All I Ever Wanted

-Kai-

I've been saying for weeks that we should get rid of the Galaxy Book once and for all.  Destroy it, toss it in a pocket dimension… anything to get it off Terra Venture without delivering it to Trakeena on a silver platter.  I mean, how many disasters is that thing going to cause before we do something decisive?  Kendrix would still be here if not for that thing!

Instead, we've been going in the completely wrong direction.

First, Commander Stanton dedicated more resources to researching the Book.  I talked to Mike about it, but neither of us had the pull to discourage the Commander and the Council from unlocking the "mysteries of the universe."  Mysteries are overrated.

Needless to say, the idea of a bunch of scientists dissecting powerful spells as if they were chemical formulae didn't sit well with me; so I volunteered extra shifts to guard duty.  And it was a good thing too, since one weird incantation summoned an energy pulse that blew all the power transformers on Terra Venture, leaving us dead in space. 

Luckily, the damage wasn't bad, and no one was seriously hurt.  A few first-degree electrical burns from consoles shorting out, and a few accidents resulting from the sudden power-outage.  Backup generators went online immediately, and now repair crews are running around the clock to get us back to full power. 

I'm willing to count my blessings; this incident is minor compared to the near-miss we had with the vortex the Savage Sword created on Rashon.  And Commander Stanton finally realized that the Galaxy Book is the ultimate Pandora's Box. He gave the order to terminate all research on the Book as soon as the lights went out, locking it in wired plexiglass and keeping a security squad in the Science Division to make sure no one comes near the thing. 

I was a member of that squad for three straight shifts before I decided I needed some rest to function properly.

And now I find that even when I'm not standing with my back to the Book and a laser rifle in my hands, my mind is still in that room.  I can feel it in my bones... something else is going to happen with that Book.

I'm not a superstitious person, but past experience has taught me to trust my intuition, especially when I feel a choking sense of danger on the horizon.  So after less than four hours of actual sleep, I jump out of bed, throw on the nearest uniform I can find, and grab my sidearm as I run out the door.

The halls are quiet and the lights are dull to create the illusion of night.  A few people walk the halls, moving out of my way as I hurry towards the Science Division in a half-jog. 

My pace quickens as I feel a strange tingle of power against my skin, growing stronger as I approach the Galaxy Book.  Something is here.  Something that isn't human.

I draw my sidearm as I jump over the collapsed bodies of the guards that were stationed just outside the room that holds the Book.

"Freeze!" I shout in warning.  The red sight lands on the back of a large man, whose arms slowly rise over his head.  He turns in profile, and his eyes meet mine.

The first thing that puts me on alert – other than the fact that he's hovering over the Galaxy Book – is his weird calmness.  He doesn't look the least bit concerned that he has a gun pointed to his back.  And those eyes… something about those eyes is off.

He turns fully toward me, and for a long moment it feels like those sharp eyes look right through me.

I swallow hard, and my fingers itch to activate my morpher.  This doesn't feel at all like a mundane threat, and I suddenly want to kick myself for not bringing Leo and Damon with me.  But backup shortly arrives in the form of two patrollers on duty, and the quiet hum of their blasters charging is a comfort.

The weird sharpness in the perpetrator's eyes fades, and when one of the patrollers slaps a pair of standard issue handcuffs on his wrists, he doesn't resist.

Protocol is followed to the letter.  I'm good at that.  I don't even need the rule book for it.  Since the Galaxy Book has been established as a Priority Code One, any development must be brought immediately to Commander Stanton's and the Council's attention.  And that includes the break in, and the thief.  The thief with no passport or paperwork, who isn't on the ship's personnel database at all.

An immediate interrogation is held, with the entire Council in attendance.  I stand outside for a few minutes, my concern growing as protocol plays out in the room right beside me.

This just isn't going to work; I'm sure of that much.  I'm not confident the security team is equipped to contain an alien threat like this one.

