VIII. Belonging
Melinda woke up after a long sleep. She slept so soundly that she could easily convince herself that it was all but a nightmare. But the runned down mess of a quarter which was used as a guest room reminded her of where she was. She then looked down and realized that the baby was no longer in her arms. She jolted up, opened the door and her eyes met Illiawile's. It was a very solemn stare that greeted her, and she knew from his look instantly that the child would not see a future.
The moment felt like an eternity as she closed the door and layed back down, maybe just to hide from reality once more. She felt suddenly so alone somehow, she felt like she couldn't be alone at that moment.
Illiawile sat down outside turning on the TV, the broadcast pirates were on again, giving out gossip about the terran armies and leaders. From the hall emerged this young woman with eyes that seemed too old for her. "What are you doing still looking at that antique..?" Melinda said just to break the ice.. "Antique?", Illiawile was puzzled. "Those went extinct a long time ago, probably a collectors item now." Either way, Melinda sat down next to Illiawile and watched the pirate broadcast with him.
Zel'xol was in the bridge receiving broadcasts from his bretheren in the nearby Protoss planets. He was receiving disturbing news, things which confirmed his suspicion about the terran conspiracy against the protoss. He also received news about an old acquaintance...
Zel'xol announced over intercom to his terran friends, "I'm setting the ship to auto pilot for now, I'll be right back..."
At that the three puzzled heads looked up from their respective locations and gave a befuddled look. The carrier lauch gate opened and Zel'xol rode out in a custom outfitted interceptor. Zel'xol made his way to the nearby planet of Chi'ran... where a warp gate was opened for him directly from the dark templar homelands.
It was a strange sensation indeed to be back home. Zel'xol was so accustomed to seeing humans and having human friends that he felt somewhat out of place in his own world. However, greetings with his bretheren refreshed his spirit.
"We have news about Milz'el", one of the zealots spoke...
"I heard too, where is she now", Zel'xol curiously asked.
"She had just finished a war meeting, she wanted you to wait for her at the templar archives"
Zel'xol waited in the templar archives, collected his thoughts... Milz'el had shared his most intimate thoughts and moments with him. He also felt the greatest sorrow when they parted ways. He stared at the entrance and it seemed forever... until, there walked into the present the future he never had.
She smiled at him, "it's been too long.." He smiled back, "yes"
"We have not much time... we may not have another time again", Milz'el said softly
"Time, it is all relative.., it is more than enough now", Zel'xol absorbed the moment to it's fullest.
There was a long pause where life felt like nothing but just a pure flow of energy.
"Before I go back, Milz'el... I would like to know was it just for the greater good?"
Milz'el brought her head down... and finally let him connect with her psionically... and they exchanged thoughts.
"Now I understand...", Zel'xol's spirit now wrenched and twisted... he held on to an old crystal he had been keeping. One which Milz'el had given him a long while back.
"This means nothing?",... Zel'xol muttered..
"nothing"... a reply shot him
He simply smiled and walked out, and walked for what it seemed like for days. He contemplated the crystal and then threw it as far away as he could and headed back for the warp gate. Just as he was crossing it, he got a psionic farewell from Milz'el... "watch out for those terran animals". Zel'xol ignored this completely as he sped as quickly as he could for the carrier.
This was the first time he was so glad to see Elissa laying lazily at her cot, aiming her rifle at imaginary targets... Illiawile and Melinda quietly watching the pirate broacast..
"I'm back", Zel'xol announced..
No reply greeted him as each head in the ship was quite zoned out doing it's own thing. Yet this seemed to give him a strange feeling of belonging. He felt at home.
Melinda woke up after a long sleep. She slept so soundly that she could easily convince herself that it was all but a nightmare. But the runned down mess of a quarter which was used as a guest room reminded her of where she was. She then looked down and realized that the baby was no longer in her arms. She jolted up, opened the door and her eyes met Illiawile's. It was a very solemn stare that greeted her, and she knew from his look instantly that the child would not see a future.
The moment felt like an eternity as she closed the door and layed back down, maybe just to hide from reality once more. She felt suddenly so alone somehow, she felt like she couldn't be alone at that moment.
Illiawile sat down outside turning on the TV, the broadcast pirates were on again, giving out gossip about the terran armies and leaders. From the hall emerged this young woman with eyes that seemed too old for her. "What are you doing still looking at that antique..?" Melinda said just to break the ice.. "Antique?", Illiawile was puzzled. "Those went extinct a long time ago, probably a collectors item now." Either way, Melinda sat down next to Illiawile and watched the pirate broadcast with him.
Zel'xol was in the bridge receiving broadcasts from his bretheren in the nearby Protoss planets. He was receiving disturbing news, things which confirmed his suspicion about the terran conspiracy against the protoss. He also received news about an old acquaintance...
Zel'xol announced over intercom to his terran friends, "I'm setting the ship to auto pilot for now, I'll be right back..."
At that the three puzzled heads looked up from their respective locations and gave a befuddled look. The carrier lauch gate opened and Zel'xol rode out in a custom outfitted interceptor. Zel'xol made his way to the nearby planet of Chi'ran... where a warp gate was opened for him directly from the dark templar homelands.
It was a strange sensation indeed to be back home. Zel'xol was so accustomed to seeing humans and having human friends that he felt somewhat out of place in his own world. However, greetings with his bretheren refreshed his spirit.
"We have news about Milz'el", one of the zealots spoke...
"I heard too, where is she now", Zel'xol curiously asked.
"She had just finished a war meeting, she wanted you to wait for her at the templar archives"
Zel'xol waited in the templar archives, collected his thoughts... Milz'el had shared his most intimate thoughts and moments with him. He also felt the greatest sorrow when they parted ways. He stared at the entrance and it seemed forever... until, there walked into the present the future he never had.
She smiled at him, "it's been too long.." He smiled back, "yes"
"We have not much time... we may not have another time again", Milz'el said softly
"Time, it is all relative.., it is more than enough now", Zel'xol absorbed the moment to it's fullest.
There was a long pause where life felt like nothing but just a pure flow of energy.
"Before I go back, Milz'el... I would like to know was it just for the greater good?"
Milz'el brought her head down... and finally let him connect with her psionically... and they exchanged thoughts.
"Now I understand...", Zel'xol's spirit now wrenched and twisted... he held on to an old crystal he had been keeping. One which Milz'el had given him a long while back.
"This means nothing?",... Zel'xol muttered..
"nothing"... a reply shot him
He simply smiled and walked out, and walked for what it seemed like for days. He contemplated the crystal and then threw it as far away as he could and headed back for the warp gate. Just as he was crossing it, he got a psionic farewell from Milz'el... "watch out for those terran animals". Zel'xol ignored this completely as he sped as quickly as he could for the carrier.
This was the first time he was so glad to see Elissa laying lazily at her cot, aiming her rifle at imaginary targets... Illiawile and Melinda quietly watching the pirate broacast..
"I'm back", Zel'xol announced..
No reply greeted him as each head in the ship was quite zoned out doing it's own thing. Yet this seemed to give him a strange feeling of belonging. He felt at home.