Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2008-09-29 04:12:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | e:fc, het, rated: explicit, slash |
Fic: Never Know How Good It Is (Til It's Gone) 2b/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.
________________________________________
The insides of the ship were almost as cold as the derelect docking bay. His first impressions of the ship were that it was probably a prison or military transport, with the lack of vibrant colors, designs, or anything else to make it homey. But that was soon changed when he recognized a grouping of symbols on one of the inner walls. It was the entrance to the ship, the place was poorly lit, and he couldn't make head nor tail of the translation.
Liam was starting to get fed up with the lack of information. Being dragged around like a petulant child did not help matters either. From the moment he saw the symbols, he knew they held an important meaning. If only he could remember what they stood for, but the constant threat of the Jaridian at his side made for a better distraction. When he was jerked past the walls towards the entance of the ship, he realized why the Jaridian had come back for him.
A mole.
He needed some one to check for traps and scout through the area were they might be. And if there was, set them off. Liam felt his life expectancy drop severely as he looked at the steaming, glowing pool of water. A look at the Jaridian proved it meant business. Shrugging, he started to remove his jacket and kick off his shoes.
"What are you doing?" Keloren obsereved Liam with a statement of shock.
"I'm doing an impression of Agent Mulder, what does it look like?" He pulled off his under shirt and unbuckled his pants. "If I have to go through that, I am not going to waste the only set of clothes I have. Who knows how long I will be here?" Finishing his statement, he pushed his pants down, boxers and all. A cool, leathery hand on his lower back sliding to cup his butt made him jump up and away.
"So like us..." came the awed whisper, "your species is almost identical to my own."
Liam eyed the Jaridian with a look of anger. "Keep your hands to yourself, pal! I aint here for you to grope."
While Liam was telling the Jaridian off, he was busy taking in the young man's appearance. "Your bodies are all like this, hairy in places, and smooth in others?"
"Yes!" Reaching down, he covered his genitals when Keloren studied them.
Keloren noted, with a scientific eye, Liam's entire body. "What sex are you? What you appear, and what you might, could be two different things?"
"This is not a xenological studies course, and I am not your lab rat. I am your mole, and that's it! I find and set any traps off, and you keep your hands the same way." His anger made him forget modesty and assume a fighting stance.
The Jaridian smirked as Liam's face and upper body colored bright red. "Your's is a very emotional species. And a very amusing one. You clad yourselves in garmets that serve no purpose, but to hide your bodies. That is most illogical."
"You do the same."
"No," His hands reached up to the dip in the front of his collar, pinching the sides together, he pulled them apart. The suit split down the front, and Keloren pulled it back, exposing the insides. Dark ribs in the fabric appeared like coushions against his reptilian skin. "This is Jaridian battle and body armor. All Jaridians wear this, no matter where we are. However, there are a few exceptions, cleaning ourselves, repairing body damage," He looked Liam over again, "and mating."
"I'm male, are you satisfied now?"
Satisfied, Keloren redid the seams on his suit and nodded before turning away. "Yes, now get in the water."
Muttering to himself, Liam tied the bundle of supplies and clothes up in his jacket. Slowly he set them near the water. When he recieved a smack on the ass, he jumped up and away, landing in the warm water. He came up sputtering and swearing as Keloren laughed. "What did I say about your hands!"
"You were moving too slow. I decided you needed incouragement to increase your pace. Now grab the supplies and get moving. I will soon follow." Keloren smirked as Liam glared at him, but complied. "Inform me when you get to the other side."
"What happens if I get attacked by something in here?" Liam asked as he waded across the water, arms holding the bundle on his head like a washer woman.
"Throw me the supplies and I will find another way around."
"Gee, whole lot of help you are." Grinding his teeth, Liam continued to step through the water carefully. When something brushed against his anckles, he released a yelp and decided to forego caution. Bounding through the water, he made it to the other side panting and soaking wet. "I'm across, you son of a buck!" The Jaridian followed him across laughing at his appearance.
