Foreword:
I love and hate this chapter. I've been both anticipating and dreading it for quite some time. This is the moment of truth. The point of no return. The story's greatest 'if only...' I hope with all my heart I've done it justice.
"You say you have strategy and military strength—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?"
— 2 Kings 18:20
« ... »
Alister struggled to calm his nerves as he, along with several other Colonels, hustled into the briefing room. The attack was barely a few hours behind them, and already they were being called into a meeting with their senior officers. He understood the severity of the situation, as did all the soldiers who had survived the battle, so he doubted this briefing was simply to let them know. Something of great importance was about to happen, and Alister was afraid to imagine what.
He and his fellow officers lined up as orderly as they could in their distress, and stood at attention before the dozen-or-so Generals sitting around the table in the room. The highest ranking officers of the Lombax Praetorian Guard looked almost as flustered as their subordinates, and they made little effort to carry themselves ceremoniously as they laid out the important information.
"This is a dark day for our kind," said the one sitting in the middle. "Most of the Guard's highest ranking officers were either captured or killed, and General Braxton is in a coma. Desperate times, as you know, call for desperate measures... Thus, we have decided to promote all of you to the rank of General. The Guard needs leadership, and although most of you are probably not ready for this promotion, we must ask you to accept it, and do the best you can with it. Can we count on you?"
No objections arose, but Alister could sense the fear radiating from each of his comrades.
"Good," said another General. "Alister Azimuth, step forward, please."
Alister's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't imagine any reason, good or bad, why he would be singled out from among the rest. Swallowing hard, he stepped forward and cautiously muttered, "Yes sir?"
"You have been chosen to receive Four-Bolt status for the foreseeable future."
Alister blinked in disbelief, wondering for a short moment if he was hearing things. At last he muttered, "Me?"
"With all due respect, you can't be serious," argued one of the newly promoted Generals. "He can't lead the Guard; he's only twenty-five years old!"
"He's more decorated, and has a better record than any other soldier his rank or his age," the senior officer explained. "Besides, General Braxton favored him. Since he's the highest ranking officer who's technically still with us, we should try to anticipate what he would have us do."
"But... aren't any of you better suited to the position?" Alister asked. The pressure of his charge was driving him into a panic.
"Some of us will be granted Three-Bolt status, but Colonel Azimuth, the reason you were chosen for Four-Bolt is because of your position on the Council of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research. In these dire circumstances, it's more important than ever that we partner with the C.A.L.R. in deciding future courses of action. It may seem a bit extreme, but under the circumstances, I don't see as we have any other choice. Do you accept this promotion?"
Alister didn't know what to say. The weight on his shoulders felt like more than he could bear. He wasn't ready for this. He couldn't even imagine being the bearer of such responsibility. It was too much for him… And yet, he couldn't refuse. His race needed him, now more than ever. He had to find the strength to take on this challenge.
"Yes, sir," he asserted, sounding much more confident that he felt.
"Very well, then. I'm afraid there's no time for pleasantries, so it's effective immediately," said the general (as if things weren't already unorthodox enough). "All of you, head straight to the teleporter room. We're meeting with the Council of Elders in less than an hour."
« « « « « ж » » » » »
Kaden wrung his hands together as he sat anxiously outside the medical ward. He could hardly believe his misfortune, nor the luck that had followed. For the life of him, he still couldn't fathom why the space pirates had chosen his house as the playing field for their sick little game, but it was almost as much of a wonder that he had actually been able to beat them. That personal teleporter was a hobby project that he'd thrown together in his spare time to keep from being late to work on days when he slept in. He never imagined it would end up saving Nayeli's life. He was just glad the C.A.L.R. had already been programmed as the destination. Nonetheless plagued by worry, he'd jetted to the Center as soon as the attack was over, and sure enough he'd discovered, to his most profound relief, that Nayeli was in the care of the medical staff at his workplace.
He looked up when a nurse emerged from inside the ward, and immediately shot to his feet. "How is she?"
"She's just fine," the nurse reassured. "The cuts were deep, but clean, and since the bleeding was checked right away and no major nerves were touched, it was nothing a little Nanotech couldn't fix."
Kaden closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, resting his hand on his chest. "Thank God," he muttered.
"I'll fetch her for you," said the nurse, and she poked her head back into the room and called, "Nayeli? Your husband is here."
Not a second later the girl bolted through the door, ran up to Kaden, and slapped him clean across his face. Shocked, Kaden could only turn his head back toward her, and stare speechless at the livid expression blazing in her eyes.
