His pride already wounded at having lost consciousness, he did his best not to flinch as the medical technician cleaned and dressed his wound and the burns that extended in circular patterns around it.
"You were wearing a dissipator?" she questioned him.
"Yes," he answered, almost wishing he hadn't been. The fairly new military technology still had a few bugs. One of which was the energy burns. The device performed exactly the function that its name implied--it dissipated the highly concentrated energy produced by charrics and other similar weapons, thereby making it much less harmful. Unfortunately, this dissipated energy traveled throughout one's body, weakening as it went, causing burns that lessened in severity the farther they radiated from the wound.
"You should thank the gods that you were," she informed him. Of course he should. The beam that should have gorged a hole three inches in diameter into his body, through all of his internal organs, and out his back had, thanks to the dissipator only caused a one-inch laceration and a six-inch radius of burns.
She finished applying his bandages and began making notes on her datascreen. "Just relax for a few minutes. I'll be right back," she told him.
He tried his hardest to do just that, but with the incessant beeping of monitors around him, the pain in his abdomen, and the fresh pain of the antibiotic injection he had just been given relaxing was a very difficult activity indeed. Added to all of the physical discomforts, there was also the fact that he hadn't seen Alana since the guard escorted her away from the confrontation. He said a whispered a prayer that wherever she had been taken, she was safe and knew that he was all right.
The nurse finally returned, looking a bit aggravated as she shut the door none too quietly behind her, leaving the three guards that had remained to accompany him a bit curious. She sat beside the bed and looked directly into his eyes, making certain that he knew that she was speaking in utter seriousness. "Your wounds are quite serious. Under normal circumstances, I would keep you here under my supervision at least overnight," she informed him. She continued quickly at his disappointed expression, "You being who you are, however, circumstances are anything but normal. I have just spoken with the Ruling Families and they have informed me that if I do keep you here overnight, they will proceed with your sentence as planned. At dawn you will be taken directly to the ship. You're authorized items will be picked up by your guards."
He looked away, out the window on the other side of the room, fighting back angry, disappointed tears. He'd had so much more planned; there was so much more he wanted say to Alana...
"It has come to my attention, however," she continued, drawing his attention back to her, "that today was to be your last day spent with your lifemate who is about to give birth to your daughter."
"Yes, it was. But nearly being assassinated put a bit of damper on those plans," he reminded her bitterly.
"That is why I have decided to discharge you now," he looked back toward her, his expression one of disbelief. "I just want you to take things slowly. No vigorous activity." She flushed a bit, realizing how ridiculous that was--it was the last night he would ever spend with his lifemate. "Well, not too vigorous," she amended.
He smiled slightly, "Thank you. You've no idea how much this means to me."
She stood and smiled a bit herself, "I think I might."
*****
He sipped quietly at his tea looking out over the city which lay in the valley far below. Arranged in geometric configuration, each building constructed so carefully it was practically sculpted, it seemed like an enormous, living work of art. To him, the most intriguing part of the entire arrangement was the family temples which circled the city and were connected by their tree-lined pathways. From this distance the entire arrangement looked almost like a star burst, the brightest points being the white stone temples along the outside, the darkest being the black stone kaa'pet'ale in the center. He turned his gaze to his left. Far more stunning than even this remarkable mountain view, was the vision of beauty who had suggested this picnic in the mountains. This vision of beauty who he would never again lay eyes on after dawn tomorrow. This thought desperately seized his heart and he could not tear his gaze from her. He wanted to stare at her as long as he possibly could, to memorize every feature so that no length of time could ever take away her image.
After a while, she noticed his rather odd behavior. "What are you staring at?" she asked, somewhat amused.
"The most beautiful being ever created by the gods," he answered.
She smiled, even more amused. "Well, you don't have to stare. You can see me any time you want."
His own amused smile vanished at her words, and he placed an arm around her, drawing her close as he realized yet another of the things that he would never again be able to do after tomorrow. "No, I can't. Not after dawn."
"Yes, you can," she insisted, and before he could argue, she drew something from the pocket her skirt. She handed him a sheet of parchment and a small recorder. "I don't want you to read the letter until you leave, but I wanted to give it to you now because I didn't know if I would be able to tomorrow."
He looked at the recorder for a moment before unfolding the screen and turning it on. He smiled a bit as the happy image of Alana and himself on the day of their Union filled the screen. After a few moments, the image changed to one of his family...The images continued, various images of various people, places, and things that he had thought he would never see again. Tears filled his eyes, partly due to all of the memories called to mind by these images, but mostly due to the fact that the gift was so very meaningful. She must have spent hours on this...
"You can select one specific image to show, and there's a special file with documents I thought you would enjoy having," she told him.
"Thank you," he whispered, embracing her tightly and staring over her shoulder at the mountains. At least he would have something to look at other than rocks and vegetation.
*****
After enjoying a glorious sunset, the couple headed home, chauffeured by a pair of guards. Until they stepped out of the transport and were met by the guards standing at attention, hands poised over their weapons, they had almost been able to forget that their chauffeurs were watching them like s'obr'el preybirds. Once the couple had entered their home, the guards returned to their station nearby to monitor the video and audio feeds that had been placed in every room of the house.
Mitth'raw'nuruodo gently guided his giggling lifemate to the sitting room and onto the sofa, "Wait here," he told her, smiling slyly.
