Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
Throughout the night or what counted as that on Tu'lek, both Xeus senior and junior had slept inside the large water tank. The little one had taken to his granddaddy, and that meant that Xeus would, at least, care for his grandson, even if he couldn't give two shits about Riordan. A part of him wanted to rebel and behave recklessly, just like before, so that he could get to the bottom of what was going on, but he had to consider each one of his next moves carefully. He had yet to properly discuss the issue of the sabotage with Lakni, and he had no idea if Kanto was on it, either. When Riordan had told him about it, the guy's mind had been full of fuck, and it wasn't some exaggeration. Riordan felt a small tremble moving through him as he remembered Kanto's words and the fire in his eyes. It wasn't right or fair that Xenos could dominate humans so easily, through both mental persuasion - a nice way of calling their straight-up manipulation some other thing - and physical superiority. It must have taken Kanto some serious restraint not to force himself on a bearer who, seemingly, was without a master ready to impregnate him at the moment.
A lot of things were unnerving him lately. Xeus had decided not to speak to him at all upon his return and acted as if Riordan wasn't even present in the room. That was fine by him, on the surface, at least. Inside, he felt angered, helpless and a bit scared. What would Cario do in his place? He'd probably play along while checking on Xana to see about his progress. He wouldn't go head to head with the powerful Xeno in whose care he was.
Cario would have a second child by Drato and soon he'd be pregnant again. Riordan waited for some ugly envy to rear its head, but there was none. He was happy for Cario, and that was more than what he had ever experienced towards many others throughout his life. But that also meant that the highly esteemed bearer wouldn't have as much time to care about what happened across the intricate maze of relationships and groups of interest on the ship. The way he saw things, he might just as well be down one ally.
Florent... well, he couldn't count on the guy. He was a mess, and rightfully so; he had been through so many ordeals, and fate needed to give him a break. Riordan pondered talking to Kanto about Florent but then reconsidered quickly. Better ask Cario what he knew of how things progressed between the two. The high commander had warned him to stay out of his way or his horny tail might find its way to Riordan's soon-to-be-available womb. So, for now it was advisable to be better safe than sorry.
And then, there was the enigma called his father-in-law. Slippery, their whole lot, Riordan decided as he straightened up and looked over at how grandfather and grandson slept peacefully underwater. He moved over slowly and knocked softly on the glass, hoping to wake Junior up and only him.
Fat chance. He watched with dread as Xeus uncoiled himself, his part of the body that was only snake so monstrous in Riordan's eyes, now that he knew that he couldn't very well count on his father-in-law to fight for Xana's rights. It was so unfair; Xana had put himself in danger and even now, his life was hanging by a thread, yet his father was busy with politics and whatever Marn considered right. Love was an Earthian concept, Riordan thought, but at least, these snakemen seemed to care about their bloodline. In a way that was beyond his understanding, apparently.
He didn't look at Xeus as the giant alien slithered out of the tank; he pretended to be absorbed in his efforts to wake Junior up.
"Get inside if you want to wake your son up," Xeus ordered.
Riordan pursed his lips and toyed with the idea of ignoring the guy. That, however, was no longer his right. It had been revoked the moment he had brought Junior into the world. "I'd rather not," he said, the clipped nature of his tone hopefully enough to get his intentions across.
"Why?"
Obviously, it wasn't obvious to the big guy that his son-in-law considered him an insufferable prick.
"Because for that to happen, you have to put your mouth on mine. And that's something I don't want," he added after a short moment. "In case you wonder why that is."
Xeus loomed large behind him. Riordan felt his skin prickling with apprehension but fought the temptation to turn. Junior wasn't coming to the rescue, either, a late sleeper by the looks of things.
"You misunderstand your role, Earthian," Xeus spat in his ear, making him jump. "You belong to us. Get into the tank or I'll throw you in there."
"Fine." Riordan set his jaw hard and began pulling himself out of his robe. "Just don't touch me."
A part of him feared what might happen, but not because he thought Xeus would force himself on him, all his Earthian feelings be damned. No, it was the fear that his weak nature would be surely overwhelmed by seth and telepathic manipulation. And then, his loyalty to Xana would be short-lived. He feared that the most. Even now, as Xeus only breathed in his direction, he felt his heart beating faster.
"How do you know?"
"How do I know what?" Riordan asked as he gripped the edge, ready to hike himself up.
"How do you know you love my son? Since my return, I have examined your species at length. You're weak, prone to addiction, ready to spread your legs for our tails and cocks. Is that your love for Xana?"
Riordan felt his jaw starting to hurt. He forced the words out. "Have you examined others, then? You appear so knowledgeable on the topic."
"Not the way I have examined you. The final conclusion is simple."
"Oh, really? And what is it? This conclusion of yours."
"You use your Earthian concept of love to hide your weakness. Any member of the Xeno race would do. You just despise the idea that, deep down your genetic makeup, you are all nothing else but a species of what you call whores."
