"No, we didn't," Steel replied. "We agreed, all of us, to never talk about it in case someone else decided they wanted it, and put us back to work in the mine for their benefit."

"That was the smartest thing you could have done under the circumstances," Tani said. "Unfortunately it now looks like someone has decided to follow the Xanti's lead, and since no one else knows about this metal, they don't have any competition. All they had to do was move in and pick up where the Xanti left off."

"How is that possible?" Astra asked. "I thought the Xanti and their entire world were destroyed."

"They were, but the Xanti never created anything, Astra," Tani said. "All of their technology, everything they had, was stolen from worlds that they subjugated and enslaved. It's not unthinkable that one of those races would decide to use technology they created to take the Xanti's place."

"I don't understand how anyone who was once enslaved could ever enslave others," Astra said.

Tani shrugged. "People do things I don't understand all the time. My Mom says that one of the biggest mistakes people make is to judge others by their own principles."

"Meaning?" Steel asked, frowning.

"It means that if you believe enslaving people is the worst thing anyone else could ever do, you might assume that others who've been enslaved feel the same way, so you don't expect them to do it.

"But not everyone will believe as you do. Others who've been enslaved may believe that in order to prevent themselves from being enslaved again, they must enslave others to make themselves stronger. They must climb to the top of the heap themselves in order to keep anyone else from getting there first."

"You have to think the worst of other people then, is that what you mean?" Astra asked.

"Not at all," Tani said. "It just means that you can't rule out the possibility that others are capable of far worse than you could imagine of yourself. You don't have to understand why they do something. You just can't close your eyes to the possibility."

"We do not want to be at the top of the heap," Steel said. "We just want to be left alone to live as we choose."

"And you should have that," Tani said. "When will it be safe for us to send a transmission?"

"I don't know," Steel said. "We'll reach Garza tomorrow, but if we do anything to give away our position before then, they'll be able to track us. We suspect that they know where the caves are, but until we know that for fact, we act like they don't know."

"Once we set down?"

"We'll take a transmitter to an area far from the caves, then you can send your message," he said.

"All right," Tani said, then took a deep breath. "Now I'm going to tell you what I think." Astra and Steel exchanged another look, then nodded. "First of all, and correct me if I'm wrong, Steel, but you had no indication that you were being followed by the Nomen when you left your world to find me, did you?"

"No, we didn't," Steel said. "But how did you know that?"

"You transported Astra down to the planet, alone. You wouldn't have done that if you'd known they were there no matter how many micro cams she wore."

Steel nodded. "True."

"I also couldn't help but notice that all four of the Nomen who attacked us looked exactly alike. I'm used to seeing people who look alike since Jasani are always born in threes. My sisters and I are identical except for the color of our eyes. But these guys weren't Jasani. Am I wrong or do all Nomen look alike?"

"You're not wrong, Tani, they all look alike," Steel confirmed, then held up one finger. "There's one who looks different. He has yellow hair and is not as big as the others. He goes by the name Brutus."

"You said that the current Nomen look different from the ones before, right?"

"Yes, that's right. They were smaller, and had black hair."

"It seems pretty obvious to me that the Nomen begin as clones, and always have been. Whoever's making them have just upgraded to a bigger, stronger template."

"Yes, that is our belief as well," Steel said.

"What else, Tani?" Astra asked.

"When we were attacked, the first two Nomen approached from behind you, Astra," she said. "But the second set entered the alley from the opposite direction. From the direction of my dorm." Astra nodded, remembering that now that Tani mentioned it.

"It makes no sense for them to come at you from opposite directions unless they had some prior knowledge of your destination. Is there any chance of that, however small?"

"No, that's not possible," Steel said. "Astra never mentioned a specific destination other than the New Oxford campus."

Tani nodded, unsurprised. "I'm fairly certain that the second pair of Nomen were after me, not Astra. Well, not me specifically. I'm sure either of my sisters would have done as well."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Lots of reasons," Tani said. "But the most important reason is that the Nomen who threw the tranquilizer dart was directly in front of me when Astra knocked me out of the way, and he made eye contact with me. The only way he could have hit me accidentally was if he'd known ahead of time that Astra was going to push me out of the way. As it was, he aimed for my right arm and got my left, instead.

"Furthermore, the one with the knife was directly in front of Astra, and considering the wound she received, I think the knife would have killed her if she hadn't tried to push me out of danger." Tani shook her head. "They knew I was a Jasani Princess, I'm certain of it. They'd probably been waiting for one of us to separate from our sisters for some time."

Steel hadn't paid much attention to the second set of Nomen, so he'd have to review the vid to be sure, but his gut was telling him that Tani was correct. "We'd narrowed the overhead image to display the first two Nomen, never suspecting that there'd be more of them. That was careless of us." He looked at Tani. "Do you think they wanted to ransom you?"

"Oh no, not at all," Tani said. "They wanted to inject a controller into my brain, then let me go on my merry way."

"What makes you think that?" Astra asked curiously.

