Starspeaker IC (Closed for silvertongue217)

[SinisterSpiders]

It was quiet, suspiciously quiet. And the whole mission had been far easier than Vera had ever imagined. Despite that she refused to be lulled into a false sense of security as they moved forward. She kept her weapons out and ready, on alert from any news from Sam.

When they reached the temple Vera also got a better view of the semicircle behind it. It was huge, easily the size of any stargate she'd seen, but it was half burried in the sand. She thought about the age of the myths surrounding the Lexicon and was confused; the technology required to make the gates was nowhere near that old, yet here was one on the fringes of outer space, buried in over a millenia worth of sand. The temple was interesting also- it was in ruins, yes, but it had not been buried by the same sand that the gate had. The stargate was also the size of one that would normally be held in space- big enough to fit a ship through. This puzzled Vera- what was a space star gate doing on a planet?

Vera tried not to dwell on the facts too much, it was more distraction than she needed at that point. Instead she led them through the large stone archways into a temple that looked similar in layout to the first.

"This looks familiar," Vera said with a wry grin, as she made her way to the back of the large entrance hall. The arch way that she made for held no door, and beyond she could see what looked like a large rectangle stone altar with a rounded depression in the middle. The ancient script that was on the original orb was surrounding the depression. Vera wished for a second time that she could read the language for herself. But she couldn't. Instead she reached in, taking out the orb and looking at it one last time. It sparkled even in the darkness of the temple, red, green, purple and blue lights swirling within its core. She held it out over the depression and the orb sprung to life, being sucked into the socket as though it were magnetised to it.

Vera stepped back, gun at the ready, not knowing what to expect.

 

[silvertongue217]

"You go ahead" jase said pausing and watching the ruins warily "I'll watch your back"

She moved forward and he hung back his gun at the ready. He was about to go forward when the message popped over his iris signaling it was ready.

"Patching it through now jase" Samantha said as the rebellion message popped up

"Jase" the commander said appearing and grinning "I need to speak to you we have just found out big news the woman your traveling with the one believed to be Avery watersmith..."

"Its the chancellor vera"

Jase shook his head snorting "impossible" he murdered more tonhimself than any thing.

"Her uncle was the one who broke the news" the vcommandor said as said news popped up in a mini screen. The news report was brief but the whole world was reacting to the news the proof was right there in front of his face.

The news he was in love with his most deadly enemy

"Jase" Samantha said her voice worried "are you-"

He cut her feed to the AI moving into the tunnel his gun rose aiming straight at her head as the thing clicked into place.

"Hands up very" he growled aiming the gun at her

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera almost didn't hear what Jase said over the whirring and clanking of the orb on the altar. She turned, about to ask him to repeat the request when she saw his gun pointed right at her head. She eyes him warily, her thoughts momentarily cast down to the child growing in her womb.

"Jase?" She asked in her calmest voice, a fierce protectiveness rising from deep within her. "What are you doing?" She still had her gun in her hand. She raised them up in front of her, not pointing at him, and her little finger flicked the stun switch.

Behind her there was a crack as the one of the temple walls collapsed, revealing the gate behind them, still buried in sand.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Don't say my name" jase growled eyes narrowed as he kept the gun pointed at her head.

"Your the empress" jase said his voice tinged with anger and hurt "you been the empress this entire fraking time!"

"My parents PEACe every thing its all you" he shouted his voice hitching up "and you played me like a d!amn fool!"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera froze then, her body drenched in ice cold dread. She looked at him, his eyes filled with anger and pain, she longed to run to him, to apologise, but she she couldn't, not with a gun pointed at her head.

"Please Jase, it's not like that," she said, face fallen at her failure. It wasn't supposed to be like this. How did he know? "I know you're hurt, I know you're angry, but I need you to let me explain, please!"

There was a loud bang as the altar behind her dislodged from the ground, knocking her forward. She managed to keep her balance, barely, as it rose into the air, level with her head. As it did, there was an awful humming in the distance, emmanting from the buried gate. She looked at Jase, they didn't have time for this now.

