|
|
| (45 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| [[File:Cover-Transcend-firstedition.jpg|200px|thumb|right|First Edition Cover]] | | [[File:Cover-Transcend-firstedition.jpg|200px|thumb|right|First Edition Cover]] |
|
| |
|
| The second book of the 6-book Princes' Game series covering the Chatcaavan War. | | The second book of the 6-book [[Princes' Game Series |Princes' Game series]] covering the Chatcaavan War. |
|
| |
|
| ==Publication Data== | | ==Publication Data== |
| Line 23: |
Line 23: |
| *https://mcahogarth.bandcamp.com/album/some-things-transcend-princes-game-2 | | *https://mcahogarth.bandcamp.com/album/some-things-transcend-princes-game-2 |
|
| |
|
| ==Synopsis==
| |
| ===In a Nutshell===
| |
| Having been sent away due to his very presence being a threat to the Emperor's power, Lisinthir bows to the necessity of leaving, but he isn't happy about it. What's worse, he's being pursued by factions hostile to the Emperor, and his ride contains [[Vasiht'h|two]] [[Jahir Seni Galare|xenotherapists]], the ''very last'' kind of people he wants to see.
| |
| ===Chapter One===
| |
| [[Vasiht'h]] and [[Jahir Seni Galare|Jahir]] are awoken in the middle of the night by a comm request. It's the [[Liolesa Galare|Eldritch Queen]]. She brushes off concerns about them being ill-attired and submits a request: go to meet the former Alliance Ambassador ad'Chatcaavan Empire at the border. He's carrying critical information that may help the Alliance win the inevitable confrontation with the Chatcaava. Vasiht'h guesses he needs therapy as well, and the Queen elaborates that he's been in the Empire for almost a year. Shocked, since their last communication with said Ambassador was right before he freed the slaves, refusing to leave. Then, the Queen names him: [[Lisinthir Nase Galare]]. She implores them to go with all speed and will count it as a personal favor if they do. Jahir accepts, and the Queen signs off with an invocation to the Goddess and Lord. It takes them a moment to recover from the shock, but Jahir moves to pack and Vasiht'h moves with him. The Glaseah makes a joke that Jahir doesn't laugh at, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
| |
|
| |
| The ship taking them to the border runs at [[Ship Technology#Well Drive|Well's Deep]], and Jahir senses the strain the ship is under, getting them to the station in under a day. They disembark and are met nearly immediately by Admiral [[Alon Levy]], who guides them to the ''[[UAV Quicklance|Quicklance]]'' while speculating on why the Chatcaava sent the Ambassador back. When they get on, they are met by [[Triona Borden|Healer-assist Borden]], the senior and only medical officer on board, who guides them to their cabin and leaves. They settle in, and after briefly inquiring about Levy, Vasiht'h asks if Jahir ever knew Lisinthir. Both had assumed that the Ambassador left after freeing the slaves, but now they wonder why he stayed and how he survived. Vasiht'h decides to see about tea, and Jahir gets started on the information on data tablets left for them, which calms them. The information is from the Ambassadorial Service, detailing that not only did Lisinthir stay and not be punished, but he also freed another, larger group of slaves several months later and negotiated several treaty amendments, but was either silent or bland as to his methods. Appended to the end was a curt statement from a [[Laniis Baker|Fleet Intelligence agent trapped in the court harem]]: that he had befriended the Chatcaavan [[Queen Ransomed|Slave Queen]], and through her learned a lot of how politics operated. She warns that he won't come back the same, and to prepare for that. Noting a lot of talking around subjects, Vasiht'h notes that the appropriate security clearances will become meaningless once they lay a hand on Lisinthir.
| |
|
| |
| The next day, they try to do what research they could, with Vasiht'h trying to find Chatcaavan culture information on the u-banks while Jahir re-reads correspondence with the Ambassador. Jahir laments that they didn't say much to each other, and can't get much of Lisinthir's personality. They pour over the words and phrases used. Jahir reflects on the idea of sending a Glaseah to the Chatcaava, but Vasiht'h accidentally provokes a defensive posture from Jahir when he remarks offhand that he wouldn't want to go. When pressed, Jahir first remarks that Vasiht'h was afraid to go, and Vasiht'h expounds on the possibilities of the Ambassador's state as to why. When Vasiht'h asks again, Jahir remarks simply that he's an Eldritch, only explaining (under further questioning) that the "bad business" with the Imthereli lands would make Lisinthir have something to prove or be resentful, plus he's a touch-telepath among violent people. Further, he emphasizes that Lisinthir's observation about the Chatcaava may have been through touching and therefore taking something of the Chatcaava into himself. Finally, in contrast to Jahir himself, Lisinthir went into the Empire ''alone'', and is therefore most likely to have significant psychic trauma. Jahir then reveals that he has a touch of the Galare pattern-sense so that he can say that his own pattern-sense had kicked in the moment when Vasiht'h involved them in a Fleet case long ago. It's possible that the Queen offered Lisinthir to the Alliance as the best opportunity to effect a positive outcome in a conflict to come. It's also possible that they may be sacrificed to effect this outcome.
| |
|
| |
| The two meet Captain Raynor, and Vasiht'h asks him if he knows anything about the politics among Chatcaava and the past ambassadors. Jahir asks who sent the Ambassador back and why, and Raynor guesses he got too good. Both Jahir and Vasiht'h wonder how, but before they can speculate too much, there is an alarm: They are in range of the escort, and it's under attack.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Two===
| |
| Lisinthir wants to be alone, since he's exiled from the one thing he'd unexpectedly found, and that may aid his recuperation from alcohol and hekkret addiction and not eating enough to keep himself healthy. He's having withdrawal symptoms and generally feels horrible when the floor drops out from under him, and he eventually deduces the ship is under attack. After grabbing some weapons, he heads to the bridge. Entering unnoticed, he's able to discern some information before being directly addressed by the ship's captain, who admonishes him for not being below. Lisinthir, however, asks why the vessel is under attack: presumably to kill him, but to what end? Especially since the people who he knows would, Second and Third, are both dead. After an officer reports that they're aiming to breach, Lisinthir offers to find someone to question and is dismissed. With a purpose, Lisinthir draws his sword and goes hunting.
