Destiny

by Jason Finigan

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This story may contain scenes which involve sexual situations between young males. If this type of material is offensive to you, or it is not legal for you to be reading this type of material, please do not read any further. This story is copyright © 2007 by Jason Finigan, all rights reserved. Please do not copy this story for distribution or post on any online server without the author's permission. Please send all your comments to: jasonfinigan@yahoo.com.

From the last chapter:

"Hey. Just because you've changed as you have, doesn't mean I'm not your doctor any more. Besides, you were always more like a son to me than a patient," Sam said.

"You... you mean that?" Jev asked.

"Would I say it if I didn't?" Sam asked in return.

"No," Jev answered, with a huge smile on his face. "Does that mean I get to call you dad then?"

"I would be honored to be your dad, Jev. If that's what you want," Sam said.

"Oh yes!" Jev exclaimed and wrapped his arms around his new father, crying lightly on his shoulders. Sam looked up at Kiyel, who was now standing and looking at them with tears in his own eyes.

'Never alone, Jev, my Laij,' Kiyel sent to Jev.

'Never alone,' Jev replied back.

"We need to get going, then," Jev said, letting Sam go.

"I will get some supplies I'll need then for Jordan here and we'll be on our way," Sam said, and hurried into the other room in.

'And you, Kiyel. I love you so very much. I am very lucky to have found you,' Jev sent.

'As I am lucky to have found you, Jev. I could never want a better mate than you,' Kiyel replied, rubbing his hand up against the side of Jev's cheek.

"Alright, we're all set, I think," Sam said slinging a pack over his shoulder.

"I'll get Jordan," Jev said, walking over to the sleeping child. Carefully picking him up, he made sure the blankets were wrapped securely around him and carried him over to the door where Kiyel and Sam was waiting for him.

Chapter 18

"Report, Lieutenant!" Captain Johnathan Harris barked.

"Sir, they've been sighted," Lieutenant Gregori answered, ignoring the gruff command from his superior officer.

"About bloody time. Where?"

"Near Doc O'Riley's clinic."

"You sure it's them?" Caption Harris asked.

"Yes, Sir. Two large cats walking upright, one of them carrying what looked to be a small child in his arms, and doc O'Riley leaving with them."

"They keep this up and we won't have a colony left!" Captain Harris cursed. "Very well, Lieutenant. Where were they headed?"

"Into the forest, Captain."

"Who do we have out there?"

"Michaels and Simms," Gregori answered.

"Raise them on the com, and get them to that location. I want those four in custody," Harris demanded. "And get a team ready to join them. I don't want to take any chances."

"Aye, Sir," Gregori responded, already making as to leave the Captain's office.

Once Gregori had left and closed the door behind him, Captain Harris allowed himself to lean back in his chair to reflect on everything that's happened and how they were impacting on his carefully laid out plans.

Only a couple of hours earlier he had gone to see Janette. He hated the fact that she was in charge of the colony, but if things went his way, that might change – in his favor. It was from that meeting that he learned of the two large cats seen in Landing, listening with feigned interest as she described to him the findings of her security staff. It didn't take a genius to figure out who those two cats were. The only two it could be; Jev and Kiyel. Between the two of them, they had caused him more trouble than he had thought possible. It was because of them that he lost Mikkel and the sergeant, Janice. A situation that he was going to rectify very shortly. 'Yes, those two are going to wish they had never crossed me,' Captain Harris thought to himself.

It was only his training as a soldier that enabled him to sit through the meeting without giving away his own feelings. He was sure she didn't like him, and he knew very well that she didn't trust him. For now, they both regarded each other as useful to the other. But the time was soon coming to be when he would move to replace her as leader of the colony.

She did not yet know of Kiyel's and Jev's species, which made things easier for him. The less she knew, the less co-ordinated she would be, and would focus all her attention in the wrong area. Had she even been intelligent enough to realize that there was another alien species on this world, he might have seen her as someone to be wary about. Instead, he regarded her as someone beneath him, and definitely not worthy of the position she currently occupied.

