Lexx and the Mother of all crossovers (Part Three – addition

[SadGeezer]

Circe was carried back to her bed by Kai. There BowCatz gently lifted her head as Xev placed a softer pillow under Circe’s head. Circe’s radiant hair tumbled across the pillow and over her shoulders. Covered by a soft blanket, Circe closed her eyes after thanking everyone then briefly opened them as Kai moved away. He paused and slightly turned his head back towards Circe then moved to the doorway and stood silent as a grave.

Xev knelt beside Circe and carefully took her hand into hers. “Circe, can we get you anything?” Circe shook her head no and slowly closed her eyes.

“Are you comfortable now, Circe?” BowCatz tenderly tucked the cover around Circe’s shoulders and legs. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she knelt down beside Circe opposite Xev. Circe nodded her head, but never opened her eyes.

They looked at Circe’s peaceful face as she slept in the darkened room. Xev left first, but BowCatz and Kai remained. There was the feast to prepare for and Xev had been trained in her wifely duties to organize such affairs. BowCatz was hungry, but the thought of eating didn’t interest her.

Satisfied that Circe was comfortable, BowCatz sat at the foot of the bed on the floor. She placed her head in her hands, rested her elbows on her knees she had raised up and looked at the floor between her feet. Kai sat beside her. They spoke in whispers as not to awaken Circe.

“She will recover.”

“Kai, how do you know that?”

“Believe me, BowCatz. She will recover.”

“I want to believe you, Kai.”

BowCatz thought of her uncle’s death. It had been like this. Slow. Quiet. In a darkened room.

She had been alone all day with her uncle as he was slowly nearing the end of dying from lung cancer. When an elderly neighbor lady dropped by with a covered dish, she offered to sit with her. BowCatz accepted gladly. At seventeen, she was about to lose another important person in her life. By morning, her uncle had passed away. A tear slowly rolled down BowCatz’ nose and she leaned into her hands.

“BowCatz, don’t weep.”

“Huh?” BowCatz raised up and looked at Kai.

“What?” Kai turned and looked at her.

“Did you say something, Kai?”

“No.”

“It must be the stress. I recently lost my uncle and I guess I’m stressing out. My uncle raised me after my parents died when I was a little kid.” She turned and looked at Circe. The voice had been a whisper—like Circe’s.

“Let me extend my sympathies,” said Kai. Unexpectantly, Kai placed his arm around her and gave her hug.

“Thank you, Kai.” BowCatz returned the hug and notice how different his body felt under his shirt . The muscles were like hard cords of various widths under his skin.

“You’re welcome, BowCatz.”

“Kai?”

“Yes.”

“Remember when Stanley asked the Lexx to introduce himself to all of us on the bridge? It occured sometime after the fight with the Klingons.”

“I wasn’t there at the beginning but I’ve heard it before.”

“Well, the Lexx said something to the effect of ‘I am the Lexx. I am the most powerful weapon in the two universes.’ You know, something like that.”

“Yes.”

“When the Lexx did that, Captain Kirk got a look on his face that he was very interested. I can’t describe it exactly, but it really got his attention what the Lexx said.”

“I didn’t notice it. I was supervising the disposal of the Klingon bodies.”

“Oh, that’s right. Xev told me about it. Well, when the Lexx said what he said and Captain Kirk’s whole countenence changed, he looked over to the one called Spock and something unspoken passed between them. Not the same as with Circe though.” BowCatz pointed back to the sleeping Circe with her thumb, ” Well, Spock slightly nodded and turned back to listen to the Lexx go on about how Stanley was his captain and how Stanley became his captain. The whole bit about escaping with the Lexx.”

“Yes. I entered the bridge and heard the Lexx make that statement.”

BowCatz paused and slowly rolled over in her mind what she was about to say.

“And your point is, BowCatz?”

“Well, I think the captain of the Enterprise plans to take the Lexx. I don’t know how he’ll do it, but I think he plans to. It came to me when Circe was using us to talk to the captain through Stanley. It just all clicked together what Circe was thinking and what I had witnessed.”