| |
|
| |
| Judging by how their ship is now involved in the battle, Jahir judges that the Ambassador is still in play to the Chatcaava. He and Vasiht'h are called to go with a boarding party to fetch the Ambassador, and Vasiht'h goes with him. Jahir is given a weapon and the two go over the Pad to the cramped Chatcaavan vessel, with the fight in progress. They don't attract much attention, but they do take some wounds as they run into Chatcaava. In the cargo hold they find Lisinthir, savagely fighting Chatcaava. During the fight, Jahir notices that Lisinthir is talking to his enemies, and possibly torturing them by cutting off wings and hands. Jahir calls for him, and Lisinthir grabs him by the shirt, and makes as if to kiss him, but stops, refocuses, and asks who Jahir is with an accent. Vasiht'h implores them to go before the Chatcaava take an interest in the Fleet ship they came on.
| |
|
| |
| Disoriented, Lisinthir tries to figure out who this strange Eldritch was since he hadn't extracted the information he needs. Seeing a Glaseah pulls him from his narrow focus, and he sees all the Alliance citizens. Duty bids him go with the uniforms, though he finds himself chafing at using Universal again. Taking the rear, he notices this strange Eldritch and the Glaseah moving together as if tied together. When they finally reach the Pad, Lisinthir hesitates, since that would mean he is exiled for good. He crosses over into the impersonally clean and wrong Fleet vessel, and demands to be taken to the bridge, though he has to say it twice since the first time he defaulted to Chatcaavan. Once there, he asks who they're fighting, then how many fighters there are, noting briefly that the other Eldritch and his Glaseahn companion followed him. When he figures out the ship configuration, he orders the Captain to flee, since there are too many fighters for that vessel, so there must be another hidden one. The ship rocks, and as he tries to warn them of the coming danger, he loses consciousness.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir ignores Vasiht'h's panic as he helps the Seersa load the Ambassador onto a pallet, following her out of the bridge. He notes that Lisinthir is borderline emaciated, skin an unhealthy grey, and his hair growing brittle near the roots. Getting to the clinic, he helps the Seersa load Lisinthir into a halo-arch. The readings indicate multiple drugs coursing through the Ambassador's body, something the Healer-assist was not trained for. Jahir flips through the medical test results as he, Jahir, and Borden discuss Lisinthir's horrid condition and Jahir asks for some additional tests, asking the others to expose the Ambassador's wounds. He notes the alcohol abuse and some strange lung damage along with his digestion being damaged. Suddenly, the lights fail, then switch to emergency lighting. Borden exits, and Vasiht'h implores Jahir to sit. When he does, they try to make sense of Lisinthir's condition, then Vasiht'h asks for and receives a hug.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Three===
| |
| Lisinthir flashes back to a time when he and the Emperor idly talk about Chatcaavan fighters. The Emperor learned trust in the Navy, and also tells Lisinthir of the micro-cultures within Chatcaavan society and the difference between Throneworld culture and Navy culture. Unlike himself and Lisinthir, the Empire "exists... between the winners of the last battle and the losers preparing for the next match." As such, he constantly has them against one another to distract them from destroying greater targets. Setting the Navy versus the system defense forces won the Emperor the throne. However, the Emperor elaborates that while he could unify the Chatcaava against the Alliance, the plunder distribution would splinter the Chatcaava and leave them prey to an Alliance victory. Back to the original point, the Emperor tells Lisinthir that the fighters exist not to destroy ships, but to deliver pilots to board the ships.
| |
|
| |
| Lisinthir wakes, immobilized under the halo-arch. He notices someone else in the room (the [[Triona Borden|Seersa]], who is obviously injured) and that the room is lit only by emergency lighting. When the Seersa checks the readings on the halo-arch, she is surprised as she notices him being awake. Lisinthir attempts to get information from her on the attack, though when he asks about how many boarders got on board, he instead gets how many Fleet personnel died (four). Still, this tells him some useful information: they aren't after prisoners, so they were after some political aim, and were probably trying to reduce the amount of personnel that could work on repairs, which meant that reinforcements weren't numerous. Attempting to get more information from Borden causes her to ask why he isn't curious about his own health, and from there he gets the names of the people who are in primary care of him: Jahir and Vasiht'h. Lisinthir briefly speculates as to who summoned them on his behalf before learning they're xenotherapists. He doesn't want ''fixing'', nor does he need it. So, to appease Borden, he asks her to tell him about his health and prognosis.
| |
|
| |
| Vasiht'h and Jahir are in their quarters, getting a rundown on the situation from the Captain; the engines are down, and the chief engineer was one of the fatalities. Raynor also informs them they ran not toward the border, but further into border space, though within patrol routes for Dusted Fleet ships. With a suggestion that the two of them get some sleep, he leaves. Vasiht'h, via the mindline, asks Jahir's opinion, and he agrees that they would be best served by attempting sleep. They do, but have uncomfortable dreams, then rise to spell Borden.
| |
|
| |
| However, the patient was not in the clinic. He'd apparently been released roughly two hours ago, and the two wake Borden to figure out why. It seems the Ambassador talked the healer-assist into letting him leave the clinic, which seems initially absurd to Vasiht'h before he's reminded that said Ambassador has been living by his wits in the Chatcaavan Empire for nearly a year. They go to track him down.
