The Qualta Blade, his one sole keepsake, his one sole companion that serves as a

reminder of his former life. It is one of the few things he is proud of from that life. It

has been a constant he could count on. So far, no one has been able to take it from

him, at least permanently.

Ka D'argo considered the weapon as he sharpened the blade. So much tragedy and

death associated with this heirloom. Not only from his life, but all those before who

held this weapon. Is that really such a good thing to keep hold of?

D'argo shook is head, and a small chuckle rumbled. Yes, he has known pain, he has

known sorrow, he has known death. But that is the path of the warrior. You accept

that way of life when you take up arms. You bear it with honor, and you don't

complain.

"Father...," a familiar voice echoed, seemingly from nowhere.

"Jothee?", D'argo, looked up, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Father!", the voice called again, much louder this time. "Don't let him kill Mother!

Stop him! Don't worry about me!"

D'argo looked around. "Jothee? Where are you? And Jo'Lann is dead..."

His eyes narrowed and a rumble came low in his throat. What was going on here?

Suddenly, he was filled with a sense of loss, a sense of shame. He could have saved

Lo'Lann. He could have kept his family together. He didn't act, and it cost him his

family.

NO!

That wasn't how it happened.

Was it?

He felt something like the surging of...presences...fading in and out.

What was going on?

Suddenly, he heard a scream out in the corridor. He flung open the door just in time

to see Chianna bolting down it at full speed. She was flailing away at her head,

shrieking "NONONONONONONONONONOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"Chianna!", D'argo called.

"Father!", he heard the voice again. And there was Macton, the Peacekeeper brother

of his wife, Lo'Lann.

"I will NOT accept her taking the seed of unpure filth such as yourself!", Macton

rumbled.

"NO!", Dargo screamed, then let loose with a blood curdling roar as he charged

forward, attempting to stop this scene as it played out again. He saw Lo'Lann slain

as before, but then, he saw Macton then turn his attention to Joffee.

"Wait, that's not how it happened!", D'argo exclaimed. He quickly converted his

Qualta blade to its gun mode and opened fire on Macton.

The scene faded, to be replaced by Chianna's increasingly distant screaming.

Shaking off his overwhelming sadness, gripping his rage and focusing, he charged

down the corridor. He had no idea what he saw meant, but Chianna was in trouble.

He failed one woman in his life. He wasn't going to fail another.