A gentle breeze blew through the trees as the sun began to set, the sandy beach bathed in the blood red light as the blazing ball sank slowly beneath the horizon. A lone male figure wandered along the sandy shore, his long dreadlocks swaying with his steps as he searched. He knew not for which he searched, just that he had to find it before it was too late. A noise in the trees caused him to spin round, dropping into a crouch as the long bone spurs protruding from his arms snapped into the attack position. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the undergrowth, trying to see what had alerted him and whether he could get away without being seen or caught. His mouth dropped open as a young woman emerged from the trees, her black hair blowing in the breeze, her liquid brown eyes fixed directly on him. The man stayed where he was, too shocked to move or speak as he watched the woman sashay towards him, unable to get past the fact that she was naked.
"Rommie?" he finally managed to say, his voice hushed. "What are you doing here? Why are…?" he had no chance to finish as the beautiful avatar held up her hand, signalling for him to be silent as she looked him up and down.
"Tyr Anasazi, thou must change thine ways or thou shalt suffer the consequences!" the avatar's voice sounded different, though Tyr could not quite figure out why.
"What do you mean ship?" he tried to keep the fear from his voice as he stood up, towering over the avatar easily.
"If thou does not change thine ways, thou will lose all that thou desires. Soon my sisters shall show thou," as she said those words, Tyr fell to the floor, doubled up in agony as a searing pain shot through him. Suddenly it ceased and Tyr looked up to see that he was once more alone on the beach, the light fading rapidly as night drew in. His eyes felt heavy and he lay down in the warm sands, thinking to get a few moments rest before continuing his search…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tyr Anasazi!" the female voice jerked him awake, snapping into a sitting position as he looked around wildly to see who had spoken. His jaw dropped again, as he saw who had said his name. There, a strange light making her appear to have an ethereal glow, was Andromeda. Her golden brown skin shone in the dim light, making the 'glow' appear brighter, as if it were coming from within.
"Why are you back ship?" the snarl was slight in his voice, though it had no apparent effect on the female avatar standing naked before him for the second time that night.
"I am the ghost of Christmas Past, come to show you what you had before you set foot upon your present path!" although she spoke quietly, her words fell upon him like ice, freezing the blood in his veins and filling him with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.
"Very well, I shall come with you but nothing you can show me will have any effect on me," his voice was free of emotion as he got to his feet. Suddenly he realised he was no longer on the beach were he had been moments before, but rather in a large room, lying on an ornate four-poster bed. With a shake of his head he followed Rommie through a large oak door…
A strange light surrounded them as the walked through the door, the sound of their footsteps echoing down what sounded like a stone hallway. The light faded, revealing a large room, which they had just entered, the walls a dark grey, the stone they are made from smooth, a large banner hanging on the wall opposite them. Tyr stopped, slightly unsure of what was happening, recognising the banner as that of Kodiak Pride, his pride, his family.
"How…?" his sentence remained unfinished as he saw a beautiful woman enter the room, sitting in a small chair upon the low platform beneath the banner. A larger chair remained empty beside her as other women began entering the room, all accompanied by children. The children ranged in age from 10 down to a few months old, some of the women heavily pregnant. A man entered, a boy of 11 or 12 by his side, seating himself in the chair, the boy at his feet, as other males and their families entered and seated themselves on the large rugs laid out on the floor. Each carried a small gift that they laid on the platform, a huge pile soon accumulating, the children's excitement carrying to the adults.
Despite himself Tyr found himself smiling as he watched, remembering the day well. He had received many gifts that day, including the beautifully crafted knife his father had given to him. He looked up at the people on the platform, his heart contracting as he once again saw his mother's beauty, his father's strength and fairness, himself as a child, waiting for his father's approval. Suddenly anger welled up inside him, turning away from the celebration. Although Nietzschean's did not believe in the religious connotations of Xmas, they did celebrate it as a time of family, and thanks for all they had been able to do, and survive, during the past year.
"We can leave. There is nothing here I wish to see!" his voice was gruff, his anger and pain clear as he relived memories of people he had seen killed. His mother, killed by the Drago's, his father cut down in his prime. Almost all of those gathered in celebration behind him were now dead, nothing he could do could change that, and being here, seeing them as they were, brought great pain to the fighter.
