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when the door locked behind her. A valuable asset must be kept under guard. The sanitary chamber and the unmarked uniform was welcome. She hadn’t felt so safe and comfortable for months, but now she wanted one more thing. Athon.
    The communications center was basic and she knew exactly what to do to get what she wanted. A call to them requesting an escort every five minutes was about right. She kept her tone light and pretended that she did not remember calling them previously. They didn’t fall for that, but they did come to get her and take her to her goal. The Medical Bay.
    A tank held court in the centre of the room, Athon was inside it, wired from head to toe. The surprise was the Captain holding vigil in front of the tank. “Captain? Are you all right? Do you know him?” Tear-filled eyes looked back at Sarah.
    “He is my son. I thought him dead six months ago.”
    “No. He was fighting for his life and then mine in that hell hole.” Sarah went to the tank and stroked the glass lightly. Athon twitched a wave of motion that set his wires trembling. He was trying to respond. “So you are the mother who succumbed to his father’s limited charms?” She kept her tone light.
    The captain gave a bark of laughter. “He spoke of me?”
    “He did. He was very proud of you, though he told me you were a researcher.”
    “I was. I took up arms when it became obvious that the Nyal needed a bit more of a conscience.” She stood next to Sarah at the tank. “He responds to you.”
    Sarah blushed a furious red. He did indeed respond to her and she to him. It was why she was here, now. “Well, that feeling is mutual.”
    The captain gave her a long look. “My name is Audril. Audril Kellan Lannick. You may call me Audril.”
    “Thank you. You may call me Sarah.” She gave the cheekiest grin she could manage and then stilled it when she looked back at Athon. She had burned him badly. Tears flowed, “Oh gods, what did I do to him?”
    One of the physicians dared to step forward at that point. “You saved his life. If the multitude of wounds hadn’t been sealed, he would have bled to death long before I was able to start treatment. The Captain’s blood was also instrumental in his survival, of course.”
    That surprised Sarah. “Dhemon blood matched him? I thought you were a hard people to match.”
    “We are, but my son inherited several of the traits of my people, blood type included, fortunately for both of us.” Audril shuddered in memory.
    Sarah felt something and looked up. “He’s awake.” Red eyes were peering at her through the haze of the liquid that supported him. She smiled and pressed both palms against the glass.
    A wince of pain crossed his face as he tried to smile back. He moved his own palm to the glass and through it they almost touched. That was, until he saw his mother, then he looked extremely discomforted. It was an interesting trick for a man who was naked in a tank. He was trying to blush.
    “Do you have a communicator?” Sarah rounded on the physician.
    “For the tank, yes. But he cannot reply.”
    “I know that. Where is it?” Under her breath she added, “Twit.” It took her a few seconds to figure it out, but before she could say anything, she thought better of it. She handed the communicator to Audril.
    The Dhemon trembled at the look in her son’s eyes. “I thought you dead, Athon. They recorded your ship as destroyed.”
    He signalled that he was whole and alive.
    “I know. But I thought you were dead.” Sobs broke out.
    Sarah supported her with one arm while taking the communicator with the other. “So I have met your mother and she hasn’t launched me out an airlock.”
    He rolled his eyes.
    “Fine. Yet. They are taking me to Danyo where I will be stationed for around two years while I take care of that little plague that they had. You are going to be in the tank for at least a month and they will be dumping me before you are out.”
    Audril was still sobbing, an