Chapter Text
-
The sky was a pale gray. After coming up from the dark, to him it was a brilliant, dazzling white. The rocks black, and sharp.
The waves roared, birds shrieked far overhead.
Bitter salt water, freezing foam spilled out of his lungs.
-
The sound of footsteps echoed loudly against the cavernous, empty ballroom floor. On the far side, wide floor-to-ceiling windows looked over sprawling manicured green fields, letting the light stream in.
“Quite remarkable really. The machines beneath the floor circulate oxygen and filter the water. But you don't hear a thing, do you?”
“Very impressive, your Excellency.”
Light off the glass swirled and danced in intricate golden patterns across the ballroom floor, cast off of the thick, singular glass pane that stretched the full length of the opposite wall.
“Now you can get just as pleasant a view of the tank from my study. A far more suitable place to conduct business.”
The Chancellor led his guest from the ballroom to the next room over. This room was just as large, although its inventory gave it a cozier feel. Beautifully carved shelves were heavy with leather books. A Large globe sat in a gold-guided frame. Shelves with various taxidermy, curiosities and other trophies were cluttered on and about an ornate marble fireplace to create a rather impressive hoard.
A large, wide desk took up most of the far end of the room, flanked by velvet drapes which kept in the warmth.
On the remaining wall here was another massive pane of glass. Between the study and ballroom was an expanse of water - perhaps six feet across - the length the full stretch of the rooms. Through it, one could see the tall windows of the ballroom adjacent. A very fetching effect overall.
The Chancellor offered him a seat at an armchair in front of his impressive desk, inviting him to take a closer look at the feature.
Behind the glass, vibrant corals were neatly situated. A few artful placements of leafy kelp ran from the floor to ceiling, waving gently along the artificial current that circulated the water. The bottom was an arrangement of small smooth stones, far too uniform to be natural.
A selection of larger ones, around the size of footballs were arranged in the center.
In the middle of the rocks were two soft, opalescent orbs. Pale, speckled white. The membranes gleaming and gossamer thin.
“The eggs arrived just last week. Two months old, laid in captivity. They came with quite the impressive pedigree.”
“I would be very interested to see.”
“Yes of course. Sherry?”
“No, thank you.”
“Very well.” The Chancellor helped himself to a crystal copita from the butler, who politely excused himself.
“Are they viable?”
“Viable? Ah, yes. Of course. Those I work with are very good.”
“You mentioned a problem when we last spoke.”
The Chancellor's thin lips twisted into a grimace of a smile.
“Hm, yes. I was thinking you expertise may be useful here. I'm afraid its trouble with my own stock.”
“Yes, I was wondering about that. Is he-?”
“It likes to sulk. One moment.”
A jade paperweight intricately carved into a feline skull sat on his desk. The Chancellor pressed a small black button within one of the eye sockets. An almost unnoticeable ripple ran through the current of the water.
At once, something long and black seized in the water. A dark tail, the fins a translucent amber-gold whipped furiously before darting briefly out of sight beyond the side of the tank, which extended beyond the walls of the aquarium in a very small alcove. The hidden pace almost seemed to be an afterthought, likely where unsightly pumps and filters were situated out of view.
A webbed hand emerged, pressed flat against the glass. It was trembling slightly, a residual stun from the shock-wave.
“As you can see, attempts to train it not to touch the glass have not yet been fruitful.” The Chancellor sighed, sipping his drink.
The rest of the creature emerged into view.
His skin was honey-gold, marred by cross-crossing scars that had faded to pale streaks of white. His right arm was particularly gnarled, ending in a stump at the elbow. Tattered remains of his pectoral fin remained there, fanning uselessly.
He swam the length of the tank, powered effortlessly by the powerful black tail. End-to-end, it took up nearly half the full length of the enclosure.
“A pity what happened to the top half of the specimen. We had some trouble getting him to settle in, though you'll find that's quite common with those in from he wild.”
“Yes, I heard he was brought in from the sea.”
“Dying on the shore. We saved his life.” The Chancellor said magnanimously, spreading his hands. It was the kind, grandfatherly persona he wore so well in the papers and on the news. “He had some trouble with a trawling vessel. Not terribly uncommon these days unfortunately.”
“How very gracious of you.”
“Hm, yes. He will come to appreciate what we're doing for him in time, I like to think.”
