Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Power Rangers in Space don't belong to me, they belong to Saban the Dread and Puissant. I'm doing this for love, not money. Any characters herein you don't recognize from the show are my own creation.
WARNING: The following text contains graphic descriptions of sexual situations. Easily offended or under-aged people should bail now.

"DECA, scan for traces of the emissions previously designated 'Zordon Search.'" Andros directs the ship's computer.

After a small delay, "Evidence of specified emissions detected." Reports the AI.

Cassie and Ashley look at each other hopefully. "I think we found him." Ashley tells her, wide-eyed.

"Plotting in a course to intercept." Carlos announces as he begins typing in the commands at his station without needing to be told.

They catch up to the transport and board her without encountering much resistance. "That was too easy." TJ says through his helmet's comm link.

"Yeah," Carlos echoed. "There's nobody here but a few Quantrons."

"Get them mopped up and everybody rendezvous at the cargo hold." Andros directs his team.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the whole team meets outside the cargo hold's entrance. They simultaneously nod a signal in readiness, and proceed cautiously inside. The hold is deserted. Boxes and crates of all descriptions fill about three-quarters of the hold area, but there is no activity of any kind. The gigantic room is eerily still.

"Fan out, see if you can find Zordon." Andros says.

"I'll check that computer terminal," Ashley volunteers, pointing to it. "See if it'll tell us Zordon's location in all this mess."

"Good idea, Ash." Replies TJ.

As Ashley gets to work, the other Rangers cautiously explore the gigantic room. "I can't read the writing on most of these containers," Cassie's voice comes through everyone's helmet speakers. She grumps to herself about the limited translating capacity in her helmet's micro-computer. "But hardly any of them seem to be in the same language."

"Guess all this writing is like shipping labels, huh?" Puts in Carlos, making conversation to keep the team's tension low. "Andros, can you read any of them?"

"Some of them are in languages I'm familiar wi-"

"Oh, no!" Ashley's voice breaks across their receivers. "He's gone!"

"What?" Choruses back at her.

"This manifest says that Zordon was here," Ashley elaborated, reading from the translation scrolling across her helmet's internal display. "But that he's already been transferred to a different vessel. A faster, better armed one. And all of the escort fighters went with it."

The team's spirits sink with disappointment. "So close!" TJ says, slapping his fist into his palm.

"Well, I guess that means we can get going, now." Ashley says a little dejectedly as she joins up with the others. "Where's Andros?"

The four Rangers glance at each other. "He went that way, last I saw." Carlos pointed off down an isle in the boxes. They all take off down that direction, hands on their holstered AstroBlasters. Presently, they spot the Red Ranger up ahead, running his gloved hand along the 'shipping label' of a rather large metallic crate.

As the team reaches their leader, "Is that a suspended animation pod?" TJ asks. It looks a lot like some he'd seen pictures of in DECA's memory banks while he'd been researching one thing or another. Andros nods almost imperceptibly.

"Kahtien," He breathes, as if in a trance. Then he suddenly jolts into activity. "We've got to get this out of here."

On the MegaShip
"Andros, what is it that's in that pod?" TJ asked with curiosity.

"Not what, who. It's a Kahtien." Andros told him, not turning his attention away from the controls on the silvery container.

"What's a Kahtien?" Carlos chimed in.

Andros continued to apply his tools to the control panel as he answered, "Tens of millennia ago, they were a part of my people. Some of us migrated one way, while others went in a different direction. One of the groups eventually settled on KO-35. We've always had a kind of kinship with the Kahtien."

"Like distant cousins." Ashley made it sound like both a question and a statement.

"Yes, something like that." Andros answered. "The Kahtien had always been our allies, although they were pretty far away. About four hundred years ago, something happened to them, they were attacked - we still don't know by whom, although there are a couple of pretty good guesses."

"Dark Spectre?" Guessed TJ.

Andros nods, pausing to look over his shoulder at the Blue Ranger for a brief moment. Then he brings his concentration back to the task of opening the pod. "Some of them survived the destruction of their home planet, although not many. And the survivors scattered all over the galaxy."

"So now they're like gypsies." Carlos surmises.

"Sort of." Replies Andros.

"Is there something else?" Cassie wondered aloud. "You seem pretty excited about finding him."

"It's a little hard to explain. The Kahtien are... special. All of them are mechanically gifted. Small enclaves of them have lived on Eltar, Alcor and Edenoi -even on Aquitar- for centuries. They have a very close relationship with the Order of Meledon; they've helped develop a lot of the Power Ranger technology. As a matter of fact, Kahtiens did most of the invention of DECA and the MegaShip."

"Are they telekinetic too, like KO-35ers?" Put in Ashley.

Andros pauses, an odd look crossing his face. "Yes. And... more than that, too." The team trades puzzled looks.

Cassie frowns at Andros' back. "What do you mean, 'more than that'?"

Andros didn't respond for a moment. "They're all empaths. And some of them are telepathic. But they've all got this uncanny sensing ability. I don't know how to explain it to you. Earthers don't have any frame of reference for it."

JT folded his arms across his chest and said a little humorously, "Are you saying it's like trying to explain color to a blind person?"

"Yes." Andros replied matter-of-factly, in that infuriating manner of his that always seemed just a little condescending.

Cassie was not quite satisfied. "So why are you so agitated? Are you in awe of these Kahtien? Or do they make you nervous?"