Getting up from behind his desk, we walked to the door of his office, opened it, and stepped outside. A flurry of activity was taking place as people hurried about to follow his orders. He could see Gregori, already briefing a team he had put together.

"Lieutenant, is the team ready to move out?" Captain Harris asked.

"Yes, Sir," Gregori answered, coming to attention before the Captain.

"I'm placing you in charge of the base. I will take command of the team personally."

"Very good, Sir," Gregori said, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was relieved to not have to take part in this mission. As faithful as Gregori was, sometimes the Captain wondered just how far Gregori was willing to go. Captain Harris decided that he'd definitely need to keep an eye on him, and if the Lieutenant showed any signs of betraying him, then he could easily join Mikkel and Janice in the fate he had planned for them.

Gregori, left, leaving the Captain standing alone with the newly assembled team. Looking them over with a cursory glance, he ordered them to move out, watching as they marched onto the stolen T'Kri shuttle before climbing aboard himself and ordering the pilot to take off.

* * *

Kiyel led the way through the forest. Surprisingly, Sam, who's age, Kiyel thought, would have held them back, actually kept up with virtually no strain at all. In fact, it was Jev himself who was holding them back, as he carried the little boy in his arms protectively.

Looking back at them, Kiyel had to smile. Jordan was holding onto Jev tightly. Even though the boy was still unconscious, he instinctively knew that Jev was holding him. Almost like a Caitaran Cub. Kiyel had many fond memories of the times he sat and watched his mother hold his younger siblings, holding onto their mother with their little hands while they slept. He guessed it was the same way with human children, though he had to admit, little Jordan certainly did have a little more to hold onto with Jev covered in hair as he was.

"God, I haven't done any hiking like this since I was in med school back on Earth!" Sam gasped, stopping for a minute to catch his breath.

"I'd rest here, but I don't think it's safe yet. We might be followed and we need to get deeper into the words," Kiyel said.

"Just give me a few to catch my breath for a bit. I'll be fine," Sam said, leaning himself up against a tree.

"I don't sense any pursuit as of yet, Kiyel," Jev said, reaching out with his senses to locate anyone who might be following them.

"Not yet, I agree. But I'd still be more comfortable deeper in the woods."

"I'm glad Jordan is sleeping through all this," Jev said, looking down at the child wrapped up in blankets in his arms.

"Myself also, love. Still, we need to get him to see Tiela as soon as possible."

"Alright, I'm ready," Sam said, standing next to them.

"We should be at the caves in a few hours," Kiyel said.

"Dad, you going to be able to make it?"

"Boy, I've been walking farther than this since before you were born. I'll make it. I'm just not used to it. With the two of you around, though, I'm betting that I'll get used to it pretty quickly."

"I think you're right, Doc," Kiyel agreed, giving him a toothless grin.

"Lead the way, Kiyel," Sam said, shaking his head, though Jev could tell he was more amused than anything else.

* * *

"Tannis, what's the status on the teams that went out to investigate the explosion?" Janette asked, walking out of her office to the desk where Tannis sat.

"They arrived twenty minutes ago, Janette," Tannis replied, looking at his watch briefly.

"Have they made a report yet?"

"Not yet. I'm expecting it to be delivered within the next few minutes."

"When the team leader gets here, have him join me in the office will you?" Janette asked.

"Of course. Did you need me as well?" Tannis asked.

"I always need you, Tannis. I don't think I'd be able to do half the job I do without you here to help out," Janette sighed wearily.

"Always did this sort of work," Tannis admitted, practically glowing from the compliment she gave him.

"It shows," she replied, smiling at him. "Just send him in when he gets here."

"I will," Tannis told her before she returned to her office, not even bothering to close the door.

* * *

"We've got a problem," Kiyel said, suddenly stopping in his tracks. His ears were perked up, and he was sniffing the air around him, trying to hone in on whatever it was that he had detected.

"What is it, Babe?" Jev asked behind him.

