Subject: [OTL]: (alt. Betsy/Star Wars) Fanged Butterfly 2: Knightcross 30/? (R; themes) From: Phil Hartman Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 05:21:35 +0000 will1@earthling.net Fanged Butterfly Vol. 2: Knightcross Chapter 30 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Marvel's are Marvel's. LFL's are LFL's. Any original characters are mine. The rest belong to their owners/creators. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. WARNING: Graphic imagery and mature themes. ------------------------------------------------- "Aunt Sara told me once how, after some Atlantean nutcase named Attuma had transformed her into a water-breather, Phoenix put things right by rebuilding her from the genes on up. "Nothing to go on then but her instinct. "Now, it's MY turn." - Rachel Summers, Uncanny X-Men Annual 14 ------------------------------------------------- 40 ABY: Approaching Vjun, Outer Rim Territories, Galactic East: 21 days after the Battle of Corellia: ------------------------------------------------- The Force was rippling, quivering ... and the astral plane of Vjun was smoldering, about to alight. A single, terrified spark sat amidst Bast Castle, shock and betrayal turning to protective fear ... there. Betsy locked onto Ben's psi- and Force-signatures - the two weren't QUITE the same, the former being one part of the latter - but the Vongsense and the rising psionic interference around Vjun blocked her from communicating. She still had his location. That would be enough. "LOTS of coralskippers and frigate analogues, but no threat signatures. It's like we're not a threat ... or we're expected," Ganner said, looking confused. "Clearing the atmosphere ... NOW," Myri said, bringing the Jade Shadow through the dangerous part of reentry far more smoothly than she'd gotten them through Byss. And with that, Betsy stood, removed her outer robes ... and revealed a skintight yellow and black X-Men uniform. "YUB," Kettch gasped. Ganner and Raynar were ... struck silent, while Myri arched an approving eyebrow. "RWeooo twoo doot!" Artoo exclaimed, and Betsy laughed a little despite the coming confrontation. It WAS almost like the old days. She put her combat belt back on, lightsaber at her hip, and stretched; she'd worn the body armor uniform beneath her SHIELD jumpsuit during the Antarctica raid that had landed her in this part of the galaxy. And a confrontation with THAT bird was more X-work than Jedi. "Raynar, open the top hatch. Once I start my drop, Myri, circle back and land by the Falcon and Shawnkyr," Betsy ordered confidently, heading for the rear airlock. "Not MYRKR again!" Ganner gasped, but Betsy gave him a confident grin, standing beneath the top hatch inner seal. "Ben needs me NOW, Ganner," she replied, nodding at Raynar to begin the pressurization sequence; decompression wouldn't endanger the others at this height, but the air WAS thin. The top hatch finished cycling, and Betsy climbed the ladder to the airlock; it closed beneath her, and Myri steadied the ship before the outer seal opened. And Betsy leapt upward, on telekinetic wings, and dove for Bast Castle, speeding toward the rebirth of a phoenix. --------------------------------------------------- Ben hit his knees, gasping; his body was ... filling with a light, the Force flickering more and more powerfully. There WAS a problem; another entity was in his mind, but ... it was ... curious, VERY powerful in the Force ... and trying not to hurt HIM. Ben was really scared he might be the one hurting people, even unintentionally ... things started to feel VERY warm, too ... like Ben's cells were igniting ... "BEN!" Mom called - he hit his knees, starting to GLOW - ~TORTURER. BETRAYER,~ the ... bird? ... accused, and Ben felt it glare at Jacen through Ben's eyes - and Ben cried out in horror as a fiery CLAW of energy grabbed Jacen, squeezing ... !? ~He made mistakes! I was mad about Nelani, but I can't kill my OWN COUSIN!