Hey guys, the penultimate chapter is here today. I hope you like it. it was difficult to write. in the comments I would really really like to know what you thought of the ending to this chapter. If you don't want to post to the comments you could come tell me on domina- alba. tumblr. com .
See you tomorrow when I'll tell you more about what comes next.
Enjoy!
'Are you still screening your diamonds reports?' the message came in while Pearl and Domina were in the hanger on board of the currently docked dropship. The Diamond had shed her coat and was in the process of gutting a Dropship dart that had been cast aside during the fleets last upgrade. There was a crash and Pearl scrambled to the source to see Domina had pulled the main section of the engine off and it had fallen on the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"My Diamond You really don't have to do this, if you wanted the ship stripped down we could have gotten some peridots or other gems suited to the task to do it."
"No no it's fine, I don't want to take anyone away from their work." Domina said waving her off. She bent down and slowly picked up the engine section and carried it too the table sitting just outside the dart.
"You could have commissioned a ship like I suggested."
"I could have but this is more fun,"
"Yes, "Pearl glanced at the wrecked interior and the smattering of parts around the outside. " fun." Domina looked at her with a grin.
"You don't have to stay if you don't want to Pearl, I know this isn't your area of interest." She said. Pearl hesitated, even after all this time it was difficult to tell if Domina truly did not want her nearby or if she was simply giving pearl the opportunity to have some time to herself.
"If it's all the same to you My Diamond I will go back to your quarters and check on Vitus. I also need to put in the next food order." At the mention of her father Domina's grin faded and she nodded.
"Right, thank you, please let me know if he needs me." Pearl nodded and turned to leave. "Oh and Pearl?" Domina called.
"Yes Domina?" She asked turning back,
"Will you put in a request for one of those engines they used to put on the light kites?" Domina asked, Pearl looked at the ship the woman was working on and then at the engine pieces. She sighed.
"Of course my diamond"
Pearl didn't go straight to Domina's quarters. Instead she ducked into an unoccupied room and answered the sender-less message.
'Yes' there was no response for several moments.
'A remote outpost has been claimed by the rebellion. We believe that a request for backup has been sent to White diamond herself. If that backup is approved and arrives then we're shattered.' Pearls form went cold. They had taken an outpost? Where? And now they wanted her to hide that information from Domina. Not that she wasn't already hiding her involvement with this whole mess from the diamond.
'I understand' she replied not pledging anything. She closed out her console and went about her task, heading back to the Diamonds quarters at the back of the ship.
Vitus was asleep when she went in. He was sleeping a lot these last few days, He said he was just tired but Pearl and Domina both knew he had been hiding an illness for months. Pearl had contacted the technicians at the Human zoo and they had said nothing could be done.
She briefly looked in on him, reassured herself with the rise and fall of his chest and went about placing the order, doing laundry and generally tidying up. When that was done she sat and opened up her account, there at the top was a request for reinforcements for a sentry outpost on the very outer rim of the empire's reach. Pearl opened it and scanned the contents, the base had been overrun by insurgents, there was no one else nearby that could help. Pearl hovered between the transfer and delete options.
"Pearl?" a soft voice called from the other room. Pearl jumped in surprise, quickly closed out her console and went to vitus's room.
"Vitus what is it?" She asked. The old man was sitting up on the bed and was in the process of reaching for his cane.
"Pearl quis est Domina?" He said, his voice was shaky and he was struggling to . Pearl Stopped him.
"Vitus she's in the hanger what is it, what's wrong.
"Mihi op- I, I need to speak with her" He said looking up at her.
"I'll get her just wait here I'll be right back." Pearl said. Vitus stared up at her and nodded.
"Please."
Pearl slid into the room with a glass of water and set it next to Vitus. Domina sat on the bed next to her father holding his hand and going over the creases in his skin with her thumb.
"No Pearl, stay please" Vitus said as the she began to head back for the door. Pearl stopped and looked uncomfortably at Domina and Vitus, Domina didn't look back at her, she was staring at her father's face like she was trying to engrave it into her mind.
