Chapter 11

 

Vin pushed the button that would announce his presence to Chris’ room.  He was only a few seconds behind the blond, but the man had quickly entered his old bedroom and closed the door silently behind him.

 

“Come on in, Vin,” said Chris’ voice coming from behind the door.

 

Vin watched the doors automatically open and he stepped into the bedroom.  He found Chris lying propped on his bed against the metal headboard fully clothed and sipping slowly from the bottle he had took with him.

 

“Ya know there’s not many men who can still stand after drinkin’ that,” said Vin pointedly taking a seat in the chair across from him.

 

“You should know,” retorted Chris despondently taking another sip from the bottle afterwards.

 

“How did ya know it was me out there?”

 

“Let’s just say I felt it,” answered Chris ambiguously.

 

“How?”

 

“Can’t tell ya.”

 

“It’s a secret?”

 

“No.  I mean I can’t tell ya. I don’t know.”

 

“Could be part of what Lyra keeps sproutin’ about,”

 

“Don’t know, don’t care.  By the way, how did ya do that?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“You know, move so fast,” said Chris bringing his slivery green eyes to bear on the bounty hunter.

 

“Don’t know, don’t care,” said Vin mirroring Chris’ reply.

 

Chris grinned slightly at Vin’s audacity.  “Well, I can tell ya that it was real amazin’ to see.  Never seen a man move that fast. Only thing that I ever seen move that fast was a Sandman.”

 

At this comment, Vin eyed the blond with surprise.

 

“Ya once met a Sandman, didn’t ya?” asked Vin testing the waters.

 

“Let’s just say that we had a disagreement about somethin’,” answered Chris smirking. He then saw Vin’s face bow downward and he could no longer gage the man’s emotions.

 

“Vin?” he called softly in a question.  Vin raised his heads and Chris saw there much anguish and anxiety in those blue eyes that regarded him.

 

“My ma was the princess of our tribe.  She was nineteen when she was suppose to be married off to a young warrior prince of another tribe.  The caravan that was takin’ her there was attacked by Sandmen.  My ma was the sole survivor of that massacre and she never told anyone what happened, not even me.  She died with that secret.  But somethin’ happened.”

 

Chris felt an ominous feeling come over him as Vin paused in his story.  “So…?”

 

“There was a man, one who found my ma, out in the desert.  I met up with him one day about two years after she died.  I was a man then.  He said somethin’ to me that has been botherin’ me ever since.”

”And that was?” asked Chris curiously.

 

“He said I looked liked my ma, but I moved liked my pa. I asked him who was my pa since my ma never told me.”

 

“And what did he say?”

 

“He said…He said that he couldn’t tell me his name, but if I wanted to find ‘im, I should go into the deep desert.”

 

“But the only people who really live in the deep desert is…” started Chris.

 

“Yeah, Sandmen.”

 

“So you’re saying ya father was a Sandman?”

 

“I don’t rightly know, Chris.  It’s been botherin’ me since that day and I ain’t found out if it’s true.  It’s the one reason why I became a bounty hunter.  Since it keeps me in the deep desert a lot, I can make a livin’ while I look.”

 

“But Vin, it can’t be possible.  Sandmen do not keep live prisoners.  They have no heart or soul of their own. They just ain’t human.”

 

“I knowed that, Chris, but ya got to see how I feel.  I can’t go on livin’ not knowin’ the truth.”

 

“Tell me, Vin.  Will finding the truth make ya more of who ya already are?”

 

“Nope.  But it will sure ease my mind, Chris.  At least then I put a name to what I am.  Right now, I’m half of nothin’.”

 

“But ya know your mother was at least Ravakar. That’s not half of nothin’.”

 

“Let me ask ya a question.  What if it was you who never knew who ya father was?  Wouldn’t ya wan’na know, no matter what?”

 

Chris thought about it for a moment and sighed.  He sometimes wished he never knew who his father was.  At least then he could pretend to be somebody else.  But then he knew Vin was right and that every one needed to their heritage, good or bad.

 

“Well, Vin, it looks like ya might have ya chance,” said Chris. “It seems that the Vicar have a place located in the deep desert and that’s where we’re goin’.”

 

“When are ya gon’na tell the others?”

 

“I was plannin’ on gettin’ some rest before then.  Knowin’ Buck the way I do, there ain’t gon’na be no rest later on,” said Chris leaning heavy back against the headboard of the bed.

 

“Mad, huh?”

