Chapter 12

Mamao'lani had just bid a tearful farewell to the Draco. He had gone with Commander McQueen and a science team to retrieve their eggs for evacuation. After living alongside them for nearly a year, getting to know them, he felt he should speak with the great lizards one last time, now that the end was inevitable. The comet could not be moved, it turned out.

The Draco had handled the news better than him. They seemed to regard death with dignity, with only minimal woe, and were grateful that their 'story' would continue with their young at least. Mamao'lani promised Caeldon that he and his diplomatic team, having listened to all their tales, would take great care and respect in educating the still-unhatched Draco in their culture. This comforted them all significantly, especially after hearing about the creature's offspring as well, and that they would prosper on the planet in the aftermath. There was surprisingly little ill will towards the other lifeform. Mamao'lani envied the Draco their grace, even though he'd be safe while they perished.

Having dried his eyes, he reported in to North in the CO's office. The Commodore had apparently not left his office or Ops since visiting the Draco himself.

"It's done," Mamao'lani said grimly. "I've said my goodbyes. A farewell to dragons..."

North remained standing at the window, looking out, up at the sky. The comet was now visible as a tiny, bright point of light above, even in daytime.

Mamao'lani continued. "Commander McQueen is taking the eggs to Berengaria Five as we speak. She was pretty cut up too." He smiled sadly. "She loves the Draco. Always said they made her feel like she was living in a fantasy story." He knew McQueen's fascination was also scientific, the Draco were remarkable feats of biology, but that was easy to forget given her childlike wonder. She had cried harder than him when they left the mountains. "Got hundreds of their eggs, from various clans. The commander says it should be enough to support a diverse population. They may need some help adjusting to the new environment, but-"

"Maybe Brantik is right," North said, cutting off his rambling.

"Commodore?"

North remained staring upward. "Maybe we should let him destroy the comet, and the lifeform inside. Save the Draco."

Mamao'lani swallowed and stepped forward. "I won't lie to you; I had similar thoughts. When I looked into Caeldon's big yellow eyes. When I saw the Redscales come together to tell stories for the last time. When... When I saw their young." He took a moment to compose himself. "But you said it yourself, Commodore: This is the natural order. If we had not intervened-"

"But we did intervene," North snapped, turning now. "I intervened. I could have left the Draco once we knew they were sentient - I should have left them. Then we wouldn't be in this predicament." He shook his head. "I played God, and now here we are."

Mamao'lani approached North and put a hand on the other man's arm. "It is easy to side with the Draco. They are here. We've seen them, we know them. The creature is hundreds of kilometres away - an abstract in our minds. Makes it easier to dismiss. But to kill it, the life it contains, would be the much worse option. You're doing the right thing."

Truthfully, the Ambassador considered it more the 'least wrong' option, but sometimes that was the best you could get. North didn't seem convinced of either, however, but he sat at his desk. Mamao'lani took the chair opposite.

"How's the evacuation going?" he asked, trying to change to a slightly less macabre topic.

"Slowly," North said. "Diverting those shuttlepods for the eggs, while necessary, put us back a bit. We didn't want to risk beaming them though." He looked at the countdown on his monitor. Less than fifteen hours remaining. "We're going to be cutting it close, but we should have everyone off the base by deadline. They may be on the far side of the planet, but at least they won't be here."

Mamao'lani nodded. "Any further plans on where to go from there?"

"Vega Colony is still the current proposal. But it will take us weeks to get there, and I don't know if we can redirect enough ships for that long. It could take months to get everyone off the fifth planet, and conditions there are harsh. We may not survive much longer there than we would here. Not to mention the need for supplies."

He met Mamao'lani's eyes. "Any word from our allies?"

Mamao'lani looked away. "No. None of them can commit ships for long enough either. I may be able to negotiate some relocation sites though."

"Whatever you can do. At this stage, we're desperate."

That made the Ambassador recall the Orion Syndicate's offer. Were things that desperate?

He decided to bring it up to North. Let him in on the decision.

Once he'd finished updating North, the Commodore leaned back in his chair and didn't speak for some time. He was no doubt also recalling Vyla's warning about cluros and fearing that the Syndicate would harm his crew just to punish him. They'd do so covertly, of course, making it look accidental or as if the crew themselves were to blame, but North would always know it was his fault. Still, the clock was ticking, and any help was starting to look good.

"We would need to take precautions," North said quietly.

Mamao'lani raised his eyebrows. "Are you considering their offer?"

North stroked his chin. "Hold off on responding for now. We... We'll see what happens."

"Okay," said Mamao'lani.

North turned back to the window. "I'm still holding out for a miracle."

"Be very, very careful with those."

McQueen was overseeing the unloading of the Draco eggs from the shuttlepods on Berengaria V. They had all been delicately loaded into specialised bio-containment units for transport, then taken across the gulf between the two worlds. Despite the secured containers, McQueen had all the while been concerned that any turbulence could crack the precious eggs. She had stayed in the Independence's cargo bay for the entire trip, watching over them like she had laid them herself.

"Where should we take the first batch?" Lt. Nayyar asked, pushing the cargo trolley stacked with containers. The astronomer had offered to help with the eggs, saying he felt somewhat responsible for the whole crisis.

McQueen squinted against the red glare, the wind picking up and throwing sand in her face, as she checked a padd. "Uh, Captain Thorpe says they converted Unit G to hold the eggs, take them there for now. I'll check it later."

The lieutenant and two crewmen each took a trolley off towards the modular shelter designated Unit G, while the remaining personnel continued to unload the bio-containers a little bit too quickly for McQueen's liking. But she knew time was scarce.

She unbuttoned her undershirt, having had no time to change into desert gear, and gasped in the arid air. While Berengaria VII was a lot cooler and wetter, the Draco, being reptiles, should have no difficulty acclimatising here. The base residents, on the other hand, may not find it so easy.

"Jess!"

She turned to see Artie running out one of the shelters towards her. She hadn't had time to check in with her boyfriend during all this either.

They embraced, and she felt her despair come pouring out of her. She had taken a while to recompose herself after leaving the Draco, but now she felt no need to hold back. "Oh Artie, it's awful."

"I know, I know," he said softly, his steadfast English accent a comfort.

"Are... Are you okay?" she asked him, choking down more tears.

"Don't worry about me," said the schoolteacher. "I've been looking after the kids whose parents are busy with the shelters. How are you holding up?"

She sniffed. "Badly. I just wish we could have done more."

"You've saved all these eggs," Artie said, pointing to the containers.

"Yeah, but... but it's not just the Draco. All those other animals on Berengaria Seven. Rogs, softhides, snow-ponies. They'll all be gone. And there's nothing we can do."

"I know how you feel," said another voice. It was Nayyar, returned with an empty trolley to be reloaded.

"Artie, this is Lieutenant Ramayan Nayyar, from Astronomy," McQueen said.

"Artie Simpson," her lanky boyfriend introduced himself. "You're the chap who discovered the comet, right?"

Nayyar held up his hands, a small smile on his face. "Don't hold that against me though."

"This isn't your fault," Artie said. "If anything, your discovery bought us more time." That was just like him, McQueen thought, always seeing the bright side.

"Yes," said Nayyar, "but as Commander McQueen was saying, I still feel so helpless. I wish I could talk to that creature up there, but I doubt it would listen to me just because I discovered it." He gave that small smile again. "Besides, living things are more your area of expertise, Commander."

McQueen looked up at the red sky, an idea forming in her mind from Nayyar's words.

"Yes... Yes they are..."