Oh Brother of Mine.

He could not sleep.

The big alien had been having a restless night. The third one this week to be exact. His mind was racing with images of another world he had almost forgotten. The vast Cosmos laid before him, a warship was on the horizon, and a horrible sinking feeling in his gut told him of events yet to come. The warship was firing at him, the laser bolts impact ripped through his body, and the last gamma weapon ray hit with a blinding impact. He could not breathe.

The thought circulated in his mind. His stomach twisted as the images tormented his thoughts. This was a Captain's worst nightmare, one he would never have wished upon his enemies. The lives aboard the star ship would be lost, worlds torn to pieces over the attack, the Federation would be in shambles… He did not know what brought the event into his mind; it just happened to appear tonight, just as it had the night before… and the night before that... He felt his body break out in a cold sweat. Why… Why would he ever think of such a thing?

He was on Earth. Quite the distance away from his native world. And yet it was not homesickness keeping him awake… The disturbing thoughts were screaming at him.

Gantu sat up on the edge of the bed, pressing one hand against his head. Inside his skull felt as if it was on fire, and the pounding headache… Blitznak it was painful. He pushed the covers off him and pulled himself onto his achy knees. Maybe he would go make himself something to eat; he needed to distract his mind from the images rattling in his brain. The big alien grabbed his black pants and faded grey shirt, pulled them on and walked out of his bed chambers towards the Galley.

His eyes adjusted to the light, instinctively scanning the area for life forms. The tiny beige being sitting on his couch turned his attention to him with beady black eyes. The sandwich-making experiment gave him a concerned look.

"Can't sleep again, huh?" To 625's question, Gantu felt the sigh escape him before he could answer properly. He let out a grunt as Gantu made his way over to the Galley's cabinets, opening each one until he found the pill bottle he was searching for. This headache was driving him mad. "You know this is the third night you've been up, right, Blubberbutt?"

"Yeah,…" Gantu sighed pouring himself a glass of water. "I know." And tossed four pain reliever pills into his mouth, followed by the clear liquid rushing after them. "Think it's just the headache keeping me up." To this, Gantu expected 625 to shoot a retort of him getting old, only to be surprised by 625's response,

"You shouldn't have those on an empty stomach. Want me to whip up a sandwich real quick?" The Sharkman shot his pintsized roommate a glance, before letting his stomach decide for him.

"…Sure." He filled his glass with water as the sandwich making experiment made his own way to the kitchen galley.

"You haven't been your usually grumpy self, Shamu." He heard 625 say as he gathered some ingredients onto the counter space. "Something on your mind?" The Sharkman felt a heavy breath escape him; the dream. The horrific thought, a Captain's worst nightmare was circulating around his mind. And the war ship, he knew the war ship's markings but he could not put his finger on the planet.

"Just a chattering mind. That's all." It was all he would allow himself to say. By the scrunched nose and disgruntled expression on 625's face, the big alien knew he was not buying it.

"Well, you've been chatting in your sleep," Gantu watched 625 retort as he was placing the finishing touch on his sandwich. "Keeping me up all night long. Who's Pallu, anyway?" The Sharkman felt his heart stop.

"…M-my brother…" Gantu stood up straight feeling his breathing escalate. His pulse was beginning to race. "Pallu's my younger brother. Have I been saying his name in my sleep?" The question felt weighted as the silence between the experiment and himself grew. He could feel his stomach twisting in anxiety. 625 was watching him with weary eyes.

"Y-yes, you have, Gantu. For the last three nights you've been screaming his name." His head began to throb again. With a deep growl, Gantu covered his eyes with a hand before letting it fall to his side. "Have you been dreaming of him?"

