Arkology Revisited Chapter 7, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Notes: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You are asking much of me."

Alura smiled slyly at the craftsman, knowing what he was after, "I was told you were the best, and I believe we have agreed to a very generous price, especially considering that I have already provided the design and materials I want you to use."

"Yes," the human artisan agreed easily. "But you are in such a hurry."

Alura's eyes sparkled with mirth. She had forgotten how fun it could be to tease and haggle in the marketplace. "Considering the bulk of your business, I'm sure you realize that Nietzscheans don't like to wait when it comes to mating."

Instead of pointing out that she wasn't completely Nietzschean, the human endeared himself to her more by smiling coyly in return, amusement in his mind even before he spoke, "Forgive me for saying so, my lady, but you seem not to have waited at all."

Alura laughed lightly at the reminder that she would be a mother in only a few more months. Though she had never done so while at home, she had only recently stopped hiding her condition in public. When she had hit the four and a half month mark a few days ago, Cassandra had taken her out shopping for maternity clothes. The older woman had even been able to talk her into getting clothes outside her color comfort zone of black. She now owned several white and light gray sets of clothing, as well as a nightgown of deepest blue that almost matched her hair, which Alura planned to wear when Achilles returned from his latest mission. At which time she would give him what the artisan in front of her was going to craft.

"These little ones are from my first marriage." Alura patted her belly gently before indicating the larger of the two bands on the tray in front of him, "His band is the larger of the two you need only make the slight modifications to."

The artisan sighed, "I will admit that modifying two bands and making one more will be less work than making a brand new set, but this order is very unusual, and in two days? I will have to put off work on all the other orders I currently have in."

Giving in to the inevitable, Alura moved closer to him and drew another gem from the pouch at her waist. She wasn't crazy about the swirl of green and yellow that made the stone, but it was a rare and valuable find. The artisan's eyes nearly fell out of his head as she handed it to him. He examined it carefully, swearing under his breath in awe at the purity of the stone. When she held her hand out, palm up, he hesitated before placing it back in her hand.

"If you finish them in the time I have requested and every one of the stones is placed where it should be and not replaced with a fake and I am happy with your work, I will give this to you as a bonus, and you will be assured of future business from me and my Pride, small as it may be."

The craftsman nodded eagerly and picked up his notebook to read back her order to her. "On the first male helix band, add rubies between the already present sapphires in one inch intervals around the top edge and inset the large ruby on the prominent side of the band. On the second male band, forged in gold and platinum to match the other two, intersperse diamonds and sapphires in the same pattern around the top edge with a large diamond also on the prominent side of the cuff. On the female band, add a ruby on the left side of the already present starburst pattern of sapphires and a diamond on the right, and add smaller rubies and diamonds along the top edge. Was that right?"

"Yes," Alura answered. "That's it exactly. I'll be back to pick them up in two days." When the craftsman opened his mouth, she added, "With the stone."

Not needing to be back at the Valhalla complex for a few hours since school was still in session until then, Alura wandered around the marketplace, examining booths with everything from food to weapons to baby clothes. She spent the longest at the last; purchasing a few more things to add to the cache she had collected since living on Tarazed. She had more than she thought she needed, in various sizes, but Cassandra had told her, among other things, that infants went through clothes very quickly. Alura had been acting as mother to Drago for nearly a year now, but a baby (not to mention two of them at once) was outside her range of experience. It made her very glad to be living in such close quarters with those who did have the know-how.

Alura was used to curious and even suspicious looks when in the marketplace, Tarazed was still heavily populated by those who had not wanted to rejoin the universe when Dylan Hunt came calling, and unidentifiable aliens were treated as pariahs by some. But intense hatred was not something she was accustomed to. The feeling flowing directly at her was so sudden and intense that she gasped and curved a protective hand over her children.

She glanced around slowly, not wanting whoever it was to have some way of knowing that she could read their emotions. As she concentrated, Alura realized that someone physically close to the person who hated her had noticed her and was curious. Whoever it was felt familiar to her, though they didn't seem to know her. She allowed her eyes to drift slowly around the open market, as if she were simply looking for where to go next. Alura caught sight of Isis and paled. Not at her first in-person sighting of the woman who had given birth to the father of Alura's children, but the sight of the man next to Isis. The man who was eying her with a curiosity and hunger that sickened her.

Revulsion and rage swept through her in equal measure. She knew Isis was elitist and racist to a certain extent, but she never would have thought the Matriarch of Majorem Pride would associate with a slaver like Octavius, the Nietzschean who had been Alura's 'master' for two years before Hank had bought and freed her. Alura's hand moved slowly from her pregnant belly to the force lance strapped to her right thigh.

"Alura, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Alura had been so intent on the unexpected opportunity for revenge that she hadn't noticed Baldur approaching her. She jumped slightly and put a hand over her pounding heart. Telemachus' father took her arm and gently led her into a nearby restaurant, sitting her down at the table closest to the door and ordering her a glass of water.

It wasn't until the waiter had come back with the order and Alura was sure the two other Nietzscheans hadn't decided to follow that she fought to bring herself under control. Now that her own emotions were a bit less volcanic, Alura could feel the vestiges of surprise that still hung over the man who so reminded her of his son. Although he was worriedly watching her face, his gaze dropped to her stomach with obvious regularity. Baldur wasn't stupid. If she gave him even a few minutes to concentrate solely on the math, he would know without any doubt that her children were related to him.

"Baldur, your grandchildren," Alura said, resting her hand briefly on her belly again before gesturing toward him with it. "Children, your grandfather."

She felt a bit silly making an introduction when her babies were still nestled inside her, but Baldur's pleased smile put her uneasiness to rest.