Dripping wet, Liam shook his body. He narrowed his eyes as Keloren moved closer. "What do you want?"
"Put on your garments. I want to move, now."
"I'm still wet!"
"Put them on or else," Keloren warned.
"Not until I am dry.... Hey!" Liam screeched as his clothes were torn from his hands and thrown in to the water.
"Now, they are wet as well. You will wear them, go get them!" With that, he pushed Liam back in the water. Keloren watched as Liam did as he was told in fear of crossing him. His eyes were filled with laughter as Liam climbed back out of the water with only his shirt and boxers. "Where are the rest of your clothes?"
"There is something in there."
"And you fear it?"
"No! It took my clothes, thanks to you, I am now going to catch my death of cold on this damn ship. Leave me alone, or you will be sorry you ever crossed my path." He knew he sounded like a child, but he was tired, cold, wet and, well damn it, he was.
"You are a weak Human. Your species is pathetic, and there for you are no threat to me." He emphasized his point by slamming his hand on Liam's chest making the young man fall back on the floor. He turned his back on Liam, dismissing the hybrid.
When Liam saw this, anger welled up in him and activated his shaquarava. Rolling to his feet, he growled out a reply. "I'll show you weak!" Bringing up his hands to fire on the Jaridian, he did not count on the speed of the reaction by the alien.
Keloren lifted his arms and used his shaquarava to block the blast from the hybrid. Staring in shock as the last of the energy from the blast disappated, he watched as Liam's body went through an energy blush. "So you are more than you appear. The High Council was correct about the Taelons." He moved in time to Liam's steps as they circled each other. "What other abilities do you have, Hybrid?" Keloren sneered his last word.
"Come and find out, lizard face!" Liam dodged the first blast from Keloren but caught the second in the chest.
Having fired only to stun, Keloren had knocked the young man unconsious. Grabbing the rope from the bundle, he bound Liam's wrists and put a loop around his neck to form a lead. When the young man would come around, he would make him carry the bundle and be able to keep him close at the same time. Before he could wait for Liam to wake up, blasts from an energy cannon sent the water flying up around him.
"Let him go you son of a bitch!"
At the sound of the female's voice, he grabbed Liam, their kit, and fled from the water's edge. In his wake, he could hear the screams of the woman as she cursed him. Both human and hybrid would earn him a great standing, enough to cover the shame of being captured by the enemy, all he had to do was capture her.
As he ran, he felt his body start to grow weak. In the rush, he had not realized the energy was still too Taelon. He needed something more matter based if he was to survive. The young hybrid could provide that, all that remained was a position secure enough for him to accomplish this. Seeing his chance, he took it.
****************************************
Lili followed the foot prints through the dust covored floors towards a large wall covered in glyphs. Some of the symbols resembled those used by Ma'el in Ireland, but most were undiciferable. There was something about the ship that was familiar, like she had seen something like it before. Ignoring the memories of purple objects, she pressed on forward. The shouting of Liam and the Jaridian drew her nearer. She couldn't make out a word they said, both speaking in an alien language.
When the Jaridian fired the energy blast at Liam, she tried to call out, but it was too late, he went down hard. Angrily, she armed the cannon and charged the power cell. When it was ready to fire, the Jaridian was bending over Liam with a rope between the two in his hands.
Bring the cannon to bare on the water at their side of the pool, she fired the cannon. "Let him go, you son of a bitch!" The Jaridian looked at her with anger, grabbed Liam up over his shoulder and took off. "Damn it! Get back here!" Jumping in the water, she threw caution to the wind, and waded through the mirky liquid.
When something brushed against her legs, she blasted in to the water several times. Not stoping to see if she killed whatever it was, she continued after the Jaridian. On the other side she fired a few more blasts in to the water for good measure then took off in the direction of the water droplets left by the Jaridian and Liam's clothes.
Cannon in one hand and energy pistol in the other, she walked along in commando search mode. Along the walls shadows moved in time with her steps. A couple blasts from the cannon and the shadows disappeared. There was something seriously weird going on around here. A tingling in her spine came from the feeling of being watched.
