Child of the Sun Chapter 16, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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Drago got ready for shore leave with a mix of enthusiasm and trepidation that Alura found cute. He was excited at the prospect of getting more clothes and books and things, but he was nervous about going planetside for the first time since leaving Midden. For the first time ever really when one took into consideration that the majority of his life had been spent in a handful of rooms, never leaving the structure that had been meant to protect and had almost become his tomb.

If she could Alura would have kept him safe in the circle of her arms until he was full grown and able to defend himself from all foes, but she couldn't. The violent and unpredictable universe they lived in did not allow for such coddling, and Drago was a Nietzschean. If he had any hope of leading his people, he would need to be able to stand on his own two feet from a young age, not depend on her to make everything okay again. She wouldn't leave him defenseless or abandon him in any way, but neither would she monitor his every breath.

While Drago was washing up after breakfast, Alura sent a message through Andromeda to Telemachus, letting him know that she and Drago were among the first group to have shore leave and therefore they would be unable to have their morning session. Since his duty shift didn't start for another three and a half hours, she wondered if he would have found a way to get out of it himself and eventually sent her a message.

Alura sighed, At this rate, we'll probably never spar again.

"I'm ready, Momma," Drago said as he came out of the bathroom.

"Okay, sweetie, let's go. We have to go to the Dance before we meet up with the rest of the group."

On the Dance, Danny kept Drago entertained with battle simulations while Alura went into one of the storage rooms to retrieve money to pay for what they would need. Dylan had offered to loan her some Commonwealth credits last night, but she had politely declined. She had credits, and many other types of currency some merchants would respond to with more enthusiasm.

Filling a pouch with more money than she would ever normally consider spending in a month, let alone one day, Alura attached the pouch to her weapons holster at her waist. She felt a bit vulnerable when not wearing the holster, but it had seemed like a good idea to keep the Andromeda crew at ease by not wearing it constantly as she had always done before. Alura now had the excuse of needing the weapons to stay safe on the planet, at least for the time they would be down there.

Alura and Drago said goodbye to Danny and met up with the rest of the group who had first shift shore leave. Alicia Kenyon was among the High Guard officers present, and she joined Alura and Drago when she saw them. Alicia was introduced to Drago. She invited them to call her Lecy as her younger siblings did. Lecy was the oldest of six and offered her assistance in the clothes shopping. Grateful for the help and the companionship, Alura accepted.

The groups from the Andromeda Ascendant boarded shuttles that took them down to the planet from the spacedock where the Andromeda was currently berthed.

After quick deliberation, it was decided that they would go clothes shopping for Drago first so they wouldn't run out of time doing that. Drago tried on every kind of attire Alura could think of, and she bought him everything he wanted. Lecy pointed out that he would grow out of some of the things faster than others, so double were bought in the next largest size for his favorites. Drago was also outfitted with a couple new pairs of shoes.

Lecy tried on some shirts and encouraged Alura to try on a dress she had been eying. It was black, her favorite color choice for clothes since it never clashed with her skin, and deceptively simple when on a hanger. But when she tried it on, she knew she couldn't get it. It had a flaring skirt and hugged her curves in all the right places, but unfortunately it had a low back. Anyone who stood behind her would see her scars.

Alura put the dress back and spotted a blue man's shirt. It was made of a silky material and was beautifully cut. It had also been designed for a Nietzschean, the length of the sleeves and another feature making it obvious.

Alura added it to her purchases, saying with a blush in answer to Lecy's curious look, "It's for Commander Rhade."

"So the rumors are true then, huh?" Lecy asked with a grin.

Alura blinked and stared at the other woman. "There are rumors about us?"

"Oh, yeah," Lecy confirmed. "There have been since about a week after you came onboard. No matter how big a ship it is, the Andromeda is still a small community. Everyone talks about everyone else. There are even bets going as to when you and he will, well, you know."

Alura blushed deeply. "Even though he's a Nietzschean and they don't have casual relationships?"

Lecy gave her an odd look. "You're a Nietzschean, too."

"Of course, but I am also my mother's daughter and I wasn't sure how people would see me because of that."

"No one knows what Trance is, except Captain Hunt if gossip is correct, so it's much easier to classify you as a species everyone can identify."

Alura nodded her understanding.

"And I never said anyone believed you two were just going to jump in and out of bed together."

