Sarhea sat at the edge of a massive opening in the mountain’s side as she stared up into the clear night sky. A cool breeze whipped through her still damp hair and fur, bringing on a slight chill. Three days had passed since she’d escaped from the hospital. Three days had passed, and she felt more lost than the moment she’d awakened. The Kalatian Aleena had told her the city was large, but she never dreamed what she would find beyond the hospital’s walls.

Sarhea had never made it to the large room beyond the hallway. Groups of nurses had arrived, causing her to seek the safety of the shadows within what had appeared to be a storage closet. Then she had found herself trapped. That was when she noticed the gentle breeze that filtered down through a hole in the ceiling. It had been just large enough for her to pull herself in, and once up, she’d found herself alone in a large, sparsely lit rock tunnel. It didn’t take her long to figure out that she’d entered some sort of ventilation duct. Smaller openings like the one she’d pulled herself into had opened to rooms below uniformly down its length.

But the tunnel never ended. She’d wandered for hours and had only discovered more branching tunnels that led higher and lower…it had been a maze stressful enough to make her sick. She remembered overwhelming pain pounding in her head, along with gut wrenching nausea. She’d finally succumbed to the sickness and had wretched out what meager contents her stomach had held, and had immediately felt better. Even the pain in her head had fled, fled with the strange metallic colored mucous that had flowed from her nose to join the contents of her stomach on the tunnel floor. She’d quickly decided that the sickness was the result of whatever they had done to her in the hospital-she was never sick. The package that Aleena had given her was promptly discarded and forgotten.

Sarhea had wandered the ventilation tunnels for many hours afterwards before she had stumbled across the massive shaft she now sat by. The duct she’d been traveling along had opened up into the massive opening about halfway up its total height. Many more ducts opened above and below, all around its circumference, and when she’d finally made it to the top, she’d discovered the answer to her puzzling mystery. She’d emerged out on the side of a massive mountain system. She saw no sign of any city-there was only the mountain. Dry, dusty, rocky land beyond the mountain’s base looked largely uninhabitable. Somehow, the city was contained in the mountain.

She had gone back in and explored further, always staying out of sight in the ventilation system. It had not taken long to confirm her theory and the discovery was truly baffling. How was this possible? Who had built it? How had it survived? Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and after finding an oversized brown cloak discarded in a pile of clothing in a shadowy corner of a hallway, she’d cautiously set out to explore. Aleena had been right about the crowds concealing her. There were so many creatures of all kinds traversing the corridors that it was extremely easy for her to pass unnoticed. The search for food, water, and some place to cleanse herself of the filth that encrusted her fur had been top priority. She would never remain unnoticed with the smell that followed her from Kratos.

Sarhea shivered as an increasingly familiar sensation flowed around her. She had briefly noticed the subtle prodding, the leading of some unseen force, as she’d tried to find her way through her fear and confusion at her new circumstances. It was the same leading she had grown up with, but in recent years, had been welcomingly silent. It was the same force that that had started all her troubles, all the world jumping, all the heartbreak as those around her were killed off. Sarhea shook her head. Surely it was all in her head. They were not here-couldn’t be here…Their access to this existence had long been sealed off…Unless…

Her thoughts were troubled. She had stowed away with the large group of mixed species as they fled from their pursuing enemy. She had kept to the shadows, kept to herself. No one could know what she was capable of-those who had known in the past had all been killed. No, no one could find out, and that had meant carefully concealing her only possessions. She wished she could leave it all behind her, but no matter how much she had tried, her cargo had always found its way back to her. And it called to her now. She shook her head once more. It was a curse she could not escape, and the longer she tried to avoid it, the stronger the prodding became. She would soon have no choice but to seek out the old ship she had arrived on and retrieve what was hers. She did not want it, but it could not fall into the wrong hands, could not be released…

The leading she felt had grown so strong over the past hour that she swore she was beginning to see things. Even now, she caught glimpses of faint color flashes, almost as if seeing wisps of red or blue haze. She had not experienced such a phenomenon since her time back on her home world, and it scared her. Such manifestations had always been related to them, but she did not sense their presence. No, somehow, this was different, but troubling all the same.

