Through the looking Glass

 

Chapter 1: The Destruction of Tarazed

War torn butchery turned to ash,
Keepsakes of forgotten memories lost to the past,
Beyond the twilight all hope fades,
Never knowing how it could be,
A populace once so vast, dwindled to so few.
"The Destruction of Tarazed", Konrad Telsar, survivor, CY 10051

>>>

The sky rained fire as debris from fallen starships crashed through the atmosphere; their ruins impacting on cities causing fires, massive explosions, and panic. Enemy soldiers were now mobilizing units on the surface, spreading through the crumbling dominions, killing and taking prisoners as they went.

Tarazed’s Home Guard fought as hard as they could, but for all of their fighters, all of their soldiers, this was their first major battle in centuries. A few Kalderan ships every now and then were nothing compared to a full bombardment by the Drago-Kazov fleet.
Civilians flooded the streets as Nietzschean fighters fought with the Home Guard above their heads; debris falling and cascading to the ground.

Fleet Marshall Thor Nez Pierce watched the destruction from his ship. The location of the viable planet had only come a few months ago from an amateur pilot who had gotten lost in slip stream. How the boy had ended up at this planet was beyond him, but the information he gathered proved most interesting.
Old Commonwealth ships in functioning order. High Guard slip fighters, Heavy Cruisers, it was a most splendid discovery.

The pilot, Attalus Quechua, had saved himself and his family’s reputation by turning a mistake in his navigating to high quality reconnaissance that led to this very moment.
Quechua had seen the Commonwealth ships and fighters before heading back to slip stream and recording the route. Once he was back with his unit, and the information verified, more surveillance was sent to the planet.
It was discovered that the planet was a peaceful democracy and the population consisted of Nietzschans, Thans, and Kludges all living together.
Thor sneered. The only thing thing that population was good for was slavery. And the Nietzscheans? What else could one expect of Majorum Pride? They were nearly as extinct as the Atreus and Kodiak and after this assault they really would be.

"I'm bored."

Thor looked to his right to see his latest wife, Kallianax, walking up to him. He smiled; blonde and beautiful, that was his wife. It was one of the main reasons he married her, even with her deficiencies he felt compelled to have her. She was feisty, fiery, passionate, and an amazing fighter. The only thing she wasn't was fertile.

The matriarch of the Drago-Kazov couldn't understand why he would want a wife who could never bear him children, as did his other five wives. It was a mystery to them. Kallianax herself was joyously surprised when he showed an interest in her.

She was beautiful, Thor had to have her, it was as simple as that. It was as well that his other wives stayed home and had his children for Kallianax was a warrior, she could accompany him on his missions and he would never have the need to share his bed with a lowly slave.

"So watch the festivities," he told her.

"That would make me even more bored," she drawled, "What's the fun of watching a civilization fall when I'm not down there to experience it?"

"If you get killed it's not my problem."

"Oh dear husband you me better than that."

>>>

Kallianax Nez Pierce out of Nikanax by Troilus walked through the half collapsed house as she went about her favourite past time of hunting for treasure. Said treasure usually being jewelry or weaponry. The house she had selected had been the biggest she could find, all white, and near the end of the now destroyed lane. When she walked through the front door, the entire left side of the house was collapsed leaving her with two options. Straight and right which took her to another blocked up section or up the stairs that she now went.

Stepping over fallen plaster debris and knocked out support beams she came to a clear spot. Had the room not been so damaged it may have been a lounge area, a door to the left was completely blocked off so she headed to the next set of stairs.

"Don't. Move."

Kallianax stopped as she heard a weapon being readied behind her.

"Turn around slowly."

Doing as she was told she finally turned around and found herself face-to-face with another Nietzschean female. Long dark curls framed her face and dark brown eyes glared, she was the complete opposite of Kallianax. The woman wore a black uniform and held a force lance straight at her chest.

"Get out before I kill you."

"Aww and here I was hoping we could be friends."

"What do you want?"

"A long prosperous life, death to my enemies, and to rule the galaxies, what else could a Nietzschean want?"

"Get out."

"Why don't you shoot me?"

"I said get out."

Kallianax took a step forward, the Tarazed female shot.
Nothing.

Her weapon was empty.

Kallianax kicked out and connected. Regaining her balance the Majorum extended her force lance and caught Kallianax around the face sending the Dragan into a lowered bookcase.
Shaking out of it, Kallianax flipped up-right and advanced on her adversary. She feinted high and then attacked low kicking out the Majorum's legs from beneath her. During the scuffle that followed, the force lance was lost across the room as the women went at it hand-to-hand.
The Majorum kicked Kallianax over her head and regained a standing position. Several trades of kicks and punches later there was sickening snap of crunching bone as Kallianax watched the Majorum fall dead to the floor from a broken neck.

“Bitch.” Kallianax let out a happy sigh and picked up the discarded force lance. Looking it over she set in one of her holsters. She knew one of her brothers would enjoy taking it apart. A small stifling sound caught her attention before it turned into a loud wailing cry.

Kallianax looked towards the stairs and upon walking up them, she found herself in a child's room.

The crying was coming from the crib.
Going closer she peered over the edge and smiled.

"Aw you poor thing."

She reached in and picked up the baby, the child looked no more than five or six months old.

"You just need to be held."

She cuddled him to her chest and slowly his loud cries turned into soft whimpers. Looking down into the crib a small pillow caught her eye. She picked it up and looked at the child's name embroidered upon it.

"Telemachus Rhade," she read. "Strong name..."

Chapter 2: Welcome

Hush little baby don't say a word,
Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird.
If that mocking bird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.
-Ancient Earth children's lullaby

Kallianax hummed happily as she walked though the ship not noticing the odd looks she was receiving from the crew. Walking into the briefing chamber she found her husband going over plans. He turned when he heard her approach and had to do a double take at the creature she held in her arms.

"Kal...what is that?"

"It's a baby."

"And where did you get a baby?"

"I found him."

Thor shook his head, "And where's its mother?"

"Dead."

"And did you kill her?"

"Yes, but that was before I found about him. Isn't he sweet?"

Thor winced as the child let out a shrill yell and started crying, "It's loud."

"'He', not 'it' and I think he's hungry."

Thor raised an eyebrow as he watched his wife dumb a diaper bag on top of his papers.

"Where'd you get that?"

"I found it."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, you find a lot of things, now where?"

"In his room."

Thor pulled open the bag wider as Kallianax went through it. She had packed it with clothes, diapers, powder, and bottles. He watched as she took a bottle and held it to the baby's mouth which he started suckling immediately.

"See? I told you he was hungry."

"What do you want?"

"Can I keep him?"

The Fleet Marshall folded his arms and looked down at his wife, she was giving him that innocent honey sweet smile of hers.

"You want to keep a child from another pride?"

She smiled, "Think of it this way, we could raise a child from another pride as one of our own. Think of him as our own little experiment. I mean: do the other prides really breed for specific traits? How much of him will be genetic and the other learned? Nature vs. Nurture, my love. I'm kind of curious...besides it's not like I'll have children any other way. And I want children Thor, this could be my only chance...and just look at him, he's too cute to kill."

"No he's not."

"Oh be nice! Besides he's roughly the same age as Cuchulain, give or take a month or two, that boy could use a new playmate."

Thor rubbed the bridge of his nose. This is what he got for taking a sterile wife, if she couldn't have children of her own she'd take one from somebody else.

"Fine, but he's your problem," said Thor watching Kallianax, this answer rewarded him with a huge smile and that laugh he loved so much. He ran a hand through her hair before leaving to the bridge. He had the rest of a planet to take over.

Kallianax was in heaven, she finally had a child to call her own. A child she could raise according to her own morals and guidance instead of going by the other co-wives ways of disciplining their children. Thor had made her so happy like he always did. She took the empty bottle from her new child.

"Did you hear that Telemachus?" she said as she raised him to eye-level, "Welcome to Drago-Kazov Pride."

Chapter 3: Avilan

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
-A Pre-Anceint Earth ancient Chinese belief

Sixteen-year-old Beka Valentine had awoken to silence on the Maru that morning. The only person on the ship was her brother, who had waited long enough for her to wake up, to let her know what was going on before running off to find some fun on his own. Apparently their father had somehow managed to pull himself together sometime between last night and this morning to get them to Avilan.

It was as Rafe put it “a half-assed attempt to make up for his Flash binge last night” though of course, Ignatius Valentine was no where to be found. Rafe had given his idea as to the whereabouts of their father and a few more derogatory comments before making his way out of the Maru.

Last night.

Beka didn’t even want to remember why she was curled up under her bunk with tears dried to her face. Dad hadn’t meant it. He never did. It was the Flash talking. But it still scared the hell out of her when he got like that. When she was younger she and Rafe would hide together as he ranted, if they ever got caught in the crossfire Rafe would always protect her, always keep her away when Dad got caught up in the high. But as the years went on things kept going from bad to worse. Rafe got older and every time Ignatius would flash out the anger grew, the hatred, the despisement. He could only take so much.

Now instead of running he’d fight Ignatius back. Their arguments increased and Beka would try to drown them out. She would put her headphones on and blast her music, drowning out the breaking world around her. Sometimes it felt like her only refuge from their insanity; disjointed arguments, breaking glass and ornaments. Every time her father came down from it he was always sorry, always apologized. Most of the apologies were to her when they should have been to Rafe. It was always the same.

“Sorry I scared you Rocket, I didn’t mean it. It won’t happen again I promise.”

But it always did and it was happening more and more frequently. Rafe said he couldn’t wait until their father finally fried himself and kicked it. Beka had to believe he’d stop, that he’d get better. Maybe he was off looking for a cargo job right now, doing something positive. If anything, she wished he was doing good just to spite Rafe and show him that their father really did still care for them.

Beka now walked alone down the crowded streets of Avilan. Why they had to stop on a planet she would never know. She hated planets and she hated having to stop on them. But if they had to stop she would have preferred Infinity Atoll. She remembered being there when she was six, back when mom was still with them. But with their budget now, Infinity was just too expensive and quite out of their way.

