Child of the Sun Chapter 18, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thoughts or emphasis.

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Alura and Telemachus walked to lunch hand in hand. They were both wearing sleeveless shirts that made their helix bands very obvious. Alura was back in her customary black shirt and pants. When they reached the table where Drago was sitting with Dylan, Trance and Harper, all four had slightly different reactions to the sight.

Drago sprang up from his seat with an excited squeal, throwing his arms around Telemachus, who immediately picked the boy up and hugged him. The two males had missed each other, and Alura was glad that Telemachus wanted to adopt Drago. It was one of the many things they had discussed in the hours since their mating.

Trance smiled happily at Alura, standing to give her daughter and Telemachus each a hug. Telemachus' was more of a half-hug since his arms still held Drago. There were tears swimming in her eyes when she pulled back to look at them.

"I'm so happy for you both," she murmured.

Telemachus grinned over Drago's head, "Thanks, Mom."

"That's just wrong," Harper said. "Trance is younger than you, Rhade. Or is she?"

The engineer turned to give Trance a calculating stare. Trance's smile only widened at the teasing.

"Congrats, guys," Harper said as he stood to leave. "I'm going to go find Rommie."

Trance and Alura shared a look, and Alura turned her attention to Dylan. The Andromeda's Captain hadn't said anything yet.

"Please, sit," he said, motioning to two chairs across from his.

Telemachus sat down with Drago on his lap, pulling the boy's lunch in front of him so Drago could finish eating. Alura sat down next to him, and Telemachus moved his free hand to her thigh under the table. Her hand covered his a moment later, their fingers lacing together naturally.

"We're going to have a party tonight to celebrate being an accepted part of at least a section of the Commonwealth and having an official mission for the first time in a long time. Would it be okay if we celebrated your marriage at the same time?"

"Yes, Dylan, that would be wonderful," Alura answered.

"Thank you, Dylan," Telemachus added.

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The party went well, with most of the crew drifting through at some point, laughing and talking, eating from the buffet of finger foods along one wall in the mess, which had temporarily been cleared of most table and chairs so everyone could mingle. A table with a small group of presents for the newlyweds sat by the door.

Alura had been touched by the gesture. Lecy had personally handed her a package and given her a hug when she showed up at the party, and outside of Dylan's inner circle, Alura and Telemachus had a few acquaintances each who had given them gifts. Telemachus was wearing the shirt Alura had bought for him on the market planet, his helix band visible through the sheer band of cloth sewn into the sleeve for that very purpose.

An area of the room had been designated the dance floor, and the Andromeda piped in old Earth waltzes for those inclined to dance. Telemachus and Alura took one trip around the floor, then Alura danced with Harper and Dylan individually. Harper was currently trying to talk Rommie into joining him on the dance floor, and Trance was swaying gently in Dylan's arms.

Alura was standing with Lecy, talking about going on another shopping excursion the next time they had shore leave, when she noticed Beka making her way to Telemachus' side across the room.

What does she want? Alura wondered.

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Telemachus tensed slightly when Beka approached him. This was one person he knew wouldn't be giving him best wishes on his new marriage.

"Rhade," she greeted as she came to stand beside him.

"Beka," he replied simply.

Beka glanced across the room to where Alura was, but his wife was talking and laughing with Alicia Kenyon.

"I know you're... happy with her," Beka started. "But did you really think about what this is going to mean? We don't really now much about her, and she may still leave the Andromeda. What would you do then? You're a part of this crew."

Telemachus raised his eyebrows at the somewhat backhanded compliment. He stared at his wife for several seconds. Beka was right in a way. He hadn't really considered what would happen should Alura ever choose to leave the Andromeda.

"If it does happen, I'll discuss it with her when the time comes. For the foreseeable future however, my place is still onboard the Andromeda."

This answer seemed to satisfy Beka, and she moved away, blending into the crowd. Telemachus moved to join his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist. She gave him a questioning look, but he smiled reassuringly and she went back to talking with Kenyon.

Two hours later the party was wearing down and Drago, who earlier had been dashing through the crowd talking to all the crew members he had gotten to know, was asleep in Telemachus' arms. Alura was saying thank you and good night to everyone.