Moving faster as the water drops became less frequent, she came to a bend in the maze of tunnels. Stopping, she looked around for the Jaridian or any traces of Liam. At the end of the corridor was a large wall that blocked the way from floor to ceiling. The only possible exit was a large wall that wilted enough for her to barely climb up.
Shouldering the cannon, she gripped the symbols and used them as foot holds. Midway she found a puddle of black liquid that smelled faintly metalic in one of the hand holds. From the position of it, it was from the Jaridian. Before she could speculate on it futher, she heard cries of agony coming from Liam which spurned her foward.
****************************************
Keloren had been climbing the wall when the nausea hit him and his body started to consume its own organs in order to draw the energy he needed. This action caused his body to heat up and spend more energy. Spitting out the blood he finished climbing the wall. He had previously tossed Liam and the supplies up on the top, so the young man was convieniently placed for his needs. Sitting back against the wall, he reached for Liam.
Liam had started to come around after he landed on the ledge. His back hurt, and his vision swam. When he was suddenly yanked in to Keloren's lap, he fought the urge to puke.
"Give me your hands!"
"Wha..."
"Now!"
Disoriented and wanting only for the shouting to stop, he thrust his hands upwards. His hands were locked in the burning hot ones of the Jaridian. The heat and energy as their shaquarava activated and merged made him cry out in pain. Through his right hand, energy flowed in to his body and out the left. His mind and body were over powered by the presence of the Jaridian energy. Blinding white light filled the ledge as Liam felt his body start to disentegrate. Too late he realized what was happening, and he was helpless to prevent it as their bodies merged.
****************************************
When Lili reached the ledge, she gasped at the sight of an energy vortex similar to the one she had observed Ha'gel use. In the mix of energy were dark reds and dark purples of the alien energies. Putting her hand to her mouth she backed away. "Liam!" A moment later the energies coalesced and blew apart.
The two figures landed on opposite sides of the ledge, Liam in Lili's arms as the Jaridian hit the far wall. Lili cupped Liam's unconscious face in her hands as she tried to wake him.
"Liam! Liam! Wake up, Liam!" Tapping his face, she tried in vain to wake the sleeping hybrid. Finally accepting facts, she looked up to glare at the Jaridian.
Keloren landed against the wall, the breath knocked from his body. Distantly, he heard Lili trying to wake Liam. He knew he should explain something to her, but all he cared about was that he was alive and whole again. There was no more pain from the lack of proper care, or the threat of burning up as his body rejected the Taelon energy.
"What did you do to him? Why won't he wake up?"
Lili's voice woke him from the pleasure of being alive. When he looked to her face, he registered the shock. "Yes, it is amazing isn't it. I feel better than I have in all my life."
"What did you do?"
"I have made myself whole once more. I am no longer in danger of dying. Do not worry over Liam, Lili, he is merely exhausted of his energy. He will be fine in a few days after some rest. After that he will be fine." Seemingly pleased with her shock, he stood and looked around. Knowledge on the ship filled his mind, he now knew where to go in order to get to the core.
"How do you know all this, how do you know my name?" When he did not respond, she drew her energy pistol. "Answer me."
Keloren frowned at her insistance. The knowledge was slipping from his mind, and he wanted to continue understanding it. "I just do, I know you are Lili, you took care of Liam from the moment of his birth. Made a promise to his mother to do so." He waved off her shock as he walked away distractedly. "Bring the kit, and leave the boy. We don't have time to waste waiting for him to get up if we want to get to the core and free the shuttles. Each moment that passes I lose the memory of this vessel."
Lili started to protest, but decide he had a point. "What do you mean, lose the memory?"
"Exactly as it sounds, Lili." He stood with his hands placed on his hips in a familiar stance. "He will be fine, you can come back for him later."
"Why should I believe you?" She gasped as blue-green eyes locked on hers.
"You're just gonna have to trust me." The smile on the Keloren's face was not his own. Deep inside, his mind railed at his actions, but he ignored it as part of some fear.