My fingers hover over my communicator.  I should contact Leo right now – let him know what's going on.  It's been a whirlwind of activity the past hour, but he should know we have an intruder on our hands. 

"Mr. Chen, what are you doing out here?"

I straighten immediately, standing at attention as the Commander approaches.  A handful of papers are squeezed tightly in his hands, and the look he's giving me is nothing but serious.

I have no answer for him, so I fall into stride beside him as he enters the Council's conference room.

As soon as I enter, I stand to the side, trying to blend into the background.  I want to be nothing but a spectator, watching events unfold around me.  My goal is to collect as much information about this intruder as I can, so I can alert the other Rangers as soon as I have a chance.  But as soon as I pass through the sliding doors, I can feel those eyes on me again.

He's watching me.

"Anything?" the Commander asks.

"Not a single word," High Councilor Renier sighs, her frustration evident.

The Commander makes his way to the intruder.  My fingers hover near my weapon as Stanton gets far too close to the prisoner.  He might be 'cuffed, but that doesn't mean he's harmless… I'm sure he's not.

"I've got enough problems right now without adding you to the list," the Commander states firmly.  But the attempted thief doesn't even meet his eyes.

Shaking his head, the Commander turns to the nearest security guards.  "Put him in detention."

"Yes sir!"

I watch as the stranger is led away, once again without any resistance.  It looks like the guards have everything well in hand, laser rifles loaded, manacles locked… and my place is really with the Commander until I'm dismissed.

But I follow anyway.  I still don't know precisely what kind of threat this intruder poses, and it would be irresponsible of me to let him be imprisoned in a regular detention cell knowing he had unusual abilities.

As we pause outside a standard cell, the handcuffs are removed and he casually enters the darkened cell.  I nod to the two guards, who take their station at both sides of the door, and then I just… watch him.

He has his back to me, just like he did when I first found him. Still the picture of calm, with his head held high, and hands resting at his sides. 

We stopped him from getting the Book, but this casual calm really puts me on edge.  If we really stopped him, he'd be upset.  It's obvious he doesn't see us as any kind of hindrance, and that worries me.

"I knew you would come."

I blink at the deep voice issuing from the cell.  It's the first time I've heard the intruder speak, and his voice is… weird.  There's a strange foreign accent, and formality and gravity to his speech that makes you stand up and pay attention.

"You must help me to recover the Book."

I smirk at the nerve of this guy. "Excuse me?"

"The Galaxy Book.  It doesn't belong here," he explains.  "You must help me."

I stare at his back, curiosity drawing me into the detention cell when good sense probably would've made me lock the door and go back to bed.  "Why me?"

He turns around, but his face mostly shrouded in the shadow cast by the corner of the cell.  "Because you are the Blue Ranger."

I stare blankly for a beat.  And then I jump for the keypad, locking the door from the inside.

So he really was looking through me before.  He saw something in me; something that gave me away. 

I'm not dealing with one of Trakeena's interchangeable monsters here.  "Who are you?"

He turns toward me, stepping into the light.  "I am the Guardian of the Book."

What? 

I take a step back, struggling to make sense of this.  How could the Book have a guardian?  I mean, something as dangerous as the Galaxy Book rightfully should have a guardian, but where has he been all this time?

He walks toward me, his eyes calm and deep as he measures my reaction.  "It was stolen centuries ago.  Recently it sent forth an energy pulse."

Yeah, an 'energy pulse' that left us stranded in space.  Talk about an understatement.  "How did you know that?"

"Because someone started to recite the Keonta spell."  His voice was serious before, but it becomes grave as he speaks about that spell. "The energy pulse was small.  Had the entire spell been spoken, the result would have been unimaginable."

My imagination starts to try.  Would it create some kind of vortex or black hole?  Blow up the nearest star?  Summon a monster from another dimension?  Whatever the answer, it would definitely spell doom for Terra Venture.    

The Guardian pauses in front of me, looking directly into my eyes.  "This Book was never meant to be a research experiment.  I must take it back.  It is your destiny to help me."