"Very well," emotionless in both voice and action, Rommie turned back the way they had come, knowing Tyr was following closely behind her.
"Never forget what you had, but do not allow you thirst for vengeance to be your undoing…" as her words drifted back to him, the light returned and he hurried to catch up. His legs seemed like lead as he tried to reach Rommie, his hand over his eyes as the light became blinding and he lost sight of the female avatar…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tyr Anasazi!" the female voice jerked him awake, snapping into a sitting position as he looked around wildly to see who had spoken. His jaw dropped again, for the third time that night, as he saw who had said his name. There, a strange light making her appear to have an ethereal glow, was Beka. Her pale skin and blonde hair seemed to glow by themselves, as if by some mysterious inner light.
"What are you doing here Captain Valentine?" the growl in his voice was unmistakable as his patience began to wear thing, though it had no apparent effect on the young human woman standing naked before him.
"I am the ghost of Christmas Present, come to show you what you have that you do not appreciate!" although she spoke quietly, her words fell upon him like fire, burning into his heart and soul and sending shivers down his spine, his gut churning with a mix of fear and uncertainty.
"Very well, I shall come with you but nothing you can show me will have any more effect than that which was shown to me by your predecessor!" his anger had come to the forefront, concealing his uncertainty as he got to his feet and followed Beka through the door…
Darkness enveloped them as they stepped through the door, their boots ringing on what sounded like a metallic floor. Light began to return, revealing one of the many corridors onboard the Andromeda. Tyr breathed a sigh of relief, turning to Beka as suspicion began rising within him. Was this all a joke, played on him by the devious females aboard this strange ship? Anger began to replace suspicion until they turned down another corridor and saw Dylan walking along, talking to Beka! Tyr turned to the naked woman beside him, wondering what was going on but she kept walking, leading him to the machine shop. There, sat in virtual darkness, was Seamus Harper, holding a can of sparky cola on one hand and a gun in the other.
"What do you think you're doing boy?" he snarled as he strode over to the young human, intent on grabbing the gun and slapping the boy round the head for his stupidity. His hand passed through the gun and he jerked backwards, wondering again what the hell was going on. He turned back to Beka, seeing her looking at him, her face a mask of stone, her eyes flitting between him and the young engineer.
"Harper!" the anger and fear in Rommie's voice was unmistakable as the avatar ran into the room, grabbing the gun and throwing it away from them, turning an icy stare at the engineer. "What the hell do you thing you were doing?!?" her demand made the young human smile, his eyes full of tears as he looked up at his creation.
"I don't know Rom-doll," his shrug did nothing to ease her worry, her lips pursing into a seriously dissatisfied pout. Harper held his hands up in defence as he spotted the pout, giving her a lopsided grin to try and ease the tension.
"Harper…" the threat of violence in her voice was clear, the unspoken message telling the young human that unless he told her what was going on, he would be in serious trouble.
"Do you know what day it is Rommie?" he tilted his head to one side as he waited for her to answer, seeing her shake her head he continued. "It's Christmas Eve. The last time I really thought about Xmas was when I was still at home, back on Earth. The last time I celebrated Xmas…" his voice trailed off as his eyes became unfocused, Rommie's gentle touch on his arm dragging him back to the present.
"You don't have to tell me Harper…" she left her sentence unfinished, waiting to see if he would indeed tell her what was upsetting him.
"It's OK Rommie. I think it's only fair that you know… The last time I celebrated Xmas was a few weeks before the Magog came, a few days before the Nietzschean's came…"
"Your cousins?" her voice was quiet, her concern uppermost as she watched her friend intently.
"Yeah. The Niets came but they could see we were not worth bothering with. They killed some of the camp, leaving the rest of us starving when they confiscated the food and left us at the mercy of the Magog. You know, I like Rev, he's a good friend and I don't blame him for what his race did to my family… and me…" his hand strayed to his stomach as he paused, trying to think how to put his thoughts and feelings into words.
