She hadn’t been awake for most of what had happened. Her world consisted of dreams. Seeing Lentil again. Emerald… she could smell the trees and the rivers. The serene cave. There was a muffled commotion outside, bangs and screams. People were being thrown about. She smiled at the red blob that approached her.
–
“Wake up, Red.” Fawkes growled. Darnell was standing behind him, rifle raised at the door. A man ran in and was incinerated by a koveran blast.
“Let’s hurry.” Darnell suggested, his rifle glowing a crimson red and whining.
Suddenly the floor was shooting by Red as she felt herself being carried.
–
Her next moment of awareness was in a bed, staring up at Fawkes and Nyx. Nyx had tears in her eyes. “We’re so sorry.”
“What happened?” Red asked. “Am I okay?”
“You’re fine.”
“Then nothing’s wrong!” Red persisted.
“No. I guess not.” Nyx muttered, stroking Red with a wingtip.
–
“Ignatio wasn’t there.” Fawkes said.
He and Darnell were aboard Thanatos’ bridge, staring out at a projected nodescape. The nodescape had information from the navigational systems of every ship at their home. Using it, they looked for places Ignatio might run off to.
“He has Red’s… I wouldn’t even call them eggs.” Fawkes growled.
“Not yet, anyways.”
“We’re always chasing eggs.” Fawkes sighed.
“We are, aren’t we?” Darnell let out a laugh, suppressing it quickly. Darnell wasn’t one to laugh. The fact that he did made Fawkes feel a lot better about the situation.
“I guess we don’t have to.” Fawkes mused. His children were fine, he’d checked up on them via the beemspace transceiver. He could let this transgression go and move on.
“I guess not…” Darnell said, watching Fawkes make up his mind.
“What do you think?” Fawkes asked.
“There are more planets in this galaxy than grains of sand on a beach.” Darnell replied.
Fawkes scoffed. “We’ll run into him again.”
“Most definitely.” Darnell agreed.
–
While imminent danger had desisted. Nothing really seemed to be returning to normal. Allonsi had been restrained and harassed quite a bit in the name of Red’s co-operation. It made her much more distant and avoidant. Red had also blatantly refused any more ‘re-educating’ and retreated to Emerald. Nyx spent most of the time sleeping on her red pillow, and Darnell was back working with the RDF.
Thanks. Flames transmitted one day. It had been a month since the rescue. Nobody had really said much for that month. Life just seemed to tick along day after day. Eat, sleep, and watch holovision. Maybe Fawkes hoped that he’d see Ignatio on one of the channels, but the bastard had disappeared.
You’re welcome. Fawkes replied automatically.
We have a good relationship! Flames transmitted.
We do.
Too bad you aren’t a Descendent… and female… and bigger. And I don’t really like red females. Maybe if you were blue. I like blue – or purple.
Fawkes considered that for a moment, feeling Flames’ desire. I know what you need, Flames.
Fawkes took control of Flames’ jump drive, and jumped her right over Violet.
They were by another commercial planet, and Violet seemed loaded to the brim with foodstuff this time. She didn’t have time to say anything before Flames had her in his magnetic embrace.
That was close, Fawkes thought, wondering what being pounced by a Descendent would feel like. He laughed. This was life, then, wasn’t it. Food… sleep… holovision… and…
“Nyx, where are you?” Fawkes asked on his comms chip.
No response.
“Nyxey!”
Static.
Fawkes sighed. He really should have sicced Flames on Violet after he figured out where Nyx was.
“I know what you’re doing!” Nyx transmitted over his comms chip.
“Do you?” Fawkes asked, feigning innocence. Nyx was right. This was all part of his master plan. He knew that when starships bonded they emitted pheralax, and pheralax was an amazing aphrodisiac, and she had been avoiding him the entire month.
“It won’t work!” Nyx said
“Why not?”
“Red is still emotionally traumatized. Allonsi is off with a hundred strangers doing who-knows-what and who-knows-who, and –“
“And you’re still worrying.” Fawkes interrupted, wincing as the radio whined feedback from the two overlapping transmissions.
“Yes. I always worry. That’s all I can do. I’m not good for anything else.”
