Mirah didn't realize she had been asleep until she woke up. She couldn't remember, but she thought she had heard something. An image of a small animal, scratching the wall, flashed in her mind, as though she had been dreaming about it a moment ago.
Mirah found Tiet still sleeping in the bed next to her chair. He looked peaceful enough. She got up and decided to go to the kitchen without waking him. She noticed there weren't any voices to be heard in the ship at the moment. The landing party must not have come back yet.
Mirah wandered to the compartment door rubbing the back of her neck. The chair wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep. The door opened automatically. On the other side, great soiled wings unfolded to reveal a horrible man. Darkness emanated from him. Mirah screamed, but her words, her voice, were swallowed up by him. A great sword unlike anything a man would handle came suddenly to his hand. Blood already stained the blade. She shut her eyes, but she could still see him as he struck.
Mirah jumped and fell out of her chair. Tiet lay asleep on the bed next to her. Sweat poured off her and she shook uncontrollably. It was only a dream. She got up and tried to compose her self. Her hip hurt now.
Mirah heard Juli in the next room, calling for her. She walked toward the door and paused as a wave of recurrent fear ran up her spine. The door opened automatically, but no one was there. Mirah walked into the room Juli had been sleeping in. "I'm here. It's alright, Juli."
The girl panted, trying to catch her breath. She was sweating, despite the cool temperature in her room. Mirah sat on the bed next to her. "What's wrong?"
"It was so real-my dream."
"Oh. Well, you've just had a nightmare. You're fine."
"I know," she said as she brought her breathing under control. "He was just so real."
"Who was so real?"
"The Mithri in my dream," said Juli.
Mirah felt fear wash over her senses again. "Your dream was about a Mithri?"
"Yes. He was terrible and dirty looking, not beautiful at all. He attacked me with a bloody sword and I couldn't even scream for help-it was so frightening."
Mirah trembled as Juli described her dream-it was the same dream she had experienced. Her medical training told her that it was logically impossible, but her spirit cried out a warning of danger.
Suddenly she heard something-a scratching like her dream and it was getting louder. Footsteps added to the sounds coming from the ships hull above them. A blaster pistol hung in a holster on the wall. She pulled it as she heard someone approaching the door. When it opened, Merab stood there with his pulse rifle.
"Mirah, we've got company."