“How did he do it?” The usually dapper looking human male was ashen faced as he stared around the small room. More than one person in the room had marks of injuries. Injuries that the nanites in their bodies were working overtime to fix. “We scanned her for explosives. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except for the implants, some of which had been deactivated, but nothing else.”

 

“We don’t know.” The female Cathar was still crying. “There was nothing on the scans. Nothing at all. Then, something happened. Two of the implants fused into something I am still unsure of what it was. Scans were fuzzy. The reaction though, was plain. Sodium and water react explosively. But then the self destructs in her implants also went off. I doubt that was unintentional.” The female human beside the Cathar hugged her gently.

 

“Katherine, it’s okay.” Olandas said with a shudder. “It will be okay.” Katherine leaned into the embrace and then shook herself. “But that blast should have only killed her. Maybe her and whoever was in the room, not the entire bay.”

 

“The explosion ruptured the high pressure oxygen tanks that served the ICU. For efficiency, we had them set to feed every room.” The Cathar gave a sob. “Every single bay, every single berth. Every single…” She was crying again. “The resulting blast and fire swept through my… my facility…” Katherine scrubbed her face, trying to keep herself together. “My fault. I never thought of explosions in the workspace. I should have…”

 

“How could you have possibly known. Katherine?” Firdlump said with a sigh and a pat on her shoulder. “She was so young and so hurt. None of us expected something like this. None of us. How bad?”

 

“The emergency bulkheads came down as they were designed to.” Olandas said with a shiver. “They were supposed to seal Medical off from any potential threat, but instead, they held the blast inside the bay.”

 

“Menglan will survive.” Katherine said quietly. “We got to her in time. The others?” Katherine swallowed heavily. “Of the others in there, Ecmin covered myself and Jina. Jolia and Kili will live. No one else.”

 

“Jolia’s mate is still in coldsleep, yes?” Firdlump asked after a moment.

 

“Yes.” Katherine said quietly. “We were focusing on the females. Because of the baby and Cili… I…” She started crying again. “Jolia and Kii survived because Miesh threw herself between them and the blasts, covering them with her body. They are both hurt, but both will live. Meish though…” Miesh had been a new addition to the nursing staff, a young and bubbly Mon Cal. “This is my fault.”

 

“No it is not, Katherine.” Firdlump disagreed. “It is not your fault.” Olandas hugged Katherine again. “Ecmin is alive, hold to that, Katherine.”

 

“For how long, master?” Katherine cried. “Sitolon can regenerate incredible damage, but she was burned and the shrapnel… Can we use the nanites to help her?”

 

“No.” Firdlump said quietly. “If she were their controller, then yes, they would heal her. But she is not.”

 

“We have to do something.” Katherine begged. “We HAVE to. She saved my life. I have to do something.”

 

“Katherine…” Firdlump said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “We have a bigger problem.”

 

“Ecmin’s larvae.” Katherine agreed. “Without their mother, they will sicken and die. All of my equipment went up in smoke. Can you fabricate more?”

 

“I am.” Firdlump said quietly. “We also have teams coming from the fleet to assist. We will find a way to keep her children alive until she recovers. Katherine…” He started to speak and then stopped. Then he sighed again and spoke evenly. “All of the cloning records were in Menglan’s office.” Katherine froze in place, her face horrified. Olandas as well stiffened. Manglan’s office had burned to a crisp, nothing had been salvageable. The doctor herself had only survived because the collective had warned her. She had upturned her desk and hidden underneath it. She still had burns over more than seventy percent of her body and other injuries that her nanites were working overtime to fix.

 

“You mean…” Katherine felt a wave of pain ripple through the collective mind she shared. “No…” She breathed.

 

“We have a few of the imprints, ones that Menglan hadn’t yet filed.” Firdlump said with a sad expression. “But we have no DNA samples, no records from which we can clone.”

 

“You mean we can’t even clone any of the medical staff who died?” Katherine shook her head, shocked even beyond where she had been. “Miesh, Karla, Jak, Niko, Slier? None of them?” She shook her head, dazed.

 

“Miesh yes. Her inception into the collective was just this morning. She wanted to get right to work. The samples and imprint are still in the assimilation chamber.” Firdlump said after a moment. “The others, no.” The mass of nano machines was sad.

 

“How did this happen?” Katherine asked, her sadness fading to anger. “We had to have backups?” Right?”

 

“We did. Both of the DNA samples and imprints. All of that was in Medical.” Firdlump snarled but not at either female. “That was a mistake. One we will not repeat.” Katherine and Olandas both slumped and the massed mind that they were part of sent support and sympathy.

 

“What do we do?” Katherine asked, flexing her arm. It hurt, but nowhere near as bad as it had. Third degree burns were no joke at all, but nanites were marvelous healers. Even her fur was growing back, almost as she watched.

 

“Until Menglan recovers, you are in charge Katherine.” Firdlump patted her shoulder at her stricken look. “She won’t be long. But we need to find a way to take care of Ecmin’s children.”

 

“Right.” Katherine shook herself. “Ecmin will be unconscious for a while. She lost three legs and part of her abdomen to…the blast…” She stiffened in shock as she realized something about Ecmin’s injuries. “Master…”

 

“I know.” Firdlump said sadly. “She lost her reproductive organs. Maybe we can clone them. The facilities are still intact. If we CAN, can you implant them?”

 

“Yes.” Katherine said with conviction. “I need to check a few things, but I can do it.” She paused as Olandas shook her head and laid a hand on the Cathar’s shoulder.

 

“You have been on your feet since the blast, Katherine.” The tech said with a scowl. “You need sleep.”

 

“I need to get my…” She paused as something hissed. She stared at Olandas. “You rat.”

 

“Turnabout is fair play, healer.” Olandas said with a smile as she retracted the hand that held the hypospray. “How many times have you force ME to sleep when I didn’t want to?” She smiled as she caught Katherine’s sagging form. She swung the Cathar up into her arms as Katherine’s eyes slid shut. “Sleep sister. We are handling it.”

 

“Get her to her bed, Olandas.” Firdlump was smiling slightly. “Can you stay with her? I don’t doubt that she will have nightmares. The collective will help, but a friendly hand helps too at times.”

 

“Need you ask?” Olandas said with a smile as she started for the door, holding the Cathar easily. “Breaking the encryptions is brute force now, all automated as you know. I can’t hurry any of it along by watching. At least here I can help.” As she left the room she swallowed heavily.

 

The scene of devastation was mind boggling. The area that had been white and pristine was now blackened, twisted wreckage. Teams of medics in Republic colors picked through the mess, hoping against hope to find more survivors, but Olandas knew. Everyone in the collective knew, but they had to hope, to pray to find someone, anyone. She bowed her head and continued towards the door.

“Good morning.” The gentle voice woke Jolia up completely. She had been well on the way to it but she was fuzzy, so fuzzy. Everything was. She tried to open her eyes and they wouldn’t. She started to struggle, trying to see, to hear, to… “Easy…” The voice was soothing and gentle. Something round and hard found her lips. “Straw.”

 

Jolia sucked on whatever it was and the water tasted heavenly. She found herself sucking greedily, as greedily as her daught- She coughed as some water went down the wrong pipe, but her fear was more than her discomfort.

 

“Kili?” She asked. The last thing she remembered was a Mon Calamari in nurses attire running in, grabbing her daughter from her crib, Kili starting to cry, but the nurse had rolled Jolia on her side, shoving Kili underneath her, and then a heavy weight had landed on her and then she had heard a loud noise and then…nothing. “Kili!”

 

“You daughter is alive, Ma’am.” A gentle touch had her freezing. “You are hurt worse than she is.”

 

“How bad?” Jolia asked softly, fear oozing from every pore. She wasn’t asking about herself and whoever this was knew it.

 

“She is scared more than hurt. We won’t let her hurt.” A gentle hand rubbed her forehead, soothing an itch she had barely registered in her panic. “Bruises and a burnt hand. You are far worse. Are you in pain?” Jolia shook her head, she didn’t feel much at all. Very good drugs.

 

“No. What happened?” Jolia asked, trying to make sense of what she remembered. “The nurse came in, she… She was terrified.”

 

“Miesh was, yes.” The voice agreed sadly. “There was an explosion and fire in Medical. It spread everywhere, so fast. It blew the oxygen tanks. It took only a few seconds for the fire protection systems to activate, but by then, the blasts had hit all of Medical. You are one of six survivors.”

 

“The bay was packed…” Jolia felt faint. “At least a dozen people.”

 

“I know. Seven staff, fifteen patients.” The voice held horror now. Then it steadied. “I am being discourteous. My name is Maria. We are very shorthanded at the moment, so I am to stay with you.”

 

“How bad am I?” Jolia asked softly. “I feel weird.” She paused. Her head felt oddly lopsided. “My… My lekku…”

 

“Jolia…” Something rubbed her hand gently. “We are regenerating your injuries. You will make a full recovery. But you need to rest and heal.”

 

“That is impossible.” Jolia protested. “Brain matter does not regenerate. I am… I am…” She slumped in the bed, her posture dejected. “I am a cripple.”

 

“No you are not.” The voice of the woman named Maria turned sharp. “You were and are hurt. You will recover. I swear it to you. Jolia, please, just relax, let us take care of you.”

 

“Who are you people?” Jolia asked, relaxing despite her concern and fear. “Where am I?”

 

“Well, you are currently in a highly secure military facility run by Republic Intelligence.” Maria’s voice turned a bit cautious as Jolia stiffened. “As to who we are… We are not your enemies.”

 

“You are Special Branch.” Jolia said as she tried to move, but found her arms and legs unresponsive. “Let me go!” She cried.

 

“No.” Maria said quietly. “Let me show you who we really are, Jolia.” Something touched her on the back of the head, something gentle that still had her flinching away. “We need you Jolia. Your daughter needs you. We had something terrible happen yesterday. We need everyone on the same page. Here…”

 

Jolia was trying to move her head, but something firm –a hand?- held it down. Other hands were rubbing her now, cool, gentle, calming. She was trying to fight as they went places they shouldn’t, where no one but her husband had touched her.

 

“No…” She begged and then something was in her mouth. Then something went somewhere else and she tried to squirm away, but whatever it was, it was relentless. She was begging and pleading. The voice from before spoke softly as a hand stroke her forehead.

 

“We would do this slowly and gently but that idiot Dun ruined any chance we might have to ease you into it.” Maria’s scorn for the man was palpable. “He had no right to snatch you. He had no right to force you into this.” Jolia was trying to buck off the hands that held her as something seeped into her ear. It was cold. It felt… She gasped and then relaxed against her will as whatever was seeped deeper into her skull.

 

Easy, Ma’am The voice was in her head and it wasn’t her's! You have been frightened and abused and we want to help. Please let us.

 

She shook her head, trying to deny the messages that were beaming into her skull, but then, something else touched her. Something that felt good, and familiar.

 

Jolia, it’s okay. It was her mate’s voice! But it wasn’t coming to her ears. It’s okay, just relax darling. They won’t hurt us. They really DO want to help you. Just relax, Jolia, that’s it…

 

She relaxed and then the things that were seeping into her flushed into her and her eyes filled with tears as she felt them. Felt them all. Felt their outrage at what had happened to her. She was crying as she felt their concern, indeed, their love for her and Kili. She was shuddering in grief and relief as the hands that had been holding her down released her.

 

“I am sorry Jolia.” Maria’s voice was abject. “We wanted your introduction to our family to be happy and easy. Instead you are scared, hurting…”

 

“No Maria…” Jolia said as the hands eased her back to her comfortable sitting position. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I just wish I wasn’t going to be a…” A hand across her lips silenced her and she jerked.

 

“We can heal you, Jolia.” A new voice spoke. It was male, and very much in control. “And we will. But it will take time. Until then, obey the healers.” An undercurrent of sorrow was easily audible in his voice. Somehow, Jolia knew who this was.

 

“I will, Master.” Jolia asked, her voice concerned. “Maria said Kili is…” She broke off as something odd came through the odd link that was still sharing pleasure with her. It was… “Miik…?” She asked, uncertain.

 

Kili is asleep. Her mate sent. They treated her burn. She is in no pain. It’s all right. Sleep Jolia.

 

Someone lay down beside her, someone she identified through the collective as Monyka. For a moment, she was unsure, but then a wave of reassurance came to her. Monyka was only there to help her sleep. Jolia felt all her walls come down, all her pain, grief and rage welling up as the collective that had taken her in eased her into it’s massed mind gently. It felt… marvelous. For the first time in her life, she knew she was loved by someone other than her mate and child.

 

“It’s all right, Jolia.” Monyka’s voice was gentle and arms that were just as gentle held her as she sobbed. “It’s all right. Sleep.” So she did.

Jolia was aware of Monyka’s presence when she woke. The Zeltron –how did she know that?- Oh… The collective bid her a gentle ‘good morning’. She replied the same way, eased unconsciously by it’s concern. Monyka’s arms were gentle as they eased her into a more comfortable position. She tried her eyes, but they were still covered.

 

“Were you here all night?” Jolia asked, unsure.

 

“Yes, sister.” The arms withdrew. “I was.” A wave of compassion came to her from her neighbor.

 

“I… I prefer males…” Jolia said then froze, wishing she could pull the words back and eat them. “I am sorry.” But the female beside her laughed softly.

 

“Jolia, it’s okay.” Those same arms gave her a gentle hug. “So do I. We are very shorthanded at the moment. Everyone was running around, trying to help. I am glad I was here. You needed a shoulder to cry on. My god, Jolia…” The Zeltron’s voice held awe. “How did you hold it in for so long?” Was the other female crying?

 

“I just-” Jolia winced, then relaxed as her pain vanished. “What the…?”

 

“We care for our kindred.” Monyka’s voice was soft and gentle now. “You are in pain, we want to help.”

 

“I didn’t choose this.” Jolia said, trying to work through her feelings. "I didn’t want this. I wanted… I don’t know what I wanted, but this wasn’t it.”

 

“I know.” Monyka’s voice turned hard for a moment and Jolia could FEEL her outrage. “He had no right to do what he did. We are not slavers. Well…” She sighed. “Not anymore. We used to use those tactics, but they hurt people so badly. We had to heal everyone before adding them to the collective. Everyone knew that we had to find a better way. We did. He used the old ways. If he had survived long enough to get back, I guarantee he would not have enjoyed it.” Monyka’s hands were soothing Jolia’s taut muscles again.

 

“I- Oh…” Jolias sighed in pleasure as Monyka’s hands soothed her soreness away. “I… I need to ask…”

 

“Kili is fine.” Monyka said gently. “Look through our eyes.” Jolia paused for a moment, unsure. “Like this.” A wave of something passed through Jolia and she could see… She gasped as the collective buoyed her up and in. She was sobbing as the worried minds all around her greeted her and let her see through their eyes.

 

She saw her mate sitting in a chair beside a hospital bed. Miik was asleep. He looked utterly exhausted. Kili lay in that bed, asleep. Jolia’s tenseness eased as she saw her daughter sleeping peacefully. Even all of the medical gear attached to the waif did not bother her. Until she saw the bandage. It covered Kili’s left arm from the hand almost to the shoulder. How bad was her daughter hurt?

 

“Oh my god!” Jolia tried to sit up and couldn’t. “Kili!” She cried, trying to get to her daughter. Monyka’s arms tightened around her and Jolia started to fight. “Let me go! My daughter needs me!”

 

“She needs you alive, Jolia.” Monyka’s voice was gentle, but adamant as well. “You are very badly hurt. We wanted to ease your transition into the collective, but we had no choice. With so many medical staff dead, we had no choice but to bring you in the way we did. Was Monyka crying again? “Katherine is the only medic we have at the moment and she was dead on her feet. You don’t hurt, we won’t let you hurt. Just like we won’t let her hurt. Please, Jolia.”

 

“Show me.” Jolia said softly. She could feel Monyka’s worry. “Please, Monyka. Show me.”

 

“Meish was smaller than you.” Monyka said softly. “She did what she could…”

 

“Stop stalling, Monyka.” Jolia said, steeling herself. “Please show me.” Then she gasped.

 

The image she saw was of a red skinned form, lying in the bed, absolutely covered by bandages. She reached up a slow hand and she saw the hand move in Monyka’s image. What little skin she could see around the bandages was blackened. Through sheer force of will, she managed to get her voice to work. She was amazed that it came out calm.

 

“Seventy percent?” She asked clinically. “I should be dead.”

 

“Closer to eighty.” Monyka said and the image vanished momentarily as the Zeltron female blinked. “We think Meish shifted off of you when… when…” Her voice broke.

 

“When she died.” Jolia’s voice was flat. “Who did this? Why did they do this?”

 

“A young girl, who was hurt by Special Branch before they –we- changed plans, she was rigged with a bomb.” Monyka said softly. “We were trying so hard not to hurt her, not to mess her up any more. She exploded before we could explain to her that things had changed.”

