Calista Tayn, having just finished relaying her message, swiveled around in her chair and beckoned to Commander Naka.
�Theodorus,� she ordered, �I want you to set course for the neutral ground. And make sure the seaQuest can follow us, but don�t make it too easy. I want them to think that they found me using their own skills.�
�But I thought you didn�t want them to follow us,� Naka said.
�That�s what I want them to think,� Calista explained slowly, as if speaking to a child. �I haven�t forgotten my mission, Theodorus. I am to capture the crew of the seaQuest. The entire crew, not just O�Neill. I have personal reasons for wanting him. And I can�t capture the seaQuest if it�s avoiding me, now can I?�
�I--I suppose not,� murmured Naka, not wanting the captain to see his growing discomfort. He was starting to have serious doubts about Calista�s sanity, and he didn�t want her to see it in his face.
�Of course not!� Calista whirled around in her chair. �We want them to come to us. And they will, if only to get their little lieutenant. And when they come, they will all be mine, to hand over to that worthless politician Bourne. He�s a fool. He doesn�t understand true vision, true power.� Her voice grew far off, as if she was talking to herself. �But I do. I know that the only way to destroy a person is from the inside. I see farther than Bourne ever could. He�s a fool of the worst kind. They�re all fools. They don�t understand, any of them. Only I know the truth. Only I can see beyond my own ambitions. And in the end, only I will still be standing.� Naka shuffled nervously, and Calista moved to stare at him. For the second time in a single day, she stared someone in the eyes. Naka was frozen by her mad stare, like a deer in car headlights. �Go on, Theodorus. Are you going to report me? Are you?� Her voice grew cold, and she grabbed him by the throat, her fingernails digging into his neck. �Are you, Theodorus?�
�N-no,� Naka whimpered. �No, Captain.�
�Not �captain,�� Calista purred. ��Queen.� I am your queen. Understood? I am in control of your pathetic little lives. It is by my will alone that you survive this. It is by my will that you live and breathe. You don�t belong to Bourne. You belong to me. Do you understand, Theodorus?�
�Yes, my--my Queen,� Naka gasped out.
�Good.� Without warning, Calista reached out and snapped Naka�s neck like a twig. Everyone on the bridge froze as his body crumpled to the ground. Calista stood and stared challengingly at them all. There was a light of madness in her eyes. �Anyone else want to betray me?!� she howled. �Anyone else want to share his fate?�
Immediately the crew returned to work at their respective stations, twice as fast as usual. No one wanted the captain to focus her mad fury on them.
Calista turned in a circle, staring at each of her crew member in turn. Each one tried to ignore her and continue working. One, a young ensign, flinched under her gaze. Calista smiled. She had found new prey. She walked over to the ensign, who was frozen in terror.
�Are you afraid of me?� Calista kicked him in the groin. The ensign, crumpled groaning. Calista laughed. �Did that hurt, sweetie?�
�Y-yes,� the ensign groaned.
�Do you want me to stop?� Calista questioned, kicking him again.
�P-please,� he gasped.
�You didn�t say ma�am.� Calista took out her gun and hit him with the butt of it. His head snapped backwards, hitting the nearest console. He fell to the ground and curled up in a ball, whimpering with pain.
�I trust the rest of you will behave?� Without waiting for an answer, Calista turned and left the bridge. Behind her, the dead body of Commander Naka and the still moaning ensign quelled any thought of betrayal. Captain Tayn had her crew on a choke hold borne of fear, and none of them were willing to break that chain.
Tim, who has conscious once more and had been for several painful hours, heard Calista coming before he saw her. Her footsteps echoed down the hall, and he knew she was there before she opened the door to his cell and entered.
�Hmm...� Calista didn�t speak as she took Tim�s chin in her hands and stared at him thoughtfully. Tim found something strange about her eyes.
�What�s wrong with you?� O�Neill croaked.
�I just killed my lieutenant,� Calista said, as conversationally as if she was telling him the time. �It was so....invigorating....but you know, now I can�t seem to remember why I did it.� She giggled again. �You should have seen his eyes when I snapped his neck. and he made the most...interesting....sound when he hit the floor. It was absolutely .....fascinating.....you would have liked it....you�ve done the same thing...� Calista patted his cheek absently.