The Mer was facing them now, his intact hand braced on the glass. He hovered several feet above them, glaring down with sharp ocher eyes. His murderous glare fixed on Obi-Wan.
“Very wary of intruders. Much like cats, I've found.”
“I never had much luck with cats.” Obi-Wan answered banally. “Altogether, a very remarkable specimen. It would have been off the coast of Alaska, correct?”
“You know your biology.”
“I know my business. My client is very particular.” His eyes swept over the merman again, before glancing through the glass to the room on the other side.
“Curious. Mer from this region tend not to be so uniformly dark patterned. Deep blue – especially the fins tends to be more of the norm. Gold tends to blend poorly in the dark water.”
“Correct again.” The Chancellor sounded pleased. “Yes, that was the coloration when we retrieved him. He took some of my men quite by surprise.”
“By surprise” Obi-Wan asked. “On a beach?”
The Chancellor was still smiling, but his eyes were not.
“It was raining.”
“Of course.” Obi-Wan said after a beat, with a conspiratorial smile.
The atmosphere in the room lifted.
“Yes, his tail color changed quite gradually a few months after he was installed.”
“If you don't mind me saying Chancellor, as a professional in the field?”
“Go, ahead. Please.”
“It's likely a result of the water temperature.”
“Is that so?”
“The pumps beneath the tank seem to be doing a satisfactory job – or I'd say he would have expired shortly after arriving. But between the light from your windows,” He gestured through the tank to the ballroom. “And the fireplace you have in here, it's likely quite a bit warmer than strictly comfortable for our friend.”
“Hm, yes. This tank used to hold a lovely tropical thing. Black and red, beautiful spikes on the tail. Native to the coasts off of Borneo.” The Chancellor waxed, leaning back in his large armchair.
“We adjusted the temperature for this one, but the chill simply emanated out of the glass all hours of the day. Not a pleasant environment to conduct one's business in. No Professor, for the sake of temperature control in my environment it will simply need to grin and bear it.”
The Mer continued to glare at them.
“Besides, I'm quite fond of his new coloration. It suits the aesthetic of the place quite nicely, the black and gold tones are lovely.”
“If you'll allow me to elaborate,” Obi-Wan leaned forward in his chair. “I meant to say, the discoloration is likely a sign of deoxygenation. He can't breathe -”
“Professor.” The Chancellor said with a genial smile. “I would hardly waste such a considerable sum of money to establish a new exhibition in my personal study only to have it floating at the top of the tank in a month, let alone go through the trouble of acquiring viable eggs. The machines hooked up to the tank respire oxygen into the water.” He swept to his feet and to the side of the tank.
A panel on the side opened, revealing a control panel. The action appeared to have pulled back some form of soundproofing to the mechanism beneath the rich facade. The quiet was replaced by a long, steady;
thrmmm-kksssssh
“He may not be comfortable but he is alive and I assure you it is a much better fate than the alternative.”
The creature had sunk back down to the bottom of the tank, his scarred and tattered back facing him.
“Of course, Chancellor. You understand these are the questions I need to be asking on behalf of my client.”
“I would expect nothing else.” The Chancellor sat back down, taking another sip from his sherry. “Now, to the matter at hand.” He set the drink aside, steepling his fingers. “As you can see, we have the eggs and a specimen impressive enough to make quite a lucrative pair. One of course, promised to the Senator Organa.” He gestured to the eggs.
“The only problem remains how to get this one here to cooperate.” He leaned over and rapped on the glass of the tank. The Mer's tail flicked angrily, though apart from this he did not react. The muscles of his back remained taut and tense despite his relaxed pose.
“I would say that the two topics may be linked.” Obi-Wan replied thinly. “His condition may be stable, but from what we observed fertilization is usually a very private affair. While his setup is quite... impressive. He simply may not have the privacy needed to feel comfortable seeing to the eggs.” He knew this was not the news the Chancellor wished to hear.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, pressing on.
“He's in an environment confined enough that any more of his kind - even young ones - would make it uninhabitable. He's also likely... lonely. In the wild, he would not come across eggs on their own. They are far too delicate. Someone would be with him, normally. Of his own kind.”
“So, he both needs more space and more company. Which, I would imagine would require more space further still.” The Chancellor sighed. “What a troublesome hobby I have elected to fall into.”
“If I may,”
“I have brought you here for your advice, Professor. You need not continue asking for permission to give it.”