"Someone's approaching our position," Kiyel said simply, which caused Jev to open up his mind, lowering his blocks to receive everything he could. At first he thought Kiyel was mistaken, but then, just at the edge of his senses, he saw them.

"Shit!" Jev cursed softly.

"What? What's going on?" Sam's breathless voice asked behind them.

"We need to move, quickly. We're being tracked," Jev said.

"What? How?" Sam asked, looking around him in a vain attempt to see what it was that Jev and Kiyel were talking about.

"You can't see them. But they're about two kilometers to the North of our position, near where the crash site is," Kiyel said.

"Damn, how'd they find us?" Jev asked.

"Probably they didn't. I'm guessing that we were seen at Sam's place and word reached those who were investigating the crash," Kiyel explained.

"So what now?" Sam asked.

"We can't allow them to delay us," Kiyel said resolutely.

"No. Could we alert the others? Have them meet us half way?" Jev asked.

"No. If we did that, it'd also alert whoever it is following where the crew is hiding, and that could bring the T'Kri with them."

"You think it's the rebels or the people from the town?" Jev asked.

"I don't know. Try reaching out again," Kiyel suggested. Jev closed his eyes, and reached out with his mind once more, this time trying to focus more deeply on those who were steadily making their way towards them. At first all he could sense was the vague presence of several humans, but nothing specific. And then, just for a moment, he detected an angry spike, as if whoever was among those human was directing their anger towards Kiyel and Jev. The mind was familiar to Jev, and suddenly realized why.

"Rebels. And Captain Harris is with them, and he's pissed," Jev said cautiously.

"Pissed?" Kiyel asked, not familiar with the word.

"Mad, upset, and definitely infuriated. All of it directed towards us. Somehow he knows we're out here, and he's coming for us. We can't let him catch up to us, Babe. Jordan needs help from Tiela, and we're in no shape to fight them off ourselves," Jev said.

"Agreed." Kiyel looked around them quickly, his eyes seemingly glazing over as if he was deep in thought. "Follow me. I think I've found a way."

* * *

"You asked to see me, First Councilor Pelletier?" a man who appeared to be in his early thirties asked, walking into Janette's office along with Tannis. He was slightly taller than Janette, had dark brown hair which contrast rather strikingly with his steel grey eyes.

"Yes. I take it you were the one responsible for the team that investigated the explosion earlier?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I was," the man answered, "I'm Cam Shepard."

"Thank you Mr. Shepard," Jannette said, offering him her hand which he shook readily. "If the two of you would please take a seat we can get started," she said, indicating the two chairs placed in front of her desk. Once they had sat down, she leaned back in her chair and looked at Cam expectantly.

"First Councilor Pelletier, when my team arrived at the site of the explosion, we found the remains of a downed T'Kri scout ship. This was only determined by the recovery of what could only be described as a black-box from the charred remains of the craft.

"How do you know it was a black-box? For all you know it could have just been another part of the ship itself, say something that controlled the air circulation within the craft," Janette interrupted.

"No, Ma'am. Definitely not. For one thing, this item was located near the cockpit, in a very hard to reach area. It was heavily shielded and was the least damaged item on the ship. Shielding of that type, on human vessels at any rate, would indicate some type of recording device like a black-box."

"Very well, please continue," Janette said, nodding her head, accepting his explanation.

"My team went through the wreckage to look for survivors, on the off chance that there might have been humans on board that could be saved. I agree that it would have been unlikely, but I had be certain."

"Of course," Janette agreed.

"We did find some remains on board, but there was no way to determine whether or not they were human or T'Kri. What was strange though was that we found skeletal remains that suggest they were human, but looked different as well."

"Different, in what way?" Janette asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Well, you might think me crazy, but the skull reminded me of a cat."

"A cat?" Janette gasped.

"Yes. I know it's impossible, but that's what it looked like. Of course it could just have been that the heat was so great that somehow the skull was deformed, but I doubt it. Bone just doesn't react like that to heat. Mostly is just disintegrates."

