UPON VESTIA: CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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Ethan nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Do they execute the ruler, or do they have to keep them alive?" He probably had too many questions.

~~
"Oh, I know that feeling," Vestia said sympathetically. She watched Amari snooze. Aww.

"Okay," Ellie said. "Hang in there Kay, it's gonna get better."

~~
Asher smiled when Mourn came over. "Hello Mourn, you look happy about something."

Armin bowed his head. "where else would they go?" He asked gently.

---

Mourn bounced from foot to foot. "I fix robot!" He declared. "fix memory problem, make live longer yes."

---

Kay nodded and forced a weak smile to Ellie. [Thank you Ellie.] He headed back to the medical room.

"Oh, that is good news," Asher said, smiling more brightly. "Did you test it on someone?"

~~
Ellie let Kay go, and looked around unhappily. Hopefully Esk really could help.

Starr shook her head a little "Somewhere in the Mimosa Empire until we could make our world again." She said softly "Most want to come here so far."

Mourn nodded. "He help fix problems, we watching, see if passive program work too. " He grinned.

---

"Well there is plenty of space is there not?" Armin looked around. "Would that be alright Vestia?"

Asher nodded. "Excellent. I'm glad you were able to get a volunteer, it seems like a risky program to test. Were there many problems?"

~~
"Of course it's all right for them to come here. You said there were what, fifty adults, Starr? We can easily house that many," Vestia said. "And hatchlings will be no problem." Yayyy, Vestia could get more passengers. She did love collecting passengers.

Starr nodded and smiled, looking up at the camera "We would have to talk to the others too." She didn't want to bring her people here if it would be a problem for the others.

Mourn shook his head. "Nothing I no able fix. I good fixing."

---

"I am certain they will not object." Armin told Starr. "If they are anything like yourself and Shane, they will be a great asset to the crew as a whole."

Asher looked amused. "I'm glad to hear it." He wondered which android Mourn had tested on, but decided Mourn probably didn't know or care. Oh well. "You'll have to tell James too, I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

~~
"Yeah, I don't think they'll be bothered by star dragons," Vestia said. "I mean, you can hear their thoughts, so they're pretty trustworthy, right? We could have a meeting, but everyone's sick of meetings."

Starr smiled and shook her head at that "I may go with Asher as he goes around to ask about the kid staying, since the kid is a former slave just as the dragons are."

Mourn nodded. "I tell other robot, it be good yes? Can make live longer if want, be great for all robot."

---

Armin nodded. "that would seem a prudent use of the time."

"It'll be very good. Fifty isn't enough time to get much done, so any extra years are a good thing," Asher agreed. Assuming Asher even survived to reach 50, he'd be glad for the extra time to spend with his loved ones.

~~
'Yeah, probably a good plan," Vestia agreed. "I'll be curious to see how this goes. I think most people will be fine with a few more dragons here, but Amari is going to be a bigger problem to introduce."

Starr smiled and nodded then shook her head "We have to convince the ones that would be opposed that the child is simply an ex-slave and not a slaver, just because his father worked for them. Unwillingly, I might add. "

"It seems like the big problem is more that Amari is partially feral," Vestia said. "There are some concerns that he might panic or grow territorial, and cause problems. I don't think most of the crew will be too worried about him being a slaver."

"That is a concern" Starr agreed then shrugged "That is probably why Asher wanted me to speak to him"

"I think so, yeah," Vestia agreed. "Hopefully they'll trust your judgement more than Asher's alone."

She watched Amari. Poor little arran. She wanted to keep him just as much as Asher did.

"If he was that feral, we could teach him to act better." Starr said with a shrug. "From what I have seen of him, he's kind."

MEGAPOST!!!

KAPOW

Esk went to talk to Matt. He found him skulking in a quiet observation deck.

“Kay send you?” Matt muttered.

