Brenda stretched her arms, wrapping them around herself and gazing out the mouth of the cave. She didn’t even have to look around to know that Jax had come up behind her. She felt his presence, and in all truth – the fact that she was that attuned to him scared her greatly.

The original bargain had been to escort her off Charporta. Once they arrived on the desert world, remaining together had seemed the most logical solution. When Jax was burned so badly, Brenda had been thankful that she could return a little of the care and concern he had given to her so many times.

And then, there was their physical relationship. Until Jax had shown her, Brenda had never dreamed that so much physical pleasure existed in the universe. He was a generous, passionate, caring, creative, tireless lover. As they lay in each other’s arms and Jax had dozed just hours before, Brenda had traced her finger over his chest and wondered if all Familiars were this……energetic.

In summary, the longer they remained together, the closer they seemed to grow. It disturbed Brenda, but even more, it frightened her. If she continued to remain this close to him, how would she ever be able to part company with this charming, sensual man? How could she manage to go to sleep at night without the feel of his warm body wrapped around her?

But as soon as Jax dropped to his knees beside her and offered her some of the panoch he had retrieved from the pouch, all thoughts of leaving him fled from her mind. She reached out to take it, but he shook his head, holding up the nourishment in his hand. She looked into his eyes, and could not help but obey his silent command. She leaned forward, and as he did the same he placed a piece of the bread in his own mouth. He touched his lips to hers, and after she took the bread from his mouth, he stole the breath from her lungs with a scorching kiss.

Brenda finally pulled back from the kiss, chewing the last bits of panoch and swallowing it. "I wish there was some way we could thank whoever left this bag of supplies," she said, cupping the side of Jax’s face with her hand. "Without this panoch, we would have starved."

Jax smiled and leaned forward to nuzzle the base of her neck, nipping her lightly with his teeth. He felt her catch her breath when he did and knew the sharp sting of pleasure it had sent through her body. He chuckled softly, continuing to plant kisses on her soft skin. "And without these supplies, of course, I would not reek of the oil of sajmar."

Brenda echoed his laughter, using both hands to pull his face away from her breast. "Well, if you were not such a stubborn Familiar and had not insisted on sharing my bath, you would not smell of field flowers!"

Jax raised his eyebrows and feigned innocence. "Me? Stubborn? Surely you are speaking of some *other* Familiar, zira."

Brenda folded her arms. She could tell from his playful grin that he was deliberately engaging her in a verbal duel. Jax never ceased to amaze Brenda – how utterly like his alter-ego, the cat, he was. He could appear to be sleeping one minute, and then ready to play the next. "You’re saying that you are not stubborn?"

"Single-minded, perhaps." Brenda tipped her head back in mock enlightenment. "But never stubborn." Jax leaned forward and tapped her on the nose with his finger. "Stubbornness is a fault, after all, and Familiars have no faults."

"Ahhh…I understand more clearly now," Brenda teased. "And you are obviously not vain or arrogant because that, too, would be a fault. You are merely….."

"Relentlessly truthful," Jax supplied. He rose to his feet, stretching his arms and bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. He reached a hand down to help Brenda as she rose to her feet also.

"Hmmm….so Familiars are truthful, single-minded, and always listen to the viewpoints of others……"

"Hmm? What was that? Were you speaking to me?" Jax asked with a sly grin, pulling Brenda closer to him.

"I was saying that Familiars…." She let Jax pull her flush against him. As he flung her hands up around his neck and wrapped his arms around her lower body, rubbing against her sensually, Brenda temporarily lost her ability to speak.

"Yes?" Jax crouched lower so that they were eye to eye and their lips nearly touched.

"…..that Familiars….are very……" Brenda felt Jax’s sexual haze beginning to envelop her again as he lowered his lips to her breast.

"Yes?"

Brenda moaned aloud as his tongue traced a path from her shoulder down to the center of her breast. "……addictive." Jax lifted his head to meet her lips with his as a cloud of zilliang spice floated around them. She felt herself drowning in his kiss, and as she ran her fingers up through his hair, she heard Jax’s purr begin to rumble its way up from deep in his chest.

