Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2009-01-19 01:55:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | farscape, het, rated: explicit, slash |
Fic: Julon Crion: Memory 3/7 Farscape
Julon Crion: Memory
By: Lopaka Tanu
Fandom: Farscape
Archive: Yes, just tell me where.
Disclaimer: I do not own Farscape.
E-mail: lopaka_tanu @ yahoo.com
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence, Character Death, Trans species, Angst mentions of Mpreg but none in it.
Beta: None so be warned.
Category: After 4:06 AU Slash and Het.
Coupling: John/OMN, John/Chiana, John/Nerri, TJohn/Aeryn, others.
Challenge:
9. Eavesdropping - whether accidentally or otherwise, your character
overhears part of a conversation... Whatever it is that your character
overhears... how will he react?
Author's Note: Spoilers for like a whole lot of the series, set directly after Promises, episode 4:05 and episode 4:06 only some biology facts about Nebari, John being able to predict wormholes, and D'argo as captain, the rest of that frelling episode does not exist. No matter what happens, this is not the last part in the series, there will be more.
Summary: In the wake of the most devestating events since the sacrifice of Talyn with his Captain, Bilar Crais, the remaining crew of Moya grieve for their lost friend and family. Believing the worst has happened, Chiana makes a decision on an offer Nerri has made. After this decision, the crew of Moya proceed with their plans toward Hynerian space. Peace Keeper territory; the Sebacean armies are preparing for war as the armadas of three other species line up on their borders. In the midst of all this chaos, a revelation is made that will rock the foundation of all that they have been lead to believe. On an alien world, a Nebari awakens. All events have a purpose, a meaning for being. All have been leading to a single moment in time, a second that will be remembered for mellinia, the death of John Crichton.
Key Words: Nebari, Slash, Hybrid, Royal Planet
Story Note: Each *** is in a different time. An example of this would be that what is happening with Crichton does not happen at the same time as with Chiana. They will not match up until the next part.
Lyrics: "Banks of Claudy" by Loreena McKennitt.
________________________________________
Chiana watched from the side of the transport bay as the last remnants of Crichton she had were unloaded from the Nebari transport. It was the one demand she had made before accepting Nerri's offer. His Module was a piece of primitive dren that should have been scrapped cycles ago, but she couldn't allow it to be. She wanted to have something of his, a last token of what had been.
When it was stored off to the side, and out of harm's way, she walked over and started to look it over. There were no new scratches or scrapes as far as her critical eye could discern. Reverently, she traced a single finger over the edges of the hatch. If one over looked the fact that it had new parts on it, they would think it antique.
She smiled at the lettering on the side, IASA, it meant something to him. From now on, it would mean something to her, a reminder of what once was, and what could be. Nerri had smiled painfully at it as she refused to leave it behind. But it was here now, and so was she.
Dozens of other Nebari swormed over the large landing bay. Watching them, she realized this was not just another transport. There were thirty-five attack ships in various degrees of repair. It struck her, this was a real war ship. She was finally going to be in a position to help her people.
A few microts later a team of five Nebari came up to her module. Two started to scan it with hand devices, one marked on an electronic clip board with a writing tool, and the other two set out large kits from the deck plating. Nothing was said between them as they continued their scans and work.
When one of them pushed Chiana out of the way so he could continue his scans, her curiosity finally won out. "What are you doing?"
The one with the electronic clip board answered as she continued her work. "We are assessing this craft's capabilities and uses."
Walking to the woman, Chiana tilted her head in confusion. "Uses?"
"We are at war, all vessels space capable are to be modified for combat service. This ship is primitively designed, but sturdy. Damage to hull can be repaired and refitted with battle armor. Communications, Leviatan in origin, add standard commincator package. Weapons, none, defences, none. Design can hold personal shielding, and standard fighter energy cannons. Modify the thrusters with a Paralelle starjump system and install crystaline control power source." Looking up from the Clip board, she handed Chiana a data crystal. "Congratulations, though primitive, with a few modifications, your ship will pass inspection for battle status."
Taking the chip in shock, Chiana could only nod. This was not what she had been expecting. Still in shock, she jumped when one of the technicians pulled her back further from the module.