Finally placing the characteristics, and the tokin smirk on the Jaridian's face, she nodded. Getting to the core was the only way to free her shuttle, and if he continued to behave like Liam, they might just make it out intact. "Of course." Keeping an eye on him, she gently lowered Liam's head on to her jacket for a pillow. Making sure the binding on his wrists was extra tight, she prayed she was right on this one. She kissed his stubbly skinned cheek and frowned, when had he started to grow facial hair?
"Let's go, Lili. The sooner we get down there, the sooner you can get back and worry about him later. You know how much he hates it when you do that."
Lili nodded and followed the Jaridian with out saying a word, his impatience showing signs of the his personality regaining control. The more she watched his easy gate attempt to straiten, the more she suspected she was right. And if she was, she didn't have much time before Keloren was back to his old, kidnapping, self again.
****************************************
Agent Sandoval watched as the entire mother ship was put on emergency status. Shuttles and pilots were being dispatched in fleets to look for the escaped Jaridian. When they had entered ID space, both Liam and Lili's shuttles had disappeared. Zo'or was breathing down his neck to find the missing alien, and Da'an was doing the same to Zo'or.
In fact he was watching their display of an eternal dominance struggle. This time it was different, something new was happening between them. Da'an was standing up to Zo'or. In fact, he was threatening the Synod leader. These turn of events made Sandoval's eyebrow raise when Zo'or looked to him.
"I have tolerated your interference with my projects for the last time, Zo'or." Da'an's eyes narrowed as he stared at his fellow Taelon. "What makes you believe that your ways are best for our people? That you can do what you wish with no reguards to our laws?"
"In the respect that I am the leader of the Synod, and you are not."
"That excuse has run its course, you can no longer hide behind your position." Da'an's hands curled out as he moved towards Zo'or. "You know the penalty for your actions. It was decreed that only the entire Synod can decide when and if the time came to expose the Humans to the Jaridians. You have violated that with your act of petty sabotage and once again with allowing them access to a restricted lab. The consequences of which are still being felt in the form of my abducted Protector."
"What do you wish me to say, Da'an, that I was wrong to do this. I was acting on what I felt best for our people."
"Yes, and this is evident that your judgement can not be relied upon."
Zo'or turned sharply to face his accusor. "The Synod does not agree with your sentiments, or else you would have been named Synod leader."
"A foolish decision that can be rectified."
Smirking, Zo'or did a sideways glance at Da'an. "Are you saying the Synod are fools?"
Narrowing his eyes, Da'an stood face to face with Zo'or. "Do not attempt to twist my words. You will be held accountable for this, Zo'or. In two Earth hours, I have scheduled a meeting of the Synod, they will hear of your crimes. There they will finally see what I have known for some time, and you will be made to stand for all you have done." He turned and left the bridge as Zo'or stared out the virtual glass.
"We shall see, Da'an." With-out changing his position, Zo'or spoke. "Agent Sandoval, take a shuttle and find the Jaridian. If you can not bring it back alive, terminate it."
"Yes, Zo'or. And what of Captain Marquette and Major Kincaid?"
"I shall leave that act to your discretion."
"Of course, Zo'or." He gave the Taelon salute then left the bridge.
Zo'or waited until he was gone before allowing the energy blush. A look of concern appeared over his facade as it returned.
****************************************
With some trepidation, Lili followed the strangely acting Jaridian down a long shaft deeper in to the heart of the ship. Every so often he would turn back and smile at her. That in itself was grounds to have the alien commited, but it was not the action, but the smile itself that unnerved her. He kept giving her the big goofy grins trade mark of one Liam Kincaid.
"So what should I call you, hey you, or Jaridian number one just doesn't ring true."
"My name is Keloren."
"Well, Keloren, how far until we reach the core?"
He tilted his head a little as he paused mid step. "Ahead there is a drop in the floor that leads to the greeting chamber. One of us must enact the proper sequence and then the chamber will open upon the core. Inside there is the spherical core of the ship. We talk to it, and we get its knowledge."
