Awakening

Since the incident on Akarik's home world a week had passed. Repairs to the ship were now nearly complete and if everything went as planned then the Nirvana would be going home in little more than three more days. That was all they hoped it would take for them to finish repairs and make the jump home.

Parfet was working down in the engine room since that was where most the damage had taken place. She had her glasses sliding down her nose due to the sweat coating her, and she was squinting against all the steam that was in the room. Grease was smudged on her cloths and there was smudge on her left cheek. "Gosh it is hot in here, it's like ninety," she complained to herself and wiped the sweat from her brow leaving another grease smudge.

"Hey Parfet you should come up and get something to eat. Don't work yourself so much or you might lose your breasts," Jura spoke over the loudspeaker. "Of course yours aren't near as perfect as mine," Jura almost purred.

"Jura!" Barnette scolded her voice easily heard as well.

"What, I was just inviting Parfet for a bite to eat as a good friend should you know." The speaker was then shut off but before it was everyone could hear some talking back and forth between the two. None could say what was said but no one cared either, those two always made up even if they had a fight. In a way Parfet thought they reminded her of Hibiki and Dita.

"Gee thanks Jura, you're all heart," Parfet muttered as she gathered her tools and went to putting them away. She knew Jura was right and that she needed to get some food but she was just so close to finishing the work that she . . . she just wanted to see everyone so happy. She wanted to get everyone home.

She pushed her toolbox aside and laid her work coat across it which had its fair share of stains. At least she knew that she worked hard from looking at that coat. "Even if she was right why did she have to announce I would lose my breasts over the intercom system," Parfet whined as she started her trek to the cafeteria and the wonderful food that awaited her. Her steps became lighter and she even started to hum to herself as she closed the door behind her leaving the room in darkness.

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"Well, well, look who finally decided to come and join us, little miss workaholic," Jura said as Parfet walked into the cafeteria. They noted how light her steps were and they all wondered why.

"Hey Jura, Barnette," Parfet called to them as she breezed by them to get herself something to eat. She knew the best way to get Jura was to just ignore her comments. She walked up and grabbed a small steak with green beans, and an apple for a side. The steak had a mushroom sauce lightly poured over it to give it a more gourmet feel. On her way past the deserts she grabbed a chocolate pie, just a small piece though.

Jura watched Parfet walk by and almost narrowed her eyes, almost. Jura knew better though as doing such a thing would cause early wrinkling around the eyes and she couldn't have that. She was much too beautiful to have wrinkles especially at her tender young age. She flipped her blond locks back over her shoulder and then smiled at Parfet as Parfet sat down at a nearby table. "Wonderful to see you, Parfet it really is. Honestly we have missed you a bit since you have been working so hard," Jura's voice held only honesty. She was telling the truth she had missed seeing Parfet around.

"Really? I'm glad to hear it, that I'm missed," turning her gaze to Jura and Barnette. She started to cut a piece of the steak and sighed. I wish a certain doctor would tell me that, she thought to herself and took a bite of steak.

"Yeah I think we're all happy to see you out and about again," Barnette chimed in breaking Parfet out of her reverie, she had noticed Parfet's saddened expression. Barnette and Jura smiled and Parfet returned it, as she grabbed her food and sat down with them to finish her meal.

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"It bothers me captain. I don't understand what is wrong with him," Duero said.

"I know Duero but be patient. You are a good doctor and you will figure out what to do," the old lady answered with a slight smile. She turned away from the glass and started to hobble away. "Duero don't just give up though. No one on this ship is allowed to die you understand me."

Duero smiled to himself. "Understood captain." He then bent his back to work and the computer screen in front of him lit back up. He would figure out what was happening to Akarik and he would help him. Even if it was just because he wanted to see a true smile on Meia's face.

Duero sighed as he thought of her. She was so strong and yet now she seemed so frail almost. She was not quite acting like herself. Duero didn't understand it all but he figured in time he would.

