Child of the Sun Chapter 15, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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Alura was getting Drago's breakfast from the room's organic replicator after her morning shower when the holographic Andromeda appeared.

Alura smiled at the holograph, "Good morning, Andromeda."

Andromeda's face remained on the blank side instead of smiling slightly as she usually did. "Commander Rhade asked me to deliver a message to you."

"Yes?" Alura prompted, feeling as if the holograph was avoiding reciting the message to avoid hurting her.

Even without the empathic abilities her star had once granted her, Alura could read 'people' when she concentrated. And despite Andromeda's stoic façade, Alura knew the ship felt for her. Maybe not as much as the AI felt for Dylan and his inner circle, but Alura talked to the Andromeda almost as much as she talked to the Andromeda's crew.

"He is unable to meet with you this morning due to Captain Hunt requesting he start his shift early because of the scheduled arrival of Tri-Lorn's liaison. He asked that I tell you to proceed with the plan for Drago's lesson this evening."

Alura had a fair idea now of why the Andromeda's AI had been hesitant about the message. "Andromeda, how much earlier does his shift start?"

For just a moment, Alura thought she saw the holograph wince.

"Thirty minutes."

Closing her eyes against a wave of pain, Alura nodded, knowing the holograph would disappear on her own, having completed her purpose. So Telemachus hadn't technically lied in his message. He was just using the excuse presented to him to avoid her this morning. It hurt almost as badly as a straightforward lie would have. But, she knew he was hurting, too, waiting for her decision. Until Alura heard from her mother about the medical tests, they would both continue to suffer.

Drago came out of the bathroom and sat down in the seat that had very quickly become his. He ate quietly for several minutes before glancing at the main door and then at her.

"Where's Telemachus, Momma?"

Alura pasted what she hoped passed for a smile on her face and answered, "He got put on duty early today, sweetie. You'll see him after dinner for your lesson."

Drago smiled and nodded before tucking back into his food. Alura forced herself to eat her own breakfast, not truly tasting what was in her mouth.

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Telemachus waited patiently one step behind and to the side of Dylan. Trance was on Dylan's other side. Telemachus had avoided looking at her as much as possible; he didn't want to be reminded of Alura any more than he had to be while on duty.

The three of them were waiting to greet the liaison sent by Tri-Lorn. A Commonwealth vessel about a quarter the size of the Maru had just been landed beside Beka's precious ship, and they were waiting for the Captain to step out into the hangar. Telemachus was not looking forward to playing host to some spoiled ambassador, but at least the duty would take his mind off... other things.

But as a man stepped from the new vessel, Telemachus went completely still. Their liaison was not going to be able to take his mind off Alura. If anything, Achilles Renier was just as likely as Trance to remind him of Alura. The last time Achilles had been onboard the Andromeda, Telemachus had easily identified him as competition. He stopped just short of growling at the thought.

Achilles immediately strode to Dylan, offering his hand to the heavyworlder. The two men shook hands and Achilles smiled in Trance's direction.

"Welcome back to the Andromeda Ascendant, Captain Renier," Dylan said when he noticed the new rank insignia on the Nietzschean's High Guard uniform.

"Thank you, Captain Hunt. Tri-Lorn asked for volunteers and out of those who came forward, I was the only one with the necessary rank and security clearance who had actually had personal contact with you already."

Dylan nodded his understanding. "We have a formal lunch scheduled for you and the senior staff in a couple hours. Until then, shall we adjourn to my office?"

Achilles indicated the case in his hand that Telemachus assumed held instructions and information from Tri-Lorn.

The blonde Nietzscean answered simply, "I think that would be best."

Dylan led the way into the corridor, Trance and Achilles side by side making small talk behind him, and Telemachus brought up the rear. Telemachus bristled when the group met up with Alura and Drago in the hall and Alura greeted Achilles warmly. Full introductions were made between Alura, Achilles and Drago. To his credit, Achilles moved on from the shock of learning of Tyr Anasazi's children relatively quickly.

Achilles asked Alura, "Will you and Drago be at the lunch?"