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Dylan watched with a smile as Trance hugged her daughter good night. But halfway into the gesture, Dylan noticed a brief flash of light come from Trance. When she pulled away from Alura, the woman he loved looked a bit pale. Alura seemed to notice, too.

"What did you See?" Alura asked quietly, fear tingeing her voice.

Trance smiled in the somewhat distracted manner Dylan recognized as the 'I can't tell you' look and assured, "Nothing bad, Alura. Good night."

Alura studied her mother for a moment. Apparently she was satisfied with Trance's vague answer, because she sighed with relief and nodded.

"Good night, Mom."

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The morning after the party, Telemachus played the messages he had gotten from his parents for Alura. She gave his hand a sympathetic squeeze after his mother's message and smiled delightedly when she saw his father.

"I like him," Alura told him, still smiling, when the message was over.

Telemachus smiled back and lightly kissed her cheek. "I thought you might."

"He looks like you, or the other way around, I suppose."

Telemachus nodded, "You have a preview of what I'll look like down the road."

Alura's eyes twinkled. She leaned into him, and they shared a slow, passionate kiss, her hand gently tracing his arm band through the material of his shirt.

"Have you answered them?" Alura asked several minutes later.

"Not yet. That's part of the reason I showed them to you, other than wanting you to see my parents. I'd like you and Drago to stand with me when I make my reply to my father. I'll include a text only message asking that he show it to my mother too, but I'm not going to reply to her message."

Alura nodded her understanding. "I'll get Drago."

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A few days later on Tarazed, Baldur Rhade sat in one of the smaller living rooms of the Majorem Pride compound with his two wives and pressed play on the holo-message he had received from his only child. The image that appeared, however, was not only of his son. A beautiful woman stood by Telemachus' side and a young boy stood in front of the two adults.

The woman was obviously part Nietzschean from her arm spines, but Baldur couldn't identify what else she was. He had never seen anyone like her. She was a very pretty blue and silver skinned female with long hair and pointed ears. The boy looked nothing like the woman, except maybe in the shape of the eyes. He appeared to be a full Nietzschean child with a slightly darker complexion than Telemachus and dark brown, curly hair.

Baldur took another look at the woman and noticed the helix band on her left bicep. His eyes quickly moved to the image of Telemachus and, sure enough, there was a band on his son's left arm as well. Baldur sat forward and waited for the image of his son to speak with baited breath.

"Father, I am sorry it took me as long as it has to respond to your message, but I have been busy. I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Alura Anasazi of the Kodiak Pride, out of Trance by Tyr, and our adopted son, Drago Anasazi, future Alpha of Kodiak Pride and the last blood link to the Orcas, out of Freya by Tyr. I wanted to thank you for congratulating me on my new rank, it means a lot to know you're proud of me. The Andromeda has been given an important mission by Tri-Lorn, but we hope to visit when we get the chance."

The three holographic people smiled and waved before disappearing. Baldur felt Jess give his hand a happy little squeeze and smiled in her direction. His son was proud of his little family and looked the happiest Baldur had ever seen him. Baldur glanced to his left to see Isis' reaction to the news. It wasn't good.

The dark haired woman stood, turning slightly away from them to show that she would hear no arguments against what she was about to say.

"Baldur, send him a reply. He has one month to rectify this mistake. After that, he will no longer be my son."

When Isis was out of earshot, Jess asked softly, "What are we going to do?"

Baldur sank back on the sofa and lifted his love's hand, kissing her palm. "We are going to send Telemachus and his lovely young wife our best wishes. Then we will wait for Isis to cool down."

Baldur could tell from the look on Jess' face that she was afraid Isis would never cool down this time. And he feared that she was right. Isis would never tolerate Telemachus' first wife being only part Nietzschean, and the child of the false reincarnate on top of it. Isis wanted only what she believed to be best for the man she was trying to groom for the position of ultimate power among the Pride.

But he could tell Telemachus was happy with Alura, and if Isis did follow through on her threat and disown their son, Telemachus might very well abandon his family and Tarazed permanently. That wasn't something Baldur wanted. But he couldn't think of anything that he could do or say to either Telemachus or Isis that would make this situation end with everyone happy.

