Farek moved his claw-tipped fingers in a smooth progression, clicking over the gel-keys of the principal helmsman's panel. Turning to point his muzzle into the cupped recess of the C'raana's navigation sight, peering at the characters scrolling across the small viewer, the lizard 'Taur commented coolly, "We're within minimal-occular range of the objective, Captain... Coming up on the outer line of the natives' sensor nets."

Reclined in a specially padded chair, Captain Gil'da turned and faced forward from where she had been speaking softly into the pick-up on her headset, which was transmitting into a tabulator. Dressed in a sleeveless half-shirt - which lay bare save for a small rank-ornament over her left shoulder - she rose from her crouch, her lower body resembling a lithe-yet-muscular wolf. Her upper body looked humanoid, save for the wolfen face peeking out from her tumble of ebony curls.

"Pause log entry," she stated. Amber colored eyes fell to a half-lidded state as she spoke in a rich, alto voice: "Helm, slow to two-thirds k'ta. Tactical analysis on the main display, S'ra. Show us what we're coming up on."

At the Chief Tactician's place, the dark-colored S'ra nodded, "Tactical coming on the main screed, Captain." His griffin-like head flicked from one place to another as he manipulated the main sensor controls, causing an indigo-tinted display to appear in the center of the small ship's bridge. A riot of symbols suddenly appeared, denoted a small planet sitting directly in their path, surrounded with a ring of bluish light.

Captain Gil'da squinted at the display. "Any sign of long-range scans?"

S'ra's countenance barely shifted from it's impassive state. "Nay, Captain. I'm showing nominal sensor activity, as our previous observations have recorded from before."

Nodding, Gil'da padding along the inner-ring of the bridge until she stood next to Farek's position. "Cut our approach speed to one-third k'ta, Helm. S'ra, give me a scan of any native ships in orbit, and their relative position to our entry window."

"At once, Captain," Farek nodded, moving his canine forepaws over the controls. With a nearly imperceptible shift, the small starship slowed down to a forward crawl.

From his console, S'ra turned to meet the the captain's eyes; his own unblinking as he reported, "All sub-orbital and space assets of the planet are out of range of the mission's entry window for orbit insertion, Captain. They will remain so for the next twenty time-cycles."

Nodding, the lupine faced captain replied, "Good. Maintain present speed, and continue on our heading. I need to go speak to K'rin, so inform me the moment we begin our atmospheric insertion." Moving towards a small trio of steps that lead out of the inner ring, she added, "Keep the 'screens to optimum deflection. Fa'rath knows what will happen if we're spotted, and we cannot let that happen. Not this close to the start of the real mission." Pausing before the irising doorway, Gil'da looked at her tactical officer and said, "You have command until I return, S'ra. That is all."

S'ra nodded, watching as his commander left the bridge. "Understood, Captain. We shall not be detected."

* * *

As the door to the medical center opened, the first thing to hit Gil'da was the sour antiseptic smell that seemed to fill all centers of healing. Pausing, she snorted softly to partially clear her nose, before turning to face the sealed doors to the Head Medic's station. Thumbing the locking switch, she passed inside as soon as they slid open.

"K'rin?"

Inside, another 'Taur - this one smaller than her but also canine and female - stood next to a large computer console, frowning over the information scrolling across the screens. Her vulpine face framed with a mane of amber-colored locks, she turned and stared at the older officer for a moment, before absently brushing down the front of her white, short-sleeved tunic. "Captain?"

"We're almost at the objective," Gil'da reported. "Figure we've got two cronal-cycles before interface." She looked out into the sealed area of the bay. "How... how is he?"

K'rin blinked, her blue eyes coming to rest on a small video-screen. "Well," she sighed, "the specimen is holding together physically. Surprisingly, it comes from a rather well-built species. We're just lucky most of its nutritional requirements match our own, and that it has some similarities with our own physiology."

