A.N. Wow, thanks for the overwhelmingly positive reception to the first chapter, I'll answer a few of your questions here as well as I can. Firstly, the last chapter was indeed a re-write of Instinct, that originally was going to be the start of this longer piece but in the end I liked it so much as a one-shot I decided to leave it alone and re-write one that would fit my plot-line better anyhow. Unfortunately, Haven Hero and Dune Born are not going to be continued in my current plans. I had scripts for both that could one day have seen completion but hard-disk troubles wiped them away much to my chagrin. However, if they have inspired someone out there with their interpretations of the J+D universe then I would welcome another author taking them over and making them their own. If that doesn't happen and I'm sufficiently bitten by the writing bug I may continue one after this has drawn to a close. Now then, onto the main event, the second chapter, do enjoy.
The Fighter
It seemed oddly unreal to Jak as he and Keira rejoined their lives above the celebration, the entire scene lit by the flickering light of the fires that barely reached them and their quite words spoken against a back-drop of swirling music and the laughter of a people triumphant. No, that was wrong, it had seemed the realest thing in the world. It was the time between Sandover and that ledge that seemed unreal, as though the violence that had filled it belonged to some other life which had no place here and now where he felt her warm in his arms and heard her voice soft in his ear. For three years life had been to him one constant battle and he had equipped himself to fight it with an unparalleled ferocity and efficiency that suddenly, blessedly, was unneeded as she kissed his scarred cheeks, took his rough hands in her own and spoke to him of a peace he had though impossible.
They had left the celebration before midnight and ended in Keira's room in the palace, her vaunted status as his guest enough to earn her a pleasant room that bore the comfortable sparseness of all wastelander habitats. One side of the large, rock-hewn room looked out over the sea, a low rail replacing the wall to allow ventilation during the heat of the desert day. Beside the large, white linen covered bed a small lamp illuminated the pair of them as they held each other, content for the moment to enjoy each other's presence in this way. Eventually Jak began to trust his voice once more as they spoke, letting her gentle touches lead him on as he struggled to put understanding to the turmoil in his mind.
'Are you sure you love me?' He asked her eventually as they lay against the head-board, side-by-side.
She turned to look at him in surprise, her large, expressive eyes narrowing a little in hurt, 'What do you mean? Of course I do! I have ever since we were kids!'
Jak smiled at the fervour in her voice but his face grew passive after a moment, a touch of grief, perhaps fear in it as he began speaking again. 'That's the point... I'm not that kid anymore.' He drew his knees up and leaned forward, letting his arms rest on them as he stared at the bottom of the bed where his weapons were hung, his belt with it's blaster and grenades, his jacket with its hidden kevlar and dozens of places to conceal weapons, his armour with dozens of burns and nicks to show where battle had been a microsecond from death. Even his boots showed a knife-hilt above their lip. 'You sure you don't love anything more than a memory?' He stared at her and for a moment she was frozen in shock by the force of his gaze, a raptor's glare that when charged with wrath had been the last thing so many had seen. It was as if, for just a moment Jak had shown her just how much he had changed, just what he had become.
She laid a hand on his shoulder and the hardness left his gaze in a blink, the primordial power draining from it as he smiled again and turned his gaze back to the ocean. 'I want you to.' He continued slowly. 'I want you to love me so badly it hurts when I think you won't. But I can't lie to you, never could, I've done things that would make most stop...'
The hand on his shoulder turned into a finger on his lips. 'Don't...' She drew in a deep, shuddering breath as though his words had brought her own fears to the surface too. 'I don't know what they did to you... in the palace for those two years. But I do know it was bad... terrible, worse than anything I can imagine. I heard my dad talking about you sometimes, about how he'd heard the screams, felt them doing... things to you with eco.' When we were first reunited some of his first words to me were: "Don't fall in love with the boy again Keira. He's been tortured until his soul is nothing but shreds, he'll be mad on power or blood within a month and I won't see your heart broken over it." Fates I hated him for that...' She closed her eyes, hugging her arms to her chest for a moment as she tried to push the memory away.
