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.

"What the hell!?" Beka turned back in her seat and took the ship off autopilot.

"Was that what I think it was?"

"God damn Nietzscheans, how the hell did they find us?"

The attacking ship's signature matched the same one that had attacked them earlier on their cargo run. "What the hell did I do to them?"

"Maybe they want their weapons back?"

"Weapons? *What* weapons?"

"Bobby didn't tell you what we were carrying? I snuck a peek back..."

"That son of a..." Beka's curse was cut off by another hit. Moving the Maru into evasive maneuvers Beka started searching for a slip point. "Harper get that valve fixed!"

"I'm on it!"

As Harper scrambled to the engine room, a now wide awake Emily was racing into the cockpit.

"Momma?"

"Damn, damn, damn..."

"Mom!"

"Yes honey, mommy's very busy right now!"

"What can I do?"

"Same as last time!"

Emily raced to her station and stared at the readings in front of her.

"Prepare to jettison cargo. Authorization Beka Valentine."

The Maru's voice came over the speakers, "Cargo jettison cannot engage."

"Harper!"

*"It must be some crossed wiring boss, I've been looking over some and it looks like our good friend Bobby may have been playing with the Maru's systems."*

"Damn it! Emily, find me a slip point!"

"Um...nearest one is...ten light minutes out."

"That's too long," Beka hit the comm button, "Harper, give me something! They're hitting harder than before!"

*"I'm trying boss, but I have a valve to fix and with the new damage we're taking, the problem's getting bigger. I can't give you any more speed until this is fixed. If not we are going to turn into some very pretty fireworks."*

"Can't you out fly them mom?"

"I'm trying. They actually got a good pilot this time around..."

Wherever Beka tried to run to, the Nietzschean ship was on top of her every time maneuvering itself to be in optimum firing range. Beka was sharply jolted as another missile salvo hit and the ship shook as if it were coming apart. Alarms started sounding and a blinking model of the ship appeared on every screen.

"We just lost two engines."

Beka swore as the ship was jolted again and all propulsion ceased; the Nietzschean ship flew over them and into view before turning around for another fly by.

They were dead in the water.

*"Um...boss?"*

"Tell me something good Harper."

*"Sorry. But I can't...they'll take me back to Earth...you don't know what they do to runaways...I can't go back..."*

"Not happening Harper I-"

*klunk*

"What was that?" asked Emily looking upwards.

"They're boarding."

>>>

"No! Get *off* me! Get off!" Beka struggled with the Nietzschean who had her gripped around the waist and clean off the floor carrying her through the Nietzschean ship where they had all been transferred.

"Mom!"

"Let go of her uber!"

"Let go!" Emily swung out with her arm catching the Nietzschean across the chest with her boneblades. With a surprised yell, the Dragan caught both her arms and held them down as he looked down at his torn shirt and scratched skin before laughing.

"Would you look at that? We have a little Nietzschean here!"

"You got a thing for superhuman babe?" asked Beka's captor.

"Go to hell!"

The only thing that gave Beka a shred of hope was the fact that she hadn't seen Harper dragged by yet. Maybe he had the foresight to stay out of sight and wedged himself into a crevice of the ship or something. Beka hoped he'd be able to do something to help...if he wasn't too petrified.

"Hey!" Beka found herself unceremoniously deposited into a small metal cell only large enough for her to crouch in. The cells covered the entire wall and the opposite side as well.

Kennels for the slaves no doubt.

Emily let out a scream as the Nietzschean holding her hanked some of her hair out as he dropped her into a cell beside Beka's.

"Watch it asshole!" shouted Beka, kicking at the locked door before she tried to reach for her daughter. The wire of the cage was tightly coiled and only large enough to get her fingers through. Emily gripped her mother's as her own hand soothed her head.

One of the Nietzscheans laughed as he hit the other in the shoulder.

"Let's get those weapons back."

>>>

Attila and Marcus trudged triumphantly into the cockpit where the other two members of their crew were situated. Once Lamorak had stopped piloting and made way for his co-pilot, they had caught up with the old cargo ship in no time; the younger's reflexes were incredible. Not only had they caught up, they had disabled the ship, caught the 'crew' and taken back their stolen weapons. The Nietzscheans were hoping to catch the larger man that Marcus had seen with the red head but he was nowhere to be found apparently. He would have liked torturing that one.

"So what do we have?"

"A chick and a kid," said Attila sitting at a station and pulling up a DNA analyzer program. Setting the hair on the scanner he got to work.

"What's he doing?"

"The kid had boneblades. Cut me across the chest."

"You're scanning a half-breed?"

"What do you wanna bet she's some Sabra or Mandau?"

The men laughed as the other two Nietzscheans were filled in on what happened.

As the sensor beeped, Attila read the results.

"Woah, woah, the kid's Drago-Kazov!"

"One of our own boys!"

Joining in on the laughter and speculation Attila stopped laughing and sobered up as he looked at the flashing screen "Hey, guys wait. I got a match."

"A what?"

"Hey...Telemachus?"

Telemachus looked up from the pilot's seat. "Hmmm?"

"I think you might want to look at this."

>>>

A child.

He should have known.

Red. A kid with boneblades. It made sense.

Telemachus watched her from a monitor in the corridor, Attila had been ordered to drag her out of lockup and into his quarters. He watched as she alternated between banging on the door and pacing nervously around the room. Her hair was just as red as he remembered it, though shorter. And her face, the one that wouldn't stop haunting him, that filled his dreams, the woman who couldn't leave him alone and she was just twenty metres away. And he would get to her, but first...

"You know...I've been thinking." Telemachus bit back a growl as he was interrupted. "I probably have a dozen half-breed kids on every world we've conquered yet none of them have come back to bite me in the ass like this."

Telemachus glared at Marcus as he shoved the Nietzschean as he passed and headed to the Prisoner Bay. Once he arrived, the sniffling he heard automatically stopped as the child caught sight of him either by eyesight or another heightened scent. He could hardly make her out from where he was standing, the tightly wound mesh barely giving anything away.

Punching in some buttons on a console, Telemachus flipped a switch and the door to Emily's small cell flung open. Walking further into the room, he stopped as he got closer to her.

"You. Out."

Emily stared at the open door like it would slam shut on her if she left. These people shot at the Maru, dragged her and her mom here and then not five minutes ago, her mother was dragged out of her cell to the Divine knows where. All the horrible things that she ever heard about Nietzscheans had come rushing forward into her mind. Where was Harper? Where was her mother?
A loud bang jolted her out of her thoughts as the Nietzschean hit his hand against the metal.

"I said out."

Despite the scare tactic to get her out, Emily noted that he didn't sound angry or jeering, his voice was rather calm and subdued. Taking her chances, Emily crept to the newly opened door, never losing sight of the Dragan and dodged out quickly. She got up and flattened herself against the nearest wall facing him. She was tense as she looked him up and down; he wasn’t part of the boarding party. The first thing she noticed was that he was slightly taller than Bobby was and much more set. His longer hair was haphazardously tied back so it wouldn't hang in his eyes, yet some parts of it were making an escape.

"What are you staring at?" she asked. Her tension relaxed somewhat but her body still felt tight enough to spring into action but like she would even stand a chance if he decided to smack her one though for her 'insolence' though. She'd heard enough stories from Harper yet she didn’t like being stared at like a curiosity.

Telemachus couldn't help a grin that escaped; the kid definitely had Red's sassiness. He crouched down to her eye level and kept an eye on the child only six feet away from him. His child. Even though she wasn't pure Nietzschean, he couldn't help a strange feeling that seemed to well within him.

He motioned her with a finger. "Come here."

"No." She looked at him like he was stupid.

Telemachus pointed to a spot in front of him. "I said come here."

”Where’s my mom?”

“She’s fine. You’ll see her soon, now come here.”

Emily shook her head. She watched him incline his head before she even noticed how fast me moved towards her as he pulled her close in front of him. She closed her eyes tight and braced herself for the pain when he grabbed her chin but instead felt nothing but the light pressure from his hand. She opened her eyes a bit and watched him as he turned her head from side to side inspecting her.

Emily was a bit beyond confused now. What the hell was he doing? Surely her half-breed status wasn't that much of a marvel. Or was this just how they slave inspected kids?
He ran his hands down her arms, over blades, and pulled her arms forward.

"Flex them for me."

"What?" Emily looked at her boneblades. *When had she rested them?*

"Flex your blades. Like this." He dropped one of her arms and held his own up to show her.

"I know how!" She said becoming annoyed. Emily lifted her arms and did as asked.

"Does your head still hurt?"

"What?" Was he *trying* to confuse her? Why would he even care? "Not so much anymore," she answered cautiously.

"They took it for analysis to see what you were."

"What I am?"

"Where those blades came from,” he clarified.

"My dad's Nietzschean, duh."

"Smirk for me."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Emily pulled her hands away and crossed her arms. Telemachus laughed lightly.

"The glare will do."

Telemachus reached up and ran his fingers through a dark lock of her hair. His hair, her mother's eyes...

"What are you doing?"

"Confirming with sight what your genes already say."

"Which is...what?"

"You really do look like me."

"What do you mean I look like...you..."

Telemachus watched her entire countenance change. She seemed to deflate as she really started to look at him. Really look. Similarities, differences...what he was telling her. Trying to see the truth or lie in his words.

"If you asked me what my first daughter would be like, I didn't think she'd end up being half human."

Emily swallowed hard.

Daughter? Did he just say she was...*his* daughter?

But if she was his daughter than that would make him...her...father…

Emily looked at him in shock as he cupped her cheek in his hand. Moving her own up to rest on his wrist, she was too stunned to do anything else.

Chapter 11: Deal

"All my life I've been waiting
For you to bring a fairytale my way
Been living in a fantasy without meaning.
It's not okay I don't feel safe."
-Ancient Earth Lyrics "Left Outside Alone"

Beka paced the room waiting nervously for something to happen. She had gone from yelling and shouting to pounding on the door before starting her current anxious pacing around the room.

What the hell was going on?

What were they planning to do with them?

Where was Emily? Where was her daughter?

Did they just leave her in the cages while they "dealt with Mommy" first?

Beka tried to calm her breathing before she got too close to hyperventalating. She had no trouble imagining what the Nietzscheans who grabbed her were planning to do. It would be Avilan all over again she was sure, only this time she would be far from a willing participant. Why else would they toss her in crew quarters?

She ran her hands over her face and tried to come up with some sort of plan. The door was locked obviously, Emily was stuck in a holding cell which she had no idea how to open, and there were at least two Nietzscheans on board, most likely more that the boarding party though.

And Beka also found herself, once again, unarmed. Her gauss gun had been ripped away pretty quickly, she should have remembered just how fast those bastards were.

And strong.

If flying into a tree hadn't taught her anything all those years ago...

"Stupid, idiot Bobby..." muttered Beka. This was all his fault. Trust him to fail to mention that her cargo hold was full of Nietzschean surface-to-air missiles. Perfect. Just damn perfect. And even worse was that she couldn't even open the hold to get rid of them and get the pursuing ship to run into the dump and kill themselves.

Stupid, idiot Bobby.

She swore that if she ever got out of this alive and they ever met again, she would make him pay dearly. Her engineer was hiding somewhere, the Nietzscheans had *her* ship, her daughter was either still stuck in a cage or worse, and here she was probably going to be...Beka shook her head, not wanting to think about it. There was no way she was getting out of this one. She should have just stayed on Infinity Atoll where it was safe, none of this would have happened if she had. No Bobby, no causes, no weapons, and definitely no Nietzscheans. Then again, no Harper either unless Bobby found new transport but without her, the kid would have possible been left out on a drift to die. And no thanks to her if he got caught on the Maru, it was back to Earth for him...

"Stupid Bobby...what the hell did I ever see in him..."

Beka jumped back quickly and felt her heart leap into her throat as the door hissed open unexpectedly. So this was it huh? Her reprieve was up and now...

"Mom!"

"Emily?" Beka's eyes widened in shock as she watched her daughter run towards her. She knelt down in a daze as the child threw her arms around her neck.

"Are you okay baby?" Beka snapped out of her daze and pulled Emily back and started inpecting her for injuries.

"I'm fine, mom you'll never..."

"God damn ubers, think they rule the universe..."

"Momma, he said he's..."

"...when we get out of here..."

"MOM!"

"What? I'm right here!" Beka watched Emily raise her eyebrows and motion behind herself. Looking passed her, Beka froze again.

Nietzschean.

Big.

Tall.

Arms folded, head cocked to one side.

Beka felt a chill run down her back but rose to stand at her full height anyway, pulling Emily tight to her side.

"What do you want?"

"What do I want?" he echoed walking closer.

"Look you guys have your weapons back and I would really love to hand you over the guy who stole them from you but I left him back on Talikov," started Beka, "So why don't you give me back my ship, let us go, and go hunt him down okay? Deal?"

"Mom..."

"Not now honey."

Emily huffed and rolled her eyes in frustration before looking at the larger Nietzschean.

Telemachus laughed. "You really haven't changed much."