 

“Have they?” Jolia asked softly. She could feel the shock of the collective as it digested her words. “I am a slave now. All my life, I cursed my red skin. But now…” She slumped. “I just… I…”

 

“You are not a slave. I have been a slave, you are not one.” Monyka’s voice was fierce now. “You are a sister. Is it perfect? No. But we will take care of you. When you are healed, what do you want to do?”

 

“I…” Jolia tried to hold onto her anger, but the collective took her in again, soothing her pain and fear. “I don’t know.”

 

“For now, Jolia.” Monyka’s voice was soft and gentle again. “You need to heal. We need more medical staff. Until we get them…” She broke off as Jolia made a noise. “What, Jolia?”

 

“Was Karen in the medical bay?” Jolia asked softly. “She was with me. One of the ones Dun snatched. A doctor.”

 

“Dun snatched a doctor?” Monyka said incredulously. “If he were still alive I would kill him myself! No…” She mused as the collective all recoiled in shock, but then a feeling of gratitude swept across Jolia. “No she wasn't. We will wake her, ask her if she will help. Thank you sister.”

 

“Be…” Jolia felt herself falling as consciousness left her. “Gentle…”

“Get your filthy hands off me, you evil bastards!” The irate female voice preceded the female human into the office. “I can walk!” The female human had long brown hair and the most piercing green eyes that Katherine had seen for a while. She wore a patient gown that was just a little too big for her. The slippers she wore were likewise, just a little too big for her. She was struggling in the grip of two armored troopers who sat her down in the chair in front of Katherine. The Cathar sighed.

 

“Enough with the rough stuff, people.” Her tone was mild, but her eyes flashed. “Get out.”

 

“Doctor…” One of them started to speak, but she glared at him and he nodded slowly. “We will be outside.”

 

“Fine. Get out.” Katherine snarled. When they had left she sighed deeply. “Idiots.” The female human looked at her and the Cathar sighed again. “Doctor, I apologize for the treatment you have received. I am deeply embarrassed by my…” She broke off as the human snarled.

 

“Just do whatever it is you scum are going to do to me already.” The human said as she sat, obviously uncomfortable in the patient gown that was all she wore. “It’s not like I can stop you.”

 

“Doctor, we need your help.” Katherine said in a reasonable tone. “We need it badly.”

 

“My help?” Karen Vorkilion asked sarcastically. “To do what? To brainwash people? To put children in war droids? To do whatever other awfulness you Special Branch scum can figure out next?”

 

“To save fifty young lives.” Katherine said in the silence that came when the other doctor’s rant had wound down. “That is why you became a doctor, correct? To save lives?”

 

“Coming from a Special Branch goon, that is rich.” Karen said with a sarcastic snort. “But then again, what good are dead slaves?”

 

“Doctor, I am not here to argue with you.” Katherine said with a sigh. “We have a multi-casualty event here, most of them fatalities, and concentrated on our medical staff. We have several critical patients, including a Twi’lek female who is less than a year old, so I could use less antagonism, please?” She begged.

 

“Well, considering how nicely you people asked for my help…” Karen snarled right back. “Oh, yeah, you didn't. You kidnapped me. How the frell am I supposed to react?”

 

“The same way I did at first.” Katherine said sadly. “Fear, anger, hostility when people try to be polite. At least we have been trying to make your stay at least somewhat comfortable.”

 

“My…stay…?” Karen asked incredulously. “Oh yes. My time off work? Drugged, crammed into a coldsleep capsule and carted off to the Force knows where to be a lab rat. What a marvelous idea for a vacation!”

 

“You are not a lab rat doctor.” Katherine said with a sigh. This was not going well. “Look, I know you are scared, if you will let me explain…”

 

“What is to explain?” The female human asked sourly. “You wanted me, you got me. Now you are going to use me, abuse me, or brainwash me into serving like you. Fine. Do it.”

 

“No.” Katherine said with a frown as she sat back and turned away from the doctor.

 

“Ah, the old ‘I am on your side’ spiel?” Karen snarled. “Old one, lady.”

 

“We don’t brainwash.” Katherine said with a frown. “We accept people into our midst, showing them a better way. It doesn’t hurt, nor does it hinder you in any way.”

 

“Riiight.” Karen said with exaggerated brightness. “So its all peace, love and understanding. Suuure it is.”

 

“You are not far wrong, Karen.” Katherine said with a sigh. “But I do not expect you to believe me. We do need your help. Your medical expertise, not your unwilling servitude. Please, help us.”

 

“Why?” Karen asked nastily. “You are just going to brainwash me. So do it.”

 

“We already have done everything we are planning to do to you, Karen.” Katherine said with a sad expression. “Please don’t make us do anything more. We need your help. We really, really do. Jolia and Kili need your help.” The female human’s eyes narrowed. “They were hurt in the explosion that claimed so many of our staff. Kili had a second degree burn, we have treated it. Now she just needs rest to heal. Jolia…” Katherine swallowed heavily. “One of our staff covered Jolia and Kili with her own body. But the nurse couldn’t cover all of Jolia, and when Meish died, she slipped off. The fire burned Jolia badly. She lost a lekku.” Karen winced and Katherine slumped. “We have advantages, many. But we are stretched so thin at the moment. She needs help doctor. Help you can give.”

 

“What can ‘I’ do?” Karen asked nastily. “I am a prisoner here.”

 

“You don’t have to be one.” Katherine said gently. “We need your help, doctor. Please help us.”

 

“I have seen what you Special Branch scum do.” The human woman said with a scowl. “Not a chance.” Katherine slumped and nodded.

 

“Fair enough.” The Cathar did not move as the chair the human was sitting in suddenly expanded to enclose her. ‘This won’t hurt. I promise you that.”

 

“Hey!” Karen cried as the chair lowered so she was lying on her back. “I see you scum don’t… Let go!” She screamed as more restraints enclosed her in a metal cocoon.

 

“It won’t hurt.” Katherine said as she rose and walked to where Karen was struggling uselessly against the bonds that held her. She cupped the human’s head in gentle hands. “It’s okay, Karen, just relax. There won’t even be a sting. We need you.”

 

“Well, I need to tell you… To flarg off!” Karen snapped at the Cathar’s fingers but couldn’t quite reach them. “Go ahead you munking bastards! Hurt me, burn me! Brainwash me! I just hope someone blows this place into…cinders…” She gasped as the machinery in her chair started stimulating her body. And not unpleasantly either. “You…witch…” Karen gasped.

 

“We need your cooperation doctor.” Katherine said sadly as she held just the right places on the woman’s head. “Welcome home, sister.”

 

“No…’ Karen cored. But no matter how she struggled, how she fought, she could not get away from the waves of pleasure that were coursing through her body. “Won’t… be… your… slave…” She gasped and gave a cry as the machinery ramped up.

 

“No, you won’t be.” Katherine’s smile was sad as she felt the doctor’s mind start to waver. They had finally managed to get the nanite infusions right, so that it didn’t hurt people when they were injected. The doctor gasped and tried to squirm away, but the bonds held her tight. Karen gave a shriek and then she collapsed into the bonds that held her. “Karen?” Katherine asked anxiously, it was not an exact science, this indoctrination process.

 

“I was wrong…” Karen’s voice was muffled by grief. “I was so wrong. Let me help. Please?” Katherine stepped back and watched as the chair returned Karen to a sitting position, then released her. The human woman’s eyes were alight with wonder as the collective greeted her.

 

“It's okay... It's okay, Karen... Welcome sister.” Katherine pulled Karen from her chair and hugged her tight.

 

“I am sorry I was such a fool, sister.” Karen replied, her tone sad. Katherine sent compassion and understanding to the other healer. “I was scared.”

 

“So was I at first.” Katherine said quietly, as the human clung to her, needing physical contact for solace. “It is overwhelming. But we really need your help.” She said earnestly.

 

“Anything I can do, sister.” Karen said as she finally stepped back. “Anything.”

“I don’t think it will work, Katherine.” Karen said after scrutinizing the work they had done. “I don’t know enough about Ecmin’s physiology. The collective has shown me a lot, but I don’t think an artificial incubator will work. There are just too many things missing.”

 

“I know.” Katherine sighed. “But we don’t have a choice. We have to save Ecmin’s eggs.”

 

The two female doctors had forged ahead, despite the rough start in getting Karen into the collective. Now they were working as well oiled team. Karen took to using the nanites to heal as if she had been doing it all her life. All of the minor injuries had been tended. The problem had never been lack of nanites. The problem had been lack of control for said nanites. Each being in the collective had nanites running through their bodies, even Kili had some. Poor waif hadn’t even flinched from the pain that Katherine had known she had inflicted on the child. But the nanites had started working almost as soon as they had been injected. But the problem had been that Katherine was straining herself. As the sole remaining conscious medical provider, she had been providing medical guidance for nanites in Kili, Jolia, herself, Menglan and others who had also been injured, both in the explosion and during the rescue and recovery operations. She simply couldn’t keep up. She tried, but she was missing things. So she was very glad to have Karen. Jolia was out of danger now and sleeping comfortably with a brand new lekku. Now they were both trying to find a way to save Ecmin’s children.

 

“I know.” Karen sighed. “The plan is grand and noble one. But artificial incubators won’t work. We don’t have enough tanks to put an egg in each and if we try to double up, bad things will happen.”

 

“The eggs will absorb each other.” Katherine agreed as she stared at the readout, not really seeing them. “That happened to her first eggs, the ones we managed to save.” Karen winced at the pain that flowed through the collective. Katherine slumped, that had been her fault. Everyone said it wasn’t but she still blamed herself for driving Ecmin mad enough to abort most of her own eggs. “We had no idea. We should have but we didn’t.”

 

“I am still a bit fuzzy on Sitolon reproduction.” Karen admitted. “Not a lot of information is available.”

 

“Most of the information we have is out of date or just plain wrong.” Katherine admitted. “We have lots of information on how the Dark Cousins reproduced, due to Lohas being among us for so long. But True Sitolon? Not so much.”

 

“Well, it can’t be but so far off.” Karen said quietly as she scanned the readouts. “They are the same species aren’t they?”

 

“Well, its not something we want to duplicate.” Katherine said softly. “The Dark Cousins were trying to reproduce using females of other species. Especially after their main queen was killed, they used techniques that were horrific…” She broke off. “Wait a moment…” She brought up a series of scans and blinked at them. Karen leaned over to look.

 

“They were going to use Jina as an artificial -well sort of artificial anyway- incubator?” Karen asked dubiously. “Would that have even worked?”

 

“Yes.” Katherine said with a shudder. “They used a DNA rescriptor on her, it would have changed her slowly, over time, except Will Kalenath stopped them from getting the full dose into her. Rather permanently from what I understand.” She couldn’t keep the hate out of her voice and the collective hurried to boost her, help her stay calm.

 

“He loved her. Can you blame him?” Karen asked softly, not offering support that she knew Katherine would resent. “Really blame him?” The Cathar stared at her and slumped.

 

“No, not really.” Katherine admitted. “We have changed, but he has no way of knowing, or believing, that. If we had managed to hold him, perhaps we could have explained to him what was going on and why. But even if we had, I don’t think he would have accepted it. Not after what happened to Jina.”

 

“Katherine…” Karen’s voice was reluctant and Katherine turned to look at her colleague. “Jina may be the key to helping Eqmin’s children. If a DNA rescriptor was used on her, would there be any residue we could study?”

 

“Maybe…” Katherine shook her head. “But she won’t let anyone get close. Now that Ecmin is…” She swallowed hard. “If Ecmin doesn’t wake up, Jina won’t ever leave her side. You know she hasn’t eaten since she woke up and Ecmin did not.”

 

“I know.” Karen said quietly. “She doesn’t trust you or Menglan. Maybe I can talk to her.” She stiffened as a wave of fear came through the collective mind mass. “Maybe I can. I was not one of the ones who hurt her. I was not here. Maybe I can talk to her.”

 

“If she does think you are a threat…” Katherine could not keep the fear out of her voice. “You will be dead before you hit the floor.”

 

“I have dealt with mentally challenged children.” Karen said sadly. “If it may help Ecmin…” She paused. “Jina would help, wouldn’t she?”

 

“She doesn’t trust us.” Katherine protested. “And… I can’t say I blame her after what happened.”

 

“Let me talk to her.” Karen said quietly. “Alone.”

 

“Not going to happen.,” Katherine said solidly. “You go in there alone and she will likely kill you.”

 

“No, she won’t. From what I have seen in the collective memories... ” Karen said sadly. “She just wants to be left alone. I do understand that. I... I do...” A wave of pain erupted from the human doctor and Katherine stared at her before embracing her.

 

“What happened?” Katherine asked softly as she held Karen’s now shuddering form and the collective moved to assist in mitigating the pain that Karen felt. It was old, mostly healed, but no less raw and hurting. “Karen?”

 

“I was young.” Karen said softly. “Just sixteen standard years old. I was stupid. I was in love. I thought he was in love with me. I was wrong. When I wound up pregnant, he left. I never saw him again. My family supported me, but… The child… He was…” Karen was crying softly now. “He was beautiful, but…”

 

“Oh no…” Katherine held the female human tighter. “No…”

 

“Meliokold’s syndrome.” Karen said, scrubbing her face. “I had no idea. Nothing I could have done, nothing anyone could have done.” The collective recoiled in horror and then rushed back to aid their sister cope. That was a genetic disorder, one that was invariably fatal and caused massive impairment to cognitive function. “He lived for eight years before his heart finally gave out. That was when I decided to become a doctor, try and find a cure. But there isn’t one. It took a decade for me to realize that.”

 

“I am sorry.” Katherine said softly, tears falling down her facial fur. “You look younger than you are.”

 

“I know how to deal with children who have disabilities.” Karen said quietly. “I made that my specialty when I started practicing. I can get through to Jina. I know I can.”

 

“If she lashes out, she can turn you into paste on the wall.” Katherine was torn. The chance to get through to Jina, and the risk to someone who was becoming a friend. “Even unknowing, she can hurt you.”

 

“I know.” Karen said with a sigh. “But this is why I went into medicine. To help people. I can help her.”

 

“Are you sure doctor?” Both women froze at a new voice as the master of the collective entered the small office. Firdlump looked worried. Karen nodded.

 

“I can get through to her, Master.” Karen said with confidence. “But I have to do it alone. If anyone else goes in with me, she will retreat or lash out. And I think…” She smiled a bit sadly. “I think I know how to get her attention.”

“Jina?” Karen asked, her voice pitched to reach the ears of the human female who lay with her arms over the still form of the Sitolon queen. “My name is Karen, I would like to talk to you.”

 

The form of the hurt Jedi, who was still wearing the burnt and blasted jumpsuit she had been wearing, when the explosion had hurt her step mom, gave her no attention at all. Karen sighed inaudibly. She hadn’t expected anything else, but this was not going to be fun.

 

“Jina, my name is Karen. Karen Vorkilion.” The doctor squatted on her heels where she stood, not moving. “I need to talk to you.” The woman paid no mind. “Jina, I may know a way for you to help your step mom.” Jina paid no attention and Karen sighed internally. This was not going to be anywhere close to easy. She rose slowly and took a step. Then she squatted again.

 

The whole idea was not to appear threatening. By all accounts, Jina was quite powerful, even without the cognitive abilities to use her power wisely or well. Jina could also sense disturbances in the Force, so Karen had asked the collective not to follow her too closely. Maybe if she could… She started humming under her breath. Her heart leapt as Jina’s eyes came up and looked at her. The woman froze and Karen couldn’t blame her. The entire collective had thought she had flipped when she had asked for the costume she was wearing. But the whole idea was to get as far from scrubs or other common doctor’s apparel as she could. So the Tauntaun costume she was wearing was very overstuffed, like a child’s stuffed toy. Karen started singing.

 

“Twinkle, twinkle little star…” Karen felt her eyes start to burn and kept her face serene by sheer force of will. Her son had loved that song. “How I wonder what you are…” Her heart leapt as the woman in front of her started singing along.

 

“Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!” Jina was staring at her, obviously unsure as Karen finished the song and slowly sat down, consciously putting her head lower than Jina’s.

 

“Hello Jina.” Karen said quietly, trying to keep her voice calm. “My name is Karen.”

 

“Bad person!” Jina declared and put her head back down on Ecmin’s sole unwounded flank.

 

“Jina, I know you are scared.” Karen said calmly although her heart went out to the woman in front of her. “Ecmin needs help and I think you can help us to help her.”

 

“Bad person!” Jina repeated, her voice muffled by Ecmin’s chitin.

 

“I am trying not to be one, Jina.” Karen said sadly. “I have failed many times. So many times. Would you mind if I talked to you? I won’t move. I will just sit here.” Jina did not respond and Karen nodded slowly. “Jina, Ecmin will heal, given time. She is not dead, not gone. You know she is alive.” Jina stiffened but did not respond. “Of course you do.” Karen said softly. “The doctors here hurt you. They did not intend it, they were trying not to, but it happened.”