Andros didn't reply. _A little of both,_ he thought privately.

Andros finally got the suspension pod open. Then he, TJ and Carlos carefully removed the bulky, muddy-brown cocoon, placed it on a gurney and wheeled it into the infirmary. "Do you think this guy knows something?" Asked TJ as the three young men carefully hefted the cocoon onto a med bed. "I mean, do you think he's got some kind of information that Dark Spectre is after?"

"Probably not." Andros said, setting the med scanner controls to start a diagnostic. "If this guy knew something specifically important, then Dark Spectre would've had him guarded better. And probably wouldn't have left him behind when Zordon was transferred."

"So why would Dark Spectre have made him a prisoner?" Cassie wondered aloud, coming through the doorway, with Ashley right behind her.

"Because Kahtiens are valuable." Andros sighed, schooling himself to be patient. _They're merely ignorant._ he reminded himself. "Like I said before, they're gifted. And not just with machines; they've got the most uncanny senses about things -and people. If Dark Spectre could break a Kahtien...." He shivered almost imperceptibly, then turned to read what the med scanner had found out so far.

Eventually, the med scanner reported good news and bad news. The humanoid inside the cocoon was alive and relatively unharmed. But the cocooning method had not been kind. It was hasty and of a general-purpose nature; the Kahtien would be terribly ill with hibernation sickness once the Rangers got the cocoon off.

"This mixture should dissolve the cocoon without hurting him." Andros told them as he began to pour it over the rope-like threads of the cocoon's outer husk. "It'll take a couple of hours to do the job, but I don't want to risk injuring him with something stronger."

Everybody nodded at that. "Have you got a course of treatment worked up for when this guy hatches?" Carlos asked a little flippantly.

"Yes." Answered Andros, ignoring the smart remark. "We'll need to take turns sitting with him then. He'll be very sick and disoriented. I want someone here to make sure he doesn't become delirious and accidentally hurt himself. Or in case he gets into any serious medical distress."

A few hours later, DECA awoke Andros to inform him the cocoon was nearly dissolved. Andros got out of bed and headed down the corridor. Carlos joined him along the way.

"What are you doing up?" Andros asked him.

"Couldn't sleep. I've just kinda been dozing on and off. I thought I heard DECA's voice, so I figured it must be time. C'mon, I'll help you peel this guy out."

And peel him out they did. The cocoon was brittle in spots and gummy in others. They pulled, peeled, scooped and scraped away the imprisoning husk until they reached the person inside. The Kahtien was lying on his side in the remains of the quasi-organic prison, tremoring rather violently in the slimy opaque goo surrounding him.

"You take his shoulders, I'll get his legs." Carlos said. "We'll lift him out on 'three' and set him on the other med bed. Then we can clean the rest of this slimy stuff off." Andros nodded his agreement, and on the count of three, they lifted.

Cleaning the remaining ooze off the Kahtien brought another startling discovery. "He's a she!" Declared Carlos, jerking his hands back.

"And about our age." Observed Andros, wiping her face with a damp cloth. "Come on, help me finish."

"At least she's not naked." Carlos mumbles under his breath as he resumes.

Once they had finished, Carlos volunteers to take the first watch. "I'm not sleepy anyway." He tells Andros. "Is it normal for her to be shaking so much?"

"For hibernation sickness it is. All we can do is wait for it to wear off. Call me if anything changes."

"Okay man, sure." Carlos agrees. Then he looks again at the shivering, unconscious form of their visitor. "Is her skin supposed to look like that?"

"What do you mean?" Andros stopped in the doorway and turned back.

"It's got all those swirly colors on it."

Andros paused in confusion for a moment, then realization dawned. _Oh, yeah. They don't know what Kahtiens look like._ "Yes," he responded, "Kahtiens don't have monochrome skin. She'll have a patterned design all down the back of her body, the tops of her shoulders and outsides of her arms all the way down onto the backs of her hands, and on the outsides of her legs past her knees at least."

"Wow. That's pretty wild. At least her hair isn't as contrasting as yours." Carlos didn't realize how insulting that could sound. He was absorbed with looking at the whorls and streaks all along the Kahtien's arm and trying to decide if the two-toned hair was two different shades of auburn, or if the copper stripes were just making the other stripes look more reddish than brown.

Andros just shook his head and left the infirmary.

Once her hair dried, Carlos could see it really was two completely different colors - a fiery copper and chocolate brown. The streaks were the same width and direction as Andros', illustrating their distant kinship.

When TJ came to relieve him, he found Carlos entertaining himself by trying to sketch the patterns of her skin on a drawing tablet with colored pencils.

"Wow." Said TJ, coming closer. "Is her skin supposed to look like that?"

"Yeah, man." Carlos responded. "Check this out. It's got beige, tan, brown, peach, lavender, blue and copper. And all the lines and swirls and spots are kinda hypnotic if you keep staring at them."

TJ chuckled. "Only you, Carlos." He shook his head and grinned.

A little before dinner the following day, Carlos was again on watch when the patient regained consciousness with a violent start. She gasped, her entire body stiffened convulsively and her eyes shot open.

