HELIOS

Chapter 27

She lets go of a shaky breath. "I want to apologize for what happened before... I-I wasn't myself." Her eyes begin to well up with tears. "I... just couldn't... watch you holding her... and I lashed out." Tears flow freely down her cheeks and my heart aches for her, and I do feel bad about how things worked out.

"It's alright, Mandy. This is water under the bridge, so don't worry about it." She wipes the tears from her face and I hand her my handkerchief, which she uses cleans herself up. She stands up walking around the table till she's standing in front of me; she gets on her knees. I grab her shoulders and I try to pick her, but she stops me looking right into my eyes. "Is there anything left for me in your heart, Ant?" She puts her hand on my chest.

I look at her with sadness. "Mandy..."

She puts her fingers on my mouth. "Don't... don't say anything right now." She puts her head on my lap crying quietly.

I let her stay like that for a moment and the urge to comfort her is strong, but I help her back on to her feet. "Mandy, why don't you go rest because I'm sure Doc would want you to do that." We walk to the door and I open it and a young Marine is there and I wave him over. "Get doc here please." He moves out fast while Mandy puts her head on my shoulder. A few minutes later the Marine and Doc show up. "Doc." He comes and helps me with Mandy taking her back to continue her rest since that break down. She looks back at me with sad eyes, but she goes with Doc Olsen.

I get back to my desk and lean on it feeling old suddenly. Another knock on the door and I take a deep breath letting it out slowly. "Come in." I turn around and Jahní is standing there. My spirits rise almost immediately, as she walks in and closes the door. Her face brightens up as we come together holding each other tightly; it's been four days since the last time we were able to meet, so I kiss her passionately. She pulls back a bit, smiling and giggling a little.

"Its only been a few days Antonio, but it feels like a year when we can't spend any time alone together." She says Putting both her hands on my face.

"Is everything alright?" I ask. I just want to know what she's done for the last four days.

She looks at me studying my face tracing the out lines with her finger. "Are you feeling alright?" She is so tuned into my psyche that I can't hide anything from her. In truth why should I hide anything. Taking her by the hand I lead her to the small sofa by the window, and we sit down. She cuddles close to me putting her head on my shoulder.

"Mandy came to see me today." I feel her ever so slightly tense up. "Hey, don't worry. She is not well and I had Doc take her back to continue to recover. She did apologize though."

Jahní sits up and looks at me with some slight tinge of jealously. "I don't want you to see her alone. Please don't do that." I smile at her and I can't believe she is feeling this. "The two of you have had a relationship that was loving at one point. She is still in love with you."

I glance away thinking about that statement; I'm not in love with Mandy, that is a fact. Though I can see her side of it. "Ok, I'll respect your wishes and I won't meet alone with her." I say. "She is still the mission commander and I'm the ships Captain and we have to work as a team."

"I know that you do, but I have a premonition that she will do something to try to divide us." She is very pensive and taking this very seriously. "I do not have the power of foresight, but I can feel emotions empathically, especially with those I'm close to or feel rivalry." I know she can do that with me, but she can with others she might have a problem with?

"Ok, I will not betray you, that I can say." She turns studying me and she reaches out softly touching my face. She put her head back on my shoulder and I relax. Leaning my head to hers and I feel my minds eye open up and I see a battle raging, on some far world a long time ago. I see Jahní of that time fighting, with great skill wielding a sword. I run... yes it's me, I know it is, and I stand by her back to back on a mound of corpses and it gets larger by the minute, as we slaughter those who come against us. It's clearer this vision; more than anything I've experienced seeing so far. A large shadowy figure of a man comes to us and sticks the standard of a flag in the ground.

"Vartous!" He shouts. He raises his sword to us in a sign of honor, victory and loyalty. The men also, those who were with us followed his example. Then he steps into view and his face is familiar I know him. I knew him then and I know him now, but it escapes me!

"Antonio!" I turn to look at Jahní, but her image is fading the whole vision is dimming. "Antonio!" My eyes open slowly and with great difficulty and Jahní is above holding me with concern on her face. "Oh thank the Creator that you woke up!"

"What was that?" I ask sitting up. "I saw another vision; it was on a world that was at war."

She shakes her head. "I do not know what you saw, but I felt the fear and anger that built up in your soul!"