 

“Bad people!” Jina cried, squeezing the unresisting chitin underneath her.

 

“You are right, Jina.” Karen said slowly. Jina stared up at her and Karen sighed. “I am one of them now. I didn’t have a choice. They didn’t give me a choice. From what I understand, the man who started me on this road was disobeying orders when he did it, but… I am stuck.” Jina tilted her head quizzically and Karen shrugged. “I am part of the collective now. But, like before I am a doctor. A healer.” She paused as Jina stiffened and slowly, so slowly, Karen forced herself to relax. “Jina, Ecmin needs help. Not for herself, but for her children.”

 

“Go away!” Jina snarled as she returned her head to her step mother’s side.

 

“Jina, please, just listen.” Karen was begging now. “I won’t move. I won’t scare you. Just listen. I know you remember. You can’t make sense of all of it, but you do remember. Without their mother, Ecmin’s children are going to die.” Jina jerked in place and her head came up to stare at Karen. For her part, Karen stared at Jina. “No one told you, did they?” For her part, Jina stared at the costumed doctor.

 

“Step mom…” Jina was obviously fighting to get the words out. “…kids?” She started rocking, and tears were falling. “No love…” The words didn’t make sense, but suddenly they did. Karen stiffened and then rose slowly.

 

“Jina, listen to me.” She took a slow, hesitant step. “Just because Ecmin has other children does not mean she does not love you. Jina… Easy… It’s okay. It’s okay.” The tone was what was important. Maybe half or three quarters of her words were actually making it through to the hurt former Jedi, but her connection to the Force was allowing her to make sense of the conversation. Now allowing her to make sense? That the Force was little help with.

 

“Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong…” Jina was rocking against Ecmin’s unmoving bulk. “Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad…”

 

“Jina…” Karen said softly as she took another slow, careful step and sat down again. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Jina.” Karen repeated, her tone soothing, caring and compassionate. “She does love you, never doubt that. You can’t get the words to come out right, you can’t understand much of what is said, but never doubt that Ecmin loves you.” Karen flinched as Jina’s eyes came up again and something new was there, something odd, but calm.

 

“You…” Jina’s eyes held wonder now. “Hurt…?”

 

“Yes, Jina.” Karen said quietly. “I hurt.” Trying to explain to the brain damaged woman why she hurt would likely be a waste of time. “But right now, I want to help Ecmin and her children. And you.” She held out her arms, invitingly.

 

“Bad person…” But Jina’s voice was unsure.

 

“Maybe I am Jina.” Karen said, slumping. “I don’t know. But I want to help. Will you let me help? I don’t know if it will hurt. But I promise I will try and keep it from hurting.”

 

“Hurt…” Jina looked scared. “No hurt…”

 

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, Jina.” Karen said sadly. “I never did. If something is going to hurt, I will tell you. Your step mom needs rest to recover. So do you.” She looked at Jina and froze. “Jina! How badly are you hurt?” Jina stiffened as Karen rose halfway to standing. “Jina please!” Jina was shaking as Karen rose to her feet and stepped closer. “Jina… How badly are you hurt?” She could see blood, human blood on the woman and it was fresh.

 

“No…” Jina was almost begging as Karen stepped closer.

 

“Come here, girl.” Karen stopped just out of reach, holding her arms open. Jina stared at her for a moment, then at the still form of Ecmin, then back at Karen. Karen knelt down and held her arms out. “Come here…” She said softly. “Let me take care of you. It is what I do.”

 

“I…” Jina slumped in place, and then, like a canine that had been beaten for most of its life, sidled towards Karen. “No hurt?” Jina was scared almost beyond belief, her entire body was trembling.

 

“No hurt, Jina.” Karen promised and the other woman almost literally fell into her arms. Karen’s arms closed over the Jedi and her eyes were full as Jina sobbed into her fur covered shoulder. “No hurt.”

“My god…” The soft voice had Karen flinching and spinning in place just as she finished setting the bandages on Jina’s injuries. Luckily they hadn’t been too bad. The gray haired woman who had entered looked ashen faced. “Jina…?” She asked, very concerned.

 

“Mama Maria.” Jina said from the bed that Karen had managed to get her into so the doctor could treat her. The woman patted Karen’s hand. “She okay.”

 

“If you are sure, Jina.” Karen said, not moving from her protective posture. Jina smiled at her and sat up. “Take it easy, please, Jina. Some of those cuts were deep.” Jina smiled widely and hugged Karen again. The doc had changed out of her costume, but had put on casual clothes instead of medical garb, figuring it would stress Jina less.

 

“Need potty.” Jina said softly, her face working.

 

“Go ahead, Jina.” Karen said, still bemused at the small childlike voice coming from the older woman who sat in front of her. “If you need me, I will be right here.” Jina smiled at her and slid form the bed before darting to the door marked ‘refresher’. Karen waited for the door to shut before she rounded on the old woman. “What the heck are you doing?” She demanded softly.

 

“I was worried about Jina.” The gray haired woman said softly. “I can’t believe no one realized she had been hurt. How bad was it?”

 

“Mostly minor cuts, some deep bruising, one of which may have chipped a bone.” Karen said, her gaze split between the old woman and the washroom door. “Three deep cuts that I treated and bandaged. The puncture on her arm was the worst. I think it was caused by one of Ecmin’s spines.”

 

“That will hurt Ecmin more than it did Jina.” The woman that Jina had called Maria said sadly. “My name as Jina said is Maria. We haven’t met yet doctor, except through the collective.”

 

“Why are you here?” Karen asked softly, trying to keep her voice down. “I asked to be left alone with her. Any other stimulus may break the trust I have built with her.”

 

“I am here because you do not have to do this alone.” Maria said gently. “This is going to be rough no matter what. She is a mess, but she does understand kindness. That was very well done, doctor. Even if you did have to dress up like a Tauntaun.”

 

“My son loved Tauntauns.” Karen clenched her jaw on the old pain. “They are not threatening.”

 

“No, just stinky.” Maria said with a grin. Then she paused as the door to the refresher opened again. “Ah, Jina, all squeaky clean?” She asked in a kindly voice.

 

“Mama Maria…” Jina’s voice was soft, worried. “Clean.” She paused at the door, her face and hands red from being under a sonic cleanser. She looked at Karen. “You…” She paused and blinked, her face working. “Ka-ren?” She asked, unsure.

 

“Yes, Jina.” The doctor said with a wide smile. “My name is Karen.”

 

“You hurt. You scared.” Jina said softly. Maria glanced at Karen and then at Jina, but did not speak. “Why you scared? Me?”

 

“I am scared for you, Jina.” Karen said quietly as she knelt and opened her arms. Jina looked at her for a moment and then swarmed into her arms. Karen gave her a hug before speaking again. “I want to help you, and I can’t.” She paused as Jina tapped her nose and stared at the former Jedi.

 

“It okay.” Jina said with an urchin-like grin. “It be okay.”

 

“Maybe.” Karen said with a smile as Jina embraced her again. “I want to help you, I want to help Ecmin and I want to save her eggs. Will you help me?”

 

“What me do?” Jina asked dubiously. “Me…” She slumped in place and her voice turned sad. “Me broke.” She stiffened as Karen hugged her and then relaxed into the embrace.

 

“No you are not!” Karen’s voice was fierce. “You are hurt. I want to help you. I don’t know if I can. But that will take a great deal of time. Time Ecmin’s eggs don’t have. I have a theory that I want to test, but I do not want to scare you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

“Me tough.” Jina said quietly. “Help Step Mom.” Maria inhaled sharply but Karen did not take her eyes from Jina’s.

 

“Jina, I need to scan your stomach.” Karen said quietly. “I can use a small scanner. A little box. It will make noise, but it won’t hurt.” Jina paled a little at the word ‘scan’, but Karen’s gentle tone and embrace helped her stay calm.

 

“Help step mom?” JIna asked softly.

 

“I think so.” Karen said with a sigh. “I don’t know. But it will help her eggs regardless.” She stiffened as Jina let go of her and lay down on the floor.

 

“Help Step Mom.” Jina declared. Karen looked at her and Jina snarled. “Help Step Mom.”

 

“Jina.” Maria’s gentle voice eased the hurt woman. “Be calm. Ecmin is alive and will stay that way. Take my hand, girl.” She said as she sat beside Jina, holding out her hand. Jina took the offered hand and lay back, closing her eyes.

 

“What a brave girl.” Karen said with pride as she pulled the micro scanner form a pocket. She ran it over Jina’s abdomen slowly, watching the readouts with one eye and Jina with the other. Except for a twitch when the whirring started, Jina did not move. It was quick. “There…” Karen said as she put the scanner away. “All done.”

 

“No hurt.” Jina said in a tone of bemusement. “Done?” She asked, unsure.

 

“Done.” Karen said with a smile as she ruffled Jina’s hair. “Come on, let’s get you fed.” She was unprepared for Jina to jump up and into her arms. “Whoa, Jina… Easy…”

 

“You nice.” Jina was crying. “Me scared. Me … No understand…”

 

“I know, Jina.” Karen said as she held the now sobbing woman. “I know. I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anything else happen to you. I swear it.”

“What do you mean she is going to die?” Karen knew her tone was not diplomatic but at the moment, she didn’t really care. She had finally managed to get Jina to sleep in a bed, the poor dear had wanted nothing more than to stay with Ecmin. Maria had pulled Karen into a small room nearby and sat her down. Not that Karen had been able to resist. Her fatigue had been growing by leaps and bounds. But then Maria had dropped her bombshell.

 

“Jina had a vision, one that led her to us actually.” Maria said quietly as she checked the monitor that was watching over where Jina was sleeping. “In it, she died. We should talk to Zana, but I can show you what Zana showed us.” Karen just looked at her and Maria sighed. “The collective wants Jina to get better. We want to help.”

 

“She senses the collective.” Karen said with a shudder. Even being part of the massed mind freaked her out a bit even with the help it gave. The was she had been introduce to it freaked her out worse. “it scares her, she does not understand it.”

 

“Oh she understands it.” Maria disagreed quietly. “You have to understand, she is –was- one of the Seven. She understands what has been done and why. That is part of why she is unhappy. She doesn’t remember why, but she did understand. The reason she calls everyone ‘bad people’ is because she fought Special Branch, a lot.” Karen looked at her impassive and Maria flushed a bit. “Yeah, I know. Neither of us had a choice. You were snatched and I was cloned. But… Can you help Ecmin’s eggs? Katherine is losing hope.”

 

“I think so.” Karen said softly. “It won’t be easy. But my studies of what Lohas did show me a possible way. Not a very nice way, but a possible way.”

 

“Lohas was one of the Sitolon Dark Cousins.” Maria protested as she poured two glasses of caf. “Ecmin is not like that.”

 

“Same species.” Karen said quietly as she took her cup gratefully and sipped it. “Different methods of achieving the same goal.” She sighed. “A lot of what I have done is guesswork, but it does seem logical. We are missing a link here. Something in between the queen laying the eggs and them becoming larvae. There has to be some middle step. Something…” She froze as she heard something. Maria and Karen were in step, caf lying forgotten as they ran into the other room as the crying intensified. Jina was thrashing on the bed. Karen started for it, only to pause as Maria grabbed her arm with both hands in a totally unbreakable hold.

 

“Let me go!” Karen hissed desperately. “She is in pain.”

 

“She is not awake yet.” Maria held Karen despite the woman’s struggles. “Let her wake up completely or she may lash out and hurt or kill you.” Karen stared form the implacable old woman to the trashing woman on the bed and her eyes filled. Maria’s face fell. “We don’t want to lose you Karen. Please, listen. She is still powerful.”

 

“Why didn’t someone put one of those Force dampening things on her?” Karen asked as she stood still. Obviously she was not going to be able to break Maria’s grip. “Jina…” She wept as the woman continued to thrash and now was crying out.

 

“Because it is cruel.”A new voice spoke up from nearby. Karen and Maria both turned to see a very young woman in brown armor standing in the shadows. “I want to help.”

 

“Zana…” Maria groaned. “If she sees you…”

 

“She doesn’t mind me.” Zaan said quietly. “Although most of the times we have talked, Ecmin was there. I felt her fear and pain. I want to help.” Karen’s eyes narrowed. Zana was a Bladeborn who had been captured with Jina, one who had sworn her service to Jina. Very young, but very good.

 

“Zana, can you protect me if she lashes out?” Karen asked slowly, not taking her eyes off of Jina’s thrashing form. “I know nothing of the Force.”

 

“I don’t think she will.” Zana said softly, her eyes never leaving Jina as well. Her face was hard but sadness edged into her tone. “She only lashes out at people who have hurt her, or people she doesn’t know or remember. You are memorable.”

 

“Thank you.” Karen said with a weak grin. “I think. Maria…. Let me try. She can and will hurt herself if she keeps thrashing.” Maria stared at her and slumped a bit, but released Karen’s arm.

 

Karen stepped forward slowly, one step at a time. She couldn’t feel the Force, but something deep inside her brain was crying for her to run, to hide. But she kept on, walking towards the bed, aware of a silent brown armored form standing beside her.

 

“Jina?” Karen asked as he reached the bed side. “Jina, it’s okay.” She hesitated then, cursing her own cowardice, reached out and touched Jina’s hand where it lay still for the moment. “Jina?”

 

Jian’s eyes snapped open and her hand twisted to grab Karen’s wrist and twist it painfully. Karen for her part, did not react, although the pain was intense.

 

“Jina, you are hurting me.” Karen said slowly and clearly. “Please don’t hurt me.”

 

Jina’s eyes slowly focused on Karen and she stiffened. “Ka-ren…?” She let go of Karen’s hand and slumped, pulling her legs up to grasp them tight. “No…”

 

“Jina.” Karen said softly, gently as she sat down on the bed beside the cringing woman. ‘It’s okay. It hurt, but pain fades. You did no permanent damage. It is not your fault, Jina. Not your fault.” She reached out and stroked the Jedi’s hair gently. It was getting long and shaggy. “You need a haircut.” Jina stared at her past the bangs that had fallen into her face. “It’s okay Jina. Bad dream?”

 

“Angry woman.” Jina said softly. “Dark Woman.” She shuddered and Karen did not think about it. She gathered Jina into her arms and held the woman as she shivered. “She… She….” Jina was sobbing into Karen’s shoulder now as Karen looked at Zana who had stayed back. The Bladeborn looked sad and resigned and Karen felt her guts clench. But she let nothing show as she comforted the brain damaged woman in her arms. But she did make herself a promise.

 

I will find a way to help you, Jina. I swear it to you.

“It’s the same vision,. Isn’t it Jina?” Zana asked quietly. Jina looked at her and nodded. Zana’s iron clad control melted for a moment and the youthful Bladeborn’s face was aghast. “Nothing we have done changes it. Dang it!” Jina smiled and patted the Bladeborn’s hand in sympathy. Maria stood nearby, offering sympathy, but not intruding.

 

“Not…” She scrunched her face up, trying to speak. “Fault. Plan.”

 

“Plan, Jina?” Karen asked, holding Jina gently as Jina smuggled closer. “Whose plan?”

 

“Dunno.” Jina said with a sigh. “No make sense.”

 

“No it doesn’t.” Karen agreed, giving Jina a squeeze. “Jina, I have a question for you. One that will likely scare you. I don’t want to ask you this, but I think I have to.”

 

“Trust you.” Jina said softly, her face serene. “What?”

 

“Ecmin’s eggs need something. Something we cannot identify.” Karen said softly, gently patting Jina’s head. “The Sitolon must have an intermediary between queen and larva stage. They must, but we have not been able to identify it. I need to ask you about Tralus.” At that soft word, Jina froze in place. Karen hugged her but Jina didn’t move. “Jina I am sorry. I need to know.”

 

“No…” Jina shook her head, but her eyes were not on Karen. They were on something that only she could see. “No!” She screamed. She turned to look at Karen and shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.” She begged. “No…” She buried her face in Karen’s shoulder and cried as the stunned doctor stared on.

 

“Jina, its okay.” Karen said gently. “I am not going anywhere. What happened? What is wrong? Zana?” The doctor asked as Jina tried to burrow into her.

 

“Another vision, Jina?” Zana asked gently as she patted Jina’s hand again. “A bad one?”

 

“Bad.” Jina agreed. “Ka-ren… No… Don’t…” She broke off, looking confused. “You… I…” She shook her head. “No understand.” She sighed and slumped. “Don’t…” She begged.

 

“Don’t what, Jina?” Karen asked carefully, holding the sobbing woman gently. “What did you see, can you say?”

