Free Enterprise - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner! - Chapter 50
The Anasazi Quad was starting to look and feel like Grand Central Station. At 1725 hours Rodger and three subordinates arrived with two antigrav carts laden with food, dishes, silver and glassware, and two portable tables. In fifteen minutes they had everything set up buffet style.
“When the dinner is over, just call The Pepper Pot and ask for me. I'll come back and clean up for you. Okay?” Rodger said as he waved and exited.
Practically on their heels came the Khans. Khan was carrying the high chairs and baby things, while Sabra carried the twins Saleem and Ahsa in a papoose like carrier on her back. Tamara and Xena helped unload the kits and settled down with them on the sofa, while Khan and Sabra set up the chairs.
Tyr had finished dressing and had checked the stew for about the fiftieth time when the chime sounded yet again. Xena answered the door and it was Harper with his wife Monique. She smiled, bid them to enter just as Tyr entered the living room. Tyr pinned Monique with one of his infamous stares, and Monique stared right back at Tyr. And he knew!
He was about to speak when suddenly he heard in his mind:
“TYR!” It was none other than Tamara, who was standing behind him and had her right hand on his left shoulder.
“In the kitchen, Tyr! Now! Please!” she insisted telepathically. Tyr mightily resisted the urge to swear in his home dialect, excused himself and followed Tamara to the kitchen. Once the door whisked closed they faced each other.
“Tyr, you can't have that look on your face every time I talk to you telepatically.” Tam whispered. Mindful of how many sets of sensitive ears were just beyond the door.
“What look?” Tyr demanded. Tamara shushed him with a finger across her lips.
“Like someone pinched your posterior. Even though you are not telepathic you must remember your Katas. Kata number one is maintain a neutral expression.” Tamara said quietly. She mirrored her mind's eye view of Tyr to him. He had to admit, he did look dumbstruck.
“Kata number two is keep your thoughts to yourself especially around a telepath.” Tamara continued.
“What telepath? She is Niet. . . . . . .” Tyr started.
“Monique is telepathic.” Tamara said.
“Are you certain?” Tyr asked, aghast
“As certain as the points on my ears.” Tamara replied. “What were you going to say?” she asked as an after thought and frowned.
“She is Nietzschean.” Tyr replied.
“OMG! How is that even possible? Nietzscheans are supposed to be perfect. So, what is the ratio of a telepathic gene showing up in a small segment of the population?” Tamara asked. Tyr sighed and looked away.
“It is probably similar to the ratio of albinos born to Homo Sapians. I cannot say for sure. There were no studies done because this harkens back to a very dark time in Nietzschean history. So dark, it has been purposely left out of our historical accounts. When the first telepath was discovered, soon afterward the child, it's parents and siblings disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.” Tyr intoned direly.
“OMG! Why? What did they do to warrant such?” Tamara cried, as she covered her mouth with her hands. She dreaded what she was about to hear next.
“They did nothing but come into the world crying and screaming with a hunger to live. It was all a misunderstanding. What people do not understand they hate and fear. Often what they hate and fear, they kill.” Tyr replied as a lone tear slid down his left cheek. Tamara used her hand to wipe it away.
“Nietzscheans killing Nietzscheans?” Tamara asked in a hushed whisper.
“For all of our perfection we Nietzscheans have one glaring fault. We are paranoid. The last thing a race of paranoid people need are telepaths living among them.” Tyr whispered hoarsely.
“But Vulcans live and work with Nietzscheans . . . . .” Tamara replied.
“But Vulcans are touch telepaths and have strictures against using their talent against an unwilling party.” Tyr said.
“So, exactly what happened?” Tamara asked.
“It was called The Cleansing. A nice name for what was in actuality an outright slaughter. Entire families were wiped out. The rest fled in droves taking families, friends and supporters. We woke up one morning and approximately one fourth of our population was just gone. My father Barbarossa issued an edict putting an immediate halt to the carnage. We know they still exist, but we do not know where they are. It is rumored that they live and thrive in The Badlands, and other nearly inaccessible and inhospitable places in the universe. Many have volunteered to have their boneblades removed in order to blend in with Human society.” Tyr continued.
