"Do we have to go?" Luke asked Molly as rubbed the tattoo on his right arm. Molly glared at Luke and shook her heavy dred locks.
"Xander rarely invites us anywhere... if he actually claims property then I want to see it. Can't you get that stick out of your ass for once and see he wants to be a great brother?"
"Fuck him," Luke muttered, shuffling his feet as he walked. Feeling Molly stop, he turned to her fully expecting to be slapped. However, Molly stood trembling and gazed up into the sky ahead of her.
It was a massive fortress, one like their father's. A moat surrounded the fortress and guards stood on the other side. Luke swallowed and stepped back as he began to take in the situation. "Do you believe in resurrection?"
"Not before now," Molly answered flatly. Slowly, a small boat crossed the huge moat toward them.
"Mistress Molly and Master Lucas Riviero?" the guard on the boat demanded more than asked, keeping a firm grip on his gun. Molly nodded her head and the man pulled out a board. He one end on the boat and the other on the dock to use as a ramp. Luke clutched onto Molly's shoulder as they stepped on the ramp and into the boat. Silently, the boat began to glide across the murky, dark water. Molly could feel the sound of her heart beating and she did her best to slow her breath but it seemed futile.
Once at the other side, they were ushered into the big fortress. Molly put her hands in her pockets as she looked around.
"So where is he?"
"My dearest brother and sister!" a grand, tenor voice boomed from behind them. Molly and Luke turned around as Lestat approached them wearing a full length tailored smuggling suit. Luke took in another deep breath and slowly pulled Molly back toward him and away from his twin. "I am so pleased that you two were able to come here and visit my new... accommodations."
"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Molly asked horrified, her voice barely more than a whisper. Lestat smiled and motioned for them to follow him.
"Come, I wish to show you my new experiment."
Luke looked around him and studied his surrounding as they walked through several twists and turns of the inner labyrinth in Lestat's fortress but when he looked behind him the passages seemed so alien as if he’d never passed them. After twenty-minutes of traveling through the maze, they came to a clearing with two glass walls with a concrete barrier separating the walls into two glass segments. Hesitantly, Molly and Luke approached the glass. Cells were lines up inside--filled with Lestat's teammates from Earth.
"My God, Xander," Molly whispered hushly.
"This is part of the breeding process," Lestat explained. "I am studying and recording the necessary information and genetics so that I will be able to create the perfect race: a race that is indestructible and virtually flawless. That's what I'm attempting to do. In fact, I've already maybe several matches." Lestat pointed to Mallory and Nose Dive. Luke's throat tightened up before he cleared his throat to speak.
"Xan, what about yourself? What about Jake, or whoever-his-face?"
"Oh no, he won't do. My picks are Mara and Wild Wing. In fact, Wild Wing was so enamored with me that he begged for me to choose him." Molly clenched a fist and was about to speak when Luke elbowed her.
"And why have you brought us here?"
"I would like to share my reign with you." There was a long silence.
"Why would you share this gift with us?" Luke asked as Molly walked along the glass wall to the girls’ chamber.
"Because, I want to. I am your brother." Lestat put a hand to his head suddenly and heaved over, breathing laboriously. Luke and Molly watched mystified as he struggled to stand upright. "So... will you join me?" he asked wheezing. Molly glared but before she spoke Luke stepped in front of her.
"I would be honored," he said grandly, elbowing Molly. Molly kept silent as Lestat clapped his twin on the back with glee.
"Fantastic! And as reward, you may have any of the captives."
"For what?" Lestat smiled cruelly and stroked his coat.
"I think you know already." Luke opened his mouth and shut it as he looked at all the girls.
"What exactly are you looking for in the breeding process?"
"Substance, smarts, conformity, ability to carry a child," Lestat droned on. Luke looked at the girls in the chamber with a frown. He’d be able to save one of the girls, but how could he choose? Instinctively, his eyes drifted over to Amber who sat in her cell with her knees pulled up to her chest. He closed his eyes knowing that if he chose her it would be a weighted decision since he had always liked her, but Lestat’s words kept ringing in his head. She didn’t have conformation, she didn’t have an education, and she was barren. A knot clenched up in Luke’s throat before he lifted up his chin.
"I want her." Luke looked at his sister hoping she wouldn’t lose her cool, but Molly calmed down considerably, probably guessing why he had chosen her.
"Good idea." she said faintly, "You've always liked her."
Lestat regarded his twin in surprise, "Why I never knew, my dear Lucas."
"I wanted to keep it to myself until Nose Dive was out of the way," Luke said firmly, glad for his stoic mask. Molly leaned against the wall, suddenly dizzy.