"Why?!" she demanded, hot tears gathering at the base of her eyelids. "How could you do that to me? I've never been so scared in my life! I thought... I'd never see you again."
Kaden couldn't form words into a reply. She held his gaze for a long moment, gasping and biting her lip as sobs began to rise in her throat. Finally she just stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
"Nayeli..." Kaden hugged her close, his left cheek still throbbing. When he thought of what could have happened and where she might be right now if things had gone just a little differently, he was grateful to accept her anger and her tears as an alternative. Even so, he hadn't expected this type of reaction. Nayeli was so mild, so gentle… It was strange for him to see a side of her that could be harsh—fiery, even. But shocking though it was, he was glad. Glad to know that his wife loved him with a passion that was both gentle and fierce—that she had feared for his life as much as he had feared for hers.
The nurse stepped up beside him and tapped his shoulder, calling his attention away from Nayeli. "I'm really sorry," she said, "but we're getting new patients faster than we can keep up, and since she doesn't need any further treatment—"
Kaden nodded. "I understand. We'll get out of your hair. Thank you so much!"
The nurse smiled fondly. "You're welcome,"
With his arm wrapped tenderly around Nayeli's shoulders, Kaden walked her to the west-side lobby, where the rushed panic of the relief effort was least severe. Upon singling out a bench in an isolated corner, the two of them sat down. He took her left hand in his own and studied her face for a moment, a bit worried by her silence. She looked calm—at least, more so than she had when she'd first come out of the medical ward—but still flustered. It looked like she had something she wanted to say.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly.
Nayeli turned her head to meet his eyes. "I'm fine…" she whispered, "thanks to you."
For the first time since this ordeal had begun, she managed a faint but genuine smile. Kaden returned it with gusto, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
They both looked up when a voice on the PA announced Kaden's name, instructing him to report to the Security Wing with his engineering staff.
Kaden sighed and turned to Nayeli. "You should wait here for a while. I'll come back as soon as I can."
"Okay."
Kaden stood to leave, but before he could take a step forward, Nayeli reached out and grabbed his arm, quickly adding, "But before you go, there's something I need to tell you."
"What?"
She hesitated for a moment, then muttered in a solemn voice, "When they scanned me for internal injuries... they found something."
Kaden's heart skipped a beat, and he almost gasped in worry. He was surprised to see Nayeli smile at him, her eyes sparkling.
« « « « « ж » » » » »
The atmosphere was tense in the meeting room where leading members of the military and the Center for Advanced Lombax Research had convened to discuss the recent tragedy. A thick air of fearful disbelief hung over everyone present, causing some of them to show extreme agitation while others were stunned into a still, somber silence. Not until they were all seated for a solid minute did anybody dare to speak, and there was no mincing of words or beating around the bush as to why they were there.
"Why didn't we see them coming?" asked one of the generals who had promoted Alister.
One of the scientists present rose and proceeded to explain. "They were using the most impressive large-scale cloaking device I've ever heard of. Apparently it was designed to not only hide the enemy armada, but actually target and scramble sensory technology. When they dropped the cloak, they directed the full force of the machine at our defense grid, causing it to overload."
The discussion carried on quickly after that, with statements, questions and answers being tossed back and forth across the table too fast for Alister to keep track of who was speaking.
"Where did the space pirates get ahold of something like that?"
"It's impossible to know. We weren't able to analyze the device because it was destroyed in the crossfire."
"Should we assume that more of them exist?"
"Unlikely. A machine of that caliber is undoubtedly difficult and time-consuming to make. We can't rule out the possibility, though."
"The fact of the matter is, our existing technology is clearly not enough to protect us anymore. We need to explore other options for defending ourselves against future attacks."
"Let's not get hysterical, though. The attack came as a shock, no doubt, but it didn't really do all that much damage considering that they only attacked one city and were quickly driven out."
"The scale of damage isn't the biggest issue. Before today, no one thought an attack on Fastoon was even possible. Even if no damage had been done, the fact that they were able to penetrate our defenses says enough!"
"What do you propose we do, then?"
"Our best engineers will be assigned to repairing and upgrading the defense grid, but that alone won't be enough. We need to invest in better offensive technology as well."
"You say that like we haven't been! We're working as hard as we can on developing weapons, but just like the Guard, the C.A.L.R. lacks sufficient manpower to keep up with demand."
"So what's the verdict, then? Are we doomed to slowly crumble under the collective force of these pinprick attacks until there's nothing left of our proud civilization?"