He brought up the blood work on Akarik and sighed as he looked it over yet again still finding nothing all that different about it from a normal person's. He sat back for a moment and then decided to look at it through the microscope yet again. He had to be missing something he just knew it.

"Don't worry Meia, I'll figure it out," he whispered as he bent his head to the microscope, pushing that bothersome hair aside.

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Akarik sighed as he gazed back at the opening to the cave where he had lived for the last five years of his life. The place where he had trained and the place where he had been loved and had found that he could love. He could love someone else besides the woman he had married. The woman who had stuck a knife in his back and tried to kill him. The woman he now sought vengeance on.

He traveled for a couple days now, and then hearing the sound of an aircraft passing overhead. He never thought anything of it though as it was normal. At the end of the third day he found a path that he knew would take him to his city. A path that he knew would take him home.

He sighed as he set out on the path his heart a bit lighter than it had been for the past few months. True he had loved doing things with Vera but she wasn't family, not like his mom and sister. At least not yet. He contemplated that thought. Could he love Vera enough to marry her? Well he thought that he could but first he knew he had to be single again. For that to happen he had to kill his wife. He grimaced at the thought. He had been thinking that she had to die but no matter what it didn't sit well with him. He knew killing her would be very difficult.

His steps carried him down the path but his thoughts were elsewhere and he didn't notice the bones along the path. He soon came into view of the gates of the great city he had called home. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach though as he noticed the gates collapsed.

The gates had never been for any purpose than to make the place appear to be a lot older than it really was. The founder of the city had, had a fascination with ancient earth structures and so had a gate built as a great entrance into his city. The fool though had left off the walls so the effect of the gate was lost. It just looked odd but it was still home to the people who lived there. It was the sign they were nearly home, if nothing else.

The gates though lay in ruin and the sight beyond the gates was enough to to make Akarik drop to his knees in the road. The city he had lived in for his whole life, the place of his birth, his home, lay in ruins. Buildings were collapsed in on themselves, while others lay strewn about as if a giant had tossed them about. The streets were covered in debris, and tears started to fall down his cheeks.

"What have I missed," he whispered as his hands came to his face. His head dropped and he just knelt there. He stayed in that position until he heard the sound of soft leather soles touching the ground. His head lifted and what he saw chilled his blood.

Walking towards him was a creature that he hadn't seen in many years. It was a lizard like man beast, and it was walking towards him with its weapon leveled at Akarik. Akarik growled softly as he watched the creature. He knew that by the way the creature was moving it felt it was in total control. He knew that it felt as if Akarik were inferior but what it didn't know was that Akarik was no longer human, not completely.

"You there ssssstand up and come with me," it hissed as it's tongue flicked out to taste the air and hopefully catch the taste of fear that it had so become used to when confronted by a human. He didn't catch the taste though instead he tasted anger on the air.

"You heard me sssapien, come quietly and I won't have to kill you like we did this city."

That was the last thing that creature ever said. Akarik at those words rushed forward with a speed the creature had never seen and then it felt Akarik's hand close on it's throat crushing the windpipe and keeping the much needed nectar called air from reaching the lungs which started to burn.

"Die creature, die and take all your kind with you!!" Akarik then ripped the throat from the being and felt the hot blood spray his face. He tilted his head back and sighed as the metallic laced lifeblood touched his tongue. He licked the blood from his lips savoring the taste of his enemy.

Akarik then coughed as he realized what he was doing. No I can't be liking that I can't, he denied to himself.

Akarik then continued into the town that had been his home but was now little more than a graveyard. There were only the shadows of buildings, reflecting their once great selves. Timbers lay strewn about like the bones of so many beasts and rubble lay where it had fallen as if to mark the graves of the people lying beneath it.

His steps were heavy as if he carried the weight of all the dead in the city on his shoulders. Each step seemed harder to take as he gazed at the remains of buildings he used to frequent and at houses of people he had known. Now everything there was gone and the people but ghosts.

How could it have happened he wondered to himself as his gaze swept the empty town what seemed the thousandth time. They had one of the best armies in the known galaxy. They should not have lost but they had, and now he knew that he was one of the only survivors.