Nodding, Gil'da asked, "Have you been keeping it appraised of the situation?"

The young medic grimaced. "Actually, no."

"No?"

"That's what I said, Captain." K'rin padded across the station to a low shelf to replace the data unit she carried.

"Why not? You know the orders of the Chancellor-."

"I heard the order," the vulpine Taur said, cutting Gil'da off in mid-sentence. "I just happen to believe I can handle the specimen in my own manner. After all, it is in my care until we reach the final phase in our mission."

Gil'da tried to contain her anger. "The Chancellor for Alien Affairs and the Head of the Xenobiology Division gave explicit orders on how he was to be treated in transit! For the sake of it's sanity, we have to keep it appraised of the status of our journey."

At that, K'rin turned and shot the captain a look. "Honestly, why should we bother?" Removing another data unit from the shelf, she stated, "Several members of the 'established' Xenological Research Society have already declared it a non-sentient member of the bipedal genatype... and there's been no real testing done to support the fact that it even has the capacity for intelligence."

"That's where you and the XRS are wrong, K'rin," Gil'da reprimanded coolly. "Most of those tonsured, scholars haven't even been off of homeworld in nearly a star-metacycle. The least of them hasn't even been on a science mission since their thirtieth life-cycle!" Moving closer to the console, she gazed into the observation screen. "So, you'll forgive me if I tend to disagree with their statements concerning him," she added pointedly.

K'rin snorted, her eyes blazing with indignation. "How can you dismiss the findings of the Society so easily!?"

"I'll answer that with a question of my own," the wolf-headed female replied. "This is your first deep-space mission, isn't it?"

The younger Taur blinked, completely caught off-center by that querry. "Why... yes, this is my first mission as a Chief Medical Officer. What has that-!?"

"Then you can't understand," Gil'da replied. "You see, you weren't there at the beginning... when we had first contact with his kind. With him, to be more precise." Sighing gustily, the older officer turned away from the console and stared at K'rin as she started to explain. "I was just a junior officer... assigned to the science vessel Ro'quar. We'd been sent to search for new strains of vegetation to help bolster the few crops we had on homeworld at the time."

K'rin cocked her head, looking askance to try and recall that ship's name. "I remember reading about it in the Admiralty Journals... under old Admiral Z'haar, as I recall?"

Gil'da nodded, crossing her dark-furred arms over her chest. "He was just a captain back then - much as I am now - and, contrary to what the 'official' record said, he wasn't above making landfall to make a thorough and accurate study of the plant life on planets we encountered. It was his thinking that scanners and probes couldn't replace good old-fashioned groundwork.

"We had managed to make several surveys of many of the planets in several systems during the first leg of that mission. Then, we moved into an as-yet uncharted system... one that didn't hold a lot of promise in the way of viable plant life," she continued, looking off towards some unseen direction. "Except for one of the inner planets... rather small, on the Standard Galactic Scale, but it was teeming with rich flora signs.

"So, it was decided by Captain Z'haar that we'd send only a small team down to do some cursory exploring."

"I recall that much from the public report," K'rin replied, moving around to the console to tap some commands into one of the computers.

"Then you've read about my part in that mission. I was sent down with the team as part of the security contingent." Gil'da continued, "We made an initial landfall in a large forest, somewhere in the equatorial part of one of the large continents. From there, we went to several other smaller sites; collecting samples and doing what we could to stay out of site of the locals.

"But, when we were at one of the last collection sites, we ran into trouble."

K'rin blinked. "The specimen?"

The captain nodded. "He wasn't aware of who or what we were, or even what we were doing there in that part of the forest. From what the original science officer assumed, he wasn't yet fully grown... just a stripling at best. At first, we thought to just sedate him and leave him alone... the priority was simply to get the mission over and done with. Captain Z'haar didn't consider a young alien that much of a threat, or else I would have used standard mission protocol and..."

K'rin broke in, saying, "That's when the ship was scanned, wasn't it? I've heard rumors that the ship had been spotted by some form of detection device."