 

“Not… clear…” Jina said slowly, enunciating each word. “You… Screaming…” She sobbed. “No… No…”

 

“Easy, Jina.” Karen had dealt with so many hurt and disturbed children that it was second nature for her to comfort the woman. “If it was a vision, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen, right?” Zana looked at her oddly and Karen persisted. “I know little about the Force, but I did read something about telling the future once and it mentioned Force visions.” She shook her head. “It was a long time ago, but I think I remember. The future changes, right?” She tweaked Jina’s nose and the crying woman stared at her. “Then we just need to keep going and hope for the best.” She was not prepared for Zana to hiss and Jina to embrace her hard enough to hurt. “Ow!” She cried as Jina hugged her tight.

 

“We…” Zana spoke slowly. “That is -Jina and I- tried to stop one of her visions from coming true. That led us here. To where it will.” Her tone was resigned. Karen could feel the collective’s distress but they did not press on her, simply were there. Jina stiffened as well. “I will not let her face it alone. I will not.” No scream could have been for final than the Bladeborn’s solemn promise. Jina hugged Karen tighter. For her part, Maria just watched sadly.

 

“Jina, watch the ribs.” Karen asked as she gasped in pain. Jina immediately released her, face scared. Karen sighed and gave the other woman a squeeze. “It’s okay, Jina. I know you are scared. But we have to help Ecmin’s kids. If I can help them, I want to. Will you help me, Jina?”

 

“Help you?” Jina asked softly. “How?” Jina’s face fell. “Me broke.”

 

“You are hurt.” Karen said quietly, giving the woman another gentle squeeze. “But I like to think you are my friend.” Jina stared at her and then gave a small cry. She embraced Karen tight again.

 

“Me like you.” Jina said quietly. “Me no want see you hurt. Please...” She begged.

 

“Jina.” Karen hugged her back. “Healers do what it takes to heal other people. It is what we do. We live to help others.” She shook her head. “Will you help me do what I must?”

 

“What?” Zana asked softly, her voice and face worried. “What are you going to do?”

 

“What I must, Zana.” Karen said softly. “To save Ecmin’s children, I will do whatever I must.”

 

“Karen…” Maria spoke up for the first time. “Be very careful. Whatever you are planning.”

 

“Ecmin had fifty eggs.” Karen said softly. “All of them are alive currently, but even with the master’s tech, he cannot keep them alive for much longer. I know a way to keep them alive, ”

 

“Karen…” Maria’s face turned scared. “No… You can’t.”

 

“Jina…” Karen gave Jina another squeeze. “Will you help me?”

 

“Ka-ren…” Jina’s face was ashen. “What you do?”

 

“Save lives.” Karen said gently. “Fifty young lives versus my life? No contest.” She smiled at Jina. “Will you help me?”

 

“Me help.” Jina agreed but then paused. “No needles!” She said with a grimace.

 

“No needles, Jina.” Karen said with a matching grimace. “But you might prefer them…” Jina stared at Karen and both Zana’s and Maria’s eyes went wide. Karen sighed. “Sitolon tech doesn’t use needles usually. But… Its kind of icky.”

 

“And how are you going to get Sitolon tech?” Maria asked dubiously. "Its not sold in stores."

 

“I am going to ask.” Karen said as if it were the most reasonable thing in the universe for her to say.

Are you out of your mind? The force of the mental shout actually rocked Karen back on her heels. The collective was not happy at all. No!

 

The negative slammed her back into her seat even before Maria and Zana both moved to hold her there. It had taken a great deal of time for Karen to soothe Jina back into sleep. But eventually kindness and gentleness had won out and the hurt woman had gone back to sleep. Then Maria and Zana had taken Karen by the arms and gently but firmly pulled her into another room where they had sat her down. Zana had gotten all three cups of tea. Maria and Zana had sipped theirs, Karen hadn’t touched her own. It probably contained a sedative as upset as both women were.

 

“I have given this a lot of thought.” Karen said softly. “Please…” She didn’t try to move as both other females stood by her chair. The collective was not happy. “This is the only way to save Ecmin’s children.”

 

“We don’t know that.” Maria said with a glower. “You finally got Jina to sleep. Now we are going to get you to.”

 

“Maria…” Karen as almost begging as the door opened and Katherine came in a hypo in hand and a rock hard expression on her face. “Katherine, I can do this. Please. I want to help Ecmin’s children.” She knew better than to move. Maria may have been old, but she was strong and Zana was as well.

 

“Karen.” Katherine stopped well out of reach. “You are acting irrational.”

 

“No I am not!” Karen said with heat. “Katherine, Zana, Maria… Listen to me, please…Just hear me out. If you decide that I am acting irrational after I explain, then you can drug me. Please…?” She begged.

 

Zana and Maria looked at each other and then at Katherine who looked unsure. Everything stopped as the door hissed open again and the master of the collective strode in. HIS face was remote.

 

“Explain.” His said softly, but with firm command. “Maria, Zana, Katherine, step back.” He walked to stand at Karen’s side and she could not control a flinch as he laid a hand on her shoulder. “Karen, we are worried about you.” He said with a frown. Karen relaxed slightly.

 

“I know.” Karen said quietly. “I know it sounds crazy. I know it probably is crazy. But the only way to save Ecmin’s eggs is probably a Sitolon incubator.” Firdlump looked at her and she flushed. “Everything I have found said that Lohas managed without one, but she was…” She paused, looking for a diplomatic way to say it.

 

“Lohas was insane.” Firdlump said with a sigh as he retracted his hand. “You do know what the Dark Cousins were going to do to Jina, right?” He asked with a sigh as he squatted down on his heels beside her chair. His gaze held her and she couldn’t have moved if she had wanted to. “We will not do that to you. We cannot.”

 

“I am the best candidate.” Karen said softly. “Every factor that I know of is met with me.”

 

“How do you know of…?” Firdlump started and then paused. He sighed in exasperation. “You learned quickly about accessing the collective’s memory didn’t you?” He asked whimsically, but then his expression hardened. “Karen, what we did to Ecmin was needed, but…” He sighed deeply. “We won’t do that to anyone again. Ever. Not the least because the Sitolon will kill or try to kill whoever we do it to. We will not change anyone else into a Sitolon.”

 

“Master…” Karen was pleading now, but he laid a hand on her shoulder again and she subsided. “We have to do something.”

 

“We will.” Firdlump said gently. “And you are going to be instrumental in what we are going to do. You idea is good, but it would open you -and the collective- up to attack from the Sitolon hivemind. I cannot allow that. What are you willing to do to aid the collective, doctor?” Katherine stiffened. Firdlump looked at her. The Cathar looked as if she wanted to speak, but then bowed and swiftly left the room.

 

“I…” Karen slumped in place. “My entry into the collective was rough. Others had it bad as well. But…” Her face lit up. “It is so marvelous, so clean and pure. Now that I am here, I want to help. I really, really do.” Firdlump looked at her and then nodded slowly.

 

“Very well, doctor.” Firdlump said gently. “Sleep. When you wake, you will be helping Ecmin’s children.” Karen’s face went slack and she would have fallen over except he scooped her up in gentle arms and held her close as her eyelids closed.

 

“Master?” Maria asked softly. “Can I help?”

 

“I am afraid not, Maria. Only those female who are of child bearing age can.” Firdlump smiled at Zana who nodded. “Come with me, Zana. Maria, stay with Jina. She is going to be upset when she wakes I think.”

 

“Why would she be?” Maria asked softly. “This will help Ecmin’s children, won’t it?”

 

“Yes.” Firdlump said as he carried Karen’s still form from the room, leading the others. “But there is really only one way to bear a child, even now. And it will involve a great deal of pain for the host mothers. Pain we will not be able to ease with drugs.” Maria stiffened in place. For her part, Zana just followed in silence.

 

“Master…” Maria started to speak. He looked at her and she sighed and nodded. “As you wish.”

 

“We are at war, Maria. You know about war.” Firdlump said with a sigh. “I don’t want to do this, but if we are to save Ecmin’s children we have no choice. Even Sitolon tech might not be enough. Ah, here we are.” He walked to an unmarked door and it opened in front of him. “Stay with Jina, Maria.” He commanded as her waved a hand for Zana to follow. Maria nodded and turned to go.

 

“Two more doctor.” Firdlump said as he entered the brightly lit bay.

 

“So I see.” Doctor Menglan smiled as she finished tweaking the controls of a medical berth. “Karen and Zana?” The female human form in the berth was covered up to her neck with a sheet, but her stomach was grossly distended.

 

“We shall see if Zana here is mature enough to bear.” Firdlump said as Zana froze beside him. “We know Karen is.”

 

“Master…I…” Zana said slowly, her face horrified. “I can’t feel the collective…”

 

“I know.” Firdlump said gently. “And you won’t remember any of this, even if it doesn’t work.” He laid Karen’s still form down on an empty berth. “Help me get Karen undressed and we can get started. How many eggs are left doctor?”

 

“Six.” Menglan said after checking a chart. “With these two we have enough hosts. We don’t actually have to start harvesting the collective.”

 

“Harvesting the…” Zana’s face was study. Then she stiffened as Firdlump touched her shoulder. She collapsed in a heap and Firdlump sighed as he picked her up.

 

“Watch what you say, doctor.” Firdlump snarled. “We have put too much effort into being nice to blow it now.”

 

“Yes, master.” Menglan said with a gulp. “My apologies.” She moved to where Karen lay and ran a scanner over her. “She will do nicely. I have just the egg for her. Katherine!”

 

“Here doctor.” The Cathar doctor came out of an alcove, carrying an odd looking device. She put it on the end of Karen’s bed. Then she waited while Menglan undressed the human. Katherine stepped back as tubes snaked from the device, seeking Karen. “My turn next?” She asked woodenly. All around the odd trio, moans and whimpers came from berths scattered about the bay. Fifty of them. In almost all of them, female forms writhed as their bellies distended.

 

“No, my dear Katherine.” Firdlump said gently. “We have another use for you.”

Karen woke from dreams of pain and fear to soft light and gentle touches.

 

“Easy, Karen.” Monyka’s gentle voice soothed her. “You have had a bad reaction. You gave us quite a scare. Let Meeliee work.”

 

“What?” Karen gasped as the collective’s relaxation expert’s expert fingers found knots of muscle and soothed her soreness away. “What happened?” She cracked her eyes and the light was soothing. “I remember… I was going to…” She paused. What had she been going to do? Everyone had been upset with her, she remembered that. “What happened?” She asked again as Meeliee made a clucking nose and shifted her massage to Karen’s neck. Karen sighed in pleasure as Meeliee’s magic fingers did their work.

 

“No move.” Meeliee commanded and Karen stayed still. Not that she wanted to move. It felt heavenly. “Me put you on side.” Gentle hands rolled Karen over onto her side. She felt odd. Bloated.

 

“What happened to me?” Karen managed to gasp out as Meeliee started working on her sore spine. “I feel as if I… I…” She broke off, remembering. “Oh my god…”

 

“You saved one of Ecmin’s children.” Monyka said with a sigh. “So did I actually. We are both bearing eggs.”

 

“Did it work?” Karen asked, unsure. A finger tapped her nose in reproof.

 

“You, quiet.” Meeliee commanded. “Me help you relax. Pain will come, me want to ease as best me can.”

 

“Pain?” Karen asked, tensing, only to sigh as Meeliee’s finger worked their magic on her spine again. “Is it bad?” She asked Monyka when she could speak again.

 

“It’s bad.” Monyka said softly. “Drugs don’t work and the collective can’t help us for some reason. I have no idea why, but both the Master and Menglan have said it is a good reason.”

 

“I can’t remember what…” Karen stiffened and then gasped and relaxed against her will as Meeliee’s finger bit deep. “Meeliee…” She moaned, half in pain, half in pleasure. When she could open her eyes she looked and saw Meeliee watching her with a sad expression.

 

“Rest you need.” Meeliee’s voice was gentle. “A parent you are again.” Karen gasped and looked at herself.

 

She was lying in a full support medial berth. An oxygen mask was over her nose and mouth, IVs and monitors lines were easy for her to identify. Sanitary needs were taken care of too, she noted with clinical dispassion. She looked around, not recognizing the room. All around her, she could see other medical berths, all with female forms in them, most of them writhing as if in pain. When she could bear it no more, she looked at her stomach and gasped. Her belly was distended significantly. It didn’t hurt, but she had the impression that it would. She was easily past the size of a nine month human pregnancy. She reached for her belly with a slow hand and rubbed it gently. It gave under her fingers until they encountered something hard. She had no doubt as to what it was, a Sitolon egg.

 

Karen was about to speak again, ask something when pain erupted in her abdomen. It felt as if she were giving birth all over again. Luckily it only lasted for a little while. When it ended, she was left to writhe, like all the others. She sighed and tried to relax. She had wanted to help. She had. She was, she had to hold onto that.

 

“Menglan promises that the bad part will only last a day or so.” Monyka shuddered. “By the Maker I hope so…”

 

“It…” Karen hissed as pain came again, but nowhere near a badly. “It shouldn’t. From what I understand...” She could not bite back a scream as the pain intensified. “By the maker!” She gasped when the wave had passed her by. “This is why the Dark Cousins mindwiped their brood mothers. We thought it was cruelty, it was kindness!”

 

“Meeliee?” Monyka asked with a gasp. “Can I beg your assistance?”

 

“She worse.” Meeliee said dubiously, meeting Karen’s eyes.

 

“Go, Meeliee.” Karen said stolidly as pain arched through her again. “I can handle it. It is less painful than giving birth.” A bit, she admitted. Of course the docs when she had given birth had drugged her to the gills. She had still felt the pain, but it hadn’t mattered. Meeliee looked at her and then sighed and moved to the bed nearby where a red skinned form was obviously trying not to scream. A long and painful time later, Karen’s eyes shot open as a hand touched her and the pain faded.

 

“Hello Karen.” Firdlump’s eyes were worried and Karen forced herself to smile.

 

“Master.” She slumped in relief as the pain faded. “Did it work?”

 

“It did.” Firdlump smiled at her. “Unfortunately, there were…complications.”

 

“There are always complications.” Karen snorted in exasperation. “How bad am I?”

 

“You are not going to die, my dear.” Firdlump replied gently. “You may want to. The pain will continue until the egg synchs to your biorhythms. And even then…” He grimaced as Karen stiffened again.

 

“Tell me this isn’t transmitted to the collective.” Karen said softly. “Or to Jina.”

 

“Karen.” Firdlump’s voice was soft. “Jina was on the list of potential hosts.”

 

“What?” Karen exclaimed trying to rise. She failed and fell back, gasping. “You didn’t do this to her!”

 

“She volunteered, Karen. Just like you.” Firdlump said sadly, with trace of sick mixed in. “What was I going to say? ‘No’? You need to sleep some more. When you wake, this should be just a bad dream.” Karen was still trying to rise, to do something, anything as darkness took her and held her gently. Was it her imagination that it whispered to her, crooned gently to ease her? Probably.

Was she dreaming? Karen wasn’t sure. It felt like a dream. Odd shapes moved around her, shapes out of a nightmare, but she felt no fear. Indeed, she felt comforted, loved even. Everything was soft, hazy and… She started crying, she had no idea why.

 

“Oh Karen.” A gentle voice sounded from nearby. “So caring, so hurt and brave…” She was swept up into a warm embrace. “Easy, girl. Easy.” Karen looked up into gold chitined horror and smiled.

 

“Am I dead?” She asked slowly.

 

“No.” The Sitolon replied, her voice kind. “Close, but not quite. We will not let you pass, sister.”

 

“Maybe you should.” Karen felt better than she had in a long, long time. There was no influence anymore. She understood now that the feelings that she had of love and affection in the collective had been implanted into her, to control her. These however, were different. She felt pressure on her head and arms, but it didn’t hurt. Nothing did. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

 

“Even if it were needed, sister -which it is not-…” The Sitolon said in gentle reproof. “We would not. We do not kill each other. We are not Dark. You have saved lives, many lives. And you will save more. Firdlump is limited in his understanding of the race that created the machines that make him up and Menglan is blinded by her lusts. She does not understand.”

 

“Neither do I.” Karen admitted. “None of this makes any sense.”

 

“It does, with a little extra added knowledge.” The huge Sitolon said gently. “Have you ever wondered HOW Lohas created the DNA rescriptors that she used on various races to try and make breeders?”

 

“I…” Karen nodded slowly and lazily. This had to be a dream. “Yes. It never made much sense.”

 

“Actually it does.” The being –it had to be a queen- turned sad. “Horrific sense. You do know that young of any race contain the entire DNA sequence for their race, correct?”

 

“Yes but…” Karen froze, every muscle going still. “Oh… My… God…”

 

“That is why Firdlump wants Sitolon children, Karen.” The queen said sadly. “Not to raise, but to harvest their DNA, to make his own Sitolon out of his subjects. His collective is imposed order. Indeed, our link is imposed order, but we have a certain freedom within it. His people do not.”

 

“I am trapped, aren’t I?” Karen asked, amazed that she was so calm. “That is what the pain is, isn’t it? The egg is dying?”

