snip

“Ancient wrongs are made right
curses flown and frustrated leave the fray.
Beware the Seekers eyes darkening as night
For great peril will return in that day.
Swords of seven freed to roam be
Hidden from the eyes of mortal time
A scion from Bloodlust’s tree
Will see their return into rhyme.”

Stark sighed as he explained, “I was given the name Star Seeker when I was born. When my eyes turned black Emrys named me Stark Nightstalker by cunningly inserting the word Knight into my name. My eyes did turn black again as Skotos called for me and Bloodlust is a reference to S’Raal who for a time was gripped with an ancestral condition that made him go berserk in battle and of course now that Meryidiyth has been born that part of the prophecy is also fulfilled”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

S’Raal’s eyes were downcast and one tear fell to the floor as the name Bloodlust was used. His memories of that time were not pleasant.

S’Raal Cran Moonshadow

T’Pon put her hand on S’Raal’s golden shoulder, “It was necessary my dear, your actions saved us, you died to save us. If it hadn’t been for Emrys and Laraan bringing you back from the abyss, Merydiyith would have never been born”. Her head suddenly came up and nailed Emrys with a fiery stare, “and just what does my infant daughter have to do with this?”

“Such things r hidn from me T’Pon” Emrys said with a shrug of his deformed shoulders, “Ye know that I have been limited…”

“For good reason” T’Pon retorted. Turning to the others she continued, “Last time we had an idea of what we would be up against, We had been tracking the enemy for years. This time we’re going into it completely blind. I have no idea what to expect when we go into the past of the mirror dimension to find the Swords, no idea at all”.

T’Pon

Tello listened, trying to put all the information in order. “So, who needs to find a sword when we are taken wherever we need to go? Stark already has his and T’Pon and S’Raal apparently were on the last mission. Who else is new to this whole idea? Anyone?”

—Anaar, XO

Marishka had been silent. In her mind there was no need for words. She could gain more information by observing everyone’s behavior. She fixed Emrys with a cold silver eyed glare. She knew he had to be useful somehow and liking him wasn’t necessary, which was good because she already didn’t.

The thought that a child could be involved in this whole chaotic situation was abhorrent to her, given Marishka’s upbringing as nothing more than a pawn used between her Klingon father and Orion mother.

• Marishka