The Gamilas capital is in ruins, and Derek feels his stomach roil.
He'd seen the radar indicate hundreds, possibly thousands of lifesigns, whether they were soldiers, civilians, he wasn't sure. Now there are so few.
Two remain within one of the central spires-
And Derek remembers a blue hand raised towards a spire, a voice singing, a thrum of joy in his soul-
There is a smoldering anger beneath his breastbone, hot and at the same time absolutely heartbroken. It is a maelstrom of emotions that suddenly ices over into hard winter.
If we are to fall, we will at least look upon the face of our vanquishers before the end!
The voice is sharp, and it is as if the speaker stands before Derek himself, so clear are the words.
"Incoming comm from Gamilas!" Conroy shouts across the bridge.
"Put it up on screen," Derek says automatically.
The image fizzles, slowly becoming clearer.
Derek knows that face; he's seen it before. In a long ago dream.
"I am Desslok, leader of the Gamilons." the man says, his voice familiar and resonant despite the distance between them. "I must congratulate you, crew of the Yamato. You have traveled far, and faced many dangers to reach ourselves and our sister-world of Iscandar."
"We had no other choice," Derek says. "Earth will not survive without the Cosmso DNA that Queen Starsha offered to us."
"Starsha is a soft-hearted soul," Desslok says, "Did you know, child of Earth, when you first set out on your quest, that you were sailing into our heartland?"
"We did not," Saundor speaks up from his place at the communications readout. "We had almost no data on this star system before we entered it."
"You will have even less in a few light years," Desslok says flatly. Behind him, another Gamilon stands, looking worried. He leans forward to whisper something in Desslok's ear, placing a hand on his arm.
Desslok turns his head, resting his forehead against the other man's for but a moment, then draws away, saying nothing.
"We are sister planets with Iscandar," Desslok says, turning back to Derek and his eyes are bright with fury. "Our birth and our death are irrevocably entwined. Gamilas is dying, crew of the Yamato."
A surge of horror makes Derek stagger, as he realizes.
"Yes, Iscandar is also dying," Desslok says softly and even across the comm line Derek can hear the Gamilon's grief, "But we have been dying for centuries. You've merely been the herald of our last hours."
Desslok's eyes lock with Derek's, and there is a familiarity in them, a knowing that sings through the bond, crystalline and clear.
He's staring at his soul-bonded; the realization takes a moment to sink in. Desslok offers a wry smile, "Well met, Derek of the Wildstar. You have traveled quite far to meet me."
"I..." Derek is suddenly lost for words.
The comm fizzles, a roar of sound from the other side and as the link snaps back into focus, Derek can see the other Gamilon beside Desslok reaching out and steadying him. Desslok says something softly, before he looks at Derek again.
"The city is collapsing," Desslok says. "The sea reclaims what was once hers."
The image shudders again, fading at the edges. Derek looks up to see the acid sea rise up, a tidal wave of death, towards the spires.
"The end comes," Desslok says, and the bond between them seems to shift, a cold clarity that makes Derek shiver. "But I do not think it will truly be the end. Nothing really ever ends, Derek. Did you know that? We are reborn again and again, new lives dancing amidst the cosmos. Endlessly."
"Desslok-" Derek starts.
"Look to the stars," Desslok says, "And remember us."
The tidal wave hits the spires, a terrible shriek of metal rumbling through the deck of the Yamato as the spires collapse and the link cuts out, leaving a deafening silence in its wake.