 

“Nope.  Horney as hell.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Once he finds out where headin’ for the deep desert, he gon’na figure that we ain’t comin’ back alive and he gon’na be vistin’ every lady in the city just to make sure his needs are covered,” said Chris smiling wickedly.

 

Vin laughed heartily at this comment.  “That sure be somethin’ to see,” said Vin.  “Get some sleep.”

 

“I will,” answered Chris and he moved down further on the bed until he was lying flat upon it. He placed the bottle on the nightstand next to his bed along with glasses.  As he was about to close his eyes, he noticed Vin leaning back in the seat he was in and putting his feet up on the bed.

 

“You plannin’ on sleeping here?” queried Chris, one eyes quirking at the lounging bounty hunter.

 

Vin smiled gently back at him and said, “I promise.  I won’t ravage ya while ya sleep, Cowboy.  Go on.  I’ll watch ya back.”  Vin then closed his eyes and promptly went to sleep.

 

Chris eyed him laughingly and then he also closed his eyes and let sleep take him away to where things were less stressful.

 

***********************************************************

Three hours had a passed and Vin was asleep only for two of those hours when rustling noises awoke him.  He looked over at the bed that contained Larabee and watched as the sleeping blond twist and turn on the bed.  No wonder the man ain’t got any sleep. He keeps scroungin’ around the bed like that and he might fall off, thought Vin as he kept one eye on the man.

 

Chris dreams were not pleasant and he awoke with a start to find Vin Tanner awake, in his room, staring at him.

 

“What…what…are you doin’ here?” asked Chris confused.

 

“Don’t ya remember, Pard.  I was watchin’ ya back,” said Vin standing up from the chair and looking at Chris with concern.

 

Chris shook his head releasing the dreams that had haunted him back into the darkness.  His blond hair flew into his eyes as he did and he raised and brushed it back into place with his hand.

 

“We gotta go,” was all he said as he looked at the bounty hunter standing before him.

 

“Somethin’ wrong?” asked Vin seeing that something was bothering his new friend.

 

“Yeah…no…I don’t know…maybe,” said Chris eyeing him sheepishly.

 

“Which one is it?”

 

“To tell you the truth, Vin, I just got a bad feeling about all this,” said Chris pushing another hand through his hair in a nervous action.

 

“’Bout what Lyra said?”

 

“More than that. ‘Bout where we going and ‘bout who we going after.  I just don’t like being led around by the nose.”

 

“Ya think it’s a set up?”

 

Chris placed his hands over his eyes and then rubbed them hard.  “I just don’t know. I just don’t like it.”

 

“So what ya gon’na do?”

 

Chris looked at him with weary silvery eyes.  His face showed the agony of his indecision, but then it turned to one of determination. “We’re goin’.”

 

“Ya sure, Chris?”

 

“Yeah.  Let’s go tell the boys,” he said standing up from the bed and brushing the wrinkles from his clothes.  He walked out the door with Vin following closely behind.

 

***************************************************************************************************** 

When they entered the outer reception area, they found the others asleep all over the place. 

 

Buck had taken the couch and had his long legs sprawled over one of the arms.  He uniform was piled on one of the chairs in the room, his helmet removed.

 

Chris looked at him and smiled.  Now, without the usual Necromonger uniform covering the man, he could see the face of his old friend. He wore his brown hair tied in a ponytail behind his head as he slept and his lips were crowned with a bushy moustache that was cut neatly. 

 

It perturbed Chris to see him so.  The man had changed dramatically, from the undisciplined, naïve young man.

 

The Buck he had once known was a young man, caring for nothing but the love of women and fun. 

 

Chris remembered how the two of them, would cause chaos among Necropolis with their practical jokes, carousing and all out fights within the city. 

 

At that time, Buck was a clean-shaven, short hair lieutenant of the Sodikar guards and friend to Chris, the heir and his commanding officer.

 

“Yes,” Chris thought to himself. “Things had definitely changed over the past ten years.”  And one of them was not just Chris Larabee.

 

He then saw Nathan and Josiah each asleep in the one of the two big divans that adorned the room.  Both of the men had their heads listing to the side of the divans’ huge headrest.  “Well, they certainly are gon’na wake up in a good mood,” Chris said sarcastically pointing at the two men.

 

Vin eyed him as if to say, “no kidding”.

 

He turned his vision towards the other side of the room and found a body huddled asleep on the floor, a long cape curled around his body as a makeshift blanket.  He knew it was JD by the size and the tuft of hair peeking out from under his coverage.