Kai paused as if in deep thought then said, ” Let me explain the very basics of control over the Lexx. Control over the Lexx changes if the bearer of the key is killed or brought to the height of sexual pleasure. The key will appear as a glow in the bearer’s hand and then leaves to search out a suitable host.” Kai raised his right hand and pointed to the palm with his left after carefully lifting his arm off of BowCatz’ shoulders.

Sexual energy? BowCatz remembered what the old witch lady she use to meet in the woods gathering herbs had told her about sexual energy. How it could be used to cast spells and such. BowCatz had no need to cast spells, so gave it no consideration. Talk of sexual things had been a taboo between her and her uncle, too. “Go ask the old lady down the road,” her uncle would say embarrased.

“I can understand why death would cause the key to leave, but why sex? I mean the, uh, heightened part.” BowCatz wasn’t very comfortable talking about sex, especially with strangers and the tenseness showed in her voice.

“Part of it has to do with self control. ”

“I see. I heard a preacher man on the late night radio state that all sin is of a sexual origin. That when Adam of Adam and Eve realized that he had been changed to a human man the first thing he noticed about himself was that he had a full erection. ”

“It’s probably true, BowCatz. Most of the misery I’ve seen has been based around sex and the misuse of it.”

BowCatz remembered the conversation had been about the key and became curious about it again.

“What is the key exactly?”

“The key is a living, conscious force that dwells in the host. With this key, the Lexx will obey only the commands of the host. There have been exceptions, but mainly it is the key bearer that controls the Lexx.”

“I see. Whatcha wanna bet there will be some women coming over with the party from the Enterprise.”

“The dead do not bet.” Kai dryly remarked.

BowCatz looked at him with a very puzzled look on her face.

“I am certain there will be women with the Captain, BowCatz.”

“Why do you keep telling people you are dead?”

“Because I am dead.”

“You don’t look dead, Kai.”

Kai raised his arm to unbutton his sleeve. BowCatz watched him as he pulled up his sleeve.

“Are you dead like in the spiritual sense, Kai—like a tribe member evicted from his tribe for some crime?”

“No.”

Kai grasped his forearm firmly, but BowCatz grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Wait,” she said nearly screaming.

“I will show you what I mean by my type of death.”

“Kai, are you about to pull your arm off?” BowCatz winced at the thought of it.

“Yes. You are perseptive, BowCatz. Kai tightened his grip on his arm. ”

“Yep. I’m smarter than I look,” she said half joking. “Don’t pull your arm off. Oh, please don’t do that.” BowCatz took his sleeve and began to pull it back down into place.

“As you like.” Kai returned his sleeve to it’s previous position. “How did you conclude what I was about to do, BowCatz?”

“I saw something very similar in a movie once. I don’t want to see it again.” BowCatz squirmed and closed her eyes at the actual repeat of the scene. “So, you are dead dead.”

“Yes. ‘ Dead dead.’ ”

“Okay. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Okay, BowCatz.”

They sat in silence for a while then Kai rose.

“Are you going to tell Xev what is going on with the captain of the Enterprise and Stanley?”

“No.”

“Okay. I won’t tell her either.”

“Thank you, BowCatz.”

Kai moved to leave the room, but BowCatz stood and asked him why he didn’t want Xev to know.

“I will tell her when it becomes important. For the moment, it is important that she acts as natural as possible. Captain Kirk is a perseptive, too.” He paused then said, “Xev cares for Stanley. She might not be able to restrain her dislike if she were to know what is going on with the captain of the Enterprise.”

“Oh, sort of wears her heart on her sleeve.”

“Yes. Something like that.”

Kai left the room without looking back. BowCatz sat on the floor near Circe and thought of home. She looked at her watch and wondered how long it would take before what was going to happen was going to happen. For BowCatz, it was nearing two in the morning and she was tired.

———————————–

Captain Kirk, Spock, the Enterprises’ doctor McCoy, the head security officer, several men and several beautiful women risked beaming over to the Lexx. The flux had quieted down and appeared to be stablizing. Much food and drink was brought with them, too. BowCatz had decided to remain with Circe. Xev brought her a plate of food and a small decanter of wine immediately after the food was brought over.

Xev paused by Circe before leaving the small, dark room. “She’s been sleeping this whole time?”

“Yes. I have had to check on her often to make sure she’s still breathing.”

“She looks so peaceful.”

