trans_9 | Locked - Temperance

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Locked - Temperance

Initially, when he absented himself from the group who had been left behind, Sparhawk intended to use the time to explore Stacey, and to perhaps add weight to certain suspicions that were in his head. But instead, he found himself in the City.

Many of the buildings down here were not familiar to him, their purpose unknown. But there was one that he was familiar with, that was the centre of his religion. Whether it was the actual Basillica, transported here for some purpose, or just a good copy, he didn't know, but it was something familiar.

Being a Knight of the Church, he had always had faith. Faith was comforting, something to lean on. And then he discovered that he was Anakha, his destiny unwritten, and that he made the Gods nervous. And with everything that happened to him, his faith was tested. But he always believed.

Kneeling in front of the altar, head bowed, lost in thought, Sparhawk considered.

Time passed. As he emerged from the Basillica, it was hard for him to know how long it had been.

It look him a moment to figure out how to work the device that had been given to him. Normally he wouldn't have used it, letter writing not being his strong point, but this would be the exception.

Hopefully, the Lady Temperance would get the message to meet him at the Sensoriums, with company if she could not trust him.

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Brennan frowned, her gaze moving slowly around as she walked toward the Sensorioum. Even though she'd been here for a while (she wasn't even sure how long a while was. It could have been one day or even a week)she still found it hard to believe that the ship was indeed somehow alive.

And now some man, named Sparhawk - who had asked if she was a whore- wanted her to meet him. She wasn't quite sure what he wanted to see her about or even what they had to talk about. She just didn't understand.

Pausing outside the Sensoriumm, she took a deep breath. The 'door' slid open and she made her way inside. "Hello?" she called out taking a few more steps inside.

Brennan was followed a short distance behind by Booth. He was using his sniper skills not to let onto her that he was there though. He kenw if he did, she'd only start complaining about his "alpha male" tendancies and saying she could take care of herself. He'd decided that he would watch and listen, but he'd only jump in if the situation got bad.

Sparhawk stood, dressed in his full armour. It was only an illusion of the real thing, but still it comforted him, and reminded him that no matter where he was, he was still a Knight.

The room itself was set up as an island. The grass underfoot was a luscious green, and a white marble temple stood on a hill not too far away, surrounded by trees. It was the sky though that would get the attention. It wasn't a single colour, but shifted between many, a constant aurora borealis.

As the Lady Brennan called, Sparhawk turned to face the door, offering a formal bow to her.

"My Lady," and if Temperance cares to notice, his tone is a lot more respectful than it was.

Temperance looked around, and she is clearly interested in her surroundings. She'd never seen anyplace like it and it has gotten the best of her curiousity.

Hearing someone speak, her attention shifted and seeing someone dressed in full armour, her eyebrows arched. That and the fact that he'd just called her 'my lady'... She figured it was the same man who had called her a whore earlier, but he sounded nicer and... She wasn't quite sure to be honest.

"Hello," she repeated herself. "Where are we?" she asked, her gaze moving momentarily to the sky.

Removing his helmet, Sparhawk lays it on the ground before taking a small step closer to Temperance.

"This is the home of the Goddess Aphrael, or my memories of it," Sparhawk partially explains. "She brought me here when she though I needed to have time to think."

He then straightens, and turns more serious. "Thank you for coming to meet with me, Lady."

"Goddess?" Both of Temperance's eyebrows shot up. She looked over at the temple for a brief second before looking back at Sparhawk. While she wasn't one who stock in any sort of religion and had been known to be quite vocal about her viewpoints, she figured now wasn't the time to mention them - moreso because the man believed that a Goddess had brought him there before.

She shrugged slightly, and drew in a deep breath. "You can actually call me Doctor Brennan or if it's easier Brennan." She paused for a second reminding herself to be polite. "And really it wasn't a problem coming. What did you need?"

Sparhawk didn't mind the skepticism. Technically, he wasn't supposed to believe in the existence of any other Gods bar the Elene God, but it's hard to tell a Goddess she doesn't exist when she's having fairies pollinate the garden because the bees are too slow.