"I don't want its knowledge, I want off this ship."
"Whatever. Just keep going, it's not much further." He started walking again ignoring Lili as she followed.
Lili began to wonder if it had been smart to follow the enemy in to the middle of an unknown ship. As she moved forward, something brushed against her drying pant leg. Years of finely honed instincts had her pistol out and the thing in a hundred pieces before she could think. Ducking down, she narrowly avoided the large figure as it jumped over her tackling Keloren.
She aimed her gun at the two figures as they wrestled. Keloren and the smaller being evenly matched for strength, but the smaller being was more agile and soon had him thrown against the wall. Turning midnight blue eyes on Lili, Liam charged forward. He stopped when she fired at his feet.
Lili took in his pale skin, wild eyes, and ragged appearance. His wrist were bleeding from where he had rubbed them raw removing the binding ropes. "Liam, just calm down." He flinched when she whispered his name. He tried to charge again, but she shot at his feet again. "Liam, we can talk about this..." He roared as he rushed again, this time ignoring the energy blast at his feet. However, before he could reach her, an energy blast hit him from behind sending him colliding with her.
As she eased out from his body, Keloren came up to them with eyes wide. "What was that? Why did he attack us?"
"It is exactly as I feared." When Keloren appeared to be more confused she took his hand and forced him to help her lift the young man in to a sitting position. "Liam has taken on the agressive sides of your two personality. There will be no reasoning with him until balance has been restored. If you are any indication, it will happen with time. We just have to make sure he doesn't kill us in the mean while. What I don't understand is if how come he had gone feral, did he know to distract me with whatever that was?" She pointed to the debris of metal on the floor.
"I have no idea, we had no such device when the ship brought us here."
"Movement in the shadows." Lili whispered. "There was movement in the shadows when I was chasing you through the ship. Do you think he might have caught one of them?"
"Why distract you with it then, why not take you out first? As the weaker target, you would have been the prime choice."
"Not to humans."
"But as we both know, he is far from human." Keloren shrugged at Lili's expression. "I do not know why, but I do know that time is running out. If we are to reach the core while I still know what to do, I suggest we get moving again."
"What about Liam? He could wake up."
"There is nothing we can do until he does, that is unless you are willing to harm him." She shook her head no. "Then we must leave him be, he is unconscious for now. Let us not worry about it and move faster."
Gently setting Liam down, she stood and joined Keloren in running towards the drop. When they were almost there, they heard the groans of Liam waking up. It was a mad dash to the drop after that. Once at the hole, Keloren grabbed the rope hanging down in to the hole and slid down. Just as Lili grabbed the rope and started to slide down, a shaquarava blast singed her hair and she let go. Luckily, Keloren caught her as she fell.
"Oh my hero, put me down and get that damn door open before he figures out how to get down here."
Keloren dropped her and stepped over her growling form towards the door. A key pad was lit up as the only sorce of illumination in the room. He pressed a few buttons and a light shown on the door. The handle was a twist type of wheel, when he turned it, a bright light filled the room and the door opened. Scanning his body, the light focused all energy on him and sent him flying back against the wall.
"Access forbidden!" A voice boomed as the light sought out Lili.
She scooted back from the light, as it came towards her direction. Noises from above distracted her as a body fell through the hole in the ceiling. Liam landed on his feet, teeth bared and shaquarava active. He growled at her until the light locked on him. Turning he fired on the beam, it exploded taking the door with it.
"Access forbidden!" Another beam shot out through the gaping hole in the wall.
Liam deflected this with his hands and fired on it too.
Lili could only watch in shock as he charged in and blasted all to hell. The words access forbidden being chanted as it tried to stop the intruder. After a large blast, lights came on all around her and started to flash.
"Warning, core damage has caused an over load in systems. Breech eminent, all must flee ship."
All the world around her shook as she stood. Another blast from the core and Liam was thrown back through the hole he had created.
"Access forbidden!"