"I think that, in addition to their other alterations, your Nomen have controllers," she said. "It's a guess, but your description of them being cold and emotionless fits. If I'm right, whoever makes them could have an army of beings who can easily pass as human, and who will follow any order given to them without hesitation."

"That's a chilling thought," Steel said, and Tani nodded in agreement.

"Then they were trying to kill me, not you," Astra said, her cheeks paling. "Thanks for saving my life, Tani."

"You're more than welcome, Astra, but I owe the bigger thanks. Without you, this ship, her crew, and the transport beacon, I'd be walking around under someone else's control right now." Tani frowned. "I think the controllers being used now must be different, more advanced than the earlier ones. I'll have to ask my parents about that." Tani stood up suddenly. "It's getting late and you should get some rest, Astra. Take one of those pills if you need it."

"Thanks, Tani," Astra said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Astra, Steel," Tani said.

Steel stood up and bowed to her. "Goodnight, Tani," he said, his voice low and warm. "Thank you for listening to our story, and for taking such good care of Astra."

"You're welcome, Steel," she said. She stopped in the corridor after leaving Astra's room to orient herself, surprised to realize that, if she was right, her room was just around the corner. Then she turned and began walking, trying to remember the lessons her Aunt Glory had taught her and her sisters when they were children.

"Aunt Glory, I'm so glad you found me," Tani said, hurrying toward her. She wrapped her arms around the much taller woman and squeezed before stepping back. "I tried to call you like you taught us, but I wasn't sure if it worked or not."

"It worked well enough," Glory said, smiling to see that Tani looked unharmed, even in her dreams. "It's such a relief to see you. Are you well?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Tani said. "And I wasn't kidnapped, either, though I suspect that's what everyone thinks."

"Yes, that is what we thought at first, but Nica assured us that you were in no immediate danger," Glory said. "We're worried just the same of course, especially since Nica cannot tell us where you are. Hopefully you can give me that information, as well as an explanation for your sudden disappearance."

"I can and I can't," Tani said. She proceeded to tell Glory all that she knew as quickly as possible, specifically explaining why she hadn't been able to contact anyone. As Tani spoke, she saw Glory's bronze eyes go from warm relief, to icy fury, to understanding, and back to fury again, but she never interrupted once. When Tani was finished with her story, Glory asked a few questions just to clarify things in her own mind.

"I wish I could tell you the location of the world we're going to, but I don't know it and even though Astra told me the name, I can't remember it at the moment," Tani said. "I'll get that information and give it to you tomorrow night. These people need help, Aunt Glory. Desperately. They've been all but wiped out."

"We will do all that we can, of course, Tani," Glory said. "Your parents left for EDU-12 the day after your disappearance, three days past. I'll contact them, and then I'll contact Nica. After that I'll share the news with the others."

"Thank you, Aunt Glory," Tani said, relieved to know that help would soon be on the way.

"It's past time for you to return to your true dreams," Glory said. "Now that I've found you, I will be able to find you again, so don't worry about trying to reach me."

"I'm so grateful that you're a Dream Walker, Aunt Glory," Tani said, hugging her again. "I love you."

"I love you, too, little angel," Glory said, returning the hug. "Off with you now."

Chapter 3.

First thing the following morning Tani went to check on Astra, pleased to find her friend up and dressed, her eyes bright and clear. "I feel great," she said when Tani asked. "I slept well, and woke up hungry. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I wanted to check on you first. Besides, I don't even know where to go to get food."

"That's right, you were out about as long as I was, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was," Tani said. "How does your wound feel?"

"A bit sore, but no more than that."

"I need to check it, clean it, and change the bandage," Tani said. "We can do it before we eat or after, up to you."

"Let's do it after," Astra said. "I'm hungry."

Tani followed Astra toward the galley which was, like the rest of the ship, outdated but very neat and clean. The food processor didn't have the range of selections she was used to, but it had no trouble producing her favorite breakfast and a large mug of steaming coffee. She carried her meal to one end of the long table bolted to the floor and sat down, then waited for Astra to join her before she began eating. A few minutes later Steel joined them, and then two more men after him.

"Princess Tanjelia Dracon, this is Marbic, our navigator, and you've already met Khurda."

Tani nodded to each man in turn, noticing that they were both smaller than Steel, and that Marbic, like Khurda, didn't have Steel's top knot. He had long, dark brown hair worn in a braid, greenish brown eyes, and a thin mustache. "And please, call me Tani."

Her easy manner and friendly smile relaxed both men, as she'd intended. They returned her smile, then chose seats a few feet away from the women, and bent their heads, and their attention, to their meals. Steel sat next to Astra and the two spoke quietly while Tani very carefully didn't listen.

"How are you this morning, Tani?" Steel asked after Astra had assured him that she was fine. "I trust you slept well?"

"I did," she said. "In fact, I was able to contact my Aunt Glory." Everyone stilled at her words and all eyes turned to her in surprise. She started to smile at their surprise, but before she could explain herself, Steel shot to his feet, sending his chair flying back so hard that it crashed into the wall ten feet behind him.

