Olwen Aeron (created by Frances Peate) was assigned to the USS Welfen as First Officer after the disappearance of Captain Sol Belacor. Aeron holds dual citizenship to the Federation and her home government whose roots are in the now dead Calonden Empire (Original Series) and Preserver-transplanted pre-Roman Celts of Earth. The Kelts (as they are known) are allies of the Federation with their own military know as the Caer Mawr Keltia, in which Aeron also holds a commission equivalent to Commander. She left Keltia after the death of her bond-mate.

Olwen untied her braid. The sea breeze lifted her long brown hair and cooled her. She stood at the edge of a bluff overlooking the beach and watched the waves as they broke on the shore below. after a few minutes she went over to Pella, her mare, and took her lunch pack and water flask from her saddle bag. She walked back and sat down on a large rock. As she ate her lunch of fruit, cheese and bread she gazed out across the sea. The blue-greens of the water were like her beloved's eyes. Only a few more days and Ailin would be here with her and not in space.

So far away and yet so very close. She could feel his presence in her heart and mind. She knew he could feel her presence in his mind and heart. From the very beginning, even before they had bonded, it had been this way.

She lay back on the rock and watched the clouds. She remembered when they met. It was a strange sensation. It was as if they had always know one another. They were both officers in the CAER MAWR KELTIA and were attending courses on Federation Starship technology. Over the ext few weeks of the course that feeling deepened to the conviction that they belonged together.

They decided to exchange the LOEG OTHE FENE, the oath between bond-mates. As was customary they travelled to a sanctuary to exchange their vows and receive counselling and instruction from the DRU and BAN-DRU. It was the that they learned their relationship was unusual. I older couples with years of life together and children, the depth and type of attachment was not uncommon. For the young and unbonded it was rare.

With the blessings of their families they began their life together. They took a leave of absence from their ships in the CAER MAWR. Ailin showed her his home world Anu Modron. They visited the ancestral homes of both his parents and those of Olwen's distant kin.

She remembered sitting here on this rock with him when they at his home nearby where she was visiting now. After their leaves they had returned to their careers. At times they served together but though they were often separated they ever seemed to be far apart. They had visited her homes on Ro-Ech and vacationed on Riza.

Now they were planning to start a family and would divide their time between their kin. It would be a little difficult. Ro-Ech was not in the same system as Anu Modron, but they planned to spend three to five years with each household.

She sighed contentedly and sat up. Thousands of sea birds dipped and whirled over the sea and back to their nests on the rocky islands offshore. The bright sunshine was becoming hotter and Pella nudged her and whickered softly.

"Alright girl, I know you're bored. Let's go for a gallop and a swim." She swung up onto the mare and guided her dow the cliff path. they galloped down the sandy beach for a couple of miles they waded into the sea to cool off. Afterward they took the path back up to the trail. Olwen gathered up her things and began to ride home.

The pain came suddenly, like a blow. She sobbed, unable to get her breath. The came a feeling of wrongness, of terrible evil. She could feel Ailin reach out to her. she could feel his horror. The world went black. Somehow, through the darkness and pain she clung to the saddle and Pella sensing that wrongness headed for home.

Olwen opened her eyes. There was a deep sese of loss, of emptiness where Ailin had been. Ailin's sister Boann, a Ban-Dru, was watching over her. She did not have to speak, Olwen knew. Ailin was gone.

Later Boann told her how Pella had brought her home barely conscious. For two days she remained in an unnatural sleep, calling for Ailin or crying out that he was gone. During that time the news came of the fate of Ailin's ship. They had been captured by the Cythrawl, (the Borg). When they knew they were to be altered they had destroyed themselves. As gently as possible Boann explained how Penderdru Urian Naoise had telepathically projected the plight of the Cathbad and the horrific danger threatening their people.

Olwen nodded solemnly. She had been made intimately aware of that evil.

Boann explained how their leaders had consented to the only form of defense possible. The DERWYDDRU had called all the Dru and Ban-Dru. Theirs was the task of preparing all of the people to play their part in the ancient and most sacred of ceremonies that would protect them.

Olwen woke , her heart pounding. She took a deep breath and sat up on the side of her bed. "Computer, lights on." She walked over to the replicator, "water four degrees Celsius." She took her glass over to her computer terminal and sat down to do some work. There was no point in going back to bed, she could ever sleep after that dream.

Her terminal flashed, "Yes," she responded.

Lieutenant Commander Dene's face appeared on the screen. "Commander Aeron, we need you on the bridge."

"Acknowledged Dene," she replied. She rose and prepared for duty, thankful for the call and the empty hours it would fill.

End

First Mission Logs
War Stories
Second Mission Logs
Beyond the Logs