“I can think of many things you’re good for!” Fawkes argued, feeling the pheralax kicking in… but then again he was always like this.
“You should have gotten my position before, Fawkes. This is a big ship, you won’t find me!”
“Oh I will. I will rescue you, Nyx! Rescue you from yourself, and there will be nothing you’ll be able to do or say that can stop me!” Fawkes exclaimed.
“We’ll see…”
“Oh we will!” Fawkes transmitted, “Because little do you know, that your little comms chip, can be traced!”
Fawkes knocked on the maintenance port. He could hear a gasp and scurrying. He ripped the port open and rushed in, seeing Nyx’s tail disappear down a junction.
He pursued, gaining distance. When Nyx realized she couldn’t keep up with his speed in the maintenance shafts, she broke out and ended up in a larger corridor on one of the lower decks. Fawkes leapt out behind her, chasing her.
“No consent!” Nyx warned, hissing.
Fawkes pulled back, only to have her disappear behind a door.
“I don’t care!” Fawkes called, realizing the door was locked. “Open!”
“Nope!”
Fawkes tried to bring up the ship schematics, but his neural interface had de-activated to save him from the overload two bonded ships could emit. He could re-activate it… just long enough to bring a ship schematic up in his neurovision.
He took a deep breath, preparing himself, and activated the interface.
He cried out in surprise and euphoria, forgetting what he had come here for and collapsing against a bulkhead. Nothing existed now but their pleasure, he rolled in it, letting it engulf him.
–
“Fawkes?” Nyx asked, looming over him.
Fawkes shot up, pretending nothing happened.
“You’re… what did you… ugh.” Nyx was looking at him and the floor.
“What?”
“You’ve been lying there for over a day.” Nyx said. “So is that how it is, then? Are you just going to mooch off the pleasure of your ships? Who needs me, right?”
Fawkes was amazed at how everything he did could be turned against him by this Vorchaness. She had been avoiding him for the past month! This was crazy!
“I – that is totally not what I was… you see I had to get the maps.”
“Right…”
“To find you!”
“Uh-huh.”
Fawkes jumped for Nyx, running his paws along her side. She didn’t budge. He felt very weak, leaning against her and dozing. This wasn’t fair. He was tired of being abused like this!
“You should turn the interface off.” Nyx suggested.
“Right…” he growled, the ships were sleeping. He turned it off, but the fatigue still lingered, making him lie down. “We should screw…” he said listlessly.
Nyx laughed at his intoxicated bluntness. “You should take a shower.”
“Let’s do that.” Fawkes said, bringing up the expensive schematics. “There’s a shower… in that room.”
It was one of the many never-used guest chambers.
“Let’s go then.” Nyx said.
To his chagrin, this shower was not the type of shower Fawkes had expected, for it was a real shower, with no Nyx. She waited outside as the system cleaned him.
“How are you feeling, Fawkes?” Nyx asked.
He responded incoherently.
The water stopped for a second, then came back in full force and freezing cold. Fawkes yowled, banging at the door. “Stop! What did you do?! No!”
“How are you now??” Nyx asked.
“Let me out! I hate the cold!” Fawkes cried.
“Are you awake?”
“Yes!”
“Ok, repeat after me: I will not use biomechanoid starships to satiate my desires.”
“Cooold.” Fawkes shivered. Vulcans hated the cold profusely. He could already feel himself going numb.
“Say it!” Nyx roared, hitting the door. Fawkes hit back.
“I w-w-will… n-n-n-n LET ME OUT!”
“Say it!” Nyx repeated.
“not… u-u-u-u-se… w-w-what was…”
“I will not use biomechanoid starships to satiate my desires!” she hissed.
“b-b-b” he collapsed against the door, feeling nothing anymore. His world started to fade.
Suddenly the water disappeared, and he awoke covered in blankets, Nyx looming over him.
“Sorry.” she said sheepishly.
Fawkes felt betrayed. “I save you every chance I get.” he whimpered.
“I know.”
“And you torture me.” Fawkes said.
“I—“ Nyx looked worried for the first time.
“You use your tail in ways that clearly hurt me. You never consider my needs, only using me to satisfy your insecurities – which I don’t mind. But you never thanked me. Never thanked me for all the times I saved you!”