 

“Actually no. The egg is completely healthy and so are you.” Now the queen’s voice held something much like humor. “Firdlump and Menglan both forgot something. Nature is always evolving, always changing. Life will find a way. He has killed many of Ecmin’s children in his quest to get more DNA rescriptors. But what is happening to you is different. It is very similar to what happened to me, actually. So that is why I am here. To help you through it. You are not alone, sister.”

 

“Why do you keep calling me sister?” Karen asked softly. “Who are you?” Instead of answering, the bug lowered Karen to the floor. She found her legs… -Four of them!- under her. “This is not possible…”

 

“Look at the wall, sister.” The queen commanded gently. “This is a dream, and it is not.” Karen stared at the queen and then at the wall. The odd surface shimmered and became reflective. Karen stared.

 

A smallish silver Sitolon stared back at her. Karen reached up to touch her face and the small claw on her left side moved as she commanded her arm to. The other claw twitched but did not move as she jerked in surprise.

 

“I…” Karen forced herself to look away from the wall and at the queen. “I am changing?”

 

“Slowly.” The queen said gently. “Much more slowly than I did. But they will start detecting the changes shortly if they have not already. My name is Sarai.”

 

“What will they do to me?” Karen asked, scared. “Will they wipe my mind?”

 

“I didn’t know, sister.” The queen said sadly. “There is only so much we can do here. This is, in it’s essence, a dream world. We can talk here, but no more.”

 

“Ecmin’s children… Is there any way to save them from this fate?” Karen asked, horrified. “My own life, I understand, is forfeit no matter what. But children, my queen… please…” She had become a doctor to help children, after her own horrific experiences. To have so many just…die…

 

“Karen, dear.” The queen said softly, gently, rubbing soothingly as she tried to keep the younger one calm. “It will be okay. One way or another, we will find a way to help you.”

 

“One thing…” Karen said softly. “Can you sterilize me? I don’t want them to get their hands on any more Sitolon DNA rescriptors.”

 

“No.” The queen said sadly. “I cannot affect anything physical from here. Not without violating all kinds of rules.” Karen cried in despair and the queen hugged her again. “You will wake up shortly, confused. You will not remember this conversation. And the collective cannot hold you anymore. Until and unless they amputate your antennae the way they did poor Ecmin. Ward the poor dear, please? We cannot help her. You can.”

 

“I will do what I can, Queen Sarai.” Karen promised as consciousness fled. “Now and always.”

When Karen woke, she felt good, better than she had for some time actually. Her belly hurt a bit and when she looked at it, yes, it had grown a bit. She sighed and then paused. When had she gotten a feeding tube put in? She could feel the uncomfortable sensation that was a catheter as well. How long had she been unconscious? She looked around, she was no longer in the bay filled with beds. Instead, she was in a small and comfortably outfitted private room. That was weird, she had shared quarters with others in the collective for as long as she had been part of it. She was still hooked up to medical gear and it was more extensive this time, more monitors, some of which she could not identify. She shook her head slightly and spoke.

 

“Hello?” She asked, somewhat hesitant. “Anyone?” She could not keep a quaver of fear from her voice, but she was answered immediately.

 

“Karen!” Zana came into her line of sight, her face creased with worry lines. Lines that eased when she saw Karen looking at her. The young Bladeborn was well advanced in pregnancy but it did not seem to be slowing her down at all. “Oh Karen! We were so worried about you.”

 

“Zana?” Karen was confused. “What happened? I remember the bed, the egg… I…” She paused, unsure. “I don’t remember anything else, and…” She froze in place and her face turned ashen. “I can’t feel the collective! Zana!” The younger woman was quick to come to Karen’s side and hold her hand.

 

“Karen, it’s okay.” Zana said, holding Karen’s left hand with both of hers. “You are not alone. We can’t hear anything in here. It is for the children’s sake. Young Sitolon are very susceptible to mental attacks.” Karen relaxed a little. That made sense. But…

 

“I can’t even feel your mind, Zana.” Karen complained. “Can you feel mine? I feel so alone…” She was ashamed of herself but she whimpered a little bit. After being so loved, being part of something wonderful, being cut off from it was hard.

 

“I feel…something.” Zana said slowly. “I am not sure what. It’s very disorienting. It feels like I am here and not.” Zana said softly. “At least the pain has faded, as the master promised.” Why did Karen’s eyes mist up when Zana said that? Karen focused on Zana again as the young Bladeborn spoke again. “Are you in pain?”

 

“No.” Karen said as she explored her body as best she could with her fingers. “I feel tired, hungry and sore, but no actual pain.”

 

“Good.” Zana said with a grin. “I will be back in a few minutes with the doc and maybe an actual lunch.”

 

“What’s for lunch?” Karen asked as she squirmed, trying to get a bit more comfortable. Her belly was huge and the extra mass did not bode well for her comfort level. “How long was I out?”

 

“You have been unconscious for three days, Karen.” Another voice spoke up and Karen’s face lit up with a smile as Monyka came into her room. “You scared the pee out of us, girl. Don’t do that.”

 

“I am all right. How are you?” Karen asked, worried. Monyka did not look well. Indeed, neither did Zana. “Both of you look…” She broke off and shrugged. Zana and Monyka shared a glance and Zana left the room.

 

“It is rough. Zana is handling it the best of all of us I think. She is used to pain.” Monyka said softly. “I cannot imagine going through this for an actual child. Menglan says that the gestation is continuing, that we will have the eggs surgically removed in a week or so. I cannot imagine carrying this thing for months.” She froze as Karen gave a sob.

 

“It was worth it.” Karen said sadly. “It was. Even when it turned out bad, even with all the pain, heartaches, and horror, it was worth it…” Her eyes were burning and she looked away, only to have Monyka sit by her bed and take hold of her right hand with both of the Zeltron’s.

 

“I am sorry, Karen.” Monyka said earnestly, worried. “I didn’t mean to remind you…”

 

“Not your fault.” Karen said as she gave the hands that held hers a squeeze. She took a deep breath and focused on what she knew. “So, tell me. What are you feeling? What issues have you had?”

 

“Well…” Monyka’s voice turned sour. “Besides not having the bladder capacity of a day old womp rat, I cannot get comfortable anywhere I sit. The Master has made beds like the one you are in for all of us. Thank goodness for that. I doubt you have seen it, but it conforms to your body, changing almost instantly to whatever position you move to. I think it is filled with water, but I am not sure.” Karen poked the surface she was lying on and it gave, as if it were filled with fluid.

 

“Hmmm…” Karen said softly. “Interesting. Wish I had possessed something like this when I was bearing Eran.” Memory flooded up through her and she tried not to cry. It still hurt so badly, even after all this time.

 

“That was his name?” Monyka said gently as Karen started to shudder. “Go ahead and cry Karen. There is nothing wrong with tears. They are not weakness.” The kindness and understanding in the Zeltron’s voice broke what walls Karen had left and she started to weep silently. Monkya held Karen’s hands as the human cried and cried. “It’s okay, Karen. It is okay. No parent should have to outlive their own child. It’s wrong and unnatural. But it happens sometimes.”

 

“Yes, his name was Eran.” Karen sobbed. “He was beautiful. I don’t care what anyone said. He was beautiful.” She snarled.

 

“Of course he was.” Monyka agreed. “You were his mother. Every parent I have spoken to, the good ones anyway, all said the same thing. But…” She paused. “Can I ask you some things?” For the first time since Karen had known her, Monyka looked unsure.

 

“About?” Karen forced herself to calm. It was hard, she kept seeing a small blonde haired face in her memories.

 

“Um...” Monyka actually flushed. Again, that was a first in Karen’s experience. The Zeltron was always composed. Well, according to what Karen remembered about her, she had been a prostitute before joining the collective. It had probably been a survival skill, the ability to turn off her emotions. “I don’t know how to say this.”

 

“Monyka…” Karen reached up with her left hand and patted the Zeltron’s arm gently. “Just say it. What is on your mind?”

 

“I never…” Monyka sighed and slumped. “It was always a job, right? I never wanted kids. It was always about surviving. Even if I had wanted kids, what kind of idiot brought kids into the world I lived in? Any of my johns could have killed me.”

 

“But you were curious.” Karen said with a smile. “Weren’t you?”

 

“Of course I was. I am female, breeding and raising new lives is what we are for, right?” Monyka replied with a grin. “I was busy though. And then my pimp gave me spice to keep me under control.” Her voice was flat, but Karen heard hate underneath. “It is a haze after that, until the recruiting team found me.”

 

“Found you?” Karen said with a smirk. “That is not how ‘I’ heard it.” Monyka had propositioned the team, followed them as they had recruited. Had actually begged them to take her. They had been hesitant, after all, a prostitute, a drug addict? But it had worked out in the end. Monyka actually blushed and Karen pressed her advantage. “How many of the team did you proposition?”

 

“I was strung out.” Monkya sighed. “I was so out of it, I have no clear recollection. They won’t show me those memories either. I am glad.” She slumped and Karen patted her hand. “But now, I think…” She bit her lip and looked at Karen. “Help?” She begged.

 

“With what?” Karen asked softly, unsure what the Zeltron was asking. “Anything I can do, I will sister.” What the…? Why did Karen sudden feel a chill? Monyka stared at her and then leaned over and hugged her.

 

“I want to be a mother for real.” Monyka said with a sad expression. “But I know nothing about it. I want to bring a new life into this world. I want to leave something of myself for the future. I want to be a mother.” Tears started falling as Monyka held Karen. Karen for her part, returned the embrace, careful not to jar the IV lines and monitor cables.

 

“Oh.” Karen was stunned. This was a very different Zeltron from the one she had known. “So, why talk to me?”

 

“You were a mother. What was it like?” Monkya asked as she laid Karen back down. Then she grunted and sat carefully. “The bearing part I get…” She said with a grin as she rubbed her distended abdomen.

 

“Ah…” Karen shook her head and a whimsical smile crossed her face. “The best word I ever heard for it was ‘Tiring’. If you do bear a child after the egg is removed, kiss sleep goodbye for the last few months of pregnancy and the first six months or so of your child’s life. That is, if you have a partner. If not…” Karen slumped and Monyka patted her hand again. “Kiss sleep goodbye for a few years.”

 

Everything stopped as the door opened again and Zana came back in, with Doctor Menglan striding beside her. The youthful Bladeborn had a covered tray and a wide smile.

 

“Ah, Karen.” Menglan’s voice was kind “How do you feel?” Zana has a lunch ready for you, but I need to do take some blood and run some tests. Something odd is happening to you, and we are not sure what it is.”

 

“I am not going anywhere doctor.” Karen said with a grin. She gave Monyka a look that promised the two would talk again. She lay back as Menglan came close and started to examine her. “I just hope this works.”

 

“As do we all.” Menglan said with another smile, one that was slightly…off. “As do we all.”

“So, what is happening to Karen?” Firdlump asked as he entered the medical bay. It felt…smaller without Karen or Katherine working in it.

 

“I have run the tests three times. They all come back the same.” Menglan said with a sigh as she backed away from her consoles. “She is changing into a Sitolon.”

 

“She is changing?” Firdlump almost staggered, shocked as he was. “How is that possible? The whole point of keeping the eggs in sensory deprivation was that they did not develop past the initial stages.”

 

“I don’t know how the change began or even exactly when. We can remove the egg now, it has gestated enough. But the change will not stop.” Menglan admitted, her eyes on the readouts. “I have been…busy… since Katherine left.” Her voice had a tinge of disapproval.

 

“Doctor.” Firdlump’s voice was noncommittal. “No I am not going to tell you where I sent her or why. It is important, that is all you need to know.” There was no bark of command, but there was a distinct underlayer of threat to his words.

 

“Yes Master.” Menglan said softly. Then she straightened. “Anyway, Karen is changing. She is in the initial stages right now. We are managing her discomfort any way we can. Drugs of course don’t work right. Can we move her to the hive?”

 

“It’s not ready yet.” Firdlump said, rubbing his chin. “We want it to be indistinguishable from a real Sitolon hive. That way, when we add members of collective, they will be completely at home. What news on Kili?”

 

“I don’t see a way to bring her in.” Menglan said sadly. “She is just too young. Anything we do to her will likely kill her. And if we do kill her, we will have to mindwipe her parents at the very least and maybe more of the collective. They are doting on her, blast that Dun.”

 

“Yeah.” Firdlump sighed. “If he wasn’t dead, I would find a way to kill him again, slower. However…” He paused, thinking hard. “Do we know what kind of Sitolon Karen will be?”

 

“Not a queen.” Menglan said with certainty. “I don’t know enough about the castes to say for sure. She is not growing like a warrior, and she is not developing any of the organs that Lohas had, so she is likely a worker of some kind.”

 

“Builder, healer, feeder, cleaner…” Firdlump shook his head. “We won’t know for sure until her change is finished. Pity, all we need is one pure Sitolon to start the new hive. With Ecmin hurt…” He paused. “How is our hurt queen?”

 

“Still comatose.” Menglan said sadly. “Her injuries are regenerating but we have no idea if, or when she will wake. She is…” She slumped and Firdlump nodded. “I tried, master. I tried to save her reproductive organs. None of the transplants I have tried have worked.”

 

“They may regenerate as well, given time.” Firdlump said with a wave of dismissal. “They may not. Will Karen be fertile…?” Menglan nodded. “Hmmm…” He paused and looked at the medical computers. “Actually, that may work to our advantage.”

 

“How so?” Menglan asked cautiously.

 

“She was already devastated by the loss of her son.” Firdlump said sadly. “This I think will help convince her to aid us in repopulating the homeworld. I will talk to her.”

 

“Master…” Menglan said slowly. “The other eggs…”

 

“I know.” Firdlump said with a scowl. “None of the others have salvageable DNA do they?”

 

“No.” Menglan sighed. “How did Lohas make it look so easy?”

 

“Everything she did was internal, doctor.” Firdlump shrugged. “We could have easily missed a step. Or maybe she was just insane and managed to find a leap of logic that defies us.”

 

“We have tried every single permutation that the computers can come up with. Every SINGLE ONE.” Menglan protested. “Something has to work. What are we missing?” She stared at her readouts. “There has to be something we can use to make more Sitolon.”

 

“We…” Firdlump smiled widely now. “We may not have to.” Menglan stared at him and he nodded. “Ecmin is queen, correct?”

 

“When she wakes, yes. And if she is still fertile.” Menglan said with a sigh. “I don’t understand.”

 

“She needs retainers. She needs helpers. She needs a mind mass to stay sane. Karen is going to become a Sitolon.” Firdlump said with a smile that slowly turned predatory. “And Karen is weak, in pain and, as you say, devastated by her loss. What better way to get her to help than to help the poor dear?”

 

“Master?” Menglan asked, unsure. Then her face lit up. “Oh that is nice. Can you do it?” She asked after a moment of cackling. “She cannot be touched by the collective.”

 

“Not in the usual way.” Firdlump said gently. “But… I think we can convince her. Get Jolia, Miik and Kili ready. We have some surgery to perform.” Menglan looked thoughtful.

 

“And we tell the collective…What?” Menglan asked dubiously.

 

“That they are helping Ecmin’s eggs.” Firdlump smiled. “And they will be. Just not as anyone will expects.”

“Look, I can feed myself.” Karen said with a sigh as Monyka held out another spoon filled with broth. “I am sick of broth.”

 

“Until we are sure what is going on with you, Karen,…” The Zeltron said with a grimace. “…you don’t move. Clear?” Karen sighed and acquiesced.

 

“I know I am being a pain, Monyka.” Karen said with a sigh as she cleaned the spoon and lay there while Monyka filled it again. “I just feel so… lazy. At least Mengaln took the feeding tube out.” Monyka held out the filled spoon and Karen cleaned it dutifully. “I wonder when you all start with the baby bottles.” She asked with a groan.

 

“Actually…” Monyka said with a sly grin. “I happen to have some juice for you, and I think…” She pulled a baby bottle out of the bag that she had brought in containing Karen’s dinner. Karen stared at it, horrified as Monyka snickered. “A joke, Karen.” Monyka said with a snort as Karen glared at her. “Here is your juice.” She put the bottle back onto the bag and pulled out a can marked ‘Fruit Juice’.

 

“You are a bad, bad Zeltron…” Karen said with a glower. But then she laughed, a bit melancholy. “Thank you, Monyka, I needed to laugh.”

 

“I know.” Monyka said with a sigh. “At least you are a reasonably good patient. I always heard that docs make the worst ones, but you seem to be better than many.”

 

“Oh, trust me, Monyka.” Karen said with a smirk. “I am an awful patient when I want to be.” Her face changed to an innocent expression and her voice turned sickly sweet. “Do you want to see?” Monyka comically cowered away, hands raised.

 

“No!” The Zelrtron said hastily. “No, I am fine with you the way you…er…were.” She looked at the container that had been filled with broth and smiled. “All done. And since you did not go all ‘awful patient’ on me…” She popped open the can and held it out to Karen. “I am going to let you drink your own juice.”