“The Research facility has much more spacious tanks. One of our largest salt water one is currently unoccupied.” Obi-Wan slid a folder across the desk. The Chancellor flipped it open with his little finger, looking over the images of the facility.
“We can take the eggs and the... specimen. The space and temperature adjustment alone may be enough for him to feel more... cooperative.” The word twisted awkwardly out of his mouth, using the same language the Chancellor himself had.
“As you know we rehabilitate these creatures on a regular basis. A suitable companion may even-”
“No.” The Chancellor sighed, pushing the folder away.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I certainly see the merit of your suggestions Professor. Please don't have me mistaken, I would of course trust you to put the utmost care into the handling of my property. But I am afraid that removing it from the premises is out of the question.” He sighed again, aping concern.
“You see, we're entering quite an important political period this year. There will be a number of highly important gatherings at my home. It wouldn't suit at all to have an empty tank sitting there, taking up so much space with nothing to show for it.” He looked through to the impressive ballroom again.
“I'd have to re-stock it with more conventional aquatic life, and its current salinity and settings are not typically well suited to the decorative sort. A tank full of cod does not strike much inspiration.”
The Chancellor stood, arms held behind his back.
“And my career is what pays for this all at the end of the day. No, I have something a bit simpler in mind.”
“And what might that be?”
“The tank drains out, the contents can be lowered to a room beneath.” He explained. “It's necessary for conducting medical checks and our ongoing training efforts. You can perform an extraction for artificial fertilization of the eggs, sedate it if necessary.”
“I suppose that would work just as well.”
“Once the eggs are seen to, we can make the arrangements for Organa to wire over his payment. We already have quite a few bidders on the second egg as well.”
“I see. It would be a shame to keep them waiting while he makes up his mind to act on his own.”
“Who?”
“The Mer.”
“Oh. Oh yes, of course.” The Chancellor murmured. “Would you like to see the stables, professor?”
“I'd be honored.” Obi-Wan stood. “I've heard great things about the prize winning Arabian.”
“They do not do it justice, I assure you.”
The Chancellor strode off into the hall. Obi-Wan sighed, looking back at the tank. The Mer was still curled up on his side among the rocks. From this angle, Obi-Wan could see it had coiled itself around the two pearl eggs, its good arm tucked carefully around them.
A golden eye turned up to glare at Obi-Wan. The Professor gave him the briefest nod, and headed out of the stuffy room.
-
The shock of hitting the water knocked the air from his lungs. The cold like knives. In a split second he was both stunned and shocked through. And the water churned, the maw of the abyss wide before him.
-
He liked the nights best.
The nights were quiet.
The days were too bright, too hard to breathe.
thrmmm-kksssssh
He swam the length of his Prison again and again, his muscles itched for greater use. The songs in his mind over the long-dragging days kept his mind quiet, kept the panic down. He couldn't afford panic, not since the eggs arrive in the Prison.
thrmmm-kksssssh
It would not normally be his job to keep the water around them moving, but the eggs were alone.
They were alone!
They needed him. His fins brushed over the fine membranes. Without predators, he knew they could exist as they were for months just fine. But their presence still agitated him.
They should not be alone.
(He should not be alone).
thrmmm-kksssssh
He hated that noise. All day. Every day. He couldn't get used to it.
thrmmm-kksssssh
It was so loud in the water. The water that tasted wrong.
thrmmm-kksssssh
There was a hard thump on the glass wall. He bounced off of it, realizing belatedly he had forgotten to turn. His skull throbbed.
thrmmm-tissssshhrrrkkkk...
Hi eyes snapped open, panicked adrenaline flooded his veins. As much as he hated that sound, he hated far more what happened when it stopped. He knew what followed, but it couldn't happen now. Not now!
The water began to recede.
He pounded on the glass, out of frustration more than anything than anything else. The rooms on either side were empty and silent.
Eggs! The eggs were here! They couldn't do this!
The water continued to drain away. His tail touched the rocky bottom of the tank as the top of his hair grazed the air. He braced his arm around the clutch, as if he could shield the water in. It sank down around his ears.
He could see it in his mind's eye, the two precious orbs shriveled and dry. It would happen in minutes. His stomach churned.
The water fell down to his shoulders, the gills on his neck clamped shut. His lungs kicked in, sucking in the stale, terrible air.
The water had stopped falling. Mercifully, several inches above the eggs which remained submerged. The interior was lowering down.
