* * * * *
Meanwhile, on Khan-Gor…
Her mind was splintered, mayhap beyondrepair. She couldn’t seem to put two words together, much less anentire sentence. The sound of her boy-child crying didn’t registeras she stared out into nothingness.
Jana had given birth hoursago to a tiny male pup in hiskor-tarform. On her final push oflabor, the boy had flown out from between her legs, fluttering infront of her whilst wanting… something. Trying to figure out whatshe was to do, she had cried and cried until no more tears wouldcome. Turning her back on the boy-child, she now sat on the floorof the cavern rocking herself back and forth. The pup had longsince given up and laid near to her on that same silverfloor.
She wanted hermani. All her broken mindknew was that she needed hermani. She had no energy left to sendout an emotional wave to her.
One moon-rising turned intotwo then two into three. The male pup’s cries grew stronger, yetJana still could not hear him. Nor could she hear the stealthyfootfalls of amuubeast stirring just outside the cavern, biding its time untilit could ensnare its tiny prey.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, in the Zyr Star System…
“This is literally thelongestNuba-hourof my life,” Kyra huffed. She threw herself down on anearbyvesha-lounger. It occurred to her she no doubt appeared petulant, but toobad.
Geris plopped down next to her. “That’sbecause it’s been three days.” Her lips pinched together in afrown. “Three looooong ass damn days.”
Silence.
“We are fiveNuba-minutesfromentering Zyrus galaxy,” the warrior-commander informed them.“Mayhap there will be better reception there.”
“It can’t get much worse.”This from Geris.
“For a certainty,” thepilot agreed. He continued to navigate. “Leastways, we will go onauto-pilot once we breach the next star system.”
Kyra glanced at Geris.“Doesn’t auto-pilot burn lessgastrolight?”
“I think so.”
“We’ll be able to pick upspeed then?”
“Aye,” thewarrior-commander answered before Geris could. “We shall be withinteleportation distance the soonest.”
Kyra and Geris exchanged a relieved look.Kyra blew out a breath. “We should probably let Giselle and Martyknow.”
Geris waved that away. “Later. Right now theonly thing I care about is my daughters and your sister.”
Kyra inclined her head. She turned to facethe warrior-commander. “How many can teleport at a time?”
“Two. Leastways, only adeuce per every fewNuba-hours.”
“Then it’s settled,” Kyraquietly confirmed. “For now at least we’ll leave them in hypersleep.”
* * * * *
Meanwhile, on Khan-Gor…
She rocked back and forth, her eyesunblinking, as her male pup cried. Jana’s mind wanted to rejoin herbody, yet it could not find its way back.
Vorah, where are you? Please call out to me,zya.
The words penetrated her mind, but found nopurchase. Leastways, she could make no sense of them. Her mind hadlong since splintered and shattered into millions of fragments.
Where was she? Why was she here? By thegoddess, she could remember naught.
A sudden flash of movement whisked by herperipheral vision. It registered somewhere in the far corners ofher consciousness, yet she paid it no heed.
