Among the ashes...
Too late...
The humans have the fastest ships in the galaxy. And the Rangers have the fastest of the fast, but travel still takes time. They have the best information network of all the races, but they are not all seeing.
They can still be taken by suprise.
The Anla'shok known as Raeburn to most of the galaxy had known the situation between these two races was inflammable. Who had started the conflict, few remembered anymore, but much blood had been shed as each side sought payback for old wrongs.
In spite of all this, there had been a glimmer of hope. Some of both sides, realizing the futility of it all, had decided to set aside these old grudges and forgive. Their numbers had grown, swelled by those who simply wanted to live in peace...
...and so they had become targets to those who considered them traitors. Which side, the Ranger didn't know. At the moment, he didn't care. The colony where these visionaries had lived was attacked by a weaponized toxin just as the Anla'shok delegation, on a mission of mediation at the colony's request, had entered the system. At their distress signal, the Ranger fleet had raced to aid them, too late for most. It was a swift and terrible weapon. Swift to strike down...but slow, very slow to kill.
...Bastards...
The ward's makeshift nature was painfully obvious. After all, these were the ones that couldn't be saved. The hospitals were bursting at the seams with those who had any chance of survival. Here, cots and pallets occupied every bit of floorspace, loaded with shattered beings, gasping out their last breaths. Cared for only by loved ones (if theirs had been fortunate enough to be outside the blast-range).
This was the assignment the Ranger had chosen. There were plenty of his comrades to start tracking down the terrorists, strengthen the colony's defenses and assist with saving the others. They could spare one to ease the passage of the dying. And so he moved among the cots in his encounter suit, spending his energy freely to mute their pain. To give them some dignity and comfort in their passing. In return, he recieved gratitude, sorrow, recriminations, accusations, pleas and questions.
"Why did they do this? Why us?"
"Where were you?! You could have stopped this? Where in Shavk's name were you?!"
"...Will it be much longer? I'm so tired..."
In return, he gave soft answers. Comforting answers, but ones in which he could find no solace for himself as he watched each bright soul finally slip beyond his sight as their bodies failed. Three days...three days that seems to last for eons.
Finally, there was only one left. A youngling whose family had died on almost the first day. The Ranger stayed by her side, telling her stories when she woke, blocking the pain when she drifted to sleep. His energies were the lowest they had ever been in his entire, long life.
"Is it true what mother said?"
The question, coming out of such a long silence startled him. He looked down to see the child staring up at him. There was a brightness in her eyes...the last flickering of the candle before it goes out.
"What did your mother say?" he asked.
"That you humans are the messengers of Shavk. That's why you wear those suits. So you won't blind us with his glory."
The Ranger shook his head. "No, Bright One. We're just people. If we serve Shavk, we do in much the same way you do."
"Oh..." she said, a little disappointed. "Mother said that Shavk sent his messengers when we needed them most and..." A spasm of coughing gripped her. The Ranger supported her body and sent gentle impulses to the nerves of her lungs to calm the fit. But her breathing was much shallower when she tried to speak again. "I hoped...you'd go with me when I die. It would be...less scary."
Behind his mask, the Ranger wept as he took her into his arms. Then he very gently reached out and touched her mind.
I can stay with you until the door opens, dearest.
And so they stayed in mental rapport as her breathing became shallower and slower. He watched the bright light of her spirit as it finally slipped loose...and out to a place he could not follow. His own spirit raged and wept at the injustice of it all.
At last, his Ship bespoke his friend Talev. He was still holding her body when he was found.
The humans have the fastest ships in the galaxy. And the Rangers have the fastest of the fast, but travel still takes time. They have the best information network of all the races, but they are not all seeing.
They can still be taken by suprise.
The Anla'shok known as Raeburn to most of the galaxy had known the situation between these two races was inflammable. Who had started the conflict, few remembered anymore, but much blood had been shed as each side sought payback for old wrongs.
In spite of all this, there had been a glimmer of hope. Some of both sides, realizing the futility of it all, had decided to set aside these old grudges and forgive. Their numbers had grown, swelled by those who simply wanted to live in peace...
...and so they had become targets to those who considered them traitors. Which side, the Ranger didn't know. At the moment, he didn't care. The colony where these visionaries had lived was attacked by a weaponized toxin just as the Anla'shok delegation, on a mission of mediation at the colony's request, had entered the system. At their distress signal, the Ranger fleet had raced to aid them, too late for most. It was a swift and terrible weapon. Swift to strike down...but slow, very slow to kill.
...Bastards...
The ward's makeshift nature was painfully obvious. After all, these were the ones that couldn't be saved. The hospitals were bursting at the seams with those who had any chance of survival. Here, cots and pallets occupied every bit of floorspace, loaded with shattered beings, gasping out their last breaths. Cared for only by loved ones (if theirs had been fortunate enough to be outside the blast-range).
This was the assignment the Ranger had chosen. There were plenty of his comrades to start tracking down the terrorists, strengthen the colony's defenses and assist with saving the others. They could spare one to ease the passage of the dying. And so he moved among the cots in his encounter suit, spending his energy freely to mute their pain. To give them some dignity and comfort in their passing. In return, he recieved gratitude, sorrow, recriminations, accusations, pleas and questions.
"Why did they do this? Why us?"
"Where were you?! You could have stopped this? Where in Shavk's name were you?!"
"...Will it be much longer? I'm so tired..."
In return, he gave soft answers. Comforting answers, but ones in which he could find no solace for himself as he watched each bright soul finally slip beyond his sight as their bodies failed. Three days...three days that seems to last for eons.
Finally, there was only one left. A youngling whose family had died on almost the first day. The Ranger stayed by her side, telling her stories when she woke, blocking the pain when she drifted to sleep. His energies were the lowest they had ever been in his entire, long life.
"Is it true what mother said?"
The question, coming out of such a long silence startled him. He looked down to see the child staring up at him. There was a brightness in her eyes...the last flickering of the candle before it goes out.
"What did your mother say?" he asked.
"That you humans are the messengers of Shavk. That's why you wear those suits. So you won't blind us with his glory."
The Ranger shook his head. "No, Bright One. We're just people. If we serve Shavk, we do in much the same way you do."
"Oh..." she said, a little disappointed. "Mother said that Shavk sent his messengers when we needed them most and..." A spasm of coughing gripped her. The Ranger supported her body and sent gentle impulses to the nerves of her lungs to calm the fit. But her breathing was much shallower when she tried to speak again. "I hoped...you'd go with me when I die. It would be...less scary."
Behind his mask, the Ranger wept as he took her into his arms. Then he very gently reached out and touched her mind.
I can stay with you until the door opens, dearest.
And so they stayed in mental rapport as her breathing became shallower and slower. He watched the bright light of her spirit as it finally slipped loose...and out to a place he could not follow. His own spirit raged and wept at the injustice of it all.
At last, his Ship bespoke his friend Talev. He was still holding her body when he was found.