At that instant, Carlos felt like somebody hit him in the back of the head with a board. He jumped out of his chair, startled. Then he quickly leaned over the girl to check on her. _Jeez! None of her is one color!_ he thought as he looked at her wildly staring eyes. They were tri-colored in concentric rings; the outside was dark violet, the middle was blue-green, and amber was surrounding her pupils -which were oval, almost like a cat's.

"Take it easy," He said, smiling, trying to reassure her. "You're safe now." He noticed that while she did look pretty dazed, her eyes were focused and didn't appear feverish. He took it as a good sign.

She seemed confused, then she gave a small whimper as she closed her eyes and drew her arms across her chest - her hands balled into fists as she pressed them into her shoulders. She shivered and groaned as she rolled onto her side.

Carlos called the other Rangers over the intercom to inform them the Kahtien was awake. Everyone came rushing down to the infirmary excitedly. They all bustled in, speaking at once.

"Is she okay?" Asked Cassie.

"What's she like?" Ashley wanted to know.

"How's she doing?" TJ inquired.

"Wait a minute, guys." Andros told them. "Let's not make a lot of racket. She's probably feeling pretty queasy right now." Everybody quieted down and kept their distance. Crowding all around her would probably scare her, they all realized.

Carlos was still next to the med bed. He turned to the girl as she was struggling to sit up. "Here, let me help you. You'll be pretty weak from the hibernation sickness." He gently assisted her to sit; he felt a funny sensation in his head when he touched the bare skin of her arm, but he ignored it and maintained his hold on her arm to keep her steady.

Once upright, the Kahtien put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, she looked like she was fighting off dizziness. With her eyes still closed, she began speaking in a quiet, breathy voice -in a language none of them recognized.

"What's she saying?" Ashley asked, turning to Andros.

"I have no idea. I don't speak Kahtien." He addressed the MegaShip's AI. "DECA, can't you translate this?"

Before DECA could respond, the Kahtien seemed to pounce on the only word she understood. "DECA," She repeated. Then a torrent of unintelligible words poured out of her, seemingly addressed at the AI.

"Working," DECA's voice responded.

"Is DECA answering you, or answering her?" Cassie asked Andros. Andros could only shrug.

"So now what do we do?" Wondered Carlos out loud.

At the sound of his voice, the Kahtien opened her eyes, turned her head very slowly towards him and made eye contact. As Carlos looked into her eyes, he seemed to go into a trance. Everything about him just stopped, almost frozen. The Kahtien slowly raised her hands to cup the sides of his face without breaking the stare.

"What's she doing?!" TJ said, alarmed. He started forward but Andros put out a hand to stop him.

"Don't." He said softly. "I think she's listening to the inside of his head."

"She's what?!" The three teens chorused. Andros ignored them and watched the rare scene being played out at the med bed. _I've heard stories, but I never thought I'd see..._

After several minutes, the Kahtien released her hold on Carlos's face and broke their eye contact. Carlos swayed a little, momentarily disoriented. "Caramba. That was wild!" He declared.

"What did she do to you?" Ashley asked him, coming closer to put a solicitous hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know. I just kept seeing words an' pictures 'n' stuff."

Andros had a suspicion. He approached their guest and spoke directly to her. "You needed to learn the language, didn't you."

"Yes." The girl answered quietly in a breathy, trilling voice.

"Carlos just taught you English?" Cassie asked, astonished.

"And Spanish." The Kahtien answered, practically whispering. Then she swayed dizzily. A tiny 'oh' sound escaped her and she started to fall. Andros reached forward and caught her.

"You need to rest. You're still sick from the hibernation pod." She didn't protest as Carlos and Ashley made way so Andros could lie her back down. Everybody made their exit as Andros pulled the blanket over her. "Just tell DECA to call us if you need anything."

The girl nodded tiredly and touched his hand where it was still on the blanket. She held it gently but firmly for a moment and stared fully into his eyes. Andros became lost, the brief seconds seemed to take hours before he felt time resume for him again.

"Thank you." She sighed. "Andros." Then her eyes closed and she was sound asleep.

Andros couldn't concentrate. He kept remembering what she felt like. He had a ....feeling - of her inside his head. He'd heard about that happening to people who encountered the Kahtien, but to actually experience it! It defied description.

Carlos couldn't concentrate. That girl had rummaged around in his mind! He knew he should be upset about that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that all she had looked at was the language stuff. And he had the strangest notion that she was one of the good guys. He couldn't explain it.

TJ couldn't concentrate. That weird girl kinda creeped him out. And it wasn't just that she looked so weird, with all those colors all over her skin. She seemed to look right through whoever she was looking at.

Cassie couldn't concentrate. That girl made her nervous. She had this feeling there'd be trouble, but she couldn't put her finger on it. And why did Carlos and Andros just seem to accept her right away? She didn't understand what was going on.

Ashley couldn't concentrate. She had brought the Kahtien some new clothes, and found the patterns on the sleeping alien's arms and hands hard to quit staring at. _This oughtta help._ she thought as she set a clean ship's uniform down next to the med bed. _The jacket will cover it up better than that tank top she's wearing._

Ashley wondered as she turned to leave,_Is it my imagination, or is everybody reacting really strangely to her?_

Andros came to the infirmary to check on their guest. "Are you awake?" He asked as he leaned over her. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him. Andros felt as if she were looking straight into the core of him.

Her brow furrowed ever so slightly for a moment, then she slowly extended her hand and touched his hair. "KO-35." She whispered in his native tongue.