"Mr. Shepard, earlier today, roughly half an hour after the explosion, several of our citizens witnessed two large forest cats emerging from the forest and running directly into town. They went straight for a house where a man lived alone with his son. When they came out, both of them were running on their hind legs. Running like a human being would."

"What?!" Cam exclaimed incredulously.

"As hard as it is to believe, that is what I have been told these people have seen. If that is true, we may very well have another alien species living on this world."

"Another alien species..." Cam started, unable to finish due to the shock he was feeling after hearing what Janette had told him. She could sympathize with the man, but there was just no other way of saying it."

"Correct. If this is indeed another alien race, it would explain a whole lot of things that have been happening these last few days. If you recall, not too long ago, sometime at night, there was a large explosion up in the hills where the old Björn Inn used to be. At the same time there was a dramatic increase of activity around the T'Kri base, and squads of T'Kri soldiers going from home to home in search of something. In fact, they still haven't stopped from what I understand.

"Then a few days later, an ship explodes just outside the forest near Landing, the same one you went to investigate, and inside the wreckage there is a skeleton of unknown origin inside. I'd say it's a safe bet that we're dealing with another alien race. And things are beginning to make more sense to me."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I do not follow you," Cam said.

"Think about it Mr. Shepard. Imagine you are an alien race looking to colonize a new world. You come across this world, decide to investigate, but get shot down by the T'Kri. Then you and the rest of your crew, who have somehow survived, manages to capture a T'Kri vessel in an attempt to escape, only to be shot down by the T'Kri."

"Sounds possible, Ma'am," Cam said.

"Yes. The only question is. Are these aliens potential allies?" Janette asked.

"Ma'am. I can't speak for the aliens, but I'm guessing that any help we can get to rid ourselves of the T'Kri would make finding out definitely be worth it!" Cam said enthusiastically.

"Would it? Suppose these new aliens are the ones the T'Kri have been at war with? Suppose they are just as ruthless as the T'Kri. We'd end up swapping one occupying force for another."

"I can see your point. But there is something else that happened while we were investigating the explosion," Cam said.

"What?" Janette prompted him to continue.

"Well we managed to gather up the skeleton and bring it back to Landing. We were going to take it to Doc O'Riley, but while we were there, Captain Harris' rebel forces arrived."

"Great!" Janette sighed loudly.

"We managed to bring back the remains, though the Captain was not very happy that we were there. And quite frankly, I didn't want to stay around while he was."

"No, I can imagine you didn't. Before you came here, Captain Harris paid me a visit. Lets just say that meeting was one sided only. He was secretive, and dismissive. I got the sense that no matter what information I gave him, he'd not be sharing any information he might have with us."

"Ma'am," Tannis interjected. "I've said this before, and I know you've dismissed it before, but I seriously recommend you consider that our Captain Harris is planning a coup of some sort to replace you."

"I never dismissed it, Tannis. I just wanted to give him the chance to prove you wrong. He didn't do that I'm afraid."

"If there's anything I and my team can do, you only have but to ask, First Minister," Cam said, standing up.

"Thank you Mr. Shepard. I may just have to take you up on that offer. And understand, an armed rebellion against the colony itself is not something I'm prepared to let happen. I just hope it doesn't come down to that," Janette said.

* * *

"Corporal Davis, what's the hold up?" Captain Harris demanded, walking up along side the Corporal who looked to be intently scanning the surrounding bush.

"They're onto us," Corporal Davis replied.

"How can you tell?"

"Because there is no more noise."

"And that means..." Captain Harris said impatiently.

"That they've gone stealthy to attempt to throw us off their trail."

"Can you still pick them up?"

"Yes, but it will be slow going. We'll need to be careful in case they set up traps also," the Corporal replied.

"They don't have time to set up traps. They've got a young child with them who they've kidnapped after murdering the boy's father. God only knows what they intend to do to the child," Captain Harris explained. He knew it was full of crock, but if it got the Corporal to refocus his efforts on finding them, so be it.

"Follow me, and try to move quietly," Corporal Davis finally said, beginning to move forward once again.