My… destiny?

I've never put much stock in destiny. But, past experience has taught me to trust my intuition.  That gut feeling made it clear to me during combat training on the moon all those months ago that I couldn't abandon Kendrix, Mike, Leo, and Maya.  That I had to find a way to follow them through that warp hole to Mirinoi, even if it meant risking my life, and risking my chance to travel with Terra Venture.  Some deep internal feeling pulled me to the Megaship museum, where I met Damon.  Some people might call it duty, or maybe destiny, but that turn of events ultimately led to me becoming the Blue Ranger that day.

This feels a whole lot like that day.  His last words to me… they make a lot of sense.  The Galaxy Book is far too dangerous to be on Terra Venture.  Even if Commander Stanton stops anyone from studying it, it's a trouble magnet.  So long as we keep it, Trakeena will keep trying to get her hands on it. 

The question is… can I trust this Guardian?

Unsettled, I move toward the door.  "I'll be back in the morning."  I need to think about this.  And that trusted gut instinct of mine is urging me to get a second opinion, too.

* * *

-Karone-

I don't think I knew what true frustration was until now.

Of course, I've had plans fall apart in the past.  When I was Astronema, my plans seemed to always fall apart.  But this sense of tension - this knowledge that I'm so close to an important goal, only for it to slip through my fingers - I've never felt like this before.

I feel like I have the energy to run for miles, but my feet are chained to the ground.  I know I'm closer to solving this mystery of the Nexus… I know it… but now I can't do anything. 

So stare helplessly at the wall, forcing my breathing into a slow, steady rhythm in the hopes of inducing sleep.

Only my mind is just too occupied to rest.

It's been over two days since Leo and I discovered that alarming passage about the Nexus in the Galaxy Book, and we haven't made any further progress.  It seems as if the timing of our discovery couldn't have been worse; after the bizarre power shortage, all research on the Galaxy Book fell under firm restriction. Everything relating to the Galaxy Book stored on the Science Division's shared drive - everything Kendrix and her team have discovered over months of research - is suddenly out of reach.

I want to keep up our momentum.  I've slipped passed security firewalls before, and even though Terra Venture is a marvel of Terran technology, I'm confident I can find my way back to the Science Division's server.  And if I reach a true dead end, I can ask Damon for assistance.  The engineer capable of restoring the Megaship is surely capable of cracking this security block. 

More than anything, I want to take action.  I want to do my utmost to find Kendrix.

I sigh into the darkness, thinking about the last shreds of information Leo and I found in the Galaxy Book.  The fragmented, tragic account of Jun-ha Diran, saved from the Nexus, only to end her own life after suffering traumatic depression due to the return to reality.

I know we can't jump to conclusions based on one woman's story.  There's so much we still don't know about the Nexus.  We found something, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. 

This is only the beginning… but Leo seems convinced it's the end.

He's been strangely distant since we read about Jun-ha.  I know the account was disturbing, but I'm still surprised that all the enthusiasm he showed for finding Kendrix seems to have just… vanished.

A sudden beep from my wrist jars me from my thoughts.  Habit makes me stuff my wrist unit under my pillow, careful not to disturb my roommate, but I'm surprised to hear another tone echo in the darkness.

"Maya here."

So there's an emergency.  I throw the blankets off, emerging from Kendrix's bed just as Maya rises. 

"Karone as well," I respond belatedly.

Leo's voice passes through the intercom. "We're having an emergency meeting in our quarters.  How soon can you get here?"

Maya tugs on her boots while I pull on a robe.  "We're on our way."

We must make quite a spectacle, two women running through the hallway in pajamas in the middle of the night, but thankfully we don't have far to go, and we don't run into anyone.  It takes less than five minutes for us to pass through the doors into the guys' apartment, and we're greeted by Leo and Damon. 

Maya smiles at them, taking a seat on the couch next to the Green Ranger, but I immediately notice the absence of our teammates. "Where are Kai and Mike?"