"Some natives had spotted the command vessel. We didn't have a choice... the order came down to evacuate post-haste, and in the process we ended up taking him with us," the commanding officer finished. Looking in where the specimen was seated, she sighed. "It was a major mistake... we shouldn't have taken him with us. So, this mission was put forth to return him to his place of origin."

K'rin nodded in understanding. "But... is this wise? I mean, it's been several cycles since... the specimen has grown by some measure, by our account."

Gazing down at the monitor, Gil'da watched as the image of the small human in the sealed area for a moment. Dressed in a makeshift gown and foot coverings of their manufacture, the tow-headed youth sat looking out into the medical bay like some caged creature; sad and so very alone.

"That may be, but it is too late to turn back now," Gil'da replied. "We're about to reach orbit, and we need to start preparing for the real phase of this mission." Looking back at K'rin, she asked, "Have the original coverings been restored?"

K'rin grimaced, "It wasn't easy to manufacture larger copies of the speci-ah, I mean, his clothing... though, we've gotten as close to it as possible." She gestured to a small, wrapped bundle in an alcove just beyond the command panels.

The captain nodded. "Start gathering your gear, then. I need to prepare our landing shuttle for departure." Turning away, the ebony-haired 'Taur started to leave, but she paused at the entrance briefly. "K'rin... just for his sake - even though it's not within your personal beliefs - please inform him of our status. After all, if I was in his place, I'd want to know that I was about to come home."

* * *

"Captain?"

Stepping away from where she was directing some members of her crew in the shuttle bay, Gil'da flipped the activation switch on a nearby intercom panel. "Go ahead, S'ra."

"We have achieved objective orbit," came the reply. "According to the mission plan, we can only maintain our position over the planet for seven micro-cycles."

"Of course. We're nearly ready to launch here. Maintain position and keep a channel-band open after we've departed," Gil'da ordered.

"Aye, Captain."

Gil'da frowned. Even with the filters in the comm-system, S'ra sounded uneasy. "Something amiss, Second?"

Silence preceded S'ra's reply. "Captain, I must advise against your going down to the surface without a security detachment. The risks-."

"I know the risks, S'ra," Gil'da returned, trying not to sound snappish. "Believe me, I know it would be safer. However, we run a larger risk of being spotted on the surface if we transport down in a group that big. Besides, just myself and K'rin should be sufficient enough, and we won't be down for very long."

"Understood, Captain. Still, as your Tactical Officer I must still point out procedure," S'ra conceded. "As well, I must state my... unease, of your not having sufficient protection away from the ship."

"I can appreciate your concern, Second. Just keep me informed of ship's status after we depart. That is all."

"Aye, Captain," S'ra replied. "Bridge out."

As soon as the intercom clicked off, another call came in; "Medical to the Captain."

"Go ahead, K'rin."

"I'm just about ready to transfer the specimen to the shuttle," the vulpine medic reported. "Are we ready to lift ship?"

"Just about, so don't rush things. I don't want him shaken up just before he returns to his home."

"Understood... er, Captain, jow are we going to handle talking to... him once we're down? So far, we've only been able to communicate using the ship's on-board translator."

Chuckling, Gil'da responded, "The Xenobiology Teams did some hardware work before we left. There's a little something in the shuttle that will handle it..."

* * *

Two micro-cycles later, Gil'da shouldered a survival pack on her back, pausing to watch K'rin as she worked the sensor panel while she stood at the co-pilot's position. "Making sure everything is all right?"

"Well," the tawny-haired medic grimaced, "that interface insertion was... ah, how shall I put it? Rough?"

"It's been a few years since I've flown a shuttlecraft," Gil'da shrugged. "I didn't think I was all that bad." She looked squarely at the smaller 'Taur, arching one eyebrow. "Was I?"

