Recruit: Book One of the Universal Conflict ( Under Constant Editing)

Chapter 2

A/N: Here are some pronunciations for you

T'ilvesh = T sound - EEL -vesh

Cinotae = SEE - no - tay

Ruchkitay = rooch - KEE - tah - ee

"It's beautiful," Krystal thought as she looked down at the green and blue planet. The swirls of white clouds moving across the continents as the planet turned slowly beneath her.

"Something bothering you?" a voice asked from behind her.

Startled, she spun around to see her commanding officer standing slightly behind her.

"Yes Sir." she said, snapping a salute, "The native people have no idea of what's at stake. They think they're alone in the universe. They're so naive."

"That's why we're here." T'ilvesh replied, "But, we must be careful how we approach them."

The commander stood a little over seven feet tall and had pale orange skin and fire red hair with dark golden eyes that were slitted like a cats. Feline in appearance he was definitely an imposing sight. Years of military training gave him a very muscular physique.

"That's not all that's bothering you, is it?" T'ilvesh asked, sensing not all had been said.

"No sir." Krystal said wondering if his race could read minds "When I was scouting, someone bumped into me and almost knocked me down. When he grabbed me I had the strangest feeling. He needs to be on this mission. Why I don't know... but he seems too young to me. Too inexperienced."

She didn't want to tell him about the feelings he set off in her, yet. Not until she understood them herself. She had heard about how her people found their lifemates. The stories about how those who ignored the signs suffered were horrifying, if true. If they were and she ignored the feeling she would first go into shock mentally, unable to do anything but focus on the absence of the current that flowed between Cory and her. She would die of dehydration within six months since she would forget to eat or drink, refusing all attempts to help her.

"So were you when I found you during my mission to your home world." the commander said with a small smile as he remembered that. There was something else but she kept quiet about that so he didn't push the issue.

She had just been through an ordeal, having just lost the fight for her home world. When he found her she was exhausted, bleeding but still willing to fight. The Commander remembered the frightened girl trying to scratch his eyes out while searching for survivors during a night mission in response to the Ruchkitay invasion of her world. So far that was all the Fleet could do since the Ruchkitay invasions started millennia ago.

"True, but I knew of other life in the universe already. I knew we weren't alone. These people don't have a clue." the human looking woman replied, still not sure if what she had felt had been real. She had to go back down to find out. She had to find Cory.

"That's why you were picked for the mission to the surface. You look like they do." the officer stated not sure of what Krystal meant.

"As long as they don't look too closely." Krystal said, pulling her hair behind her ear.

The difference was now apparent since her ears were slightly pointed, top and bottom, but attractive nonetheless.

"You'll be going back down soon? Try to find this person and see if he is one we could recruit? We need local help."

They sat and watched the world turn for a few minutes in silence.

"I'm leaving in a few moments" Krystal said finally breaking the quiet, "I will try to find this person again, Cory is his name if I remember correctly. I hope this works."

She knew she would remember his name. He was her lifemate, if the signs were true as she had been told by her people growing up. The electrical feeling she felt surge through his hand on her arm was strange. It didn't hurt and actually felt good. She was looking forward to meeting Cory again. 'Strange' she thought 'I've never felt this nervous. Not even on rescue missions on ruined worlds with Ruchkitay around.

"We all do. The Ruchkitay! We MUST stop them soon or they will succeed." T'ilvesh stated emphatically, still unaware of Krystals personal problem.

As she left the command center, Krystal strode to the departure point. She wondered how she would find Cory again, not knowing he was about to go looking for her that evening. First she needed to find one of her people and ask about the signs when their lifemate touched them. It wasn't long before she had found a mated couple to ask. She found the information she needed. Now she was worried, she had to find Cory again. Her life depended on it. Apparently the stories were true. The couple she had found had a relative who had ignored the sign. That person had died a slow death. By the end they had been driven quite insane and wasted away over a cycles (just a little over a year on Earth) time.

Before she arrived at the departure point she stopped at her quarters to dress in Earth clothing for her journey. She chose something she hoped Cory would find attractive.

Ready to go down to the surface she arrived at the departure hanger and climbed into the cockpit of her fighter. The sleek ship was almost dart-like in appearance, with a long fuselage and just enough wing for stable atmospheric flight. Surprisingly, the color was a medium grey instead of stark white. This made the ship more difficult to see in the darkness of space.

Activating the power sequence she flew out of the hanger bay. Turning on the ships cloaking system she headed towards her landing point.

She landed in the small field just outside the airport perimeter where she landed the previous night. It was the same field Cory used for stargazing as it turned out.

After getting out of her ship she headed towards her destiny, she hoped. As with all her kind if she didn't keep Cory close until they sealed their bond, she would suffer. Both physically and emotionally. She wondered if Cory would have the same effects she would if they didn't bond.

She wanted to avoid that if she could.

Walking along she felt that she was going to send Cory to his death. If he reacted like her race did he would be in serious trouble and he didn't even know it. She hoped she was wrong. She needed him, personally, desperately. He didn't know it yet, but he needed her, as well if he felt the energy between them.

Now she had to find him,again, and talk him into joining her. That was going to be the hard part, she thought.
Unbeknownst to her, while Krystal walked towards town Cory was looking for her at the airport.
At that time Cory doubled over in pain as his stomach cramped.