“So you think Monique is one of them?” Tamara asked.
“I know she is one of them.” Tyr replied. Monique had worn a tasteful hunter green pantsuit. The suit jacket had long sleeves. Had she possessed boneblades, the sleeves would've have been specially tailored with slits to accommodate them.
“You be nice to her Tyr.” Tamara warned.
“She has nothing to fear from me, Tam. It was Pride Orca and Pride Dragon who did the deed, thus have blood on their hands. Pride Kodiak extended it's sphere of protection over Pride X, so such an atrocity will never occur again.” Tyr said.
“Pride X?” Tamara queried
“Yes, they have formed their own pride, however no one knows it's name.” Tyr replied.
“Do they at least know that they are protected?” Tamara asked.
“I suspect they do. They have their own communications network which is supposedly swifter and more efficient than subspace transmissions.” Tyr stated. “In fact, I believe they named it, the Moccasin Telegraph.” he added.
“That's odd. That's what the Old Earth Plains Indians called their communications network.” Tamara replied. “They probably do it by telepathic relay.” she continued.
“it is also rumored that every off-planet member of Pride X knows where home base is, and will not divulge it's location. Even under the pain of extreme torture and death.” Tyr continued.
“OMG! That means someone tried to . . . . . .” Tamara started.
“Yes, and Barbarossa had the malefactors hunted down, caught and executed to be an example to all Nietzscheans that such a thing will never be tolerated, ever.” Tyr sadly intoned.
“Aye Dios Mio! Now wonder Monique was so frightened! It was not for herself, it was for her Pride!” Tamara thought to herself.
“I think we better get back. Our guests may just get tired of waiting for us and start without us.” Tamara said. “I definitely want to hear more about this at another time.” she whispered to Tyr as they walked out of the kitchen arm in arm.
Back in the living room everyone was getting acquainted. Monique had Asha in her lap, and Harper had Saleem. Khan, Xena and Sabra were chatting. All conversation stopped when Tamara and Tyr walked back into the room. Both Harper and Monique whispered to the kids, put them down and they scampered to their parents.
Seamus took hold of his spouses hand, stood and stepped up to Tyr, Tamara, and Xena.
“Tyr Anasazi Tamara, and Xena, please meet my wife Monique.” Harper said. Monique smiled and executed a little curtsy.
“My, I haven't seen one of those in ages. I wonder who taught it to her.” Tamara thought to herself, safely tucked behind her mental shields.
“Greetings Tyr Anasazi out of Victoria by Barbarossa.” she said softly. Tyr was mildly surprised.
"Harper has taught her well." Tyr thought and smiled.
“And you are. . . . .” Tyr started verbally. Prompting her to quote her bloodline. She hesitated and took a deep breath.
“I am just Monique Harper for now.” she replied. Tyr gazed back at her intently.
She was perhaps two inches taller than Harper, and of Earth Afro-American decent. She had very dark mahogany brown skin, large almond shaped brown eyes, a round face and sported “baby” dreadlocks. Some with an untrained eye would say she was a fitness freak, but Tyr and Tamara knew better. The tasteful green suit cleverly hid a Nietzscheans super enhanced body.
Each Nietzschean Pride had a regional accent. She may have skillfuly hidden her pride by not revealing it's name, but he picked up the slight and distinct twang of the Nez-Perz Pride. Tyr wondered if he should press further.
“Tyr. This is a dinner, not an inquisition.” he heard Tamara mind whisper to him. Tamara was well aware that Tyr was anxious to get to the bottom of this mystery, and so was she. But now, was not the appropriate time.
“Welcome to my Pride, my home and under our protection.” Tyr said. At first there was silence as everyone froze in place. All of a sudden the air was split with the sound of the door's buzzer. For wont of something to do, Tyr answered the door.
The door slid open to reveal Captain Dylan Hunt. He was all spiffyed up and dressed to the nines in a black jean jacket, matching jeans, boots and black shirt. Tyr leaned forward and looked out into the corridor saw no one and frowned at his friend.
“I do recall telling you that you could bring a guest.” Tyr said.
