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Chapter 1 - Watch the Radar

Lilaethan, maiden world, named after the Eldar maiden goddess of fortune, Lileath. Once barren rock, the Eldar before the Fall touched these worlds with seeds and life that transformed the worlds into homes for future generations. However, after the Fall many were lost and left unclaimed.

Within these planets are not just the hopes for settling again, but also possible technologies and the wisdom of old before the Eldar spiraled into darkness. Thus the maiden worlds are hunted for, their hope for the future making their namesake proud. Small ships like the Valainthir, with small crews plod their way through the galaxy in hopes of finding these treasures.

The miracle of life and how it had sustained itself had been studied for millennia, scientists of old and new constantly observing and maintaining notes for future generations. Aledel, however, was far from a scientist.

Though her eyes were pressed to the microscope and her eyes were registering the cells in the slide, the young eldar's mind was far from the sketch she was supposed to be adding to the bottom of her mother's neat notes.

"You're daydreaming, again, aren't you, Child?" Her mother's voice cut in, causing her daughter to jump and dragging the young one's focus back to the ship and the task at hand. "You cannot fool me just by daydreaming INTO the eyepiece. Your silent pen gives you away." She said with a sigh, not looking up from her work.

"Sorry, Mother." Aledel grunted and started to add another cell to the cluster she had been working on for what felt like hours. When she had confided in her mother that one day she might take of up the Path of the Artist this was not what she expected to result from it. This notepad was not even woven by a bonesinger unlike her actual sketch pad and art pens, and the lack of ability to literally pour herself into the sketch made it just a dull chore.

"Where was your mind wandering this time?" Mother asked, looking into a microscope of her own.

"Nowhere really, I am just tired." The young one replied with a sigh, just trying to get the damnable job done so she could go before her shift on the bridge.

"Your father and I heard you up and moving about this morning. What in Isha's name were you doing?"

Aledel shrugged and started shading. "I was going through some of the guardian sword forms. But I really have no skill for them."

"If you believe that you never will be." Mother said, looking up and meeting her daughter's eyes. "Trying believing in yourself, trust your mind and body to remember and stop thinking on it so much."

For a long moment Aledel held the gaze, feeling her mother's kindness even through her frustration. "Thank you, Momma." When a couple of more heartbeats passed, her mother opened her mouth to say something but Aledel beat her to it. "I know, back to work."

Unfortunately the sketch look much longer than expected without the flow of her normal drawings and Aledel was forced to go straight to her shift on the bridge. As she walked, she tugged on the jacket of her uniform. The firm blue material did fill her with a small sense of pride as it shifted to fit her better. Although they were long and far from the craftworld, the Alaitocii colors were still prominent throughout the ship.

The bridge duties were broken down into three main shifts: The first was the primary bridge crew with all of the senior members as well as the captain. Although little happened while floating around in open space, it was during first shifts that most of the exercises and practices were done. The second shift had its own crew that would assist the primary officers when something big happened such as hostile encounters. But for the most part second shift were being trained to eventually take the jobs of the primary crew when they stepped off the Path of the Mariner. Lastly there was the third shift, when absolutely nothing happened. The entire job of the third officers was to make sure that the ship did not run into a rogue asteroid and to keep an eye out for threats.

Aledel Silverwing was the third communications officer, with Sereklain as the second and Aledel's father being the first and primary. Aledel had spent just about her entire life on the ship, but Sereklain had joined not all that long ago. He was a little older than her and their attraction to one another was undeniable.

As she stepped onto the bridge, he pulled himself up and out of the 'comms and scanner' well and smiled at her. She touched his hand in greeting. "I am here to relieve you, Sereklain."

With a smile that stirred her veins he simply answered. "I am relieved." And departed.

Chewing her tongue in self control she tossed her bag down into the comms well. The well lit up in recognition of her and her mind effortlessly synced in with the systems,grabbed her sketch pad to keep her hands busy and settled in for a long night of nothing. Without a doubt, the scanners that she would tend to would be dead all night long.

Valainthir was a fine ship with a strong circuit that mostly ran itself. Aledel considered the small ship her home and had very rarely actually been on Alaitoc. Her mother and father were Mariners on the ship when she was conceived and the ship had taken them all the way back to the craftworld to give her mother a safe place to deliver the rare miracle of an Eldar child. But shortly after the child was born, the Silverwings got right back on the ship and dove back out into the void.

About two decades ago, they had stopped back by the craftworld to re-supply and pick up a couple of new crew members, which was when Sereklain had come aboard. Though very young, he had shown great talent and was quickly promoted to an empty second officer position. Aledel had barely been off the path of the child at the time. Despite her movement into adulthood, the crew had all helped raise her and although Sereklain was not all that much older than her, he mostly escaped being called "Child" by every other set of lips.

"Still nothing?" a voice cut through her thoughts and into her ears. The young one whirled around, setting her idol sketch aside.

"Sereklain. Shouldn't you be going to bed?" She asked, glancing at the chrono. Apparently two hours had passed.

"I could not sleep. I see you have been reading and sketching." He said gesturing to an abandoned dataslate and sketchpad as he slid into the well beside her.

Aledel willed her blood not to pool into her cheeks and tucked a strand of hair behind her tapered ear. "You're not supposed to be up here. It is not your shift." She heartlessly scolded despite his higher rank. Although it was not like the Third Lt was even on the bridge to say something about it and no one else had come out of their pods to look.

He smirked, his almond eyes twinkling with mischief. "And you are going to stop me from being here, yes?"

"No." she grunted her eyes meeting his before tearing them away. "If you came to tease me did you at least bring me something good to read?"

"I did not, but I did bring these." He said, producing two crystal bottles of amber liquid. "Honey mead."

With a gasp, Aledel straightened in her chair and looked around wildly. Her alarm must have alerted one of the others, because she received a mental prod, inquiring if all was well. She assured her crewmate that nothing was amiss and severed her mind mostly from the system. "We can get into SO much trouble." She hissed.

"Do you see the captain anywhere?" he asked, those stupid eyes glittering with mischief again.

"No, but the third officer could be here any moment!" she protested, trying not to get shrill.

"Then we had better drink quickly then, yes?" he asked with a grin.

Aledel looked at him forlorn, unable to understand his behavior when Sereklain started to laugh. It became quickly evident this entire meeting had been a joke and he had been trying not to laugh the entire time. Agitated she gave him a shove in the shoulder. "You are such a twit at times. I will meet you after my shift." She huffed.

He shrugged, still smiling. "I am sorry. But you are so quick to assume things I could not resist." He said, touching her hand in apology.

Although it was impossible to remain angry about it, she sniffed slightly. "Alright. I forgive you. Meet me in lounge 4A after my shift if you wake up in time, yes? Now go to sleep and stop distracting me. My job at watching the empty scanners is very important."

He smiled at her and slipped out of the well. "I will see you in a couple of hours." He said with a wink, then vanished from sight.

Lounge 4A was rather thinly decorated and had just a couple of blue and gold chairs, as well as a bench and a table. Sereklain was sitting on the bench, obviously lost in thought when Aledel arrived. "Hey, so where did you get these?" she asked, gesturing at his feet where the two bottles sat.

He looked puzzled by her question. "The galley. Have you not seen them?"

"I have seen them, I guess. But I have never partaken in any expect at gatherings." She said, easing down on the bench beside him.

"Then consider this a mini-gathering." He said, popping open one and taking a drink.

"What are we celebrating?" she asked, picking up the other bottle and running it through her long fingers.

"What else? The fact that there is absolutely nothing out here. I came to this ship thinking that we would make a great discovery but there seems to be no plan but to wander. That makes up hardly better than outcasts."

"Do not say that. I do not think that is the case at all. I am sure that there are maiden worlds undiscovered in this area…." She bit her lip. "…. We are just having a hard time finding them."

"I have no doubt they exist, but we are never going to located them plodding around at sub-light speeds." He said, taking another drink.

"It is better than sitting on the craftworld and praying that the Farseers will pick up on something. Besides, you are a second officer." Aledel said, taking off her uniform jacket and laying it in her lap before picking up her bottle to fiddle with it again. "You could ask why we are traveling at this speed."

Sereklain scowled slightly. "It is not my place to question the captain."