"No." Gantu felt himself snap. He breathed out a sigh turning his back against the countertop. "No, not of him… I keep having this reoccurring thought, this dream, of being back on the armada... and being fired upon by some warship. And I know the markings!" he felt his frustration rise. "I know the markings of that warship,… I-I just can't place it. And I can feel the laser fire hit the ship, 625, I could hear the hissing of the impact bolts…" He turned to look at his pintsized roommate who had placed the plate of an eggsalad sandwich next to him and was staring with curiosity up at him. "And it's the worst fear for a Captain. Being under attack, not being able to establish your bearings, not getting your weapons in time, and…" He paused feeling the shiver coming. "That last impact. That last bolt which brings the fire. And the blinding light, the last thing you see. It's a Captain's worst nightmare…I must sound mad… but it's been circulating in my mind for these few days…" He finally felt the weight lifted from him giving 625 a weary glance. The experiment was sitting on the counter listening to him.

"I already knew you were mad, Halibut Head. Sounds to me you have some heavy things on your mind." Gantu watched as 625 lifted the plate up to him. He took it, holding it with both hands; it was odd for him not being able to move his gaze from the sandwich itself. "What does your brother have to do with this?"

"Hm? Oh Pallu, I don't know. I haven't spoken to him since he went on a military mission into deep space." Gantu's mind suddenly wrapped around how long it had been since his last visual call from his brother. "He was recently promoted within the Federation to Captain of his own Star Cruiser, and he told me of this mission he was given. It's a normal militant routine, I've done it countless of times so his video call to me came as no surprise when he asked for pointers. Of course he couldn't tell me where, but I knew it was in the Gamma Quadrant."

"Gamma Quad?" He heard the beige experiment squeak. "B-but most of that quadrant is off limits."

"I know." The headache had gone from throbbing to a dull pain, but Gantu could feel his stomach twisting just thinking of Pallu on that mission. "I've flown close and was almost caught in a solar storm, but what worries me is the Federation doesn't know who or what lies within that Quadrant…"

"Incoming call from:…" The sound of the computer voice broke through both their attentions. Gantu felt his heart skip a beat; he was so engrossed in his thoughts he did not see the visual communications monitor turn on. The computerized voice repeated, "Incoming call from:…" Gantu felt his legs walk him towards the main communications room when he heard her voice state her name; his stomach dropped.

"Incoming call from:… Grand Council Woman of the Galactic Federation."

Whatever was in his hands dropped to the ground with a crash as he ran towards the communications motherboard; He pressed the open channel button and stood back giving a salute. He ignored 625's grumbling as the monitor flashed on screen. The image on the monitor displayed a figure with green skin and black eyes. Her high cheek boned face with an elongated forehead and black uniform was the same as the day she dismissed him from his Captain's title.

"Grand Council Woman." He addressed her.

"At ease, Mr. Gantu." His arm lowered hearing the coldness in her voice. She was still the same as when he first met her in the Federation to when she forcibly retired him. He bit his tongue as he felt his bitterness begin to rise.

"What brings about your call, Madame?" Gantu noticed her demeanor had changed. Her face was still hard but her voice revealed the discomfort of her call.

"Mr. Gantu," She began to talk, "You and I have known each other for a long time. And in that time, we both developed a… sort of professional kinship towards one another. I say this to you now so you understand why I am calling you personally."

"Of course."

"I'm calling about your brother, Capt. Pallu Bettos, and the militant mission he was given a few months ago…" Gantu felt his hearing evaporate as the Grand Council Woman's lips continued to move. She was calling about his brother… his brother!? Images began to race in his mind; his brother's face, the warship, the deep space glaring back at him. A deep sudden fear gripped in his chest.

"W-wh-what about, P-Pallu?" There was a silence between them as the Sharkman watched the Grand Council Woman draw in a heavy breath.

"I regret to inform you," He felt his anger rise.

"Skip the formalities, Zoelitta," Gantu had taken a step closer to the computer monitor. "What happened to Pallu?" Anxiety was creeping up behind him; what in the Blitznak happened to Pallu?!

With a drawn breath, Gantu listened to the Grand Council Woman, each word weighing upon him.