Every time he took a step closer, Beka took one back pulling Emily with her. He smirked at the odd, confused look she was giving him as he looked her up and down. She was leaner and taller than he last remembered, her flaming hair pulled back in curls. And her scent was just like it had been before, only more matured; but...there was something else underlying....he bit back a growl. The very stale scent of another man. He felt a twinge of something start up within him, something he didn't like.
The feeling seemed to ebb a bit once he reminded himself that the scent of another was something that could easily be remedied.

>>>

Beka tried to push out a lot of thoughts that were clouding her very confused mind. Did she really want to know what Emily was doing here? Why the hell...and why was...well okay she could think of a few reasons why the Nietzschean was staring at her like that...she was thankful that he had stopped trying to move closer to them.

Little did she know that his next words to Emily would completely floor her and bring things back that she had never expected to hear in her current situation.

>>>

She really didn't recognize him yet. That amused him. She had hardly changed in the eight years since Avilan, he on the other hand, had changed much. He hadn't thought she'd make the connection on their first meeting. She wasn't exactly looking hard enough.

She was an interest to him all those years ago and after almost a decade of double checking every single red head he came across, she still was.

Now even more-so.

She had given him a child.

Half-Nietzschean though she may be, and with a name he never would have chosen, the girl was still his. Her mother was his.

And he was bored.

"...are you even listening?"

"What?" Telemachus snapped out of his reverie to discover Beka had been speaking to him.

"Figures. Typical Nietzschean too superior to even bother listening to a kludge."

He smirked. She still hadn't lost that edge. Still went against the grain with her sharp tongue and talked back to those much stronger than she was.

"I want an answer."

Telemachus looked down at Emily. "Why don't you wait here while Mommy and Daddy have a little talk okay?"

>>>

Beka blanched. What did he just say? *Mommy and Daddy* That was...he meant...it was just a saying right? Nietzscheans did use those sayings...*right?*

It wasn't him. It *couldn't* be him.

She watched closely in trepidation as he hit her with a now all to familiar grin.

"Long time no see, huh Red?"

Beka blinked. And blinked again. There couldn't...no, no...this wasn't. Her mouth opened and closed silently as she looked between him and her daughter, and then more closely at him.

"Mom, I *tried* to tell you, but you weren't *listening*."

"What?" Beka finally managed.

"When that Nietzschean pulled my hair they tested it and..."

Beka only heard Emily's first sentence as the rest of the sound in the room faded into silence. for the first time she was looking at him. Really *looking* at him, and found that it was really no wonder that she didn't recognize him earlier. Nietzscheans really do change. The longer hair and beard were definitely a throw off as he was neat and clean shaven the last time they met. And he had put on a lot more muscle over the years. What could one expect from a Dragan?

"Mom." Beka wondered whether it was her imaginiation or if her daughter really was pushing her lightly towards the Nietzschean. Her father. Her daughter's father.

Was her child insane? She trusts him just that? No there...once Beka finally snapped out of it she found herself not in the room anymore but in the cold hallway, alone with him.

A hand being waved in front of her face caught her attention as her mind started back up and into action.

"Oh. Hi." Beka backed up only to find herself hit the solid wall behind her. "Oh god."

"Speaking of god, what in his name possessed you to call her 'Emily?"

"What?"

"My daughter, that's what."

"What? *Excuse* me? *Your* daughter? Nuh uh, no way." Beka's arm swung out to hit him, but she found herself pinned tightly against the wall with his body pressed to hers and both hands held beside her head.

"Let's get one thing straight shall we? Emily is *my* daighter. My child. I carried her, I gave birth to her, and I raised her. You even think about doing anything to her, whatever you do to kids that are half-human, I will kill you to protect her."

"Now that's the Red I know," said Telemachus.

"It's BEKA for your information, not 'Red' or any other of your stupid pet names. My name is Beka."

"Suits you and I'm not going to hurt her."

Beka snorted. "Oh really? You mean you don't want to shoot her or blow her out an airlock to get rid of the abomination? That's what you people think of them as, right? Less than human, less than Nietzschean. That they shouldn't exist?"

"Most Nietzscheans also kill their sterile offspring. The Drago-Kazov don't."

"How many Drago-Kazov do you know that take a responsibility and interest in their offspring by human females?" she countered.

"None," admitted Telemachus.

"My point exactly."

"And my point was that Nietzschean parents still love their children."

"Except if they're human. Like every pride regardless," said Beka. "What do you want with us?"

"At first to catch our weapon smugglers."

Beka closed her eyes. "I didn't know what they were."

"You didn't know?"

"I *thought* they were computers. I *trusted* the person who brought the cargo on board. If you want him, try Talikov."

Telemachus shrugged off her comment. "You and the girl were bonus. I almost didn't believe the DNA results when I saw them. But afterlooking at her, her parentage is undeniable. Who would have thought that after eight years, you'd be the one to find *me*."

"What are the odds."

Telemachus let go of one of her hands to cup her chin and raised her face so she could look him in the eye.

For everything that had changed him in those eight years, his eyes were the same. They were the exact same shade of hazel that Beka had drowned in during their daughter's conception; and his lips, the shape of his face, the sound of his voice. It really was him.

Before she could do anything else, she was slightly surprised when she felt a pair of lips descend upon her own in a light, exploratory kiss.

Realizing what she was doing before she lost herself, Beka pulled away and turned her head. She heard him make a light sound before he dipped his head to her neck and inhaled her scent.

She had once told Bobby that Emily's father was different. But now faced with the reality, was he really? Would Emily be shipped off to some camp, or trained as a Drago-Kazov killer while Beka spent the rest of her days in Telemachus's bed, satisfying him over and over again, until neither could move?

What did he want?

>>>

He would never get tired of how she smelt. There was something exotically sweet about her scent that did something to him. Telemachus also hadn't been able to resist tasting her lips again after so many years, it was the same softness of before but this time held restraint and uncertainty as she pulled away from him.

Her future was up to him. The other Nietzscheans on board weren't a problem, they'd go along with just about whatever he wanted even if they'd tried to cover it with groaning, eye rolling, and talks to get him to change his mind. All in all, the only thing they really cared about was his skills as a pilot.

Telemachus had come to a decision as he pulled his head away from Beka's neck and looked down at her.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile as he moved her face to once again look at him, "I have an offer for you..."

 

Chapter 12: The Road Not Taken

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
-Robert Frost, Ancient Earth Poet.

She was insane.

That was the only thing in Beka's mind that could even pinpoint the moment she had agreed to this. She had to be crazy. Maybe her daughter's craziness came from her but whatever the case was, she did what she had to do to get out from under the Nietzschean's grasps.
Well all except one of them anyway...

"Your ship's really..."

"Say it and you can walk."

Telemachus folded his arms on the back of the pilot's chair above Beka's head.

"You'd throw me out into space for insulting your piece of..."

"Uh uh!"

"...metal?"

"This ship isn't just welded metal for your information, it's my home. Not like you could relate at all but it is. I was born here."

"On this ship?"

"Yes, on this ship. I opened christmas present here, hunted for easter eggs, and at the Salvage Guild’s Debutante Ball it's where I...nevermind..."

"What about...E-Em...why'd you name her that?"

"Was *Emily* born here? Yes she was, helped by a strange purple woman."

"You let a strange purple woman midwife my child?"

"MY child. And it was either that or do it on my own. And in regards to MY child's name, I liked 'Emily'...what's wrong with it?"

"It's unbefitting a Nietzschean."

"She's not Nietzschean."

"She's not human either."

"Well that's her name, deal with it. Why do you care anyway? Hell, why are you even here?"

"That was the offer, I care because she's MINE...and I think I'll call her 'Em'."

Beka sighed and rolled her eyes.

Telemachus's offer.

Yep, she was insane.

Completely insane to accept it, but it was the only way that wouldn't have had them all carted off to Enga's Redoubt and into slavery. She had always hated not having the upper hand but where Nietzscheans were concerned you could guarantee to be on the receiving end of anything and everything they did.

"Well...I suppose it could start to feel homey in time, a little paint here and there..."

"You know it would have been nicer if they had dropped us off a bit closer," Beka commented changing the subject.

"The Drago-Kazov never let prisoners go so as far as anyone's concerned you dumped your cargo, we picked it up, and I vanished into parts unknown."

"Well maybe I'd be a little more grateful then if you guys hadn't of beaten the hell out of my ship."

"I'm surprised it's still in one piece."

"Harper's worked miracles before..."

"Speaking of the little stowaway..."

Beka put the Maru on autopilot and backed the chair up without warning causing the Nietzschean behind her to be jolted out of his resting position.

"Hey!"

"I want you to leave him alone," said Beka standing up and pointing a finger in Telemachus's face. "He's had enough to live with..."

"The little Earthling that could."

"And I didn't give you permission to snoop through crew records either."

"I’ve also noticed another interesting member of your crew..."

"Once again: why are you here. Why would you want to be here?"

"As I said when pitching you my offer, I'm bored. Bored of my pride, bored of the missions, bored of our enemies, it's the same old things over and over and over again. I wanted something new. Have for a long time now, and then you showed up in my life again."

Beka crossed her arms as he continued.

"So I thought to myself 'how could I use this opportunity?'"

"Typical."

"Just remember that if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be free and clear on your way to Olivares Trust right now. Just like if it wasn't for me you would have been beaten and bloodied somewhere on Avilan and you wouldn't have had that wonderful little child of OURS."

"Could you be any more full of yourself?"

"Just wait until I'm warmed up."

Beka could feel the heat from his body from their close proximity. She hadn't realized how close they had been standing or how up in his face she had gotten until that moment. She didn't want to hate him. She really didn't. A part of her still wanted to cling to that old memory of him, keeping her down, protecting her. If it ever was protection... But in a way Telemachus had once again let her get away from his Pride. The only difference this time was that he stuck around. But what worried her and became her main concern was, for how long?

"And when you're done playing house, then what?"

"I've been meaning to ask, what's with the hostility?"

"Well what'd you want me to do? Strip down on your bed and spread my legs for you?"

He smirked. "Hell of a way to welcome a guy."

"You're a Nietzschean. A Dragan. I don't trust you."

"There's more than that."

"There's always more."

"What are you so worried about?"

"You're going to hurt her."

"I told you..."

"Not physically," said Beka, "You Nietzscheans probably don't care anything about emotion but we do. And there it is. Emily's only half-Nietzschean, she'll never be good enough for you and I don't want my daughter getting attached to you only so you can leave and break her heart because all this was for you was a reprieve from your boredom. You're her father, and she's been thinking about you for probably longer than I even know about. So what’s going to happen when you turn out just like everyone else who didn’t want her?”

Beka couldn’t help the disappointment that settled into her stomach as he gave her an unreadable look and brushed passed her. She could feel her throat start to burn as well as the corner of her eyes start to prickle. What was she really expecting from him anyway?

"I told you before," said Telemachus stopping at the door and turning to take one last look at Beka. "I won't hurt her."

He could feel Beka staring into his back long after the door between them was shut. He knew he had a lot to think about and possibly do but that was life and something told him that it was important that he be where he was now.

He growled lightly as he stretched his shoulders. What was it about that woman that could make him feel so many different things at once? Feelings he couldn't put names to but felt like he should be able to. She invoked the strangest things and he wanted to know why. Though in order to explore things more fully she would need to get over her suspicion of him and his motives. Which brought him to the main cause of them all.

Emily.

Her child. His child.

And that was the thing that Beka didn't seem to understand.

Emily was his daughter. His immortality. And for some strange reason her half-breed status really meant nothing to him. That was what he didn't understand. The Drago-Kazov didn't care for their half-human offspring, so why did he?

Certain things had always felt different and as time went on he found himself becoming increasingly aware of them. His mother had always told him that those feelings would pass and subside but they never did. His ancestor, Gaheris Rhade had been Majorum some sixteen generations ago. Surely whatever traits of the dead pride had been bread out of him when the family had went to the Drago-Kazov. How that happened though...he didn't know. No one seemed to.

His real family was dead. His genetic link to the past, gone. He was taken in by Kallianax Nez Pierce as a favour. As a sterile female, she raised and protected him as her own.

But even so, it was times like these where his upbringing warred with these mysterious traits and told him that they were wrong, that he shouldn't feel them.

He shouldn't want the fiery redheaded kludge.

He shouldn't want his child by her.

But he did and that worried him. There were times when he felt like two different people...

Telemachus growled irately. He wasn't in the mood for an identity crisis today.

It was then he finally noticed where his feet had taken him and found himself starting to smirk as his mood picked up upon discovering what would make him feel better.

It was about time he became acquainted with the engineer.

Chapter 13: Impressive

"There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential."
-Rusty Berkus, Ancient Earth.

"Stupid ubers...think they're so good...I coulda shown them..."

Muttering as he worked, Seamus Harper continued to get as many systems as he could back online. He had managed to get the engines working again but the normal space trek to Talikov Drift was still not going to be fun. Hopefully he wouldn't have to leave his beloved engine room for anything now that...he shuddered.

Now that a Dragan was on board.

Not only Nietzschean but Drago-Kazov. Drago-*Kazov*.