They sat in silence for a moment before Sereklain pointed at her bottle. "Why not open it?"

"I think I shall save it for another time. I'll have a sip of yours if you don't mind." She said lightly.

"Suit yourself, but we are well supplied on it." He handed the bottle over and she took a drink.

"But we could run out at some point. I can save it for such a time. Thank you for thinking of me. That was very kind of you." She said, setting the bottle in her bag.

"Next time I will just bring you a book, yes?" he said with a grin.

"Yes! What else am I supposed to do for eight hours?" she mirrored his grin.

"Watch the radar?" he suggested.

"I watch it mentally quite well, thank you. Nothing has gotten past me yet!"

"Except the foresight to bring a book." He laughed.

"Oh nothing ever happens on third." She said, with an exaggerated sigh.

"Nothing ever happens on second either." He pointed out.

Aledel plucked a fuzz off his sleeve. "Primary crew gets all the fun."

"No, I don't think they do either. I don't think any of us do." He said evenly.

With a smile Aledel stood up and picked up her bag. "I need to go to bed. Mother wants me in the lab again tomorrow. Try not to envy me. Thank you again, Sereklain." She said, kissing him on the forehead.

Color ran into his face and he tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear, sending a wave of desire through her. "Goodnight." He whispered.

=========================
Thank you for reading this far! The pace quickens in the next chapter!

Chapter 2: Rainstealer

Aledel walked onto the bridge earlier than normal, but the Lt barely spared her more attention than a nod. She quietly approached the well and smiled when she caught Sereklain staring longingly at the chronometer. "If you want to leave early I can take over."

Sereklain looked up and over his shoulder at her. "Did your mother get fed up with you already?" he asked with a grin.

"My recording skills are less than desirable by her standards." Aledel sighed. "So I was banished from her sight for the time being."

"I think perhaps that botany is not for you then. Here." He said tossing something at her. "A good book, like I promised."

She smiled and ran her hands over it. "Thank you."

"I expect it back." He said, standing up and stretching.

"Promise." She grinned up at him.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Good."

There was a long pause as if he was waiting for something, but even after she figured it out, she delayed just for another heartbeat of contact.

"I am here to relieve you, Sereklain." She said quietly.

"I am relieved." He said, kissing her hand and hopping out of the well and out of sight.

With a longing sigh Aledel slumped down into the chair and connected with the systems. She slowly made her way through the mental checklist of systems. By the time she was almost done the rest of the third shift arrived in trickles and relieved the rest of the second crew. But no sooner than the last member sat down and completely checked in did the scanners alert her to something.

Although there was no need for words, as they were all mentally linked with one another, they frequently spoke out loud as well as send the messages across the matrix. "I….. think I've got something." She said, trying to focus on it.

"Do not tell me that it is another Khaine damned rock." One of the other men said.

"I cannot tell yet. I am having trouble focusing on it." She said, puzzled.

"Use your mind, not just your hand, Child." He grunted.

"I know how to do my job." She snorted. "I am working on it."

Slowly the blips began to take shape into three small and quick crafts. "Eldar in make." She hollered out of her well.

She could feel the Third Lt shift in his command throne. "What symbols do they bare?" he asked, calmly.

After a few more moments of focusing, she could not make out the exact symbols but it was enough to know one thing. "Corsairs. Headed towards us but not on a collision course."

"Corsairs?" One of the others asked. "What do they want with us?" The Lt hushed him with a gentle wave of his hand.

"Shall I hail them, Lt?" Aledel asked, getting a positive mental nod from the commander in response

With a deep breath to calm the fire of adrenaline in her veins she connected the two ship's comm systems. "Corsair ship, this is the Alaitocii vessel Valainthir , please state your business."

"This is Rainstealer. Halt your engines and prepare to be boarded." Replied a voice that made her blood run cold with fear.

"Please wait while I retrieve the captain." She said evenly, unsure if she was able to keep her anxiety out of her voice. Her mind flew across the matrix of the ship and brushed the alarm in the captain's room. Now all they could do was wait.

Aledel watched the corsairs through the eyes of her ship. The name of their primary ship did not go without notice. Her name, Aledel, was a form of the word 'rain' when it was produced by the natural ecosystem of a planet. The ship before them used the same form of the word 'rain' in its name.

It felt like only heartbeats later that the captain stormed on board. "What is it?" he growled, his platinum hair loose around his shoulders and his uniform only mostly fastened into place.

"Corsairs are threatening to board our ship." The third Lt informed him, sweeping out of the command throne for the captain. "Shall we connect you?"

"Do it!" he snapped perching in is throne, violet eyes shining with determination as the channel reopened and waited for him to speak. "Who is it that threatens to board my ship?" the captain asked calmly despite the anger barely hidden under his features.

"We do, the Rainstealers." The corsair replied coolly.

"We are Maiden Explorers. We have no gold or jewels or anything else of interest to you." The captain said, leaning back into his throne. "Just science and knowledge."

The corsair laughed. "Ah, but it is knowledge that we want."

"We are happy to share knowledge with our kin there is no need for hostile actions-"

"It is not your kin who want it." The corsair cut in.

The captain made a shape gesture and mental slash to cut the link. "All crew: Battle stations!" The message cut into every mind across the ship and the Valainthir became alive with activity in seconds.

Aledel grabbed her bag and put it in her lap, setting up the comms well for two occupants. She could not leave until at least Sereklain or her father arrived.

Almost as soon as the second chair rose into place, her father slid into the well, fastening his dark hair back and out of the way. He grabbed her by her shoulders and met her eyes, his concern for her well-being at the foreground of his mind, yet still he urged. "Go, my child!" He let go and heaved her out of the well. "Go!"

Just as she left the bridge, Sereklain seized her into his arms and embraced her for half a second. "Be safe." He whispered before breaking apart and flying to join her father.

With a deep breath Aledel ran down the halls to join the others who would take up the role of guardians.

It was at times like these that the discipline of the eldar crew shown. With little direction once the alarms rang the crew moved seamlessly from one station to another securing what needed securing and going to various stations to defend the ship. Despite the amount of traffic and speed at which the eldar moved, not one person ran into another.

Aledel slid into the armory and up to her locker. The wraithbone recognized that the owner was beside it and opened as she tore off her uniform down to her skin and pulled out the body suit that sat below the blue and gold armor. She tugged it on with haste and waited impatiently as the suit shifted to fit her small form. Perhaps it was due to growing up on ship rations, or maybe it just destined to be , but the child of the Valainthir was about a head, something two shorter than the others around her. No one ever made comment of it, but she figured she would not grow much more and would just remain a smaller eldar even into her full adulthood. Because of this her armor always took a few extra moments to adjust to her figure.

Once all of the body pieces were on, Aledel picked up the helm and stared into the dark eyes. With a deep breath she lifted it over her head and resisted the panic of the final tightening and the semi-sentient armor attuning to her mind and body. Finally the helm's air started to flow and she was able to breathe again. She had heard rumor that the armor of the aspect warriors was even more sentient and felt like flesh to them, but the thought of such a thing made her shudder.

Within moments she was at the door fully armed and armored, waiting for the guardian commander to direct her to the proper area. "You two!" he said, pointing to her and another. "Aft cargo guard!"

With a nod, the crewman ran ahead with Aledel right on his heels. "You two! Go guard the toilet paper." She grumbled, not happy about being sent to guard the most basic supplies. At least they would be mostly safe. Now that she thought about it, she had never been in life or death combat before.

Apparently her companion overheard and turned, even behind his helm she knew he was casting her a questioning glance. Aledel shook her head. "Nothing, I am muttering."

It took them a short while to reach the aft cargo hold where the other crewman checked the lock then took up a sentry position on one side of the door. Aledel mirrored him on the other and waited.

After several minutes her mind started to wander. She was vividly imaging her father and Sereklain sitting beside each other calling out status updates and assisting the targeting teams. Despite the obvious danger of the situation, she could help but wonder what the glory of being on the bridge in the middle of combat felt like. A sad thought struck her; the corsairs were Eldar just like them and their race was dying. Why were they shedding each other's blood? It was sickening to think about.

In the back of her mind she felt the ship weapons about to fire, but had completely forgotten how much it made the ship shutter. Suddenly the ship bucked as something stuck them and Aledel was forced to rapidly adjust her footing not to fall. Trying to play it off as normal and not as a lack of attention, she straightened and re-shouldered her weapon.

