Hello everybody. A new chapter is ready. It will add a little background for Acxa. I hope a fitting one.

Acxa and Ronan are trying to find a way how to go one, after the last meeting. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter.

Decisions and Questions

"Ronan!"

Pure terror crawled over his body. This panicked voice was burning hotter on him, than the purple fire around him and let his blood freeze to ice at the same time. The howling of the firestorm made his ears bleed. He couldn't get the correct direction. All around him was fire, leaking, hunting, hurting, burning, screaming in rage and madness, swallowing everything it could reach, never satisfied only encouraged with every piece of life it was able to consume. The flames lashed out for the running figures within this blazing inferno, howling in triumph with every victim they stroke down, roaring in frustration, when they missed another one, only to double their attempts to consume this poor life.

"Ronan!"

He turned around and saw a silhouette. His eyes widened and he sprinted over to the figure.

"Abby!"

He saw the fear in her eyes, but also relief. They had found each other. She ran towards him, reaching out her hand. But then horror took over. Her scream was blown away by a diabolic howl. He saw purple flames swallowing her with absolute horror. He wanted to jump in the flames to save her, but with a mocking and humiliating howl, the flames lashed out for his face, punching him back on the ground, denying him, to join her in death.

His love.

His life.

His tortured screams filled the street, mixing itself with infernal noise around him. He felt the flames burning his flesh and the raw power, which seemed to fuel this fire, burning its way in his body. This fire wanted to consume him, but this pain was nothing compared to the pain, which was trying to break out of him. It fought back the fire and brought him back on his feet. His terror grew, as the flames, who had swallowed her, parted. He sprinted over to her and broke down on his knees. What the fire had left of her was curled together. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't anymore. The pain was too much. But it still wasn't over.

"It hurts, Ronan. Please, make it stop..."

He woke up, bathed in his own sweat. His breathing was panicked and he was shaking. He suddenly felt a hand on his head and a soothing melody filled the room. Ronan turned to his right side in bed. Freyda's eyes were glowing in the dim light of the room. She was humming this sweet melody for him, stroking his head. She smiled, but he could see the tears in her eyes. He knew, how much his pain was hurting her as well. How she was also tortured by his nightmares. Like he was tortured by hers. They had no secrets before each other about their scars. It wouldn't work, if there would be any. They could only bare this burden together. Ronan returned her smile and started to stroke gently her cheek. He felt her hand sliding to his bionic eye and heard the click, as she twisted it and slowly removed his implant, to place it on the nightstand. Then she carefully ran with her fingers over his scared face until he took her hand and pressed it softly on his burned side of his face. He closed his eye and consumed this warming touch and the soothing humming of her.

"I'll break an oath I have sworn, Freyda."

She stopped humming and he opened his eye to face her beautiful eyes. He recognized her observant look.

"I couldn't forget, what has happened on Tantalus. I'll never."

Ronan felt her scanning look. He needed her guidance. He knew, he would do the right thing, but in this special case, he needed her acceptance so much. More than everything. Because without her support, he wouldn't survive it. Not in this case. He knew, that he would questioning himself. Over and over again. He knew, that this step has to be made, but he would need her help or he would fall on his way. He felt her thumb starting to rub over his cheek. Freyda smiled sad and weak at him, but she nodded. She came closer and kissed him, long and deep. It was the answer he had hoped for. His voice was teary as their lips finally parted.

"Thank you, Freyda. I cannot do it without you."

She kissed him on his forehead and smiled at him.

"I know, Ronan. Now sleep. Tomorrow, we'll start with training. We need to see, what you gained back thanks to rest and proper food."

Both took each other in their arms. They slept peaceful for the rest of the night, snuggled together as close as they could.

Acxa was on her way to the training grounds on the ship. She had talked with Veronica about the meeting and about Ronan. Both couldn't find sleep this night and so Veronica had dared to ask her more about Tantalus. At first she had hesitated, like she always did, but then she had started to talk about the fights, the dreadful attack and her own horror, she had taken with her from this planet. The talk had somehow drifted away to her childhood. How she has been treated by the other Galras as a half-blood. How she was pushed into the army to survive. How they had formed her to a deadly soldier.

More than once she was about to end the talk. Every time, Veronica broke out in tears, every time the terror of her girlfriend seemed to swallow the human, but she hadn't let Acxa stop. This time she wanted to know everything. Everything she needed to get a true picture of her pain and her guilt. Of what war has taken from her. Only to give her something back to ease her pains. They had laid together for hours, snuggled together to share soothing and comforting touches to ease each others worries and pains. To carry this heavy burden together. Veronica hadn't pushed her away in the end of the night. No she had only pulled her closer. Acxa had felt the human' arms tighten around her, like she was trying to shield her from any harm. To offer her the security and peace to let old wounds heal, she already had forgotten, that they were existing.

- Let me be part of your strength. -

Every time she was about to stop talking about her painful past, Veronica had stepped in with these words. She had kissed Acxa every time, when she had chosen this phrase. She had cherished her ability to handle this burden. This had made her open herself for the human. Veronica didn't denied, that she could handle this pain. She had asked her to be part of her strength as well. To aid her in her struggle. To ease her fight. She had turned one fear of weakness into a source of strength this night. Acxa had let her be part of her strength. Because she had seen, how strong Veronica was. But she wasn't sure, if she would be able to understand the full burden, she had decided to carry. Acxa had chosen carefully, how much she had told her from her past. And she had left some careful blanks. She wouldn't scare Veronica even more. So she slipped out of their quarter in the early morning. The corridors were still quiet. She seemed to be alone with her thoughts and her worries.

How should she find a solution, Ronan could accept. A solution, she could accept as well. The attack seemed to have taken everything from him and has left an burned and marked man. And he was right. She was in command on Tantalus. Like Lotor, Ezor, Zethrid and Narti. Two of them were already gone. Swallowed by this madness, she was once part of as well.

The things she had seen and done in the past were also hunting her, like they seem to hunt Ronan. Her face got darker, while the corridor seemed to stretch to infinity. She had fought and killed willingly for the Galran Empire. They had made her believe that these things were done rightful and with honor. Necessary to restore and maintain peace. She thought back how she was treated as she was young. Her memory fought back its way to her mind through a fog of guilt and pain.

How she had to watch Galras attack her parents.

How they have defended her as long as they could.

How the other Galras have called them scum and a shame for all Galras.

How her dying parents have begged her to flee.

How she had to survive on her own and finally was caught after years and how they have forced her to forget and to believe in their twisted ideas. In Haggar's and Zarkon's twisted ideas.

She slammed her fist at the wall and stopped in the corridor. Tears were in her eyes and she breathed heavy. Ronan had helped her to finally face this guilt. Not only Tantalus. To gain back some honor, she had lost in her past, without recognizing it. She needed to get back this honor.

But Veronica and her friends.

And the children.

Kathy.

It wouldn't be fair.

She needed to find a solution.

A better one.

But in the end, the guilt had to be cleaned.

She couldn't carry on this shame on her own anymore.

She sighed and walked on down the corridor, hoping that trashing something into pieces might help her to clear her mind and to find a good idea, how to handle everything.