"His ship came under fire from an unknown assailant. Our last transmission with his vessel was of him describing the attack and the markings of the ship. He had placed the evacuation order to abandon the cruiser, but our communications were cut. The Federation launched a rescue mission to the transmission homing link, and we found… we found the site. From what we could salvage from the wreckage, the assailant used crystallex fusion weaponry. There were no survivors."

No. No. NO. This was not happening. This was not real! He was dreaming, right? This was a dream. This was another trick of his mind, he had been up for the last three days. This was just a side effect of his lack of sleep. None of this was real. He would wake up soon, yes, wake up soon. Gantu shut his eyes and opened them, blinking rapidly. But she was still on the screen. The Grand Council Woman was still on the computer monitor. And… and…and she was delivering the same speech he himself had to deliver to countless families, telling them of the loss of their family members from combat… the same dreadful speech… it was now his turn to be on the other side of that speech…

"I'm so sorry, Gantu. My sympathies to you and your family." The Grand Council Woman's voice broke through his thoughts. She was staring at him, her black eyes scanning over him waiting for a reaction. "As I know you are the eldest alive within Pallu's immediate line, I will be arriving in the morning to present you his coat of arms."

"D-does Valerii kn-know…?" He finally found his voice, he could hear the shake within it. His gaze had reached the floor; he could not bring himself to look at her.

"No, his wife has not been informed. You know I am not comfort-" He lifted his hand in the air to which silenced her. The big alien felt his voice speak his own thought.

"I will notify her… and their son…"

"I am sorry for your loss, my old friend."He could hear the sympathy in her voice. "He was a talented pilot, his loss is a vast one to the Federation. He will be greatly missed. If there is anything either myself or the Federation can do…"

"His transmission comlink... all of them…" He could finally bring his gaze up to the Grand Council Woman, seeing her face had softened. "From when he started this mission…"

"They will be delivered tomorrow with my arrival." She nodded granting the request. "I will arrive by dawn's light to present you your brother's coat of arms... My sympathies, my old friend." With a sudden static sound, the transmission ended, leaving Gantu alone to stare at the blank screen.

He felt his world spin before him, as if someone had ripped the ground from underneath him, and left him to fall. Fall. He could feel himself falling. He began to blink rapidly. The room was still, eerily still. He felt his mind run through the images of the last three nights, each sound, each detail; how could they have haunted him so? His arms finally held up his weight on the communications motherboard, as he leaned against it. He could feel his legs giving out.

And shake. He was shaking.

"Gantu?" a small voice had broken through his fall into his mind. The Sharkman hung his head and gripped onto the board harder. "…I-I'm… I just… I over heard…" Gantu lifted his one arm into the air following the owner's voice becoming silent. He placed his arm back at his side and stood up straight.

"Don't talk, 625." His fingers started to open another communications channel, punching in numbers and codes onto the keyboard. "I-I have to make a phone call." The transmission call was being sent, he could hear the dial tone connecting the call. He had to make a phone call his mind wrapped around the thought. A phone call. A phone call he had to make countless times before to many brave men's and women's families… informing them of their passing… it was another phone call… that was what it was. He could feel his old military persona come back, the one that had to make these calls to grieving families; his shaking ceased slightly. The dial tone clicked.

"Hello?"

"Gantu?! Gantu?!" A female voice was calling his name. "GANTU?" He could hear the pitter pattering of her tiny feet making their way through the ship. He had found himself sitting on the steel floor of his bed chambers, two boxes laid in front of him. His fingers gripped the holoalbum in his hands and kept his eyes on the 3D image. "Gantu?" He heard her call for him again.

"In here." His voice sounded distant; The emptiness, the hollow feelings inside him were finally taking their place in his mind. He was beginning to go numb.

"Gantu," He heard her foot steps enter the bed chambers, and suddenly pause. He lifted his gaze slightly to look at her; her hair was down and wavy, she wore a black tanktop with a loose grey half shirt over it with a pair of shorts, carrying her a small human female wristlet thingy, as he recalled. Her brown eyes were watching him with a hand against her head. Her lips pressed together; he thought he saw the bottom lip quivering. He caught a white dot darting towards him and settled on his knee. He did not feel the weight of experiment 259, or Luna as she had been named, on him. He gave her a look over; she was not smiling her normal grin with perked ears. In fact, she appeared to sense something was off.