| |
|
| |
| Unsure of what to expect from his House cousin, finding him lounging in a chair with his feet on the coffee table wasn't it, particularly with something smelling sweet and acrid in the air and alcohol in a tumbler by his elbow. Vasiht'h assumes drinking, but Jahir also remembers the lung damage and suggests smoking. They are invited inside, and Jahir has to suppress his first powerful instinct to dress down Lisinthir since he is acting as a therapist, not as one Eldritch noble to another. Lisinthir asks for his name, and when given it, throws out a comment about possibly seducing Jahir's mother, tangentally Imthereli's fiscal/familial troubles. Resisting the attempt to make the conversation about himself, Jahir tells the Ambassador that he should be in the clinic, and takes Lisinthir's tumbler before he can drink again. When the Ambassador asks about Jahir's next move, Vasiht'h interjects that they were sent to see to Lisinthir's mental health, and Jahir emphasizes that the Ambassador is in dire health straits. Lisinthir continues to resist, and Jahir finally gives up and fights Lisinthir on the ground of Eldritch peer to Eldritch peer. Finally, Lisinthir gives a little, and suggests portable medical equipment. Jahir emphasizes that he submit to treatment, and Vasiht'h clarifies ''physical'' treatment when they both feel the Ambassador's mood shift from relaxed to violent. Lisinthir relaxes, though notes that Jahir is taking the brandy with him, and kicks them out.
| |
|
| |
| The two take a breather from the battle, Jahir unsettled that the shared background of Galare noble heirs was used against him. Vasiht'h tells Jahir that Lisinthir will probably just disable the genie in his room, but Jahir suggests disabling it entirely, citing the Ambassador's evident issue with food, his body, and alcohol. The two agree that he needs help.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Four===
| |
| Lisinthir finds himself surprised that Jahir had actually carried off his tumbler. Having finally felt comfortable, he reflects that he had not had not respected fellow Eldritch, and the last Eldritch he'd met that wasn't a dragon in an Eldritch seeming was Bethsaida, who was a captive and at a really low point. He assesses his experiences with this new Eldritch, counting in his favor his spine and fire of spirit, and also reflects on the deeply hidden yearning and desire in this other Eldritch. Curious, since the Seni Galare scion would be quite the prize, he wonders if he has a wife, why he's in the Alliance, and also about this Glaseah who is permanently yoked to him. Idly, he wonders further why Jahir left the homeworld and what would have possessed a Glaseah to accept any Eldritch, much less this one, into his life and mind.
| |
|
| |
| The door chimes and in walks Captain Raynor, with Lisinthir moving to a more respectful pose than with his feet up on the table. Taking the seat vacated by Jahir, Raynor introduces himself and asks why the Chatcaava want him, considering he was just sent away. Lisinthir opines that there are now factions within the Chatcaava, and the faction after him has some use for him, also that the ship was disabled specifically so they could buy time to search for it. Agreeing with Lisinthir that repairs are going to take time, Raynor asks if the Chatcaava are going to realize they fled toward them instead of away, and Lisinthir remarks that it would be a surprise, though also that the other ship is probably destroyed and two ships are now in pursuit of him. At his request, he gives the Captain an education in the capabilities of the ships they left behind.
| |
|
| |
| Borden informs Vasiht'h and Jahir that the Ambassador won't be able to use the genie anyway, since the ship is going dark. Borden offers them some food via protein bars (Vasiht'h declines) and asks them how their patient is doing, saying further that she doesn't have the experience necessary to handle him since the Ambassador hasn't internalized that he's ''post''-traumatic yet (and Jahir agrees via mindline). Borden happily volunteers to help with physical stuff, but also notes that the Captain is going to want reports on how the Chatcaava work, since they might all die and the Captain can get off a high-speed buoy to Fleet repeaters. Jahir brings up the portable medical equipment, and as he gets it, Vasiht'h notes that he can sense thoughts Jahir has that he doesn't want to share, wondering what category these particular thoughts fell under, since he knew some of that fell under [[Family (Fiction)|his feelings]] regarding [[Sediryl Nuera Galare|Sediryl]]. He also figures that Jahir is attracted to Lisinthir, and can't imagine what kind of scandal this would be back home.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir checks the equipment, and Borden emphasizes that even though the clinic will get priority, the equipment should be used sparingly. Jahir assents, but expects that the Ambassador will crash significantly when his body finishes metabolizing whatever he's taking (and Vasiht'h sends that he might still have some with him). Borden logs them out and sends the on their way with the equipment and a sack of protein bars. Vasiht'h feels the unspoken thoughts like a clogged drain, but counsels himself to patience while they get to their own room and he looks at the protein bars, again lamenting the lack of kitchen to make food in. Jahir agrees, but elaborates that he'd also like to be away from here, specifically because he might be the wrong person for this particular case since he and Lisinthir are too similar in rank and family. When reminded that the Queen suggested it might do Lisinthir good to be connected with the person he was speaking to initially, Jahir says that the Queen doesn't personally know ''him'' and thusly doesn't know his issues and how they might interfere. Vasiht'h hugs Jahir, then volunteers to take the Ambassador case solo, but Jahir declines, saying they can do it until they get back to Alliance space. Vasiht'h then pushes a protein bar onto Jahir, and finishes the one he started earlier.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Five===
| |
| Flashback: The Emperor, Lisinthir, and the Slave Queen are lying on the balcony after a session, the former in between the other two and the fall. The Emperor reveals to Lisinthir that the Throneworld is not the Homeworld, and they came here to conquer, especially since spaceborne industry is a huge undertaking. However, the Slave Queen tells of other stories, specifically religious ones, which leads to a conversation about the Chatcaavan religion: The [[Living Air]]. The Emperor says that the Chatcaava worship themselves now. Lisinthir wonders how the Empire is kept unified, and the Emperor tells him that while he holds everything together with the Navy, previous Emperors have not. He offers that separating into different political entities is a possibility. He foresees it not changing, and on that note, Lisinthir wakes.