~ Ben begged the ... Phoenix? How he knew the name of the firebird forming around him, he wasn't sure. But it felt even more RIGHT than the Vongforming ... and the Phoenix released Jacen, as Ben levitated. Glowed. And gasped, as flame burned the Shaping out of him at the cellular level. The Phoenix raptor contracted; something formed around Ben's body, his hair returning ... his buzzcut was back. ~Family. Safe. Boy ... healed, in body,~ the entity rang out, and Ben checked himself - the claws, talons, spurs and ... pouch ... were gone ... he WAS Ben again. Totally. He landed on his feet, shaking in apologetic fear, as he looked down to find himself wearing a black bodyglove with a shining gold stylized firebird on the chest. "I - I don't know what it IS! Jacen, I'm sorry - Mom, Dad, PLEASE -" Ben pleaded, and his parents ran to him. They were afraid, but not of him, and he clung to them. "Well, you're completely Ben again. And ... a little extra," Dad said, trying to joke, but not cruelly, as a kind of fiery energy - danced around them, the firebird flaring again. "This isn't ... exactly the Force. More like raw life energy ... and why am *I* hearing it, too?" Mom asked, running a hand over Ben's head and kissing his forehead in both relief and protection. ~Daughter. Potential host,~ the ... Phoenix sent - and then it caught sight of Jacen, who was looking at the shocking scene with a mixture of curiosity and concern, and it SHRIEKED. Ben gasped as his parents thrown back by telekinetic wings, and he cried, "STOP IT! Jacen's my cousin! He has kids - he's like my brother!" ~HE TORTURED YOU,~ the Phoenix replied, and it took all of Ben's strength - willpower, no physical force could hope to hold back the firebird - "Get everyone OUT of here, PLEASE! I CAN'T STOP IT FOR LONG!" Ben screamed - everyone backed off, but refused to abandon him, he was both grateful and terrified - and a sonic boom over Bast Castle announced the arrival of someone whom the entity ... knew ... ? ~Hang on, Ben. Your uninvited guest and I go back a LONG ways,~ Aunt Betsy said, landing beside Ben in some kind of yellow and black bodyglove with a red belt. ~Braddock?~ the Phoenix asked, and Ben cried in relief as Aunt Betsy hugged him, then stood back and took his hands in hers. And she looked up at the Phoenix Effect surrounding Ben, and said, "Hello, old one. Your timing is still bloody terrible." ---------------------------------------------------- ~I'll explain everything once we get this unwelcome great bird out of your head,~ Betsy assured Ben, who poured gratitude, relief and hope into the astral plane - AH. THERE they were; even after all these years as Jedi, Betsy was still most at home on the purely mental plane. She brought Luke and Mara into the mental link, relieved that the Phoenix was merely surrounding Ben and not part of his life-force; their astral forms reflected their real-world garb and forms, and the fact that Ben saw himself as BEN, fully, once more, was another positive. ~Boy called ME, Braddock. Painbringer warped him,~ the Phoenix warned, reaching toward some Vongesque spot in the distance which Betsy realized was Jacen. The Skywalkers gladly shared the events of the past few days with their friend telepathically, and Betsy shook her head. "Leave it to Jacen to mess things up with his empathy - silly boy. But we can't let you rend him, you great bloody cosmic parakeet," Betsy reprimanded the Phoenix. ~MONSTER! Like Wyngarde! Twister!~ the Phoenix snarled, and Ben tried to pull it back - "Yes, Jacen made mistakes. But killing him will do FAR more harm than good. And don't start turning Shaped Ones back to human, either; the whole problem here is taking people's right to choose away from them," Betsy insisted. ~Then what?~ the Phoenix asked. "Ben is male. Young. Brave, noble, good ... but not truly compatible with you. You are to be thanked for returning him to his fully human form, but you know where you belong," Betsy insisted, and the Phoenix ... reluctantly ... released its bond with Ben, who hugged his parents. ~Return to the unmade,~ the Phoenix replied, sounding ... tired. "Better than yet ANOTHER bloody rampage," Betsy agreed. "Or do you want those pesky Shi'ar after you?" ~SHI'AR! Fah. False-birds. Weak, degenerate. I leave boy alone,~ the Phoenix agreed - ------------------------------------------------------- - and Betsy and the Skywalkers returned to their physical bodies, as Ben gasped in relief and his parents, aunt, uncle and cousins hugged him. "Aunt Betsy, thanks - how'd you -?" Ben asked, and Betsy hugged him as the Jade Shadow finally came in for a landing, Mara quirking an eyebrow at her ship's arrival as she hung onto Ben. "Your mother's family - her birth family - and I come from the same world. We need to confront Formbi, but I believe somewhere in Thrawn's records, we'll find a travel note about our least favorite Grand Admiral visiting Earth roughly 60 years ago," Betsy said, and Mara's jaw dropped, while Luke, Leia and Han traded surprised glances. "Then ... THIS is ... your galaxy?" Luke asked. "I'm almost certain of it. Vergere and I talked for the better part of a day - ah, THERE you are, you dirty