"Hello Condesce." Feferi smiled, walking up the platform.
The Condesce looked down at her descendant. "Hello." she replied back.
Sollux didn't trust himself. He swore he remembered how to speak Alternian, but he didn't trust it. He kept quiet.
She looked down at Eridan. "Dualscar's descendant." she said.
The man looked slightly taken aback, his hood being pulled down.
Eridan felt a surge of emotion. He kept his straight face, his hands shaking slightly as he watched his ancestor's face be revealed.
Karkat looked up at the Condesce. He didn't know what to say though he knew he could speak in Alternian without a problem.
She turned, her eyes glaring down at Karkat. "And who are you?"
"My name is Karkat Vantas." He said loudly. He didn't know if there was anything else he should be doing.
"He is a highblood." Feferi said. "The yellowblood is his protector."
"He wears the sign of the Signless. A mutant." her eyes narrowed.
Sollux feared for both of their lives.
Karkat took his sickle and ran the tip along his arm. "I am a highblood." He said as the dark purple blood ran down his arm.
The Condesce let out a small sigh. "I wouldn't let a mutant blood like you anywhere near me. But you have proven yourself." She turned to Feferi. "If you wish to speak, we shall speak in my ship. Follow me." Dualscar and Condesce turned, taking a step up the huge ramp.
Eridan took Feferi's hand and gently led her up the ramp.
Sollux hesitated.
Meanwhile, news cameras and TV stations broadcast the live story of watching these four young adults take steps onto the massive ship. Tavros cringed and waited, clinging to Gamzee as tight as he could. "G-Gamzee I'm scared..."
"I know but we'll be okay." Gamzee said, rubbing Tavros' back. "Plus we have all of my Subjugglators."
"Yeah..." he replied quietly.
Sollux and Karkat followed Feferi and Eridan all the way up to the entrance to the ship. There were several guards waiting. Sollux swallowed, fighting not to make eyecontact with them.
Karkat kept his head up. He was a highblood and he need to act like it. The pair began to search the ship to find someone who would point them to the Helmsman's chamber. Finally, after a bit of searching, they found a maid. "Can you tell me how to get to the chamber that holds the Helmsman?" Karkat asked her.
"Yes highblood. I shall lead you. It is about time that I bring him his meal." Karkat nodded. After the maid turned away, he looked at Sollux and smiled. They could do this.
Sollux gripped the back of Karkat's shirt.
Feferi went in with the Condesce, and Eridan went to go speak with Dualscar.
Sollux knew the Signless had been killed thousands of years ago, and he was about to meet his ancestor for the first time. He was shaking.
The maid walked into a kitchen like area, getting a tray of food for the Helmsman. It consisted of fruits and a few pieces of meat along with a couple of veggies. It wasn't hardly any food at all. Everything was cut into small pieces. "I will feed him and I will return. Then you may go in." she said as she walked into a room concealed in darkness. They waited patiently for her to return. The maid returned a few moments later, the tray empty. She let the pair inside. Sollux walked in first, followed by Karkat.
The room was dim. The only lights were that of the wires and cables that held the Helmsman to the floor and ceiling. It was a dull room, nothing but a little water on the floor and all those wires. Sollux walked into the room, seeing his ancestor hanging. He fell to his knees, the water around him splashing as he stared at the pathetic thin figure that was his ancestor.
The man made a soft noise, looking towards the source of the noise. "Who... Who'th there..." he whispered.
"Sollux... Answer him..." Karkat said softly, rubbing his lover's back. "You can do it."
Sollux cleared his throat. "Thollux Captor." he said softly, cursing his lisp in that moment. "A-And Karkat Vantath. My matethprit."
The man's face lightened. "Sollux..." he said, his lisp almost unintelligible. "How... How did you find me?" he asked.
"We... We asked a maid." he said softly, looking at him. "C-Can you thee?"
The man attempted to shake his head, but instead he made a hiss of pain. "No." he admitted. There was a sound of something turning on, a camera moved from the ceiling. Sollux looked up at it. The Helmsman gasped. "You... You look just like me." he said. "Come closer..."
Sollux stood, his legs shaky as he walked closer to the man, his hand reaching out. He gently brought his fingers across his shoulder.