The Pride who had ruled Earth for as long as he could remember. The Pride who had laid waste to his home. The ubers who slaughtered his friends, family, and fellow humans just because they could. The ubers who once killed millions after a revolt of their hostile rule.
The Nietzscheans who had made his life a living hell, the bastards who beat, spit, laughed and jeered as they killed his parents.

They were worse than the Magog.

With the Magog you could predict everything they were going to do to you. They'd either claw you to death, eat you, or paralyze you for infestation. The Dragans on the other hand, no matter how much more "superior" they were or how much stronger, or faster, or genetically inbred they were; deep down, they were still human. Of all the travesties in Earth's history the worst of it was always done by people killing people. And you could always trust a Nietzschean to come up with a painful and creative new form of torture while they just laughed.

A Drago-Kazov Nietzschean aboard the Maru.

Harper threw his nano-welder in frustration. He knew Beka had no choice, not really. It was either take this one on or they'd all be in slavery. And for the second time in his life he found that Beka had once again saved him from that life.

Go figure.

Oh well, maybe the Nietzschean would leave him alone. Ignore him like they usually did because of his size. A short and adorable looking kludge wasn't that much of a threat, or at least that's what they thought before they'd met his home made shrillers which were pure hell on the uber's oversensitized hearing.

Harper shuddered again.

A day ago it felt like they were never going to get away. When the Maru lost all power and he couldn't fix anything fast enough, he had been struck by the feeling of sheer helplessness that he had often got back on Earth. Watching a friend who was slower get dragged off by the Dragans as he watched from the other side of a fence or on top of a roof, unable to help.

There was nothing he could do in the short amount of time that he had.
And then the boarding party had started. He had heard Beka and Emily shouting as they were carried off, like so many others were. He had wanted to help, he really did...but what could he do?

Harper had hid himself inside a conduit and watched a Nietzschean come to inspect the engine room before he left and everything went dead silent. Nothing moved. After what seemed like hours to him, the tiny engineer had crept out and checked the situation.

He was alone on the Maru, his boss and little buddy were gone and the ship was bucky cabled to the Nietzscheans'. The only thing he could do was start to work on getting engines and weapons online while trying to come up with somesort of...something...as he worked. The work had calmed him somewhat as it usually did in hopeless situations but not enough. Harper found himself jumping at every little noise and tensing up in fear that the Nietzscheans would come back and do a follow up check. But nothing happened.

Nothing until he had actually heard the sound of footsteps and tried to run as quickly as he could to the ladder and into his hiding spot when Beka had walked through the door.

He had never been more happy to see anyone in his entire life and may have violated a lot of her personal space as he wouldn't stop hugging her. He was elated and hoped his boss had stories to tell of how she had kicked some serious uber butt and that they were all strewn bloody across their cockpit. The story he got instead made his stomach drop.
A deal with the devil, as he called it.

Which led them to having a Nietzschean on board.

And not only a Nietzschean, as Harper was soon informed of who he actually was, and why the deal was even offered.

He was Emily's father.

And Harper did not like that one bit. It just gave him one more thing to hold over Beka and Emily.

He worried for them and he worried for himself. In the past short while those girls had become his family, and he didn't like his family being hurt, especially by some Nietzschean jackboot.

"Damn Nietzscheans." Harper turned around to search for his dropped nanowelder and screamed.

The corner of the Nietzschean's mouth twitched up.

"So you're the engineer."

"Um, yeah...um...so?" Harper stumbled out. He'd been caught completely off guard and it looked as though all of his escape routes were cut off as well. He watched worriedly as the Nietzschean straightened.

Comparing him to Bobby, he was slightly taller and a bit more broad, less bulky but with the whole Nietzschean thing it just meant that he was faster and stronger regardless.

Why'd Beka have to attract them so big?
"So, rumour is you're from Earth."

"What about it?"

Telemachus shrugged and walked forward as Harper stepped back. "Just...curious really. You wouldn't have gotten a ride off of it if you weren't valuable to someone. What camp?"

"I'm a...it was...Boston..."

"Mmmmhm, never been up there. They had me stationed down in Colorado doing supply runs, I was a pilot. Two weeks down there was more than enough. They make everyone do it, it's only the sadists that stay really."

"Well lucky us then."

"Good ol' Earth, the origin of all humanity crushed under the thumbs of a race they gave birth to."

"More like a crack pot scientist with the same delusions of grandeur that you all seem to have inherited."

Telemachus raised an eyebrow. "You sure got over your shyness."

"You know, you touch me and Beka throws you out the airlock."

"I'm not going to bother with threats, that's not why I'm here and I'm sure that you've heard them all before. They're all the same really, thought being Nietzschean you'd think we'd be able to come with something a little more creative then 'do it or else'."

"Well with the size of your uber brains not likely. The overcompensation of muscle probably decreased your brain size tremendously."

Harper tried to bite his tongue but he couldn't. Why did this always happen to him? Why'd he always have to start insulting people who could snap him in half when he got scared? It was a habit with him, a bad one, one that escaped his mouth faster than he could process that it was happening again. His heart was already pounding in his chest and he was sure that the Dragan in front of him could hear it clear as day. It was probably the reason why he was laughing and moving closer to him once again. Harper's mind was working in overdrive and his eyes were searching for any route of escape that he had missed half of what Telemachus was saying.

"...from Earth, it's no wonder the engine room looks like a rat's nest."

"Yeah well...it's my rat's nest so you can leave and never come back if it's not up to your uber standards."

"That's the fifth time you've insulted me during our little conversation. Hasn't anyone told you that's it's hazardous to a human's health to insult a Nietzschean? Especially for one so itsy bitsy."

"Beka will..." Harper backed away nervously and jumped when his back unexpectedly hit the wall behind him. *Had he moved that far back already?*

"Beka this, Beka that. Beka's human...but that's not why I'm here."

Telemachus now stood only inches from Harper, staring down at the slightly shaking human as the engineer seemed to be torn between looking him in the eye with his new freedom to the old Earth standby of never look a Nietzschean in the eye.

Telemachus remembered that.

Those who were taken from the camps to be slaves and even those too frightened to fight back took the same submissive stance. Look away, bow your head, 'yes m'lord, of course m'lord'. So close to him now, the kid was fighting to assert himself on a ship that until his arrival had been Drago-Kazov free; which had meant no hiding, no scavenging, no fear.

And that was something.

"Actually..." Telemachus slammed his hand against the metal beside Harper's head, causing they boy to flinch and close his eyes tight, losing whatever semi-confidence he had and to wait for the standard beating. Telemachus laughed, "Actually I'm impressed."

Harper's eyes flew open, "You're what?"

"It's impressive. You're a short, weak, and pathetic little kludge from Earth, of all places, yet you've somehow managed to acquire a knack for engineering. So much in fact, that you've been keeping this piece of junk called a ship up and running, and actually in better running order from before you arrived. And unless I'm mistaken Earth doesn't really offer any form of higher education. Coupled with that you were able to get off that trash pit, you survived Nietzschean raids and Magog attacks, by your size alone I would have thought that you'd've been one of the earlier ones to die off. Survival and talent. That's very rare in your position so as I said: I'm impressed."

As Telemachus finished his speech he backed up to give Harper some room only to have him continue to gape like a fish.

>>>

Did he just...had he...shellshocked as Harper was his mind was still trying to comprehend what he had just heard. Had a Nietzschean, a *Drago-Kazov* Nietzschean just been *impressed* by...*him*.

There was no way that that was what just happened. Harper was sure that this was all just a crazy dream inspired by the morphine that Beka had to be pumping into his bloody limp body that lie broken in pieces somewhere on the floor. This was the result of painkillers.
Because there was no way in this universe or the next that a Nietzschean would say something nice to him without sarcasm, condescension, mockery, and the list went on. It couldn't happen.
Somehow, he managed to raise one of his hands to his arm.

"Ow!" jolting himself out of his thoughts, Harper rubbed the sore spot where he had just pinched.

That had *hurt*! So if it had hurt...wait...

Looking back up to where Telemachus had stood he found nothing but empty space as the Nietzschean had his back turned and was walking out of the engine room.

Harper made a mental note to call up the video feed later in the evening to see if the words he thought he heard were the ones actually spoken.

If they were, then...then it had to be some sort of trick. It had to be. No Drago-Kazov would ever say something like that to a kludge.

No Dragan would ever say something like that to him.

No way.

Minutes later, Harper was still standing in the exact same position.

Chapter 14: Convergence

"I believe in causality. That we each have multiple fates. And that every decision we face represents a branching of reality. As we make choices in life, we limit our possible realities, inevitably determining our final destinies."
-Trance Gemini, CY 10087

Bobby was wrong.

And it was that thought that made Emily wish that he had still been on board when they had been attacked by her father's ship. The look on his face when her dad, her real dad, came walking through the door would have been priceless.

**
"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."
**

Bobby was wrong.

Her dad *did* walk through that door. He'd crouched to her level, looked at her, told her that she was his. And he had been right. They did look like each other.

Mom was right.

She really did get a lot more from her father's side then the Valentine side. He'd even shown her the genetic scan read out and explained what everything meant.

Bobby was wrong.

Her father was nothing like he said he was. He couldn't be. He took her back to her mother, he got them away from the Nietzscheans and they were back on the Maru and now on Talikov because of him. And unlike everyone else he didn't seem phased by what she was.

Half and half.

Maybe Rev Bem always had been right. Maybe there was a Divine. And he or she or it had heard her asking to see her dad. She hadn't been asking for much, a glimpse here or there but this was so much better. Maybe she'd sit in on some of Rev's meditations when he got back and listen to him more when he talked about his faith.

Starting her search around the ship, Emily knew that her father was somewhere. She had remembered something she wanted to give him and saw him heading towards the engine room when she had run to her bunk and get it. When she came back and followed his path she found only Harper staring off into space, unmoving. She tried to get his attention, but he didn't seem to hear her.

He had to have met her dad. She remembered Harper's stories about the Dragans.

Having continued to fail to get his attention, Emily made her way to a command console and brought up the surveillance footage.

Bobby was wrong.

Her eyebrows had shot up and a smile played across her mouth as she watched. Bobby had never said anything ever remotely close to the mudfoot from Earth. He had never tried being nice to Harper, not ever.

No wonder Harper wasn't moving. The poor guy couldn't believe it.

Moving from the console she hurried down the next corridor and caught a glimpse of him walking through the mess section of the Maru en route to the cockpit. Running down the corridor, Emily caught up.

"Hey um..." she said stopping a few feet away when Telemachus paused and turned to face her. "Um...what do I call you?" she asked.

Was she supposed to call him 'dad' or would he want her calling him by his given name? She didn't know anything about how Nietzscheans raised their children or what they called their parents. She also hadn't known him at all until now so, was there a certain amount of time that had to go by before she could call him her dad?

Telemachus raised his eyebrow lightly before kneeling down to his child's height and placing his elbows on his knees.

She was his daughter.

He was her father.

What else would she call him?

"What else would you call me but your father?"

He watched the corner of her mouth lift in a half grin like his so often did.

"So, 'dad' then?"

Telemachus nodded and mimicked her small smile.

Dad.

He was a father to somebody. His genes lived on in this girl. She would be the first to continue the furthering of his line.

She would become the start of his legacy.

First Daughter.

There was a little nagging voice in the back of his head which almost caused him to frown, telling him that the others would never accept it. Telemachus pushed the thought aside as quickly as it had made itself known. It had been popping up on occasion ever since he had found out the girl's paternity. Just the thought of his family's reaction to the child. *His child.* They should just be grateful for her sole existence. Not only did it prove his virility, which had been quietly called into question by a few who had "accidentally" gone missing, but it further proved his superiority over the rest of his pride. The girl may have been half-human, but her genes were still unbelievably strong. Her mother had quite the set of chromosomes for a non-Nietzschean.

Dad.

The fact of fatherhood was still settling in for him but every time he looked at his girl he felt a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. He then realized Emily was talking.

"...and it used to be yours, mom gave it to me just a while ago but um...well, here. Mom kept it."

Telemachus narrowed his brow as he watched Emily hand over a lump of black leather. He took it in his hand suspiciously before he shook it out and held it.

An old jacket.

A small smile crept to his face as he started laughing. He recognized it now.

*Mom kept it.*

His old jacket. The one he threw Beka on Avilan after their second "meeting". He honestly hadn't been expecting to see it again, let alone his red headed closet siren to keep a reminder of him...well, besides Emily that is.

She had kept it. How interesting.

Before Emily knew what was happening she found herself roped with her dad's jacket and pulled into his arms. The eventual shock of his rapid movement gave way to the numbing euphoria that she was being hugged by her father. Her first hug from the Nietzschean side of herself.

Struggling her arms from her side she managed to get them up and wrapped around his neck squeezing as tightly as she could. She was wondering about this, how they would be around each other, if Nietzscheans showed affection for one another. Closing her eyes, she wanted to stay like this for hours. It was a lot different than hugging Grandpa or Uncle Rafe, both more gangly than muscle. Her father was solid and he was real. The warmth of him engulfed her as she made sure to memorize what it felt like just in case it was a one time thing.

When he pulled back, she found his jacket up around her shoulders as he flicked it over her and she was completely dwarfed in it.

"Why don't you keep it safe for me?"

