Title: Between the Desert and the Sky (1/?)
Author: Antigone a.k.a. Anty
Email: antigone@everymail.net
Homepage: http://antychan.tripod.com
Archive: Just ask, and I'll probably say yes!
Rating: PG-13 (eventually NC-17)
Fandom: Saber Rider and the Star-Sheriffs
Pairings: Jesse/Saber, Fireball/Saber (eventually)
Spoiler: "Eagle Has Landed" and "Cease Fire"
Summary: *Yaoi* After a strange meeting with one of Saber's former comrades, Fireball starts to wonder if there's something about their captain that they don't know. [Not beta'd.]
Disclaimer: SRatSS belongs to a certain American enterprise that's responsible for the greatest faux pas in anime history (If you can't kill those Outriders, how could you ever hope to win a war against them? Why doesn't anybody die in this war anyway?).
Feedback: Is craved. Sadly enough, it's what I live for.
Story Notes: About ten months ago, some huge monster bunny came and bit me, and made me start this story. Unfortunately, English is not my native language, and it took me forever to write the five pages of the prologue. However, I hope to study in the United Kingdom, and once my English is fluent again, I'll continue with this fic. I will not have a dozen pages outline that's good for nothing!
Since I foresee this thing is gonna be just as huge as the bunny, there's already be heavy foreshadowing in this part. Lots of stuff between the lines that nobody's going to understand now anyway. Even though this fic is based on SRatSS, you'll find the name "Metheus" from "Sei Juushi Bismark" in here, simply because I refuse to have an "Outrider Planet" in my story. Not thinking in terms of "Japanese" and "American" versions would probably be a good thing anyway. Especially when it comes to names and... identities.
Between the Desert and the Sky
A "Saber Rider and the Star-Sheriffs" Fanfic
By Antigone, 2001
~Prologue~
It was the time of the day when the hottest temperatures were supposed to be already over; still - even now in the late afternoon - the sun was burning from a cloudless sky with an intensity that only iguanas and other desert animals could possibly find attractive.
While the extreme temperatures weren't noticeable in Yuma-City or the other major metropolises of the planet, where air-conditioners and the likes could be found on practically every corner, the heat was most present in the vast plains of Yuma's prairie. More than thirty miles behind the last outpost, no trace of human civilization was to be found. Obviously neither tourists nor Indians felt the desire to explore this uninviting territory any further, even though the landscape certainly had its very own appeal - countless groups of cactus grew as far as the eye could see; their pink, yellow and orange blossoms glowing in the golden afternoon sun, like tiny gemstones somebody'd planted on the dusty and thorny ground.
A lonely and forgotten place like this, however, was exactly what Saber had been looking for. He absolutely didn't want anybody to observe him and the person he was about to meet... Had it been somebody else, even one of the Cavalry's secret agents, he probably would have chosen a place next to one of the smaller settlements for their appointment, or maybe even the settlement itself, since they were quite abandoned these days - everybody was travelling to the planet's larger cities; along with friends, relatives, and even the long-hated neighbours. It was one of the rare points in time when complete strangers would run into each other's arms on the street, and it no longer mattered if one was a simple farmer or a highly ranked officer at the Cavalry Command's service. The photograph of Nemesis shaking hands with two of the latter at the Alamo Base had gone through every newspaper and TV station of the New Frontier in a rush; decorating front-pages and special editions. For the first time in many years, people weren't united by their will to fight the Outriders, but their happiness that the fighting had finally come to an end. All over the galaxy, the planets' capitals equaled funfairs; hotels and inns were totally booked up, and it seemed as if the towns' populations had grown five times as big within less than forty-eight hours.
On days like that, when the villages were empty, and everybody was moving to where the largest celebrations were going on, the risk of being recognized as the Captain of the Star Sheriffs in one of Yuma's smaller settlements was quite low indeed. The risk of being watched during a meeting with one of the Outrider's most important Commanders wasn't exactly high, either. But still, Saber couldn't afford that risk. Not when the person he was about to meet was Jesse Blue.
Saber inhaled the dry air deeply; he was sweating, and felt as if he couldn't possibly get enough oxygen into his lungs. His close-fitting armor did a great deal of contributing to that feeling, but he needed it for his trip to the earth's Highlands. Of course, had the circumstances been different, he could have gotten this meeting over with in a lighter outfit before picking up everything for his journey through space at Yuma's headquarters. Now, however, that wasn't an option. Officially, he had left for his home more than eight hours ago already; besides, he didn't feel like going through that heap of joyful and celebrating people again. Certainly, they had every right to be happy, but for some reason, seeing them like that made him sorrowful and sad. Maybe because he simply couldn't believe that humans and Outriders had finally come to an agreement. Or maybe, because he himself hadn't been happy in a very long time.
