Rated T for use of swearing and gore. Not for the weak of mind XD

Characters: Torn, Tess, Tab, and Baron Praxis

Let the angst begin.

"We need back up, stat!" "Dammit! The walls are falling! Retreat! Retreat!" "Where's my baby? Where's my boy?" "They're everywhere!"

Admist the chaos surrounding him of the Metalhead attack Torn walked, screaming and paniced shouts barely registering in his tired ears. Left. Left. Left. Right. Left. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore, not really. His feet dragged as unconsiousness threatened to take over him. Left. Left. Left. Right. Left. Blood dripped from a severe cut on his forehead, a slash across his cheek, covering the dark tattoos that now seemed to be only a mockery, a broken promise. The small voice in the back of his head told him to just leave, to leave and to never come back here again, that nothing was worse this, and all of the innocent lives lost-

Tab.

Torn quickly caught his breath as the name ripped fresh pain through his chest. Falling to his bloodstained knees he let out a cry of agony that held no sense or coherent meaning, but seemed to symbolize everything that had happened on this day. "Tab..." He moaned, sinking lower and lower. Gunshots and Metalheads surrounded him, but the tortured Krimzon Guard payed no mind. He was already lost, screams echoing through his cluttered mind, events from earlier unfolding in his mind like a supernova; destruction was left in it's wake.

"TAB!"

He was screaming now, screaming his throat raw but he didn't feel the pain. He ignored the blood flowing steadily from his forehead, the blood he weakly coughed up. The blood on his lips, the blood pooling at his feet, left splattered on the walls. The blood everywhere. He and the Krimzon Guards were all red anyway. The bold colors once meant to symbolize protection and courage now represented only the slaughter and betrayal. The Shore was in shambles. Death hung thick in the air, twisting between the burning buildings and the broken, mangled corpses trapped inside.

"DAMMIT TAB! COME BACK! COME BACK!" Sobs racked his worn body as the hopeless battle continued. But the battle within his mind was just begininning as denial fought with fact. He had always been a man of reason, if he couldn't see it then it wasn't real. Tab was the creative one, always inventing new things and other worlds to explore.

Tabby.

"MAR DAMMIT TAB! YOU'RE NOT DEAD! YOU'RE NOT FUCKING DEAD!"

Slowly his conciousness slipped. The blackness was alreading taking over when Torn finally realized he would never see his little brother again. Sustaining to his wounds he layed down on the cold, red ground and let out a scream more animal than human.

And then there was nothing but darkness...

Sudden light. Noisy machinery. Quiet sobbing; feminine. Familiar. Hushed voices.

"You think he's gonna be alright?" "He's gotta pull through, this is the Commander we're talking about." "Shit, look at that wound. Gonna leave a nice scar I betcha."

Slowly the world began to shape and give way to blurry forms as Torn opened his bloodshot eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't. Above him whirled machines, bright flashing contraptions. It hadn't yet occured to him why he was here in this bright room in an unfamilar bed. Turning his head to the side he winced from the burst of pain such a simple action brought.

"Torn!"

Tess. She had been the one crying. Torn nearly hissed as Tess clung desperately to his neck, sobs louder than before. "Oh, Torn! I thought you weren't going to make it!" Through the pain the embrace brought he managed to speak through gritted teeth.

"Tess, I can't breathe."

"What? Oh! Sorry Torn! I forgot!" Sheepishly Tess looked down at him; but despite her jubilation upon his awake there was still sorrow in her eyes. Tears pooled in her baby blues, threatening to spill at any moment.

One of the medics by the looks of his white coat- just as bland as the room Torn noted with distaste -forced a chuckle. "I told you he'd pull through. The commander's not one to give up that easily." But there was something in his voice, an odd expression in his eyes as if the words he'd used to comfort Tess had been repeated to others; more likely than not he had been wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Torn couldn't help but shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Screams and the sound of wreckage still echoed in his ears; his head was pounding. And there was one scream he was certain was familiar...

Where was Tab? Had Tess not brought him for fear of Torn's state? Looking towards her he spoke hoarsely. "Tess? Where's Tab?"

Silence.

"Where is he? Where's Tab?"

Tab. His name brought a cold feeling into the very pit of Torn's chest, weighing him down to the point of nearly sufficating him. Then he remembered a dream he was sure he had had in his fevered state, a horrible nightmare; the cold feeling spread to his stomach.

"Tess? Where's Tab?" His voice was louder but couldn't conceal the panic that broke it. Tess turned away and began to sob into her hands again. The medics regarded each other carefully. "Mar damn it Tess, where is my baby brother?"

And suddenly Torn rembered; immediately he wished he hadn't.

Tab. Screaming. Metalheads swarming- They're everywhere, we need backup -building. Collapse. Coughing. Trapped. More Metalheads. Ripping. Decapitated. Tearing. Screaming. Tab- screaming -not dead. Small body. Mangled-bleeding-crushed-insides-broken. No. Can't be. Tab. Agony. Dead. Tab. Is. Dead. No.