Sarhea’s eyes widened as a strong manifestation of the bluish haze swirled about and collected into a fog before her. No, she was definitely not seeing things. Fear tried to take ahold of her as she struggled to scramble away from it. It followed and soon she found herself completely encased in it. Overwhelming peace flooded over her, and she was helpless to resist the feeling. This was most definitely familiar, but at the same time different-it was similar to the energy she had felt on her home world, but at the same time, different. It prodded her again, and this time, the thoughts of her misplaced cargo formed strongly in her mind. She would no longer be able to ignore it. Something was not right. She sighed quietly.

“Alright, alright. I will retrieve what is mine, if I can find it,” she whispered in frustration. Almost immediately, the manifestation dispersed and began to roll and tumble down the rocky mountainside. She felt its leading.

“Wait…do you know where it is?” Another chill raced down her spine as a second manifestation of energy swirled around her, this time red. She felt the familiar sense of strength, the thrill of the hunt. Her pulse began to race as the red haze followed down the same path as the blue. She did not waste another second and quickly began to pursue.

Her previous ventures had uncovered strategic outposts manned by armed soldiers at various locations scattered all around the mountain’s exterior. She had observed the guards as they carefully watched the skies, had listened in on their conversations as they talked of the enemy they called drones. She still was not certain she understood what they were talking about, but for now, she pushed the curiosity aside-she had to avoid the guard posts as she followed the strange energetic manifestations down the often difficult mountain terrain.

She had no idea how much time had passed before she saw hints of bright light near the base of the mountain. Beyond the reach of the light, she could barely make out the shapes of what appeared to be ship hulls. A steady stream of creatures toiled around a large entrance that led into the mountain. Even now, it appeared a smaller ship was being towed toward the opening. Sarhea briefly recalled overhearing a pair of guards speaking of a place they called the launch bay. They talked of a place where ships were repaired and stored and how they hoped the new ships could replace or repair others. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the guiding energy snaking around the rocks toward the base and that entrance. This had to be the place they had mentioned, and she could feel another manifestation growing in strength-she was drawing nearer to her cargo. Sarhea continued picking her way carefully down after her guides.

It did not take long before she recognized the ship that was being towed into the large entrance. Armed and uniformed creatures of all kinds moved about the area, but the highest activity level surrounded the small white ship that had led the exodus from Kratos. It had been occupied by important, wealthy Cassarians and their Paloan associates. Only a handful of them had claimed the ship and a large portion of the limited supplies available to all the refugees. It was most likely because of them that most had perished on her overcrowded, under stocked ship. She could feel the anger begin to fester within as she watched the ship slowly move into the tunnel entrance. She carefully moved closer.

Sarhea lost sight of her energetic guides as she carefully moved into the shadows at the base of the mountain. It was not hard to remain hidden. The area was littered with large pieces of equipment, sections of old ships and stacks of crates containing untold cargo. It did not appear that the soldiers beyond were concerned with the possibility of someone sneaking in. She moved from one stack of crates and supplies to the next, always staying in the shadows and always making sure her old brown cloak concealed her features. She smirked as she slipped into the tunnel entrance completely undetected. If this was the way they guarded their entrances, they were doomed.

She continued to move amongst the stacks of crates and supplies until she was even with the large group of creatures that surrounded the white ship. The towing operation appeared to have stalled. Her intent gaze was drawn to a smaller group next to the ship that seemed far more important than those around them. Four individuals in particular stood out. Their clothing was different and the way the others catered to them spoke of high importance. Other creatures in uniforms and creatures in white coats pointed at various parts of the ship. Two of the important group’s members appeared quite excited. Her curiosity got the better of her as she carefully maneuvered among the shadows in attempt to get closer.

The sheer number of different species in one small area astounded her. Some she recognized, like the Cassarians, Kalatians, and Paloans, but others she did not. Among the four important individuals she spotted a tall, barrel chested Kalatian male and a short, rather scrawny Cassarian male. The Cassarian’s excitement mirrored that of the only female among the group who was a species she’d only recently discovered. They were more often found in the lower levels of the city, in the shadowy places she had found most comforting. They had a lean, but powerful build, and after observing them for several hours, she got the impression that they were skilled warriors.

Her gaze fell to the tall male at the head of the group. He was another species that she had never seen and held himself with an air of authority. He stood silently as he listened to those around him, his large triangular ears subtly twitching at the sounds beyond his group. There was something about him that held her curiosity. Perhaps it was that in all her exploring, she had never seen another of his kind. His head suddenly snapped about, his stern green eyes searching the darkness of where she crouched in the shadows. Sarhea quickly ducked back behind the crate. Had she been seen? How?

