PEGASUS (FARSIDE SAGA: BOOK TWO)

"She's a Herion..." Star said as she traced the crack in the shaft.

"I'm sorry...a What?" Samantha asked.

"A sentient being...kinda. Hard to explain but if she is here, then someone has either ascended or about to ascend... You know, I can actually help you get your memory back. I see what Hugo was doing, he just didn't have enough power. " Star said as she stared at the cracked shaft.

She laid her head against it as if embracing it. Suddenly she began to glow a bright neon purple and returned to her true form.

"This may feel a little weird because I'm going to have to get into your matrix." The orb pulsated with each word.

"Proceed." Crystallina said with a slight bow, once again, her lips not moving.

Jason watched as Star entered through the crack and began breaking into smaller and smaller pieces until she matched the size of the blue particles streaming past her. Slowly at first, Star quickly joined the stream as she entered through the hole in the ceiling and disappeared. After a few seconds, Crystallina began giggling as the crystalline representative started jerking and turning around as if it were being tickled.

"Oh!" She suddenly said as she stopped jerking and stared blankly.

"Oh...oh my......ooohyyeesss...that feels lovely!" She continued as she leaned against the tunnel wall, rubbing her crystalline body sensually.

Samantha, catching on, began to feel both Jason's arousal and embarrassment as he tried to avert his eyes, but his scientific curiosity wouldn't let him. She almost laughed at him had she not began to get aroused herself. It was then she noticed they were feeling Crystallina's sexual energy. Somehow she was influencing Jason's hormones. She knew it wasn't on purpose but it still made her jealously irritated as she made Jason clear his throat.

Catching her attention, Crystallina stood up as her prism-like colors took on a reddish pink hue. Although she was irritated for the interruption, she was more embarrassed because she had lost control of herself in the presence of others. The last time she felt like that was within the Nexus. Realizing she had her memory back, she suddenly felt elated. Star appeared next to the shaft, which was now sealed, in her feminine form with her purple glow dimly lit, and her hands loosely clasped in front of her.

"Forgive me your Highness. I had to get rid of the negative energy in your matrix in order to make the connection and...pleasure, seemed to be the quickest way." She said with her head down as she swung her left leg in short slow arcs trying to kick away her embarrassment. Secretly she enjoyed it herself as she glanced out the corner of her eyes to see if Crystallina was upset for violating her. The look on Crystallina's face made her look at her directly as she flew toward her. Too late to protect herself, she closed her eyes and embraced death as Crystallina grabbed the sides of her face. She popped her eyes open when she kissed her then let her go.

"You are forgiven my dear." She said with a smile as she winked at her, then addressed Jason and Samantha as well.

"I now have my memory, and I remember...everything!!" She said, the last turning her head towards the shaft as her eyes got big with sudden realization.

"Star my dear," she said, not taking her eyes off the shaft as she started walking towards it.

The closer she walked to it, the smaller the shaft got as the ceiling and floor seemed to compress it. The particles within appeared frozen in place as she grabbed the now pop can sized shaft out of its holding and turned towards the group. The floor and ceiling returned to normal as she walked towards Star. The tunnel became a bubble again as they began to move.

"I trust you will protect this with your life?" She said as she looked her in her eyes.

"Of course, it would be my pleasure." Star said with a slight bow.

Crystallina then turned to Jason.

"And I trust you two will protect her?"

"She is already under my protection but you have my word that both her and that will have special care." Jason said sincerely, Samantha agreeing.

"You can not protect that like she can, although I appreciate the offer, but she will need your protection against this enemy." Crystallina said as she turned back to Star.

"My dear, you will know what to do when the time comes."

"I'm not sure what you mean, but I'll take your word for it." Star said, confused.

She took the shaft and absorbed it into her body just as the bubble began to merge with the group in the chamber.

The group was standing in a semi-circle all cheering as Pelik and Danny sat in the middle playing a holographic game of chess. Jason could see from the three dimensional pieces that Danny appeared to be loosing and was about to reprimand himself for not teaching Danny a few moves of his own, until Pelik's next move. Danny had learned a move he himself named 'The Bait'. Danny set Pelik up to believe he was winning just to get him to unblock his king, then move in between his defenses with the queen. Just before Danny could make the move and call checkmate, Crystallina gathered the group as she walked to her throne and sat down. The chamber began moving.

"My new friends," she started as she looked at Hugo. "Hugo, you were there to help me in retaining some of my memory. Star was able to accomplish the rest of it for you. Approach me."