“I thanked you!” Nyx argued, “When you saved me from… him. I thanked you all the time.”
“And then you forgot about it, and now you trap me in cold showers, and avoid me, and growl at me, and turn against me, and…”
“When did I turn against you?” Nyx asked.
“When I flung Red!”
“You should have been more—“
“She deserved it!”
“She didn’t!”
“She did.” Fawkes hissed.
Nyx turned away.
Fawkes lunged at her. She caught the glint of his fangs before he dug them into her back, pinning her to the ground. She cried out in pain.
“All you do is hurt me, Nyx!” Fawkes roared.
“I don’t mean to…” Nyx whispered. “You bit me!”
“You deserved it too! There has to be discipline. I’m tired of being pushed around by the people I care for. I do nothing but try my hardest to make sure everyone has a good life. I risk my neck day after day after –“ Nyx tried to kiss him but Fawkes pushed her away. “I’m not finished! I risked Darnell’s life, Thanatos’ life. I risked being devoured by Ethologes, by pirates, by other Vorchans! I’ve been to the VE and back to save you, multiple times. To save everyone, and only one of you has ever respected me for it! The rest of you just take me for granted!”
Fawkes… are you okay? The rage had leaked into the neural band, and awoken Flames. Violet was still sound asleep, foodstuff floating across the cosmos from where she’d spasmed her cargo bay doors open.
We’re leaving. Fawkes growled.
“Fawkes…” Nyx said, unsure of what else to say.
“You take pleasure in making me roil under you. You take pleasure out of my emotional torment! And you’re the only person I feel this way for!”
Nyx stayed quiet, staring at her tail.
“I’m tired of trying to rescue you. I’m tired of being selfless and feigning strength. Pretending you don’t hurt me, that I don’t care that you don’t love me anymore!”
“I love you!” Nyx replied instantly.
“You don’t, not the way you did. All things come to an end, Nyx.” Fawkes said, nearly in tears.
The shock at the statements reverberated through Fawkes’ mind as Flames tuned in.
“I—“ Nyx stammered.
“Go away. Get off my ship. Go live on Emerald for a while. Take Red with you. I’m taking a break from you people. You Vorchans and your insecurities and your issues.”
“No.” Nyx replied simply.
“I’ll make you leave!” Fawkes warned.
“Then make me! Bite me ‘til I run away!”
“Maybe I will!” Fawkes growled.
Nyx arched her back, taking up a defensive stance.
Fawkes glared at her. She was shaking. She gave up the stance. “Are you sure this is what you want?” Nyx asked.
“Leave me alone.” Fawkes said.
“I won’t come back.” Nyx warned.
“Fine.”
“I’ll – I’ll… find someone else.” the words almost made her break down.
“You do that.”
“I will! Someone who appreciates my tail!” Nyx hissed.
“Go, then.” Fawkes said, opening the door behind her.
“I’m sorry!” Nyx said, breaking down. “I’m so sorry. Take me back! Take me baack!”
She collapsed against Fawkes. She was pawing at his side now.
“You’re broken.” Fawkes said. “I tried to fix you. I really did.”
“I’ll be nicer.”
“You used me to get rid of your insecurities, by dumping them on me.”
“I – the shower was supposed to be a joke. I forgot Vulcans had a very low tolerance for cold!”
“We live in volcanoes, Nyx.” Fawkes growled.
“I know – I’m sorry! Give me a chance. One more chance! If I fail you, you can eat me!”
“I don’t want to eat you, Nyx.” Fawkes laughed.
She pressed up against his side. “Do you really hate the games I play?”
“No…” Fawkes admitted. “I just hate it when you decide to play with my emotions. I need emotional security too, you know.”
“You bit me…” Nyx growled, “I can’t even lick that wound. It’s right between my wings. That’s a very sensitive spot.”
“I know, you deserved it!”
“Nobody else would let you bite them like that and get away with it. Nobody!” Nyx said.
“I know.”
“But I will. You can get away with anything with me, Fawkes.”
“You’re just being desperate now, hoping to get me back.”
“So – so I’ve lost you?” Nyx asked, stunned.
“I need a vacation, Nyx.”
“I’ll go with you!”