 

[silvertongue217]

"If you think I care about this" he said waving his hand at the mess going om before them "I don't care! Not about some stupid secret weapon your going use to further thee PEACe goals!"

Jase watched the temple begin to move and his eyes widened looking worried about her for the first time.

Before any thing else can happen bolts of lighting began to come out of the gate. He jumped forward !moving faster than she had ever seen as he blocked the bolt of lightening that was inches from her body.

It slammed into him shooting him across the stone and into the sand

"Jase!" Samantha said appearing beside her "what did you do!" She hissed glaring at vera

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera cried out Jase's name as he threw himself infront of her. The lightning that had been arching for her sizzled through his body instead, tossing him aside like a rag doll as it did.

Samantha appeared then, glaring at her.

"Nothing!" Vera cried, dashing over to him, "It was the-"

Her statement was interrupted by another arc of lightning, this one aiming directly at the altar. It hit the orb with a boom and Vera flinched. She reached down, trusting the armor Jase had created for her to prevent any stray electricity jumping to her. She looked down at his face, a deep frown etched on her own.

"This isn't good," Vera said, taking his body in her arms as her heart pounded. "Wake up Jase!" She shook his shoulders gently.

Then another arch burst from the gate. This time the orb shared the power with the stone, cracking it open to reveal a diamond like casket within. A stasis chamber, holding the body of an alien unlike any she had seen before. It had long flowing black hair and deep blue skin. The casket opened and the being took it's first breath of air in several thousand years.

 

[silvertongue217]

" the energy in this place is off the chart" Samantha said her voice and image distorting "I swear to god you better get him out of here vera or whatever your fraking name is!"

The man alien creature took a step out. He drew another breath shudderingf before he flopped down onto the ground. He rose his entire body shaking before he limped over to her. He didn't say any thingf instead looking at the two of them Before gesturing to help him pick jase up.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera looked at the alien. She felt the earth shuddering beneath her. She turned as lightning lit up the sky, now dashing between parts of the gate. The sand trembled then fell, the part closest to the gate being sucked back down to the core. She turned back, not sure who to trust. Her eyes skipped over to the orb, wedged into the top of the altar and looking like nothing but an ancient stone husk. The alien in front of her, it was what she was after this whole time.

The gate behind her sprung to life, the void between the arch filling with blue light.

"Let's go!" Vera cried, slipping her arms under Jase and lifting him. The alien helped, taking his legs as Vera led them out of the temple.

"Sam, I need you to get the ship as close as possible. I'm not sure how much longer this planet will be stable for!"

Vera and the Alien made for the ship as the planet started collapsing behind them. Vera looked over shoulder inside to see a large rock hurtle through the portal. There were more shadows behind the blue surface too, things waiting to come out.

"Hurry," The alien's voice came out, smooth and comforting despite the chaos and urgency. "We need to get off the planet before the gate opens."

Vera almost stopped in her tracks, shocked at the words the alien spoke, so perfect and in her own language. She looked up, Jase's ship coming into view.

"Come on Jase, just hold on a bit longer," She begged as she and the alien continued for the open cargo door.

 

[silvertongue217]

The ship whirled to life in orbit angling down towards the surface of the planet. The ship rocketed into the orbit glowing red hot as it broke through. The ship bamnked and dodgded moving and slipping behind the arcs of lightening. A few came dangerousoyg close so much so that the ships shields flared to life.

Finally it appeared in the sky rocketing down before turning at the last minute the cargo bays opened Samantha appearing by the cargo door.

"Get him in here" she said growling the minute they were in the door closed and they were zooming upwards into the sky.

"Move" she growled pushing them both away physically. She picked him up pulling her towards the medbay as the door slid shut and sealed.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera was pushed aside, she turned, weapon at the ready, expecting to see the alien there but instead it was Samantha. The hologram picked up Jase and tore him away from her, taking him to the medical bay.

"What the fuck?" Vera cried, getting her wits back and dashing towards the closed door. "Samantha?" She called out after the AI, still shocked at her physical semblance. How did she do that? Had Jase's parents managed to perfect hard light technology before they died?

