Even Dragons Sleep

Posted on Thu Aug 5th, 2021 @ 10:43am by Kyle Cragen [Reece] & Michael Bishop & Vice-Consul Josephine Carlyle-Cragen

Mission: Darkness Rising - A Phoenix Lalor Sub Plot
Location: Cragen's private cabin
Timeline: MD 21 (immediately following "Slavemistresses")
2337 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Sephine had been very quite of late, reading and studying a well as spending time pleasing her husband. But something at the back of her mind was bugging her. She sat on the couch in a silk robe twisting her long blond hair around a finger, staring at the Bottle of wine that she had found and placed on the coffee table.

There was something about that bottle that bugged her. The wine was Erisian Huey Wine. Made from ch'amhuey. An extremely alcoholic drink. Spicy and well balanced - 2250 Vintage. Highly valuable and extremely hard to get. And exported to only a few vendors in the federation.

Something in the back of her mind kept telling her the wine choice was important.

Cragen entered the cabin, still fuming over how far he had broken Melanie. Stomping over to the hanging heavy bag, he started to through punch after punch, kick after devistating kick. After about ten minutes, he finally started to tire. It was time after all.

Turning, he saw his Sephine sitting there, apparently contemplating the wine bottle that that blasted woman had paid him with. "What's the matter?" His voice sounded tired, weak.

Sephine gave him her normal warm smile. "Oh, its just something about it is familiar. " she said softly. "I have seen it before... its rare I know but..." standing she moved to stand beside him. "Shall I draw you a bath Darling?"

Cragen was starting to find it difficult to think clearly. "N-no....no..." he started to strip out of his clothes as he moved to the far bulkhead. "Crellta." He said, and a hidden door slid away, revealing another small room inside. Turning to Sephine, he waved her over. "Come...come here."

"Kyle.." she hurried to his side and slid beneath his arm to help him. "Darling.. do I call a doctor?"

Shaking his head, he said as he entered the small room. Several small statues of women in various religious poses were positioned throughout the chamber. In tge center of the chamber, was a raised platform with some kind of cloth mat laid out atop it.

As Kyle moved to lay atop the mat, he said, "D-don't...dontbe afraid by...by what you're...you're about to see. It...it is natural for...for my species. For..for the next three days...I will..be in a cocoon." He laid down on the mat. "Bishop will be in command...until...until I awaken. I need...I need you to...to stand guard...over me. Will you?"

Sephine nodded "Of Course." She replied without hesitation. She watched him carefully. "Is... there anything I can do to help?"

"Light..incense...can...candles...." he was getting weaker by the second. Finally, he closed his eyes and said, "Deltrata..."

On the four corners of the mat, thin wire-like antenna folded up into place. Then, a thin yellow bean connected them. Suddenly, Cragen started to float a few inches above the mat. Once he was in position, his body began to emit thin threads from every pore on his body. The threads began to cross over and interweave with other threads. Slowly, a cocoon began to form, sealing him off from the outside world. In a matter if monents, the cocoon was formed and started to harden. It was honey -gold in color.

Sephine did as he instructed and lit the many incense candles around the room. Then she went back out to the living area, grabbed some cushions and a pile of books and dragged them in and set up beside his cocoon.

Bishop meanwhile was busy getting the ship ready for Cragen's reemergence in five days. He was updating files, continuing to search for those who had leveled their former base. In addition he was training Red to be an assassin. He also had the crew doing maintenance on the ship. He knew he needed to check on Sephine and was not looking forward to that as the woman feared him. Possibly because of the torture she had endured at his hands.

Three days into Cragen's sleep, a servant came and informed Bishop that Sephine was not eating, just sitting beside Cragen and not moving other than to read occasionally.

Bishop accepted the news and headed to Cragen's chambers. He entered and saw Sephine just as the servant had said. He approached her but stayed several feet away as for the woman not to feel threatened. "Sephine." He spoke, "You must eat. You are not doing yourself any good by refusing to eat."

She looked up from the book she had been studying, "I have been..." she trailed off. She had eaten.. surely,... The doctor came.. then...Her face was a puzzle. "Hmmm...sure I had been eating..."

Bishop shook his head from side to side, "No, Sephine you have not been eating." He motioned to the servant who had come with him carrying a tray of food. "Put it on the dresser." He instructed before looking back at Sephine. "Eat. You need to keep your strength up for when Cragen awakens. He will be very ...displeased if you haven't."

Sephine nodded and looked back at the book. "Mr Bishop. What was the name of the woman who gave Mr Cragen that wine?" she asked.

Bishop didn't answer right away as he thought of the stunning woman who had visited not so long ago. He glanced at the wine bottle sitting on the table. "Lady Karlyn Mortimer. May I ask why you wished to know her name?"

"That bottle of wine? Its vintage? Gifted to the Royal house of Lalor, on Erisia." She said. She held up the book. "Karlyn Mortimer is not Erisian."

"Yes, one of her bodyguards brought it and gave it to Cragen. I do nor know how Lady Mortimer came to have it. Perhaps a gift to her." Bishop suggested.

Sephine shook her head. "I have seen it before." She said softly.

That aroused Bishop's curiosity. "Can you remember where?" He pressed gently.

"The Elysium" she stated. "After they faced people from the Mirror Universe. Captain Phoenix Lalor had a bottle and shared it with members of the crew. She had several unopened bottles of the same vintage."

"The Elysium." Bishop repeated, "That is very interesting. Are you sure of this Sephine? Could she have given a bottle to Lady Mortimer?" He questioned while making a mental note to run a facial recognition scan of Lalor and Mortimer.

"highly unlikely. Captain Lalor had them under lock and key, not even her sister had the code."