'So close now, Jev. Soon I'll have you, and you'll lead me to your brother, and justice will be served. There is no room in this colony for traitors,' Captain Harris though to himself with glee, the sneer on his face the only indication of the vengeful thoughts coursing through his brain.

* * *

"They're getting closer," Jev whispered from their hiding spot.

"That will not matter, Jev. We only need them to get close enough to be in range."

"I hope I have the strength for this," Jev commented.

"I'm sure you do. This is the most basic of tricks I used to play on some of the little ones at school back home.

"Sounds kind of like throwing a rock in the opposite direction from where you're sitting to distract the person tracking you," Sam mumbled from behind Jev.

"The principal is the same, but this time, we'll be creating false images and sounds in our followers' minds. Then when it is safe to do so, make our way towards the caves," Kiyel explained.

"How'd you find this place to begin with?" Sam asked.

"Kiyel and I found this place when we were escaping from the T'Kri after the Inn burned down and my father was killed. We had decided to come looking for his crew, and stopped in town for a bit to get some supplies for the journey. A while later, a group of T'Kri cornered me in the forest, and Kiyel had to come to my rescue. He killed two of them, while I killed the other. They were the ones who killed Dad," Jev said, fresh tears beginning to form in his eyes from the memory.

"Hey, I'm here now. I may not be your real dad, but I've always loved you like you were my son," Sam said, putting a comforting arm around Jev's shoulders.

"Thanks, Dad. I always thought of you as like my second dad as well. And now you're the only one I have."

"For now at least," Kiyel said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jev asked, looking up at Kiyel in confusion.

"When we reach Caitaran, there is my father," Kiyel pointed out.

"Oh yeah. But he doesn't know me. What if he can't accept me?"

"Love, you are my Laij, my life-partner, my beloved. The bond cannot be broken, and my father knows this. I do not know how my father will react at first, but he is a fair man. I know he'll come to love you as his own son."

"I hope you're right, Babe," Jev whispered, wiping away some of the tears that had fallen.

"Quiet now, they come," Kiyel said, his ears swiveling towards where Kiyel had heard the rebel's approach.

"I'm ready, Babe," Jev whispered. He held onto Jordan more tightly as if scared to lose him while he helped Kiyel with their little trick.

Jev could feel Kiyel's mind touching his along the bond that they shared. He could feel exactly what Kiyel was doing and knew instinctively what needed to be done to help Kiyel. He had to fight back a laugh as he sent as much energy as he could spare towards his Laij. Kiyel realy didn't need much, but Jev wanted to be sure that this plan of Kiyel's was going to work. Watching the rebels approach their chosen hiding spot, he saw as the one who was leading them suddenly stopped, his eyes opening wide all of a sudden, and begin to drop to the ground. He could see the images that Kiyel was projecting in the Rebels' minds, the sight of several squads of T'Kri soldiers advancing on their position, firing their weapons near the rebels' location.

The rebels began firing their weapons into the forest, the Captain loudly barking orders at his team, trying to get them to retreat from the advancing T'Kri soldiers. Slowly but steadily, the Rebel forces scattered as more T'Kri soldiers suddenly appeared from Scout ships that had landed in the nearby clearing. There was no longer any semblance of order in the Captain's ranks, as every one of the rebels ran for their lives, seemingly overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of so many T'Kri.

In a short amount of time, not a single rebel was in sight. The forest was quiet once again, and Kiyel sighed heavily as he sat back to lean against a tree. Jev also was exhausted, but the sight of all those rebels running away from the T'Kri had pumped enough adrenaline into his system that he couldn't stop moving around. Mostly from excitement.

"Oh my God, did you see that?" Jev asked gleefully.

"I did indeed, Lad," Sam answered, his expression being one of astonishment.

"That should give us enough time to get to the cave with Jordan," Kiyel said wearily.

"You okay, Babe?" Jev asked, concerned now that he saw Kiyel's tired face.

