That Which One Begins - Chapter Nine In the habitat, around 5:00 AM "Will'm... Mm..." Murmured words tumbled from Lillith's lips as her closed eyelids flickered, each movement of her lashes barely perceptible. A hand flinched slightly and fingers unwittingly tapped once against the skin of the slumbering male in the bed with her. William raised his sleepy head from the pillow to look through tired eyes down at the Velorian woman who was now fully within the creative imaginings of REM sleep. He smiled when he heard his name again, but could not really understand any of the Velorian words that stumbled out as she continued to talk in her sleep. Lillith startled him with a rather loud shout of some word and, within the next few moments, her words became understandable to him--a sure sign that Phil was now awake too. William rested his head on the palm of his hooked arm to watch her in the dim, ambivalent light of predawn that could do no better than the unfocused gray that now found its way through the habitat. He listened for a bit before he brought his lips close to her ear, drew a mild breath, and spoke to her. Each gentle word entered her ear with a whispered delicacy too slight to break her from her dream. They took on the exquisite subtlety of the morning light that surrounded them to drift unnoticed through her subconscious to settle within her continuing, vivid dream.   Lillith had returned to the mountaintop of her imagination, facing her Terran mate who remained just out of her reach. William was leaving, walking away from her into a pure white light that was--she mysteriously somehow knew--the way back to his home planet. She called to him again and again, pleading with him to come to her, but William kept walking away, ignoring or not hearing her pleas. Lillith's arms were held fast, bonded with invisible restraints that kept her from running to him, kept her from taking him into her arms to convince him to remain with her. She pulled and strained against the force holding her back, but it was soon clear that she was trapped, entangled and tortured within the sight of a lover leaving her behind forever. A calm, soothing voice now spoke to her, a voice that sounded so close that the words felt like they were coming from within her. The image of William in the light disappeared with a flash and he was at her side once again. "Did you think I could ever leave you?" he whispered to her. "Oh, Will'm," cried Lillith, "I only want to love you. I only meant to..." "Shh," he shushed with a gentle tenderness. His voice, the way it sounded to her, the warm resonance of it, the way his lips brushed so lightly across her ear, everything in the way he now spoke to her caressed her soul and left it yearning for more. "I give you my life, darling," his beautiful voice said. "Believe in me. Believe that there will always be the greatest love between us." A feather of a kiss touched her neck. "Lillith, never doubt that. Never let that thought leave you. Never." Lillith closed her eyes from the intense emotions that churned within her. "Will'm." His name fell from her lips as a breath on the wind. She felt herself being lifted from the ground by forces that she sensed were so delicate and so balanced that she could destroy them simply by opening her eyes. She let herself be taken by them, her permission rendered by her unseeing. It was William and she was trustingly giving into his power. She believed. She felt the textured warmth of stone on her back when she was placed gently upon the smoothest of boulders. The subtle slope of the massive rock arched her back with a profound sexuality. Lillith's slow, easy undulations of her taut body readjusted her positioning for a little more comfort before her bright blue eyes revealed themselves to see her mate standing over her. Her eyes said much, but it was her body that spoke in the clearest silence of movement, an unmistakable invitation and approval of his intentions. Her slender feet joined together beneath her sex to let her legs fall slowly, suggestively apart. Lillith tried to reach out to William, but her arms were still bound, unable to move from the stone on which she now rested. The strange spell of forces, so coldly resolute in its unwillingness to release her, did seem to have a remnant of benevolence, as if the magic felt a mild sympathy for her. The sorcery conceded a small token and Lillith felt an understanding come to her, the simple knowledge of why. "Will'm," she spoke quietly to him, yet desperate to know, "what am I to you?" He cradled her head gently in his hand to kiss her deeply. His touch released a rushing warmth within her that flowed swiftly from her chest to every extremity of her. "You are the Universe that surrounds me, darling," he whispered intensely. "You are the tenderness that will forever guide my heart. What am I without you? What could I ever be? You love me and I believe in your love for me, darling. It means... Life for me. It means... Everything good that I can ever know." "I... I cannot touch you," she gasped with a desire to make that a lie. "No," he confirmed with a mere shake of his head. "The Enhancement," she murmured. "The danger. Will'm, the danger is... We must... We..." "Yes," his gentle voice replied. "We must." She could feel him urging her hand from its prison to guide it slowly toward the soft, blonde downy hair between her legs. She complied willingly, knowing it was only his touch that granted her the freedom to do so. "You are my mate, Lillith," her lover said with a firm resolution. "I want no one but you, only you. I claim you as my mate. Just as you took me, so I take you. We are one, my sweet, tender Lillith. We are for each other... Forever." "T'aye," she agreed breathlessly. "Oh, t'aye, Will'm." Something was moving, pressing insistently, repeatedly