“Commander? What is it?”

Sarhea carefully cast a quick glance around a different side of the crate. The female warrior stood next to the strange male. She awaited his reply before turning to follow his gaze toward her general location.

“I thought I saw something,” came the quiet reply.

“Awe, come on, Commander. You’re entirely too jumpy lately,” the short Cassarian tossed out absently and went back to looking over the ship. Sarhea watched as the one addressed as commander shot the Cassarian a dangerous glare.

“We all should be more wary, Kaden. The sudden inactivity of the drones should not be taken lightly. Something is not right. Nakyla, go check those crates over there.”

A wicked grin spread across the female’s face as she dramatically withdrew a rather nasty looking blade from its sheath on her hip. “Gladly, commander,” she replied with a sneer shot at the Cassarian.

“Commander, if there is anything over there, it is most likely one of the orphans. Nakyla will only scare them,” the large Kalatian said with a scowl.

“Perhaps, Bud, but I’m not taking any chances. If one of the orphans managed to sneak down here, then this will be a lesson learned. It is far too dangerous here for children.”

Sarhea tuned out any further conversation as the woman called Nakyla cautiously drew closer. Her earlier analysis of the species being warriors seemed to be correct. The woman definitely had a dangerous glint to her eyes. If she were spotted, there would be little chance for her to defend herself and without her own weapons, she would have only her speed and stealth to rely on. Sarhea carefully backed away from the crates and toward the tunnel wall as the woman approached. Nothing among the stacks of crates and supplies provided a solution to her dilemma.

A familiar gentle breeze tickled the fine hairs on the back of her ears. Sarhea’s eyes flew to the darkness of the cavern ceiling. Was there a vent opening up there? Hope flooded over her as she slid as silently as possible along the shadows of the wall. Nakyla was nearly upon her hiding spot. At the last moment, her hands found the gap of a sizable crevasse that ran up the wall and out of reach. Sarhea wasted no time. She pressed her body into the gap and began to shimmy up the wall. As soon as she was ten foot off the ground, Nakyla appeared around the crates with blade drawn. The near manic grin on her face faded to disappointment as she quickly searched the area. Sarhea hesitated, her muscles screaming for reprieve, as she held her breath. Nakyla was frozen in place as she listened for any hints of unusual sound. Before long, she sighed in disappointment and headed back out into the open.

“There’s nothing over here,” she called and moved to rejoin the group.

Sarhea carefully let out a shaky breath as she gazed over to where the tall male still watched the area with troubled eyes. His stern gaze lingered briefly as Nakyla returned before finally turning back to the group and the ship. Sarhea wasted no time in quietly moving the rest of the way to the ceiling. It didn’t take her long to find the welcome vent opening and to pull herself into its safety.

Half an hour later, she found herself gawking in awe at what lay beyond the rocky entrance tunnel. She found herself staring out over an enormous cavern larger than anything she could ever imagine. Hundreds of city citizens of all species toiled about at various tasks, most of which seemed to be the maintenance of what appeared to be 40-50 small ships of all shapes and sizes. In the center of the room sat one of the largest ships she had seen since her flight from the small world of Cassan Minor. It was medium in size compared to some of the ships she’d seen there, but it was the most armored and best equipped with weapons she’d ever seen. Most of the activity in the cavern seemed to be centered on this ship. She spotted sparks flying from one group of citizens as they worked on what appeared to be a large gaping hole in the side of the ship. Black streaks radiated out from the edges of the hole, and it appeared as if that section was being prepped for removal as well. She suddenly remembered overhearing one group of guards speaking of a vessel called the cruiser and the repairs it was undergoing-this had to be that ship. It looked as if it had been through quite the battle. It was positioned below a large gaping hole that angled off and opened to the night sky beyond.

A strong prodding washed over her thoughts-she could sense the strong presence of her cargo. The ship she’d arrived on had to be here somewhere. It did not take her long to spot the old worn hulk of scrap set off to the side of the cavern with other ships of similar condition. They stood out from the nicer vessels-and were located on the opposite side of the cavern. She sighed in frustration as she pondered how she was to make it to the busted ship unnoticed. The prodding returned and soon she caught glimpse of the red and blue energetic manifestations drifting among the busy workers. Her eyes widened as she watched the phenomenon go completely unnoticed. It gathered and pooled around a rack of strange garments not far from the vent opening she peered out of. She suddenly realized what she had to do.