�How could you kill your own second-in-command?� Tim asked.
�He bothered me.� Calista shrugged. �I�d do the same thing to you....if you bothered me....not that I won�t eventually....� She smiled slightly. �Poor boy. I don�t know what to do with you. I want to kill you...but she says I have to wait. She wants her revenge first. Mmm...� Calista moved closer to him, purring in glee. Her mouth moved next to his ear as she whispered the next words. �Then I�ll have mine.�
With a wild laugh, she whirled around and left the room.
�She�s mad!� Tim exclaimed to himself. And he meant it literally, too. As far as he was concerned, there was not a trace of sanity left in Calista Tayn. And for him, that was a very bad thing indeed.
The seaQuest moved slowly, sluggishly through the water. It was night, and by all rights the majority of the crew should be asleep in a stationary vessel. But the conQuest was rapidly moving towards Macronesia by way of the neutral territory. The crew members were working the bridge in shifts while they followed it. Hudson had spoken with Secretary-general McGath, who had ordered him to find and destroy the conQuest no matter the cost. Hudson had amended the orders slightly. He had no plans to blow up the conQuest without first attempting to rescue O�Neill.
Lucas trudged into the galley, still in his pajamas with his hair tousled. It was about three in the morning, and the galley was almost empty. Almost because Tony Piccolo sat at a table in the corner, with a blanket draped over his chest and a newspaper in his hands. He was eating a bowl of cereal. Lucas joined him.
�Tony, only you would be eating breakfast at three in the morning,� Lucas muttered.
�Well, I couldn�t sleep,� Tony said through a mouthful of Fruit Loops. He offered Lucas a section of the paper. �Funnies or stocks? I�ve got the sports.�
�Funnies, I guess.� Lucas took the paper and looked at it for a moment. �Tony, this paper�s three months old!�
�I know.� Piccolo shrugged. �I got it on the last shore leave and didn�t have anything else to read.� He glanced at Lucas. �You okay, kid? You�re not exactly an early riser, y�know.�
�Neither are you,� Lucas shot back. He sighed. �There�re two reasons why I�m up, actually. And I think one of them�s the same reason you�re up: Tim.�
�Why would Tim keep me awake?� Piccolo muttered, burying his head in his paper.
�Come on, Tony, I know you,� Lucas said. �He�s our friend, and we�re both worried about him.�
�Maybe.� Tony paused and glanced around the paper at Lucas. �You think that lady was tellin� the truth, Lucas? You know, about Tim havin� a concussion and all?�
�Yeah.� Lucas sighed again. �Yeah, I do. I saw the blood on the statue.� He looked away for a moment. �You know, Tony, O�Neill and Ford and me are the only ones left from the original seaQuest. And--and while the new crew�s fine, I still miss some of my old friends. Ben, Commander Hitchcock, Dr.Westphalen....Bridger. I-I don�t think I could ever get used to someone else sitting in Tim�s seat. Not like this, anyway.�
�I know what you mean,� Piccolo said quietly. After a moment he spoke up again, eager to change the subject. �So, why else are you down here?�
Lucas gave a short laugh.
�Well, actually, it�s--it�s a little weird,� Lucas admitted. �But I had this dream.... about a girl with blond hair wearing a green top and a pink skirt. She waved at me and walked away. I know it�s strange, but.....well, it kinda had me freaked. After all, it was Tim�s dream that got him into this.� He looked up at Piccolo. �I guess you think I�ve been watching too many holo-vids, huh?�
�No.� Piccolo�s voice was strangely serious. �I had a weird dream like that too, kid. Only you got lucky; you got a cute chick. What do I get? Some weird guy wearing a pasta strainer.�
�You know, Tim mentioned a girl and a guy like that when he told me about his dreams,� Lucas murmured. He turned to Tony. �You don�t think that....�
They looked at each other for a long moment before burying their heads into their respective sections of paper.
