped on her jumpsuit and walked the entire ship, twice, taking time to look out each view port at the stars she never tired of seeing. Repeatedly she kept turning quickly expecting to see someone behind her. There felt like a presence stalking her but at each display, she checked and rechecked the security protocols. No one had boarded the ship. Just her. She was getting paranoid, definitely an earth trait she had picked up!

Going back to her small bedroom, she saw two mugs of cold fruit juice and a pale pink flower of some kind. Smiling she drank the first fruit juice. As she started on the second, she smelled the flower and wondered why ZakRianan would have left flowers on board. "Te'Zsing!" she commanded. "Yes, My Love?" he responded immediately. Shaking her head at his never ending endearments, she said softly "I have never thanked you for attending to my comforts so completely. So, Thank You!" There were several moments of silence and the ship answered "You're Welcome. But to what are you referring specifically?" She shook her head again at how annoying Te'Zsing could be. He wanted more compliments. "When I am distressed, you always send one of the droids with chilled fruit juice for me at bedtime. And now, some type of flower has also been delivered. Was it from ZakRianan?"

There was silence for such a long period of time, she started to repeat her statements and question. Te'Zsing's voice sounded astounished when he answered "I have never sent fruit juice to your quarters, Captain. Nor any flower. I am running security checks and diagnostics to see which droid is responsible. An answer will be forthcoming." P'Mela felt the presence again behind her and turned quickly but there was no one there. She dropped the remaining fruit juice and hurried to the small compartment over her desk, yanking it open, and grabbing the small weapon inside.

But just in the brief moments it had taken to check the weapon and release the safety, she was overcome with fatigue and sleep. She barely made it back to the bed in time. Ogg stepped out from the shadows and scooped her over onto the bed better and covered her, then returned the weapon to storage. His face was grim. This meant more tweaking in the computer core to remove the entire conversation from the records and Te'Zsing. Before he left her room, he placed the pale pink rose in water for her. Pale pink cabbage roses had always been her favorite flower. They were abundant on the lush world she really came from. He leaned over and caressed her face, quickly removing the conversation memory from her as well. He would continue to place chilled fruit juice next to her bed when she was distressed.

He appeared inside the computer core to tweak it, hearing the ship singing softly to her. He smiled at that. Te'Zsing was his real name that he had given to the ship's personality and that was his real voice that spoke and sang to her. P'Mela would never know that. It was a sad realization for him.

 

[Zack Ryan]

Zack had watched the ship wink out, knowing it would soon be tucked safely in amongst the other ships on the hanger deck of his ship. As he walked down to the end of the alley he felt a vibration behind his ear. Reaching up he pressed the slight bump behind his ear and Ontanon was there.
"Sir, we have a problem. Her ship, and her of course, know where we are. Somehow Oncanon did not fullfill his duties soon enough and they detected us as we landed on the second planet."
"F'anhk, let me think a second. OK, he needs to be dealt with, anyway you see fit. Move the ship to the gas giants ice moon, after blinding her sensors again. Go beneath the surface of the moon and pull another of the 'droids out if you need to to pilot the ships."
"Done sir, and the other items in storage, what do we do with them?"
"Leave them for now. The Dragon and the Sorceress have disappeared and now I am concerned that I may have misjudged them as allies. I will contact you later."
With that he pressed the concealed stud once more and walked back out of the alley to go to the bar, but changed his mind and walked down the street to the all night market. Walking to the freezer section he grabbed up 24 assorted frozen burritos and a dozen frozen corn dogs. Then to the soda section where he got two cases of Diet Barq's and went to the apartment he had taken when he stayed on this planet rather than return to his ship.

As he munched on the burritos and corndogs, all perfectly prepared in the microwave oven, he thought about Morgana and DennizM and what to make of their disappearence and P'Mela and her on again/off again strange behaviour. And of course that strange little man. There was something about him that seemed familiar and strange at the same time.

A few hours later he stood, a case of Barq's and 1/2 the burritos gone and made a decision. He just hoped that it was the right one, or at least on the path to the right one.

 

[Cadfael]

In the void between worlds, Cadragon floats with his wings drooping at his sides... his red scales turning pale with the effort of travelling so far a distance in so short a time… Morgana’s face is twisted in her efforts to maintain the bubble of air around them.

