On the shuttle, the controls were going crazy. One minute, they'd been only a few hours out of Toshi Station...then space itself had blazed brilliantly around them. They'd felt no real pain--though Myah and T'Mal both had felt a presence, something that they couldn't identify but somehow felt it meant them no harm--then the flare was gone and the shuttle was...here.
Bedard, Lebin, and Myah worked with the flight controls trying to stabilize the shuttle, whose navigation computer had been severely disoriented by the sudden jump.
Because they were concentrating on that, it was T'Mal who saw the image on the screen first.
"Look--" she called.
They did so, quickly being joined by Renee, Alexa, Calara, and Xerath.
Ahead was the USS Avalon, apparently undamaged, moving towards them.
Renee wondered what they'd find aboard, and silently prayed they'd find Kamiana and the others all right and the dreams that she and Kamiana had been having tied into what was happening. Renee wondered why it seemed that everytime she made a friend, she became so involved in their lives and past lives. Here she was again, being drawn across half the universe in search of a friend and now it seems she and whatever this force was had found them .
Bedard nodded to Myah. "Sensors--full scan."
Myah nodded and did so. A moment later she reported, "No sign of damage, and all systems appear to be functioning--except for weapons. I get no reading on them whatsoever. Not that they're powered down, it's more like.." she paused, trying to make sense of it. "like they're not there at all."
Bedard thought for a moment. "That doesn't make sense. But if it's true--and there is some hostile force aboard--it would mean they can't fire on us. Keep monitoring just in case, though."
Lebin tapped the console. "Let's see if anyone answers. Keep our shields up, just in case."
Myah tapped the comm. Adam stepped forward. "This is Shuttlecraft Delta to the USS Avalon. Respond."
* * *
On the Avalon bridge..
Kamiana glanced to Michael as she heard Captain Lebin's voice come over the speakers.
He smiled reassuringly to her, she felt his presence in her mind again urging her to trust him.
Then he raised a hand...a flash of light, and all of the shuttle's occupants suddenly found themselves aboard the Avalon.
There was a moment of shock as they adjusted to the shift--then Lebin stepped forward, Bedard behind him.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing on this ship--and where is the crew?"
(Be at ease, Adam Lebin, and all of you. I will explain.)
Renee saw Kamiana and moved over to her while Lebin and Bedard were concentrating on the man in white.
"Kamiana, what's happened?" she whispered.
"It's a long story...remember that old teacher of mine I told you about, the one who I thought was dead?"
Renee nodded.
"He's not dead, Renee. I didn't kill him after all, that's him." she indicated Michael.
Renee stared at the man in white and yes it seems he was the image of Kami's old teacher, but he was changed somehow from the memories that Kami had told her of him. Something had changed him and as Renee looked closely was also changing her friend Kami. Renee did not like this change, it was not natural, it was as if he was possessed and in his possession he was contaminating and taking over Kami as well.
Renee looked around the deck and saw the children controling the vessel and knew that this was not right. These children were too young to possess the knowledge to commandeer and let alone fly a star fleet vessel.
Something was very very wrong.
Kamiana noticed the look on Renee's face and didn't need to be a telepath to guess what she was thinking. "It's not wrong, Renee. It's right. More than anything else could ever be." Her eyes glistened with tears but they were tears of happiness.
Renee waved a hand at the children. "This is right? How can these children run a starship?" v
"The Light gave them the knowledge they needed, that's what Michael said." Kamiana replied.
Renee wasn't entirely convinced. But Kamiana believed him, that much was certain.
* * *
On the Avalon, belowdecks...
Goth ran into the cargo bay. This was a room which most of the crew stored their excess baggage. Goth had also stored some of his personal belongings here. He saw his storage booth at the far side of the room and quickly ran over to it. He knew in his heart he did not have much time left. By now the "Prophet" had materialized on the bridge. It could only be a handful of seconds before he came down here to find him. Goth put his hand on a small pad set into the booth's side.
"Lasher, Goth. Commander." he said into the small voice screen.