| |
|
| |
| He is experiencing pain in his gut, something that's happened before and would inevitably pass, and idly wonders when he will be checked up on. Some time later, enough that the sweat has cooled on his skin, his door opens and Borden dives for him. She admonishes him and openly regrets not keeping him in the clinic, though Lisinthir charms her some with a joke. Studying the results of a diagnostic, Borden moves to call "his specialists" and he excuses himself to the bathroom. By the time Borden's finished her call, he's back in the room and affecting ease. Borden is glad that he's not her patient, and he laughs as the therapists enter. Vasiht'h is skeptical when Borden reports that she found him collapsed. Lisinthir again attempts to be charmingly obtuse, when Jahir finally comes into the frame. He's silent, but does give a very subtle tell in the form of a stiff finger across the back of the tablet. Borden excuses herself and leaves.
| |
|
| |
| Vasiht'h comments on Lisinthir's ability to divert attention from things he doesn't want to discuss, guessing it helped him among the Chatcaava. Since they haven't earned him sharing anything, he gives a non-answer that draws on the Glaseah living with an Eldritch. Vasiht'h calls him out since he's doing it again, telling him they can't help him if he doesn't let him (which assumes he wants the help). Vasiht'h continues that he is free to seek other counseling (or not) when they get back to Alliance space. In the meantime, Vasiht'h offers to separate medical and mental treatments. Lisinthir frames this as them letting him go, which strikes Vasiht'h as suggestive, but Jahir breaks in, noting that therapy requires consent of the participants. Going back to the physical ailments, Jahir administers some fluids and vitamins, and after Vasiht'h inquires as to Lisinthir's condition and if he has anything to share, Jahir wonders aloud if the Chatcaava will find them. Lisinthir tells them that the longer they drift, the worse their odds are, and they leave after saying they'll check back in a few hours. Lisinthir is put off by what seemed like an easy concession, but then goes for his luggage.
| |
|
| |
| Outside the room, Vasiht'h asks Jahir for the next move, since Jahir was feeding the Glaseah lines throughout the encounter. Jahir talks over his plan: to reenter the room in about 15 minutes since the equipment has detected Lisinthir's headache, and he figures that whatever Lisinthir has, he's going to use it. Jahir's objective is to get a sample of whatever it is that Lisinthir is using to medicate himself since they're currently fighting symptoms only. This is worth damaging their tenuous relationship since whatever the substance is is ''currently'' destroying his alimentary canal, and is preventing him from retaining fluids. Vasiht'h is horrified, and agrees to reenter the room. After some offhand comments and laments that there aren't enough cookies in the world for their current situation, they reenter via medical override.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir immediately spots the brown cigarette, telling Lisinthir he's come for it. Lisinthir attempts to bait Jahir (and Vasiht'h cautions Jahir about it), then takes another drag. Jahir grabs the cigarette, and Lisinthir grabs him and pulls his arm behind his back with a speed "honed by...violence". Jahir waves off Vasiht'h via mindline, since he can feel Lisinthir's utter calm through their skins. Lisinthir reclaims the cigarette, then eases up, apologizing that the response was out of proportion to the insult. Jahir, however, asks for the drug back, but Lisinthir refuses. Channeling the anger from [[Mindline (Fiction)|fought addiction]] before and seen its effects, he hooks Lisinthir's foot to cause him to fall. He loses a moment, and finds himself on the ground with the Ambassador on top of him, pinning his forearm to the floor with his knee, and that there are suddenly knives. Jahir finds himself disturbed by how peaceful he feels when Vasiht'h intervenes, and the Ambassador releases Jahir's throat and pushes his palm against the ground very deliberately, shivering. After Lisinthir makes sure to differentiate his fear from Jahir's in Eldren, he rolls off the other Eldritch and apologizes to Vasiht'h in Universal. The Glaseah objects to the Ambassador wearing claw-knives, of all things, in the Alliance but Lisinthir objects that he's only been in the Alliance for a few days, and Jahir chimes in that [[Even the Wingless (Fiction)|he sent the claw knives]] to the Ambassador.
| |
|
| |
| Briefly, Jahir loses the difference between the mindline and reality, and mentions to Vasiht'h's concern that Lisinthir pulled the blow. Lisinthir mentions that he almost didn't, but also is standing considerably far away from either of them as Jahir attempts to get up and apologize for his role in the encounter. However, Vasiht'h is looking at him like a stranger, and Lisinthir approaches him like he's some wounded animal. He reaches out to touch Jahir, then stops, completing the motion when he sees something in Jahir's eyes. Jahir asks him what he sees, and he replies "A man who doesn't know himself... and wants to" in Eldren. Vasiht'h, tense, suggests they both go to the clinic, Jahir for his wrist and Lisinthir to be fed by a halo-arch, and Lisinthir not only acquieses, but gives Vasiht'h the cigarette he and Jahir had fought over.
