"The pilots already reviewed that, you know."

He didn't look up from the console as she joined him on the observation deck. "Tired eyes could mean someone's death," he muttered, knowing she didn't really need convincing. "You should be eating."

"So should you." She diverted the second half of the feed to another console and added her own inspection to his. "You could look over the wing data from anywhere on the planet, you know."

He didn't answer. The observation deck was crowded at the end of this most recent patrol, but he ignored the noise to concentrate on damage reports from the wing that followed the remaining Elisian Rangers in defense of Eltare. He would not allow anything to happen to them when he could prevent it.

Something made him look up, drew his eye away from the console and into the patterns of people moving purposefully across the deck. Andros and Zhane weren't scheduled to patrol for some hours, yet here they were. They escorted a group of young and bewildered looking humans--possibly Rangers, from the vibrant colors of their obviously borrowed clothes.

His gaze slid over them dispassionately. There was no room left in his heart for new horrors of war: refugees, children in arms, sometimes they lived and sometimes they didn't and all he could let himself feel was the satisfaction of keeping his wing alive another day. Dark eyes blinked once in silent agreement, already turning away.

He came up short. Those eyes caught his again, startled, as though they were only now realizing what they had seen. Warm brown studied cool blue across the distance between them, and he knew her. Something welled up inside him, something as uncomfortable as it was unstoppable and he took an involuntary step forward--

"Saryn?" A hand on his arm made him swallow hard, an icy cold paralyzing him as he saw the moment through objective eyes. No--please no, it couldn't be...

"Saryn," Jenna repeated, concern evident in her voice as he wrenched his gaze away and forced himself to meet hers. He must have looked as shaken as he felt, for she frowned. "Are you all right?"

No. They weren't coming over here. Andros could not be doing this. Why had the least social Ranger on the planet chosen today to introduce his new charges? There was no way out, no way to leave without raising suspicion and certainly no way to stay--

He was panicking. How was that possible? It would almost have been amusing, had it been happening to someone else. He had been trying not to stare at her since the moment she entered the mess hall, and the fact that he could follow her every movement without looking didn't help in the slightest.

"Smile," Jenna whispered. "Andros and Zhane are bringing their new kids around to meet everyone, and it looks like we're next."

"I'd rather not," he muttered, pushing his chair back and locking his gaze on the door.

Fingers clamped around his wrist, and she gave him a warning look. "You're not going anywhere," Jenna hissed. "These poor kids have probably lost their home and everything they knew in the time it takes to blink. Put up your damn shields and don't glare."

"And these are the Elisian Rangers," Andros said, close enough to be heard over Jenna's whisper. "Saryn, Red, and Jenna, Pink."

"Hi," one of the girls said with a tentative smile. The taller boy echoed her, and the other one nodded in greeting. She waved, and he focused his gaze on Andros with an effort.

"Saryn, Jenna, these are the Rangers of Earth." Andros didn't introduce them as the new Astro Rangers, despite the morphers prominently displayed on their wrists. "Ashley, Yellow, TJ, Blue, Carlos, Black, and Cassandra, Pink."

"Nice to meet you," the Blue Ranger offered, holding out his hand.

"It's an Earth thing," Andros explained, exchanging amused glances with Zhane. "They like to shake hands."

"We're glad to meet you, too," Jenna replied. She took TJ's hand without hesitation, smiling in welcome. "Your fight is our fight, now."

Ashley offered her hand when TJ stepped back, and it was perfectly clear where this was going. Saryn put his hands behind his back and stared straight ahead, trying not to think about what it would mean to touch someone that made him feel so strongly with just a look. He couldn't afford to find out.

"You'll have to forgive Saryn." Jenna remarked, covering for him with an easy smile. "He usually manages to act slightly less grouchy when we're trying to make a good impression, but today isn't one of his better days."