K'rin just grinned privately. "Atmosphere readings are a bit off from the last readings taken, during the original survey mission," she reported. "Though, it's not too much off to cause us any distress. Still, we'd better move as quickly as we can. Even if we can survive on this world, I don't want to become a permanent resident."

"Agreed. Now, let's see if the linguistics program finish compiling the latest version of the translator code." Moving to another of the shuttle's consoles, she tapped a key with her free hand, before she removed a device from a socket just below. A thin, crystalline wafer extended from a slot and, with a delicate touch, she plucked it out and slid it into a sister-slot inside the device.

Sliding away from the console, the medic arched one eyebrow. "I assume that's the little something you mentioned earlier?"

Removing two small 'bugs' from the device, Gil'da clipped one onto her left ear and handed the other to K'rin. "The latest in micro-technology... so long as we wear these, we can understand him and he can understand us." Rolling the device over in her palm, she shook her head in wonder. "Amazing that this can do what a good portion of our ship's computer can. With only one-thousandth of the space needed."

K'rin clipped her 'bug' on, grimacing as the cool metal pinched her ear. "Yes, though thank goodness it doesn't really need that much computing power. Though it's the most alien of all the tongues we've ever run across, I heard tell it's somewhat easy to encode."

The captain slipped her 'bug' on, flicking her right ear as it clipped into place. "Well, let's see if it works." Clearing her throat, she motioned towards the rearward compartment of the shuttle. "Are you ready?"

"Just need to get my gear," K'rin nodded. "And... collect our, passenger."

"Right." Gil'da turned and moved into the back of the shuttle. Pausing, she took in the spartan neatness of the aft compartment. Seated on a small jump-bench, amid the usual jumble of stowage, packs and gear, was the entire reason for their being there. Brown haired and fair skinned, the young human was now wearing the fabricated clothing they had provided; a hooded pull over shirt, pants and canvas shoes. When she entered, he turned to face her, his alien features moving into an approximation of what looked like a smile.

With a gesture, she motioned for the small human to rise. "We are back on your home world," she said, inwardly slapping herself for speaking slowly. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "We are near the same place where we first took you from your home."

For one so young, he managed to take this news rather well. Instead of growing excited, he stood up and nodded. "Am I really home?"

Gil'da nodded. "Indeed... but, we aren't certain where your former homeplace is. We will need your help in identifying it... hopefully if things have not changed too much since we left last."

The boy nodded. "I can help out as best as I can, if you can get me close enough to where I can remember."

Gil'da smiled a typical canine grin. "We shall endeavor to do so." A cough from behind her made the captain move aside, allowing K'rin to emerge from the cockpit. "The shuttle's secure?"

"Locked down," K'rin said, "and the screens are in place." Reaching out, she removed a full backpack from an overhead locker. "He is... ready?"

"You betcha," the boy replied cheerfully, making the vulpine medic blink.

"The translator works," Gil'da chuckled. Turning to a sidewall rack, she removed a sidearm weapon and ran a self-test on it. "I explained our situation, and he's agreed to act as a guide for us."

"Good! Then, let's go and get this mission over with."

As the captain moved towards the exit hatch, she felt a tug on her arm. Glancing down, she watched as the boy made a 'come-here' motion with one hand. As she bent close, he whispered, "She doesn't like me, does she?"

The ebony-haired female bit back a chuckle. "She's, ah... just anxious to get home," she explained.

The boy chuckled. "I know how she feels!"

* * *

Another micro-cycle later, the trio paused just inside a small copse of evergreen trees. They were making good time, but the climate was wearing slightly on the two 'Taurs.

Panting slightly, K'rin brushed some of her amber locks away from her face before she glowered up at the hot sun overhead. "Maker! Why did this have to be the hot season? We'll die of dehydration before much longer!"

The captain wiped her own brow on the back of her arm. "We've been on worse planets than this, K'rin... just be thankful it's not a bromine field, or some lava bed the size of an ocean," Gil'da huffed.