His steps continued to carry him through the town when he heard the sound of cheering and yelling but it didn't sound normal. It sounded like so many snakes hissing, at least if snakes could vocalize words and keep the hiss as well. It was hard to describe but it was enough for Akarik as he started towards the sound.

Meia sat at the table poking at her food but not really eating. In fact the food sitting in front of her had been there for a little over a half hour and Misty was sure that Meia had only taken a bite maybe two. She hated to see her big sister acting this way and she wondered what it was about the new guy that made them all so . . . so school girl like was all that she could come up with.

Misty herself had to admit that he was handsome and quite unique. She found herself wanting to spend time with him but currently that was impossible. He was in the care of Duero and he wasn't recovering yet. Misty sighed as she leaned against the wall watching her big sister. Akarik was definitely interesting, she decided, since he had made Meia act in a way most unlike her.

As she stood there her thoughts lost, Layla stepped up and touched her gently on the arm breaking her out of her reverie. "Sorry to disturb your thoughts Misty but I wanted to talk to you."

"It's alright . . ." Misty drug out the word.

"Layla, the name's Layla," Layla supplied the name for Misty who obviously didn't know.

"Thanks. Layla. What did you want to talk about," Misty asked turning to walk out of the room.

Layla stopped her though with a motion of her head to take a seat at a nearby unoccupied table. Misty got the hint and sat down but not before grabbing a piece of chocolate cake to munch on.

"So what's this about," Misty asked around a mouthful of cake.

"It's about a couple of different things really. First off I'm just curious how it is possible for two worlds to exist where men and women are so far apart," Layla asked. She chuckled then at the look on Misty's face, the look that said I have no idea what you just asked me. "Let me explain. What I mean is that neither one lives with the other. A world of women and a world of men, each devoid of the other. It seems like something out of a book or something."

"Yes I suppose it does seem a bit weird, . . . alright it is weird I won't deny it. I thought it was off the wall too. It seems though that is the way that they wanted it when they settled the planets. I don't know much about it though," Misty said.

"I see," Layla mused. "Well no matter I'm sure though that me and my husband have caused quite a stir."

"You have no idea," Misty said giggling as she thought of some of the gossip on the ship.

"What do you mean," Layla asked raising a eyebrow.

"Well the girls on the bridge have taken to secretly watching you and studying you to see what it is all about this hanging out with men. You see they used to hate men and then Hibiki and the others were found and joined the crew. At least it seems after a lot of hard work and being prisoners for quite some time. Anyway that is a story for another time. They are finding it very different that you and your husband are so close and that you kiss in the halls on this ship and that apparently you make funny noises at night in your quarters," This Misty said blushing furiously.

Layla laughed aloud and then looked at Misty, "Wow I didn't know they were keeping that close of tabs on us."

"Oh yes it is getting bad. They have even discussed putting you on watch, having someone watching and recording everything that you two do. I don't think that they will though," Misty added at the look on Layla's face. "Don't worry I think it is a good thing that you two are here and that way you can show everyone here what it used to be like and what it is like on other planets where men and women co-exist."

"I hope so. I would like to help them all learn if that is what is necessary." Layla paused for a few moments and then spoke up, "What is between you and Meia? I know it isn't my business but you seemed so sad watching her just now that I have to ask."

Misty paused before answering. She didn't really want to tell Layla how close her and Meia were but she didn't see any harm in it either. The problem was that she wanted to help her big sister but she didn't know how. Misty also didn't know why Layla wanted to know but she was sure it wasn't for any bad reason. She finally decided it was alright to tell her, after mulling it over just a bit more. "I call her my big sister. You see she was kind to me when few on this ship were and she helped me out. I . . . I just don't like seeing her like this. See she isn't normally like you see her. She is normally so strong and sure. She is the leader of the dread teams and a terrific one at that." Misty glanced over to where Meia had been sitting only to see that she had gone and Misty hadn't even noticed.