"You should be back on the craftworld." The crewman snorted. "Following the Path of the Dreamer."

"Everyone stumbles on occasion." She said evenly, trying not to take the insult too personally.

"I bet you are the only one not engaged in active combat that stumbled." He said, looking over at her.

Aledel bit her tongue, trying to think past her aggravation to come up with a witty retort, but by the time anything came to mind, it was too late to respond and still save face. The ship bucked again, more violently this time and caused the entire ship to rock.

Gripping her gun more tightly, she looked over at the crewman. "What do you think that was?" she asked, looking around.

"If I knew. I would tell you." He said shortly.

"Is there a particular reason why you are being over curt with me?" she asked with a scowl.

"You mean other than the fact that you are daydreaming while in the middle of a battle? That could get us killed." He grunted.

"You assume I was daydreaming." She snorted.

He stared at her for a long moment before she turned away with another snort. "I refuse to argue about it. We need to focus on the matter at hand." She said curtly.

Before he could respond, the sound of combat echoed down the halls with cries of pain and the hiss of firearms. Aledel couldn't tell exactly how close it was and put a foot forward to go peek around the corner up ahead.

"Do not even think about." He said hissed, but she could hear in is tone that he was as nervous as she.

"Says you." She snapped. "You look like you are about to run into the cargo room for cover."

"There is a difference between feeling fear and acting on it." He said, with surprisingly soft despite the rest of their exchange.

With a deep breath Aledel glanced over at him. "I apologize. I spoke out of spite."

"You need to get better hold of your emotions and mind. Do so quickly." He said calmly.

The fighting continued for a long while both in and out of the ship. At one point it sounded like the fighting was coming straight for them, but then moved away once more.

"I am going to go see how close it is." She said and started moving up the hall. The crewman protested but she crept up to the corner none the less and poked her nose around it. The hall had several shurikens in the wall and drops of blood scattered about, but no life was visible.

With a shrug she turned at signaled that it was all clear as he was furiously motioning for her to come back. As she re-took up her position she was confident that the worst had past and the rest would be a waiting game.

The next buck of the ship was even harder than the last. Both of them had to take a step to prevent from stumbling. Before she could even ask, her com jewel started flashing. "Aft cargo guard." She answered.

Her father's voice answered, firm and commanding. "They are in the cargo hold! Get in there and rout them out!"

"Yes, Father… Sir!" she stammered and turned to the other who not only rolled his eyes at her slip of the tongue but also gestured for her to open the door.

She punched the jewel and the iris door whirled open and they dove into the darkness.

Slowly she crept in, leading the other crewman into the dark cargo hold and listening closely to his footsteps. Her heart was pounding so hard that her chest piece was twitching in response. As she focused for a second to calm herself she realized that the crewman's footsteps had stopped. With the night vision of her helm reacting to her looking wildly around she did not see him.

Carefully she reached her mind out through the room. There were sixteen other minds in the large room, her companion was next to the lights and turned them on. Slowly the lights flicked on, reveling the enormous labyrinth of large crates and containers. "See anything?" he asked over the com-jewel.

"Fifteen in the room." She whispered planting her back against a crate.

"I'll call for backup." He said, switching to call the bridge.

Although Aledel could feel him not far from her, she felt oddly alone against the invaders. She readied her gun and slowly peeked around her hiding spot to spy on the enemy. There were two corsairs creeping towards them and hauling some sort of carbine weapon and sweeping left to right.

"I have got two over here." She whispered she hands shaking as she checked her gun once more.

"Then take them out."

Hands shaking she leveled her gun and stepped around the corner. Her weapon spat a volley of shurikens before making a horrible whining sound before clicking a few times and stopped working all together. One of the corsairs was grabbing his shoulder, obviously hit and trying to stop the bleeding. Aledel managed to duck back behind the crate just in time for their weapons to fly past and impact the crate behind her. The sound different from shurikens, but she was not able to guess exactly what they were.

"My gun is broken." She hissed into the jewel and drew her knife, unable to run without getting filled with holes. She waited for them to come around the corner and she waited for her companion to answer.

There were more shots from further down the rows. There was silence from both her jewel as well as the rest of the room. The lack of sound was so thick she could have choked on it. Heartbeats past and the shooting started to pound into her crate again.

Handing shaking so hard that she could barely activate the jewel on her helm, she tightened her grip on her knife and sent another transmission. "B-bridge. This is aft cargo…. There are fifteen invaders in here. My crewmate is not responding…." She swallowed, wondering if her voice was filling the entire bridge or just her father's well. "…. And my gun is broken." She swallowed the lump in her throat and resisted the urge to say good-bye. "Some back up would be appreciated."

The shoots paused and her father's voice filled her ears. "…is on its way. Sta—"

At that moment someone grabbed her by the collar and pinned her back against the crate by her shoulder, tearing off her helm with so much force that it pulled one of her earrings from her ear, leaving the rest of the message unheard.

As she instinctively reached to assess the damage of her burning ear, a hand closed around her throat. As her vision refocused, two corsairs came into view. One was holding her by the shoulder, the other by her throat. She gagged at the pressure on her throat.

"Well, look what we have here." The one at her throat said softly. His face was smooth and young with a wild look that twinkled a little too much at her pain.

"Who are you, little girl?" He said, looking her up and down. "You've obviously never been in combat, I'm not even holding you that tightly and you are acting like you are dying." He laughed.

"A guardian. What else?" she sneered grabbing is wrist in her free hand. The other tightened its grip around her knife and held it as inconspicuously as possible. At the moment, it was best to leave it as back up.

He bared his teeth and tightened his grip. "Your name, Child." He snarled in her face.

"A-Aledel." She grunted.

"How long have you been on this ship."

"Almost my whole life." She answered after a pause.

"Good." He said with a smile. "Then you know the way to the bridge."

Her eyebrows knitted, the urge to protect almost flaring over logic. She shook her head as best she could. "N-no."

He laughed. "Oh yes, once we take out the bridge the rest will be a breeze."

She howled in rage and drove the knife into her captors belly. He grunted and took several steps back. After the half moment it took for everyone to realize what happened someone twisted her wrist until she dropped the knife and slammed her face first into the crate and pulled her sword and pistol off. They spoke back and forth in a dialect of the eldar tongue that was beyond her understanding.

"Let me go!" she demanded, trying to get free. If there was one bonus of being as small as she was, it was that she was tricky to hold on to.

"Why should we?" The one who had her laughed.

At least he laughed until she slipped free from his pin and threw a punch at his face. He slid out of the way like a breath of wind and grabbed her wrist which she twisted out of like water and dove for her knife.

The corsair with a knife in his belly snarled a curse and shot a single shot at her. It buried itself deep into her thigh. She howled in pain and landed on the floor. Her fingers around her knife and slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, almost getting sick at the sight of the long shard sticking out of her flesh. Her armor tried to tighten around it to slow the bleeding. She gasped, trying to breathe through the agony, eyes locking in sheer hate on the leader who had shot her.

"Throw it away." Ordered the second corsair who was now also point his gun at her.

Nothing but sheer hate and stupidly motivated how Aledel obeyed the order. The knife flew from her fingers. The leader tried to dodge but only managed to maneuver into a position where the knife cut right through a part of his side with nothing but a body glove. A cry of pain escaped him and he dropped his gun. Aledel's lucky victory was brutally short lived as the uninjured turned his gun and struck her across the temple.

With a grunt that did not quite match the force by which she was stuck, Aledel collapsed into a heap on the ground. Her vision swam and she was barely able to stay conscience much less keep fighting. As she blinked to concentrate on the world around her she saw two more corsairs stomp up, dragging the other crewman behind her. She watched as the jewel in her helm flashed repeatedly with incoming messages.

"Fetch the commander." One of them barked and she watched one of them turn and stomp away. Aledel shut her eyes for just a moment, having trouble remembering exactly how she ended up on the floor. She didn't fight as all of her senses shut down and her mind retreated away from the world of the conscious and dipping her into darkness.

===========================
Thank you so much for reading this far! I might post some more later! Comments and feedback are not only welcome but adored!