across the dampness of her sex. In the dream, there was no way to tell whether it was William or her own familiar fingers, but it didn't really matter to her. The sensation in the moment was intense and she let herself fall completely under its spell. She arched her back, her mouth falling seductively open as the pleasure rose within her. She drew gasps of air in quick, brief rushes between gloriously indulgent moans. She was partially awake now, halfway between the fantasy of sleep and the reality of awake, still totally within her cascading arousal. Her hips churned, slowly at first, then faster, until her movement matched the passionate rhythm of her driven breath. Like a wave, building in size and power across an ocean, Lillith's arousal grew until it exploded with a scream of absolute delight, locking her body rigidly within the rich, overwhelming power of her orgasm. At the same moment, in the fading remnant of her dream, her arms broke free from their imprisonment and she held her loving mate in her arms. Lillith was just falling over the apex of her pleasure when a light, flickering feeling danced upon her sex. Unexpected and amazingly effective, the flickering sensation gripped her, pulling her back into the pleasure with an intensity that strained at her limits with its lingering reward. Now fully awake but lost in her long, luxurious moment, Lillith stretched her powerful body into an erotic sculpture of a muscular, young woman caught in the instant of the ultimate ecstasy. She cried out, but her strained voice left the words unintelligible and she collapsed, out of breath, out of strength, out of sleep, and almost out of the bed. Lillith cooed with contentment as she pushed her matted hair from her warm, damp face. Her breathing slowed, releasing a long, slow sigh before she rolled her disheveled blonde head to the side, her eyes still closed. "You certainly know how to wake a girl, Will'm," she murmured with a distinct satisfaction. "I just had the most wonderful dream." There was no response and she opened her eyes to see... Nothing. "Will'm?" "Hm?" a voice responded from the direction of her feet. She peered over her breasts to see a silhouette hovering over her legs. "Will'm, did you just do what I think you just did?" she murmured with a glint in her sleepy eyes. He kissed her on her thigh. "Yes, darling," he confessed, passing his hand over his cheek to remove some residual dampness. "I did indeed." "Mm," she cooed through pursed lips, rolling her hips seductively. "Tha's nice." "Glad you liked it, kitten," he said smoothly, moving up her body a bit to kiss her just above her navel. His lips touched the hard contours of her belly that contrasted so alluringly with the soft skin that flowed over them and he paused before looking up at the face that enjoyed seeing his appreciation for her body. "We just had to do it in our own time and our own way, I guess." "Our way," she whispered with a bright smile, loving the thought. "Our own way." They looked into each other's understanding eyes in silence. "Would you like to go back to sleep, darling?" he finally asked with a caring tenderness. Her hair danced about her head as a still sleepy Lillith gave her head a quick shake and ran her fingers lightly across his cheeks and through his hair. A playful smile lit up her face. "I wanna hold you and kiss you and kiss you some more and..." William slid forward to oblige, smiling just as brightly, but shuddered to a stop as if something had grabbed his ankle. His smile disappeared within the single blink of an eye. "Oh, shit," he mumbled, his eyes widening with concern. "What?" Lillith asked mischievously, thinking that he was feeling playful too. "Something's wrong, Lillith," William said nervously as his eyes lost their focus. He rolled to the side to slump down onto the bed much harder than she expected and Lillith sprang to her knees over him, frantically trying to understand what was happening. "Will'm!" she demanded, the worry in her voice bordering on fear. "Tell me what's wrong." William rolled onto his back and started to shiver. "I don't know," his voice quivered. "Lillith, there's something very wrong here. I can't seem to focus. The whole room is... I can't... Can't... Ungh!" William began to shake harder, his eyes clenched tightly closed as he convulsed uncontrollably. Lillith became frantic. "WILL'M!" she screamed, but William was beyond hearing. Lillith's pained face looked toward the Tetrite by the window. "Phil! What is it? What's happening?" "I will get the others, Mistress," said Phil calmly as he climbed down from his rock and trundled out the door. "Won't be a minute." "Please, hurry!" shouted Lillith, desperate to get help for her tormented mate. She held him, trying, hoping, wishing, but he continued to quiver. He felt increasingly warm as a reaction within him generated massive amounts of energy. She coddled him, angry with her own ignorance as to what to do to help him, her tears more from frustration than anything else. The shaking became more violent and William's entire body felt as if it was somehow rebelling against itself. She could only hang on, hoping that it would pass. Then, as if some hidden switch had been thrown, the convulsions stopped and she felt his body fall still in her arms. His arms, once locked in a grotesque reaction to the battle within him, now dangled limply from his shoulders and William's head slumped to the side. "Oh, Skietra!" she screamed. "I've killed him! I'VE KILLED HIM!" A dozen large Tetrites invaded the habitat with a huge, brown biomechanical pod in tow. It rolled on four small wheels--one squeaked intermittently--and it took most of the Tetrites to move it. The constant, droning discussion of mumbling voices bore a striking resemblance to a mob of enthusiastic attendees at a trade