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TITLE: Escape
AUTHOR: Mithril (perretta@entelchile.net)
TYPE: Story
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: How long can friendship last?
DISCLAIMERS: Earth: Final Conflict characters and Universe are from Gene Roddenberry. No copyright infringement is intended.
The idea is mine.
SPOILERS: None
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you very much to Ja'el for editing my story. This is the third story of my Ka'lin sha series.
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Encounter
by Mithril (perretta@entelchile.net)

	Major Liam Kincaid stood in the doorway of a strange room with a huge
column in the center.  He heard soft voices.  After a moment of hesitation,
he entered.  He froze.  Two white-golden beings -an adult and a child- were
there.  *Kimera!* Liam exclaimed in his mind.  Marveled and curious, he
approached.  They didn't seem to notice his presence.  The child suddenly
spoke with such a sad voice, the Liam almost cried.

"Do not leave me alone," the child begged, embracing the adult.

"You will never be alone.  I will always be with you."

The scene abruptly changed.  Liam now stood in a sparkling Taelon chamber,
furnished with a single throne-like chair.  He blinked in surprise. 
*What--*
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of several Taelons.  Startled
and worried, he noticed that the adult Kimera, he had seen before, was
among them.
One of the Taelons graciously and solemnly walked towards the chair and
sat.  The rest stood in a circle before their leader, leaving the golden
alien in the center.
After a tense silence, the seated Taelon -which Liam assumed was the Synod
Leader- raised a hand and spoke.  "Your species is a threat no more,
Ha'gel.  You are the last of your kind."

Liam stiffened at the Kimera's name.  With a shake of his head, he listened
to the conversation intently.

"We never were a threat to you, Qua'or," Ha'gel answered.  "But I do
deserve a punishment.  It was I who convinced the High Council to help you.
 Never occurred to me that the Taelon' 'gratitude' would mean the complete
annihilation of my world."  He paused for a moment and then continued.  "I
am prepared to embraced the Void."

Qua'or blushed blue and tilted his head.  "Your fate had already been
decided.  You will not join the Void.  You will be stranded in deep
space... for the rest of your life."

Unable to stop himself, Liam yelled.  "NO!"

To his astonishment, Ha'gel turned and looked at him directly into the
eyes.  (You are not alone).

The scene vanished.


Liam woke up, tears falling from his eyes, his palms glowing.  This had
been the most vivid dream he had ever experienced.  He shook his head.  No,
he could feel it had been more than a simple dream, he had witnessed
Ha'gel's trial... Ha'gel's memories!  Unstopped, a question reached to his
mind.  Who was the child?

With a sigh he rose from the bed and was about to go to the bathroom, when
the global called.  He opened it.  "Da'an!" he exclaimed.

"Liam, you must come to the Embassy immediately," the North American
Companion said, agitation in his soft voice.

"What happened?" the young hybrid asked, strangely scared.

"Da'an met his gaze.  "A Kimera's pod has been found."

The protector's face went white.  "I am on my way," he managed to say.


Once in the Embassy, Liam went his way to the audience chamber.  To his
surprise, Zo'or and Sandoval were there too.

"Major Kincaid," Da'an greeted him.

Liam saluted the aliens and nodded to Sandoval.

"Are you sure that the thing is actually Kimera?" the Major asked.

"Of course," Zo'or answered dryly.  He turned to Sandoval.  "The Kimera
must be captured alive.  She must not be harmed."

"She?" the implant asked, curious.

The Synod Leader just blushed blue, clearly annoyed by the question.

The attaché cleared his throat.  "Of course, Zo'or," he said.  He faced
Liam.  "Come with me, Major," he added, leaving the room.

The hybrid nodded and, with a helpless looked at Da'an, he followed the
Agent.

Once alone, the North American Companion tilted his head and fixed his gaze
upon Zo'or.  
"Agent Sandoval's question is valid.  How is that you know the Kimera is
female?"

To Da'an's astonishment, Zo'or lost his façade.  "That is irrelevant," the
nervous Synod Leader stated.  "I will return to the Mothership.  Keep me
informed."  Without another word, he left the chamber.

******

	Ae'lia first opened one eye and then the other.  She blinked in surprise. 
Startled and slightly scared, she looked around.  A second later, she
remembered where she was and relaxed.  

After she had left Stanley palmer in the alley, instead of going to Sarah's
apartment, she had decided to explore her surroundings.  Curious and
fascinated, she had walked during the whole day, watching everything and
everyone with wide amazed eyes.  Once the sun had set, she had realized
that it was time to go home.  There, feeling strangely tired, she had laid
on the bed... and immediately fallen asleep.

Ae'lia tilted her head.  The Kimeras did not sleep, but she knew what had
happened.  In order to keep her presence from the Taelon Commonalty, she
had decided to remain in Sarah's body.  Even though she could regain her
natural form at any time or use her shakarava, in her current state, she
was human, therefore she had human's requirements.