Sarhea carefully pulled off the old brown cloak and carefully laid it up in the larger ventilation shaft. She would retrieve it later. She felt very exposed without it, especially since the clothing she’d found to replace the rags she’d arrived in was much too small. But she shoved aside the discomfort. She had to make it to the rack of strange suits without being noticed. It proved to be a much easier task than she had originally thought. The preoccupied workers never looked up from their tasks to see her drop from the ceiling and scurry over to the rack. Soon, she appeared as one of them as she slipped from group to group as they made their way across the cavern.

She felt an increase in very familiar energy as she neared the old ship. Yes, her cargo was still hidden within. She fell in with a group of workers that seemed to be headed that way. She quickly saw what Aleena had mentioned. A long gash had been ripped in the battered ship’s outer covering, and its wing and belly were crumpled and gouged, most likely from the crash. The group she was with walked right past the open hatchway-they never noticed her slip in as they headed to examine the large rip in the sidewall.

The energy inside the ship’s cramped interior made her feel weak. Feelings of fear, betrayal, hopelessness, and regret bombarded her from every direction. These were the last emotions of those whose lives were lost aboard this ship. It had only been designed to accommodate 15 for short distances. There had been 27 crammed in here. Most had been turned away from the other ships in the frantic scramble. The pilot of this ship had been a good man, unable to turn away those who clamored for safety. They had tried to ration the limited supplies…Sarhea shook the memories away. Her keen gaze locked on the instrument panel at the right rear side of the small ship. She quickly made her way to it and began to work at the loose bolt at the bottom. Sudden beams of light entered the open hatchway, and increasing voices announced a group’s arrival. Sarhea quickly abandoned her task and darted to the protective shadows of a cubby under a navigation station.

“I cannot believe anyone could have survived so long under such horrid conditions,” came a familiar voice. Sarhea cringed. It was the voice of the female warrior Nakyla.

“They were out of food and water, the ship’s life support had failed and what little remaining oxygen most likely leaked out of that rip in the side. It was reported that there was no traces of viable atmosphere in here when the hatch was opened. And there were survivors?” It was the commander’s voice.

“Yes sir. Three in fact-a Cassarian female and two children.”

“I’d sure like to know how that was possible,” came the hollow reply.

“Well if Dr. Mouser ever finds the woman, you can ask her yourself.”

“Finds her?”

“Yeah, seems the crazy old coot has misplaced a patient. He’s getting senile in his old age. I was curious to see her for myself as well.”

Sarhea held her breath as the air in the ship thickened with tension.

“Whoa, take it easy, commander! I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“I hear you speak badly of Mouser again and I’ll…”

“Ah, Raith, just calm down. You know Kaden’s always running his mouth. He never thinks before he speaks.”

“Bud’s right. It isn’t worth it. Kaden, you’re an idiot. Good thing your flying skills are as good as they are. What were you really doing looking for the survivor, huh?”

“What? I was curious! It is not often I hear of a fellow Cassarian overcoming such odds, and a female at that! She needed to be given a proper welcome by one of her own kind!”

A sudden slap was heard followed by an angry growl of pain. “What the hell, Nakyla!”

“There are plenty of other Cassarian women for you to harass, you jackass. You should stick to the ones with no teeth. They don’t have the strength to hurt you, or are too lonely to care and welcome it.”

“Can you two knock it off already and act like you deserve a place on my team? We need to get this thing ready to strip. It may never fly again, but its parts will live on in the rest of the fleet.”

“Yes sir,” came a chorus of voices as footsteps began anew, heading to exit.

“Nothing gives you the right to hit me,” came the Cassarian’s grumbling voice.

“Just take it as payback from all those unwilling to do it themselves,” came Nakyla’s angry reply.