Only had time to read the first chapter, bu It was very well done. Will look forwards to more, this was a seldom seen take on Eldar

Thank you so much! I do enjoy hearing feedback, it is encouragement in the highest form. I think I shall post more soon!

Very nice , hope you put more up soon!

(I guess I shouldn't leave you hanging!)

Chapter 3: Just an Opportunist

Someone's hand slapped down over Aledel's forehead, slamming her back into consciousness. She groaned as the touch send waves of hot, wet, pain shooting through her head. When she tried to pull away the touch turned into a grip. She gasped in pain and protest as cold tendrils of psychic cut into the heat of her mind.

She tried to mutter something in protest but her voice never managed to form words as the invader grabbed at recent memories. As she tried to process what had happened she found herself remembering the first thing she was sure of…

Rainstealer wanting to board. Her father sliding down into the well, urging her to go despite his concern for her safety. Running out of the bridge and coming across Sereklain. His fear at the situation but desire to do his duty. Running down the halls to the armory. Getting in her gear. Being sent with another to guard the cargo bay. The attack. The fear. Their desire to harm her father and Sereklain. Her brash moves to get free….

She could feel the intruder mentally map out the way to the bridge and a feeling of satisfaction. As he started to withdraw she decided that she could probably just lay here until her mother came to find her.

Her mother. The invader grabbed onto the thought like striking prey. Aledel tried to resist, to pull it back but he mercilessly dragged an image of her mother to the forefront of her mind.

Graceful, beautiful, intelligent. Her eyes and hair changed day by day depending on her mood, but they were always sad. Especially when they looked upon her daughter. Where they sad because she was disappointed in her daughter's lack of interest in the sciences? Was she shamed that they had not raised someone with better discipline? Or perhaps she was just sad that they had not discovered a Maiden World.

She could feel his smile and satisfaction that he had also discovered one of the scientists. With glee he clawed for a route to the lab. Aledel's fear flared followed quickly by anger. With every ounce of her will she kicked back at the man's mind, shoving him out just enough to realize that he was the commander of the corsairs.

She found strength growing back to her. "No." she managed to get out. The word was quiet but filled with venom.

The moment of rest was barely two heartbeats before the commander seized her head again, gripping tighter than ever but having trouble holding on to her blood slick head. She tried to turn away but he decided to grab her throat for extra traction. "Let go!" she croaked, it was almost… almost a plea.

The same low, cold voice that had answered the original hail replied to her. "Stop struggling and it won't hurt so much." He threatened. Aledel felt something under her scalp shift under his grip. It was a sickening feeling, almost enough to make her vomit if she wasn't so desperate to escape.

"What do you WANT!" she yelped, trying with her whole body to squirm away as life returned to her limbs. By Isha's tears her leg hurt! The shard in her leg had almost been forgotten.

"It does not concern you, Child." He growled and rammed through her weakening attempts to keep him out. Aledel cried out in shock and pain while struggling relentlessly as he dragged the route of her mind.

Finally he let go, standing up with a grin of victory. "Thank you, Aledel…." He said, his voice as slick as oil. "…for your co-operation. I must say, I am rather fond of your name."

"You are a pig…." She whispered, trying to roll over but felt too heavy. "… for turning your blade on your own people like this."

"Pig?" He smirked. "No, just an opportunist." As he past his subordinates he ordered. "Tie her up with the other!"

Rough hands dragged her away on her knees and dumped her on her face once again and tied her hands behind her back before leaving the cargo hold unceremoniously.

Aledel was not sure hold long it took for her to focus her eyes and mind enough to completely take in and remember her situation. A stray thought wondered how back her head was if it was so difficult just to see straight. Her eyes feel on the other crewman who was slumped beside her against the grate with his hands tied in front of him. His ash blonde hair was almost stained black with blood.

Fear and anger gripped her again as she thought of the corsairs heading to her mother. Khaine, she had to get out of this mess. She had nothing to cut the robes with and would try to squirm her way to the door if the pain of the shard moving in her leg did make her dizzy every time she move it.

The shard…

The world suddenly focused into a point. The shard was her ticket out of this mess, if she could get it from her leg to her hands she could cut herself free, yes? Curling up into a ball she grabbed the shard with her teeth. Fighting the urge to vomit she tried to wiggle it free but her bodyglove had sealing too tightly around it. She stopped with a scowl, disgusted with herself for acting like an animal when she was a child of Isha. There were more options, she would just have to think of them.

The pain in her leg was actually helping her keep focus. After a couple of moments looking around she located the knife. Slowly, inch by inch she heaved herself to her feet and stumbled over to the knife. Plopping down beside it, she started to cut herself free, allowing herself to shudder as she realized it was still wet with blood.

The knife was sharp and the rope was flimsy, soon she was free and she crawled her way over to her helm. Yanking the com jewel free she slowly stood up and headed for the door. "Bridge." She called but only silence answered. "Father?" she asked, willing to take whatever punishment for the breech of etiquette later.

She almost made it to the door when her stomach finally stopped trying to keep hold of its contents. It took her a few moments to recover before she swallowed the rest of the acid down she whipped her mouth. This was when she became aware that an odd clear fluid was dripping slowly from her nose. Not completely sure what it was she did not spare the time think on it and moved into the corridor.

Just as she was about to turn off towards the bridge, a screaming from the path to the lab reached her ears. "Bridge! They are in the lab!" she cried over the jewel and started pushing herself along the hall. "I'm going to that location!" she insisted. Their lack of responses made her blood run cold with fear, but talking to them was better than admitting that she was alone.

At the next corridor a large Eldar turned the corner at first not looking at her. He would have towered even over the captain and his clothing looked more like a performer than an officer or corsair with the stripes and other patterns. On his arms were two sharp, pointed tubes that almost brought a sense of recognition to her fuzzy mind but just looking at him made her head spin, and for some reason her heart heavy. When he turned to face her, a mirrored mask reflected her sorry image. In the corner of the mask was a small but definite ace of spades.

Awesome , though I always thought Corsairs helped Eldar rather than raid them, but then again, Eldar are pretty fickle I suppose.

*Waits for update*

MOST do but there are always slimy people in every race.

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Chapter 4: Arebennian

The young eldar froze, consumed by raw, unconquerable fear. Arebennian… the Solitaire. Doomed to wander alone across the galaxy without a soul, choosing those who could become Harlequins while maintaining the dancers' tradition of assisting the survival of the Eldar race as a whole. It was said that those who heard Arebennian speak were doomed to a pitiful death. As she watched him, every ounce of joy that might have been left in her intended skull was drained from her.

"Arebennian…" She started to tremble, for a moment forgetting the screams of her mother and fighting the urge to run. Aledel could feel his eyes on her. The silence was so full of expectation that nothing dared to penetrate it put a drop of blood falling from her chin to the cold deck at their feet.

After a long moment, the Solitaire slowly raised a finger to where his lips were behind his mask. Even such a simple gesture was filled with more grace than she had ever witnessed. With a single crook of his finger, he beckoned her to follow before moving down the hall towards the lab with the calm, power and serenity of an ancient river.

Unsure of why her feet were obeying when her mind was in such turmoil, the young one crept after him, keeping back several paces. Their progress was slow and she used the wall for much support. She wondered why he was moving without any urgency, surely he was not keeping pace with her. In fact, she wondered why he was here in the first place. Not once did he glance over his shoulder to see if she was still following, but her heavy steps and breaths was probably all he needed.

Another cry came from the lab, without a doubt it was her mother's voice, but it did nothing to increase the Solitaire's pace. By instinct Aledel dashed forward by two clumsy steps before the Solitaire's mask turned on her. She froze and looked away like a child in trouble, for some reason shame filled her cheeks.

Without a word he moved forward again until they reached the iris door of the lab, he reached for the activation jewel then paused and gestured for her to go ahead of him. Bewildered but not daring to argue she stepped in front of him and took a deep breath. She gripped her knife in her fist and glanced once more at Arebennian. He nodded and hit the jewel.

"Moma?" she asked as the door whirled open before her.

Allena Silverwing was on her knees. The commander of the corsairs had her by the hair and a knife to her throat. In her mother's eyes was a rage that she had never seen before as the scientist snarled curses at the others who were tearing the lab apart. At the sound of the door opening, or perhaps she felt the presence of her child through her rage, Allena turned, eyes wide in horror and yelled. "Run, Child!"

