Allison and Aryna had gotten the grave dug in record time. The farmers who had helped stood by the side with their hats off as the core friend group stood around looking at the cylinder that held Dhark’s remains. Once again it was left to Allison to give a eulogy. This time it was a small private ceremony or so Allison thought.
Soon the cheerleading team showed up, all dressed in dark clothes. Followed by Sister Silra and her husband. Then the headmistress. Then the orphans from the embassy, along with T’hyl. Allison looked around in confusion. Several of their neighbors joined as well. The pastor from the Baptist church was here, the priest from the Catholic church appeared, the Imam from the mosque also showed up. This is what Allison had tried explaining to the newcomers. The sense of community within the settlement. Soon there was no room in their backyard. Sister Silra bowed her head.
“We heard about your friend, about what he went through, that he wanted to be remembered. Please, tell us about him, Allison.”
Allison blinked a few times. She had not prepared for this, but she decided just to go with what she had.
“My friend Dhark was born to a poor family on a world near the border of the league. His parents and siblings died in an accident. He was left in the care of the government. They do their best, but no system is perfect. He was quiet and did not make friends easily.
He was an artist who created beauty with charcoal and paper. He had a sense of humor. He had a sparkle in his eye until the end. I did not know him for long, but it felt like we’d known each other forever. He was one of those people you could not help but like.
Dhark did not see much of the universe. Just his foster homes and the inside of a hospital station where he went to extend his life. He did not want to die because he felt he would cease to exist because no one would remember him. He struggled against his disease for most of his teenage years. Finally, he felt he was ready because he knew we would remember him.
He asked us not to be sad. He asked that we be happy for him because we showed him the world outside of the door he could only ever look through. He asked that I bury him under the moonflowers of Qual’sa so he would never be in the dark. That request is impossible because Qual’sa is gone, but Mr. Deshan donated this holoprojector so we could look upon it and see his image and so that Dhark would never be in the dark.
I have acquired some moonflowers that I will ask each of us to plant once we have committed him to the Earth, so we can fulfill at least that part of his wish.”
Allison looked between all of the holy men and women who were in attendance.
“I don’t think I’m qualified to send his spirit off; I had something written, would one of you help?”
They all agreed. Allison had no idea what religion her friend had been, so she picked randomly and landed on the Imam. He bowed his head and stepped up. He spoke in the Islamic prayer for the dead, he encouraged everyone to say Allahu Akbar four times. The farmers helping lowered the cylinder containing Dhark’s remains into the ground and filled in the hole. The Imam motioned to the friend circle to approach. He spoke quietly and kneeled patting the loose earth with his hand.
“Pat the earth down.”
Allison, Aryna, Trixie, Tyler and Hope followed his example. Then he said another prayer over the grave. Sister Silra spoke up.
“We have prepared a memorial picnic in The Dale, please, everyone is welcome to join us. Please make sure you look at the art on display, take images if you wish, share them. Dhark wished to be remembered let us honor those wishes.”
Everyone started to move off. The Dale was a park often used for community events for the settlement. Allison looked at Aryna who gave a small shrug. Aryna walked off with the group while the Imam said a few more words over the grave. Allison approached him.
“Imam, thank you so much. I appreciate you sending him off. I know I’m not Muslim, nor was Dhark, I’m not sure what he was.”
The Imam bowed his head.
“Child, all of us are Allah’s children. If someone does not actively deny him, they may receive his word. Your Dark Mother acknowledges him. So, if you acknowledge her, you acknowledge him. As for your friend, the Quran says, ‘Help one another in acts of piety and righteousness’. What is more righteous than asking for forgiveness for him? The prophet had little to say about aliens, so we must interpret his words.”
Allison walked beside him towards The Dale which was only about ten minutes away on foot. She had never had cause to actually even speak with the Imam, so she used the time to get to know him a bit and ask about Islam. She wasn’t looking to convert but she was genuinely curious. As they parted when they reached The Dale he invited to come to the mosque at any time when there was no worship going on.
Allison was shocked. Aryna and Sister Silra had apparently pulled the community together. Tents had been erected and in each was a display of Dhark’s sketches. There was a barbeque with enough food to feed all in attendance and drinks. There was a holo-statue of Dhark sketching. It was from a recording Allison had made the second day after she’d met him. She found Aryna who was speaking with a couple of the men running the barbeques. She waited until her sister was done and tapped her on the shoulder.
“What is all this?”
Aryna smiled.
“Dhark asked to be remembered, now everyone in the settlement will remember him and his art will live on. I thought with how much he meant to you that it was better if you have people you know to support you. I make no apologies.”