 

He and Vin sought out the last missing man of their group and when Vin nudged Chris and pointed to the balcony doors which was now open, they saw Ezra lying immaculately prone, hands behind his head, feet crossed on an antique boudoir bench made of a plush material on the balcony.

 

“Well, he would take the best spot in the place,” sniped Vin.

 

“I always said ya can count on Ezra to know something’s worth,” replied Chris walking over to Buck.

 

He shook the man’s shoulder, trying to wake him.  “Buck!  Get up!” he exclaimed.

 

Buck jumped up from his sleeping position, almost falling off the couch and hitting the floor.  He would have if Chris had not caught on to his arm, giving him support and keeping him from his downward trajectory.

 

“What?  What happened?” asked Buck, confused and still half asleep.

 

“We need to talk,” said Chris as the man’s eyes finally focused and Buck realized who had awoken him.

 

“Damn, Chris! Ya almost scared me out of my skin!”

 

Chris ignored the remark and turned to Vin.  “Go wake the others,” he said Vin.

 

Vin nodded and proceeded to do just that.

 

“How come everyone’s asleep in here when there are so many rooms in this place?” questioned Chris eyeing Buck suspiciously.  “And how come ya still here?  Won’t Madame be worried?”

 

The Madame that Chris spoke about was Buck’s mother, who Chris knew was consort to the Damon Vaake, who was now the new Chancellor before he left.

 

Buck turned sad eyes to Chris.  “No, she won’t,” answered Buck sorrowfully.

 

“Buck?” Chris did not like the way his old friend looked at the mentioning of the name.

 

“She…she’s dead, Chris.  Died about five years ago.”

 

Chris was hit with an intense pain of sadness, but he kept a strong face when facing his friend’s pain.

 

“How?” Chris asked.

 

Buck shook his head.  “Don’t know, Chris.  The medical team said she died in her sleep…”

 

“But?” asked Chris hearing the uncertainty in his friend’s voice.

 

“Her heart was as strong as yours or mine.  It just didn’t fit, but I had no proof of anything otherwise.”

 

“I’m sorry, Buck.  Truly I am.  She was a fine woman.”

 

“And a good mother,” added Buck.  “I haven’t been to the house since she died.  Been staying at the guards’ quarters here in the city.”

 

“She was still with Vaake?”

 

“Yeah.  It was why when she was alive I was rarely home.  He was always there.”

 

“Does he live there now?”

 

“No.  After Madame died, he moved back into the city.”

 

Chris knelt down until he was eye level with the Sodikar captain.  He said, placing his hand on to his friend’s shoulder, “I know how important she was in your life, Buck.  She was a great woman and we will always remember her.”

 

“Thanks, Chris,” replied Buck putting his hand on the other’s man shoulder also.  “Now, where are we going?”

 

Chris watched as the smile came back to his friend’s face and knew Buck had again buried his pain back down into the hidden places of his heart.

 

“Well, pa, we’re going somewhere you’ll love,” said Chris grinning.

 

“Yeah?” said Buck mirroring his grin.  “And where’s that?”

 

“Tiera.”

 

Buck started laughing loudly.  “Ya kidding, right?”

 

“Nope and ya should know I don’t kid,” said Chris rising.

 

Buck jumped up in exasperation. “Are ya out of ya mind?” he exclaimed. “That’s in the middle of the deep desert!”

 

“Did you think I would forget?” asked Chris snidely and walking away from him.

 

Buck knew Chris would not forget Tiera.  It was where he and Chris had met their first Sandman and where Chris almost died.

 

“No, Pard.  Never.  So when do we leave?”

 

“Soon.  I have a few things to take care of and I know you do,” remarked Chris jokingly.

 

“Yeah.  I do.  ‘Specially if it means I ain’t gon’na see the lovely ladies again.”

 

Chris laughed at that and Buck was happy to hear it.  He had not heard that laugh in long time.

 

“So, Mr. Tanner says that we are about ready to leave,” interrupted Ezra, stretching his aching muscles.

 

“Yeah, Ez.  We’re goin’ into the deep desert,” said Chris, walking over to a door.  He pushed a button and they saw that it was a storage facility.

 

Chris walked into it and pulled out several weapons.  He passed them around to the men in the room, all except for Buck and Vin since he knew they carried their own.

 

“And what are these for?” questioned Ezra as Chris passed him a weapon.

