Alex – Heart Of The Vanguard

Sarah: "He REEAALLY was not happy eh?" She said to me over the coms as we made our way back upstairs of Michael's apartment block.

Me: "Huh?" I was distracted by a pain in my lower belly, like something was screwing itself up and then releasing slightly before screwing up again, over and over it had been doing it. Felt kinda like a cramp really, it was getting harder and hard to try not to double over in pain, but thankfully it finally eased off... Was a bit difficult to hide while walking I had to admit, but neither Wrex or Sarah seemed to notice as they followed me to the bottom of the stairs that lead back up to the roof.

Sarah: "Michael? He wasn't happy about just digging up information for you."

Me: "I think he's fine on the digging, I have promised him an exclusive, and currently he's only giving, not receiving, I can understand why he's upset. But let's face it, I think he was still grouchy about his nose." I glanced back at her, she merely shrugged her shoulders,

Sarah: "I didn't know he was gonna run hard as shit at me, did I?"

Wrex: "Can I just say Alex, it's really weird watching you reply without actually moving your lips."

I actually chuckled out loud, before stopping on the stairs to look back down at his invisible self,

Me: "Does it creep you out?" I smiled at him, again only in thought in reply on the com channel and not actually moving my mouth.

Wrex: "A little bit, yes. We have to talk into our helmets, and you only have to-"

Me: "-Talk in my head to use my com chat? I know, it's brilliant eh?! Benefit of being part computer I guess." I grinned more smugly at him before turning and carrying on up the stairs.

Sarah: "It's a shame you can't apply this to ventriloquism, you'd make a fortune!" She joked along.

Me: "Yeah, maybe when we fail at taking the SkyTech down, I can hone my ventriloquism skills and make a career  out of it along side the likes of Jeff Dunham and whoever else, ha ha!"

We reached the rooftop fire escape and exited out onto the roof,

Me: "Michael will get his interview, I keep trying to tell him that this needs perfect timing for our reveal, too soon and Skylen and the SkyTech will be alerted to our pressence back here on Earth. In the mean time, let's get back to the Palace. I'm going to have a talk with Sora about how she disguises herself, she does it differently to me and I just want to know exactly what she does."

Sarah: "But you're already hidden pretty well, I would never know by looking at you."

Me: "My Draconian parts are only covered by a mirage, they're still physically there. Sora use to be completely Human, but at the same time, not Human, so she told me that. I have to admit, I've never really understood it, hence I want to ask."

Sarah: "I thought you could do anything now you have the Shard and rid of Reikon?"

Me: "Not quite everything, I'm still learning new things almost every day..." I opened a Jump next to me, "...come on, let's go."

__________

---15 days after The Heart destruction---

Sora's Private Royal Apartment, Royal Palace, Axis Mundis, Draconia

Sora: "Ok, stand up..." We both rose from the sofa in Sora's majestic apartment and she stood to face me, raising her right hand in-between us, "...right, I want this hand to look Human right?..." I watched the usual red and purple mist swirl and cover her hand, the vague outline of it that could be seen through the mist could be seen shrinking slightly. Once the mist faded out, what was revealed, looked kinda odd. Her perfectly formed Human hand was joined to her normal Draconian forearm, the wrist joint seemed to expand slightly as hand met arm, and the pinkish skin tone seemed to grow scales at the same point on the wrist before completing changing to Draconian leathery skin and scales. "... now mirage your hand as you usually would."

I raised my own hand, looked at it and done as she asked, with the same mist now rolling over my hand and forearm, making it look completely Human.

Sora: "Now look, the problem with the mirage method is this..." She held my hand out flat with her own left hand. Then with her right, rather odd looking hand/arm combination and using one finger, pushed against the end of my finger tip... Although of course, it didn't push my finiger tip, it started seemingly pushing it from a centimetre away, where my claw sat 'invisible', "...your claw is still there, we can't see it, but it's there. Now, do the same to me." She let go of my hand and now held out her Human hand flat, so again, I did as instructed. My finger pressed right up against hers, no claw or slightly elongated Draconian digit of hers to get in the way.