Avilan on its own, was a beautiful planet, the scenery amazing if you were into that. It was used as a tourist attraction for many people and for the main source of planetary income. But with everything going on in Beka’s life, she couldn’t have noticed. There was no beauty.

She hated wandering directionless in a strange city. Not only did she not have a direction but she was alone. Something she found happening more and more often. Dad was high and Rafe was living a life of solitary confinement in his own bunk. She was the one picking up the pace, keeping them afloat, keeping them in jobs.

She arranged it.

She flew it.

She bargained it.

She was good at it.

And she’d been doing it since she was twelve. Rafe had a bigger hand in it then though, but with the increased fights he was starting to care less and planning to get out on his own and was constantly asking her to come with him. But Beka wouldn’t leave the Maru. Without her it’d all fall apart. Rafe countered that it was already falling apart, and would daddy really notice if they weren’t there anymore? He’d probably be too flashed out to realize that the bulkhead he was yelling at wasn’t Rafe.

Beka sighed and looked around at the people around her. They were peddling their wares to tourists from their booths. There were a few things she wouldn’t have minded but she didn’t have any credits, big surprise there. Everything either went on fixing the Maru or for her father’s Flash.

She groaned. Why couldn’t she just forget about that? For one day? Just once she’d like to forget.

Forget.

She recalled doing a lot of that the night of the Salvage Guilds debutante ball…

Maybe that’s what she needed. Someone to get lost in.

And looking around she was surprised to find living perfection just standing there.

>>>

Boredom had set in early.

The young man sighed heavily as he leaned back against the kiosk. Here he was in the crowded junction of one of Avilan’s major cities and he couldn’t help but wait for the signal to be given. After that, this miserable little planet would be under their control and all the little kludges that had been bothering him nonstop would be running for their lives. Maybe he’d find the ones that had really annoyed him and show them exactly what he had been thinking about when they wouldn’t stop talking to him.

He smiled.

The entire Avilan civilization would be in ruins as they were absorbed into yet another slave planet for the Drago-Kazov.

Telemachus Nez Pierce started to hum happily to himself as he left his shaded area and walked into the multitude with his thoughts. Within the hour, this planet would belong to his Pride; and as his first true raid on his own, Telemachus was looking forward to it. The thrill of the hunt, the sweet sound of panicked voices screaming in unison, and he didn’t think he’d ever get tired of being called ‘Master’.

But something was missing.

There always was, yet he could never really pinpoint what the cause of it was. It happened every time, that when things were all said and done, the others of his Pride seemed more satisfied and exulted with what they had accomplished on the raids.

As usual Telemachus shrugged it off. Maybe he was more the leader type than a foot soldier. The older he got and the more he proved himself, he would eventually become a Fleet Marshall himself.

Or if Cuchulain managed to get the position before him, piloting didn’t sound so bad either.

Telemachus bit back a growl and scowled at the stupid children who had practically run into him. He couldn’t wait for this planet to be in ruins.

The Avilanians didn’t even notice the Nietzschean soldiers moving within their midst ready to cause panic along with the ships that would descend from high overhead. With their boneblades covered with their jacket sleeves, they looked just like more tourists, though had the Avilanians actually paid attention to their looks and posture they would have noticed something a little different, more controlled than the average human. That is if these people had ever been bothered by Nietzscheans before. If they hadn’t then they were sure in for a rude awakening.

He stopped at a stone table near an open glade and watched the people around him like insects. Which would flee, which would attempt to fight, and how many would accept their new fates?

He smiled.

These people would fall.

It was coming out of this thought that he noticed a distinct colour and movement from the corner of this eye. Turning slightly he saw that a bouncing redhead was making her way over to him and if her hair didn’t catch his attention, her scent certainly did. Who was he to turn down an increasingly aroused female?

Besides, he had an hour to kill before the attack anyway.

Chapter 4: Calm before...

“Act nothing in furious passion. It's putting to sea in a storm.”
-Thomas Fuller, Ancient Earth

Beka groaned as she was shoved hard against a wall.
Oh yes, this was exactly what she needed to forget. And what a guy to forget it with. She couldn’t help her hands from wandering down his body or the pleasant shivers that ran through her at the sensation of pure muscle beneath her. It was times like these where she wouldn’t mind getting all of his clothes off just to see what she was feeling. Her breathing became heavier as he started to bite and nip at her neck as one of his hands slid up her shirt.

Telemachus grinned against her neck as he continued. She wasn’t wearing a bra so it was much easier to tease her how he wanted to. He had briefly thought that he might have started out too rough but she seemed to be enjoying it. He almost laughed out loud as her hands started fumbling with his pants. He took the initiative to help her with his as well as undo hers. Beka felt the cool air as he lowered her pants, she bit her lip moaning as she felt him slide a finger into her depths, probing her walls and moving over her clit.

Telemachus smiled at her disappointed huff as he removed his finger. She was already wet enough for him.

Up against the wall with her pants shoved down around her ankles, Telemachus gripped her knees around his hips and pushed forward.

Beka’s head fell back against the wall as she gasped. That's it. Telemachus had never been more happier with a decision than he was with taking his red head up on her offer. She was relatively untried and gripped him like a vice. Her tight heat surrounded him as he started to thrust. Beka felt like she was between realities as her orgasm built quicker than it ever had. When she had felt his hand between her thighs she knew she was going to blissfully forget everything in her life for as long as he continued. Her disappointment at his early retreat had long since been replaced by something much better as she felt him push into her.

He was much larger than any of her previous flings and his width thrilled her. He made her feel so full; as he started moving, the friction between their bodies, the sensations she felt, his pelvis crushing against her clit, Beka found herself climaxing. Telemachus felt her tensing around him as liquid heat ran over his length. He slowed his thrusts to let her breathe again. It wouldn't do him any good to keep going and have her pass out on him. He bit her collarbone and moved up her neck to pull her ear into his mouth.

>>>

He's still hard... upon coming back to reality that was the first thing Beka noticed and it left her wondering. Did she come to quickly that he couldn't? Or...was she that bad that he couldn't...? Her thoughts were halted when she found Mr. Beautiful's lips pressed against hers. the kiss started slowly but as he slid his tongue into her mouth it quickly became heated.

Tired as she was, Beka returned the kiss with fervour and let out a muffled groan as he started thrusting harder than he had before. The pace he set continued to increse as she felt a familiar tension once again rise in her body. This was what Telemachus had been waiting for, the hot tautness of her inner muscles contracted around him with every thrust. He didn't think it possible for her to feel any tighter, he could feel himself getting close.

Reaching down between them he rolled her clit with his thumb and was rewarded with her throwing her head back once more and rambling incoherently as she came for him again and he followed soon after. Beka panted hard as she clung to his shoulders. She had climaxed twice with his one, she didn't think that were possible until now. Resting her head on his shoulder she breathed him in deep and let herself relax.

>>>

Telemachus groaned as he came down from his release. He couldn't think of a more pleasurable way to entertain himself. Biting the side of her neck he held them up against the wall as he took in her scent.

He had always preferred a willing woman beneath him whereas the others of his Pride could care less if the female were willing or not. He had been called lazy and that putting up with a struggling woman would ruin his manicure, those comments always ended with the other Nietzschean being bruised and battered. He liked his women willing. It was just how he was. The others would pillage and rape as he killed off those who tried to fight them. He found more satisfaction in snapping the neck of a charging adversary than he did from having a screaming and crying woman beneath him.

It was unappealing.

He'd rather their lust than their terrified tears.

He found himself kissing his red head again as he slid out of her. She'd be planet-side when the raid started, probably close to there present location.
Maybe he would find her again during the attack...

>>>

Minutes later, Beka hummed happily to herself as she continued on her way. Her beautiful stranger had left her with a lingering kiss as they went there separate ways. Grinning to herself she couldn't help but recall their time together. He was something else.

Beautiful. Strong. Amazing.

She almost jumped to click her heels together but realized that she might be still a bit too tender for that. His enthusiasm would certainly catch up with her in a while if it hadn't already. Beka was satisfied. And she was going to get all she could out of the feeling before reality set in again and she had to go back to the Maru, back to things she didn't want to think about.

She was feeling so good that it was a complete shock when the sky lit up and chaos erupted around her

Chapter 5: The Storm

“All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche

The entire planet began to shake; at least that’s what it felt like to Ignatius Valentine as the building rocked and the glass windows shattered with the force from a distant explosion. The people in the diner were looking at the broken glass in petrified confusion.

“What was that?”

“How should I know!?”

“Maybe the power plant went up?”

Ignoring the Avilanians, Ignatius walked to the window and thanked the Divine he hadn’t been desperate for another flash hit just yet.

Nietzscheans.

They were attacking the planet.

Those over muscled, inbred, genetically overhauled sons of bitches with superiority complexes were attacking the damn planet.

“…Avilan’s a peaceful planet, we’re a peaceful people. We have never given anyone cause to go to war with!”

“They don’t need a reason…” muttered Ignatius as he watched first hand what their fire power was capable of.

The ground rocked as another explosion hit, this time taking a quarter of the city before them with it. He thanked the Divine again for whoever thought to put the visitor’s lodge and docking station a good distance away and on a ravine edge overlooking the deep city.

The city.

A cold chill ran through him

*Beka. Rafe.*

Where were his children?

Cursing himself, Ignatius started running as fast as he could towards the Maru praying that they were both there and ready to leave.

>>>

“Beka! Rafe!”

Ignatius came running up to his ship as Rafe was coming out of the ramp looking pale. “Rafe!” Ignatius caught his son by the shoulders. He was here. He was safe. He was with his sister, Rocket had to be here too. He felt relief wash over him, now if they could get off this planet and into slipstream.

“Come on.”

“Dad—“

Ignatius ran onto the ship calling for Beka. Searching.
Cockpit.

Her room.

Rocket.

“Beka? Beka!? Rebeka!”

No. Nono. No. No. No. No. Please God no.

Where was she…Rafe was supposed to look after her.

“Where is she? Rafe where the fuck is she?”