Dumping the energy cannon in the lit up core, she used the strap to tie Liam's hands to the rope. They had to get out of there if they wanted to live. She climbed the rope back up in to the tunnel and brought it up with Liam attached to the bottom. Ignoring his half conscious groans of pain, she dragged him back the way they had come.
On the ledge she had first caught up to them, she found the bodies of several dozen machines shaped like armadillos. "So this is where you got the energy from."
"Lili," Liam groaned her name.
"What?"
"Did I just do that?"
"I don't know, what do you think you did, and do you think you can walk?"
He nodded as she helped him stand. "I think I just destroyed the heart of an alien ship after draining the caretakers of all their energy like an atavus."
"Then yes, you did."
"'kay, just checkin." They slid down the wall back in to the one way hallway. "and Lili?"
"Yes, Liam, what is it? We don't have a lot of time before this ship blows."
"Next time, you take the shuttle."
She started laughing as they limped back to the pool. "Well if you had told me before hand who you had joined with, none of this would have happened."
"Keloren, the Jaridian." He coughed out.
"Dead, or soon will be."
"No, I mean I..."
"Oh, I know that! And we are going to have a serious talk about that when we get home. That's if the shuttles are working."
At the pool, she let him slide in to the water. When he started to growl at her, she didn't know if it was because of the water, or his mind had yet to finish coming back. She decided it was the water when he released a high pitched squeal as a dark cloth floated against his back.
"Oh don't be such a big baby, Liam, it is just a jacket." She pulled it out and handed it to him. "Yours to be precise. Now put it on and let's go."
He complied shakily as his nerves had yet to settle down, the being in the water didn't help. As they made their way to the other side, several machine bodies floated across the water's surface as the ripples from their movements reached them. "Jesus Lili, it looks like the after math of a slaughter."
"So, you are not the only one they squicked, hurry up!"
Complying, he picked up his pace and bounded through the water after her. Once on the other side, he started to settle down, pulling the soaked jacket closer. Loud sirens started to blare as they headed back through the entrance to the cat walks of the docking bay. "Which way, Lili?"
"My shuttle, the other is set to self distruct if any one tries to activate the ID drives and we don't have time to over ride it." Not waiting for a reply, she dragged him by the hand through the maze of ships to her shuttle. At her shuttle, she shoved him in to the back and brought the holographic display online. "The systems are dangerously low on power, but operational. We barely have enough energy to get back to Earth with the ID drives."
"What about conventional drives when we get out of ID space?"
"Not enough, I will enter the cooridinates for somewhere to land softly cause once we come out of ID space, that is it. We will be completely out of power and if we do that in space, we will be sucked out in to a vaccume when the virtual glass fails. We have no choice but to crash on Earth. So hang on to your hat, here goes nothing." She activated the ID drive while they were still docked, sheering part of the docking clamps with them.
****************************************
Keloren awoke in the Taelon shuttle as it drifted in space. The last of his personality returned, he cried out in anger. How had he been so weak as to alline himself with the Human? It was that hybrid! He had done something to him. For a moment he sat there thinking on how he was going to get his revenge now, when he realized he was no longer on the alien vessel, or in its inner chamber.
He had survived. The last thing he remembered was the white beam of light locking on him, as it cried out in the Earth language. He felt his body shut down as it touched him and sent his remains flying. Something had revived him and saved him. Wait, there was something more. A bright white figure standing over him, healing his wounds, restoring him to life. It had flushed green-blue like the hybrid, and the next thing he was on the shuttle.
The Shuttle!
He checked the spacial cooridinates.
Home! He was home!
Activating the controls, he opened a channel to Jaridia. The face that appeared was unknown to him, how long had he been gone?
"Who are you?"
"I am Keloren, Nul of Fal hal-ot. Who am I speaking with?"
"I am High Commander Vorgeac of the Jaridian fleets, Nul Keloren. What have you to report?"
Keloren's smirk lit up his face. "I have in my possesion a Taelon shuttle."
"Explain!"