As Jax let go of her lips and began to nibble his way down the side of her neck, Brenda somehow managed to pull away from him. "Jax! Shouldn’t we be going? There isn’t that much panoch in the bag, and you said yourself that the conditions here aren’t exactly favorable to us."

Jax was breathing heavily, but he grimaced, dropped his head, and nodded. "You are right, my angel." He closed the small space between them and rubbed the side of her face with the back of his fingers. "It’s just that this cave has been such a haven for us and holds so many – special memories."

He gave her a smile that melted her heart, and Brenda reached up a hand to mirror his caress. "I shall treasure the thoughts of our time here, too, Jax."

Jax sighed aloud. "But – as you say – we should be going." He turned around and went to fill some of the hydrale pods with fresh water from the grotto. Brenda went to get her cloak and walked to where he crouched. "What do you think the next world will be like? Will it be as barren and hostile as this one?"

"Probably not." Jax rose to his feet. "I doubt that it will be an Imperial planet, though, so it’s important that we stay together. There may be bandits or hostile life-forms since it probably does not conform to the codes of law that Imperial planets do."

Brenda nodded. "If I have learned anything thus far on our journey, it’s that staying close to you has its definite advantages, Familiar." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she placed her hand in his. Jax’s eyes returned the double entendre and he leaned down to give her a slow, smoldering kiss before they began to make their way towards the Tunnel point.

Jax pulled her with him deeper into the cave. "Be sure to keep as close to me as possible, zira. The actual Tunnel point is deep in the bowels of the cave, and there are some steep drop-offs along the way." Brenda gripped his hand more tightly, and they made their way down through the spiraling caverns towards their next encounter with the Matrix.

Scorpian made his way towards the entrance to the Matrix, hardly noticing the respectful looks from other travelers. He had crossed the ravneau in much the same manner as Jax, marveling that Jax managed to do so with a woman accompanying him. As he stood in the much smaller marketplace outside the Tunnel point, he closed his eyes, trying to sense Jax’s presence there.

The sensations rushed at him as they always did. Confidence. Trust. Fear of being noticed. Warmth. And then – to his surprise – a wave of vertigo hit him that made him sway visibly.

"Familiar is feeling dizzy? Need remedy for traveling the Matrix?" Scorpian opened his eyes quickly to find a strange creature standing before him. Actually, the creature’s nose only reached to Scorpian’s navel. It gave a crooked little smile when Scorpian looked down into its eyes. "Dooma has potion! You take!"

As the rodent-like creature held out a furry claw to Scorpian, the Knight drew back suspiciously and frowned. "What is that? And why do you say that I am a Familiar?"

The pointy snout of the short ball of fur quivered in laughter. "Because you *are*, tricky Knight! Dooma can smell Familiar!" He motioned towards Scorpian with one "finger" of his claw and Scorpian reluctantly leaned down towards him. "Dooma smelled other Familiar that passed through Tunnel. Familiar you seek."

"How do you know I seek another Familiar?" Scorpian carefully veiled his eyes. Although the creature seemed harmless, his services could have been purchased by Corinthon to gather information that would be helpful in locating the missing Princess.

The Brancar laughed heartily. "Dooma know everything!" He put his furry arm around Scorpian and drew him to the side of the marketplace. "Dooma saw Familiar you seek and missing Princess go through Tunnel point some days ago."

"So why haven’t you informed Corinthon’s soldiers of this? They would pay handsomely for clues to the Princess’ whereabouts."

The Brancar snorted in disdain. "Hmmph. They pay Dooma with slit throat. Corinthon evil. He want princess back so he can rule Charporta himself. Dooma too smart for them." He lifted up a finger. "Dooma wait for Knight. Knight is creature of honor. He not hurt Dooma."

"The Familiar traveling with the princess – he was unharmed?"

"Smell mighty fine to me," the Brancar chortled. "Princess too. Both happy."

Scorpian patted the Brancar on the back and smiled. "My thanks for your information…..Dooma, is it?"

The creature nodded. "Dooma. I be Brancar. We good guides. I take Knight to other Familiar."