"Yeah. We've really been doing too much lately. I'm afraid we won't be much use to the others if we keep going like this."

"I know, Kiyel. We're almost to the caves now, though. We can rest inside once we get there," Jev told him.

"Ah to be young again," Kiyel said, smiling over at Jev.

"Hey! You're only a couple years older than me, Kiyel. Don't you start that on me," Jev protested, even though he knew Kiyel was kidding with him.

"So what now?" Sam asked.

"Now we get moving to the caves before the rebels realize they were tricked," Kiyel said, slowly getting back up onto his feet.

"Want me to take Jordan, Jev?" Sam asked.

"Um, I don't think so," Jev answered, realizing that Jordan practically had a death grip on the fur on his chest.

"I see what you mean. You going to be able to make it? You're beginning to look really tired."

"I'll be fine, Dad. Thanks," Jev smiled at him. "Come on, we might as well get going." Sam helped Jev stand up, then followed Kiyel away from their hiding spot towards the caves where the rest of the crew awaited them.

Several times, Jev almost lost his footing, fatigue setting in at an alarming rate. Sam noticed that Kiyel also was showing signs of fatigue, and he hoped that they would make it before the two of them collapsed from exhaustion. Thankfully Jev and Kiyel's strength held up until they were almost at the caves. But that was as far as the two of them could go. Sam watched as they both suddenly collapsed against a large rock, sliding to the ground until they were resting against each other, little Jordan still tightly held in Jev's arms.

"Oh just great!" Sam mumbled to himself. He didn't know how he was going to get them up to the cave, and it was already beginning to get very windy, which was not good for Jordan at all in his condition.

As it happened, he soon found he wasn't alone. Out of nowhere, and seemingly soundless, two large Caitarans were at his side, already lifting Jev and Kiyel back onto their feet. Sam could only look in astonishment as Jev, Jordan and Kiyel were led into the caves leaving him to stand where he was in complete shock.

"I presume you are a friend of Jev's and Kiyel's," a voice suddenly said from behind him, startling him out of the trance he was in.

"Um, sorry, what?" Sam asked, looking up at the imposing figure of an obviously older Caitaran male.

"Since you have arrived with Jev and Kiyel, I presume that you are a friend of theirs."

"Uh, yeah. I'm Sam O'Riley," Sam said haltingly.

"Ah. He has told us of you. Please. Come inside, there is a storm approaching and we don't want to be caught in it," The Caitaran said.

"No, you're right. We don't. Sorry for asking but, who are you?" Sam asked.

"I am Captain Kel, commanding officer of the Caitaran scout ship Agiz," Kel said.

Together the two of them stepped inside the cave, where Sam saw Jev and Kiyel were being made comfortable next to a fire. Jordan was still wrapped up in his blankets, and was next to Jev.

"Captain, that child. He needs medical attention," Sam said immediately to Kel.

"Tiela!" Kel called out, getting the attention of the smaller Caitaran who was throwing a blanket around Kiyel.

"Yes?"

"I'm told the child requires medical attention now," Kel told her.

"Right away, Captain."

"Go tell Tiela what is needed for the child. We will watch after Jev and Kiyel."

"Right," Sam said, hurrying over to where Tiela was picking up the child, and carefully carrying him towards a large flat rock in the corner of the cave.

"I'm Tiela," she said, noticing Sam walking towards her.

"You're the medic in Kiyel's crew?" Sam asked her.

"I'm the chief medical officer, yes," she told him, pointedly informing him of her proper position.

"Gotcha. I'm Sam O'Riley. I used to be, Jev's doctor before he became... Well, changed."

"You're a doctor?"

"Yes," Sam told her.

"What's wrong with the child?"

"His name is Jordan, he's approximately five years of age. When Jev and Kiyel brought him to me, he was in shock due to blood loss. The source of his injury was inside his rectum, the result of his being sexually assaulted by his father."

"What?!" Tiela exclaimed loudly, her voice echoing throughout the cave.

"I know. I had the exact same reaction," Sam said sadly.