"Children?" Baldur echoed. "As in, more than one child?"

"Twin girls," Alura supplied quietly. "I think we both know it's good that Niether is a boy."

With a sad smile, Baldur acknowledged her words by nodding slowly. "Is that why you had that stricken look when you saw Isis? You didn't want her to know about them?"

"Not exactly."

Alura sighed and shifted uneasily in the chair that wouldn't have been very comfortable in the best of circumstances. She reached forward for the glass of cold water that was now sitting in it's own ring of moisture on the wooden tabletop. She absently traced the trail of a heavy drop of condensation before lifting the glass to her lips and swallowing mechanically. She wasn't very thirsty, at least not that she was aware. Alura was simply trying to buy time while she thought about her options.

Though it was possible that Octavius hadn't gotten into the slave trade until a few years before he bought her in her reality, which would make it still a few years away from now, she somehow doubted it. Considering the fact that slavery was illegal on Tarazed and Isis had definitely been with Octavius in the market, either Isis was in on the secret or she was clueless about who Octavius really was. But which was it, and would Baldur know either way? Would giving Baldur that information put the older Nietzschean's life in danger?

"Do you know why Isis was with Octavius out there?" Alura asked softly, flinching when she used the name of her former captor.

Baldur shrugged loosely, "At breakfast they said something about checking on the stands they visited last week, see what new materials have come in."

"What?"

Baldur was startled at her one-word outburst, and he frowned at her for a moment. "I assumed since you knew his name... Octavius is Isis' second husband, the father of her daughters."

"Oh, Divine, I'm going to be sick." Alura rushed toward the back of the diner, almost knocking another woman over in her haste to get to the facilities. She muttered an apology before slamming the door shut behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Baldur sat back in his chair with a frown. If Alura hadn't known of the family connection to Octavius, how had she known him? From her reaction, it was obvious it wasn't a good association. Baldur had never become close to Octavius, mostly because the other man looked down on him for his inability to have any more children after Telemachus, but he didn't have any idea where the two would know each other. Had they met through business? Octavius had an import-export business that kept him busy and traveling off-world fairly often. Baldur would have to wait until Alura came back to the table to ask her.

A slender but strong hand on his shoulder preceded Jess leaning over to kiss his cheek. She moved around him and sat down with a smile in the chair Alura had vacated, frowning when she noticed the water glass in front of her just as her foot caught on the bag Alura had left on the floor. She bent over and picked up the bag, lifting out a tiny white outfit. Her eyes were sad for a moment before her eyebrows rose in question and she looked at him.

"Picking up pregnant women now, are you, darling?"

Baldur's lips twisted in amusement at her teasing tone. "I think my son would gladly kill me if I ever even thought about hitting on her."

"Alura's here?" Jess' eyes widened as she realized what that meant. "She's pregnant?"

"Twin girls," Baldur confirmed. He gestured behind her with a slight smile. "See for yourself."

Jess stood as Alura approached, the younger woman slowing when she saw the redhead. But Jess must have had a welcoming smile on her face, because Alura smiled and allowed Jess to hug her and exclaim over her belly. Jess ushered Alura back into the chair she had previously occupied. She flagged down a passing waiter and demanded an extra chair for their table and three menus.

Jess turned to Alura, "You will stay and eat lunch with us, won't you?"

"Of course," Alura demurred.

The tiny white garment Jess had pulled out of the bag was still on the table. Alura smiled and tucked it back into the bag before turning to Jess, who had just been given a chair.

"Would you like to see what else I got them?"

Jess nodded eagerly in response. Baldur watched in amusement as his wife made soft noises at each new article. He responded when one of the two women required it of him, but mostly he just observed them. Baldur was content to put aside the conversation about Octavius for the time being if that was what Alura wanted. Of course, there was another serious conversation they had to have, namely whether Telemachus knew about the existence of his children or not. Baldur doubted it since Telemachus would have immediately shared the news with his family and his Pride.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't until after they had eaten that Alura asked Jess and Baldur to come with her to the Valhalla Pride compound. She wouldn't discuss either of the two topics Baldur was impatient to learn everything about until they were somewhere she felt safe. Understanding the need, they quickly agreed to go with her. As they walked, Baldur couldn't help but wonder why Alura had never asked to stay near or with them. It must have something to do with why she had left Telemachus, but how had she ended up staying with the second most powerful Pride on Tarazed?

The three of them received some curious looks as they entered the compound. Alura seemed to notice, her head lifting higher. She led them to see Cassandra Bluteau first, introducing Baldur and Jess to the woman who had helped her so much since she came to Tarazed. After that, they went to Alura's suite of rooms where Alura extracted oaths of secrecy from them before relating what she really was and where she was from, the truth about her father and her brother, why she had left Telemachus, and her plan for informing him of his paternity once he was settled with the woman he was meant to be with who would be able to provide him with a full-blooded Nietzschean heir.

Not sure what to think of it all, but having no reason not to believe Alura, Baldur asked, "So why was it that you were so upset to see Octavius?"

Alura stood and began to pace. Jess and Baldur watched with matching worried frowns.

Quietly, she answered, "When my father died, one of his advisors sold me to a slaver. The man owned me for two years before Hank, a human, freed me and became my guardian. That slaver was Octavius." Jess gasped and Baldur looked furious, causing Alura to hastily add, "I don't know if he was a slaver at this point in time where I came from or even if he is a slaver in this reality. But seeing him threw me, and to find out he's connected to Telemachus… it was shocking."

"I'll find out," Baldur said softly but firmly.

"We both will," Jess added.