Andros was startled. "Yes." He responded, also speaking Omaaz, as she drew her hand back. He just stared at her, dumbfounded, until she returned her penetrating gaze to his face.

"Of course I do." She responded to his unspoken question, still in Omaaz. Then she added cryptically, "I understand a lot of things."

He got his brain working again after a second and told her, "You'd better stick to English," As he switched to it himself. "So the others will understand you." She nodded and almost smiled.

"They find me curious." She stated lightly, in accented English.

_So do I._ Andros thought. She arched an eyebrow at him. That made Andros wonder. _Do you hear me?_ He thought at her. She didn't answer. She merely continued to gaze at him steadily.

After a moment, he looked away and asked, "Are you hungry? You should eat something, to help you regain your strength." He helped her to sit up and placed the tray he had brought across her lap.

"Thank you, Andros."

He nodded. Then realized something. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Tyleil."

Andros left the infirmary after she had finished eating - and had promptly fallen back to sleep.

_Tyleil._ He thought as he walked down the corridor. He rolled the sound around in his head; feeling it, listening to it, tasting it. _Beautiful._ Then he abruptly snapped himself back to a businesslike manner when he realized he was starting to grin like a fool. He wondered at his reaction for a moment, then recalled some things he had been told about the Kahtien when he was a child.

_"Most people are either attracted to them or repelled by them, at first."_ Andros' memory replayed an old teacher's lecture. _"And rarely does anyone get completely used to them. They have great Presence. That isn't something that can be ignored."_

_So my reaction is normal._ he tried to reassure himself. _Just got to keep that in mind._ he resolved stoutly.

Once Tyleil was up and about, she spent most of her time in the MegaShip's machine shop. When she could be found at all.

Cassie was feeling edgy about her, almost suspicious. Tyleil seemed to keep to herself a lot. And there seemed to be some kind of unspoken agreement that she was going to stay. Nobody ever said anything about her leaving, at any rate. After three days in the infirmary, Tyleil was just suddenly occupying one of the rooms in the living quarters; like she belonged there.

"Am I the only one who's worried?" She asked TJ, while they were sharing engine room duties. "Andros and Carlos seem to just accept her, like she's been here all along!" She began to pace as she continued. "And Ashley is treating her like she's the new girl in school." Cassie stopped pacing and put her hands on her hips as she pinned TJ with a hard look. "What do you think of her, Teej?"

TJ looked up from the diagnostic report he was reviewing. "What do I think?" He echoed. "Well, she kinda gives me the willies. But I don't think she's out to get us." He shrugged, then added, "She's just .... alien. It's a little hard for me to deal with."

Cassie flung up her hands in defeat. _That's no help._ she thought in aggravation.

She just couldn't seem to let it go. The next time they were all together -at dinner the following evening- she brought it up again. "Where's Tyleil? Why isn't she eating with us?"

"Probably in the machine shop." Carlos answered. "Guess she wasn't hungry."

"What is with you guys?!" Cassie pursued. "Don't any of you find this situation just a little bit strange."

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked her, briefly halting a forkful of food on its way to her mouth.

"We hardly ever see her. She always seems to be doing something; but I don't know what. Haven't any of you noticed she's just made herself at home? None of you think it's odd?!"

"Hello? Cassie?" Ashley retorted. "She's an alien. Of course she's gonna seem odd."

Cassie just snorted. "And what about you two?" She rounded on Andros and Carlos. "What is up with you?"

"What are you talkin' about, Cassie?" Carlos wanted to know. "What did we do?"

"Cassie," Cut in Andros. "Kahtien are strange people. They're hard to understand and they know it. I think she's trying to stay out of our way so that we don't feel ... what's the Earth phrase? ... creeped out."

Andros' argument made sense; it gave Cassie pause. Then she doggedly brought back the other weird thing that had been bothering her. "Well, that doesn't explain why you two just accept her without question." She accused.

Carlos and Andros traded a helpless look. "Have you talked to her?" Andros asked, turning back to Cassie.

"No."

"Go talk to her." He urged. "Maybe you'll understand, then."

So she did.

After dinner, Cassie marched down to the machine shop, but she checked herself when she reached the door. She strolled in casually, trying to look like she just happened to be in the neighborhood. Tyleil was sitting with her back to the door, so Cassie didn't see the small, amused smile grace her lips briefly.

Tyleil was used to people forgetting that Kahtien are empaths. She had felt Cassie's consternation before she reached the doorway. But she did not indicate her perception to the Pink Ranger, maintaining traditional Kahtien manners. She appeared to ignore the girl until Cassie spoke.

"Hey, Tyleil." Cassie said, trying to sound casual. "What are you working on?" She moved closer to the bench, where Tyleil's hands were busily manipulating small tools on the exposed innards of a scanner.

"Increasing this device's capacity." She replied, not looking up or pausing in her work. Cassie took a seat on the stool a little way down the bench. _I guess her voice always sounds like that._ Cassie decided. Tyleil's voice was just as quiet, breathy and trilling as it had been in the infirmary. She watched the alien's sure hands deftly operate on the machine. _Something doesn't look right._ she frowned, trying to pin it down. Then she noticed.

"You have six fingers!" She blurted in startlement. Tyleil paused, a puzzled frown scarcely crossed her face before her expression returned to its usual neutrality and she looked at Cassie.