"I shall look into what you have told me Sephine and let both you and Cragen know what I have found." he posed another question to her, " Is it possible a member of the royal family could have given Lady Mortimer the bottle?"

"The only possibility would be King Pallas himself who has granted Mr Cragen sanctuary, And I don't know much about him. That said, he did order the deaths of his sister and brother. If Karlyn offered him more than Mr Cragen..."
She mused and got up on shaky legs to get the food.

"I shall do a complete investigation into what you have told me." He stopped as Sephine stood on shaky legs. He moved to her side to steady her if needed. "Why don't you sit and I will bring the food to you. I would hate for you to fall and injure yourself."

"its ok. my legs were cramping. I am fine." She made it to the dresser and stood.

He stayed by her side. He did not want her to suffer an injury and have Cragen take it out on him. "I will stay, just to make sure."

Sephine didn't so much as cringe away from him as she took a step away. She remembered pain at this man's hands. She knew it had, had to happen to get rid of the false persona they had imprinted over her, but the memory still haunted her. She ate from the tray slowly, almost mechanically, as if she derived no enjoyment from the food. her gaze kept sweeping the room.

Bishop took no offense as Sephine stepped away from him. He had expected some reaction from her and this was mild. He noticed her gaze continually sweep the room. "Is something wrong Sephine, something not to your liking?"

"No its fine. I am doing what he asked me to do." She replied as she finished eating.

"No harm will come to him. I promise you that." Though even as he said it, he doubted Sephine believed him.

She gave a shrug, calmly she arranged the items on the tray in a neat fashion and turned towards the pile of cushions and blankets, her nest. "Thank you for the meal"

He bowed slightly, "You are welcome Sephine. Should you desire or need anything else please let me know. You need not worry about Cragen. He will emerge rejuvenated and perfectly fine." He assured her.

Sephine inclinded her head. "Of course Mr Bishop thank you. "

He nodded. "You are welcome Sephine and if there is nothing else I will take my leave of you. I still have much to do before he awakes."

"Of course" she watched him go and settled down to read some more.

***Three days later***

The cocoon had been floating safely in the energy field provided by the mat for the last three days. Suddenly, the yellow beam flickered, lowering the cocoon back down. Once it was on the mat, the beam shut off and the wires retracted back into the mat. The cocoon then started to evaporate.

When the system had started to engage, Sephine had sat up from her half doze. She had checked the timing earlier and had tidied up around the area. All that was left was a cushion and blanket. she had bathed as well so she was how he liked to see her. She watched in fascination as the cocoon began to dissolve.

Within a few moments, the cocoon was gone and Cragen laid there, still, covered in a thin slime. Finally, his eyes popped open and bolted upright, taking in his first breath in three days. He then doubled over, coughing and shivering.

Sephine moved to his side with a blanket which she draped over his shoulders and back. She knew the system would alert Bishop to Kyle's awakening, so she focused on him solely. She had gotten a glass of water which she now placed beside him. She had never seen him go through this so she was at a loss.

Bishop had indeed received the alert from Cragen's room that he had awakened. He left the bridge and headed there. Upon entering he stayed out of the way as Sephine draped a blanket over him and gave him a glass of water.

Cragen sipped the water and grabbed the blanket, pulling it around his naked body. As the shivers begin to slow, he looks up into Sephine's eyes and smiles warmly. "My love..." his voice was weak as he spoke.

She smiled at him warmly. "Hello Love" she whispered back. "How are you feeling?"

"C-cold..." he shivered slightly. "P-please...start a b-b-bath..."

"Of course" She kissed his lips lightly and scrambled to her feet, running to the bathroom to draw the bath.

Sitting up slowly, Cragen saw the person most loyal to him. "R-report."

Bishop took two steps toward Cragen and stopped. "All repairs have been completed, we are enroute to Rigel X. Melanie is dead. She threw herself off an upper deck while being taken to the Old Women."

Cragen started at that last bit of news. Standing up on shaky legs, he moved over to Bishop and gripped the smallee man by the throat and started to squeeze, his strength returning quickly. "I told you to watch her. What were you doing when she did this? Are you saying that she followed you all the way down there, with no sign of wanting to end her life, and she just up and jumps?! Is that what you're telling me, Mister Bishop?!" As he continued to squeeze Bishop's throat, his blanket fell away, leaving him standing there, completely naked.

Sephine's voice called out from the bathroom. "The bath is ready"

Cragen held tight for a few more beats, then released Bishop. "You will fix this, Bishop." His voice was deadly quiet. "I don't care how, but you will fix this. Immediately. Now get out before you upset my bride."

"YOU pushed her over the edge. YOU beat her and broke her mentally and you want me to clean up your mess." Bishop said as he moved to the door. "I'm the most loyal person you have. I created Flossie for you."

"Your absolute loyalty is the reason you are still alive, Bishop. Now fix the situation!" Cragen snarled.

"How would you like me to fix the situation sir? You drove Melanie to kill herself. I'm working with Red right now to turn her into what you asked for." Bishop replied. His calm a total opposite of Cragen's anger.

"Then you'd better hope she meets and exceeds my expectations! Now, get...out...!!"

Bishop gave a slight nod of his head and without a word turned and left the cabin. He had work to do.

Cragen took a few beats to collect himself. Deep ibside, he knew Bishop was right. Over all the years he had served him, Bishop had always been totally loyal, even with the pain and abuse Cragen had put on him. He would have to think of a way to show the human that his loyalty was seen and appreciated.

But, for now, he needed to finish waking up.

In the bathroom, Sephine had lowered the lights and lit candles.

Entering the room, Cragen smiled softly. "You are a truly beautiful woman, my love." He moved towards the large tub and got in. Reaching out to her, he said, "Join me."

*** (to be continued in "Alone Time")***