"But…?" the avatar prompted him, wondering if there was anything she could do to help him.
"Tyr," the single word held no malice or anger, only regret.
"What about him?" the frown on Rommie's face caused Harper to laugh, though it held no real humour.
"I can't live up to his standards! He sees me as nothing more than a kludge! I know I'm not fighter but what have I done to deserve such distain?" the longing and hurt in his voice cut into Rommie deeply, silently cursing the Nietzschean for his insensitivity.
"I don't know Harper but I don't think it is just you. He sees us all as inferior, no matter what we do that proves otherwise. Don't let it upset you, he's just a Nietzschean" she begged, drawing him to her and wrapping her arms around him, his head on her shoulder, giving him what little comfort she could.
Tyr turned away, shaking his head at the scene he had just witnessed.
"And what was the point of this little jaunt?" his voice was laced with sarcasm as he turned back to Beka, hiding well the hurt he felt at Rommie's casual dismissal of who and what he was.
"Do not dismiss those around you so easily Tyr Anasazi. If you stay on the path you are currently travelling, disregarding those around you, you will lose all you desire…" as she whispered those words, the light began to fade once more, the darkness covering them, oppressive and suffocating. He tried to run, seeing Beka ahead of him but he lost sight of her as the darkness enclosed him completely…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tyr Anasazi!" the female voice jerked him awake, snapping into a sitting position as he looked around wildly to see who had spoken. His jaw dropped again, for the fourth time that night, as he saw who had said his name. There, a strange light making her appear to have an ethereal glow, was Trance. Her purple skin glittered in the dim light, making the 'glow' appear brighter than that of the two previous visitors.
"I suppose you're here to show me my future?" the growl in his voice was unmistakable, though it had no apparent effect on the young woman standing naked before him.
"I am the ghost of Christmas future, come to show you what will happen should you continue on your present path!" although she spoke quietly, her words fell upon him like knives, cutting into his very bones and filling him with a mix of anger and trepidation.
"Very well, I shall come with you but nothing you can show me will have any more effect than that which the others have shown me!" his anger had come to the forefront, concealing his trepidation as he got to his feet and followed Trance through the door…
A strange mist surrounded them as they walked forwards, beginning to clear slightly as they continued on. A strange scent to the mist caught Tyr's attention, the sudden realisation of what it was startling him.
"Smoke…" his voice was hushed, though he had shouted, his expression becoming slightly anxious as he followed the purple pixie. The ground changed below them, becoming rougher, the smoke clearing further to reveal a large cavern. Scant decoration covered the walls, though a large tattered banner hung on one wall. Torn and blackened in places, Tyr could clearly see the pattern it held, that of the Kodiak Pride insignia! A movement caught his attention and his head snapped round, seeing a young boy of seven or eight trying to hide. His hand on Trance's arm stopped her, turning her gaze to where the child was hiding, her face expressionless.
"Is that…?" he couldn't continue, could not bring himself to ask the question his heart ached to be answered.
"Yes, the boy is your son. His name is Denojin. He is the eldest of 3 children," no emotion coloured her voice as she looked at the child, turning her gaze to Tyr as they watched the scene unfolding before them.
Unable to move, Tyr watched as a terrified expression came over the boy's face, his eyes darting this way and that as he tried to find an escape route. With the swiftness born of youth and adrenaline, Denojin dashed from his hiding place towards an opening at the back of the cavern, leading to what the child believed was safety. Before he could reach it, a man in black leather grabbed him, lifting him off his feet, a strong arm across the child's chest. Denojin screamed, kicking his heels against the strong torso he was held to, trying to swing his arms behind him in an attempt to drive his bone spurs into their target. With a laugh the man, also a Nietzschean drew a long knife and held it up in front of the boy for him to see.
"This is for what your father did to my father and our pride!" snarling the words at the child, he laid the knife at Denojin's throat and drew his arm back, slicing deeply. Laughing, he dropped Denojin to the floor, blood pooling beneath the child's body as his life drained away.
"NOOOO!!!" screamed Tyr, running to the boy's side and trying to pick him up. His hands went through him, as though he were not really there, as the Niet tried to save the life of his eldest offspring.