Misty felt tears start to gather but she fought hard to keep them in check. She didn't want to be weak in front of their guest she didn't but . . . but it was so hard when her rock was acting so different. Misty felt her eyes start to grow hot and her vision blurred as the tears gathered and fell anyway against her will. Her shoulders started to shake with sobs then and she buried her head in her hands.

Layla looked around only to see that the cafeteria was empty. She sighed inwardly to herself. She stood up and moved around the table to sit next to Misty. She placed her hand on Misty's head and started to smooth her hair. "Shh . . . Misty it is alright. Don't cry there is no reason to. Meia will be fine. I promise."

Misty lifted her head and sniffed. "You think so," she asked so innocently that it nearly broke Layla's heart. She had forgotten what it was like to be young and innocent. She had been a hunter for way too long. Since she was twenty, that was about twelve years ago.

Layla took and pulled Misty into a hug and Misty put her head on Layla's shoulder. She was still crying but it wasn't as bad now. She was getting it under control, and Layla just held her like Layla knew Misty needed.

"Meia is acting like this b . . .b . . . because of the new man on the ship. She is sad that he is hu . . . hu . . .hurt and not healing. She wishes she could do . . . do something for . . . for him," Misty sniffed.

"Is that all?"

Misty nodded her head into Layla's shoulder.

"Well if that is all we can fix that. We just need to get him up and feeling better right, then everyone will be back to normal."

"How are we going to to that," Misty asked as she pulled out of Layla's embrace and wiped her eyes.

"Can you believe how they act? It is amazing," Celtic said as she sat at the console Belvedere by her side, looking slightly bored.

"I know but it is a nice change from watching Dita and Hibiki even though that is always fun and educational," Belvedere said as she checked to make sure there were no enemies nearby, her job was so boring sometimes.

"Yeah that is true. I like Hibiki though he is nice in his own rough way," Celtic said softly, not looking at her companion.

"That is true, I suppose."

"I mean he is always trying very hard to be kind to Dita even though he does yell an awful lot. I suppose it is a good thing that she can take it. Of course," Celtic mused, "if he continues to yell like that all the time he is going to make his voice hoarse and not be able to talk."

Belvedere had a twinkle in her eye at the thoughts that came to her head at that. "It would be funny to see him running around trying to shout wouldn't it," she giggled and her companion joined in.

The two of them were really good friends of course it was only natural since they worked together for so long. They had been friends for years and together with most of the crew had been through some tough times. In fact that had even made it through the invasion of the earthlings, which had been quite frightening.

They continued to giggle at the image of Hibiki. The image of him waving his arms about wildly trying to explain with his arms what he couldn't with his voice because he had lost it due to all the yelling he did. As their giggles subsided then to an occasional chuckle a soft blip was heard.

"What?" Belvedere asked confused as she heard it a second time.

"What is it Belvedere," Celtic asked her brow furrowed in worry. Just once it would be nice to have a trip go as planned.

"Just a second," Belvedere said preoccupied. She checked the sensors and boards and saw on the radar a good thirty enemies appear. All of the type they had fought not too long ago. All of the type that had given them quite a beating. The type that looked like dragons.

"Oh god no!"

"What is it," Celtic asked as she leaned over her friends shoulder to look. "Oh jeez. We need to let the captain know! Now!"

"I know tell her while I continue to monitor this to see how close they are okay."

"You got it," Celtic said as she started to speak into the speakers.

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Akarik lay on the bed still unmoving still unconscious. Meia sighed yet again. It seemed like she had done that a thousand times at this bedside. She wasn't even sure why she was here now except that it felt right to be by this man's side. Especially since he had saved her and her friends with no thought to himself. That was something that she had not expected from a man that they had treated as a prisoner.

The man lying in the bed was unlike any man she had ever known. She chuckled to herself at that thought. He was one of the only men that she had ever known. Hibiki, Duero, and Bart were all so different from Akarik. Akarik was strong, he was kind near as she could tell, and he was a man of purpose as well as honor if such a outdated word could be applied to him.