Me: "I know that bit, I get the problem with the mirage... So... Run it by me again... You're not changing your form, you're changing how others perceive it?"

Sora: "That's the 'mirage' method that you use, which my method doesn't work the same way, but it's similar. If I lose concentration, I will revert back to my true form as well." She said while while flapping her hand, which reverted back to it's natural Draconian form so I also dropped the mirage on my arm.

Me: "I'm confused, so are you changing your DNA or not?" She sat back down on the sofa so I followed as well.

Sora: " *Sigh* let's say for simplicity's sake, yes. But it's not just as simple as that."

Me: "But I thought I can't mess with DNA?"

Sora: "This is my point, it's not permanent, it never will be... *Sigh* erm... How can I put this... You're not changing your DNA... You're... Erm... 'Tricking it'? I suppose you could say? You're telling it that you want it to look one way, even though it can never be set in stone like it."

Me: "Ok, so how? It's one of the few things so far that I haven't learnt and I can't work out how to do."

Sora: "You need to think of it as 'I AM Human', not 'I want to LOOK like a Human'. This is a really difficult one to master, took me decades, especially doing it behind mother's back."

Me: "She didn't know?"

Sora: "Of course not. If she did, she'd know I was planning to go to Earth."

Me: "What was it like? The first time you went to Earth?"

Sora: "Scary... Overwhelming... Exhilarating... Weird... I was an alien on an alien planet, alone, no one knew I was there... Was a bit stupid now I look back at it, anything could have happened to me and no one would have known where I was."

Me: "Did anyone ever know when you were gone?"

Sora: "The second time I ever went, Star Light caught me when I came back. She promised she wouldn't tell anyone, on the condition that I would tell her when and where I went each time."

Me: "Good old Star Light. She was certainly good to you." I replied with genuine respect.

Sora: "...Gods keep her at peace..." Sora sniffed and wiped her eye quickly, "... anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, you have got to believe you are Human, not just to look like one."

Me: "But I am part Human anyway-"

Sora: "Not good enough, completely Human."

Me: "Have you ever changed into anything else?"

Sora: "What? Like animals?"

Me: "Yeah. Or anything really."

'Maybe like a Lion, or a husky or any dog... does it even have to be of something similar size? Or can it be smaller, like a mouse? Or bigger, like, a rhino or something?...' my mind trailed off in thought, but Sora's reply brought me out of my day dream.

Sora: "Never really thought about it to be honest. But I don't know, it would take a lot of practice if it was. But as I say, it took me decades to get the Human version of me just right. Let's just focus on one form for now, shall we?"

Me: "Yes, you're right. Sorry."

Sora: "It's fine. Do you want to give it a go?"

Me: "Yeah, ok." I stood back up...

'Ok... Let's start with something simple...' I thought to myself, '... let's just keep my Human disguise as it is now in my head... '...What's the easiest bit to change?...' Maybe my scaly skin?, I'll start with my hands and the claws... I am Human... I am Human... I am Human...' I opened my eyes and watched the red and purple mist roll over my hands and for arms, fading out a few seconds later to reveal perfectly formed, and scaleless Human hands, exactly how they look when I have my mirage disguise on!

'Now the real test, they look the part, but have I done it correctly?...' I touched the end of my right index finger tip with my thumb... no hidden claw! It touched straight on the Human looking nail!

Me: "Ha! I did it!"

Sora: "I hate you..." I looked up to see her shaking her head in dismay

Me: "What? Why?!"

Sora: "Took me years to get that far and you go and do it perfectly first time!" She said with a disbelieving smile and another quick shake of her head.

Me: "I'm just too good!" I replied rather smugly.

Sora: "Too over powered more like. It was said the the Heart and therefore the Shard's powers were only limited by the user's imagination... I wonder if you even have limits if you're actually joined with it."