"Doctor Brennan then. And I needed to speak with you. My behaviour towards you was not the conduct that should be expected from a Knight of the Church. I spoke in haste, and in anger."

Sparhawk isn't good at speeches.

"I should not have called you a whore. I should have tried to remember that different worlds have different ways of doing things. If you feel that your honour was insulted, then I stand ready to answer any challenge you choose to make. Otherwise, I would ask your forgiveness."

And that's what he was brooding over in the church. He stands waiting now, face implacable.

Temperance pursed her lips together in a thoughtful manner as she listened to to Sparhawk speak. As much as she wanted to continue being mad at him, her rational thought process had taken over.

From the way he spoke and even the armour he was wearing, she would have to place his own time -if he'd been from Earth - to be sometime in the 14th Century. And their views in that time on social behavior were certainly a lot different from her own.

"Actually, I understand," Temperance told him with a firm nod of her head. "Anthropologically speaking, socially, women from your time would have never spoken like I did."

She tilted her head a bit to the side before continuing on. "I honestly don't see the point in challenging you though. While I was indeed offended, I didn't take into account that others around me might not be use to a woman speaking so freely or scientifically."

Sparhawk bowed in acknowledgment of the words, though it was more out of a sense than an understanding.

"There are many things here that I'm not used to," he admits ruefully. "I'm finding that, even if I am considered broadminded, bordering heretical on my own world, here I'm as close minded as the most rule-bound Patriarch."

And yes, now that the formality bit is done, Sparhawk is slipping into more relaxed speech.

"Although, Doctor Brennan, I'm curious to know what 'anthropological' means?" It's been bugging him since she first used it.

"I don't believe that there is such a thing as someone being heretical or having heretical thoughts. It's just main stream religions trying to keep people in reign by making them believe that thinking outside said religion is bad." Temperance stated without giving her choice of words much thought.

Perhaps it was getting a bit obvious what she thought about religion though.

She took a deep breath. "Anthropologically speaking pertains to anthropology. Anthropology is the scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans." She probably sounded like a textbook, but she of course didn't even realize it.

Sparhawk couldn't help himself, the slight smile slid into astonishment as he stared at her. While he sometimes thought that his views were heretical (though Knights of the Church were supposed to think like that sometimes), what Doctor Brennan just said would have most members of the Elene Church in fits.

Until he can think of something coherent, and non aggravating to say, he settles for addressing the second part of her answer. That's confusing enough as it is for the hard-bitten knight.

"The scientific study of humans," he echoes, turning this over in his mind. "Surely all humans are different though? Elenes like myself are different fron Thalasians, who are different fron Rendors."

Booth was still watching, but he wasn't as tense now; there seemed to be no hostilities and the Sparhawk guy hadn't made any aggressive moves. He had expected some long rambling comment from Brennan about religion, but she seemed to be trying to be respectul. Lately she did try to be respectul with Booth although the bickering was still quite common.

"Well of course all humans have their own individuality," Temperance coceeded with a nod of her head. "With anthropology, you take into account the different diversities from each race and culture and you study them."

She's almost smiling as she talks about something that interests her and she obviously thinks it interests Sparhawk as well.

"You'd actually be quite astonished to find that despite the different diversities that basic human nature and pasts have simularities...."

Sparhawk tries, he really does. He is curious about the whole idea of studying humans, but while each word that Doctor Brennan is saying is understandable, the whole thing loses meaning and washes over him.

Unfortunately, since he's not sitting, he can't half doze as he used to do during Vanion's sermons, but his eyes are acquiring a distinct glazed cast to them.

"What about non-humans?" he manages to ask, hoping that she'll give him an understandable answer.

"Non-humans?" Temperance asked a bit thrown off by his question. "No, I can't say I've ever had the oppurtunity to study non-humans anthropologically before."