�Nah.�
Two hours later, Lucas, fully clothed but not fully awake, trudged onto the bridge with Tony after him. Neither mentioned the dreams or Tim.
Hudson was on the bridge and in full ogre mode because Henderson had lost the conQuest on radar. Lucas cringed as the captain looked in his direction and busily starting working at his console.
There was a loud noise from Henderson�s station. She glanced quickly at Captain Hudson.
�Captain, three projectiles, heading this way!�
�Evasive maneuvers!� Hudson barked.
�We�re too big a target; we�ll never avoid them!� Ford muttered.
�Countermeasures!� Hudson snapped.
�No time for countermeasures; they�re coming in too fast!� the man at the weapons station said.
�Impact in five seconds!� Henderson reported.
�Brace yourselves!� Hudson ordered.
The ship rocked violently as it was hit. Hudson glanced up at Lucas.
�Major structural damage near the rudder,� Lucas reported. �And two got the torpedo tubes. We�re only at half-capacity with the weapons, and the countermeasures are off-line.�
�Captain! Five more torpedoes, coming in fast with three others on their heels!� Henderson�s panicked voice rose above the noise on the bridge.
�We don�t have enough torpedoes to stop them!� Lucas reported frantically.
The ship rocked violently as the torpedoes hit. Moments later, three more rocked the ship.
�Status.� Hudson turned to Lucas.
�Our weapons are shot and our propulsion units have been fried.� Lucas sighed. �We�re dead in the water, sir.�
�The conQuest is showing up on our radar again, sir,� Henderson said. �They�re only a few feet ahead of us.�
�Their hailing us, sir.� Ford looked up from the communications console.
�Onscreen,� Hudson ordered.
It was Calista Tayn who appeared before them, but a very changed Calista. Her long blonde hair, normally well-combed, was as tousled as if she had just woken up. Her uniform was wrinkled, and it appeared that she had taken a scissors to it. She had cut the sleeves off the brown Macronesia vest, and she no longer wore a white shirt under it. The symbol of Macronesia had also been cut off. The vest was pulled up slightly and tied, exposing her navel, and her brown pants had been turned into a ragged pair of shorts. Her boots were nowhere to be seen. Her eyes were wild and her smile was slightly crooked.
�Captain Hudson,� she laughed. �I�ve just disabled your ship. And I want to see you, your commander, and your officers over on my ship....now. I�ll be sending escorts over.� She cocked her head. �And I want you all to come peacefully. I still have my little Timothy to torture if you resist. And then....my men will take over your ship. Is that good?� She tossed her head. �I�m waiting!� The transmission ended abruptly.
�What should we do?� Ford turned to the captain.
�Listen up!� Hudson�s voice could be heard all over the bridge. �I want the crew stationed here to tape your weapons under your consoles. When Captain Tayn�s men come, surrender to them and do nothing until you receive a signal from me. Ford, Piccolo and Wolenczek, come with me. We have no choice but to allow Captain Tayn to capture us. Once we are on her ship, we may be able to free Lieutenant O�Neill and take control of the conQuest. But until we can, it�s best if we pretend to follow orders. Commander Kimora, while we�re away, you are in charge of the bridge.�
With that, he turned and strode towards the docking bay with his chosen three in tow.
While half Calista�s crew occupied the seaQuest, several more officers escorted Hudson, Lucas, and Piccolo to the bridge of the conQuest. Calista Tayn awaited them, sitting in the captain�s chair with Naka�s body pinned up behind her by her order. Lucas blanched visibly at the sight, Ford gasped and Piccolo�s eyes widened, but Hudson was unaffected. He nodded curtly towards the body.
�Your commander?� he asked, recognizing the stripes on the commander�s uniform.
�He bothered me.� Calista twirled a full 360 degrees in her chair like a little kid would and ended up facing them again. �That�s what happens to people who bother me.�
�Where�s Lieutenant O�Neill?� Hudson demanded, ignoring her.
�Let me take you to him.� Calista jumped off her chair and nodded to three soldiers. They quickly came over and took command of Hudson and his crew. Smiling wildly, Calista led them at a bouncy trot to the brig.