"Sam! Please don't lock me out! I just need to see that Jase is okay!"

Behind her, the alien remained in the cargo bay, watching the scene unfolding with a frown as their ship hurtled back through space.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Your not coming in here!" Samantha growled reapering behind jher he grabbed her shoulder pushing her away and marching towards her. Her expression was murderous her hands balled in fist as she advanced on vera.

"It is only because your carying his child and I know that's not a lie that I have not vented the air" Samantha said in a hiss "I'm taking us to the gate to get us back to counci space and then taking you to the rebels" she said angrily.

"You will never touch jase again"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"Sam, no!" Vera argued. She went back to the medibay door. "You take me to the rebels and Jase's child will be used against the both of us!" Vera's hands came down to cradle her abdomen. She glared up at the AI.

"If I meant Jase any harm I would have done so already! Frack! I love him, but I'm scared he wont survive. That was a lot of electricity, he needs specialised care! If you plot a course to Laverne I can get him the best medical care."

Laverne was Vera's father's home planet, and one that she knew would remain faithful to her no matter the political climate. It was also well known for the best medical advances in the universe.

"Sam, I know you have no reason to, but I need you to trust me. Please." Tears of frustration started to well in Vera's eyes as she struggled to take hold of the situation.

Vera then pulled up the interface on her wrist computer, she tapped in the details to open up an electronic communication. She sent it straight to Tomas, a notice that she was planning to return to Laverne and that she had officially decrees that Jase's warrant was to be retracted. His and that of the other people who had escaped Kolift.

"Please, let me help," Vera begged Samantha, ignoring the way the blue alien watched them with keen interest.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Let you help" samantha growled "LET YOU HELP!"

"Because of you my son is in critical in the med bay" Samantha snapped narrowing her eyes "because of you he was almost killed!"

Samantha looked at her for several minutes before growling "you will not go in there" she said simply "but we will go to get home the best medical care you do that and we will see about the other" she said dissapearing.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera was shocked at Samantha's words, looking at the space vacated by her with desperation.

"Frack!" Vera cried, slamming her fists against the bulkhead and resting her forehead against it.

After a moment she heard movement from behind her. She looked up, watching as the blue alien approached her.

"She is scared," he said, voice washing over her like warm shower, "she is worried for the male. She doesn't trust you. Do as you say and she might. Meanwhile, we need to talk."

 

[silvertongue217]

Samantha appeared inside of the cock pit "frak!" She shouted slamming her fist down.

She shook her head waving her hands at true cockpit. The navigation system beeped confirming her course change. They were moving into the heart of council space and there was nothing she could do about it. Jase was stable but sloping into a coma.

He needed medical help

And he needed it now

 

[SinisterSpiders]

The news the Starspeaker had given her was worse than she ever could have imagined.

Vera sat, looking into his shiny black eyes as she struggled to comprehend the new reality of their situation.

She was concerned that they had destroyed an unknown planet on the fringes of space, but instead they had created a portal that would be used to destroy the rest of the universe.

"It is not your fault," The Starspeaker explained. His title was given to him by his people before they sacrificed themselves. "The Hive would have found you eventually. They have technology unlike anything this universe has ever seen. They lurk, they wait, they come in when you are at your peak and they destroy you. They would have come, soon too, you just opened the portal early. Took them by surprise.'

"That's not reassuring," Vera told him, rubbing her fingers against her aching temple.

"No," Starspeaker agreed "but you have me. When they came for us, when they tried to destroy the universe my people knew, we had no one. No information. I can tell you about them, I can help tell others."

Vera would have taken this as some level of reassurance, she would have thought of it as an advantage in what could be the biggest war that the universe had ever seen.

"The only problem is that my organisation descended into civil war while we searched for you."

Starspeaker nodded, eyes half lidded as he took in this information.

"Well we will have to unite you before you take them on. Never fear, before long the Hive will show themselves and no one will have cause to doubt you."

Vera hoped so. As they zoomed away from the planet, the space gate, she could only hope that they moved quickly enough to save Jase. She had little energy to spare for everything else in that moment.

