A few days after the signing, John invited his new friends to a dinner that
would give them "a taste of the real Salckon System". The king's servants
had prepared a mighty feast and the decor of the dining room was exquisite.
A long walnut wood table, surrounded by matching padded chairs, had a huge
chandelier made of diamonds and emeralds hung over it. The tableware was
pure crystal and the silverware was decorated with priceless gems. Although
the richness of the room didn't surprise Dylan and Beka, Harper was
awestruck.
"Wow!" was the word that escaped the engineer's lips as he surveyed the dining hall.
"Check it out. Man..."
"Pretty snazzy," Beka agreed and took a seat between Harper and Dylan.
The three sat in silence, waiting for John to join them. They were startled when three men dressed in white walked in carrying trays of delicious food. Plates of delicacies, deserts, and appetizers were placed in particular spots on the table.
"Excuse me sir," Dylan asked the youngest of the three chefs, "do you happen to know where John is and if he'll be joining us anytime soon?"
"The king will be with you in cue time," the man replied curtly. "He and his daughter are handling a very important matter."
Dylan sighed inwardly as he thanked the chef. He hated it when important figures stood him up. On the other hand, Harper and Beka seemed to be enjoying themselves. They had already filled their plates full and stated in on playful banter. The meal went on for about ten minutes before John finally arrived, dressed in purple robes. He looked haggard and worn and Ali seemed to be giving him emotional support.
John and Ali both took their seats and the king took a deep breath before beginning, "I didn't hold this dinner for fun. In fact, there's a very important...matter I wish to discuss which happens to do with one of you."
Beka sat back in her chair while Dylan crossed his fingers, hoping John wasn't going to back out of the Commonwealth deal. Harper took it all in while sipping some wine and nibbling on crackers.
John continued somberly, "Twenty-four years ago a civil war broke out between the people of this system in favor democracy, the Deons, and people against it, the Pacifis. My mother and father, the king and queen at that time, fled in fear of their safety. Their ship was destroyed before it ever left Hayden's atmosphere. It was the diversion it made that allowed my wife and I to reach our own ship and take off. I was twenty-six at the time and Lily, my wife, was twenty-four. We'd just had our first child...a son, only months before. His name was Luke, after my grandfather... Anyway, we soon realized we weren't going to make it out of the system before being intercepted so we hailed a nearby trader ship. They docked with us and we....we gave our son to the captain. He agreed to take him to his next destination and give him to a good family.... Well, Lily and I were captured and she survived another four years before the Deons killed her. Luckily, we had already had Ali. I know you probably think that I'm just telling you all this out of sport, but I'm not. The truth is that trader's next stop just happened to be Earth..." John stopped for a moment in order to study Harper's face. It was blank and void of any expression but the twenty-four year old's hands were shaking.
"When Ali met you Harper, she remembered your face not only because of the familiarity, but also because you and her share the same last name...and blood." Beka gasped and Dylan's eyes went wide. They both snapped their heads to Harper who was staring intently at John, trying to read his face.
"You see Harper, your real name is Luke. That trader accidentally mixed up your middle name with your first name."
"That's not true!" Harper yelled, reacting in anger.
"I can't imagine how much you wish that," John said soothingly, "but we took a DNA test...so we'd be sure, and you are my son. Luke."
"Don't call me that!" Harper continued his outburst by knocking over his chair and running out of the room.
Beka followed him and Dylan, Ali, and John just stared.
"Harper?" Beka called out quietly as she entered his temporary quarters.
"What?" He snapped in reply, his face smothered in pillows.
"Are you okay?"
Duh Valentine, Beka thought to herself, stupid question. Would you be okay?
"What do you think? I'm just peachy now leave me alone!"
Beka would've if his voice had seemed more convincing. Living with Harper for over four years had taught her a lot. If he wanted you to leave he gave you the silent treatment and if he wanted to be comforted he told you to go away. When he was sad he yelled and when he was mad he cried. It was all very confusing at first but Beka had gotten used to it over the years. She figured his screwed up ways of dealing with emotions originated mostly from the hellhole he'd left. It took him two years before he even could cry. Beka continued to look at Harper, his prone figure lying on the bed, the years of wear etched into his feature and her instincts told her to stay.
"Do you want to talk about it?" The first officer asked.
"No."
Beka ran her hand through his hair and waited for him to spill it.
"It's just," He started, "if all of this is true... All I am and all I ever was is a lie. My whole life is a lie. I don't even know who I am. Do you know how scary that is?"
"I can't even imagine..." Beka said as a means of prompting him to say more.
"My parents weren't even my real parents and the worst part is that they knew. They knew and they never told me and," he choked back sobs, "and they- they gave their lives up for me. After all that and all...all we went through... How could I... How could I be..."
"Adopted?" Beka answered for him as a means of sparing him from the pain.
