Lyris’ eyes widened and ears raised with an excited twitch when she heard Kir's proclamation. She had just met her today and at the mention of the prophecy said they'd start with the freeing of Serenfolia. She hadn't even asked her to do so. She took it upon herself with no hesitation. Lyris held back the tears starting to form in her ducts. She could finally go home. Her people could finally be free.
Lyris was glad when the conversation transitioned to the sleeping arrangement. She wasn't sure how long she could contain the emotions that were boiling to the surface. She gave Kir a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, sister.” Was all she said before disappearing from her side in a blur making a dash to the crew bunk. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and began to pray.
Kir barely had a moment to process before Lyris was gone from sight. That did at least clear up the question she’d forgotten to ask about her gift from Serenfolia. So, she was a speedster and a thief. That might just come in handy in the future, if she chose to stay on for the real rebellion beyond liberating her home planet. Though, all things considered, Kir wouldn’t have blamed her if she chose to stay on Serenfolia and help rebuild once the empire’s grip on the planet was gone.
Prophecy aside, liberating Serenfolia was a somewhat selfish endeavour. As X’hondria’s sister planet, she hoped the Serennians might be willing to provide sanctuary to any X’hondrians their rebellion managed to free. Even if they ultimately failed to overthrow the empire, freeing even a handful of X’hondrians would still be worth whatever came of their failure. It would be a chance to rebuild, and perhaps offer the kind of hope that would spark courage in those still shackled. If they knew there was somewhere safe they could go, maybe they would jump at the chance to escape just as she had. That would be enough.
“I don't think you ever could.” Harrison said instinctively to Kir's remark about not losing her touch. He turned away nervously before looking back when she asked him what was on his mind. “We can do the debrief before we all call it a night. If it even is night right now. Anyway, we still need to tell them what our plan is so they could sleep on their options. Both literally and figuratively. But that's not what I called you back here to talk about. I wanted to give you this.”
Even if they hadn’t been bonded, Kir could have felt the nervousness rolling off him in waves. Still, she sensed nothing negative from him. If anything, he seemed almost joyful under it. Or maybe that was excitement? He was quickly learning to mask his thoughts, and while she could still read his emotional state quite easily, she would have had to press harder to get any more than that. Given the open connection between them, she tried her best not to pry and invade his mental space.
Harrison reached into his pocket and pulled out the obsidian diamond bracelet that Lyris had snatched for him earlier. “I saw this and thought of you. I wanted you to have jewelry that represented your freedom and complemented how beautiful you are.”
And even with the bond, he still surprised her. It was, in a way, part of the upside of not pushing further into his mind than what was on the surface. He was genuine enough that she could trust what floated to the top without thinking too hard about what he might be masking.
Kir smiled softly, colour rising in her cheeks as she ducked her head for a moment in embarrassment. She took the bracelet gently, holding it up and turning it to see all sides of it in the light. It was beautiful, to say the least. Possibly more beautiful than anything she’d ever worn before, though perhaps that was more a fact that it came with no weight of oppression. This was a gift given with genuine affection and seemingly no expectations. In the palace, a gift was never just a gift; there was always a caveat to any favouritism.
“This is… I don’t even know what word to use,” Kir chuckled to herself at her loss for words. “Beautiful doesn’t seem to encapsulate it. Yes, it is gorgeous, but it’s…meaningful, too. There’s not a word for that in Genspeak or English. There’s a word in my mother tongue, but it doesn’t translate very well; it’s too nuanced. You know my history, and you already keep finding ways to try to undo the damage. I don’t know what our future holds, but I hope one day I get to repay that favour because it hardly feels like enough to just say ‘thank you’.”
Harrison was hit with a wave of relief. He was worried she wouldn't like it or that it might remind her of her time with the empire. But instead she loved it in ways she couldn't completely express. He wasn't sure himself if there was more to it than a gesture of friendship and freedom. He couldn't deny that he was mesmerized by her the moment their eyes met. And their connection was already something greater and more profound than he had experienced on Earth. But Kir didn't owe him anything. Not her love and certainly not a thank you. Even if she hadn't promised to help him remove this armor he would've freed her regardless. Everyone deserved to have their own free will and autonomy and he'd never take either from her.
“You don't owe me anything.” He finally said, approaching her to help her put the bracelet on. “You've already opened my eyes to a whole galaxy I wouldn't have gotten to know without you. I'm living mine and every archeologist and explorer's dream. You've already given me the gift of a lifetime.”
Kir’s heart fluttered as he wrapped the bracelet around her wrist. The care with which he handled the bracelet as he gently steadied her wrist while he clasped it. Whatever this feeling was, she wasn’t ready to name it, but she did trust him with it. He’d done nothing but treat her with kindness and respect, and had given no indication that it was disingenuous.