| |
|
| |
| Lisinthir watches Vasiht'h help Jahir up, noting that Jahir seems like he's a masochist. He isn't sure how Jahir is going to deal with that when faced with Eldritch noble culture, plus is aware that Vasiht'h, the asexual Glaseah, won't be able to help Jahir with these particular needs. At the clinic, he allows himself onto the second halo-arch and notes Jahir and Vasiht'h talking without words before it finally spills into audible words. Jahir asks if the head or gut is bothering him and Lisinthir answers that it's both. Jahir starts to get into a further examination but is prodded by Vasiht'h to let the halo-arch finish its examination. The two talk more without words, then focus on him, with Jahir emphasizing that he isn't absorbing nutrition. Lisinthir brushes this off since it isn't immediately killing him. Jahir asks what the cigarette is, and Lisinthir tells him that it's hekkret, with this preparation being theraputic. Jahir guesses that some preparation of the same drug is poisoning him, guessing that the smoking is forming a limited immunity. Thanking Lisinthir for giving the drug to them, he gets an AAP and administers to Lisinthir a painkiller. Stating that his liver can't handle much more and that he needs some way to manage the pain, Lisinthir suggests a lover, but there is no one available. He is asked if he has any STDs, and deflects, saying he'd be surprised to have one. Jahir agrees, and Lisinthir lays down as bid, wondering both what he would do about Jahir's problem and why he was considering doing anything about it. He admits to himself a fascination with Jahir's dichotomous nature of being both a healer and fighter, Eldritch and xenophile. Further, he finds himself very much wanting to dig under Jahir's surface and pry out whatever he finds.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Six===
| |
| Vasiht'h is extremely grateful that Jahir was too busy with his own thoughts to have an inkling into his, as they are thrashing about all over the place. He knows Lisinthir pulled something out of Jahir that, had they seen it in one of their clients, they would have referred to a specialist for sexual dysfunction. Vasiht'h is inclined toward referring Jahir himself to one of those specialists, but they are very far away from any of them and tied to the man who had fomented this crisis. To Vasiht'h, it feels like the Goddess is holding Her breath.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir suggests they return to their room to rest, mentioning that he feels tired. Vasiht'h agrees, thankful that the distance he's feeling from Jahir is a result of Jahir pushing himself away and not him specifically. They're almost at their room when Borden shows up and makes a request: since they're xenotherapists and the crew has been under a lot of stress lately, could they see the crew to help alleviate some of the strain? Jahir agrees for them both and asks for details, and in the listening Vasiht'h feels the mindline socket back into place at the cost of hearing exactly how bad the ship and crew are right now. He offers to start now, and Jahir asks to see someone sleeping, though in the mindline he wonders at the ethics, since none of the crew has granted consent to this treatment. When Vasiht'h brings it up, Borden solves this by getting permission from the Captain to act as a blanket consent, and the two join hands and begin.
| |
|
| |
| A few hours later, they've made it through four total crew members, and they both feel healed by the experience. Borden says she'll return if it has an effect, and heads out. They prepare for bed, but Jahir surprises Vasiht'h by hugging him and seeking comfort. Even after Jahir is asleep, Vasiht'h remains awake, the anxieties echoing in his mind. Aware that he himself is not able to help Jahir, he goes to seek someone who can.
| |
|
| |
| Flashback: Lisinthir is between the Emperor and the Slave Queen, with the Slave Queen on top. Lisinthir gasps that he's being slain by the Emperor's attentions, but the Emperor credits that to the Slave Queen. She demurs, but when Lisinthir gently chides her, he senses her regret: it's sometimes difficult for her to hear such words of personhood when they've been denied her all her life. The Emperor suggests they move to their sides to continue the discussion, and they do. The Slave Queen tells Lisinthir that females do not give pleasure, males take it. The Emperor chimes in that there are no words in Chatcaavan for sexual organs or what one does with them, no language to describe, explain, or request what they do with each other. When asked by Lisinthir if she still wants this, the Slave Queen quickly reassures her that she does, but explains that this lack of words subjugates even the thoughts. Lisinthir, incredulous, then offers to teach her how to request what she might like in bed, and the Slave Queen mulls this over while the Emperor and Lisinthir banter a bit. The Queen decides she wants to learn, and asks the Emperor for permission, but he turns it back on her. Delighted, she opts to do so, but to focus first on the male parts so that Lisinthir can teach her what she'd like them to do with her. They spend several hours learning (from Lisinthir's otherwise neglected tablet) the Universal words for their body parts, with the Emperor encouraging the Queen to reveal her specific preferences and details about them, with the Queen shifting to her Eldritch form so that Lisinthir can better map terms to anatomy. After, the Queen asks whether the Eldritch have terms for parts such as that, and Lisinthir realizes suddenly that they don't, since the Eldritch speak of such things only in metaphor. The Emperor: "It seems we all shared this thing in common, then. We learned the language of pleasing one another--" Said in deliberate Universal, "--together."