�Oh, Tim,� she crooned in a sing-song voice as they entered. �You have visitors.�
The guards marched Hudson and the others in front of Tim�s cell. The lieutenant looked up at them morosely. He looked ill.
Calista opened the door and sauntered in. She raised his chin to look him in the eyes.
�Poor baby,� she murmured, stroking his hair away from his eyes. �Poor little boy. You�re sick.� Suddenly, without warning, she gave him a violent kiss. Tim�s muffled protests were drowned out by her tongue as she forced her mouth onto his, purring in predatory pleasure.
With sudden purpose, Calista grabbed a dagger from her belt and cut at Tim�s vest and shirt until they lay in tatters on the ground. Her hands ran down his chest, leaving long scratches where her fingernails dug into him. Tim flinched as she reached for him again.
�Ahem.� Hudson�s cough brought Calista back to her senses. Seeing what she had done, she merely shrugged, laughed, and strode back to her other prisoners, closing the door behind her. Tim watched in despair as she led his friends away.
She didn�t lead them far. Calista pushed Hudson and crew roughly into a cell besides him.
�You�ll have to wait here for a while,� she chuckled. �Enjoy our hospitality.� She slammed the door and locked it, skipping out of the brig.
�Tim!� Lucas called urgently, moving close to the wall. �Tim! Can you hear me?�
�I hear you,� Tim groaned. �And I wish I didn�t.�
�Are you all right?� Piccolo joined Lucas at the wall. �Captain Tayn said you had some kind of concussion, and you don�t look too good.�
�That�s because I do have some kind of concussion,� Tim mumbled. �My head�s killing me and I feel sick.�
�We�ll get you out of here, Tim,� Lucas promised.
Tim gave a grim laugh at that.
�How? You�re in the same boat as me, no pun intended. We�re locked in the brig surrounded by armed guards. And even if we could escape the brig, we�d never get off the boat before Calista caught us.�
�Don�t give up so easily, Mr. O�Neill,� Hudson said. �I watched Ms. Tayn�s crew when we were on the bridge. They�re nervous around her. I don�t expect them to stay together much longer.�
�Well, she did kill her own commander,� Ford said. �That doesn�t really inspire confidence in a crew. She�s obviously unstable.�
�She wasn�t this bad at first,� O�Neill said. �When I first woke up here, she seemed slightly....disturbed, but not crazy. She was smart enough to capture me without anyone knowing it, anyway. But every time she visits me, she seems more upset and crazy. I�m not sure what�s happened to her.�
�She�s gone insane.� The voice was unfamiliar and made Hudson, Lucas, Ford and Piccolo turn. Tim craned his head weakly in an attempt to see who had spoken.
A young ensign came out of the shadows. His face was bruised badly and he held a gun in his hand. There was a key ring at his belt.
�She killed Commander Naka for no reason,� he continued. �She�s been prowling the bridge like a wildcat lately. The whole crew�s afraid of her.� He took the keys from his belt and clenched them tightly in his fist. �She has to be stopped. You can do that.�
With shaking hands the ensign opened the cell. Almost immediately Hudson had him up against the wall.
�How do I know we can trust you?� the captain asked.
�P-please I�m telling the truth!� the ensign whimpered. �You see all these bruises? She did that. She almost killed me. You have to stop her, and I can help. I have some weapons stored nearby. You can use them.�
�I think we can trust him, Captain,� Ford said from the adjoining cell, where he, Piccolo, and Lucas were freeing O�Neill.
�Anyway,� Lucas added, �it�s not like we have an alternative.�
�All right.� Hudson let go of the ensign and turned to O�Neill, who was now free and being supported by Lucas and Piccolo. �Mr. O�Neill, how are you feeling?�
�Do you have to ask?� O�Neill groaned, letting go of Lucas and Piccolo and slumping against the wall. �Leave me here. I�ll be okay.�
�Captain Tayn will probably be on the bridge, and the crew won�t harm him,� the ensign said to Hudson. �He should be safe here.�
�All right,� Hudson said. �Ford, Piccolo, Wolenczek, come on. O�Neill, rest here. We�ll be back for you.� He nodded to the ensign to lead them to the bridge and the young man complied. Soon O�Neill was alone in the brig. Exhausted, the commtech sat down and waited for the others to return.