“It was lot easier coming the other way” Cadragon pants… “I just took shorter leaps… I was in no hurry, I just leapt from planet to planet.” He turns his sinuous neck and rests his head on his back inches from Morgana “I cannot make the last jump… I was hoping to leap to Drago Prime this time… but I fear I may kill us if I try.”

“We need to rest up… I have never been so tired” Morgana rests her head against Cadragon’s “I never know you used so much effort to make these jumps. Is there any other planet close by that we can reach? We need to gather our strength for the last leap.”

“There is one, however I hoped to avoid it… it is not a happy place for DennizM… and in this state it would be better for me to leap to the only city I know. To leap anywhere I have not visited could be… erm… messy to say the least. I can’t see anything else for it... you will just have to keep an eye on him when we get there... I cannot hold myself together for much longer”

“You mean…” Morgana asks, falling silent

“Yes… Runymeade” Cadragon whispers as he prepares for the leap… seconds later they appear above a lush green landscape, a large city close in the distance. Morgana collapses against Cadragon’s back as she finally releases the air shield. With a huge effort Cadragon spreads his tired wings as he controls their plummet to the ground… no sooner does his talons touch grass when he calls to Morgana… “Get off!!! Quick!”

“Just hold your damn hurry…. Oooooooohhhhhhh” The back of Cadragon falls away from her.

Morgana finds herself straddling the back of DennizM who is laying face down in the dirt “Got off me you Hellion” he roars… “let me breathe dammit!”

Morgana leaps to one side, sitting looking at the struggling DennizM as he finally gets his face from the ground. “A little more warning would have helped!” she fumes “bad enough that I feel I have been in combat with Mike Tyson for ten round… it is a bit much to be dumped on the ground into the bargain!”

“Speak to Cad then!” DennizM snaps at her “I had about as much say in that as you damn well…” he pauses and takes a deep breath, then reaches for her hand… “Sorry my love, but Cad was exhausted… you know how he gets tunnel vision when he wants something badly... but in this case he had good reason.”… he smiles…”now how about we make to yonder city and find us an Inn for the night… as it happens…” his smile falters… “I know of a nice place”

He stands and passes her his hand in offer of help, a strangely subdued Morgana allows him to pull her from the ground… and they make their way into the city.

* * *
One hour later they stand before the inn, a sign above the door proclaims the name to be The Yawning Portal. The sound of music and laughter issues from the open door. DennizM mutters quietly, and Morgana has to lean over to hear him… “Three thousand years… and it almost looks the same as it did back then… I can almost see her…”

Morgana lays a hand upon his arm…”We could find another Inn… it does not have to be here, do not put yourself through this!” she urges

“I have too” he takes her hand in the crook of his arm… “I have put it off for far too long” he bows, and swoops his other arm towards the door… “After you… My Layde”

***

Much later… after a fine meal and a tankard of exceptional ale… Morgana sits watching the common room, noting the rustic appearance of the taverns patrons… it is like a moment in time… she thinks, almost as if time stopped 500 years ago. She then watches a young girl enter the common room from the back of the bar, a lighted taper in her hands. The pretty girl then begins to light candles in holders on the wall… banishing the evening gloom in soft mellow light. She slowly glances at DennizM, his eyes follow the girl… his mind clearly thinking of the past… then his eyes seem to snap back to the present and his eyes dart around the room… he then slams his tankards on the table. Heads turn to see the commotion, but by this time DennizM has his emotions under control and he looks at Morgana…

“Candles!!!!” he tells her…”she is lighting candles!!!”… he then snaps his arm out before him and a ball of light materialises and floats across the common room. The patron of the Inn all surge to their feet and back away from the globe. Cries of ”Witchcraft” and “Sorcery” fill the common room.

“Oh god” mutters DennizM “what is going on here?”

 

[e-Morgana]

Morgana grabs DennizM and frantically searches for a way out. She notices a heavy set man pushing his way through the angry crowd, and is appalled to see the ShieldBark cuffs in his hands. The crowd is moving menacingly closer and DennizM, in his stunned shock, prepares to take on the whole bar with his bare hands.