Dylan cleared his throat before Alura could answer, saying, "If you'd like her to be. Alura, it will be in exactly two hours on obs deck."

"Thank you, Dylan," Alura responded. "We'll see you later, Achilles."

"I look forward to it," their guest said.

Alura smiled at Telemachus, and his lips quirked up slightly before he remembered that he was avoiding her. He forced his face to become blank. He watched with regret as Alura sighed and continued down the hall with Drago trailing after her, a confused look on the boy's face.

Telemachus and Trance walked with Dylan and Achilles to Dylan's office. Trance left for med deck and Telemachus headed for command, leaving the two Captains to their meeting. An hour later, Telemachus received a summons from Dylan. Beka shot him a questioning gaze from her spot near the pilot controls, but he had no idea why Dylan would want him so soon, so he simply shrugged and left.

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Dylan didn't glance up when Telemachus entered his office. His only Nietzschean officer had been out of sorts for a couple days, and Dylan had noticed that the arrival of Achilles Renier had put him in an even worse mood. Telemachus didn't let it affect his work, of course, but he wasn't that difficult for Dylan to read. Trance having let him in on the romantic situation between Alura and Telemachus helped. Achilles was evidently also interested in Alura.

At the moment, Achilles was in Dylan's sitting room, respecting Dylan's need to give Telemachus the news he had called him into his office for alone. As soon as Dylan was done with Telemachus, he and Achilles would continue their discussions of what Tri-Lorn had been able to send including the diplomatic mission the Andromeda would go on in a week to attempt to get a neutral planet with a large military force to join Tri-Lorn's side of the Commonwealth civil war.

"Rhade, I have two messages here for you, one from each of your parents."

Telemachus stiffened but took the two communiqués from Dylan, saying, "Thank you, Captain."

He turned to go, but Dylan spoke again, "That wasn't all, Rhade." Telemachus dutifully turned his attention back to Dylan, who continued. "The last time I sent Tri-Lorn a message I asked him to clear you of the charges against you and sent in a promotion request. Both have been granted."

Telemachus stared blankly at him, and Dylan almost laughed. He came around the desk and reached out to replace Telemachus' Lieutenant Commander pin with that of a full Commander.

"Congratulations, Commander Rhade. You've earned it."

The Nietzschean snapped out of his trance and smiled briefly, "Thank you, Dylan."

The two men shook hands and Dylan indicated that Telemachus was dismissed.

"You can go off duty for a half hour now to go over your messages, then I'd like you back on command deck."

Telemachus nodded and left the office. Dylan got up and asked Achilles back into the office to continue their discussions.

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Telemachus made his way slowly to his quarters. When he entered the living room, he sank down onto the sofa. He set his father's message down to save it for after his mother's. From years of experience, he knew Baldur would have sent a diplomatic follow up to whatever Isis' demands were this time. Sighing in resignation, Telemachus played his mother's message, simply wanting to get it over with.

"My son."

Isis' message began in typical fashion, immediately claiming her authority over him. His mother's image was dressed in a tailored outfit of a sleeveless tunic and pants that accentuated her still-youthful figure very well. Nothing but the best for Isis of Majorem Pride. Her dark hair was pulled back severely in a bun at the nape of her neck. She was a very beautiful woman, but haughty and cold to those she believed to be beneath her. Which was pretty much everyone.

"News has reached us that the charges against you have been dropped. There is no longer a need for you to risk yourself unnecessarily on the Andromeda Ascendant. Come back to Tarazed and take back your position with the Home Guard if you feel the need to stay in the military. Your duty is here with your Pride. You will never command the respect of the Alpha you are meant to be if you do not look after the interests of your Pride first. It is far past time that a man of your position and age had a mate, preferably more than one. You need heirs. We will discuss suitable women when you come home."

The message ended there, and Telemachus stood up, pacing from one end of the room to the other with his jaw clenched. He had no intention of leaving the Andromeda anytime soon, but how was he supposed to tell his mother that without her making his life more difficult? When Isis' mother, his grandmother, had died five years ago, Isis had become Matriarch of Majorem Pride. His grandfather, Perseus, was still a strong Alpha male at 67, but Isis had been trying to groom Telemachus to take his place for years.

