Fic: Never Know How Good It Is (Til It's Gone) 2a/3 Earth: Final Conflict
Title: Never Know How Good it is (Til it's Gone)
By: Lopaka Tanu
E-mail: lopaka_tanu @ yahoo.com
Fandom: Earth: Final Conflict.
Category: Slash AU Unfinished
Warnings: Sexual Aggression, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Language, Violence, Non consensual, Alien mpreg, abuse, and suicide.
Couple: Liam/Joshua, Liam/Jaridian(EC).
Archive: Yes, just say where.
Rating: Adult.
Disclaimer: I do not own Earth: Final Conflict or its characters, some original characters may be mine and the plot line in some places is mine. Some plots belong to Lyta, why, because she wrote them down first. I do not have permission to write this story, but will do it none the less. All you blood sucking lawyers, enjoy!
Author's Note: This story is severely drawn from episodes, but does not follow the series at the end of Crossfire. From there a few parallels with the series. Some POV modes, beware. Points for anyone who can tell me what the Quotes in the beginning of each part are from.
Spoilers: Season 2, parts of 3, 4, and 5. Starting with Between Heaven and Hell.
Summary: When Liam decides to investigate Joshua Doors' nomination of his father for President, it sets events in motion that will forever change his life. It doesn't help, that after his encounter with the Jaridian, he suddenly becomes aware of things that up till now, were barely even thought of. During all this, a friendship forms that will test his loyalties, but what is real, and who is pretending?
Story Note: This story is inspired by what if thoughts and a series by Lyta titled, "Alterations" which can be found at: dreamwater.net/lyta/Archive/Series.html. I have not been able to get in contact with her to ask permission, so please don't be mad if you do read this, Lyta. Hers is a gen story while mine is Slash, so please mind the warnings. ________________________________________________________ Part 2 We only want what we can't have.
"Why didn't you tell me, Liam," Lili hissed the question at him. She had waited until the following morning to confront Liam on who he had joined with. Due to their scheduled pick up of Da'an, there was a fifteen minute gap in which they could talk, and she was taking advantage of it. "You know I need to know these things."
"I am sorry, Lili, but I just don't see the importance of telling you about my joining. In fact it is kind of embarrassing talking about it with you, don't ask me why." A slight flush lit his features as he tried to avoid her knowing smirk.
"Just spit it out, who with, why, and what was it like?"
"Lili!" His stunned expression made her start to giggle. Turning away, he tried to hide his further blush.
"I am not backing down on this, Liam. You will tell me, or do I have to resort to more... persuasive manners?"
Liam froze in midstep as he was walking towards Da'an's audience chamber. A nervous twitch from his left eye as he reguarded her wearily from the corner of said eye. "You wouldn't."
"Try me, I've done it before." She made a big deal over her nails as he sweated it out. "Do I have to remind you of the Interdimensional Incident?"
"That's not fair, Lili. I told you it wasn't your fault!"
"After I had you rolling on the floor with fits of tickle induced laughter." The evil gleam in her eyes had him backing away. "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to bring out the tickle monster?"
"I am not a kid! You can't scare me with your tickle monster."
"Oh?"
"Not if I run fast enough!" Laughing, he ran for the audience chamber with Lili hot on his heels.
"Liam!" She followed catching him as they entered the large purple room. "This is your last warning, tell me or else." After they wrestled a bit, she had him pinned to the floor, and started to tickle his sides. "Tell me! Tell me or I won't stop!"
Liam could only thrash as Lili sat on his chest, pinning his arms with her legs. "Stop! Please!" He cried out between laughs.
"No! Tell me!" Her hands started to drift to his belly, and his eyes went wide.
Shaking his head no, he tried to beg with his eyes. He knew he lost when she merely smirked and nodded. "It was Joyce Belman! I had to convince her not to kill humanity and the Taelons, a joining was the only way."
Lili's hand stillled just above his belly as she seemed to think about it. "So you played the role of the virgin sacrifice?"
"Yes! Now you can get off me?" He gave her a hopeful expression.
"Sorry Liam, but you took too long." Then her hand decended and the tickles began anew. Liam was in tears as Lili climbed off him. "May be next time you will talk to me?"
"No, next time I will keep my big mouth shut and remember why I don't tell you these things." He wiped the tear tracks away as he sat up growling.
"Wrong answer!" Before he could think, she was activating the portal.