"Get out of the way unless you want to be bonded with your craft permanently." When she was out of his way, he went back to a large console that was still rising from the deck plating.
A few hand gestures over the uniformed crystals and the console started to vibrate. The whisper of flesh touching wet glass was heard as two arms came down from the ceiling. Clamps on the ends spread apart to form a C-shaped head that sprayed a white substance over the hull of the module in tune with the tech's movements.
Chiana watched in rapt fascination as the paint and the ceramic tyles melted and dripped off the metal body of the module. When the process was complete, the deck absorbed the liquid melt. Next came the first two techs, they removed the data crystals from their scanners, and placed them in the console. They nodded to the other two techs, and Chiana before leaving.
Before her, the arms a stack of smoky gray metal rose from the deck. The arms reformed into three part claws with a metal cuting laser arm added from the ceiling. Piece by piece, the metal was shaped and fitted to the module, attached by adhesive that melted and merged the metals. As the last pieces were secured to the ship, Chiana felt something was missing until the next move. A fourth arm came form the ceiling and burned a design on both sides of the module before coloring in the IASA logo. Added to it were Nebari Characters identifying the ship as a Resistance controled fighter.
The final tech, up to this point, merely watching, touched a part of the console. A shield rose up from the floor, surrounding them and the module. Chiana started to step across the barrier, but the tech stopped her.
"We are attaching the weapons, power source, and drive. You are only in the way, come back when we are finished, then you can inspect your ship." As he finished, the barrier rose to the ceiling.
Finally it hit her, they had hijacked and were altering her module. In anger she started to pound on the barrier. "Let me in, that isn't..."
"What is going on here?"
Chiana whirled on the owner of the authoritive voice. Her body tensing for a fight. "What, is going on here, is those guys are butchering my ship!"
He stood as tall as she, but had was three times her size in muscles. When he held out a hand, she looked at it in confusion. "Data Crystal."
"Oh, you mean this?" She held up the crystal the previous tech had given her.
Unamused, he snatched it from her hand and placed it in his board. Glaring dark eyes narrowed as he looked down to his clip board. He pressed a few symbols on the shifting surface. "It says that your ship has been commandeered for the war effort. You are the pilot and owner, thus are also commandeered. This is for our future, and your people thank you. Now what is the problem?"
"When you put it that way..." She sidled up to him, and leaned in to his face. "What the frell are you doing to my module," she screamed in his ear.
"Adapting it to be used in the war!"
"What war?"
He sighed deeply while rolling his eyes. "Where have you been the past four monens? The Establishment's plan has finally come to fruition. Many races have already started to fall, but most of them have grouped together to fight. We have decided to take advantage of this and enact our own plan. The resistance needs all the resources we can get, attack ships are in short supply, and fighters even rarer. In fact, we are on the way to the front lines as we speak. Is there anything else that you need?"
Before she could speak, the ship rocked, lights flickering as a mumbling started amoung the crew.
He whirled on them in growling. "Keep working! We need those fighters!" He turned back to Chiana as another blast rocked the ship. "Look, get to the squad deck, two tiers up, lift is at the end of this bay behind you. Ask for Soran and Helie, they will be your squad leader and wing commander respectivelly. Look sharp, and follow their orders, I have to go... Chiana of South Walivan Province," he said looking at the clip board for her name. When he said it, he went a dark blue and thrust her crystal back at her. Looking in her eyes, his seemed moist. "I'm sorry." Then he was gone.
When the ship rocked again, Chiana finally moved from her frozen position and looked around to the point he had said. Sure enough, there was an exit at the end of the docking bay. One last look at the barrier, and she walked down the deck to the lift. Large square doors blocked the entrance as she drew near. Something about their design struck Chiana as familiar. They were uniformly done, with a small control panel on the wall the size of her index finger. At the center of the control panel was a hole.
She checked for another control, but kept coming back to the hole. With a shrug, she let natural instinct take over and pushed her finger in the hole. The size was small enough for the tip and part of the middle section, but no further. Chiana pulled back her hand and visually measured the length. "The crystal, right." After a moment of fumbling with the crystal, she placed it in the slot. To her amusment the doors slid open as a voice welcomed her by name.
