Captain Nouristao Kematsopoulos and the Empress of All Galadon were in the secret room of the palace basement. They had finished the first phase of the Ankhanahkstoi, "The Joining". For now, the couple was entranced in the second phase. This was a critical stage of sleep needed to help both the hanahk and ank rejuvenate and get the strength need for the next phase. After completing the lengthy sleep cycle, they should be sufficiently rested to undertake the third and final phase, "The Separating".

Unfortunately a trail of blood disappearing beneath a blank wall had drawn the terrorists to the couple. Alara and Nouri would never get the chance to finish the ritual properly. The terrorists found the concealed lock and opened the door. The lead terrorist saw the two sleeping and smiled. She had found the two most important prizes of his quest, the Empress and the Starfleet Captain. She smiled evilly. They were alive.

She went over and kicked the Human to get him to his feet. Unsuccessful, she motioned to the one in her group who acted as their medic.

The human was in some sort of heavy, trance-induced, sleep and could not be woken up with drugs, he reported. The terrorists then concentrated their efforts on the "Lady Alara". Her synaptic patterns were not the same and the medic gave her a stimulant.

"The Lady Alara" woke up and demanded with both authority and grace, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The leader smiled again and said, "That does not matter. We have found you."

"MOVE! And get that one up," she barked and motioned to the Human.

The Empress protested, "It is too soon. He must rest. He could . . ."

". . . die?" the terrorist interrupted. "That matters not when or where to me. MOVE! or it will be now!" she demanded.

The Empress, having no choice, released her hold on the CO. Nouri opened his eyes and looked around. He was groggy, but quickly assessed the situation. There were few advantages that he and Alara held. They were still linked telepathically and able to hear each others thoughts and could access each others memories. That and a good surprise were all the weapons they had.

Nouri made a plan and told the Empress through the bond/link; she quickly agreed.

Outside the secret room, Ambassador Garne also found the trail of the Captain's blood and the door. He tripped the lock and peered in cautiously inside. The Ambassador saw several Galadons, a few Federation aliens, his Empress and the alien captain. He also saw how his Empress and the Captain's eyes blazed with the blue fire. "The Ankhanahkstoi," he thought. "With an alien? How could this be?" Garne wondered.

Also outside the secret room was Ensign Royan. He saw the Ambassador open a door that he never knew was there. The Ensign rushed to get in before door closed.

The terrorist leader saw the Ambassador and drew her knife. She waved it at Garne.

"Please join us, Ambassador Garne," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why do you want me to join you?" he demanded sternly.

She laughed and motioned again, "The obvious. MOVE! I am sure the Empress has missed you."

The Ambassador was shocked. "H-how...? I .... don't know what you're saying," he stuttered.

"Yes, we know who she really is," the woman grinned.

As Ensign Royan approached the open door he saw the woman with the knife and Ambassador Garne, but he could not see the others yet.

This terrorist leader knew that the Ambassador had enough information to figure out the whole plan and did not want the others in her group to know what she was really up to. She lunged toward Garne with her knife. The Ambassador moved, but failed to dodge the blade. She stabbed him and watched him die.

The CO and the Empress now had their distraction-and their only chance to save the others and themselves. The couple began fighting the terrorists using the Empress' telepathic abilities and the Captain's knowledge of the martial arts. The other captives joined in.

Ensign Royan burst into the secret room and jumped the lead terrorist taking her by surprise. After several minutes the terrorists were beginning to lose the battle in the room.

The terrorists cursed losing and the suspended stone particles in the air. It prevented the use of energy weapons. If they had they been able to use them, the fight would be theirs to win.

Finally, elite members of the Galadonese Defense Force appeared on the scene and stormed the room. When they entered they saw to their shock their Empress and some Humans fighting together against Galadons. (They knew of the Empress' disguise and plans, but only few Galadons did. Most believed she had been on the planet the entire time and had no idea she had left to observe the negotiations and the Federation herself.)

Ensign Royan grabbed one of the terrorists and put a knife to his throat. The throat was soft and vulnerable and yielded to the pressure of the knife.

A faint trickle of blood appeared.

Captain Kematsopoulos stopped his struggle briefly and noticed a thin stream of green blood running down the "Galadon's" throat. The Empress saw it too, but through the Captain's eyes. Her blue eyes now grew wide at the impossible color she saw, for like Humans, all Galadons bleed red.

"Whoever this fellow was, he was not really one of us," the Empress thought.

The Captain, however, had a good idea who that terrorist and some of the others might really be. "Romulans!" he thought aloud.

It all was beginning to make more sense to him now. Some of the outstanding questions he had over the last month were finally beginning to get answers . . .

WHACK! The distraction of discovering Romulans involved cost the Captain dearly. He fell to the ground. His assailant sprang upon him with a knife. The Captain raised his left hand in a block. The knife slashed his forearm and found his chest. They struggled.

General Ghardon from the GDF entered the secret room and yelled, "Everyone freeze!"

The terrorists ignored the General and fought to the death. They knew they had no other choice. They also knew that energy weapons were useless and that the GDF did not have any projectile weapons with them. The Romulans had a chance, even if it was slim, to pull this off and they were gong to take it.

The Empress and Captain became weaker and weaker by the moment. They could not continue much longer. The Captain's assailant attempted to stab him again. Nouri tried to roll away from the knife. It worked, but just barely. He got up and landed another punch to his attacker's head. The terrorist fell to the ground.

Nouri staggered closer to "Alara". She was getting too weak to continue fighting also. She told him through the bond/link that they did not have much time left. They fought together closer and more defensively. Then their weakened bodies gave out and they collapsed. The terrorists who were fighting them ignored them and concentrated on the GDF, Ensign Royan and others who continued the battle.

Three minutes later, with the help of the GDF, all the terrorists are dead or subdued.

General Ghardon approached the Empress who was lying exhausted and seriously injured on the floor. He knelt down and bent his knee in respect.

"My Empress, we will take you to the Temple. It is the closest and has the best chance of restoring you."

"Take this man also," the Empress said pointing to Nouri, who also lie dying.

"But this . . . this is an alien!" he exclaimed.

"This alien saved my life. His people, the Federation, are not like the Tureth." She put her hands on the General head and used what little strength she had left to make him understand. The Empress of All Galadon showed him in seconds the events of the past few hours.

"I beg forgiveness, my Empress, I did not understand."

"No offense was made to require forgiveness," she said weakly.

General ordered his unit, "You heard our Empress. MOVE!"

The Empress, and the Human who saved her life were taken out on antigrav stretchers and rushed to the Temple.

The Empress and Nouri were brought to the Temple as swiftly as possible, but it was not soon enough. The couple was dying, having not completed the last two stages of the Ankhanahkstoi and having sustained additional serious injuries in the fight.

Medical doctors from the city and from the USS Eagle were dispatched to the Temple to help the pair, but not much could be done. The Empress was the only one from Galadon with the telepathic powers strong enough to restore the couple to consciousness. She was locked in a coma with her hanakh, from the Ankhanahkstoi never having been finished properly.

The Galadons and Eagle crew members waited and waited, hoping for some sign for something to do. Finally it came . . .

The couple awoke.

Then the adepts and doctors began their part of the work.