| |
|
| |
| Lisinthir wakes, feeling painfully lonely but hale, and knowing exactly why his subconscious dragged up that memory. He is, however, unsurprised when his door chimed and the Glaseah is there alone. Vasiht'h says he needs Lisinthir's help but is unsure if he can trust the Eldritch, and when pressed, asks if he needs to elaborate. Lisinthir expresses a desire to drink, and Vasiht'h briefly therapizes at him before apologizing. Instead, Lisinthir offers Vasiht'h the drink, who accepts and tells him that Lisinthir knows why he's here and the problem at hand. The two talk around the specifics of the issue (Lisinthir out of a mild intrigue) before Lisinthir states that Jahir is a virgin. However, Lisinthir doesn't see the problem as a problem. Vasiht'h says that Lisinthir broke Jahir's self-conception and calls him out on deflecting, which Lisinthir replies that he's doing it because Vasiht'h is accusing him of alone of emotional destruction. At Vasiht'h's horror, Lisinthir goes for his flask which he offers to the Glaseah, then asks him what Vasiht'h wants him to do about Jahir. Vasiht'h offers that he could talk to Jahir about sex, but reacts poorly to a gentle verbal parry, and so Lisinthir hugs him, offering the flask again. After checking his assumptions that Eldritch do not like to be touched (but Lisinthir, in particular, does), Vasiht'h drinks and leans into the hug. Lisinthir notes to himself that to protect is also within him, and he embraces the Glaseah as a stand in for everything he'd sacrificed to save. Noting Lisinthir's sadness, Vasiht'h asks why protecting and comforting seems to make him sad. Lisinthir deflects, saying no one on the ship has earned that level of intimacy. He encourages Vasiht'h to send Jahir, and that he'll make an effort. Vasiht'h thanks him and leaves, and Lisinthir considers drinking before going for the hekkret.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Seven===
| |
| Jahir wakes before his alarm and wonders why. Seeing Vasiht'h sleeping next to him reminds him of [[Mindline (Fiction)|Mercy]], in addition to everything else going on. Though he's still tired, he gets up and decides to analyze the hekkret. That reminds him of interactions with Lisinthir, and Lisinthir's aggression, which makes him miss a step but he keeps moving, ignoring whatever it was that made him falter. After about a half-hour of examining the drug by itself, he feels a bit better balanced and goes to check on Lisinthir
| |
|
| |
| Lisinthir, however, surprises him by smoking the hekkret openly. He looks not only relaxed, but decadent, and Jahir asks him about drinking but he says he isn't. Instead of responding to Lisinthir's bait, he starts running the tests he came there to run, being dismayed at the results before realizing that Lisinthir was under the influence of hekkret at that moment and running more tests. Lisinthir keeps looking at him, however. Jahir is a bit put off, but asks Lisinthir to place the wand by his head, noting that unlike other Eldritch, Lisinthir doesn't touch him but is very careless about doing so. Then, Lisinthir goads him into conversation about himself and Eldritch catechism, turning it into a conversation about healing that isn't Lisinthir's own. When Jahir asks for clarification, Lisinthir mentions that this wasn't going to work and tries to push off the conversation. Jahir presses, and Lisinthir tells him he was asked to talk to Jahir about sex. Baffled, Jahir asks what prompted him to that subject, and Lisinthir tells him "Say 'whoever' and ask again." The fact that Vasiht'h, of all people, asked Lisinthir blows Jahir's mind, and his thoughts race as to what could compel his brother beloved to ask a stranger to intervene when Lisinthir touches him, commanding him (gently) to stop. Lisinthir goes on to say the Glaseah was only worried he couldn't help Jahir himself, and in wondering why Vasiht'h chose Lisinthir, Jahir realizes Lisinthir is still touching him. Lisinthir says that he likes touching, but also that Jahir doesn't want Lisinthir to ask permission to do so, and wants him to take it. This resonates in Jahir, and when Lisinthir says that he doesn't rape the innocent, Jahir asks if he rapes the guilty. Before he can go more than a step down that path, Jahir pulls himself away, retrieves the wand, and leaves, his mind reeling with whatever made Vasiht'h ask Lisinthir, of all people. Feeling a headache come on, he buries himself in work.
| |
|
| |
| Feeling this situation with Jahir entirely ridiculous, Lisinthir goes to find something to do and seeks the captain in the engine room. Once there, he sees the Captain at work attempting to fix the ship's massive Well drive, and the Captain detaches himself from the work so that Lisinthir can ask him if there's anything he can do to help. Enthusiastically, the Captain tells him that he can get his experiences and information on the political and military situation within the Chatcaavan Empire onto a form that can be sent out as soon as they're safe or about to be captured, since that is the most valuable asset he has aside from his own self. After receiving a reassurance that they'll get out of the situation, Lisinthir departs to do just that, reflecting on how very little the Alliance knew about the Empire before he left, and how much he was told was also wrong. When he reaches his quarters, he wakes up a data tablet and begins with a broad political analysis.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir is disturbed from his work by a protein bar being brought by Vasiht'h, also discovering that he's cold. The Glaseah had talked to Hea Borden about their clients and suggested they might see more. When Jahir wonders why they wouldn't, Vasiht'h tells him he's been up for a long time, ribbing him with a cute story of him falling asleep during a client's dreams. When asked if he was closer to finished, Jahir wishes he was, since the Ambassador's health could fuel academic papers. Vasiht'h wonders at his use of Lisinthir's title, and Jahir uses that to ask why Vasiht'h asked Lisinthir to help him. Vasiht'h says he'll say later, and encourages Jahir to eat. He begins to, then realizes that he had left Lisinthir's room without administering a solution. Vasiht'h picks up on his alarm, and they rush off to find the Ambassador slumped on the table. Thinking there's no time, Jahir takes Vasiht'h's hand and reaches for Lisinthir, using their mind healing technique to calm Lisinthir's seizure. When he wakes, so does Lisinthir, who asks them (initially in Chatcaavan) what they're doing here. Vasiht'h supplies that they were assisting his seizure, and Jahir asks him if he has any more hekkret so that he can use it, supervised. Lisinthir does, and the Glaseah goes to get it. Jahir takes responsibility, since he didn't realize that Lisinthir was taking three sedating drugs, and his body has grown used to being on all three when he's now on less, it could kill him. Jahir briefly laments a lack of sample then tells Lisinthir about the supervision, which Lisinthir moves into if they administered some medicine to him. Vasiht'h explains that they have a technique to help with seizures, but misses Lisinthir's sudden menace, which only grows as Vasiht'h tells him it's a mental touch. Lisinthir balks at this, since they hadn't asked his permission, and Jahir doesn't say what he saw while inside the Ambassador's mind. Lisinthir kicks them out with mere words, sending them fleeing for the safety of their own rooms.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir takes this moment to reveal that he's turned on by violence, which is why Vasiht'h had asked Lisinthir to talk to Jahir about carnal matters. Jahir tries to wave off Vasiht'h's concern, saying he can simply discipline himself against his desires, but Vasiht'h counters that said discipline often gets to the realm of repression, and they share a smile about the gentle reproach. However, Vasiht'h maintains that Jahir doesn't need to be fixed, though the Eldritch doesn't say anything to that. Vasiht'h moves the conversation onto what they will do since they need to still take care of Lisinthir, and Jahir admits he isn't sure how to regulate the dosings before saying that he needs to apologize for the mental invasion. Vasiht'h reiterates that this was the fastest way to treat the seizure, though Jahir speculates that, while Lisinthir may not be suicidal, he isn't necessarily trying to stay alive. Jahir goes for a nap, and Vasiht'h goes for a walk. As Jahir lies down, though, Lisinthir's memories -- of blood, violence, and unexpected and abundant love -- come back to him, and he wonders aloud what happened to Lisinthir in the Empire.