Walking in the lift, pulled out the crystal, and let the doors close behind her. When they were shut, the lift started up, and a microt later they opened upon chaos. Nebari were running in every direction at once as they scrambled for their posts inside the landing bay sized black, white, and blue room. Chiana could barely make out the orders being given by battle commanders.
She barely made it out of the way of a group of six Nebari climbing in the lift as she exited. Things were moving almost as fast as they had when Crais had detonated Talyn's starburst drive in the Command Carrier. Only this was more orderly, then again what do you expect from Peace Keepers? This was fascinating to watch, but she wanted in on the action, but first she had to know what was going on.
Her chance came when one of the Nebari barking orders noticed her. "What are you doing here? How did she get on this deck? Someone get this child off my deck!"
"Child!" Chiana threw herself into the crowd, marching up to the female that had spoken. "I am not a child! Now how about you tell me what the frell is goin on here, and I will see what I can do to help."
"You can help by staying out of the way!"
"Not a chance! Where is the action?" When the woman looked ready to make Chiana hit the deck, she twisted out of the way and grabbed her arm. Bending it back, she pushed the woman face first in to the deck. "Don't make me get angry, you won't like me when I am angry." In the next instant, her feet were swept out from under her, and the Nebari had her foot on her neck.
"You're careless, never show mercy!"
"I'll keep that in mind, you Helie?"
"Indent. Crystal." Helie put out a hand to Chiana, taking the offered crystal. "Chiana, pilot, owner, runner. Why do I always get the frelling Relnics?"
Chiana kicked Helie in the small of her back, and twisted the foot that was on her throat. "I didn't come up here to join your squad. I wanted to find my brother and know what the frell was going on."
Helie stood from the floor, eyeing Chiana wearily. "Who is your brother?"
"Nerri."
"The Squad leader?"
"How the frell should I know, I just got here." After another look from Helie, she sighed and shifted her weight. "Fine, all I know is that I am here because I am to join with him and the resistance. Some greebhols started cutting my module apart, saying it was for the war effort, and I was suddenly drafted as a Pilot. Now will you tell me?"
"Great, a purple blood." Helie started off toward a collection of consoles in the center of the large barrics style deck. "How much do you know about the Establishment's plans?"
"Virus, infect population through rogue Nebari, virus takes hold, they move in and take control of entire empires."
"Good, then I don't need to explain that. The plan worked too well, most infected races are under their control already. It started earlier than they had planned, and that was only the beginning of their problems. There is a massive war going on in the Uncharted Territories. Seems the Peace Keepers and the Scarrans are finally through dancing around each other, another race is inciting wars on the farside of their empires, the supposedly begnine races are forming a coalition against all four of these, and all want this one called, John Crichton.
"The Establishment learned of him from an operative on a world where they were hunting runners. Before they could capture him, his friends stole him away to a medical planet. Before they could follow, a full Peace Keeper Vanguarde including a Command Carrier came on the scene. Their operatives chased the runners believing them to be in league with the Peace Keepers and this John Crichton.
"That should have been the end of it, but one of the operatives had heard from a local that John Crichton knew of worm holes, something they had been hearing about for cycles. So they followed the runners and Peace Keepers when they chased after Crichton. This lead to a medical planet when they arrived, the medical complex was destroyed, and a Peace Keeper ship leaving their scanners' limits. The Runners had not gone with them, so they continued on after them.
"Again, this should have been the end of the story, an entire retrival squad after one El-r class transport, it was a massacer waiting to happen. Just as they came in docking range, a worm hole opened up beneath them and sucked them out of known space. They are presumed cassualties of a new worm hole weapon the Peace Keepers are bragging of having. The Establishment believes the Peace Keepers gave this weapon to the runners to use on them, and they being the bumbling trelks they were, misused it and killed themselves along with their operatives.