"Thank the Divine for small favors," Alura muttered.

"So, you want to give me a hint so I can win the pool?"

Lecy winked at Alura to let her know she was kidding, and Alura laughed. Paying for their purchases, they moved down the street to a store that carried holo-novels and texts as well as old fashioned books. Since all three of them were loaded down, Alura hired one of the store's employees to help them carry everything.

Their last stop was a booth that sold hand made toys: wooden ships, puzzle games and many other things. Alura had seen Drago eying them and decided to make up for five years of missed birthdays and holidays. It would not be too many more years before Drago would likely consider himself too old for toys, so all the more reason for him to enjoy them now.

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"Harper to Rhade, come in, Rhade," Harper chanted, waving his hand in front of the Nietzschean's face.

Telemachus blinked and scowled at the human. He had no idea how long he had been staring, but being caught by Harper told him it must have been awhile. Since they were both assigned to the second group with shore leave, Harper had asked if he could tag along with Telemachus. Against his better judgment, Telemachus had agreed, not really wanting to be alone.

Harper had drug Rommie along with them, and the android was now watching Telemachus curiously.

"Never knew you were into jewelry, Rhade," Harper was saying, sweeping an indicating hand over the assortment of rings on the table in front of them.

Luckily, another booth across the street caught Harper's attention and Telemachus was saved from answering.

"Sparky Cola!"

The young engineer took off at a run, and Telemachus and Rommie turned to follow at a more sedate pace.

"Those were wedding rings," Rommie commented.

Telemachus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I was under the impression that Nietzscheans don't wear wedding rings, preferring helix bands."

Telemachus realized that he and Alura's kiss and everything else that had happened between them was stored in Andromeda's memory. The Nietzschean blushed slightly at the thought. If anything else happened between he and Alura, he'd have to remember to access privacy mode.

"We don't wear rings," Telemachus sighed. "But I'm not sure Alura has helix bands."

Rommie nodded. "Are you going to go back and get the rings, then?"

Telemachus shook his head. "I considered it, but it just doesn't feel right. If things do progress and Alura doesn't have bands, we'll get them the next time we find a Nietzschean artisan."

Rommie laid a comforting hand on his arm and gave him a sympathetic smile before turning her attention to Harper.

"If you bought more than one case of that stuff you better be able to carry it yourself, Harper. I'm not your pack mule."

"Ah, come on, Rom Doll!" Harper whined.

Telemachus rolled his eyes and resigned himself to helping carry boxes of a drink so sweet it rotted teeth on contact.

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After Alura and Drago put away the clothes they had purchased at the market, Alura realized Drago needed something to store his other things in. His new toys, his books and flexies, and the basketball Dylan had given him needed a home. Remembering what was in her room back on the Dance, Alura got an idea.

"Drago, would you like a trunk like mine to keep your stuff in?"

Drago bounced up from where he was seated on his bed, nodding. Alura took his hand and together they walked through the Andromeda to the Dance. She led him straight to her room and the trunk in the corner.

It was actually identical to the one she had in their suite, the two had been a matched set in her father's stronghold when she was growing up. This one now held sentimental objects she didn't necessarily need on a regular basis, but she could easily move them to another storage area so Drago could use the trunk.

Kneeling in front of the piece of furniture, Alura began unpacking items that held more meaning to her than all the treasures she had stored in the bowels of the Dance put together. When she reached the bottom of the trunk, she pulled out a wooden box that had her full name carved into the lid. She opened the box and ran a finger around the edges of the helix bands nestled inside.

Beside her, Drago peered into the box.

"Daddy gave these to me when I turned twelve," she told him of the platinum and gold bands inset with blue stones.

Drago's face furrowed in a puzzled frown. "Why would he give them to you if he didn't know you were his daughter?"

Oops, Alura thought. She turned to study her adopted son. Drago was very mature for a five-year-old, a side effect of growing up in the environment he had. Maybe he could handle knowing the slightly complex story of how she had come to be here with him.

Alura stood and moved to sit down on the bed, patting the spot beside her. Drago sat and looked expectantly up at her. In the simplest terms she could use, Alura began to explain the facts of having come from an alternate future.