"Mol? You okay?" Luke asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes...fine," she choked out, fighting back tears, "This is all just a bit overwhelming." After a moment she took a deep breath and stood straight again. "I have an idea. Why don't you boys go on and I'll rest here. I can make sure you're feeding the girls correctly and tell Amber the good news."
Lestat shook his head, "I don't know if you're strong enough, Molly. They aren't cooperating as much as they should..."
Molly smiled, "Xander, a woman's touch may calm them down. After all, I've already had children so I know what kind of living conditions they would need to promote fertility." Luke surpressed an impressed smile toward his sister; Molly was always known to be a bit slow, but she really did have a touch of their father's quick thinking.
"Not a bad notion." Lestat decided, stroking his beak. He punched a few numbers in on a keypad. "Call the guards if you have any problems. And be sure to convince them that they need to eat...keep up their strength." He grinned sadistically, turning on his heel to show Luke a different part of the fortress. Molly watched to make sure they were out of sight before hurrying into the room.
All of the girls looked up and gasped in amazement as they saw Molly approaching them.
"Am I seeing things?" Tanya whispered in shock.
Mallory slowly stood up and reached a hand out of her cage, "My God Molly...what are you doing here?"
"My brother's gone mad." she said breathlessly.
"Really? We didn’t notice," muttered Amber dryly. Molly walked over and stroked her hair.
"Oh God, I can't believe what he's done to you all..." she whispered.
"Can you get us out?" Tanya asked desperately. She shook her head.
Molly sighed, "He invited us here, me and Luke. Our best chance for getting you out is to play along until I can get out and get reinforcements. This place is armed to the teeth."
"Do you know how the boys are?" Mallory inquired.
"No, Luke's going to see them now...Do you all know what he has planned for you?" They all nodded grimly.
Mallory growled, clenching her fists, "He had the guards tell us who we were going to be 'matched up' with. The guards also told us about him and Wild Wing..." Mal's eyes filled up with tears. Through the bars Tanya took her hand.
"It's okay Honey. I'm sure Wing's sacrificing for the good of the team."
"She's right." Molly insisted, "He's an amazing leader and I'm sure he has some sort of plan or knows what he’s doing.”
“I think he’s going to have us prisoners videotaped to make sure we’re, uh, cop-cop-copulating,” Tanya stuttered. Molly shivered and turned to Amber.
“How are you holding up, Amber? You’re skinny as a whistle!"
"She doesn't eat enough," Tanya murmured, "Never did though."
"What’s he been feedin’ you?" Mallory sat cross-legged on the floor of her cell.
"The food's actually quite good. No doubt because he wants us healthy." Molly nodded.
"How often does Xander come by?"
"Oh, uh, well his guards feed us and keep a detailed record of how much we eat," Tanya explained, "But Lestat's actually only been by once at the very beginning and hasn't been back since...probably because Mara kicked him in the stomach," she finished with a morbid but satisfied grin.
"Mara..." Molly repeated to herself, looking around the room. She spotted Mara's cage a little further off from the rest. She was curled up on the floor, sleeping quietly. "I didn't even see her there." she said, a little startled.
"Don't bother trying to wake her." Mallory said unhappily, "It won't do any good."
"What do you mean?"
"We mean she's the same asleep or awake," sighed Tanya, "Every day after the meal they bring us she goes right off to sleep... for hours at a time."
"And when she is awake all she does is stare at nothing,” Amber continued. "At first, we thought she was just depressed. I mean, she was pretty upset when she came back from Lestat's room."
"Nothing happened though," Mallory continued, "All Lestat got was the shit kicked out of him. But like Tanya said that was a week ago. There's something seriously wrong with her and it's been getting worse. She sleeps for longer and longer each day."
"Happens right after meals?" Molly asked gravely.
"Like clockwork." Molly stood and walked over to Mara's cell and her nearly empty plate of food from earlier that day. Picking it up, Molly gingerly sniffed the left over food. She wrinkled her nose and pulled out a tissue.
"Do you think he's done something to her food?" Mallory asked, watching Molly place some of the food carefully into her tissue and folding it back up to put in her pocket. Molly took one last sad look at Mara before walking back over to the others.
"There isn't a doubt in my mind. I've known Mara for a long time now and what you're describing is totally unlike her. She thrives on high-stress situations, same as Wild Wing. I can't smell anything on the food but maybe I can see if Luke can tell what it is."
"Jake!" Amber called out desperately, "Give it to Jake! He'll know for sure!"