"This same event was monitored by the Scarrans and scared the Hezmana out of them. They immeadietly declared war on the Peace Keepers and us. The Peace Keepers retaliated by doing the same with the Scarrans and the Establishment. The Establishment being the level headed people they are, declared all non conformists terminated. Their death squads are out systematically destroying all that which has stood against them. Scarrans, Peace Keepers, resistance, it doesn't matter, all are to be assimilated or killed. This forth race has put the fear of the Divine in the Peace Keepers and Scarrans as they strike with-out warning, only to vanish after their goal is destroyed.
"We were on our way to meet with the UT & Star Aliance formed by a few of the races that can resist the Establishment. That was when something hit us." Helie slammed the black console with her gloved fist. "Trat, this thing says there is an armada of Peace Keeper designed war ships surrounding us. We are not ready for this!" She faced Chiana. "Looks like you are going to get that action you wanted."
This made her cheer up from the grim news as she cocked her head a little. "I am always up to kick PK butt!"
Helie frowned at her. "Where did you learn to speak like that and those words?"
"That same John Crichton everybody seems to want."
Helie froze. "You mean this.... Hewl-bun is real? Like a Sebacean but not?"
"Human, and yeah, I mean, he was the last time I saw him. Probably dead now." She looked away, frowned then forced a smile on her face. "So are we going to sit here and chit chat, or go out and show these Peace Keepers that we mean business?"
Helie hesitated, she knew this was important, but when the ship rocked again, there was no more time. "That ship, was it his?"
"Was."
"Good, cause if even half of what the Establishment has got on him is true, then we will need all the luck we can get. These Carriers aren't like anything we have ever seen!" She turned from the console and Chiana to grab a passing Male. "Get her a flight suit, now!"
He took one look at Chiana, up then down, and noded. "Think Telvis has an extra her size."
"Go then! We don't have time for friendly." She looked back at Chiana. "Your ship should be ready by now. Get back to it after you suit up. You are on my starboard side, stick close and stay out of my blast range!" When the male came back, she tossed the black suit and helmet to Chiana. "Suit up and go back the way you came! When this battle is over, we have a lot things to talk about!"
"Yes, sir!" Chiana smirked at the annoyed Helie, but started to put on the suit. This is what she wanted, something to take her mind off of the past. To get rid of the ghosts is her mission statement, and if the Peace Keepers happen to be the unlucky individuals to distract her, too bad.
****************************************
War Minister Acknar of the Scarran Higherarchy watched in rapt fascination as the recording played out for the tenth time. The quick surgical strikes of the aliens on the Scarran forces left nothing to be desired and all to be admired. She was jealous of their precision, what Scarran wouldn't be? But she had yet to learn their ways. Each attack was different from the last.
This one had six of their sphere shaped battle cruisers placed around a research moon, they fired enough cover fire to scorch the surface dozens of times. All of this was to prevent ground based defences from locking on the hulking planet killer. It was set up in three stages, the end or top was half a sphere, connected to the cylinder shaped body, a third of the way down, there was a smaller half sphere skirt with six cannons on the flat side. At the second third was an even smaller half sphere that ended with three arms that reached out toward the end, facing in.
When the planet killer was in position over their base, the six cannons fired a continueous stream. The center shaft below the third sphere half lit up as energy coursed beneath its covering. Each of the three arms lit up slowly as the ship rotated to keep orbit.
Evidently a sign that it took all the ship's primary energy to fire the weapon, she noted. And what a magnificent weapon it was.
The center glowed a bright blue as it was joined by the white energy of the three arms. Suddenly a shaft of energy shot from the center, closely followed by three pulses of energy along it. The first pulse crushed the base, the second blasted it towards the core, and the third sent an explosion through the entire moon. Three hundred microts later the satelite drifted apart in large chunks, the center already dark and cold.
It defied all logic, and her weapons experts couldn't come up with one single micron of evidence to prove it wasn't already a debris field before this little demonstration. For all intents, and given time, the planet was going to have its own natural rings.
When she had seen it the first time, she had clapped for the evidently false creation. After the second viewing and three attempts of contacting the base in question, she had killed the messanger with her bare claws. All evidence that their enemies possesed this kind of technowledgy was suppressed. But the damnedable new Alliance had blasted all comm channels with it. Before a council meeting of the Empiral line could commence, five more satelites and planets were destroyed on their borders. One in the center of their empire while the council was in session.