Curiosity. The muted sentiment was foreign, but he knew it immediately. His fingers clenched behind his back as he tried and failed to block the feeling from his mind. Awareness, attraction, even awe and a healthy dose of surprise moved in and made themselves at home behind shields that were just as strong as they had been before.

The emotions were his, after all--but they weren't only his. He knew, with a dread that overwhelmed all instinctive elation, that he would never be alone in his own mind again.

"So Andros thinks I need to learn to focus, which, by the way, thanks a lot, but the point is that he suggested meditation as a way to--oh, what did he say? Channel my energy? Like I have so much extra energy just lying around!"

He gazed at the comm screen, captivated by the animated image it displayed. The energy she dismissed so casually was evident in her every gesture. Her eyes sparkled with it. Even in a recorded video transmission he could imagine the echo of that vibrant spirit in his mind.

It had been several days since their introduction in the mess hall, and he had dared to hope that their schedules would just naturally fall into an incompatible pattern. If she happened to sleep during the hours that he was off-duty, and vice versa, they could conceivably coexist on the same planet for some time without ever running into each other.

Apparently that wasn't going to happen--at least not by accident, and if the way she was seeking him out was anything to go by, not on purpose either. This was the first of two messages she'd left for him today. The first asked if he would help her learn to meditate--supposedly at Andros' suggestion--and the second listed her free time for him in case he couldn't be bothered to look it up.

He found it hard to believe that Andros had suggested him as a meditation tutor. He found it even harder to believe that for a moment, he had actually considered it. As though extended amounts of unsupervised time with someone he couldn't keep his eyes or his mind off of was what either of them ought to want right now. Or ever.

He closed his eyes as the second message began again. Ought to want? Did want, wish for, imagine every time he heard her voice, yes... but ought to want? No. Not when he owed his life to someone else, and his heart was no longer his to give.

"Never" was a harsh word. He tried to concentrate only on today: politely refuse, suggest someone else, ignore her entirely... the options were myriad. There was only one that would bring them together, and dozens that would keep them apart. All he had to do was find them.

Cutting off the seventh replay of those messages would be a start.

"That's exactly the sort of society that deifies Rangers," Jenna argued, sliding her tray along the bar in front of him. "The technology and the biological enhancements that come with the Power require a certain level of cultural advancement in order to be seen for what they are. You can't just throw that kind of protection at a primitive society and expect them to see it as anything less than divine intervention."

"Divine intervention is not the default explanation for the unknown in every culture." Saryn reached across her to retrieve his drink. "And stop trying to hoard the juice. Your clever maneuvering will not work on me."

She smiled sweetly as his reach brought him to a halt a breath away from her face. "Who says it's the juice I was maneuvering for?"

"My mistake," he murmured, closing the distance for a kiss. "I have underestimated you yet again."

"You'll never learn," she agreed with a sigh that didn't sound at all displeased. "Speaking of which, what other explanation is there but divine intervention? Once you rule out technology and evolution, most cultures fall back on godhood."

"Or magic," he countered. "And before you say it, it is not the same thing. Magic is a separate and inexplicable force possessed by otherwise ordinary people. Deities are extraordinary people with powers far beyond that of a simple sorceror, often assigned the responsibility for creation in some form or other."

"Like a really powerful sorceror," Jenna shot back. The distinction between sorcery and divinity was one they had argued over before, and not one that they were likely to resolve any time soon.

"Cassandra," she added, startling him so badly that he almost dropped his tray. "Help us out here. If a culture isn't developed enough to understand what Ranger powers are, how does it explain them? Are they a gift from the gods?"

Somehow she had managed to sneak up on him, and he wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad. She hadn't been in the mess hall when they entered; of that he was sure. But he hadn't seen her come in, either, and the rush of awareness that had escaped him at first now crashed home with disconcerting strength.

"Could be," she was saying with a shrug. She didn't look anywhere near as stunned as he was sure he must, and she flashed a smile that included them both as she remarked, "Back home, though, we usually blamed aliens."