'But you didn't go mad... You didn't go back, but no-one could. But you didn't go mad. You came back bit by bit, until you told me tonight that you loved me.' She looked up at him, a small smile on her face, 'That tells me everything I need to know about who you are. I've always loved the power in you Jak, your force, your spirit. It fought down two years of torture to tell me that it was still there and I love you for it, for you.' She felt her heart skip a beat as he smiled back at her, his face though grim, hard in repose was so handsome when he smiled, really smiled, and he was smiling now.
'Thank you.' He said simply as he turned, his body overshadowing hers for a moment as he leaned down and claimed a long, slow kiss from her, his eyes shut as he felt her respond, her hands smoothing over his back and taking a fist-full of his shirt to keep him there.
She smiled lazily up at him as they seperated, placing a small kiss on his cheek as though a signature on a piece of work, a playful gleam in her eye. 'What about you? Do you think you can stay with me after all the changes I've been through?'
He smoothed his knuckles across her cheek as he looked down at her, supporting himself on one arm. 'LIke what?' His voice was soft and stopped her, her face settling into a wide expression of contentment as she stared up at him with half-lidded eyes.
'You're going to have years to find out.' They slept side by side that night just as when they were children courting clumsily in Keira's workshop in Sandover, Jak's large arms around her shoulders as she slept against the pillow of his broad chest and a blanket wrapped around them both. Time after time the two of them had worked late into the night upon one of her machines until weariness drove them to doze together in this manner until morning and the two took pleasure in the forgotten familiarity and closeness of the act.
Jak awoke before her the next day and took absurd pleasure in languishing in bed, a luxury he had not allowed himself in longer than he could remember. He watched the play of the light on the sea outside and felt a long forgotten happiness. Not the wild, glorious elation of victory nor the closeness of brothers in arms but a warmth that permeated his every fibre as he stared down at the glorious creature who slept in his arms, her large eyes closed and a small smile flitting across her features as her hair shifted across her face with her every breath. He wondered when the last time that he had been so simply content had been and only slowly did he allow concerns other than what lay in this room penetrate to the forefront of his mind.
He had told her yesterday that Damus had asked to see him and that much was true, he had planned to see the monarch last night but the unexpected though wholly welcome diversion of Keira had curtailed those plans. Still, he doubted that Damus would begrudge him this night and so he decided that once he had awoken and seen to Keira's needs he would head for the Throne Room where he was certain Damus was already doing what he needed to, to put Spargus back into order after its repulsion of the other-worldly attackers. He had no trouble in admitting to himself that he admired the man immensely and he was one of the few people to whom Jak would defer on anything. Torn had his respect as a flawless commander of troops but the politics and treachery of Haven had too much soured him to the place for him to ever feel wholly content there, or wholly trusting of anyone from there.
The question with which he had first tried to derail Keira the night before rose once more in his mind and brought a frown back to his face. He had needed nothing from them during the war other than direction but the fact remained that outside of it, he was basically a vagrant and though apparently that did not matter to Keira it mattered to him. If they were to be close once more he wanted to be able to provide a life for her rather than hang on her coatails at the garage. In Haven City he had nothing and he was still unsure of his place in Spargus City, he prayed however that it was not prey to the same duplicity that had tainted Haven City. He doubted it, Damus did not seem the type to put up with it, nor in fact did the Spargun people as whole seem a society who would spawn such a web but having nothing that could take a home away from him was little to rejoice in when he had none for beyond his citizenry earned in the Arena he had nothing here.
He supposed he had little option but to ask Damus for a home here, after all of Jak's efforts surely he could not refuse. The thought of living here was swiftly followed by the question of wether or not Keira would be willing to leave what she had struggled so hard to build in Haven in the two years he had been a captive. He looked down at her as she slept and smiled, it was still barely seven, the sun only fully risen because of the Spring Season and the flat horizon of ocean yet to him lying here was a luxury. She would probably sleep for another two hours yet given the lateness of their slumber. He would go see Damas and return, either triumphant or destroyed to talk of their future.