The young eldar did not hear her words. The sight of her mother in such a disgraceful position lit a fire of Khaine in her and she threw herself into the room with a shriek, caring nothing for her injuries or well-being. In a blind frenzy she charged at the commander with every intention of making sure his life would end.

The commander was forced to throw Allena away to successfully dodge the frenzied child's wild swing. "I thought I dealt with you in the hold!" he snarled.

This gave the scientist the half second she needed to pulled her child down and restrain her. Before the commander could strike back at the glaring scientist he froze and his eyes raised just over his shoulder. He froze, and this caused the others to pause and glance over to the door. In turn each one of their faces turned to masks of horror.

Aledel by instinct stopped fighting as her mother encased her in a maternal blanket of safety. Gasping to calm down the scent of cut plants and fresh soil filled her senses and slowly calmed her from her frenzy, though anger still pounded like fire through her veins.

The Solitaire looked upon each of the corsairs one by one before turning his mask on the commander and beckoned him forwards with a single finger. The smell of urine filled the air as the commander started to take slow steps towards the Solitaire, knowing his death was heartbeats away. The moment he was within arm's reach, the doomed one reached out and grabbed the commander by the collar and yanked him close. Sounds of whispers filled the room.

Watching with grim curiosity behind the shield of her mother's arms, Aledel tried to find some sort of pity for the man, but found very little of it. Fingers searching, she found her mother's hand and squeezed it. This only made Allena's embrace tighter and gently rubbed her face in her child's blood slick hair.

The Solitaire dropped the commander into a whimpering ball of tears and urine. He looked at the two women on the ground. Aledel found just enough courage behind her mother's shield to mouth 'Thank you' to him. He bowed slightly and disappeared out of sight. The second he was gone the others dropped their weapons and scampered out of the room like fleeing cats, leaping heartlessly over the commander.

There was silence for a long moment in the lab before Aledel wiggled out of her mother's arms. "We need to go make sure Popa is alright." Standing up was easier than before, but her veins were still hot with anger.

She limped over to the commander and grabbed his pistol. "Get up." She snarled. "Don't be so pathetic, if you pull yourself together and get your men out now I am sure our ship will show mercy, unlike you." Her voice was low and full of venom. If her leg moved right she would have kicked him.

"Come on, Mother." Aledel said, holding the pistol out for her.

"Aledel, you are too driven by emotion right now." Her mother said softly, getting to her feet. "Do not fall to Khaine's curse."

"He raped my mind to find you and Father, then put a knife to your throat." She said coldly, leaning against the wall of the door and folding her arms in front of her chest. Her soulstone was hot with warning against her chest and she rubbed it gingerly.

"Aledel." Her mother said once more. "You need to calm yourself and rebalance your mind. The doomed one AND the great enemy exist because of our emotions."

The young eldar locked her jaw which threatened to quiver and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I know. I am trying. I will meditate a whole day after this but… let us make sure the rest of the ship is alright! I know the others were headed to the bridge to take it over!" she urged.

"The bridge will be fine, Raindrop." Her mother said gently. "For now we need to get this one to the brig."

"We?" Aledel asked, looking pointedly at her leg.

"I will carry him but you are not leaving my sight." Allena said stepping forward and taking the pistol and putting it in her coat pocket.

"But…" she started to protest.

"Aledel!" her mother said with a raised voice. "You have been beaten until you can barely stand AND you frenzied! Do you really think for a second that as your mother that I am letting you out of sight?"

As her mother lifted to commander into a standing position and started walking him to the brig, which thankfully was not too far away. Aledel pressed the com jewel. "Bridge, lab is secure. I see no casualties in here. We have the commander and are taking him to the brig."

They moved in otherwise silence before depositing the man in a cell. He crawled under the bench and started sobbing uncontrollably. As the two women moved into a guard station Aledel immediately slid down onto the bench with no small help from her mother. She gulped for air, breathing heavily. "The bridge still has not answered…" she muttered.

"They are probably co-ordaining the rest of the ship." Mother replied, grabbing Aledel's chin and moving it up some to get a better look at it.

There was a small split in the skin, but in just the right light there was a small indent. "But what if they are trying to defend the bridge?" she asked softly, her eyes shining with barely held tears.

"The bridge is one of the safest places on the ship. Far more secure than the lab or even the cargo bay." Her mother comforted and started looking around for the med-kit.

Aledel looked down at her thigh and rubbed above it, the tightness of the bodyglove was uncomfortable. "I have never been shot before…" she said quietly.

Allena pulled out a med-kit from a storage crate and sat down beside her daughter. "I doubt it will be your last." She said sadly.

The young one looked her mother over up and down as she looked through the contents of the kit. "Are you hurt, Moma?" she whispered.

"I'm a little roughed up, but I am fine." Mother pulled out a silk cloth and a bandage.

"Promise?"

"I promise, now hold still, Child." She said putting the cloth against her head.

"Ow… you do not have to do this." Aledel grumbled. "The healers can."

"I'm just stopping the bleeding. You can go to the medbay afterwards but I want you to look presentable." Her mother assured.

"Presentable?" Aledel asked in wonder. "To go to the medbay?"

Mother smiled at the small joke. "I can get you feeling well enough to walk there. Unless you'd rather keep walking around with blood in your eyes."

As her mother fussed with her head, Aledel let her mind wander to a whole new set of daydreams. Some of them she did not doubt would become nightmares. Eerie as it was, the Solitaire had saved them. Why?

The prickle of the medicine in the cloth brought her back to the room. Looking her mother over, she noted her messed hair, bruises and torn sleeve, but seemed mostly intact. She winced slightly as her mother started wrapping her head. She would have pulled back if she wasn't sure her mother would smack her for squirming.

"What will happen to the commander, Moma?" she asked.

"Only time will tell. The curse is slightly different for each, but rumor has it that we will have the same fate as the doomed one."

"Really?" Aledel asked, wide eyed.

Mother simply nodded slowly and tied off the bandage.

"Alright." Aledel said, starting to stand up. "Where to next?"

"Ah!" her mother barked. "Sit! I am not through with you yet."

With a sigh, the young one sat back down onto the bench. "Lecture or leg?" she groaned.

"Leg. But fear not, a lecture will come later unless you want it now." Mother grunted.

"I am alright without it for now or forever if you please." Aledel said, ignoring the dirty look the cheek got her.

"I could pull it out here. If it had been a major vein you would have likely bled to death even without your armor." She observed. "But to be safe I will just wrap it." She muttered and started doing just that.

Aledel winced and made sure the com jewel was well within her ear before leaning her head back against the bulkhead. Things started to dull again and before long she realized she was cradled in her mother's arms and they were moving through the halls. In her ear during brief moments of clarity she heard reports that the corsairs were fleeing and the ship was secure.

The solitaire was wonderfully written, you don't if he's going to save you one moment or curse you the next. My only (small) complaint is that they behave a little too human at times, showing too much emotion for an eldar. Though I suppose that's alright for Aledel since she's younger and more immature.

Thank you for the feed back! This is something that has been brought to my attention before and have been working on. Mother is famously emotional, her whole family line is. (This will come up more later). Aledel is indeed just a stroppy teenager (who has her mother's blood). Hopefully they foil the others who are more upstanding eldar models. Please let me know if this chapter is an improvement.

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Chapter 5: Recovery

Consciousness slowly crept back into Aledel's limbs bringing warmth back to her mind and body. In a sudden moment of clarity, her eyes snapped open and she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her fingers found her head and started to explore her scalp. She found a line of harder skin, but it was no longer tender. Throwing back the sheets she looked over her leg which was completely healed over expect a small scar.

"I have scars…." She whispered in awe before making sure her light robe covered her and pushing to her feet. "And I am alive."

She did not wander far before a pair of hands seized her shoulders. "Where do you think you are going, young lady?" her mother said, turning her around. Despite her firm words, she was looking Aledel over very carefully.

"Moma." Aledel said grabbing her mother's arm. "I am glad you are alright. I was not sure if you were just trying to be brave for me or not."

"I am fine. You, however, were not. Back into bed, I insist on the staff checking you out." Her mother said, betraying nothing of a response to her daughter's last statement.