"I hope the father has been attended to," she practically spat out.

"Yes. From what I've been told, Kiyel took care of him personally.

"Very well," Tiela said, visibly attempting to relax.

"I repaired the damage as best I could considering the equipment I had to work with. Kiyel mentioned that you have technology and medicines that will help him better than I could," Sam said.

"That remains to be seen," Tiela said absently as she began to examine the wound with the scanner she had pulled out of her pack.

For several minutes she ran the scanner over Jordan's little body. The more Sam looked at it, the more he felt as though he was going to be sick to his stomach. No matter how much damage to the human body he had seen, it still affected him greatly when he saw that it is a child who was injured. And for one so young to have to go through what this little one did; it was almost too much.

"You managed to suture up most of the damaged area," Tiela announced suddenly. "However, there is still a sizable tear in the lower portion of his large intestine."

"Gods!" Sam cursed, a tear escaping from his right eye.

"Considering the level of technology you have available, it is a wonder you were able to repair as much as you did," Tiela told him in an effort to calm him somewhat, though she herself was on the verge of crying as well.

"Is there anything you can do?" Sam asked.

"Yes. Jev's scans before he changed revealed that his physiology is similar to that of our own, so the drugs we use won't harm the child. I will have to monitor the dosage however. As for the damaged section of his rectum and large intestine, I will have to dissolve the sutures you put in there, then I'll use this tool here to encourage the body to heal the wound more quickly than it normally would," she said, holding up another item, which to Sam looked more like a very bulky cell phone that he used to have on Earth.

"What should I do?" Sam asked.

"For now, just wait. I'll need your input with regards to normal bodily functions of a child of this age, and how it would react."

"I can do that," Sam said, glad that there was at least something he could do to help this little boy.

"This may take some time," she warned him, to which he nodded his head in understanding.

Sam carefully watched every move she made. He could tell when the sutures were disloved as she said she'd do as Jordan's breathing began to become more labored, and his skin was beginning to go pale. He was going to warn her, but stopped when she began to run that second device over top of the affected area. Her face was as intense as he'd seen any physician during an operation. There was no mistaking her desire to do all she could to help Jordan, and even her fear of doing something to make things even worse. Eventually Jordan's breathing returned to normal, and his skin began to return to it's natural pink tone.

She moved the device away from Jordan's abdomen, and moved it over to where the wounds on his wrists were. Before his very eyes, Sam watched as the red bruising began to diminish, and finally fade away as if the child had never been injured there. She repeated the process by his ankles, which were more swollen and inflamed than his wrists had been. They too began to heal before his eyes.

"I wish you were here a long time ago when this invasion started," Sam said, his face wearing an obvious expression of awe and shock.

"I am sure you have seen your share of misery and death," Tiela said compassionately.

"More than I care to see ever again," Sam said, nodding.

"The child will recover. The regenerator was able to close the wounds, but they're not completely healed. It will still take time for them to heal completely unless I can get him aboard our ship.

"I thought your ship crashed," Sam asked.

"I am speaking of the Cetani, which is the ship from which our scout ship was launched," Tiela explained.

"Ah, okay. A mothership in other words," Sam said.

"Yes, I guess you could call it that," Tiela said, smiling for the first time at him.

"So what about Jordan? Just how much healing does he need to do before he's one hundred percent?"

"Not all that much, it's more his body needs to reinforce the tissues around the wounds. His wrists and ankles are completely healed. There was just too much damage for the regenerator to heal his internal wounds completely. But it is enough that the bleeding has stopped, and when it heals, it'll be as though he had never been injured down there."

"What about the stretched tissue around the sphinctor?" Sam asked.

"It too will return to normal."

"Infection?"

"I can give him a broad spectrum of anti-biotics, but I don't know how much to administer on a child of his age."

"You said our physiology is practically identical?" Sam asked.

"Almost."

"Then why don't we start with what would be appropriate for a child of his age and size had he been Caitaran," Sam suggested.