 

“Why thank you.” Karen said with a matching smiled as she took the can in careful hands, not wanting to spill it all over herself. She took a slow sip and smiled as she swallowed. “Tastes…” She paused. “What the..?” Suddenly she paused, and looked at the can, her expression turning frightened.

 

“What is wrong, Karen?” Monyka asked quickly, her features worried. “Did you spill it?”

 

“It doesn’t taste like it should.” Karen took another slow sip and grimaced. “What the? I like Grunji fruit juice…This doesn’t taste like Grunji fruit juice.” Monyka sat back, a bit nonplussed.

 

“Let me taste.” Monyka said slowly, reaching for the can. Karen let her take it and Monyka took a careful sip. Then she shook her head. “Tastes like Grunji fruit juice to me. I knew you liked it, which is why I selected it. Well, that and I drew the line at feeding you from a bottle.” Karen glared at Monyka again and Monyka laughed. “Come on, tell me you wouldn’t have drunk from the bottle.” Karen gave Monyka an old fashioned look and Monyka just smiled wider. “Say it…”

 

“All right, you tyrant.” Karen sighed. “I would have drunk from the baby bottle, happ-“ She broke off and her face turned terrified. “Monyka!” She called, her eyes seeking the other female, but obviously not seeing her.

 

“Karen?” Monyka was reaching for her friend in an instant. “What is wrong?”

 

“Everything just went black!” Karen could not keep a quaver of fear from her voice. “I can’t see!”

 

“I will get the doc.” Monyka said quickly, but paused as Karen cried out.

 

“Don’t leave me!” The human woman begged, her control undone. She clutched out for Monyka and Monyka took her hands in gentle grips. “Monyka! Don’t leave me!”

 

“I am not going to.” Monyka promised. “Let me hit the call button.” She could feel the terrified woman shivering in her grip, but she reached out and hit the call button. “It’s okay, Karen. It’s okay.” She rubbed Karen’s hands soothingly. Karen reached out and pulled Monyka close.

 

“I am scared Monyka. So scared.” Karen was babbling now and knew she wasn’t coherent. “I just…”

 

“Karen?” Never in her life had Karen been so glad to hear Dr. Menglan’s voice. “What is wrong? Your blood pressure and heart rate are way up, what happened?” Monyka sat back, giving Karen’s hand one final squeeze.

 

“I can’t see, Doctor!” Karen nearly gibbered in her fear. “I just…”

 

“Okay. Let me check…” Menglan’s voice came close and Karen felt whisper gentle touches on her scalp. Then they withdrew. “No trauma. I am not reading anything…” The doc’s voice paused and she cursed. “What the heck?”

 

“That doesn’t sound good.” Karen gulped. “Doctor?” The naked fear in her voice had Monyka moving to hold her hand again.

 

“Doctor?” Monyka asked slowly. “What is it?”

 

“Karen…” Menglan’s voice was calm and gentle now. “You are changing. Your body is changing now. It’s okay. Now that I know what I am seeing, it is okay.” A hand patted hers. “Karen, it’s okay. Shhh…” Another hand stroked her face gently. “Easy girl. It’s okay.”

 

“What am I?” Karen begged. “What am I turning into?” A silence greeted her words and she screamed. “What am I turning into?”

 

“You are becoming a Sitolon, Karen.” Menglan said sadly. “Sleep now, my dear.” Karen stiffened, but something covered her mouth and she was falling. “When you wake, everything will be better, my dear. Sleep.” Gentle caresses soothed her into sleep.

“How is she?” Monyka asked, worried as Karen relaxed into sleep. “She seemed…” She caressed her sleeping friend’s hands again.

 

“She is changing, Monyka.” Menglan said with a grimace. “Slowly, gently, but inexorably. She is no longer human. We will take the egg out this afternoon, it will be safe. Karen however... Soon she will not be recognizable as human.” She gave the sleeping female’s head a gentle pat as well. “She didn’t deserve this. I can’t understand why this happened. It doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“What can we do?” The Zeltron asked, her face falling. “Can we do anything?”

 

“Keep her calm; keep her as happy as we can.” Menglan sighed. “We can’t stop it, trying will kill her.”

 

“Is this going to happen to all of us?” Monyka asked, somewhat scared. Menglan was quick to reassure her.

 

“No, my dear Monyka.” The human woman said quickly. “I checked everyone else. None of you are showing any signs like this. The eggs are not bonding to anyone else in this way. Thank the Maker.” The doctor said with a shiver. “I have no idea why this one bonded to Karen or how. It shouldn’t have been possible. We will remove it shortly, it has gestated enough.”

 

“What can I do to help?” Monyka asked, rubbing her stomach, worried. “She is my friend.”

 

“Well…” Menglan said sadly. “Right now she needs comfort and calm if she is to stay sane. Can you do that?” Monyka scoffed.

 

“Doctor.” The Zeltron’s voice was sour. “Do you need to ask?”

 

“Not really.” Menglan said with a grin. “But I do have something I want to ask you.” Monyka looked at her. “I was listening when you were talking to Karen. Do you want a child?” Monyka stiffened and Menglan raised her hands in a placating gesture. “I haven’t said anything to anyone else. Tell me to shove it and I will. But I CAN help you.” She paused. “After the egg is removed of course.”

 

“I…” Monyka shook her red skinned head, her black braids falling askew as she pondered. “I don’t know.” She rubbed her stomach and sighed. “I understand a lot more of what is involved now, but I don’t really know.” Menglan smiled at and patted her shoulder.

 

“It isn’t something to decide immediately, Monyka.” Menglan said with a smile. “How about you go get something to eat? I need to run some more tests and frankly, you will find them boring.” She ran a scanner over Monyka and froze as she saw the readings.

 

“Well, I am hungry.” Monyka was torn. Her friend was in pain, scared and something odd was happening to her. Still, if she keeled over, what good did she do for Karen? “I will… What?” She asked as Menglan glared at her.

 

“You haven’t been taking your supplemental vitamins have you?” Menglan hissed as Monyka flinched. “Monyka…” Menglan’s tone turned resigned. “Your body cannot produce all of the enzymes needed for a Sitolon egg. It can hurt or kill you if you do not take the supplements.” She glowered at the cringing Zeltron and then relented. “Is it how they look or taste? Do they remind you of something?”

 

“Yes.” Monyka admitted sheepishly. “My… Um… My pimp used to hide spice in pills. He thought it was ‘funny’.’ She slumped, her face falling. “I know you are not him, I know you don’t want to hurt me. It’s just…”

 

“Monyka,…” Menglan was gentle now. “How about some in juice form? Did he do that to you? It will taste nasty.”

 

“Not that I know of.” Monyka said slowly. “But then again, lots of my time until I was recruited is lost in hazes. At least I didn’t go through bad withdrawal once I got here.”

 

“We do some things well.” Menglan nodded to her. “Here….” She pulled out a datapad, scribbled on it, and handed it to Monyka. “Take this to the main room. Meish is here, tending some of the others. Tell her I ordered it, she will fill it for you, since you cannot leave this area. I will also stock some more in your quarters.” Her face turned hard. “Every day, Monyka. Every day without fail. I don’t want to lose you.” She embraced the Zeltron female and smiled. “Now scat. I will watch Karen while you eat and get your prescription.” Monyka returned the embrace and then rose and quickly left the room. Menglan sighed and spoke evenly. “Warrior 4-3, come.”

 

One wall of the room slid aside and a large red droid appeared. In form, it had eight appendages, four legs and four arms, two of the arms were larger that the others. It moved remarkably quickly and quietly for such a large machine.

 

“Orders, doctor?” The droid spoke. It had Jolia’s voice! It was flat, but somehow conveyed horror.

 

“This patient must be moved to a Maker.” Menglan said softly. “Her change is accelerating, as predicted. I will tend the others. We will have some company for her soon I think. I didn’t plan on any of them changing, but this should accelerate our primary goal. Move her to the hive nesting chamber and get her ready.”

 

“Yes, doctor.” The droid with Jolia’s voice said flatly and carefully picked up the bed with Karen in it and carried it out of the room through the large door that had been concealed in the wall. Menglan shook her head as she started for the door, not watching as the room dissolved into mist. Nanites were fast deconstructors and builders. By the time she was done talking to the others, the room would be gone completely and remade into another room. But she had to talk to a lot of people and smooth the way for their own changes. It hadn’t been the original plan, but this way would be faster. She hoped. The master was not happy…

“I don’t understand.” Monyka said after a moment. She looked better than she had. “You put Karen in one of those sack things?”

 

“A Maker, yes.” Menglan said with a sigh. “It will ease her transition. She is tended every hour now, you will be able to see her after her change is done. She will sleep through it, we hope. Monyka, relax…” Menglan’s voice was exasperated. “It won’t hurt.”

 

“I just…” Monyka gave a scared little laugh. “I have never been a mother before. Yes, I carried the egg until you removed it yesterday evening, but I don’t know…” She sighed and slowly relaxed, trying to lie still as machinery measured her. “This isn’t what I expected.” She trusted Menglan, yes, but…

 

Monyka was lying on an operating table as machinery scanned her body. She was not restrained, but she was careful not to move as lasers played along her body. She was completely comfortable unclothed, but this was… At least the gas that was playing into her nostrils from the tube across her face was odorless. If it hadn’t been, she likely would have been sick as scared as she was. She wanted this. She wanted to be a mother, she reminded herself.

 

“We have no other Zeltron in the collective, Monyka.” Menglan said gently. “We need genetic information to make you a baby. Just relax.”

 

“I am.” Monyka said with a snort. “It just… Those supplements tasted familiar.” She did not see Menglan stiffen. “Don’t know from where. But they gave me the creeps. I couldn’t swallow all of it. It made me barf.”

 

“You…” Monyka stiffened at the pain in Menglan’s voice. “You didn’t take all of the supplements? Monyka…”

 

“Look, I am sorry.” Monyka said sadly. “Can you make them taste different next time?”

 

“You won’t need them again.” Menglan said sadly. “Dang it girl, why didn’t you say something before I started the procedure?” Was Menglan about to cry?

 

“What do you mean?” Monyka asked, concerned. She tried to raise her head, to look at Menglan, but couldn’t. “What the…?”

 

“Monyka!” Menglan’s voice turned sharp. “Did you take any of the supplements? It is incredibly important.”

 

“No. I couldn’t keep any of them down.” Monyka was starting feel scared. She trusted Menglan, but… She tried to move and couldn’t. “Doctor!”

 

“Damn it girl!” Menglan nearly exploded. “What is wrong with you? I know you had bad experiences, everyone has had bad experiences. But you had to take those. You had to…”

 

“Or what?” Monyka asked, definitely scared now. “Or what?” She demanded.

 

“I should have known better.” Menglan said as something came down and enclosed her head. “I should have been watching. I am sorry, Monyka.” Other things enclosed her arms and legs.

 

“What are you doing?” Monyka asked, terrified now. “Doctor?”

 

“Saving your life.” Menglan said, she was definitely crying now. “Go to sleep Monyka. When you wake, things will be better, if changed.”

 

***

 

“She didn’t take any of them?” Firdlump was even more aghast than Menglan had been. “Doctor!”

 

“No excuse master. The other changes we could stop, but not hers...” Menglan’s voice was sick. “I thought she had when I started the combinator. I had to use it to change her enough to get back to Zeltron norms. I should have been watching her. I knew she had issues with drugs. Dang it. I didn’t even think about it. I checked her every day, there was no change at all, then suddenly there was. What are we going to tell the collective? Do we wipe her?”

 

“No.” Firdlump said with a grimace. “Another accidental change. Once I could see as an actual accident. Twice…?This is not accidental.”

 

“I think it is. I checked, Monyka hasn’t been taking any of her prescriptions, master.” Menglan sighed. “She is quite good at fooling the automated systems. I tried to keep an eye on her, but…” She shrugged. “My responsibility, I will submit to punishment.”

 

“Not your fault, doctor.” Firdlump said with a grimace. “I trusted the automated med systems too. We will have to make sure from now on that we have an actual person dispensing them and watching the people take them. Meish could do it.”

 

“She could.” Menglan agreed. “We do have more staff now. All of the warriors are implanted. Ah…” She grimaced. “What do we do with Kili?”

 

“Did the implants into Jolia work right?” Firdlump asked slowly. Menglan nodded and he smiled. “Then we don’t have to do anything. We can alter Jolia’s memory at will now. Kili is too young to understand, and Maria would love to baby sit.” He shook his head and sighed. “This is not how we planned it, but it may work out. Karen is going to be a healer, and Monyka a breeder?”

 

“Yes.” Menglan said sadly. “Can we make it work?”

 

“We can and we will.” Firdlump promised. “How is the indoctrination of the warriors going?”

 

“Fairly well.” Menglan said quietly. “Pity we lost all the clones, they would have been simple to indoctrinate, turn into Sitolon warriors almost overnight.”

 

“We may be able to get them back.” Firdlump said quietly. Menglan stared at him and he shrugged. “Maybe.”

 

“Is that where Katherine went…?” She paused as Firdlump glowered at her. “Ah, never mind. I will just… get working on Monyka’s new nest.”

 

“You do that, doctor.” Firdlump said with a snarl. He left the room muttering about ‘silly humans’.

“Monyka…” The soft, gentle voice had Monyka flinching up from dreams of pain and fear. “Time to wake up, Monyka. Time to get to work.” She recognized the voice now. Monyka stretched, barely feeling a ripping around her. It never registered that she had been in a cocoon.

 

“K…Karen…” Monyka shook herself and… wait sec…Why was she seeing out of more than one pair of eyes? Why wasn’t she blinking? She raised a hand to her face and… It wasn’t a hand! It was a claw! She screamed and Karen’s voice turned sharp.

 

“Easy, Monyka.” Karen said as she held the other one down. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t struggle. You are out of the cocoon, it was flimsy anyway. Just like mine. Easy… Calm…” Something came to Monyka, it felt like the assurances that she got from the collective, but…different. It poured through her, easing her fear, calming her slowly and gently. “That’s it… Good baby.”

 

“Who’s a baby?” Monyka demanded, her voice still somewhat shrill. “What the flarging frak happened?”

 

“Monyka…” Karen’s voice was sad now. “You were not supposed to change. You were supposed to take those pills that Menglan gave you. You were supposed to listen when the docs talked to you. Why didn’t you?” The pain and sadness in Karen’s voice pulled Monyka up short. “Look at me, Monyka. Please?” No command in the voice, but Monyka felt there could have been. Something… She looked up into horror, but somehow, she knew the insectoid face in front of her was actually her friend.

 

“Karen?” Monyka asked, dazed as she looked at the silver Sitolon who was crouched beside her. Then she looked around slowly. They seemed to be sitting in a cave. “Where are we?”

 

“I don’t know.” Karen said with a sigh. “I can’t feel the collective, can you?”

 

“Uh… No.” Monyka whimpered slightly, and then paused as the other Sitolon sighed and rubbed her… Monyka stared down at her abdomen. She hissed in shock. Her abdomen was huge, far large than Karen’s. Matter of fact, her abdomen as nearly as large as Karen was. “What happened?” She asked again, confused.

 

“You changed.” Karen replied with a soft sound of discouragement. “You were not supposed to.”

 

“I…” Monyka felt like crying, but somehow she knew this body would not. “I didn’t mean to be a pain, Karen. I swear I didn’t…”

 

“Its okay, Monyka.” Karen soothed her friend with words and gentle rubs. “It is okay. It’s not your fault. We missed a bunch of things. Of course you are going to have issues about people giving you drugs given your history.” Karen’s voice was gentle and soothing as Monyka heaved in grief. “But, you are a mother now. A surrogate mother, but a mother.”

 

“A surrogate?” Monyka asked softly, unsure. “You mean I am carrying Ecmin’s eggs?”

 

“Yes.” Karen said sadly. “You saved them all, all but the two that fused with us that is.”

 

“We…” Monyka felt grief looming large now. “You mean I killed one of Ecmin’s children?”

 

No The voice was overpowering, saddening seeming to come from everywhere. You did not. Firdlump did. It was strangely neutral, neither male nor female.

 

“Who…?” Monyka shook her head, aware of things fluttering on it as she tried to see where the voice was coming from. Was it aloud or only in her mind? “Karen?” She half begged, half whimpered.

 

“I heard it, but… I don’t know. It spoke to me, eased me when I woke in my cocoon.” Karen said, half curious, half frightened. “I have never heard that voice before. At least…” She paused. “I don’t think I have. Who are you?” She asked with a touch of wariness.

 

Someone who has no patience for Firdlump’s meddling. The voice replied evenly. Ecmin will be joining you very shortly. You must tend her, Karen. You can. The voice said encouragingly when Karen gasped. It is in your blood, it is what your body was created for, to heal.

 

“But…” Monyka was not sure about this at all. “Who are you?”