 

Chris got close to Ezra’s ear and said softly, “For protection.  Ya gon’na need it.”  Chris then moved on to the next of the men and completed delegating out the weapons.

 

“Mr. Larabee?” called Ezra, his eyes showing concern.

 

“Where are we going?” asked Josiah, also concerned.

 

“Yeah.  Are we leaving now?” jumped in JD.

 

When Chris turned to stare at them, but did not answer, Nathan said, “Chris?”

 

“We’re goin’ into the deep desert.  We’re goin’ to Tiera.”

 

There were gasps and frantic questions at Chris announcement. 

 

Buck turned to scrutinize Chris reaction.

 

Everyone on the planet had heard of Tiera and knew the dangers.  It was in the middle of the territory of the Sandmen and the most who had even returned from there and lived were changed forever. 

 

Most of them that came back had gone insane and could not speak of what happened to them, or spoke in riddles and gibberish.

 

The few that had seemed to keep their sanity went on to lead normal lives, or so it was to the casual observer.  But the people close to them, they knew there was some different about the person, something that was just not quite right.

 

As their lives progress, one by one the few became some and the some became no more than four.  Each of the supposedly sane survivors had either died from suicide or a violent death.  Now only four were left and no one dared venture to Tiera again.

 

Chris and Buck were two of the four that survived.  Buck had rescued Chris from that city, at the lost of many Sodikar men and what he brought back was less than the man he knew.

 

Buck remembered that time.  He remembered pale Chris was, how his green eyes seemed to see nothing.  He remembered picking up his body from that cold cell in Tiera and carrying him out like a baby, the weight in his arms, practically weighing nothing.

 

He did not remember the ride home with the ten Sodikar guardsmen that were left out of the fifty that were assigned to him for the rescue mission.  He did not remember them offering him drink and food, as they rode three days through the deep desert back to New Mecca and Necropolis.

 

He did remember Chris moaning in the throes of pain and how no matter what they gave him, he could not keep it down.  He remembered how translucent the man’s body looked at sweat ran rivulets down his naked chest and arms.  There was nothing left of his uniform, except for the tattering piece of cloths that made up his Sodikar uniform and the scratches that scar his chest that were deep, blood welded from them still.

 

He shook his head to shake himself out of this memory, trying to forget that sight of his bleeding and dying friend.  It took weeks before he had finally saw something of the old Chris, but there was always a faraway look in his eyes, ever so often and it was this look that Buck saw now.

 

“Chris?”

 

“Hmmm?” answered Chris looking at Buck startled. 

 

“Everything alright?”

 

“Yeah, fine,” said Chris brushing away his friend’s concerned look.

 

Vin looked at him too and then at Buck as if to question him.  Buck shrugged his shoulders and let his reply die.

 

“Buck, take the guys to get something to eat and some new traveling clothes.  Ya better get ya some new clothes too.  That uniform ain’t gon’na help ya in the desert,” said Chris walking towards the door that led to the outer corridors.

 

“Where you going?” asked Buck bewildered.

 

“To see my mother,” answered Chris quickly walking out of the apartment as the door closed behind him.

 

Chapter 12

 

Chris arrived at the apartments of the Lord Marshal and was lead in by one of the Sodikar guards.  He found his mother was out of her uniform and now dressed in a long flowing red dress, that revealed only her arms.

 

Aliya turned to find her long lost son standing before her.  She smiled gently wishing it were under other circumstances that he was here now.

 

“Mother,” he said gently.  “Ya look beautiful.” He then walked over to her and hugged her briefly.

 

“From my son, I take it as a compliment.  But don’t you let the guards here you say that.  It would not be fitting for them to here me being described as beautiful,” said jokingly.

 

“And how should you be described in front of your men?”

 

“Fearful.  Strong.  Anything that makes them understand that I am not to be toyed with or taking lightly,” she said grimly.

 

“Always keepin’ the strong façade, huh, Mother?”

 

“You know me too well, my son.  Now, Connell, let us speak of other things as I know your time is short here,” she sighed.

 

“I wish it was not.  But the Vicar will not wait,” said Chris determinedly.

 

“I know, my son, I know,” said moving to sit on the couch that was in the reception area of her home.  “Come.  Sit down next to me.”  She then patted the side of the couch next to her.

 

Chris moved and sat down next to the woman.  His mother did not look her fifty-five years. She was married and a mother at the age of twenty.  It was not uncommon on Helion where life was sometimes hard and no one expected to live long. But for Chris’ mother, one of the elite, it was expected, as it was expected of him.  Marry well early and have heirs as soon as possible.  That was the Necromonger way of life.  Chris followed this rule and now he was again alone, without an heir.