"Are you sure Vitus I shouldn't intrude-"
"Pearl" Vitus said his voice was weak but the power behind his words made up for that. "Your family, not an intruder. Please stay." Pearl felt a brief flicker of a smile.
"Vitus gems don't have family." She said. Vitus let out a chuckle that turned into a coughing fit, Domina quickly supplied him with the water pearl had brought in. He drank, and carefully handed it back to Domina.
"Bullshit." He said.
"Pater you really should rest." Domina said. "You'll feel better after you always do."
"Domina all the rest in the cosmos won't help me now," He said taking her hand "You know that." Domina shook her head. Pearl hesitated
"We could take you to the zoo, see if there's anything the technicians there could do for you." She offered. Vitus's eyes went dark.
"No. I'm old you two. It happens, death is natural." He said.
"No it's not." Domina said softly. "Not to gems."
"I'm not a gem Domina, neither are you technically. It's how things were on earth, how things are there now" He said with finality. Domina didn't say anything. She wiped her eyes and turned away. Vitus reached for her and hugged her close.
"Tear's are nothing to be ashamed of. Emotions are a sign of strength not weakness, remember that." He said softly. Domina chuckled very slightly, more with gasping sobs than with any kind of mirth. She pulled away a moment later
"Do you ever wish you had gone home instead?" she asked
"Instead?" Vitus asked "Instead of what? Instead of travelling through the stars? Instead of raising you?" Vitus attempted to sit up and Pearl quickly helped him, trying not to think about how light he was. She attempted to retreat back to her position by the door but Vitus lay a gentle hand on her arm and gestured for her to sit on the opposite side from Domina.
Pearl looked at Domina who gave her a forced, weak barely there smile, so unlike the grin she had gotten hours before.
"Domina," Vitus continued "I have done things no man back on earth could ever conceive of doing, and I have the most amazing daughter in the universe, I do not regret staying." He glanced to Pearl "I didn't think I'd make it this far though." He said almost conspiratorially. "I thought that White diamond would have gotten sick of me and thrown me out an airlock within my first week on the ship." Pearl smiled.
"She almost did if I remember right, you were quite obnoxious."
"Were? I think I'm still a thorn in Mossy's side, at least for now."
"Should I go get her?" Domina asked standing up suddenly. Vitus winced slightly.
"No Domina, sit back down, me and Mossy Agate have made our peace." Domina lowered herself carefully back onto the bed.
"Right." She bit her lip Vitus took her hand.
"I am so proud of you, you came back from Homeworld with your beliefs intact, you've risked your life to save gems you don't know, you know everyone in the fleet by name. You care more about these gems than most of them care about each other." Vitus said. "And you're going to be ok."
"I won't have you, how will I..." Domina's words died in her throat.
"You haven't needed me in a long time." Vitus said with a soft smile "And that's all I could hope for at this point, that means I don't have to anything left to teach you."
"That's not true!"
"It is, we both know I haven't had anything of value to teach you since you were nine years old."
"But I..I." Domina sputtered out before breaking into another round of tears. Vitus pulled her gently to his chest again, she was too tall so she didn't quite fit but vitus held her there nonetheless. While he held his daughter he looked at Pearl.
"You'll watch out for her?" He asked. Pearl smiled, though the smiles way to her eyes was blocked by tears.
"When have I not Vitus, I will be there for her for..." as long as she want's me she almost said. "For as long as she needs me" she amended. Vitus nodded and kissed his daughter's forehead, just above the gem.
"You'll watch out for Pearl right?" He asked. Domina sat up and wiped her face again.
"Of course, of course why wouldn't I?" Domina said with a tear filled smile at Pearl. Pearl leaned over and placed a hand on Domina's shoulder comfortingly.
"Good." Vitus said with a contented smile, he had relaxed back onto the bed. "Take care of each other, that's all I ask for."
When the body was taken away and Domina was fitfully sleeping next to her Pearl deleted the request from the station, they had more important things to worry about.