�Hands up, everyone!� Hudson strode boldly onto the bridge, gun in hand. Lucas, Ford, Piccolo, and the young ensign were behind him. Hudson had his gun trained on the man nearest to him.
The whole bridge froze, and for a moment Lucas thought that the ensign was wrong and the officers were going to start shooting at them. However, the nearest man tossed down his gun.
�Take the ship,� he said. �Just--just get us away from the Captain. She�s mad.�
For several moments the only sound on the bridge was the dropping of weapons. Hudson turned to the conQuest�s comm officer.
�Contact your friends on the seaQuest and tell them to surrender,� he said.
�Y-yes, sir,� the Macronesian officer said. �But--what about Captain Tayn?�
Hudson glanced up at the captain�s chair and noticed for the first time that it was empty.
�Ford, take a group of these men and find her!� Hudson said. He glared at the Macronesians. �Normally I don�t like trusting Macronesians, but she�s dangerous.� He glanced at the comms officer. �While you�re relaying my message, have a team of seaQuest officers come on board as well. We have to find Calista Tayn.�
Tim glanced up at the sound of the door to the brig opening.
�Piccolo? Lucas? That you?� Tim pulled himself to his feet. �Who�s there?�
Suddenly he was slammed hard into the wall, with a gun touching his throat.
�Hi, honey.� Calista smiled ferally at him. �The time�s come, Timmy dear. I can kill you now.�
�W-why?� Tim gulped. �What did I ever do to you?�
�You killed my father!� Calista dropped the gun and pinned Tim to the wall with her arms. �Don�t you remember? You killed him....just like you killed my family over a thousand years ago.�
�I don�t know what you�re talking about.� Tim tried in vain to calm her. �Calista.. you need help. If--if you let me go, I can get you some--�
�No!� Calista shrieked, raising her fist as if to punch him. �I don�t need your help! I only want my revenge!� She smiled widely. �And when I kill you, I�ll get it.�
�Calista, please--� Tim barely ducked the punch. Somehow he managed to squirm out of her grasp. He stood behind her, breathing hard.
�Stay still so I can kill you!� Calista ran at him, and Tim barely avoided her. She turned and struck again. This time she grasped his shoulders, pushing him back towards the wall. Tim turned, trying to avoid it. The result was that they both hit the wall, their skulls cracking against the metal. Both Tim and Calista toppled down in an unconscious heap.
�Oh...� Tim blinked his eyes and gazed around. He gasped. �Where-where am I?�
He seemed to be standing on clouds, though the ground beneath his feet felt solid. The sky was a dark blue. For a moment he thought he was alone, until he noticed a black- haired woman standing in front of him. Facing the black-haired woman was the blonde from Tim�s dreams, complete with armor. Calista Tayn stood behind her, looking lost and confused. The unfamiliar blonde smiled at the black-haired woman.
�Well, well, well,� she murmured, dragging the words out. �We meet again, eh, Xena? What? No choice words for your old friend Callisto?�
�You�re not Callisto,� the black-haired woman, Xena, said. �I healed Callisto of her pain long ago. You�re only a shadow, a manifestation of Callisto�s anger and hatred. And now you�ve infected her.� Xena nodded to Calista Tayn.
�It doesn�t matter. You�re not Xena,� Callisto said. She gestured to Tim. �Now he is.�
�Wait a minute,� Tim spoke up. �What are you talking about?�
�I am Xena.� The black-haired woman turned to face him. �My spirit travels the karmic cycle, body to body. You are a reincarnation of me.� She glanced at Calista. �And she is a reincarnation of my enemy Callisto�s pain. Somehow, the evils that Callisto shed to become an angel escaped their prison and entered her. You have to heal her.�
�Excuse me? I have to heal her?� Tim felt utterly lost.