His shoulders shuddered, panic still wracked his body. His entire being thrummed with instinct to fight, to tear and kill whatever threatened the eggs. That was right.
This was all wrong.
There was nothing he could do.
A light glared in his face.
“Please, we need you to remain calm.” He looked up at the man before him. He opened his mouth, full of sharp teeth and hissed.
It was Him.
“No, now enough of that.”
His was different when he had spoken with the Monster those weeks ago. Now, he wore all black, with another black garment on his head. It matched the two companions he was with.
Oddly, the bizarre thought that popped into his mind was dressed this way, all four of them seemed to match.
The Monster was nowhere in sight.
-
“Yes, that's right. The Chancellor doesn't need to know about this.” Obi-Wan held up both hands placidly, signaling for Rex and Cody to get the gurney. He kept his eyes fixed on the Mer, crouched warning over his clutch. If he so wished, he could easily alert half the manor of their presence here.
“We're going to get you out of here.” Gold eyes narrowed at him. His tail wrapped tight around himself. “The eggs as well. All three of you.”
Obi-Wan knelt down, bringing himself to eye-level. He smiled.
“Yes, you do remember me, don't you? It is you, isn't it Anakin.”
“An!Kn.” The sharp click and whistle cased Rex and Cody to flinch, looking to the doors. He really should know better by now, but he couldn't help but feel a flicker of delight at giving the humans a fright.
“Now you know I can't pronounce that. Please, you need to be quiet. Unless you'd like to stay, of course.” Obi-Wan took a large metal case from Cody, offering it over to Anakin over the rim of the tank.
“This is for the eggs. Will you help me?”
The moment drew out. Slowly, unblinking, Anakin reached out with his good arm, guiding the box into the water, letting it fill to the brim. He reached for one egg, then paused. In a flash, he lunged forward. Fingers roughly gripped and twisted Obi-Wan's hair.
“No!” Obi-Wan threw a hand out. Rex and Cody had both drawn handguns out. “No!” He hissed “It's alright.” He turned, facing Anakin head on.
A long, poised and meaningful stare filled a heavy silence between them. Neither blinked, or breathed.
“I promise.” Obi-Wan whispered. “With my life I will protect them.”
His fingers loosened. Obi-Wan stepped back.
“We don't have time for this.” Rex warned.
“We must make time.” Obi-Wan watched as Anakin gently placed the eggs into the crate side-by-side.
Obi-Wan secured it, dialing the settings onto a panel on the front.
“We have six hours to get them back to the facility.”
“As long as the scramble on the security system does its job.”
“Alright, my friend. It's your turn now.”
Anakin leaned forward, his elbows crossed on the walls of the tank, watching the odd procession. Cody wheeled in a gurney from the outside. Fortunately for them, the tank maintenance room was only down a short corridor, through a servants entrance around the side of the manor. There was easy access to park outside.
Anakin looked grimly at the gurney, then back to Obi-Wan. At least this one had no restraints he could see. He raised his arms, allowing Obi-Wan to lift his torso while Cody gathered up his tail.
The three worked quickly and quietly, wrapping wet towels around the thin planes of his caudal and dorsal fins. Obi-Wan applied the same treatment to the ventrals on his arms.
Feeling thoroughly ridiculous and off balance, Anakin was wheeled out into the clean (and blissfully cold) night air, then into the back of a van. A large tub filled with ice and salt water was waiting there which he was lowered into, towels and all.
Rex and Cody got into the front, while Obi-Wan stayed in the back with Anakin and the case.
The next moments were tense and silent. Hardly anyone breathed, the tires over the gravel and the engine deafening in the quiet night.
After a few moments, the van picked up speed. The men began to breathe again. Anakin could only assume they made it far enough from his Prison, that they had made it out.
Anakin thrust his good arm out, gesturing insistently for the crate.
“Yes, of course.” He handed it over, letting Anakin clutch it close to his bare torso “Please, mind yourself. They're not the only important cargo here. Your fins are going to sustain more damage if you-”
“K!ttt!”
Rex, Cody and Obi-Wan all flinched at the high-pitched whistle, the van swerved on the highlway. Rex swore.
“If he did that in the manor-!”
“But he didn't.” Obi-Wan corrected him firmly. “I think he quite understands the situation. I think he's also had quite enough of people telling him what to do. I told you he was remarkable, not that he was particularly polite.”
They drove on into the night.
-