When he had left the Home Guard to join the Commonwealth High Guard, taking a pay and rank cut in order to see more of the universe, his mother had been livid. Only the fact that he had been given an important mission capturing Tyr Anasazi had made her calm down. If he wasn't the only male child she had, Telemachus knew Isis would have disowned him when he was accused of treason. Giving up momentarily on trying to think of a compromise she would agree to, Telemachus sat back down to listen to his father's message.

"Telemachus."

The miniature holographic image of his father smiled in greeting. Though prematurely grey, probably from having to deal with Isis for thirty years, Baldur Rhade was still a striking male in prime physical condition. Because he was not of Majorem Pride by birth but by marriage, Baldur could never be the Alpha male of the Pride. It was something Telemachus had at times regretted. Telemachus did have a sense of duty to his Pride, but having been Admiral of the Home Guard he also felt responsible for the whole of Tarazed. And he would not do any of the people of his home planet any good by hiding on Tarazed and waiting for the Magog worldship to show up and destroy it.

And now there was Alura. Whatever she decided, however long it took her to decide, he couldn't run the risk of never seeing her again. It would destroy him. If he did choose to go back to Tarazed and allow his mother to finish grooming him for his future position, would Alura care enough to come to him when she made her decision? Sighing, Telemachus turned his complete attention to his father's message.

"I am sorry I was not able to calm your mother down before she sent out her message. I will continue to work on her, make her see that what you are doing is for the good of everyone." His father's image smiled again, "Congratulations on your new commission. I know how hard you've worked for it. I'm proud of you, Telemachus. Your mother may have a point about needing a wife though; I'd like grandchildren." Baldur's eyes twinkled. "I hope to hear from you soon, son."

Telemachus sighed again. His half-sisters had children, and though his father loved them as he would his own grandchildren, Telemachus was Baldur's only child. Baldur had been in an accident that had left him sterile soon after Telemachus had been born. Isis had immediately taken a second husband, who had given her only female children, two of them. Between them, Telemachus' sisters had eight children.

Thinking of children made Telemachus think of Alura again and the ready-made family he would have with her and Drago. Would any children they might have be as colorful as Alura was? Telemachus smiled at the thought. But remembering the comment Achilles had made the first time he had left the Andromeda, Telemachus frowned. Would Isis accept Alura? He wasn't really sure. He knew Baldur would simply because he wanted his son to be happy.

Baldur had found his own happiness with his second wife, a sterile Nietzschean named Jess who he had worked with in the Tarazed police force. They had been married when Telemachus was ten, and he thought of the sweet woman as a second mother. Telemachus knew he was the only reason Baldur stayed and put up with Isis. Baldur and Jess would have been very happy living their own little lives, just the two of them, if it weren't for the fact that they both loved him.

Telemachus didn't just have the fact that Alura was half-Avatar to worry about when it came to his mother. Despite the fact that her own son was the genetic reincarnation of his ancestor, Gaheris Rhade, Isis did not believe in the second coming of Drago Museveni. She had hated Tyr Anasazi, and anyone that had followed him was not worth the air they breathed. How would she feel having Tyr's daughter married to her son?

Telemachus closed his eyes in pain and hoped he had a reason to worry.

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During the lunch in honor of his visit, Achilles had been seated between Dylan Hunt and his SIC, Beka Valentine. It had not allowed him to speak to Alura, who with her son had been placed at the other end of the table with Harper and Trance, so after the meal, just before going back into his closed meeting with Dylan, Achilles had asked to eat dinner with she and Drago. Knowing from the last time he had been onboard that she enjoyed his company, and knowing Telemachus would not be sitting with her, Alura had accepted.

Achilles greeted she and Drago with a genuine smile that they both returned. While the three of them ate, Achilles regaled Drago with stories of his nieces and nephews, as well as the adventures he and his siblings had been a part of growing up in the family compound on Tarazed. Many of the stories were funny, and Alura found herself truly enjoying Achilles' company.