�I�m dead,� Xena said with a slight smile. �So I can�t do it.� She pointed to Calista. �She�s not a warrior like Callisto was. I caused Callisto�s pain when I killed her family, and in my guilt I healed her, because it was my fault that she was hurt. But there is no way to do that to her. So you have to heal her with words.�
�How can I do something like that?� Tim said bitterly. �I�m no great warrior like you. Your spirit must not be very powerful to get reincarnated in someone like me.�
�My friend Gabrielle wasn�t a warrior either, not at first,� Xena said. �So she fought the best way she could: with her words and her heart. She was the one who eased my pain and guilt while I overcame my dark side. Gabrielle didn�t have to battle me to save me. She saved me through love. It is through love and compassion that you can heal Calista.�
�I don�t understand,� Tim said weakly.
�Talk to her.� Xena touched O�Neill�s shoulder and pushed him towards Calista. �Gabrielle was right. The greatest weapon in the world is powerless against the right words.�
�All right.� Tim gulped and took a step towards Calista, who suddenly looked like a lost child. �C-Calista? Before you captured me, I�d never even heard of you. So... why do you hate me?�
�You killed my father!� Calista hissed.
�Killed? But--I�ve never killed anyone.� Tim looked genuinely shocked.
�You don�t even remember him,� sneered Calista. �Maybe if I told you my last name before my mother re-married. Then maybe you�d know. It was Calista Crichton, daughter of Dr. William Crichton.�
�Dr. Crichton...� Realization struck. �Oh, God....the Alpha base!� Tim recalled his brief acquaintance with the doctor. While on a secret mission for the UEO, the group at the Alpha base had accidentally released an ancient demon. Tim had formulated an idea for escape that had gone horribly wrong when Dr. Crichton used Tim�s plan to destroy the demon and kill himself in the process.
�I heard the whole story of my father�s death,� Calista growled. �I heard about your fabulous plan. If it hadn�t been for you, he�d still be alive. I�d be able to tell him how much I admired him....how much I cared for him. He watched over me all my life. Then he died and Mom got remarried.� She was prowling around Tim now, like a hungry cat circling prey. �I wanted to be in custody of my father, but by the time the case went to court, he was dead. And Mother Dear had a new husband and a new child on the way. A pretty little daughter she named Aurora. Ah, little Aurora. Everyone just loves Aurora. Except me, of course. I was the bad daughter. The daughter of Dr. What�s-his-name, the first husband nobody mentions. Calista�s just a painful reminder of him and the bad days. So Mommy and Step-Father sent me to boarding school, while pretty Aurora went to the fanciest private school. She�s going to be a doctor, you know. I was going to be a scientist. I was going to study the ocean. But no, that�s what Daddy did, and we can�t talk about Daddy.� She laughed bitterly. �I was in Aurora�s shadow again. Daddy�s girl, not Step-Daddy�s girl. So I joined the military. And I killed, and killed, and killed....and I loved it!� She was laughing hysterically now. �And then she came to me. She whispered the secrets of power in my ear, until I understood my mission. To capture you, and to kill you. To capture your friends and let you know that they would be tortured to death by the Macronesians. Then I would kill your soul. And then we would both have our revenge. The revenge that has waited thousands of years. Now, at last, the time has come.� She advanced on Tim, who stumbled back nervously. �My life was nothing before Callisto filled me.....and it is all your fault.�
�But--� Tim wasn�t sure what to say. Calista had a point, though only a very shaky one. It had been Tim�s idea, true, but it had been the doctor�s final decision. And from the sound of things, Calista�s mother and step-father were to blame as well.