"Great idea." Molly nodded. They all looked up as they heard a click of the door.
" Take heart, Ladies!" she whispered as she scurried back out to meet her brothers. As soon as she saw Luke's greenish complexion, she knew whatever passed was bad. Lestat waived grandly as he put an arm around his sister's shoulder and escorted her to a large chamber. She peered inside to see the most elegant furnishings she had seen and a huge bed.
"This is for you, my dearest sister."
”Xander, it’s too much…”
“Nothing is too much for the family of the Riviero’s,” Lestat paused and pointed to a door across the hall. “Lucas, that will be your chamber. I shall have the guards fetch Amber for you,” Lestat turned on his heel and walked briskly down the corridor with his long cape caressing his ankles. Molly’s face paled and she grabbed Luke’s arm.
“Amber! I forgot to tell Amber!” Luke nodded his head.
“I’ll take care of it,” Luke replied flatly. He closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. “Did Xan mention to you that the walls to the guys' room are four large television screens?”
“No way! Get outta here-”
“-Television screens that only play when Xander is with his victims… in his bedroom.” Luke closed his eyes and clutched his sister's hand. Molly quickly pulled her younger, dependent brother into an embrace. “Wild Wing… I’ve never seen anything like that before. He was too frightened to look at me, let alone the others and still, as we were leaving, Xander mentioned that he was going to take one of the females and immediately Wild Wing stood up pleading to be chosen.”
“Sacrificing himself to save his teammates.” Biting his index finger Luke shook his head slightly.
"Yeah, at first he was. I dunno Mol, I wish you'd seen him... there's something so different, so wrong with him. Nose Dive says he's gone mad; I'm afraid he may be right."
Molly murmured, “I hope not...he was such a brilliant leader. How many times has Xander taken Wild Wing?”
“One to two times a day since he chose Mara. I'm surprised he hasn't been trying her more. I asked Lestat about it once and he laughed at me.” Molly reached into her pocket and handed Luke some food wrapped in a tissue.
"I need you to take this to Jake. See if he knows what's wrong with it." Taking it, Luke waited another moment for Molly to explain.
When she didn't, Luke reluctantly gave in, "Okay, I'll bite...why?"
"Mara's not herself and this came from her plate. I think she may be drugged or something. Do you suppose Wild Wing-" Molly started, her voice tight with emotion.
Without even looking down Luke weighed the food in his hand, "No, Wing's not drugged. The guys already thought of that. Jake said he could tell from afar that it's clean and just to be on the safe side the guys randomly switch plates with him. They don't get anything as good as this stuff. Keep the food... if he's really getting Amber for me then I may be a while and I'll bet Lestat will show you around the rest of the base too."
Molly took it back without a word before saying, "I'm not surprised they don't eat as well." Molly sighed, "Must be tough for Nose Dive. He's a growing boy, and he practically lives on junk food, doesn't he?" Luke sat down on the edge of Molly's bed.
"Jake and Duke sneak him extra food when he's not looking since they're more used to starvation. But Nose Dive doesn't even seem to care; all he ever wants to know is if Amber's alright. Amber, Amber, Amber." With a sigh Luke looked down at his hands.
Molly put an arm around his shoulder, "You're doing it to save her." she said calmly, "So there's no need to feel guilty. Nose Dive will understand."
"I sure hope so," he murmured. They both looked up as a guard marched in and bowed before them.
"Master Lucas Riviero, might I show you to your chamber, please?" The guard said respectfully in Corellian.
Luke gave his sister a rueful smile as he turned to leave, "Well Mol, wish me luck." Molly acknowledged him with a brief nod.
Luke was led into a beautifully furnished room with a roaring fireplace. Amber stood by the fire and was using the iron poker to make the flames roar higher. Luke stepped forward and cleared his voice, "Amber." Immediately, Amber whirled around and charged Luke. He dodged her as she swung at him with the poker.
"You dirty, lying son of a bitch!" she screamed, this time grabbing him and trying to shove him into the fire. Luke braced himself against her small body as she fought against him.
"For the second time, you've met a look-alike," he said quietly. Amber looked up at Luke's face and ran her fingers through his long, straightened hair. She traced his right eye which was smooth as can be and no scar.
"Oh God, Luke, I'm so sorry!" Amber drew back from him and sat on the bed. Luke sat next to her.
"The breeding process..." Luke began.
"I know."
"My brother said I could take any girl I wanted, and I wanted you."
"I see..." Amber's voice quavered. Luke took her hand and gripped it.