"You sent a message knowing that it would put all our lives at risk?" he growled furiously. "You lied to me."

The moment Steel shot to his feet, something deep inside of Tani stirred. When he accused her of sending a message, it came fully awake. When he accused her of lying, it fought to come to the surface. Tani noticed this on a subliminal level only as she watched Steel's reaction with growing anger.

She rose to her feet slowly, her soft gray eyes glowing like twin moonbeams, her lips pulled back in a snarl, baring teeth that suddenly looked a little too sharp. "You've insulted the honor of a Dracon Princess, Ganzorig Khaan. Speak carefully, or I shall be forced by honor to challenge you to a death duel. Be warned; if we duel, I will win." Her syntax was formal, her delivery cold, and her voice deep, growly and not remotely human.

Steel froze as every instinct he possessed warned him to be very careful, remain silent, and to make no sudden movements. He was facing something more than Tani right now, something that he'd awakened with his short temper and careless words. He wasn't afraid, but he understood with absolute certainty that she could, and would, do exactly as she'd said, and his superior size and weight wouldn't slow her down a bit.

For several long moments no one moved. They barely dared to breathe. Then Astra stood up and walked around the table to Tani's side. She placed one hand on the smaller woman's shoulder, gaining her attention. "Would you mind changing my dressing now, Tani?"

Tani stared at her, blinked, then nodded slowly. The entire room cautiously relaxed. "Of course," she said, her voice still too deep, but much more...human...than it had been moments earlier. She turned her gaze back to Steel, her eyes no longer glowing, but no longer warm, either. "You, King of the Khun, should assemble knowledge before you speak." Tani picked up her coffee mug and left the room without a backward glance.

When the women were gone, Steel retrieved his chair and sat back down, more shaken by his instinctive wariness of Tani than the sudden and unexpected change in her eyes and voice. He picked up his coffee cup, put it down, then stared at the cooling food on his plate.

"What in the nine hells just happened?" Khurda asked.

"What happened is that Steel let his stars-be-damned temper get away from him again," Marbic said with disgust. "We need that woman's help, Steel. Our families, all of our people, need her to convince ICARUS to help us. And you call her a liar to her face! What is wrong with you?"

"She broke her word," Steel said without conviction.

"No, she didn't," Khurda said mildly. "First of all, the only transmitter on this ship that I haven't disabled is in the control room, and she hasn't been there. Second of all, I have a scanner running that will sound an alarm if anyone tries to send a message, or even turn on a different transmitter which, thirdly, would also disable said transmitter."

Steel frowned, but he didn't question Khurda. If Khurda said something, it was true. Steel felt the blood drain from his face as he realized what he'd just done, and what he'd said. He wished he could figure out how to get control of his temper, but it seemed that the more stressed he got, the shorter his fuse became. And anger brought out the monster in him.

"How did she get a message out then?" he asked.

"I don't know," Khurda replied. "Maybe you should have asked her that before you went off on her. Besides, she never said she got a message out, Steel. She said she contacted her Aunt."

It seemed a small difference, but Steel sensed that it was an important one. He nodded. "I shall apologize."

"I think you should just stay the hell away from her," Marbic said. "She seems like a nice person, Steel. She hasn't said one word against us for refusing to let her contact her family, or for taking her to Garza without even asking her first. Not to mention the fact that she healed Astra. And you told us yourself that she's agreed to help us. But she meant what she said, Steel. She has power. A lot of it. We all felt it. And she'll use it if she has to defend herself."

"I know," Steel said, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. "I can't stay away from her, Marbic. I will apologize though, and I will ask her to explain what she meant."

"Politely," Marbic said. Steel dipped his head in a nod. He'd be polite. He'd even grovel if necessary. Not because he wanted information from Tani, or because she'd gotten angry, either. But because beneath whatever it was that had come forth to protect her, he'd sensed a deep well of pain. He was by no means responsible for all of it, but he had caused some of it, and that was unacceptable. He wouldn't rest until he found a way to take that pain away, no matter what it took.

Tani followed Astra through the ship in silence as she thought about what had just happened in the galley. For some reason, she couldn't seem to remember it all. She remembered Steel being angry, she remembered what he'd said and how much it hurt, and she sort of remembered getting angry at him which, all by itself, was shocking. But there was something else. Something she couldn't remember no matter how hard she tried.

When they got to the infirmary she asked Astra to sit on the medi-cot and then went searching for the supplies she needed. She remembered where she'd found things the previous day, so it didn't take her long. A few minutes later she was carefully removing the bandage covering the wound when she felt something warm on her chest. She reached up and touched the spot, surprised to feel the dragon pendant under her shirt. She pulled it out to lie on top of the shirt and returned to the bandage.

"What's that?" Astra asked.

"What?" Tani asked absently as she set the bandage aside. "The necklace?"

"Yes. Is that a dragon?"

"Yes," Tani said.