“What you actually stayed clean enough to notice?”

Was this his fault? Was he being punished? As pale and shaken as Rafe looked he still threw the flash in his face. Ignatius shook his head.
He didn’t have time for this. Rocket was missing.

“Dammit Rafe where the hell’s your sister!?” he yelled.

“Dragans! It’s the fucking Drago-Kazov! I read the signatures off the monitors. I haven’t seen Beka for a few hours.”

Where was Beka? Where was his baby girl.

Drago-Kazov.

*Where the hell was she*

In a moment of blind panic, Ignatius was off of the ship and running towards the city as fast as he could.

*Rocket.*

>>>

Screaming and running, people yelling, children crying. It was a nightmare. Beka watched as what she recognized as Nietzschean fighters start their bombing runs over the city as the panicked civilians ran for cover.

Dust clouds from fallen buildings and smoldering rubble rose into the air blocking out the once warm sun and clear blue sky dulling it to a cold bleak grey. Looking around the chaos, Beka was lost. Everything was losing its shape quicker than she could process it. It also didn’t help that the screaming multitudes were pushing her along trying to get out of harms way.

Like that would happen.

She had heard the stories about Nietzschean raids, their slave planets, and especially what they did to Earth. They caused the Fall of the Commonwealth 289 years ago, a civil war that gave way to the Long Night. The Maru had even been shot at by Nietzscheans before. She couldn’t remember which Pride it had been but they were stuck on Olivares Trust for longer than she ever remembered being there. Rafe had said that they were lucky that Nema had been there to pilot them out of it.

But one Nietzschean boarded anyway.

That was the day Nema died.

Beka had always wondered why Wezlow alone had said good-bye to her, and a few years later she found out.

Beka let out a surprised shout as the building beside her was hit and began to crumble. Pushing people aside, she tried to put as much distance between herself and the falling slabs of concrete as they hit the ground with enough force to dent the ground beneath.
She had to move. Had to run. Get back to the Maru find dad and Rafe and high tail it off of this planet before the ground troops…and then she heard it.

The unmistakable sound of gauss gun fire.

Freezing in place she watched ahead of her as a set of boneblades were buried into a man’s neck. More screaming as he turned and opened fire on helpless civilians.

Ducking out of the way, Beka turned and followed a few others as they fled down an alley, anything to get out of the crowds being slaughtered in the streets.

Uncle Sid had always told her and Rafe scary stories, mostly involving Nietzschean raids. Sid had said that he knew people who preferred the Magog over the Nietzscheans. Why did all those stories have to come back and haunt her now as she was running from the reality of it?
Nietzscheans.

They tortured. They raped. They killed billions without care or mercy.

As Beka followed the people deeper into the maze she was surprised to see green trees ahead. Had they made it to the edge of the city already? The capital was enclosed within a dense forest. Trees surrounded it. They could hide in there.

So immersed in her own thoughts she didn’t see three shadows moving with them until the screams of those in front of her met her ears. Beka slid to a stop as she watched a girl in front of her be taken down, material ripped as she fought and struggled weakly as a much larger and stronger male Nietzschean hiked up her skirt.

Heart hammering in her chest, Beka would later wonder what the hell she was thinking. But the girl was a lot younger than she was and she didn’t deserve what the uber had in mind for her.
Beka ran towards them and as she expected he didn’t budge when she grappled onto his back. Arms extending around, she dug her nails into his arm and face as hard as she could.

She got the reaction she was hoping for as the Nietzschean stood in shock and the younger girl scrambled up from beneath him and ran.
It was only when Beka found herself flying through the air and hitting a tree dead on did she think her plan may have needed a little more work.

She was never, ever, ever going anywhere without a gun *ever* again.

She groaned as the pain throbbed in her head and back. Why did she do that again?

*Piss off a Nietzschean, good going Bek.*

But another part of her wondered, had he thrown her as hard as he could wouldn’t her spine have shattered? He probably didn’t want her in that much pain if he was going to take from her what he almost did that girl.

Managing to open her eyes she saw him walking towards her and was a little surprised when he started laughing. Or maybe she wasn’t. Laugh at the stupid kludge who put herself in harms way for a complete stranger, maybe that was it.

“And what’s this? Aren’t we feeling spunky today,” he chuckled, “You want some of this firecracker?”

She had to move as she doubted anyone was going to be as charitable to save her life. Was anyone even looking for her?

“You know, I think it’s been…what? Three months since my last red head. Sweet little thing she was.”

Beka yelped as she found herself pulled face-to-face with him up against the tree. His body pressed against hers.
And to think she had been in a position like this not only a half and hour ago, though the circumstances of each didn’t fail to pass by her.

Her head hurt, her back hurt, hell she was still sore between the legs where Mr. Beautiful had been. She closed her eyes as felt her shirt ripped clean off her body and as he pushed his face into her neck and breathed in, a hand moving up her side. Her body was tense and close to snapping that she didn’t notice when her would-be-rapist tensed as well. Smelling her again Beka landed hard on the ground with a thump as he dropped her and stepped back as he coughed and snorted as if to get her scent away from him. She didn’t think she smelled that bad…

“Oi Nez Pierce!” he yelled, “I think you lost something back here!”

Beka let out an indignant ‘hey’ as the Nietzschean threw her over his shoulder and carried her off. What did he want a new location or something? What the hell was he doing and who was he yelling at?

“Guess you already had your share of Nietzschean huh baby?”

What?

She yelled as she was thrown off his shoulder and fell into another hard chest.

“You’re handing something back to me Cyrus? I didn’t think you cared.”

“What? Screw her and smell like you? No fucking way.”

She watched as the Nietzschean, Cyrus, got distracted by a brunette running just off to his right and went chasing after her. Confusion and a heavy sense of foreboding took its place in her stomach, who did she just get handed over to? Beka felt the new Nietzschean behind her dip his head down to smell her neck and hair. In a split second reaction Beka lashed out at him only to have him grab her arms tightly and spin her around to face him.

Shock was an understatement. That face, those eyes, those lips. Her mouth gaped open like a fish as she looked down at his arms for confirmation.
The jacket sleeves had been torn to allow his boneblades through.

“Our little rough and tumble a while ago, it probably saved your life.”

Beka tried pulling away from him only to find herself thrown hard onto the ground as Mr. Duh-she-should-have-known-he-was-too-pretty-to-be-human pinned her down. She struggled and tried to kick but it became harder as he got her arms above her head and his waist between her legs.

Beka stopped in exasperation and went limp beneath him. She was more angry than scared. The best sex of her life came from a Nietzschean. She should have known there was something wrong with him, should have known when he didn’t look exhausted, and just other things that should have tipped her off like a red flag. But nooo, she didn’t notice. She was too focused on her own life that she didn’t recognize things that were out of place.

“Get off,” she demanded.

“Already did, you twice if I remember correctly,” he smiled and nipped her chin.

“You know damn well that’s not what I meant.”

He moved his head down her body so his tongue could trace a bare nipple.

“Don’t.”

“You didn’t mind before.”

“That was before, this is now.”

“It’s because I’m Nietzschean isn’t it.”

“Don’t patronize me. You’re attacking a planet, destroying a civilization. What did they ever do to you? Oh wait, Dragans don’t care.”

“You noticed.”

“Only the worst would attack a peaceful people.”

“Actually our worst are terrorizing Earth. Seem to get off on it. It’s kind of sick.”

Beka squirmed as he refocused his attention on her breasts and cursed her body for responding when she felt a familiar wetness form between her thighs.

Licking the top of her breast, Telemachus continued moving up to bite her collarbone and traced his way up her neck to nip her ear before looking her in the eyes.

“Way I see it you have two choices. Stay down on the ground with me or you can try your luck again and run. You might be brought back to me again or the next Nietzschean you meet won’t be as picky or care that I had you first. Pleasure is pleasure and Cyrus was a friend.”

“So either you rape me or someone else does is that it?”

“I’m not going to touch you.” He nuzzled her neck, “Unless you want me to.”

“What?”

“It’s not my style," he mumbled against her skin.

“One of your Prides favourite past times…isn’t your ‘style’?”

Beka was now more than slightly confused. If he wasn’t going to force himself on her than what, was he was just going to keep her pinned down until…

“What?”

“What?”

“What’s with the look, Red?”

“What look?”

“That look.”

“Red?” asked Beka.

“You’d prefer kludge?”

“What look?”

“Stop it.”

“Stop wha—“ Beka was cut off as she felt a pair of lips descend over hers. It was soft and brief, almost enough to cut out the distant rumble of ship engines and ground raiders.

“You’re not like them…are you?”

Her small reprieve was interrrupted as he snorted and laughed at her.

"Adorable little kludge."

So he didn’t rape like his brothers-in-arms, that didn’t make him any different than them did it? There had to be other men in the Pride that held the same views he did. So what if he was adopted…he was still Drago-Kazov.

As briefly as the thought came, it was gone and out of his mind as Telemachus set himself with a smirk at the female beneath him. He had hoped to find her again when the raid started, and found her he did. Well, okay so she was thrown at him, but he still found her.

He had thought he saw a flash of red float into that alley when he motioned for his group to follow. Telemachus trailed a hand down her neck and between her breasts to her stomach and back up to cup a mound. He could smell her response to him and feel her legs tightening around him. Something which she was probably unaware she was doing. It was a nice change for him to see her without a shirt. The last time he had his hands under it, this time it was nowhere to be seen.

*Cyrus.* Telemachus almost snorted. The first thing he usually did was rip some sort of material clean off.

He leaned his head down to run his tongue over the underside of her breast. She was small and pert, the perfect size to fit in his hands.
Moving his hand back down he started on undoing the buttons on her pants. He was half way done when Beka seemed to finally notice what was happening and grabbed his hand to stop it.

“Wait.”

“Tell me you don’t want it.”

If she could see herself in a mirror, Beka was pretty sure that the lust reflected in his eyes would match equally with hers. She was already feeling hot, her skin tinged with sweat.

