"So that's why all of you seem to whisper, it's an aspect of class?"
"Somewhat, Federation-member," Kloha answered, "White-Tails and high-ranking officials, such as councilors and members of the Council's guard, are privileged to speak at what you would call a 'normal' tone. Almost everyone else, be they a Guide, a Tarsal, or most of the Alesooc Assembly, must speak in quieter tones. Guide Ori deliberately raised his voice today, challenging the White-Tails through both authority and defiance of culture."
Monika pondered her words as she rebandaged her wound, which seemed to be getting harder and harder to do. Kloha could, unfortunately, not help with the process, given that her race of Dathaurian was, apparently, rather quite vulnerable to parasites and disease. However, she had been kind enough to offer rags and scraps of old clothing to fashion new bandages, which, as the hours wore on, were quite helpful.
The fire they had pitched between themselves crackled softly. It was small, the light from the flames barely peering past the firewood, but it was enough. They had been walking for almost two hours, the evening having turned to night, and Monika needed to rest. Kloha, for her part, did not seem wary in the slightest, even after answering Monika's cavalcade of questions about Dathau.
"And why is it that the White-Tails, that's K'Shal's people, right?"
Kloha nodded.
"Why is it that the White-Tails seem to have more freedoms than you or the Alesooc do?"
"Mother K'Shal and the White-Tails once fought the Romulans like the rest of us, when they first arrived, but after a few years they found their survival better etched in the Star Empire's riches. They traded secrets, priceless artifacts, families, anything, for their own safety."
"I remember you mentioning that earlier," Monika said, pausing only to rip a piece of cloth with her teeth, "The White-Tails striking a deal with the Romulans threw your entire world into chaos?"
Kloha tended the fire with a spare branch, one that Monika had been using as a crutch as their walk had dragged on.
"Yes. Before, and during the early years of the Occupation, all of the Assemblies were considered equal. The White-Tails were often expanding, and they held no qualms about attacking the Wapitivu or Alesooc, but at least when the Council of Tribes would meet on planetwide issues they would cast aside their desires for the good of Dathau. When the Romulans arrived, and the White-Tails inevitably joined them, whatever measure of equality, feigned or not, was discarded. Their race thrived while ours dwindled, hunted to the brink by the Romulans, our peoples considered little more than sport."
Kloha's 'tending' of the fire had become something closer to smacking the flames with her branch. Her anger bubbled closer and closer to the surface with each word, and she only pulled back when she had finished, restraining her emotions again and setting the branch on the ground.
"When the Romulan Star Empire finally retreated from our world, the White-Tails hoarded their technology and weapons, punishing, de-platforming, and murdering those of us who attempted to stand up to them. Facilitating talk of any subject that did not conform to the White-Tails' already preset cultural ideas, ones held from even before Dathau was united, was punishable by prison or death. Our children ripped from our homes, their minds 'poisoned' and 'abused' by those of us who attempted to tell them of what it was like before the White-Tails, before the Occupation."
"You seem to be holding back quite a bit, Kloha," Monika said softly, "It's good to keep your emotions in check, but it's just you and me. If you need to feel your anger, or your hurt, you can."
Kloha looked up, tears rimming her eyes, but she did not let them fall. She took a deep breath and held it for several seconds before releasing it, her shoulders sagging as she did so. In a way, it reminded Monika of Lesmila. How often Lesmila would get to the brink of crying when they talked about something too close to home for zhar, or of the times zha almost let zhar anger loose into the world when Selokra or something else got underneath zhar skin.
That reminder panged Monika, and she desperately hoped her friend was alright. It had been several hours since she had seen zhar, and the separation worried her. Selokra had warned that Lesmila wouldn't do well on Dathau without a regular dose of anti-toxin, and while Monika had every ounce of faith in her closest friend, there was sometimes just no fighting the truth- and on Dathau, the truth was that Gareb's Syndrome would be fatal without treatment. Lesmila had to be alright, Monika willed into the universe, zha just had to be.