It was simple to slide away from her without waking her, covering her with a blanket before pulling on his boots once more and buckling his weapons about him. As he suspected Damas had risen with the sun and was even now seeing to his city, for though few among the warrior people had fallen, the damage was great and the taint lingered and in the Wasteland either of those things could destroy the city were it not wary. Jak hoped that Damas would grant him his wish, for he loved this land, with its wild, open expanses and untameable nature. He felt free here and though once it had not been something he had yearned for, his time in the laboratories of Haven had changed that and now he wanted nothing more than a home where he could live with Keira, unafraid that they would be snatched apart once more.
The familiar throneroom fell to greet him as he rose and he was surprised to find that not even this place had escaped the war undamaged. Once, aeons ago, ancient waterways had flowed into this place from the heart of the mountain and carved out the room with it's high, flat, ancient stalactite riddled, ceiling and most of the chambers below as well, widening an intricate web of cracks into corridors and rooms.
Tiny subbteranean fish had been the only inhabitants for centuries until the first Sparguns had broken through the mountain and into this chamber, daming the rivers and redirecting them to water the city as they hewed their palace from the dry waterways. The throne room had been a testament to their abilities and enterprise with its carved pillars ascending to the cieling and steadily turning machinations fuelling the city's every need. Now scorch marks marred the pillars and Jak frowned as he saw one of the water-wheels had been smashed by some detonation. He saw that the plants that had flourished in the humidity caused by the flowing river had shrivelled and frowned as he recognised the taint of dark eco.
'Ah, Jak, you're alive and well I see, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps you had some injury that kept you from seeing me last night. Don't mind the damage, a dozen of the dark makers managed to get in here and put up a hell of a fight before we killed them.' Damas spoke from his throne, a table in front of him spread with maps, Sig and Keiver on either side of it as the three poured over the maps, Dams turning back to whatever business Jak's coming had interrupted.
If Damas was curious as to the real reason for his delay he hid it as he turned back to Keiver. 'What about the western redoubts? They weren't damaged were they?'
Keiver shook his head, 'I was able to call the picquets back and reform here,' He stabbed a finger onto the map, 'stopped em dead at the passes.'
Damas nodded as he processed the information, 'Good, keep a double guard on the redoubts until further notice and step up our long-range patrols, I don't want the Marauders to think we've been weakened by the attack. And organise repair parties for the gates, I want those defense turrets back in action before the week's gone.'
'Aye Sir.' Keiver and Sig nodded and saluted in unison with fists to hearts before turning and nodding a curt goodbye to Jak as they left to carry out their orders.
Damas turned to Jak with a smile, 'Now Jak, I asked you here for a favour.'
Jak was taken aback, he had come with the same purpose. 'What is it?'
Damas stared at him carefully for a long moment before he spoke quickly in the precise, commanding tones of a monarch. 'I don't know you Jak. I don't know who you are off the battlefield but I know that because of what you are on it I want you Jak. I want you in Spargus and fighting for me. even without your channelling abilities you're the best damned fighter I've ever seen and once I've let Sig have a go at you you'll be a proper Wastelander too, able to survive in the Desert, not just fight there. I'll give you a house near the palace and a place in The Century.'
Jak was caught off guard by the sudden offer and for a moment gaped in astonishment, the words he eventually formed were a curious, 'The Century?'
Damas seemed to swell with pride slightly as he spoke. 'The very best Jak, my own personal agents, about a score of them you know as wastelanders from Haven, the rest wrok for me wherever I have need of them. Every man and woman in this city can fight but these hundred are those that I hand-picked and trained myself. I used to lead them when they fought as a unit.' He paused and gave a small, private smile. 'But when I was wounded at the end of our fight together my wife insisted I give it up.' He touched something that hung about his neck as he spoke of his spouse. 'She said it was too dangerous for a leader to be constantly on the front-line and Keiver and Sig,' he glanced at the maps on the table that the three had discussed, 'damn them agree with her. Since there are some things that this means I cannot do and my agents are busier than ever, I want you to work for me.'