"I am not my brother. It's obvious that I like you but Nose Dive likes you more... besides, I felt that you needed the most help..." Amber nodded her head as a stand of limp, brown hair fell in her face. Luke traced the biker glove on her right hand. Amber's body tensed up as he slowly undid the velcro and slid it off. She shuddered and turned her face away from the sight. The artificial limb was indeed perfect, and the only reason that it stood out was the faint line across the wrist.
"Maybe it's a lesson for us all," Luke said absently. "-that if something is destroyed it can be replaced with something pure and beautiful." Amber looked into Luke's warm, brown eyes.
"I've never been so afraid in my entire life."
"I know, Amber." He squeezed her hand tighter. "Neither have I."
Molly gazed out of her spacious window at the sparse landscape below; even if the ducks did manage to escape on their own where would they have to go? It was miles to any real civilization. Obviously, she and her brother were their only hope.
"My dear sister!" Molly jumped a little and turned to look back at Lestat. "You seem a little perturbed. Is anything the matter?"
"No, of course not, Xander. It's just that... this is all so very... incredible," her voice faltered. Lestat walked to her side and joined her in looking out the window.
"Oh, but you haven't even seen all of it yet." Desiring not to appear too eager, Molly slowly said.
"I should very much like to see it all, Xander."
He held his arm out to her, "Then you shall." Molly took his arm and left her chamber with Xander.
"I...I hope you don't find me impertinent, Brother," Molly began carefully as he led her through the fortress, "-But I wonder how well thought out this scheme of yours is."
"How so?" Lestat asked, unusually calm.
Molly swallowed nervously, "Well, exactly what did you take into account when you made the pairs?"
"Everything necessary to the breeding process."
"I'm not sure you did, Xander. I mean, don't you think your pairing has some drawbacks? First of all ducks probably don't 'perform' as well when forced as they do when sex is voluntarily. Did you think of that?"
"I did," Lestat said smugly, "And I find that subjects respond to fear almost as readily as they do to passion. In some instances, fear evolves into passion." Lestat began to chuckle sadistically. Molly grimaced slightly as a nagging voice in the back of her head echoed, Wild Wing.
"Well, you may be right...but there's something else too Xander."
"My dear sister," Lestat told her with amusement as he took her into his main control room, "you don't need to be frightened of me. By all means tell me what's troubling you."
"Your scientific research may be a little biased by your own personal preferences." explained Molly. "Think about it. What pairs have you made?"
"Grin and Tanya, Mallory and Nose Dive."
"And what about the other five?" Molly insisted, "Wild Wing, Duke, Jake, Mara and Amber? Did you really kidnap nine ducks only to use less than half of them?"
"Two of those belong to me and Luke has chosen Amber."
Shaking her head Molly sat down, "See here's where I get a little fuzzy, Xan. Wild Wing and Duke are both strong, healthy young men. If you really want to breed the perfect duck then they seem like the perfect guys to use for it. Jake, well, I know he's of little use." She moved on quickly for fear of Xander getting the idea into his head that Jake should be exterminated, "But why did you take two very eligible subjects completely out of the experiment? Granted you do deserve a concubine, if that's what you want Wild Wing for, but what about Duke? Why aren't you using him in your experiment?"
"I haven't found him a suitable partner yet," Xander explained, unconciously reaching his hand down to the safe where he kept his father's journal.
"Come on, it's obvious that he and Mara would make an excellent match. Puckworld's two best thieves? It's a geneticist's dream come true."
"He can't have Mara, she's mine." Xander said quickly.
Molly rose out of her chair, "But you have Wild Wing, and taking him won't jeopardize any of your calculations because you can't get him pregnant. But if you take Mara then you lose a subject and run the risk of utterly spoiling her for any later use. For the sake of your work you really ought to-"
"I WANT her!" Lestat yelled angrily, losing his temper. After a moment he continued, slightly calmer, "So I'm going to have her."
Molly sensed a certain glimmer of hope here and pressed it, "I'm surprised at you Xander, letting your emotions and personal preferences get in the way of your work like this. That kind of weakness is very dangerous."
Xander had now regained all of his composure, "I have no weakness. I simply want to prove to my prisoners that I have power over them all, that my will shall always prevail. That is all, and Mara and I will procreate with the most perfect offspring. Now then, if you're ready, I will show you the other prisoners." Molly nodded and followed behind Xander quietly, somewhat pleased that she had managed to crack his shell a little. What ever else happened, at least for now she had found proof that somewhere underneath her father's evil brainwashing, her little, smiling brother was still there.
*creeeeak*
Onward to Part IV...
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