Everything around her was drowned out by his eyes and what she felt. She could feel his erection pressed against her and the ache between her own thighs. She suddenly became aware of just how tight her legs were holding on to him, and how much tighter they could be with him inside of her. Her body was screaming, he needed to make the ache go away.

All thought fled as Beka leaned up and kissed him, her tongue sliding into his mouth as he pushed her back down to the ground as he finished.
Beka gasped when he ripped her pants quickly down her legs, she could feel the grass beneath her whole body now. A low rumble sounded in Telemachus's throat as he took in the sight before him.
Maybe should take this one back to Enga’s Redoubt just to keep her naked in his bed...
He ran his hands over her calves and up her thighs as he leaned up her body and pushed her legs further apart, dipping his head down to bite her inner thigh. Moving higher he couldn't help running the flat of his tongue slow and trecherously between her wet folds. Her scent was overpowering.

Beka's back arched at the contact and she whimpered in protest as his tongue left her centre and moved up over her stomach and breasts.
When he finally covered her mouth with his, Beka thought she could taste herself on his tongue as he duelled with hers before pulling back in favour of her neck.

She felt him at her entrance a split second before he pushed inside her for the second time that day. She ran one of her hands up under his shirt and over the broad muscled expanse of his back as the other ran through and his short hair.

He rocked his hips hard against hers and moaned at the tight heat that enveloped him. Gripping her thighs, Telemachus pulled out almost all the way before slamming himself back deep inside of her, Beka's walls clenched tightly around him as his hardness impaled her with as much ease as her natural restence would allow. The pace and rhythm of his thrusts continued to increase until she couldn't hold back her climax and went over the edge, her nails digging sharply into his back. The slight sensation of pain resonated down his spine as he jerked into her a few final times. Telemachus felt his body tense with release as his seed shot deep inside of Beka.

He collapsed his weight onto his arms to keep from crushing her. Their heavy breathing mingled with the distant sounds of dust and ruin, barely heard above their post-coital recovery. Had it not been for his heightened senses, Telemachus may have missed being called.

“Tel, let’s go!” a sharp whistle was blown in their direction.

Telemachus lifted his head slowly towards the sound and looked down at a still recovering Beka. What a lovely day it had been. He had been able to satisfy both sex and aggression leaving him with a clear head to prepare for the next strike against Avilan. Now what to do with the girl?

*Hmmm why the hell not...*

“Primaries are over," he said, "my shift’s up.” Telemachus leant down and pressed his lips to hers. “Ten minutes before the next patrol sweeps, be gone before then.”

Beka blinked up at him dazidly. What? He wasn’t taking her as a slave? Did he just let her…go? She felt him pull out of her and hike her pants back up around her hips before he stood up and took care of himself.

She pulled herself up to rest on a large fallen log and watched him with curiosity.

He didn’t rape her. He wouldn't slave her.

Hell if she hadn’t kissed him first, he would have just stayed there to prevent her from being forced into something by another of his Pride. What was it with this one?

“Beka? Beka!”

She turned her head sharply to the right. She could hear her name being called in the distance.

*Daddy?*

She yelped when something heavy hit her shoulder. It took her a second to realize that it was her not-the-typical-Nietzschean’s leather jacket.

She wrapped it around her chest as she stared up at him. Blue met moody hazel as their eyes locked before another yell for Beka and another for the Nietzschean called him away from her. She watched him back away slowly before turning around and was gone between the trees.
Their first raid was over, the second would begin again soon. The voice calling her name got closer, she turned.

“D-dad!” A croaky yell. Was her voice that hoarse?

“BEKA!?”

She watched as her father came running up the slope, his eyes widened when he saw her and his speed increased to get to her.
He was ripping off his own jacket to put around her shoulders as he pulled her tight against him.

“Oh god, god Rocket, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

Beka tried to move her head around his shoulder so she could breath, he was hugging her so tight. Were those his tears running down her neck? Why was he…

It took her moment to fully realize what it was he was seeing:
Her hair was a mess, her back and shoulders were scratched and bleeding from where she hit the tree, there were bruises on her back and wrists; probably grass stains on her back and pants as well; and her shirt was nowhere to be seen.

Beka closed her eyes.

Oh God was right.

Chapter 6: Storm’s Wake

“Where misunderstanding serves others as an advantage, one is helpless to make oneself understood.”
-Lionel Trilling, critic, author, and teacher, Ancient Earth.

Curled up once more under her bed, Beka listened guiltily as her brother and father once again warred with each other. Their loud, heated voices filled the Maru as they shouted at each other non-stop. The debate this time was Beka herself.

Choking back a sob, silent tears fell into the hair of her clarinthian angel doll that she clutched tightly to her chest.
It was her fault. Her fault they were fighting, just like it had to be her fault mom left, and it was her fault dad started Flash. It had to be.

It was always her fault. Why couldn’t she do anything right? She always had to go and mess everything up.
Beka ran a hand roughly through her blue hair and held it tight. It had been a month and a half since Avilan. A month and a half since her entire life started to change. She could still remember her father pulling her along through the trees, past buildings, ducking to avoid Nietzscheans, until they had finally reached the Maru. Rafe had held onto her as Ignatius had gotten them the hell out of there and into slipstream. Once they were out in normal space and on autopilot, Beka had been smothered by both her dad and brother, they clung to her like she’d disappear. All her reassurances that she was fine and okay fell on deaf ears. She didn’t know what to do.
When she had finally gotten them to let her go shower on her own she could hear Rafe start in on dad. Ignatius shot right back that he had left Rafe to take care of her and that they would do this later, Beka didn’t need them fighting…

Turning on the shower, she let the hot water splay across her back as the minor injuries washed clean and the dried sweat left her skin. Memories of what had happened still played through her mind. Thoughts of what her brother and father thought happened to her floated through as well.

*What was she going to tell them?*

Should she just let them believe she was raped and refuse to talk about it?
Or should she admit that she had wanted it. Beka laughed dryly. Or she could tell them he was human but knew that would never fly. In the midst of a Nietzschean raid, in the middle of their new stomping ground she had had consensual sex with a Drago-Kazov…hell, even if she did tell them the truth, they’d never believe her anyway.

If she hadn’t been there herself, she might not have believed it.

And she highly doubted that there was anyway Dad or Rafe would just forget about this. If she was lucky, maybe they would deny it ever took place and they’d go back to how they were before.

A knock on the door.

No chance.

She stayed in the shower until the water started running cold. She was always interrupted at fifteen minute intervals when one of them would come check on her, to make sure she didn’t faint or drown herself.
She wanted to stay locked in the bathroom forever as she knew things would be weird once she eventually came out. And it was.

Questions and hovering, they stepped lightly around her.
She didn’t need a doctor, she didn’t want any pills. She didn't want anything.
Even if she did they couldn’t afford it.
She excused herself to bed early that night and she surprised herself by actually falling asleep only to be woken later by another of Rafe and Ignatius’s fights.
Rafe blamed his father and his father blamed him. The entire thing ended with Rafe telling him to go Flash out like he always did when things got hard. Rafe stormed off to his bunk and Ignatius stormed off to his quarters.

*Was his Flash habit going to get worse because of her? Would he finally over dose?*

Her fault. It was her fault. She felt hot tears fall down her face that night and onto her pillow; was everything going to get worse because of her? She couldn’t take it.

She had to tell him the truth.

Beka sniffed hard and wiped her eyes before she quickly got out of bed and headed through the Maru to the Captain’s quarters. What would daddy do to himself? She was about to open the door when she heard the sound of glass shattering. Her heart increased to a pounding tempo, was he already high and breaking things in anger?
Regardless of her fears Beka opened the door and braced herself for another psychotic episode but instead found something entirely different.

Never in her life had she seen her father cry.

Tears ran down his face as he choked, his right hand alternated between running through his hair and covering his mouth as he stared ahead of him.

Beka followed his gaze at the wall and saw a milky white liquid dripping down the vertical surface to what was once its glass container which lie broken and shattered across the floor where it fell. Ignatius turned and looked at her briefly before he sat down hard on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

Beka felt her own eyes well up again. “Daddy?”

“You know I could have…I could really freak out about this, Flash out and pretend it isn’t happening. I wasn’t…I wasn’t there for you, I wasn’t there and I have to be. From now on I’m going to be. I will, I-I, oh god…” Ignatius bent over further clutching his stomach and head.

“Dad.” Beka looked at him and then the Flash that coated the wall.

He laughed mirthlessly, “Withdrawal was…it was always a bitch…cold turkey, I’ll do it, I’ll quit.”

Beka sat next to him on the bed and rested her head on his shoulder as he rocked and continued, “This is my fault. What happened, it’s all my fault. I, I wasn’t paying attention. Rocket I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m always so sorry…”

“Dad…I wasn’t…”

“It’s going to be different I promise and I know I haven’t been the best at keeping promises lately…”

“I wasn’t ra-“

Ignatius turned to pull Beka into his arms and hug her.

“I love you so much Rebeka, when was the last time I told you that? God I can’t even remember…” Beka’s tears welled over her eyes as she felt her father’s run onto her shoulder. “I got…carried away in my own problems, I just wanted to escape. So caught up with myself that I didn’t notice how much you and your brother needed me. Rafe hates me, he has so much anger. And I wasn’t there…for either of you. I wasn’t there to protect you…”

“It’s my fault…”

“No, no Beka, nothing’s your fault baby, nothing’s your fault.” He smoothed her hair, “We’re going to be fine, everything’s going to be okay.”

“But I—“

“You’re my girl Rocket, you’re my baby girl, blood of my blood…”

It was too much for Beka as she finally broke down and really cried. When was the last time he had held her like this? This was her dad; the one she missed, the one she wanted to come back to her. The one she kept hoping Rafe would someday remember instead of the distant shell he became with the Flash. Both were so lost in their own minds that neither noticed or heard it when Rafe had come out of his bunk and sat listening at the door.

From then on things started to change.