He'd hardly been able to wait all day to give the painting to her. He'd been working on it for months--since before his ...trouble--in his little spare time and had been planning to give it to her on the anniversary of their Union. Since he would no longer be here for that, he'd decided to give it to her now.
She sat curled up on the sofa wondering just what he had planned. With him, one never really knew...He suddenly emerged from his study, carrying a rather large object wrapped in a very pretty fabric and tied with a bow.
She smiled curiously, "What's this?"
"A gift," he replied handing it to her.
She gently pulled at the ribbon and carefully removed the clothe, as though she were afraid that she may break whatever lay within. Tears sprang to her eyes and she let out a small gasp as she pulled the clothe away to reveal a beautifully painted image of herself and a young girl, obviously intended to be their daughter, smiling at one another in the midst a magnificent garden which was accentuated by the dried flowers that framed the painting.
"Did you do this?" she asked looking to where he now sat beside her. He nodded, smiling. "It's beautiful," she breathed.
"I'm glad you like it," he replied quietly, as she grasped him in a nearly crushing embrace.
"Like it? I love it!" she informed him, smiling through her happy tears. After a moment, she released him and stood and gently placed the painting on the sofa. "But not nearly as much as I love you."
She held a hand out to him with a sly grin which was met by a somewhat doubtful look. "Don't worry," she replied. "I'll be gentle."
He raised an eyebrow for a moment, then suddenly a mischievous grin spread across his face and he practically leapt from his seat, scooping her up in his arms. He kissed his slightly shocked lifemate, "I won't."
*****
From his position next to the window--the same place he had been sitting most of the night--Mitth'raw'nuruodo stared out at the stars. In his time with the Expansionary Defense he had probably visited many of those distant points of light, and now he found himself wondering which one was about to become his new home. Was it even close enough to be seen?
His heart skipped a beat, shaking him from these wonderings, as he noticed that the sky was beginning to lighten in color. Dawn was approaching. He forced himself to look at his chronometer--only two hours till dawn. Two hours until he would board a vessel and leave this world where he had been born, raised, trained, lost his family, fought for his people, fallen in love, been United, fathered a child, and now been convicted and sentenced to exile. Chances were he would never return. Never--that could be added to his list of loathed words right alongside chaos and exile.
He looked over at his sleeping lifemate. Much of the night had been split between watching her and watching the skies--two things he had always loved to do, one of which he would never have the opportunity to do again. He would be so alone... There was another word he couldn't stand.
He retrieved the recorder from t he pocket he had placed it in and turned the unit on. He watched the images come and go for a few minutes before he decided to take a look at some of the documents she had included. He selected one at random and a smile spread across his face as he recognized it. It was a letter she had written to him several years ago when they had only recently been United, and he had taken his first distant assignment with the Expansionary Defense. He had been gone for nearly 6 months and he had received and sent many such letters, but this one was the first.
My Dearest Love,
How I miss you so. You have only been away for a few days but to me it seems more like a few years. A month will seem like a lifetime, several months will be an eternity. But I try to tell myself that I have a better deal. At least I am at home amongst friends and at peace. You, my love, have to be lightyears away amongst only co-workers and enemies at war. But I think that I would trade lonely peace for war by your side any day.
I try to keep my mind off of my loneliness by staying busy, but everything I do reminds me of you. I go to the museum nearly every day (they have received a new painting by Trep'ica'solu and several sculptures by a new artist this week) and I have begun trying to write poetry. I go to the gardens, hoping that the atmosphere will inspire me, but the subject of my writing always turns to you. The one thing I have gotten accomplished is decorating our home. I have found that somehow you do not influence that particular subject (I am joking, of course).
How are things aboard your ship? I hear things all the time about how bad things are out there, but I try not to listen. I know that no matter how bad things are, you are doing fine. And since I know that things are probably quite bad, I wanted to send you these words of encouragement. You may have your doubts, but I know that you are one of the bravest warriors amongst them all and by far the most intelligent. I have seen you sitting up at night, studying all of the different tactical attack patterns. Someday you'll be commanding the troops you're fighting with right now and you'll be inventing your own attack patterns.
I also wanted you to know that I am doing fine. Yes, it is difficult not having you here, but if you can handle fighting our enemies so far from home, then I can handle being at home without you for a few months. While I am doing all right, I still hope you will right me as soon as you can. I shall continue trying to occupy myself. And I shall pray to the Seven for your safety. Think of me whenever things are peaceful, and I shall think of you whenever I am awake.
I love you and I miss you.
Alana
Eyes brimming with tears, he turned the unit off, replaced it in its now-designated pocket and returned his gaze to the ever-lightening skies. At that time he had been worried about her being alone for so long wondering each day if her lifemate was going to make it home or not. And he had wondered each day if he would return home to her. He hadn't thought that things could get much worse than that, but at least then there had been the hope that they would see one another soon. Now however, they would both have to live each day knowing that they would never again meet. And he must live each day knowing that he would never lay eyes upon his daughter, and when she was born she would have to know that she would never see her father.
He suddenly slammed a fist against the glass of the window, angry tears now streaming down his face. He leaned his forehead against the cold glass and glared out across the square at the kaa'pet'ale, still lit for the night. He wondered, did Rann'eal'teristi and the others who had pronounced his sentence have any idea just how many lives they had destroyed? He quickly and quietly grabbed a sheet of parchment and a stylus from a drawer and set to work.
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