 

“Where you go, Connell, you have been before,” said Aliya simply.

 

Chris nodded thoughtfully at this.  He could remember only pieces and patches of his stay with the Sandmen in Tiera.  They were flitting images, just always out of his grasp.

 

“I don’t remember much,” said Chris to his mother.

 

“But you are afraid that once you journey there that those memories will return?”

 

Chris did not answer, but Aliya could see his answer in his silvery green eyes.

 

“You are strong, Christopher Connell Larabee.  You are heir to Necropolis.  You are also my son and my children are strong.”

 

“How do ya know?”

 

“A mother always knows her child, no matter how old they get or how hard they try to hide themselves,” said Aliya gently grabbing his hands into hers. “You are going on a journey and it will not be an easy one. I have spoken to Lyra and she sees many things to come during this journey.  They are not good, but her calculations shows that you can overcome any obstacles.”

 

“Lyra again.  How can ya believe her, mother?  She’s an Elemental!”

 

“Just like you, my son.”

 

“And just like father was?” retorted Chris.

 

Aliya looked at her son with eyes full of hurt and pain.  Yes.  Her husband had betrayed her and their son, but she knew as heartless and calculated as it seemed, it was not something her husband wanted to do.  To her husband, it was something he had to do.

 

“You cannot continuing holding so much hate, my son.  It will destroy who you are.”

 

“Too late, mother.  Prison and losin’ my eyesight has already done that.”

 

“Yes.  That is something I must ask you before you leave.  About your eyesight, that is.  What happened, Connell?  How did you loose those lovely green eyes?” she said touching his cheek gently.

 

Chris sat there silently, looking into her eyes and wondering what he should tell her.  He had not told anyone including Ezra his business partner and his long time friend Buck, how he had lost his eyesight.  Now, here was his mother, asking the one question he dreaded answering.

 

He sighed silently and said, “Ya know I had escaped prison and it was not easy.  There were four of us altogether.  The plan was to make it to the mountains that were ‘bout 10 miles from the prison.  There was a ship docked there, waiting for us.  I planned the escape, and my cellmate Badger had contacted his brother who hired a merc to pick us up. The problem was that we didn’t quite make it.  Badger and the other two cons met their death.”

 

“How?”

 

“They were burnt to ash by the planet’s sun. Ya heard of how hot it could get once the sun came up. Nothin’ left of them to bring back in a plastic bag.”

 

“But you survived.  How?”

 

“You really think I survived?” asked Chris amazed.  “Well, maybe a part of me did. I had at least reached some shelter in the mountain, a nook, but it wasn’t enough against the sun’s rays. When…when the mercs found me, I had third degree burns all over my body.  My prison uniform had melted into my skin. My retinas were burnt and if it wasn’t for me covering my eyes with my arms, I guess my eyes would have been gone too.”

 

“Oh, my poor child, my poor son,” said Aliya bringing him close to her and hugging him hard.  “So much pain.  So much suffering you endured.”

 

Chris welcomed the feel of his mother.  It was one of things that he remembered as growing up in Necropolis that always brought such warmth to his soul, his mother’s love.

 

“How…did you get…?”

 

“How did I get my new eyes?” asked Chris, his head on her shoulder.

 

“Yes.”

 

“The mercs were not generous people, mother.  I am sure ya know that,” said Chris rising from her shoulder and looking her in the eyes.

 

“Yes, I do.” Everyone was familiar with how ruthless mercs were.

 

“At first they thought I was Badger, the one whose brother had paid them for their services.  They took me to him, thinking that as long as they brought a body that it would not matter.”

 

“So what happened when the brother found out who you really were?”

 

“Well, I was in the hospital for a long time, wrapped in bandages while they grafted my skin back onto my body.  My eyes were bandaged and I was blind to what went around me for a while. It wasn’t just not being able to see. I was so fragged up most of the time I didn’t even know who I was half the time.  When they finally finished the DNA testing and notified Badger’s brother that I was not his brother, he did two things. First he had the mercs hunted down and executed.  Then he asked me if I wanted to live.”

 

“And you told him you did.”