“Don’t be a fool!” Morgana yells at him. “You can’t win this”. She grabs his arm and with a briefly intoned incantation, they vanish…. and reappear back in the lush green field where they had first arrived. “We need somewhere to hide” she tries to explain calmly, though the whole incident has left her incredibly shaken. Surely he must see the sense in that.

“HIDE?” he yells at her furiously. “HIDE!! Did you see what they’ve done to them? CANDLES!! They can’t even light the glows,” he says incredulously.

“I saw, Hon. I saw.” She needed to calm him down…get him to see things rationally. “Did you notice her wrist?”

DennizM is about to continue ranting, when Morgana’s question finally seeps into his furious brain. He stops with his mouth open. “Her wrist? What the hell are you talking about?” He searches his memory and Morgana is pleased to see the light finally dawning. “She was wearing a bracelet…with a malite jewel. I remember Mearys always loved that stone … though she couldn’t wear it of course. The lure of the forbidden fruit and all.” He smiled in reminiscence.

“Shhh” whispers Morgana, placing a finger gently against his lips. “We need somewhere more secluded,” she repeats to him.

“It’s a bit of a hike, but we don’t really have much choice now, do we?”

“Not now, we don’t. Not after your little spectacle in there.” she smiles ruefully at him. Resignedly, they look towards the town and then head off in the opposite direction. In the distance, a mountain range looms above the plain…that’s their destination. Thankfully they have eaten their fill and feel marginally better. What they both need more than anything right now though, is rest and a chance to restore their flagging energies. They talk as they make their way towards the mountains.

“We should have told Zack and P’Mela a little more of our plans, you know. God knows what they are going to think of us just disappearing like that. They’ll probably be wondering if we’re somehow in cahoots with the SonJons”

“How could I say anything?” replies DennizM. “All I have are suspicions and hunches. I have to make sure myself first, before involving anyone else. Besides, I’m still not entirely sure about your ’Zackie boy’ ” “Oh please!” the enchantress laughs, “You know he could never hold a candle to you, my love. Besides, didn’t you see the way he was looking at YOUR P’Mela?” They grinned at each other. This was a long established routine with them. There was nothing like some friendly banter to ease stresses and tension. The fact was, they now had more questions than when they’d set out…if that were possible. Why do they wear malite? Is Scarlett one of the three…and if so, which one? What have they done to her, to make her forget?

They needed information. Morgana tried to keep her concerns to herself but DennizM knew her too well. “Those worry lines will do nothing to enhance that natural beauty of yours, my dearest” he says teasingly. She knows he is as troubled as she is. “Who can you trust to find out some reliable information? You were a FlameRider for goodness’ sake. Someone MUST have known you better than to believe the lies they told!!”

Without realising how much time had passed, the sky begins to darken. The diminishing light seems to sap the last of their strength till neither can take another step. “This will have to do,” they say together. They look at each other and smile, not really surprised at the coincidence after all this time together. “I can’t go any further without resting” Morgana decides. They are amongst a forest of pines and have barely enough energy to make a ‘bed’ of pine needles, wrap their cloaks about them for warmth, and snuggle in together before they slip into oblivion.

They don’t see the stranger appear from behind the tree. They don’t feel the touch, as hands stroke their faces and smile knowingly. They don’t hear the words, softly spoken into the darkness.

“And about time, too. I had all but given up on seeing this in my lifetime.”

 

[Zack Ryan]

Zack had made a decision and it was time to put the plan into motion. Silently signaling, his Demon appeared in the parking structure of his apartment building. He boarded and was gone before anyone could have observed him. He was in orbit above P’Mela’s ship in a few minutes and aboard in another one. Finding her sleeping was good and he stood in the shadow and began his probe. Quietly and quickly he unlocked the first block and took the secret of the weapons and shields and then tried the next block. He was part way through when he felt a buzzing and answered.

“It’s Ontanon Zak, you better get back here, quickly. The life force tests are complete and you need to see the results.”

Zak had never known Ontanon to be excited before even though the ability was build into his circuits. He released his mind from hers and was gone. His entire time there amounting to a few minutes but the secrets were his now. He felt they were needed now more than ever. As the Demon plunged beneath the ice and he docked he jumped out, the data cube in his hand. He ran into the bridge and found Ontanon waiting for him, but pacing.