Scorpian lifted an eyebrow. "I seee….and just what would Dooma require as payment for this most excellent guide service?"

"Two rarified gems?" The Brancar was hesitant. He had heard that this Knight openly flourished his drakon beam, and yet here he was -- asking for what he knew was a fortune.

"One gem – when we find the Familiar," Scorpian countered. The creature seemed harmless and Scorpian’s sense told him that perhaps he *did* have valuable information about the path Jax might have taken.

"Done!" Dooma squealed in happiness and then spun around quickly to precede Scorpian towards the Tunnel point. They had not gone far when Dooma heard the zing of a drakon beam being activated. He turned back to Scorpian and found the point of the beam aimed at his throat. "What wrong? You change mind -- no want Dooma guide you?"

Scorpian slowly retracted the beam. "No, we have an agreement that you will guide me," he replied, walking to the front of the creature. "But I go first." He lowered his voice. "I am a Knight of the Thren, as you pointed out. I will be better prepared to meet any hostile creatures that might greet us on the other side." He looked around. "Do you know what kind of world awaits us – what kind of world this other Familiar and his princess are in?"

Dooma shook his head. "Not good. Dry. Hot. No food."

"Then we should be on our way," Scorpian clipped, whirling around so that his cloak slapped Dooma in the face. "They might be dying there even as we speak." The Brancar had to run to catch up to the pace the Knight set with his long legs. This was indeed an interesting task – guiding by following.

When Dooma and Scorpian emerged from the Matrix, the bright sun of the desert planet made them squint. "I see what you mean about hot and dry."

Dooma nodded. "We go quickly. Dooma has fur. No burn. Familiar skin will burn." He reached into a pack on his back and pulled out a large blanket. "Here. You wear. Stop burn."

Scorpian put his hand up. "My thanks again, but I will just pull up my cloak" he said seriously. "Save that." As soon as they had emerged into the bright sunshine, Scorpian had sensed terrific heat and pain. If Zir Jax hadn’t had some kind of protective clothing, he may have been badly burned. Scorpian suspected he might need the blanket to form some kind of sling if Jax had been seriously incapacitated and his skin had been badly burned by the sun’s rays.

The Familiar and the Brancar trudged across the planet, the heat taking a toll on both of them. They were near the same mountain cave that Brenda and Jax had just vacated when Scorpian turned to Dooma. "I can still sense the other Familiar’s presence. He was in a great deal pain." He looked up at the mountain. "I sense that he and the princess made their way into a cave in the mountain not long ago for relief from the blistering rays of the sun."

Brancar nodded slowly. "Cave good. Cool. Maybe water." Scorpian turned back to begin the climb to the mouth of the cave, but as he did, he inadvertently brushed up against a bush. Dooma pointed a furry arm as the bush began to roil. "Familiar! Be careful!"

"What?" Scorpian turned back and just as he did, one of the bush creatures let loose with a poisoned spine. It hit Scorpian square in the chest, piercing through his loose-fitting shirt. He looked down at it and frowned. "What is this?"

Dooma lumbered forward and reached up to try to touch the spine. "Bad. Much bad. Creature shoot Familiar with poison quill."

Scorpian grimaced at the pain that seemed to be spreading from the wound down his arm and across his chest. But then, he pulled himself up erect and blustered at his shaggy guide. "I am a Familiar and a Knight of the Thren. No small puncture wound is going to stop me from completing my quest."

Dooma frowned, but Scorpian ignored him and grasped the quill with his fingertips. As soon as he pulled it out, a red stain blossomed on the white shirt he wore. Scorpian cast the offending spine aside and massaged the wound a little with his fingers. "You see?" he said, smiling at Dooma. "It pains me less already." He turned back to the pathway leading to the mouth of the cave. "Now, we shall continue on towards the ca……" Scorpian caught his breath as he swayed a little and black dots swam before his eyes.

"Familiar feels poison now," Dooma said wisely, shaking his head.

"I do *not* feel the poison," Scorpian insisted. "I’m just hot and thirsty and…..I believe I’ll rest….." He started wilting to the ground. "…..for a minute….."