�Talk to her,� Xena urged. Though she was standing a ways away from him, her voice sounded as if she was right next to him. �Show her compassion....and show her the error she�s made. You have to save her before she, like others before her, is doomed to a perpetual cycle of hatred.�
�Calista,� Tim stated nervously, �you�re wrong.� Calista stopped, cocking her head and staring at him in surprise, as if she had forgotten that he could speak. �What happened to you...it wasn�t totally my fault. It wasn�t totally your parents fault. Your father chose freely to die so that everyone else on the Alpha Base could live.�
�Why?!� Calista screamed at him. �Why would he ever want to save someone like you?! You are weak, pathetic, a mewling kitten with no knowledge of power!�
�M-maybe,� Tim stuttered. �But he thought that he had nothing else to live for. So maybe, in a way, this was the fault of both of you. He never knew how much you would truly miss him. Or maybe he was thinking of you when he made his decision. If we had left the Alpha Base with that--that creature we released, it might have escaped into the outside world. And then you might have died. Have you ever thought that maybe he died so that you could sleep at night without fear?�
�Impossible!� snapped Calista. �You�re trying to trick me!�
�Kill him!� ordered Callisto, walking up to stand at Calista�s side. �Don�t listen to those lies of his. You can�t trust someone with a soul like his.� Her eyes stared at Xena with burning hatred.
�I won�t deny that you�ve been wronged, Calista,� Tim said as gently as he could. �People have hurt you. But it�s not any one person�s fault. There�s no reason for you to lash out at the world like this. I--I�m sure that your father wouldn�t have wanted things to turn out this way....and I�m sure that, with his last breath, he loved you.�
�No!� Calista screamed in anguish, putting her hands over her ears. �I won�t listen! I won�t! You�re lying! This is all your fault! All yours! I-I can�t--�
�C�mon, Calista,� Tim murmured, �you can�t hold onto this hate forever. Even-- even when you�ve been wronged...you have to forgive.� He flinched as he thought of Kimora. �You don�t have to destroy yourself like this. Your father died so that you could live. Accept that, and move on.�
�I...I can�t,� Calista sobbed. �I�ve done such-such horrible things--I can�t forgive now because I can�t be forgiven!�
�If you forgive yourself, others can learn to forgive you.� Tim took a deep breath. He knew what Calista needed to hear now, and he had to speak the truth when he said it. He thought that he could hear Xena whispering in his ear, encouraging him. Then he spoke the three words that could heal Calista. �I forgive you.�
�What?� Calista stared up at him through her tears. �But--but I--�
�You can still change, Calista,� Tim said softly. �There�s still time.�
Sobbing, Calista nodded.
�No!� Callisto howling, pulling her sword out of its sheath and aiming a strike for Tim.
�Enough!� Xena�s sword flashed out, and she and Callisto stood face to face. �You�ve lost this round, Callisto. She�s beyond your power now.�
�No! I won�t be defeated, not again!� She fixed Tim with burning eyes, then glanced at the sobbing Calista. �If I kill them both, your mission will have failed. She�ll still die with blood on her hands.�
�Not if I have anything to say about it,� Xena told her adversary. �You know you can�t defeat me. You�ve been weakened, and I�m at full strength.�
�You can�t get rid of me that easily!� Callisto stated. �Only she can do that!� She gestured with her sword at Calista. The warrioress smiled. �And she�s in no state to cast me out.�
�She doesn�t need you anymore,� Xena said. �One word from her, and you�ve lost again.�
�She hasn�t the strength to evict me,� Callisto said smugly.
Tim wasn�t quite sure what was happening, but he understood the main point of the discussion. He reached for Calista and raised her chin so that she could look at him.
�You want to be forgiven,� he told her. �But you can�t do that with her inside of you.� He nodded at Callisto. �You can get rid of her.�
�You need me!� Callisto growled. �Without me, you�re nothing!�
�Show her,� Tim urged. �Show her you�re more than nothing. You�re Calista Tayn, the only general who�s managed to capture the seaQuest, and you don�t need her to be powerful.� He glanced at Xena. �The real power comes from getting rid of her.�
Torn, Calista glanced from Tim to Callisto and back again. Finally, she nodded and turned to Callisto.
�Go!� she hissed. �Get out!�
�No!� Callisto fell backwards. �You can�t do this!�
�This is my body,� Calista stated. �And I want you out of it!�
�NO!� Callisto shrieked as her body suddenly dissipated into nothingness. Calista stared at the empty space in shock, looking drained and tired. Then she threw herself against Tim�s chest, sobbing madly.