“SHE’S ONE OF YOUR RACE, SHES COPANI” Ontanon shouted. Zak sat at the console and checked and Ontanon was correct. He felt something jab his palm and looked down. It was the Cube with all the data. He gave it to Ontanon and told him to start modifications immediately to one of the other Demons, he would run tests as soon as the task was complete.

When Ontanon left, he sat back in the chair, and began to think again. “Damn, “ he thought, “I need those burritos, corn dogs and Barq’s.” Standing he morphed into Zack and ran back to his ship, telling Ontanon to contact him as soon the modifications had been completed. He took off, through the ice, as was back in the alley behind his apt in about 5 minutes. He no sooner got the first 3 burritos in the microwave when that feeling got him again between the shoulders. He turned and saw nothing. The microwave dinged and he took out the food. He opened a Diet Barq’s and ate and drank and thought.

 

[Ogg]

Uhm Diet Barq’s, how yummy

As Zack sat back to relax he was startled by the appearance but was also half expecting him. There: before him again stood the short, fat, balding enigma. What did it/he want? Still Zack had no idea as to what this Ogg person really was and the communication had been very limited other than a strange babbling and meaningless encounter with this little creature in the ally some time ago. Zack felt no danger, quite the contrary he almost wanted to laugh at the less than intimidating looking little man. Yet still his mind and consciousness remained unreadable, indiscernible, a complete and total mystery. Ogg said nothing he just stood there looking and smiling. Finally Zack asked, ”What is your game? What do you want?”

With out a word Ogg reached over and took a burrito from the plate by Zack. He quickly consumed it and then shocked Zack by taking the Diet Barq’s from the Golden Alien’s hand and finished it off. Ogg handed the now empty can back to Zack and winked. With a huge smile on his face Ogg said, “Humm, not bad but I have never been a big fan of reduced sodium burritos, let alone reduced sodium anything. Just quite don’t understand the ‘No Salt’ craze, don’t people know salt is a preservative. Want to live longer, eat more salt, that’s what I always say! Oh the codes you have are corrupted, you need to invert the last half of the code to read backwards for it to work. If you really want to see some cool fireworks insert the Terrain Roman Numeral ‘V’ at the beginning and end of the code. Be careful it’s not for the squeamish. Oh and never you mind about having that can scanned, you will not find anything. ” Ogg then strolled a few paces away as he picked up a corndog from Zack’s plate.

Ogg turned again to Zack with a strange gleam in his eyes and asked, ” Did you know planets look really small and far away if you hold the Hubble Space Telescope the wrong way round? Also did you know The real reason for the NASA space program was that the people in charge had a deep hatred of chimpanzees and wished to shoot them into orbit. Although only a few such launches were publicized, there are now millions of destitute monkeys in outer space.” Then with a with a loud and thunderous belch Ogg was gone.

 

[Ogg]

On a planet half way across the limitless vastness that is space an in a universe not totally unlike ours a small pudgy little figure emerges from the shadows....

Firmly gripped in his hand is some type of primitive marking device. He stares at the sleeping couple for long minutes. Finally he acts with speed and swiftness. He proceeds to draw representations of wispy facial hair under the nose of each of the slumbering entities. With an evil smirk on the pudgy being’s face, it speaks at last, ”Nice mustaches!” Suddenly the pudgy little creature doubles over in laughter. After several minutes of laughing it simply says, “And about time, too. I had all but given up on seeing this in my lifetime.”

Then with another deep belly laugh the little pudgy being is gone…

 

[Cadfael]

Originally posted by Ogg
Then with another deep belly laugh the little pudgy being is gone…

As the being begins to materialise on it s own world, it feels a vice like grip upon it very being, and it is dragged against its will back to the forested glade. Wild, white… incandescent magic engulfs it, cutting it of from the source, and strong arms throw it upon its back, its will locked in arcane forces. A face presses close, and whispers fiercely…

“Not a sound Ogg” DennizM emphasises this with a thrust of the magic… “Do not wake Morgana, this is between you and me! I think it is time we found your place in all this!”

The barriers in Ogg’s mind are totally blown away; this is not some tech probe… this is a being of magic stripping the way the defences of a creature with magic… Ogg is transfixed as his will is swept aside… after a while DennizM releases him… and sits back, a stunned unbelieving expression on his face… “I never imagined…” he muttered.