old bird!" Betsy laughed, as Vergere walked onto the landing pad, smiling. "This from the woman with the Zeltron and gold bikini details," Vergere accused good-naturedly - and when Ganner and Raynar left the Shadow, the Fosh and Betsy traded wicked grins which left the men looking ... confused and worried. "... we don't need to know more, do we?" Ben asked, and Betsy howled with laughter, hugging her godson. "Bright boy. You're looking far better than the last time we met," Betsy said, as Ben ran a hand over his restored red buzzcut and smiled. "Jacen ... is everyone OK?" Ben asked, relieved to see the Shaped Ones unharmed, while Mara released him and looked at the approaching Myri and Kettch with a critical eye. "We can chat later, Betsy - YOU flew my ship, Antilles?" Mara accused. "And did other things in it ..." Raynar whispered, flinching under a green glare before Mara checked the Jade Shadow, and Myri stepped away, whistling, with Kettch. The 20-something Antilles' eyes bulged when a confused-looking Syal walked out from the crowd, and the sisters shrieked in joy, hugging each other - Betsy smiled at the reunion, and savored the reconnection between Ben and Luke. And Han and Leia were ... getting used to Jacen, Tenel Ka and the ... TWINS!? ... and Jaina was ... Betsy gasped, laughing, and the younger Solo woman returned her friend's hug. "Guess it was sooner than later," Jaina said, as Betsy basked in the Force aura of the now-pregnant Empress of the Empire of the Hand. "Life has to continue, even in the midst of chaos," Betsy agreed, giving Jag a congratulatory smile ... and then looked at the Shaped One girl beside him, who nodded politely. "Master Elizabeth Braddock, my ... Shaped shadow sister, Ysanna, or Senna as she prefers," Jag said, protocol returning to him as if he hadn't found a lost sibling AND learned he'd be a father in the same day. "Nice to meet you, Master. You're quite well known around here," Senna said, with that eerie ... presence beyond her years which Ben had had when he was Shaped. Senna looked forlornly at Ben, who smiled back apologetically and walked over. "I just ... feel better as a full human," he said, and Betsy's eyebrow quirked ... as Senna beamed at Ben. /Well, THAT'S both a relief and a story I have to hear,/ Betsy gently teased, and Ben blushed - just the usual shade of red this time. /If you tell me about that Zeltron thing,/ Ben tossed back, and Betsy both laughed at his cheek - her godson WAS back - and blushed. /Keep your secrets, then, my very young apprentice -/ Betsy sent - and she and Ben shared a speculative smile, as Luke walked over, his eyebrow raising. "I was going to ask, now that you're back ... about the Council's offer," Luke said, and Ben thought for a second, then looked at his father with an unasked question. Luke just smiled and looked over at Mara, who waved her approval from the hatch of the Jade Shadow, and Ben hugged Luke before bowing at the waist to Betsy. "Master Braddock, I formally request -" Ben began, but Betsy just laughed and ruffled his hair. "Ben, it's ME. I'm the antithesis of formal. And yes, I'd be delighted to be your Master," Betsy agreed, beaming as they hugged. Things felt wonderful again ... but Betsy still had someone to face. Jacen made his way through the crowd, clasping Ben's wrist in congratulations ... and poured sincere remorse into the Force as he tearfully said, "After what I did ... you saved me." "I still don't want you dead, Jacen ... but now that I'm really me again ... I need some time. I understand WHY you Shaped me; I'm glad Tace is OK ... but you had anaesthesia for the other Shapings. You put me in the EMBRACE OF PAIN for mine," Ben ... emphasized, trying with sincere effort not to be ... dark about the statement. Jacen flinched, and Ben concluded, sadly, "I love you, Jasa; you're still my cousin. But I don't like you very much right now. Just ... I'll get back to you, when I'm ready, OK?" Jacen nodded, and Ben stepped back, as Betsy looked at the Shaped former Sith Lord with a critical eye. "Still planning to kill me?" she asked, not quite wryly. She DID take that sort of thing seriously, after all. "No. But I do owe you an apology ... along with a LOT of people. What I did ... I was a monster, Betsy," Jacen said, and Betsy nodded at his effort - his honesty. "Then prove you've come back to the light by truly helping these people, and free those who don't want to stay," Betsy insisted, unstated warning in her tone. It was a Jedi Master's warning to a fallen Knight, seeking his redemption, and admirably, Jacen