Nexus

AUTHOR'S NOTE: You would not believe how much this chapter wanted to get written. It was constantly playing in my head and it would not stop until I decided I'd better upload this chapter first and then get some sleep. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: I do not own Leonard Cohen's song Hallelujah.


Nexus
Chapter Three: Broken Hallelujah
Part Two


The Empress gently placed a Melody leaf into the last bowl of heated ash, one of many already giving off purple smoke on a wide pedestal in front of a wide, deep pool.

“The ceremony is ready,” she announced.

Edwyn shuffled uncomfortably. He felt sick to his stomach, remembering the exchange he had with the Empress and her other visitor…


* * Begin Flashback * *


“Empress, there is to be an attack on the planet at the wedding.”

The Empress nodded solemnly. “Of this, I am aware, Edwyn Valayan.”

His jaw dropped. “How did you know my name?”

“I told her.”

He looked past her to see a man of about middle age emerge from the shadows. He had close-cropped black hair, and everything he wore, even down to his shades, was black. Despite the sheen of sweat on his forehead, he looked comfortable.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Rohadin. That’s all you need to know for now, son.”

“He informed me of the impending attack on Avaani, Edwyn. He knew that my daughter would get married as soon as Ariano returned to us. There’s no fighting it.” She frowned. “How did you know that there would be an attack?”

“How he knows must not be spoken of, Your Majesty,” he said with a bow though her back was turned to him. “All that can be said is that those that will attack Avaani are the same people that tried to kill him.”

Edwyn’s blood ran cold. “They knew I was coming here?”

Rohadin nodded stoically. “Unfortunately.”

Edwyn turned to the Empress. “But…there’s nothing you can do to stop this?”

The Empress shook her head. “Much as I would want to spare the ceremony, I cannot and will not. Ariano made a promise to S’Jini, and, attack on the planet or not, I will not deny her, or him, this.” She turned away from Edwyn. “Avarice once drove Ariano, the man I once knew as Malinara, but he saw past that red cloud of greed and saw the truth of life, found a new meaning of life, and he found it in my daughter.” She lowered her head and shook it sadly. “I knew that there would be plenty for them to go through, but I am confident that their love will win out.”

“But what about you and your people? What if the attack comes?”

“I’ve already taken care of that,” the Empress replied. “Every Avaaniite has been told to retreat to the deepwater shelters and to take whatever belongings they could carry.”

Edwyn’s eyes widened. “That’s why there was radio silence before we were able to land.”

“Only our military is above ground, but I fear there may not be enough to withstand the onslaught that might befall my home and my people.”

Rohadin actually dared to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Your Majesty, forgive my physical contact with you, but your people will survive. Avaani may fall, but it will be a fall from which your people can recover.”

The Empress nodded with a forlorn smile. “I will begin setting up for the ceremony.” She turned to Edwyn. “I share your fears, Edwyn, but this is not the time for them. My daughter is to be married. I am to have a son. I will not deny her, nor will I be denied.”


* * End Flashback * *


He felt calm eyes stare him down, and he looked to see the Empress looking at him with a sad smile. She turned away as she stood, looking over to Ariano and S’Jini.

“There’s no turning back, you know,” S’Jini said.

“I don’t want to,” he said, not breaking his stare.

The Empress turned to Rohadin, standing beside Edwyn, who nodded in reply. Immediately, the Empress took a gold-plated dagger sitting in front of the bowls of heated ash and looked to her daughter.

“Kor’inan dess koritesh?”

Rohadin leaned over to him. “She asked if this is what she truly wants.”

S’Jini nodded. “Sijan. Ariano kal jeesh ho’koritesh.”

“What did she say? I could only make out his name.”

“She said that Ariano is indeed the man she truly wants.”

The Empress turned to Ariano. “Kor’inan dess koritesh?”

Ariano nodded as well. “Sijan. S’jini tol jeesh ho’koritesh.”