Dooma grunted at the Familiar’s arrogance. "Hmmm…..rest. Familiar rest on Dooma’s shoulder." He checked Scorpian once more to make sure he had lost consciousness and then tunneled under the fallen warrior. A few moments later, Dooma rose with Scorpian’s body flung over his shoulder. As he slowly continued on towards the mouth of the cave with Scorpian’s hands trailing on the pathway behind them, Dooma sang an odd, noisy song.

Several hours later, Scorpian opened his eyes reluctantly. It was dark and cool. He squinted, trying to focus his vision, and finally was able to make out Dooma’s hairy form standing over a fire. "Brancar! Where are we?"

Dooma trundled over to where Scorpian lay next to the grotto pool. "Dooma bring Familiar inside cave. Bandage wound. Draw poison from body. Probably save life." He turned back towards the fire and mumbled, waving a hand in the air. "No thank. Dooma want rarified gem. Not get if Familiar die."

Scorpian moved his arm tentatively. Pain still radiated from the place where the spine had pierced his skin. When he tried to sit up, the cave spun round. "I’m still dizzy," he frowned.

Dooma came back to him holding a small cup. "Strong poison in spine of creature. Nasty stuff. Kill many others." He offered the cup to Scorpian, who looked at it suspiciously but then sipped at it. It was some kind of broth, and for that moment, any kind of liquid tasted like the nectar of the gods to him.

"Well, the spines did not kill the other Familiar or the princess," Scorpian replied. "I can sense their presence in this cave – not long ago, in fact." A wave of extreme pleasure washed over him. Scorpian smiled to himself. {No, Zir Jax is far from dead. He is enjoying himself with the princess in a very ……Familiar….. way.}

He took another sip of broth. "I’ll just finish this and rest for a little while and then we’ll be on our way again," he announced to Dooma.

Dooma jumped up and down, making little pebbles dance on the floor of the cave with his agitation. "No leave. Not yet. Poison strong. Familiar need to rest more."

"No, this Familiar needs to find the other Familiar," Scorpian replied stubbornly. "And I can’t find him if I’m lying on my back in some cave." But when he tried to rise again and the sea of black dots re-appeared in front of his eyes, Dooma pushed him back down with the palm of his furry hand.

"No leave. Dooma not strong enough to carry again." Scorpian snorted at the Brancar in frustration, at which the Brancar turned around and planted his furry little posterior firmly in Scorpian’s lap. "NO GO!" Dooma crossed his arms for emphasis as Scorpian lay back down and groaned. "No go. Dooma says."

Scorpian closed his eyes and sighed aloud. "No go." After all, he was a Familiar, and it was a very Familiar thing to do – having the last word.

Brenda caught Jax’s arm as they exited the Matrix. The wind whipped dust into her eyes, and she was momentarily blinded from seeing what kind of world they had entered. "Jax? Are you there?"

She felt his strong arms around her as he drew her into the crook of his arm. "I’m here, my zira." Taking the side of her cloak, he wiped gently at her eyes until she looked up into his and smiled. "Better?"

Brenda nodded, peering cautiously out from under his arm. "What kind of place is this? Not desert again, I hope."

Jax still kept her sheltered as he looked off into the distance. "Not desert, angel. But I have a feeling that we still haven’t arrived at an Imperial planet. I see no Knights of the Thren guarding the entrance to the Matrix."

As Brenda gradually emerged from his embrace, she caught her breath. "Oh, Jax – look!" She pointed off into the distance. "It’s so …..BEAUTIFUL!"

As the winds quieted, seemingly at Brenda’s command, the landscape cleared and Jax saw the same vista that had inspired Brenda’s admiration. Mountains rose in the distance, blocking what appeared at first to be the setting of a red sun. In reality, large clouds of red dust were being whipped by the strong winds that greeted Jax and Brenda as they came from the Tunnel point. But the most awe-inspiring aspect of the planet caused Jax to put his hand to his eyes, shielding them from the reflection.