"Hey! It's your turn to take the shuttle!"
"Snooze ya lose. See you on the mother ship, I'll tell Da'an you wanted to be the one to fly today. See ya!" A wave, followed by an energy wave, and she was gone.
Liam cursed her under his breath as he sulked his way to the shuttle pad. Things were just starting and he had a feeling they were going to get a lot worse.
Liam's bad feeling was confirmed when he heard the Mother Ship's alarms blare as he stood to exit the shuttle. Before he could set foot off the craft, a large figure barreled in to him and pushed him back in to it. The man's hand clamped over his shoulder and forced him in to the pilot's seat.
"Fly the shuttle or die!" The figure's hand lit up with Shaquarava as he aimed it at Liam's face.
"What are you?"
The man hit the back of his head with his fist. "I said fly the shuttle, don't ask questions, just do as I tell you! Now activate the controls!"
Fear shot through him as he nodded and did as ordered. Just in time to avoid an energy blast, the virtual glass came online. Liam tried to think of a way to let the mother ship drones get in, but the Jaridian had other plans. He suddenly found a hand on his lower back, tingling with energy. His face started to blush green in responce to the placement of the shaquarava and he swallowed back the urge to complete it.
"Take us out of here." The deadly whisper made a cold shiver run down his spine. Moments later the shuttle flew out of the docking bay, entering ID space once clear. "You will fly me to these cooridinates." The Jaridian tapped out the directions on the virtual display.
Liam knew this was going to be a bad day, he was just grateful Lili had tricked him or else she might have been the one in the shuttle. Acknoledging the orders, he activated the drives and headed for the cooridinates given. Because of their actions, he might end up having to speak Jaridian for the rest of his life, but at least he knew the basis for the language. A dark, and nervous giggle escaped his lips as he flew the shuttle, always wary of the alien eyes on his back.
Lili was still laughing at the young Hybrid. He was going to be pissy all morning, but it was worth getting this little bit of information. After all, what kind of friend would she be if she let him have sex with-out her knowing all about it. Such things just weren't done. She had been trained as a marine to exploit the enemy's weaknesses to gain information, such methods were employed, when necissary, with the him.
When the alarms had started blaring all over the mother ship, she knew he was in trouble. "Liam!" Rushing to the docking bay, she arrived in time to see the drones open fire on the shuttle before it flew away. "Damn it, Liam!"
Sandoval caught her arm. "What are you doing here, captain?"
"That was my shuttle. What happened?"
Momentary confusion crossed his features before being replaced by his stoic mask of indifference. "The Jaridian escaped. Who was on your shuttle if not you?"
Lili ignored his emotional slip and slipped in to soldier mode. "Major Kincaid expressed his wishes to improve his flying skills and brought my shuttle to the Mother Ship. Are you telling me that an escaped alien has abducted him and my shuttle?"
"Yes! We will talk on this later." He checked the shuttle bay. "I want you to go after it, bring it back alive if possible, if not, make sure that technology does not fall in to the hands of the Jaridians."
Silently, she nodded.
"Then get to it." Ignoring her presence, he started to order the drones around.
Not wasting a moment, she jumped in to the nearest shuttle and took off after Liam. Hoping that he would be all right and they made it back in one piece was all she could do as the shuttle locked on Liam's cooridinates. Activating the ID drive, she wondered what would have happened if she had been the one flying the shuttle and not Liam.
Liam was starting to get anxious as the hand on his back continued to pour energy into his body. He didn't know what the alien was trying to accomplish, but it was causing a build up in his body that was not going to end well. Already he could feel his shaquarava attempting to awaken. "What do you want with me?"
"I want to get back to my people, you were merely a target. Your knowledge of this Taelon... shuttle, will allow my people to create the technology we have been lacking and finally conquer the Taelons." He continued to kneel next to Liam, keeping one hand on his lower back, and the other on Liam's arm.
"So I take it, you are a Jaridian."
"You learn quickly. Perhaps there is a use for your species after all... What is that?" The shuttle rocked as they were thrown out of ID space. A few more twirls as the ship rolled from the sudden shock. Alarms on the holographic controls started to flash and emit their little pulses. "Get this shuttle under control immeadietly. I want to know what happened!"