Allison sighed.
“Well at least there was no universe wide broadcast.”
Aryna laughed.
“Yes, that is correct. I wish we could have buried him in the gardens of the palace. He deserved to sleep in such beauty, but what you’ve done is a close second.”
Allison rubbed the back of her neck.
“I know, I’m just not looking forward to when mom and dad get home. I’ll be grounded for life. Where is Robin anyway?”
“She is with Haily and her parents. They were nice enough to take care of her so I could set this up and you could handle the service.”
Allison looked around at the crowd. Her heart warmed when she saw them looking at his art, all of which Aryna had managed to get framed and under non-reflective glass in three days. The memorial reception lasted most of the afternoon. By the time everything was cleaned up the moon was rising and it was time to plant the flowers. Allison and her friends gathered at the grave site and each planted three as instructed by Aryna who knew the details of planting them properly. Even the bulbs had glowed in the moonlight. Aryna whispered a Qual’sa prayer.
“Though we know this is just your shell, we wish it to rest well. For it allowed you to blossom and join the ancients. May they guide you on the next stage of your journey, Dhark.”
Tyler hugged and kissed Allison before getting a ride home with Hope. Aryna drifted inside to start the evening meal. Allison kneeled at the foot of the grave and sighed.
“I told you I’d be fine until I thought I would love to send a message to you, well here we are, I wish I’d been able to send a recording of all the people that came out for your memorial to you so you could walk through the crowd and see them admiring your art, but maybe now, I don’t need to because now you got to see it with your own eyes. Goodbye shag carpet boy. I hope the webs are enough light until the moonflowers grow and bloom.”
She stood up and went inside. She knew she’d have to cook because neither Aryna nor Robin were up to the task.
*****
Allison’s parents had been scheduled to return on the Sunday from their conference on Earth. So naturally Allison scheduled herself to be in a training scenario that did not allow for any external communications for twelve hours. It was grueling but she needed to do it eventually and her parents, especially her mother, could not reach her. Whoever thought up these scenarios had a pretty vivid imagination. Because this one was based around rescuing a ship stuck near the event horizon of a black hole. Ignoring for time dilation a pretty dumb scenario since no one was stupid enough to go near black holes, even nature’s favorite idiots the humans. Regardless, it was a scenario that allowed no contact with anyone outside.
She stopped at the mess on base for supper. Then she spent time on the range doing her practice before she had to qualify for a new class of assault weapon. Of course, since it was a warm day and evening, she decided to check off some of her required physical training for the week and went for an hour’s swim. Then she took her shower to get rid of the chlorine. She couldn’t just drive home for that; Chlorine was bad for hair she needed to get out as soon as possible of course. Her dawdling had managed to get her home just after midnight, which meant everyone was in bed.
Of course, that physical training wasn’t going to take care of itself, so she packed her school uniform in the truck and headed to the base for six in the morning. She used the track to do a thirty-minute run then did some weight training. Finally, a shower, then getting into her uniform and breakfast at the mess, because it was the most important meal of the day, which landed at home with no time to talk to anyone before having to leave for Robin’s school.
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After Aryna and Allison had dropped Robin off at school Aryna decided to address the absentee Allison.
“Your mom and dad asked me if you were avoiding them. I told them that no, you were busy with training. Neither of them believed me this morning when I used the same excuse. You will have to be at home at the same time as they are awake eventually.”
Allison shook her head.
“No, I am sure I can keep this going until I have to leave for Silwra for my internship.”
Aryna laughed musically.
“I am sorry, it is not funny, but you are very predictable. You raise avoiding difficult social situations to an artform. Eventually it will catch up to you.”
Allison parked her pickup truck.
“It hasn’t yet.”
Aryna touched Allison’s forearm.
“You need them to sign off on your two wheeled vehicle license. How do you plan on doing that without seeing them.”
Allison tapped the steering wheel; She’d thought of that a great deal.
“Well, the military has a motorcycle, they haven’t really been used in about sixty years, but some are still in service, so I was going to use that as an excuse to have the military take care of it, that way I don’t need my parent’s permission because I need it to work.”
Aryna shook her head.
“And the insurance? One of them has to sign off on that.”
Allison glared at Aryna.
“You’re ruining my day. Stop sticking logic in where it doesn’t belong.”
Allison got out of the truck and slammed her door closed. Aryna hurried to catch up. Allison happily hugged Tyler when she saw him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Edward passed by them and gave Allison that strange look he always gave her. School was going great until the middle of her first afternoon class. Every single reservist was activated, including Allison. There were sixteen of them at the school. Allison didn’t even hesitate to give Ajay a ride to the base in her pickup, she gave a couple of seniors a ride. She despised Ajay but if they were all getting called in something bad was happening.