show, yet showed a focus to the task at hand. Their unapologetic removal of William from Lillith's arms and the nudging of her out of the way showed a certain detachment from her pained worry as to what was happening to her mate. The Tetrites fussed endlessly over the pod and William as Lillith kept trying to see over them or around them or even under them, frantic to find out what was going on. Large Grey lumbered in the door, followed by Phil. "Mistress," rumbled Large Grey. "Please come join us away from the undertaking." "HE'S DEAD!" she wailed loudly through flowing tears as she rushed to Large Grey's side. Large Grey immediately wished he had chosen his words better. "We are ready for the umbilicals," reported a Tetrite from the other side of the large brown pod. Illuminated gauges along one side of the device were indicating various levels of quantities of unknown things--the hybrid biomechanism was operating and ready for use. Large Grey nodded and the level of mumbling among the Tetrites increased. "Mistress," assured Large Grey as he wrapped a large fuzzy leg around Lillith's shoulder, "I can assure you that the William has survived and will be properly cared for." "He's not dead?" she asked in the high, squeaky, strained voice that comes with tears of worry. Phil offered her a small cloth to serve as a handkerchief and Lillith nodded her thanks with another emotional squeak. "No, Mistress," confirmed Large Grey. "He is merely in an Enhancement Coma. The Enhancement procedure was a success." "Boy, I'll say," muttered Lillith just before she blew her sorrowful nose. Large Grey glanced down at Phil who merely nodded with the sureness of an eyewitness. Lillith had barely cleared the handkerchief from her face when she saw something that she did not like at all. "Hey!" she hollered sharply. Every Tetrite froze in place and remained in stunned silence, waiting to hear the reason for her protest. "What are you doing?" she demanded, taking a step toward them and pointing at the Tetrite with the scalpel. "You could hurt him with that!" "Mistress, please..." "No! I will not allow you to harm him." "But, Mistress," said the Tetrite calmly, "if we do not make the incisions, there will be nowhere for the umbilicals." "He didn't come with umbilicals," countered Lillith sternly, trying to make a point. "Well, actually, Mistress," Phil began to tutor, "when he was born..." Large Grey silenced Phil with a nudge. "Mistress, please," comforted Large Grey calmly. "This procedure must be done. You know that we will do no harm to the William. We only wish what is good for him and for you. You know that, do you not?" Lillith nodded with her eyes down, feeling a bit bad that she had said anything quite so harsh that might show mistrust that she didn't actually have. Her reaction had merely been protective, not judgmental. Wanting to quickly put the moment behind her, she looked up to Large Grey. "What is all this stuff?" she asked privately. "The mechanism will insure the success of the DNA reprocessing, Mistress," replied Phil with great enthusiasm. "It will also amplify the sequencing manifested in such a way as to enhance the attributes." Phil's gleeful expression faded when he noticed that he was looking into the blank expression of the Planetary Protector. Lillith did blink once, though, so she was not totally unresponsive. Large Grey leaned down to clarify. "It will insure the safe and successful completion of the Enhancement, Mistress. And if all goes well, the William will not only attain powers, but will do so at levels much higher than one would expect from a normal Enhancement." "Oh," responded Lillith, still a little vacant, but trusting, "okay, go ahead." The level of mumbling conversation returned to the Tetrite group as the previous activities resumed and the surgical tool touched the appropriate spot on William's body. Two small slits were made in the abdomen where titanium inserts were fitted. These were couplings for the two, long umbilicals to the pod. The final connections completed, strange controls, little more than bumps on the surface of the part-mechanical, part-biological device, were manipulated and the large, mysterious mechanism throbbed with activity. A Tetrite cast a wary eye on a misbehaving gauge, tapped it twice with the tip of his leg, and nodded approvingly at the revised reading. Everything was working fine. "Come, Mistress," urged Large Grey, "let us give them room to function. It is a fine morning. Come, let us step outside for a brief while." Lillith nodded, still worried about William, but seeing no way for her to help right now. Just as they reached the door, Lillith peered back over her shoulder at the activity surrounding the comatose man on her bed. "He's not going to go into a coma every time we have sex is he?" she asked innocently. "No, of course not, Mistress," responded Large Grey. "Terran males never do that after sex. This is quite the exception." Lillith nodded and stepped out into the early morning sun of a new Tetra day. Inside the habitat, the mumbling voices diminished until the only sound was the strange fluggity-fluggity sound of the machine. A single Tetrite voice then announced a new, unanimous decision. "Pillows are contraindicated in the treatment." A snowstorm of the satin collectibles briefly erupted from the bed to the far corners of the habitat.   