Liam nodded his agreement, now was not the time to be rebellious. His controls flashed as he tried to activate them. "They won't stay on. I can't get any kind of readings, there is no way I can tell what happened. It is taking all I got to keep the power online, something is draining it faster than the core can produce it." He froze at his controls with a look of fear. "We're adrift in space! If these fluctuations keep up, the virtual glass matrix will collapse and we will be sucked in to space."
"Do something!"
"I can't! Whatever is doing this has complete control." Liam gritted his teeth as he felt the Jaridian's reactions through the link. Fear was one of the strongest emotions, next was anger. Before he knew what he was doing, he was bringing his palms to fire on the Jaridian. "Get your hands off me!"
Keloren released his grip on the young man and placed his palms to Liam's before the young man could activate his shaquarva. His body tensed as he drew on the energy forming in Liam's hands. Before Liam knew it, the excess energy in his body was gone, along with a large portion of his own. A triumphant snarl errupted from him as he squeezed Liam's hands in his own, forcing the Hybrid to his knees.
Liam felt exhausted as his hands throbbed. The Jaridian had been planning this all along. "What did you do to me?"
Keloren smirked as he assumed the pilot's position. "I have used you to enhance my essence, refined is the word I believe you humans use. When I took you hostage, I had just absorbed massive amounts of Taelon core energy in order to sustain my own life. As you have seen, it didn't take well with my own, so I had to use your body as a distillation unit." He activated the controls as Liam slumped against the passanger chairs. "I am surprised you survived this long, from what I have learned, Human bodies are still too fragile to process energy. I needn't worry though, you will expire soon enough."
Liam shook his head to clear the fuzzyness. "But I thought you needed me."
"I did, to escape. I don't need a lowly Human to understand Taelon technology, Jaridian scientists will figure out how this shuttle works and then we will destroy the Taelons."
"That's where you're wrong. These systems are Human designed, not Taelon. But it doesn't matter, if we can't find out what is wrong with the shuttle, neither of us is going home."
Keloren gave a knowing smirk. "We are caught in an energy web of an alien vessel. They are bringing us aboard their ship. When they do, they will be sorry they ever attacked a Jaridian."
"I am sorry I ever met you, and I didn't even do anything to you."
"You associate with the Taelons, that is a crime punishable by death."
Liam gave a short bark of dry laughter. "The Taelons have said the same thing about your species. I wonder what this is really about? What do your two species have against the other?"
Keloren turned in the chair to face Liam as the ship stopped rolling. "Since you will never return to your people, I see no harm in telling you. Perhaps you might realise the error of your ways. We were once one species. Out of fear of the shaquarva and the quest for spiritual perfection, the Taelons traded away their ability to reproduce for long life and a commonality. Jaridians fear the commonality, we value our emotions, our individuality. And for this we are blessed with the continued ability to reproduce. We continue to grow in number while the Taelons slowly die from their own fears. Now which is the criminal and the innocent?"
"Neither, both have destroyed with-out care to who they hurt in your eons of war. Both of you are as guilty as the other!"
"Never! The Taelons are the true enemy, their lies have killed countless species, and yours will soon be just another of those." The Jaridian turned back to the controls as an alarm started to beep.
"You sound like a Human I know," Liam muttered under his breath.
"Then perhaps you should listen to him, and stop associating with them. It might save your life if you joined his cause."
"Or end it," Liam hissed out in pain, "he is as much a fanatic as you are. Both of you believe that your cause is righteous, but so does Zo'or. You can't all be right."
"Then you must choose who's side is right, which cause is the noblest, and hope that you are on the winning side." Keloren spoke with an air of finality that sounded more like a regret than a threat to Liam.
Liam was about to say something when a large ship loomed in to view. "And here is your tin god."
"Magnificent!" Keloren eyed the alien ship with look of hunger. This was something he had never expected in all his years of existance.
The large silver vessel locked an energy beam on them to bring their ship in to the massive docking bay. The first thing Liam noticed about the ship were all the abandoned transports. An erie quiet filled the large space as the shuttle's Virtual Glass finally collapsed. He took in a lung full of the old but breatheable atmosphere.
Keloren stood from the pilot's seat and walked out of the shuttle down the boarding ramp. Quickly he scanned the area as he went. He knew with-out a doubt the ship was as abandoned as the transports in the hangar. There was something almost familiar about the ship as he followed along the cat walk to the insides of the ship. It was of a design any being with an eye for geometric shapes could appreciate. The simplicity belied the advanced technology hidden in the walls. This he knew and that he must bring it back to share with all Jaridia.