The other reservists were pulled into their respective units. Allison went where she was directed, which was a briefing room for pilots. When she saw the destination, her heart fell. It was the medical station in League space. It was her father giving the briefing this time. He looked tired.
“Hello everyone. We have been asked by the League to intervene in a Sal’nash attack on a medical station. Their closest support is four hours away. We are leaving in ten minutes. This does not match Sal’nash behavior patterns. A hive has entered the system with the medical station, it is not the one we encountered earlier. It launched fighters and boarded the station. Our mission is two-fold, capture their queen and repel the attack on the station. We need to rescue any survivors. If we are unable to capture the queen, we must destroy that hive at all costs. Due to the nature of entry vector into the system we are not able to use capital ships. This will be a fighter, bomber and combat shuttle op only.”
That caused a disturbance in the room.
“Shadow One will provide transit via wormhole. She has done this before. The wormhole will be in the gravity well of the planet the station orbits. When you exit you will find yourselves caught in the planet’s gravity and you will fall into the atmosphere. You will hot start your graviton cores and then use the drive to effect exit. Shields must be up as the planet has high electrical activity in the upper atmosphere. You will need to reach an escape velocity of at least 220000 kph. You will use your tractor beams to assist the bombers and shuttles. Your assigned assists will be provided via on-board targeting systems.”
One of the pilots spoke out.
“Impossible. We need antigravs to escape that atmosphere. The graviton cores can’t be hot started they need to be offline for any wormhole transit.”
Allison knew that to be mostly untrue. She’d done something similar before. She spoke up.
“No, you don’t. The only one who needs to have their core cold is me because I’ll be generating the wormhole. All you need to do is cut the generator, just as you go through and flip it on immediately on the other side the core will kick into gear.”
One of the other pilots spoke up.
“Then how are you going to get out? Even with antigravs reaching that escape velocity with jets alone is impossible.”
Allison shook her head and grinned.
“I’ve done it before. Should be easier the second time.”
A murmur went through the room mostly about how insane Allison was. Her father shouted.
“Calm down. We have very little time. Once you breach the atmosphere, Skull squadron will take the lead and escort Gold squadron to the hive. Saber Squadron will escort troop transports Alpha and Bravo to the hive. Griffon Squadron will escort troop transports Charlie and Delta to the station. Shadow One you will join up with Griffon Squadron in that escort. You will follow Charlie and Delta in and take the lead of the rescue operation. You are the most familiar with the station layout and the staff. Once disembarked the Special Forces teams will complete their objectives. We cannot allow the station to be destroyed. Any signs the hive is going to fire on it you must intercept the plasma blasts. If the hive begins to generate its FTL field you are to assist the bombers in destroying it with all possible speed, regardless of our troop’s presence on the hive. It cannot be allowed to escape. Dismissed, and good luck.”
Allison stood up and her father stopped her.
“Allison, you don’t have to do this. We can tell the League we can’t help.”
Allison looked at him like he was crazy.
“Dad, I have friends on that station. Who knows, maybe the Sal’nash saw the broadcast and are looking for me, why else would they attack it?”
He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.
“Be careful, I love you.”
Allison kissed his cheek.
“See you in a while, crocodile.”
He smiled. She rushed off Bit was waiting for her on the nearby tarmac. She hopped into the cockpit and prepped for launch. The squadrons formed up behind her once they reached space. She spent the entire ascent calculating the wormhole jump. She indicated to the squadrons she was about to initiate the jump and then she launched the wormhole.
Once again, her calculations were on target, she was the last one through. One by one fighters and bombers burst out of the clouds of Mary’s World. Each squadron reporting in. No one was lost to the planet. She was thankful. Losing someone had been a real possibility, what they had done was extremely dangerous and difficult.
Skull One took command of the attack on the hive. She saw weapon’s fire start to light up the space around the station and the hive. She formed up with Griffon Squadron and let their squadron leader take the lead. Their target was the station. The Sal’nash starfighters had been clumped around their hive. Skull One called out.
“They are ignoring us and heading for you Griffon. Heads up.”
Allison needed to make sure those transports reached the station. They would be the only escape for those on board so she took command of the escort since Griffon One seemed to be out of his depth. She was the only one here who had actually been in a dogfight. She called out.
“Griffon, use the drone wings as a shield. Concentric rings. Defend Charlie and Delta at all costs.”
Hers broke off as Bit commanded them to follow Allison’s orders. Allison opened a direct link.