Me: "Oh I have limits... I can't use too much of my power too often, it's like... the Shard needs to recharge itself."

Sora: "The Shard IS a power source, why would it need to recharge? It has nothing to recharge from."

Me: "No no, I mean... Say it has a battery percentage level of 100%, right?, when not being used. If I use my armour, go flying, do something simple, 10% gets used which slowly recharges after I stop. Now, if I cloak, fight, use my plasma weapons and bursts of increased speed and strength, lets say that each of them uses 10 to 20% each. Now my meter would be starting to run low. Running a copy of myself seems to be the most taxing, maybe taking like 60 to 70% if we're both up and moving around. It recharges over time if I calm down and do less. I have noticed, I don't seem to have as much potential power, nor does it recharge as quick since I destroyed the Heart."

Sora: "That's... Interesting... It clearly then still used it's connection to the Heart, but it still makes power of it's own, just not as much, I have wondered how far the connection went. There is a point about this though that I'd like to make." She finished, suddenly a bit saddened and distracted.

Me: "Go on?"

Sora: "Well, with the Heart gone..." She majestically waved her hand through the air, side to side, with a mist of red and purple following it. "...where do you, myself and other users of the Heart get our powers from now?" She looked dead at me and stopped waving her hand. My jaw dropped in shock as I realised what she suggesting,

Me: "...Me..." I stated, Sora slowly nodded confirming.

Sora: "So it might not be just you using that total capacity. I don't really use my abilities all that often now, no need, but if others like myself or Executioners use it then they'll be draining the Shard and therefore you as well. I will suggest then that you don't solely rely on the Shard to get you out of trouble."

Me: "I never even thought about that, but I guess it makes sense... But, Sora... Who else can use it? You, Executioners... Anyone else?"

Sora: "A dozen or so of my top Honour Guards maybe, but only because they have guarded my mother and the tower for so long. But their abilities are limited and basic and they don't like to use them anyway. They're called 'Honour' Guards for a reason, they will fight to the death to protect me using the fighting skills they have acquired over ther the years rather than relying on magic. But apart from them, that's all I am aware of."

Me: "I suppose it won't all be drained from just me either now, eh?..." Sora pulled a confused look at me, "...Craven?"

Sora: "Ahhh... yes, true... But still, compared to the Heart, the Shards of you both are comparably small, so just be warned."

Me: "I presume no other Shards were found? I mean, the crystal exploded into hundreds, maybe thousands of pieces right? and yet only Craven seems to have a piece? Have no more been found in the clean up?"

Sora: "No, I watched them just... I don't know, 'evaporate'? Just seemed to fizzle away into nothing."

Me: "Really? How? And how come mine or Craven's didn't do the same?"

Sora: "I don't know, maybe because they were linked to you?"

Me: "But mine wasn't always linked before me was it?"

Sora: " *Sigh* I don't know, I really don't know all the ins and outs probably any better than you do now. I know how to use the powers that I have learnt over the years, but what you did to the Heart, I have no idea what happened or what the repercussions will be from this, I have no idea if it will affect you or Craven in the long run, if at all. This is completely new and unforseen for both of us."

Me: "Sorry... Speaking of Craven, heard anything from our P.O.W.?"

Sora: "Not a thing, but she has been well behaved in her cell this whole time. I still disagree with keeping her alive, might I add."

Me: "Sora, this body- I killed your moth-"

Sora: "Oh just stop it! It wasn't you in control, accept it! Just as I have accepted it's not your fault and just as I have accepted to agree to keeping Craven alive for whatever reason."

Me: " *Sigh* okay... But I don't know why either, just this gut feeling telling me to keep her alive, like, she's going to do something useful or important."

Sora: "Hmm, well, it remains to be seen."

Me: "Remember she said she has splinters of myself and Reikon in her head?"

Sora: "Yeah?"

Me: "I'd like to talk to them at some point. If you're ok with that?"