"Of course." She responded. Then she extended one for Cassie's inspection.

Cassie couldn't help herself. She reached for the proffered hand and studied it intently, while thinking how silly this must seem to Tyleil to have somebody trippin' over what had to be an ordinary hand to her. She was so intrigued that she almost failed to notice the little tingle of sensation caused by the contact. Despite herself, Cassie was impressed. The slender, graceful hand did indeed have six fingers. The palm was very narrow, the fingers were very long and there was an opposable thumb on either side. She had no "pinkie" sized digit. And the nails were thick, almost talon-like. _Very useful design for a hand._ Cassie mused. Then she came back to herself. She smiled lopsidedly as she let go and said, "Sorry. I guess that was pretty weird for you, huh?"

"People are curious about new things," Tyleil said in her low voice as she resumed working. "I understand that."

"Was it my imagination, or was there .... something that happened when I touched you?"

"Kahtien communicate by touching; it is part of our language, like facial expressions. We..." She struggled for a moment, trying to find the words to explain it. "Impart our feelings that way." She looked to Cassie's face, hoping she was being understood.

"You mean, you can pass your emotions off to other people?"

"Not impose them on someone. Just," Tyleil sighed, fighting for verbal expression in a language that didn't have adequate words. "Express our feelings." Tyleil was frustrated. _How can I explain this?_ "Here," she said, reaching for Cassie's hand. "Let me show you."

Cassie held her hand warily and looked at Tyleil, waiting for something big to happen. She thought she felt that little tickle of sensation again, so she concentrated on it. She got this ... feeling of Tyleil in her head. Calm, patient, mildly humorous, focused, well meaning; Cassie knew she would recognize it again anywhere. But she didn't understand it. "That's you?" She said as she released the alien's hand.

"Yes." Tyleil breathed softly, a small smile flitting across her lips.

"Oh," Cassie said. "That's why Carlos and Andros don't mind you here. They felt you. So it is like they know you." Then Cassie grinned. "Do they realize that? I bet Andros does."

Tyleil smiled back. "Andros might, if he's stopped to think about it. KO-35 is close to us, but different. They don't always understand us either." _Or themselves, for that matter._ she added privately.

Tyleil made herself useful in a quiet, unassuming way. The Rangers still didn't see her very often, but their equipment seemed to be improving remarkably for no apparent reason, within the first week of her residence.

"She's like a gremlin in reverse." TJ quipped, as the team was running a check on the engines.

Carlos chuckled at the comment. "Like the tooth fairy for machines." He added.

"Phantom Bride." Andros put in distractedly, paying more attention to the modifications he was inspecting than his participation in the conversation.

"What?" Ashley asked. "What does that mean?"

Andros mentally checked himself. _Why did I choose that old story?_ he wondered. Aloud, he said, "Sorry. It's an old folk tale. I meant she's like a benevolent ghost, haunting the ship." He mentally congratulated himself on such a quick cover up; although he didn't understand why he did that either. _What do I care about some old love story?_

Cassie chuckled. "Yeah, she is kinda like a ghost around here. Good one, Andros."

"You know," Ashley spoke up, "We should probably invite her to join us. Like for meals 'n' stuff. We've kind of been leaving her out."

"Kahtien are like that," Andros reminded her. "They always keep mostly to themselves." It was the truth, but something about the idea of having Tyleil around him more often made Andros inexplicably nervous.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't invite her." Ashley retorted.

Tyleil accepted Ashley's invitation and began joining the Rangers for most meals. She still didn't say much, and everybody still got the shivers from her soul-penetrating gaze whenever she looked directly into their eyes, but nothing ever came of it, so they began getting used to her.

Except Andros. Outwardly, he seemed mostly the same, but inside he felt confused and agitated in her presence. And then he started to feel that way when he was out of her presence as well. And then it started to show. By the end of the following week, his team began to notice him acting distracted, impatient, a little agitated; a lot like he was when they first met him.

"What is up with him, lately." Cassie asked, after a fit of pique had driven Andros from the bridge in a huff. "It wasn't that bad."

"I don't know, but somebody's going to have to talk to him." TJ responded. Everybody looked at him expectantly. "Oh no, not me!"

"Um, hm." Everybody nodded. Then they closed in on him and herded TJ out the door.

"Andros, what is up with you?" TJ asked him once he found their erstwhile leader. "You've been really weird lately."

"Nothing." Andros replied tersely, keeping his back to the Blue Ranger.

"Bull." TJ said, coming around to face him. "Talk to me. I'm your friend, I want to help."

"You wouldn't understand, TJ. You're an Earther." _Why did I put it like that?_

"So, talk to Tyleil. Maybe she can help you."

That was the last thing Andros wanted to do. But he couldn't say why.

That night, Andros' dreams were out of control. He had never experienced anything like it. He tossed and kicked the blankets off as the images in his dreams tormented him.