Alura opened her mouth to protest, but noticing the time, she said instead, "I have to pick Drago and Britta up from school. Will you both stay so we can talk about this?"

Baldur and Jess nodded. When Alura had left, Jess turned to her husband.

"What are we going to do? Putting aside Isis' scum of a husband for the moment, Alura needs us, whether she knows it or not. Her Pride is so small, and Drago will need all the support he can get as he grows up. And I really would like to be there for Alura and her children."

Baldur was silent and thoughtful for a long minute before saying, "I think we should talk to Cassandra again after we've finished visiting with Alura. I've used my son as an excuse to stay where we've both been unhappy for too long. Telemachus hasn't lived with the Pride for quite some time, and even if he did, us not being part of Majorem Pride wouldn't stop him from coming to see us when he wanted. It's time to live our own lives."

Jess was surprised but relieved by Baldur's decision. Although she would… and had… put up with anything for the man she loved, Jess had never been truly happy living in close quarters with Isis, who treated her with disdain at best. It would take some getting used to for both of them to no longer be members of Tarazed's most powerful Pride, but she had the feeling they would be much happier with their new family. When they met shy but sweet Britta minutes later and became better acquainted with Drago and the little blonde girl and the two children's doting guardian during the course of the afternoon, she was sure of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is that everything?" Dylan asked.

Achilles looked down at his own notes and gave them a cursory once over. "That's all Tri Lorn wanted me to go over with you." He paused for a moment and looked back up at Dylan. "But if you want to tell Trance it's alright to come in, I have another letter for her."

Dylan's mouth quirked and the door to an adjoining room slid open to reveal the red and gold Avatar, who greet Achilles and moved to his side when he stood.

"Captain Hunt, an honor as always," Achilles said, extending a hand that Dylan promptly shook. "The stop I made before meeting up with you went longer than planned, so you'll forgive me if I leave now. Trance, the letter."

He handed her the missive, which she took reverently and clasped tightly in her hand.

"May I walk with you to your ship?" Trance asked.

"Of course."

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the hangar where Achilles' small but fast and well-armed ship waited. When the door had closed behind them and they were alone in the large space, Trance turned toward Achilles and stopped his movement with a light hand on his arm.

"How is she?"

"She misses all of you, of course, but she's doing well. So is he."

Niether one of them would mention names. Achilles knew Alura had told her mother a lot about her new life in the two letters she had been able to send so far, including the friendships she had forged with his mother and other family members. But there was only so much Achilles could comfortably say given where he was.

Part of him wanted to track down where ever Rhade currently was on the Andromeda and let the other man know what had really happened, to encourage Rhade to go to Alura and then never let her go again. It was what he would want to have happen if the situation were reversed. But although he couldn't understand any self-respecting Nietzschean male choosing someone like Louisa, who Alura had described to him, Achilles respected Alura's decision enough to do as she wished and stay away from Rhade.

"How big is she now?"

In answer to Trance's soft question, Achilles spread and curved his fingers over his uniform in an approximation of the swell of Alura's stomach the last time he had seen it, which had been three weeks ago. The ache around his heart intensified at the thought. He missed her so much. He stared down at his own fingers for a moment. Alura's belly hadn't been anywhere near huge since she still had a few months to go, but it had gotten to the point where it was obvious that she was pregnant. He found himself speaking, quietly asking for indirect approval of his position in Alura's life from her mother.

"I'm going to take time off when she reaches her seventh month so I can be there when she gives birth and while she needs help, but that means I should have at least a couple more meetings with the Andromeda before someone else gets assigned liaison duties."

Trance nodded and smiled softly at him. Though Alura's lips were fuller than her mother's, they both had the same sweetness in their smile. Achilles found himself smiling back without really knowing why.

"You love her very much, don't you?"

The smile faded from Achilles' lips, seriousness radiating from his entire being. "I have from the moment I first saw her."

Trance glanced away and a silent moment passed. "Perhaps when you rendezvous with us for what you know is the last time, you can take me back to Tarazed with you. I'd like to be there for her when they're born."

"I'm sure she'd like that."

Achilles and Trance said their good-byes, and Trance watched through the airlock as Achilles left the Andromeda. She frowned momentarily when she got a strong feeling that he would not be back to the Andromeda in his capacity as Tri Lorn's liaison.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days after her run in with Baldur, Alura was back in the marketplace, musing on the last two days as she and Drago walked to where the artisan whose work she was going to pick up was situated. Britta was back at the compound, spending some quality time with her grandmother.

Baldur and Jess had shocked Alura with their choices. They had severed ties with Majorem Pride; reverting to membership in the small Pride Baldur had been born into. She and the children were the couple's family now. They had even moved into the Valhalla Pride compound, renting the rooms across the courtyard from Alura's so they could be close by if she needed them for anything. The group got along famously, Alura feeling immediately close to Baldur because of how much he reminded her of his son, and Jess filling the role of older sister or aunt with ease.

She'd felt it necessary to tell them her plans in regards to Achilles, and though Niether of them had met him yet, they let her know that they understood the role he filled in her life. Alura had at first been a bit surprised by their easy acceptance, before reminding herself that they were first and foremost Nietzscheans, and Baldur himself had had two wives until his very recent split with Isis.

Drago tugged on Alura's hand when she unwittingly slowed down, causing her mind to snap back to the present. Alura could tell the second the artisan spotted her, feeling his excitement from twenty feet away. She smiled as she approached the table he had already laid out her order on. He was eager for her to inspect his work and give him the promised reward.

The rest of their transaction went smoothly, Alura well pleased with the quality of his work. Because of the promised reward and its value, he had even presented her with a beautiful metal locking box to keep the bands in. She slipped the box with the bands nestled inside into the bag she had fastened securely against her back, the strap going over one shoulder and diagonally down her front to what had once been her waist.