“Yes. Very peaceful.” BowCatz looked at the plate of food. The food looked like nothing she had seen before.

At times, BowCatz could hear laughter winding down the halls of the Lexx. She ate only a little of the food and drank none of the wine. Less than an hour passed and BowCatz grew sleepy. She had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours and needed rest. Curling up on the floor beside Circe, BowCatz slept and dreamed.

From a very dark corner of the room, Captain Kirk abruptly appeared and was perspiring heavily. His red face had a feverish sheen from an unknown light that appeared to come down from the ceiling in shafts.

“What’s wrong, Captain?” BowCatz was not too thrilled to see him. Something primal in her soul growled a threat and it showed in her eyes.

“Don’t get in my way, BowCatz?” he shouted as he pushed her against the bed. BowCatz arched her back as to not fall on Circe, but Circe wasn’t there. Perplexed, she felt the Captain’s hands pushing on her mouth as if to block a scream then down her throat and finally resting on her stomach. He pulled her up by her belt buckle higher onto the bed. His hands were slick with sweat when he took her head and pulled her toward him as if to kiss, but stopped short. BowCatz turned away in disgust.

“Whoa, son!” BowCatz pushed against his face then his eyes with her fingernails. They struggled, but the bedspread was slippery beneath them and BowCatz was able to gain a small degree of leverage and she used it fully.

“Don’t get in my way, BowCatz?” He growled at her through clenched teeth. “I’ll hurt you.”

“I’m not in your way, creep.” BowCatz snapped back angrily and pushed him away and slid off the bed to the opposite side.

He was like a maniac when he stood. Breathing deeply, he moved around the bed and BowCatz moved away from him. When she tried to call out for Kai, her mouth wouldn’t open. Reaching for her knife, she found it gone. He grabbed at her, and BowCatz jumped over the bed and out the door and unexpectantly found herself in the dining area.

Everyone was pretending to be asleep sitting at the table. It was a strange sight and BowCatz couldn’t interpret it. BowCatz walked around the table to Xev and she turned away from her pretending to be asleep. “You are not suppose to be in here now, BowCatz”, she heard someone whisper.

Stanley, laying on the floor, was covered by a couple of women dressed suggestively in flowing fabrics of green and blue. Another one in red looked up at BowCatz from the floor. In her eyes, BowCatz sensed death. “You’re more dead than Kai,” she said to her. BowCatz could sense the woman was angry with her for knowing that. Stanley drowsily laughed at them as they appeared to be slowly taking off his clothes. BowCatz turned away for this was a private moment she wanted no part of.

Circe appeared briefly in the hallway’s entrance when BowCatz turned away and motioned for BowCatz to follow her. Immediately, BowCatz found herself at one end of the hallway that lead to the moth hangar. Circe appeared briefly as if a spirit and motioned for her to follow further. After what seemed a long time, BowCatz walked into the moth hangar to find Kai inside a casket shaped glass box leaning against the wall. He looked asleep behind the frosted glass. “I guess this means I am on my own, Circe. Death follows me, Circe. Or, I go find it.” Looking at the glass coffin, she noticed the reflection of Captain Kirk behind her.

BowCatz spun around and found herself alone in the moth hangar. “Circe.” she called out several times. “Where are you? What is this? What are you trying to tell me?” Then mothbreeders moved about the hangar and would turn away if BowCatz approached them. “What are all these symbols in my dreams suppose to mean?”

“BowCatz, be at peace. I am here.”

“Where?”

“Wake up, BowCatz. Wake up.”

“What?” BowCatz turned around and looked up and down in the moth hangar for Circe.

“Make yourself wakeup. Fight it, BowCatz. You’ve been drugged. I can’t help you if you let the drug take full affect of your brain. It and you are the source of your nightmare.” Circe sounded stronger. “BowCatz, wake up!” A sound like a hand clapping twice shot through BowCatz’ mind and it startled her awake.

BowCatz drunkenly raised herself to one elbow off the floor. She was level with Circe, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She slumped back to the floor, but attempted to rise again. It was an effort to get into a sitting position. “Coffee, ” she said weakly. “I sure could go for a cup of coffee right now.” Staggering, she stood up and leaned against the doorway. The hall was quiet. Too quiet.