He was sitting in a chair facing the doorway. Tyleil came through it and approached him slowly. She knelt down at his feet and smiled up at him, a knowing look on her face. She slowly leaned forward, reaching for him. Suddenly he was naked. Tyleil's soft hand closed over his member and she lowered her mouth to it. He groaned and spread his knees wider as his head fell back and his eyes drooped closed. Then the most wonderful, powerful sensations exploded from his cock as he felt her warm, wet mouth close over it. His eyes shot open in surprise and he looked down to his lap. Tyleil's lovely eyes were closed as her lips slid up and down his shaft. Her hand pumped him as her mouth began to suck. Andros moaned loudly and his hips began to rock with her steady rhythm. He thrust his dick into her wonderful mouth over and over, faster and faster. His fingers dug into the chair's arm rests as he yelled and shot his load into her heavenly, sucking mouth.

Andros sat bolt upright in bed. Sweating and panting for breath.

The following morning, Andros didn't show up for breakfast. Nor did he join his team on the bridge at the usual time, either.

"Where could he be?" Carlos wondered aloud.

"Andros is in the infirmary." DECA answered.

"What's he doing in the infirmary?" Ashley asked, trading a look with Cassie.

"Performing a medical diagnostic." DECA answered again.

"On who?" TJ queried the AI.

"Andros." DECA stated.

The Rangers rushed down to the infirmary.

"Andros!" TJ called urgently as he came rushing through the infirmary's doorway, the rest of the team right behind him. "DECA said you were running tests on yourself. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Andros responded in a flat tone as he cleared the results from the screen.

"It must be something for you to run tests." Cassie pointed out logically.

Andros shot a glance in her direction, but wouldn't make eye contact with any of his teammates. "Nothing is wrong with me." He stated emphatically.

"What did the test results show?" Ashley persisted.

When Andros remained silent, DECA answered. "Test results indicate the onset of rivon."

"What's rivon?" TJ wondered aloud.

"DECA!" Andros shouted angrily. "Seal all personal medical records. Security code A42E1."

"Priority security lock-out established." DECA acknowledged. Before anyone could say or do a thing, Andros stormed out of the infirmary.

"Great! Now what?" TJ said, flinging his hands up. DECA kept its mouth shut this time.

"It doesn't sound like any medical word I've ever heard." Carlos said, "Maybe it's something about KO-35ers."

Cassie's eyes lit up. So did Ashley's. They looked at each other, then turned to the boys. "If it is, then I bet Tyleil would know." Cassie told them.

"Let's go ask her." Ashley said and turned to go. Everyone trailed in her wake, headed for the machine shop.

For once, Tyleil wasn't there. But they found her eventually. They lucked out and ran into her in one of the corridors.

"Tyleil." Ashley called, catching up with her. "We need to ask you something." Tyleil took in the assemblage, noted who was missing, and silently turned her attention back to Ashley. "What does 'rivon' mean?"

When Tyleil didn't say anything immediately, Cassie asked her, "You do know what that is, don't you?" Tyleil nodded.

"It is the physiological changes that occur when one encounters a suitable mate."

"A what? Tyleil, could you explain that a little better, please."

"Our species does not choose mates blindly like yours does. When two suitably compatible individuals encounter each other, a ... recognition occurs. Physiological changes happen. That is rivon."

"Wait a minute," Ashley said, "You mean you guys don't get to pick who you're going to be with? It's like, destined, or something?"

"Something like that." Tyleil responded. Ashley looked kind of disgusted for a moment. Tyleil attempted to address the emotions she felt from her. "There is no conflict over it, Ashley. We have no physical attractions to anyone before we find our mates. Only one's proper mate will cause a response."

"And this is happening to Andros." TJ verified. Tyleil nodded.

"Um," Carlos put in. "About that last part you said. Are you saying that KO-35ers and Kahtien don't ever feel any sexual urges of any kind until the meet the person they're supposed to mate with?" Tyleil nodded, confirming his understanding.

Cassie's mouth hung open and she tried not to laugh as she said, "Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. You mean Andros is horny for the first time in his life, and he doesn't know what to do about it?!" She clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"You would have to ask Andros that." Tyleil answered calmly.

"Yeah, Cassie." Ashley said, also starting to laugh. "Go ahead, ask him."

The two female Rangers were falling all over each in helpless laughter. TJ was failing to look stern, he put his hand over his mouth to hide his grin.

Carlos was the only one who seemed to be taking it seriously. "So who triggered it? You?" He asked Tyleil. The girls shrieked with fresh laughter, and TJ lost it. Tyleil remained her impassive self. Carlos glanced briefly at his hysterical friends and pursued the topic with her. "If I'm understanding you right, it's like two radios tuned to the same frequency; when they get close enough to each other, they both go off. Is that right?"

"That is a good analogy, Carlos." She trilled.

"So you're feelin' this too?" He pointed at her. Tyleil merely gazed impassively at him. "So why aren't you freakin' like he is?"

"I have a great capacity for acceptance."

"That's very Zen. But I don't think I get it."

By this time, the laughing trio had picked themselves up off the floor and were attempting to get themselves under control.

"What, it's like having a really high tolerance for pain, or something?" Cassie asked, wiping a tear of mirth from the corner of her eye.

"Something like that."

The Rangers didn't see Andros for the rest of the day. Over dinner, Carlos finally managed to point out to his friends that it wasn't as funny as they seemed to find it. In Tyleil's absence, he seemed to have the best understanding of what the Red Ranger was going through.

"Come on, guys. This is serious. I mean, think about it. To never have any urges, and then all of a sudden, WHAM, they hit you all at once. And he's been alone for a really long time. I guess if he was around his own people all the time, he probably would've thought about it; and been expecting it to happen sooner or later. But this had to just come out of nowhere and blind-side him."