 

[silvertongue217]

THREE WEEKS LATER

the world came back slowly for jase

"Samantha did you get the name of that space ship that hit !me?" Jase asked groaning. He began to open his eyes wincing at the harsh white light that greeted him.

"Samantha turn off the lights" jase groaned trying to raise his hand to block the light.

But he couldn't

It all came rushing back to him. The planet the end of their quest the news Avery was really-

"Oh no" he said shooting up "Samantha!"

"I'm here Jase" Samantha said appearing next to him her face flooded with relief "your okay"

"But but vera the empress" made said looking around taking in the med bay "where are we?!"

"On board the empress's flag ship" Samantha said nodding at the handcuff "you been in a coma for three weeks I had to get you some help"

"Help from PEACe? Jase asked confused " why did she help me?"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera eased her tired body into the steaming bath. The tub was slung between two walls in a narrow but spectacular bathroom . The wall behind her was entirely glass, showcasing views of the blue and green planet beneath them.

The past three weeks had been beyond busy. As soon as Samantha had guided them into the space port in Laverne's capital city Jase had been whisked away by medics. Samantha had given Vera a scathing glare, and made her wonder at the claim that she was Jase's mother. Was that possible? Was it possible that his mother's consciousness had transferred to the AI?

Once Jase was in capable hands they had put him into a medically induced coma in order to allow his brain to heal from the electrical strike. Once he was stable, and much to Samantha's dismay, Vera had him moved to a room that she had specially prepared in her ship, the PEACe Mothership. It had become the headquarters for the part of PEACe that had remained faithful to her. Thankfully, she had around sixty percent of the previous resources, but she knew she had a lot of work to do.

This bath, this pure moment of relaxing bliss, was the first true alone moment she had enjoyed in a week. Each day had been a rush of meetings between PEACe council members, military constituents, media representatives, and information sessions with the Starspeaker. Their situation was dire, and she had explained the impending Hive invasion to her people. They understood the urgency now, but any attempts to share their concern with their competitors had come with scorn and disbelief.

Vera was tired; amongst all of the meetings and conferences she had barely been able to find time to sleep, let alone eat. Her pregnancy was sapping what little energy she had left over, and she was lucky to get through a couple of hours without being overwhelmed by nausea. Her breasts continued to ache with the slightest contact, and her normally flat stomach had started to bud in the slightest bit. Her fingers rested over her abdomen as she cast her thoughts to Jase, a sense of anxiety sweeping over her at the fact that he was still not awake.

But now, right now. She had an hour to herself. She closed her eyes, sighing as she pushed thoughts of the rest of the universe away. She soaked in the hot water, letting it eat away all of her worries and doubts.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Jase there is some thing you need to know vera she is-"

Before Samantha could finish the guards set to monitor him burst in. They shifted not sure how to interact witjh him on one hand he was a smuggler on the other hand it was known what would happen to them if they hurt him.

"Uh sir is there any thing we can do to-"

"I want to go see your empress!" Jase snapped narrowing his eyes

"Now"

Seconds later he was pushed down the hall his hands cuffed begin him back. He had on scrubs that hung from his body. He was pushed into the waiting room and told to wait. Seconds later he was pushed into the bathroom and plopped into a chair.

"Vera I demand!" Jase started before noticing she was naked

"Whoa"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera's eyes had just fluttered closed when the comm blared to life.

"Madam, I know you asked not to be interrupted, but we thought you would like to know that Crestfield is awake and demanding to see you immediately." Kryten, the ship's AI announced.

Vera sat up, water sloshing around as she was reenergised.

"Of course, please have him brought in." Vera said.

A few moments later one of her guards opened the door, eyes averted respectfully.

"We can make the smuggler wait until you're done," the guard said, clearly unhappy with her willingness to let Jase into the room while she was naked and vulnerable in the bath.

"No, bring him in immediately please. He can sit on that chair in the corner."

The guard disappeared for a few moments. Vera gathered herself, her nerves frazzled. She had spent weeks trying to figure out what to say to him. Trying to figure out what the hell she could possibly say that would help him understand that she did love him.