Sora: "Can you even do that?"

Me: "Remember when I spoke to you in your head? Same sort of thing, I'll just be talking to multiple personalities rather than just one."

Sora: "Yeah, but if there is a piece of Reikon in there, do you really want to deal with her?"

Me: "Not really. But maybe I can get some answers as to why I keep seeing her. And talk to myself as well."

Sora: "Do you not find that weird?"

Me: "What?"

Sora: "These future versions of yourself or your copies or whatever, you just casually talk to them as if they're completely different people to yourself and yet, you don't even bat an eye!"

Me: "It was weird the first time, but then I just accepted it. My life turned weird from the moment I woke up and found myself as Dragoness, there's not much that can weird me out now I would like to think."

Sora: "Huh... Interesting way to accept it."

Me: "Yeah, but it works..." I smiled at her, "... Now come on, I want to get this transfiguration thing spot on."

__________

---19 days after The Heart destruction---

'Wrex had been good to me, since officially living here on Draconia and doing the training with the others, he had been making dishes from Earth. Or as close to Earth's ingredients as possible anyway. Draconia just didn't have everything the same as Earth, some herbs and spices just didn't exist here, yet they had variants that Earth didn't. Beef wasn't quite beef... Apparently their 'cows' are quite a bit different, almost the size of a hippo, but yet tasted similar... Yep, I'll let you try and imagine that one. But they did have chickens! The most intriguing thing about that? You know the age old question, 'What came first? The Chicken on the egg?' yeah well, apparently, it was the chicken. Draconians introduced chickens to Earth some 120,000 years ago apparently, meaning that Earth's beliefs that they evolved from dinosaurs? Completely wrong! A bit funny when you think about it, you have a bunch of Dragons to thank for KFC existing... who knew... Anyway, I'm babbling...'

Wrex: "How was it?" He asked over his empty plate opposite me, just as I had finished my own breakfast. I did enjoy it, but my stomach has been hurting on and off for the last couple of hours, the last couple of days in fact, ever since that moment after visiting Michael's apartment. The pain had come and gone, but I was too nervous, too scared to say anything in case something was wrong. It's actually what woke me up this morning, but I certainly struggled to finish breakfast just now.

Me: "Delicious as always. You know you don't have to ask every time you cook me a dish." I smiled contently at him.

Wrex: "I know. But I want to make sure my little baby carrier is fed, watered and satisfied." He jeered.

Me: "Oh stooop. Sounds all weird when you say it like that..." He chuckled at my response, so I started getting up out of my seat... Moving was starting to become a problem now with this belly. I wasn't fully bloated like a woman in her final stage, bit I wasn't far off, looking like 7 or 8 months gone maybe, enough to impede my progress in certain aspects of my day to day life now anyway. "...come on. Let's get going so we can meet the others and- Ooo..." I stopped and supported myself on the table, just as I had finished standing upright, hissing in pain as I felt my body, my lower body spasm painfully, no, more like a cramp I'd say, worse than it had done at any point up until now.

Wrex: "Are you alright?!" He scooted around the table to my side and supported my arm and my side.

Me: "I'm fine, I'm fine..." I truthfully answered, feeling the pain fade off.

Wrex: "Maybe we should get you checked out?"

Me: "Wrex, honestly, I'm fine..." I smiled to him as I stood upright again, "...I just didn't stand up right, I guess..." I leant up and gave him a kiss of appreciation on his jaw before starting to pull away, "...I'm gonna head back to bed, make a copy and we'll get some training done."

Wrex: "And you're sure you're ok?"

Me: "He he, yes, thank you. I- OW! *Gasp*!" The pain in my lower abdomen came back so suddenly, so painfully, it pretty much made my legs give out. Thankfully, my white knight slid under my side that I was collapsing down on and caught me in his arms.

Me: "Ok... gah!... That was a good one.... ooooo, Grrr!" The pain was coming in strong waves now, quickly becoming too much to bear.