"You're right, Carlos. That isn't very funny when you put it like that." Cassie conceded.

"Poor Andros!" Ashley put in. "I'm sorry I laughed. That wasn't nice."

"I'll live." The Red Ranger said as he came through the doorway.

"Andros!" TJ exclaimed. Andros didn't look at any of them. None of them could think of what to say as he got some juice from the Synthetron. He kept his back to them as he turned and headed back for the door.

"Andros, wait!" Chorused behind him. He paused and looked over his shoulder at them.

"So what are you going to do?" TJ asked for all of them. Andros didn't answer, he just turned and left the galley.

_What am I going to do about it?_ He wondered as he traversed the corridors.

Tyleil made an appearance in the galley just as the Rangers finished eating.

"Can I ask you something?" said Cassie.

"You may always ask." Tyleil responded, retrieving her meal from the Synthetron and taking a seat.

"You had to have known what was happening; why didn't you say anything to Andros?"

"To what point? We all must accept or deny it on our own. Understanding and acceptance of rivon cannot come from an outside source."

"Can it be denied?" Ashley interjected.

"Not that I am aware of."

Tyleil awoke in the wee hours; a presence in the room disturbed her sleep. She opened her eyes, her oval pupils allowing her to see fairly well in the darkened room. She looked up at the figure standing over her.

"Tyleil," Andros whispered hoarsely. His tongue felt thick and his heart hammered in his chest. He felt hot all over and he was shaking. Neither of them moved for what felt like hours, then Tyleil pulled the blanket back. Andros quickly pulled off his clothes and slid into bed next to her. His hands reached for her of their own volition. Still shaking, they traversed her body. Tyleil sighed, smiling. Then she began returning the caresses.

Her slender digits traced the outlines of his wiry muscles, along his arms and shoulders, his chest and abs, his neck and face. She freed his hair and combed through it with her fingers. Andros moved so he was mostly on top of her, his legs straddled her thigh as he leaned down to kiss her. Tyleil delighted in his soft hair brushing across her face as his lips drew near.

Andros had no idea what he was doing, but his instincts seemed to. And the fire burning inside him was driving him insane. He hadn't been able to sleep. He had a single-minded drive to be with this woman, and tonight he would quench the fires with her body. He rested his weight on her and moved directly on top of her as his mouth pressed harder to hers. His tongue found its way between her parted lips and began to explore.

Tyleil's arms enfolded him as his devouring mouth moved down to her chin, her throat. She caressed him as he scooted lower and licked all over her chest. A soft exhalation escaped him as he drew his lips lightly across her erect nipple. His tongue circled it briefly, then his mouth enclosed it. Tyleil let out a soft moan, and he felt a tremor of her pleasure run through her. He licked and sucked for long minutes, alternating from one hardened little tip to the other. Her back arched, pressing her chest closer to him; heat rushed to his loins. He moved his mouth lower, down her abdomen, then he felt her silky soft pubic hair brush his chin. He pulled back to look at her. The long, lean lines of her nude body stretched out above him, undulating gently, the beautiful breasts heaving. He looked at the downy, silvery-grey pubic hair and nuzzled his cheek against it before he knew what he was going to do.

Tyleil made a happy, purring sound. The smell of Andros in heat was driving her crazy. The pleasure of his warm body pressing against her was nearly overwhelming; she almost felt like she would cry. She had no idea what she was doing, but her instincts did, and she gave herself over to them. His hands touching her sent a flash of heat racing through her groin, and when his mouth came near her bush, he almost had her begging with need. Then he turned his head to kiss directly on top of her slit. Tyleil moaned and spread her legs wider. Her hands went to his head as he gently spread her nether lips with his fingers and carefully gave the first tiny flick of his tongue across her inner folds. Tyleil's hips bucked involuntarily. Andros was startled for a moment and drew his mouth away, looking up at her. Her eyes were closed and her hands on his head were urging him back down. He returned to orally exploring her depths.

He made his tongue a stiff point and thrust it into her hole; she squealed and began to writhe more vigorously. After a while of boring his tongue into her, he licked upward and made contact with a hard knot of flesh at the top of her slit. Tyleil let out a shriek and convulsed almost violently. He was worried for a moment, but she pressed his head down more firmly and hissed 'yesssss', so he figured it must have been a good thing. He sucked on the little button for a while, but his mouth was inexorably drawn back to the sweet juices leaking out of her. Once again, his tongue delved into her depths, lapping and sucking for her nectar. Tyleil was beginning to pant like a marathon runner and groan pleasurably as her hip movements became more jerking. He realized his nose was rubbing the little knob as he plundered for her sweetness. _I must be doing that right._ he thought, then returned his concentration to his feast, only keeping a little attention on continuing to do it.

Tyleil started to shake all over and her muscles were pulling taut. She screamed and convulsed all around him as her smooth thighs clamped around his head. He rode it out with her as best he could until she released him, collapsing limply on the bed. Andros' instinctual urges took possession of him again and he quickly moved up to cover her with his body. He looked into her eyes for a moment in confusion; he still didn't quite understand what was happening to them. But Tyleil smiled up at him, making him feel good inside that he'd pleased her. Then he became aware of his painful erection, pressing against Tyleil's softly furred, wet slit. She undulated her hips against him after a moment, causing the lips to part and surround his hard shaft. He let out an open-mouthed moan as his hips began to move with hers. Up and down it went, erotic sensations sliding and tingling all along his rock hard manhood. He began pulling back farther, the head of his prick frictioning against her hard little clitoris. Then suddenly the sensitive tip of his penis was surrounded by the warm, wet opening of her channel. It surprised him momentarily, and he paused.