Esk had stopped past the kitchens on the way here and dangled a bottle of cold beer in front of his brother. “Not just Kay. “

Matt huffed but took the beer.

Esk opened his own.

“You're not supposed to be drinking I thought?” Matt protested.

“When have I EVER followed doctor's orders?” Esk countered, finding a seat and slouching into it. “Besides, we're not here to talk about me. You're apparently in a huff and made everyone worried. So what's going on? Given up the ball of sunshine act and decided to stop faking it at last?”

Matt glared, opening his bottle and taking a long swig. “I wasn't faking it.” He muttered darkly.

Esk shrugged. “You like to talk about anything except yourself, you go out of your way to help other people and support them even when you're struggling. You focus too much on everyone else and then your mental health suffers but hey, it's fine because you'll just cover that up too, bury it and keep on pretending like everything's cool. And most of em buy it because they prefer to think of you as that optimistic happy guy who's always there to cry on the shoulder of. “ He tilted his head. “that about right?”

Matt sighed. “How is this supposed to help?”

“Fucked if I know.” Esk replied. “my point is Matt, this? It's only got them all freaked out because they never noticed you holding it together all this time. Really i'm surprised it's taken this long for you to break.”

“I didn't break!”

“Yeah, you did. You had a full on meltdown attacking the family and that's what put you in that chair. And now you're pissed off because you can't get better instantly and it makes you feel like you're useless. You feel guilty because you drugged up your pregnant fiance and threw her through a portal and she's probably gonna cut off your balls when she sees you next, and now apparently there's a slaver on board who you'd rather like to stick a bullet between the eyes of just because it might maybe make you feel slightly better about the whole torture thing. That about it?”

Matt hesitated, shaking his head. “Also we don't know Web's okay....”

“What?” Esk frowned a little.

“He was going to bring them back, just after you left, he was gonna bring them back but then something happened and he had to rush off. Something bad has happened back on the Kevali homeworld, we don't know if he's okay.” Matt explained, lowering his head.

Esk snorted. “Of course he's okay.”

“How can you be so sure of that?” Matt countered.

“Because if he'd gotten himself killed, wouldn't you be having like.. fits as Fate rammed herself into YOUR skull?” Esk reasoned.

Matt paused, he hadn't considered that.

“So the fact you're not writing in agony on the floor screaming, and no scribes have turned up suggests he's probably absolutely fine.” Esk concluded.

Matt frowned, taking a drink. “Okay you have a point there.”

“So what's really going on?” Esk asked. He sounded somewhat irritated by the whole thing.

Matt shook his head. “I dunno. Just... everything. “ He rubbed at his face. “I miss Thalia, i'm scared we won't get there before she goes into labour or whatever. Or that something might happen to her and the kids and … I won't be there to protect her.”

“she's a big girl, she can take care of herself. Hell, pregnant women are arguably the scariest people in the universe.” Esk reasoned.

Matt managed a weak smile. “yeah, like a momma bear... “ The image of Thalia ripping the face off of anyone who tried to hurt her or the kids was a rather wonderful one he thought.
He sighed. “Just.. if I hadn't gotten hurt, I could have gone to get them. Everyone would be together again, the kids would be home. I feel... guilty. Kay and Asher miss Danika, a lot, I know they do, Starr misses Vela and Kerr too and I SHOULD have been able to go get them, if i'd just stuck with the plan and not gotten so carried away with revenge...”

“You got a time machine?” Esk asked.

“What?”

“Well unless you got a time machine, you can't change the fucking past Matt. So why sit around moping about it when it's not gonna make any difference? Move forward. We'll GET to Melanoc eventually, you'll be able to walk eventually, they're alive, they're safe and we'll get them back. We just gotta go the long way. It's no big deal.”

“It's a big deal to me.” Matt protested weakly.

“well sitting around whining isn't gonna make the ship move any faster, and it sure as hell isn't gonna make you get better faster either.” Esk countered.

“Stop it.” Matt snapped.