During the first day, the Tetrites were intent on keeping Lillith out of the habitat. In addition to her usual patrols, they found various needs for her presence around the planet. Rumors of an Arion renegade in the North, a lone Kintzi in the South, unknown alien problems in the Latitudes, all unconfirmed, all requiring her to see for herself, all mysteriously incorrect. Within the habitat, Tetrites continued to converse among themselves. Decisions were made and methods discussed as William continued in his unconscious state. In contrast to his outside appearance, the level of activity within him was furious. His entire genetic structure was undergoing what could only be described as an overhaul and an upgrade. DNA, that once contained finite sequences, now mutated into nearly infinite codes. The mutations were selective, leaving those genetic structures alone that defined his present physical appearance; William would not look much different from how he appeared before the Enhancement, yet the changes inside would be profound. It was a very tired and very concerned young woman who stepped quietly into the habitat that evening to look down upon her motionless mate. She rested her head on the edge of the bed, not far from his face, to watch him. Her eyes showed her deep concern and a touch of regret for what she feared was the wrong decision. A few moments of this quiet contemplation passed before Lillith noticed a tiny pair of beady eyes peering at her from the dark shadows at the head of the bed. "Hello," greeted Lillith with as much tired enthusiasm as she could gather and the beady eyes stepped forward from the shadows. It was the small Tetrite saved from death at the lagoon called Mina. "Have you been here long?" asked Lillith. "I heard he was sick," murmured the little Tetrite, unsure and worried. "Yes," sighed Lillith, letting her worry show too, "but he's going to get better." "He hasn't moved all day," announced Mina with a bit more confidence. "I should stay here to make sure he gets better." "Yes, he'd like that," agreed Lillith as she rested her head on the bed next to William. "We'll both watch over him." Mina took up position on William's warm shoulder, settling into the same position she had been in before Lillith entered the habitat. "Yes," Mina agreed with the finality of a done-deal, "he needs our attention." Lillith smiled just before sleep engulfed them both. There they remained through the night, watching over William.   The second day went a bit easier for everyone. Lillith understood that the Tetrites needed to have her out of the habitat while they worked on William. Unfortunately, Lillith understood that better than Mina did. The small Tetrite protested constantly at her temporary eviction from the habitat. Yet, complaints are not actions and Mina remained clear of the habitat until allowed back inside. What they were doing, Lillith didn't have a clue. Large Grey mentioned again that they were 'enhancing the Enhancement', whatever that meant. For Lillith, someone who understood the Tetrites very well, she just knew that they were working to see that the Enhancement was perfectly successful. In that, she continued to trust them completely. Within William, physiological changes became apparent on the cellular level. Muscle tissue laminated into finer and finer strands, rebuilding completely from within. Tendons and bone materially changed and two new organs appeared. Small, almost microscopic at first, they developed rapidly, gaining size and function. The afternoon was hot and Lillith sat beneath a large tree for the shade. Phil found her there; watching the habitat from a distance while Mina dozed nearby. "Mistress, you do not need to keep your distance," he assured. "Do you wish to enter the habitat?" "No," she said quietly, shaking her head slightly. "Not now. I'll go in later. I don't like seeing him like that, all hooked up and stuff." "Quite understandable, Mistress," agreed Phil. "I miss him," she sighed. "It has only been a day and a half, Mistress," informed Phil. "Too much," countered Lillith with a brisk shake of her head. "I miss him." Lillith looked up at the moving leaves above her. Her voice became far away. "I wish he was here... Touching my cheek... Whispering in my ear... Making me laugh..." She noticed that Phil was smiling at her. "Sorry," she apologized, letting her gaze fall to the ground. Phil only broadened his smile. "The William will be most appreciative of life when he awakens, will he not, Mistress?" "T'aye," she said firmly with a wink. "I'll see to that."   During the third day, Lillith changed her mind and would no longer leave the habitat. She, along with a now equally adamant Mina, sat for hours, watching, waiting, seeing to the connections, and tending to whatever needed tending to. The gauges had to be monitored and Lillith learned how. She would be there for him, not because the Tetrites weren't doing a wonderful job, but because she needed to and wanted to be there. He was her mate and her love and she would tend to him herself. That evening, there was a true need for the Protector of Tetra to intervene in an alien problem. She had seen the small ship descend through the atmosphere and now patiently waited a short distance away for the occupants to exit the craft. The ship looked Arion and, so, posed a threat that Lillith could not ignore. The hull was pitted and dark, showing years of neglect in service. It now hissed steadily, venting away excess pressure from the recently shutdown reaction engine. Lillith didn't want to be here--she wanted to be with William--and she found the subtle noise annoying. That wasn't the case with the eighty or so enthusiastically curious Tetrites who perched around the area at a safe distance to observe this unusual event. The hatch of the ship finally opened and a young Arion Prime leapt from the hatchway, completely avoiding the steps with a dramatic flare designed to show how unnecessary such passive mechanical assists were for him. He was tall, lean, approximately Lillith's age with an overly enthusiastic drive that was barely held in check. His shoulder length hair was as black as it was thick and the sunlight reflected from it with a bright sheen. The same sun gave him the legendary, Supremis strength