————————

A cool breeze blew against her face as she walked down the hallway helping her to slowly revive. She stopped outside the makeshift dining hall and listened. People were talking and laughing and BowCatz could hear the tinkling of glasses and silverware clinking on plates. She entered the room and stopped behind Dr. McCoy sitting opposite Richard.

BowCatz gave Richard a dark look to his rather complacent one. His plate was full of exotic food. Plates, bowls, and baskets were filled with food. Large wine bottles were opened and breathing.

“BowCatz, what is the matter? Is it Circe?” Captain Kirk put down his glass of wine as he spoke. BowCatz didn’t answer him and remained standing slightly weaving.

Finally, her eyes met Kai’s. He was sitting across the one BowCatz guessed to be a security officer. The officer was armed as were the men dressed similar in color to his uniform.

Kai stood and excused himself. “Please remained seated. I will return ”

“Kai?” Xev looked at them with questioning eyes. Did BowCatz see a glint of jealousy?

BowCatz had to fight off the wave of sleepiness and motioned for Kai to follow her outside.

“Kai, the food is drugged. Atleast, I think it is. Gosh, maybe it’s an allergic reaction. I’ve never eatened food like this before. Can’t tell if it’s meat or vegetable.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Well, sort of. I only ate a small portion an hour ago and I can hardly stand. Barely a handful or two. ” BowCatz rubbed her hands together. Time didn’t seem continuous in her state of mind. “My fingers tingle as well as my feet. My nose feels so numb. Less than an hour ago, I ate, Kai.” BowCatz looked at her watch, but her eyes were too glazed to read it.

“They began the main entree several minutes ago. If it is drugged then I’ll know within the hour.”

“Yes. Xev let me eat first. I guess I have eatened the food that held the narcotic. It was like a bread dressing type of food.”

“All have eatened this food with no ill results, yet, BowCatz.”

BowCatz searched her memory then said, “I didn’t drink the wine, Kai. I don’t like wine. Maybe something in the wine makes it release slower. I don’t know. I’m not a pharmacist.

Kai steadied BowCatz as she had begun to lean forward. “I have heard of such narcotics. I didn’t know these people were capable of making it.”

“Usually, alcohol increases and hastens the affects of narcotics—not dampen it. But, I’m so far from home, who knows what kind of medicines exist out here.” BowCatz looked back down the hallway and then back at Kai. “I will return to Circe and shake this off. I’m not much help till I do.”

Kai escorted her back to Circe’s room.

Kai had barely returned to his seat beside the Captain when Kirk asked him if BowCatz had enjoyed her share of the wine. Kai replied that she hadn’t drank the wine and studied the expression in Captain Kirk’s face with much interest. Kai casually turned and looked at Xev and then her glass and back at Xev. “Is your meal enjoyable, Xex? It has been a long time since such food has been aboard the Lexx.”

“Yes, Kai. The food is wonderful. The wine is like none I have ever tasted.”

Kai looked purposely long at Xev’s wine glass and then back at Xev. Xev looked at the wine glass and back at Kai. She understood.

Stanley missed the exchange and accepted flattery from the redhead at his right with much zeal then drank deeply from the large glass of wine that each of the women from the Enterprise held.

Circe slowly smiled in her sleep. BowCatz watched her smile and was pleased. Kai had been right. Circe would recover.

————————————-

The conversation around the table had started to wane and each member began to excuse themselves yawning. Kai sat quietly observing the whole affair as Xev slowly leaned forward and pushed herself back up to a sitting position. She was one of the last to excuse herself after Kai assured her it was a good idea if she were to get some sleep. Stanley, Kai, Kirk and his crew members were the only ones left after Xev left the room balancing herself on the wall. Kirk glanced over at Stanley being seduced, but it was Kai’s solomn look that reminded him why he was there.

“You seem unhappy, Kai.”

“The dead do not experience unhappy, Captain Kirk.”

“Dead?”

“Yes.”

There was a heavy pause as Kai and Kirk remained silently looking at each other.

“C’mon, Kai. Lighten up. It’s a party. Ain’t it girls?” Stanley drunkenly reached forward to kiss a red-headed woman as she suggestively slid her hand up and down his chest.

“Yes, Stanley. It’s our party,” one of the women said suggestively.