Tyleil was reeling in bliss. She rocked her hips against him and the electric sensation returned. She could feel Andros' stiffened pole stroking across her clitoris, and it made the fire burn hotter within her on every pass. Then suddenly, the tip was at the entrance of her channel. The sensation startled her for a moment and she stopped moving. She looked into Andros' eyes, panting for breath. Then she moved her pelvis a little and the entire head entered her. Both of them went wide-eyed at the sensation. Andros pushed in a little farther. Tyleil groaned. It felt so good! She found herself wanting more. So she tilted her hips a little farther. Another inch of him sank in. Tyleil reached her arms around Andros' shoulders and hugged him to her chest. "More," She whispered into his ear. "Andros, please, more."

Andros didn't need any further encouragement. He began to gently piston his hips, gaining a little more penetration with each stroke, until finally he had worked all of himself in. Then his strokes got longer. He pulled almost all of the way out, then slowly slid all the way back in. The two of them rocked together that way for a long time, before biological urges prompted Andros to move faster. He gained speed and force steadily until he found himself thrusting hard into her. The sensations were indescribable; her hot, wet tunnel gripped his cock firmly as he pistoned in and out of her as fast as he could. His groans began to build in an ever-rising 'ah, ah, ah,' as he felt the come rising in his balls.

"Oohh, Andros." Tyleil moaned quietly in his ear. " Give it to me. Give me your come."

Andros yelled his release as the come shot up his prick and pumped deep into Tyleil's womb. "Ah,aahh." She cried as she came along with him.

Their rocking slowed after that and Andros returned to the long, slow thrusts into her with his still-hard cock. Tyleil wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. "That was the first of it," She panted, when they came up for air. She contracted her inner walls rhythmically around his only-slightly softened shaft.

Andros nodded, he understood what she meant. Their species released reproductive fluids in waves. His first release of semen contained the hormones that would signal her body to release her preparatory hormones. His second ejaculation would cause her to release an egg, if one were ready for fertilization. And his third release would contain the fertilization properties. He would stay hard until he had come thrice, just like all the males of his race.

He felt his penis begin to throb again inside of her, and he quickened his pace. It didn't take long for him to get back up to speed. He thrust into her long and deep, grunting with effort as he slammed into her hard. His balls slapped against her ass as he pistoned her snatch furiously.

Tyleil's cries of ecstasy were spiraling upwards, getting fiercer and louder. She was close, he knew. He just couldn't help himself, the words came out of his mouth as he watched her face contorting with lust. "Come on, Tyleil." He panted, "Come all over my cock." In a few strokes, she was doing just that.

"AaaiiieeeeAaaannddrossss!" She wailed. Her pussy exploded; it clamped down hard on his member as she clutched at him desperately. The pulsing, creaming channel around his prick was too much for him. He rammed into her as far as he could and shook with orgasm against her.

They frantically attacked each other's mouths. Their bodies tangled around each other in fierce grips; sweat pouring off of them like racehorses. The pheromones they both released with each successive wave had by this point driven them to animalistic copulation. The kisses were becoming bites on shoulders and necks, the caresses turned into clawing at each other. They growled and snarled, completely in the thrall of their biological imperative. They bucked and slammed hard against each other, pulling each other closer in a frenzy. They wouldn't stop now if and invasion or natural disaster thundered into the room.

Tyleil arched her back sharply. Andros wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up as he sat back on his heels. She twined her legs around his waist and sat on his lap, grinding her groin against his forcefully. He put one hand on her ass to help her bounce on his aching pole as his other arm across her back held her pressed tightly against him. They slammed and bucked against each other, the slapping of their sweating, burning flesh sounded loudly in the room, mingled with their snarls, growls and groans. Tyleil got her feet under her and started bouncing in the longest, hardest strokes she could manage. But when one stroke got too long and Andros almost slipped out, they both squealed in rage and he threw her backwards on the bed, landing on her hard. He short stroked forcefully into her hole until his come erupted from his rod to soak her insides for the third time. He continued to thrust into her until Tyleil, too, came again.

They collapsed, exhausted, still entwined. They settled down after the storm and returned to more gentle caresses and kisses, but soon fell into deep, satiated sleep.

TJ and Carlos found Andros the next morning working on one of the Gliders. "Andros," TJ greeted cautiously, "How are you doing?"

"Fine." Andros replied in an off-hand tone. "Why?"

"Well, after yesterday...." TJ trailed off.

Andros glanced up at him briefly. "What about yesterday?"

TJ and Carlos traded a puzzled look. Carlos shrugged.

"Um, what happened?" Carlos asked puzzledly.

"What do you mean?" Inquired Andros in a disinterested voice, still absorbed with working on the Glider.

TJ frowned and motioned with his head for Carlos to step out in the hall with him. As soon as they left, Andros smiled ever so slightly for a moment. _Glad this shirt covers up the bite marks on my shoulder._ he thought in private amusement.