The planet was covered with structures made entirely of crystals. Large crystal spikes rose from the ground as trees did on other planets. Crystal "limbs" branched out from those huge round crystal "trunks." The mountains seemed to be coated with a layer of loose pieces of quartz that shifted and shimmered in the light of the vermilion sun. Everywhere Jax looked, light bounced off sharply faceted rocks.

"Isn’t it beautiful?" Brenda’s voice was breathless. "See how it sparkles – what kind of place is this, Jax?"

He noted several small, hunched bodies scurrying past in the distance. They wove their way into some hills close by, carrying packs of something on their backs. "I believe this planet is a mining center, Brenda. Many worlds use crystals such as these for fuel or for currency." Brenda shuddered a little as they heard an anguished cry in the distance. A moment later, a creature rushed between two large crystal spikes, looking behind it anxiously. Brenda shrank into the fold of Jax’s embrace again.

"Although this place is beautiful, Brenda, it also appears to be quite lawless. Without the influence of the Empire and with such riches to be gained, bandits and thieves probably find this to be a paradise." He looked down at her and tipped her face up to his. "Now more than ever I need you to stay close by me so that I can protect you if we run into some of these criminals."

Brenda nodded seriously. As they made their way towards what appeared to be a large cavern, Brenda shook her head. "Isn’t it odd? That such a beautiful place seems to be home to such ugliness."

"You seem to be quite taken with the crystals, angel."

Brenda nodded. "Charporta was such a barren planet in its own right. Oh, there were grass and trees and rivers, but they just all seem so dull compared to this place." She lowered her head. "I remember one time I found the smallest piece of crystal on the ground when I was walking with Corinthon. It was probably some kind of currency that a traveler dropped on his way to a vendor nearby." Jax stopped as Brenda’s eyes grew misty. "I remember telling Corinthon how beautiful I thought it was."

"And?" Jax gently prompted.

Brenda’s face grew grim. "He asked me why I thought it was beautiful – or why it was more remarkable than any other wonder on Charporta. I told him that I admired it because it sparkled with the light of the truth." She looked up into Jax’s eyes, her own brimming with tears. "A crystal cannot change what it reflects, but only show its true form."

Brenda began to walk again. "Do you still have the crystal?"

"No." Brenda’s words were cold. "Corinthon laughed at me and took the crystal from me. He placed it beneath the heel of his boot and crushed it as I watched."

Jax put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Don’t let your mind stray to such unhappy times, Brenda. I promise you that I’ll never let him hurt you again."

Brenda nodded and then she broke into a smile. "Because a Familiar never breaks a promise." She was still smiling as they entered a large structure, but she caught her breath at the sight of the interior. "Oh, Jax! What is this place?"

"It appears to be some kind of tavern, zira," Jax murmured. Aliens of every shape and form sat on crystal chairs at crystal tables. The constant drone of many different tongues provided a loud backdrop. Jax put Brenda behind him protectively as they moved towards a large bar where a Flodgin was pouring paga into crystal goblets. She looked up as Jax approached.

"Aha! A Familiar!" Jax’s comely face and sensual aura made it difficult to hide his identity. "What brings you to my fine establishment today?"

Jax kept Brenda behind his back so that the Flodgin couldn’t see her at first. He gave the tavern-owner a wicked smile and even from behind him, Brenda could feel his sensual nature starting to spark. "You seem much too delicate and feminine to own a tavern, Flodgin," he drawled.

"Crissalea," the Flodgin purred in return, "my name is Crissalea, my pretty kitty. But you must be thirsty from your travels across this dusty planet. Would you like some paga?"

Brenda meanwhile, was beginning to do some sparking of her own behind Jax’s back. When she heard the Flodgin’s tone of voice, it grated on her nerves. But when she addressed Jax as *her* "pretty kitty," Brenda’s own claws began to emerge. Brenda couldn’t hold her silence any longer and she tried to push from her hiding place behind Jax’s back. "Yes, he probably would – and I’m thirsty, too!"

{Be silent, Brenda, and return to your place behind my back!} Jax tried not to frown at Brenda’s forwardness, but the Flodgin’s eyes widened. "Ahh….I didn’t know that you already had a traveling companion, pretty kitty." She gave Brenda a challenging look that made Brenda bristle even more.