She looked him over yet again and placed her hand on Akarik's forehead to see yet again if perhaps he was sick. Of course he wasn't running a fever, she had known that before she had even placed her hand on his forehead. "Tell us what's wrong Akarik," she pleaded her voice nearly breaking. "Let us help you as you helped us. Let me thank you personally, and let me give you your sword back. Just . . ." she started but couldn't finish the thought.

She trailed her hand from his forehead down his cheek ever so lightly to his shoulder and down his arm to his hand where she clasped it tightly. Her eyes hardened then, "You will come back to us you hear. That is an order."

She nearly laughed at herself then as she realized what she had just said. What was she thinking giving orders to an unconscious man. Just then she felt his hand move ever so slightly. She looked at him with hope but he remained unconscious. For just a moment though she was sure that he had squeezed her hand.

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Duero sat at his computer going over Akarik's blood work for yet another time and he slammed his fist down on the table making the glass of water near him jump and nearly topple. "Why can't I find what is wrong with him." He ran his hands through his hair as he tried to calm himself.

"Duero are you okay," Parfet asked from the doorway.

He whipped around a bit surprised that someone had surprised him. "Oh Parfet hello. I'm fine its just very frustrating trying to understand what is wrong with him."

"I bet. I know what it's like trying to understand a machine that I didn't make. Trying to learn this ship for instance took quite a bit of time but I did finally. Maybe Akarik is just like that. Maybe it is just going to take some time."

"I don't know how much time I have Parfet. It is just so frustrating."

"I"m here if you need to talk," she said as she moved into the room and sat down in a chair next to him. She so wanted to just take him in her arms and hug him but she knew that she couldn't. It didn't change the fact that she still wanted to though.

"Thanks Parfet. You are one of the only people on the ship I can truly talk to and relate to," he said taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand back. "Well if you don't mind I can help."

"That would be appreciated," he said as he stood up and she did as well. When she did her foot caught the edge of the chair and made her unbalanced. She started to fall forward so she stepped forward quickly to regain her balance when she felt his arms around her. "Be careful okay."

"Yeah," she mumbled a bit embarrassed. She was so close but she just couldn't bring herself to hug him. She shook her head then a bit unhappily. This is not the time to be thinking such things she chided herself. A man needed help and she would do what she could.

Just then Kahlua came into the room holding a book that looked ancient. It was probably one of the books that was on the ship when the original people had left earth to find a new home.

"Um . . . hi Duero," Kahlua said holding the book close.

"What is it Kahlua, are you feeling unwell?"

"No I . . . I want to help. I . . . I just want to help."

"Alright," Duero answered walking towards Kahlua. "What do you have there."

"I think it might help you help him Duero. It is a story I found about him," Kahlua said as she glanced up at Duero with hope in her eyes.

Duero sighed knowing that look all too well. He had seen it before after every battle when someone came in to ask about how a friend was. It was a look that he always hated to crush. It was a look that he didn't want to quell in the young girl. She was too young to have to deal with too much loss.

"Well let's see the book," as he held out his hand for her to place the book in.

She reached out and put the book in his hand. He turned it around so that he could read the title. Vampires Are They A Myth? What kind of book is this he wondered to himself as he read the title. Vampires? What the heck were those. He sat down and started to flip through the book quickly scanning the pages.

What he saw and read in those pages was enough to make him wonder what kind of man had written the book. People who drank blood to survive and lived in the darkness. It was absurd. There was nothing like that in the universe. If there was they would likely have encountered it at some point.

Parfet read the same things over his shoulder and was disgusted. Some people had terrible imaginations. The only thing she could think, and she mentally slapped herself for the thought, was that a man had to have wrote it. It was too morbid for a woman to write, at least that is what she thought.

"I don't think that this is going to help a whole lot Kahlua but thank you for trying," Duero said heavily as he sat the book down on the desk.