"Ih…?" He felt a grunt escape him as he returned to his gaze to the figure in the holoalbum. The little experiment hopped her way up his arm and on to his shoulder, taking a seat and staring at the album with him. It took him a few minutes of silence before he found his ability to speak.

"…...Did 625 call you?"

"…Yes," He heard her walk towards him until he could sense her being next to him. Without looking at Jenni, Gantu let his hand lay on the ground to which the female earthling climbed on, and brought her to his shoulder with Luna on it. As he felt her climb on him and sit, Gantu kept his eyes on the 3D image of the Aquarian male. He was an athletic male, wearing his captain's uniform and standing in front of his assigned star cruiser. His skin was the same dark purple he remembered from when they were younglings, bright grey eyes, no older than his early 40s. So much life ahead of him…. The dark hallow feeling was creeping up inside him again… "I-Is that him, G?"

"…...Yes." He could hear her breathing become heavy. She must be uncomfortable.

"Did they… do you know…" Gantu could hear her struggling with the phrase.

"…...Just say it." Jenni's sigh reached his ears.

"How did it happen?" Her question took him a moment to answer as he collected his thoughts. How was he to say this again? Breaking the tragic news of his brother's death to his sister-in-law all but brought him over the edge; the devastation that hit her, her bright green eyes filling with tears, and the sob shaking her as she tried to keep herself together. His own facade came close to crumbling. But to retell it again? Again?

"His ship came under attack while on a military mission. There were no survivors. An investigation is being launch on the warship that attacked it in that sector of space, even any battle cruisers that were recorded in the area."

"Gantu," he glanced over to her connecting with her warm brown eyes; they were wet and her bottom lip was quivering again. "I'm so sorry…" He returned his attention to his brother's last photograph in the Federation records, scanning through the other officers' photographs noting if he knew them in the midst of all the fresh faces. Only three were familiar to him; more losses to the Federation. "If there's anything I can do-"

"Jenni, I'm fine." Gantu felt his voice cut her off. He was taken aback from the reaction it got him.

"No you're not, G. You need time to grieve and mourn. You just lost your brother, you're withdrawing from everyone. I know you are, you can't deny that you've started the process. You can go numb all you want and put up the façade, but you need to mourn the loss, Gantu, or it will collapse when you're most vulnerable."

"…...My species grieves differently than yours, Human. Please respect that." He felt her shift her seating on his shoulder.

"Fine, I will respect your wishes, but do not withdraw so much that you cannot heal…" He felt her hands on his tusk, one lightly stroking it. "Mourn when you are ready, my friend, you won't be facing it alone." Jenni was standing now leaning closer to his head. He felt something small and wet right above his cheek bone. "I'm going to get a sandwich, and a little birdie told me you haven't eaten at all day so I'm changing that." She slid off him falling onto the ground gently. He slightly glanced at her as she made her way out of the bed chambers. He did not have the heart to tell her he lost his appetite awhile ago…

As Gantu stared back at the image of his brother, he could not accept Pallu was gone. His little brother… the one who followed him everywhere, who would call him with the most random blitznaking things to talk about, the one who grew up with him, who teased, pranked, and laughed with each other… the one who still called him even after his discharge from the Federation... the one who left behind a youngling of his own…

He reached for one of the boxes, pulling out an item being held together by a chain. It was a collection of polished crushed shells and large triangular teeth with one massive tooth in the middle. A hole was chiseled inside the tooth housing a golden coin. The markings were his native language; the name of his tribe stared back at him along with the words of "eldest" and "brother." The Sharkman put it off to the side, reaching inside the box again and pulling out another long chain. This one was plated silver with a large medallion attached; the etchings were of a whale fluke inside a roaring sun known to all Aquarians as the Guardian's Mark. Many militant families kept this relic around their necks to ward off evil, in hopes they had protection from the Guardian himself… Was Pallu's own relic with him? Why had the Guardian's Mark not protected his younger brother? Was Pallu carrying his medallion when he…?