Emily smiled and started to say something until she was interrupted.

"Emmy?"

She looked over her father's shoulder as her mother came around the bulkhead engrossed in the datapad she held in her hand.

"Harper's on a supply run, did you want to go with him?"

"Yes!" Emily's smile got wider. Could her day get any better? She liked the supply runs onto the drifts. She really did. It gave her a look at what the rest of the universe was like and how people lived, not to mention all the different species she got to see. And Harper was fun to hang out with, though whether he'd still be in his daze from early still remained to be seen.

Giving her parents one last look, the child ran towards her bunk to deposit the jacket before running to meet Harper in the hangar.
Raising to his full height, Telemachus turned his head and saw Beka giving him an odd look before she disappeared into the cockpit.
Interesting indeed.

>>>

Harper had been able to pull himself together long enough to go get the spare parts for the Maru. He had finally shaken himself out of his daze after the Dragan had left the engine room and had been commissioned by Beka to go and get what he needed to get them space bound once again.

He had compartmentalized what had happened and pushed it aside to dissect later when he had the time. Right now he would just not think of the weird Nietzschean they had taken on as crew.

He had also managed to notice that Emily was in a particularly great mood. She had had that same smile pasted on her face ever since they had left the ship. Surely she didn't like Talikov *that* much?

Stupid ubers. Why couldn't they have taken them to Olivares Trust? That way Vasily could have done a lot more for the Maru and they would have known they'd be getting good parts without having to barter for second rate ones. They had already picked up a quarter of what they needed to facilitate repairs and were now heading in search of that solenoid valve that needed replacing. Harper just hoped that they didn't run into Bobby while on the drift. Beka had kicked him off here and whether he was still around or if he'd got passage off to parts unknown (hopefully forever) the engineer really didn't care to know.

Harper smoldered a laugh. He had just realized how funny it'd be if Bobby and the new Nietzschean ran into each other. Ex-boyfriend meet Emily's father. He would have loved to set up a record-flexi so that he could watch Bobby's reaction again and again and again. Maybe the hothead would even start something and get his ass kicked through his head! At that mental image Harper couldn't help laughing out loud.

Hell, if Emily had cracked the guy's ribs...

Harper screamed as he felt himself grabbed by the shirt and slammed into a nearby wall.

"Harper!"

"Somethin' funny kid? You laughin' at me?"

Harper stared at the hulking form of a man glaring down at him.
"Huh? What? No, of course not why would I?"

"I think you ought to be taught a lesson you little midget."

"Let him go!"

Harper closed his eyes and braced himself as the man drew back his fist. The blow Harper was expecting never came. Instead he felt himself get dropped and he saw the guy doubled over holding his knee. Thank the Divine for little half-Nietzschean girls.

"Harper come on!"

Upon seeing the man getting back up, the two took off in a dead run while being pursued. The walls of people in front of them did nothing to help their escape as their adversary gained ground on them. Finally fighting their way through the crowd, Harper and Emily found themselves face-to-wall. turning around to see the lumbering hulk six feet away and closing it came as a surprise as he tripped and fell to the ground hard.

"Oh! Oh I'm so sorry Mr. Big and Scary man, I swear I didn't see you there!"

Blinking, the two looked to see a sugary voiced woman apologizing to the man who had apparently hit his head when he fell and was out cold.
"Uh, thanks," said Emily moving closer to her.

"It happens all the time, sometimes I just can't help it, I don't ever really mean to, except on certain occasions when I have to, but most of the time I don't so it's not."

"Hey Harper, do..."Emily turned to look at Harper who was staring
dazedly at the woman. "Harper?"

"Purple, sparkly babe..." whispered Harper in awe.

"Oh no, actually my name is Trance."

>>>

Why hadn't she realized it *before* she had asked Emily if she wanted to go with Harper? With her daughter and engineer off the ship it meant only one thing.

She was alone with Telemachus.

And that made her...uneasy. Uneasy in the way they met, uneasy about her feelings for him, and uneasy about the way he looked at her. One minute he was up on his high horse completely aloof and the next he was staring at her intently with a warmth laced with confusion...or at least that's what it looked like to Beka.

It didn't make sense to her though. None of this made sense to her. Their last conversation had been about Emily. She was worried for her daughter and had every right to be. Rafe always told her you could never trust a Nietzschean. Her father told her that, drift dealers told her that. Everyone did. Beka wanted to trust for Emily's sake, but she didn't want her child's heart to be the cost if Telemachus slaved them all, killed them, or walked out. She didn't even want to think about it.

Dropping the flexi on a console, she stood and walked out of the cockpit. There was work to do and she couldn't just hide away and do nothing. Well she supposed she could, being the Captain and all, but she liked to do some of the repairs. If she couldn't abate her stress with flying, she'd work it out by working on something.

The universe seemed to have been turned completely upside down since she had shoved Bobby off the Maru's cargo ramp. Everything had went haywire after that...and speaking of which, was Bobby even still on Talikov? If he was, she definitely wouldn't have minded pointing him out to her new Dragan.

Running her hands over her face, Beka nearly had a heart attack when she looked back in front of her and saw said Dragan standing right before her.

Jumping nearly a foot, Beka berated him, "You should *not* be able to move that quietly!"

"Nietzschean."

"That seems to be the excuse for everything these days."

Beka crossed her arms self-consciously. Exactly how were they supposed to act towards one another? Their first meeting had been all lust, the second was something she couldn't exactly place but there had been lust near the end most definitely, the third meeting was uncertainty, hostility, and now what? He was in her life now, her child's life, her crew's life. What were they supposed to be to each other?

Friends, enemies, co-workers...lovers? All the options had some merit to them. From everything they had experienced with one another the underlying emotion had always been want. And it still was if Beka was honest with herself. Time had definitely been good to him, and that didn't help Beka's resolve in the least. And maybe everyone was right. Maybe she did have some blind spot where he was concerned, a one time notion about a man she barely knew. Though whatever the case or his goals were he had so far ceded to her authority as Captain...but for how long?

She was just a mere 'kludge' after all, wasn't she? But wherever Telemachus was concerned, he didn't act like she expected him to. And she didn't know whether to be worried about that or not.

"I have prep work to do," she said moving past him until she felt his hand grip hers as she passed.

"It can wait."

"For what?" Becoming preoccupied with the feeling of his warm hand half wrapped in the leather of his gauntlets she failed to notice him move the rest of his body behind her until she jumped at his breath on her neck.

"A question or two."

"Abou-about what?" Beka was hit by a sudden sense of deja vu as Telemachus dipped his head into the curve of her neck and inhaled. He had done that before...

Beka yelped as she found herself spun around to meet his smirking face.
"You kept it."

"What?"

"My jacket."

Beka stared at him and gaped as she tried to figure out how he...she closed her eyes. Emily. Why didn't she just keep it in her storage locker like she had always planned to?

It was then she noticed the two hands sneaking up under her shirt. So that's what this was about. Grabbing the wrists they were attached to she tried in vain to push them away as she tried to back up.

"Okay, um you know what? I think um, that this should start out as a working relationship. You obviously have some warped notion that..."

Before she could finish, Telemachus had her pinned against the wall. A strong, muscled thigh made its way between her legs as his lips attacked hers. Her mind went blank as his tongue slid against hers as he moved their bodies together. The friction of his leg against her centre was becoming maddening.

When Telemachus broke the kiss he couldn't resist smelling her again. This time he was happy to be welcomed by her burgeoning arousal as was his growing hardness that jumped at the familiar scent.

He leaned his head down to nip at the junction between her neck and shoulder as his hands once again took up their trek underneath her shirt.

Beka groaned slightly as she bit her lip and squeezed her legs tightly around Telemachus's thigh. So good, and it could get even better...Beka's eyes snapped open. She couldn't so this now. She couldn't. After jumping out of bed with Bobby was she really willing to jump into bed with a Nietzschean so shortly after? How she could still think was beyond her but she knew she needed to say something before thought fled altogether and she found herself wrapped in nothing but his arms.

"Wait, wait, wait." She couldn't help placing a strong kiss on his warm neck before she continued. "Stop."

"What?" He asked as they came nose-to-nose.

"I can't, I can't do this." She felt one of Telemachus's hands slip out of her shirt and start to undo the buttons on her pants. She couldn't help the eager moan that escaped when the tops of his fingers skimmed about the waistline of her panties.

"You were quite willing the last time." The hand that was up her shirt finally brushed against the underswell of her right breast.

"And in case you've forgotten..." started Beka trying to ignore Telemachus and find a focus, "there's a little girl floating around here that was a result of the 'last time'."

Emily. Think of Emily. Nothing ruins the mood better than thinking about Emily. Emily. Child. Daughter. Baby. Pregnant. Conception. Sex. Telemachus. No.

"I'm sure you're on something," he nuzzled into her neck. "Humans seem to have a...preoccupation with birth control, you use sex for recreation when the rush you feel from climax is only natures way of telling you to reproduce. It's a biological stimulus that your DNA has evolved so you'll be more ready to conceive."

"Not. interested. in. another. kid." She gasped as his fingers trailed lightly over her peaked nipple.

"I'm sure something will see to that."

Telemachus roughly brought his lips down to Beka's as her stimulated body started to tingle with anticipation. A gasp was ripped from her throat as she felt a finger slide into her depths. Her hand gripped his bicep as he entered another strong digit inside of her as he stroked her slowly.

Beka's head rolled to the side allowing him to run his tongue up her neck as his strokes increased in speed and intensity. She rocked her hips hard against his hand feeling herself beginning to reach her high.
Telemachus watched Beka's breathing hitch. The reality of having her wanting him was better than the fantasies that had plagued him for the past eight years. After so long she was going to be his again. The only difference was that now he wasn't ever going to let her go. He couldn't let her haunt him again. He needed to be buried inside of her. As Telemachus stopped his ministrations and made to pull out he was surprised when Beka caught his wrist in a strong grip.

"No. Don't stop."

The command in her voice brought a pleased smile to his face as he stared into her stormy eyes. He supposed he could wait a little longer.
Crushing his mouth to hers once again, Telemachus's thumb joined the conquest as he brushed it hard against her swollen nub. Beka's movements became jerky and erratic as she thrust hard against his hand as she found her release.

Telemachus slowed his fingers until she had fully rode out her climax before removing them and placing a light kiss to her neck before breathing in deeply. Sweet and intoxicating. That's what she was.
Beka moaned softly against his shoulder as her tender apex came in contact with his thigh as he let her catch her breath between him and the wall.

Once her breathing slowed and her senses started to clear she found herself not wanting to step back into reality. It was funny how the avoidance of reality had led her to Telemachus in the first place, it had brought him into her life then but did she really want to let him in again?

She felt the pressure of his lips against hers as his tongue lightly requested entrance into the sanctuary of her mouth.
He was a puzzle to her. Demanding one minute, soft the next. She felt him wrap her legs around his waist as he lifted her off the wall and started moving them through the ship.

She'd deal with the morning after when it came. The universe could wait.

>>>

As Telemachus walked them through the Maru he left a trail of Beka's clothes in his wake. Her shirt had been the first to go, her bra had naturally come off after that. He wanted her out of her clothes by the time he reached her quarters. The pants had to wait unfortunately, though as he had planned Beka was completely naked by the time she hit the bed.

He stood at the end and watched as he let her go and she fell towards it. His eyes lingered on her pert breasts as they bounced as her weight settled on the mattress. Her legs, now bare to him held his interest as well. Long and toned, much more-so than he had imagined they'd be. He could already see them gripping his hips as he...

Telemachus groaned. No more waiting. His pants were becoming unbearable in his erect state.

>>>

Beka leaned back on her elbows as she watched the Nietzschean study her. His eyes seemed to have clouded over for the longest time. She knew she was somewhat attractive, she had attracted Telemachus the first time hadn't she? The comparative thoughts of herself against a Nietzschean woman was short lived as she watched him remove his gauntlets. As those were thrown aside she licked her lips as she watched his hands go for the hem of his shirt before he pulled it up and off, discarding it to the side as well.

She bit her lip at the groan in her throat as she felt herself dampen at the sight. She had always had a thing for bodily perfection and whether that had started before or after Avilan she didn't know, only this time she was getting to see the whole package.

He was amazing.

Shoulders, arms, chest, abs. Strong, perfect, and so definably male. Her fingers started to itch with the urge to run her hands over him, feel over every inch of skin and muscle. She swallowed hard as the rest of his clothing hit the floor and he stood bare before her.
Beautiful...and then some.

Telemachus smirked at her as he crawled slowly onto the bed, his bone blades flexed out perfectly as he moved up her body, the muscles of his shoulders stretching lazily at his languorous pace.

He dipped his head so the tip of his nose trailed against her skin. He breathed as he moved, taking in more of her scent and teasing her with the light contact. His lips grazed her naval as he continued his ascent. Moving up between the valley of her breasts he nipped at her neck before finally meeting her lips with his. He felt her feet trail against the backs of this calves and thighs as her legs parted around his hips. Her hands trembled as she moved them along his sides and stomach, up his chest and over shoulders to his arms.