of the Arion Prime and his muscular body, barely contained within a thin wisp of a shirt and khaki shorts, displayed his immense might. Landing hard on his feet, the dramatic teen bellowed his Arion war cry into the sky just before he slammed both of his fists down on a nearby boulder, shattering it into thirds. As the pieces fell away, he glared at Lillith with a snarl. "Do you want something?" she asked impatiently. "ARGH!" bellowed the Arion angrily, smashing another boulder into dust with one blow. The Tetrites glanced at each other. As near as they could figure out, this visitor was some sort of imprecise stonemason. "Look," remarked Lillith, "just tell me what you..." "I've come to challenge you to battle, Velorian," he shouted, pointing a finger at her. "I was passing through this sector when I detected your presence on this derelict planet and decided to kill you for sport." He sneered and put his hands on his hips defiantly. "Does it bother you to know that I've discovered your hiding place, woman? Do you fear us so much that you cower with fear on a planet of bugs?" "I live here," Lillith said with a shrug, a little more annoyed with this guy. "Live here?" he replied incredulously. "You lie! You hide from the power of the Arion Empire and the forces that will drive you and your sort of filth from the Universe. We will crush you all, destroy all who stand in our way, and drive them before us! We will..." As the Arion Prime continued with the Arion liturgy of conquest, Lillith turned her head to the side to speak to Phil. "What's this all about, Phil?" she whispered. "A young Arion come of age, Mistress," replied Phil calmly. "He is evidently seeking a rite of passage in challenging you. By doing battle with a formidable foe, the adolescent Arion Prime is accepted as a warrior into their society. It is quite difficult to find such an adversary when you are an Arion Prime and I am quite sure that he is most pleased to have discovered you here." "Oh, Skietra," Lillith sighed. "If you will excuse me, Mistress," mentioned Phil, "I will return to the habitat to see to the William." Lillith silently wished that she could go with him and nodded. "And when the heroes of Aria are victorious in their..." The Arion hadn't skipped a beat in his monologue. "Excuse me," Lillith prompted. " We will bury all of our enemies and..." "Um, could I just say something?" "For the glorious age of the Arion Prime..." "HEY!" Lillith's shout silenced the Arion and he stood seething with anger at her insolence. "Look, Arion," she began calmly, "I don't really have time to help you out with this right now. You see, I have a..." "SILENCE!" commanded the young warrior, putting on an impressive display of masculine prowess that would strike fear into the souls of any enemy within three quadrants. "I am not seeking your worthless help, woman. I only seek your defeat at my hands. Prepare yourself!" "Can't you come back later?" asked the, evidently, unimpressed Protector of Tetra. "WHAT?" exclaimed the perplexed Arion Prime. "I am here NOW, woman. I challenge you NOW!" "Well," she muttered, peeking back toward the distant habitat, "I'm kinda busy right now and..." "DO YOU DARE MOCK ME, WOMAN?!" he shrieked, hiding a bit of confusion behind more bluster. "No... No, just, you know, my mate's sick and I gotta get back to my habitat. If we could just..." "SICK? What do I care about your captive slave, Velorian whore. You cannot dismiss a great and powerful warrior like me so easily that..." "Oh," dismissed Lillith with a flick of her hand, "all you guys are 'great and powerful'. You don't need me for that. You're 'great and powerful'. I agree. Now you can go." "ARGH!" bellowed the young Prime, smashing a nearby stone boulder with his fist in a threatening display of his anger. "Fight, woman, or DIE!" "Look, go... Away," she demanded tersely, losing a bit of her patience with him. "I will leave when you are bleeding the last of your lifeblood at my feet, you Velorian bitch," snarled the contemptuous warrior-to-be. He stepped menacingly toward her and Lillith rolled her eyes with disgust. "Oh," groaned the young Velorian, steadying herself into the crouch of a combat stance. "Alright, but make it fast. I have to get back to my habitat." Not wanting to discuss the matter any further with this obviously demented woman, the immature Prime charged at her, howling his now familiar battle cry. His gigantic fist flashed through the air, roaring overhead loudly as she ducked beneath it. With a speed the Arion didn't expect, Lillith drove an awesome punch up into the muscular midsection of her attacker, raising him from the ground so hard that his eyes bulged with surprise. Before the now breathless Arion settled back to the surface, Lillith spun once to rocket her other fist straight into his levitated face, flinging the stunned male back with an explosive force that blew him through a forty-foot boulder, shattering it into rubble. The Arion was left prone on the dusty ground. He struggled to rise slightly, shaking the stars from his eyes. "There," pronounced Lillith. "Okay, challenge over. Now go home." Staggering to his feet, the humiliated Arion bellowed his defiance at her. "I WILL KILL YOU, YOU..." "Now, LOOK," Lillith said sternly, completely annoyed with this bothersome alien, "I don't have time for this. My mate is sick and I have to get back to my habitat. I don't have time to mess around with you right now. Get it? What's with you? Why don't you go..." "VELORIAN!" shouted the Arion, flexing his powerful body in a defiant challenge to her, "Stop your babbling and FIGHT!" "See, there you go again," commented Lillith, flipping her hand toward him to make her point. "All you guys ever want to do is fight as if it's going to be the best thing that's ever gonna happen to you. Why