Wrex: "I'm taking you to get you seen to. Now."

Me: "Wrex, I am not going to be able to walk- Arrgh! -anywhere!..." I was already panting heavily between my sentences, trying to endure the waves of pain coming from my abdomen... I was starting to panic, it had only just clicked what these pains were... Now? Right now?! It was only just hitting me how real this was... I'm pregnant and I'm about to have kids! "...I think... I think it's time Wrex!"

Wrex: "Time? OH! That time?!!"

Me: "Argh! No, not THAT time, the other time, OF COURSE 'THAT' BLOODY TIME! Eeeee-ooww ow ow!"

Wrex: "Oh shit..." He scooped me up off my feet and took me to the bedroom, his superior strength, allowing him to carry me with ease and placing me on the bed. He then raced off to leave the room.

Me: "Please! Don't leave me!..." He left with no answer, leaving me on the bed to curl into a ball in pain as I clutched my lower belly. He raced back into the room, a large folded towel in hand that he unraveled as he approached, "...what's that for?"

Wrex: "You've lost your concentration on your clothes. You're naked. I know you like to cover this body of yours. Open up a little so I can drape this over you, I'm taking you to the medical wing."

Me: "I don't think- GRRR... ouch... I don't think you understand Wrex! I'm not going anywhere! Aarrgghh!"

Wrex: "Oh shit, so we're doing this here? Right on the bed?"

Me: "Yes fucking right here on the fucking bed!" I growled at him in pain.

Wrex: "Shit, sorry, shit shit, fuck, erm. I'm going to call a Doctor here then, err, will you be ok for the minute?"

Me: "As much as I can be." I said through gritted teeth at him.

__________

7 hours... 7 bloody hours later seemed like 7 days... A couple of doctors had been and gone, including Dr Gilsten at one point. The cycles of extreme pain had come and gone several times, though I was assured this was normal merely normal contractions. The current physician attending, I knew from looking up her profile before she even introduced herself, was a Dr. Barrill, who specialises in assisting in the birthing of eggs... So a midwife basically. Wrex had been good to me still, bringing drink and food, what little I ate of it anyway, wasn't really up for eating anyway. I had also asked him to fill the rest of the team in on the situation and, at their request, to keep them updated but to give us some privacy. But otherwise he stayed by my side this whole time, partially cuddling me when I was up for it and just holding my hand when I wasn't.

Barrill: "We're at 8 centimetres now." She stated as she pulled herself away from my nether regions.

Me: "And I've got to wait for 10... Right?"

Barrill: "This is a very complicated situation... Humans aim for 10, Draconians normally aim for 12, but seeing as you are more Human sized but laying eggs, I honestly don't know what the correct answer is, I'm sorry. But your body should also know when it's ready."

Me: "Oh for god's sake..." I exclaimed throwing my head back into the pillow. My impatient and frustrated response was not aimed at Dr. Barrill, I'm sure and hope she knew that anyway. But it was more aimed at my own awkwardness of the situation. Being the first and only Hydrid was cool and all, but certainly had some downfalls... This was one of the worst so far, there was no medical encyclopedia you could use to look me up... I was an unknown.

Wrex: "You're doing well though."

Barrill: "Indeed. You're making great progress Alex. I'll be back shortly, call me if there's any issues." And with that she left our bedroom.

Wrex: "Alex... You still feel the same way for me, don't you?" I rolled my head over to look at him,

Me: "What are you talking about Wrex?" I said maybe sounding slightly more impatient about it that I intended.

Wrex: "Well, lately, you've just seem a bit short and blunt with me and I was worried that-"

Me: "Wrex, are we really doing this now?... I watched his head and shoulders drop slightly, "...*Sigh*, look, I have been very stressed and hormonal lately, I'm sure you must have been able to tell. And today especially, I have been in quite a bit of pain and I know the worse is yet to come. I mean, I'm carrying OUR children, do you really think that I would go through with this, ME, of all people, if I didn't still think the world of you? You were the only one who was there for me when I needed someone, every time, even if I didn't want to admit it and pushed you away. I love you, so don't take anything that I say or do to heart while I go through this, please?, because you are my everything and I can't do this without you."