“What? Pointing out what a stupid cycle of bullshit thinking you've gotten yourself into? No, you need a healthy dose of reality. It's the only way you'll stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Matt's grip on his bottle tightened.

“aaand now you're pissed off. See? Makes a change from feeling sad doesn't it?”

“fuck you.”

Esk smirked. “Get over yourself.”

Matt took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and for a fleeting moment considered hurling that bottle at his brother's stupid smug face. But he thought better of it.
He relaxed slightly.

“listen, Matt, I know it sucks and I know you feel like shit, but moping about it isn't gonna help. Work on getting better, and if we get delayed, you can teleport outta here and go be by Thalia's side okay? I mean that of course, is assuming she doesn't cut your dick off when she next sees you and feed it to you for drugging her and throwing her through that portal. How reasonable IS she?”

Matt winced. “not very...”

“well, maybe you should write a will just in case.” Esk snickered.

“You're such a dick.”

“Yeah I know.” Esk shrugged. “Apparently it works though. Be an asshole to people, they stop feeling sorry for themselves. Fucking weird.”

“maybe you really should become the ship's therapist.” Matt mused.

Esk made a face. “That sounds like a lot of work. You've met the people on this ship, they're all a fucking mess.”

“yeah, you'd make an absolute killing if you charged by the hour.” Matt managed a weak laugh.

Esk chuckled. “now THAT is tempting.” He looked at his brother. “Feeling better?”

“not really.”

Esk shrugged. “What WILL make you feel better?”

“I dunno... certainty? A definite timeline? We just.. keep getting waylaid. Picking up random people, like slavers because oh apparently we're good guys so we gotta save complete wastes of oxygen.” Matt glowered at his beer. “then we gotta find somewhere to drop them off and hope it doesn't bite us in the ass like every other act of kindness recently has.”

“you guys have a pretty shit track record for that kinda thing...” Esk nodded in agreement.

“and they keep holding these stupid fucking meetings and what's even the point? We have these meetings after a decision has already been made, so we can't even object. We just get overruled because oh hey, already decided, just letting y'all know.” Matt growled. “It's like we don't even have a voice, or a vote. We just have to accept the captain's bullshit and that's that.”

“Well that's pretty much how it works with captains.” Esk told him. “chain of command, they make the decisions, you try to make sure it doesn't blow up in everyone's face.”

Matt sighed deeply.

“What's the deal with this slaver anyway?” Esk asked.

Matt groaned. “One of Matthew's crew, you know what asshole who captured us and sold us to the family?”

“Blue guy, horns, smug as all shit?” Esk asked.

Matt nodded. “Apparently he's dead, so.. I guess that's a silver lining.”

“I'd call that more than a silver lining.”

“Yeah well, Vestia picked up a distress call from his ex.. I dunno, crew member of some sort. The guy has a kid with him, claims he's his kid but who the fuck knows for sure. “

“What's the kid like?” Esk asked.

“I dunno, I didn't get the meet them. Didn't much want to. I don't think I could restrain the urge to throttle that fucking asshole for what he helped do to us.”

Esk nodded. “I get it, those guys were pricks. I mean i'd sooner go on fucking holiday with my dad than see any of those assholes again.”

Matt sighed. “you too huh?”

“I don't wanna talk about it.”

“yeah.. figures.” Matt finished his beer. “Still, I was quite a lot happier not being reminded of that guy. Having one of them back on this ship, it's just.. brought too much back you know?”

“Well he's not gonna stay right?” Esk reasoned.

Matt frowned. “I hope not. If they decide to give him sanctuary here, I think i'll leave at the next port. Take my chances out there....”

“They're not that dumb.” Esk shook his head. “Besides, you can't be the only one who doesn't want a slaver on board. “

“no, Ellie's pretty pissed too.”

“She's also concerned enough about you to actually talk to me, civilly.”