 

My name I must withhold, but I am not your enemy. The voice said quietly after a moment. You and Karen will have to help each other in this. No one else can help you, you must help each other. Karen, Jina needs your help as well.

 

“Jina!” Karen exclaimed, jumping to her four feet. “Where is she? What happened?”

 

She resisted the egg. The voice was sad now. She did not intend to. She tried not to. But her basic makeup is still the same. Jina Darkstorm, even hurt, is a fighter. When something hurt her, she fought back. They took the egg out and placed it in Monyka with no harm to nay but Jina. Karen hissed, but the voice held pride. She lives, sick, but alive. You will tend her, as well as your queen.

 

“I would no matter what.” Karen said stolidly. “She is a friend.”

 

Then prepare yourselves. The voice cautioned as sounds came from nearby. Both Karen and Monyka stiffened as two huge red forms carried in Eqmin’s slump shape. Your queen needs your aid.

 

“I will give it.” Karen said as Monyka tried to rise. “Monyka, do not move.” She cautioned. “Remember, you have a bunch of young lives to worry about. I will be back in a few. Okay?” She asked, her antennae coming down to rub Monyka’s.

 

“Ah…” Monyka slumped in place, undone by the care and affection that Karen effortlessly projected into her. “I will, healer.” She said quietly, her legs folding up underneath her abdomen to hold it off the ground so she could breathe and support the full egg sack.

 

“I will be right back.” Karen nodded to her friend and walked to where the two red forms were lowering Ecmin onto a soft looking surface. “Where is Jina?” She asked as she started examining Ecmin, aware that’s he could see, hear and smell much better in this form. Her senses were telling her many things about Ecmin’s healing injuries and she nodded soberly as she worked.

 

“She sleeps.” The voice… Karen stiffened, but the red droid moved away. “She will be brought when she wakes.”

 

“Jolia?” Karen asked, her voice cautious. “What happened? Jolia!” She called as the droid vanished into the cavernous hallway. Karen took a step towards it and paused, her worry about her Twi’lek friend warring with her need to help Ecmin. The hurt queen won. “What the hell is going on here?” She asked as she went back to Ecmin’s side. She paused as Eqmin’s voice sounded, low and filled with pain, but there.

 

“Big…trouble…” Ecmin’s head moved, just little, so she could look at Karen. “Well… met… I am… Ecmin…” She gasped out.

 

“Do not try and move, my queen.” Karen said hastily. “Your injuries are healing. But I will do what I can to speed it. Jina will be joining us?” She asked, not sure if she liked that or not. She had no idea how to soothe a hurt Sitolon, but apparently her body did, and it started rubbing Ecmin’s carapace in certain spots.

 

“I don’t know.” Ecmin said, her voice relaxing as Karen starting working to soothe her pain. “I don’t…” She slumped, consciousness fading. Karen stiffened for a moment and then relaxed as she realized that Ecmin was just asleep.

 

“Well…” Karen said as she stepped back. “This is going to be so much fun. I can already sense that it is just going to be so much fun…”

“Ufff, she weighs a ton and a half…” Karen grumbled good naturedly as she eased Ecmin’s sleeping form into a more comfortable position. She checked the slumbering queen and sat back, distressed. “I can’t do anything more for her at the moment. I hate waiting, but it is all we can do. Okay, what do we know?”

 

“We are in a cave. We cannot touch the collective.” Monyka said slowly from her spot nearby. She had not moved at all. “Our bodies have changed, but we remember being who we were before. From what I remember reading, that is not how the Dark Cousins worked, so we are not turning into them.” She shuddered a bit. “Thank the Maker.”

 

“Agreed.” Karen said with a shudder. What little she knew about that offshoot of the Sitolon race was…disturbing to say the least. “I really don’t want to start eating people. We are both worker caste I think…You are a breeder, and I am healer.” Karen said with a flip of her antennae. A frown made it’s way into her words. “Beyond that, I don’t know much. Do you?”

 

“I read a bit.” Monyka said slowly. “I was curious. I thought we would have Sitolon in the collective at some point, it only made sense, you know? But… Not like this.” She shrugged all four of her shoulders. “Breeder huh? So I carry Ecmin’s eggs to term?”

 

“Actually, no. You carry them until they gestate and then they are removed –by me I assume- and placed in places where the larva can be tended and grow.” Karen replied, bemused. “I… How the hell do I know this?” She asked rhetorically. “I didn’t before.” Nothing answered her and she snarled. “COME ON!” She called. “I KNOW we are being watched. What the hell is going on?” Again, nothing happened.

 

“You don’t think they dropped us onto the Sitolon homeworld do you?” Monyka asked, concerned. “Anything that lands there gets eaten by the nanites.”

 

“No.” Karen said slowly. “I don’t think they would just throw us away like that.” She paused. “Then again, I didn’t think Jolia would wind up in one of those awful droids either.”

 

“Jolia!” Monyka jumped bit, startled, then subsides as Karen glared at her. “That was Jolia in that droid? I couldn’t hear her.”

 

“Her voice.” Karen said slowly. “Admittedly that does not prove anything.” The healer said in a tone that said she was trying to examine all angles of their predicament. “It could have been transmitted to the droid for whatever reason, but it did sound like her. She was scared.”

 

“And we are not?” Monyka asked, her tone sharp. “I wanted to be a mother, not a bug.”

 

“Well, now you are both.” Karen said, coming to the side of her friend and starting to rub, calming soothing. “I am not leaving you, Monyka. Don’t fret.”

 

“I can fret if I want to!” Monyka said with an insolent flip of her antennae. “So there.” She parroted a well known human teen heartthrob. Karen laughed with her for a moment.

 

“You are silly, my friend.” Karen said, giving Monyka’s carapace one final rub. “Better?”

 

“Much, thank you.” Monyka replied gratefully. “So what now?”

 

“Now we-“ Whatever Karen was going to propose that they do was cut off by a terrified and/or angry scream that was immediately followed by a loud crunching noise. A large red object came flying into the room and landed just short of Ecmin’s still form. Karen immediately interposed herself between the unconscious queen and the door, but she paused as a bedraggled form appeared. “Jina!”

 

Jina Darkstorm was a mess. She wore the remains of a patient gown. It was tattered and torn, and her exposed skin was dirty, scraped and bloody in places. Her face was suffused with both rage and terror as she paused, looking from Karen and Monyka to Ecmin and then back.

 

“Jina?” Karen asked, her tone wary. Jina almost literally pulsed with power now. Power that Karen could literally see pour off of the woman. “Jina, it is me, Karen, what happened?”

 

“Ka-ren?” Jina asked, unsure. “Bug?” She crinkled her nose in distant. “You no Karen.”

 

“I am, Jina.” Karen said, slowly forcing her body to relax. “And I will prove it." She started to sing. "Twinkle, twinkle little star…” Monyka stared at Karen as the other female bug slowly lowered herself to the floor, trying to get under Jina’s height. It was hard for such a massive insect. Jina stared at the bug that was Karen and then slowly, a tentative smile crept across the hurt woman’s face as Karen continued the song.

 

“…how I wonder what you are…” Jina ended in unison with Karen and then shook her head. “This…weird.”

 

“Tell me about it, Jina.” Karen said with a sigh. “Are you okay?” The healer asked quickly as Jina winced. “You are bleeding again.” She could not keep the exasperation from her voice and Jina looked at Karen and then at herself.

 

“No hurt.” Jina said slowly. “But blood.” She shook her head. “Not good.”

 

“No, not good.” Karen agreed. “Come here, girl.” Odd, that Karen called Jina a ‘girl’ when Jina was almost twice Karen’s age. But it wasn’t important. The affection was there. Jina swarmed into Karen’s four claws and Karen hugged her gently. “Let’s get you cleaned up and maybe you can help us tend Ecmin.” She looked to where the red droid had been, but it was gone! “Monyka, did you see where the droid went?”

 

“Um, no.” Monyka said from her spot. “Jina did you see what happened to the droid and why did it fly into the room?” She asked suspiciously.

 

“Went poof.” Jina said as she squeezed Karen gently. “Me… Me break machine.” Jian admitted sheepishly. “It grab, no like grab.”

 

“Neither do I.” Karen said with a grin in her voice that would never show on her features. “Lets see what shape you are in.” A quick exam showed nothing but abrasions and bruises. She cleaned and bandaged the worst ones. “What the heck happened, Jina?” Karen asked after she was done. “You were hosting an egg? I think someone said that. My mind is fuzzy… I…” She shook her head, startled as she saw that Jina was falling asleep in her arms. “Tired, huh? Sleep.”

 

“No!” Jina snapped awake. “No sleep!” She cried out, terrified. “Ka-ren! No sleep!”

 

“What?” Karen snapped awake herself, aware of something pressing in on her now. “Jina?”

 

“No sleep.” Jina whimpered. “Lose mind if sleep. Forget human.”

 

“What?” Karen demanded. “Jina, what do you mean?”

 

“No…” Jina scrunched her face up, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “No sure. No want lose you or step mom. Please, Ka-ren…”

 

“Jina…” Karen’s voice was gentle now. “I don’t know what is happening. I don’t know why it is happening. But no matter what, I will never leave you alone. Okay?” She smelled something odd and froze. Gas! “Oh not again!” She snarled. “What is it with you scum and gas?” She shook Jina a little. “Can you stay awake, Jina? Do you remember how to keep your lungs clear?” She tried to focus herself, her healing to stay awake, but whatever was seeping into the area was already affecting her.

 

“Me…?” Jina shook her head. “No.” She slumped, worried. “Ka-ren. No sleep.” Terror lurked behind her eyes now. “Please, Ka-ren. No sleep.”

 

“I don’t know how long I can stay awake if they, whoever they are, really want me unconscious, Jina.” Karen said, casting a quick look at Monyka who was out cold. She started a basic exercise, to get her fluid pumping faster. It worked, but not as well as it should. “But I am going to do what I can.”

 

“Me hate them!” Jian declared. ‘Hurt step mom, hurt you. Lie, cheat, hurt. Me hate them!” Her voice was shrill now. “No sleep, Ka-ren.”

 

“Don’t hate, Jina.” Karen said, her mind going fuzzy again. “You…are… better… than…” She felt Jina stiffen and then the woman was asleep. She followed suit.

Someone was shaking her urgently. She couldn’t quite make her mind focus on what the being was saying. Sitolon slept very deeply when they slept, which was not very often. Then a hand grabbed her most sensitive anatomy and she groaned in fatigue and roused herself.

 

“Please let go of my antennae.” She asked as she woke up completely. The hand released her and she sighed in relief. She focused slowly on the form that stood in front of her. Human, female. Age about 35. The woman had short brown hair and the most piercing brown eyes. Something about the woman said she laughed a lot, but now those eyes were overflowing with tears. Something inside the slowly waking Sitolon was drawn to this woman, to help. “Do I know you?” She asked slowly, unsure as she held out a slow claw.

 

“Ka-ren!” The woman said in odd halting speech. “You awake!” The woman almost literally threw herself into the open claws and the Sitolon had to take care not to harm the odd woman. Something was very wrong here.

 

“Whoa, whoa, easy there, Ma’am.” The confused Sitolon said slowly. “What is wrong? Are you all right?” She could feel the woman’s fear and pain, an essential skill for healers. She did not move as the woman grasped her manipulator with both hands and gave it a tug. “What?”

 

“Ka-ren?” The woman asked slowly, staring to get scared. “You no remember?” She started shaking her head and tears started falling again. “No…”

 

“Easy, Ma’am.” The Sitolon said gently. “It’s okay. Are you in pain? I can help, I am a healer.”

 

“You no remember.” The woman cried. “They hurt you!” The Sitolon stared at her and then slowly reached out with all four of her claws, gathering the bawling woman up in them gently.

 

“Easy…” The bug crooned. “No…” She paused, thinking. “I don’t remember. But I want to help. What is your name?” She asked while carefully caressing the woman’s arms with her upper manipulators, the ones designed for fine work. It seemed to help.

 

“Me Jina.” The woman said slowly. “You Ka-ren.”

 

“Ka…Ren…?” The Sitolon said dubiously and then shook her head. “Jina I have only molted once. I only have one syllable in my name, and it is Ren.”

 

“No!” Jina nearly screamed as she twisted to stare at the Sitolon’s face. “You Ka-REN!” She declared, her face turning ugly. “They hurt you!” She shook her head and then screamed in rage and pain before turning towards wall and screaming. “Evil! You hurt Ka-ren!”

 

“Jina, easy…” The bug called Ren said gently. “Are you hurting? Let me see.” Jina did not resist as Ren ran gentle claws over her body, but did not find any wounds. She did find things that sensed odd to her touch and when she focused her senses on them they felt decidedly unnatural. She also sensed something that made her cringe slightly. This human woman had brain damage, no wonder she was almost incoherent. It was amazing she was as coherent as she was with the damage Ren sensed. “Oh Jina…” Ren’s voice was soft and sad. “I can’t help you.”

 

“Me try help you.” Jina said slowly, reaching up towards Ren’s head. But when she touched Ren’s head, blinding pain hit the bug and she collapsed in a heap. She hoped she hadn’t hurt Jina on the way down, but she couldn’t even see, let alone function. She barely heard her own screams of pain. She had no way of knowing how long the pain slammed into her but eventually it passed, leaving her gasping on the floor. When Ren could focus again, she saw an abject looking human woman kneeling in front of her. Jina was so scared looking but she perked up when Ren looked at her. “Ka-ren… talk…please…”

 

“That…” Ren struggled to keep her breathing under control. “Hurt…” She shook her head slowly. “It shouldn’t have. What did you touch, Jina?” Ren asked as she reached up and started examining the back of her head with her delicate claws. Then she froze. She felt something that felt decidedly out of place on the back of her skull, a hard metal patch. “Oh dear…”

 

“Ka-ren…” Jina was crying hard now. “No can help. Tried. Me hate them. Me hate them!” Despite her fear, Ren was pulled to aid the human woman.

 

“Jina, listen to me…” Ren rose back to her feet and pulled the sobbing human close. “Easy. Hate is a poison, it will seep through you, contaminating everything it touches. I don’t remember you, but I know you are not an evil woman. I can sense that. Don’t take that road, Jina, please.” Jina stared at the Sitolon and then threw her arms around the small neck.

 

“Ka-ren…” Jina sobbed. “Me love you. Me want to help.”

 

“Then help.” Ren said gently. “I need to figure out what is going on here. I know I am not alone, that I have duties. Is the queen awake?”

 

“Step mom no wake yet” Jina said sadly.

 

“ Step mom?“ This human called a Sitolon queen Step-Mom? If she had been human, Ren would have either blinked, stammered or just stood there, open mouthed. She was not human. “How about breeder Ka? Is she awake?”

 

“Her name Mon-y-ka.” Jina said carefully enunciating each syllable. “She sleep too.”

 

“This is weird, Jina.” Ren said slowly, unsure. “I can sense that you feel what you are saying is the truth, but I remember them both. I do not remember you.” Jina crumpled in Ren’s claws and Ren was swift to speak again. “I wish I did.” She tweaked the woman’s nose with a gentle claw and Jina glared at her.

 

“No funny.” Jina declared. “This bad. Evil people. Bad people!” Jina declared.

 

“I agree.” Ren said slowly. “If they hurt you, made me forget you, then yes, I agree, Jina. Bad people.” Then she stiffened. Her queen needed her! “Jina! Ecmin is waking.”

 

She rose, but Jina was already in motion. As fast as Ren was, Jina was just as fast, and both ran into the large nesting chamber together. What greeted Ren’s eyes was horror. She didn’t remember Ecmin getting hurt. Two of the queen legs were regenerating from stumps and another leg was still off color as it healed as well. The two claws on the same side as the stumps showed signs of rapid healing. But Ren knew what to do when Ecmin started to struggle in her waking. She saw metal things on her queen’s head instead of antennae and the sheer horror of that had her freezing, but only for a moment. She knelt in front of her queen and bowed her head.

 

“My queen, do not move.” Ren said softly, with reverence. “You are hurt.”

 

“Who…?” Ecmin’s voice was soft and shaky as she focused on Ren. “Who are you?”

 

“You do not remember me?” Ren asked, horrified. “What have they done to us?” She shook herself. “I am Ren, my queen, healer.”

 

“Ren.” Ecmin’s voice was confused but then she saw Jina and her voice turned tender. “Have you been behaving yourself, Jina?” Jina nodded and Ecmin stiffened. “What is wrong? I can sense both of you, both of you are scared.”

 

“Jina says that my memories have been tampered with, my queen.” Ren said slowly. “I do not know if I am a threat to you or not.”

 

“Tampered with…?” Ecmin’s voice turned harsh. “Let me see.” She started to lean towards Ren, only to pause as Ren cried out.

 

“My queen, you have internal injuries that are still healing, Please, let me touch my antennae to you. Please?” Ren did not move, it was unheard of in Sitolon protocol, a queen initiated the mind touch, not anyone of lower rank. But THIS queen was badly hurt. “My life will be forfeit if you so wish, but I must do my duty.” Ecmin looked at her and then sighed.

