Illithan slept well that night, the ship was more relaxed then her home
despite the fact that it smelt of Magog she could have sworn she were on
her home world when she closed her eyes. Someone knocked lightly on the
door and her mind reached out to the persons outside, the thoughts were a
flurry of conflicting arguments, logical decisions and sensible ponderings.
"The door is open," She offered simply, pulling the sheets up to her neck.
Dylan Hunt entered, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood a little way from her; "I have considered you request," He told her and she nodded, knowing that this was why he was there to see her. "If your kind knows anything about repelling the Magog then it would be of great use to the commonwealth to visit your world." She nodded again, glad of his logical mind; "Rommie is ready to input the data when you are."
"Thank you Captain Hunt, I can assure you that my kind will appreciate this,"
With a slight bow of his head, Dylan left and she laid back, a smile of genuine delight on her features. She had missed her home when she had been away and the one small rug had been nothing but a painful reminder that it was so far away and yet now she would be going back there, after so many long, hard years.
~*~*~
Illithan stood besides Captain Hunt on the command deck of his ship as they were waiting for the order to connect to the planet; her coat was open but still hugged close to her form. "Mr. Harper, place the call," Harper ran up the sequence he needed and nodded. "I am Captain Hunt of the 'Andromeda Ascendant,'"
An elder member of Illithan race greeted them with a stony expression, "We know who you are Captain Hunt." He seemed impatient, turning his gaze to Illithan; she bowed her head to him. "Illithan," His voice suddenly relaxed and a look of recognition lightened his features; unlike Illithan, marks marred his forehead, almost like two triangles across his face that stopped at the top edge of his eyebrows. "It warms my heart to see you returned to us,"
Illithan offered a gracious bow, her eyes going to the male on screen, "Counsellor Yalish, it is good to be able to at least see the world I left so long ago." She told him honestly, "I hope to find my mother and tell her the things I have found."
"She will be glad to see you again; I will send one of the fleet to collect you at once,"
Decisively she took a step forwards, "If I could be so bold as to claim it sir, I would like to show the crew our home." There was a pause, Illithan nodded making it clear that he had spoken into her mind, "Thank you sir, you are most kind. We will make our journey soon." The viewer cut and Illithan turned to Dylan with an odd expression on her face. "He will have four of your crew there,"
"Did he specify who?"
"Anyone, save Tyr, we are no fans of mercenaries,"
Harper looked hopefully towards Illithan and she turned back to Dylan, "But Harper must come, not by order but by my choice." Harper was thinking very glad thoughts from behind her and she could feel his happiness.
"Then I will leave it to you to choose,"
He allowed her to leave and she did so, aware that Harper was following her, "Thanks," He said softly. She stopped in place and turned to face him; he smiled slightly and shrugged. Her eyes drifted to his and he bowed to her. "I really owe you one now."
She sighed, her eyes dropping away from his enthusiastic blue gaze; he seemed to notice her considerable lack of happiness and leant against the wall. "Harper, I know your mind, you would hunt down an answer on my world, and it scars me deeply to tell you that there is not one there to be had." The mental backlash to his pain was huge; the thoughts keeping his limited sanity from leaving him were doing just that. She touched her forehead and looked towards the defeated engineer, now slumped against the wall. "Harper, I would give you anything to see you live through this but there is nothing I or any one on my world can do."
He started to walk away from her and her mind picked up his thoughts as he did so, he blamed her for giving him false hope, he had also given up even trying to keep himself together. Illithan followed him, which led them to his room, he did not seem to care that she had followed him in. Sitting defeated on his bed, he only just noticed her placing her arm around him. "Do not think that, I do not like the concept of giving you false hope."
'Hell I shoulda figured that this would end this way, it's not as if I really thought it would go any other way.'
His thoughts hit her hard and she lent into him, the strengthening of her all ready powerful ability was a shock. "Please stop," She insisted, her voice was pleading him to cease but Harper did not know what he was really doing.
'Might as well just pack it all in now, what was the point anyway?'
"Stop it!"
Her shouted voice did make his thoughts stop; he had never heard her shout so loud. For the first time since they had met, Illithan broke into tears, her hands going to her eyes to hide her face; she was a strong being and had cried very few times in her life. "Illithan?" Harper questioned snapping out of his personal grief, afraid to put his arm around the crying woman he just moved closer to her. "Illithan, what's wrong?"
She sniffed in, stemming her tears before they could get too out of control to be stopped, "It is you." She insisted softly and he felt baffled for a moment. "It hurts me to see you despair," she admitted to him. "In the past, I have remained detached from those I saved but something made me allow you to come with me to my home that night."
"Blame your hormones,"
His bright comment made her chuckle ever so slightly, he smiled at her but there was very little heart to the smile. They sat silently, both considering their own inevitable situation; neither of their cases was less desperate. "I know of a scientist, a friend of mine, who can help you somehow." She offered, "He can improve the program that keeps your mind entertained when you sleep, make it different."
He looked into her eyes, smiling in a more open way, "thanks," He offered. "I guess I got myself too worked up about a cure, you never told me that I could be cured." She bowed her head and he nodded slightly, "Yeah, sorry about that, I didn't think .. Well perhaps the point is that I thought far too hard. So I'm sorry ok?"
"You owe me no apology; it is enough that you trust me."
"Trust you? You saved me, I think that's even."
There was a pause; Harper asked her mentally whom she was going to take with her to the planet. "If you still wish to, then you can come." He nodded enthusiastically, "Then I have three places to fill. It would be impolite of me not to invite Dylan, I would like to have Rev come too but I doubt that is smart, Trance would be ideal."