Later, Riordan would be hard-pressed to remember how it all happened. The sound of his palm connecting with his daddy-in-law jaw – he missed his mark – startled him. Xeus grabbed his wrist in a viselike grip and stared him down. His eyes flashed with anger.
This was it. Xeus Lei was going to murder him, and it was a stupid end, seeing what he had survived until now.
"Not in front of him," Riordan hissed, forgetting that he was supposed to plead for mercy.
To his surprise, Xeus released him. And then, cupped his head fast and pushed air into his mouth. "Don't breathe out. Get inside. Then you can breathe as normal."
Riordan fell into the tank on his back as Xeus pushed him. The Xeno's eyes were smooth as mirrors. He couldn't tell what Xana's old man was thinking. Maybe he'd never figure that out.
Xeus appeared to prefer spending his waking hours away from his quarters, so Riordan took it upon himself to wander the hallways.
"What do you say about a little walk?" he said, smiling at his son, who seemed to enjoy playing with his hair, pulling at it with all the strength in his tiny hands turned into fists.
It hurt, but he didn't mind it. He opened his arms wide and that was enough for Junior. He quickly wrapped around Riordan, his tail preferring his parent's waist, the perfect way to keep himself hanging onto him. The way Riordan saw it, Junior was a perfect acrobat. He could hold himself only by means of his tail and rotate the rest of his body around as he saw fit. Therefore, it took some further convincing from Riordan to behave and eventually give up on his antics in favor of putting his arms around mommy's neck.
"We're going to visit Dario," Riordan announced. "His mommy thinks you two are going to be friends, and I can't wait to see that happening."
"Dada," Junior said and giggled. He had found Riordan's ear and was now fascinated with it. That meant that he needed to pull with the intention of sinking his sharp little teeth into the soft flesh of the lobe. Riordan avoided maiming at the last moment. He was getting good at this.
He bounced Junior up and down on their way out of their unit. That made the boy forget about his tingling teeth and his parent's available ear. He seemed ready for a new adventure.
"Let's not tell grandpa about our little outing in case we return before him," Riordan continued to chat with his son. "He might be particular about rules he doesn't care to share."
Truthfully, he didn't worry about Xeus that much. Despite the weirdness between them, Riordan chose to believe that the Xeno cared about his wellbeing in his own way. If only because he was the one to have given birth to Junior. Meditating over Xeus's words brought new light on the matter. It all rested on Xana's coming back to life. Once that happened, everything would be back to normal.
He was lost in thought, so he didn't realize he had almost arrived to Cario's unit. He had just turned the corner when the doors to the bearer's quarters opened and Jasno emerged. That was enough in itself to make Riordan do a double take. Cario followed right after and gave Jasno a short hug. Riordan pulled back. It wasn't an innocent hug; Cario slipped something into the other's pocket.
Cario had his games of power to play, for sure. But Riordan stepped back even farther. He couldn't afford closing his eyes, even if Cario seemed to be a friend. After all, he didn't know anyone that well on the entire ship. Save for Xana, but he was...
He shook his head. Suddenly, the desire to confide in Cario diminished considerably. These aliens and their propensity for not keeping their word made him wary... But no, that wasn't the case. He had always found it difficult to trust others, and seeing Cario cozying up to Jasno made his stomach turn. Traitors lived onboard the ship. Riordan wanted to believe Cario was above suspicions, given the help he had given unconditionally so far.
And yet. He could take no risks. He turned on his heel and felt a sudden grip on his wrist.
"Master Rio."
"Kyle?" Riordan looked around. Only a few guards were around. What they noticed on their daily duty was anyone's guess.
"Master Rio, I don't have much time. I am supposedly on an errand. Please follow me to the end of the hallway."
He did so without asking another question. They had so many things to talk about. As soon as they reached the end of the hallway, Kyle proceeded to remove a panel from the side wall and invited him to sneak inside. Riordan hesitated for a moment. Kyle could be reprogrammed for all he knew. Was that a death trap his old friend was inviting him to step into? Everything was possible, and he was on the fence. He threw a look down the hallway, back to where they had just come from. The life of the ship continued as usual, bearers, bots, and guards moving about, with not one care in the world, or so it seemed.
"Master Rio," Kyle called out. "We don't have much time."
He needed an ally, someone he could trust with his life. In a world of shifting alliances, Kyle remained his best bet. With one deep breath, he ventured into the opening created by the bot.
It looked like a hole in the wall and nothing else. Kyle wheeled in, as well, and quickly put the panel back, resting it against the wall from outside. That sliver of light that Riordan could still see was reassuring. He didn't remember whether he was claustrophobic or not. It felt like he was beginning to be.
"Master Xana's life is in danger," Kyle said without preamble.
"What did you hear? Is it Jasno?"
"I can't tell you."
"Come on, Kyle, we're friends," Riordan joked to hide the trepidation starting to shake his body down to the tips of his fingers.