She frowned, looking around again and then nodded. "Though if I had the oppurtunity I wouldn't pass it up." She looked back at him. "To be perfectly honest though, I'm a forensic anthropologist so I rarely study humans outside of forensics..."

Sparhawk debates for a moment whether or not to ask Stacey to make an image of a Troll, but decides against it. Mostly because Temperance has used another word that he's unfamiliar with.

"Forensic?"

Temperance is only to happy to answer all of Sparhawk's questions. ~~It's almost like she enjoys hearing herself talk.~~

"Forensic refers to the application of science to a court of law and I'm a Forensic Anthropologist. Forensic anthropology is the application of physical anthropology and human osteology in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are more or less skeletonized."

See what you did Sparhawk?! ~~She's never going to stop!~~

"I also help identify deceased individuals whose remains are too decomposed, burned, mutilated or otherwise unrecognizable...." She trails off and looked over at Sparhawk with a serious expression. "I help give them their identities back."

~~Is it too late for him to start running now?~~ . Sparhawk considers himself to be an intelligent enough man, but the flood of unknown words is beyond him. He thinks he's got enough of a grasp though to be able to translate it.

Even if the whole concept is startling.

"You study the dead," he says quietly, thoughtfully.

He's starting to think now. He's killed in the name of the Church, and in the name of his Queen. To save his country, and the world, he's killed. He never thought about the bodies later.

But she does. And knowing exactly what a broadsword can do to people, he can only respect her.

"You are a courageous lady."

"You are correct," Temperance begins, her eyebrows furrowing a little. The study and analysis of fossilized remains can be life threatening."

She looks away, crossing her arms. "I once spent several months in Guatemala exhuming victims of genocide while under the protection of armed guards who were most likely the very individuals who perpetrated their murder in the first place."

That wasn't quite what Sparhawk meant, but he doesn't correct Temperance as she elaborates. That place called Guatemala needed courage as well.

"Did you discover anything that would convince others of the crime?"

Yes, Sparhawk likes stories.

"I wasn't there to help solve the crime, I was there to identify the bodies so their families would be able to bury them properly."Temperance explains.

"Were you successful in your task?" he asks. While it's not something that he's ever thought about, it's slightly reassuring that there is someone out there who cares enough about the dead to identify them. If he had fallen in Rendor, far from home and under a different name, it would have been reassuring to know that someone would have returned his bones to the Motherhouse in Demos.

"And was the crime solved, in the end, if not by yourself then by another?"

"Prosecutions for Guatemala's genocide have been few since many of those believed to have been apart of it are in the current military." She frowned again and shook her head.

"Until 2000 virtually all convictions were of junior officers, enlisted men, and leaders of the civil patrols, a counterinsurgency militia into which the army conscripted hundreds of thousands of men, most of them Mayan. To this day only three Senior Officers have been tried and found guilty for it, only one was convicted, and even this conviction was overturned on appeal."

That was not the answer that Sparhawk wanted to hear. His initial reaction is to offer his services to Temperance, but then reality kicks in. They're here, aboard this ship, with no way of getting home, and most likely he wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. Dratted training.

"Then I hope you have no more reason to go there, when you return."

"One can only hope," Temperance murmurs, though she knew that if she ever did make it back to her world, there was always plenty for her to do in her area of expertise.

She's quiet for a few and decides it's about time to change the subject. Genocide isn't the best of conversations, and even she knows that.

"What do you do in your world?"

Sparhawk doesn't mind the change of topic. Dr Brennan has given him enough to think about for a while now.

"My world? I'm a Knight of the Church, of the Pandion Order, and Champion and husband to the Queen of Elenia. I mostly do what I'm told, either by my wife, or by the Archprelate."

And yes, that is humour under his words.

Too bad Temperance doesn't get humor.

Her eyebrows arch. She'd already gotten he was religious, but...Yeah. Champion? She had to keep reminding herself that he was not only from a different world, but also from a different time.

"So you're the Queen's husband. Does that make you a Prince?" She was only asking because that's how the British monarchy worked.

