Was I right? Did they leave my home like we discussed before they imprisoned me? I feel another unbearable burst of pain shot through my body forcing me to scream in agony. I feel like I have fallen from the stratosphere with nothing to stop me as I crashed into the ground and I am somehow still in one piece. My blood feels like it's boiling, burning its way out of my body, and flowing out of my body by force. I could feel the blood cooling as it dripped in my fur and onto the floor. That's what it felt like anyways, I could hear a maniacal laugh as something hot is placed on my back making my fur shrivel up, leaving my skin unprotected and allowing my skin to burn and blister. I screamed again unable to contain the pain, so this is what breaking feels like? I heard a cracking sound, most likely from bones breaking meaning my nerves have given out and I can't feel my now broken tail. I opened my eyes looking into the dark room again to hear something fall. Looking over to my right I see the guard that has brought me closer and closer to breaking and begging for the pain to stop to be on the ground dead. Someone, I could bearly make out walked around the now dead Racosan, wearing black, just black, shorter than me about as tall as Zane but it was the weapon that was held out to be once my restraints were loosened that made me realize who set me free. Shiro!
She made it, I was free because she came, she rescued me and for that, she would always have my thanks. I knew she would come to my rescue if I asked her after reading her file, I knew what she did wrong but I believe that we all make mistakes, I know I made one at least that was unforgivable. leaving everything behind to save my world, maybe more but that is the main reason because I want my daughter to know Saltaner so I will have to live with the fact that I almost willingly sealed a fate for her to possibly never meet me but this war could kill me at any moment regardless. I would have to get over that on my own.
Shiro held out a small device, the little light in the room reflecting on it just enough to allow me to see that it is a communications device. I picked it up as she spoke, "when you are ready to leave just follow the trail of dead enemy's." She would say something like that so I followed her out going to where the bridge should be, laughing that I made it to the bridge an no alarms had gone off. I knew Shiro covered her tracks but this was ghost like! As if on schedule the alarms went off as I walked through the threshold. There are five officers, including Colonial Galek which I already marked as unwilling to cooperate and would die here, my instincts told me that the man on her left was my best bet so I stepped to the side since I entered from the back of the bridge so I could see everyone.
I fired four rounds before any of them knew I was there, that meant four out of five were dead or dying, I don't miss often but I had to focus on my agenda so I look in to the startled eyes of the soul survivor, "I don't want to hurt you, I actually have a proposition for you." Pausing for a second I took a breath, "if you want a different outcome for the war." I see fear in his green eyes, I know I should want this but I don't need fear I need trust.
His fear does not seem to control him and it is evident in his voice, "if you are going to kill me go ahead and finish the job!" He doesn't fear death, that's good but maybe I can turn that in to something more.
"I don't intend to kill you." I lower my pistol and remove the power clip, "I do not think our peoples have to at war, in fact I will leave the truth with you." I hand a hidden data card from the power clip, "review this, see for yourself who is in the wrong but what you do with it is up to you. There is nothing critical to my people but it does contain the logs from when my ship first encountered your people." With that I turned around, honestly I was sick of all the colorless gray.
***
They left, I'm actually surprised that they left. I guess that means they are not just monsters. Saltaner has mostly environmental damage but considerably less than I expected. That was good and I was proud that we only lost a few buildings and that there was less than a thousand casualties but I can't help but feel there was more that could have been done. Not that I could go back and change the past without altering the entire outcome of the battle. Argos said there was a ninety-nine point eight percent chance it would only make things worse. None of the casualties had been from my crew which was a surprise to everyone.
Zane is concerned about Collin's condition, I read the reports and I agree that he might not want to keep dealing with the war and decide to leave. I wouldn't blame him but Dr. Guis said she could give him an arm to replace what he had lost but wouldn't act without his agreement. She removed his arm to save his life and she wouldn't forgive herself soon for doing even that. Collin has shown no signs of permeant damage physically other than his arm but should be awake soon to talk to the doctor. Also to talk to his sister who insisted that she see him as soon as possible so she is going to be there when he wakes up maybe she can keep him sane. I don't know but I do know Zane will be down there as soon as word spreads that he is awake and I can't blame him, I can only sympathize with them but regardless I need my second in command and I will deal with that as things play out. Before I let my heart get the wrong idea out, I am hurting with them and no matter how much I wish for a chance to chose who I love more, Zane or Rehana but fate is sealed and I will settle for what I have which is a beautiful wife and a damn sexy best friend.