Beka sighed as she felt the tip of him probe at her entrance. He rubbed himself along her wet folds before pushing inside. Her walls tensed and parted around his length until he was fully sheathed within her body.
Telemachus let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding and sighed in utter contentment. After night after frustrating night, he was finally exactly where he wanted to be. The heat from her pulsing channel sent electricity to the base of his spine. He would have her screaming and spasming around him soon enough.

Drawing back, Telemachus thrust into her hard and sharp setting the pace of his quick thrusts into her slick heat. There was time to go slow later, right now he just wanted to claim what was his and to quiet the obsession that followed him for almost a decade.

Beka's nails dug into his shoulders as she bucked against him, trying to bring him in deeper every time he penetrated her. Her muscles tightened around him causing them both to groan at the sensation. His body pressed hard against hers as their sweat mingled together.

Telemachus's tongue brushed over her collarbone before he moved down to capture a nipple in his mouth. Beka's legs tightened around his waist as the pressure on her nipple sent shockwaves to her overheated core. Switching between sucking and biting, Telemachus brushed his tongue over her once again before attacking her neck with his teeth and tongue.

Beka alternated from rubbing up his back to running her nails hard down the muscled expanse leaving red welts in her wake. She could feel herself reaching her peak and screamed aloud when he reached between them and rolled her clit between his fingers.

Beka's orgasm rippled through her body as Telemachus intensified his thrusts against the restraint of her tightening channel. Her taut inner muscles contracted around him and he finally felt himself growl his own release as his seed shot deep inside her body.

With his breathing coming out in harsh pants, Telemachus resisted the urge to collapse on top of her unconsciously knowing that she couldn't possibly support his weight. Rolling them onto the side, one of Beka's legs draped over his hip as his member softened inside of her.

He slowly ran his hand along her thigh and over her hip before placing his arm around her back and pulling her closer to him as their breathing evened out.

A deep rumble erupted from his throat as Beka's arms tightened around his chest and she snuggled into the crook of his neck drifting into a light sleep.

Brushing her hairline with his lips, Telemachus slid out of her and turned to lie on his back bringing Beka close to his side. A light smirk played on his face as he deeply inhaled the air around them.
Much better.

It was know his scent that would permeate the room, his scent that would linger on the sheets and cling to Beka's skin. The scent of their sweat born of new sex completely rid the room of the stale scent of another male.

Marking new territory was always fun. As was taking back what was his.

Chapter 15: Repairs

"Chance is the providence of adventurers"
-Napoleon Bonaparte, Ancient Earth Emperor.

He didn't know how long they'd been asleep, but it was the touch of her hand lightly moving down his chest that brought him back into conscious awareness. The lingering feel of her fingertips danced across his skin long after her hand had left him. He could feel her watching him, hear her soft breathing, hear her sighs.

Moving his arm slowly down the bed he could feel her lingering body heat still clinging to the sheets.

Telemachus could stay where he was forever. But sooner of later Emily and the midget would undoubtedly return and ruin the plan of bed and keeping Beka firmly on her back. Hell, the woman really could use it.

She had looked nothing but tense for the past few days. The only time she had actually looked relaxed was when she was sleeping against him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in a position like this. A woman curled up to his side sleeping peacefully; if it had ever happened at all.

Want. Take. Have.

That was the motto of the Drago-Kazov (right above a few other mottos).

But that one had always had the most merit and led to a lot of attacks from his people. It had always made sense from a Nietzschean standpoint. He had the proof sitting up in bed right now didn't he?

He should have taken her with him eight years ago. It would have saved him many sleepless and frustrated nights if he had...though she had been pregnant afterwards...had she been brought back as his mistress, the Matriarchs would have had it terminated. An Alpha impregnating a slave before a wife, had he wives and many children already it wouldn't have mattered; but he didn't.

An strange feeling took up residence in his chest at a few of his stray thoughts. Mistress, slave...would that have been it? Was that it? Their situation was indeed an odd one. Backwards, messed up, upside down.

Normally she'd have been serving him instead of ordering him. She *was* the Captain of this tin ship anyway, though he doubted he'd follow any of her direct orders unless they were viable to his survival. He conceded so far to her as far as the run of the ship though.

Hmmm.

He almost laughed. The only female Drago-Kazov who did anything close to what Beka did were sterile. Something she was far from...and he missed it.

He missed her pregnancy. He missed her grow large with his child, the birth of his First Daughter, her first years of life.

First words, first steps, first violent outburst.

He'd wanted Beka for years and now she was finally, rightfully his. Her ship was his territory; under his protection from others of his Pride; though with the look of the ship, it hardly needed to worry about the Drago-Kazov. Mandau Pride on the other hand, well, they'd go after anything that looked easy. Though for a clapped out old wreck, he had to admit that the Eureka Maru was more than it looked. Had it been working properly, Beka may have very well made it to slipstream and out of the system before he could catch her.

But here he was. And Red wasn't going anywhere. He resisted the urge to grin at that thought as his hand sneaked silently over the bedding towards Beka's bare back.

Maybe Cyrus was right. Maybe he was a possessive bastard. But how else was there to be?

He wanted her and with a little prodding and reminding she more than wanted him too. She could have shot him the moment he came on board but she didn't. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was getting a chance at something.

Speaking of feeling, he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. And he didn't think he liked it. What ever happened to the old days of sex, food, and fighting? What was Beka doing to him? And if this train of thought continued, what would happen to him in the long term. Would there be a long term? Of course. Beka was his.

Shrugging off all his thoughts, Telemachus turned his attention to his confusing woman as she jumped at his unexpected touch and turned to face him. He loved the feel of her skin, her back was smooth and soft and the cute, unsure look she was giving him didn't hurt either.

>>>

When Beka had awoken from her post-coital nap, the first thing she became aware of was the hard chest beneath her cheek and then the slight soreness between her legs as she tried to move.

So much for restraint.

Why was it that she couldn't stop herself from diving in recklessly wherever Telemachus was concerned? She hadn't been the one to start it this time but she'd given up on trying to resist him the second he touched her.

Why was that?

Whatever this thing was that she thought she might feel for him, she had to pinpoint it or either get over it fast. He was fire. And she was playing with it. Just the warmth of his skin made her hesitant to leave his side.

Moving carefully so as to not wake him, Beka slowly sat up, wrapping the covers around her chest as she looked down at her bedmate. It was only now that she could really observe him without him catching her gaze.

Beka couldn't help it when her hand reached out and ran itself lightly over Telemachus's tanned muscled chest. It amazed her how he could feel so soft when he looked so hard.

She sighed. What was she doing? Removing her hand, she stared ahead of her at the bulkhead as her line of thought continued. This couldn't happen again, no matter how good it might have been, or how big of an understatement that was, or how he made her feel when he was moving within her, so full and complete. But it couldn't happen again. She was resolved. But in order to do that she'd have to show some restraint.
If Telemachus would even let her.

It was far too soon to get involved again after the fiasco that was Bobby Jensen, even though their relationship seemed to have been pretty much over and done with long before she kicked him off her ship, to her anyway. And further more, crawling into bed with a Nietzschean of all people in the universe was always a bad idea.

They were possessive, their expectations for perfection were too high, and she didn't even know Telemachus's real motives. Sure he claimed they were boredom, but there had to be something else. Another reason why he was willingly separating himself from the other Drago-Kazov, for a ragtag salvage team...of all people. She wanted him to just stop confusing her. Though considering their past relations and the fact that he had fathered her child, the fact that he seemed...fond...of Emily. Beka was certain her confusion wouldn't lessen for a while.

Beka jumped when she felt something warm press against her back, turning sharply to face Telemachus she watched him as his hand traced patterns along her back, the warmth from his hand spreading up her spine, her heart rate quickening.

It definitely would have been a brighter idea to have not fallen into bed with him, what the hell was she supposed to say? Would they start having awkward silences around each other? Would she?

She was just about to open her mouth to try and form a sentence when Telmachus's hand made it to her side and unknowingly touched an overly-sensitive spot that caused her to jerk away and stifle a laugh.
"You're ticklish?" Telemachus raised an eyebrow.

"A little, why-ah!" Beka yelled as he ran his finger down her side. Giggling she tried unsuccessfully to swat his hand away as he continued with his new found discovery. Falling back onto the bed to try and get rid of him Beka soon found herself pressed into the mattress by a hard body as his lips descended on hers.

Giving into one kiss, Beka couldn't help it when she laughed against his lips. She could still feel his lingering touch against her ribs.

"You're still laughing?"

She cleared her throat. "Chmm, yes."

"Mmmm." Telemachus settled for a trail of kisses against her jaw to a spot under her ear that made her melt into him. So much for awkward silence. He breathed in her scent as one of his hands trailed down her leg.

It was that wandering hand that brought Beka out of her momentary lapse in resistance, remembering her new revelation Beka slapped the hand making its way between her thighs. "Hey! None of that!"

She was bit surprised when he laughed and didn't press like he had earlier, but instead opted to lay close to her like a large cat. His stray hand settled for resting on her hip, his thumb drawing lazy patterns.

She never ceased to amuse him. The lithe woman that he held in his arms was something else. Something as simple as making her laugh touched a cord in him somewhere, though he managed to brush it off as a comparison as a Nietzschean woman rarely laughed at anything except in spite.

"What do you do?"

"What?"

"This ship of yours, I take it's for cargo. Is that all you do?"

"Pretty much. I am a salvage runner. We find things, move things, sell what we bring in, pick up profit for those we're running for. That's life out here for us. I could have stayed with my family planetside but I missed space."

"Can't blame you. Enga's Redoubt isn't much to look at."

"It wasn't that the planet we settled on wasn't nice, but it just...wasn't home. The Maru was."

"As you said before."

Beka nodded against his chest. It was odd how they could just shift into things. "Yeah, so I took off, met some people, found Harper and did what my dad did the majority of my life."

"This was his ship then?"

"He built it with my uncle."

"Is that why you're so touchy about it?"

"This ship is a labour of love, even Harper will tell you that. Hell if it were possible to marry a ship, Harper probably would."

Telemachus snorted. "Humans."

"Speaking of, wait, what time is it?"

"The time is 16:42." Came the mechanical male voice of the Maru.
"Oh shit." Telemachus managed to grab Beka by the waist before she got too far from him.

"Hey!"

"The rush would be?"

"The rush? Harper and Emily should have been back by now that's the rush and if I'm not mistaken half of my clothes are in the corridors!"

Telemachus laughed and let her go, watching as she fumbled with her pants and boots before grabbing a tank top and running out in search of her other clothes. Lacing his hands together behind his head, Telemachus relaxed on the bed. He'd get up in a minute.

>>>

"Finally decided to join me?" Beka asked as she stood by one of the open outer doors. Telemachus gave her a half-smile before he stood behind her and looked out at the dismal port of Talikov.

"This really is an ugly drift."

"Could have taken us to Olivares."

"Sensors. Reputation. No."

Beka shook her head. She'd deal with him and what happened later, but for now she just hoped that Harper had managed to get what they needed to make slipstream. Though if the A/P valve had gone on them again, which she desperately hoped it hadn't, they'd need a replacement and finding one that didn't come from Vasily was not going to be pretty.

Though stealing a glance behind her, no, she shook her head. She wasn't going to use Telemachus to threaten a dirty merchant...or was she? All the times she had to put up with their price gouging and come on's, it just might be worth it. He was...kind of hers, wasn't he? A little of a wild card maybe, but he was under her roof, and being a Drago-Kazov he might find it delightfully fun.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You're smiling," said Telemachus.

"Oh it's um, nothing."

Beka walked behind him and paced around a bit. They should be here, unless they're still haggling or...if they got into trouble. Maybe she should have just taken Telemachus and got the parts herself...running footsteps on the Maru's ramp caught her attention and caused her to turn.

"Mom!"

Telemachus smirked as the child ran into Beka causing her to slightly lose balance as she was hugged around the middle. The kid was talking nonstop and had yet to notice him leaning against the wall beside the door. It sounded like the she and the little midget had gotten themselves into trouble after all. Pushing himself off the wall, Telemachus made his way over to his girls.

"...and then he tripped and then..."

"Beka?"

The redhead looked up as an unfamiliar yet familiar female voice called her name. Her mouth dropped open as she recognized who was calling her.
Trance smiled as she walked in with Harper. Her smile widened even more at Emily hugging onto her mother with her father right there beside them. So he was here, they did meet up. Even better.

Beka blinked and did a double take at the purple woman before her, "Trance?"

"It's so good to see you again Beka. I told you we'd meet again."

"You know her?" Emily asked with Harper coming out of his daze to ask the same thing.

"Yeah I do," said Beka moving forward to engulf Trance in a hug. "It doesn't look like you've changed at all."

"No, but you have. You really have grown, and so has Emily."

"What?" asked the confused child leaning against Telemachus.

"Ah, well she's-"

"Purple," interrupted Telemachus, giving the alien an odd look.

"Isn't she? She's beautiful," said Harper only to receive a look from the Nietszchean.

"Well maybe not to a Nietzshean, but I'm in love."

"You're always in love," said Emily.

"Oh come one, not *all* the time, but whenever a truly bodacious-"

"*She* was the midwife?"

"That would be me."