Ignatius’s withdrawal kept getting worse and there were days he couldn’t make it out of bed, doubled-up because the pain was so bad, and then he'd become lucid. He’d tell them he’d get better quicker if he could just have a drop, just one small hit. What was he thinking going cold turkey? Just get him some Flash and he’d slowly wean himself off of it.

He would alternate between screaming for Flash and yelling at them to ignore him and let him suffer. That he deserved the pain. There were times when his heart and pulse rate skyrocketed that Beka thought he was going to go into shock or cardiac arrest.

Beka and Rafe kept the salvage operation going while he fought it out. Her brother was constantly pessimistic that he would give in to the addiction like he always did, but Beka thought she saw a small speck of hope in Rafe’s eyes. He wanted their father back as much as she did. He was just too proud to admit it and so used to disappointment.

Beka wanted to get their father to a doctor, someone who could tell them whether or not he was going to make a clean start at the rate was going or if his body would shut down without the Flash. As it turned out, if Ignatius had kept abusing for a few more months he would have been a completely hopeless case. After seven years of Flash use he was still quite messed up. The only thing that would keep him fighting with any chance of recovery was his own will. Upon hearing that, Rafe had let out a biting ‘well, he’s dead then.’

Three weeks later, they both watched their father come out of his room on his own for breakfast. He was pale with dark circles under his eyes but he was there. Rafe’s spoon had dropped from his hand.
That started the cycle of good and bad days. The pain would subside and Ignatius would be getting back to himself until the addiction would kick in again and continue to its peak. It would be a long road. Beka could only hope he’d make it back to them.

By the time the next bombshell hit, Ignatius was on a good day, still shaky and a little overdrawn, but it was better than the alternating bad days. If it had been a bad day no one probably would have noticed.
And that was why she was now lying as she was under her bunk curled into a ball. The thought should have crossed her mind, but with all that had happened in the last month, everything was all up and down to even think of the consequences of sleeping with a Nietzschean.

The cause of her recent illness had finally been found. The throwing up, the morning sickness, the cravings, and her more than usual roller coaster of emotions had all been pinpointed to a single source.

She was pregnant.

Buying her face into her doll she continued to listen to the tirade playing out down the hall.

“Its father is a Dragan!”

“She’s too far along now to do anything!”

“Like that’s stopped anyone before.”

“It’s not our choice!”

“It’s the obvious choice dad! I can’t believe this is up for debate.”

“Have you even asked your sister what she wants?”

“She’s too young for this. She was raped for Divine’s sake! What are we even considering here?”

“Don’t you think I know that! She’s my baby, my girl, do you have any idea…”

“Yeah I do, I’m her brother, I should have been there! Why’d I leave her alone…”

Beka crept out of her hideout and made her way down the hall still out of sight.

*It didn’t happen that way…daddy I tried to tell you what happened…*

Beka put a shaking hand against her flat stomach. What did she expect to happen anyway? He was Nietzschean after all. Their sperm was probably genetically enhanced along with the rest of their genes.

“Drago-Kazov dad, I’m surprised she isn’t completely traumatized.”

“I think we should just calm down for a minute.”

“Calm down? Since when huh dad? I think the withdrawal’s affecting your judgment more than the Flash did.”

“Would you just stop!” yelled Beka finally coming into sight. “Just stop.”

“Beka…”

“I know what you think I should do but…” *It’s not how you think...*

“Beka would you please think about this?” pleaded Rafe.

Beka's mouth opened and closed as she looked at them helplessly before finally, “It’s my baby too…” she said weakly.

*How could she tell them now?*

“I just…I just don’t know what to think right now,” said Rafe. “This whole thing never should have happened.” Brushing past Beka he was out the door and heading to the engine room to think.

Ignatius leant back against the rail and ran a hand over his face.

“This is my fault…”

“Dad it’s not…” Beka closed the gap between her and her father in a few steps only to have him push away from the rail to move closer to her and rub his hands over her arms as if she were the one who needed soothing.

“You don’t need this now baby, you don’t need this stress. It’s not good for you.”

“Daddy I…”

“One day at a time. We’ll take it one day at a time.”

Beka found herself pulled into her father’s arms as he held her tightly like his life depended on it. Putting her arms around him, she hugged back and lost herself in her thoughts as she sighed heavily.
They just kept getting hit with one mischance after another and Beka found herself waiting for the day where something would actually go the way she wanted.

Chapter 7: New Life

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched...but are felt in the heart."
-Helen Keller, Ancient Earth

Almost a year after the fact, the Flash was now fully out of Ignatius’s system, but the craving, he knew, would remain with him forever. Every night he went to sleep thinking about Flash and every morning he woke up thinking about Flash.

He hated that.

The first and last thing on his mind should have been his children. His family. They should have always been on his mind but instead it was when his next Flash hit would be. And that was something that would haunt Ignatius forever and be his greatest sense of shame. Thinking back on those fried-out years he could only imagine at what might have been if he had kept on that path.

After Avilan he could have decided to hit the Flash hard; and before Beka had found him that night he almost did. The events of that day, Rafe’s blame, his own self-blame for losing sight of his children. It could have all been so much worse. Beka and Rafe could have ended up as slaves or have been killed in that raid. And it was all because of him and his problem with Flash. That’s where it all came from.

The habit started after Talia had left him, the pain of losing her, the complete surprise that she would abandon them just like that. He couldn’t deal with it, couldn’t comprehend what she was thinking. Everything Ignatius ever did was for her and their children. He wasn’t planning on being a salvage operator his entire life, that’s why he was always looking for the big score. But Talia got tired of all the waiting and the scheming and vanished into thin air. Back to Oedekirk where she became a completely different person. She wasn’t the woman he loved, the woman he married and had two kids with. She wasn’t the one who broke his heart and led him to Flash in order to dull the ache and pain.

She wasn’t that woman, and she wasn’t worth what he was doing to himself.

Then Beka got…he couldn’t even say it.

Beka, his Rebeka, he didn’t want to imagine her hurt like that.

Not his Rocket.

She was his life.

It was holding that bottle of Flash, that in a single moment of clarity, he saw what he was doing to himself and those around him. His arm lashed out and he threw the bottle against the wall.

No more running.

He had two kids to take care of, who needed him to be the father he once was or he’d lose them like he lost Talia.
As hard as the road was for him, he didn’t regret it.
He had been in the ups and downs of withdrawal when they'd found out about his grandchild. He could have lost it and flashed out then too. But where would everyone have been then?

Rafe would lose what little faith he had in him left and Beka…she’d be pregnant and dealing with a flashed out father trying to make ends meet. And what if Rafe couldn’t deal anymore and he took off? Beka would be alone and somewhere down the road he would eventually over dose; who knows the stress and pain that would have on his little girl. She could have miscarried or shut everything out. If he had died before the year was out what might have happened? Would anyone besides Beka be at his funeral?

He didn't want to know. But what Ignatius did known was that everything was his fault and he was now determined to make up for it.

He shifted his arms slightly to accommodate his new granddaughter as she stretched out in her sleep. Ignatius smoothed the blankets around the bundle and smiled lightly.

His baby’s baby.

That was still something he needed to get used to.

The other thing he needed to get used to was the fact that a strange purple woman had midwifed his grandchild; she had showed up out of nowhere when they had been caught on a planet without adequate medical care when Beka started having trouble. Ignatius had never seen anyone with the woman’s skin colour or with a tail quite like hers. Her bubbly disposition and sugared voice completely threw anyone off of thinking that she had any medical training what-so-ever.

She needed off the planet and they needed a baby delivered. She stayed on for a while to make sure Beka and the new baby were healthy and fine before making her departure, promising that they would indeed meet again someday and that she had a few things she needed to take care of before then, something about some plants.

She was an odd woman Trance Gemini.

Shaking his head, Ignatius focused back on the child as a tiny arm stretched out of the blanet and her eyes opened for a few seconds before she closed them sleepily once more.

Her eyes were blue just like Beka’s but the small patch of dark hair that crowned her head was almost too dark to be purely Valentine. Her father’s colouring most likely, another thing he passed onto her besides the boneblades.

The little boneblades, or what Ignatius assumed they would one day grow into, he found them interesting in an odd and disturbing way. They shouldn’t be a curiosity but they were. Three little hard white bumps adorned each of little Emily’s forearms, the only things that would give her away as part Nietzschean.

Why couldn’t she have been be half-Persied instead? Then he’d at least know that she’d be a genius when she grew up. He didn’t want to think of the traits that the other half of her genetics would contain. Maybe with her upbringing they wouldn’t show up. He always heard about genetic predisposition, but environment was equally important as well.

Nature vs. Nurture.

Maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad. The child was a Valentine after all, but that thought really didn't give Ignatius all that much comfort either.

*She’s Rocket’s girl.* He amended.

That gave him more hope.

She'd be okay if they raised her right.

"Dad?"

Ignatius looked up to see a bleary eyed Beka in the door way. "You're supposed to wake me up if she got up."

"If she was hungry I would have, I think she just needed to be held."

Beka walked up to them and once she wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked more awake, Ignatius carefully handed the bundle over to his daughter. One of Emily's small hands reached up and softly held Beka's shirt in sleep.

"What are you thinking?" asked Ignatius reaching to brush a copper strand behind Beka's ear.

"She's so small."

"Try saying that in a few more years, she'll grow fast."

"Yeah..."

"Rocket?"

"Sorry, it's just that...it's still hard to believe that she's, you know...mine. Even if she is a few months old."

"I think your brother feels the same way."

"Pfft. Little different there. If he would just stop looking at her like she's going to fly out of my arms and attack him."

Ignatius smiled. "And he's only an uncle. I'm the grandpa, I feel old."
"Me too."

"Honey...we can always..."

"No. She's mine and I'm not giving her up."

"I know."

"No matter how much Rafe wants me to."

"He's just worried about you. Doesn't want you to grow up too fast."

"I've been growing up too fast for a long time now."

Ignatius winced. Another thing his Flash did, what Talia leaving did.

"How...how many unwanted half-Nietzscheans do you think there are out there?" asked Beka.

"I don't even want to guess, and that's assuming adoption is even an option for their mothers," he responded.