“Stanley, let’s take a walk.” The redhead stood and attempted to pull Stanley up with her. The other two women with her also stood.

“Stanley, remain seated if you value your ability to be captain of the Lexx.” Kai had taken command over the situation and Kirk knew it. His eyes narrowed in on Kai.

“What ya mean, Kai.” Stanley slurred his words. The women around him cast hard looks at Kai. One softened her hard gaze after a moment and slinked up to Kai. Placing her arms around him, she purred something into his ear.

“The dead do not squeal with delight.” Kai said giving the woman a deadly glance then he pushed the voluptious woman away. She sat hard onto the floor and cursed Kai under her breath. Whatever Kirk had promised them was so great that they would sleep with the dead to get it.

“Wai…Kai…don’t hurt ’em. S’ it could be a while before we get this luck…luck…lucky again,” whined Stanley helping the woman stand while he remained seated. “Sit’s been so long since I’ve been lucky, I’ve nearly forgot how to say it.” Stanley laughed and looked at each of the wanton women, but though heavily drunk and drugged, Kai’s words had hit a nerve under Stanley’s thin skin. “Kai, what do you mean about … it?” Stanley’s head rolled about his shoulders. He had gotten too drunk and was passing out. “I’m okay. I’m okay. See, girls?” He slowly let his head down to his chest and closed his eyes.

Kirk looked at his men then smiled and through his dark smile looked back at Kai. “I don’t know what you mean about being dead, Kai, but I suggest you don’t get in my way.”

“I am not in your way, Captain Kirk.” Kai’s eyes were dark and his jaw was set firmly. His steady tone was beginning to unnerve Kirk and it showed.

Kirk then looked at Stanley with contempt. “Bones, he’s passing out. Can you do something about it? He told me he had to be able to …” Kirk looked back at Kai with a frustrated expression.

Dr. McCoy cast an uneasy look at Kai and cleared his throat. “Jim, I feel this isn’t such a good idea. Have you forgotten the prime directive of not interfering?”

“I’m not interfering, Bones. I’m salvaging. This ship is a powerful weapon. It’s in the hands of a fool, a love slave, and a dead man. In my hands, I can destroy every single planet that has a stinking Klingon living on it.”

“Jim!” McCoy’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

Spock, too, had been silent through the moment Kirk had released his secret and seethed his true desire. “Excuse me, Jim. I would like to speak with you freely. You may not like what I have to say, but I’ll say it for your own good.”

“Of course, Spock. Speak away.” Kirk waved his hand in the air like a king freely granting pardons.

“Captain, for some time now , I have watched you suffer deeply and silently over the loss of your son. I sympathsize with your loss and you know this.”

“What about it, Spock? I have the means now so close in my hands to avenge my loss that I would be the fool to pass it up.” He paused and inhaled deeply and exhaled. For a moment his gaze was far away. “I won’t let it go. I will have that key.”

“You are the captain of the USS Enterprise. Stanley is the captain of the Lexx. Is it right for you to take what isn’t yours?” Kirk stood abruptly and pounded the table top repeatedly and shook the entire table.

“Right? Right? It’s not about what’s right anymore, Spock. It’s about opportunity and taking what you want. Is it so wrong to avenge the death of my son….my only son?”

“Jim, you could kill every Klingon in every universe imaginable. It wouldn’t bring back your son.” Dr. McCoy sat back in his chair as Kirk turned and glared at him with murder in his eyes for not agreeing with him.

“I know that, Bones. I know that.” Kirk sat down as a man trying to escape the voices of reason surrounding him. A man in torment and wrestling with inner demons, he covered his face with his hands. What he wanted and desired for so long now was close and embodied in the idiot sleeping close to him.

Kai was still as a tombstone and listened to the exchange.

After a moment, Kirk wheeled around and pointed an accusing finger at Kai, “You’re nothing but property, you know that, Kai?. His Devine Shadow held a title to you. He could have sold you like a piece of dirt. You have nothing real to offer to anyone but the ability to kill.” He stood and leaned over table and into Kai’s face. “You have nothing to offer. You can’t love. You can’t hate. You can’t feel anything. An-ny-thing at aaaalllllll. Do you hear me? You’re dead.” Kirk threw up his hands to add motion to the diatribe against Kai. ” You can’t even pilot the Lexx. Why should you care? Oh, excuse me. You are dead and the dead don’t care, do they, Kai?”