"I am fine too, I am healed." Aledel responded, pulling her leg out of the robe and showing the scientist.

Her mother scowled at the display of flesh and ushered her back to bed before summoning one of the staff. The med officer walked in moments later nodding to each of them. "I see you are awake, Aledel, and I see you finally got some sleep, Allena."

Neither of the women responded and he started looking both of the injury sites over. "I am not surprised that these scarred, Child, this was quite a traumatic experience. Isha's gift can heal our bodies only as far as our minds will allow it. As you recover from the trauma of the event these scars will fade. Overall you too this very well." His eye cast up to the scientist. "You too Allena."

Allena smiled slightly. "Thank you."

He nodded and motioned for them to leave. "Be safe you two, and stay out of my office."

Aledel thanked him and dove for the door. Allena was right behind her, sighing. "This isn't a prison, Aledel."

"It is when I try to leave and get thrown back in." the young on protested.

"Oh do not be melodramatic. You were just getting looked over before you were released. Now let us get back to the apartment so we can get you into something more decent." Allena sighed.

Aledel looked her mother over for a long moment before tearing off down the hall. Her feet pounded into the floor, trying to make up for every step that she couldn't run when she had needed to the most. Even as she ran, paranoia licked at her and her daemons felt like they were around every corner. As the fear grew she only ran faster, her leg aching from the sudden abuse but refusing to stop until she slammed through the apartment door and into her small living room.

She stood in the middle of the floor, leaning over on her knees and panting for breath. As she looked around the room, she noticed her father staring at her over a bowl of food with a raised eyebrow. "Oh…." She said, straighten and trying to act like nothing unusual happened. "… hello, Father."

He looked her up and down. "You ran?"

She rolled her shoulders and shrugged. "I wanted to make sure my leg was alright."

"Right." He said slowly, obviously seeing through her fib. He jerked his head towards her room. "Now go change before you embarrass yourself, or worse, your mother."

Aledel snorted. "I am feeling much better, Father. Thank you for asking."

Eleleri's eyes twinkled with humor. "I figured since you ran that you were feeling well. Now go change."

Aledel ducked into her room, showered and returned later in her casual uniform. She moved up behind her father and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on the head. "I am glad you are alright as well, Popa. I was scared when you did not answer my messages."

"Your helmet and com had been damaged. We were able to hear you, but you were not hearing us." Eleleri explained.

She signed and mumbled into his ear. "I am not surprised. The motherless heathens ripped it off me without releasing the pressure."

Her father reached up and patted her hand before motioning to the chair beside him. "Sit down, my daughter." He said solemnly.

She kissed the top of his head before sliding into the chair next to him and leaning on his shoulder. "You've got your serious voice on..."

There was a pregnant pause before he spoke again. "Your mother told me who you entered the lab with."

She took a moment to think and then shuddered. "Oh right..."

Eleleri paused again. "How did that come to be?"

She took a deep breath. "We came across each other in the hallway as I was on my way to the lab. He beckoned me to follow and I wasn't going to argue."

"Did you see where he came from, give any clues why he was here?" he asked, something odd in his normally stoic tone.

"Yes, he told me everything." Aledel replied dryly, disliking the interrogation.

A rare frown deepened her father's features. "This is not something to joke about, Aledel."

She sighed, sat up and folded her hands on the table. "He just came out of one of the side halls. I can't even remember which one. He had me follow him to the lab then wanted me to step inside first."

Eleleri motioned for her to continue.

Skipping the part where she had frenzied out of embarrassment, she continued. "So then he came in and beckoned the commander to him and..." she swallowed and tapped her fingers on the table.

"… and he spoke to him." Eleleri finished for her calmly.

Aledel paused for a long moment. "Is he still down there?"

He looked her over for a moment then cast his eye down to the bowl of food before him and shook his head.

"Tell me what happened." she urged, suddenly taking on an intensity that would have given her mother a run for her money.

"It is not pleasant…." He said quietly.

"Tell me!" she insisted.

"He hung himself with his clothing." He said slowly.

She nodded slowly. "For a second I thought you were going to say something more gruesome... but still..." Aledel touched her head, twisting a strand of hair in her fingers. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About a week." He said, looking her over carefully and eyes pausing on her head.

She froze for half a second as his statement sunk in. "Really?"

He nodded. "Not only were you fairly injured, it was also your first time needing Isha's gift for a wound. No one is surprised that it look you a little while to heal."

Aledel nodded. "So what did the healer mean when he told Moma that she 'handled it well'? Was she more injured than she let on?"

"All mothers fret when their children are injured." He replied simply.

"Ah, I guess I thought there was more to it." she said standing up. "I'm famished."

"There is some food in the cabinet. But be swift, I am sure your mother will be here soon and will want to… mother you."

As Aledel started pulling down a dish, her father spoke again. "In fact here she is with…" he paused.

The door opened and her mother stepped in, followed immediately by the captain. Aledel and Eleleri both stopped what they were doing and stood at attention.

"Aledel." Her mother said, motioning to the leader of the ship. "The captain wishes to speak with you alone. Your father and I will go and take care of a couple of things in the meantime."

Aledel nodded as her father walked past, giving her arm a reassuring brush. With that she was alone with the captain. He motioned for her to sit down. "Please."

There was a couch and a love seat that were not too far from the small dining table. "You are my guest, Sir." she said, trying to stand straight. "Please have a seat where ever you would like. Is there anything that I can offer you to drink or eat?" The young one nodded respectfully, slightly nervous around the captain who she had very little contact with.

"Unfortunately I am not here as a guest, Silverwing. Please have a seat." He said firmly and motioned to a chair again.

Blood turning cold with fear she nodded and perched on the edge of the love seat, folding her hands in her lap. "Am I in trouble, Sir?" she asked, finally finding the nerve to raise her eyes to his face.

His features were sharp even for an eldar and he stood half a head higher than all of the others. A smile spread across his thin lips. "If you were, you would be in the brig already, I can assure you."

The smile did not escape her notice and she relaxed some. "Then what do I owe this honor? You always come for Father or Mother, but not me."

"This is true, and I have already spoken to your mother about it, but I wanted to discuss your encounter with the Solitaire." The captain said, standing tall.

Aledel nodded.

For the next hour the captain asked her question after question in a similar but much more formal manner than her father. He squeezed her memory for every little detail about the incident. Eventually, the questioning drew to a close.

"Do you know what the Solitaire and the Harlequins do, Aledel?" the captain asked.

"They protect the eldar race as a whole and manipulate us for overall survival. And they perform pieces of our history." She answered, almost from a text book.

The captain's violet eyes rested on her forehead. "With that in mind, do you have any theories on why he was here?"

"I have not been awake for very long to give it great thought, I figured that it must have something to do with this ship. Perhaps this ship's survival will be important in the future." She guessed.

The captain nodded. "It is all theory and speculation at this point. None of us will ever know but the dancer himself."

"The action saved Mother." She guessed again. "Maybe she was the important factor."

"Or perhaps you are." He said frankly.

Her lips parted slightly to speak but was quiet for a moment. "I... I do not know. We were moving to rescue mother so..."

"You were headed to the lab either way, yes?"

She stood up, suddenly filled with an odd feeling of foreboding. "I was… because I didn't think anyone else was. Mother was screaming. Where else was I to go?"The question was rhetorical.

Captain motioned for her to sit back down. "If Arebennian had not been with you, the Corsairs would have likely killed you for being a nuisance."

She sat back down and slowly looked up at him. "I guess you are right."

"Like I said, though, we will never know the answer. It is not something you need to worry about. It may have been as simple as stopping eldar from fighting one another." He said simply.

Aledel frowned. "I think we would see a lot less violence between factions if that was the case. I still can't believe that it happened. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I truly do not understand why it all happened in the first place."

"Neither do I, the commander killed himself before I could interrogate him." The Captain snorted.

"I just..." she took a deep breath and swallowed, trying not to show weakness. "I know a piece of me died the other night. I feel so much older in such a short time." Aledel rubbed her leg, feeling the knit of the scar tissue.

"Because we were boarded or because you saw the Doomed One?"

Her lips parted and she actually had to think about it. "Just the cruelty of the entire thing... I was so naive. I never imagined our kin turning on another like that."

