Beka was in the cockpit of the Maru, trying to figure out how to talk to Thalia without causing a huge scene by yelling, or shooting things. She entered slip stream, leaving the Andromeda behind, and relaxing as the ride took over all unpleasant thoughts. Born in slipstream, Beka always felt at ease in it. Flying through always felt so natural for her. And always allowed Beka to relax, while at the same time getting that little thrill. Knowing that she was the best at this and having all that power of the ship held in her hands. Okay, so maybe she had more power on the Andromeda, but the Maru was hers. And either way, it was like home to her.
Rhade was behind the pilot's area, at the weapons counsel. They weren't going into or expecting a fight, but best not to be caught off guard. He was checking the monitors, and when they entered slip stream, stared out the front window and was lost in thought.
Hmmm. Beka is going to go through a, what does Harper call it? Ah yes, 'emotional roller coaster'. I have to be a friend to her, while not getting in her way. Beka will be very vulnerable, and I can not, under any circumstances, take advantage of that. I must be on Beka's side; while at the same time try not to put her mother down. If they manage to re-connect, I don't want to be the one that acted as if he hated her. Not that I do, but how a mother could abandon a child like that is beyond me. Parents are supposed to cherish and protect their children, not leave them behind when they get bored with having a family. No wonder Beka is afraid of commitment; her own mother left her when she was only 7 years old. It was then that they left slip stream and Beka interrupted his thoughts.
"Ya know Rhade, we aren't expecting anyone to shoot at us. Then again, that's never stopped anyone before. And even if we were expecting it, no one's here. See, stars, a planet, moons, an asteroid or two. No one's out there! You can relax a little."
"Beka, just because you can not see someone, does not mean that they are out there. I intend to be prepared if someone does see us a hostile. Preparation, after all, is a survival tactic."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Better safe then sorry."
"Exactly."
"Well then", Beka says as she gets up and heads to the bunks, " you can stay here and have some alone time with your pretty weapons counsel, while I go and get some sleep before the escorts to my mo-, Thalia, get here." Rhade quirked an eyebrow at Beka almost calling Thalia her mother, and may have said something, but Beka had already left the room.
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'Beka found herself walking through the Maru. It was dark and empty. She shivered, both from cold and fear. She looked down and saw her mother's big mirror broken on the floor. Her seven-year-old reflection looked back. Beka jumped from a loud bang in the other room and heard yelling. "I can't take this any more," yelled her mommy's voice. "Then don't. Leave, just leave. I'll raise them", shouted the voice of her daddy in return. She heard their angry footsteps coming her way and quickly hid. "Fine, you want me to leave, I'll leave. I wanted to escape this hell and your crap anyway. I loved you Iggy, but that wasn't enough for you, was it? You wanted more. You always wanted more." "Aww shud up", he replied as he stumbled forward and she backed up, " you just don't want a family anymore do you? Well, ya know what, we'll be fine without you. Fack, we'll be better off. Get out. Get out of my ship. And never come back. As soon as you step off the Maru, you step out of my life and our children's lives forever."
"Fine", said Beka's mommy, " I never wanted children anyway." Beka saw her mommy stalk off the maru with a bag, and her daddy go behind the bar and fill the empty glass that was in his hand with a bottle from a high shelf. Beka ran out of her hiding place and tried to catch her mommy and beg her not to go, but her daddy caught her and held on to her tight. "She doesn't want you Becky, never has and never will. I'm sorry Rocket, but it's not your fault. She's a bad mother. You'll be okay, Raif and I will protect you now." Beka quieted down in her daddy's arms as the words he said sunk into her infant mind. She didn't understand why her mommy left her, only that her daddy didn't. And her mommy left because she didn't love her anymore.'
She started crying all over again at that thought, and just couldn't stop, not even when the arms holding her changed from her father's tan arms and working hands into smooth hands and arms with boneblades.
XxXxXxXxXx
Rhade checked over the screen one more time to make sure that the Maru and its two occupants were safe before he went to sit in the pilot's chair and look out into space.
He sat there a moment or two and sighed. ' Beka. What am I going to do about you? This vacation could be just what I need. I can not ignore that attraction I feel to you. I know. I've tried. I can tell you how I'm feeling. Maybe you'll feel the same. Not that you've ever indicated such. Or have you? What if this blows up in my face? What if you yell at me for springing something like that on you when you're trying to reconnect with your mother?' (growls)
Staring into space was getting him nowhere. He thought that he heard a noise from Beka's quarters. He got up and took a step or two toward the bunks before he realized that no one else was on the ship and decided that he was just driving himself so crazy that he was now hallucinating.
He was going to sit down but decided all the stars and empty space were giving him a headache and went to the bar to pour him self a drink.
Rhade grabbed a glass, put some ice cubes in, and grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured some in. he was just about to take a sip and silence his mind when he heard Beka crying. Before he knew it he had run into the room boneblades ready. Rhade quickly looked about the room and saw no one. Beka continued to cry, and that was when he looked down and saw her sleeping, tangled in sheets. He stood unsure what to do, when she suddenly started to cry louder and more fervently, as if some unknown assailant was ripping her heart apart.
He was at her side and in one fluid movement sat on the bed and scooped her up into his arms and held her as her heartbreaking sobs continued. He picked up a change in her breathing and realized that she was awake. But her continued cries confirmed what he believed, she was not yet fully awake, and probably still considered herself to be in whatever horrible dreamland had just trapped her in torture. He continued to hold her and squeezed her body tighter to his as her cries broke his soul.
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