“I asked Trance but she was busy. I asked Bekka, but she'd just arrived two hours ago. If she can get away, she will be here.” Dylan said as he shrugged.
“Come, Dylan. I will introduce you to my wives.” Tyr said. They had just turned away from the door and were heading to the dining room when the door buzzed again. This time Tyr did swear in his mind.
“Tyr!” Tamara thought back at him. And though she was obviously younger than him Monique scowled at him like a disapproving grandmother.
“I'll get it!” Sabra said as she sailed by. One second later they heard the excited chatter of three female voices and Tyr smiled as Bekka flew into his arms. Trance followed suit.
“Hey! Don't I get a hug too?” Dylan asked of Bekka once she was finished.
“Yeah, I gotha hug alright! Take that!” Rebbecca Valentine Captain of the USS Aurora Borealis said, as she whacked Captain Dylan Hunt upside the back of his head with the palm of her hand.
“Hey! That hurt!” Dylan exclaimed.
“That's for standing me up at Hell's Gate.” Bekka replied.
“Hell's Gate! That was. . . . That was . . . . . . . 4 years ago . . . !” Dylan defended.
“Never stand a woman up, because they will NEVER forget or let you forget it!” His older brother used to warn him. Here was positive proof.
“Yeah, and you no call, you no write. . . . .” Bekka returned, as she attempted to whack him again. Dylan sidled away just in time to avoid the blow by using one of Tyr's techniques. Both Tyr and Khan smiled.
“Excuse me everyone! Dinner is served, so please line up and grab a plate.” Tamara pleasantly announced. Everyone was briefly torn between watching the drama at hand or eating. However, the smell of delicious food caused eating to win out. So, everyone filed into the dining room.
SALEEM & ASHA
Okay! Remember the warning at the start of this chapter? Here I will "try" to explain all of the inconsistencies.
1. According to Andromeda CANNON: Nietzscheans do not marry outside of their race. Why? Because they want to maintain or enhance the purity and perfection of their race, not diminish it. But for the sake of “Free Enterprise” my characters and “one borrowed one” ( you figure out who :=} ) do.
2. According to Andromeda CANNON: There are NO SUCH THING as telepathic Nietzscheans. Another idea I cooked up for the sake of “Free Enterprise”.
3. Fleeing in the face of persecution, would Nietzscheans do that? I believe they would. Flee, gather forces and strength to fight another day. Yes, this was another idea of mine, although “Ancestor's Breath” states that Nietzscheans are fierce warriors and thus the Tele-Nietzscheans as a whole would stand and fight their own down to the last man. But, what would be the purpose of that? Such a waste of valuable life and potential. Just my opinion folks. That's why I portrayed them the way I did.
4. The loss of boneblades is Andromeda CANNON. By the third season of Andromeda ( not sure which episode - but will find out ) Tyr had lost his. There was no real explanation given as to how or why. They were just gone ( ::broken-hearted:: ). I have also read several accounts which stated that some Nietzscheans had voluntarily allowed their boneblades to removed in order to appear more Human.
5. The Badlands: What is it? The badlands ARE Star Trek CANNON and according to Star Trek Memory Alpha it is: Located dangerously near the Cardassian border, the unstable region of space known as the Badlands has long been a hazard to interstellar navigation, characterized by violent plasma storms and other even stranger phenomena. Many starships have faced destruction there, including at least two incarnations of the Starship Enterprise ( an interstellar version of the Bermuda Triangle?).
My Note: It is also where “The Masques” ( the Bajoran Resistance ) hid from and initiated their terrorist attacks against the Cardassians during their occupation of Bajor. This area is supposedly uninhabitable BUT Nietzscheans were created to withstand a lot more than mere Human flesh and blood. Yep, I've already got a couple of sequels cooking up in my mind which will address this.
6. Last but not least, I "borrowed" the word "Kata" ( Kah-Tah ) from Karate. According to Wikkipedia the very short definition of the word is: Kata ( or literally: "form" ) is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs.
I apologize for boring you to death with all of this goobledygook, But, I did promise to let you know in detail, what was cannon and what was not. I didn't want to leave anyone out, nor leave the wrong impression.
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