He leant up and gave me a kiss on the cheek, so I turned just before he pulled away to return his kiss on the lips.

Wrex: "I'm sorry I doubted you."

Me: "It's ok, I- argh!... Oooo... Ok... Ok, the kids can come anytime now, because these- Ow ow... Ooooo, ouch... I was going to say, these contractions, can actually do one now, getting really tired of them now."

Wrex: "Almost there my lovely." He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

__________

An hour later...

Me: "I SWEAR, YOU ARE NEVER EVER PUTTING THAT THING IN ME AGAIN!! ARGH!!" I screamed at Wrex by my side, who was looking incredibly sheepish but also slightly pained as I gripped his hand tightly, yet he remained silent.

Barrill: "I need you to push now Alex, the first one is right there..." I strained, holding my breath, putting all the effort and strength I could into pushing out what felt like a basket ball from my nether regions... I think if it was much bigger my pelvic bones would snap... "...Push now Alex!"

Me: "I AM FUCKING PUSHING!! ARGH!" I screamed at her down between my legs.

Barrill: "Ok good! good! Ok, one more Alex, come on now!" I fell silent besides a sharp exhale and inhale of air as I concentrated a pushed once again. Suddenly, a huge relief washed over me as I felt the painful pressure more or less disappear and I was left panting away in a sweat.

The worst thing about this was... I was doing this without any pain killers... You know that trick my body naturally does of getting rid of foreign chemicals like sedatives for example? Yeah, it does it to the good and useful drugs too... Stupid bloody magical body...

Barrill: "Oh there we go, that's one, well done!" I turned to Wrex,

Me: "Oh 'that's one' she says, like it's a big achievement..." I mocked, my voice was weak and breaking from the strain

Wrex: "Because it is an achievement, it's the first one and one less now. You're doing great do far..." He replied to me kindly before turning to doctor, "...everything ok with that one?"

Barrill: "One normal looking and healthy egg, just cleaning it up and I'll be right back with you."

Me: "Do know I've been stabbed twice?... Yeah, I honestly think being stabbed is less painful... And why am I sweating?! I don't sweat!... ooo!" I shifted uncomfortably in my bed as the pressured pain started returning between my legs.

Dr. Barrill noted my discomforted moan and reposition and returned from the mobile cleaning station to stare intently once again at my private parts 

Barrill: "Oookaay, second one already wants out Alex and already on the way."

Me: "Ohh no... I barely had a break there." I dropped my head back to the pillow trying to hold back tears... This was already too much for me.

Wrex: "Heeyy, you're doing great, first 1 done, right?, you've done 1, last 2 will be a bit easier now, ok? Be strong for me."

He kissed me on the cheek once more, just as another large bout of pain washed over me and I let out a short but loud groan.

Barrill: "Ok Alex, let's go again, aaannd... push!"

Me: "ARRGHH!"

Barrill: "That's it... that's it... Okay, now relax..."

Me: "Ha ha! 'relax' she says, fucking joker... Fuck..." I said smacking my head back to the pillow.

Barrill: "Breath Alex, deep breaths, just as we practiced remember." I audibly growled in complaint, apparently my already heavy panting wasn't good enough...

Wrex: "Come on my love, with me, breathe in deep, in through the nose..." He inhaled deep, so I reluctantly copied, "... and out through the mouth..." He instructed me, followed by a large exhale, again, I copied. "...and in..." He breathed in, I did the same, in time, "...and out..." Again I copied in time. We did this 4 more times, each time Wrex would exaggerate the action a hand motion towards or away from his face rather than verbally,

Barrill: "Ok, at the next breath in Alex, I need you to push again."