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Danny watched and listened through the room's sensors as Alura explained her past to her young companion. When she had finished her explanation, his commanding officer and best friend gave Drago a vid-player so he could view images from Alura's past that included Drago or Tyr. Though Drago had a few questions about her explanation, he was taking it very well.

Danny was glad she was revealing as much as she had to Drago, Telemachus and Achilles. He could not grasp at the future as Alura once could, but he had logic systems that led him to believe that someday the full truth of who they were and where they came from would come out. Having people who knew a major portion of the truth and supported Alura would be important when the rest came out.

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Drago was watching one of the vid-files of their father while Alura was going though her clothes when Danny appeared. He was out of uniform again.

"Your mother and Captain Hunt are aboard."

Alura cast a panicked gaze around the room. There was plenty here that she had no intention of ever showing Dylan. Danny noticed her consternation.

"I directed them to wait on command deck."

"Thank you," Alura breathed in relief. "Keep an eye on Drago until I get back, please."

She didn't want to interrupt Drago's trip down memory lane. Even if they were her memories, and not his, that he was visiting. Alura knew she had made the right decision in telling him the truth about herself and where she came from. It would help them understand each other better, and the fact that his other self had loved her when they were both children seemed to have solidified their relationship even further.

On the way out of her former bedroom, she grabbed the vid-player she had prepared for her mother. On it were moments from Alura's childhood that she felt Trance would like to see, including her birth and presentation to the crew. There weren't that many files since Alura didn't feel the need to show Trance any of the times she had been mistreated. And most of the files she had from her own reality's Andromeda were inappropriate at this point in time. If a time came when something she knew would help in the fight against the Abyss or another adversary, Alura would gladly share her knowledge, but until then it was best that the files stay safely hidden on the Dance.

"Mom, Dylan, welcome aboard the Dance Among the Stars."

Trance smiled, and Dylan asked, "Where are all the controls?"

Alura made a sweeping gesture with her hands, "They're recessed into the walls and floors. Without a crew, Danny takes direction directly from me."

Dylan nodded, "You must have a close working relationship with Danny."

"I do," Alura responded. "We've been a team for eight years, until we came here it was just me and him for two years. I don't think there is anyone who will ever know me better than he does."

Dylan nodded again and Alura noticed the picnic basket in one of his hands.

"Planning a picnic?"

Trance answered. "Yes, we're in the third group to go down to the planet and I thought we could take Drago down with us to have a little field trip. There's a nature park not far from the market and I thought we could get in a botany lesson and have dinner before we came back."

"That sounds great, Mom. I'm sure Drago will love it."

Alura turned to go get her son, but her mother called her back.

"I have the results."

Alura turned back anxiously, her eyes wide.

Dylan asked gently, "Would you like me to leave?"

"No, it's fine," Alura answered. "Go ahead, Mom."

"Everything came back pretty much normal for a Nietzschean. There are a few genetic markers left that prove you were once Avatar, but I can see a lot of them have shut down when compared to your old records. There doesn't seem to be any negative effect, physically speaking, of your star being gone."

Alura nodded, glad to know she would at least live a Nietzschean lifespan.

"The, uh, other thing you wanted me to check?" Alura nodded again, knowing Trance was referring to her reproductive state without just blurting it out in front of Dylan. "You appear to be a normal, healthy Nietzschean female in that regard as well."

A smile broke out across Alura's face. She could have babies, she could give Telemachus children and Drago siblings. The universe had just gotten a whole lot brighter.

Alura went to her mother's side and hugged her, whispering, "Thank you."

She turned away again and quickly fetched Drago. When her son, her mother and the man who, if her father had not taken her, would have acted as father to her were gone, Alura went back to sorting through her possessions, putting things she felt wouldn't give anything away into a pile to take to her suite aboard the Andromeda. The other things were packed away again lovingly, her fingers running over some of her uniforms in a caressing manner. Alura sighed heavily when she realized she might never be able to wear them again.

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When Telemachus entered the mess hall for dinner, Beka immediately approached him. He was in no mood to deal with her right now, but she spoke before he could make any kind of excuse to brush past her.

"I just thought you should know that your little girlfriend was making nice with Renier yesterday," she said. "I won't go into detail, but let's just say touching and lips were involved."

"Alura?" Telemachus asked the woman he loved for clarification when Beka was done.

Alura had approached during Beka's speech and she now moved to stand between Telemachus and Beka. The blonde's pale blue eyes went wide when she realized that Alura had heard every word.

