Future possibilities, part 3
*** The Phoenix:
Teris sat down on Xhal's bed and watched him sleep. It was too bad she had to wake him, but they had almost arrived at their designated designation. Up to this moment she had only heard of Moya through the stories Xhal had told her and the others. She had of course seen other Leviathans before, but never one that hadn't been enslaved.
"Hey, wake up sleepy head," she spoke, poking him in the ribbs. Teris smiled as she watched him stir. Xhal had taught her the expression after he had rescued her and she had been gravely wounded by those who had tortured her. It had been the first time they had met or she should probably say that Xhal had met her, because she had been unconscious at the time.
Xhal opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He slowly pushed himself upwards until he was sitting on his bed. He felt their arms brush against one another. A grin appeared on his face as he looked her in the eyes. "Hey there, sunshine..."
" You wanted to be woken when we arrived at the coordinates. The others are waiting for you in command, so I figured I'd be the one to wake you since I also was the one who made you get some sleep in the first place."
" Is everyone ready?" he asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
" Yes, we have all taken the necessary precautions you wanted us to take. Are you expecting trouble upon our arrival? Do you think your parents don't trust the message we send to Moya..."
"They were probably contacted by Neri after we left. Not knowing what has happened to me, they are unwilling to take any unnecessary risks and want to protect those living onboard Moya. So...if I know my parents like I think I do, I'm certain we'll be greeted by armed troups. I trust my parents, but not the abilities of those who will be waiting for us in the hangar bay. Bottom line is that I don't want a nervous or trigger happy welnitz to hurt one of us when it can prevented. That's why I'll be the first to leave the ship."
" This will be the first time you'll see your parents since the day you left, won't it?" Teris asked as Xhal got up from his bed. She herself had never known who her parents had been. Born and raised a Peacekeeper. A loyal soldier. It had been the only life she had known until her commanders had left her to die at the hands of the Scarrans. Cannon fodder that was how they had seen her and her unit. It took her a long time to accept and come to terms with this.
" Yeah..." he spoke, barely hearable.
She sighed as she jumped up from the bed and pulled Xhal into a hug. Teris was surprised to find out that she was being hugged back by Xhal. As she gazed into his eyes, she saw them darken and noticed something she hadn't seen before. Xhal moved closer to her...their faces mere inches apart from one another. And although she was half expecting it, it still came as a surprise when he suddenly started kissing her. It didn't take long for her to respond to his kisses and return them with equal passion. She started tugging at his T-shirt in an attempt to pull it off him as he left a trail of kisses on her neck.
" Xhal? Teris?" Merac's voice spoke through the comms. " I am initiating the descend into Moya's hangar bay. So get your eemas over here as soon as possible!"
" I guess that's our cue to go," Xhal whispered as they broke off after having stolen a last kiss from eachother.
"Uh-huh," was all that was able to leave her mouth as she nodded in agreement. There would be a time where they would discuss what had just transpired between them, but it wasn't now. There were other, more important things to do.
***
Moya:
Aeryn Sun and John Crichton watched as the Phoenix touched down on the deck of the hangar bay. Two armed units of soldiers surrounded them, ready to attack when the sign was given to them.
" We're not too late, are we?" D'Argo asked, carrying his Qualta Blade just in case it was necessary. Chiana had brought her own weapon along and despite her best efforts she hadn't been able to get rid of Noranti, who had brewed some kind of special potion for the joyous occasion of Xhal's homecoming.
"No," John answered. "You're on time, D. The marauder has just landed."
A loud hissing signalled the opening of the marauder's bay door. Steam escaped from the vessel, partially cloaking a figure who jumped down. John couldn't quite make out who it was. He noticed his soldiers looking around nervously and he looked over at Aeryn. John was sure that Aeryn had noticed it as well.
The figure slowly moved towards them and as it came closer, John recognized the familiar features of his son. He saw a huge grin appear on the boy's face. The first thing John observed was how tired Xhal looked and wondered what his son had been up to.
" Well, hello there. Not the homecoming I had been expecting, but it'll do," Xhal spoke amused as he watched the assembled crowd in front of him. He turned and looked back at the Phoenix and signalled his crew that it was safe for them to join him. One by one figures started to emerge from the steam. Merac and Teris were the first to arrive at his side, closely followed by the other two crewmembers Callan and Zeus. Callan was a Nebari who's parents had fought with Neri during the early days of the Nebari resistance. He was one of the orginal members of Xhal's unit along with Merac. Zeus was an Interon who had been given that nickname by Xhal during one of their missions, because he was getting tired of having to say the Interon's full name. Zeus served as the science and medical officer onboard the Phoenix.
" Mom...dad.We need to talk."
" The message your pilot send us said something about an urgent matter," Aeryn stated. Their son had changed and it was obvious to see for those who had known him. His eyes betrayed what he had seen and been through during his absence from them. She couldn't help but notice the way his men looked at him. Neri had never fully disclosed what Xhal was doing for him or who his was working with, but she could see that her son had surrounded himself with capable and loyal people. It was as if she was seeing John when she looked at her son.
" You probably already know that I suddenly ran off after having read some documents..." Xhal paused. " Merac told you the truth about it being urgent. I'm calling for an emergency meeting."