The boy was the least bit affected by the weather; cheerful to a fault, he did his best to try to recall where his former surroundings had been. "You know, there was a stream near my house... if we can find it, you can cool off there."

Gil'da chuckled, "Thank you, but we'll be fine. We need only stay long enough to get you safely home."

"Then it's back to the stars and our home!" K'rin blew a snort through her nose.

"Don't you like it here?" The boy turned to face the medic, a look of slightly-hurt concern on his features.

This caught the fox-Taur by surprise once more, especially the force of his question, though lightly asked. Looking to her captain for support, she only got an amused shrug in return. "Ah... well," she sighed, reaching down to take one of the boy's hands, "it's not that I, ah... I think your world is rather, nice. However... er, that is..."

"I think what K'rin is trying to say," Gil'da interjected smoothly, "is that it is fine for types like you, but for our kind... we would have to make some major adjustments to live here."

"Exactly! Besides, we already have our own world," K'rin added, thankful for Gil'da's rescue. "We belong there, and you belong here, you see?"

The boy gripped her hand, smiling in understanding. "Yeah! It's just been so long... I nearly forgot how much I like this place."

Gil'da laughed lightly. "Well, you have been away from here for a while." Shifting her sidearm, she glanced around before pulling an oblong device from a pouch on her belt. Twiddling some controls on it, she frowned, "I would have thought we'd have run into a... a structure, or an identifiable landmark by now. From what you told us, your family does have a home somewhere in this direction. Correct?"

"Right," the boy answered, glancing around himself. "We should have passed by the Milestone by now... that's how my sister and I used to tell when we were going too far away from the woods around the house." He paused and turned in a full circle, studying the trees and landscape around them. "Gee, I guess everything did change while I was gone. I don't... I don't know where we are."

K'rin and Gil'da looked at one another. Sighing, the captain muttered, "Well, looks like we will have to use old-fashioned methods to find our way... with a little technological help, that is." She looked at the device in her hands once more, poking at the controls again. "I've been using this lifesign tracker to keep us from blundering onto any of the predatory animals in this area, but..." She paused, giving the device another poke. "I think if I can fix it to detect similar lifesigns, like yourself-," she explained.

"Then, you should be able to pick up others just like him," K'rin finished.

The boy stared at the wolf-Taur with hopeful eyes. "Like my family!?"

"Perhaps... so long as there aren't any others like them in this immediate area," Gil'da scowled, then she brightened. "Let's go find out, shall we?"

Nearly six micro-cycles since their ship had achieved orbit, the trio hiked up the side of a tree-covered hill; K'rin holding onto the boy's hand, while Gil'da had her gaze fixed to the sensor.

As they reached the top, sheltered by a thick canopy of branches overhead, K'rin stopped and let their charge rest as well. "I thought you said those lifesigns were close," she panted, glancing down to examine a sore fore-foot.

"They are," Gil'da replied, turning the sensor around to make sense of its readout. "They are just..." She paused, turning her head slowly in an arc. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she dropped the sensor in surprise. "There!" Pointing with her now empty hand, her tone made the other two turn and stare as well.

"Great Stars!"

"Wow..." The boy was stock-still, his hand still gripped in the medic's right one, which what was keeping him from falling to his knees in shock. There, not but two hills beyond an opening in the trees, stood a house; a cabin-esque farmhouse, build on one level with a peaked upper floor over the main part of the house. Painted natural brown, it hand a wide front porch, and several windows open to nearly every direction you could think of. The space between the house and the edge of the wood had been sheared clear of weeds and scrub, leaving a flat blanket of grass to grow there.

Gil'da turned slightly and looked at the boy. "Is... is this, your home?"

He slowly responded to her gentle question, picking his jaw up with a soft click of teeth. "It... it... it looks like my home! But there wasn't a forest around it when I lived there!"

"Time has been passing," K'rin commented softly.