Holding her wrist to her chest, she looked at him affectionately, “Well then, at the very least I want to make the galaxy safely traversable for you to explore to your heart’s delight.”
No. Harrison was wrong. Her words confirmed it. He had deep romantic feelings for her. It wasn't even the X'honnar that did it. It was just who she was as a person. Their connection went deeper than their minds. The moment those words crossed her lips all he could think about was exploring the galaxy with her. But for now he'd hold those feelings within. He refused to force his own feelings onto her.
She glanced around, but the others were both busy with their own things. Lyris was, presumably, still in her room and Zev was still in the cockpit probably going over the navigation chart before he handed the guidance off to the ship’s autopilot for the night. A timekeeper on the wall in the kitchen showed it was getting late by the standard of universal time.
“We should talk to the others,” Kir suggested. “It’s late, and you and I have already had a long enough day. We both need a chance to process…well, everything. I’ll get Zev if you get Lyris.”
Harrison nodded and left the kitchen with a smile. He was walking on air, almost literally. He made his way to the crew bunk and knocked on the door to get Lyris’ attention.
Lyris had just finished her prayer when Harrison knocked on the door. “Coming!” She called before standing up from her kneeling position. “Thank you.” she whispered to herself before walking to the door and opening it.
“I was starting to get worried. It took you a while to open the door.” Harrison teased.
“Ha ha.” Lyris laughed sarcastically. “I don't run all the time. But you needed something, Captain?”
Captain. Yes, he had taken the Captain's Quarters but it never really set in that he might be looked at by the others as the captain. The only place he's been a leader in was the classroom and people did try to look at him as one when he became a hero on Earth, but he was really just helping when people needed him. But he had to accept the fact that he was about to be a leader of a rebellion that he decided he wanted. “Yeah, Kir and I want to talk to you and Zev about something before we all rest for the night.”
Lyris looked down to see that Harrison was already comfortable and ready for bed. “Well, let's not keep your sleep waiting.” she said, following him to the meeting area.
Meanwhile, Kir had lingered behind just to take in the moment for a little longer. She looked down at her wrist, the dark stone of the bracelet standing out in such stark contrast to her pale skin. She still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it, around him. With a sigh, she dropped her arm again and went to find Zev in the cockpit. Pausing in the open doorway, she knocked lightly on the wall just inside.
”Hey. Got a sec?” Kir asked.
”Yeah, of course. What’s up?” Zev turned away from the console to give her his full attention.
“Harrison and I are gathering everyone in the kitchen. Just wanna run some stuff by you before we all call it a night,” she explained.
“Well, the autopilot’s set, so there’s nothing keeping me here.”
The two of them made their way back into the kitchen, the only real communal communal space on the ship. Kir looked to Harrison, nodding as Zev got settled.
“Do you want to do this or do you want me?” She asked, offering to take the lead if he didn’t want it. So far, they’d done everything together, and she wasn’t going to immediately dump the leadership position solely on his shoulders.
“I'll take it.” Harrison said, stepping forward and clearing his throat. “First, we want to thank you for jumping on a stolen ship with a couple of strangers and trusting me, especially, with this armor. Second, before we met you two Kir and I decided on starting a rebellion and bringing down the Empire. Honestly, the moment I learned about what's going on out here I knew I needed to do something to stop it. I know it’s risky and probably a suicide mission from Hell, that's the Earth's final destination for bad people, but we're doing it and we're giving you the option of joining us or parting ways with us once we finish the drop. You don't have to answer now. Sleep on it if you need to.”
Harrison stepped back and almost reached for Kir's hand for comfort, but stopped himself. He was nervous, but he reminded himself that he couldn't just touch her whenever he wanted. He tried to watch the expressions on their faces to get an idea of what they were going to decide.
Lyris couldn't believe her ears. First Kir offered to liberate Serenfolia and now Harrison, the human, was saying the words she never expected to hear in her lifetime. A rebellion. The fall of the empire. The prophecy. The galaxy would know peace again. So many thoughts were running through her mind and hearts. She fell to her knees in tears of joy and gratitude. Her prayers were answered quicker than she imagined. “The Galaxy will know Peace again.” But instead of saying it Genspeak she said it in the language of the old tribe, in the language of the prophecy.
Zev was wholly unsurprised. He wasn’t expecting it to come out five minutes after they took off, but a free X’hondrian toting around a broken enforcer from Earth was just too weird. He knew they were trouble, but then again he liked trouble. He’d told Kir flat out he didn’t like easy women. Still, his self-preservation instinct was screaming to cut his losses and run. No one just decided to go toe-to-toe with the empire, and those two had barely been off Earth for five minutes. Neither of them had any idea what things were like in the empire. But, he had a growing fondness for the X’hondrian, and if she believed in the human who freed her, what was stopping him? It’s not like he had much sense of direction before. He was just trying to make ends meet and stay off the empire’s radar.