Jenna laughed, but she shook her head in negation. "Your culture doesn't exactly qualify as simplistic!"

"That's not what Andros says," Cassandra retorted. She grinned when Jenna rolled her eyes. "As far as he's concerned, we don't even have spaceflight."

"Like spaceflight is the determining factor in development," Jenna said indignantly. "Wait until I catch up with Andros. He's such a boy!"

Paralyzed, Saryn could only watch the conversation blossom with a delight that was quickly turning to horror. He had to admire the way she let herself be drawn in, turning the discussion to something she could participate in with only a few deft words to establish common ground. But admiration all too easily turned to something deeper... and if she ever became friends with Jenna, he knew there would be no escaping his fate.

He stood on the raised promenade overlooking one of the Great Halls. Leaning against the railing, he considered the throngs of people flowing in every direction below. Such a position was indefensible in the event of a ground invasion--but given the element of surprise, an enemy stationed here could wreak havoc on the crowd with very little effort.

Tactical strengths and weaknesses were the first things he considered, but they didn't consume every minute of the day. Forcing himself to relax, he let some of the tension and frustration ebb. There was plenty around him to take its place... but there were also smiles, and the occasional burst of laughter in the cacophony.

He focused on those more positive emotions. He didn't have enough of his own to spare lately, and he let the sporadic happiness lighten his mind without guilt or embarrassment. The energy required to keep his own mind a quiet place was sometimes more draining than the noise itself.

His eye wandered while something inside of him settled gratefully into the relative peace of the moment. The war took up most of the other moments in his life, turning them into a string of concentrated and barely contained chaos. Control was an illusion; everyone in the Free Systems acknowledged that. But against all odds, they were holding their own against a darkness that sometimes seemed all-consuming.

Maybe that counted for something. He didn't know. Most of the time, he didn't have time to care. He did what he had to do in order to keep those he could alive. The rest of the time...

Well, the rest of the time he stood on promenades and watched life go on around him. Life in the midst of death. Hope in the midst of fear and futility. Love and kindness, even in the midst of uncaring destruction. There were days when it was enough.

His gaze had ceased to roam, and someone below was returning it with an oddly soothing steadiness. Was she the source of his momentary content? Had she felt him restlessly cast about for a reason? Reason to smile, to fight, to live even when the darkness pressed in close? Had she hesitated even a moment before offering it?

She wanted him to wait. She wanted him to stay while she made her way up to where he was. But the spell was broken when she lowered her eyes, and he turned quickly away from the railing. He would thank her for that gift if he could, but he didn't dare. He was lost in the anonymity of the crowd before she even reached the stairs.

"There," Jenna said, pointing to a spot on the tactical map. "That's where our cover is weakest and the ambush almost succeeded. Without full rotation at the rear of the formation, we don't have weapons' support for almost five seconds after detection."

"Fighter design flaw?" he suggested absently. Andros had just entered Co-Op with two of his teammates, and a good half of his attention was now focused on Cassandra's conversation with Ashley. The other half was trying to pretend the first half wasn't.

"Of course not." Jenna sounded miffed, and one of her shoulders twitched beneath his hands. "It's just a matter of wing deployment. Friendly fighters block the target lock for four of those five seconds."

"Saryn?" Andros' voice interrupted, and he tried not to stiffen. "Do you have a moment?"

He opened his mouth to say no, but Jenna waved him off. "Go. I'll put together some preliminary redeps, and we can go through them together later."

Caught without an excuse, he turned toward the leader of the Astro Rangers reluctantly. Andros caught his eye and cocked his head, indicating that he should join them. Ashley was studying the screen they had gathered around, but Cassandra glanced his way as soon as he turned and followed him with her eyes as he crossed the deck.

"Cassandra is curious about the team dynamics of a split shift," Andros said, when he reached their little group. "I know you and Jenna have always patrolled alone, but you helped the Rangers from Calijyt work out their fighter deployments, didn't you?"