Leo answers me.  "Kai is on his way, and Mike's on duty for the next four hours. We decided we'll contact him if we need him.  Otherwise, we'll fill him later."

So there's no urgent need for the Magna Defender?  That information offers some relief.  "Then, this isn't an emergency."

"It's a situation," Kai responds, suddenly appearing at the parting doors.  "If Mike's on duty now, I'm sure the Commander already told him the preliminary details." 

I watch Kai's demeanor, more than a little alarmed.  He pours a glass of water in the kitchen, drinking it in what looked like a single swallow, before he joins us in the small living room. 

But he doesn't sit down. Instead, he stands beside the view pane, his hands folded behind his back.  "Somebody tried to take the Galaxy Book tonight."

It takes me several seconds to find my tongue. "What happened? Is the Book safe?"

"Yes.  The thief was caught in the act.  He's currently in a detention cell."

Kai looks at each of us in turn, his face strangely blank.  "The thief… he claims to be the Guardian of the Galaxy Book."

Shocked silence settles among us.  And I try to process that information, testing whether or not it is even credible. 

Could the Galaxy Book have a Guardian?  And could he possibly be here, on Terra Venture?

It is logical that someone is responsible for the Galaxy Book.  It's been magically locked; a spell is stopping us from understanding most of what's written.  Translation programs have only been able to decrypt random passages, because the languages that appear in the Book switch often and suddenly, even in the middle of a sentence.  It's a miracle we've made any headway at all with our research.

There's no sense in archiving the priceless secrets of any number of galaxies if no one can read it.  Therefore, the answer is simple: one person can.  This Guardian.

"That's ridiculous!"

I'm distracted by Maya's angry outburst.  "How could he be the Guardian of the Book?  If that's true, where has he been?  We've had the Book for months!"

Maya does have a point.  In fact, the Guardian's sudden appearance now, when we're desperate to find very specific information, almost sounds too good to be true.

"He said the Book was stolen," Kai explains.  "Remember that power shortage?  It was caused by scientists reciting the beginning of a very powerful spell.  That spell was a signal that drew the Guardian here."

Curious, I take a moment to study the team's reactions.  Maya is clearly outraged by the very idea, and Damon looks more than a little skeptical. 

Leo looks… thoughtful.  Perhaps he's thinking along the same lines I am.  Wondering about the possibilities. 

If this man truly is the Guardian, then he must be able to read the Galaxy Book.  And if we can convince him to help us, we will know once and for all exactly what information it holds about the Nexus.

As for Kai… his face is still carefully neutral. 

"What do you think, Kai?" I ask him point-blank.  "You're the only one who's met him.  Did he give you any evidence to back up his claim?"

Kai meets my gaze for a moment before taking a seat on the chair across from us.  "He didn't give me any hard evidence; but he has this presence… it feels ancient and powerful.  It's hard to describe, but even before I actually saw him I sensed he was there." He takes a breath, his eyes falling to his morpher.  "And he knew I was the Blue Ranger, just by looking at me."

"Anyone working for Trakeena would know that," Maya comments.

"Plus, he tried to steal the Galaxy Book, so we can't take his story at face value," Damon points out.  "If he knew you were a Power Ranger, he should've come to you for help first, right?  Instead, he tried to break in and take the Book, and now that he got caught he's trying to manipulate you into helping him escape."  He folds his arms.  "We have to be careful."

They all have good points, and the discussion ebbs as we all turn to our leader, looking for some direction.  But for all appearances, Leo seems wrapped up in his own line of reasoning, his brow furrowed and elbows braced on his knees.  "What I don't understand is, if he is the Guardian, why would he try to take the Book from us?  He knows you're a Power Ranger, so he knows we're the good guys.  We're no threat to the Book."

Kai's eyebrow rises.  "You're joking, right?  That Book is going to get us all killed, Leo.  Since we've had it on board, we've been Trakeena's primary target.  Not to mention all the wonderful little accidents we've had since the Science Division started experimenting on it."