It was unsuccessful attempt on Beka's part because Harper broke down in tears, angry with John, at the world, and at anyone in his life. Beka just held him as he thrashed about and she rubbed his back in calming circles. For the first time in a long time, Seamus Harper cried himself to sleep.
"Wow!" was the word that escaped the engineer's lips as he surveyed the dining hall.
"Check it out. Man..."
"Pretty snazzy," Beka agreed and took a seat between Harper and Dylan.
The three sat in silence, waiting for John to join them. They were startled when three men dressed in white walked in carrying trays of delicious food. Plates of delicacies, deserts, and appetizers were placed in particular spots on the table.
"Excuse me sir," Dylan asked the youngest of the three chefs, "do you happen to know where John is and if he'll be joining us anytime soon?"
"The king will be with you in cue time," the man replied curtly. "He and his daughter are handling a very important matter."
Dylan sighed inwardly as he thanked the chef. He hated it when important figures stood him up. On the other hand, Harper and Beka seemed to be enjoying themselves. They had already filled their plates full and stated in on playful banter. The meal went on for about ten minutes before John finally arrived, dressed in purple robes. He looked haggard and worn and Ali seemed to be giving him emotional support.
John and Ali both took their seats and the king took a deep breath before beginning, "I didn't hold this dinner for fun. In fact, there's a very important...matter I wish to discuss which happens to do with one of you."
Beka sat back in her chair while Dylan crossed his fingers, hoping John wasn't going to back out of the Commonwealth deal. Harper took it all in while sipping some wine and nibbling on crackers.
John continued somberly, "Twenty-four years ago a civil war broke out between the people of this system in favor democracy, the Deons, and people against it, the Pacifis. My mother and father, the king and queen at that time, fled in fear of their safety. Their ship was destroyed before it ever left Hayden's atmosphere. It was the diversion it made that allowed my wife and I to reach our own ship and take off. I was twenty-six at the time and Lily, my wife, was twenty-four. We'd just had our first child...a son, only months before. His name was Luke, after my grandfather... Anyway, we soon realized we weren't going to make it out of the system before being intercepted so we hailed a nearby trader ship. They docked with us and we....we gave our son to the captain. He agreed to take him to his next destination and give him to a good family.... Well, Lily and I were captured and she survived another four years before the Deons killed her. Luckily, we had already had Ali. I know you probably think that I'm just telling you all this out of sport, but I'm not. The truth is that trader's next stop just happened to be Earth..." John stopped for a moment in order to study Harper's face. It was blank and void of any expression but the twenty-four year old's hands were shaking.
"When Ali met you Harper, she remembered your face not only because of the familiarity, but also because you and her share the same last name...and blood." Beka gasped and Dylan's eyes went wide. They both snapped their heads to Harper who was staring intently at John, trying to read his face.
"You see Harper, your real name is Luke. That trader accidentally mixed up your middle name with your first name."
"That's not true!" Harper yelled, reacting in anger.
"I can't imagine how much you wish that," John said soothingly, "but we took a DNA test...so we'd be sure, and you are my son. Luke."
"Don't call me that!" Harper continued his outburst by knocking over his chair and running out of the room.
Beka followed him and Dylan, Ali, and John just stared.
"Harper?" Beka called out quietly as she entered his temporary quarters.
"What?" He snapped in reply, his face smothered in pillows.
"Are you okay?"
Duh Valentine, Beka thought to herself, stupid question. Would you be okay?
"What do you think? I'm just peachy now leave me alone!"
Beka would've if his voice had seemed more convincing. Living with Harper for over four years had taught her a lot. If he wanted you to leave he gave you the silent treatment and if he wanted to be comforted he told you to go away. When he was sad he yelled and when he was mad he cried. It was all very confusing at first but Beka had gotten used to it over the years. She figured his screwed up ways of dealing with emotions originated mostly from the hellhole he'd left. It took him two years before he even could cry. Beka continued to look at Harper, his prone figure lying on the bed, the years of wear etched into his feature and her instincts told her to stay.
"Do you want to talk about it?" The first officer asked.
"No."
Beka ran her hand through his hair and waited for him to spill it.
"It's just," He started, "if all of this is true... All I am and all I ever was is a lie. My whole life is a lie. I don't even know who I am. Do you know how scary that is?"
"I can't even imagine..." Beka said as a means of prompting him to say more.
"My parents weren't even my real parents and the worst part is that they knew. They knew and they never told me and," he choked back sobs, "and they- they gave their lives up for me. After all that and all...all we went through... How could I... How could I be..."
"Adopted?" Beka answered for him as a means of sparing him from the pain.
It was unsuccessful attempt on Beka's part because Harper broke down in tears, angry with John, at the world, and at anyone in his life. Beka just held him as he thrashed about and she rubbed his back in calming circles. For the first time in a long time, Seamus Harper cried himself to sleep.