Me: "Fuck..." I almost whimpered on my last exhale before inhaling deeply and once again, reluctantly pushing with a painful growl.

After what seemed like hours, which was only a few minutes in reality, and many episodes of agonising pushing with rest breaks of breathing in between, the second egg was finally released into the outside world, once again, the Incredibly uncomfortable and painful pressure subsiding.

Barrill: "Another completely healthy egg Alex, well done, we're over half way now." She removed it to take it to the cleaning trolley to join it's sibling and started washing off the bloody and bitty remains of my insides...

Me: "Wrex, I can't do this any more, I just can't..." I started properly balling my eyes out now... I was at the end of my limits, I was tired, drained and pained beyond belief.

Wrex: "Of course you can my lovely, that's 2, just one more to go. Of all the things you can do, all the battles you won, the amazing things you've done, the seemingly never ending determination to see something through... You can do something as simple this."

Me: " 'Simple'? Wrex, I'm struggling, I really am, I'm not strong enough to finish this." I sobbed still.

Wrex: "Don't tell me that because I know you are, you can do this my love, because I know you can. I believe in you." He repositioned himself closer over me, cupped the opposite side my face with one hand and rested his head flat against the other, letting out a small, barely audible grumbling yet content purr. I held his hand against my cheek, not wanting to let it go, but I could feel my body was going to deny me this nice and somewhat romantic moment.

Me: "Ouucchh... Oooo... Fuck... Here we go again!" I whimpered in fear as I felt the final egg move into position.

Barrill: "My my Alex, we are certainly not messing around now, eh?..." She asked somewhat more rhetorically as she moved back over to me, "... remember your breathing please, ok?" I know she was just being as nice as possible and her job, but fuck, every little thing was pissing me off, including her so I growled at her in response.

Wrex: "Heey, come on now Alex, with me..." Wrex went through the motions of the slower deep breaths once more, and again, I begrudgingly copied... half a dozen times we went through the cycles before the inevitable happened...

Barrill: "Ok Alex, next breath in, I need you to push..." I followed her instructions and started push with all the strength I had left in "...keep going Alex, this ones almost there already! Keep going!"

Wrex: "I'm here my love, keep going!"

But I had to stop, I was already out of energy, out of breath... I panted heavily to try and recover,

Barrill: "Ok Alex, it's fine, take a breather when you need to, go again whenever you're ready."

I was ready, I was more than ready... I wanted this over with now... I put full effort into it once more there was a relatively loud crack, loud enough that I heard it over my own pain filled grunt which was almost a scream, Wrex whimpered just as the painful pressure down below subsided once more,

Barrill: "There we go!, there we go! Well do-..." Her voice faded out...

I guess I had passed out?... All sound faded out and my vision turned to black...

Or did I?...

An alarm claxon was singing away, along with various other distressed beeps, all signifying a problem of some sort... I slowly opened my eyes as I was layed on the hard floor, my head throbbing... Wrex's voice bringing me out of my daze... Although, considering I had just been in labour, he didn't sound overly bothered, in fact, I had no idea what he was shouting about at all...

Wrex: "For fuck sake! Please tell me that didn't come from the Kneel And Beg!"

Male: "Afraid so sir, they're coming about." Another voice replied.

Wrex: "Get a channel open to them, I want to find out what the fuck they're playing at. In the mean time, evasive manoeuvres, tell the rest of the fleet to split up and do the same... Everyone ok though? Anyone hurt?"

Male 2: "Sir, Alex is down!" Another male responded to him...

Wrex: "Alex?!..." There was a scurry of activity nearby just as I was starting to pull myself up, Wrex and someone else, another Draconian in a basic slim white armour arrived at my sides to help me up."

Me: "I'm fine, I'm fine..."

Wrex: "Easy, looks like you've hit your head hard. Can I have medics to the bridge please, someone?"