Hugo walked over and stood by her side.

"You shall remain with me. I'll explain later." She then turned to Nano.

"Nano, you've shown me compassion and the many great wonders of this galaxy and beyond. For that, I am deeply grateful. Now, it is time I showed you something." She closed her eyes and leaned back.

Nano, already floating off the ground, rose higher and began to glow a bright blue. After a few seconds the light faded away and Nano...landed. He examined himself, feeling a lot stronger and faster as Crystallina once again spoke.

"You have been bestowed with the network of your ancestors. You have their memories and access to their higher functions. You are now reconnected." She then turned to the Peacekeepers.

"Your gift will be waiting for you upon your return." She said as she was about to turn to Jason.

" To use a human phrase ' not to look a gift horse in the mouth', but, what did we do?" Vira asked, only to receive an elbow to the ribs from Udar after raising her hand.

"For being the very dear Peacekeepers your are." Crystallina said with a slight chuckle as she now looked at Jason.

She stared at Jason for so long that he began to feel uncomfortable. He was about to turn to see if she was looking past him but found he couldn't move. He was about to ask what was going on but found he couldn't speak. He mentally called to his wife but no answer. He wasn't scared because he knew she meant no harm, but his lack of knowledge of the unknown was beginning to drive him crazy. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, a crystalline dome formed around him and he was lulled into a deep sleep. When he awoke, everyone was standing over him to his left quietly staring.

"He's back." Vira said happily as she bounced up and down.

"Never knew I was gone." Jason responded groggy, only to notice everyone shifted their gaze to his right.

Slowly, Jason turned his head to his other side to see long black hair half covering the most beautifully crafted dark skinned face he so loved to wake up to in the mornings. Thinking it to be a dream, he looked back at the group and closed his eyes.

"S'funny, I dreamt I went to space and met some aliens. When'd you get home? I thought you had died." Jason said, slowly falling back to sleep.

Realizing what his last sentence was, Jason bolted up right, wide eyed as he started remembering what happened. He turned and looked at the group, still quietly watching him. Confirming that part wasn't a dream, he slowly turned his head as he heard the slender form of his wife stirring about as she awoke.

Blinking her eyes open, Samantha saw Jason and smiled as she reached up to embrace him. Slowly, Jason leaned over and lifted her into a sitting hug and kissed her deeply. She closed her eyes and fell into the familiar flavors and scents of her husband. A sudden realization made her stop and open her eyes wide. She quickly pushed away, scooting backwards across the floor screaming as she finally took in the rest of the room. She backed into the base of the throne, which made her stop screaming. Slowly turning her head, she looked up to Crystallina smiling, reaching down with a helping hand. Somehow she felt at peace as she took the hand offered and stood up. Slowly she began to remember everything after she blacked out on the Pegasus. Shaking the dizziness from her head, she looked at Jason and the group, then back at Crystallina.

"Thank you." She said as Crystallina released her hand.

"No need my dear. You are a gift for this one." Crystallina responded, indicating Jason. "However, you are not as what you think. Although you are in every essence, the wife of Jason, your vessel is only temporary. Nano will have a more permanent body for you later."

It was then that Jason noticed her eyes were like that of Hugo's. He looked past her to the side of the throne and no longer saw Hugo standing there. He knew he'd figure out the 'how' part later, so inwardly, he thanked Hugo as he held his arms out for his wife.

Still not quite believing this, but finally accepting the outcome, she went to her husband and embraced him, glad to be back in his arms.

"I know what it's like to have someone that close to you in your head" Crystallina mentally told Jason as she winked at him.

Jason mentally laughed and thanked her for he had not thought of that. He could turn B.I.A.N.C.A. off, but could he turn his wife off? Thinking of B.I.A.N.C.A., Jason looked at his wrist, but the silver strip around it had been replaced with a glowing yellowish gold one. He held it up to show Crystallina as Samantha turned out of his other arm and looked to see what was going on. He was about to ask what happened when the look on her face gave pause.

"Seems you have already been gifted, and apparently, I'm not the only one here..." She said as she stared at Jason's wrist. "There's a few things I must take care of. In the meantime, there's someone I need you to rescue. She's in a system not far from here, but be careful for it is there, he waits. He knows you will come because it is the final piece to your mystery. He wants you to solve it before he truly reveals himself, and that," she said, pointing at his wrist. "Will make it so much easier."

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