"I do not need to, my energy is better placed elsewhere, Federation-member," Kloha finally answered, her voice quavering but not breaking, "I live with the anger and the hurt every day, tonight is no different."
"You know it's healthy to cry or let loose, sometimes, right?" Monika offered, "Holding all that anxious or painful energy inside isn't doing anyone any favours, and it's going to come out the wrong way if you keep it bottled up."
"I understand your intention, but I cannot be so weak or careless right now. It must stay inside until I have safely guided you to the Mother Below."
Although Monika wanted to chide Kloha for classifying verified and heavily researched psychological advice as 'weak', she held her tongue. Aside from not being appropriate, she understood how she'd feel if someone tried to talk down to her about something like this.
"You've mentioned the Mother Below a few times," Monika said, changing the topic, "She's the leader of the Alesooc Assembly?"
"Yes, you may be familiar with them. The Alesooc regularly serve as the Council's personal armed guard."
"I think so, I met one by name when I arrived. Does Trixlamoon sound familiar?"
Kloha nodded, "There is a First who has taken the name of the Goddess of Survival and Winter, she serves closely with our Councilor."
"Jad'sko?" Monika asked, feeling like she already knew the answer.
"Yes. Councilor Jad'sko is the only member of the Wapitivu Assembly on the Council of Tribes, and perhaps the only honourable councilor among them."
"I'm not so certain about that, Kloha," Monika said, turning her eyes to the ground, "But he does seem to lean closer to the Federation's ideals than K'Shal."
Kloha perked up, raising what would have constituted for an eyebrow at Monika.
"What do you mean? Councilor Jad'sko is a good Dathaurian, he has fought and bled for our people for decades. He's one of the last ranking figures of the Dathaurian insurgency."
"That's my issue, Kloha, he's probably fought for so long he's forgot that there are other options out there. Just before I got shot," Monika shifted away from Kloha, getting the unnerving sense that their conversation was about to take a turn for the worse, "He approached me and my team, asked us to use our ship and technology to overthrow K'Shal."
"Did you not agree? It is daring, and dangerous, yes, but you agreed, yes?" Kloha insisted, her tone suggesting she, too, already knew the answer, "Overthrowing K'Shal could save thousands of lives."
"No," Monika struggled to answer, "No, I didn't agree. I will not beget more violence in a universe already torn apart by it."
"And you believe that abstaining from action does not bring about more?"
"No, it's not that, Kloha," Monika said, trying to save face and explain why she had turned down Jad'sko, "I'm a pacifist, acting in aggression or in a way that could bring harm to others is something I cannot do. There's always another way."
"You say this while, simultaneously, witnessing the way creatures like the White-Tails or the Romulans dole out death and destruction? They would kill you where you stood, Federation-member, and laugh over your corpse," Kloha replied, disbelievingly.
"I say that, Kloha," Monika said, her eyes finally meeting the Dathaurian's, "Because of the way the Romulans, the Klingons, the White-Tails, and, hell, even my own Federation deal out violence and destruction against violence and destruction. It doesn't work, and it's only continuing the cycle."
"There is no other way on Dathau," Kloha said, shaking her head at Monika, "There are times where your ideals must be substituted for reality, and as Dathau burns, Federation-member, I hope you realize that."
Monika wanted to reply, wanted to tell Kloha that no, her ideals could work, even in a place like Dathau. Everyone kept doubting her. Her former commanding officers had laughed at the idea, Admiral Archer clearly disdained it, and even Lesmila was only tentatively abiding by it because Monika was zhar friend, not because zha believed it could work. The reality of Dathau was horrifying, yes, but she could not, would not, be able to stop it or change it by giving into the same tendencies and patterns everyone else did.
I'm not better than them, she thought to herself, This planet, K'Shal's autocratic rule, her murderous policies, is their entire existence. I'm not better than them for challenging their methods, but I can't just give in and say there's no other way. I just have to find Lesmila, find Autumn and Selokra, and the Advisor. If I can just find them, we can work our way out of this mess, find something better, figure out something together-
Kloha extinguished the fire, turning away from their small camp.