Jase was thrust into the room and thrown into the chair with little care for his newly recovered status. He started yelping out a demand before his eyes glazed over her body.

"Jase, I'm so glad to see you up an about," Vera said, settling back into the bath, allowing the edge of it to cover her naked breasts once more. She noticed the cuffs on his wrists and frowned. "I'm sorry about the cuffs, I would prefer if you didn't have them but security insisted."

 

[silvertongue217]

Base blinked running his eyes up and down her naked body one more time before he averted them.

"It'd good they did" he said keeping his eyes away from her trying to sound menancing "its to dangerous your empress" he said it like a sneer.

"Why am I even here?" He asked narrowing his eyes "you gave me medical what so you can see all that korlift did to me" he glarred still not in her actual direction.

"Well you got my blood and DNA but if I meant many thing for you nbut a mark you'll let me and Samantha go"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera took a deep breath, trying not to be stung by Jase's accusations. There was a brief point in time where that was true, that he was a means to an end, but once they had escaped and she had fallen in love with him hard and fast. She ignored the jibe about Kolift, resisted telling him what she knew and the fact that she knew it before he came into PEACe's medical care.

"There is a ranch waiting down below on Laverne if you want it," Vera said, remembering back to a simpler time between them, "I have already retracted the warrant for your arrest. I can't do much about the other bounties that aren't from PEACe, but you are no longer wanted by us. If you want to go you can, and I will ensure your freedom to the best of my ability. But Jase..." Vera looked at him, wishing he would look back at her. "I didn't lie when I said I love you. I did... I still do. The time you were in a coma? Shit Jase, I've never been so scared before in my life."

Vera took a deep breath and sat back in the bath, using the warm water to keep her grounded.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that" base replied wincing at the ton of voice.

He shifts hurt by her use of their vacation "you got a lot of nmerve throwing that shit up" he remarked shaking his head "you can take your ranch and gives it to one of your imperials" he swore finally looking at her.

"Why?" He finally said narrowing his eyes "why not tell me if you claim you love me what did you think was going to happen?" He growled looking at her.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"This!" Vera threw her hands up in frustration, struggling to keep her emotions in check. Normally she was good at it, she could put on a mask, pull out all of her political savoir faire. Though now, with Jase? Her hormones were going crazy and Jase was the one person she no longer wanted to act around.

"This is what I was afraid of. Frack, you hate me Jase! You hate PEACe! You were able to ignore the tension when I was Avery, but as me? You have every right to hate me. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to kill me. But there is so much you don't know Jase, so much hatred that you are throwing at me that had nothing to do with me!"

Vera sat up in the bath once more, hands holding onto the edge as she looked at him.

"Kolift? I was the one that closed it. My parents started it, there were so many things they did..." Vera shook her head. "I was twenty when I came into power. I spent the first year of my life as Chancellor fighting to close down Kolift and every other station like it for good. I have spent every second, of every minute of every hour of my life since then trying to free this universe of such evil!"

Vera tore her eyes from Jase.

"And Magaroth? Did you wonder why I was so angry about it? I spent over a year negoitating with five different planets to organise a better life for those workers. Compensation, proper housing, real genuine rights. Then I went, I decided to stick with you rather than coming back here and bang- my fucking uncle forged Avery's directives and had them all killed."

Vera scrunched her nose in anger, struggling to contain her emotions as her eyes welled up with tears.

"I want to run away Jase, I want to end all of this. That vacation we had? The only real one I've had in my life? It was something I'd never thought I would have. It was a life I would never be allowed. The only thing that was fake about me when I was with you was my name, every emotion, every word was my own."

Vera took a few deep breaths.

"But now we have bigger problems. I'm stuck here. I have to hold the council together once more."

Vera sat back in frustration, eyes going to the roof as her anger and fear washed through her.

"Kryten, please unlock Jase's shackles. He is not a criminal, he doesn't deserve to be restrained." Vera said, talking to the AI as though it was sentient. Like Samantha. The shackles clattered to the floor.