“That is the problem with your race” Ogg whispers back “your kind have no imagination... if you had, we would not be here… millions would still be alive! Whole planets would still turn in their orbits… not just broken torn waste lands”

DennizM hangs his head, and looks once more at Ogg…”You know what is going to happen!” he mutters as realisation hits him… “you can help… you can…”

“I can do nothing!” Ogg’s voice raises in the night, he looks quickly at Morgana… and then after a breath, continues quietly… “you have to believe… I cannot help… I must not interfere, that could be the ruin of us all” he lifts a hand and points to the sleeping Enchantress…”This I will say… cherish her!… without her… you will die… and there will be no coming back this time… K'th-na or no K'th-na… you will die… and the dragon with you”.

“I do cherish her” DennizM’s hackles rise… “you have no idea how much”

Ogg climbs to his feet and walks toward the forest… he turns… “You think you do… but ask yourself this… do you know how much she cherishes you?” With that he vanishes.

DennizM watches the place Ogg was stood for a time… and then once more lies down my Morgana side… I will not sleep he thinks… as oblivion overtakes him.

****

For the first time in 3000 years… DennizM opens his eyes to the dawn on Runnymeade, as a stark coincidence… it is also the first time in 3000 years has woken with a woman in his arms. Oh, he has had his fair share of lovers… but these have been transitory… never lasting long enough for the dawn light. Once more the loneliness crashes around him… and Cadragon, deep in his mind, stirs and offers what comfort he can… knowing he is as much to blame for DennizM’s misery as was the Queen.

He looks down on the sleeping Enchantress… her lower face hidden in the shadow of her robe… Cherish her Ogg had said… you will die. The words drift back into his mind… Better I die rather than you my love he thinks… gently brushing a strand of her hair to one side. The touch wakens her… and he finds himself staring into the depths of her beautiful hazel eyes. Without thinking he lowers his head to kiss her… she raising on her elbows to accept the kiss… the robe covering her falling away… DennizM stops and stares, and then with a snort burst into laughter.

The soft hazel eyes turn hard as flint… and Morgana storms to her feet, and stamps into the forest to perform her ablutions… DennizM calling out to her… her rigid back is his answer. Sighing, he conjures fire… and food, and settles down to await her return… when she does return, she pointedly refuses to look at him. She picks up the food without a word and begins to eat.

“You should have washed your face” DennizM says quietly… “we had a visitor last night… I only woke up when he was leaving… I did not see the little gift he left us”.

Morgana looks at him for the first time and notices the ink moustache below his nose… now it is her turn to snort… although she has the decorum to cover her mouth… then realisation hits her… “Oh God!… I have one to… don’t I?”

“A rather fine looking one I must say… would you like me to trim it later?” he collapses into laughter… Morgana looks at him for a moment, and then breaks into hysterics herself….

 

[Zack Ryan]

Again he has summoned his Demon and is soon aboard his ship, which is almost immediately docked to P’Mela’s ship in orbit around Mars. He wastes no time in descending to her quarters, her robot overseer reminding him over and over he is trespassing and to vacate the ship immediately. Ignoring the disjointed voice he steps into the room and sees her sleeping figure. Standing in the corner of the room he sends out his mental probe, lightly peeling back the second block and it is the reality that she is Copani. He has no idea how this had happened, or why but she will be very surprised when she wakes.

Unable to help himself he continues to probe and peel back the layers of the third block. Suddenly, as he peels away the final layer, her mind is bathed in white light, which dims almost to black. In the center of all of that is the little odd man who keeps popping up. He is standing in a field of flowers; ones that look very much like one of the roses on earth. He is talking to someone, someone he apparently respects as his eyes keep moving everywhere but directly into those of his questioner.

She stirs and her eyes flutter open, He molds himself into the corner as best he can, and she shakes her head, unable to make the strange visions disappear from her mind. “Te’Zsing”, she yells, “get in here, now.” She exits the room for her bath and he leaves, turning the corner before the android version of the disembodied voice appears. He is aboard his ship and back in the alley behind his apartment as quick as he can. He had found in probing and releasing her mind only two more blocks to remove. They will prove to be formidable ones, he knows, and for a moment he feels fear and trepidation at the thought of finding out things he might not want to know.