“Griffon One, snap out of it. Your squadron needs you.”
Griffon One didn’t answer. Allison swore under her breath and then sent a message to Griffon.
“Griffon form up on me. We’ll take them head on. Their initial volley will not get through our shields. I want a wall of missiles. On my command.”
Griffon One was drifting. She knew the man he was a great textbook flier, but it didn’t seem he was meant for battle. Allison spoke to Bit.
“Bit, initiate an FTL jump for Griffon One he’s a hazard. Send him to Silwra”
“Initiating FTL jump.”
Allison lined up for their head on with the swarm of Sal’nash fighters that outnumbered them ten to one. Things did not go how she envisioned. The initial volley of plasma was focused on her. Her shields were flashing red. Griffon One’s fighter flashed out of existence. Bit spoke.
“Our forward shield is compromised. They seem to be targeting my graviton core.”
Allison ignored Bit and spoke as the plasma died down.
“Launch missiles now!”
Allison pulled back after launching hers. She spoke to Griffon Two. Fanny was a solid pilot, and woman.
“Griffon Two you take lead. I need to dock with the station.”
Griffon Two acknowledged her command and the squadron formed up on her. Allison weaved to avoid the next volley of plasma. Far too many hits still registered on her shields. She had twenty-two fighters focus-firing her, she could be the best pilot in the universe, some were going to hit her. Her shields were red all over.
“Bit when we land take command of the drone wings. Coordinate attacks to support Griffon so their VI’s can focus on other things. I think it is best we do not show ourselves out there.”
Bit spoke.
“Yes. Our shields are insufficient for the amount of fire we’re taking. Perhaps evading would be prudent next time.”
There was a bit of tongue and cheek in the AI’s voice. Allison grumbled and provided covering fire with her plasma gatlings shredding a large number of Sal’nash that had taken up position in the hanger bay. There may be challenges with small arms fire and taking them down but starfighter weapons sure did a heck of a good job. Unfortunately, they also damaged the station but her assumption was the station was a lost cause. Rescuing the survivors was the only objective she had. She also reasoned that any survivors would be nowhere near a full platoon of Sal’nash.
She brought Bit in for a landing and jumped down. Each transport carried two Goliaths and three special forces soldiers wearing more conventional armor. She quickly split the squads into teams to search the facility deck by deck. She reminded all of them that they were on a space station and to only use energy weapons, or engage with melee weapons. She was going to take the command deck with her team. She provided what she thought might be strongholds chosen by the staff to secure the patients and themselves. There were magnetically sealed blast doors in case of catastrophic failures.
Allison kept one Goliath and one soldier with her. She planned on heading through the central hub with them then heading up to the bridge. The soldier was a hard looking woman with dusky skin. She looked at the bloodbath in the corridor they were traversing. Several staff and patients were caught by surprise just going about their business.
“Shadow One, do you really think anyone is alive in this place?”
Allison nodded.
“There are five levels, the Sal’nash landed in the bay. That is plenty of time to get patients to secure locations. Stay sharp. These things are no joke. If you get spiked, you will die. Don’t get spiked.”
They reached the core without running into any Sal’nash. It would seem the ones on this deck had been in the hanger and Allison had decimated their numbers. The elevator was thankfully in one piece, holes had been torn through the station walls to get access to the tube so they could climb up it. Allison got inside with her two troops. They rode it upwards in silence. Allison drew her pistols as they reached the top and charged out.
There were two super drones there. The bridge was dark save for the screens. Allison shot both of the bugs they burst into puffs of turquoise miasma. Only two life signs were showing. Both were in the same spot. One Silwrath crewman was sitting at his station. The silhouette of his head looked wrong. Allison rushed up to him while her team secured the bridge. She was disgusted when she saw what had happened to the Silwrath. A small bug had attached itself to his head and spindly arms ending with drill like appendages had burrowed into the Silwrath’s head. The Silwrath’s eyes were unfocused and glazed over. It kept typing in different names and pressing the equivalent of an enter key.
Allison was disgusted. She ripped the brain bug off of the Silwrath. He stopped typing and just slumped there. His life signs were stable, but his brain was literally almost liquified. Allison shot him with her pistol. The brain bug scrambled trying to get to her head with its drill like appendages she threw it on the ground and stomped on it. She looked at the screen and her eyes went wide. The bug had been using the Silwrath to search for her name. Then search for her medical records. Then search for any plotted courses. There were none. It had found the coordinates for Ratoa. Its final search which would have come back blank was for Eden Prime. She swore out loud.
“Fuck me.”