"Huh, mothers...how do I know how to be one when I never had one?"

"We really didn't give you the best role models huh?" said Ignatius, "But just...just love her. Be firm but fair and...and just love her. I know she's going to turn out all right."

"And you'll be here, right?"

"Any time you need me." Ignatius pulled Beka into his side for a light hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And if I ever get around to retiring, leave the Maru to you and you want to head out on your own, I'll still be there for you."

"On-on my own?"

"Beka I meant-"

*Good job Valentine way to scare the hell out of her. And what a time to bring it up too.*

As if sensing her mother's unease, Emily picked that moment to start fussing and woke up in Beka's arms with a loud wail. Trying to compensate for the wriggling infant, Beka moved her up so her head rested against her shoulder and her small body vertical against Beka's.

"It's okay, it's okay, please stop..."

Emily's crying intensified and Beka felt tears of her own start running down her face.

"Dad?" she croaked looking up at him for help.

"It's okay, you're doing okay." Ignatius rubbed the side of Beka's arm as the other hand wiped some of her tears away.

"I'm not cut out for this."

"You're doing fine."

"I don't know what I'm doing."

Beka still hadn't found her full stride with Emily just yet; the feeding and the playing she was all fine with but as soon as the child started crying, Beka just seemed to freeze up. Emily wouldn't stop and Beka had no clue what to do, it was then that all her doubts and fears came crashing down around her. Did she do something wrong? Is Emily sick? Is she hurt? Was she a bad mother?

"You know..." started Ignatius, "when your brother was born I had no idea what to do with him. I had this new little life that was completely dependent on me. Your mother well...I did a lot with Rafe. And a lot with you. Just don't panic when she cries, it's the only way she can communicate now. It's the middle of the night, she's awake, what does she usually need at this hour?"

"She wants food."

"See? Just relax Rocket."

"But what if something happens to her and-and I don't know what to do?"

"Honey I'm not going anywhere for a long time okay?"

"Promise?"

"Of course I do, I wasn't trying to scare you earlier. I'm sorry."
"S'okay, I-I know what you mean I just..."

"You're going to be fine."

Beka nodded and sniffed, her tears drying, "Thanks." She hugged her father with her free arm. "I'm gonna go and see if I can get her to settle down."

"All right. Night sweetie."

"Night Dad."

>>>

A much calmer Beka sat on her bed with a much calmer baby attached to a nipple. It was times like these in the dead of night where Beka could just sit and watch Emily as she fed, stroking her dark hair from her forehead as she thought about the child she held.

Her baby.

It was still a weird concept. It still didn't feel real that she had carried and given birth to this tiny living being, though the pain she went through at her birth she would never forget as real.

So here she was. Feeding a child who sometimes scared the hell out of her. After a few months she'd have thought that she'd be in some sort of zone by now, but every time Emily started crying Beka's mind went blank. That was something she really needed to work on.

"I can't wait till you're old enough to talk. That way you can tell me exactly what you want."

She started smoothing out Emily's dark hair when a more than familiar thought came bubbling back up.

"You know what?" said Beka quietly, "It's moments like these, whenever I look at you, I can't help thinking about your father."

The child continued to suckle faithfully.

He had been on Beka's mind more and more lately. A lot more after Emily had been born and she could finally see what they had produced that day on Avilan.

Had she gotten pregnant their first time? Or had it been the second that did it?
She guessed neither of those questions mattered much now as she held the result in her arms.
There were so many questions Beka had. Old ones left over from their encounter, but now there was one that kept creeping into her mind whenever thoughts of Emily and her father coincided. Something she knew she'd have to deal with when Emily got older.

Beka looked down at her small daughter.

"What do I tell you about him?"

 

Chapter 8: Oberon IV

"You're stuck in my heart like a song in my head.
A familiar old memory I can't forget.
I'm doing my best but your memory keeps playing on,
Like a song in my head."
-Country song from Ancient Earth

>>>

Telemachus groaned as her tongue moved down his chest, licking, kissing, caressing. She took a nipple in her mouth as her nails raked over his abs. Moving up to bite at the junction of his shoulder she then finally pressed her lips to his as he moved her hips where he wanted her most.

She surrounded him. Her body, her scent, her presence. His head fell back as he felt her slide onto his erect manhood, gripping him tightly as she started to ride him.
Gripping her hips he reversed their positions to have her writhing beneath him as he thrust himself into her warm body. The feel of her, her skin slick with their mingled sweat, moving against him, with him...and those eyes...blue crystal...
He ran his tongue up her neck and buried his face into her fiery hair as he inhaled her scent.

Telemachus bolted upright in his bed breathing heavily. He looked around the room to find nothing out of place.

He was alone.

Damn dreams...

"I have to get over this," he muttered into the dark.

Lying back down, Telemachus threw the covers to the side to take care of his straining erection.

>>>

"I said move!"

Telemachus shoved one of the planets inhabitants into one of the lines, when the man fell, he delivered a brutal kick to his ribs and back before moving on his way and letting the other soon-to-be slaves help their fallen brother.

"Fucking kludges..."

He forcefully pulled another two and shoved them into new lines. The men that attempted to fight back thought better of it when the Nietzschean levelled them with a death glare.
Telemachus was in a very bad mood.
Another frustrated night with a face that wouldn't go away had left him with not much sleep. Luckily, he was on a raid so he could take his anger out on any unfortunate Oberon civilian that got in his way, though it looked as though everyone was doing their best to avoid him by doing what he shouted and keeping their eyes lowered to the ground.

Did these people have no backbones? What he wouldn't give to...

He was bumped from behind.

....crack a skull.

Lashing out, his elbow connected to the face of the one who bumped him. Turning around he saw the disoriented human trying to collect his bearings. He couldn't have been more than twenty. Ah well, it was good enough.

Advancing slowly on the young man Telemachus's foot connected hard with his stomach as he then reached down to haul him up by the front of his shirt.

"You think it's smart to hit a Nietzschean from behind?" he gave the Oberonian a twisted grin.

"I didn't mean-"

"Too bad."

Flinging him away, the human flew past screaming civilians and into a number of wooden crates. Telemachus walked towards him, boneblades itching for a fight. He slammed a booted heel into his victim's back before hauling him up to plant a knee in his stomach and throwing him back down into the dirt to cough up blood. Terrified citizens watched wide-eyed and helpless and the Nietzschean growled and circled one of their own. Telemachus waited for him to get up slowly before delivering a sharp uppercut under the Oberonian's chin and watched as his head snapped backwards and he fell onto the ground twitching and chocking.

"If I tell you to calm down will I get killed?"

"Calm down?"

"I know, I know," said Cyrus raising his hands in mock surrender and walking forwards, "Normally I'd be laughing my ass off, but I've rarely seen you this...worked up. And especially beating the hell out of someone for what you usually describe as a 'minor offense". Not that I mind the efficiency, I mean, did you see that guy's head snap up?"

"*What* do you want? I'm busy."

"Yeah he's choking on his own blood. Come on, we have work to do."

Telemachus growled.

"Come on boy."

Giving one last glaring look to the man on the ground, Telemachus stalked off leaving Cyrus to follow him.

"Remember kiddies, don't bump your overlords!" Cyrus shouted behind to the surrounding terrified witnesses.
Following after his brother-in-arms, the Nietzschean chuckled as he watched Telemachus push and shove a few more people. He was finally starting to act like a real Drago-Kazov.

"So really now, what's your problem?"

"Frustrated."

"So grab a woman, there's plenty of them."

Cyrus shoved a man who got in his way as he tried to keep up with Telemachus's strides, all of the people milling about and not doing as they were told was making it harder than usual. That's one of the things he hated about being on clean up duty after a raid: Organizing the bloody sheep.
But then again there were two types of slave planets. Those that were productive and those that weren't. Earth wasn't productive in the least whereas Midden did exactly what they were told. And for the latter you needed organization. Oberon IV was to be another supply planet.

"I said form a fucking line! Don't any of you kludges listen? You're going to be dead in a minute! Women on the left, men on the right if you want to live, SO MOVE!"

And there went Telemachus shouting off orders again, at least he was productive when angry about something.

"Frustrated over what? Rough night? Rough morning?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I'm concerned."

Telemachus stopped and snorted, "No you're not."

"Okay mostly true but please, indulge my curiosity then. It's not normal for you to fly off the handle like this."

"I'm just in a bad mood. Everyone has them. Hell, the last time you were frustrated you killed four men."

Cyrus pffft-ed, "Not that they were worth anything mind you."

"Look I'm just..."

"What?"

He watched as Telemachus trailed off and became distracted before walking briskly into the crowd. Trying to find what he had been looking at, Cyrus groaned.

"Man come on...not again!"

>>>

Keeping his steady pace, Telemachus remained focused on the red head almost directly in front of him. Ever since that day, he had kept an eye open for that specific hair colour. He didn't know why but he just did.

Her hair.

Her body, her eyes, the fire she had held behind sapphire spheres when she had found out he was Nietzschean. There was something in the way she acted that told him she was not a native of that planet, she had stood up to him. She had attacked Cyrus for someone she didn't even know.
Foolishly brave and passionate, she had given herself over to him.

He missed that.

The majority of slaved women would just lie there and take it, already giving in to his dominance. The ones that responed to him were already conditioned and used to their new lives as concubines for the Drago-Kazov.

But Red had spirit...

Finally reaching the woman, Telemachus grabbed her arm and spun her around. She gasped in shock and stared up at him with fearful brown eyes.

"Mama!" A small child gripped her around the waist. Looking them up and down, Telemachus shoved her back with a growl and stalked off out of the crowd. Finding himself near the side of a half-destroyed house he punched the wood before leaning his head against it and taking a deep calming breath.

"You know you've been doing this since Avilan."

"So?" Telemachus hadn't heard Cyrus catch up with him.

"So that was eight years ago and this...obsession of yours...is distracting you from the more important things in life."

"Like what?"

"You could have been a husband and father how many times over now?"