He changes direction and wonders where Morgana and DennizM are, what they are planning and, even, whether they will ever return. He goes to the refrigerator for a Barq’s and finds all the cans there, but open and empty. He snatches open the freezer and finds over two dozen empty burrito wrappers. He grabs a trash bag and empties the freezer of trash, then the refrigerator of the empty cans. As he ties the bag and places it next to the kitchen trash he swears he hears the laughter of the little man.

 

[Scarlett O'Hara]

Drawing the water for her bath, P'Mela was more irritable than she could remember being in a very long time. Her mind was drawn back over 400 years to the Copani - MosGaladstin. That was the last time she could remember being this irritated, irritable, nervous, jumpy and all the other words she could think of. Why did she suddenly remember him?

Her mind was so focused on Mos that when she started to pour a few precious drops of her herbal rinse into the bath water, she dumped the entire contents into the water! "F'ANCK! DOUBLE F"ANCK! TRIPLE F'ANCK" she screamed and threw the crystal decanter at the door jam just as her personal android walked through. Emotional he was not. The crystal crashed into him and he stood stoically. "GET THE F'ANCK OUT!" P'Mela screamed at the droid. He obeyed without question but quickly swept the crystal pieces into himself before leaving without question.

"Is something wrong, My Love?" asked Te'Zsing in a soft concerned voice. He quieted as soon as her tirade at him was complete. The entire ship knew she was in a mood and to be quiet and respectful.

Stepping into her bath and lying back, her mind went back to the memory of MosGaladstin. He had been the most alusive Copani to that point in her career, and utterly ruthless! He had used other Copani seekers to study her ways, her manuevers and had sacrificed his own people to learn about her! Then he used everything he had learned against her.

They had small skirmishes for years and then he would simply vanish from her ship's detection. Some kind of alien technology that he had purchased himself and installed most probably. He could have chosen to kill her a thousand times over the years and always broke off the battle - and would vanish. Their next to last encounter had scared her and made her feel just as she was feeling this morning - antsy.

He programmed his ship - destination a small out of the way spaceport and let her get only a split second fix on his jump manuever. He knew she would quickly calculate his destination, invoke her j'Son'jon jump engines for a time dilation jump and arrive at the spaceport long before his own arrival, and wait for the kill as he was most vulnerable coming out of his own jump manuever. But instead, he had programmed a second manuever into his ship which changed his destination. P'Mela had done exactly as he had predicted and waited for him at the spaceport - and he never showed. At least, not as she had expected.

For nearly a month, she had manuevered in close proximity of that spaceport, looking for Copani debris or jump trails but to no avail. Then finally she made her way to a nearby tradesplanet for needed supplies. There she met the most fascinating man she could ever recall meeting. Suddenly those hundreds of years alone were too much and she and the beautiful man had a rich and loving affair. They remained on that planet for several months before either of them felt compelled to return to their ships or duties.

After a sensual goodbye and promises made to meet at another location and time, they finally boarded the shuttles to their own ships. It was not until she was near her jump point that he had transmitted his final "goodbyes" and in front of her eyes, let her see his true Copani identity. The beautiful pale blue alien was a golden Copani named MosGaladstin! And he informed her that when they met again at the promised location and time, one of them would die.

He had gone into jump at that moment and she could not follow. She felt then just like she felt now. And she couldn't explain why she was feeling that way again, here and today. But she cried over the memory of her love - MosGaladstin - and cursed herself for using the last of her precious herbs from home.

 

[Scarlett O'Hara]

P'Mela had been lying in her bath for over an hour, the water continually heated to the correct temperature for her. Her emotions were rolling and her hands continued to shake. But finally the soothing herbs in her warm water began to sooth her and she slipped into a fitful nap. A fitful nap of nonsense.

She dreamed of a field of pale pink roses and lavender and small furry animals. And she laughed and played, chasing or being chased, pretending to fall so he could catch her and tickle her. And she would tickle him and roll him through the clover and let him chase her again. She dreamed of her small chubby toddler who always made her laugh and giggle. She dreamed of his chubby fingers holding a weedflower to her nose and telling her it was a baby rose. And she would agree with him. And always they ran and laughed and chased and tickled but always within sight of the royal guards who were there for their safety!

