Jon awoke in his quarters, Deatra snoring softly next to him. The last thing he remembered was having a few drinks with Rick. He had a slight headache, damn alcohol anyway; he had never been able to drink. The past few weeks had been a drain on him and now with Terri in her current condition his nerves were on edge.
He slowly reached up and rubbed his forehead, this movement woke Deatra. Deatra rolled over to face Jon, who had his eyes closed.
"Drink a bit too much?" Deatra asked.
Jon slowly opened his eyes, "Slight headache, glad I was tired enough that I couldn't drink too much."
Deatra smiled, and said, "Well you needed the rest."
Jon just nodded, than asked, "Any word on Terri?"
Deatra's smile faded, "I haven't heard anything. I had the guard move you here before I passed out."
Again, Jon nodded, "I'm going to get dressed and go check on her after I check in with the bridge."
Something tugged on the edge of Jon's mind. The strange sensation made him frown and turn back towards Deatra as he sat up on the edge of the bed.
Deatra stared back at him for a moment before asking, "What's wrong?"
"Please, I don't feel like speaking through my mind right now," Jon said.
Deatra frowned, "What do you mean."
"I mean you just tried to contact me through the bond," Jon said.
"Uh, no I didn't," Deatra said.
Jon leaped out of bed as he said, "Then there's another telepath on board. Someone is trying to connect to me telepathically."
Deatra got up out of bed and walked around to where Jon was standing. Her sheer nightgown flowed like the wind around her. Jon almost forgot about the problems of the past few weeks, as he looked her over. He had always thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The nightgown made her beauty grow something much more.
"Jon?" Deatra said.
Jon blinked before he answered, "Yeah, sorry I spaced for a second."
Deatra grinned, "I would say, I called you four times. Now stop staring at my body and get back on the subject."
Jon grinned, and said, "How about we make your body the subject."
Deatra shook her head as she said, "Later, right now we need to protect your mind and you have thing you need to do as do I." Deatra reached over to where she had laid her robe and retrieved it.
Jon sighed as he smiled and said, "Spoil sport. However, you're right. I can't seem to block the tugging out."
After Deatra had covered herself up, she laid a hand on Jon's shoulder to strengthen their connection. Her mind reached out to feel what he was feeling and the sensation transferred to her too.
"Funny, I feel it too now. It's almost like a bonding is happening," Deatra said. She had released Jon shoulder.
"A bonding?" Jon said. "But, we're already bonded."
A new voice spoke as the door to their room opened, "I'm afraid it's me you are both bonding with. I have felt it since we left Eutharan."
Deatra spun around to see who was speaking and almost fainted. Her sister who she thought was dead was standing in the doorway to their room.
"I know you," Jon said as he stepped in front of Deatra.
"Opellissa, you're the one who helped save my sister and protected my step daughter," Jon said.
"She's my twin sister," Deatra said.
All three people in the room shuddered as new energy flowed through them. The link had established itself.
"Twin sister?" Jon said. "I thought you didn't have any siblings."
Opellissa said, "We didn't know either. I was always told my sister had died at a young age. I would guess Deatra was told the same thing."
Deatra just nodded.
"Wait just a god damn second here. I thought double bondings were extremely rare, almost unheard of," Jon said.
"Another guess, but with us being identical Twins, born only seconds apart. We're probably wired the same. Most double bondings happen with twins, most are not even identical," Deatra said. She stepped around Jon and ran up to her sister giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek; Opellissa returned the favor.
"Um, ok I take it you both knew each other," Jon said.
Opellissa nodded as she released Deatra and said, "Yes, until we were about six."
Deatra stepped back and leaned against Jon as she spoke, "This is going to get interesting."
Jon cocked an eyebrow, as he said, "How's that?"
Opellissa grinned, "He doesn't know?"
Deatra shook her head as she spoke again, "No, as much as I tried to teach him about bonding he is still a bit dense at times."
"Uh, what are you two talking about?" Jon asked.
Opellissa and Deatra both grinned at each other. The bonding had reestablished their love for each other and support. It also had removed any jealousy they would have had about Jon.
"Tell you what babe, go do what you need to do on the bridge. Then go check on your sister while my sister and I sit down and go over the past few years of our lives. Then when you get back if you haven't figured it out we will let you in on it," Deatra said.
"In on what?" Jon asked in desperation.
Deatra just waved her hand at Jon as if to shoo him from the room. Opellissa had already seated herself at the table as Deatra got them some coffee. Sensing he would get nothing else from either of the women Jon went and got dressed.
When Jon left his room, he was confronted with nervous guards. Mixed in among them were several scantily clad Eutharan females. Jon just motioned to his guard to follow and started off towards the bridge. When the females followed, a couple lead the way, Jon stopped.
"Where is your leader?" Jon asked the closest.
"She is in your room Sire," the female responded.
"Ok let me rephrase the question. Who is leading you at this current moment?" Jon asked.
"I'm the second in command Sire," the female said.
"Why are you following me? Jon asked her.
"My orders were to protect you no matter where you are or where you go Sire," she said.
"Ok, stop with the Sire thing. If you must call me something other than my name, which is Jon you can call me Prince or Admiral. Got that?" Jon said.
"Yes Sire," she replied.
Jon moaned quietly.
A small grin spread across the woman's face. Opellissa had told her this would be a fun assignment.
Jon rubbed his temples as he spoke, "I don't need you following me everywhere. I have my personal guards to help me wipe my ass for me. I want you and your friends to guard the entrance to my quarters."
"Yes my Sire," she replied.
Jon shook his head as he started towards the bridge once more. The woman he was speaking ton and two other females walked back towards his quarters. A light snickering and giggles drifted from their direction. The rest of the women continued to follow him, which caused him to stop once more.