But as the stories wound down while Achilles ate his meal, Alura felt her gaze being drawn three tables away to where Telemachus sat with some of the Commonwealth crewmen. When his eyes moved in her direction, she looked down at her plate, pretending fascination with the pasta there.

A few minutes later, she glanced in his direction again, only to meet his eyes, which had already been on her, for a split second. This time, it was he who turned away. Alura let out a small sigh and looked up to find Achilles watching her silently. She bit her lip and shrugged slightly. Achilles gave her an understanding look.

As soon as Drago was done with his meal, he started fidgeting in his seat and glancing across the room to Telemachus' table. Alura smiled to herself but waited for her son to say something. It only took half of a minute.

"Can I go sit with Telemachus until it's time for my lesson, Momma?"

"Don't you want any dessert, Drago?" she asked.

"No, Momma. I'm full."

Drago glanced away again. Alura followed his gaze to catch Telemachus watching her intently. She paled and turned back to her son. Telemachus didn't look happy with her. Alura knew that Telemachus would never take it out on Drago, though. She opened her mouth to let Drago go to him, but she didn't answer soon enough.

"Please, Momma!"

Alura's eyebrows rose. Drago must miss Telemachus almost as much as she did if he was begging to head off to a lesson. It made her that much more anxious to get the medical report her mother had said wouldn't be complete until at least tomorrow morning.

"Go ahead. But say good-bye to Achilles first."

Drago got off his chair and walked around the table to Achilles. He held out his hand and solemnly shook Achilles' when it was offered.

"Thank you for joining us at dinner, Captain Renier. You make Momma smile a lot."

Alura blushed at her son's formal yet forward remark. Achilles simply smiled and wished Drago good luck with his lesson. He waited until Drago was with Telemachus to speak to her.

"He's quite extraordinary."

"Thank you," Alura said softly. "I've only had him for a few days, though, so I guess its just Fate that he turned out as well as he did."

"Do you mind me asking about him?"

"No," Alura shook her head. "Our father didn't find out about him until he was a few months old, and when he did he found out something about him that made him want to keep Drago very safe, so he hid him away where no one would find him. Drago was raised in a very strict environment by the power hungry Matriarch of his mother's Pride."

"His mother?"

"Freya's dead, killed by her own Pride, the Orcas, the same day Dad found out about Drago."

"How did you find him if he was so well hidden, did your father tell you where he was before he died?"

Alura opened her mouth and closed it. How to explain without simply telling the truth? She studied the blonde man sitting across from her. Alura always trusted her instincts when it came to people, and she felt that she could trust Achilles. Slowly, softly, she told him the truth. Not everything about her reality, no more than she had told Telemachus, just where and when she had come from, skimming lightly over her position and experience in the Commonwealth, a little about her mother's race, and the circumstances that had led to her adoption of Drago, including her execution of Olma. When she was done, she lifted her eyes to his to see his reaction. Achilles was smiling gently at her, though there was some surprise evident in his gaze.

"I knew the moment I saw you that you were a remarkable woman."

Unable to meet his gaze again after the compliment, Alura went back to her meal, finishing the food slowly. She could admit to herself that on top of trusting Achilles, she was flattered by his attention. Was it wrong to want to keep this man's friendship when she was in love with Telemachus? She didn't think so. After all, it would be ridiculous to expect either of them to stop having friends of the opposite sex, but she still felt guilty.

Was she somehow leading Achilles on, making him think there was a chance for them? She knew Achilles had noticed the looks she and Telemachus had been giving each other and he seemed to accept it. Alura brushed aside her worry. She had done nothing with Achilles that she had any reason to be ashamed of.

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"May I walk you to your quarters?" Achilles asked after dinner.

They had both cleared their table; Achilles helped her with the things Drago had left behind. They were now headed out of the mess.

Alura smiled at him, but said, "Actually, I'm heading to hangar one. I have some work to do on my ship that is easier to do when Drago isn't with me."

"Can I be of assistance?" Achilles asked.

