Crying In The Ashes
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“I’m sorry, sir. I had no idea.”
The captain’s words were a mixture of anger and regret as he looked down at the man who’d been his friend for years now. He was still in shock from what they’d just discovered on their way to the surface. They’d found him dead inside one of the rooms that hadn’t yet collapsed when the ship began its descent into this world.
His body lay sprawled out across the floor with an arrow sticking straight through his chest. It didn’t look like a normal shot either; it seemed more like something had stabbed him directly through the heart.
A few others stood around them, including two other captains whom he knew well enough to know they weren’t responsible for the death. One of those men was standing next to him right now, looking over the scene while trying not to show any emotion.
Captain Larken had been there since before the start of the mission and would be staying until its completion or failure. This wasn’t the first time someone close to him had died during these missions but it never got easier.
“You’re telling me you didn’t see anything?” the captain asked again, turning back toward the room where he’d seen his old friend die. “No sign of struggle? No enemies nearby?”
He shook his head slowly, taking another step closer to the corpse so that he could get a better view of his face. There was nothing unusual about it except for the fact that he couldn’t remember ever seeing the man without a smile on his lips. Now he looked like he was ready to burst into tears at any moment.
“It looks like he was killed by some sort of projectile,” the other man said quietly. “But we don’t have much else to go off of here. We’ve searched every inch of the ship already and haven’t found anything.”
Captain Caelan nodded grimly, glancing briefly at the body as he continued to speak. “We’ll need to send someone up top to check things out once we reach the surface. If anyone is left alive, then they should be able to tell us exactly what happened.”
“That sounds good. But if there are survivors, why did they leave behind all of their weapons?”
The captain shrugged slightly before answering. “Maybe they ran away after being attacked. Or maybe whoever took them prisoner decided to kill everyone else instead of letting them escape.”
“Or maybe they wanted to make sure none of the people who survived would try to come back later,” one of the other captains suggested.
They both turned to regard him curiously, waiting for him to explain further. He gave a slight nod before continuing.
“If we take a look around outside, do you think we might find any clues as to where the rest of our crew went?”
There was silence for several moments before one of the other captains spoke up. “Do you really expect to find anything useful down there?”
“Of course I do,” he replied. “This isn’t my first trip to this planet. And besides, even if we can’t find anything, it won’t hurt to explore the area a bit. That way we’ll know for certain whether or not to search elsewhere in case the survivors aren’t anywhere near this spot.”
One of the other captains stepped forward, shaking his head sadly. “Don’t waste your time. You saw how many times the ship itself fell apart. How long has it been since we came here last? A year or more probably.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean everything will fall apart immediately,” Captain Caelan argued. “And it certainly shouldn’t affect the buildings too badly. Even if some of the walls crumbled, there’s no reason to assume they’ll collapse completely. Besides, I doubt anyone will want to stay somewhere that dangerous.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because they’ll be searching for help. They may not have realized that we’ve already failed and that they’re alone in this world. Sooner or later, someone will realize they’re missing and come looking for them. Then they’ll discover what happened.”
The other man frowned skeptically, staring at him as though he were crazy. “How can you possibly know that? Do you have any proof?”
“None whatsoever,” he admitted. “But I’ve seen this happen before. Everyone knows about the war between the Eshquarians and the Shigu. It started thousands of years ago and ended only recently. During that entire time, our ships kept coming back to Earth, bringing news of the progress we’d made against the enemy.
But each time, we returned empty-handed. For centuries, we fought a losing battle and lost countless lives because of it.”
“So you believe that history will repeat itself?”
“I’m simply saying that it wouldn’t surprise me if something similar happens here. The two races seem to share a lot of similarities with one another. Maybe they have the same problems.”
“Well, let’s hope you’re wrong,” the other captain muttered. “Otherwise, we’ll lose the whole team.”
“Let’s just focus on finding the survivors,” Captain Caelan insisted. “Once we do, we can worry about the rest of it.”
***
Admiral Zahar stared at the image on the screen, trying hard to keep himself from screaming. His entire fleet had been destroyed, along with every single person aboard those vessels. Not only that, but the aliens responsible hadn’t bothered to destroy the ships themselves.
Instead, they’d taken the surviving crews prisoner, leaving the wrecks floating freely through space.
“Why would they do such a thing?” he demanded angrily. “Did they intend to use us as slaves?”
His second-in-command, Commander Korto, shook her head. “No, sir. I don’t think so. At least, not directly. From what I understand, the aliens plan to study us. They want to learn as much as possible about us before deciding whether or not to enslave us.”