The captain nodded sadly. "It is, unfortunately, the way of things now and there is little we can do to avoid it."

"It is like I've gotten a taste of the world outside this little paradise of a ship, my home since I was an infant. I know how foolish this sounds but... is there anything I should know? Anything else I should know if one day I leave this path for another?"

The captain paused. "The world is a much crueler place than you can imagine. What happened last week was just a small taste of it. Meditate and recover, Aledel. We will see you on duty again in two days. Thank you for your time."

Loving it ! This is shaping up to be very interesting, keep it up!

Thanks so much!! Honestly.
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PART: II
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Chapter 6: Discovery


Quiet settled over the ship in the weeks after pirate attack. Although life was not different than before, a certain calm had blanketed the crew. The soul stones and bodies of the departed were gently stored in suspension until they could be returned to the craftworld and the injured were healed and returned to duty.

Other than her various duties Aledel had been busying herself with her drawings and visits with Sereklain. Slowly the fear of the attack became just painful memories and were not invading her thoughts every moment. That had been replaced with the handsome young eldar who had taken a deep interest in her company. They would talk late into cycles about life, joy and the future.

It was on such a night that the general alarm went off. It was a proximity bell that indicated when they were approaching a large structure. The two young eldar paused in their giggles to listen.

"You don't think…." Sereklain began.
"It would explain why father has been in a particular good mood lately. If he knew we were approaching one." Aledel said quickly sizing his hand and pulling him out into the hall.

The two of them tore off through the veins on the ship until they burst onto the bridge. Sereklain dropped her hand and slid off towards the com well.

The bridge was absolutely silent, and all eyes were locked on the main view screen which was filled by a large blue and green sphere dotted with sweeping patches of white.

"Is it….." Aledel whispered, unable to form the word.

A gentle pair of hands fell on her shoulders and gave them a comforting squeeze and filled her mind with pride and comfort. "Yes, My Daughter, it is a Maiden World."

Eyes hot with pride and accomplishment, Aledel let a tear slip onto her cheek. "Praise Isha…"

Allena wrapped her arms around her daughter, her own face speckled with tears. "We found one."

Aledel grinned up at her mother. "You are going to have a lot of plants to look at."

A laugh was the scientist's first response. "Indeed I am, child."

"Captain?" Aledel asked, unable to contain her excitement. "When do we go down?"

The captain turned in his throne and looked at the women, his features soft with greatly contained joy. "A day or so. We must make sure it is safe first."

Aledel slipped from her mother's grasp and slid down into the comm's well, feeling that her mother was not far behind. "Popa? Did your scanning find this?"

Eleleri looked over at her with a soft smile. "I believe so, Child. I have been tracking it for a few days now. I did not say anything just in case it was not what we hoped for."

Aledel kissed the side of his head. "I'm proud of you." her eyes raised over her father's dark head and looked at Sereklain who occupied the secondary com seat. Sereklain must have felt her eyes on him, because he looked up at her and smiled, treating her to a wink before going back to work.

The young eldar was forced to allow herself a less than pure thought about him until someone grabbed her by the elbow and hauled her out of the well. "Be careful, Raindrop." Her mother scolded quietly with a smirk. "I think the whole bridge felt that."

One long day and a half past Aledel was notified that they would be going down to the planet the next morning and that she was to accompany her mother. Aledel had busied herself with her shift and sketches but was still absolutely restless. Her daydreams and sketches were filled with what she imaged the planet would be like and knew that absolutely none of them would be even close.

Bored out of her mind, she glanced at her chron and noted that Sereklain would be finishing his shift any second. They were on a different schedule now that the planet had been discovered but she was almost certain she was correct about the time. With a touch to the wall of the ship, she sent a message down the matrix that requested him to meet her in the mess hall.

In the mess hall she piled food on her plate, realizing that she had most likely forgotten to eat in the past day with all of the excitement. No sooner than she sat down at a table did Sereklain walk in and grab a tray of his own and join her.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked a little to formally with a grin.

"Well…" she said cramming a piece of food in her mouth. "….yes…. always…" she muttered through the food.

His smile widened. By Isha, his smile was perfect. "Is that so? Well you have caught me at the end of my shift."

"I know." She said with a shrug that was too casual. "I get to go down to the planet tomorrow and I thought we might like to spend some time together."

He smiled and tapped his plate. "I think you are correct. Did you have something in mind?"

That was a loaded question. Aledel had to think carefully so to not let her less than pure thoughts show. She leaned in closer and muttered with a sly grin. "We could go to observation deck 6."

Sereklain eyebrow raised almost to his hairline. "Only senior crew are programmed into the circuit to be allowed in there. May I remind you that neither of us are seniors?"

"I may not be a senior, but father took me in there so much as a child that the circuit might still recognize me." She grinned.

Sereklain laughed and leaned in closer. "You are incorrigible."

They paused in that position, smirking at each other in some unspoken staring contest. Sereklain broke the silence by asking. "What other places do you have access too?"

Aledel stood up swiftly and glanced over her shoulder. "You will just have to find out." With that she put her tray away and hurried off into the hall.

Feeling Sereklain hot on her heels, Aledel had to resist walking too fast through the veins of the ship as they climbed the levels. Soon they made it to the room and the door opened without even pausing as the young eldar approached. Inside was a long room that had carpeting, a couple of chairs and cushions, then a wide mirror that nearly stretched from one end of the room to the other. The planet swirled before them in a brilliant dance of blues, greens and purples.

"I go down there tomorrow." Aledel whispered.

Sereklain stepped in slowly in awe. "Just think, in a few generations we could have families and a home down there." He took her hand and pulled her closer. "Just think, the craftworld could stay in orbit like a second moon. I know it is just a dream but still…." His voice trailed off.

Aledel smiled. "Would you build a home there? Try to start a family?"

He nodded in response and squeezed her hand. "I would like to and Isha knows I'd hate to be alone."

Aledel's eyes met Sereklain's and feelings that had been barely touched upon before where deeply felt. She felt herself being drawn closer to him, her heart pounding in her chest, heat pouring off her skin. His fingers traced along her cheek before hooking under her chin and drawing her into his lips.

The first kiss was slow and their minds touched deeper than before. By raw desire they found themselves drawing each other in deeper until they drowning in each other's lips. Mind's intertwining it was hard to tell whose hands were whose. Hands started to explore their bodies, slipping under clothing to feel skin they would have to take great care not to see in the immediate future.

"I couldn't wait any longer to touch and hold you." Sereklain whispered in her ear.

A hand crept up and a finger traced along her ear just moments after his moist breath brushed it. She gasped, her face burning and her thighs aching. Desires she had only dreamed of stirred in her causing her soul stone to flare bright and hot against her chest in warning.

"Sereklain." She pleaded as his lips brushed on her neck."We need to stop."

There was a pause and his lips lingered on her neck long enough to breathe. "But we only just got here."

Shuttering with control Aledel whisper. "I fear what will happen should we get lost in each other." Her fingers brushed is soul stone in a powerfully intimate gesture.

"Very well." He whispered, taking her hand in his and off his soul stone before pulling her into an embrace that put his chin just at the top of her head.

"I am sorry." She whispered.

"You are wise for it." He responded, rocking her back and forth, sending soothing thoughts through her. After a long moment he spoke again. "I envy you. You will be among the first to touch our world. Will I see you tomorrow?"

She pulled back to look up at him. "So long as I don't stay overnight."

Placing a kiss on her hand he lead her to the door. "You should get some sleep. You have got quite the day ahead of you."

Pressing the gem, he opened the door and placed a feather light kiss on her lips. "Sleep well."

As Aledel walked away down the hall she could still catch bits of his thoughts. He waited a few moments for her to get out of sight, for if he followed her right away he would not be able to control himself for very long.

The young eldar had just enough time to calm down by the time her made it to her family's apartment. Father was sitting at the table calmly reading a dataslate.

"I'm going to bed, Popa. Goodnight." She said lightly walking towards her door. It didn't open.

"Have fun?" Father asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. He was using his senior rank to mess with her door.

"Popa!" she protested, trying the door again and trying to hide her scarlet face.

"Shall I take that as I yes?" he smiled.

Still trying the door she answered. "Yes, the food is always good this time of night."

"Must have been. It took you over an hour to eat it." He chuckled and let the door open.