Calmly, but with inner strength, Kai spoke. “I am dead. I don’t have the emotions you have, but I understand your loss and remember my own loss. I gave my life avenging my loss. After my entire planet was destroyed with one blow and everyone I had ever loved or even knew was killed, I crashed my ship into the enemy craft that had destroyed it. That day, I died. Eventually, what I wanted to happen when I had been alive happened, but I had to die to see it. ” Kai stood and faced Kirk eye to eye. Their faces were only inches apart. “You are dying now, Kirk. What you were is dying, too, Kirk. Your friends and your crew are having trouble recognizing you as a dead man, Kirk. Should they follow a dead man, Kirk? Will they follow you?” Kai’s hard words found a home in Kirk’s heart and Kai knew it. Kai backed away from Kirk and helped Stanley get up then said without turning to Kirk, ” What you want, Kirk, comes with a terrible and final price. Are you willing to pay it? Do you want to be like me?” Kai helped Stanley out of the room. The women attempted to follow, but Kai turned them back with just one look from his piercing eyes.

Kirk looked at his friends and crew scattered about the room with a wild and hurting expression on his red face. His own security team couldn’t look him in the eye. Several had backed off to the hallway entrance as if ready to bolt away from their beloved captain. “I want …” he shreiked throwing back his head and pounding his fists together, “I want… I want…” He wailed out all the pain he had held pent up for so long while banging his fists harshly together. “I want …” he repeated as a broken man barely able to breath. His friends of many years placed their hands on his shoulders and Kirk sat down and began to weep silently. “I want my son back.”

————————————

It was the coldness of her legs that woke her. “Man, I’m thirsty.” BowCatz said as she slightly opened her eyes and rolled over and inhaled the fresh scent of pine needles. A pinecone scratched her face on the right side. “Ow.” She sat up and banged the left side of her head on the treestand hanging a couple of feet off the ground. A cold January breeze blew back her hair and she rubbed the rising lump on her forehead with one hand and her scratch with the other. “Oh, not again. What happened? Where is Circe?” She stood and pulled pineneedles from her long hair. A scroll of parchment fell from her coat pocket as she raised her arm.

“BowCatz,” began the letter. “To you I appeared to be asleep, but in my physically weakened condition, I became strong as I traveled the realm you understand from your Christian teachings as the spirit realm.”

“First, let me say ‘thank you’, for your care and concern. You gave a lot of yourself while aboard the Lexx and we are all grateful. I know that had more been required of you that you would have given it with a glad heart.

You had a part in the drama that had to unfold. Why did it happen? Why were we all called from so many locations? Simply, so a good man would return to what he was meant to be. We each held a quality that was dying in Kirk. He had to see it outside of himself before he would understand what it was he was losing. I explained this to him and he understood. After a rest, he will return as the captain he should be. Your role, dear BowCatz, was to remind him of fidelity and friendship to his crew. To not use them for selfish gain. Your preparedness to lay down your life, so others may live, really touched his broken heart. He referred to it as your sassiness.

Kai, Stanley, and Xev say goodbye as they stand and I sit near you sleeping on the floor near the bed you thought I was dying in. The grief you were experiencing at the thought of my death was so strong, I had to tell you to stop it. Remember? And you thought it was Kai.

Return now to your place in time and space. Be at peace in the woods you call home. When I am stronger, I will visit you, but not as you saw me. Maybe as a bluebird singing to you on a low limb, I’ll visit you. Maybe as rain after days of hard drought. Maybe you will think to look left and see danger because I was looking over you for the while I visited you.

I’ll never forget you, BowCatz.

Your friend always ,

Circe

BowCatz read the scroll again and tears filled her eyes. “So, you are well. You didn’t die. I am so happy.” She placed the scroll on the climbing deer stand and picked up her archery gear where she had lowered it. When she went to pick up the scroll again, it was gone. But she remembered the words forever—even all the way into her old age.

[ 29-03-2002: Message edited by: BowCatz ]

[ 29-12-2002: Message edited by: SadGeezer ]

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