Jax pushed her behind him with difficulty. "She is merely part of my job. I am returning her to an anxious future mate on Tron." He leaned in closer to the Flodgin, and when she leaned forward in a similar fashion, she gave Jax an excellent view of her cleavage. "This one ran away rather than face her fiancé’s bed."

Brenda’s mouth formed a perfect "O" in shock at Jax’s bald-faced lie. But before she could say anything, Brenda saw the movements of the Flodgin reflected in the mirror behind her and it made her blood boil. Crissalea trailed a finger across Jax’s bare collar-bone and around his firm pectoral muscles. "Hmmm…..now personally, I would *never* flee from a man’s bed….particularly if it were yours, my pretty kitty."

Jax began to caress the Flodgin’s cheek in a similar sensual fashion. "But you see," he whispered, "that is also my problem, for I find myself without a bed for the night – and with no rarified gems to pay for lodging."

Crissalea smiled wickedly at Jax and leaned forward even farther to whisper near his ear. "You have no problem at all, Familiar. The inn that I own nearby has a bed for you, and as for the payment …. Wellll, I’m sure that you and I can work something out."

She was inching her lips closer to Jax’s as Brenda finally crouched under his restraining arm and popped up in between them. "What excellent news!" She pushed Crissalea back by the arm so that she once again was standing behind the bar, far from Jax. "And as for payment, you needn’t worry. I have rarified gems and will be most happy to pay for lodging for the both of us."

Jax raised an eyebrow and he felt the tingles of dread deep in his stomach. {Don’t do something foolish, angel. If you indeed have the rarified gems, don’t ……}

He never got a chance to finish the thought he was sending her as Brenda reached deeply into the pocket of her cloak and drew forth a handful of gems. "After all that this Familiar has done for me thus far on our travels, paying for our room is the least I can do," Brenda said in a pointed fashion, giving the Flodgin a proprietary smile.

Jax was ready to strangle her. The sound of the rarified gems hitting the bar was only surpassed by the gasps that rose from the crowd of thieves and cut-throats gathered at some of the tables. Crissalea drew herself up and spoke to a Brancar sitting at a table nearby. "Take them to the inn and make sure they are placed in the best room." She glanced back at Jax and visibly brightened when she saw his look of disgust at Brenda. "It seems that you have lost some of your clothing along your journey, pretty kitty."

"That happens to me frequently these days," Jax returned, glaring at Brenda as she gathered the gems back into her cloak. He tried to compose himself as he looked towards the Flodgin once again. "I trust that there are merchants nearby where I might replace them?"

The Flodgin nodded towards the door. "Out the door and towards the left, although personally…" She leaned forward, pushing her cleavage up so that it rested on the bar. "…..it should be against Imperial law to clothe a body like yours."

Visible sparks were flying between Jax and the Flodgin when Brenda performed her foot-stomping ritual. "I’m tired. I need to rest."

Crissalea trailed her hand down Jax’s arm possessively. "You should rest, too, Familiar." She glared in Brenda’s direction. "I’m sure traveling with such a companion can be quite tiresome, and you may need all of your strength……later."

"It is my fondest wish, madame," Jax said smoothly, taking her hand and kissing the back of it, stroking it lightly with his tongue. Brenda was about to explode again when Jax spun her around and ushered her swiftly out of the tavern. She sputtered a few times as they made their way to the inn, but Jax silenced her with a pointed look.

The Brancar led them up a narrow staircase and down a long and winding corridor until they came to a room with a bright red door. He opened it, and Brenda gasped aloud at the interior. A large bed dominated the center of the room. It was covered by a scarlet blanket of the softest barjeeli cloth. Behind it, a large wall of patterned crystals divided the room. A bathing pool was evident beyond the wall. Crystals in bright shades of fuschia and crimson dotted the room. "Oh, Jax," Brenda breathed softly. "Isn’t it magnificent?"

But when she turned to look at Jax after the Brancar had closed the door behind them, she gasped for an entirely different reason. His face bore the look of barely-contained rage. "Just what the bloody blazes of Lorgin do you think you were doing down there?"

To be continued……