"Goodnight, Father." She grunted and disappeared behind her door.

Aww, romance , I wonder what awaits them on the surface!?

This might just be me reading too much George R.R Martin, but now I get the feeling that Sereklain is going to die soon.

Maybe, maybe not.
===========================

Chapter 7: Lilaethan

The morning took far too long to arrive, but when Aledel's eyes slammed open the next morning, she launched herself out of bed without the slightest hesitation. Humming to herself she quickly got dressed and packed her bag with a full set of inks, water and other necessities for being down on the planet.

Feeling a gentle prod from her mother to hurry up, the young one chuckled and jogged down to the loading area where she found Allena checking over supplies as they were being loaded.

"Are you bringing the whole lab, Mother?" Aledel asked, looking at the dozens of small crates.

The scientist scowled slightly. "We are, in fact, setting up a mobile lab down there. We will be landing in a clearing near the equator to study the tropical areas. You will be assisting me in documenting the local flora and fauna. Now help me lift this last crate and we will be on our way." She said as both of them grabbed one end and heaved the crate into the shuttle.

As soon as the box was down, Aledel dove into the shuttle and strapped herself in eagerly. Slowly the other scientists and camp workers loaded on. Her mother was last on and sat across from her.

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" Allena asked, looking her other.

Aledel quickly started digging in her bag for her sketch pad. "What do you mean? I could hardly sleep last night, I was very excited for today."

"How was dinner?" her mother smirked.

"Dinner was wonderful and so was the company." Aledel said, shifting her weight and lifting her pad to cover her increasingly warm face. She started to draw… something… she didn't know what yet.

"I would imagine that the company was perfectly magnificent given that the wraithbone shimmered as you past it." Allena said, her knowing smirk growing wider.

Aledel raised eyebrow skeptically but didn't answer. Allena continued. "Well, according to your father at least. He said your aura was very bright when you came back."

Sniffing and trying not to be baited by her mother's subtle taunting, Aledel collected her thoughts before answering. ""Why should not it be? I am surround by loving friends and family and I get to share a new maiden world with them?" she said, lowering the pad and continuing to make strokes, glancing around the shuttle and getting angles right.

Allena nodded slowly. "Some friend are more loving than others, yes?"

Several other voices joined her mother's chuckle.

It felt like an eternity before the shuttle reached the planet and lowered its ramp. Aledel was the first one down and out of the shuttle. At first she couldn't quite see anything, the sun was so bright. Eyes closed and shielded she ran until her feet hit the soft grass at the bottom.

What she felt made her stop completely. Confined her whole life in a ship, it was almost incompressible how deep the ground beneath her seemed to go. Endless in depth and so full of life that it assaulted her senses in a way that made her rethink everything she had ever known. Moments later she tore her eyes open and forced them to see.

They were in a large clearing with tents already set up in a grass that was so rich in hue, that it was the true definition of the color green. A few hundred feet away a large tree dominated the center of the field and gave shade for delicate flowers. Just under a mile from the tree was an entire forest that seemed deep and full of secrets as mist rolled around its trunks.

Lost for words the young one dashed away from camp and out into the open of the field, grinning so hard that her face hurt. The air she pulled into her lungs was so wonderfully thick and humid on her lips it was as if Isha herself had brushed her cheek in greeting.

A long bodied insect buzzed up to her nose and peered at her with large segmented eyes. "So this is a planet…" Aledel whispered as she brushed her mind against the insect. To her surprise, the small bug had enough sentience to believe that the huge, pointy-eared, bi-ped was a plot devised by his enemies to ruin him.

Aledel laughed at the silly thing and spun in a few circles until surrendering herself to true gravity. Laying on her back in the soft grass, her mind with life and joy, she continued to giggle until a voice interrupted her.

"What is so funny, Little One?" Talia asked, walking over.

"There is an insect that thinks we are plot by his enemies to destroy him." Aledel grinned, rolling over and looking up at her mother's assistant.

"I do not think there is a creature in the universe that does not think it is lord of all it surveys." She said lightly, looking around at the word. "Now come on back, your mother needs help in the science tent."

It was much later when Aledel was able to slip away again, this time she was intent on checking out the forest. With a quick glance to make sure her mother was occupied, she dashed away and did not stop until the mist of the forest floor was twisting around her ankles.

Making sure her com-jewel was still in place she started lazily meandering through the thick trees, every once in a while pausing to sketch a flower or fungus. Eventually she found a tree to her liking and started scale up it with surprising ease.

"I'd be right at home with the exodites, yes?" she smirked at herself. "I am a regular monkey here. I've heard they work extremely hard though and do nothing for pleasure." Her mind went to Sereklain and the observation deck. Color flooded her cheeks and her thighs started to ache but a heat from her soul stone warned her not to think any further on it.

Eventually she found a solid branch at a satisfactory height and sat down. Pulling out her sketch pad again she became completely absorbed in capturing the exact sight before her. She was unsure of how much time had passed but she kept her mind open for other signs of life.

At one point, a large bird of prey flew down next to her and perched itself at her side with surprising proximity. It peered at her with large golden eyes and jet black pupils that perfectly matched its outer wings. Aledel returned its peer curiously.

In response to the eye contact it screeched and stretched its wings to its full length revealing that it had two pairs that it was quite proud of. Aledel smiled and turned the page starting to sketch it. Every few seconds the bird would take a strut closer until it refolded its wings and started nibbling at her pen hungrily.

"Ah!" Aledel said, pulling the pen back only to get a strangely insulted look from the bird. "I'm sorry but I do not have food. If you wan-"

Something flew between them and thunked into the branch behind them. The bird screeched angrily and dove away. Aledel was already clambering up the tree, pistol in hand, before she got a decent look at what was thrown. It was a quill of some sort and was defiantly angled down.

Aledel's eye followed the angle until she was eye to glowing eye with a pack of huge felines on the forest floor. They were mono-colored with a tan coat and each had a tail that was full of spines that was poised like a scorpion, ready to strike again.

"/Who are you?/" They asked firmly in her mind.

Aledel's eyebrows quickly shot up into her hairline at their ease of mental communication. "/A person. You?/"

"/We are the Selephinir./" They replied easily.

"Aledel to camp?" she asked into her com-jewel, looking around as she sensed more of them. "I have encountered some sort of sentient… beings." Getting nervous, she pulled up another branch.

"/Come down and come with us./" They order calmly.

"/I cannot. My mother is expecting back soon./" she huffed. "Camp? Do you copy? They are threatening to take me back to their… camp?"

/"There are more of you?/" The largest cat asked.

/"There are more of you?/" Aledel returned without missing a beat and climbing even higher.

"/Many. We are the guardians of this world./" he answered proudly.

"/Yeah? Well, we made this world./" she retorted desperately.

The large feline somehow scoffed. "/A child?/"

"/Hey! Who are you calling a child?/" she snapped.

"/The two legged creature climbing the tree, of course. Now come down, child, and take us to your camp./"

"/If they say I can, then I will. Until then, you should lower your weapons and wait./" she snorted.

"/Perhaps lower yours as well? As a token of trust, child?/"

Aledel eyed the pistol and threw it back into the holster before hoping up another branch and praying she was not backing herself into a leafy corner. "/Mine was just in my hand and not pointed at you. Besides, I am not a child./"

"/You look like a child. You act like a child. You whine like a child. You scurry away like a child./"

"/Your weapons will have difficulty reaching me up here. Since you come to me in great numbers and with weapons armed and pointed at me, I made a tactical decision./"

The leader almost smirked. "/Ours spines reach further than you might think. Now take us to your camp or we will find it ourselves./"

"/I heavily encourage you to wait until I have told them about you, for your safety./" she tutted.

There was a long pause but Aledel did not look away from her climbing. She felt a simple. "/Very well…/" Then they were gone without a physical or mental trace.

Aledel slowly climbed back down, searching with her eyes and mind for them until she was completely convinced they were gone then dashed back to the camp with frantic news.

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This is all I actually have written (in the formal draft, that is) for now. (I know the cats are odd but you'll have to bare with me.) Any encouragement to continue will actually help since last time I went on a two month hiatus from this story. I hope I don't do that again.

I for one, would love to see more !

Very interesting, I wait to see what the cat people will do next.