A loud shout pulled me from my thoughts and reminded me I was sitting in the captains chair of the Argos Explorer. People moved away from Commander Jones and Lieutenant Veers, of course, it would be Nathan causing this. He is a good officer a benefit to the crew in most cases but wha he claims he often takes to far causing chaos, then again it didn't start till Ves died which was my fault. I haven't forgotten, that night keeps from having a good nights sleep. If only I had listened to my instincts, maybe just maybe I could still ask her for advice.
I see Veers take a threatening step towards Shiro who, to my surprise, takes a step back meaning I need to have. Talk with the lieutenant but before I get up Shiro turns around and walks out of the room with veers shouting at her, "Get back here and face me, Traitor!" I shouldn't have zoned out and let Veers do what he did, I don't know what all he said but I know he opposed Shiro being commissioned into the fleet.
I follow them quickly and notice I am being followed by Zane as the yelling continues and we both start running as we hear a scream of pain. We stop when we see Veers slumped against a wall. Shiro's handy work by my guess.
"Zane go check on Shiro, I'm going to take Veers to the medical bay." It's all I say before Zane runs off, he won't be gone long because of Collin but this will take his mind off of him for a little while. It might be good for him but at least it doesn't look like I am going to lose my second in command.
***
She can't take it, she knew what people would think of her for her past, still she never cared about what was thought about her. Shiro was alone again, Commodore Balitar had done more than give her a chance. No matter if it was intentional or not she stole Shiro's heart and opened the wounds of her past. Since she was a little girl the purity war and even before has been one scar after another. What hurt the most was the words used against her, the ones that even used technically were incorrect.
"Traitor!" Again it echoed and again it hurt.
"That's all you are, Shiro, all you will ever be!" All Shiro could think is how everyone was wrong. How she was always looking for the best in everyone.
"Don't lie to yourself! Like you lied to get into the fleet!" The echo continued. She couldn't take it anymore. That's all Veers wanted. To bring her down. To take the mighty Shiro Jones to her knees but he took it too far. He made the echo return.
"Shinu ni ren valrine, shinu ketha nie!" How long had it been? She knew the translation, "please end my suffering, please kill me." For any of these echoes to exist it must happen. With this last one, she was back in the purity war, crying, knowing what her best friend had just asked of her and wanting to forget it as soon as it hi her ears.
Sparks everywhere. No escape only time and patience as the two waited but that was not enough, Henata, Shiro couldn't even remember her species let alone her face as the tears clouded her vision.
"I can't Henata, please don't ask that of me! I don't want to lose another friend in this war." Shiro begged, to hell with honor, she couldn't do it.
"Honor me and end my suffering, please dear, I know it will hurt but I beg you." The pool of blood was expanding, Henata was dying anyways, it would give her less pain. How could she kill her though?
"No! I'm sorry, I can't!" Shiro knew it was only a few steps, memories or not being what she could see and hear she knew to keep walking straight and it won matter anymore if she saw death.
One last step and nothing she felt the absence of terrain before she started to fall. It was okay to be afraid now. There was nothing she could do now. Would anyone look for her? She didn't think many would care but sometimes she was wrong. The one thing she never expected was a warmth wrapping around her arm and pulling her back.
It was a hand, who ever it was has a good grip in her opinion but she didn't expect anyone to care so who ever pulled her back must feel differently so she opened her eyes to be wrapped in a bear hug but who? Orange, white, and black fur? A familiar but not too familiar voice flooded her ears, not from the Crimson Aquarius so it has to be a crew member o the Argos Explorer.
"You are not going to go out like this are you Jones?" Commander Zane Dedran, why would he rescue someone who hurt the person he loves most? He has a loved one who is hurt, why would he even come down here? These are the two questions Shiro is asking herself but it doesn't matter.
"Not with you around, though I do have a question if you will allow it Commander." Shiro says, looking down, asking herself the questions in her head again. Zane doesn't speak but nods slightly, "Why are you here! "Your husband is hurt and could wake up at any moment. With all due respect to the fact you just saved me but you should be on the Argos Explorer by his side!" That was to angry in her opinion but that was fine at the moment.
"You need a friend, that's why I am here. I know Collin is hurt, at the moment the worst that could happen is he wakes up, the Argos Explorer has a medical staff that can handle anything he throws at them. I think we could both use a drink, I will pay but with Collin's condition I would prefer we get it on the Explorer. I promise though, I heard Veers, he will have a hard next few weeks I'll make sure of it, he is completely wrong, I actually would like some of your input on his reprimand and if he messes with you again I will personally vaporize his ass."
Shiro nods when Zane finishes, "why are you being so nice to me after what I did to Collin the day I came aboard your ship?"