Matt looked up at Esk, smiling slightly. “Man, I gotta stop moping then huh?”

“Exactly.” Esk agreed. “it's not natural.”

Matt chuckled halfheartedly.

“Want another beer?” Esk asked, swigging at his own.

“Nah, I think i'm good.”

“listen, Matt, this is probably about as honest as i'm ever gonna get with you, so you better pay attention.”

“you gonna go mushy on me?”

“fuck no, i'd sooner die.” Esk made a face. “but, you need to talk to people okay? This whole, never talking about yourself and bottling things up shit? It works for some people, but it doesn't work for you. You're a fucking mess. So stop worrying about being annoying or a burden to other people and lean on them as heavily as they lean on you okay? Because I am fucking sick of having to talk you lot off the edge because you're all too fucking stubborn to help each other out. “

“I don't... I don't … know how.” Matt admitted, staring at the floor.

“you use WORDS Matt, you know what those are right? Basic fucking words. Shit, you just told me what was up. What makes me different?”

“I dunno...” Matt frowned. “Maybe it's because I don't care so much what you think of me? Because I know you'll just think i'm annoying anyway.”

“oh great, so you people whine at me because you may as well, is that it?” Esk complained.

Matt smiled a little more genuinely this time. “yeah, that's about right. You'll tell us all we're being morons no matter what we say so we may as well say it.”

“you ARE all morons.”

“I love you baby bro.”

“Fuck off.” Esk finished his drink and set the bottle on the table.

Matt smiled a weak but somewhat sincere smile. “thank you.”

“Yeah yeah, just go talk to someone else now. Ellie owes me chips.” Esk got up.

“Chips?”

“yeah I don't work for free. You're right, I should start charging by the hour.”

“Gotta get qualified first.” Matt pointed out.

“yeah because THAT matters out here.” Esk shook his head. “still... waving a doctorate in Kay's face would be pretty satisfying.”

“you're really petty enough to take an entire doctorate just to piss Kay off?”

“Maybe. Depends how much he annoys me in the next few weeks.... “ Esk mused.

“you're such a weird guy.”

“coming from YOU?” Esk shook his head.

“yeah, coming from me. You're weird. But you're not entirely terrible.” Matt shrugged. “I'm glad you're my brother.”

Esk made a face. “Right, you're getting sentimental, i'm getting outta here before you start wanting to hug it out or something.” He beat a hasty retreat.

Matt waved, shaking his head. Yep, Esk was very very strange, but his brutal honesty was kinda helpful.
He hesitated, then looked up at Vestia's camera. “Vestia... can you tell Kay to meet me at the pool? I wasn't really into our last physio session, I think I should try again...” Yeah, Esk was right, getting better was the first step to getting Thalia and the kids back. He owed it to them to at least try his best to make that happen.

"Yeah, the question is, how feral is he, and how willing to be trained is he?" Vestia said. "What I saw while Asher was talking to him today was promising at least."

~~
"Okay, I'll tell him," Vestia said, trying to not sound too motherly. She really wanted to make Matt be okay, he was one of her crew, and a really good guy.

~~
"Kay? Matt says he wants to meet you at the pool for more therapy," Vestia said.

Kay frowned. [Esk managed to get him to talk then?] that sounded promising.

"Yeah, they talked a bit. I think I need to hire Esk, he's pretty good," Vestia said.

[Hire him?] Kay asked, collecting his things together and heading for his room for his swimming gear.

"As a therapist. We could use a therapist," Vestia said. She was only partly joking.

Starr smiled then sighed "When would be good to talk to him though?" She wondered aloud.

"Asher was talking about you seeing him this evening," Vestia said. "Which makes sense to me."

Starr nodded then chuckled "Alright, let me know when he's ready and I can meet him up at the room." She said, turning "Until then, I will be in my room, if anyone wants me."

"Sounds good," Vestia said. "I'll tell you when Asher wants you to join him, I guess?"