"I did," he said slowly. Annoyance warred with amusement as he tried, barely realizing what he was doing, to stare Cassandra down. She had known that before she asked. Somehow, he knew she had directed the conversation down a path that would invite his participation.

Andros shifted slightly, and the silence had made even Ashley look up. He glanced away quickly, trying to be more irritated than flattered by the way she was manipulating him. It was entirely possible that he wouldn't be able to talk normally to Andros in her presence, let alone to her.

The leader of the Calijyt team saved his reputation with her timely appearance. "Ko'Teth ma Ree can no doubt provide you with better insight than my secondhand opinions would provide," he remarked, trying to hide his relief as he gestured in her direction. "Perhaps if you put your questions to her--"

He probably imagined the flicker of disappointment on Cassandra's face as he escaped back to Jenna.

"What part of 'no' do you fail to comprehend?"

"The part where you don't say it!" she shot back. "You've never told me to leave. You just find other places to be whenever I'm around!"

She had been waiting for him when he returned from patrol. It was the only explanation that made sense, since she had appeared in the prep room the instant Jenna left. He had slammed the locker door only to come face to face with Cassandra.

"Perhaps there is a message there," he informed her, his voice as cold as he could make it. She shouldn't be here, alone with him when anyone could come along and see. He couldn't imagine that there was anything subtle about the connection he felt flaring between them whenever she was near.

"Well, is there?" she demanded, point blank. "If we're going to work together, I need to know why you're constantly avoiding me!"

"In case you have somehow missed this, my heart is given to only one person," he told her. "And she fights at my side."

She looked a little taken aback at that. "I already have a boyfriend, Saryn. I'm not asking for wine and roses! I just want to know if I've offended you somehow--and if I have, how can I fix it?"

"Would you like wine and roses?" The words tumbled out before he could stop them, and he closed his eyes in mute dismay. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I did not mean to say that."

"Wh-what?" Her stammer failed to make her voice any less beautiful.

"You see, then," he murmured, opening his eyes and forcing himself to meet her gaze. "You understand now why I avoid you."

She looked completely bewildered. "No... I don't. What are you talking about?"

"Do you not feel this? This--" He gestured from himself to her, helplessly searching for the words. "Between us? You must, or I am surely losing my mind."

Her fingers were warm on his cheek, and every rational thought in his brain was telling him to turn around and leave. Unfortunately, rational thoughts weren't in control right now, and he was utterly incapable of movement. Her gaze held him captive more effectively than any restraint.

"This?" she repeated, her voice quietly uncertain. "This... attraction, you mean?"

Her touch had answered the question for him, but he couldn't tell her so. He wasn't sure he could tell her anything, if it came to that. He had been right not to take her hand when they were first introduced. All he could concentrate on was the soft feel of her skin against his.

"Yes," she admitted, more softly. "I feel it. But--it doesn't mean anything." She frowned a little, her eyes still locked with his. "Does it?"

He lifted his hand to hers slowly, covering her fingers with his to keep her from pulling away. "No," he whispered. Swallowing hard, he lied to her for the first time. "It doesn't mean anything at all."

She didn't look reassured. "It's just an attraction," she murmured, her gaze dropping to his mouth. "It's not like... like I'm in love with you, or something."

"No," he agreed, mesmerized. He could only watch as she stepped closer, lifting her eyes to his again. "Cassandra--"

It wasn't just his desire that he was struggling with, he realized suddenly. He felt her in his mind, reaching for him as he reached for her, and it was overwhelming him. He shoved her away roughly, taking a step back as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"No," he growled, trying to ignore the look of bewildered hurt that he could feel. "No, Cassandra. I will not do this with you. If I did not say it before, I am saying it now."

She had one hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. He knew without having to see her expression that those words had hurt her more than pushing her away had hurt him. He reached out without thinking but she was already gone, spinning away and darting toward the door.

He let his hand fall, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to see her go.