Drago and Alura took their leave of the man after she had given him the jewel and promised to return to him for any future needs. Alura had just glanced down to readjust the way the strap of her pack lay across her stomach when someone struck her in the side of her face, hard. Alura immediately sent one hand to her pregnant belly while the other flew to the right, seeking Drago's presence. He wasn't there. Alura frantically turned all her attention in the direction she knew he had just been.

"No!" Alura screamed as she caught sight of a man she had never seen before dragging Drago away from her.

They were already twenty feet from her, and the man was pulling Drago quickly through the sparse market crowd. Not caring at the moment what had happened to the man who had hit her, Alura swiftly pulled one of the knives Achilles had given her from its sheath. Through years of training and the adrenaline pumping through her system at an alarming rate, Alura was able to aim and send the knife flying almost instantaneously.

Right at that moment, Drago bit down on the hand that was dragging him, causing the man to turn slightly. Instead of lodging where the base of his skull met his spine, Alura's knife plunged into his neck. Blood seeped slowly from the wound and flooded into his mouth from his throat. When he tried to scream, it came out as a sickeningly wet gurgle. Both hands went to the knife handle automatically, though he knew he was going to die as soon as it was pulled out. Drago immediately ran back toward Alura, who was already moving toward him and his would-be kidnapper.

Drago clung to Alura's leg when they met, stopping her movement completely. She crouched to check on him, running her hands over him worriedly before pulling him into a hug.

"I'm okay, Momma," he breathed into her ear, his arms around her neck. "He didn't hurt me."

His assurance and the fact that he was already calming helped Alura gain control of her own fear and panic. When she looked, the man whose neck now held her knife was nowhere to be seen. And Alura had never gotten a look at his accomplice.

A member of the police force was there moments later; evidently someone in the market had called when she screamed. Alura told what she could and let the officer scan the second knife so if the first was found it could be matched easily. He had at first wanted to take the knife with him so they could match the blade to any wounds found on a body, but Alura used Baldur and Cassandra's names and her connection to them to ensure that she was given the leeway to keep the weapon. Since she had not seen the second man, the one who had attacked her, they would have to wait for the first man to be found before they could identify him and try to trace his accomplice.

Though the officer escorted them home, Alura couldn't help but feel skittish, checking every shadow for movement with her eyes and scanning every person they passed for malicious intent. It was only after they were home and safe among those who had become their family that she was able to relax. The darker part of her, a part that had once ruled her life for a year and a half, was furious that revenge would not be hers, not only against the man who had tried to distract her while the other took her son, but also against Octavius. But weighing what she now stood to lose against what her existence had been then, she let it go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Drago and Britta tackled Achilles the moment he walked in the door of their suite, knocking the adult male to the floor where they could hug him. Alura watched with a smile, knowing how much Britta and Drago had missed Achilles. He had been gone nearly a month, and she imagined that it seemed like a much longer time to someone who had only been around for a grand total of six years. Alura had missed him just as much as they had, if not much more so, but she would wait her turn to welcome him home.

When the two children had finished with their greetings, Drago glanced between his mother and Achilles. A sly smile slid across his face and he tugged Britta toward the door to the courtyard.

"C'mon, Britta, let's go help Grandpa and Jess unpack some more."

The two children, and Alura as well, had been helping Baldur and Jess whenever they had free time and the older couple was at home. Alura smiled and waved as the kids headed out.

"What's he talking about?" Achilles asked as he stood up, dusting himself off.

"Baldur Rhade and his wife Jess left Majorem Pride, they're staying in the suite across from mine…"

"Alura!" Achilles interrupted her. He was at her side swiftly, one hand going to her face to lightly trace the bruise beside her left eye. There was fury in his voice as he asked, "Who did this to you?"

"I'm fine," she assured him quickly. "It's already healing. Yesterday there was a kidnap attempt when Drago and I were in the market, but I stopped the man with one of the knives you gave me. There is no way he could have survived the wound."

Achilles swore colorfully, "I should have been here."

Alura frowned but allowed Achilles to pull her into a hug. She relaxed against his solid strength for a few minutes before whispering.

"It wouldn't have made a difference."

"You think I can't protect you and your children?" Achilles growled, setting her away from him abruptly.

Alura sighed; this was not going well. "Of course I think you can, I know you can. But you can't be there every moment, and I wouldn't have let you come with us to the market."

"Why not?" he almost yelled.

Alura put a soothing hand on his arm, his muscles tense beneath her fingers. "I was getting something for you."

He let out a breath slowly and gathered her close to him once more. "I'm sorry I over-reacted. But I love you, and I don't like feeling that I let you down."

"You haven't," Alura said with a smile.

She didn't return his feelings aloud, not wanting the first time she said them to be directly after an argument. After a handful of silent minutes, Achilles leaned his head down to kiss the top of her head before gently extracted himself from her arms.

"I have something to take care of, but I'll be home by dinnertime."

"Okay," Alura replied as she watched him leave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Achilles went straight to his own rooms and changed before going to Alura's suite to pick her and the kids up for dinner with the rest of the family. He knew Alura would have waited for him, despite the fact that he was running a little late. To his surprise, when he stepped into the front room the main lights weren't on. The soft glow of candles filled the room and the small table in the corner was set for two.

"Expecting someone?" he asked carefully when Alura walked in, clothed in a dress of flowing gray material.

He'd never seen her in anything but black before.

Alura smiled and simply answered, "I thought you and I could eat dinner together alone for once."