"How can you say that? We're Lombaxes! We don't crumble under our problems, we innovate solutions! Our race arose victorious from under the grip of the Cragmite Empire. Surely it can survive the onslaught of a few space pirates and petty terrorists."
Alister was about to interject when the door to the meeting room opened suddenly with no explanation. All heads turned to see the familiar though unpleasant face of Percival Tachyon as he entered.
"What are you doing here?" one of the Guards asked with an exasperated sigh. "We're in the middle of an important meeting."
"I know," the Cragmite muttered. "Please forgive my intrusion, but considering the grave circumstances, I didn't want to trouble you to convene again on my account. I assure you, it is a matter of utmost urgency."
The gathering of Lombaxes looked curiously around at one another. True to their nature, even in circumstances as dire as these, they could not resist the urge to seek an explanation for such a promising mystery.
At the general consensus offered in silence by all present, Councilwoman Ulima took the initiative to say, "Very well. You may proceed, but hurry."
"Of course."
Tachyon slithered over to the presentation screen at the far end of the room and plugged a small data unit into one of the ports along its side. "First of all, let me assure you that what concerns Lombaxes concerns me as well. I consider you my own people, and as such, the state of the galaxy has been a lifelong concern of mine. For the past few years, I've been developing some technologies that I believe can aid us greatly toward securing peace in Polaris."
The presentation screen began to show a series of blueprints for various weapons, vehicles, and other assorted gadgetry, while Tachyon explained each of them in turn. Every Lombax in the room was awestruck at the complexity of Tachyon's designs. Who would have thought that a Cragmite raised among Lombaxes would manifest such unprecedented brilliance? Each schematic he presented was more detailed and groundbreaking than the previous one, and against all odds, Alister's heart began to fill with hope as his mind began to fill with plans for how this prospective technology could be used to defend against the evils that threatened their galaxy.
What must have been a very long presentation seemed like a few short moments to Alister's forgotten concept of time, and Tachyon concluded with the strong suggestion, "I propose we begin manufacturing these as soon as possible. You'll find the details of my proposal in the file I've just transmitted to each of your stations."
In unison they all reached for a button in front of them which caused a screen and keypad to emerge from a small compartment in their section of the table. All was quiet for a few moments as they reviewed the information. It was Hadrian who at last broke the silence, cynically pointing out, "It would take years to finish all this."
"Not necessarily," Tachyon said. "If I were put in charge of the project, I believe I could do it in approximately thirty-two weeks. Of course, I would need some... special provisions."
"That's an understatement. You would need access to every restricted area in the whole Center—not to mention most of our highly classified technology."
Alister repressed the urge to growl in annoyance, once again reminded of why Kaden felt such animosity toward his old rival. An almost hurt expression crossed the ugly face of the young Cragmite, and he humbly admitted, "Unfortunately, there is not much I can say to assuage your understandable concern… I cannot change my history. I ask only for the chance to change my future."
A faint murmuring began to arise, and councilwoman Ulima spoke up to calm the brewing chaos before it could manifest. "Thank you, Mr. Tachyon," she said. "Please allow us to consider your proposal in private."
"Of course." Tachyon bowed, and graciously took his leave. No sooner had the doors shut behind him, the inevitable argument erupted.
"I don't think we should do it. This is Percival Tachyon we're talking about."
"Just because he's a Cragmite doesn't mean he can't be trusted."
"But it is reasonable cause for doubt."
"Think about it, though. Has he ever shown even the slightest sign of being disloyal to us?"
"But there's no guarantee his loyalty comes from genuine sympathy. We should not allow him into a position of influence when he might turn on us."
"What good would turning on us do him? We would retain control over any machinery built, regardless of who designed it."
"But there's still risk involved, isn't there? We must consider every possible scenario."
"We don't have time to consider every possible scenario! Just look at these designs. They're amazing!"
Alister remained decidedly withdrawn from the debate, listening carefully to every point that was raised. He was sad to see that so much suspicion and fear had arisen from the simple fact that Tachyon was a Cragmite. Had they all forgotten the magnitude of the threat already encroaching upon them? Allowing a Lombax-raised Cragmite access to sensitive information seemed to him a small gamble compared to the bleak future looming on the horizon if things didn't change.
The discussion escalated almost to the point of shouting, when a loud, authoritative voice firmly said, "Enough!"
All eyes turned to councilwoman Ulima. "Obviously there is no chance of a consensus on this issue, so the only question is: to whom falls the authority to make the decision?"
Alister felt like his heart had stopped as he remembered his recent promotion. It would take a bit of figuring and explaining amongst the others before the fact came to light, but Alister saw it already, clear as day. He was the one who would choose this day the future of his entire race. Barely an hour ago he had received his position of power, and already he was obliged to make a life-or-death decision.
