Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda. I'm just playing with their toys. I'll put them back when I'm finished.
Rated PG-13 for some minor naughty words.
Identity Crisis: Part 3
by Arianwen P.F. Everett
Maybe it was the exhaustion from the day, but Beka Valentine couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Would you mind informing me of what is so funny? I am strong, intelligent, and virile. I command the largest Nietzschean Fleet in the known worlds. I rule supremely over 50,000,000,000 men, women, and children, and I am the descendent of several successful Alpha's, most notably Stalin Fredrick Ravinger and the Progenitor, Drago-Mousevini," Cortez illustrated, confused at Beka's outburst. He had never had a female react this way to him under any circumstance.
Beka looked into Cortez's eyes and stopped laughing. Fack! He was serious!!!
"I didn't mean to insult you. I don't doubt your accomplishments or your worthiness. It's just that from what I understand, Nietzscheans don't mate outside their own species. They don't even have recreational sex outside their own species. Why in the known universe would you want to marry me? And anyway, don't the women ask the guys to marry them in your culture?" Beka asked, herself thoroughly confused, yet trying to remain diplomatic. Pissing off the First Alpha of the Drago-Kasov Pride wouldn't do her any good here or anywhere.
"Your information about my species is essentially correct. However, I have come to believe that because of your unique make-up, our offspring would enhance the Drago-Kasov genome. They would be intelligent, cunning, and fierce. As to why I have abducted you for my purposes, I knew you would not willingly accept my proposal, despite its being in your best interests. You were raised human and therefore have certain misconceptions about what makes a mate superior. You choose to invest in a good sense of humor or whether or not you 'love' the individual, devaluing characteristics like whether the male is strong or would make a good father. Therefore I could not expect you to consider my offer rationally. I do not question your intellect or blame you, only the way you were raised," Cortez explained to Beka, no condescension in his voice, despite his words.
"Thank you… I think. But I still don't get why you chose me? I'm just your garden-variety homo sapien sapien, barely one step removed from a tree-swinging mudfoot; what makes me such a lucky girl?" Beka asked, even more confused now than before Cortez had introduced himself.
"I think I better answer that," Beka's mother said, entering the room freely and coming to stand next to her daughter.
"Oh goody. Mommy's come to save the day!" Beka quipped curtly.
"I think you're right Samantha. I'll leave you two to talk," Cortez conceded, ignoring his fiancé's comment. Kissing Beka's hand once more, he bowed before leaving, appearing the perfect image of gentlemanly behavior, save the sharp boney extensions along his arms that marked him and his species as anything but.
Once Cortez had left the room, Beka stared her mother down, ice-cold rage in her blue eyes. "Now, tell me, MOTHER, what is all this BULLSHIT about, really! Why am I here? Why does that deranged Nietzschean think he is going to marry me? And why the hell did you decide to come back into my life after all these years? You know what, don't answer the third one! I don't even care why you left or why you came back!"
"Left? Yes, I assume your father would have said that. How else could he have explained my absence without telling you who and what you are? Okay, as for the first question, you are here for the reason Cortez gave you. The reason Cortez wants to marry you is… complex, but it relates to your third question. I never left you or your brother! Your father stole you from me, ran off with the two of you after destroying almost all of my research. Despite what your father thought, I did love you two, and I barely survived your loss so heartbroken was I…"
"Oh spare me the crocodile tears, Mother! If you truly loved me, you would have contacted me differently than abducting me and selling me into matrimonial slavery!" Beka shot back angrily. Still, a part of her needed to hear more. All her life she had questioned where her mother was and why she had left her young children. Now she might finally get some answers if she could read between her parents' lies, those her father had handed her and those she was now being told. Somewhere there had to be some truth.
"You ungrateful wretch! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be here or have the immense opportunity I have handed to you! I have worked too hard all my life for this moment and all you do is condemn me?! Yes, I created you and Rafe for professional reasons, but that doesn't mean I didn't love you both with all my heart and soul!" Beka's mother shot back in rage.
"What soul, Mother?" Beka replied pointedly, only to be slapped across her face.
"There is no discussing this with you, is there? You're too much like your father for reason right now! I will return in an hour to answer more of your questions, but right now I think we both need to calm down a little," Beka's mother stated, getting up from the chair she had taken. Then she left the room, her daughter's murderous stare following her every step.