He must have frowned, because she faltered and hastily added, "If you'd rather eat with your family…"

"No," Achilles answered. "This is nice. Relaxing. Thanks."

She smiled again, this time it almost seemed to shine, and Achilles barely stopped himself from frowning again. Something was going on here, and he wasn't sure why he was suddenly so nervous. Dinner passed slowly but pleasantly. It had always been easy for them to talk about anything and everything. When the conversation came to a comfortable lull as they finished eating, Alura suddenly stood and turned on some soft music.

Moving next to him, she held out her hand. "Dance with me?"

Achilles stood and gathered her into his arms, guiding her gently around the open space of the room. Alura smiled up at him, warmth and light seeming to emanate directly from her eyes. It wasn't surprising. Even before her Avatar abilities had come back, he could always see the light in her. But somehow it was different this time. And then suspicion struck. It was different because it was aimed solely at him. Always before there had been at least a small part of herself that she kept from him, but no longer.

They were alone. Family dinner had to have been over by now and yet Britta and Drago weren't back. Alura had dressed more femininely than usual. Romantic was the only real way to describe the lighting and music. And she was pressed about as fully to him as possible. Achilles glanced around the room and spotted a craftsman's box on one of the side tables. He recognized the workmanship immediately; all of the Valhalla Pride women went to the same artisan to have their helix bands made.

Achilles' heart began to pound at the same time that his stomach dropped away.

He turned his face back down toward hers, needing to stop this before it went any further. Unfortunately, Alura chose that moment to lean up and press her lips to his. His mind told him to pull away, to stop now, but his heart and his body wrapped his arms more securely around her and responded by deepening their kiss. Somehow this embrace was a thousand times more intimate than the one they had shared in his bed the last time he had been home. Heat spiraled through him, his heart clenching when Alura moaned softly. To his everlasting shame, she was the one to pull her mouth away from his.

"Achilles, I…"

He put one finger over her lips to silence her, begging softly, "Please don't do this."

"Achilles, I don't think you understand, I'm trying to tell you that I l…"

"I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it!"

Alura flinched, and Achilles knew his harsh tone had gotten through to her. He also knew he was going to regret this for a long time. But he couldn't let her do something now that they would both regret later. Him ever so much more so when she left him. Unable to stay in the same room with her when she had that devastated look on her face, Achilles turned on his heel and left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alura picked at her breakfast. She wasn't hungry. Hadn't been for days. But she ate to keep up her strength and to give the twins enough nourishment. The past week had been tense between she and Achilles. He still spent time with her and the children, though his attention was always focused on them now. And he never spent time alone with her anymore.

She'd had a particularly bad nightmare Vision two nights after he had returned, but when she tried to go to him for comfort, she had found his door to be locked. Alura hadn't had the heart to knock and have him reject her aloud once more. But the worst thing had been yesterday when she had absentmindedly asked Cassandra when she thought Achilles would be leaving again.

"Didn't he tell you?" Cassandra had frowned. "Achilles quit the day he came back. He'd already planned on taking time off two months from now, but after he heard about the attack, he didn't have the heart to leave you again. When Tri Lorn wouldn't give him an extended leave of absence, he quit."

Achilles hadn't told her. And Alura knew from the way he had reacted to her attempt at a proposal that it wasn't out of love. So he had to have given up his career and livelihood out of some odd sense of duty and responsibility to her. The knowledge hurt. She didn't know when he had stopped loving her. Perhaps Achilles had simply loved the idea of her, falling out of it when he realized that he could actually have her.

She had considered, for a few moments, leaving Tarazed so Achilles could get back to his life and she could move on with hers. But there were so many other people to consider now.

This remained the best place to be when the twins were born. Baldur and Jess had already transplanted themselves once to be near her. She was very close to Cassandra, Ariadne and Terren (Ariadne's full-brother), and getting closer to Odin and Ticon. And there was Britta to consider. Alura couldn't take the little girl with them if they left, as much as she might want to. As soon as she had considered how Britta, and Drago for that matter, would react to separation, she had let the idea go. She would just have to get used to seeing him all the time and not be able to be with him the way she wanted.

The two children chorusing "Kill! Ariadne!", snapped her out of her thoughts.

After he had greeted the children, giving each a hug, Achilles said, "Ariadne is going to walk the two of you to school this morning. I need to talk to your mother."

It hadn't been the first time someone had lumped Britta in as hers, and as usual, the little girl smiled happily and didn't correct the wording. The children and Ariadne were out the door a few minutes later. This was the first time she and Achilles had been alone since 'that night' but Alura refused to get her hopes up.

"I'm leaving on a mission," Achilles told her, not meeting her eyes.

"Your mother told me you quit," she responded quietly. "I'm glad Tri Lorn let you have your job back."

Achilles looked at her and frowned. "I didn't ask for it back, Alura, and I'm not going to. My place is…" Achilles sighed and took a different tact. "This is a personal favor to him, one last mission that he needs me to do. I don't even have to be in uniform for it."

"Oh."

Alura wasn't sure what else to say. She hated that things had become so awkward between them because she had wanted more from him than he was willing to give.

Achilles cleared his throat. "If something happens to me, my family will look out for you. And I've already asked Baldur and Jess to help in any way they can after the twins are born and you decide its time to leave. You'll be fine, so I don't want you to worry. Goodbye, Alura."

So deep in shock she couldn't say anything, Alura was unable to react when he stooped to kiss her forehead and then left.

Two days later when she had a Vision that made her heart stop for long moments, she cursed the fact that she hadn't done something, anything, to stop him from going.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Still don't believe in Fate?" Telemachus asked Beka.

