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Behind the Scenes of
Another Fairy Tale
by Denise Felt 2011
Without my being aware of it, Nyt became a character who I wanted to know better. So of course I had to write a sequel!
Chapter 1 – I was rather surprised to find that this storyline involving fairies allowed for a great deal of discussion on certain aspects of human relations that we tend to take for granted. Prejudice. Social structure. Trust. And friendship. Mostly friendship. More than any of my other stories, this series has delved into the friendship that exists between Straker and his second-in-command. The tale begins with them discussing the new upgrades and their differing views on whether they should have been implemented after learning about the trap. And we find out that they really aren’t that different in their concerns. It’s just that Straker is willing to take more risks than his friend – when he has logic on his side. In fact, on his way home from work that night, Straker reflects on how good a friend Alec is, since the colonel believed him even when he told him an impossible story. And the chapter nearly ends with a warm fuzzy feeling – until the aliens show up.
Chapter 2 – Originally I wrote this chapter chronologically, because that’s the way I think. Like Straker, I have an ordered mind. But it fell rather flat on reading it to my beta tester, and she suggested that I heighten the tension by taking out the sections with the commander and putting them in the next chapter, so that the reader doesn’t know what happened to him until after Alec thinks he’s killed him. It worked so much better that way, and wasn’t the anticlimax it had been the first time. See why I keep her around?
A note here. I’ve had Alec in this spot before in another series I wrote, but in that story, he didn’t have to handle being successful in destroying the UFO with Straker onboard. This time, however, the skyjet got the UFO. So, it was interesting for me to take it that one step further and see how Freeman reacted to knowing he had killed his friend. He’s a tough man for all his outward charm, so I wasn’t sure how he’d do. But when it came to Straker, the bonds of friendship went very deep, and his grief overwhelmed him.
Chapter 3 – And now we know that this truly is a fairytale, because Nyt rescues the commander before the aliens can get to him. Of course, he’s severely injured (which he’d have to be to keep him from saving himself. He has such an indomitable will.) But she manages to get him to safety in spite of the aliens on their tail. The symbolism of the cave – with its themes of death and fear – heightened the tension and made the entire rescue problematical because of Straker’s claustrophobia. But he overcomes it – not for himself, but to keep her safe. To me, this is the truest form of courage.
Flawed heroes are much more believable, and no one would doubt that Straker is that sort of hero, since his faults are many. However, he was willing to do anything to keep Earth safe, and showing him conquering a phobia for the sake of someone else demonstrates the courage that made him such a great leader in the show.
I ended the chapter with a paraphrase of one of my favorite lines from a movie. Straker asks if he’s in heaven. For those who don’t know what movie it’s from, shame on you! Field of Dreams is a must watch for anyone!
Chapter 4 – In typical female fashion, Ginny keeps her head – even when she’d rather be somewhere crying her eyes out. To me, this ability is one of the hallmarks of being a woman, and especially a mother. So many times I had to hide my true feelings from my children so that they could trust that everything would be alright – even when I knew the world was falling apart around us. I suppose some men have this trait too, but I’ve never seen it except in movies. So Ginny handles the night shift at HQ while Alec grieves in the office.
In this story I wanted to give the readers a glimpse into the world of fairy. The sacred meadow is peaceful and serene and my idea of a perfect place. Especially under the shade of a maple tree. Straker wakes to find himself being cared for, which he’d argue about later, but at first was too weak to do more than thank her. We meet Seriptamina, who sounds like a bad guy, but who just has a clearer understanding of the differences between humans and keepers. More on her later. And we find that prejudice isn’t just a human vice. Fairies can have it too.
When the commander is more himself, his first thought is to get word to Alec that he’s alright. And Nyt volunteers to take him a message. A few of my readers couldn’t wait to read about that encounter! *grin*
Chapter 5 – Deb once described the Alec-Straker dynamic as a dog who had taken to a kitten, then been bewildered when it insisted on climbing trees. This is the best description of their relationship that I have ever heard. The loyal dog, Alec does his best to keep up with the catlike genius of his boss and friend. But it isn’t easy. And the fact that their relationship works is due more to Alec’s loyalty than his commander’s genius. But it does work.
So even though he was probably startled out of his socks, Alec accepts Nyt’s presence without too many qualms. And we see that Straker anticipated his friend’s questions, because he had a special code to tell him that everything was as she said. “It’s still Earth.” A simple statement, perhaps, but one that works on more than one level. First, as a reminder to Alec of what they’d been discussing when they last spoke. Also, in the light of seeing a fairy for the first time, it’s a reminder to his friend that humans still have a place here on this world.
When the general finally makes his appearance, Freeman is ready for him. In fact, he’s excited about the prospect of putting the old man in his place. We don’t get to be a fly on the wall for this conversation, but there is mention made of it later on in another story in this series.
Nyt takes him out of the meadow, but it should be obvious to all that she doesn’t want to do so. And Straker himself finds it difficult to leave. For the first time, we’re given a real glimpse of the way he thinks of Nyt. Those who’ve read several of my stories should be aware by that knowledge that there will have to be more stories in this series – if only to delve into those feelings a bit more!
Chapter 6 – And the commander returns to the world he works so hard to save. True, his feelings of regret and sadness are tied up in what he feels for Nyt. But still, it had to be hard to leave that sanctuary of peace to go back to the hell he deals with every day. Anyone who has their own private place to run to when times get hard would understand his reluctance to once more shoulder that yoke of responsibility afterward.
A friend once wrote a UFO story where there was a scene in which Straker was applauded by a roomful of people for his courageous work at SHADO. It was a scene that choked me up and has never been forgotten. And I vowed to myself that, given the chance, I would find a way to have something similar in one of my stories. Well, it finally found its place in this one. It wasn’t the choked-up scene that her story had, but it made me feel good to write it.
Seen as the ogre so much in the TV show (the guy who they drew on balloons to throw darts at), Straker deserved one moment to be seen by his staff as the hero that he was. And it was simply lovely to get to be there when he was applauded for surviving his attack. In typical Straker fashion, he’s embarrassed by it and tries to ignore it. But it was a moment I doubt he’d ever forget, all the same.
Epilogue – It isn’t necessary for good friends to ever put into words how they feel about each other. It also isn’t hard to tell how close a friendship is by the degree of familiarity that exists between them. Straker was more relaxed in Alec’s presence than at any other time in the show (except for one or two moments with his wife at the beginning of his marriage), which says without words how long their friendship had lasted. So I felt that it wouldn’t bother the very private Straker to dress in front of his best friend, since no one but Alec would have dared be there in his room without an invitation. Some readers might find more in that situation than what others do, but no sexual reference was meant. I have a few close friends who might seem to an outsider like lovers because of our level of comfort around each other. But it’s actually a sign of having gone through hell and back with them and therefore knowing most of each other’s secrets. Straker and Alec would certainly be at that level in their friendship, so I wasn’t afraid to portray it in the scene in the dorm room at HQ. It underlined their friendship even more.
As usual, Alec has no idea how his friend plans to handle all the discrepancies in his reappearance. So he’s surprised to find out that the commander intends to entrust Jackson with his secret. It’s another risk, and one that may not pay off well at all. Will Jackson be able to accept the existence of fairies? Will he be able to swallow the fact that humans aren’t the dominant life on Earth?
Stay tuned for these and more answers in the next installment. *grin*
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Another Fairy Tale -- FDK (Read 11801 times)
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