"It does, yes," Sparhawk admits. While he loves Ehlana, and is very very happy to be her husband, he's still getting used to the title of Prince, even so many years on. Which is why he's not really mentioning it aboard this Stacey.

"Ehlana keeps trying to give me other titles as well though, but so far I have managed to talk her out of it."

Booth is a little nonplussed. He's never really liked the rich and high and mighty much. But at least this guy isn't like a lot of them. Booth doesn't pick up the usual air of "I'm better than you are" and he likes that. He wishes the rich people he ran into during work weren't always so superior and haughty.

"Have you earned these other titles?" Temperance asks, not getting why someone wouldn't want the recognations they rightly deserve.

"Ehlana seems to think so, by virtue of me being her husband. I diasgree though, and with the titles comes responsibility. There is enough of that lying on my shoulders already." Sparhawk explains.

Plus he's now here, which is a whole new world, with new responsibilities.

"Yes, I suppose you're correct about titles giving one responsibilities." She has no problem herself though when it comes to the responsibilities that come with her own.

"Out of pure curiosity, what sort of titles is your wife trying to give you?"

"When Ehlana ascended to the throne, some of her nobles were revealed to be in league with her enemies. Their estates were confiscated and returned to the crown. It's those lands and the titles that go with them, of Earl, and Baron, that Ehlana wants to give me," Sparhawk explains.

"I suppose I can understand not wanting to recieve titles that way," Temperance says as she nods her head.

It's very enlightening talking to Sparhawk, it was too bad Doctor Goodman wasn't here, he would probably be asking Sparhawk a lot more than what Brennan was. ~~Maybe it's really a good thing then.~~

"Is there a way for you to earn them?"

Sparhawk thinks about this. "Unless Ehlana decides to hold a contest, I don't believe so. And in truth, what do I need with more estates?"

He's determined to hammer this point home. Heaven forbid that Ehlana ever meets Temperance. It would be interesting, to say the least.

"Perhaps now that the world has calmed somewhat, my Queen can find people she trusts to minister the estates."

"Well from what you've stated, I'm sure your wife is an intelligent woman and will do what's best for her world." Well she's assuming his wife is ruler of a world because he'd just said something about the world calming down.

Sparhawk smiles in remembrance. "She will. Though I'm sure that after our stay in Matherion, there will be new parks appearing in Cimmura, the capital."

Once more, Sparhawk bows formally to Temperance. "And thank you for accepting my apology. I will think before I speak in future, and I hope that you will correct me if I am too offensive."

"You're welcome," Temperance says with a nod.

Though really Sparhawk? Asking Temperance Brennan of all people to correct you if you come off too offensive? Not the smartest thing, only because she doesn't always pick up on things like that.

"I'll do my best," She replies, offering Sparhawk a friendly smile - not even thinking that she's not the best person for the job.

She glances around the sensorioum again and takes a few steps toward the exit. "If I ever figure out how these things work, perhaps sometime you'd like to see where I work, and the types of things I normally do." She figures he's OK to see that sort of stuff, it's not like he's even from her world anyway.

Sparhawk would never consider it either. He doesn't go out of his way to be offensive, unless he's really annoyed, but since she seems to know more about the past, she can probably correct him if he's getting muddled again.

He really needs to figure out what to do about all these female warriors as well.

"I would be honoured Lady," he tells her in all honesty. "And perhaps I could show you more of my world, should you desire."

Think of the investigative opportunities, Dr Brennan!

She is thinking of those opportunities and she nods, "That sounds like a reasonable plan to me."

She walks to the exit and it opens. "Thank you for the stimulating conversation, Mr. Sparhawk. I certainly feel as though I learned a lot today."

"I too, Dr Brennan." Sparhawk replies simply. "Thank you."

Booth is backing up slowly, being as quite as his sniper skills will allow but not knowing whether either of the other two will see him or not. He's not really worried about Sparhawk, but Bones will make her displeasure known if she runs into him. He's pretty sure of that.

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Locked - Temperance

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