They were sitting in the mess, eating dinner, and Beka was staring again at the small silver bell Wezlow had left for her in her angel doll. The tiny instrument that was somehow a powerful weapon against the Abyss wasn't all that much to look at, but the Eureka Maru's Captain kept studying it as if it held the secrets to the universe. Who knew, maybe it did.

"Fate?" Beka made a doubting face. "Just because I've been the unknowing carrier of a weapon against the Abyss for most of my life and I was the one who pulled Dylan from the black hole. Dylan, who happens to be a person the Abyss actually seems to fear?" Beka laughed, the sound lacking any humor. "Whatever would make you think that?"

Telemachus raised his eyebrows but simply shrugged. "You were also the one that brought Trance into his life, and however indirectly, the reason I met…"

Beka frowned at him as he trailed off. "The reason you met who?"

"All of you," Telemachus said curtly as he stood. His tone and body language told Beka that it wasn't what he had been about to say. "If you hadn't pulled Dylan out of the black hole, Tarazed never would have joined Dylan's Commonwealth and I'd still be Admiral of the Home Guard."

"Sorry," she said softly, meaning it more for his loss of Alura than his loss of position on his home planet.

Telemachus sighed, and he shrugged his heavily muscled shoulders. He had taken to wearing sleeveless shirts and vests again, not that the female population… and some of the male population… was complaining about the view. Still, they looked and didn't touch, the ones not loyal to the memory of Alura unwilling to risk the Nietzschean's gruff disdain, or the disapproval of their Captain. For though Dylan was frustrated at Telemachus' reverting back to his old self, he was still protective of the younger man. And any woman coming on to the Nietzschean while he was vulnerable was not something Dylan was going to tolerate.

"I wasn't complaining," Telemachus clarified. "Just pointing out a fact."

It was as close to an apology as Beka had ever heard from him, and she stared in a combination of surprise and curiosity as he walked out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I need to speak with you, alone, right now," Alura panted out, throwing an apologetic but hurrying look to the woman sitting with Cassandra and Odin.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Cassandra asked as soon as their guest excused herself from the room.

"I need you to watch Drago and Britta, just for a couple days. I… I had a Vision, and I have to go… go save Achilles."

Odin was immediately on his feet. "I'm going with you."

Alura shook her head, but Cassandra stood and hugged her before saying, "As much as we trust you to do what you can for Achilles, you need someone to help you, my dear, to make sure nothing happens to you. You can't risk your children."

Knowing she had to concede, Alura nodded. "Okay, but we have to go now."

"Maybe I should get a weapon or…"

Alura cut off Odin, "No, I have plenty on my ship, the Dance. Time is not our friend right now."

Twenty minutes later they were under way. Alura and Odin were both armed, even though there was nothing to fight yet. It was the first time Odin had seen the Dance Among the Stars, but he was too preoccupied to be fully appreciative of the ship. He and Alura were on command, Alura focused completely on the view screen as they raced full speed toward the coordinates she had given Danny, her ship's AI.

Odin's mind was whirling, wondering how Alura could possibly know exactly where to head and that Achilles needed them. He had heard Cassandra and Ariadne talking about Alura's visions before, but he had somehow assumed that they were just particularly intense nightmares. He had been so caught up in the urgency Alura had been projecting and the thought of Achilles in serious danger that he had found himself following her lead without fully realizing it.

"It's because of what my mother is," Alura suddenly said.

Knowing he hadn't said anything aloud, Odin opened his mouth to ask how she did that. He didn't get the chance.

"I can't usually read minds, only feelings, but I'm so… worried right now, and you're projecting awfully loud."

Odin was silent as Alura spoke, telling him about the Avatar race and some of their abilities. He didn't ask questions or interrupt her in any way, knowing she was keeping up the steady monologue in an effort to distract both of them from their worry. Two hours later, Danny interrupted.

"Commodore, we've reached the debris field."

Odin tensed, but again Alura perceived his thoughts. "Achilles was on their ship before they blew up his. It was supposedly a simple sale of information the Triumvir wanted, but it was really a trap for Achilles. Danny, separate the readings of their exhaust trail from his and set a course to follow."

"Aye, Commodore."

"Commodore?"

Odin was trying to distract her again. It worked.

Alura smiled slightly, "My full title is Rear Admiral of the First Line. I was offered a full Admiralcy for certain victories, but I was already the youngest Commodore in Commonwealth history, so I turned it down."

As Alura continued to talk about her military background, Odin couldn't help but wonder where she was from. He noticed she was careful never to mention the names of her superiors or specific place names either. They were both distracted again when an alarm sounded and Danny reappeared.

"Commodore, we've found their base. Very small place, only six life signs inside, but there is a ship on an intercept course. They're hailing us for identification."

"Destroy it," Alura ordered.

"With pleasure."

Though the ship headed their way was a Nietzschean fighter, it was no match for the grade of torpedoes Danny fired upon it. It was space debris within minutes.

Shortly after, the Dance landed on a small planet, just outside a small, solitary structure. Although he had warned himself to stop being surprised every time Alura did something, Odin couldn't help but be amazed when Danny exited the ship with them, as armed to the teeth as they were. The first two guards were easy to take out. The ship they had destroyed had obviously not had a chance to warn the base of the incoming danger. Not five minutes later another two Nietzscheans were down.

"That just leaves Achilles and one more," Alura said.

Danny had been leading the way through the structure, having determined Achilles' position when they landed.

"He's in here," Danny said as they approached a door.

They went through, Alura having to bite her lip to keep from gasping at Achilles' condition, though she had known from her Vision how close to death he would be when they found him. He was hanging from the ceiling, restraints attached to chains on his wrists. His captors had stripped him down to his pants, his arms, face and torso having been beaten, cut and burned. He was unconscious and not alone.