Liam watched as Keloren walked starstruck away from the shuttle. Ignoring the burning in his palms, Liam grabbed the arm rests of the seats beside him, and hauled himself up in one of them. He felt extremely weak as he focused on the situation. Alone on an alien ship with no way to get away or contact Earth, he knew he may not live to see another day. Basically he was screwed as Augur would put it. He could really use the hacker about now.
Something was off about the ship as he looked out through the entrance of the shuttle. It seemed familiar, yet wrong, as if there was something out of place about it. He could almost touch it in the back of his mind when he sagged in the seat from lack of energy. What he needed was to get something to eat, to try and replenish his dwindling strength. Then he could focus on the nagging feeling of familiarity.
Turning the chair to the wall behind him, he activated a panel and withdrew the large box of an emergency kit. Since the previous year's crash, Lili had kept a supply of field rations. Food, water, blankets and a pocket torch for fires were amoung the meager supplies. There were six more kits in the out fitted shuttle, but all he needed was in this one for it contained the most precious thing of all. Inside he found a glowing blue sphere, placing hands on either side of it, he focused his shaquarava and absorbed the core energy.
His body flushed green-blue as the energy dispersed inside his system, restoring his body to minimal health. It was enough to heal the damage done by the sudden drain on his system, but no more. Sighing with resignation, he placed the sphere back in the kit and pulled out a nutrition bar. Before he could take a bite out of it, the leathery hand took it from him. "What? Can't you just leave me to die in peace?"
"No, I was coming back to heal the damage I had done in my zeal, but evidently there is no need. We will eat, and then you will accompany me to the control core of this ship." He ignored Liam's shocked stair and started to eat the nutrition bar. He made a face at the strange flavor. "Your people call this vile substance food? It is no wonder the Taelons are on your world, this is one step away from core energy."
"It is called an emergency ration. We freeze dry them for such extreme cases when fresh food can not be obtained. It is better when you bite off a piece of it and soak it down with the fruit juice pouches mixed with water." Liam bit open a packet of the crystalized drink, and poured in water. He then sealed it and shook. A moment later he pulled out a straw and another nutrition bar from the kit. "You stick in the straw, like so. Take a bite from the food bar, take a drink of the fruit juice, and let it soak together in your mouth." Liam demonstrated as he said. After a few moments he stuck out his tongue displaying the moist bar in all its glory. "Sthee!"
Keloren's hand clamped down over his tongue and scraped the soggy bar off in to his fingers. A quick motion and he was eating it. He cocked his head as he swallowed. "That is better, but I still prefer the flavor of my planet's food."
Liam was feeling nauseous as he watched the Jaridian eat the food he had just prepared. When Keloren reached to take the drink packet from him, he handed it over with out a fight. "Take it, I have suddenly lost my appetite."
"You will eat! I do not need you passing into unconsciousness from lack of nurishment. If I must, I will force you."
Liam took one look at the Jaridian and decided it was better to eat on his own. If Keloren had no qualms about eating food out of his mouth, then may be the reverse was also true. Shuddering, he quickly devoured the nutrition bar in his hand and washed the foul taste down with another fruit drink.
"Get up, and bring along that kit, we may need the supplies. Are there any illumination devices inside?" He took the offered blue light sphere and led the way from the shuttle.
Liam looked down as they crossed the cat walk and felt his stomach drop at the sight, there was nothing seperating them from space. If he fell, it would be forever. Keloren's hand pulled him along after a moment, and together they went deeper into the dark ship, unaware of that they were being watched.
Lili tried to activate the controls one more time as the shuttle continued to roll. Entering normal space had caused the shuttle to rock and throw her from her seat, artificial gravity shutting down for a moment. She thanked whatever gods there were that the virtual glass had with stood the sudden power drain.
Collision alert alarms started to blare moments before the large ship came in to view. The shuttle stopped rolling immeadietly as the vessel grew bigger in the view ports. The alerts stilled and lost all power as the shuttle seemed to give up the ghost and finally die. A shudder and it was docked allowing Lili to see the inside of the ship.
Holstering her weapon, and grabbing a pulse cannon, she exited the assault shuttle. Her way lit by dim over head lights and the flash light on the top of the cannon, she carefully examined the collection of ships until she found her shuttle. There was no sign of Liam or the escaped Jaridian, but one of her emergency bolt holes was empty of its supplies. From memory, she deduced they had taken enough supplies to last a few days before they had to come back, that meant she had to hunt them down.