 

“If I start blaming people for doing their duty, what will I be left with if I execute all who do so?” Ecmin said with a grin in her voice. Then she paused and when she spoke again, it was flat. “What is that metal on your head?”

 

“I don’t know, my queen.” Ren admitted slowly. “Jina touched it earlier and it hurt like a fire in my mind.”

 

“Hmmm.” Ecmin mused. “Yes, I do remember you.” She shook her head slowly. “I was not quite awake, but you soothed me, soothed my pain. I thank you healer.”

 

“It is my duty, my queen.” Ren said softly. She was literally incapable genetically now of arrogance or jealousy. “I did what I could. Are you in pain now?”

 

“Discomfort, yes.” Ecmin said slowly as she looked at her abdomen and winced visibly. “Pain, no. This will be very inconvenient.”

 

“I will help, my queen.” Ren said solidly. “Breeder Ka is sleeping, she will need tending as well, but I will be here for both of you.”

 

“Breeder…Ka?” Ecmin said slowly. “What the hell has been happening while I was asleep? Before the explosion I was the only Sitolon in the collective. Has it grown?”

 

“I do not know, my queen.” Ren tried to say something else but suddenly she couldn’t speak. She struggled against whatever was holding her vocal apparatus, but whatever it was, it was too strong and she stood there, impassive. Ecmin looked at her, but said nothing. Then whatever she was going to say vanished from her mind and she focused on the now.

 

“Step mom…?” Jina asked, hesitant. “How feel?”

 

“Weak and sick, Jina.” Ecmian said, extending her sole fine manipulator to Jina who took it in a gentle grip. “But better now. Much better now.” Ren bowed to her and everything was right in the universe.

“This is a fine mess.” Ecmin said quietly after Jina had nodded off. The human woman was exhausted by everything that had happened, and Ren was privately amazed that Jina had managed to stay awake as long as she had. “Okay healer. Should I all you Ren or Karen?”

 

“I…” Ren shook her head. “I don’t REMEMBER being Karen, but it…feels right, as odd as that sounds.” She shrugged all four shoulders. “As you wish, my queen.”

 

“I am asking you.” Ecmin said with a touch of ice in her tone. Jina murmured and shifted a bit in her sleep. Ecmin sighed. “Sorry, I am…distracted.”

 

“You were hurt, my queen.” Ren said soberly. “You injuries are healing. I just wish I knew what this thing on my head is for.” She touched the cold patch on her head again gingerly.

 

“Almost certainly nothing good.” Ecmin replied, her tone somewhat warmer. Her ire was not directed at Ren though. “How do you feel, healer?”

 

“Um…” Rem thought about that for a moment before nodding. “I don’t know. Nothing hurts, none of my senses are impacted, but there are things inside me that feel…wrong.” She shook her head again. “Implants of some kind?”

 

“Probably.” Ecmin agreed. “And likely not for benign purposes. You don’t remember anything of how you came to be here?” Ecmin said, her posture intent. Ren glared at her and Ecmin snorted a laugh before resuming her careful sitting posture. “You glare well, healer.”

 

“I mean no disrespect.” Ren said, assuming a submissive pose. “My life is yours, my queen.”

 

“Oh get up.” Ecmin snarled half heartedly. “You and I are trapped in some kind of sick game. We need to figure out the rules, and try to find our way out of it. And we need to work together to do that. Clear?”

 

“Yes, my queen.” Ren said as she rose. “What you wish of me?”

 

“First, come here.” Ecmin commanded and Ren stepped close enough that Ecmin could see her head. Without verbalized commands, Ren knelt and lowered her head so Ecmin could see the back of her skull. “Hmmm…” Ecmin’s voice turned concerned. “That part of the brain is the memory center. Might this patch be the reason you cannot remember?”

 

“Maybe.” Ren said dubiously. “The implants go deep, I can feel that much. As to how deep or what they do, I have no idea.”

 

“I am going to touch you.” Ecmin said softly. Ren could not control an involuntary shiver, but Ecmin hastened to reassure. “I won’t touch the patch. You and Jina both say it caused you pain when Jina touched it.”

 

“A great deal of pain.” Ren agreed, her voice taut. But she did not move as Ecmin’s fine manipulator moved over her skull. She could sense Ecmin’s mind seeping into her skull, searching, probing, looking for answers. “Touch it if you will, my queen. I cannot say what will happen.”

 

“I don’t want to cause you pain.” Ecmin said quietly as she finished her exam and sat back. “But that may be the only way to figure out what is wrong with your…mind…” Ecmin’s words trailed off. Ren looked at her, but did not speak. “Oh those bastards…” Ecmin breathed her curse slowly. “This is going to hurt, and I am sorry.”

 

Ren slowly sank to the floor. If she convulsed, there was less chance for her to hurt herself or her queen from that position. She took slow deep breaths, feeling the air pulse through her airholes and working to relax.

 

“Let me know when you are ready.” Ecmin said softly. “Jina…?” She gave the slumbering Jina a gentle nudge but Jina did not respond. “She is out. I will set her down.” Ren made a noise of alarm and Ecmin glared at her. “I can do that carefully, healer.” She put words to actions, lowering Jina to the floor awkwardly, but carefully, without moving her main body. “I need to make contact, and I have no antennae. Touch yours to the metal knobs on my skull.”

 

“Yes, my queen.” Ren could not –quite- keep an edge of trepidation from her voice was she lowered her gently waving antennae to touch Ecmin’s skull. For a moment, nothing happened and then, an incredibly loud noise burst through into Ren’s skull. She heard a voice screaming in pain as she passed out. It was hers.

 

***

 

Karen woke up slowly, unsure of where she was. The last thing she remembered was smelling gas and passing out with Jina begging her to stay awake. Then nothing. There were flashes of things, emotions. Jina angry, Ecmin unsure, Monyka scared. She whimpered slightly as pain ebbed and flowed through her. Then, it was gone.

 

Easy Karen. The gentle, concerned voice burst into her mind with the strength of a tsunami. You gave us quite a scare. I thought he had wiped you completely. He didn’t. He wanted your medical expertise intact, so he did a selective purge.

 

What happened? Karen asked, her mental voice small and scared.

 

Firdlump is trying to get my corrupted DNA to produce something it can’t. Ecmin’s voice was gentle, soothing. He needs a pure sample of Sitolon DNA to make Sitolon clones. I think he intends to repopulate the homeworld after he takes control of the nanite swarm. Not that he tells me anything like that. Sour amusement colored the queen’s mental voice. What do you remember?

 

Everything. Karen said softly, her voice shaking in remember terror. I was on an operating table. He said I would forget… That I would not grieve anymore. I almost wanted that. I have hurt for so long. But he made me forget my son… Karen’s mental voice broke. He made me forget my Eran…

 

Karen, easy… Ecmin’s mental touch soothed her. I can see your memories. I tried not to intrude, but I had no choice as deep as that nasty implant went. I wondered why you and Monyka did not go mad, as disconnected as you were from collective and hivemind. That implant is why.

 

I… Suddenly Karen was buoyed up, surrounded by care, by love and affection. Real love and affection. I am a threat. To the hivemind.

 

So am I. Ecmin agreed. So is Monyka. But you are not alone. You have reestablished my link to the hivemind, thank you, sister. The ecstatic joy that Ecmin was feeling seeped into Karen’s skull. It felt wonderful. But…

 

Something…is wrong… I… Karen stiffened as she started to fade. No! Something is wrong! My queen! Release me! Something is wrong!

 

“Nothing is wrong, Karen.” A gentle but terrifying voice sounded close by her head. She looked up to see Firdlump standing there. “Nothing at all. You just forged me a hidden backdoor into the Sitolon hivemind. Everything will be better now.”

 

“No!” Karen exclaimed, leaping to her feet, scuttling away from him, her claws up in a warding gesture. She barely noticed that neither Ecmin nor Jina so much as moved from their sleeping postures. NO! She screamed, both aloud and in her mind, trying to get someone else to hear her.

 

“You need a rest, my dear.” Menglan’s voice sounded from close by. Karen spun in place, her claws coming up to defend herself, but large red arms grabbed hers in metal grips. As hard as she struggled, Karen could not break the grips. “We are going to take very good care of you, dear Ren. Very good care. You are the key to getting pure Sitolon DNA. We are not going to let anything happen to you.”

 

“My name is Karen!” Karen snarled at the doc as the human approached, a gleaming syringe in hand. “Stay away from me!”

 

“No, your name is Ren and when you wake again this will all be just a bad dream. You, Monyka and Ecmin will all be back in the collective where you belong. Where you are loved, and cared for.” Menglan reached Karen’s side and plunged the hypo deep into her thorax, seeking the large fluid vessels there.

 

“No…” Karen was begging as lethargy started pulling her under. “No…”

 

“It’s okay, my dear.” Firdlpum said as he laid a hand on her quivering shoulder. “You won’t remember your grief and pain. Everything will be fine. Sleep.”

 

“Don’t make me forget.” Karen begged as sleep pulled her under. She fought it will all her power and skill. “Don’t make me…forget…”

 

“I already have.” Firdlump said softly as consciousness fled. “But it will be all better soon, my dear, dear child. Everything will be better. Your father and mother will make it all better. Sleep.”

 

Karen was still begging as she fell into soft tinged blackness that was hungry. Blackness form which there would be no return.

Ren woke, suddenly and completely. She shook her head. Had she overslept? She wasn’t sure. She rose from her nest and groomed herself quickly, checking Monyka’s status in passing. The large bug that shared her quarters was still asleep. It was unseemly, but Ren almost hoped Monyka would sleep the whole day. She stepped out into the main medical bay and nodded to the other staff.

 

“Good morning Ren.” The head doctor of the facility said with a smile as she approached. “How is my daughter this morning?”

 

“A bit sore still, Dr. Menglan.” Ren replied. “The surgery was a success. No more episodes. No more bad dreams.”

 

“I am glad.” Menglan smiled as she stepped closer and then embraced Ren gently. “I have someone new I want you to meet, Ren. She came out of the pod a few minutes ago and is adapting well. You will like her.” Menglan sighed, but it was contented rather than sad or resigned. “She is someone very special.”

 

“Okay. Um... How is our problem child this morning, doctor?” Ren asked with concern as the doc started off. “Did the new drugs help Jina sleep?”

 

“A bit.” Menglan said with a grimace. “Every time we come up with a new therapy, she adapts to it. You know she is going to keep pestering you. Can you handle it?”

 

“Its not her fault.” Ren said sadly. “We didn’t know that was going to happen. Its an oddly persistent delusion, her thinking I am this ‘Karen’ person. As if I would have two syllables in my name. I am not fifty yet. Silly.” She paused as Menglan glared at her. “Doctor?”

 

“Silly she may be, Ren.” Menglan said soberly. “But she is also very dangerous. We don’t want to strip the Force from her, but we may not have a choice.” The old human shook her head and sighed. She changed the subject. “Ecmin’s left front leg is almost fully regenerated, and her back leg is halfway there. No other cases today thank goodness.”

 

“Tech Goilu?” Ren asked as she glanced to where a private room’s door was shut.

 

“Still comatose.” Menglan said sourly. “His physical injuries have regenerated nicely. But…” She shook her head, exasperated. “Nothing we do seems to work.” Then she stiffened. What the hell?” She darted of the entrance, Ren following as an armored form staggered in. “Gev?” Ren was right beside the doc as the human caught the falling bounty hunter. Ren took the massive human in gentle claws and carried him easily to a medical bay. There she set the man down on the table. “Why were we not notified? We would have met you in the hangar bay!”

 

“Didn’t… Couldn’t…” Gev couldn’t get coherent words out, indeed, could barely stand. “No one around. Came here.”

 

“We need to get the armor off.” Ren said quickly, her claws reaching for fasteners. “What happened?”

 

“Ran.” Kunda Gev grunted. “Too much. Had to run. Tried to fight, couldn’t.”

 

“Jarrel and Brakon are dead.” Menglan said with a shudder. “We thought you were too. Olandas has been disconsolate.”

 

“Had to hide, had to evade. Lots of Special Forces. Brakon told me to run.” Gev said, not resisting as the females removed his armor carefully. It was burnt, blasted and twisted. The body underneath it was just as damaged. “Didn’t want to. Tried to fight. I swear I tried to fight. He was too much.”

 

“It was the Fifth of the Seven, Gev.” Menglan said with a grimace as she carefully removed a sliced armor plate, exposing a deep injury. “If you had brought an army, you would not have been able to win.”

 

“Scary, scary dude.” Gev agreed softly, hissing as Ren’s gentle claws found a sore spot.

 

“Sorry.” Ren said as she finished. Then a low whistle escaped her. “There all done. Oh man, you are not going anywhere for a while, bounty hunter.” She said sadly as she surveyed his wounds.

 

“Figure that.” Gev said as Menglan started treating his wounds. “Had to hide, couldn’t treat myself very well. No autodoc on the puddle jumper I stole.” A puddle jumper? An in system shuttle?

 

“You have been in a shuttle since the mess on Alderaan?” Ren asked, incredulous. “Shuttles don’t have that kind of endurance. Or hyperdrives!”

 

“Had a hyperdrive, small one. Hid…” Gev was fading. “Mountains.” He gasped as Menglan worked. “Nanites kept alive… Couldn’t…” He slumped as a voice behind her had the bug turning.

 

“Gev!” Tech Olandas ran into the bay, then froze as she saw his state. “I can’t feel him in the collective! What happened?”

 

“We don’t know, Olandas.” Menglan said with a glance at Ren who took it as an order. Ren moved to take Olandas’ hands in her fine manipulation claws.

 

“We will take care of him. That is what family does.” Ren said gently, and then she embraced Olandas as the tech started crying. “Hey, easy there, girl. It’s okay. It will be okay.”

 

“Where is Katherine?” Gev’s voice slurred and Ren turned her head as Menglan cursed.

 

“What the hell?” The doc’s voice was professional, but Ren could detect alarm buried in it. “The nanites are not responding to… Oh you idiot! How long have they not been working?”

 

“Week… Week and half…” Gev sighed. “Lost track of time. Easy to do in hyperpace.”

 

“You jumped here from Alderaan in a puddle jumper?” Ren could not keep a note of shock from her voice. Puddle jumpers were short transit vehicles. They carried, at most, a couple of day’s worth of life support. They were just too small for even Republic tech to fit much more in. Maybe in a few thousand years, they would get better. His armor and nanites would keep him alive longer, but…

 

“Wasn’t going to sit there and let them find me.” Gev declared, trying to sit up, and then slumping back. “Used the drugs in the armor pharmacopeia to sleep. Needed the painkillers too.”

 

“Gev, what kind of dose of the painkillers have you taken?” Gev didn’t meet her eyes and Menglan blanched. “Gev! How much?”

 

“Dunno.” Gev said slowly. “Had to stretch them out. Hiding, running, sleeping, you know…”

 

“You are one crazy son of a barve.” Menglan scowled. “Come here, Olandas. He is going to need you. I can’t get his nanites to work right and without them, withdrawal is going to be...interesting.”

 

“What do I do?” Olandas stepped away from Ren as the bug released her. The tech stepped to the side of the berth. “I don’t know anything but first aid.”

 

“I won’t lie to you, my dear. It’s going to be nasty, Olandas. Mainly be here for him. We will do what we can to alleviate the symptoms, but until the master gets back, we are stuck.” Menglan said gently as Gev groaned and started to sweat heavily. “And there we go… Right on time. I wish I was a specialist at such things. Where is Katherine when we need her?”

 

“She is not available, but I am.” A new voice answered the doc. A human woman in a medical tunic strode into the bay. Ren stiffened. Did she know this human? The human smiled at her and nodded. “I was just decanted. My name is Karen. I am here to help.”

 

***

 

She opened her eyes slowly. For the first time in some time, they were not covered. She also didn’t hurt. That was new. She had hurt for so long, everything had hurt. She couldn’t remember when it had started. She couldn’t remember much at all. What she could remember, she didn’t really want to. Rough faces leering at her. Rough hands reaching for her. Pain. Concerned faces, a Trandoshan with an odd look on his face. Then blackness. Wide awake, nothingness. But now… The Cathar slowly stretched and sighed deeply when nothing hurt.

 

“Good morning, Katherine.” A kind female voice spoke from nearby. She turned her head to find a young human woman smiling at her. “Welcome to the Stormhawk Enclave. OIt'sokay. IO know you are confused. Your baby is fine.”

 

"My..." Katherine stared at the woman and then at herself. Then she started to scream as she saw the bulge in her abdomen. She couldn't stop screaming. It took two security guard and two medics to hold here down long enough for them to sedate her, and she sank into unconsciousness still screaming.

((Just when you think things can't get any worse... They do. Ick. Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might wind up helping in a Sitolon nursery.))