Zahar scowled, unable to hide his disgust. “Then why did they attack our ships in the first place? What could they possibly gain by doing that?”
Korto hesitated for a moment, clearly struggling to answer. Finally, she sighed heavily and answered reluctantly. “It seems like they were testing us somehow. We weren’t able to figure out exactly what they were trying to accomplish, but it definitely wasn’t an act of aggression.”
“Still, it’s a shame that we didn’t manage to get away,” Zahar mused. “We should have been able to fight off the attackers, especially considering how weak their technology is compared to ours. As far as I’m concerned, the fact that we couldn’t mean that we must’ve done something wrong.
Either that or they knew we were coming and prepared ahead of time.”
He paused, glancing over at Korto again. “You said they took the crews captive, right?”
She nodded. “That’s correct, Admiral. They captured all of the officers, including yourself. However, they left most of the enlisted personnel behind. Apparently, they wanted to make sure none of them escaped.”
“Good thinking,” Zahar murmured. “Although I still wish they’d killed everyone instead.”
“They might have tried, if they thought they could get away with it,” Korto pointed out. “However, I suspect they’d run into trouble if they tried to take control of a planet without killing anyone. That’s why they decided to capture us instead. And now they’re studying us while we’re locked up inside their base.”
“I see,” Zahar replied slowly. He looked down at his hands, frowning unhappily. “This isn’t good. If the aliens are planning to enslave us, then we need to find a way to stop them. Otherwise, they’ll eventually overrun the galaxy and there won’t be anything we can do to prevent it.”
“Yes,” Korto agreed. “And it doesn’t look like we have much time to prepare ourselves for that eventuality.”
“No, we don’t,” Zahar acknowledged. “In fact, I doubt we even have enough time to evacuate the civilians who live outside of the cities. Most of them probably aren’t aware that the aliens exist yet. By the time they learn about their existence, it’ll be too late.
In order to survive, we’ll either have to join forces with the aliens or try to defeat them.”
“Which option sounds more likely?” Korto asked quietly.
“Neither of them does,” Zahar growled. “If we joined forces with the aliens, they’d kill us once they realized that we planned to betray them. On the other hand, if we defeated them, they would wipe us out anyway.”
“What do you suggest?” Korto pressed. “Should we surrender to the aliens and hope that they spare us? Or should we continue fighting until we’re all dead?”
“There’s no point in discussing this anymore,” Zahar snapped irritably. “The aliens attacked us, which means they’re obviously hostile towards us. There’s nothing else to discuss. All we can do now is wait and see what happens next.”
“Very well, Admiral,” Korto said after a few moments. She turned away from him and began walking back toward the door. “I’m going to go inform General Jhren about this development.”
As soon as she was gone, Zahar leaned forward and slammed his fist against the desk. The sound echoed loudly throughout the room, causing several people nearby to jump slightly. Then, he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes tightly, silently cursing himself for being so stupid.
Of course, the aliens wouldn’t just let him walk away. No matter how many times he told himself otherwise, Zahar refused to believe that the aliens would simply leave him alone. After all, they’d already proven that they had no problem slaughtering innocent people. Why would they suddenly change their minds now?
Even worse, Zahar hadn’t considered one important detail: if the aliens did decide to imprison him, they might also lock up the rest of the military leaders. It seemed unlikely that they would allow the entire fleet to escape, but they could easily keep the admirals on board the ships.
Then, when they discovered that Zahar had managed to sneak onto another ship, they’d execute him immediately.
He cursed again, knowing that he needed to come up with some kind of plan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to think clearly under these circumstances. His mind kept flashing between thoughts of Korto and the aliens, making it difficult to focus. At least, though, he finally understood why the aliens had taken such an interest in him.
After all, Zahar was the only person who’d actually met them face-to-face. Even the scientists who’d studied the alien corpses weren’t quite as knowledgeable about them as he was. So, by taking him prisoner, the aliens would be able to study him firsthand.
In addition, they would be able to ask him questions directly, rather than having to rely on the reports sent to them by the scientists.
It made sense, Zahar admitted. But unfortunately, it didn’t help him figure out a solution to his current predicament.
***
Korto stood before the large window in her office, staring out at the city below. Her gaze swept across the streets, noting the various buildings and structures spread out around the area. Some were tall and slender, while others were squat and boxy.
Several of them glowed brightly, shining through the night sky like miniature stars. Others remained dark, hidden behind walls and fences.