Facing Telemachus for a moment, Alura answered his query, "I've never lied to you, Telemachus. Achilles may want more, but he and I are just friends."

When he inclined his head in acceptance of her statement, Alura spun away from him to confront Beka.

"What I do with my friends is no business of yours, Captain Valentine, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't talk to Telemachus about something you know nothing about," Alura nearly hissed.

"I don't trust you," Beka sneered. "And I'm not going to let any of the crew blindly do so either."

Telemachus bristled. So they were supposed to trust Beka, who everyone knew had a shady past that had oftentimes put the Andromeda in danger, but not Alura, who had done nothing but help them since coming to this reality? Where does she get off?

"Get over it," Alura snapped. "We're on the same ship for the foreseeable future, just stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours."

Beka's eyes narrowed.

"Dylan still doesn't trust you completely either, otherwise he'd invite you to senior staff meetings and he would have invited you to the lunch yesterday without Achilles making him." Telemachus watched as Alura's eyes blazed at Beka's insinuation. "Why are you so nice to him?" Beka asked. "At least I'm straight forward about not liking you, Dylan can't even give you that courtesy."

"HE DIDN'T KILL MY FATHER IN FRONT OF ME!" Alura yelled.

The confrontation had already drawn the stares of many of those present in the mess hall, but now there were shocked faces and quiet murmurings among the crew. Telemachus grasped Alura's wrist to pull her out of the room, grabbing her around the waist when she shook his hand off. Alura swung around to stare at him, her gaze softening slightly when it met his. She allowed him to lead her out into the hall away from the captivated audience, Beka storming after them.

Telemachus was about to tell the non-Commonwealth Captain off, to find some way of getting her to leave them alone, but Alura pushed away from him and spoke first.

"When I first came onboard, I did try to be civil to you," Alura said to Beka, her voice cold and calm. "If you had been nice to me, even once, I would have been able to separate you from the Beka Valentine in my reality, but you're just like her. Always out for number one, never trusting anybody, willing to betray anyone if it means getting what you want. Even the man who loved you."

"I really killed Tyr?" Beka asked.

Alura stiffened her spine and stared the other woman down, "Right after he told you where he had his fortune, the wealth of the Nietzschean people, hidden. Unfortunately for you, he knew you would betray him, even if he didn't expect you to murder him. He lied. You grabbed what you could on the way out of the palace once I raised the alarm, but you never found the money. There was only one person my father trusted with that secret, me."

Beka opened her mouth, closed it, and turned to walk away. Telemachus waited until she was out of sight before he pulled Alura to him. She seemed to have collapsed in on herself after Beka walked away. She was shaking, and a sob escaped her as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Shh, shh, shh," he soothed gently, wishing he could take her pain away.

When Alura raised a tear-streaked face to his, a pleading look in her eyes, Telemachus scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall. He kept her in his arms until they were in her quarters, not caring who saw them. He was hers, whether it was official or not, and he didn't care who knew it. Hell, he wanted everyone to know it. And right now she needed him. He sat down on the sofa with her in his lap, her arms still around his neck. Telemachus gently caressed Alura's back, offering her what comfort he could.

They stayed that way for a while before Alura moved. She placed a soft kiss on his neck, another on the line of his jaw, and then the corner of his mouth. Telemachus could feel the gratitude behind the caresses, so he refrained from responding. She pulled back from him slightly, trailing a finger down the center of his chest. When she raised her eyes to his, he smiled at her.

"You have the day off tomorrow, don't you?" she asked softly.

Telemachus nodded.

"Will you meet me on the Dance at 0800? I'd like to talk."

Realizing that she wanted to talk to him in private and that Drago was due back soon, Telemachus resigned himself to wait until tomorrow to try to work things out with her. Even if she wasn't ready to make her decision, he had missed her too much in the past couple days to keep pushing her away. He wanted desperately to go back to spending his free time with her, and he had missed their morning sessions.

"Okay," he conceded.

Alura got off his lap and Telemachus walked to her door. He turned back and said huskily, "I missed you."

Alura smiled gloriously at him, "I missed you, too."

"Until tomorrow, then," he said and slipped out of the door.

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Preview: Trance talks to Alura about her confrontation with Beka. Telemachus and Alura have their meeting.