He was intrigued to see the ship Alura called hers. The ship she had come from another time and reality in. And until he left in a few hours, Achilles had no more official duties to complete. Why not spend his time with this beautiful, strong woman he found so fascinating?

Achilles felt Telemachus Rhade's glare on him from across the room and dared to turn his head and smile at the other man. Whatever was going on between Telemachus and Alura had nothing to do with him. His growing friendship with the half-Nietzschean was more than worth having to deal with the animosity of another Pride's future Alpha male. In his heart, Achilles felt that Alura was worth much, much more than that.

"Yes, thank you. Harper's been busy with one of his inventions lately. As long as you're sure you don't mind wasting your time tinkering around on a no-longer-Commonwealth ship."

"Time with you could never be wasted," he said more truthfully than he had intended.

Alura got a worried look on her face. "Achilles..."

They were out in the hall now, alone, and Achilles lifted a finger to touch her lips, stopping her from saying anything else.

"I know," he said gently. "I just want you to know where I stand."

Before she could respond, Beka walked out into the hall and saw them. A slow smile that wasn't in the least friendly crossed the human's face before she walked off down the corridor.

"Have I gotten you into trouble?" Achilles asked Alura when he noticed how pale she had become.

"It has nothing to do with you," she answered softly. "She would have found something else to use against me." Alura sighed, "Can we just go?"

Achilles nodded and moved with her through the Andromeda. As they walked, Achilles considered apologizing for being too forward. But he wasn't sorry for letting her know how he felt, and he didn't want to lie to her. So he let it go, hoping she would do the same.

Alura's ship was the only one in the hangar they entered. And with good reason. His own small ship was in a hangar with Captain Valentine's Eureka Maru, which he considered a hunk of junk. Alura's ship was bigger than both of the other ships put together, and appeared to be a cross of Nietzschean and Commonwealth design. It was a beautiful ship.

"This is the Dance Among The Stars," Alura said proudly.

"You built it."

It wasn't a question, but Alura nodded anyway. "I had help of course. But I designed this version of him."

"Him?" Achilles asked.

"Yes, the ship's AI, Danny, is male."

The door into the Dance opened for Alura, and Achilles followed her inside. He trailed behind her down the hall into a small room. A male voice greeted them before the AI's image came into his line of sight.

"Ah, Commodore, my Commodore."

Achilles saw what appeared to be a human in High Guard uniform standing in the room. Then the holograph caught sight of him and flickered, now dressed in pain black clothing.

"My apologies, Alura. I read male Nietzschean life signs and assumed it was the Commander, if I had known..."

"Danny, it's alright, this is Achilles Renier, a Captain of the Commonwealth High Guard. He knows about us, so you can stay in uniform. But be more careful next time."

"Yes, Commodore," Danny responded, changing back into his uniform. He smiled in greeting at Achilles, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously, "I am honored to meet the rescuer of my beloved Commodore."

Alura rolled her eyes at the endearment, but Achilles grinned and inclined his head slightly to the sophisticated holograph. Danny had as much personality as the Andromeda's android, Rommie. While some people might frown on it, Achilles thought it was good. An AI with emotional attachment to its crew was more likely to protect that crew at all costs. And no matter how much they cost or how powerful they were, ships were not worth more than their crews.

"I thought we'd rip out the EM engine and more permanently connect the new power core while Achilles is here to help me," Alura said.

Danny nodded and began the walk toward the power core room. Achilles and Alura followed behind, Achilles studying the uniqueness of the vessel. It wasn't designed to be strictly a warship from what he could tell. There were common rooms and residential suites off many of the main halls. He would estimate that up to one hundred people could live very comfortably on the Dance. For a moment Achilles wondered if Alura would have already left if it weren't for Trance's presence on the Andromeda. Of course, Telemachus being there probably added to it, too.

They reached the room Alura wanted to work in and after some basic instructions on the difference between what needed to come out and what needed to stay, they set to work. Alura and Achilles worked mostly in silence, one of them asking the other for a specific tool once in awhile. It was a companionable silence, interrupted a few times by Danny asking if they needed anything or how they were doing. They were lugging the main part of the EM weapon husk to engineering to toss it in the scrap heap when Danny appeared again, this time in his plain black clothes.