As if to add evidence to her words, the front door of the house swung open... allowing a slightly-tall figure to emerge onto the porch.

"Hide!" Gil'da quickly stooped and snatched up her sensor before joining K'rin under the cover of a large tree. By reflex, the boy joined them, unsure as to who this stranger was.

"Can't you see who that is," the medic asked, keeping her voice low.

Peering around the trunk, he squinted at the person - a long-legged, blonde-haired girl in summer clothes. "I... I can't tell from here," he started, pausing as he continued to stare. "She does... I mean..."

"What," Gil'da asked.

"She does sorta look like my little sister," he admitted, though he quickly shook his head. "But she was just six! I mean, when I left!"

"By these readings," the captain intoned, "that female is nearly fourteen life-cycles old." She glanced down at the sensor again. "If that is correct-."

"Given his current age, and the process of star-travel," K'rin interrupted, "that would support that theory of relative-time in space. Though I'm not too clear on the mechanics..."

Shutting the sensor down, Gil'da looked at the boy with a rueful smile. "Still, if this is his home, and that is his sibling... then we have reached the final objective. He is finally where he belongs."

The boy seemed to brighten a bit upon hearing that, but then he shrank back. "What if they don't remember me?"

At that, the wolf-Taur captain lowered herself until her head and upper body came level wit his. Turning him slightly, she pointed out, "I know this much... if I was the one that had been taken away, and I had been brought back, I would want to know right away if my family still knew and remembered me." Placing one hand on his shoulder, she added, "My friend, you've been on an incredible journey... one not really of your choosing. Don't you think it is time, now that you have that chance, that you went home?"

The boy blinked, looking from one Taur to the other. "But... what will happen to you?"

"We have our home to return to," Gil'da reminded him with a wider smile, mindful of K'rin's own emphatic grin. She nodded in the direction of the house. "I, think you'd better do the same, hm?"

He nodded slowly, then again with vigor as he broke out into a smile. "Yeah, you're right!" Turning away, he trembled with a new edge of excitement. "I'm home!" He took three steps, moving into view of the house, before something made him stop and look back at the two off-worlders. "Will I... see you again?"

K'rin started to say something, but Gil'da quickly cut her off, "Oh, perhaps... we might just decide to send someone back here. Who can say?"

That was good enough for the boy. Beaming, he waved as he started to move away from the trees. "Thank you for bringing me home! I'll never forget you!" With that, he turned around and started off at a run towards the house, picking up speed as he ran over the hills.

Gil'da waved in return, though he couldn't see her - for all that he was fixed on his former home. "As I shall not forget you..." Glancing askance, she quickly muffled a chuckle upon seeing K'rin waving as well.

The medic suddenly stopped, scowling. "Well?! It... seemed the right thing to do!"

"Oh, of course." The older Taur just grinned, only to be prompted by the muted chirp from a device on her tunic collar. Reaching up, she fingered it before speaking, "Captain Gil'da, here."

"Captain," the voice of her Second said briskly, "we are coming up on the deadline for your window. Has the mission been completed?"

Gil'da couldn't help but smile. "It has, S'ra. We're just about to return to the shuttle. Is the ship ready to depart?"

"It is, though we must not tarry for much longer," S'ra replied. "We were nearly forced to move when an unexpected launch of one of the native's space vehicles came within sensor range."

"That's... not good," K'rin muttered.

"Agreed. Begin the checklists, S'ra," Gil'da ordered, shouldering her sidearm. "We'll be back aboard in one-quarter micro-cycle. Captain, out."

"One quarter!? We'd barely make that," the medic sputtered.

"Not unless we move fast," Gil'da grinned. "Of course, unless you don't think you can run back to the shuttle?"

With a crooked smile, K'rin snorted, "To get off this planet - nice as it has been - I'd grow wings and fly back to the shuttle!" With that, the two Taurs turned and galloped off into the woods, keen on returning home themselves...

* * *

THE END

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