Title: Novus Sun: If I Should See You Tomorrow
Author: Karolyn Gray <kmgray3@aol.com>
ScifiBB/Chat Handle: Gray3
Rating: G
Synopsis: Aeryn's early years in the Peacekeepers
Type: Ficlet?
Spoilers: Relativity
Archiving: Yes
Disclaimers: All Farscape names, characters and other related indicia are the property of Jim Henson Productions, Hallmark Entertainment, Nine Networks, the Scifi Channel and all associated parties. No copyright infringement is intended.
Novus Sun: If I Should See You Tomorrow
By Karolyn Gray
"Aeryn."
"Aeryn!"
"Aeryn Sun!"
"Sir." Aeryn squeaked out as she snapped to attention at the sound of her name being shouted and focused her eyes on the instructor glaring down at her. She swallowed nervously as the dark eyes of Instructor Semmek narrowed, adding an air of menace to the elder Peacekeeper's scarred face.
"Is there a problem, Sun?" Semmek growled.
"No, sir." Aeryn replied instantly, silently hoping that this would appease Semmek. While not an especially imposing Peacekeeper, it was Semmek's well-known brutality towards those who did not do as he ordered that kept his charges in line.
"Then repeat to me what I was just saying." Semmek ordered.
Aeryn swallowed silently cursing herself and lowered her eyes in shame. There was no way to avoid punishment now. All she could hope for was Semmek to be in one of his rare forgiving moods. "I don't know, sir. I...I wasn't paying attention."
" 'I wasn't paying attention.' " Semmek mimicked, his voice mocking her. "That is no excuse. What are you going to say if one day you decide not to pay attention and all your fellow Peacekeepers die?"
Aeryn blinked unable to speak while shaking in fear at the anger in Semmek's voice. Semmek glared down at her for what seemed like a hundred microts before turning to face the other gathered children.
"Because of Aeryn Sun's inattentiveness we will now not be attending this mornings Prowler launches from the observation deck. Instead you will complete two more circuits around the track and then report to firing range six. Now." He barked.
A series of disappointed groans and moans arose from the youngsters, but all complied. Aeryn started to follow the others, trying her best to ignore some of the hateful looks she received, but stopped as a powerful hand grabbed her shoulder and held her in place. "Four laps for you, Sun, and you will only eat food cubes for the remainder of the day. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Aeryn nodded obediently, grateful for Semmek's benevolence. She remembered well the beating he had administered to another trainee for a much less serious offense as inattentiveness. The microt she felt his grip release she was gone, running as fast as her legs would carry her.
*******
"May I sit with you?"
Aeryn looked up from plate of food cubes, absently gnawing on one as she nodded to the dark haired boy standing before her. Djainen Mhasev smiled and settled onto the bench across from her, looking at her food cubes with a look of distaste.
"Are you still mad at me?" Aeryn asked suddenly, glancing over to where the rest of the crèche members were gathered for the midday meal, eating and talking amongst themselves. More than a few shot her some dark looks.
Djainen cocked his head sideways a bit before shaking his head. "No. Semmek will take us to see the flights some other time."
"Yes, but because of me we wont get to see them today." Aeryn replied, grabbing another food cube and ignoring the fact that Djainen had just appropriated several of her cubes for himself.
"Aeryn, what's wrong? You have been acting strange all day." Djainen asked.
"Nothing."
Djainen frowned at that but said nothing. Instead he just stared at her in a way he knew always make her squirm. Aeryn had been one of the first of the trainees to accept him into their crèche after his arrival, while many of the others had treated him disdainfully for being a 'duster'-one born on a planet. He had constantly stayed with her his first few weekens annoying her he was certain, but she had tolerated him nonetheless. That tolerance had soon given away to the friends they were now.
After a few microts of Djainen's inquisitive stare, Aeryn finally gave up. Shrugging she leaned forward. "Promise not to tell anyone?" She asked.
Djainen grinned in triumph and nodded. "My oath."
"A Peacekeeper came to my barracks last night. She said she was my mother." Aeryn whispered.
"You mother?" Djainen repeated in disbelief, being careful to keep his voice low despite his surprise. "That's against regulations."
"I know." Aeryn whispered, looking down at her food cubes.
"So your afraid you'll get in trouble if you tell Semmek she was there." Djainen nodded his head as if that explained everything. "You won't."
"I know. But...I don't want to tell." Aeryn admitted, glancing at her friend uncertainly.
"Oh." Djainen looked dumbfounded for a moment before a small smile crept onto his face. "You're lucky."
"Lucky? How?" Aeryn asked with a confused expression.
"You got to see your mother. I barely remember my mother." Djainen replied with a wistful tone. "At least you may get to see her again."