He murmured a few quiet words to Steed, and they moved over to a group of larger cactus that at least provided something close to the shadow of a shadow. Sighing, Saber took off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He should have known he'd have to wait for Jesse longer than planned; the guy never bothered with details such as being on time and the likes. Even during the peace talks, Ambassador Blue had shown no sense of etiquette whatsoever, which was one of the reasons why lots of people at Cavalry Command didn't trust the Outriders' honourable intentions, to put it mildly. Saber himself didn't either. He trusted Eagle, and could imagine the longing of Metheus' civilians for true peace. But he'd also heard of Nemesis' moods and his idea of 'fun'. Jesse had told him quite a bit about them. Furthermore, Jesse himself wasn't any different. Nobody knew that better than him.
Steed whinnied silently, and Saber looked up at the sky anxiously. Part of him wished he could have talked to Jesse earlier, but of course that hadn't been possible with bodyguards, soldiers, and their own ambassadors hanging around. And - Saber hated to admit it - he wasn't quite sure he'd have found the right words, either. Somehow, he doubted he'd find them now. He desperately wanted to get this over with, but, as the old saying went, things weren't always done, when they were done. And this... this wasn't just Jesse. Jesse was only a small part of it. He might be able to get past him, but deep inside he knew this wasn't going to make the difference. Nothing ever made the difference.
He heard a far away roar, and then, suddenly, the silence was broken by the cracking noise of Jesse's Badlander. The familiar form of the spaceship slowly became larger; the powerful engines raising dust and sand during the touch down. Eventually, the jet had landed; the engines quieted down, and Saber prepared himself for the person he'd seen quite a few times over the last week, still, they hadn't exchanged a single word.
For a moment he contemplated getting off Steed's back. However, he dismissed the thought when Jesse climbed out of the cockpit, hopped onto one of the Badlander's wings, and made himself comfortable there. Saber screwed his eyes up; it was hard to make out Jesse's features in the bright sunlight, and eventually, he rode across until there were no more then two or three feet of distance between them. Jesse's ship wasn't a large ship, still, Saber had to look up at him.
"Now, what a surprise, Tinstar," the former Star Sheriff cadet greeted him. "To meet you here... in God's great open spaces." He was sitting on the wing casually; with one leg stretched out, while his right elbow was resting on the other's knee. Saber noticed he was wearing his usual black-blue battlesuit again, which looked far better on him than the ambassador's outfit. The red and yellow had clashed terribly with his fair skin and turquoise-colored hair; apart from the fact that they'd been too much of an eyecatcher to bring out Jesse's face and his trademark smirk. But that effect might even have been intended.
Jesse tilted his head and grinned. "So, hasn't it been fun last week?"
Saber shuddered for a moment; he had expected something like this, but Jesse's shining eyes and his almost cheerful tone when he'd said it, made him cringe. He laughed bitterly before looking up at Jesse; the expression on his face a mixture between anger and sadness. "It's all just a game to you, isn't it?" Jesse inhaled sharply, his eyes widening with false surprise. "Your cat and mouse play with Eagle was only the beginning," Saber continued. "And weren't you enjoying yourself, when finally, you could be impolite and rude towards your former superiors? You knew they weren't going to say anything; all for the sake of peace. A peace we earned," he pointed out, then paused. "But somehow I can already see you calling it off, just because you don't like it."
Jesse raised an eyebrow and leaned forward a bit. "Such a brusque tone, today, Saber?" He smiled. "But I knew you were going to say something like that to me, sooner or later. I knew it ever since I stepped out of the transport at Alamo, and you looked at me with that stern and distrustful expression of yours. Makes me wonder you haven't got to talking about Ramrod, yet."
Saber closed his eyes. Sometimes, it was almost scaring, the way Jesse'd see through him. Because yes, he did feel the burning urge to talk about what had happened to Ramrod and their team. He wanted to vent his anger; to tell Jesse how repulsive it had been - ordering them to destroy the turbos, when he knew they had no means of doing this at Alamo. What a sick pleasure it must have been - stepping forward with the kind offer of doing so himself. From that moment on, Saber'd looked at Ramrod with a fixed stare. What had happened, had he taken even a single glance at Jesse, Saber wasn't sure of. But it probably wouldn't have gone along very well with the others' conception of him being the calm and controlled leader. And a Saber Rider who still hadn't gotten to the point of telling somebody - Jesse - the very reason for their meeting didn't fit into that image, either.
"Well, I admit I got something close to a cheap little thrill out of it." Jesse stretched his other leg as well and rolled onto his stomach. "Especially Bronco Boaster's never gonna forgive me for dismantling Ramrod right in front of his eyes." Saber was startled; he hadn't noticed he'd voiced that particular thought out loud... Or had he? "I enjoyed myself quite a bit; you know... With all you guys standing there, looking up at your ship in horror, knowing you couldn't do anything." Jesse reached out with one hand, grabbed the edge of the Badlander's wing and pulled himself over, until his face was only inches away from Saber's. "Still, I must admit I had a far better time screwing you for the past eleven months. Should your fellow Tinstars ever find out about that, they'd be even more horrified. But the amusing thing," and here he gently pushed up Saber's chin with his right forefinger, "is that it was your choice." He got up to his knees. "Besides, you always lasted longer than those turbos."
