Fic: Excalibur II
Title: Excalibur II
Show: Crusade
Characters: Dureena Nafeel
Rating: G
Tags: introspection
The second of three vignettes that take a look at the Excalibur and three of Crusade's central characters. This is unbetaed, sorry...
Excalibur II
Dureena - Year Two
It had been Galen who had explained the significance of the Excalibur’s name to Dureena; that it was a reference to an ancient weapon, a weapon that had once belonged to a great leader in Earth’s history. She had always believed it was a fitting name. The Excalibur might not exactly look like a sword, but the resemblance was close enough and the ship’s fire power was definitely formidable enough to make the comparison feasible.
When it came to her own personal weapons Dureena never had much use for swords. A thief was better equipped with a set of daggers and throwing knives - far easier to hide and far less unwieldy than a sword. At least that had been her reasoning before the latest series of events had left her with a large gap in her memory and inexplicably a sword in her possession.
It had all begun with a row she had with Galen. She had asked for his help. He had refused. She had implored him to change his mind. He had refused again. What he hadn’t understood or possibly hadn’t wanted to understand was that this time her main motivation hadn’t been a need for revenge. So in the end she had tried to steal from him what he hadn’t wanted to give freely. It had been a mistake - of course it had been a mistake. He had caught her, and a fight had ensued, a serious fight that had ended with her fleeing the ship.
Now, two weeks later she was back on the Excalibur, back in her quarters, and balancing on her knees rested a sword - a sword that was hers, her ownership a resonance she could feel deep down in her bones, even though she had no idea how or why she had come by it.
She let her fingers wander over the sword’s blade, considering the symmetry of the ship that surrounded her, giving her shelter and protection, and the weapon under her hands, offering her a different sort of protection, a far more aggressive one. Her thoughts turned to Galen.
Sources of power, that’s what all three of them were: ship, sword, and mage - a triangle of power with herself in its centre. What an irony it was that she, a former slave, a known criminal, and the lone survivor of an extinct race, seemed to be accumulating these sources. Something was wrong with this picture though. Yes, she’d become part of the Excalibur’s crew, but that didn’t mean that the Excalibur’s power was at her disposal. Yes, more than once Galen had practically dangled his powers in front of her as a lure as much as a promise, but so far he had always drawn back, never committing to anything, his promises as insubstantial as smoke.
She stared down at the sword, resting on her knees. Tell me, what illusion of power are you offering me? The question whispered through her mind. She didn’t expect an answer and so she wasn’t disappointed when none was forthcoming.
It wasn’t simple revenge that drove her these days, not any more. Her need for revenge wasn’t completely gone. Oh no, it wasn’t, but it had been tempered by a more general need - the need for empowerment, the need to never ever be a victim again. She looked at her sword and she smiled. Whatever you are and wherever I’ve found you - for the time being I can accept you at face value, she told it. You’re sharp, dangerous and beautiful. It’s not enough in the long run, of course, but it’s a promising start and believe me I know exactly what I’m talking about.
Show: Crusade
Characters: Dureena Nafeel
Rating: G
Tags: introspection
The second of three vignettes that take a look at the Excalibur and three of Crusade's central characters. This is unbetaed, sorry...
Excalibur II
Dureena - Year Two
It had been Galen who had explained the significance of the Excalibur’s name to Dureena; that it was a reference to an ancient weapon, a weapon that had once belonged to a great leader in Earth’s history. She had always believed it was a fitting name. The Excalibur might not exactly look like a sword, but the resemblance was close enough and the ship’s fire power was definitely formidable enough to make the comparison feasible.
When it came to her own personal weapons Dureena never had much use for swords. A thief was better equipped with a set of daggers and throwing knives - far easier to hide and far less unwieldy than a sword. At least that had been her reasoning before the latest series of events had left her with a large gap in her memory and inexplicably a sword in her possession.
It had all begun with a row she had with Galen. She had asked for his help. He had refused. She had implored him to change his mind. He had refused again. What he hadn’t understood or possibly hadn’t wanted to understand was that this time her main motivation hadn’t been a need for revenge. So in the end she had tried to steal from him what he hadn’t wanted to give freely. It had been a mistake - of course it had been a mistake. He had caught her, and a fight had ensued, a serious fight that had ended with her fleeing the ship.
Now, two weeks later she was back on the Excalibur, back in her quarters, and balancing on her knees rested a sword - a sword that was hers, her ownership a resonance she could feel deep down in her bones, even though she had no idea how or why she had come by it.
She let her fingers wander over the sword’s blade, considering the symmetry of the ship that surrounded her, giving her shelter and protection, and the weapon under her hands, offering her a different sort of protection, a far more aggressive one. Her thoughts turned to Galen.
Sources of power, that’s what all three of them were: ship, sword, and mage - a triangle of power with herself in its centre. What an irony it was that she, a former slave, a known criminal, and the lone survivor of an extinct race, seemed to be accumulating these sources. Something was wrong with this picture though. Yes, she’d become part of the Excalibur’s crew, but that didn’t mean that the Excalibur’s power was at her disposal. Yes, more than once Galen had practically dangled his powers in front of her as a lure as much as a promise, but so far he had always drawn back, never committing to anything, his promises as insubstantial as smoke.
She stared down at the sword, resting on her knees. Tell me, what illusion of power are you offering me? The question whispered through her mind. She didn’t expect an answer and so she wasn’t disappointed when none was forthcoming.
It wasn’t simple revenge that drove her these days, not any more. Her need for revenge wasn’t completely gone. Oh no, it wasn’t, but it had been tempered by a more general need - the need for empowerment, the need to never ever be a victim again. She looked at her sword and she smiled. Whatever you are and wherever I’ve found you - for the time being I can accept you at face value, she told it. You’re sharp, dangerous and beautiful. It’s not enough in the long run, of course, but it’s a promising start and believe me I know exactly what I’m talking about.