The man torturing him didn't seem to care that Achilles wasn't at all aware of what was being done to him.

"Because of you that stupid kludge Pish wiped out half of my men and two of my best ships. And the man who was supposed to pay our bounty wouldn't give us any more work when we didn't bring him Rhade." The accusations were punctuated with a vicious punch to Achilles' already bruised and bloody torso.

Sudden heat emanated from Alura. Odin growled and the man spun at the sound. His eyes widened when he saw that they were obviously not his people.

"Dequenne," Alura snarled.

"You!" the Nietzschean said, startled.

"Miss me?" she taunted before shooting him with her force lance.

He was dead before he could answer. Alura adjusted a setting on her force lance and shot Dequenne's body. It disintegrated, a scorch mark on the floor the only evidence of the execution. Odin just stopped himself from spitting on the spot. Achilles had told him about the man. It was no great loss to the universe.

"Hold him up while I undo the restraints," Alura said in a tight voice.

Odin did as she asked, easing his son to the floor when he was freed. He closed his eyes when he realized the full extent of Achilles' injuries and took note of his pale, cold skin. His son was too far gone; they were too late.

"No we aren't," Alura said sharply. "We don't have time for me to explain right now, but a blinding light is going to fill the room, so I'll need you to look the other way. When the light dissipates, both Achilles and I will be unconscious. It's a ritual of sorts that my mother's race can perform, but afterward he and I will need to be kept separated. Danny can carry me back to the ship, will you be able to carry Achilles?"

Odin nodded and turned away when Alura motioned for him to do so. Alura turned back to Achilles' unconscious form and smoothed his hair back, wiping a spot of blood from his lips. She draped herself carefully atop him so that when she fainted she wouldn't abruptly fall. She pressed a soft kiss to Achilles' unresponsive lips before letting the Light inside her begin to extend, to engulf him and heal his wounds, to replenish the life force that was slipping away.

Holding back as much of the Bond as she could while still using enough of the connection to save his life, Alura sighed softly, "Forgive me, Achilles, my love."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Achilles woke to find himself in a room he didn't recognize, though it was vaguely familiar. His father was sitting in a chair watching him, a tired but relieved expression on his face.

"Where's Alura?" Achilles immediately asked, feeling an overwhelming urge to make sure she was okay.

He didn't know how he knew, but Alura had been the one to save him. He had been on the brink of death and she had brought him back. Achilles needed to make sure she was okay, that it hadn't done anything to her. He didn't know how they had found him, but he was glad they had. They must be on the Dance. His supposition was confirmed when his father spoke.

Odin hesitated but answered, "Down the hall in her bedroom sleeping. Danny said she'll be fine in a little while. Son, I know you love her, but she did say you had to be kept apart from each other. I don't understand everything about what she is and what she did, but maybe we should just stay in here until we get back to Tarazed."

"No," Achilles immediately answered, getting up from the bed. "I have to see her."

Odin nodded his understanding.

A few minutes later he was stepping inside the room he had once been in with her when the Dance had still been on the Andromeda. Alura was asleep on top of the bed covers, her weapons holster still on. It was an incongruous sight with the swell of her belly but such a statement of who she was, causing Achilles' mouth to quirk in a loving grin.

He reached down to gently shake her awake, just to make sure she was okay. Just as he was about to touch her, she shot across the bed, away from him. Alura blinked her eyes sleepily before focusing on him. The color leeched from her face.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

Achilles frowned as much at the way she growled the words as at the actual words themselves. Alura had backed herself into a corner, as far away from him as she could possibly get while in the same room. When he took a step toward her, she fumbled for one of the force lances strapped to her thighs and pointed it at him, tears in her eyes.

"Don't."

"What's going on?" he asked, keeping his voice low and soft despite his frustration.

Danny flickered to life beside him and said, "Captain Renier, it would be best if you just…"

"No," Achilles cut him off, "I want to hear it from her." To Alura he said, "I can feel your anxiety, your worry, but I can also feel your love for me. Why won't you let me near you?"

Alura's arm, the one holding the weapon, shook as it fell limply to her side. Her mouth opened and shut a few times before she found her voice.

"How? How is this possible?"

"How is what possible, baby? I don't understand what's going on."

"I… I Bonded with you. I had to in order to save you. But it shouldn't have been a full Bond; you wouldn't have chosen that. You shouldn't be able to feel me."

Danny made a soft sound of acknowledgment and disappeared. Achilles was still confused. He took another step toward her, but Alura raised her weapon again, her arm still shaking violently.

"Stay back," she pleaded softly. "If you're near me, the Bond will try to complete itself. You have to stay away."

"This Bond," he asked softly, "you don't want it?"

"Of course I want it!" she snapped. "I wouldn't have been able to initialize it if I didn't. That's not what's important. You don't want it; you didn't even want to know that I love you. Why would you want to be tied to me forever?"

"Oh, baby," Achilles murmured as he realized what was going on. Her hurt made it impossible for him to doubt her words. He had never wanted to give Alura any measure of pain, let alone this soul-deep one she was now feeling. "I'm so sorry."

He moved forward more purposefully this time, and even though she at first pointed her lance directly at him, she slumped slightly in defeat when he simply kept moving toward her. When he reached her, Achilles scooped her tired form into his arms, moving them both to the bed she had been on when he first entered the room. He made soothing noises as he held her, willing her to relax. When she had, at least a little, he returned to their conversation.

"I love you, Alura, you know that. Of course I want to be with you forever."

