Sorry it took so long
Jun. 30th, 2003 01:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
itsallovernowOk, Blue Eyes, Chapter 3B, followed by Chapter 4. I promise the actual plot is forthcoming. I'm trying to set the stage, and I'm betting that much of this will be scrapped in the final story. All mistakes are my own, obviously. It's really rough and beta free and the earlier chapters can be found here:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3A
Sorry it's unfolding kind of slowly. I think I'm in a little over my head.
Chapter Three B
It was hardly a bar anymore, nothing like the place full of dancing and drinking and kissing that D’Argo remembered. Dust covered the floor and the dancing boxes had been shattered. Vials of the compatibility serum remained, scattered over what was left of the floor. In the back, though, a few tables had been set up and one of the perfect Sebacean specimens doled out drinks to the weary patrons.
“You gotcha yer choice of fellip nectar, fellip nectar and something that tastes like pure aviation fuel,” said John, gesturing at a table. “Once you get past the slime, they’ll knock you on your ass. Everything else gets brought in from the city and well,” he shrugged in unhappy acceptance and D’Argo just nodded.
“Fellip nectar is fine,” he said. “But bring some extra glasses.”
John turned away, heading to the bar, ignoring the stares of the other patrons who were still uncertain about seeing the Royal consort walking amongst them.
His friend looked the same, moved the same, had the same incomprehensible sense of humor, and if D’Argo was right, watching him transfixed in the workout room, sixteen cycles of stillness had done little to lessen the draw of Aeryn Sun. Thinking of Lo’Laan, wincing at the sharp pain her memory still brought about, D’Argo understood. You didn’t simply shut love off. He had learned that over and over again with Chiana, and with Jothee. Loss and betrayal could always be overcome by the heavy ties of love, no matter how much you struggled against them.
John returned, putting the bottles of fellip nectar down next to the small, cloudy cups and sat back in his seat, eyeing D’Argo. He shook his head.
“Damn, D. I don’t even know where to start.”
D’Argo nodded solemnly, unsure himself. So he removed his flask from his coat, pouring the strong Luxan grain alcohol into the tiny glasses. The two men grinned wryly at each other, the ritual remembered, and tossed back the shots. John shook his head, trying to still the ringing in his ears, and D’Argo slapped him heartily on the back.
“Welcome back, my friend.” John gasped, sputtering, trying for a smile.
D’Argo poured another round, enjoying the strong burn of the liquor, it’s ties to his home and his current existence, the nights he’d stayed up with Aeryn, passing the flask back and forth. He’d rarely asked the ex-Peacekeeper which nightmares were keeping her awake, and she returned the favor, never mentioning Jothee or the damage he’d done them, referring to Chiana only when they’d been in contact. That he loved Aeryn’s daughter more than life was the only thing that allowed for her to ask about Chiana whenever she wanted.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Anix,” he finally said casually.
“Yeah. She’s a great kid. Got a hell of a right hook though.”
D’Argo snorted as John continued thoughtfully, “I suppose she gets that from her mom.”
“It’s not all she gets,” D’Argo muttered. “She’ll argue with a roasted trelkez if she thinks she’s right, and she wants to be a soldier. She sees it as some sort of glorious existence.” D’Argo downed another swallow of the liquor, “She’s lived her whole life on the run in the midst of this war, and she still wants to be a soldier. Only Aeryn’s child could fail to see the irony in that.”
John seemed to take this all in, and he finally said softly, “Sometimes, all kids want is to surpass their parents, to be what they are but better, to live up to them. ‘s hard to let that go.”
D’Argo sighed heavily. “Aeryn will never allow it. She’ll lock the girl up first.” He looked at John, uncertain whether to say this or not. “Anix is all she has left. Death and her daughter, and Aeryn will do anything to protect her.”
John’s eyes filled with something inexplicable. “I think I get that. Katralla is pregnant.”
D’Argo raised an eyebrow, and John lifted the side of his mouth shaking his head.
“Nah, they implanted her to make sure that she could conceive, that she’d be pregnant when she took over the throne. No one bothered to tell me this until it was a fait accompli. Only one of the many supremely fucked up things about this empire.” He raised the bottle of fellip nectar to his lips, taking a healthy pull.
“Is she still unconscious?” D’Argo asked.
“Yeah, and here’s the kicker. All this advanced technology, being able to freeze dry us and thaw us out intact and 80 cycles young, and they can’t figure out how to wake her up without terminating the pregnancy. The machine’s malfunction did something to her and her body is focused on sustaining the fetus. They can’t wake her up unless they abort it.”
D’Argo felt a tug of sympathy for his friend. Crichton had chosen this life as the best of a series of wretchedly bad options, and D’Argo had in fact encouraged it, speaking of a new chance to have a life free from pursuit, a life of family and safety and power and the chance to make a difference. And now Crichton was here, in a totally different existence that didn’t resemble any of his choices. D’Argo understood how he felt.
John finished his drink, and rolled the bottle around in his hands and D’Argo waited for the inevitable.
“Anix, um, she’s.” He stopped himself, “ Aw crap, man, I don’t know how to ask this. I don’t have any right to ask you who her dad is. I guess it shouldn’t matter. I guess I should just be glad that Aeryn stayed alive, that she had a kid, that you’re alive, damn that I am. I’m afraid to ask anymore questions.”
D’Argo laid a hand on the human’s shoulder, meeting his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, and caught sight of one of the few remaining palace guards heading towards them. He was followed by Kerven, one of the squad’s newest recruits. Neither Sebacean looked happy. John, seeing his expression, swiveled around to see what was going on.