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Dylan entered obs deck to find Trance standing at the window, staring out at the stars. He had found her there every night for the past four days, ever since the party celebrating Alura and Telemachus' marriage and the crew's first official mission as part of Tri-Lorn's Commonwealth. Each night he found her here and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. He did not ask her what was bothering her, knowing full well that she would tell him when she felt it was time. If he needed to know whatever it was.

Tonight was different though. Before he could move behind her as he had done each night before, she turned around to face him. Trance smiled softly at him, and when the love and happiness reached her eyes, Dylan knew that she had come to terms with whatever she had seen. Since Trance had been hugging Alura at the time it had happened, Dylan was sure it was about the newlywed in some way.

Trance slipped her arm around his waist and together they walked out of the room toward his quarters. And somehow Dylan knew that tonight Trance would not ask him to just hold her as they slept.

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When she was sure Dylan was asleep, Trance sat up. She lightly caressed the sleeping man's jaw, smiling when he turned his face into her touch and murmured her name. Their joining had been beautiful and fulfilling for both of them and it had taken quite a force of will not to Bond with Dylan. But Trance knew Bonding wouldn't be fair to him. He had enough worries of his own without all of hers weighing him down. She wondered briefly if Alura would have Bonded with Telemachus if she had still had Avatar powers. But thinking of Alura made her think of her vision again. Trance sighed and turned so that her legs dangled over the side of the bed. She had to fully resolve what she had seen.

The vision had been short and confusing. Alura had been the central figure, three men that Trance couldn't really see, though she thought one of them might have been Danny, flanking Alura. Her daughter had been wearing a High Guard uniform, and gathered in front of her had been six children, one of them Drago. Drago appeared to be in his mid-teens, and the other children ranged in age from around nine down to a toddler.

And Alura had been in command of a ship. A much larger ship than the Dance, a ship reminiscent of the Andromeda Ascendant in many ways. Trance wasn't sure exactly what that meant. Would Tri-Lorn be successful in re-establishing the Commonwealth after the civil war ended? Even if that were the case, how would Alura rise in rank enough in only a decade to warrant command of a ship that powerful? There were many who had military rank already that didn't have command of a ship and whatever experience Alura did have from her own reality wasn't likely to easily translate to a commission in this one.

Trance tried not to worry about it too much. Alura's path was her own to choose. And whatever choices Alura made, Trance would support her daughter, if not her actual decisions. Thinking again of the children that had been with Alura, Trance realized with a start that only two of them, the two oldest ones after Drago, had borne any resemblance to Telemachus.

Trance paled. Were they fated to lose one of Dylan's inner circle? What would losing her husband do to Alura? Trance knew that Alura had an infinite capacity for love, a capacity that growing up she had never truly been able to bestow on many people for one reason or another. So Trance had no doubt that Alura could love again after Telemachus. But would it be soon enough for the child after Telemachus' two to be a child of love?

Trance felt a hand tracing the patterns on her back and turned to smile at Dylan. He smiled sleepily up at her.

"Trance, love, stop thinking and let me make you glow again."

The Avatar's smile grew; she lay down and curled back up with her lover and did as he asked.

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Author's Final Note: That's all folks! If you have a question or comment in your review of this last chapter that you'd like me to respond to and you're not "signed in", please provide me with your email address. I have already started writing the sequel, but the speed at which I begin posting it will depend on how many people want to read it, so please let me know in your review if you're interested. Below is a small preview of what would be in store.

A little preview of "Arkology Revisited":

"You can't really want to do this," Dylan said, his anger almost covering the concern in his tone. "Do you know how much it will hurt Telemachus?"

Alura glanced at her mother before answering. Trance was concerned but understood. Somehow it didn't make trying to explain the situation to Dylan any easier.

"I have to," Alura said calmly. "Knowing how he is going to feel about her by itself may not be have been enough to make it necessary, but knowing he's going to change who he is for her... That I will not stand by and watch."

Dylan's frown deepened, and he turned to Trance, "Are you just going to hang back and let her go through with this?"

"No," Trance said simply. "I intend to help her."

Thanks again for the reviews! And to all the readers who don't usually press that little button, I hope you enjoyed my story!