don't you go find a female and..." The Prime's anger now thundered uncontrollably within him. Enraged at her trivial comments, he charged directly at her. Before he was within two paces of her, Lillith lunged forward, determined to put a final end to this rite of Arion passage. She tore the powerful male to pieces with a deluge of kicks and punches, furiously pounding him from every direction at once. If he wanted a fight then here, she decided, was all the fight he wanted. Lillith vented the frustration and worry of the past few days upon the hapless Arion and it was more, so much more, than he had anticipated when he first arrived on this planet. If a fight was what it would take to get back to her habitat and to William, then Lillith heaped it upon him. She obliged and, within a few minutes, it was over. Now barely able to stand, the Arion teetered on unreliable legs. The world spun around him and only the ringing in his ears confirmed for him that he was still alive. He didn't notice her tugging him a bit to the left to line him up with his ship, never saw her pull her fist back, never saw it roar like a locomotive toward his head. In the years to come, he would be amazed that he could not remember the impact of her final punch. There was a brilliant flash of light in his mind, but he would not recall how he was flung through the air, passing as a blur through the hatchway of his ship to collide with the hull on the opposite side. He wouldn't remember how that hull was bowed out from his impact or how he slid from the damaged steel to the deck below. He would only remember the cold hardness of the deckplates on his throbbing face and of a naked, young, blonde Velorian Protector who taught him much about the realities of challenges and of living through them. "NOW, GO HOME!" screamed Lillith, incensed at this stupid Arion who was keeping her from her mate. "I can't leave until you go, so GO!" "You... You are insane," mumbled the shocked Arion, pulling himself unsteadily to his feet with the help of a nearby bulkhead. "Oh, that's IT!" spat Lillith, taking an angry step toward him. This guy, she thought, was going to leave the planet with or without that ship. "NO!" he cried out with the desperate realization that he was in over his head. His hand banged down on the hatch control and he had the engines started even before the hatch had completely closed. The ship roared from the surface and headed for the safety of the sky without hesitation. On board, a young but wiser Arion Prime with a bruised body and a bruised ego vowed that no one would ever hear of what happened here today. The agreement with his self-esteem settled, thoughts of ambushing an elderly Kintzi somewhere nice began to be entertained in his mind. Yes, that would do just fine. After all, everybody knows that Velorians are just more trouble than they're worth. Let her rot on that planet of bugs. He had no need for a simpleminded female Velorian who feared the greater glory of the Arion Empire. He laughed aloud at her feeble stupidity and glanced once out the side window to see if she was following. "I've got no time for this... Stupid... Nutty..." grumbled and mumbled the angry young Protector as she turned and stormed back to the habitat. Behind her, a speck of a shuttlecraft disappeared from the atmosphere, its engines roaring at maximum power and its pilot wishing he had more speed.   When she returned, the throbbing pod machine was gone, the umbilicals disconnected, and the inserts had been removed. William was wrapped in a bright, white bandage that covered his entire midsection. He was still unconscious. Phil explained that the treatment was completed and now they could only wait for William to awaken. There was nothing else to do. He also mentioned that Mina had been politely sent home with the understanding that she would be sent for when William awoke. That night, Lillith slept on the bed beside him, wishing silent wishes to Skietra, and missing William more than ever. Late the next morning William opened his eyes. The sunlight through the window forced him to squint a bit until his eyes adjusted. It was, he thought, perhaps around noon. He must have overslept. His head throbbed a bit, as if he had been on a bender the night before. Hangovers, he knew about and, right now, he had a beauty. Sitting up on the edge of the bed, he felt a slight tug on his waist. His hand gripped some kind of bandage that sheared away with the slightest pull. "Hmph," he grunted, "cheap stuff." William inspected himself for a wound, any kind of reason that someone would wrap him up in a bandage. He found nothing and could only conclude that someone had made some kind of mistake. He stood, finding himself to be a bit woozy and unsteady, but, within a moment, that passed and he took a few tentative steps. He was beginning to feel better every minute and his thoughts turned to... "Lillith?" he called out. A blur blew in through the door, jumping into his arms to smother him with kisses. "Will'm, Will'm, oh, Will'm," she exclaimed between rapid-fire kisses. "You're okay! You're awake! Oh, how I've missed you. Missed you. Missed you!" "Lillith..." "Oh, Will'm! You feel so good. I was so sure you were dead, but Grey said you weren't and I said okay but why is he just lying there and..." "Darling, I..." "The Tetrites helped, they really did, with all of their stuff..." "Honey..." "They said they improved the Enhancement, whatever that means, and all I asked was..." William pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss to quiet her excitement. Without a thought, his arms pulled her tightly to him as hers thoughtlessly wrapped around his neck. So lost in the kiss was she that she hung from his neck as she raised her legs to wrap them around his waist. They finally released the kiss and William