They had demanded answers no one had, not even their Peace Keeper spies. There was no evidence these aliens existed, they were that thorough in their cover up. She was facing execution for incompetence and no reprieve if she could not come up with a solution.
At first her instincts told her to look for a pattern in the attacks, but they all centered on the Border in the Uncharted Territories. That was not enough because that was almost all of the space beyond their domain. No one knew what laid beyond their controled space, but it had found them and was randomly killing everything it touched.
No true warrior could watch this and not be held in awe as they moved as one. Their ships came in many designs, but fleets were always in the same configuration. Six spheres for each planet killer, twenty bug shaped fighters for every mother ship, and two cylinder shaped sky jammers that deployed a net like substance around planets that blocked off signals from it. When they disappeared to wherever they went, the planet's surface was completely barren.
Acknar smiled at the recording of one such event.
All her spies, all her tech, all her power, all of it, useless. These aliens were going to wipe them out, and there was nothing they could do. No one knew why, no one cared. It didn't matter to her.
At least that is what they thought.
She knew why, she cared. There was something that had been coming for generations. Her father knew, as had his father, and all before him. Shortly before he died at the hands of the current Emporer, he had told her.
And that secret was going to see her through to the end. For she was prepared to pay the price necissary for survival. She knew what it would take, and nothing less that it would appease those asking. All she had need do was wait. They would come to her and she would be ready.
****************************************
The ground beneathe her feet resounded differently than when she had walked through the cooridor before. Also, she didn't remember any of the markings on the wall. One inparticular captured her fascination. It was the same symbol as was on the tile Crichton had given her. She couldn't help it, the excitement was making her giddy. A new room, some place she had never been before, probably no one had ever been.
As she continued along the shaft, the heat became almost palipable. Almost no moisture in the air, and there was a mildew smell coming from the way she was going. This place had long sense been abandoned, but there was no dust. No growths either. In fact, their was sand everywhere, and not like that found on Arnesk.
A sinking feeling started in her stomach. This wasn't Arnesk!
Slowly, she made her way down the shaft using the hand rails provided. Her light tucked safely in her belt, and the scroll clutched in her left hand. There were still many characters that matched the scroll. Following the clues, she was led through another shaft, and a crawl space into an artificially lit chamber.
Larger than any room she had been in since Moya, there was a sense of great importance. There was also something missing. This place felt as empty as the ruins on Arnesk, with a touch recent visitation. The walls were almost completely bare, time having eroded what was left of the markings. Looking around, she could find nothing that allowed her to continue on her way. May be she had made a wrong turn.
Coming about back to the entrance, she screeched when a Sebacean pointed a weapon at her. Jool froze in place as the man came closer, his light shining in her eyes.
"What are you doing in here?"
"I was walking down some tunnels and got lost. Can you tell me where I am?"
His face scrunched up, mustache twitching slightly. "Say that again, only slower."
She sighed as she started walking to him. "I said I got... Is that weapon really necissary? You don't look Peace Keeper."
"Peace Keeper? Are you from a desert tribe?"
"Do I look like I am from some desert Tralz?"
"I am sorry, I still can't completely understand you." His face was a mixture of awe as she came closer into the light. "And you look like no one I have ever seen before. Are you one of the Goddesses?"
This stopped her. "What Goddesses?"
Falling to his knees, he pulled out a chain from his shirt, a symbol on the end of it. He bowed his forehead, holding the cross shaped icon up. "You must forgive me, my Goddess, it has been so long since any of us have seen your kind, many do not believe, but my family has remained faithful."
"Wait just a microt, I'm not your's or anyone else's goddess."
He prostrated himself before her, arms spread wide. "Forgive me, it was but a saying. I know your grace belongs to no one but your own. I meant no disrespect, Great lady."
With a sigh, she knealt in front of him, taking his small pendant. She tried in vain for to get him to look at her. "Listen to me. I am not a Goddess." When he kept avoiding her face, she gave up, and stood. "Fine, remain as you are, just answer my questions."
"Anything."
"Where in all of Hokon am I?"