Kir stepped away from Harrison immediately, drawn not only by Lyris’ outburst, but also the sound of words in a language that should have been long dead given the empire’s quest for complete control. Either Lyris was older than she thought, or she was exactly as important as Kir thought she was. The only reason Kir herself knew it was because she’d been tracking to be a historian of cultures and languages, and one of her specialties was the origins of their two tribes. X’hondrian history was long, though, and it took decades to become an expert. She never finished her education track before the empire invaded…
Turning quickly to look at Harrison apologetically and then back to Zev as she admitted, “I may have also unilaterally decided we would start with liberating Serenfolia when Lyris and I talked. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Harrison.”
She dropped down to her knees in front of Lyris, gently gathering her into her arms to just hold her through it. Kir had to imagine there was so much unexpressed grief pent up, and the dam had finally broken to let it all come flooding out. She just sat there on the floor with her, rocking gently.
“Well, that might be the most normal thing that has happened today,” Zev shrugged, watching Kir and Lyris. “Look, I’m just a pilot. I go where the money is and the empire isn’t. Trying to overthrow a well-established empire wasn’t exactly on my to-do list. That said… Who knows? Maybe you two are the thing that’s been missing from every other attempt. You’re either cleverer than you look, or you dumber than a drunk Nosfarian. Maybe a little of both. Either way, I’m curious.”
Harrison wasn't expecting either of their reactions, especially Lyris’. This was not the same woman he met on the station. So confident and strong, but now looking at her like this had him realizing how much she and everyone else in the galaxy were holding inside. Just the smallest glimmer of hope was enough for it all to come out. He watched as Kir went to comfort her and turned his attention to Zev. “I'm glad to have your curiosity and we don't really have the need for credits unless we're buying something for the crew so you can have what we get from the drop. I can't guarantee a rebellion would line your pockets, but back on Earth war is the most profitable business. As it grows, who knows what we'll be paid to do.” He decided not to let Zev know just how much money he and Kir had on them yet. With money being his primary motive he could easily rob them and leave them on their mission of doom.
Zev scoffed, muttering to himself, “Well, money isn’t the only thing of value in the universe.”
Friendship didn’t pay the bills, and certainly being part of the core team behind a rebellion wasn’t going to make the empire any easier to traverse, but the value of the people right there on that ship was beyond quantifiable. Any one of them alone was worth more money than he could ever hope to make in a lifetime, but together? Working and collaborating and functioning as a team, there was safety in that. Harrison and Kir had made it through the station entirely under the guise of being an enforcer and an accompanying slave with little information to accurately base their farce upon - impressive to say the least, so who knew what they might be capable of once they got their legs under them? And Lyris? A Serennian? That went without saying. Maybe he was usually in it for the money, but this little endeavour might well just prove itself worth more than all the coin in an imperial vault. A free galaxy meant he was free to do as he pleased again without constantly looking over his shoulder. And maybe he’d make it out the other side with a proper ship he could call his own, and that was worth a bit of risk. He’d sleep on it before he gave a final answer, but he was leaning toward sticking around. He could always bail if things got too hairy.
Harrison then knelt down next to Kir and Lyris. “You helped me put a smile on Kir's face today, Lyris. We'll definitely save your home first.”
Lyris lifted her head to look at both of them. She couldn't believe the blessing she received today. Just when she was ready to give up on a search many believed was foolish, they came to her. She wiped her tears with her shirt and stood up to give them her official answer. “Thank you, Harrison and Kir. I'm with you til the end.”
Kir picked herself up off the floor again, looking at Zev, “I hope you’ll stick around for more than the money.”
”Well, if you’re the one asking, how can I say no?” Zev flashed her a playful smirk. “I’ll give you a real answer in the morning. I’m gonna sleep on it, and if that little crying jag is any evidence I think we all need some shut eye.”
”Agreed,” Kir nodded. “I’m bunking up with Lyris. I left you the first officer’s quarters, Zev. Figured you’d be more comfortable with a little extra space to move around.”
”Pretty and thoughtful. You’re a keeper, KK,” Zev said as he stood and departed.
“I’m going to take that as my cue. Good night, Harrison,” Kir said. She hesitated a moment before pulling him into a hug, relaxing into it and whispering just to him, “Thank you for everything today.”
Out of all of the unexpected things to happen to him today, Kir hugging him was the most unexpected and most welcomed. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. He gained three new friends and possibly family. A hastily assembled crew of Galaxy Liberators. Harrison finally responded to her thank you with a whispered, “You're welcome and thank you for the adventure.”
Harrison pulled back from the hug and headed to the Captain's Quarters to get adjusted to his new room.
Lyris stood there as a third wheel as Kir and Harrison hugged each other. Once Harrison left she locked her arm into Kir's and gave her a smile. “You ready?”
”Yeah,” Kir nodded, returning her smile.
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