Jak grinned broadly as his worries about prooving useless to Damas and therefore unworthy of help were swept away. If faltered a moment later as the thoughts of Keira rose again in his mind. 'Sounds fun, but... the history of it's a bit complicated but the thing is I've got nothing neither here or in Haven. So I'll work for you, if you give me a home here, where I can keep Keira safe.'
Damas thumped the table, 'Done! You've already passed the rites of passage so your free to claim any land not already held by a Spargun. There's a half-dozen places that were abandoned a few months ago, a family decided to go nomadic, think they moved to one of the smaller settlements far to the North and their houses have been sitting there ever since. Pick one, get that croca-dog of yours to chase the kanga-rats out and it's yours, they're all solid stone so they're not about to fall apart.' He let out a swift bark of laughter.
'Excellent. I think I'm going to like you Jak. You're a thug from the city now but by Gaia we'll turn you into a wastelander yet. Your woman, Keira isn't it, she is Samos' daughter?'
Jak nodded, 'Yeah.'
Damas narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, 'Then look after her well. Don't do anything to make him angry enough to leave this place, I need him to help my monks remove the taint of the dark makers from the city or the crops will fail. The shoals of fish have already started to move out of the bay and I don't want my people starving because you and your lover have a spate.'
Jak was taken aback a moment and it must have showed on his face for Damas relented, sinking back into his throne with a small smile. 'Ha, forgive me Jak, Samos is never exactly agreeable at the best of times and after what I can guess you and she have been through I've got no right to be telling you these things.'
He paused in thought for a moment, 'I'm damn proud of you Jak. The precursors made a good choice when they gave you your powers. When you first arrived I didn't think much of you but you've proven yourself more than worthy.' He paused again. 'Bah, I'm rambling, my wife says I do it often when I'm tired and fates know I've not slept much these past few days.' He took a deep breath and seemed to centre himself, staring at Jak for a long moment. 'You remind me too much of my son for me to not offer you advice though. He was a peaceful child but he had the same fire in him as you.'
Jak knew too little of Damas past but guessed that it was a sensitive issue as Damas hand hovered over whatever he had touched beneath his robe at the first mention of his wife. 'What happened to him?'
Damas was silent for a time, staring at the floor as memories replayed behind his eyes. 'He was lost to me... Stolen by traitors. I pray nightly that he is safe... That is also part of the reason I wanted you working for me; the century are a unit but each also works as an individual agent for me and I've a special task in mind for you Jak but we'll talk of that later. Before I tell you what I plan my wife wants to meet you, I'll work something out for that later. For now go and pick out a house, ask Keiver which ones I mean.'
---
Keira awoke slowly, surfacing from the pleasant lethargy of a full, comfortable night's rest. She blinked as her mind cleared and she found herself alone but allowed herself a moment to note that his scent was still fresh on the sheets. He had not been gone long.
As though summoned back by her thoughts the door to her room swung open and Jak strode through pausing for a moment to grin at the picture she made, her hair still frizzed by sleep and her eyes bearing the half-lidded, lazy beauty of relaxation. She grinned slowly at him and reached out a hand to beckon him toward her, turning onto her back as he leaned over her, kissing her leisurely as he supported himself on one elbow so as not to crush her.
'Morning.' She grinned impishly as she spoke and he looked down on her wolfishly as he took her in, feeling a shudder of emotion at her open closeness. He brushed her hair away from her face as he thought of the large, stout building that he had seen down the road.
'Good morning Keira. It's time to go find our new house.'
She blinked owlishly as her waking mind processed his words before a grin split her features. 'Does it have a workshop?'
A.N. There you go, the next installment, sorry it took so long, some last minute changes to the storyline led to a complete re-write of this chapter. Next one should not take more than a couple of weeks at the most. Please tell me what you think of it. Until next time...