"I will administer a slightly lower dosage considering our species has more muscle mass than yours. If he does not react badly to say half the dosage, I'll consider increasing it gradually," Tiela said, after considering everything she had learned of the child's body.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Doc," Sam said, returning the smile she had given him earlier.

* * *

"Kiyel, Jev. Can you hear me?" Kel asked, squatting down before the prone figures before him.

"Wha?" Jev said, tiredly waking up and opening his eyes.

"That's it Jev. We need you to wake up for a minute," Kel coaxed him.

"Where's Jordan?" Jev said, suddenly sitting up, and looking all around him.

"He's with Tiela and your former Doctor," Kel answered for him. "They're making sure he's alright."

"Okay," Jev answered, twisting around to where he could see Sam and Tiela working over the little body that was Jordan. He saw Sam look back at him, nodding his head and smiling to let Jev know that things were going alright.

"How do you feel?" Kel asked.

"Exhausted, Captain."

"Taaj has prepared something for the both of you to eat. It should help with your strength some," Kel told him. "If you can get Kiyel to wake up that is."

'Kiyel, Babe. Wake up. We have food,' Jev sent through their link, gently nudging him to consciousness.

"Mmm?" Kiyel groaned from beside Jev.

"Come on, Babe. It's food," Jev said.

"Gods, I've got the worst headache," Kiyel complained, slowly rousing himself enough to sit up.

"You and me both, my love," Jev said.

"Jordan? Is he okay?" Kiyel asked.

"He's with Tiela and Sam," Jev told him.

"Good." Kiyel reached out to the bowl that was being offered to him by Taaj. Jev did the same, and together the two of them ate. So hungry were they that they lost track of anyone else around them, all their attention on the food they were devouring rapidly. They had barely finished what was given to them, when a second serving was offered, and readily accepted. It wasn't until their third serving that both Jev and Kiyel had finally had enough, laying back down and rubbing their very contented bellies.

"Now that you've gorged yourselves silly, would one of you be up to giving me a report on what the hell happened out there, and where those two came from?" Kel asked.

"Captain, you're not going to believe us, but that little boy over there is a sensitive. When Kiyel and I had to leave, it was because we received a very loud, and very powerful scream in hour heads. It was a scream you would hear from someone in great pain, and with terrible fear."

"Where did you find the child?" Kel asked.

"The child's name is Jordan Mills and is the five year old son of Luke Mills and they lived alone together in Landing. When Kiyel and I found them, the father was standing over Jordan, in the process of sexually assaulting him."

"He was WHAT?!" Kel screamed.

"Raping his son," Kiyel finished.

"Where is he?" Kel asked, his words slurred through tighly clenched teeth. His tail was spasmatically moving back and forth in extreme rage.

"Dead," Kiyel answered.

"How?"

"I took care of it," Kiyel said, refusing to go into further detail.

"Kiyel tore him apart, Captain," Jev said, reaching over to hold onto Kiyel for comfort, knowing that even though the man deserved what happened to him, it disturbed Kiyel greatly to have to do it.

"You said the child is sensitive... a telepath?" Kel asked.

"No, Captain. Not quite. But he's too young for us to know for certain. I do know this, however. From the what we witnessed when we entered that house, there would have been no way from the time we heard the scream to the time we got to the house that the child would still be alive," Jev said.

"Then how did you hear him scream as you did?"

Jev looked at Kiyel, who also was looking at Jev with questioning eyes.

"I think the scream that I heard, was Jordan's scream from the future," Jev answered.

Editor's Notes:

I would have to say that Jordan is quite an interesting person. I strongly suspect that his talent will be quite useful as time goes by. I think that Captain Harris is not going to be particularly happy when he discovers that he and his men were tricked. Let's hope that everyone regains their strength and health before they have to fight the T'kri and or Captain Harris and his men. And where is that pesky mother ship? Do you suppose they received the distress signal? I actually wonder if the rescuers will want to bother ridding the planet of the T'kri or will they feel that the Humans aren't worth saving? We might have to ask Jay. If we ask him politely, he might just give us some information.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher