Conclusions

"You know what," Dax mused, "I love pants. I mean, can't say I saw the point of them before, but wow. They're amazing things. And pockets. You can keep things in them!"

The pretty, blonde bartender giggled, and filled up his glass. "You're not nearly as drunk as you're acting, snookums," she said, but kept her voice low.

Dax grinned at his temporary new best friend. "What can I say? I've got a high alcohol tolerance." Tess hummed, and nodded in reply. "Besides. I probably won't be drinking anything half as good as this in a few hours. Want to have something good to remember the place by."

"A hangover's good?" she asked, looking cutely perplexed.

Dax laughed, aware, peripherally, of people turning to look at him. Let them. He was talking to a pretty girl, who was smiling and laughing with him, and the only thing he could think of was that he was leaving in a few hours. Leaving the city. Leaving the planet. Leaving Jak.

As long as his friends, new and old, thought he was happy, or at least tolerating the situation, they wouldn't feel upset on his behalf. Even though, really, a bar full of Spargus Wastelanders being pissed at the Precursor Elders would make him feel a lot better. Wastelanders could be pretty damn creative with their threats.

Spargus' rules had been relaxed for his going away party. No one needed to fight in the arena, so long as they promised to be gone by tomorrow morning. A few of the Havenites- Tess, the bartender, in particular- had already been giving a move to Spargus some thought. Tess looked like she'd squeal at blood, refuse to pick up a gun in case she broke a nail, and wilt in the heat, but she... really wasn't anything like that. Tough as nails, and she'd already shot five kanga-rats who'd tried to get at the party food.

Jak was on the other side of the room, back to normal looking, nursing a glass of beer along while talking with Sig and Damas. Dax knew exactly where his friend was and what he was doing, without having to look over at all. He'd apologized for what he'd said in the catacombs- even if it was all true- and Jak had forgiven him. They were two different species, with two different life spans, and Jak had admitted that he wouldn't have wanted to die on Dax, of old age or anything else.

It was better this way. They'd had something, something great, something that had bound them closer than mere friendship, and the only way to survive loosing each other would be with a clean break. Otherwise... Dax shook his head, and smiled at Tess.

"So, gorgeous, see any handsome Wastelanders you want to drag home?" he asked.

"Besides you? A couple. Think any of them would be interested in a little thing like me?"

"Besides me?" he asked, not meaning it. Tess knew, though, and giggled and waved it off. "Yeah, they'd have to be crazy not to. Don't worry about it."

"Oh, goodie! I mean, you're absolutely yummy, don't get me wrong, but... uhm."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Precursors weren't elves, and Tess was one of the few people who'd noticed all the subtle differences. Apparently she'd been studying to be a doctor- a healer without eco- before Praxis had taken over Haven. She'd figured out pretty quickly that he just didn't react the same way an elfin male did.

Well, he did look her in the eyes, and kept looking her in the eyes.

He was a Precursor. Precursors had children rarely, took mates rarely, and while he knew the mechanics of intimacy, he wasn't interested in actually experiencing it just yet. Maybe it was because he was a healer, he didn't know, but for him flirting was just a fun way to pass the time without clinging to Jak.

"Hey, Daxxie?" Tess tapped the bar in front of him. "I know this is kind of silly, but if you could stay, would you?"

He didn't even have to think about his answer. "In a heartbeat, Tess-baby." He swallowed, and looked down at his drink. It was lurid pink, apparently so alcoholic it was flammable, and didn't taste all that bad. Kind of like fruit. "I'm welcome here, I'm a citizen of Spargus. I have friends... And hell, there's a need for me. The Elders are leaving, and someone needs to... I don't know. Keep an eye out for a bunch of Precursor crap they're going to leave lying around. And there's eco that needs nudging back into a proper order, and..."

He blinked hard, and looked up at her. "But I can't stay," he said, smiling faintly. "I've got a duty to my people."

"You're an amazing person, you know that?" She patted his hand, and looked over his shoulder. "But I think you've had enough of my company, huh?"

Dax twitched an ear, and didn't react when Jak rested one hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for the drinks, Tess," he said, and only then did he look over. "What's up?"

"The Precursors want to talk to us."

Great. He'd thought he'd have more time. "Can't keep the Elders waiting," he said, and got down off his bar stool. "Lead on, buddy."

Jak kept his hand on Dax's shoulder, warm and reassuring. He needed that, because otherwise, Elders or not, he'd have turned and run into the Wasteland, hidden away until the Elders had left and he could stay.

Except if he did that... Damn it, the Elders wouldn't let him go. Maybe these three would leave, but they'd send members of the warrior class back. Probably his parents, or his sister, or... He wouldn't do that to this planet. Not even Veger deserved Dax's parents.

The Precursors had taken Dax's ship, which had been moved from a crater in Haven forest, and placed in an open space in Spargus' market area. The thing had been polished up, the dents hammered out. It was small for anyone elf shaped, but more than big enough for four ottsels, so long as no one liked singing folk songs or anything.

The door was open, ramp extended, and the three Precursor Elders arrayed in their... splendor. Dax nodded to them, and glanced over at the small crowd. It figured Samos would be there, somehow, but Torn and Ashelin's presence surprised him, a little. Damas and Sig had wandered over as well, and even Kliever was there, hanging back from the main group.

Great, did he have to leave now?

Dax took a deep breath, and stepped away from Jak. "It's time?" he asked.

The lead Elder nodded, and extended one hand. "First, while there is an abundance of eco around us, form your memories into a crystal, so we might all share in them," he said.

That was typical. Dax shrugged, and concentrated. Eco crystals were the Precursor recordings of choice, after all. And it was easier to pass an eco crystal around then have to tell the same story over and over again.

It only took a few minutes, though if he'd more experience creating the crystals, it probably would've taken less. When he was finished, he tossed it over to the Elder, not quite ready to take the last few steps away from everything.

The Elder stared into the middle distance while he reviewed the information stored in the crystal, and then, focusing again, nodded and handed the crystal off to one of the others. "Very good. Thank you, Daxter."

Dax swallowed, and nodded. "Yeah, well." He turned to face Jak, and closed his eyes. Time to say goodbye, wasn't it? This was really it.

"Jak, I..."

"I know." Jak smiled, a tiny little twitch at the corner of his lips. "Stay safe, Dax."

"Of course." He turned back, and faced the Elders. This was just great. Really. He'd done what he'd come to do. He knew why the elves had survived against the Dark Makers so long, their planet was now protected by the astroviewer, and with the information stored in the eco crystal, his people would survive. Everything was going just the way it was supposed to.

The Elders were staring at him.

Dax froze in mid-step, aware that he looked like a complete and utter idiot, and not caring. Sane people were careful around Elders. They could do things. Sometimes, it seemed they weren't even manipulating eco fields. Sure, Dax could change one type of clothing to another, but the Elders could create clothing from thin air. And the way they were looking at him, well, hiding under a rock seemed like a good idea.

"Hm," the lead Elder said, tail swaying back and forth. "While we have been out of contact with our fellow Precursors for some time, nearly a millennia... I am given to understand healers are rare?"

Huh? Dax put his foot down, and shook his head. "N-no. I mean, no. Warriors and healers are... And Elders, of course."

"And the artisans?"

"They're..." Dax glanced over at the listening elves, and switched to Precursorian. "They're not being bred anymore. The artisan code's been saved away, but the Elders have chosen to only see warriors, healers, and other Elders born and bred during the war."

The lead Elder nodded, while the other two murmured quietly to each other, ears laid back and fur flattened against their bodies. "I see. But you would be a special healer, I take it?"

"My parents were warriors."

The Elder nodded, as if he understood what that meant. He probably didn't, not really. Supposedly, back before the war, it wouldn't be odd for a healer to be born to artisan parents, or an Elder to be born to healers, or... Well, Dax didn't really know what other castes there had been. These days, though, healers were born to healers, warriors were born to warriors, and the parents of Elders were carefully selected before a new Elder was born.

"Would you say it is uncomfortable, among your family?"

"I haven't seen my family in centuries," Dax replied. Why did it matter? Maybe this Elder was trying to decide, oh, who knew. Whether Dax should be assigned to his group or something. "I've been with the healers."

"And is it uncomfortable with them?"

"Not... really..."

The Elder raised an eyebrow. "I see." He looked around the market. "You enjoyed your time on a planet?"

"Yeah." Of course. Why wouldn't he? This planet, in particular, had to be his favorite, and not because of the scenery.

At least now he knew why the Elder was asking so many questions. He'd been out of the war for a long time, and probably still had his optimism. He probably wanted to search out other planets, drive the Dark Makers off, maybe set up a planetary defense system on each one, if there were any artifacts allowing for that sort of thing. That sort of thing needed a healer who didn't hide from the first signs of fighting, and if Dax had proved anything, it was that he'd inherited something from his parents. Suicidal bravery could occasionally be useful.

"What if you were to be stationed upon one permanently?"

Wait, what? Dax blinked, and then swallowed. "Wh-why would I... I mean, the warriors... They need healers, they..."

"Daxter." The Elder smiled, and then pointed his staff at the healer. "We have what we need. And someone needs to... stay and keep an eye on the astroviewer. It is an old, old thing, after all. It could fall apart at any time."

Hah. Yeah right, it was Precursor technology, back when the stuff had been built to last. "You're suggesting I just, stay here, right? It wouldn't work." He took a shuddering breath, let it out slowly. "I- my friends, they'll get old, and die, and I won't, I can't, and it's not like I'll ever be able to forget them."

"Precursors have gone insane, from losing friends of another species," the Elder allowed. He smiled, and- was he glowing? "But you forget, Daxter. Precursors are the most powerful beings in the universe. And we, at least, are not heartless."

Everything was light, and tingly, and it felt like he was channeling every kind of eco in the universe at once. It lasted a few seconds, seconds that stretched on for a Precursor's lifetime, and then faded. Nothing seemed to have changed. Dax checked his hands just to be sure.

"Stay here on this planet, Daxter," the Elder said, speaking elfin. "Keep it safe from any future Dark Makers, and return the eco twisted in this poor land to proper channels." He winked, and added, "And don't worry about outliving your friends..."

Huh? Dax shook his head, but focused on the important part. He was staying. He backed up, and bumped against Jak.

Jak immediately clamped both hands over Dax's shoulders.

"We will depart now," the Elder said, while the other two backed into the ship. "We thank you for all your assistance. May the light always guide your path, and the dark give you sanctuary."

Dax grinned, and waved one hand. "Good riddance, good luck, and good bye!"

The Elder laughed, and disappeared into the ship. Dax shielded his eyes when the thing took off- without him. Right. He was staying.

He was staying.

Did the world sway beneath his feet, just for a second? "Jak," he whispered. "Jak, I'm staying!"

"I know." Jak shifted his grip, so he was hugging Dax around the shoulders.

Dax couldn't help it. He started laughing, and if not for the fact that he didn't want to pull away from his friend, he would've danced around the market.

He was staying!

And it's over. Ironically enough, this was supposed to be a short story- one or two chapters, three at the most. 60,445 words and 134 pages later... And before I continue, for those curious, the Elders shortened Dax's lifespan to match Jak's.

And if you want to see another story, I do have one in the works. The tentive title so far is "Monster", both for the plot- which you'll just have to wait and see- and for its length. Unlike Iron Bars, I predict this one will probably hit thirty-forty chapters- if not more. I'll be pre-writing a lot of the chapters, so that hopefully there won't be a long stretch without posting, but I do intend to get it posted before winter starts.

Thank you so much, all of you, for reading to the end of this thing, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Kayasuri-n.