| |
|
| |
| Lisinthir doesn't chase down the two, which he counts as a victory, because he dearly wants to hurt something. Jahir, who should have known better given Eldritch mores, seems like a good target, but then he laments that the only thing he could hurt was himself. He changes out of Eldritch clothes and into Chatcaavan ones and lights up a roll before falling into a memory of scratching the Emperor's cornea while the Emperor was on top of him. After a brief discussion about now knowing the Chatcaavan word for cornea (and, thanks to the Slave Queen, guessing there is no direct Eldritch word for it), he hisses and calls the Emperor a bastard though playfully. The Emperor looks at the wound he caused, and shrugs off the Slave Queen's call for the Surgeon but does ask her to run a bath for them. When she leaves, Lisinthir checks one last time on the Emperor, who tells him he's fine and that he'll check with the Surgeon tomorrow if it hasn't resolved itself by then. Lisinthir laughs, noting they're both unwilling to admit to pain. The Emperor, once he hears the water going, asks if the Alliance can heal old wounds, elaborating that if possible, he'd restore the Queen's wings and womb, the former he took himself but claims responsibility for both. Lisinthir says that it's possible, but it would take a true hospital, and the closest thing to a mobile facility would arrive on an Alliance warship. The Emperor muses on what a day that would be, and the two share a kiss. The Emperor then asks what a bastard is, and upon having the concept explained to him, dismisses it as useless. The thing that clings to Lisinthir, however, is a moment he finds purpose: in order for the Slave Queen to venture into the Alliance to have her womb and wings restored, both Alliance and Empire must work toward that goal.
| |
|
| |
| After cleaning himself with a Pad bath, Lisinthir looks in the mirror with the Eldritch eyes Jahir left him from his invasion, and sees how badly off he is. With new resolve to survive in order to create a future for his beloveds, he resigns himself to treatment, then opts to finish smoking the hekkret and dictating more observations.
| |
|
| |
| Vasiht'h really, really wants to channel his nervous energy into something productive like cooking, but he has no idea where a cafeteria even is on the ship. He wanders the ship and his thoughts, knowing that Jahir's easy dismissal of his sexuality being a problem was probably massively underestimating the issue. He saw Jahir's revulsion, shock, ''and'' fascination, so it was going to come up again. Finally, he finds the mess hall, and in it are Borden and two other crew members, people he could possibly heal. The Asanii female tells him that the galley's offline, but he could share a protein bar with them, and they have a brief conversation that segues into the current situation: The Well drive looks inoperable with their current tools and expertise. There's a plan to manuever into known patrol routes of Dusted Fleet ships, though calling for Fleet will probably also draw the dragons on them as well.
| |
|
| |
| Borden mentions the therapy Jahir and Vasiht'h have been conducting, and Vasiht'h mentions that they'll get to everybody, particularly since the results have been very positive from those who have had it already. Vasiht'h compares them to a Fleet patrol for their subconscious, and they have a laugh at that. Reflecting that they were far from home, the Glaseah excuses himself and finds himself running to Jahir, telling him about the situation with the Well drive. However, Jahir seems sure that they won't die here. Vasiht'h lets Jahir lead the sessions of crew members, and gradually feels whole as they complete their work. Securing a promise that Jahir will eat, he goes to take a nap.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir reads for a bit to help ease his partner's transition to sleep, but then leaves in search of the Ambassador. Lisinthir lets him in, and Jahir finds himself slightly dismayed by his carriage and his dress. Lisinthir asks if Jahir's finally going to feed him. Saying that there's another reason to he came here, Jahir opts to do that first, noting that something was different and possibly suspicious with the Ambassador. By his own admission, however, he hadn't been drinking, mostly because Jahir hadn't scheduled any for him. After injecting Lisinthir with the solution, Jahir apologizes. Lisinthir, however, does not accept, and instead demands restitution, emphasizing that by saying it again in Eldren and [[Eldren#Color Modes|shading it black]]. When asked what he wants, Lisinthir says he wants a vulnerability from Jahir, since he took one. Jahir instantly offers his hands, but Lisinthir stops him, telling him his weakness is his flesh. Since Lisinthir won't rape him (he doesn't rape the innocent), Lisinthir wants his willingness, and asks for a kiss. Jahir balks at this, because Lisinthir has only been gone from the Empire a few days, but to Lisinthir that's the point. Lisinthir presses Jahir to consult the stolen memories, but the impressions Jahir gets are moments of violence, pain... and love, great love, love intertwined with passion, and through it all no shame. Lisinthir is silent for a few moments, then pulls Jahir to him and kisses his brow. Jahir, overcome with the face of strength made from love, finds himself intensely envious of what Lisinthir found.