"The great pyramid of Geeza, oh wise and benevolent lady."
Taping her finger to her side, Jool walked over to the wall where the only remains of the paintings remained. "What is this pyramid, exactly, and why does it sound familiar?"
"The tomb of the great Pharoe. Long ago his remains were desecrated by his enemies, this stone monuement is all that remains of his once greatness. It is believed his Ka passed over to the land of the dead to reside in the house of Ra."
"Right, tomb, burial place, pyramid, this all sounds familiar, and it is all coming back to me. We are on a planet called Earth, correct? Crichton mentioned this planet of his birth."
Remaining prostrate, he tried to nod. "Yes, great Goddess."
"Frelling great! How did I cross the Uncharted Territories to become trapped on this back water world?" She paced around the chamber for a bit, waving her hands in frustraition. "Something had to have happened in that blasted chamber. Those damned priests had something to do with this. When I get my hands on them..." His startled yelp caused her to growl in anger. "What is it now? Your patheticness is trying my patience."
"Forgive me, my lady. I am just in fear that you mean to harm all of your priests, I am merely a lowly supplicant, but still a priest."
With a barely suppressed growl, she ignored his whimpering, and pleading as she crawled back through the small entrance. This time she recognized the disorientation for what it was, and cursed herself for being so stupid. When she exited the crawl space into another poorly lit room, she nearly fainted from the shock.
Back in the tomb of the Pharoe, the supplicant priest slowly looked up from his position on the floor. "Goddess?"
"Mohiem, what is it you said?"
The priest sat back and looked at the younger man as he came in, flashlight scanning the chamber. "She was here."
"Who?"
"Our beloved Goddess!"
The younger man paled. "Do not fool me, was she here?"
"I lie to you not. She was here, her clothes of black night, and hair of red Ra's Glory. Eyes of Jade that made me ache for the days we have yet seen. Her temperment is equal to that of her beloved and sacred animal, the Lion."
"You sound as the Temple walls."
"But it was true, she took my Ankh."
He looked at Mohiem in speculation. "And where she now?"
"She spoke of other worlds, I believe she has returned to strangle her priests. She said it was they that were responcible for her coming and promised retribution on them for it."
"Did she leave something, a relic or holy object to show her favor of us?"
Mohiem smiled. "She has shown her favor, and her graceful blessing of us. She left this." He held up a small device. "It appears to be some form of adornment. Surely only those who had her favor would earn something so important."
The young man gasped as he looked at the retangular shaped golden edged red broach. "It is as nothing I have ever seen outside the borders of our rugs. There is no scene of her greatness, whatelse could it be?"
Mohiem touched the center. "May be it is..."
"Pah tume hath? Vei dite ort!"
Both men jumped back as the broach fell to the ground. Neither dared approach it as it started to growl and repeat the phrases. After a moment, it was silent and Mohiem started near it. "Great Goddess of Divine Mercy. She has granted us a greater gift then we had hoped!"
"What is it uncle?"
Tentavily picking it up and sealing it in a leather pouch on his hip, Mohiem smiled. "It appears to be the Ka of one of her vanquished. This is quite a treasure, we must remand it to the custody of our great uncle. He will have knowledge of what else this may signify for us." Mohiem led his nephew toward the entrance of the tomb. "Now, however, we must make sure the Great Pyramid is open to desecration by those vile tourists!"
****************************************
All was still. No, that was not right, the air still moved so the dust would not settle. It was a feeling, nothing more. The ship still lived, and he had Pilot, but nothing else.
Ka D'Argo sat in the central chamber, thinking, and remembering.
When he had started out on this wild journey, there were only three others, four if Moya and Pilot counted seperately. It was a simple goal, but one hell of a gambit if he attempted to pull it off.
Freedom.
After eight cycles in Peace Keeper prison cells and ships and mines, he was ready to be free. Or so he thought.
In his mind all there was, was the goal. If they had ever achieved it, something he scarcely dreamed of, yet alone planned for. No one knew exactly what they would do when they got out. They had hopes, that one day to be reunited with their loved ones, and right past wrongs. But none were prepared for the actual event if it did happen.
Then it had.