The Empress nodded. With the dagger, she cut a slit on both sides of both their hands.

“Ul’horii dernan milu’tuijan.”

What was that?”

“She said that they will now take up the custom known as Milu’tuijan, or, the sharing of blood,” Rohadin replied. “Suckers from the Avaani’s wrist tentacles will take the other’s blood into their system, symbolically binding one Avaaniite to the other.”

Edwyn nearly turned green. “That’s not the mating ritual, is it?”

Rohadin grinned. “No. They’re humanoid, and reproduction for the Avaani is the same as ours.”

Edwyn blushed. “Oh.” He cringed as the two sets of wrist tentacles felt their way around the other person’s hands, taking in the blood and cleansing the hand of the other.

The Empress thrust the dagger high into the air over her head. “Mano’leesh! Haru’kinatar, parig’noosh!”

Edwyn frowned. Rohadin leaned over.

“That’s similar to the Human wedding custom saying that if there is anyone against the marriage, speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Edwyn’s jaw dropped and his face drained of color as coal-black VTOLs rose from behind the dunes, responding to her command…


* * *


Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord,

But you don’t really care for music, do you…?


The thrumming of machine gun fire was heard as it ripped through the dunes, thudding angrily against the sands and tearing apart the pedestal behind the Empress, sending the bowls of ash flying about. The hail of fire ceased immediately as the VTOL flew over them, but the Empress, Ariano, or S’Jini weren’t injured. Immediately, Ariano took S’Jini in his arms and leapt into the waters the color of pink lemonade, as another VTOL buzzed angrily by, machine guns firing relentlessly as Edwyn ran to save the Empress. She remained standing, tears in her eyes, as machine gun fire came up behind her and hit her, three times up one leg. She didn’t waver once…


It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth…


The fourth machine gun round hit her in the hip, and the fifth hit her in the shoulder, the shot forcing her to drop the dagger she still held high, and she pitched forward.


The minor fall, the major lift…


The Empress fell into Edwyn’s arms as he picked her up over his shoulder and brought his wrist to his face.

“Tavo! Karissa! Hurry up and get the ships here! The Empress has been shot!”


The baffled king composing hallelujah…


Two more VTOLs appeared, kicking up loose sand and water with their machine gun fire. Edwyn leapt and ducked for cover behind a boulder while Rohadin leapt into the water. Ariano suddenly broke the water’s surface, S’Jini held tightly in his arms.

“To’resh! To’resh!!!”

Edwyn popped up from behind the boulder. “She’s here, but badly wounded!”

S’Jini started to swim towards them, but Ariano held her steady. “She’s in good hands. Edwyn will take care of her until the Old Rifle gets here to pick us up.”


…Hallelujah…


S’Jini looked to him pleadingly. “Are you sure?”


…Hallelujah…


Ariano nodded. “Sijan.” A gust of wind blew at them as the Old Rifle landed on the bank and the hatch opened. Ariano and S’Jini swam in unison to the bank as Edwyn carried the Empress to the ship, Rohadin reaching the bank and scrambling for the ramp.


…Hallelujah…


Tavo came to meet them at the end of the ramp. He glanced questioningly at Rohadin, but noticed Edwyn right behind, with the Empress of Avaani at his shoulder. Edwyn moved to one side to let Ariano and S’Jini past him into the ship.

“Tavo, hurry, try to close her up. She’s been shot.”

Tavo nodded and helped Edwyn hold the Empress up as they took her down the hall. Rohadin, Ariano and S’Jini ran the other way towards the cockpit as the ship shuddered with the force of an earthquake.

“What the hell was that?”


…Hallelujah…


Ariano ran into the cockpit as Karissa lurched the Old Rifle to one side. He sat down on the pilot’s seat and scrambled to get the controls in order.

“Karissa, what the hell were you doing back there?”

“Saving our skins,” Karissa replied, biting her lower lip. “Whoever it was that interrupted the wedding decided to bring out a huge bottle of champagne.”