"Then… why…"

Achilles could feel her pain spiking again, and he knew she was remembering the night he had rejected her advances. He swallowed hard, sick that he had done this to her with his selfishness. One arm remained looped around her waist, pressing her pregnant belly into his side, and the other traveled caressingly over her back. He curled himself around her slightly so that they were touching as much as possible and his face was pressed into the hair on top of her head.

"I didn't want to lose you," he admitted quietly.

Alura looked up from the safe harbor of his arms and into his face and frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. My loving you back should have cemented the fact that you wouldn't lose me, not the opposite."

Achilles sighed, "But you love Telemachus, and you left him. And one day you'll go back to him, and that means leaving me. You were the one who told me you would probably never have more than one mate. As much as being apart from you already hurt, having you as my wife and then losing you… I didn't know if I could deal with that."

Alura shuddered and leaned up slightly to kiss the underside of his chin. Achilles' eyebrows drew together in a slight frown when he looked down at her.

"Forget all that for a minute," she instructed gently. "Do you really love me? Enough to want to be tied to me soul, mind and body for all eternity? And I mean that in the most literal and metaphysical sense of the words."

"Yes," Achilles answered.

Alura could feel that he was being truthful, and that he understood what the Bond entailed. All of her pain, doubt and uneasiness fell away, and Alura basked in the knowledge that she loved and was loved on a level she had never expected.

The connection she had tried to hinder when she initiated the Bond sprung to life between them, and the full depth of his love and happiness at being hers once again surprised her. A second later his amusement at her surprise swept through her. Alura gasped softly.

This wasn't just the Bonding possible between an Avatar and any other race, this was a full Soul Bond. It shouldn't have been possible, and not only because Achilles was a Nietzschean, but because she herself was only half-Avatar. But it was one, all the same, the constant emotional feedback proved it.

"I'm going to have to get used to you being able to feel everything I feel," Alura commented, gently nuzzling his ear with her nose. "I can be quite mercurial at times, and I don't want it to hurt you."

Arousal swept through them both as a result of her caresses, and Achilles tightened his hold on her once more. But Achilles was still curious about her hesitation.

"Alura, baby, why didn't you allow the full Bond when you saved me? I know I gave you reason to doubt my feelings, but you couldn't have been doubting your own."

"Once the Bond is completed," she said softly, "it cannot be undone. As soon as we consummate the Bond, you and I will be connected permanently, and being apart for any significant amount of time will be exceedingly difficult on both of us. I didn't want to have to put you through that. Once the Bond is initiated, the urge to complete it is hard to overcome, that's why I didn't want you near me. It had to be your choice."

"What about Rhade?" Achilles asked quietly after a silent minute.

"I never Bonded with him, but I will always love him; I know you know that. If, when the time comes, he accepts me back into his life, he'll have to accept you as well."

"Could you Bond with him?"

Laughter shone in Alura's eyes and thrummed through their connection. She was smiling with mirth when she answered, "He'd have to Bond with both of us."

Achilles laughed. "I can't wait to see his face when he finds out."

Not feeling any hesitation from him, Alura asked, "That wouldn't bother you?"

Achilles brushed her hair back gently and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Having you is everything to me. I want you to have everything you want and need as well."

When Alura gave him a wicked but sweet smile and not-so-innocent thoughts transferred from her mind to his, Achilles proceeded to give her everything she wanted and needed in that moment, guaranteeing that their Bond was a permanent one.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You wanted something, Trance?"

Trance looked up at the Andromeda's holograph before smiling slightly. "Yes, just a moment, please."

The Avatar was sitting on the floor next to the plants on obs, sketching something on a piece of paper.

"I've been having recurring Visions with Alura in a uniform, but I can't tell if they're from the past or the future," Trance narrated. "I'd like to see if you could identify the style."

Andromeda studied the sketch for a moment when Trance lifted it, feeling a flicker of recognition. She searched her data banks and, raising a single eyebrow, told Trance what she had found. The red and gold Avatar raised her own eyebrows and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

Trance was silent for a full minute before she said, "Don't tell Dylan."

This caused the Andromeda's holographic self to raise both of her eyebrows in surprise, but she nodded before disappearing, "I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Andromeda looked anxious when she appeared in his quarters, and Telemachus frowned in worry.

"Are we under attack? Why hasn't the alarm been sounded?"

"No, we are not under attack," the holographic Andromeda replied. "I am unsure how it is possible, but I have more information about Alura."

Telemachus blinked, waiting for the holograph to continue. Since she had realized he remembered Alura and promised not to say anything to the others, she had been giving him little bits of information that she remembered. But it was just as difficult for her to recall anything as it was for him since most of the surveillance from Alura's time onboard had been wiped from her memory banks.

"Trance was drawing a picture and asked me to identify the style of uniform in it." A vid of the sketch appeared on the wall display in his room, and Telemachus noted that it looked almost exactly like Danny's from the time he had been aboard the Dance when he had come back from rescuing Drago with Alura. "When I did so, she instructed me not to inform Dylan as she was unsure whether Alura had worn it prior to meeting us or if she had yet to do so."

Andromeda still looked anxious, and Telemachus asked, "Why are you concerned?"

"It just doesn't make sense. Even if Alura had worn it in her own reality, this style of uniform hasn't been in use for three hundred years, and it is unlikely to be used in the coming decades."

"Why?"

"It is the uniform of the Imperial Guard division of the original Systems Commonwealth, the uniform worn by the hand-picked forces of the Vedran Empress."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Preview: Alura goes home after another Vision, determined to convince those she once served that she is who she is. Also, the Andromeda meets up with Ambassador Galdamez and Louisa Messereau of the habitat Arkology while Alura races to change things enough that Arkology won't be destroyed.