"I captured a Taelon conspirator after my escape from aboard their mother ship. We were captured by an alien vessel, a Kimera ship." He delighted in the wide eyed stare of Vorgeac. "Unfortunately I am unaware of what happened to the ship, or my prisoner due to the fact I was ambushed by another member of his species."
"You were defeated by a lowly..."
"Human. And no, I was not. My captive was no ordinary Human, but a hybrid. The Taelons have succeded!" Vorgeac's eyes widened again. "An accident occured and the Hybrid's mentality destabilized. He attacked both his own rescuer, and me before I knocked him unconscious. I was killed and later resurrected by the ship before I awoke in the shuttle."
"Why did it kill you?"
"As it is well known that Kimera do not kill, I believe it was flawed and when it saw this, corrected the mistake."
"Very good, you will report more on this when you return, but before you return, what was the name of this Human and this Hybrid?"
Keloren tried, but was unable to come up with a name. "I do not know I did not ask."
"It matters not, we will find out once we get your shuttle's ID technology."
Keloren nodded as he brought online the holographic display. "Intering ID space, now..."
The transmission ended.
****************************************
Sandoval watched as the alien ship exploded. Giving a disappointed sigh through his nose, he snapped shut his pocket watch. The ID points he picked up had disappeared before he could get a lock on the coordinates they were heading to. He knew one was Taelon, but the other was almost Taelon, but not. In anger, he ordered the pilot to set an auto pilot for home.
The young man complied without question. Before he knew what was happening, the skrill had already spread the his molocules through out the cabin.
Another pilot dead, but if Keloren had done as he said, he would be recieving a communication from the Jaridian High Command. That is if the bumbling fool alien had not screwed that up too.
****************************************
Both Lili and Liam cried out as the shuttle free fell in to the swamp from a hundred feet above taking out trees along the way. When they had stopped falling, Liam had started puking, and Lili congratulating herself on not dying. It was another fifteen minutes and two global calls later before the Taelon shuttles could be heard exiting ID space over head.
Ignoring the pain in his back, Liam climbed out of the shuttle. The burns from the energy had appeared while waiting for the shuttles to come. A large palm print covered the lower half of his spine where the Jaridian had flooded him with the core energy. He let himself fall out of the shuttle in to the cool water below to sooth the pain. While floating, he observed the shuttle as it laid on its stern.
The drives were shot, damaged from the landing, other wise it was in perfect condition. They should be able to salvage the entire shuttle. All he wanted to do was float in the cool waters for the rest of his life, but something about swamps niggled at the back of his mind. When something slimy rubbed against his back, he yelled one word. "Snakes!"
Lili had to sedate him with her field kit before he exposed his abilities to the swarming FBI agents and rescue personnel. All of which included striking him against the head when the drug didn't have any effect. He went down like a hot rock, she only hoped that he didn't remember when he woke up, he still owed her for the kidnapping.
****************************************
Da'an watched as Sandoval gave his report. Some how he knew the implant was not telling the whole truth, but it did not matter. The Synod's mind had been made up before the meeting had taken place, all this was just a formality. He had his protector back alive, and that was the true sorce of information.
What Captain Marquette knew, he would gather from Liam after he had been rested. As for the hybrid's memories, he could afford to be patient. After all, Zo'or might have gotten away with this, but the seeds of doubt were still there. So he gave in to the urge, and a subtle smile appeared on his features.
****************************************
Lili stood over the sleeping figure, her hand reaching out to flick a lock of hair from his forehead. He had given her quite a scare today when he was abducted. Who knew that he was so precious to her? Looking down on his peaceful face under her hand, she suddenly wanted a baby of her own. It had been a long time since she thought about having one. She wasn't getting any younger, and her life was dangerous enough that she might not get another chance.
"He is precious, isn't he?"
Jumping, she turned to face the smiling Dr. Park. Rubbing at the back of her neck with the hand that had previously been on his forehead, she gave a nervous smile. "Kinda, it is hard to remember sometimes, that he is an innocent in all of this."