Ariano looked at her with bewilderment. “What?”

S’Jini’s frail voice shattered his cool as she pointed past him to the glass. “Look.”

He turned and watched in horror as pillars of light vaporized the ground and boiled the waters. As Karissa turned the ship around and towards the atmosphere, he flicked the rearview screen on, and a holographic display appeared in front of him.

Verdant beams of death pierced the cloud cover and left smoking craters and boiling lakes wherever they touched, either immolating Avaani troops on land or boiling innocents on the bottom of bodies of water.

“No,” Ariano could only whisper as he shook his head in horror. “No…”

The ship rattled slightly, shaking him out of his thoughts.

“We’re being fired on,” Karissa announced. “Ariano, you may want to turn back and fight, but you better get your wits about you. We need to get out of here to figure out who’s doing this and why.”

He bit back tears as he manned the controls. “You’re right, Rissa,” he said with a nod. “You’re right.” He looked over to S’Jini. “Find Edwyn and my brother. To’resh needs you right now. I’ll be along shortly.”

S’Jini could only nod mutely as she left the cockpit.

Ariano tightened his grip on the controls as he saw three fighters bearing down on him.

“I swear, you rat bastards, I’m gonna come back here and I’m…”

His threat was cut short as he saw an ebony flash weave expertly into his field of view. The Crescendo did a barrel roll and unleashed a payload of lasers on one ship, blasting it out of the sky.

“I’ll cover you,” Rohadin’s voice crackled over the private channel. “Set a course for Argel Seventeen once we head out of Avaani airspace. That’s an Avaaniite-inhabited world, and one with sufficient medical facilities to take care of the Empress.”

“Argel Seventeen is quite a ways from here, even through hyperspace,” Ariano said through clenched teeth as a laser blast flashed past the viewscreen. “Will we make it?”

“I’m confident in Tavo’s abilities, as well as Edwyn’s,” Rohadin replied. “They’ll be able to keep her stable.”

“What do you mean by Edwyn’s abilities?” Karissa shouted as the ship rocked suddenly.

“I don’t have time to explain that now. I’ll tell you all everything when we get to Argel Seventeen.” The red light indicating the open private channel winked off.

“Damn that bastard,” Ariano cursed. “Who is he, anyway?”

Karissa whistled. “Whoever he is, he’s handling your ship like a demon.”

The Crescendo wove back and forth, to and fro, every shot connecting with whatever it targeted.

Ariano switched on the private channel. “You’re going to have to teach me how to fly like that.”

“I’ll do it when we have time. Angle forty-five degrees left and hit maximum speed!”

Karissa stared at the speaker. “What? Why?”

Rohadin’s voice was a hoarse yell. “Don’t ask questions, Karissa! Just do it now!”

Ariano had already increased to maximum speed when a green pillar of light appeared in a flash, searing his vision temporarily.

He wiped his eyes furiously with one hand, grateful that he hadn’t gone blind. They had broken the Avaani atmosphere and slowly the vivid pink sky gave way to a black speckled with white.

“There’s a wave of fighters after you,” Rohadin’s calm voice informed them. “I’ll take care of them. Just get to Argel Seventeen before their flagships decide to make you their business.”

“Whose flagships?”

“I said I’ll tell you everything when we get to Argel Seventeen. Now get going.”


=[ End of Broken Hallelujah ]=


A/N: I was quite impressed with how this turned out. This song would not stop playing in my head as I was writing the Avaani wedding ceremony...

cu-kid: Good to know that I've made a fan out of you, and that my shameless plugging wasn't for naught. XD

born_to_do_it: I'm glad to know you keep such close tabs on this story. To quote Rohadin, everything will be explained when we get to Argel Seventeen. *snickers*

Anyone else dropping by, feel free to review. I'm a shameless attention whore and I love the kudos. See you soon at Argel Seventeen!