Soon, all was quite once more. Sarhea cautiously peered out from her hiding place. She quickly spotted a shadow against the wall opposite the opening. Peering out further, she spotted the commander standing in the open doorway. There was a deep remorse in his gaze as he glanced over the dismal interior once more before turning to leave. Sarhea sighed quietly as she quickly went back to work on the loose bolt. When both had been removed, she carefully slid the panel aside and reached back into the darkness. Her hand found the edge of rough cloth. She took hold and gently pulled it out into the open. She could see the shapes of the two onyx boxes still safely tucked inside, their lids still firmly fastened shut. She allowed a quiet sigh of relief as she gathered the sack’s strap and slowly stood. Only when she neared the open doorway did the weight of the next task fall over her. How was she supposed to get back to the ventilation shafts with her cargo unseen? Panic began to instantly overtake her.

Sarhea found herself unconsciously fiddling with the latch to one of the boxes through the sack’s material. She caught herself almost too late. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had been about to do. She slunk back into the shadows, her body trembling. How could she even think to open them? How could she even consider it knowing all the pain and destruction that had come at her hands due to the contents of these boxes? A silent prodding once again beckoned for her attention. The guiding energy settled over the bag at her side. Her eyes narrowed in fury.

“No! I will never again allow myself to be an instrument of destruction!” she hissed. But then a quiet peace fell over her. Perhaps there was enough energy left in her daggers for her to safely tap into her reserves…No…she couldn’t…but if she didn’t…A quiet whimper escaped as she slowly opened the sack. Her eyes fell on the larger of the two black stone boxes. Her hands trembled as she slowly reached for the golden clasp.

“Please…please just show me what I must do to get out of here safely,” she whispered nervously before releasing the clasp.

Sarhea closed her eyes tightly as overwhelming and very familiar energy suddenly rushed around her. She trembled in fear as she waited for it to consume her. But then…nothing happened. The fury of energy calmed as peace settled in. A strange and inviting strength enveloped her. Sarhea carefully opened her eyes…and gasped. Everything suddenly appeared very different. She slowly stood and carried her cargo to just inside the open doorway. The energy was everywhere, cloaking everything in brilliant red and blue silhouettes. Everything from every aspect of the ship’s interior to the machines, equipment, even the cavern walls was painted in vibrant energy. All she could do was stand in awe. She had never experienced this phenomenon before. The most bizarre revelation was that every creature was also aglow with energy. At the core of every one of them sat a strongly burning flame of color ranging somewhere between red and blue.

The lines of energy flowing around her suddenly converged and streaked out ahead of her. She watched in wonder as they took a very specific path through the chaos beyond. It was showing her the way…an urgent prodding washed over her as the guiding light once again raced from her and traced an urgent path. The hesitation faded and she stepped quickly from the ship. She slung the sack over her shoulder as she followed her guides. They raced ahead, weaving between groups of citizens or between ships and equipment. If it paused or abruptly turned, she followed without hesitation.

“Hey! You there! You with the bag! Stop!”

Sarhea ignored the fear that tried to rise in her at the strange vibration of the voice somewhere behind her. Her guides abruptly led her to the right and through a large crowd of workers.

“Stop that worker!” came the hollow, now distant voice behind her. The guides converged on an equipment hauler before her that was crowded with workers. She quickly slipped between several confused creatures before tossing her cargo onto the hauler and pulling herself up. The others around her barely noticed her presence. Her heart raced as she glanced back behind her to where she’d heard the voice. Her gaze quickly spotted a bright white energy signature. It moved rapidly though the chaos, hesitating briefly as if searching, before turning and racing off in the opposite direction.

Her eyes were wide as she watched it grow further away. This whole experience was rather bizarre. The last time she had experienced anything even remotely similar had been back on her home world during the Celebration of Light where she had mediated her tribe’s offering of energy to the Guardians. But there were no Guardians here-she’d made sure of that. Her eyes found the bearer of the white energy, the white soul once more. It was a puzzle in itself. The souls of various shades between red and blue were somewhat familiar, but white…White had only been seen at the birth of a child or at death…

She did not have time to dwell on the instant questions that arose at the memory. The guiding energy prodded her to leave her perch as it painted her a new path back toward the vent opening she had entered from. She followed the exact cues, and when prompted, she climbed up the equipment sitting under her escape route. Before disappearing into the safety of the ventilation shaft, she cast one last glance down at the sea of color. Her eyes settled on the white anomaly. This whole experience was new development. It both intrigued and frightened her, but now was not the time to dwell on it. She pulled up into the shadows and into the safety of her tunnel world.