Groaning, she grabbed a supply kit and set off in the direction of foot prints in the dust. Crossing the large cat walks to the entrance of the ship made her shudder. The place was creepy and reminiscent of the early Taelon shuttles she had learned to pilot, but their was a metalic tinge that screamed replicant. She wondered what the hell was going on as she continued after her prey. She too was unaware of the recording devices watching.
Johnathan Doors stared at the global, anger causing him to grind his teeth. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir. It was definetly the Jaridian, I saw it with my own eyes." The young woman nodded in to the global. "There is some good news, it took Major Kincaid."
"Kincaid? How in hell did it get that far with out Sandoval knowing?"
"He had no choice, sir. I kinda let it slip by my defence network in hopes it would kill a few Taelons, which I am sorry to say, it did not. The Major had landed his shuttle when the Jaridian came rushing in. Before the Major knew what was happening, both were back in the shuttle and he was being forced to fly the alien away. We got lucky this time, sir."
He schooled his face to keep the operative in the dark over his feelings. She had no need to know that Kincaid was one of his. "Just how did we get lucky, Leiutenant?"
"Sir, it was Captain Marquette's shuttle that he was flying. If she had not let him prove his man hood, she would have been the one with that scaley alien. Then our entire organization would have been in a world of hurt."
Doors leaned forward in chair as he glared at the woman. "I think it is time you got out of there. Delete all files, and your global. I suggest you find a way to get off the Mother Ship now, if they want some one to blame, you are it."
She nodded as fear filled her face. "Yes, sir!" A salute and her face disappeared from the global.
"Damn it!" Johnathan slammed the global against the desk as he turned to face out the window.
"What is that for, losing your operative or the loss of another Human being to the Aliens?"
Looking up, Johnathan glared at his son who was standing in the open door of his office. "What did you hear?"
"Starting with 'Just how did we get lucky, Leiutenant.' Now will you answer the question?"
"If you must know, both! No one deserves to be kidnapped." He looked away from the disbelieving stare. "Contrary to popular belief, I am not the monster you would have me be. I do care about humanity, but some times I simply refuse to tolerate the blind and ignorant members of our species."
"I would have believed that you would be thrilled over the loss of the Major. After all, it gets rid of another traitor, bad man, and the only man you have strictly forbidden me from being with. That does make one wonder." Joshua folded his arms and placed one hand under his chin. "Would the Major and I have something in common... say, genetically?"
"Only if your mother was secretly having an affair. I have never, nor would I have ever cheated on your mother. I may not have been a good husband or the world's greatest father, but I held those vows sacred!" He stood and buttoned his suit jacket, then straitened his tie. "Now is there any thing else you want to ask me, perhaps the names of every woman I have ever slept with in my life? Or may be you want me to confess all the sins I have commited starting with the first lie I told?"
"Fine! So you didn't cheat on mom!"
"You're damn right I didn't!" Johnathan walked out from behind the desk and headed for the door. "Now if you will excuse me, I do have an appointment with the press. Or do you need anything else Herr Commedant?"
Joshua ignored the barb and stared out the windows of the office over looking the city. Just before Johnathan reached the door, Joshua spoke again. "So Captain Marquette is one of your own?"
"You know I can't tell you that."
"Fine, then answer me this, was that her last year, or was she pulling a Matahari? Hypothetically, of course."
"Hypothetically, a little of both. That is if she was working for me, which I am not saying." A heavy breath. "This never happened! You know nothing about this, got that?"
"Yes, sir!" A long pause and then the door closed. Joshua walked behind the desk and fell back in to the plush leather chair. Hand still under his chin, he leaned against the desk. There was something about the conversation he just had that didn't feel right. For one thing, his father never reacted like that when Sandoval was hurt, but then again, Sandoval had personally killed many of his people.
Another thing was the strange word, Kidnapped. The major was far from a child, and usually Johnathan Doors liked to use big, or as he called them, Propaganda words, say for example 'Abducted'. It played on the old fears from the twentieth century about big, bug eyed aliens with flying saucers. In that moment, Joshua decided he was going to get to know this Major Liam Kincaid better. There was just something not right about the man, and he was going to find out. That is, if the man survived the kidnapping.