As Thal-ion came awake; he wondered if it had all been just a set of dreams, or if he had somehow shared them with her.  Yet, the toning from the nav computer pulled him more towards current events than the dreams.  He found himself much more awake than normal...alert, ready, relaxed, focused, centered...the best rest he had ever had.  After stretching, Thal-ion went out of his cabin, and made his way to the cockpit.  Since they had agreed she was the better pilot earlier; he instinctively took the co-pilot's chair.  He silenced the alert with the flip of a switch, and prepared to bring the ship out of hyperspace.  They had never changed their course, and now it was likely too late to do so.  It was just as well since Alethea's thoughts about being so cautious going near the storm were a valid concern.  Now, as he flipped some more switches to bring the ship out of hyperspace - he figured she was right.<br/><br/>A few moments later and the stars returned to their normal view.  Almost immediately, his sense of the Force was different...darker and strange...as if jumbled and wrong.  His brow furrowed with both confusion and concern, and he started scanning the area using the ship's sensors.  They were about thirty-minutes from the mysterious station...black as the void of space itself except for the brilliant green beam glowing from it towards a rippling light effect behind the station.  Instantly, Thal-ion began to guard his mind...not daring to leave himself open when so much was unknown of their situation.  The station, itself, could barely be seen...even with the glowing green beam and light show behind it.  Whatever material it was made from; the sensors had trouble even scanning the station.  It was almost as if the instrument readings slid off of the surface of the mysterious object.  He wondered what that meant, but there were other concerns.  The light...that green beam of light...that concerned him the most.  Every instinct in him said this was creating the strange storm that somehow was affecting time.  Calmly, he brought the freighter's defenses up knowing they would soon need them, and made sure the ship's maneuvering thrusters and sub-light engines were ready for battle.  The shields came up, the weapons were armed, and the time was approaching when they would soon be finding out what was going on.<br/><br/>Part of him said they needed to board the station somehow.  This was not impossible since he was sure they could likely cloak the ship in the Force...even if just long enough to slip aboard the station.<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">Emerald Dawn</span>, this is Research Station Omega.  Can you hear us,<span style="font-style: italic">Emerald Dawn</span>?" came a panicked male voice over the comm system, and Thal-ion's eyebrows rose in amazement.  "She's gone mad!!!  More and more people are going mad!  Please, we need immediate assistance!!" the voice begged.