nodded in acceptance. "Understood. If you like, my son would like to meet Ben's Aunt Betsy," Jacen offered, giving Ben space as Tace and Allana ran forward. Betsy knelt down to greet the twins, while Tenel Ka looked on with greeting and protectiveness. ~I won't harm them, Tenel,~ Betsy promised the former Hapan Queen, who slipped an arm around Jacen's waist and smiled. ~I know. Thank you for ... everything,~ Tenel Ka replied, and Betsy thought Jacen might be all right - She felt a tug on her hand, and she smiled at Allana as the little girl asked, "You won't really hurt Daddy?" "Aunt Betsy just wants to help your dad, Allana," Ben tried to reassure the girl, but Tace put an arm around his sister's shoulders and smiled at Betsy. "She helped Ben stop the big firebird, 'Lana," Tace said, and Betsy returned the twins' smiles. "Sometimes ... adults can be rather loud about saying things, Allana. But we can always do with reminders not to go too far," Betsy explained, and Allana nodded. "OK. Wanna hunt yanskacs?" Allana asked, and Betsy laughed with her. The mood Betsy was in, she might almost feel up to taking on a sgauru - "WHO PUKED IN MY STARSHIP!?" Mara ROARED, and Betsy winced. The sgauru would be safer than explaining that to Mara. -------------------------------------------------- "Jori ..." Ben sighed, feeling horribly guilty, as he and his friend walked along the parapet of Bast Castle; Ben was human again, and Jori was still Shaped. "It's OK, Ben, really. ... JACEN ... weird to call him that, after everything ... said he can turn me back. And I met someone ... once she's returned to human, we're going back to Coruscant, maybe work together in GAG," Jori said, waving as Syal approached with Myri ... and Ben both grinned for his friend, and worried about Kettch, then looked at Myri - "He's OK; just scrubbing upholstery in your mom's ship," Myri sighed, before looking Jori up and down, then grinning wickedly at Syal. "What?" Syal asked, letting Jori slip an arm around her waist. "I'm dating an Ewok; you're temporarily half Vong, presumed dead and going to date a GAG officer," Myri observed. She grinned maniacally and concluded, "Mom and Dad are gonna go VEERMOK-SHAVIT!" Ben tried to laugh, but he just didn't feel that great. He was HAPPY he was free, was human again, that nobody had died ... so why was he upset? #That's why I chose to be an apprentice. I just wish ... why do I still wanna smack Jacen?# Ben lamented; he was afraid he was going dark. /Hey,/ he heard, and he looked at Syal, who was leaning on Jori, and smiled. "You're brooding, with weird clothing, hanging out with goofy friends ... congratulations. You're officially back to being a teenager," Syal gently joked, and Ben chuckled a little. "I just don't wanna ... being Shaped was one thing, Syal. It was so risky, being that wild, that free, but I had everyone else to fall back on; we were linked. And I didn't hafta look the truth in the eye," Ben admitted. "And now ... I'm ANGRY, at Jacen, and I don't FEEL very Jedi. I'm gonna try to help people, but I've come so far from that night on Coruscant, after I killed those guys in self-defense. I let Jacen trick me, and then I tricked myself ... I got so mad I let a weird cosmic firebird thing in my head. I don't know where I'm gonna go from here, even with everything clear." Myri, Syal and Jori traded a collective look, and replied almost as one: "Welcome to real life." "Well, minus the giant wicked awesome firebird thingy. That was WAY astral," Myri giggled. " But yeah, everybody has to find their own way, Ben. The great thing is remembering that we have family and friends to help. Sometimes they do stupid things, like Jacen, and you have to back away, but you still have your folks and your aunt, uncle, cousins, and Master Braddock. And your friends," Syal encouraged. Ben felt a little better, and Jori concluded, snuggling with Syal, "We might not be in GAG together anymore, Ben, but if you ever need a shoulder ..." "Thanks, guys," Ben said, managing a smile. He looked at Myri, then grinned and asked, "The Phoenix WAS pretty astral, wasn't it?" ------------------------------------------------ "You're bloody KIDDING me!" Betsy groaned after she boarded the Shawnkyr and checked on ... Bloody Kyp. He was STILL a Death Star-sized pain in the shebs, even droolingly brain damaged. "Thisz one would appreciate you doing what you can, Betszy. Kyp isz sztarting to annoy us with his mumblingsz about bantha cubs," Saba pleaded, as Betsy sat beside the happily bemused Kyp, watching him play with the storybook Tahiri had been reading to him. "You OWE me, Durron ... bloody Anzati-kriffing, arrogant, whiny ..." Betsy grumbled ... She reached into Kyp's wrecked mind, relieved to find all the pieces WERE there; just so badly shattered that it would take standard Jedi healing techniques a VERY long time to put them back together. A master class telepath, on the other hand ... #Good thing Jean and Charles shared their studies with me. And Emma ...