smiled as he looked into her eyes. "Hi," he whispered. "Hi-eee," she breathlessly sighed, her smile scrunching her nose for an instant before her expression changed to complete horror. Lillith jumped away from William, releasing him as if she had just committed a terrible crime. "Oh, Will'm," she wailed, "I'm sorry! I encircled you! Are you okay?" "I'm fine," laughed William, more than a bit surprised that he was. "Let's try that again. I like that thing with the legs." With a coy grin, Lillith stepped close to him, placing her arms around his neck. When William wrapped his arms around her waist, she could feel him pull her firmly closer, leaving her lips mere inches from his. "We're encircling," he whispered. "T'aye," she murmured, feeling his hand slide down her back to give her a gentle squeeze. "How long was I out?" he asked in the same whispered voice. "Today's the fourth day," she whispered back. "I really missed you." William broke the spell. "Four days?" he said too loudly. "Holy shit!" "Shush," Lillith corrected, trying to restore the moment. "Didn't you hear me? I really"... she kissed him..."Really"... she kissed him again... "Missed you." She pressed her body against his, stroking his leg with the inside of her thigh. It felt wonderful. "Am I enhanced now?" he asked smoothly in her left ear, the moment fully restored. "Uh-huh," she nodded playfully. "And that means you can't hurt me?" he whispered into her right ear. "Not unless I want to," she replied with a devilish grin. "So, just how strong am I now?" "Let's find out." Lillith took a step back, her flirtatious eyes riveted to his. She raised her arms from her sides a bit, turning her palms toward him. "Push my arms back," she dared. William placed his hands in hers and pushed. Lillith wobbled a bit as her arms swept back before she corrected with more pressure. William pushed harder and Lillith's arms wavered just a bit before she countered, matching him. They continued to look deeply into each other's eyes, discovering new and fascinating sensations. "Wanna go for it?" asked William, smiling. "Do it," confirmed Lillith with a coy tilt of her head. William lunged forward with all the force he could gather. His body exploded with immense muscle as Lillith's arms folded back behind her. Straining, Lillith's body also expanded, her muscles growing huge with enormous power. Both of them gritted their teeth as their hands began to heat from the incredible pressure generated by their test. Their feet dug into the stone floor of the habitat, cracking and splintering the surface. Finally, William's arms began to give way. When their straining arms returned to the place where the test had begun, Lillith let out a grunt, signaling a huge effort that bent William's arms back behind him in a clear victory for her. "Okay, okay," he declared. "You win. You made your point." "Wow," she commented breathlessly, releasing him. "I really had to work at that, Will'm. I don't think this is a normal Enhancement. You're nearly as strong as me." Lillith stepped closer to hide a secret whisper. "I think the Tetrites really did do something." Both William and Lillith slowly turned to peer peculiarly at Phil, who sat quietly upon his rock. Phil was in mid-yawn and didn't notice them staring until his mouth closed and his eyes reopened. Then he glanced nervously from Lillith to William and back, rotating his head a bit from curiosity. "What?" he asked. Before anyone could question or answer, Large Grey lumbered into the habitat. "Ah, I see the William has revived successfully," he boomed pleasantly. "Does the William feel fit?" "Morning, Grey," greeted William. "I feel fine. Lillith and I were just checking out my new Enhancement." "I trust it meets with her approval," said Large Grey graciously. Lillith was hugging William, her head resting on his chest. "Uh-huh," was her only response. "I really impressed her, Grey," quipped William, just now noticing the broken spots on the floor. "I guess we both made quite an impression." "Yes, most humorous," thundered Large Grey dryly, clearing his throat to change the subject to what he felt was much more important. "It is most imperative that the William begin his testing and training immediately. We must determine the range and extent of his new powers in order to establish a training regime best suited to the William. This is all quite crucial." "Oh, come on, Grey," moaned William. "We just went through the Enhancement and want to spend some time together." He looked into Lillith's eyes. "I missed her too much to leave her now." She melted into his arms. "The William must understand that the Enhancement has given him much more than simply the ability to tolerate the affections of the Mistress. There are ancillary capabilities that the William will soon discover that require a regime of training and testing to..." "Alright, Grey, alright." William kissed Lillith good-by. "Honey, I'll be back soon, I'm sure. Okay?" "No," came her simple answer. "Yeah, hon, me too," he answered with a wink and a caress of her cheek. Lillith followed them to the door of the white habitat, stopping there to lean against the frame. She looked a bit sad at the limited time she and William had spent together since his awakening, but was very pleased to have him back. Her large, sad eyes watched Large Grey, Phil, and William walk from the habitat, down the dusty path, to begin his training. "Uh, tell me something, Grey," began William, squinting from the bright sun. "If the William requires information, I will comply," responded Large Grey as they continued steadily down the curving pathway. "Well, I was just wondering," continued William, peering back over his shoulder at the blonde beauty watching him. "Do you think Lillith and I could, you know, do more than encircle each other right