“You need one too. Go spend some time with Hannah, she probably has great stories to tell about Flames’ innards, she spent weeks in there.”
She was good conversation.
“This isn’t funny! You can’t leave me. I need you!” Nyx cried.
“I need you too!”
“Then why are you leaving me!”
“Because you won’t lift your tail!” Fawkes hissed.
“There’s more to love than that!” Nyx snapped back.
“At times! Turn around and lift your tail!” Fawkes growled.
“That’s what she said…” Nyx said, reliving another experience.
Fawkes lunged at her. “Stop thinking about the past, Nyx! Stop being insecure!”
“How could I not be? You’re leaving me, or have apparently left me!”
“Turn around, lift tail!” Fawkes growled.
“No!” she hissed.
“Every time we mate: It’s a fight! Every time. It’s always a game of dominance! I think it’s because you’re afraid to give in to someone without a struggle, even me.” Fawkes said.
“What about the shuttle?” Nyx asked.
“I caught you by surprise.”
“I gave in!”
“It was a struggle! I had to choose between those five minutes or saving it, and you didn’t let me bank that moment!”
Fawkes thought back on the love games they’d played since they were together. Was it always Nyx that started them, why was he being so aggressive?
“Fine!” Nyx turned around and lifted her tail. “Go!”
Fawkes looked inwards, thinking.
“What now?” Nyx asked.
“I’m being irrational.”
There’s still a lot of pheralax in the air. Flames reported.
“Right.” Fawkes replied.
“Right what?” Nyx asked.
“Pheralax, it’s contaminated the ship. Making us irrational.”
“Making you irrational!” Nyx replied. She still had her tail up. “You know this stance is uncomfortable.”
Fawkes stared at Nyx for a while. “So you’d let me pounce you, right now, like that?”
“Yes!” Nyx replied.
“To get me back? Or whenever?” Fawkes asked quizzically.
“Oh my Nova, Fawkes… both!”
“Really? So from now on, every time I ask you to lift your tail and turn around, you’ll immediately obey?” Fawkes asked.
“Yes!” Nyx had her tail coiled up in front of her now, and was using that leverage to keep it up, a very feline tactic.
“Well that’s no fun…” Fawkes growled.
“What?!” Nyx asked in disbelief.
“Well if I just –“
Nyx tackled him before he could reply. “You can’t just make me lift my tail and expect a pounce and then do nothing! UNACCEPTABLE!”
Nyx bit into his neck, forcing him to go submissive. She took a breath, keeping him trapped, “I don’t want you to leave me!”
Fawkes dug a claw into her hind legs, making her stumble. He used that leverage to get on top of her.
So… are you two breaking up or what? Flames asked, staring at the fight.
Go jump Violet!
I already did. It was your idea.
Right… jump her again.
The Beems refractory period is generally –
Forget I asked, leave us alone.
Right. Flames retreated his attention to Violet, who was just now waking up.
“Leave you?” Fawkes asked.
“Yes, don’t leave me! Ever! No matter how horrible you think I am! Never leave me!”
“That’s not much of an offer…”
“And I’ll never leave you. Ever. In a million years. Let’s make that pact right now. Loyalty to each other to the end of time.”
“A pact of loyalty?” Fawkes asked.
“Yes. One that must be upheld. No matter what happens, no matter what! Nothing will ever get between us! Promise me that and I’ll promise it to you! It will fix us both, forever!” Nyx nuzzled him euphorically.
“Do pacts like that exist out there?” Fawkes asked.
“I don’t know. We’ll make one! We’ll call it…” Nyx was stumped. “What should we call it?”
Marriage? Flames suggested.
“Of course!” Fawkes yelled, completely forgetting about that thing couples did.
“What?” Nyx asked.
“Marriage!”
“That’s a… oh right it exists. I forgot about that. Let’s get married! We’ve only had…” It took a moment for Nyx to count them all, “Nine kids?”
“Well… I don’t think any of those are mine.” Fawkes said disappointedly.
“We’ll fix that!” Nyx said excitedly.
“We’ve tried…”
“Well we’ll just have to try harder!” Nyx roared, forcing him into her.
“How do you do that…” Fawkes moaned pleasurably.
“Experience!” Nyx replied.
–