Gantu felt an overwhelming emotion rise inside him as memories of his own father telling the local myths and stories of the legendary Guardian while he and Pallu listened in amazement. Pallu… his brother… he was… he was Dead—

No. Gantu felt his mind rejecting the notion. His little brother could not be… gone…

The foreign emotion disappeared, replaced with the cold numbness taking over his mind. The more he stared back at his own Guardian's Mark relic, the more the disturbing truth revealed itself; his brother was gone, and he, the older brother, could not have saved him…

Gantu placed the medallion around his neck, hiding it underneath his shirt. A sense of guilt and shame over took him for fate dealt him another hand. The Sharkman knew the Cosmos and the various gods who ruled them had their reasons for the way Fate played out lives. He understood while the immortal ones could breathe in life, they could take it away instantly. The hand dealt to him was a series of bad luck to begin with, but this one… this hand was cruel…. So very cruel…

And his nephew…

The Sharkman gripped onto the medallion, feeling the raised relief etchings between his fingers. His nephew, Oximus… how was the boy to live without his father? What type of man would he grow up to be? Oximus was so young, to loose a father so young was devastating… how would the youngling cope? The young boy was Pallu's world, Gantu was able to recall, he would do anything for his son… but what would become of Oximus now…?

"Ih." The soft bark of Luna reached his ears. He had forgotten she was still sitting on his shoulder.

"…..My nephew." Gantu finally forced the words out. "He will be lost without his father. I worry for him."

"Ih…" his head lowered for a moment pondering her tone of bark.

"The Grand Council Woman arrives at dawn to present me his uniform and coat of arms… I don't know if I'll be stable enough to accept them…" he heard her ears lowered with a small whine. "My Sister-in-law arrives with her to receive his other things… They'll present her a piece of the Star Cruiser, the flag of our Homeworld, and the honors he achieved this lifetime… They may stay the night, Luna…" Gantu felt her purr as the experiment repositioned herself on him. "I… I don't know how Oximus will take to the ceremony... Blitznak…" He could feel the emptiness seeping through his body. His voice sounded so distant.

"…..I-Ih…." He looked down at Luna seeing the mournful appearance on her face. Her one paw touched his cheek; instinctively Gantu lifted his hand placing his finger against it. Luna's paw closed around it.

"…...I'm sorry too, Luna…...I'm sorry too."

The Sharkman began to feel that hard lump in the back of his throat. Try as he might, Gantu could not swallow it down the tighter he gripped onto the medallion, his brother's image flashing in his mind. Tonight he had changed. He no longer was himself, he had stepped out of his own mind to become stable… He was not sure if it was for his family's sake… or his own…

The clock along side his bed chamber's dresser began beeping. Gantu's eyes darted towards the small window opening on the wall. The skies of this miserable planet were changing colors. Still grey with a hint of pink coming from the east… The ship would be landing soon.

"Ih?" Luna's bark caught his attention. To this Gantu let the medallion fall from his grasp, and felt his body pull himself off the floor. The little experiment had kept her balance still staying on his shoulder as he straightened out.

"They will be arriving soon….." He felt his cold voice speak. "….and I… and I will be strong….. for them….."

"….Ih…."

"….. ...For Pallu…... I will be…"

Feeling the world around him slipping from his grasp, Gantu felt his wall building fast… He had to be numb… for his brother's wife and son when they broke down, for when he received his brother's coat of arms,…. for when he was given the speech he knew word for word….

That lump was growing again. No, not now… not now… not yet….. He needed to be the strong one….

He started walking out of his chambers out to the outside world of his ship, not knowing what the day's sorrows would bring…

"…...For my brother…...I will be…."