# Betsy recalled, focusing on her past lessons as Corran, Saba and Kyle watched. Betsy started putting pieces together; wincing at the pain of watching parents being slain, and an older brother hauled away for Imperial indoctrination ... ... the relief of escaping Kessel with Han Solo and Chewbacca .... ... the bitterness toward the Empire, becoming a path for Exar Kun to seize control ... ... the desperate efforts toward redemption, destroying the Sun Crusher ... ... the grief over Miko Reglia and Wurth Skidder, becoming a blazing light against the Yuuzhan Vong, sometimes skirting the dark ... ... the affection for, and recognition of the needed distance from, Jaina Solo, even as those feelings helped guide her out of her own shadows ... ... and the never QUITE escaped respect and ... other feelings for ... "Betsy?" Kyp groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head as Betsy leaned back from the bed, blinking. "You never stopped ... stangit, Durron, if you started dating that Anzati SCHUTTA just to FORGET -" Betsy blurted, her eyes watering - She left the Shawnkyr, shaking herself clear of the empathic leftovers from Kyp; and from her own blindness, and guilt. Well, not the guilt. Betsy hadn't realized Durron actually CARED for her that much ... They did have a great deal in common. But she'd thought him shallow; cunning, but not worth her time. #Arrogance is most unJedi,# her conscience growled. She turned back toward the Shawnkyr, almost starting to walk ... and found Kyle Katarn in her path, not obstructing but merely there. "Before you both have some grand, emotional scene ... I might be a one man army, but I'm not blind. Kyp ISN'T right for you. You're so alike that if you two did actually follow through on this ... a bit of advice, one Master to another?" Kyle offered. Betsy nodded, gesturing for him to sit on one of the thornbush benches lining the path to the landing pad; she'd heard Kyle had narrowly survived fighting Krayt himself, and Katarn winced when he rested. "You might think you're being kind, going to him and apologizing. And you'd be right to start there ... but then it'd inevitably end up badly, because even with Kyp being on the Council, he's still that impetuous 16-year-old who came to Yavin," Katarn began. "You, on the other hand, DID learn patience from your studies with Tionne, and as someone else who's trained Padawans, Ben needs you clear-headed. I'd be the last person to tell another Jedi not to love, but just be aware that your apprentice needs you to be focused. "Ben, of all the current Padawans, needs a Master who'll be there for him, especially when he WILL frustrate you, challenge you. And if who you're kriffing distracts you from your student ... none of us were blind to that firebird, earlier," Kyle concluded, and Betsy nodded. Katarn was blunt, but Betsy had never thought poorly of him. He CARED, gruffly, but also had the presence and weight to carry that load. Luke might be the Order's Charles Xavier ... albeit with better hair and a warmer management style ... but Kyle was definitely the most like Logan, and not just in his combat skills and refusal to die in the face of insane odds. "Thank you, Kyle. I suppose I should at least treat Kyp with a little more kindness, though," Betsy said, and Katarn grinned conspiratorially. "I never said THAT," Kyle chuckled, then coughed, and Betsy tried to telepathically soothe his pain - but he waved her off, smiled, and headed back to rest. #Oh, I'd LOVE to see you and Logan in a bar fight ...# And now that Betsy knew that THIS WAS her galaxy, she might get that chance ... but first, she owed Mara answers about the Grey family, and Xavier's School. And once that story was told, Betsy and her new apprentice had been authorized to visit Csilla. It was bloody well past time for some answers ... and since Betsy was the one who'd effectively brought Jacen to heel, albeit through guiding Ben, Jag had let HER claim the reward for stopping Darth Caedus. The Chiss owed Betsy Braddock a favor. They were about to find she wouldn't take IOUs well. ------------------------------------------------ tbc ...