She rose and walked towards the window, the city was waking up too.  She
smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes. Today would be her first day as Sarah
Bright.  She turned and went to the closet.  Due to Sarah's memories, she
knew that Stan would arrive soon, so she had to get dressed.  After a
moment of hesitation, she choose what she thought were appropriated clothes
and hurried to the bathroom.  There, she took a while to study her
reflection in the mirror.  She tilted her head at the sight.  A slender
young woman with blond, shoulder length hair and green eyes was there. 
Ae'lia smiled tenderly... and so did the image in the mirror.
Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, dressed with jeans and
a white blouse.  Just in time.  The doorbell rang.  She opened the door,
knowing who it was.
"Hello, Stan," she greeted her partner.  "Come in."

"Hi, Bright.  No, we are late... and you know how the boss gets when that
happens."

She turned serious.  "I--"

"Hey, don't worry.  You did a great job with that guy yesterday.  The
Sargent will be calm for a couple of days."  He gave her a mischievous
look.  "So... are you ready to fight against crime?" he teased her.

"Of course," she answered with a grin.  She would fulfill Sarah's police
work as best as she could manage.

"Let's go, then," Stan urged her, grabbing her arm.

******

	A couple of hours later, Liam returned to the Embassy.

"Did you find something," Da'an asked interested.

The Major nervously shook his head.  "No, but..."  He stopped and lowered
his gaze.

"But?" Da'an gently prompted.

Liam sighed.  "I don't know why, but I feel I am related to her."

"Her?" the North American Companion asked.

His protector smiled.  "Yes.  I believe Zo'or is right.  The Kimera is
female."

"Why do you feel you are related to her?" Da'an asked, a strange expression
on his face.

Liam helplessly shrugged.  "I don't know how to explain it.  Last night I
saw two Kimeras in a dream.  Ha'gel... and a child."

Da'an blushed blue, his hands moving fast.  He rose from the chair and
walked towards the virtual glass window.  After a moment of silence, he
turned to a puzzled Liam.  "Indeed you are related to her.  She is Ha'gel's
daughter, Ae'lia.  I did not know that she had survived the attack."


Liam's jaw fell open.  "I have a sister," he whispered after a while.  He
smiled widely.

Da'an nodded.  "You must find her... and protect her from us."

The young hybrid turned serious.  "Of course."  

With a  little bow, he left the room.  Da'an followed him with a serene
gaze and smiled.  *I was not able to save Ha'gel, but I will protect his
children.*

******

	In the Mothership’s bridge, a deadly serious Zo'or was seated on his
command chair, thinking.  The capture and death of the Kimera was only a
matter of time.  He had already decided that course of action... but he was
confused.  Why had he ordered Agent Sandoval not to harm her... not to harm
Ae'lia?  He blushed blue.  Was it because he wanted to feel her wonderful
presence in his mind?  Or just  because, in spite of himself, she was
still... his Ka'lin sha?  *NO!* he yelled in his mind.  Deeply annoyed by
his own thoughts, he rose and withdrew to his private chamber.

******

	The day passed quickly for Liam, who had searched for Ae'lia... in vain.
Tired and worried, he had decided to take a little break, so he went to the
Flat Planet Cafe.  It was late at night, the place was empty, except for
Augur.

"You look terrible, man," the genius said as a greeting.

Liam rolled his eyes.  "I--"

He abruptly stopped, his palms began to glow furiously.

"What's going on?" Augur asked.

Ignoring him, Liam turned to the entrance.  A young blond woman stood
there, looking at him with wide amazed eyes.  Startled, Liam noticed that
her hands were glowing too.

"Ae'lia?" he asked almost in a whisper.

******

	Inside Stan's car, Ae'lia watched fascinated the lights of the city. 
After a long day of work, Stan had offered to take her home and she had
politely accepted. 

"I have always liked the city at night," Stan said.

"I must agree.  It is beautiful."

He smiled.

Suddenly, she stiffened.  "Please, stop the car!"

"What happens?" he asked, worried, parking on a side.

"Nothing... I just need to go to that place," she explained, indicating a
construction.

"The Flat Planet Cafe?  It's closed.  Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure." 

He sighed.  "Do you want me to wait here?" he kindly offered.

"No.  Thank you," she said with a grin, while getting out of the vehicle.

Stan nodded and, after saying good bye, he departed.


Feeling the presence she had been looking for, she hurried towards the
Cafe... and entered.  She froze and opened her eyes wide.  A young man with
glowing hands stood before her.

"Ae'lia?" he called her.

She nodded and smiled tenderly.  Without a word, she approached and raised
a glowing hand. 
He smiled back and joined his palm with hers.


To Augur's astonishment, Liam and the strange woman disappeared in a
white-golden swirl...

Fin

 To be continued in "Ka'lin sha".

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Copyright 1999 Mithril (perretta@entelchile.net).