Her Royal Highness, Lady P'Mela Piaue LeonDocTchi, Heir to the Throne, and her precious chubby son Te'Zsing..............a cherub of the first magnitude - nicknamed "Ogg" by his doting grandparents.

 

[Scarlett O'Hara]

P'Mela had stayed in orbit for nearly four days after MosGaladstin had jumped into his destiny. She had gotten a lock on his coordinates but couldn't force herself to follow. For four days she found minute repairs to make, reports and instellar news to review. It was amazing how out of touch she had let herself become during the time on the planet. But finally she made a decision on which Copani seeker to go after next. And not Mos!

The protocols were logged into the ship and she went to her quarters and readied the bio-bed. As she slipped inside and plugged the connection into her forearm, the health protocols overrode and disconnected her from the bio-bed. That's when she discovered she was pregnant.

It would have been easy to override the health protocols, gone into the chemical/saline submersion and gone into a jump. When the jump was completed, the embryo would be dead and cleansed from her system by the bio-filters. It would have been easier but she couldn't do it.

And thus made to stay at normal travel rates, she had no where else to go before the estimated time of the birth and she stayed in orbit around the primitive tradesplanet. Each day a view of it from her ship's viewports would bring back memories of the affair with the beautiful blue alien who was really a Copani - a sworn enemy of her people!

Some days the feeling of life inside her felt familiar but most of the time it was simply an annoyance. As it grew, her revulsion of it grew. A Copani hydrid or monster most likely! She hated it. And on the days she hated it the most, she would stand next to the bio-bed and contemplate overriding the health protocols. And always something made her stop her thoughts.

When she visited the doctor planetside, she told him 3 things - one lie and two truths: A false name, the child was a Copani, and she wanted to put it up for adoption as soon as it was born. The doctor always argued with her about her decision but she was resolute.

The day finally arrived and after all the ordeal was over, the old nurse tried to hand the child to her, saying "You have a beautiful daughter!" But P'mela saw only the horrid ugliness of the Copani baby and snapped angrily at the nurse. On the third day, according to local law, the doctor and a nurse once again asked her to reconsider her decision. For three days she had refused to see or nurse the child and would not change her mind. She wanted only to agree to the legal dealings and go back to her ship. If she indulged in a deep long time dilation jump the after affects would include short term memory dementia. And that is what she wanted the most - short term memory loss.

She once again confirmed her decision to the doctor and quaintly he handed over a piece of paper, a small Copani handprint on it. "How archaic" P'Mela thought. But this was a small backwater planet, nevertheless. She placed her handprint and signature on the paperwork and stood, anxious to get to her ship and into a jump. Just as she turned to leave the office, the doctor said "By the way, our instellar adoption counselor reports someone who wishes to adopt your......the infant girl." Without turning around, P'Mela answered "Fine. Whatever" and left the office.

Once back on her ship, she immediately prepared for the jump. As the sedative slowly eased her into sleep, she thought to herself that she would have named the girl A'Saun'Tii - in her language it meant "A Love Affair". It wasn't until after she came out of the jump three weeks later, she happened to notice a legal notice waiting among all the routine messages - marked "URGENT". It read "Adoption of Copani baby girl by MosGaladstin".

 

[e-Morgana]

Originally posted by Cadfael
“You should have washed your face” DennizM says quietly… “we had a visitor last night… I only woke up when he was leaving… I did not see the little gift he left us”.

OGG!! Damn the man!! Did he purposely make it his sole objective in life to taunt people??

Still....she had to admit, it was pretty funny. If only his little prank hadn't ruined the moment.... something incredible had been about to happen....she could feel it. Oh well - I guess there would be other opportunities. After wiping the moustaches off both their faces, the two sat in amiable silence to finish their breakfast.

"I had the strangest of dreams last night" Morgana finally interrupted their reverie. "You'll think I'm completely out of my mind but I must have been REALLY tired. There were colours all around me....and around you for that matter. I felt like they were pulling us together - like we were going to be sucked into one another or something." The Enchantress giggled at the absurdity of her dreaming, and was stunned when DennizM jerked to his feet, his bowl clanging, forgotten, to the ground, his face twisted in agony...