"I've been busy."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. You're pissing off the females you know that? This whole 'career orientated' whatever the hell you call it...you have strong genes Telemachus, very strong. You are the genetic reincarnation of Gaheris Rhade, a Nietzschean who had a pivital role in the Old Commonwealth's destruction. If there's any proof in the theory that Drago Museveni himself will one day be gentically reincarnated it's you. Your birth made that legend a *fact*. Do you know how many women would kill to carry on your genes?"

"I haven't the time."

"I didn't hear that either. We all strive for it, yet you're always out there playing the soldier and chasing after...something....instead of finding yourself a few wives."

Cyrus crossed his arms as a thought came to him and gave Telemachus a disconcerting look, "You're not...sterile...are you?"

Telemachus set him with a glare and growled. "The only reason you're still standing is that I've known you since we were five."

"Just asking."

"I am perfectly capable of reproducing thank you."

"Whatever you say buddy..." Cyrus held up his hands as Telemachus growled at him again.

"Can I ask you somthing else then?"

"Ask yourself if it'll get your head separated from your body first."

"It was the cherry red head wasn't it? Sweet little thing I threw at you?

"It's just...it's like she's mine."

"You always were a possessive bastard."

"Was not."

"Oh really? You rememebr that time back on Corthon?"

"...Oh yeah. That didn't end well."

"Pretty messy," said Cryus before getting back on topic, "So why didn't you slave her then? Hell if she didn't smell like you so strongly I would have up against that..." he stopped as a warning growl interrupted his sentence.

"Why didn't you slave her? You would have avoided this whole headache, gotten bored with her when you were done, and then handed her off to the auction. See? everyone would have been happy."

Telemachus leaned his back against the wall and watched the civilians march solemnly passed them.

"Feel better?"

"What was this...a pep talk?"

"Whatever your problem or obsession or whatever that kludge did to you is, get over it you don't need the distraction and if I've noticed the others probably have too, especially within your family. You've always been the odd one but really now, this has gone on long enough...." Cyrus trailed off as he spotted a stumbling blonde on the outskirts of a line. "Now I think, if you'll excuse me I have an ever increasing ache to get rid of."

Telemachus rolled his eyes as the other Nietzschean walked off to claim the woman and use her for his own needs. Completely predictable and on every mission.

Feeling the anger and tension leave him, Telemachus just stood and watched the masses, whatever was going on in his mind he had to get over it. It was this preoccupation that had led him to lose the Co-Commander position next to Fleet Marshall to his step-brother Cuchulain. Within a few years, the elder Nez Pierce would become full Fleet Marshall and direct everything. Telemachus had the strategy and the leadership, just not the concentration. All because of a simple kludge that was most likely dead, slaved by another, starving to death, diseased, living out life on a planet somewhere, or wandering the universes ever out of reach. As Telemachus continued to muse, a branch was clipped from a bonsai in the dark backward.

It was a big universe out there but sometimes it was in the habit of becoming quite small.

 

Chapter 9: My Cause

Some day, when she's old enough,
She's gonna start askin' questions about him.
Some kid at school brings his Dad for show an' tell,
An' gets her little mind a-wonderin'
Where's my Daddy?
Do I have one?
Does he not love me like you do?
-Rachel Proctor, "Me and Emily", Ancient Earth song

>>>

When Emily had been born Rafe had doubted that Beka could do anything to her to make it right. That the genetics inherited from her father would overrun her upbringing and they’d be dealing with a Junior Drago-Kazov on their hands.

His niece surprised him though.

She was a sweet, bright girl who was sometimes rough around the edges, just like her mother. There were just certain times where he was sure that her father was shining right through though.

That smirk of hers being one of them.

No one in the Valentine family could pull off a look like that. Then there were her glares, and snorts, the lifting of one eyebrow; either the one or both along with the tilting of her head and a superior smirk. It was things like that that Rafe couldn’t put aside, even if she was half Valentine there was still another half of her running around out there somewhere.

Probably killing something.

The reminder of her other half was also very much there within those boneblades. When Emily had been younger she had worn jackets that could cover them up, but as she got older she got more outspoken. It was uncomfortable for her blades to be restricted and confined where she couldn't flare them, it annoyed her so she shoved her boneblades through every jacket and long-sleeved shirt she owned to make a space for them and so they could flex and twitch as much as they wanted.
Rafe had served on with Beka after their father had retired, until he had pulled one con too many and Beka told him to either quit or get out. He was good at what he did so he left.
He could have grifted for all he was worth or went back to Infinity Atoll, his step-mother did tell them that there were places in her business for them.

Infinity.

Their new home away from home.

Five years ago they had been doing a supply run to the tropical paradise when what should cross their father's eye? A red head. And unlike all before her, she seemed to have a genuine interest in Ignatius and also in his children and grandchild.

Once they were married, she was the mother Beka and Rafe never had, and the grandmother as well. Emily had come as a surprise to her but she had quickly grown accustomed to the child. Ignatius had retired with her on Infinity Atoll. What he would make as a partner in his new wife's ocean-front business was more than what the Valentines picked up from cargo and would make the debts disappear quicker. Repairs to the Maru became a hobby, but then a necessity when Beka had decided to go back into the cargo and salvage business. She had never been fully comfortable on a planet and missed space. Even with the new house, she still liked to stay on the Maru, commuting over for family dinners and work.

When she wanted to take Emily and go back to salavage, Rafe went with her to keep an eye out and to appease their father. Ignatius worried about her but bequeathed her the Maru anyway after Rafe said he'd go with her. Relations between father and son were still awkward but they were making up some ground.

Things had went well for a year, Beka seemed to be back in her element and Emily loved seeing the stars closer than they had been on Infinity. But then Rafe couldn't resist getting back to his cons and Beka had told him to shape up or ship out. He'd be back in a few months to check on her, he'd said. She had a steady crew, they were good people, but whether they would change before he saw her again, he didn't know. But it was to be more than a few months before Rafe would see his sister again. It would be years…

>>>

“It’s coming in hot boss.”

“Just hold it together down there Harper!”

“I’m trying but they’re like thisclose to blowing out our fuel tank.”

Beka glanced up at the screen and saw Harper holding his fingers right together.

“You know what I need.”

“I don’t think I can give you any more psl.”

“Just do it. Find a way.”

If there was one thing that annoyed Beka to no end it was a botched job and escaping from a group of enemy ships. They didn’t have a haul and if she kept getting shot at she wouldn’t be able to pay for anything. She could if she had to, but putting things on her tab at Vasily’s was something she liked to avoid. After Dad got himself together, he had started trying to get the debts paid off that had accumulated over the years. The credit was almost back to a decent place, but adding onto it was something Beka liked to avoid.

But now it looked like there might not be a choice…unless...

“Yes! Seamus Harper does it again, suuuuuuuper genius!”

Beka had to laugh as she felt a boost from the engine room that propelled them quicker to the nearest slip point and away from the Nietzscheans.

She loved that quirky engineer.

Who knew that you could find someone with his skill coming from Earth. It was probably one of the best things Bobby had ever done for the Maru. Lately the man had been getting on her nerves. Bringing the Maru out of slipstream, Beka slid her chair back and looked behind her to her "co-captain".

"So, how does it look?"

"Not *that* bad, the solenoid valve looks a little battered though Mom."

"It's better than the fuel tank."

"Yep." Emily hopped up from her seat and ran over to Beka who hauled her onto her lap.

"You're getting so big," said Beka hugging her daughter. It was hard to believe that she was eight-years-old already, especially when she looked eleven. Her older looks would definitely have to be related to her half-Nietzschean status. Beka had heard that they often grew much quicker than human children.

"Want me to go tell Harper or do you just want to call him?"

"Run and tell him then, I think he wanted to show you how to do something on one of the parts too."

Emily wrapped her arms around Beka and hugged her again before running off in a storm only to practically run into Bobby on her way out.

"Hey, watch it brat!"

Beka shot him a glare before turning to the window as Emily stuck her tongue out at him as the cockpit door hissed shut.

"That kid of yours is always in the way."

Beka turned to face him angrily, "She is not in the way!"

"She is Beka, I'm always almost tripping over her, she doesn't know when to get the hell out of the way."

"Maybe you should be the one to watch where you're going."

"Oh come on you saw her blast out of here, like she even cares anyway, you do realize she's Nietzschean right?"

"And you do realize she's my daughter right?"

"Beka, you know I lo-"

"No, don't. Just don't. You want me you get her too, nothing comes between me and my baby. You haven't even tried with her or made the effort to get to know her."

"Hey I tried. In the beginning I did, but she's got some warped notion of her father, I don't know what you've been filling her head with..."

"Excuse me? Filling her head?"

"Aw Bek come on, you were clearly so traumatized..."

"I was not traumatized!"

"...not thinking straight to get rid of it. She's *Nietzschean*!"

"I'm not fighting with you about this again!"

>>>

"Stupid, idiot Bobby..." Emily muttered as she stopped eavesdropping and wandered into the Engine Room. She could hear ever word said through the metal door; she always heard everything Bobby said about her.

"Guess we'll be complaining about him together again huh?"

Emily looked up as Harper jumped down from the ladder and punched in a few commands on the keyboard beside it.

"Hey Harper."

"What'd the steroid case do now?"

Harper sat down against a rail and waited for Emily to do the same beside him. They had started their own 'I hate Bobby Jensen' fan club once they had found out they shared that in common and had grown closer because of it. Sure Bobby was the one who offered Harper passage off Earth on Beka's ship but it still didn't mean that the engineer had to like the guy. He was only nice to Beka because he needed her ship for his own reasons, he had no qualms about pushing either Harper or Emily around.

"Am I in the way?"

"What? Of course you're not, where’d ya hear that?”

Emily tapped her ears. "Good hearing."

"Right." Harper looked down at the boneblades adorning his little buddy's arms. Of course she'd have better hearing, hell all of her sense were heightened because of what she was. When he'd first met her he was a bit wary, sure she was the smallest Nietzschean he'd ever seen but the stories he heard...three year olds were trained to rip a grown man's throat out. But then Harper had found out that she was Beka's daughter.
Half-Nietzschean. He was more contented in knowing that she wasn't some princess of some pride that Bobby kidnapped her from and who would come seeking bloody revenge on the Maru.
Emily, despite half her genes, was a great kid and Harper found himself getting along with her just fine.