"But without the Book we wouldn't have found the lost Galactabeasts," Maya notes.  "It's an ancient tome of the universe's secrets; if we're careful and respectful, it won't do us any harm."

"Kendrix wasn't looking for a deadly weapon, but she found the Savage Sword, didn't she?  Look how well that turned out!"

Kai stops short, grimacing as if he swallowed something bitter.  Leo takes a deep, audible breath, sinking deeper into the couch.  Maya turns her gaze to the window, looking out into the infinity of space.  Damon's eyes seem transfixed by his fingers, watching them anxiously twist together. 

It's really something to behold, and I would find it fascinating if it wasn't so sad.  Now that Kendrix's name has been mentioned, a gloom seems to have been cast upon the entire group, draining the energy these same people demonstrated in heated debate just seconds ago.

Kai is the one to break the unnerving silence, though his tone is so soft, I hardly recognize him.  "Look… the Galaxy Book is the most dangerous weapon we've ever encountered.  Yeah, it's done some good, but its potential for harm is off the scale.  We're better off without it."

It's the raw emotion on Kai's face, on all their faces… loss, sorrow, failure… that urges me to open my mouth.

"But, what if the Galaxy Book is the key to finding Kendrix?"  No sooner do I utter those soft words do I feel attentive stares on me from all angles.  Immediately I stand up, moving far enough away from the others to face them all at once.

I want to see their reactions when I tell them of our progress.  "We know she's in the Nexus, right?  What if the Nexus is documented in the Book as well?"

I surreptitiously glance at Leo, seeking his input… but his reaction brings me to a grinding halt.  He's staring at me, his eyes alarmed, discreetly shaking his head.

I can't read his thoughts, but I can clearly discern the message.  No.  He doesn't want me to tell them about our discovery; about the Nexus.  But, why?

Why are we being so secretive?  Why aren't we searching for Kendrix as a team?

Confusion gives way to aggravation, and I try to hide my anger from my attentive teammates.  These are questions I'll have to ask Leo. 

"You think the Nexus might be in the Galaxy Book?" Damon comments with a thoughtful frown.  "It makes sense..."

I consciously keep my eyes away from Leo, trying my best to couch my thoughts in hypotheticals.  Until I speak to Leo, I won't directly reveal what we've found in the Book to the others.  "It's a possibility we should consider.  The Galaxy Book might still be useful to us; but if we surrender the Book to this Guardian, we might lose our best chance of finding Kendrix."

Kai shakes his head.  "That's a long shot.  It would be a miracle to find the right passage, not to mention translating the damn thing."  He runs his fingers through his hair wearily.  "And while we're searching, we just might trip some other weird trap, like that spell that shorted out the whole station, or the Savage Sword.  I want to find Kendrix… but we can't casually risk Terra Venture's safety like that."

Then, Kai turns to gaze out into space again.  "If this guy really is the Guardian, then we should cooperate with him and give him the Book."

I manage to stifle a knee-jerk protest.  If we do turn over the Book, we may never understand that passage about the Nexus.  We may never find Kendrix.  There's no way Leo will let this opportunity slip through our fingers, no matter what's going through his mind. "Leo?" I prompt.

He stands up from the couch, much to my relief, but I notice that he doesn't look at me.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves," he states. "The first step is to find out if this guy really is the Guardian.  Kai, did he show you he could read the Galaxy Book?"

"No, he didn't even get to touch the Book before I stopped him." 

"Do you think maybe we can meet him?" Damon asks.  "I'd like to get a look at this Guardian myself; ask him a few questions."

Kai smirks.  "He's in a cell, Damon.  I think I'll have a hard time explaining why civilians need to see him."

"But it won't be hard explaining why the Power Rangers would want to talk to him," Maya suggests.

"I'm planning to visit him at 0700 during the breakfast round," Kai notes.  "That'll be my chance to see if he can prove he is who he says he is.  I'll let you guys know what I find out right after.  If it makes sense, the next logical step will be to tell the Commander that the Power Rangers want to interrogate the attempted thief.  He was a tough nut to crack when he was arrested; the Commander might welcome some help."