"Then you've filled all the places. Rev will be fine, you've vouched for him."
"I daresay he would be fine in the citadel but outside ."
"Don't be paranoid, he'll be fine."
Dylan Hunt entered, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood a little way from her; "I have considered you request," He told her and she nodded, knowing that this was why he was there to see her. "If your kind knows anything about repelling the Magog then it would be of great use to the commonwealth to visit your world." She nodded again, glad of his logical mind; "Rommie is ready to input the data when you are."
"Thank you Captain Hunt, I can assure you that my kind will appreciate this,"
With a slight bow of his head, Dylan left and she laid back, a smile of genuine delight on her features. She had missed her home when she had been away and the one small rug had been nothing but a painful reminder that it was so far away and yet now she would be going back there, after so many long, hard years.
~*~*~
Illithan stood besides Captain Hunt on the command deck of his ship as they were waiting for the order to connect to the planet; her coat was open but still hugged close to her form. "Mr. Harper, place the call," Harper ran up the sequence he needed and nodded. "I am Captain Hunt of the 'Andromeda Ascendant,'"
An elder member of Illithan race greeted them with a stony expression, "We know who you are Captain Hunt." He seemed impatient, turning his gaze to Illithan; she bowed her head to him. "Illithan," His voice suddenly relaxed and a look of recognition lightened his features; unlike Illithan, marks marred his forehead, almost like two triangles across his face that stopped at the top edge of his eyebrows. "It warms my heart to see you returned to us,"
Illithan offered a gracious bow, her eyes going to the male on screen, "Counsellor Yalish, it is good to be able to at least see the world I left so long ago." She told him honestly, "I hope to find my mother and tell her the things I have found."
"She will be glad to see you again; I will send one of the fleet to collect you at once,"
Decisively she took a step forwards, "If I could be so bold as to claim it sir, I would like to show the crew our home." There was a pause, Illithan nodded making it clear that he had spoken into her mind, "Thank you sir, you are most kind. We will make our journey soon." The viewer cut and Illithan turned to Dylan with an odd expression on her face. "He will have four of your crew there,"
"Did he specify who?"
"Anyone, save Tyr, we are no fans of mercenaries,"
Harper looked hopefully towards Illithan and she turned back to Dylan, "But Harper must come, not by order but by my choice." Harper was thinking very glad thoughts from behind her and she could feel his happiness.
"Then I will leave it to you to choose,"
He allowed her to leave and she did so, aware that Harper was following her, "Thanks," He said softly. She stopped in place and turned to face him; he smiled slightly and shrugged. Her eyes drifted to his and he bowed to her. "I really owe you one now."
She sighed, her eyes dropping away from his enthusiastic blue gaze; he seemed to notice her considerable lack of happiness and leant against the wall. "Harper, I know your mind, you would hunt down an answer on my world, and it scars me deeply to tell you that there is not one there to be had." The mental backlash to his pain was huge; the thoughts keeping his limited sanity from leaving him were doing just that. She touched her forehead and looked towards the defeated engineer, now slumped against the wall. "Harper, I would give you anything to see you live through this but there is nothing I or any one on my world can do."
He started to walk away from her and her mind picked up his thoughts as he did so, he blamed her for giving him false hope, he had also given up even trying to keep himself together. Illithan followed him, which led them to his room, he did not seem to care that she had followed him in. Sitting defeated on his bed, he only just noticed her placing her arm around him. "Do not think that, I do not like the concept of giving you false hope."
'Hell I shoulda figured that this would end this way, it's not as if I really thought it would go any other way.'
His thoughts hit her hard and she lent into him, the strengthening of her all ready powerful ability was a shock. "Please stop," She insisted, her voice was pleading him to cease but Harper did not know what he was really doing.
'Might as well just pack it all in now, what was the point anyway?'
"Stop it!"
Her shouted voice did make his thoughts stop; he had never heard her shout so loud. For the first time since they had met, Illithan broke into tears, her hands going to her eyes to hide her face; she was a strong being and had cried very few times in her life. "Illithan?" Harper questioned snapping out of his personal grief, afraid to put his arm around the crying woman he just moved closer to her. "Illithan, what's wrong?"
She sniffed in, stemming her tears before they could get too out of control to be stopped, "It is you." She insisted softly and he felt baffled for a moment. "It hurts me to see you despair," she admitted to him. "In the past, I have remained detached from those I saved but something made me allow you to come with me to my home that night."
"Blame your hormones,"
His bright comment made her chuckle ever so slightly, he smiled at her but there was very little heart to the smile. They sat silently, both considering their own inevitable situation; neither of their cases was less desperate. "I know of a scientist, a friend of mine, who can help you somehow." She offered, "He can improve the program that keeps your mind entertained when you sleep, make it different."
He looked into her eyes, smiling in a more open way, "thanks," He offered. "I guess I got myself too worked up about a cure, you never told me that I could be cured." She bowed her head and he nodded slightly, "Yeah, sorry about that, I didn't think .. Well perhaps the point is that I thought far too hard. So I'm sorry ok?"
"You owe me no apology; it is enough that you trust me."
"Trust you? You saved me, I think that's even."
There was a pause; Harper asked her mentally whom she was going to take with her to the planet. "If you still wish to, then you can come." He nodded enthusiastically, "Then I have three places to fill. It would be impolite of me not to invite Dylan, I would like to have Rev come too but I doubt that is smart, Trance would be ideal."
"Then you've filled all the places. Rev will be fine, you've vouched for him."
"I daresay he would be fine in the citadel but outside ."
"Don't be paranoid, he'll be fine."