Tab is dead.

"He's gone Torn!" Tess cried, choking for air. "You were there, don't you remember?"

Starlight, starbright.

"Yes..." Torn whispered, too quiet for her to hear over her sobs. Suddenly he felt ten years older. Twenty years, forty years. His baby brother was dead. And all because of that bastard-

First star-

"Where is he?" His voice shook, but this time with rage. "Where the hell is he?"

"Aren't you listening to me Torn? Tabby is dead!" Tess shot back. "He's gone Torn!"

-I see tonight.

"I know that! Where's Praxis?" Sitting up Torn ignored the protests from his body and the two remaining medics. "I'm gonna kill him," he vowed through gritted teeth. "I'm going to fucking murder him."

I wish-

"Uh, sir? You need to sit down, right now!" "Commander, I'd advise you stay put for now!" "Torn, don't! What are you doing?"

The voices barely registered in Torn's head; all he could hear was the screaming of his little brother before he had been crushed to death.

-I may-

I'm gonna kill Praxis. I'm gonna kill Praxis. I'm going to fucking kill Baron Praxis.

Pushing off the medics who tried to grab him Torn reached behind his back and grabbed his dagger; his condition had prevented them from taking him out of his blood stained clothes. "Get out of my way," he hissed. He wasn't afraid to kill them. What did it matter who he became now?

-I wish-

In the end he'd be dead anyway. But not before he killed Praxis.

Tess was screaming in the background; her words held nothing for Torn. No one would stop him. Not even the medics, even as one reached towards the alarm. Let them, he thought. The more to kill the better.

-I might-

Staggering through the halls Torn met no one; the infirmary was full. Screams of torture rang behind closed doors as the whirling of machines and clinking of medical instruments attempted to muffle them.

-have the wish-

I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill Praxis.

-I wish-

Ignoring the Medics Only sign plastered across the front, Torn turned the heavy handle and opened the door to a room lit only by a large machine. Hooked to the machine lay Baron Praxis, his face barely recognizable from the blood and wounds sustained from Metalhead claws.

-tonight.

"Coward," Torn hissed. His steps were slow, deliberate. Stirring in his sleep the Baron opened one eye, blinking wearily.

"Commander?"

"You left us," he continued without preamble, a look of loathing never left his face. "You took the only transport there and left us all to die."

Praxis' remaining eye widened as he watched Torn approach with his dagger held firmly in his hand. "Commander, what are you-"

"COWARD!" Torn roared. "YOU ARE A COWARD!"

"Torn, what makes you think I left during the battle? Where are you getting your-"

"Shut up!" Torn barked. "Don't you dare lie to me. You left all of us out there to die!"

"Torn, I had no choice I was injured, I-"

"SHUT UP!" Torn screamed, bringing hand down on the metal table beside Praxis' bed. "THERE'S ALWAYS A CHOICE, AND YOU CHOSE TO LET THOUSANDS OF INOCCENT PEOPLE DIE SO YOU COULD LIVE!" With a snarl he pressed the dagger against the Baron's throat, watching as he paled in fear. "It's only fair that I kill you now."

"Please Torn, anything-"

"You bastard." The dagger pressed deeper, and deeper, drawing a prick of blood. "I hope you die in hell." Sorry Ashelin, it has to be done.

Suddenly the door burst open as armed Krimzon Guard soldiers rushed in. "Step away from the Baron, now!" one ordered, gun pointed at Torn's back.

Torn snarled under his breath.

Backing away slowly from the bed he turned to face the guards. They had carelessly left the doorway unguarded and open for him to escape. Torn gave them all a look of utter contempt. "If you say so."

And he ran.

"Starlight, starbright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. Goodnight Tabs."

"G'night Torn."

Soft footsteps.

"Hey Torn?"

"What is it Tabby?"

Pause.

"We'll always be brothers, right?"

"Course we will Tab, why wouldn't we?"

Silence.

"Tabby, what's wrong?"

"I'm worried Torn. What if something happens to you?"

"Tabs, nothing is going to happen to me. Besides, you'll always be my baby brother. No matter what. Now go to sleep."

"I love you Torn."

"Love you too Tab."

~fin~

That was angsty, even for me! Now let me explain: It seems as though everyone believes Torn had a little brother before the war, I believe this as well and decided to write it down. Tab is Torn's brother, obviously. I'd say Torn was in his mid twenties, so Tab would be about ten years old, I don't know, I never bothered with ages. And Tess lives with Torn and Tab, Torn considers her his sister in a way.

And no I don't believe this should be rated M, despite Torn's potty mouth and a little bit of blood. In fact, the only thing that should be rated M is lemon (um, yuck) and really really bad swearing. Maybe I'm naive. Oh well.

And yes, Starlight Starbright is my favorite poem XD So pretty.

Read and review please, cause it's really irratating when people only favorite. And reviews help my ego, as inflated as it often is.

~LeiaOrganicSolo