*
*** The Phoenix:
Teris sat down on Xhal's bed and watched him sleep. It was too bad she had to wake him, but they had almost arrived at their designated designation. Up to this moment she had only heard of Moya through the stories Xhal had told her and the others. She had of course seen other Leviathans before, but never one that hadn't been enslaved.
"Hey, wake up sleepy head," she spoke, poking him in the ribbs. Teris smiled as she watched him stir. Xhal had taught her the expression after he had rescued her and she had been gravely wounded by those who had tortured her. It had been the first time they had met or she should probably say that Xhal had met her, because she had been unconscious at the time.
Xhal opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He slowly pushed himself upwards until he was sitting on his bed. He felt their arms brush against one another. A grin appeared on his face as he looked her in the eyes. "Hey there, sunshine..."
" You wanted to be woken when we arrived at the coordinates. The others are waiting for you in command, so I figured I'd be the one to wake you since I also was the one who made you get some sleep in the first place."
" Is everyone ready?" he asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
" Yes, we have all taken the necessary precautions you wanted us to take. Are you expecting trouble upon our arrival? Do you think your parents don't trust the message we send to Moya..."
"They were probably contacted by Neri after we left. Not knowing what has happened to me, they are unwilling to take any unnecessary risks and want to protect those living onboard Moya. So...if I know my parents like I think I do, I'm certain we'll be greeted by armed troups. I trust my parents, but not the abilities of those who will be waiting for us in the hangar bay. Bottom line is that I don't want a nervous or trigger happy welnitz to hurt one of us when it can prevented. That's why I'll be the first to leave the ship."
" This will be the first time you'll see your parents since the day you left, won't it?" Teris asked as Xhal got up from his bed. She herself had never known who her parents had been. Born and raised a Peacekeeper. A loyal soldier. It had been the only life she had known until her commanders had left her to die at the hands of the Scarrans. Cannon fodder that was how they had seen her and her unit. It took her a long time to accept and come to terms with this.
" Yeah..." he spoke, barely hearable.
She sighed as she jumped up from the bed and pulled Xhal into a hug. Teris was surprised to find out that she was being hugged back by Xhal. As she gazed into his eyes, she saw them darken and noticed something she hadn't seen before. Xhal moved closer to her...their faces mere inches apart from one another. And although she was half expecting it, it still came as a surprise when he suddenly started kissing her. It didn't take long for her to respond to his kisses and return them with equal passion. She started tugging at his T-shirt in an attempt to pull it off him as he left a trail of kisses on her neck.
" Xhal? Teris?" Merac's voice spoke through the comms. " I am initiating the descend into Moya's hangar bay. So get your eemas over here as soon as possible!"
" I guess that's our cue to go," Xhal whispered as they broke off after having stolen a last kiss from eachother.
"Uh-huh," was all that was able to leave her mouth as she nodded in agreement. There would be a time where they would discuss what had just transpired between them, but it wasn't now. There were other, more important things to do.
***
Moya:
Aeryn Sun and John Crichton watched as the Phoenix touched down on the deck of the hangar bay. Two armed units of soldiers surrounded them, ready to attack when the sign was given to them.
" We're not too late, are we?" D'Argo asked, carrying his Qualta Blade just in case it was necessary. Chiana had brought her own weapon along and despite her best efforts she hadn't been able to get rid of Noranti, who had brewed some kind of special potion for the joyous occasion of Xhal's homecoming.
"No," John answered. "You're on time, D. The marauder has just landed."
A loud hissing signalled the opening of the marauder's bay door. Steam escaped from the vessel, partially cloaking a figure who jumped down. John couldn't quite make out who it was. He noticed his soldiers looking around nervously and he looked over at Aeryn. John was sure that Aeryn had noticed it as well.
The figure slowly moved towards them and as it came closer, John recognized the familiar features of his son. He saw a huge grin appear on the boy's face. The first thing John observed was how tired Xhal looked and wondered what his son had been up to.
" Well, hello there. Not the homecoming I had been expecting, but it'll do," Xhal spoke amused as he watched the assembled crowd in front of him. He turned and looked back at the Phoenix and signalled his crew that it was safe for them to join him. One by one figures started to emerge from the steam. Merac and Teris were the first to arrive at his side, closely followed by the other two crewmembers Callan and Zeus. Callan was a Nebari who's parents had fought with Neri during the early days of the Nebari resistance. He was one of the orginal members of Xhal's unit along with Merac. Zeus was an Interon who had been given that nickname by Xhal during one of their missions, because he was getting tired of having to say the Interon's full name. Zeus served as the science and medical officer onboard the Phoenix.
" Mom...dad.We need to talk."
" The message your pilot send us said something about an urgent matter," Aeryn stated. Their son had changed and it was obvious to see for those who had known him. His eyes betrayed what he had seen and been through during his absence from them. She couldn't help but notice the way his men looked at him. Neri had never fully disclosed what Xhal was doing for him or who his was working with, but she could see that her son had surrounded himself with capable and loyal people. It was as if she was seeing John when she looked at her son.
" You probably already know that I suddenly ran off after having read some documents..." Xhal paused. " Merac told you the truth about it being urgent. I'm calling for an emergency meeting."
*