Rygel had gotten the codes, bribed the guards, freed them from their cells. In all the excitement, he had forgotten about the after. Before it could settle on him that he was free, that he had no idea what to do, a strange creature had come into their lives. A being that had some how made their dreams seem real in comparison as to his arrival. Because when he came through the event horizon, anything suddenly became possible. With his blind enthusiasm to guide them, why not?
But reality came back, as it always did.
This being was more than a handful, for all the brilliance of his ignorance and simple intelligence, he was also a high maitanence trouble magnet. He forgot his pain in the glare of his friends'. When he started to remember his, another distraction came along. Their refugee ship grew into a family before any of them knew it.
The frelling Human from Erp had an annoying way of doing that with people he just met.
For a while, things went their normal, weird, way. Then the Human got in trouble, Moya had a baby, and they gained a new ally in an old enemy while making an even worse one. That was also another annoying habbit of the human's. Things got interesting after that, and he forgot about his son, for a while. Then the Human learned he was not only to be married, but had a child on the way.
Reality came back with her big ugly brothers.
The Human was forced to give up his offspring, and they bonded over their mutual pain. He learned his son had spent the previous ten cycles as a slave in a mine. Along with his new found knowledge that his son was alive, he lost his friend. Nearly losing him, and two others in the process, his mind was on settling down as fast as possible before anymore pain could come.
This is what Reality was waiting for.
In a matter of a monen he lost a friend, had another cripled for life, got one back, his lover was no longer that, his son was a bitter rival for her affections, he then left, and then he lost another friend. If not for the human, none of this would have happened, then again, none of them would have survived this long. So he did not know what to think of him.
The uncertanty of it all caused him much mental stress, his friend's pining over a woman that would never be his when he lost his own, sent him over the edge. He had killed his best friend, and gained a new lover in the same day.
She was now gone, as all things he loved tended to be.
His other friends either ended by betraying him, dying, or leaving, or all three. A monen ago, he had said good bye to his former lover, and today he had said good bye to the last.
There were no bitter tears, no long farewells. It was not their way. He stood and watched, as he always does. Suffer in silence, never show them your tears, that is the way of the warrior. But this time it was different. For starters, they had no longer been friends when he left. It took him a while, but he figured it was the plan of the diminuitive Hynerian, a way of not having to say good bye. So he didn't. Second of all, he knew this would not be the last time he saw the Hynerian, he did not question how, it would be revealed only if it chose to be. And last of all, he was all alone. There were no others this time. No one to console him in his grief or to make him laugh from his pain.
So here he sits.
Alone in his days, there is hardly anything to do. Moya can take care of herself for the most part. What little he is required, he does with a mindless ease born of long practice. He still searches for 'he that had opened his eyes to the posibilities of the universe'. His last friend.
He heard on the last commerce planet that there was a war brewing. Once that would have caused more of a reaction, now he simply took it as a given. As if the merchant had told him he was breathing. The warriors called this a state of shock, that he had yet to deal with the trauma of a severe blow. He never would, not until he found his friend.
There was a new goal, something to long for in his darkest of moments, those times when death comes corting and the offered embrace seems too tempting. He had something to long for, what he would do when he got it, he had ideas, but nothing solid. He just knew that he wanted his friend back, and when he got him, they would go from there.
D'Argo sighed slowly and deeply. What if Rygel had been right? What if John really was dead? Would it matter? Probably not. He had already been enriched by the human enough to know that life always goes on, you get over it, no matter how much it hurt at the time. Resilience in the face of adversity, something the Human had become good at, and another annoying habbit.
He would have to follow Crichton's example. Keep looking for that thing, that moment when life would once again have a meaning, a purpose. For the time, it would be the search for his friend, and help when needed along the way. It felt right to help others, he had done it long ago, and until the human... John, he had forgotten what it felt like. Now he could not remember a time when he did not know it.
Shifting to get up, he felt a little bitter. This rumorse helped no one, and served only to make him feel worse. Better to find a minor problem that needed fixing and deal with it than think on useless things any more.