Leo then looks at the wall clock.  "It sounds like we have a plan, then.  So, the five of us will meet here at 0800.  That should give Kai some time to find out what he can.  We'll plan our next move from there.  Okay?"

"Sounds good," Damon answers, standing up and stretching his back.  "See you guys in a couple hours."

Kai nods briefly before heading to the bedrooms as well, and Maya rises from the couch, catching a yawn with her hand.

"Maya," I reach out to tap her shoulder to catch her attention.  "You go ahead without me; I want to talk to Leo for a minute."

Maya gives me a curious look, but she nods.  "Okay, but you should get some rest tonight.  It looks like we have a busy morning ahead of us."

I grin in answer as my roommate leaves through the sliding doors.  Once the doors close, I turn around, noticing that Leo has moved to the kitchen, his face hidden by the refrigerator door.

"Leo, I think we should talk."

* * *

-Leo-

I had a feeling Karone would stick around.  She's been staring at me all night, trying to figure out what I'm thinking.  It'll be easier for the both of us if we just talk it out.

So I pull two sodas from the 'fridge and walk toward her.  "C'mon," I tell her, handing her one bottle while nodding toward the door.  With both Kai and Damon settling down to sleep just a few feet away, the living room isn't the best place to talk. 

Side by side we walk the darkened halls of Terra Venture, keeping a leisurely pace and remaining silent for a few minutes. 

"Where should we go?" Karone wonders.

"The Megaship," I answer, turning a corner.

We don't pass a soul during our walk, so I get comfortable enough to begin what I know won't be a pleasant conversation.  In a cautious whisper, I prompt, "What's on your mind?"

"Why are we keeping our research from the others?"

She knows how to get to the point.

I take a breath, unscrewing the cap on my soda.  It's a question that's been on my mind for weeks now.

"You weren't here when we first lost Kendrix."  I can't keep the grimace off my face as I think back on that miserable day.  "It hit all of us really hard.  I just… don't want to get anyone's hopes up just to disappoint them."

She stares at me.  "Disappoint them?  But, we found an account about the Nexus!"

"Yeah, and what did we learn?  That the one person who escaped ended up dead."  I shake my head firmly.  "It doesn't exactly give me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside."

"Leo, that account was half-translated at best!" She raises her voice loud enough to make me look around to confirm there's no one in sight. "Now we have someone onboard who might be able to translate the entire account; or even find other accounts that can give us a better picture of what exactly the Nexus is."

"I understand that, but what's the harm in keeping this project between the two of us?"

"Because we can't do it alone."  Karone rubs her forehead, exhaustion creeping into her voice.  "Kai and Mike have security clearance to access the Galaxy Book, which is something neither of us has.  Damon is a brilliant engineer; I'm sure he can help us decode the text.  And Maya is familiar with ancient legends in sectors of the galaxy that I'm not.  The entire team can make contributions if we let them."

She grabs my wrist, forcing us to stop in the perimeter corridor wrapped around the residential wing.  "And if we don't let them, we risk letting them inadvertently hinder us.  Kai sees the Galaxy Book as a threat to Terra Venture.  You heard what he said, right?"

I have a hard time meeting her eyes, so I take a long sip of my soda.  Or, in other words… I stall.

"Leo, talk to me," Karone pleads.  With a tired sigh she leans against the panoramic window.  "I need to understand what you're thinking.  It's been two days since we read about Jun-ha, and we never talked about it.  And now that the Book has been targeted, our window of opportunity is closing."   

I wince at her words, at the accusation in them.  I didn't talk to her about it because I didn't want to talk about it… because I've been confused, angry, depressed… a whole mess of feelings.

"What if…" my tongue isn't cooperating; it's nearly impossible to get the words out.  "What if Kendrix is better off where she is?"