"I wish Grandpa was here. He never would have let Bobby stay and Mom wouldn't be with him."

"What does she see in him anyway?"

Emily shrugged.

"So on another topic," said Harper, "I hear your Grandpa's on Infinity?"

"Uh huh, with my Grandma, she's not my real Grandma, but Grandpa married her when I was three. She's nice, and pretty too."

"Do they surf?"

"Surf?"

"I've always wanted to try that. If we ever take a trip to visit your grandparents, we should learn how to do it. You take a board and ride the waves."

"Waves, that reminds me, the solenoid valve's being funny after that run."

"Tell the boss I will be right on it."

"You better be kid, or I can always shove you back on Earth." Emily and Harper looked up to see Bobby standing at the entrance with his arms crossed. "What the hell are you doing just sitting there? Get your ass back to work on this ship."

"You're not the boss of him. And this isn't your ship, it's my mom's so that makes Harper *her* crewmember."

"And what are you now? his protector?"

"Hey you know what? why don't I go get those valves fixed huh? And why don't you go see what your mom's up to, huh Em?" said Harper trying to diffuse the tension that filled the room as Emily and Bobby stared each other down.

Harper let out a relived breath as Emily left the engine room. He tensed again as Bobby stepped closer to him. The larger man might not have been as strong as a Dragan but Harper never liked taking more chances than necessary with those who could put him in a body cast.
He'd disliked Bobby when they first met and the more time he spent with him, the more he hated him; the insults, the cuffs upside the head, and him strutting around like he owned the place. Harper had had more than enough of that on Earth, whatever Bobby threw at him was nothing...but the guy was still big and scary and could probably convince Beka to go back to Earth and dump him back there.

"I own you like I own this ship."

"This ship belongs to Beka."

"And Beka belongs to me."

"Hopefully one day she'll wise up." Before Bobby could respond Harper was up the ladder and gone.

Glaring up at where Harper vacated, Bobby walked out of the engine room and to the cargo bay, he had a weapons shipment to check up on. Once there the inspection went uninterrupted and perfect. Nothing had been damaged in the firefight. Finished with the crates he turned only to see small shadow leaning against a cargo pod, her arms folded.

"Do you always have to be such a jerk to him?"

"He's just some mudfoot."

"Like I'm just some halfbreed?" asked Emily stepping closer to him. "Beka's my mom. You're not getting rid of me."

"No one's ever going to be good enough for you will they? You think he's going to walk through that door? Not likely. The closest thing you're ever going to have is a step-father or nothing at all."

"My dad could break you in half."

Bobby's jaw tightened. What the hell had Beka been telling this kid? It was time for someone to set her straight. He bent down so he was eye level with Emily.

“Listen to me closely kid. Your father was a rapist. Held your mother down while he had his way with her. Remember Earth? That was a Drago-Kazov slave planet. Your father’s Pride. Don’t think you mean much here. You were a mistake that should never have happened to your mother. She’s too good to have something like you happen to her."

Bobby watched as disbelief flashed across Emily’s face before a deep seated look of pure anger and loathing took over.

Emily balled up her fist and hit him. Hard.

>>>

Bobby grunted in pain as he was tossed down the ramp at gunpoint, cracked ribs and all.

“I never, EVER, want to see you again ever! How dare you say that to her!”

Beka was seething. When she had landed the Maru on Talikov Drift and came out of her quarters after finishing a shower, she couldn't find either Bobby or Emily and had started looking all over the Maru only to catch the tail end of what someone she supposedly cared for hissed at her child. How dare he. She had moved deeper into the cargo bay to see Emily slam her fist into Bobby's chest with a resonating crack.

*"If it's not broken you can walk!"*

Beka had then opened the hatch and kicked him off the Maru.

“C’mon Bek you...you know it's true.”

“No it’s not. You have no clue what you’re talking about. You once told me that I needed to pick a cause. Well I have. My daughter is my cause. Everything I do, I do for her. To make a life for her. You could never understand that. All you ever saw were boneblades.”

"And what do you think she is? Innocent? No Nietzschean is innocent. And I-I don't know what kind of idealized fantasy you have of her father or what the hell you've told her..." Bobby held his chest and took a few breaths.

"He was different."

"You keep telling yourself that honey, you're going to get burned."

>>>

Beka marched angrily through the Maru to the cockpit. She wanted off this drift as fast as she could get the engines running. She had a feeling that Bobby wouldn't be able to accept Emily, she had hoped he would but in the end he just ended up disappointing her like every other man she had been in a relationship with, which wasn't many.
Storming into the cockpit, Beka caught sight of Emily sitting at one of the stations staring blankly at the screen in front of her, Beka's anger dissolved as she saw the unshed tears in her baby's eyes.

"Em?" Beka walked over and kneeled in front of her resting a hand on Emily's knee.

“Is it true?”

“What?”

“What Bobby said. About you and my dad.”

Beka felt a new anger towards Bobby well in her chest as her daughter looked at her with a heartbroken expression. She had never told Bobby what had happened, it was no one's business but her own. All that there was to know was that her daughter’s father was obviously a Nietzschean. Once said, everyone automatically assumed that the worst had happened. And they were all so very wrong.

“Bobby’s a liar. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Then what happened?”

“Your father, he….he didn’t force me into anything. We wanted each other and later on I found out that I was going to have you.”

"I'm part Drago-Kazov. They ruined Earth, pushed Harper around. I saw it. Is that what I am?"

"You're a Valentine. And Valentines are strong. We don't let anyone talk down to us. You're also my daughter. Yes, I was young when I had you but look at you. Look how you turned out. Emmy I love you, I wouldn't trade you for the world. You're my constant. *My* cause."

Beka nursed a hurt expression as Emily pulled away from her and tried to curl up further into the chair. If she didn't want reassurance then what...

"Honey, what *do* you want?"

Emily lifted her wet blue eyes to meet her mother's. "I want my dad."

Beka's shoulders dropped as she watched her daughter sadly. As much as she wanted to, this was one thing that couldn't be made better with a hug. She knew Emily would ask about him and she didn't disappoint. The abridged version when the questions started was that he was Nietzschean and that they went their separate ways before they knew about the pregnancy. Back then it had been easier, Emily had a male role model in her grandfather but after they had left to do salvage...

Beka knew that her daughter thought about her father but she hadn't realized just how much until now.

"If we found him," started Emily, "Even if I couldn't talk to him, just to look at him, even once."

Beka laughed weakly. "Look in the mirror. You took more from him then you did from me..." she trailed off as a corner of her mind picked up an old memento left behind. "I'll be right back."

Emily wiped her eyes harshly after her mom left the cockpit and uncurled a bit from the chair. Her muscles were starting to get stiff from being in such an awkward position. She set about swinging her legs over the edge until Beka came back in holding something black.

Kneeling back down in front of her, Beka handed her the object. "Here."

Emily looked at it oddly as she took it and shook it out.

A leather jacket.

As she inspected it, she knew it was much too large to be her mom's. She furrowed her brow when she got to the sleeves. There were three holes torn out of each one.

"It was your dad's."

Beka watched as Emily slid off the chair and wrapped the jacket around her, judging its size by feel. The leather than had once been wrapped around her father's shoulders, his arms...

Emily wrapped her arms around herself and blinked rapidly. "He wouldn't even want me would he? I'm half-human."

Beka’s own tears started to cloud her vision as she pulled Emily into her arms. "I don't know baby, I don’t know."

Chapter 10: Cargo

“If things appear to be going well, you have overlooked something.”
–Murphy's Law

After Emily had cried herself to sleep, Beka had set about leaving the drift as fast as the Maru's engines could power up. She didn't want to be on the drift any longer than she had to be, the strained solenoid valve could be fixed in space and Harper would do just that once she got a hold of him. But right now, she just wanted to fly.

Sitting in the pilot's seat, maneuvering her way through the stars. It always calmed her down and it was something she greatly missed while on Infinity Atoll. Back before, when everything was still messed up and Ignatius was flash fried in his room, Beka took consolation in piloting. It soothed her; it helped her clear her head. Especially in slipstream where there was nothing else to concentrate on than riding the rails. It worked then and it worked now.

Once settled on Infinity, Beka would sit with a sleeping Emily on her lap and stare at the sky wishing she were back up there. It called to her; it was where she was supposed to be. She was born in space; Emily was born in space. And that's where they were headed.

And by heading there it also led her to Bobby and two others before him. She didn't know what she saw in him. Hope maybe? That if he claimed to love her then he would accept her daughter as well? One didn't come without the other. But no one understood that.

Beka set the Maru on autopilot and pulled her seat back as she heard the cockpit door slide open.

"Uh boss?"

"Is that valve fixed Harper?"

"I should have a jury rig in another few minutes, but um, I kinda wanted to ask..."

"Yeah?"

"Well, first off is Emily okay? I heard thumping and yelling, and then I thought I should give you two your space, and then I also noticed there's no Bobby around so..."

Beka smiled. "She'll be fine, and…thanks for asking."

"Well I like the kid, she's my littlest buddy."

"That it?"

"Well, there was one more thing..." said Harper sounding a bit more nervous. "I mean...well, now that Bobby's not here, and since he was the one who got me aboard this ship. I was just, um, well wondering if..."

"Spit it out Seamus."

"Are you going to send me back to Earth?"

Beka blanched. "What?"

"Well yeah, I know…your ship and…um…"

"You're staying right here Harper. And considering your background, you're the best engineer this ship has ever had. How could I send you back to that hell hole?"

"Stay here? As in permanent? For really?"

"Yeah, for real. I'm thinking you're a bit paranoid."

"A little."

"I want you to stay. Now go get back to that valve."

"Yes ma'am!" With a mock salute, Harper headed to the door until a massive explosion rocked the Maru and sent him careening into the wall