Beka couldn't help laugh. "Yeah, Trance was the one here when Emily was born."

"She was here when I was born?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Weird."

Beka's smile wouldn't go away. The look on Telemachus's face was priceless, Harper was ignoring everything but Trance, and Emily was trying not to look curious about the whole thing.

"So what are you doing on Talikov?" she asked turning to the purple woman.

"Oh just this and that. But there is something I want to ask you later when we can talk."

"We can do that now. Harper, *Harper*?" snapping to get his attention, Beka continued, "Harper, I need a full damage report on when we need and also what you got and how much you can fix with it. Repair what you can and then come talk to me."

"Uh, yeah, right, boss."

"And you two," she pointed at Telemachus and Emily, "behave and watch each other."

Telemachus crossed his arms and glared while Emily rolled her eyes.
Beka led Trance into the ship, after closing the outer hatch, and led her to the cockpit while the others just stood where they were.

"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere, Tiny?"

"What? Tiny?" Harper gave the Nietzschean an insulted look.

"Yeah, you. Repairs."

"I'm going, but you should know that I can't love straight when I'm in think."

Telemachus looked at his daughter. "Is he always like this?"

"Yup, better get used to it."

>>>

"So I was able to get most of what needed for minor damage but it'll still take a lot more time seeing as there's only one of me. Brilliant, talented, and handsome as I am, not to mention an incredible super genius, I am still only one cute, little guy," said Harper, "anywho, the engines still need a big repair job, I don't want to say replacement-"

Beka put her face in her hands.

"-I said I didn't want to say it, but I did have to jury rig a few parts to hold out for the trek here no thanks to Mr. Shoot First and Let the Humans Go Later-"

Telemachus crossed his arms and glared at Harper.

"-but the point is, the second engine will probably come apart if we slipstream and if it doesn't it will continue to fail until not even I, Seamus Zelazny Godlike Powers Harper, will be able to fix it. So the outer rims have to go as well as anything that was cracked along the fissure lines. And then there's the hole in the cargo hold-"

Beka let out a small groan.

"-that has to be patched up before we can start hauling cargo and getting paid. Though we can't repair anything unless we have creds and we can't get a lot of those if we're not working but to be able to do that we need a hold that will, you know *hold* cargo. And um...there might be a little problem with the A/P valve..."

Harper winced as Beka let out a pained groan. "What kind of problem?"

"Um, well seeing as it's been jury rigged for the last six months..."

"You can't jury rig an A/P valve!" snapped Telemachus, giving Harper a horrified look.

"Well maybe *you* can't, but it's nothing this little genius couldn't figure out. And if you don't want to take the chance with it, it might last for a few more months..."

"And kill us all in the process if it were to sustain anymore damage."
"Thank you for that Mr. Positive."

Beka groaned again as Emily patted her arm. "I don't want to fix things here. Do you know how much this will cost? How much that A/P valve *alone* will cost?"

"I know boss, but-"

"Um...I might be able to help," voiced Trance.

Four sets of eyes turned to the newest member of the Maru crew.
"Before you let me come aboard I just finished finding something for someone..."

Chapter 16: Nightsider

"As hatchlings, they literally eat their own siblings to survive. As a result, their society is ruthlessly competitive, with little or no check on even the most despicable behavior."
-Entry for Nightsiders, All Systems University Database, CY 9780

He was close.

He was so close that he could start to smell it.

A few more months, a year tops thanks to that purple girl who had the most uncanny ability to find long lost Argosy script, and he would finally have a fully salvageable High Guard ship of the line to sell to the highest bidder. This scheme was definitely better than that religion he founded. He would be swimming in luxury after selling off the Nova bombs on board one of those babies. He would finally be rich.
Gerentex grinned happily as his sharp teeth glinted in the dull light as he laughed and waited for his freighter call to come in. This was definitely his best plan yet. All the money and time he had so far put into this venture would definitely pay off in the end.

The majority of people weren't looking for the Glorious Heritage class vessels or any of the other lost ships on his list. Their existence was thought to be a myth which was all the better for him and the future gilders that would eventually be flowing his way.

All he needed now was confirmation that his ship was in and ready to haul the dutrinium he was trading to the Rogans to take over his failing strip-mining venture, not that he was going to tell them it was any less than bountiful though. He needed the money to continue to fund his newest realization.

A half and hour later he was becoming restless and fidgety.

They were late.

He hated it when people were late. The complete disregard for his business was astounding. People were idiots. So it was when the call from his freighter finally came in with less than stellar news that he started to freak out.

>>>

*"Are you sure about this Trance?"

"Of course I'm sure. I heard Mr. Gerentex muttering to himself as I was leaving about hiring some ship to take his shiny steel to some nice people who really need it for their work."

"I don't think he'll be too thrilled with fixing the Maru first."

"He could do worse. This is Talikov and I hear a lot of people talking about what a horrible place it is and how much people like to cheat the other."

"That's because it is a horrible place and people do like to cheat each other."

"Well they'd be much happier if they could all get along."

"I think you're missing the point here Trance."*

And that was the conversation that took place before Trance had ventured off alone into the drift's hub to find her previous employer, much to Harper's chagrin and desperate attempts to try and go with her for protection. His reasoning was quickly shot down by Emily when she reminded him that it was Trance who saved him the first time they met.
"Are you sure about this?"

Beka jumped as Telemachus once again came out of nowhere.

"I'm getting. you. a bell," she gasped out. She was getting tired of his voice sneaking out of the dark shadows and startling her to death. The last time which had led them somewhere decidedly horizontal.

"You're trusting a fluff-brained whatever-she-is-"

"She wasn't that spacey when she delivered your child."

"Don't remind me." He fell into step with Beka as they made their way through the ship. "You're trusting her to contact a former employer who we are then trusting to actually get this ship of yours in space again? Why would anyone do that?"

"Depends on what we have to offer."

"Which is nothing."

"Hey! This ship has pulled more weight around this galaxy than anyone. When it's in sort of top working shape it's perfect."

"And the fact that it doesn't look like much keeps most people off you."

"Most people."

"I still think this is a leap of faith. Why trust-"

"You have a better idea?"

Beka turned to look at Telemachus. After a beat and he was silent she continued. "Didn't think so. It's your fault we're stuck like this anyway."

"I wasn't the one shooting."

"Well which ever one of you did you didn't have to beat the hell out of the Maru. And that hole in the cargo bay, you could have easily lost your precious weapons or blew us all up firing away like that."
"Well you can't say we do things half assed like the majority of the prides now can you?"

Beka huffed and ignored him the rest of the way.

>>>

"Those idiots! How could they get caught like that? Doesn't anyone know how to outfly Resters anymore?" Gerentex slammed the flexi down on the desk that detailed the damage. There was no way he was paying for the Daedulus's repairs. He couldn't believe they had actually asked!

Fighting the urge to throw something, the Nightsider made a mental checklist of all the cargo ships he knew to be docked in the bay. They weren't much and the price gougers here on the drift were worse than he was. He almost couldn't believe *that* one! For the prices they were asking he might as well fix up the Daedulus.

"Why is it that all my schemes go wrong? What did I do to the universe to warrant this kind of luck? Is there no place for the little guy to make a less than honest living?"

"Um Mr. Gerentex? Helloooooo?" The unannounced voice made Gerentex grit his teeth. On second listen, he knew that syrupy voice.

Walking around the junk that fettered in his little hollow, he made his way to the main room and found the owner of the voice.

"What do I owe this visit my dear? You got paid."

What did she want now? He was busy. What could possibly be so terribly important that this little snippet of unnatural cuteness would come and see him again. He needed a cargo ship not a house call.

>>>

"I could have protected her if I wanted to," said Harper.

Emily pat him on the head and nodded. "Keep welding."

"But I'm right anyway. This is no place for a lady to be wandering. Beka could have at least went with her and took Mr. One-wrong-look-and-I'll-"

Emily rolled her eyes.

"-at least then I'd be comforted in knowing that no one would try anything in fear of having their heads detached from their bodies."

"He could couldn't he?" pondered Emily. "You know, really, like, take their heads off."

Harper shuddered at the thoughtful expression on the girl's face as she even made the motion.

"You scare me sometimes."

"I know."

"You know?"

"Mhmmm, and Harper?"

"What?"

"Keep welding."

>>>

"So this is all you do? Sit around waiting for work?"

"Seeing as I'm independent, pretty much. There's be jobs lined up sure if I sold out and got in with Quantum, but even then they'd melt the Maru down and ship me onto something larger to carry more cargo, *and even* then it could be fork lifting or maintenance. I'd never work for those corporate bastards. They're buying out all the shipping lanes to make people like me have to work twice as hard to find work."

"Then why do it?" asked Telemachus, "you said before that you could have stayed with your family."

"Did you miss the part about me missing space?"

"Surely you could do something other than salvage."

"Like what?"

She jumped when she felt Telemachus's hands on her shoulders.
"A little. bell. and. collar." She gritted out.

He had moved silently once again from one of the upper stations to stand behind the pilot's seat rubbing Beka's shoulders and arms.
"I'll try to make more noise next time. Though another Nietzschean would have heard me."

"Well if you want another Nietzschean-"

His hand snuck lightly down her shirt to rest against her upper chest, she was a little startled into silence as his thumb brushed her collarbone as he nipped at her neck with his lips.

"I don't."

"Speaking of which," started Beka again, setting her hand over his in case it got any ideas to go lower. "Any wives back home? Other kids?"

"No."

"No?" she turned her head towards his, their noses bumped together.

When had he kneeled?

"Long story." *I was obsessing over you.*

Telemachus closed the gap between them before she could ask anything more and brushed his lips over hers before leaning in deeper.

Everything about her tasted wonderful; her mouth, her tongue, and one of these days he promised himself that he was going to take his sweet time between her thighs and taste her fully.

"This um, this is something we're going to have to talk about," said Beka once she had pulled away. He didn't get to dictate the pace of this. There were two of them in this and she was going to have a say instead of having him brush up against her and having her flat in bed without her putting up much of a defense.

Maybe she should get him an electric collar. Zap him whenever he gets too close. Was it possible to train a Nietzschean? And did she really want to be having that thought again? She had already considered making him a personal attack dog to scamming repair dealers. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Hey mom!"

Telemachus's hand slipped out of Beka's shirt to rest against his side. Beka sighed and grinned as Emily wandered into the cockpit. What would she have ever done without that child? Whether she knew it or not, Emily had a great knack for wandering in and interrupting things to diffuse a situation back to a comfortable level. She had done it during business meetings when contractors were getting nasty, when ex's were getting angry, and thankfully most of the people that Beka had dealt with didn't want to cause a scene in front of a child.

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored."

"So am I," said Telemachus.

"What are you doing then?" asked Emily moving to one side of Beka to crawl into her mother's lap.

"Annoying your mother."

"He's annoying you?"

"You're both annoying me."

"What'd I do?" pouted Emily indignantly glaring up at her mother.

*You're my daughter*, thought Telemachus biting a grin, *that's reason enough.*

Suddenly raising an eyebrow, he decided to test a curiosity that just struck him. The reaction he got was Emily letting out a surprised shout that turned into a giggle as he prodded her in the ribs.

What was it with ticklish women?

"Your mother's the same way."

"Is she?"

Beka quickly caught on to the child's train of though and wrapped her arms tightly around the younger one pinning her own arms to her sides.
"Don't even think about it."

Leaning back a bit to accommodate the two struggling and giggling females in the pilot seat, completely oblivious to him, Telemachus watched mother and daughter rough house to superiority.

So this was his family.

A sharp beeping brought him out of his reverie as he and his women looked for the source. The comm continued to beep until Beka reached around Emily to hit a button on the console. Trance's face appeared on the view screen overhead.

*"Hi Beka! It's me Trance, I found who I was looking for and-hey!"*
Trance let out a little yell as she was pushed to the side and a much less pleasant face filled the screen.

*"Captain Valentine I presume? I hear you're open for a business transaction."*

Telemachus's lip curled.

Nightsider.

Chapter 17: Method of Payment

"Get in, get what you need, and get out. That's all there is."
-Ignatius Valentine, CY 10077

"It's a Nightsider."

"Who just might be our only help off this drift, if he can cut our costs for a job trade off I'm fine with it. I don't like the look of him any more than you do-" Beka ignored the disgusted look that spread over Telemachus's face as she continued, "-but if you have nothing to contribute let me do my job. My ship, my cargo, my choice. Any suggestions?"

Telemachus crossed his arms and glared slightly.

Brushing past him, Beka made her way through the ship to where Trance had led their 'guest'.

"Exhaust pipes leaking steam everywhere, rusted welding, dim lights, not to mention the thousands of credits worth of damage. Resters?"
"Nietzscheans," said Beka stepping into the room.

"Tragic. It was Resters that got my last ship. Bumbling idiots, they actually asked for compensation."

"What did Trance tell you about the Maru?" asked Beka getting straight to the point.

Gerentex gave her a gnarled smile. "Mandau?" he asked indicating the damage.

"Drago-Kazov."

His ears perked. "Really?" Looking around again and then to his repair list for the Maru. "Dragans you say? Those arrogant, inbred, trigger-happy psychopaths that destroy their targets on sight and don't leave a trace?"