My voice is hoarse and uneven; and I speak directly into my chest. But, judging from the naked shock on Karone's face, it's safe to say she still hears me.  "What?"

"Did you ever think about that possibility?"

She stares at me incredulously.  "Of course not!"

"Well, I have," I confess, my hand awkwardly rubbing the back of my head.  "I can't stop thinking about Jun-ha's story. The Nexus is a perfect paradise, right; Heaven on a plate?  Maybe… maybe I should just be happy knowing that."

"I can't believe this," Karone mutters, shaking her head.  "Okay, you know she's not trapped in a dungeon, but she's still a prisoner!"

"And what's the alternative?" I counter.  "Let's say we do find the Nexus, and we do rescue her.  But what kind of life are we bringing her back to?  Disappointment?  Misery?  Even worse?"

It hurts to say it.  It hurts to even think it.  But it's selfish of me to think that she would be happier, better off, here on Terra Venture.

Karone's voice is almost pleading.  "Leo, we don't know that will happen.  We can't just assume that Kendrix will share Jun-ha's fate."

"We may not know for sure, but it's a strong possibility."  I lean my head against the hard panel wall, fighting the urge to bang my head against it.  "It was hard enough losing her to the Nexus, but at least we know she's okay."  My voice is strained, as I voice my deepest fear.  "What if we bring her back… and we end up killing her? What would it be like if she died because of a decision I made?"

I don't know if I could live with that kind of weight on my shoulders.

It takes me a few moments to realize that the hall is dead silent.  I can't hear anything except my own breathing.  I look up, hesitant, but at the same time curious to see Karone's reaction to my logic.

She's frowning at me.

"I'm disappointed," she states. 

My eyebrow rises; I didn't expect that. "What?"

"I didn't think you were the type to unilaterally make decisions for others.  And that's exactly what you're doing now, by giving up on Kendrix."

That raises my hackles, and it's all I can do to stop myself from yelling.  "I'm not giving up on her.  Didn't you hear what I said?  I don't want to risk anything worse happening to her!"

She doesn't flinch. "I heard everything you said.  You've convinced yourself that, by deciding exactly what risks are worth taking, you're acting in Kendrix's best interests.  But what you're actually doing is underestimating her." 

She lifts her arm, drawing my attention to her morpher.  Kendrix's morpher.  "You forget how strong Kendrix is.  How determined she is.  Can't you see that she might want to come back to her friends, her life's work, her mission?"

Karone's words hit me like punches; frustrated, I defend myself.  "I know who Kendrix is," I insist with a scowl, "but how can reality… how can this-" I sweep my hands to indicate the huge, though isolated, space station, "compare to a life of peace and happiness?"

"And how can you make that decision for her?"

I grind my teeth in irritation.  "I'm… I just…" I'm even more upset by the fact that I can't think of a good answer to her challenge.  "I want her to be safe."  

We wind up in a silent stand-off, staring at each other.  I wait for her condemn me, to call me a coward or a quitter… or whatever other insults are going through her mind.  

Instead, she sighs, looking away from me.  "I know you do, Leo.  I understand that you're worried.  I am too, you know.  I'm not suggesting we take thoughtless risks, or intentionally put her in danger."

She bows her head.  "I'm not saying we should drag Kendrix out of the Nexus.  All I'm saying is she deserves the choice.  She is our comrade, and we respect that she is able to make the decision that is best for her.  Right?"

I suddenly feel like Karone sprung a trap on me.  I don't know what to say to that, so I don't say anything.

"Leo, we should research the Galaxy Book," she continues.  "Find out what we can.  Find a safe way to open the Nexus.  Explore the possibilities.  Do our best to give Kendrix the chance to choose whether to come home, or whether to stay where she is."

She makes… a lot of sense, actually.  But right now, I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to think too clearly. 

With a sigh, I push away from the wall.  "I'll sleep on it." 

She stares at me for a while longer.  It's obvious she's not happy with my compromise when she turns away from me. 

Without another word she heads back to her room. 

To Be Continued...