He knew he was blushing; he could feel the heat raising in his cheeks. And even though part of what Jesse had said didn't exactly ring true in Saber's ears, he was almost grateful for those words now. "That's what I wanted to talk about," he forced out. "I... I want to end this rela--" Do it. Say it. "--this thing between us."
Jesse dropped his hand, and his eyes narrowed down to slits. "Oh, really?"
Saber took a deep breath and looked Jesse square in the eye. "Yes," he said firmly, though it came out in a slight quiver. He tilted his head and then tugged at Steed's reins almost forcefully in order to get away from the other, but Jesse extended his arm in a flash; grabbing Saber's jaw with such force that it almost hauled him out of Steed's saddle. His eyes widened when he felt Jesse's lips on his own, kissing him roughly, while a seeking tongue demanded to be let in. Saber pressed his lips together and gritted his teeth; he was going to end this, and he wanted Jesse to know it. Jesse however, remained totally unimpressed. Deliberately, he bit deeply into Saber's lower lip, and when the other jumped from the pain, Jesse pressed the edge of his left hand into the hollow below Saber's upper jaw with a jerk, forcing his mouth open. Saber still struggled, but he stopped when he felt Jesse's tongue lick his own tenderly, and his right arm went around Saber, softly caressing the sweaty blonde hair at the nape of his neck. Nevertheless, the kiss couldn't be called lustful or romantic. It was just plain ruthless and egoistic, like everything Jesse did. Saber relaxed and let himself be kissed thoroughly, and a few moments later, Jesse let go of his mouth, not without nipping playfully at the now bruised lips.
"Did I ever tell you," he whispered, arms still around the Star Sheriff, "that you've got the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen?" Saber sighed and let his head sink against the other's forehead. Things hadn't gone according to plan at all, but at least the tension had vanished now. "Jesse, you're not making this any easier."
"It's true," Jesse mused as if he hadn't heard him. He removed his arms from around Saber's neck and slowly settled himself back on the wing. "So dark and shining... like sapphires. Not that boring swimming pool blue of April's."
"You find April fascinating. You're obsessed with her."
"But that doesn't mean I'm oblivious to another person's qualities, Tinstar." Jesse winked at him, and Saber could feel himself blushing again. "Besides, I'm not obsessed; I'm just intently focused." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and fixed his gaze on Saber, an almost challenging expression in his pale aqua eyes. "And while you can't exactly say that's true for your fellas at Cavalry Command, I still notice what's going on inside the people around me."
Saber's tone was flat. "I'm glad they never suspected anything."
Jesse beamed at Saber, then gave a short laugh. "But you were glad I suspected something. Next to the few interesting facts I already knew, of course. That's why you kept coming back." He paused. "You sure you wanna end this now?"
Saber looked at him critically for a moment. Jesse certainly did a god job at it - being understanding and manipulative at the same time. And while he'd always known that the Outriders' Commander could have done without him a lot easier than the other way round, their meetings had always been some twisted kind of self-therapy for both of them. "Look," he began, "I know that our affair --" Saber considered the word for a moment. Part of him still wanted to deny it, but in a way, it had been more. "-- our relationship," he continued, "hasn't always been the most consensual one. In fact, much of what we shared wasn't anything else then mutual recriminations. We don't even like each other; we certainly don't love each other, and should the heads of both our governments find out about this, they'll consider us law-breakers and traitors." He stopped and eyed Jesse intently, to make sure he had his full attention. "The reason why I continued this, was that - despite everything - we always were honest with each other." Saber swallowed. "We used each other, we humiliated each other, but we never lied, and that's why I almost valued those meetings. I always believed that this feeling was mutual, but now you broke our agreement. I can already see the consequences, and that's why I can't go on like this."
"I broke it?" Jesse asked hesitantly.
Saber smiled at him sadly. Jesse had brought this to an end, and he hadn't even realized it. "Let's just be honest one last time: I know, that right now, you're preparing yourselves for your last desperate battle - and you know that we'll fight back just as desperately. You don't have any more energy, and we no longer have Ramrod... It's over."
A slight breeze came up, swirled the dry sand back and forth; and even though the wind was warm, Saber felt strangely cold all of a sudden. He looked at Jesse silently, he didn't know for how long; but he could tell from the expression in the other's eyes that Jesse wasn't going to deny what Saber had said. Eventually, Jesse just gave him a quick nod, got up slowly and then climbed back into the Badlander's cockpit. He checked the instruments, fastened his seat belt, but looked at Saber one last time before putting on his helmet.
"It's been over a year, you know?"
Saber simply shook his head. "Goodbye, Jesse."
Jesse grabbed his helmet and pulled it over his head. Suddenly however, he paused, pushed the edge of it back up over his forehead, and turned to Saber again; his entire face one nasty smirk. His eyes started to glitter when he saw Saber's stunned expression, and he spoke, the tone of his voice ugly and merciless.
"Goodbye," he said, before deliberately stressing the next word.
"Richard."
End Prologue
07.06. - 14.06.2001
By Antigone