�Good job.� Xena put a hand on Tim�s shoulder. �I wasn�t sure you had it in you.�
�Me neither,� Tim admitted, squirming uncomfortably. He had forgiven Calista, but he wasn�t particularly comfortable with her sobbing against him.
�Well, I�d better go.� Xena turned and started to walk away into the mist. �The rest is up to you....and her.�
�Wait!� Tim stared after her. �Um...I was wondering...what would have happened if I didn�t save Calista?�
�Then I would have failed, and we both probably would have died,� Xena replied with a sad smile. �It�s happened before.�
�Figures,� Tim muttered. �Why me?�
�You�re one of my reincarnations. Your duty is the same as mine.�
�Reincarnation....Wait a second. Does that mean that, when I die, I�ll be you? Or...� Tim was confused.
�Don�t worry.� Xena smiled. �I�m just a part of your spirit., but I don�t know your destiny. You may choose to join the karmic cycle as I have, or not. Either way, you�re spirit is still unique. Whole. I was only able to appear before you because Callisto�s a little too much for you to handle alone. But, all things considered, you did a good job.� She turned to leave once more. �Oh, and one more thing. Some friends are dear enough to us that we carry them with us in each life. Keep an eye out for Gabrielle and Joxer, will you? I�m sure they�re around. You saw them both in your dream. In fact, you look a lot like Joxer.�
Tim stared after her as she disappeared into the mist.
Captain Hudson burst into the brig, followed by Ford, Piccolo, Lucas, and several seaQuest security officers. All were met by a very strange sight.
O�Neill sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. Calista Tayn lay in his arms, sobbing against his chest. The comtech looked up at Hudson�s shocked face and smiled sheepishly.
�It�s a long story, Captain.�
�It had better be, Mr. O�Neill.�
O�Neill entered the seaQuest with a sigh of happiness. It was good to be back. He had spent the last two weeks off the boat, first having been placed in a hospital so his concussion could be dealt with, then having to deal with the trial of Calista Tayn. President Bourne of Macronesia, not wanting to be humiliated by her presence, claimed that she had disobeyed his orders with her attack on seaQuest, and thus was no longer entitled to the protection of the Macronesian government. Tim had intervened to convince Secretary-general McGath not to execute Calista, and she had been sent to a rehabilitation clinic to learn how to deal with what she had done.
�Yo! Tim!� Piccolo strolled over to Tim with Lucas on his heels. ��Bout time you got back to work. Slackin� again, huh?�
�Yeah, it was only a concussion,� Lucas added. �And then a trial.�
�I still don�t know why you stood up for her,� Piccolo murmured. �She tried to kill you for heaven�s sake!�
�It�s kinda a long story,� Tim said nervously. It had taken a bit of work to explain Calista�s sudden change of heart without mentioning the reincarnation parts. �I forgave her. And now she�ll get the help she needs.�
�If you say so.� Piccolo shrugged.
�You know what�s weird, Tim?� Lucas said. �That a dream led you to all this. It�s like you were psychic or something.�
�Or something,� Tim repeated with a secretive smile.
�Maybe you should be careful, Lucas,� Piccolo joked. �Or that girl from your dreams will come try to kill you.�
�Oh yeah? Well, maybe that guy you�ve been dreaming of will come after you,� Lucas retorted.
�Huh?� O�Neill eyed them curiously.
�Just some weird dreams we�ve been having,� Piccolo said uncomfortably. �Nothin� to get worked up about.�
�Wait, let me guess,� Tim said. He pointed to Lucas. �You�ve been dreaming about a blonde in a pink skirt. And you�--he faced Tony-- �you have been dreaming about a guy in a pasta strainer. Am I right?�
Piccolo and Lucas exchanged shocked looks.
�How--how did you--� Lucas started.
�Like I said: it�s a long story.� Tim gave a smug smile and walked off. Under his breath, he added, �Interesting. They are my sidekicks. Makes sense.� Laughing to himself, he headed towards the bridge, laving Piccolo and Lucas to stare after him in wonder.
It was good to be home.