As he stood to go, the noise stopped. Everything, the noise of the world, from the light to the shadows, all stopped. He turned around, and passed through to the center of the table. Then he growled aloud a warning. "What kind of game are you playing?"
"Who?"
In shock that quickly turned to anger, D'Argo turned on the owner of the voice. "You!"
"What about me? Surely you do not think I did this?" She snorted as she walked towards him. "Typical Luxan responce, misdirected anger, strike out at the nearest target available."
"You had better have good reason to be here, old woman, or I will kill you where you stand. In fact, I should do it anyways."
Noranti smiled at him, as if to humor a dumb beast. "Do your worst, you can no longer touch me. I am with the Divine now."
"You are dead?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes. But then again, life is but a certain perception of one reality."
"Enough riddles! Where is John and Chiana's child?"
Noranti shrugged as she looked up towards the ceiling. "With the Divine, I would guess. I do not know, only do as I am told."
"What does that mean?" He turned to follow as she walked around his back.
"I fear if you are truly this stupid, my coming here may have been in vane." Shifting her robes, she pulled out a leather pouch. "I am the servant of the Divine. I only do as he instructs me."
"He told you to take their child? Why?"
She stopped sorting through the herb bag. "I am not his master, nor am I your prisoner to interogate. I came here for a purpose."
D'Argo folded his arms to prevent himself from strangling her. "Oh yeah, what is that?"
"To offer you a purpose, a reason for being." She looked him square in the eyes. "Something to make up for all your mistakes of the past. Those both commited intentionaly, and unintentionally."
"You, the bitch of a child stealing hezmot, offer me redemption, oh that is rich. I must have fallen and hit my head on the way down. This can only be Hezmana if you are here."
She stomped up to him in anger. "This is no joke! I am serious! Something has happened and I can no longer fofill my original purpose! It is up to you, if you are willing to continue on in my stead."
"What could possibly be so important."
"There is no time!" She stepped back and looked away. "Somethings have gone horribly wrong and I can no longer be there. I have a new task, one of great importance, but only if I can find a replacement."
"So you chose me?"
"No, I chose Moya. But you are her captain, and the Divine recognizes your right to choose not to come along. We need someone who can both be protector, yet be able to protect in the places the other can't go. She provides the enviroment, but you must be there to fix that which she and Pilot can not. Needless to say, you are needed. This all rests upon whether you accept."
"Accept what?"
"There is no time. All I can say it is important, and the fate of the Galaxy may depend on it."
"You are lying, nothing is that important."
This time, when she stepped up to him, she grabbed his Tinkas and twisted hard. "Listen to me, you charroot Luxan. There are more than just those beings that are bound to your reality. The Divine has sent me here at great cost to himself and the longer I remain, the harder it is for him to maintain. Now do you accept or not?"
Cringing under her assault, he tried to fight back, but his sensitive organs were being ground under her hands like small tubers. After a moment's hesitation, he thought back on what had happened this day. Something was going to give, and he was tired of his old life. All of a sudden, death didn't seem like such a bad thing. Closing his eyes as he let the tears come, he nodded once.
Noranti pulled back and released him with a satisfied grunt. "Good, then let it be done."
A brilliance lit up the center of Moya as the world around them resumed. For microts all D'Argo felt was the warmth and peace of the orange-yellow light. It had a familiar, soothing presence he recognized. Something he had bore witness to before.
"Yes, Ka D'Argo, it is I."
"But..."
"Now is not the time. You have agreed and Noranti will now take your place. For now, there is someone who wishes to see you very much. She has heard many great things about you."
D'Argo was about to ask who, when the laughs reached his ears. This too was familiar as he bent down, still in the blinding warm light, he picked her up and swung her around. It was then he knew things would be all right. He could lay down his burden of life, and it would be all right. Then the light grew in intensity and blinded all else out.
With the sound of rushing water on a beach, Noranti came to herself as she stood from the chair. Central chamber. She recognized it from her memories. It was a success, they had switched places, and she could go on to her task with no fear. As she started to leave the room she heard the giggling of a little girl, and smiled.
After a moment's pause, she headed down the tiers towards Eliss' Pilot's den. They had much to do, and she could only pray to the Divine it was enough, and not too late.