"The very same, now back to Trance..."

"Were they destroyed or do I have to worry about them destroying my cargo?"

"No Nietzscheans. We're alive, your cargo will be perfectly safe once everything is repaired. I've yet to disappoint a client."

"That's all very well and good Captain...?"

"Valentine. Beka Valentine. And you would be?"

"Gerentex. Your purple friend's former employer, I see you've added her to your crew. She said you were good, but from the looks of your ship..."

"Look, I've out-flown and out-done more Resters, Nietzschean Prides, asteroid fields, ion storms, you name it, I've run it. And my track record for safe delivery is a lot higher than any of the big industries. This ship might not look like much but she'll get your cargo where it needs to go."

"Once I take care of the repairs, you mean."

Beka shrugged. "Up to you."

"There's less damage here than on my previous cargo ship. What's the least amount I can do to get us someplace more...savory?"

"I want to head to Olivares Trust, if you want to take another cargo ship from there it's your choice. Talikov isn't nearly as friendly."
"And neither is its sister drift Takilov, ever been?"

Beka ignored him and went straight to the parts. "An engine or two and the rims, repairs on some fissures, and the hole in the cargo bay needs to be patched."

She decided to leave out asking for a new A/P valve. That alone would be enough to send all clients willing pay a deposit on a job packing. She hoped that Harper could still keep it together for the journey. All they needed was to make the jump to Olivares and they'd be home free. She had never wanted to see Vasily so badly before in her life.

"And how long will the rest of the repairs take once we're there?"

"Depends on what's in and what has to be brought in. But as I said you can look for another ship to take you the rest of the way if you want. Just the repairs alone would be enough of payment to Olivares."

"And then some. Those engines won't come cheap and the trip to Olivares Trust isn't that far. If I switch to another ship you'll be getting paid extra. A lot extra."

Beka sighed. It wasn't exactly a fair exchange she knew; the repairs would be overpayment for a trip to the drift but without his help they would either be stuck or she'd have to take on a mountain of new debt, if the mechanics here would even take her on credit. If they gouged for gilders and thrones, there was no way she would be able to fix everything. Even with some of the debt paid off the Valentine credit rating, the loan officers weren't giving them anything and she wasn't about to send a transmission to Infinity Atoll asking for help. She chose this life and she would be independent. Her father had done too much for her already.

She didn't want to be indebted to a Nightsider but her Valentine pride wasn't going to let her take from her father and step-mother's flourishing business. Beka also didn't want to get into how the damage happened either. For it would lead to Bobby, the weapons, the Dragans, and Telemachus; which was something she knew Ignatius Valentine wasn't ready to hear about. She didn't want to lie to him about the damages, so keeping out of contact and managing this on her own like the grown woman she was would be what she was going to do.

It was her ship, her crew, and her choice.

"I suppose you could always...owe me one," said Gerentex waving a hand distractedly.

*Same wave length. Great.* Beka felt like mentally rolling her eyes.
"I...suppose...we would."

"A free future job in exchange for fixing your ship to get me and my cargo to a more friendly drift. One in which I could much more easily find transport to Rogeera-16. If I ever need anything, I just find you and you do what I need. Free of charge."

"As much as the difference for repair parts balance out. Once I work that off we're done."

"We have an agreement then? We seem to be each others only viable option."

"We have an agreement. Though we need to work out a contract."
"But of course."

Gerentex extended his hand and Beka grasped it to shake on their tentative verbal arrangement soon to be set in writing. What did Trance just bring her into?

>>>

"Hold on, hold on, wait a minute what? We have to deal with ratface until we get to Olivares Trust? I don't trust that guy. Nightsider's in general just scream 'we can't be trusted, why bother, just shoot us now'," ranted Harper looking at Beka with disgust for their new employer written clearly on his face.

"Would you rather be stranded here? Because I don't want to add more debt to an already high debt and have to explain it to the person paying it off."

"Huh, yeah, I'd like to see you explain *him* to your dad." Harper nodded his head towards Telemachus who just raised an eyebrow.

"Any other ideas?"

"Hard as this is, I agree with Tiny."

"Hey! I knew--wait, what?"

Ignoring the once again stupefied and staring midget, Telemachus continued. "It's a Nightsider."

"You're a Nietzschean."

"You've also got a Magog on your crew roster; when the hell were you picking up that thing and are there any species that you don't collaborate with?"

"Rev Bem is a Wayist monk and a dedicated member of this crew. He's on a spiritual retreat not due back for another month. Get used to it. And I don't deal with Pyrians." Beka crossed her arms.

"Like they'd want your help anyway. Or anyone else's for that matter."

"If you're not going to help-"

"Stand here with my mouth shut?"

"Nice to see you finally catching on."

Telemachus grunted and shook his head.

"Well one good thing came out of all this," said Trance piping up, "We're finally getting off this drift and moving to another drift so the Maru can get the repairs it needs from nice people."

"Nicer than here anyway."

Emily was watching Trance's tail swing back and forth behind them.
"Why can't I have a tail?"

Telemachus rolled his eyes at his offspring's query. "You have boneblades, be happy."

Emily lifted her arm up, inspecting them, and shrugged one shoulder. "I guess they're cool."

"You're Nietzschean not..." he looked at Trance. "What are you anyway?"

"I'm Trance."

Telemachus had to fight against slamming his head against the wall. What was with that girl? She was too...sugary. And sweet. He supposed that as long as he didn't bite her he wouldn't get any cavities. At least he hoped not. Her bubbly disposition did nothing for his nerves either.

"Look," said Beka, "I don't like the idea of owing a Nightsider anything either, who knows what he'll need next. If it's just a cargo haul it'll be fine. And we only have to work off the engines and half the fissure seals. I'm also not hearing any valid arguments but seeing as I already made the deal there's no room for discussing other options anyway. I'm just informing you all, as my crew, what will be going on. So that's all and Harper stay behind I need to talk to you about repairs."

"I'm not letting all those thieves do all the work."

"Would I ever ask you to?"

He smiled lightly. "Guess not."

Trance exited the small mess with Emily behind her holding onto her tail gently. Telemachus was about to move towards Beka and the engineer when he felt a tug on his shirt and Emily indicating that he was to follow her and the purple thing...girl...whatever. Holding back a grimace as 'Trance' started a conversation with his daughter he really started to wonder what he had gotten himself into.

Two kludges, an unknown creature, and a Magog. It had to be the oddest ragtag team of species thrown together by whatever forces he had ever been witness to. No one was going to believe him. They'd probably think he got lost and left behind on a mission, wandered through some poisonous sumac, and invented the whole thing.

His life couldn't get any weirder.

>>>

"Are you sure boss?"

"You said you could do it Harper."

"I know what I said and I *can*," he added hurriedly, "A jump or two is all we need anyway..."

"Harper..."

"I can do it Beka, I said I can and I will. I knew he wouldn't go for ordering us a new A/P valve anyway."

"I didn't list it. It would have been cheaper for him to fix his other ship than wait for a new part here. And I'm not even getting into what they might charge for one here."

"I hear you. Just getting what you sent me out for before cost us almost all we had. And everyone likes to screw the little guy. But I handled it! I did, you can send me out like that more often if you need to."

"I trust you to bring me back what I ask Harper."

"Yeah well, it's just now with Mr. Big and Scary here, you could have probably bartered them down a whole lot more."

"I know it's a dishonest world out there, but I try to be honest where I can. Expensive parts are usually where it loses out on but I don't want Emily resorting to things like that when she's older. And especially because she's part Nietzschean. Boneblades to a throat talk a lot."

"I gotcha. If daddy does it..."

"Yeah."

"But you have thought about it."

"This place brings out the worst in me."

"Odd. It seems to bring out the best in ratface."

"You can't call him that Harper."

"I can behind his back."

"Nightsiders have really good hearing."

"I'll whisper it in the engine room then. It'll make me feel better."

"You haven't even met yet."

"I know, but something just tells me that I'm not going to like the guy one bit."

Chapter 18: Reverend Behemial Far Traveller

"Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve"
-Lillian Smith, Ancient Earth Novelist

To say that he was surprised at what had gone on during his absence would have been putting it mildly. Though why he was so surprised he didn't know, as this was Beka they were talking about. But only the slight widening of his eyes and a few choice words were all the Wayist Monk gave to the new developments.

The news of Mr. Jensen's departure had filled him with a calming warmth and a silent prayer of thanks to the Divine. Beka was too strong of woman to be dependant on a man, especially one who treated every other member of her crew unjustly, including her own daughter. He was no good for Beka and definitely not father material to little Emily. It was a blessing to the small Maru family that the man was finally gone; and while he could not condone the violent way in which Mr. Jensen had departed, he was glad to finally have the crew where they should be.

At least those were his thoughts before he heard the rest of the story.

He was gone a month. Just one month and look what happened. One month and Beka got rid of Bobby only to be found by Emily's biological Nietzschean father. The child looked to be one cloud nine when she told him about it. She already worshipped him; a man she hardly knew.

Rev hoped for her sake that this would be different. That he was different. And as far as differences went, Rev was somewhat of an expert. He was Magog. His natural disposition told him to slaughter all those around him, revel in his savagery, destroy and consume the ones he had come to love. But he didn't. He chose the way of peace, embraced the religion of The Way and the one true Divine.

He was different, and during the week he had been back, there were things, differences, that he noticed in Telemachus as well.

There was something...not quite normal, about this Drago-Kazov. His actions towards everything around him weren't what Rev would have expected from another of his Pride when put into close quarters with humans and a Magog. While his own treatment of Rev was off and aloof, coupled by glares and a curling lip his treatment of the others was much more...loose.

Some of his actions around Beka were typical Nietzschean possession. He hovered, surprised her by coming out of nowhere, and was reluctant leaving her alone to anything. But there was something else in the way she held his attention that Rev would watch more closely. She was human, yet he didn't seem inclined to treat her like a slave.

Or Harper either. That had really surprised Rev. The boy had grown up on the war ravaged Earth. Magog swarms, Nietzschean raids. He was ruled over by the Drago-Kazov all his life. When he had first met Harper, the introduction had gone less than smooth. It had taken a while before the human boy stopped jumping or flinching at the sight of him and staring at him with fear and suspicion.

Telemachus tolerated Harper, whereas any other Dragan, Rev was sure, would have sent him back to Earth or carried out the execution order for runaway slaves. The monk had held his breath the other day when Harper's foot-in-mouth disease acted up and the insult was out of his mouth before his brain could catch up with it and watched in surprise as the Nietzschean, to whom the barb was flung, merely rolled his eyes. It was unexpected.

And then there was Emily. A bright spark of a girl who took wholeheartedly after her mother. Telemachus showed her more attention than Bobby ever did, and she basked in it. He'd never seen the girl so happy before. She was only half Nietzschean but was that really enough for her father? Was the fact that she carried his lineage and half his genes enough for him to accept her fully as his? He wore no double helix, no wives, was he here willingly or did the Dragans cast him out and he didn't care? There were many things Rev Bem wondered about this Nietzschean and only time would give him the answers he sought. He could only hope that this didn't turn out like any of Beka's past relationships. He, himself could only ever offer her guidance and the advice of a friend.

Turning his attention now, there was another change in the crew roster since his return.

Trance Gemini. The strange purple girl with more secrets than Tarn Vedra. No one else could see it, but somehow he could.
He knew what she really was.

And it was radiant. Beautiful. But why one of her kind would seek them out he did not know. Her reasons would only be revealed when she saw fit to disclose them. They were being led somewhere. But for why and what purpose he couldn't assume to know. But he only prayed it was for the best.

Aside now from the new crew, he was informed that the Eureka Maru now also had a new debt. One that had come about by a long chain of events that had ricocheted off each other like a shattering meteor.

The Eureka Maru was indebted to a Nightsider.

He paid the way to Olivares Trust and for repairs to the ship to get there, his cargo was transferred to another ship to get to his instructed planet on time. The other half of back payment would be whenever the 'businessman' Gerentex decided he needed another cargo ship. Rev only hoped this debt wasn't something they would regret. It had been Trance, he was told, that had led them to the Nightsider and to his deal.

Rev sighed. All things would come in time, and he would pray to the Divine for peace and guidance.

He would keep an eye on Telemachus, he may not like most Nietzscheans, but he still had the attitude. He could make either a dangerous enemy or a welcomed ally. Rev couldn't help the voice that nagged him about this man...

Things may not always be what they seem.

He would also watch Trance, the shining avatar filled now with such youth and innocence, how much of those qualities were real he couldn't tell, but he would watch her. He would watch for manipulation and malevolence. He only hoped that she was genuinely true though and had nothing but the best intentions at heart, for all their sakes.

He would continue to keep watch over Beka, Emily, and Harper as he always did; offering them his time and guidance, insightful advice and an ear to listen. They were his family and he would ask the Divine to watch over them always as they were so often in his prayers.

The universe would lead them all down their destined paths and he only hoped that things would be for the best and all mysteries revealed.