"Liam may be many things, but innocent is not one of them. This was his choice." She walked into the room closer to the bed he lay upon. Touching his hand, Dr. Melissa Park, clutched her chest with the other. A single tear slid down her cheek. "I feel partially responcible for his choice, I should never have allowed him the chance. If he had been mine..." She let his hand go and looked up startled at the one on her shoulder.
"Did you ever want kids?"
Melissa nodded at Lili's question. "Once, I wanted them, but my husband didn't. When he died, all my dreams of a family went with him. I haven't thought about it until just now."
"Strange, the things that you think of in a crises." Lili whispered as the quiet beeping of the heart monitor continued to fill the room.
****************************************
A day, seven doctors, twenty-four hours of observation, burn cream, and a bandage to the head, later, Liam entered his apartment. He couldn't recall almost any of what had happened on the alien ship. His last memory was of the Jaridian taking food from his mouth and then forcing him to eat. Somethings had come during dreams, but had faded when he woke up screaming. It would be a while before he remembered they had said.
Probably never.
That was the best he could hope for.
The lights in his apartment were low, and there was soothing music playing. Figuring Augur was there, he smiled and walked in to the living room. There he removed his clothes that Lili had to get for him before he would even considering leaving Dr. Park's lab.
Clad in only his boxers, he sank down on his couch with a sigh. The smell of food cooking filled his nose with delightful aromas. "What are you cooking that smells so good, Augur?"
As the kitchen door creaked open, something rubbed against his leg. He leaned forward and picked up the gray and black striped tabby. "What are you doing here? Aren't you just the most precocious thing?"
"Well thanks, nice to know I am appreciated."
Liam stood, holding the cat to his chest. "You're not Augur."
"And you're not dressed."
"What do you want, Mr. Doors?" Liam ignored the amused smirk as he slid the cat down to cover his boxers.
"It's Joshua, and I thought I could cook you dinner. I heard you had been abducted by aliens, and I wanted to apologize for our last meeting, so I figured why not kill two Taelons with one stone."
Seemingly convinced, Liam held up the cat. "What's with the fur ball?"
"I heard your type of people bonded with cats." An amused look graced his warm features.
"What type is that?" He watched as Joshua crossed the room to pick up his clothes, fold them, and held them out to him.
"In the twentieth century, you were refered to as abductees."
"How did you find out, the public was never informed, I was only gone for three hours." When the cat started to protest being miss held, he brought her back to his chest, scratching her ears.
"Oh please, I am the son of Johnathan Doors." Sighing, he tossed the ignored clothes on to the couch.
Liam nodded in agreement of the logic. "But that still doesn't explain why you are here to apologize, bringing me gifts, and cooking me dinner. After all, you are a Doors, too."
"Oh yeah, throw it in my face why don't ya." Joshua smirked at the trace of a smile on Liam's face. "I may be the son of Johnathan, but I am not his clone. I was being an ass hole and got fresh with you and I am sorry. Forgive me?" He looked up at Liam through lowered eyebrows with a pout.
Appearing to think, Liam stared back at him. "What are you cooking?"
"Spaghetti, you'll love it."
"Jar, can, or scratch?"
"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition." At the pointed stare, he rolled his eyes. "I used canned tomatoes, but the rest is from scratch." As an after thought, "oh and I bought the spaghetti in a box, so sorry, my bad."
"You are forgiven."
"Good, now go get ready, dinner is almost ready." Liam gave him a confused look. "You can't eat in your boxers, you might as well sit nude if you intend to do that."
"You would like that wouldn't you?" Setting down the cat, he gave it a final rub down and turned to go. "Oh, and keep your hands off my pussy. I don't let guys do any petting until the third date."
Joshua could only watch in shock as Liam sauntered in to the bed room. What in hell had he been thinking, and where had this tease been hiding? From what his sorces said, this kind of behavior from the companion agent would have them calling the men in white coats. Swallowing hard, he adjusted his pants and carefully walked back to tend dinner.
TBC
________________________________________