Zane let out a soft chuckle before stepping on the boarding ramp for the shuttle he brought down, "Collin explained what happened and I have not had a chance to apologize for jumping to my conclusion, I am sorry about that by the way."
"You are forgiven, I never blamed you though. I know what it's like to see those you care about hurt, I was never able to do anything about it. I honestly envy that you could."
***
Collin opened his eyes, letting the tears from his nightmare fall. He remembered being shot, remembered concerned screams but seemed in affected until he saw Zane get shot himself. That is when he felt the pain and he knew he was dying but if Zane was shot too his life would be meaningless. Now more than ever he needed to see his husband and when he tried to get up he fell on to an unsupported right side. That was when he realized he didn't feel the bed with his right hand or even on his arm but with his side leaving little of what happened to be imagined. One way or another he lost an arm, that is what mattered.
"Hey Collin," he recognized that voice, a voice that belonged to someone he thought he would never see again. Tes! "I'm sorry about what I said before you left for the academy. I shouldn't have said what I said and now this has happened to you." Her voice was filled to the brim with sorrow, It was true that the things she said hurt him but she had made up for it time and time again.
"Tes, I thought you were dead, I am so happy that I was wrong!" Collin felt a tear dampen his face but couldn't tell if it was for his sisters survival or from his current state, maybe both given the bittersweet air in which filled the room. Joy and pain but also fear and love. He remembered Tes inspecting Zane from head to toe the first time she met him as if she knew he loved him even before they started dating.
"I scared you, well I guess that makes this a little harder then, Collin, mom..." Tes tried to stiffen and hold a sob but couldn't, " mom sent me away durring the chaos as a care giver to several small children before Aden was destroyed." Her sobs worsened as she leaned on the bed getting closer to Collin, a comfort he allowed her due to the fact he wanted to stop her crying and show her golden brown eyes instead of tears. "My ship was the last one that made it out of the system intact, I saw our world and our mom die and I couldn't do anything!"
Collin sat up and rapped his left hand around his sister's arm before he gently started to rub her back, it was harder but he was determined to comfort his sister. There would be time to talk to Zane latter, Collin knew that Tes would have meant jones Zane's death first if he was dead. It was no secret that she wanted both Zane and Collin happy at their wedding but something else was bothering her too, it was in the back of her eye that it was showing, "Tes is some thing else wrong?"
"Nothing that is as bad as moms death but I'm still looking after several of the young children that were left orphans and I was wondering if you and Zane would adopt one, I know this is not the ideal time for the question seeing as you just lost your arm." It posses a problem but compared to leaving a child to suffer without a family, Collin couldn't allow that. He just never expected it to happen so soon, even though he and Zane talked about adopting when they got back from deep space they hadn't talked about it since the war started.
"I will give you our answer after I talk to Zane, I am not worried about my arm unless it is replaced, I could but a child and Zane but I want to protect my family even if it is just Zane, you, dad and me."
"Are you sure?"
"I want to talk to Zane first but I have a good feeling I know what the answer would be!"
Tes didn't say anything, instead, she wrapped her arms around Collin, being cautious because she didn't know how bad he was hurt but he didn't mind because Zane just walked into the room and that is where his focus went. Zane came up to is and whispered into Tes's left ear and she left.
"Zane, we need to talk," Collin said not hiding his fear, showing his full array of emotions and letting them run untamed, tears fell from his eyes as he looked at Zane standing there. Zane was not drunk but you could smell that he had a drink, his own eyes reflecting exactly what Collin's did. The emotions that were not in the mix was anger and rage.
"I know love, I know." Zane wrapped his arms around Collin leaning his head on Collin's chest.
"What did Dr. Gius have to say about my condition?" Collin asked knowing that he could have his arm replaced synthetically at any time.
"You are physically perfect aside from your missing arm to keep it short but she could not monitor your emotional state short or long term while you were asleep. There is a possibility you will suffer post traumatic stress disorder and you might also collapse into a state of worrying about hurting others if you chose to get a synthetic arm. I don't know what you should do but I promise that I will love you regardless of what you chose." That was Zane, the only one Collin had ever and would ever love.
"I want to stay by your side, I want the synthetic arm so I can stand by your side and maybe we can adopt one of the orphans from the Aden tragedy before I get it so I am not concerned about hurting the little one, besides, the Argos Explorer is going to be one of the safest places for a kid right now." Zane's smile said it all, he didn't disapprove, he was glad that Collin was keeping strong, it could collapse but for now he was still strong.
"Anything you desire my love!"