 

“If only to get my revenge against the people who put me there. But Badger had other plans.  He fixed me up real good, but he couldn’t repair what was inside.  My soul was still damaged and I didn’t care about anyone or anything anymore. Christopher Connell Larabee was dead and only Connell and his hatred lived.  Badger offered me a job once I had my new eyes and body.  I took it without any regrets.  I became his main gunner and bodyguard.  He found out about my skill with a laser and every since then I have been planet hopping around.”

 

“So how did you end up back here?”

 

“That is another long story which right now I don’t have time to tell.  It is getting’ late and we are leaving in the next hour.”

 

Aliya knew she could not postpone it any longer.  She knew she had to let him go, again.

 

She stood up, refusing to say goodbye in anything other than a standing position.  She kept her tears to herself.  She would not show weakness at her son’s leaving.

 

Chris knew his mother was trying to be strong for him, but what she did not know was that he was trying to be strong for her.  His weakness was leaving her behind again with telling her that he loved her.

 

“Goodbye, mother,” he said walking to the doors and stepping quickly through it.

 

He did not hear his mother as she whispered softly, “Goodbye, son.  I love you.”

 

****************************************************************************************************

Chris and his companions along with the Sodikar guards assigned to serve under Buck boarded the ship.  It was a tight squeeze with the guards sitting in the foldout benches on the side of the ship.

 

Chris took the pilot seat this time, while Vin took the co-pilot seat. Although Chris was driving and listening to Vin’s navigation instructions, his mind was still on the incident in his apartment.  He knew he had heard Vin’s voice in his head, but it had not occurred again since that time. 

 

Chris thought that maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him.  He was tired, both mentally and physically and had been drugged with one of Nathan’s concoctions.  He could have been hallucinating.  All these possibilities turned around in Chris’ mind.

 

Suddenly he heard Vin call his name, bringing him out of his reverie.

 

Chris turned confused slivery green eyes towards his brown haired co-pilot.

 

“Did ya hear me?” asked Vin.

 

“I’m…I’m sorry, I didn’t hear ya,” said Chris bewildered.

 

“I was tellin’ ya that in a couple of hours we’ll be near Ravak.”

 

“Ya thinkin’ about home?”

 

“Yeah.  Haven’t been back for about the past couple of luna inclinos,” said Vin.

 

Chris realized that Vin had slipped to a term of his native people.  The Ravakar spoke a derivative of Latin.

 

“That long, huh?” replied Chris. “Well, I guess we can make a stop there and get some supplies before we get to the deep desert.”

 

He watched as Vin’s blue eyes lit up with excitement.  “Ya really think so?”

 

“Yeah,” said Chris smiling.  “Sure. Why not?”

 

Chris then turned to Buck and said, “Hey, Buck.”

 

“Yeah, Chris.”

 

“We’re gon’na make a slight track north and make a stop a Ravak before we go further into the desert.”

 

“Ya think that wise, Chris?”

 

“We need supplies soon and I am sure a side trip ain’t gon’na hurt us none,” answered Chris winking at Vin.

 

“How are the women there?” asked Buck smiling widely.

 

“They don’t come much livelier,” answered Vin smiling back.

 

Buck whooped loudly and turned to the others in the back.  “Hey, boys!  We goin’ to Ravak!” he shouted.

 

He was met with some excitement and some groans.  Not everyone wanted to visit the backwater city.

 

“Oh, stop ya groaning Ezra! We’re going whether you like it or not,” said Buck.

 

He then turned back to Chris and Vin and said, “How long?”

 

“About another two hours,” replied Vin.

 

“I’ll let the others know,” said Buck starting to move to the back of the ship.

 

“And Buck?  Make sure someone’s on scan,” instructed Chris.

 

“Right.”  Buck then walked over to the others, while Chris continued to drive the skimmer ship based on Vin’s directions.

 

Vin smiled as he thought about going home. 

 

It had been a long time since he had seen his friends and family. He wondered how they fared.

 

Considering they might not return from the deep desert alive, this would be his last chance to let his people know how important they were to him.  He might never get another chance.

 

He turned to stare at Chris who was busily driving and smiled inwardly.  Chris was becoming more and more surprising.  The blond had understood how important it was to him without words and he could never remember anyone else in his life, besides his mother, who could.  Vin knew this was going to be an interesting friendship.

 

TBC.

 

Translations:

 

      Latin             Ravakar             

  

luna inclinos  -  moon turns  - months

 

Fury's Home       Chapter 1 - 2     Chapter 3 - 4     Chapter 5 - 6     Chapter 7   Chapter 8   Chapter 9

 

Chapter 10         Chapter 13 - 14