"Alura, Rommie is on her way to the engineering room to deliver a message," he reported.

"Thank you, Danny," Alura panted.

Achilles motioned with his head for her to keep moving, there was no sense in standing there waiting for the ship-made-flesh with the heavy metal object in their arms. Rommie caught up with them just after they had gotten rid of their burden.

"Captain Renier, Captain Hunt wanted me to remind you that you are scheduled to leave in an hour." Achilles nodded, and Rommie turned to his companion, "Alura, Dylan is going to play basketball with Drago, and Drago asked that you come and watch."

"Are they playing on obs?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Rommie, I'll head that way as soon as I wash up."

Rommie left, and Achilles went with Alura to the quarters she had used before moving onto the Andromeda. There was a large painting of a small cottage with a colorful garden and a fairly large pond hanging on the wall above the bed that Achilles admired after he cleaned up while Alura was taking her turn in the bathroom.

"It's beautiful," he remarked when she came out.

Alura smiled sadly, "Hank, the man who raised me after my father was killed, painted it about a month before he was killed by the Magog. It's the house we lived in when we weren't in space, which wasn't very often."

"Looks like it was peaceful."

"It was, right up until the end."

The way Alura said it made Achilles fall silent. She had lost her home more than once and now she was stuck on a ship where not everyone liked her. It made him want to take her away from it all. If only she'd let him.

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The basketball game was already in progress when Alura and Achilles made their way to obs deck. The table that had been in the room earlier for the formal lunch had long since been removed, and a lone basketball hoop stood near one of the walls. Drago and Dylan were playing half court against Trance and Telemachus. When Achilles and Alura appeared, Dylan asked if they want to join in, but they both declined, content to watch.

Alura was especially glad to be able to just observe the game. It was wonderful to see Drago having such a good time. Although her son had just learned to play and was a lot smaller than everyone else, he still fared better in the game than Trance. And Telemachus didn't have as much practice time in as Dylan did. So Drago and Dylan were already ahead when Achilles told Alura it was time for him to go and asked her to walk with him to his ship.

"Would one of you mind bringing Drago to our quarters when the game is over?" she asked the players.

"I will," Dylan said, smiling as Drago threw the ball.

It bounced on the rim once, twice, then went through the hoop. Dylan gave the boy a high five. Drago tossed an absent-minded wave in Alura's direction. Alura looked at Telemachus, but he had his back to her.

"Thank you, Captain Hunt and Trance, for your hospitality."

After Dylan and Trance responded to Achilles' farewell, Alura walked with him to hangar three. When they reached his ship, Achilles stopped and turned toward her.

"Telemachus is a good man," he said.

Alura's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she could tell Achilles wasn't done with his speech, so she held her tongue.

"He is in line to be Alpha of his Pride one day. I will never have that kind of position, my mother is the sister of Valhalla Pride's Alpha and he has many heirs. When enough time has passed, I would not mind being your second."

Alura was at once flattered and flustered that this man wanted to be her second husband before she had even claimed her first. Achilles was a very handsome, strong man, and she already considered him a good friend. But she didn't think she was Nietzschean enough to consider multiple husbands.

"I don't share well with others," Alura told him softly. "It would be unfair of me to make others do so."

Achilles smiled sadly, lifting a hand to gently caress her cheek, "If you ever reconsider, you know where to find me."

With that Achilles turned away and got on his ship. Alura walked slowly to her room, reaching it right after Dylan and Drago. Drago excitedly told her that he and Dylan had won their game and had another planned for next week. When Drago went into his room to put his basketball away, Dylan told Alura that one of the planets with a large market that was safe for them to visit was just a slipstream jump away and they would be there first thing in the morning. The crew would be given shore leave in five hours shifts, and he had assigned she and Drago to the first group. Alura thanked him and he bid them a good night.

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Preview: Shore leave. Also, Beka finally finds out why Alura doesn't like her.