"It's against the regulations." Aeryn reminded her friend gently, remembering that Djainen was one of a handful of survivors, and the only member of his family, from a farming commune that had been attacked and destroyed by raiders.
"Yes, but you still might get to see her someday; maybe even tomorrow. You're lucky." Djainen replied.
"What are you doing over here Mhasev when your food is over there?" Semmek gravelly voice disturbed the silence that had arisen between the two children. "Well?" Semmek asked, pointing the rest of crèche, who now watched them with a combination of fear and pity. No one liked being on the bad side of Instructor Semmek.
"We're a unit, sir. If one of us is punished we all should be punished." Djainen replied with surprising confidence.
Semmek paused for a long moment before cracking one of his rare, but surprisingly gentle smile. "Carry on then."
As Semmek walked away Aeryn suddenly grinned. "I can't believe you just did that!"
Djainen laughed in return. "Neither can I. C'mon, Aeryn, maybe we can get a round on the KL sims before break is over."
*****
"You did well out there this afternoon, Aeryn Sun." Semmek said. "Well enough to keep your crèche's score high enough to merit a small reward." The gathered children glanced at one another in obvious wonder at what their Instructor meant. They all knew their scores had not been very good during the afternoon drills. "As a reward, tomorrow morning we shall skip the final half arn of physical training to watch Prowler launches. Lights out in a quarter arn." With that Semmek left, leaving the children to talk happily amongst themselves in anticipation for tomorrow.
Aeryn just grinned as number of crèche mates were smiling and nodding to her where an arn before there had been scowls.
"Did good, Sun." Djainen Mhasev said clasping her on the shoulder. Aeryn couldn't help but grin at the deep purple, almost black, bruise on his right cheek. One she had given him when he had gotten too confident as he had in today's games.
"So did you." She replied, absently rubbing her other sore shoulder. Normally Semmek and the other Instructors didn't let them get this physical with each other during the games, but today they had been strangely permissive in letting the children take out their aggressions on one another. Aeryn was certain it had partly been in the hopes that the others would 'encourage' her to stay inline. She couldn't but feel a little smug in the fact that she had bested all her would be attackers.
"I had better report back to the male's barracks. Told you we'd get to see Prowlers." Djainen said as a parting shot as he headed towards the boys section of their crèche's barracks.
'Then maybe I'll see you tomorrow, Mother.' Aeryn thought to herself as she headed towards her bunk.
Continued in Novus Sun Part 2: Flights of Fancy
Author: Karolyn Gray <kmgray3@aol.com>
ScifiBB/Chat Handle: Gray3
Rating: G
Synopsis: Aeryn's early years in the Peacekeepers
Type: Ficlet?
Spoilers: Relativity
Archiving: Yes
Disclaimers: All Farscape names, characters and other related indicia are the property of Jim Henson Productions, Hallmark Entertainment, Nine Networks, the Scifi Channel and all associated parties. No copyright infringement is intended.
Novus Sun: If I Should See You Tomorrow
By Karolyn Gray
"Aeryn."
"Aeryn!"
"Aeryn Sun!"
"Sir." Aeryn squeaked out as she snapped to attention at the sound of her name being shouted and focused her eyes on the instructor glaring down at her. She swallowed nervously as the dark eyes of Instructor Semmek narrowed, adding an air of menace to the elder Peacekeeper's scarred face.
"Is there a problem, Sun?" Semmek growled.
"No, sir." Aeryn replied instantly, silently hoping that this would appease Semmek. While not an especially imposing Peacekeeper, it was Semmek's well-known brutality towards those who did not do as he ordered that kept his charges in line.
"Then repeat to me what I was just saying." Semmek ordered.
Aeryn swallowed silently cursing herself and lowered her eyes in shame. There was no way to avoid punishment now. All she could hope for was Semmek to be in one of his rare forgiving moods. "I don't know, sir. I...I wasn't paying attention."
" 'I wasn't paying attention.' " Semmek mimicked, his voice mocking her. "That is no excuse. What are you going to say if one day you decide not to pay attention and all your fellow Peacekeepers die?"
Aeryn blinked unable to speak while shaking in fear at the anger in Semmek's voice. Semmek glared down at her for what seemed like a hundred microts before turning to face the other gathered children.
"Because of Aeryn Sun's inattentiveness we will now not be attending this mornings Prowler launches from the observation deck. Instead you will complete two more circuits around the track and then report to firing range six. Now." He barked.
A series of disappointed groans and moans arose from the youngsters, but all complied. Aeryn started to follow the others, trying her best to ignore some of the hateful looks she received, but stopped as a powerful hand grabbed her shoulder and held her in place. "Four laps for you, Sun, and you will only eat food cubes for the remainder of the day. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Aeryn nodded obediently, grateful for Semmek's benevolence. She remembered well the beating he had administered to another trainee for a much less serious offense as inattentiveness. The microt she felt his grip release she was gone, running as fast as her legs would carry her.