"I am not able to tell you," Kyle corrected himself. "I have been working on a way to cross the communication lines between what I'm allowed as a bot to have with other bots into what our masters use. It is quite fascinating, you will surely find, Master Rio. It involves using a short-circuit mechanism--"
"Kyle, please, get to the point."
"Of course. I accidentally eavesdropped on a conversation of such nature."
"Between Xenos?"
"Two Xenos, yes. I believe there was a third, but he remained silent. They intend to sneak into the med bay where Master Xana is kept and--"
"Terminate him?"
"Their main goal is not eliminating Master Xana. They want the poison inside his body. They said something about the doctor's work being too slow."
"I'll be damned," Riordan whispered. He truly hoped Junior didn't understand a word out of his conversation with the bot. "The poison Gamni Gafilos must have created. To kill other Xenos. What the hell are they thinking?"
"Unfortunately, I have no further information to offer. And it is impossible for me to escape my duties to Jasno. Therefore, I cannot guard the med bay."
"Master Jasno. Shouldn't you call him that?"
Kyle replied in the same steady voice, "My only true masters are you and Master Xana."
"Always the stubborn one. That's why I'm crazy about you, Kyle. Damn, that means that Xana is in danger as we speak. Wait, have you said this to anyone else?"
"According to my calculations, the chances of being believed by anyone else but you, Master Rio, are under one percent. On the other hand, the chances of suffering a complete system wipe after contacting any of the Xeno masters are 99.89%."
"I see. Thank you for letting me know. I need to see Xana now. And I must tell the doctor about it... unless, do you believe he's in on it?"
"None of the telepathic signatures appeared to belong to Ferix Baserat, but I couldn't identify them, either, not down to individuals."
"You've met my young one, right?" Riordan asked as he moved to get out, his entire body stiffened by the news of the danger Xana was in.
"Yes, of course. I'm afraid the young master chipped a tooth trying to take a bite out of my arm. He was so quick that I was unable to prevent it."
"Chipped a tooth?" He would have to check later. He shook his head "Is it safe to get out of here?"
"Yes. Pleased be careful, Master Rio, and I apologize for not being able to guard you as I should. I have to work around the new directives installed so that a conflict doesn't become apparent."
"You're doing a lot more than others, who are supposed to be on our side." Riordan touched Kyle's arm in passing as he stepped out into the hallway. "And remember this. I'm working to get you back, too. We're going to be together, all of us, again." He didn't know how much truth his words held in them. What he knew was that he'd do everything in his power to get to the bottom of this attempt on Xana's life.
"I will wait patiently for that day," Kyle said. "And I will tap into the ship's telepathic conversations as often as I have the chance."
"You be careful, too, Kyle. You're basically the only guy I can trust right now."
He walked fast, as fast as his feet could take him. His goal was to reach the med bay where they kept Xana, but he didn't know if the formula the good doc used to ensure that anyone coming in was germ-free was safe for Junior or not.
Xeus, where are you?
It was a message in a bottle. He had no idea how that sort of thing worked. Xana and his dad could contact him, and other Xenos like Kanto could initiate such conversations with him, but how was he supposed to control it? That was one other thing he needed to discover how to do and do well.
His steps took him to Marn's quarters. If the big kahuna was inside, he would have to agree to hold on to Junior while mommy had to take care of daddy. Despite his shifty politician vibes, the guy cared about Xenolites and the future of the Xeno race, so he would be Riordan's best bet for a babysitter, given the circumstances.
Now, the problem was that he needed to gain access to Marn, and the two guards at the entrance to the boss's quarters looked at him with their cold eyes while moving to block the way.
"His Excellency needs to hear this," he said impatiently. "In case you don't know who I am, my word has some weight around here."
"He is not in," one of the guards replied, "Riordan Lei."
Good. At least, he went by that name, still.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath. "Do you have any idea where he is?"
"What do you need?" the guard asked again.
"I have to talk... Do you guys know Xana's mom?" he asked, feeling a bit stupid not having thought of this before.
"She is our queen," the guard replied.
Riordan looked down at Junior who was already tired with all the agitation, his head lolling to one side, his eyes closed. Could he trust these guys? What choice did he have? Cario? For all he knew, Drato's husband could be a traitor, not that Riordan wanted to believe such a thing. And he felt the clock ticking with Xana in mortal danger.
"Can you hold him for like ten minutes?" he asked and began ungluing Junior's arms from his neck. "And I suppose you know that your lives are on the line if anything happens to him."
His heart was tearing in half, hard choices coming at him like a storm of meteorites.
"It would be an honor," the guard said and opened her arms to take Junior.
Riordan was about to pull the boy back to his chest, doubt creeping back in. But Junior lifted his head, his nostrils flaring. He sniffed the air and then simply moved from Riordan to the female lizard guard. It looked like something of her seemed familiar to him. So, his grandmother's blood could very well be living inside him, as well.
"Thank you," he whispered as he watched Junior cuddling against the guard's chest, seemingly without a care in the world. "I'll be quick."
He started running but not without throwing a look over his shoulder at his son a few more times.
tbc
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