posted 07-30-2002 10:15 AM            

Nightmares Reign

Cadets from Starfleet Academy and their stowaway pet, Jain, are on a survival test on the planet Vaught II... Suddenly attacked by an unknown squadron, the Federation vessel that was monitoring the cadets leaves them defensless on a dangerous planet. Meanwhile, the cadets start disappearing, only to be found later, almost lifeless with all their energy drained.

She awoke drenched in cold sweat for the third time that night, panting, her eyes wide, and her cheeks flushed. She could still feel him... so real... almost to the point of catching his scent still lingering in the air, her heart was thumping wildly and she shivered, suddenly feeling as though her blood had chilled to ice. Rolling over to press her face into her pillow, she gripped her blanket tightly in her fists and her body shook with the occasional tremor.

The cat, Jain, was fast asleep, probably dreaming himself as he twitched beside her, his paws lightly pressing against her neck. She reached out to stroke the soft fur, calming her fears. The cat fell back into deep sleep while she simply layed there in the darkness of her quarters.

Sighing, she rolled onto her side and half curled into a ball, closing her eyes once again. 'One shouldn't dwell on the past... you foolish girl'

The dream awoke her early the next morning. She wiped her eyes, still feeling sleepy deep inside. The tears from a dream, rolled softly down her cheek. Torn between the surreal and reality she jumped in the shower in an attempt to drown the confusion.
Wicken Selene Witchlight was usually so level headed most of the time. Why was she having these recurring dreams? The hot water felt good against her face. She stood there, letting the water drip down her lithe, nude body. Still groggy from sleep, her mind took her back into the dream.

"But he's gone...."

She found herself startled at her own voice. Shaking her head, she found the water wasn't helping much anymore. She casually stepped out of the shower and slipped into her towel. She stopped suddenly, catching her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

She turns her slender, angular head, befit with a long, delicate, very refined muzzle, typical of the herding breeds. She looked herself in the eyes, they were a brillent amber gold that sheened in the light, though slightly dulled from lack of sleep, she lowered it again. Her fur, though wet and slicked over, still held a sheen, colored a brilliant dark silver and white, typical collie markings, her face was completly white, and her ears were jet black and flopped over. Her hair was a sharp contrast to her fur, a deep, sheening bluish black, streaked with white, hanging just past her shoulders, her bangs long and hanging at the sides of her face. She was about 5'3", with a slim, lithe, very graceful body and long legs. Very much epitomizing the image of a woman of her species.

She sighed, not really caring how she looked, running a bush through her hair as she nodded to her reflection, and exited, turning the light off as she left.

She slipped quickly into her uniform, finishing zipping up the tight form-fitting uniform/flight suit so that she could join the rest of her team out in one of the Artemis' Hanger bays.
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The door hissed open, admitting the young mix into the hanger. The sound of her boots against the mettalic floor echoed through the large, enclosed area.

Robert Quinton McLoude, was a large, yet lean akita/malamute/collie mix with a swimmer's physique. His ears twitched at the sound and he looked over his shoulder at the young woman, smiling gently, instinctivly looking her up from her polished boots to her trim, clean uniform, to her delicate, beautiful face. He admired her for a few moments but then almost immediatly turned his attention back to the intructer as she took her place in the ranks.