"I said for you to take your friends with you," Jon said in a raised voice.
The woman stopped and turned back towards Jon before replying, "Sire these two women are my only friends the rest of those women I barely met a year ago."
Jon mutter something about Deatra's double and threw up his hands in defeat.
Minutes later Jon stepped on to the bridge and walked over to Rick. Rick stood up from the command chair and saluted Jon. Then called out Admiral on bridge, which caused all the personnel to stop and salute.
Jon shook Ricks offered hand, "How is everything going?"
"So far, so good. The temporary governor you assigned to Eutharan has things under control. They have reported the shipyard is up to 45% operational status. I put in a call to Ghost Station hand them send some tech out to lend a hand and to prepare for our arrival. Terri's status was stable the last time I check about an hour ago. Ghost and Atlantis have made no progress as to why the nanites are dormant. But, Atlantis thinks Atlanta had something to do with that. She said it was just a matter of finding what was done and reversing it. Oojoung is up and around, but confined to the medical ward. Of course that's ok with him, he would rather be close to Terri anyway. The three girls haven't left Medical and my wife promised to take care of them and keep me informed," Rick said.
"How long until we reach Ghost Station?" Jon asked.
"About, one day," Rick replied as he scanned a screen.
"Terri will be stable that long?" Jon asked.
"Kayla says that she will be ok for two days with the faculties aboard the Atlantis," Rick said.
"Alright, make sure we have no delays. I want to get to Ghost Station as fast as possible," Jon said. "I'm going to see my sister and then I'll be in my quarters."
Kayla was standing next to Terri's bed when Jon arrived. She was changing the dressing on the wound in her belly. IV's and cords ran to various monitors and solution bags. The respirator was the only thing keeping Terri alive now.
Terri's skin was pale and covered in a sheen of sweat. Every occasionally one of her leg would twitch.
Jon's eyes glazed over as he looked over his sister. He looked up at Kayla and asked, "How is she doing doc?"
Sadness filled Kayla as she looked up at Jon. She had only known him for a short time, but the things she had heard had made her respect the man before her. "She is stable for now. It looks like the bolt that hit her in the back struck one of the few weak points in her armor. I have the engineers on Ghost Station looking into possible design flaws," Kayla said as she took Terri's free hand.
Jon nodded as Oojoung's voice filled his ears, "Oojoung so sorry, Oojoung failed Terri and Jon. Oojoung tried to stop man who shooted Terri."
"Oojoung I'll have none of that talk! I already told you the round that hit Terri passed through your left lung. I'm surprised you're able to stand and talk," Kayla admonished.
Oojoung face broke out into a pout as he moaned, "But, Oojoung failed!"
Jon turned and hugged Oojoung as he spoke quietly to him, "Oojoung Terri will be ok. You did a wonderful job; you protected the kids and Terri very well."
Sam and the other kids had shown up shortly after Oojoung and at the request of Jon escorted him back to his room.
Jon sat down in a chair grabbing his sister's hand. Jon stared at the face he knew so well, he would do almost anything for his sister. Shivers ran up and down his spine as he took in her pale face. It was if someone had drained the color from her body. Unable to control himself any longer, he buried his face in the bed and let out a cry of anguish. Tear spilled from his eyes, wetting the sheets as he finally let it out.
Kayla's eyes filled with tears as she turned and left the room, trying to give Jon some time alone to be with his sister. She quietly closed the glass door and set a lock out code so Jon would be left in peace. She then polarized the glass to give him privacy.
Three decks below the Medical Ward a man wearing Duke Naedo's Royal Guard uniform sat smiling as he watched the armored guards on the other side of the force field. His job was far from over and the moment that Admiral Hunter came to see him he would finish it. He had already put in several calls demanding to see the Admiral, but no word had come back. That was ok with him, he had all the time in the world or so he thought.
The Atlantis groaned as she dropped out of a fold early. On the bridge, warning lights lit up on several panels and sirens went off. Rick was tossed from his chair by the sudden deceleration and several people slammed into various panels and walls.
"Report," Rick said as he picked himself up from the floor. Blood ran from a small gash on his forehead.
"Sir, we have been yanked out of fold early," Con reported.
Rick looked surprised, "By what?"
"Looks like some kind of field Sir," Tactical reported. "Sensors are picking up several vessels of unknown design or origin."
"Bring them up on the tactical holo table," Rick said as he made his way to the table. "Do they know we're here?"
The hologram came to life and showed five vessels in a circle around the Atlantis. None of them seemed to be moving and none showed weapons charged.
"Unknown Sir," Tactical replied.
"Sir I have a broad transmission from one of the ships. It is broadcasting in several languages," Coms reported.
"Well, I guess that answers that," Rick said.
Atlantis appeared next to Rick and started reporting damage, nothing major, just minor hull stress. She also reported Ghost was working on the problem with the fold drive and would be reporting findings as soon as she had something.
"Condition Yellow," Rick said. "Contact Admiral Hunter."
Moments later Rick had Jon on coms, "Admiral we have a small situation here. We have been yanked out of fold by an unknown force. We are unable to move, as all engines are offline from the sudden stop. They have tried to communicate with us using multiple languages. I wanted to know how you would like us to handle this?"
"Commander, use your best judgment. Terri has arrested and they're trying to revive her. The sudden stop ripped out several IV's, her ventilator and has caused her bleeding to increase. The Dr. has told me she might not pull through this one. So I don't care if you have to get out and push you get us to Ghost Station. Admiral Hunter out," Jon said then cut the connection.
"Go to Condition Red, they're only going to get one chance to release us," Rick said. Rick turned and move to his chair, sitting down, "Put them through."
Thanks to my editor BoB_McC