She smiled faintly, remembering the first time she’d seen the city. As a child, she’d been fascinated by its strange architecture and bright lights. Back then, she’d wanted desperately to explore every nook and cranny of the place, but her parents had forbidden it.
They’d explained that the city was dangerous, filled with monsters and criminals who preyed upon those who ventured into the darkness.
Now, however, Korto knew better. Although there certainly were dangers lurking within the shadows, most of them couldn’t harm anyone unless they allowed themselves to become victims. Instead of cowering in fear, she decided to take control of her own destiny.
She would venture out into the city and discover everything that lay beyond the boundaries of her home.
Then, perhaps, she would find something worth protecting.
A soft knock sounded at the door, prompting Korto to turn and answer it. When she opened it, she found herself facing a man dressed in a long gray coat. He had a sharp nose and piercing blue eyes, along with short black hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
A silver pendant hung around his neck, adding to the impression of power and authority.
“Admiral,” the man greeted her warmly. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me here.”
“You’re welcome,” Korto replied politely. “Please, have a seat.”
The man nodded and took a seat on the couch opposite hers. Then, he crossed his legs and folded his hands together, giving Korto a clear view of the gold ring on his right hand. For some reason, it reminded her of the rings worn by the priests in her old temple.
“So, what can I do for you, Captain?” she asked.
“First, please call me Tiberius,” the captain replied. “And second…well…”
Tiberius hesitated briefly before continuing.
“My superiors are concerned about your recent actions,” he said slowly. “They want to know exactly where you stand.”
“I see,” Korto murmured.
It was true; her superiors were worried about her. That much, she’d known from the moment she arrived at the base. However, she hadn’t expected them to go this far. After all, she’d done nothing wrong.
She’d merely followed orders, which meant that she should’ve been free to continue doing whatever she pleased.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work that way in the military. The higher-ups always had their own agendas, no matter how hard she tried to satisfy them. And since she was still new to the organization, they probably thought that she wouldn’t be able to resist following their wishes.
Still, she refused to give in without a fight. If she did, it would make her look weak, just like everyone else in the organization. Besides, she was smart enough to realize that she had more leverage than any other member of the military.
All she needed to do was use it properly.
“Well, if my actions concern you so greatly, then maybe we could discuss them further,” Korto suggested.
Tiberius frowned slightly, but he nodded anyway. It seemed like he intended to follow her lead.
“Very well,” he agreed. “But let’s keep this brief. My superiors don’t have much patience when it comes to matters like these.”
“Of course,” Korto responded. “What is it that you wish to talk about?”
Tiberius sighed softly, shaking his head sadly.
“We believe that you may be working with the enemy,” he told her flatly. “That’s why we need to know whether or not you’re willing to cooperate.”
“Why would I ever work with the demons?” Korto demanded. “Do you really think that I’m stupid enough to ally myself with creatures such as those? I mean, come on! You must understand that I serve the people, not the monsters!”
“Perhaps you’re being too generous,” Tiberius muttered. “After all, you seem to enjoy helping them quite a bit, even though they’re trying to destroy our world.”
Korto scowled angrily. This wasn’t fair. She’d only helped the demons because they’d saved her life. How could she possibly betray them after that?
“If you’re going to accuse me of anything,” she declared, “then you’ll have to prove your case. Otherwise, you’re wasting both of our time.”
For a few moments, Tiberius remained silent. Then, he cleared his throat and spoke again.
“Fine,” he finally admitted. “Let’s say that you aren’t lying. What does that tell us?”
“It tells me that the demons are innocent,” Korto answered. “Which means that someone else has betrayed the alliance.”
“Really?” Tiberius scoffed. “How do you propose to explain that?”
“By focusing on the real culprits,” Korto countered. “Those who actually sought to undermine the peace treaty between humans and demons.”
She paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. Then, she continued speaking.
“In fact, I already know who’s responsible,” she added. “All I need to do now is figure out how to expose him.”
“Whoa,” Tiberius exclaimed. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” Korto confirmed. “This person isn’t part of the military, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Fair point,” Tiberius conceded. “But what makes you think that he’s guilty?”
“He’s the one who gave me the order to help the demons,” Korto explained. “Plus, he’s the only one with access to the data files containing information about the war.”
“Hmm,” Tiberius mused. “You might be onto something here.”
“Thank you,” Korto replied. “Now, let’s get back to business.”
“Right,” Tiberius agreed. He glanced down at his watch, then stood up abruptly.
“I hate to cut this short, but duty calls,” he said quickly. “Anyway, I hope that we can speak again soon.”
With that, he turned around and left the room.
The End