"Cad!!! What the hell are you doing" he screamed as Cadragon exploded unbidden and violently into his mind. Morgana reeled back as his form expanded, and Cadragon's wings blossomed from his back...

"What did you just say??" he whispered to her. His mind reeling back 3000 years ago to another time, another place. "No....surely not.....how could this be??"

Morgana was stunned when he reached down and took her roughly in a talon, and pulled her up so that their faces were almost touching, and his eyes bored into her. What was wrong with the old lizard now? It seemed he was trying to stare into her very soul. What was that expression on his face? Grief? Hope? Panic? "It was just a dream, Hon. Don't look at me like that....you're getting me concerned."

"A dream!? Are you sure about that Morg, my love? Are you really sure??"

 

[Cadfael]

Cadragon stared for a few moments longer into Morgana’s eyes, and then laid her gently back on the ground… “You are not what I thought you are… “ He sat back, his barbed tail forming a third leg of a tripod along with his hind legs… his head held to one side as he gazed at her… “I always figured you for one of them… one of the earlier experiments…” his head lowers to her level… “I though you were a dragon, one of those silly dragons pretending to be human”

“You WHAT!” she answered, her eyes opening wide in shock…”how in the name of the Great Egg did you reach that conclusion. Hang on… you said in Scarlett’s room you did not know if they existed… now you say you think I am one, that does not make sense”

DennizM can see that Morgana is on the verge of expoding... and he is not sure how he would react to that in his current state of mind... he too has questions... but hey can wait.

“It does if you do not know” he replied “if I wanted to keep the truth from you… just in case you could not handle it… remember, I heard most of Rath'na’s plans on Drago Prime. It was hard for a dragon to maintain the illusion without having blocks placed into their minds, blocks that turned out to be too good… most dragons forgot themselves.”

“And you thought I was one of them… but why?” she spread her arms wide…”something must have set you off. Was it something to do with the dream?”

“That does not matter now.” She sensed Cad was being evasive, he looked away almost as if shamed by his subterfuge… “The fact is… you are not a dragon… you are human… a rather special one I admit, but human nonetheless”

“I need to think…” he muttered… “I will takes a flight and scout around” he looked at her… “Do not leave the camp, be ready to leave” Before Morgana has time to protest… he was airborne

***********

Less than an hour later DennizM walked into the camp… Morgana ran to him…”Are you okay? She demanded… “What the hell was that all about… I thought for a moment he was going to kill us?”

“I’m fine… honestly” laying a hand on her arm… “He has just never taken over like that before… he says…” he stopped, and looked at her… Morgana, where are you from?” His voice is low and strained; almost as if waiting to be struck “How come you were on Drago Prime when Cad had to leave?”

“I… I… I do not know, really” she looked as if she was going to faint… “I just was… I think I had been called there to take instruction in the Arcane Arts… but I cannot remember… why can I not remember!” Her eyes opened with this revelation.

“When you mentioned the colours, and merging” DennizM’s voice was still quiet “that meant something to Cad… for a few minutes he thought he had found something he had lost. Something precious to him, however, when he scanned your mind… which by the way I told him he had no right without your permission… he found that you were not a true dragon.” Morgana opened her mouth to ask, but DennizM forestalled her “But, on one occasion in the past at least, he has entered your mind and released a Dragon, a purple. He knows how he did it, he knows he did not just change you… he actually released a dragon. He can find no sign of her now. However he insist there is something there, something you will not let him read, when he tried you almost tore his mind out”

Morgana sat on a nearby boulder… trying to take in what she had just been told. This was impossible! Nothing made sense… “Could he not be letting his feeling for the… something precious be clouding his judgement? I never at any time led him to believe, or you!” she could not resist throwing the barb “that I was anything other than a human. Nor am I hinding anything... from either of you!”

“Leave it for another time… we will think on it, Cad certainly is” he smiled… “I can feel the wheels spinning in here” he said, tapping his head…”we need to move on… Cad saw an unusual outcropping of what looks like rock to the west. He says it was not there 3000 years ago… he is right… I remember, it was not” he gathers their belonging… “we should check it out… it maybe nothing. If not… we will move onto Drago Prime…”

“Then god help us!” Morgana sighed as she followed him from the clearing….