Me: "I'm fine Wrex, honestly..." I looked around the activity filled room I was in... I recognised it, we were on the bridge of Thor! Though it was different to the dusty relic I had visited before, every station was alive, screens and consoles all illuminated and very much alive, all manned. Everyone was doing something... But the weirdest thing was, we were in space, not docked in Draconia, the view port was looking over Earth's horizon, her surface spinning quickly past the view port as I felt the ship shudder ever so slightly, "...what the hell happened?"

Wrex: "Kneel and Beg, she fired on us."

Me: "But how did we get here?" Wrex pulled a very worried gaze at me, his eyes directly locked into mine as he paused and analysed me.

Wrex: "You really have hit your head hard haven't you?" I didn't get a chance to answer...

A station on one side of the bridge lit up and beeped loudly, the female sat at it spun around to look at us,

Female: "Sir!, Kneel and Beg, weapons fire, rounds locked on to us again!"

Wrex: "Keep those evasive manoeuvres up!" I felt the ship shudder some more. Giant balls of blueish white plasma momentarily zipped past the the view port in front of us. I wanted ask what was going on, how I got here, how come we were all here, but clearly there were more pressing matters.

Male 3: "Rounds evaded." A male stated almost a bit too proudly down at one of the stations at the front most and center of the bridge.

Female: "Another volley! Locked on!" The ship shuddered some more and once again the rounds of plasma could be seen sailing past the view port which now only showed the eerie blackness of space, only illuminated by the specs of far away stars.

Male 4: "Sir, recommend we engage and return fire!"

Wrex: "You want to fire on a ship filled with refugees?! Continue evasive manoeuvres! And where's that channel?!"

Female 2: "They're not responding sir!" I watched this long, brutal looking ship start sliding past the view port in the distance, the primary of the hull was black, which barely could be seen under the very large and thick, white looking angled intersecting plates that covered most of the hull. It looked like something the empire would use out of Star Wars kind of. The ship I saw leaving Draconia weeks ago - 'Kneel and Beg' - Multiple points along the hull started glowing a blueish white, only for a few seconds. The orbs of light then left the hull spreading outward, then arced... Towards us!

Female 1: "Another salvo locked on!..."

The ship shuddered some more and Kneel and Beg and her plasma fire disappeared from view.

Male 4: "Sir, Kneel and Beg will always out manoeuvre us! We cannot keep this up forever! We must return fire!"

Female 1: "Impact imminent! Brace brace br-OOF!"

There was multiple, cascading deafening bangs along the hull that violently shook everything, each getting louder and closer... Then everything slowed for me... Sixth sense kicked in, telling me something very bad was going to happen and instinct took over... My helmet snapped up from my already covered body and sealed in my head... I remote accessed Wrex's armour and ordered it to close and seal his helmet too... As he was already supporting me it made it easy for me to reverse the hold, I spun and grabbed him by the waist, locked him into me and held onto the hand rail in front of us for dear life... The was a blinding light, an intense heat that I could feel even through my armour and one final deafening bang... The front of the bridge just disappeared in searing heat and light, like we had crashed into a star! I felt the vacuum of space yank at us but I wasn't about to let either Wrex or the hand rail go...

But then that was it... That's the last thing that I saw...

I gasped awake, lying on my side in a bed... in my bed... I felt dazed... I felt sore all over, especially down below... I felt exhausted... But physically in front of me I felt 3 solid lumps, I lifted the duvet and looked what I was curled around... The 3 solid lumps were eggs... MY eggs! The bad dream I just woke up from washed away from my thoughts, all but forgotten already as I took in the sight in front of me. They weren't all that big, each maybe a little over 10 centimetres or so in diameter at the narrowest point and probably under 20 centimetres long and they looked gorgeous! Awe inspiring! The shells themselves seemed to be covered in scales in a green much darker than most Draconians I had seen but in the minimal gaps between the scales they seemed to glow orange and red, they were beautiful! I smiled, grinning from ear to ear, purred as I wrapped myself around them more and fell back asleep.

(-Moog ft. Katia Fuscaldo)