The guard wavered between John and D’Argo, finally deciding his loyalty lay with the Royal family, and announced imperiously, “The empress would like to see you now,” he twitched his head to the side to indicate D’Argo, “Him too, I suppose. She’s already summoned Captain Sun.”
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3A
Sorry it's unfolding kind of slowly. I think I'm in a little over my head.
Chapter Three B
It was hardly a bar anymore, nothing like the place full of dancing and drinking and kissing that D’Argo remembered. Dust covered the floor and the dancing boxes had been shattered. Vials of the compatibility serum remained, scattered over what was left of the floor. In the back, though, a few tables had been set up and one of the perfect Sebacean specimens doled out drinks to the weary patrons.
“You gotcha yer choice of fellip nectar, fellip nectar and something that tastes like pure aviation fuel,” said John, gesturing at a table. “Once you get past the slime, they’ll knock you on your ass. Everything else gets brought in from the city and well,” he shrugged in unhappy acceptance and D’Argo just nodded.
“Fellip nectar is fine,” he said. “But bring some extra glasses.”
John turned away, heading to the bar, ignoring the stares of the other patrons who were still uncertain about seeing the Royal consort walking amongst them.
His friend looked the same, moved the same, had the same incomprehensible sense of humor, and if D’Argo was right, watching him transfixed in the workout room, sixteen cycles of stillness had done little to lessen the draw of Aeryn Sun. Thinking of Lo’Laan, wincing at the sharp pain her memory still brought about, D’Argo understood. You didn’t simply shut love off. He had learned that over and over again with Chiana, and with Jothee. Loss and betrayal could always be overcome by the heavy ties of love, no matter how much you struggled against them.
John returned, putting the bottles of fellip nectar down next to the small, cloudy cups and sat back in his seat, eyeing D’Argo. He shook his head.
“Damn, D. I don’t even know where to start.”
D’Argo nodded solemnly, unsure himself. So he removed his flask from his coat, pouring the strong Luxan grain alcohol into the tiny glasses. The two men grinned wryly at each other, the ritual remembered, and tossed back the shots. John shook his head, trying to still the ringing in his ears, and D’Argo slapped him heartily on the back.
“Welcome back, my friend.” John gasped, sputtering, trying for a smile.
D’Argo poured another round, enjoying the strong burn of the liquor, it’s ties to his home and his current existence, the nights he’d stayed up with Aeryn, passing the flask back and forth. He’d rarely asked the ex-Peacekeeper which nightmares were keeping her awake, and she returned the favor, never mentioning Jothee or the damage he’d done them, referring to Chiana only when they’d been in contact. That he loved Aeryn’s daughter more than life was the only thing that allowed for her to ask about Chiana whenever she wanted.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Anix,” he finally said casually.
“Yeah. She’s a great kid. Got a hell of a right hook though.”
D’Argo snorted as John continued thoughtfully, “I suppose she gets that from her mom.”
“It’s not all she gets,” D’Argo muttered. “She’ll argue with a roasted trelkez if she thinks she’s right, and she wants to be a soldier. She sees it as some sort of glorious existence.” D’Argo downed another swallow of the liquor, “She’s lived her whole life on the run in the midst of this war, and she still wants to be a soldier. Only Aeryn’s child could fail to see the irony in that.”
John seemed to take this all in, and he finally said softly, “Sometimes, all kids want is to surpass their parents, to be what they are but better, to live up to them. ‘s hard to let that go.”
D’Argo sighed heavily. “Aeryn will never allow it. She’ll lock the girl up first.” He looked at John, uncertain whether to say this or not. “Anix is all she has left. Death and her daughter, and Aeryn will do anything to protect her.”
John’s eyes filled with something inexplicable. “I think I get that. Katralla is pregnant.”
D’Argo raised an eyebrow, and John lifted the side of his mouth shaking his head.
“Nah, they implanted her to make sure that she could conceive, that she’d be pregnant when she took over the throne. No one bothered to tell me this until it was a fait accompli. Only one of the many supremely fucked up things about this empire.” He raised the bottle of fellip nectar to his lips, taking a healthy pull.
“Is she still unconscious?” D’Argo asked.
“Yeah, and here’s the kicker. All this advanced technology, being able to freeze dry us and thaw us out intact and 80 cycles young, and they can’t figure out how to wake her up without terminating the pregnancy. The machine’s malfunction did something to her and her body is focused on sustaining the fetus. They can’t wake her up unless they abort it.”
D’Argo felt a tug of sympathy for his friend. Crichton had chosen this life as the best of a series of wretchedly bad options, and D’Argo had in fact encouraged it, speaking of a new chance to have a life free from pursuit, a life of family and safety and power and the chance to make a difference. And now Crichton was here, in a totally different existence that didn’t resemble any of his choices. D’Argo understood how he felt.
John finished his drink, and rolled the bottle around in his hands and D’Argo waited for the inevitable.
“Anix, um, she’s.” He stopped himself, “ Aw crap, man, I don’t know how to ask this. I don’t have any right to ask you who her dad is. I guess it shouldn’t matter. I guess I should just be glad that Aeryn stayed alive, that she had a kid, that you’re alive, damn that I am. I’m afraid to ask anymore questions.”
D’Argo laid a hand on the human’s shoulder, meeting his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, and caught sight of one of the few remaining palace guards heading towards them. He was followed by Kerven, one of the squad’s newest recruits. Neither Sebacean looked happy. John, seeing his expression, swiveled around to see what was going on.
The guard wavered between John and D’Argo, finally deciding his loyalty lay with the Royal family, and announced imperiously, “The empress would like to see you now,” he twitched his head to the side to indicate D’Argo, “Him too, I suppose. She’s already summoned Captain Sun.”