*******
"May I sit with you?"
Aeryn looked up from plate of food cubes, absently gnawing on one as she nodded to the dark haired boy standing before her. Djainen Mhasev smiled and settled onto the bench across from her, looking at her food cubes with a look of distaste.
"Are you still mad at me?" Aeryn asked suddenly, glancing over to where the rest of the crèche members were gathered for the midday meal, eating and talking amongst themselves. More than a few shot her some dark looks.
Djainen cocked his head sideways a bit before shaking his head. "No. Semmek will take us to see the flights some other time."
"Yes, but because of me we wont get to see them today." Aeryn replied, grabbing another food cube and ignoring the fact that Djainen had just appropriated several of her cubes for himself.
"Aeryn, what's wrong? You have been acting strange all day." Djainen asked.
"Nothing."
Djainen frowned at that but said nothing. Instead he just stared at her in a way he knew always make her squirm. Aeryn had been one of the first of the trainees to accept him into their crèche after his arrival, while many of the others had treated him disdainfully for being a 'duster'-one born on a planet. He had constantly stayed with her his first few weekens annoying her he was certain, but she had tolerated him nonetheless. That tolerance had soon given away to the friends they were now.
After a few microts of Djainen's inquisitive stare, Aeryn finally gave up. Shrugging she leaned forward. "Promise not to tell anyone?" She asked.
Djainen grinned in triumph and nodded. "My oath."
"A Peacekeeper came to my barracks last night. She said she was my mother." Aeryn whispered.
"You mother?" Djainen repeated in disbelief, being careful to keep his voice low despite his surprise. "That's against regulations."
"I know." Aeryn whispered, looking down at her food cubes.
"So your afraid you'll get in trouble if you tell Semmek she was there." Djainen nodded his head as if that explained everything. "You won't."
"I know. But...I don't want to tell." Aeryn admitted, glancing at her friend uncertainly.
"Oh." Djainen looked dumbfounded for a moment before a small smile crept onto his face. "You're lucky."
"Lucky? How?" Aeryn asked with a confused expression.
"You got to see your mother. I barely remember my mother." Djainen replied with a wistful tone. "At least you may get to see her again."
"It's against the regulations." Aeryn reminded her friend gently, remembering that Djainen was one of a handful of survivors, and the only member of his family, from a farming commune that had been attacked and destroyed by raiders.
"Yes, but you still might get to see her someday; maybe even tomorrow. You're lucky." Djainen replied.
"What are you doing over here Mhasev when your food is over there?" Semmek gravelly voice disturbed the silence that had arisen between the two children. "Well?" Semmek asked, pointing the rest of crèche, who now watched them with a combination of fear and pity. No one liked being on the bad side of Instructor Semmek.
"We're a unit, sir. If one of us is punished we all should be punished." Djainen replied with surprising confidence.
Semmek paused for a long moment before cracking one of his rare, but surprisingly gentle smile. "Carry on then."
As Semmek walked away Aeryn suddenly grinned. "I can't believe you just did that!"
Djainen laughed in return. "Neither can I. C'mon, Aeryn, maybe we can get a round on the KL sims before break is over."
*****
"You did well out there this afternoon, Aeryn Sun." Semmek said. "Well enough to keep your crèche's score high enough to merit a small reward." The gathered children glanced at one another in obvious wonder at what their Instructor meant. They all knew their scores had not been very good during the afternoon drills. "As a reward, tomorrow morning we shall skip the final half arn of physical training to watch Prowler launches. Lights out in a quarter arn." With that Semmek left, leaving the children to talk happily amongst themselves in anticipation for tomorrow.
Aeryn just grinned as number of crèche mates were smiling and nodding to her where an arn before there had been scowls.
"Did good, Sun." Djainen Mhasev said clasping her on the shoulder. Aeryn couldn't help but grin at the deep purple, almost black, bruise on his right cheek. One she had given him when he had gotten too confident as he had in today's games.
"So did you." She replied, absently rubbing her other sore shoulder. Normally Semmek and the other Instructors didn't let them get this physical with each other during the games, but today they had been strangely permissive in letting the children take out their aggressions on one another. Aeryn was certain it had partly been in the hopes that the others would 'encourage' her to stay inline. She couldn't but feel a little smug in the fact that she had bested all her would be attackers.
"I had better report back to the male's barracks. Told you we'd get to see Prowlers." Djainen said as a parting shot as he headed towards the boys section of their crèche's barracks.
'Then maybe I'll see you tomorrow, Mother.' Aeryn thought to herself as she headed towards her bunk.
Continued in Novus Sun Part 2: Flights of Fancy