now?" "I trust that the William and the Mistress have already determined that for themselves," replied Large Grey with a bit of a tired sigh. "Well, yeah, but," William glanced back at Lillith again. "Do you think we could, um... Mate?" "Without conclusive data I could not offer valid information to the William regarding the survivability of such an undertaking." "Well, yeah, I understand that, but what about a gut feeling?" Large Grey groaned at the thought. "What one feels in their stomach has more to do with what has been recently ingested than with any uninformed opinion or intuition," tutored Large Grey. William tried a different tact. "Okay, okay, but based upon the information that you have today, would your judgement in a preliminary assessment be positive or negative?" William couldn't believe he had just said all of that. Large Grey stopped walking to look blankly toward the sky as he pondered the question. When he did, Lillith stood, as if anticipating something. William looked toward her and winked once before turning back to Large Grey to await the answer. "I would have to say that any preliminary assessment concerning the subject would have to be positive," concluded Large Grey. A small cloud of dust floated by his face. "But I would caution the William not to place too great a weight on such opinions since..." When Large Grey turned to make his point, William was gone. Lillith's squeal of delight from within the habitat eliminated any confusion as to where William might have gone in such a hurry. "Terran promiscuity," Large Grey grumbled, his deliberate pronunciation of each syllable showing a clear annoyance with this new delay. "They both seem quite enthusiastic," commented Phil pleasantly, trying to help.   Passions unleashed, the two lovers became enveloped within the lush richness of their foreplay. William quickly discovered the joys of her, the total absence of inhibition, the spontaneous responsiveness to his touch, the limitless desire for pleasure and to please. Lillith was all of this and more as she used her body in ways William had never imagined. Her amazing ability was not due to experience gained from multiple lovers over many years, for there were few opportunities for the isolated, young woman to have such encounters. In Lillith, as in all Protectors, there was an instinct; an intimate knowledge borne out of her being that she had not known existed. She simply did what she felt to do, surprising even herself with the intricate rapture of her lovemaking. The myths had said that Velorian Protectors had originally been engineered to be the lovers of the lonely Ancient Ones and that they had been left to protect the planets when the Ancient Ones evolved beyond the need for them. Perhaps it could be said, perhaps it definitely would be said by anyone fortunate enough to make love with one of these magnificent creatures, that there was much truth to the mythology. Lillith discovered the delicious taste of living a fantasy. She had longed for a mate with the power of this male who now pulled her so firmly into passion. He was gloriously strong, overwhelming her senses, fueling her libido with his might. She never imagined nor let herself believe that any creature in the Universe could do what her lover was doing right now and the reality aroused her into a world she had never known. Shouts, groans, urgent calls for more, cries of joy, gasps of passion, they unleashed their lust for each other, consumed within an uninhibited embrace as they wrestled wildly across the bed and onto the floor. "Will'm!" she screamed as he held her arms behind her, lavishing tantalizingly erotic attention to the full length of her body. "WILL'M!" Her urgent desire fueled his own as he gripped her waist to enter... The habitat shook hard, the sound of a distant rumble mixing with the dull thud of candles falling to the floor. William and Lillith sat bolt upright, electrified with the horror of the sound. Their wide eyes looked out the window that faced the Faldref Mountains to see brilliant flashes, the deadly weapon discharges from a multitude of gigantic, dark-hulled warships that fired at the surface of the planet. The delayed sound of each explosion now rumbled continuously through the open window. "Christ," mumbled William, still shocked at the sight, "Arions." The word snapped Lillith's face back to him from the scene at the window, her eyes filled with apprehension, fear, and a hundred other emotions. She was the Protector; there was no one else, only her. Outside, in the skies of her planet, was a deadly armada of warships, already killing hundreds of the simple creatures she had sworn to protect. She had never faced such a huge threat before and now she had no choice but to do so. She had to leave, leave her new lover, her wonderful, beautiful lover. Within her, she fought against the desire to stay, struggled with the need to hold him just a moment longer, to feel his touch for just one more instant in time. Yet, even as she searched his eyes, she knew that could not happen. She was Lillith, Protector of Tetra, and she was needed. Her hands shook as she kissed him one more time, perhaps for the last time, and with all of her strength, pulled away from him to run out of the habitat, to her duty. "Lillith," he murmured, staring at where she had gone, unable to find the words to say to her, even if she could hear them. William closed his eyes tightly to fight back the emotions, silently asking anyone who could hear him to keep her safe. Another severe shake of the habitat prompted him to jump from the bed, grab his trousers, and run through the door, jumping over a frantic Phil trundling wildly into the habitat. "Sir! The Arions! Oh... You know." The First War of Tetra had begun. Next Chapter That Which One Begins, Copyright © 2001 by S.T.MAC