Karkat smiled softly. "Sollux has wanted to meet you all of his life." He walked over to the pair, putting a hand on Sollux's shoulder. "Haven't you."
Sollux nodded.
"It is... A shame you have to see me in this condition." he said, looking down at his decendant.
Sollux let out a soft sob. "Please don't cry, Sollux." he said. Oh how he wanted to comfort the young male. "Please..."
"How... How can the treat you like thith?" he turned and looked up at him, his eyes and skin stained with yellow.
"It is my duty..."
"No..." Sollux reached up and touched his face. "It thould not be a duty... For ANYONE to therve anyone elthe becauthe of their blood cathte..."
"Where..." the Helmsman looked taken aback. "Where did you hear that...?"
"From my ancestor..." Karkat said softly, moving back so the camera could get a good look at him. "Do you know who it is?"
"O-Oh my..." He saw the horns and felt weak. "Signless..." He swallowed and felt a shiver run through him, tears starting down his face. "Oh how I miss him..."
Karkat nodded, going back to his spot by Sollux. "Are you okay love?" He wrapped his arms around Sollux.
Sollux reached up and gently touched the Psionic's face. "Itth okay..." he whispered. "Don't cry. He lived to the fulletht he could." he frowned, touching where the band was attached to his face. "I... I with I could thee your eyeth..." he looked at Karkat. "Do... Do you think ith dark enough in here?" he asked.
Karkat looked around for a moment, finding a cloth. "Is it okay if I cover the screens?" He asked the Psionic.
The man tried to nod, "Yes." he replied.
Sollux was just too short to reach. He used his powers, gently touching the man's face.
The Psionic felt the powers and it sent goose bumps down his spine. "You're strong." he said.
"Sollux, can you get me up by the screens?" Karkat asked, holding the tarp.
Sollux looked over, using his hand to raise Karkat high enough to cover the screens with the tarp. He helped tuck them in on the sides, making the room almost completely pitch black besides for the color of Sollux's glowing powers.
Karkat's eyes adjusted easily. He wrapped his arms around Sollux's neck as he was brought back to the ground. "Now it should be okay."
Sollux lifted himself into the air, gently unhooking the parts where the goggles were attached.
Slowly he unveiled the Psionic's eyes, showing opposite colors than his own. He slowly blinked. "Its dark..." he whispered, seeing the familiar glow of his eyes reflected in someone else. "Sollux..." he looked truly grateful.
Karkat smiled to himself. Sollux was meeting the person that he considered a father for the first time and he was happy to have a happy matesprit. "I wanna come up too!" He playfully whined, crossing his arms.
Sollux touched his face gently, his eyes sorrowful. He lifted Karkat to his level. "Pthionic..." Sollux began, averting his eyes. "Thank you for athhithting in thomething tho amathing... Thomething that helped uth thurvive thith... Amathing thing..."
His ancestor looked at him and smiled for the first time in a long time. "You're welcome." he said quietly. "I'm... I'm glad that the world... Has changed." he blinked slowly. "This... This glimpse of what the future holds for you... It's enough to make me happy." he wished that he could muster up enough power. He fought it and used his own powers, as weak as they were to wrap them around Sollux, embracing him. "I am pained to say this..." he began. "But I hope death is swift for me. I have lived too long... And I know that the teachings my friend had done... Have come true. I can say now that my life is fulfilled."
Sollux wrapped his arms around what he could of the Psionic. There were so many wires and tubes. "I... I'm jutht glad I was able to meet you... Before you left thith plane... Thank you for warning me of thith..."
"Thank you." Karkat smiled at him. "I'm happy to meet the dear friend of the man that I have always admired but knew I could never be... Do you have enough strength to tell me a little about him? You know... Personally?"
The Psionic turned his gaze, retreating his powers, letting Sollux take back over. "Yes." he said, smiling. "He was... Such a wonderful person. So kind. Caring. He took me in when no one else would. He taught me that..." He swallowed. "That... Slavery was wrong."
"I'm glad to be his descendant." Karkat smiled.
"I'm glad he has such a sweet descendent." he used his powers to gently touch Karkat's face.
A beeping noise was heard. "The Condesce is coming... You must leave."