| |
|
| |
| While he'd intended to keep Jahir on the defensive, Jahir crumpling had ignited his guardian instincts, and Lisinthir concedes the battle, guessing that Jahir had no idea he'd won. Instead, he holds Jahir until his tumult wanes, and asks for who Jahir would love if he could. Naming [[Sediryl Nuera Galare|his cousin]], Lisinthir guesses the relation and that this is the first and only person Jahir had loved and wanted. With simply that, Lisinthir builds a pretty accurate psychological profile of Jahir, chalking it up to instincts honed among the dragons. He also credits it to having walked a similiar road, and tells Jahir that he'll answer questions about his time in the Empire. When asked if he still needed to pay with a kiss, Lisinthir reads that Jahir wants so badly some acceptance, and supplies the kiss, finding Jahir yielding to him. They kiss again, and Lisinthir introduces some pain by way of pressing his thumb near Jahir's ear. They separate, and Jahir (after regaining his breath because hoo boy, that kiss was HOT) notes that he seems to have gone from adversary to victim. Lisinthir says that this vulnerability will more than pay the restitution demanded, and chides Jahir for dismissing it as just lust: it's how Jahir's needs are being expressed and that is enticing both to those that would honor them and prey on them. Jahir correctly notes that Lisinthir will not prey on him, and Lisinthir elaborates that he is not a sadist, but is by conquest and dominance contests. Jahir, however, knows he doesn't want these things from Sediryl, and Lisinthir notes that's because he wants her with an innocent's love, and encourages Jahir to court her. When Jahir starts to say something, Lisinthir tells him not to make promises that will restrict him, and if he wants pain, Lisinthir will supply it. This confuses Jahir, and when he asks why Lisinthir would give him an outlet for these needs, Lisinthir comes back to Jahir taking his tumbler at their first real meeting. Jahir tries to dismiss it, but Lisinthir reminds him that he did it to send a message. Further, Jahir has refused to back down except in certain cases.
| |
|
| |
| The two idly converse about how Jahir can pay for hearing Lisinthir's story about the Empire, which prods Jahir to ask if there are any partisans within the Empire that could provide help. After hearing the current plan from Jahir, Lisinthir basically rolls his eyes at the prey-like thinking and comes up with another plan, kissing Jahir a third time due to his continued assertions.
| |
|
| |
| The two of them find Raynor on the bridge and ask to speak with him. Going to a room off the bridge, Lisinthir advances his proposal: The Chatcaava are predators, and will pounce when they hear of ''any'' transmission. So, if they send an enticing enough distress call to lure the enemy over, then take their ship and use it to tow the derelict to the Alliance. Intrigued, Raynor presses for details: get some female volunteers to record the distress call emphasizing how dire their situation is, which might spur the boarding Chatcaava to capture, not kill, and they'll probably bring their own Pads if the ship is already crippled. Lisinthir implies that he wants to lead the raid, but demurs from actually saying so, though he does need to go since he'll know the layout. Raynor dismisses him with a promise to consider the idea. In the hall, Jahir stops Lisinthir, picking up on his physical symptoms. After telling him how attractive he is in his area of authority, Lisinthir gives a useful report and Jahir opts to direct them to the clinic for a painkiller.
| |
|
| |
| Jahir stops by his room, trying to figure out what to leave in a note to Vasiht'h. He writes a short one, then grabs the kit and returns to Lisinthir's room, finding him sitting cross legged in bed and smoking another hekkret roll. Lisinthir makes a crack about getting to a position of relative safety to now be dying, and elaborates that his only safety was in the Emperor's bed. Jahir takes this opportunity to ask him how the h*ck he ended up in the bed of a head of state, saying he's too confused to be revolted and that despite being in Lisinthir's mind, he doesn't know much of his experiences. Lisinthir takes another verbal swing at Jahir, then immediately apologizes because being aggressive was the only way he survived in the court. He then explains the basics of Chatcaavan society, and explains that fights are the only way to get anywhere. Since death is wasteful, they humiliate and abuse each other instead. Jahir picks up that Lisinthir got raped by the Emperor, and for shock value, Lisinthir goes on to say that Chatcaava have barbs and also he raped the Emperor back. When Jahir guesses that the intense love he felt from Lisinthir's memories was the Slave Queen, Lisinthir challenges him that it wasn't ''just'' the Slave Queen, it was the Emperor also. After a moment of rebooting, Jahir demands more information, brushing off another nascent apology from Lisinthir when the Ambassador kisses him again, undoing him. Lisinthir laughs and calls Jahir irresistible, but Jahir tells him in response that he doesn't seem very broken to him.
| |
|
| |
| In this vein, Lisinthir asks him how likely it is that "a person rises above their society's teachings" and Jahir puts together that Lisinthir taught the Emperor empathy. Lisinthir also pours cold water on the notion that it was easy, saying that most of his time was suffering and he learned he didn't enjoy torture or submission at the Emperor's hands. After teaching the Emperor his shape, he was able to fully instruct the Emperor only after being tortured while the Emperor used the Eldritch ability to feel emotions through the skin. Jahir then deduces that thanks to that transformation, the Chatcaava pursuing him because he changed the Emperor, who will attempt to remake the Empire in a new image. After getting over shock at Jahir's leaps of intuition, Lisinthir states that he was sent away because he was the Emperor's weakness, because there isn't yet a place for him in the Empire. The war is not only coming, it has begun, and this is "one of its opening skirmishes."
| |
|
| |
| Jahir has to take a moment to process this revelation, marveling that the Queen had enough Sight to send Lisinthir into the Empire to affect this change, and that he and Vasiht'h must have some role to play as well. But also, he may have been too credulous of this granted, implausible story. Lisinthir picks up on this, and proposes that he share a memory with Jahir, which would require that Jahir trust him. Jahir does, and Lisinthir shares.
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Eight===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Nine===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Ten===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Eleven===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Twelve===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Thirteen===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Fourteen===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Fifteen===
| |
|
| |
| ===Chapter Sixteen===
| |
|
| |
|
| ==Characters== | | ==Characters== |