"Voice print unknown. DNA print unknown." the computer said back to him.
"What?" Goth snapped. Of course. He had almost forgotten in everything that had been going on, "Damn it computer. I've regenerated. Update files."
"Voice print unknown. DNA print unknown." the computer said again.
"I don't have time for this." Goth muttered. He slammed his powerful fist into the side of the booth causing a large dent in it. He hit it again and again until the lid of the booth was ripped off. Goth tossed the lid out of his way and reached into the booth. he pulled out what looked like a small sphere made from white marble. Goth's eyes began to glow a soft red and the sphere began to glow a soft white.
"Right then Michael Landry, Prophet of the Light. I'm ready for you." he said.
Goth continued to focus on the crystal.
* * *
"You will undo whatever it is you've done and release this ship, bring back the crew." Adam Lebin demanded. "As for you, Tyrrel--consider yourself under arrest. These kids, too. Alexa, Xerath, take these three down to the brig. Round up any more kids you find while you're at it."
(This cannot be permitted, Adam Lebin. I will show you as I have shown the others, what the Light truly is and what it wants for all of you--only to bring Peace to the universe. You shall know your dreams--)
Suddenly he stiffened, his telepathic voice went silent.
Kamiana paled. (oh, no, not again), she thought. The last time she'd seen that look on his face, he had told her one of the children had died. And he still hadn't explained that to her. She thought he'd dealt with whatever had caused it when he'd left the Bridge earlier.
"Michael...?" Kamiana began, sidestepping Alexa and Renee to move to stand beside him.
In Michael's mind, reality blurred as the image of burning fields came to his mind, filled with the burning bodies of thousands dead and dying.
(You believe the Light is the great peaceful force in the galaxy. What you see now is all that was left of one of our outposts when one of the Prophets came to us and we refused his kindness. This was the cost.)
The image changed, to a planet being torn apart from space, ripped into shreds. Michael could hear the voices of those upon the world dying and their homes were torn apart and they fell out into space.
(Again, the work of the Light. These beings were judged unworthy. Believed to be evil in the work of the Light. So they had to die as well, so the rest could be saved. Tell me Mikey. Is this what you truly want, to be a killer?)
The image of Goth Lasher appeared before a field of white mist.
(Is it?) Goth asked.
The sights and images sickened, horrified him. These were the very things that he had dedicated his life to putting an end to! He put his hands to his head trying to shut out the images.
Then he remembered something. The knowledge the Light had given him, of what had been before. (No. it is not. But who are you to talk of such things, after what your kind have done to the Universe? You are the Darkness.)
And Michael flung images back at Goth, images of the death and destruction the Thanaos had caused in their time.
(Would you judge the wolf when it kills the deer? Would you judge the very nature of life itself? When the Thanaos kill it is to feed. We do not judge others, as the light has done. When we have killed it is to live! The Light has killed because it feels the nature of those around it is not worthy of living in its new order. As you will do if you stay with the Light.) Goth sent back.
Kamiana put her hand on Michael's arm. (Michael?) she whispered with her mind, sensing his distress and pain.
(I do not kill--I will not, the Light does not!) Michael cried in anguish. (It restored life to a world that was nearly dead--these children are proof of that. It saved them when the Darkness would have let them perish. And the crew of this ship are not dead, they are only elsewhere, living that which they most desired. Their dreams..I merely gave those dreams life. That is not death.)
Kamiana could feel Michael's pain, but wasn't sure who or what was causing it. (Michael--please--let me help you. I know you want peace just as you always did. Whoever is doing this...is just wrong, about you and the Light. You couldn't be part of something evil, we both know that.)
(You do not kill? If not for the nature of my people I would be dead now. You have already killed me! The Light enslaves peoples and planets to its will. It feeds off people and uses them to bring about its dreams,) Goth sent, (The Light is not what you think it is. And I can not allow this to go on. I give you this one last chance Michael. Give up this. Turn your back on it or I shall be forced to destroy you.)
Michael's tortured eyes gazed at something only he could see.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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