Blake smiled in surprise as he saw Cally operating the teleport as he came aboard. Beside him, Jenna noticed the smile, and glowered at the newcomer. Gan explained what he taught Cally and Blake offered to teach her more. As Gan and Jenna left, Jenna said, over her shoulder,
"Don't take her education too far, will you, Blake?"
Blake laughed, and turned back to the controls. Cally watched Jenna leave, then said,
"I do not think she likes me very much." Blake looked up in surprise.
"Jenna? Oh, she's all right. She just needs time to get to know you, that's all." Cally looked at him.
"I suppose she does need time to get used to an alien. We do not like aliens on our world either." She sounded lost and lonely and Blake felt a rush of pity for the seemingly-tough stranger.
"Why did you leave your world?" he asked. She quickly looked down, at the controls.
"I wanted to fight for freedom, fight the Federation. That was not possible on Auron, so I left for Saurian Major." Her voice was lifeless, as if she was telling a story she'd learned by rote.
"Perhaps we can visit your home world soon." Blake said, seeking to reassure her. It had the opposite effect.
"No!" she said, quickly and sharply. Blake looked at her in surprise. She continued quietly. "I can never go back. I have failed. Aurons will not accept failure and they will not accept me either."
Blake watched her for a moment. 'I don't think you're telling me the whole truth.' he thought. 'But it doesn't matter. You're a good fighter, and you hate the Federation, and you're alone. I'll help you and one day you'll trust me enough to tell me.' He looked at her, at her sad, serious face, then suddenly saw something he hadn't seen before. He moved closer, and touched her arm.
"You're very young, aren't you?"
She looked up in surprise. Then her chin went up, and she said,
"I'm old enough to die." It wasn't said with the false bravado of the young. It was said as if she had seen all the horror and sorrow of death, and knew she would not be spared that end, yet was prepared to die for what she believed in. Blake felt sorry for her, yet he also recognised the fire, the fervent belief in freedom that had led her to risk her life, to see her own existence as worthless compared to the existence of the Cause, and he recognised that in himself too. She was so like he had been, fifteen, twenty years ago, before all the betrayal and deception and doubt.
"Don't worry, " he told her. "I'll look after you."
"I do not need looking after."
He smiled.
"Nonetheless, Cally, I will look after you, I promise. Now, let me show you how the teleport works." He stopped, as a memory suddenly flashed across his mind, accompanied by a disquieting thought. He'd seen the look in her eyes when Avon had walked over that ridge, surprising and tricking her, and it worried him. He had to warn her.
"Cally?"
She looked up suddenly, and he looked away, almost embarrassed by what he was about to say. "Cally, I just want to give you some advice...about Avon."
"Yes?" she was suddenly very still.
"Cally, be careful with him, stay away from him. He's dangerous, especially I think, to those that care for him."
She smiled very slowly.
"I'll try." She promised. Despite this, Blake felt that something had been started, something set in motion that was dangerous, fateful. 'I can't stop it.' He thought suddenly. 'No-one can.' Then he forgot his momentary unease and went on with his work.
*****************
Blake you promised to look after me, now keep your promise, now that I am about to die and join you. I want to stay now, I no longer wish to die, I need to stay with him now, he needs me, please, where are you Blake, keep your promise!
"Blake!"
****************
"Don't take her education too far, will you, Blake?"
Blake laughed, and turned back to the controls. Cally watched Jenna leave, then said,
"I do not think she likes me very much." Blake looked up in surprise.
"Jenna? Oh, she's all right. She just needs time to get to know you, that's all." Cally looked at him.
"I suppose she does need time to get used to an alien. We do not like aliens on our world either." She sounded lost and lonely and Blake felt a rush of pity for the seemingly-tough stranger.
"Why did you leave your world?" he asked. She quickly looked down, at the controls.
"I wanted to fight for freedom, fight the Federation. That was not possible on Auron, so I left for Saurian Major." Her voice was lifeless, as if she was telling a story she'd learned by rote.
"Perhaps we can visit your home world soon." Blake said, seeking to reassure her. It had the opposite effect.
"No!" she said, quickly and sharply. Blake looked at her in surprise. She continued quietly. "I can never go back. I have failed. Aurons will not accept failure and they will not accept me either."
Blake watched her for a moment. 'I don't think you're telling me the whole truth.' he thought. 'But it doesn't matter. You're a good fighter, and you hate the Federation, and you're alone. I'll help you and one day you'll trust me enough to tell me.' He looked at her, at her sad, serious face, then suddenly saw something he hadn't seen before. He moved closer, and touched her arm.
"You're very young, aren't you?"
She looked up in surprise. Then her chin went up, and she said,
"I'm old enough to die." It wasn't said with the false bravado of the young. It was said as if she had seen all the horror and sorrow of death, and knew she would not be spared that end, yet was prepared to die for what she believed in. Blake felt sorry for her, yet he also recognised the fire, the fervent belief in freedom that had led her to risk her life, to see her own existence as worthless compared to the existence of the Cause, and he recognised that in himself too. She was so like he had been, fifteen, twenty years ago, before all the betrayal and deception and doubt.
"Don't worry, " he told her. "I'll look after you."
"I do not need looking after."
He smiled.
"Nonetheless, Cally, I will look after you, I promise. Now, let me show you how the teleport works." He stopped, as a memory suddenly flashed across his mind, accompanied by a disquieting thought. He'd seen the look in her eyes when Avon had walked over that ridge, surprising and tricking her, and it worried him. He had to warn her.
"Cally?"
She looked up suddenly, and he looked away, almost embarrassed by what he was about to say. "Cally, I just want to give you some advice...about Avon."
"Yes?" she was suddenly very still.
"Cally, be careful with him, stay away from him. He's dangerous, especially I think, to those that care for him."
She smiled very slowly.
"I'll try." She promised. Despite this, Blake felt that something had been started, something set in motion that was dangerous, fateful. 'I can't stop it.' He thought suddenly. 'No-one can.' Then he forgot his momentary unease and went on with his work.
*****************
Blake you promised to look after me, now keep your promise, now that I am about to die and join you. I want to stay now, I no longer wish to die, I need to stay with him now, he needs me, please, where are you Blake, keep your promise!
"Blake!"
****************