Kahlua put her hands on her hips and her eyes blazed as only a child's could. The look of outrage that a grown up had once again just taken what she thought as a child's imagination. "How do you know? Did you try it? I . . ." her head dropped then as did her voice to nearly a whisper, "I saw him drink the blood of a creature and become stronger. I saw him bite it in the neck and drink its blood." Her voice sounded distant.

Kahlua had a haunted look about her and at those words Duero could understand why. Parfet's hand came to her mouth unconsciously and then she moved forward and took Kahlua in a hug. "You poor thing. You shouldn't have had to witness something like that."

Kahlua hugged Parfet back as her body shook due to the cold chill creeping up her spine at the memory of watching her friend rip into the neck of the massive creature and drink its blood. She shivered at the memory of how he looked with the blood dripping down his chin. She closed her eyes to try and block out the image but of course it didn't work because it was a memory.

"Do you really think this will work Kahlua," Duero asked seriously.

She nodded her head. Her wounds had been healed by Duero quite a while ago but her friend still lay unconscious. She didn't like that. She didn't like not being able to talk with him and she didn't like the way Meia was acting. She seemed so sad. She was like Kahlua herself was when she didn't get the cookie she wanted or she lost her favorite doll.

"Captain you need to see this," Celtic's voice blared into Magno's room.

Magno groaned at the urgency in the voice. "Now what is it?"

"Captain it is the enemy. There are at least 30 ships headed towards us and it looks as if they are prepared for battle!"

"Scramble the dread teams! Prepare for battle! I'll meet you on the deck and get BC up there as well."

"Understood Captain. Do you want to . . ." Celtic didn't get to finish as she heard the captains voice over the intercom.

"Dread teams scramble. The enemy is on their way here and battle is eminent. You know the drill ladies. There is no dying on my ship you hear."

Most of the crew instantly went to battle stations. They had been there when earth had wanted to attack their homes and so this was nothing new to them. Many ran by the infirmary but none stopped to glance in at the man that lay there unconscious.

Hibiki and Dita who had been in her room came running out. He was trying to straighten his shirt while running which was quite a funny sight. Layla laughed a bit as she watched him bump into the wall of the ship and curse, "Damn it all!"

"Is he always like that," Layla asked Misty.

"Yeah."

"I see. No wonder everyone is glad that he is around."

"Mr. Alien wait for me," Dita called as she ran after him. He had a small lead on her but she too had come from her room. Her hair was a bit disheveled.

"Damn it there is no time to be waiting around! There is an enemy out there," Hibiki yelled at her as she started to gain on him. He turned around and almost looked panicked.

"Let's combine and . . ." she didn't get to finish as he interjected.

"Don't say that out loud where people can hear you!"

"Come on we'll combine and beat them alright," she said slightly curious as she tilted her head to the side.

"Oh yeah alright we'll kick their asses!" He yelled full of energy as always. Dita and Hibiki ran down the hall hand and hand and Layla just smiled at the antics of the two young people. She knew that they were in love but most likely Hibiki at least didn't even know it. If he had been raised on a planet with just men then his chances of truly understanding certain feelings and emotions would be very slim.

"Let's get going to the infirmary alright Misty," Layla said.

"Yeah let's get going."

Inside the infirmary though someone still sat holding the hand of the unconscious Akarik. Meia watched as people ran by and knew that she had to go and join the battle but . . . but she didn't want to just leave Akarik. She knew that she would come back but if he took a turn for the worse . . . she didn't want to think about it.

"What should I do?" she asked him but knew that there would be no response. Just then though she felt a slight bit of pressure on her hand. It wasn't much but it was something. It was the first signs of waking up that he had shown and she was thrilled. "What does it mean?"

She sat for just a moment more before she knew what she had to do. "My duty comes first Akarik. I think you would understand that." She stood for a moment gazing down at the man. She smiled down at him slightly and kissed her hand. She then placed her hand on his lips and turned and walked out preparing herself for battle. It was time Meia was her old self and she knew it. It was time to be the dread leader and defeat her enemies. It was time to protect her friends.