Chapter 19: Fable

"Worlds will fall and star systems will crumble.
What was known at last will have no lasting meaning.
In the rough hour of swirling vortexes.
She will rise.
And after centuries of darkened sleep;
She will wake"
-Unknown Poet, CY 71700

Kallianax groaned slightly as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
This was not what she had been expecting to hear.

Not at all.

She had hoped that her son would have been off on some deep sabotage mission or some other violent activity to bring increased status to their family's already prestigious line. But all she had heard, she knew, would bring nothing but shame.

"So you're telling me," Kallianax said slowly. "That for the past year..." she took the same stance as her only son, face perplexed thought instead of challenging. "That you've been running around with a...mongrel team of...*scavengers*...who are completely beneath you, for some aesthetically pleasing kludge and her half-breed child?"

"I--"

"Tell me if I got that right."

"Emily--"

"Telemachus, tell me if that's right."

"Yes. It is."

Kallianax was silent for a minute. "Are you *trying* to break your mother's heart?"

Telemachus dropped his arms from their crossed position and shook his head. She was taking this exactly as he thought she would.

"She's your granddaughter."

"She's a kludge. Her *mother* is a kludge. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to us if it gets out that you've actually willingly bonded with this girl? You're lucky you have such loyalties in this Pride. What the others didn't say about your little 'vacation' has saved this family a black mark. A humiliation! I'm your mother. I can't have any other children. What you do reflects on me."

"It's not like your genetic worth will be questioned. And why should mine anyway-"

"It shows you're soft. If you embrace them, you pity them. How can you be an effective field leader if you sympathize? Your triumphs brought glory to our family, showed them that a sterile female could still raise a champion and now you do this. When your father's seventh wife died I took you in as my own. Why would you do this to me?"

"She's my daughter."

"Mistakes happen. There are half-breeds all over the galaxy, children by kludges, tainted blood. They're not worth counting, just because you ran across...it...doesn't mean you have to take it in."

"If you'd just look at her genetics-"

"No I won't."

"-if I can produce a child with that kind of DNA with a human-"

"So now they're human."

"-albeit her mother's genes aren't half bad-"

"I didn't hear that."

"-just think what they'd be like full Nietzschean."

Kallianax shook her head and laughed mirthlessly, nearly painfully. "You're destroying all of your chances here Telemachus. You can't possibly be thinking of keeping them. Don't do this. Don't throw away all you've worked for for nothing. Because that's exactly what you'll do if you leave again. You're not in the field, you're not anywhere. You might as well be dead to us."

"Don't say that."

"It's true! And you know it too! What you need to do right now is forget about those kludges and settle down. Mariska is looking for a husband. Her genes are pure and strong. You'd be beautiful together. You're also a genetic reincarnation. Proof that it can be done. Your children have the highest probability of being a reincarnation of Museveni himself! The Matriarch's have said it, everyone thinks so. Yet you don't marry. You just don't-"

Kallianax gave an aggravated sigh. This whole thing must be his hated Majorum genes acting up. They lived side by side with a multitude of species. They were un-Nietzschean. Maybe it was an inborn trait. It had been delightfully dormant for years but now a damn child's in the mix. She would almost prefer the mother to be Sabra. At least then it wouldn't be a blatant tragedy. Disappointing yes, but not as embarrassing as half kludge.

If there was one thing a Nietzschean loved more than themselves it was their children. They were the future of a line, the legacy of a name.
Why did he have to start behaving oddly now?

Maybe she didn't have to tell anyone. She was an amazing liar already; and there was no point in telling anyone what Telemachus was really doing behind their backs. He was already set; she knew that once he made up his mind about something he saw it through. She'd never been able to talk him out of anything before so why would she be able to now? And truth be told, she had really grown attached to him. What had started out as her cute little experiment had turned into her son. The baby boy whose lineage had nearly given her a heart attack had become an amazing fighter and pilot, whose victories brought praise from all, and was now a man who was set to break her heart in two. Everything she had thought he'd become was now gone. If he left back for that little tramp and urchin that stole him away from his Pride then that was it.

Saying anything would tarnish the Nez Pierce name. They would become fools drenched in their own over superiority and stupidity for allowing a child to be brought in with no Drago-Kazov lineage. Telemachus would be known for nothing but abandoning the Pride. Everyone would be too stubborn to think loyalty to ones child because it shouldn't matter. Kludges weren't people.

Kallianax dropped to the couch behind her and rubbed her temples. The boy was always a headache, as much as she had come to love him she now understood why co-wives were such a wonderful thing. The new childless ones made great baby-sitters and even the ones with children took turns dropping them off and watching others.

"I knew you were bored but this is ridiculous."

Telemachus grinned. He knew he had won. Moving towards Kallianax, he knealt in front of her and rested his forearms on her knees.

"You *can* always write me," he said.

She snorted.

"I don't...I don't know why I'm doing this," he said, "but I have to see where it goes. I want to watch her grow. There are a few pictures on the flexi; she looks like me."

Kallianax ran her hand through his dark hair and trailed it down his face. He took her small hand in his larger one and kissed the palm.
"I'll be in touch." Kissing her hand again, Telemachus got up and left.

*She looks like me.*

She sighed.

Telemachus looked so much like his biological mother. Dark hair, hazel eyes, fiery glint and Kallianax wished, not for the first time, that he had truly been hers. For one thing he wouldn't have thought twice about marrying a few females.

Snorting she picked up the flexi beside her and played with the edges. Fanning it, she got up and decided that it was time again to fabricate yet another story.

>>>

Beka groaned as she finished going through the mail that had just come in. Among the assortments of junk that Trance seemed to thrive on, the letter from her dad asking them to visit soon,

*"Aw come on! You mean we're not going to Infinity?"

"That's right Harper."

"It's because of the Nietzschean isn't it?"

"You got it."

"Can you imagine that meeting?"

"That's why we're not going."

"But I could-"

"No, Harper.'*

And then there was the cause for her groan.

A summons from Gerentex.

Yes, she still owed him half the payment from the Maru but after a year and nothing, she was starting to think, and hope, that he had forgotten about them and their debt.

There was nothing in his letter about the job either. She would have preferred to know what she was getting herself into before she met with him in order to formulate a Plan-B. Upon seeing how skittish Gerentex seemed to be on screen, she was more than a little worried about what he wanted them to do. A Plan-B would be good just in case. Or when dealing with Nightsiders, maybe even a Plan-C.

She didn't like shady dealings and if he was trying to do some sort of drug run she'd get the money somehow and pay him off her back. Forget working it off. She wasn't into that sort of thing, and she couldn't think of anything else that could turn out a pretty profit like he was hinting at.

"Something is troubling you."

Beka glanced behind her and gave Rev a small smile.
"Gerentex called. Seems we owe him one now."

"Gerentex...that Nightsider you spoke of."

"Yeah."

"Has he informed you what we will be carrying?"

"No, he was kinda on the cryptic."

"Mmmmm, but we are still going to find out I presume?"

"As soon as everyone gets back."

Harper had taken Trance down to Dreigal-Six in an attempt to find some...thing...that he needed for yet another of his contraptions. She didn't even attempt to understand his quickly-spoken excited rapid fire explanation of the thing but if he found it, she was sure that he would show it to her.

And then there was Telemachus. He had gone back to Enga's Redoubt for some...familial loose ends she supposed. She just hoped he didn't bring a Dragan task force back with him.

*If he comes back.*

Beka sighed. This last year had been trial and error with them, trying to find a rhythm that worked between them if they were to have...anything really. And she had learned that he was more than just a pretty face; which hopefully he had gotten the same impression with her.

"You're thinking of Telemachus."

Rev's statement didn't phase her in the least. The Magog almost always tended to know what she was thinking about at any given moment.

"That obvious?"

"Why wouldn't he return to our wayward little family?"

She could hear the smile in Rev's voice and couldn't help one of her own from forming even with the insecurities and anxiety that he might not show up and just vanish from their lives forever. It was a big universe, their second meeting was a fluke. If they parted ways now she knew they'd have a big chance of never seeing each other again.

"How about some pretty little Nietzschean flashes her boneblades at him?"

Rev nodded. "What you-"

"Time!"

"15:54," came the Maru's male voice.

"Half an hour," said Emily dropping herself in Beka's lap, "until Harper and Trance get back and then another hour for dad."

Beka smiled into her child's hair. The faith she had in Telemachus was unfathomable. Where it came from, Beka could only guess but she supposed it had to do with a child's need to trust completely in her parents. Her mother was more cautious though. She didn't want Emily's faith to be so cruelly shattered like hers was. Beka knew all to well what it felt like to be walked out on. It was a constant in her life, all starting with Talia. She could never again call the woman 'mother'.

Hopefully Telemachus would be back like he promised. She'd been disappointed by so many already and it was something that she didn't
want her daughter to have to suffer through. Not if she could help it.

Beka kissed Emily's temple and tried to shut out her worries. She had managed to ignore them this long so what was an hour longer?

>>>

An hour and a half later Beka was tapping her fingers incessantly on the edge of her chair. He was late. But then again anything could have happened. Resters, ion storm, problems with the other Dragans. A multitude of things. A marriage.

Not that she cared though. Even with the year that he'd been with them, he could have still changed his mind. She might be a little fond of him but that was it. Really. Sure she was used to him now and the sex was amazing but that was it. His presence was more for Emily than anything else.

A beeping on the console brought her out of her thoughts and with it a breath was released. It was funny though. She never thought she'd be relieved to see a fighter bearing Drago-Kazov markings. Letting the smaller ship dock neatly, Beka was up on her feet and heading to the cargo bay.

Familiar heavy footsteps filled her ears as she walked in and found the missing Nietzschean already stalking towards her.

"You actually came back," Beka stopped and put her hands on her hips.
"What can I say? You've grown on me."

As soon as he came within arms length of her, Beka found herself pulled towards him and lifted to eye level. Her arms going instinctively to his neck and shoulders as his lips met hers in a demanding kiss.
"Is that a hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"I know I'm late."

"So an apology? Didn't know Nietzscheans gave those out."

Telemachus snorted. "Think what you will."

"Anyway we have a run to do so if you could put me down..."

"It can wait." His lips skimmed her neck.

"It's from Gerentex."

Gerentex. Telemachus stopped. Where did he know that name from? Creasing his brow he finally got it and growled while he dropped Beka back on her feet.

"The Nightsider."

"Came to collect."

"After all this time?"

"Hopefully it won't be that bad."

"You killed the moment."

"Dad!"

Beka laughed at his frustration as Emily killed the 'moment' even further.

Telemachus hauled the girl over his shoulder and gave Beka a pointed 'this isn't over' look before taking off with their child as she went on about how everyone left her with nothing to do.

>>>

Olivares Trust was neutral territory. Beka was comfortable there and she was known. Who could ask for a better meeting spot. Though looking over the table at the Nightsider she still didn't like the meeting. Period.

"How familiar are you with history Captain Valentine?"

"Well enough, get to the point."

Gerentex grinned. "Three hundred years ago, the Commonwealth and the Nietzscheans waged an utmost brutal war..."

>>>

"He wants us to what? Are you serious?!" Harper was practically salivating when she had first broached what they were heading to salvage, his eyes had nearly popped out of his head when Beka had handed him the flexi.

"Beka are you sure this is wise?"

"Not like we have a choice. He needs salvage work and this is salvage. We're also working off debt here remember? We were also offered seven percent of profits and he didn't have to do that."

"Well he was right to!" said Harper reading over the last bit of information. "This is the event horizon of a black hole we're talking about here! The equipment we'd need for this job alone..."

"Covered. Gerentex is getting us fitted with what we'll need tomorrow. After that we head for Hephaistos."

"This is insane."

"Think we're all going die huh? That's a great attitude to be going into this with." Telemachus glared at Harper.

"Regardless we're going."

"Man, can you imagine what just seven percent of the moola we rake in is going to be? I'm going to be swimming in women and silk wall hangings. This is it, this is really *the* big score."

"And it's pretty too," said Trance.

>>>

Bucky cables away attached to stationary metal. Reverse engine thrusts and a big bang in the engine room and it was finished. As Beka brought them about, the pride and glory of the old Commonwealth sat perfectly still for them out the cockpit window. The salvage of a lifetime.

"Ok, I would just like to say, for the record, we rule," said Harper staring out at the magnificent ship.

Telemachus crossed his arms and snorted.

"I've seen better."

"Hey would you mind not ruining the moment here?"

Telemachus rolled his eyes. He had seen better. There weren't many who had been graced with duty in the Tartarus System but he had. 53 captured High Guard ships. Their AIs fully awake for the past three hundred years and entirely unpleasant. Their scientists were only now getting the handle on the technology to erase the artificial intelligences. The AI on this ship would probably still be still active as well...unless the blackhole's gravity completely messed with the internal systems.

Gerentex's eyes glittered as his mouth was set in a toothy grin. This was it. What he had spent the last few years coming to realize. All his dreams would finally be coming true and he would finally, *finally* be rich. Rich!

Letting his thoughts wander to everything he would be able to do, he stared out the window with the rest of the Maru crew at the Glorious Heritage class Heavy Cruiser.

Pride of the OldCommonwealth.

The *Andromeda Ascendant*.

go to the Sequel: Glass Shards

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