He struggled to control his breathing, and to ignore the surprised eyes that flitted expectantly toward him pair by pair. He had to keep it together, for the sake of everyone depending on him. The pressure was suffocating, but at the very least, he was grateful that he already knew what he had to do.
« … »
The moments after the dismissal of the meeting left Alister lightheaded, and his fur standing on end. He could barely breathe for the weight on his shoulders. How quickly he had aged in these past few years! How unceremoniously he'd been flung to both a height and depth that few ever reach… He had to see the end of this era of bloodshed soon, or he feared he would not be able to maintain his sanity much longer.
Head held high in an effort to feign confidence, he told the rest of the soldiers that he had something to take care of here at the Center, and to return to base ahead of him. He was relieved that no one thought to ask any questions. Truthfully, he just wanted to get away from his rank for a short while. Like the child he felt he was, he needed some encouragement—someone to talk to with whom he could be himself and not have to worry about being judged or scrutinized. Besides, after that attack, he had to check on his best friend, anyway.
Rather than call Kaden on his communicator, he just used the tracking system to pinpoint his location and quietly made his way there. He found him in the Security Wing haphazardly ordering around a team of traumatized engineers. Alister sighed sympathetically. The poor kid was probably looking at a month of double shifts repairing and upgrading the planetary defense grid, and judging by the panicked look on his face, he was already feeling the strain. Perhaps he too would welcome the opportunity to leave the stress of his duties for a few moments and talk with an old friend.
"Excuse me," he called out. "I'd like a word with the Keeper of the Dimensionator in private."
The whole team stopped what they were doing to look up at him, and Kaden smiled in relief upon meeting his eyes. Without a word he abandoned his post and rushed toward Alister, grinning in excitement. Thankfully he had the sense not to blurt out a happy greeting before Alister led him to a small, secluded room where they would have some privacy. Only then did Kaden exclaim, "I'm glad you're okay."
"Likewise," Alister returned. "What about Nayeli?"
Kaden sighed with what looked like a blend of relief and frazzled nerves, and uncertainly replied, "Had a big scare, but she's fine." He paused for a few seconds, then mysteriously added, "Better than fine, actually…"
"What do you mean?" Alister asked.
"Well…" Kaden muttered, tapping his fingers together. His expression was bizarrely unreadable, at once looking both happy and terrified. He bit his lip like he wasn't sure how to reply and averted his eyes as though embarrassed. Oddly enough, this evasive, contradictory display communicated meaning to Alister as clearly as any words.
"No way…" he mumbled while his mouth broadened into a knowing grin.
"I know, can you believe it?!" Kaden exclaimed. "I'm gonna be a dad."
"Congratulations, Kade!" Alister said, unable to resist adding a snide remark. "It's about time! How long have you been married, again?"
"Shut up!"
Alister laughed without sympathy at the flushed, indignant scowl on Kaden's face.
"Actually, I have some good news too," he stated, his voice still unstable from laughter.
Kaden crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, wryly muttering, "Oh really?"
Alister proceeded to relay the monumental events that had flashed by after the attack had ended, and Kaden's ears perked with interest. He was dumbstruck to hear about Alister's promotion, and listened with rapt attention as his friend recalled the details of the meeting between the Council and the Guard. His face was alight with anticipation for the promised good news, but when Alister reached the end of the story and his decision regarding Tachyon, Kaden's expression darkened.
"What?" he muttered. "Alister, that's crazy!"
Alister blinked in surprise. He had thought that Kaden, at least, would understand what he was trying to do. "It's not crazy," he tried to explain. "Tachyon's inventions are exactly what we need to tighten our defenses, and the only accusation anyone can bring against him is that he's a Cragmite. I can't let prejudice stand in the way of innovations that might be our only hope for a better future."
"Alister, Percival Tachyon cannot be trusted," Kaden asserted, motioning with his hands to illustrate his point.
Alister felt the sting of bitter disappointment. Kaden was the last person he wanted to defend his position against, and certainly the last person he expected to challenge him. Frowning in frustration, he countered testily, "Why, because he's a Cragmite?"
"Yes, because he's a Cragmite! Why would he want to help us knowing that we banished his entire race to another dimension?!"
"Because he knows they were a harsh, oppressive empire. He doesn't hate us, Kaden. We raised him."
"That's what scares me the most. I love our kind as much as you do, Alister, but I know we're not perfect. Just look at him! Look at where he came from! What are the chances that his life has been anything short of a nightmare?"