"There is more. Come with me, you cannot save him," again no emotion was found her words as Trance gripped Tyr's arm firmly, forcing him to his feet.
She led him towards the opening Denojin had been trying to reach, taking him through it and into a dimly lit tunnel. He followed her, tears in his eyes at the death of his son, stopping at the edge of another cavern, smaller than the last and more furnished. His tears flowed openly now as he ran across the chamber to the large bed against one wall, the thin gold chiffon which had hung around and over it torn and blood stained. Sitting on the bed, her eyes wide, was Freya, heavily pregnant. She snarled at the men approaching her, tears falling onto the soft satin sheets beneath her as she cast her gaze to the floor before turning back to the Nietzschean males. Tyr followed her look, choking back a sob as he saw at what she had looked. Laying in two crumpled heaps were his other two sons, their throats also cut and their blood pooled around their lifeless bodies. A hand on his arm caused him to look up, following Trance's gaze back to the bed and his former mate.
"Why? Tyr, why did you leave us? Why did you try to kill Guderian and get yourself killed?" her anger and pain were clear, blaming him for the events he was witnessing. A guttural snarl rose in his throat as he tried to grab the nearest Niet, wanting to protect her, as he had been unable to protect his children. Once more his hands passed through his target and he finally realised he could do nothing to stop what he was seeing, closing his eyes as the men closed in on Freya. Though he could not see her murder as his eyes were closed, he could not close his ears as her screams echoed through the cavern.
"Why are you doing this?" the words were torn from him, his eyes full of fury as he turned on Trance, blaming her for what he had just witnessed.
"I am just showing you what lays in your future, should you continue on your current path. In the coming months you shall find Freya but your obsession with exacting revenge for Orca Pride's part in your family's deaths will lead to this!" she stated only fact, the future to which he was headed should he follow the path he had begun on the asteroid months before.
"Now you see what will happen, the only one who can change it is you…" with her words, the mist gathered around them once more, enveloping them until Tyr could no longer see anything, including Trance…
Waking with a start, his body glistening with sweat, he reached up and touched his fingers to his face, shocked to find it still wet with tears. Shaking his head, he tried to comprehend all he had seen. Looking around him, he saw he was in his bunk onboard the Andromeda and breathed a sigh of relief. It had all been a dream he told himself as he got up, his sheets soaked with sweat and tears, unable to sleep as he thought of all he had witnessed. Maybe his need for vengeance was taking him to the future he had seen, he didn't know. All he knew was that there was a young man in another room close by who looked up to him, and whom he treated like a kludge.
"Maybe I should treat him a little better…" he thought, a smile tugging at his lips as an idea came to him. Throwing on a pair of leather trousers, he strode from the room and headed towards the machine shop…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Seamus Harper wandered onto the Observation deck, smiling as he saw the rest of the crew were already there. Scant decorations were scattered about, lending the room an element of celebration and making the view even more beautiful. A pile of gifts lay on the stone bench and Harper took his place in the circle gathered around it, his eyes sparkling with excitement as Dylan handed out the presents. Each took the gift they were handed, opening them and admiring what lay inside. At last there was one gift left and Dylan picked it up, unable to hid a grin as he handed it to Harper. With a quizzical look, the young human took the small packet, wondering whom it could be from since they had all opened each of their gifts. Pulling the wrapping away, he drew out and knife, roughly ten inches in length, it's hilt plain black leather. When he held it up, Harper noticed it had an inscription on the blade and read it, looking up in shock, unable to believe what he had read.
"Thank you," he said, bowing slightly to Tyr, who simply returned the nod. He looked down at the inscription again, reading it once more: To protect you boy. The blade is as strong as your heart, the hilt as empty of decoration as your heart is of evil.
Tyr turned towards the door, glad that the worst was over, the dreams of the night before still haunting him. He felt some small reassurance that what he had seen was just a dream, until his gaze fell on Trance, her eyes fixed on him, her lips curved into a slight smile. His eyes widened as he looked at her, a slight glow beginning to emanate from her, a glow none of the others could see, the same glow that had enclosed her in his 'dream'….