"All the more reason he should be shown compassion."
"Compassion, yes, but not trust. It's too big a risk."
Alister stared him down stubbornly for a moment of consideration, then pointed out, "Aren't you the one who always told me not to be so shy about taking risks?"
"This is different, Alister! You're risking a lot more lives here than just your own."
"Kaden, you haven't seen what I've seen out there; you have no idea what we're up against! If we don't start offering some stronger resistance, we won't survive. This is just how it works: you fight fire with fire."
"No, you fight fire with water!" Kaden snapped. "There's got to be a better way of solving this problem! Heck, fighting fire with fire wouldn't even be so bad! Design better weapons, build better defenses... but trusting Tachyon is like fighting fire with oil."
Alister gritted his teeth behind tightly closed lips and glared unyielding at Kaden's equally stubborn green eyes. It was like this most dear friend, who might as well have been his brother, was suddenly a stranger. The feeling of betrayal rose like bile in his throat, and coated his tone when at last he spoke.
"You know, Kaden, I can understand you not trusting Tachyon… but you should trust me."
At that Kaden softened. "Alister, I would trust you with my life… But you're asking me to put my wife's future in the hands of a Cragmite."
"Your wife's future is the biggest reason you should understand why this is necessary! Or maybe you don't love her as much as you think you do."
Kaden drew a sharp, ferocious breath, clenching his hands into fists, and Alister immediately regretted what he'd said.
"How—dare—you?" Kaden seethed in a chillingly low whisper. Never before had Alister seen such fire in his eyes.
He didn't mean it. Such cruel words directed at his best friend were only the overflow of the nigh unbearable pressure and frustration weighing on his tormented mind. He wanted to tell Kaden this—to take back his harsh comment—but before he had the chance, Kaden snapped in the heat of his unprecedented anger.
"Nayeli is everything to me! I would die for her! I would kill for her! And I'm well aware that someday I may have to. You think I don't know how serious this is?! You think I want to raise my kid in a war-torn wasteland? Don't you know me better than that, Alister? Haven't we been friends for fifteen freakin' years?!"
He lashed out both hands and shoved Alister with all his strength. Alister gasped as he staggered backwards, and when he caught his bearings he could only stare in shock at the fearless, furious expression on Kaden's face. His earlier desire to make amends dissolved in the building force of his own grief-driven anger.
"If you were anyone else, you'd be on your way to the detention wing right now," he stated coldly.
"If you were anyone else, you'd be on your way to the infirmary," Kaden spat back.
If looks could kill, they both would've dropped like flies.
Many times in battle, Alister had seen magnificent structures that took years to build reduced to a pile of rubble in mere seconds. He had often lamented the unfairness of it—how destruction was so much easier and faster than creation. It was hard enough to think that this was true for works of metal and stone with no heart or soul to feel the sting of loss.
Heart pounding, Alister looked into the eyes of the friend who had stood by him faithfully since he was a heartbroken child bereaved of his father, and he could hardly believe what was happening right now. After all the good times they had, all the laughter and pain they shared, and all they had been through together… Was five minutes really all it took to drive a wedge between them that could never be removed?
In the months to come Alister would remember this moment with a myriad of mixed emotions, but right now he could only feel anger, fueled by pain and confusion. Unable to stand the sight of Kaden's face for another second, he turned around and silently walked away.
Author's Notes:
- Alister's Promotion— I don't know how believable this development is, but it's a lot more believable than having Alister already be a General at 25 years old. ^^' I did a little research on how promotions work in the actual military (of my country, anyway), and naturally it turned out to be a rigorous multi-layered process that I don't have the time or capacity to portray or even approximate in this fanfic. But I've applied my research to the best of my ability and done my utmost to make this ridiculously streamlined process as believable as possible, leaning on the desperate circumstances left in the wake of the recent attack.
- The Falling Out— I got very emotional while writing the argument between Kaden and Alister. T-T Lately I've been using Windows Speech Recognition to do most of my typing so as to give my hands a rest, and as the computer read lines back to me for correction I could hear my own voice getting heavy and sad. Even though I've been planning for this to happen pretty much since the beginning, it was still a tough pill to swallow. I felt so intensely for both Kaden and Alister in this scene that it was hard for me to accept what was happening between them. I can't believe such a huge development came about simply to justify a single line in the canon.
- Theme Song: "Faint" by Linkin Park— It's not a perfect fit, but the raw emotion of the song, as well as most of the lines (especially in the chorus), describe what Alister and Kaden were both feeling during their fight in this chapter.