"We must keep moving, Federation-member. The Mother Below's village is not far."
Picking up her improvised crutch and notching it under her good arm, Monika stood and followed the Dathaurian, doing her best to ignore the internal struggle that still roiled within her.
As the hours wore on, as the constant haze of the planet's worldwide fires continued to obscure her vision to varying degrees, and as the smog and intangibly bitter air continued to cake her throat and lungs, Monika found her patience waning. Adding to that, the pain from her shoulder was excruciating. She had used up the last of her painkilling hyposprays, and the self-filling gauze solution had run out as well. It bled, it ached, it screamed in pain with every slight bump in the path or up-and-down motion made while she walked. If she couldn't find a way out soon, or find her friends, Monika knew she'd be tempted even more by the idea of just blasting the Council Bunker to pieces and leaving the entire damned planet to whatever fate awaited it after K'Shal's demise. Monika couldn't bring herself to supporting the idea, but she was tired, and in pain, and her reserves of energy were waning.
The Dathaurians' food was unpalatable; all moss, uncooked plants, and seeds and fruits that were either too hard, too soft, or downright horrid tasting. Her water canteen, given to her by the Wapitivu at their hidden village, was empty. The last of it used to quench her thirst and wash out the wound. The distance to the Mother Below was still only Great-Bird knew how far away. Everything, to put it simply, was horrid, and growing worse by the second.
Monika Paige couldn't give up on Dathau, on her own personal mission to help the Dathaurians escape K'Shal's corruption and tyranny, not yet.
But if her meeting with the Mother Below failed, or if something had happened to Lesmila… The despair was almost enough to drown out what little hope of salvaging this mission she had left.
The darkness of night blanketed Dathau. In the distance, the echoing light of the planetwide wildfires could still be seen, but it was dim, and seemed quieter at night. The winds howled much worse, and much colder, than they had during the day, whipping the trees and tall grasses about as each wave came in intermittently behind the previous.
Monika Paige was almost numb, her body wracked with involuntary chills and a nausea that continued to eat away at her stomach. Ironically, while her body froze, her head and wounded shoulder felt like they were being cooked alive, and she paused just long enough to wipe away the beads of sweat that were traveling down her forehead.
It had been an hour, or maybe four, since they had made camp last, and Monika was feeling the lack of rest. Kloha had insisted they could never stop for long, and had stuck true to her word. The longest both of them had stopped to rest had only been for five minutes, and most of that had been for Monika's benefit. They had, briefly, encountered other members of the Wapitivu Assembly, who gifted them some water they had recovered from a stream nearby, which was a godsend to Monika's ash-ridden throat. However, even that encounter seemed to have been hours ago.
Finally, however, Monika heard something she hadn't in a very long time. It was an undoubtable sound, one impossible to mistake no matter which planet someone was on.
Civilization.
Parting the tall, thick field of wheat stalks they had trudged through only briefly, they came upon a scene that was something akin to a miracle and a dream come true for Paige's weakened mind. A village, a real one, with people, walking and talking. Houses, thatch, patchwork, but houses just the same, the lights inside glowing softly and warmly.
Her legs felt like they could give out at just the sight.
Kloha waved down one of the villagers, an orcish looking creature.
Ah, that's right, she reminded herself, the Alesooc, the moose-people. Right.
Monika did her best to orient her mind to the current moment, pushing past the waves of delirium and hazy cognition in order to do so. She clutched her shoulder, feeling the oozing, gel-like blood continuing to seep from beneath her fifth or sixth fashioned bandaging. It had lessened, thankfully, but only by so much. Monika had never longed to see Doctor Selokra so strongly as she did tonight, but there was little chance of that happening. She'd settle for herbal medicines and a long sleep, if nothing else.
The pair whispered to each other, and the Alesooc nodded, patted Kloha on the shoulder, and turned to Monika.
"Federation-member, I greet you, in the same kindness I would another," His voice was deep, strong, "You are injured, Captain Paige, of the Federation Patrol ship, Helicanus."
"Is it that obvious?" Monika half-joked, forcing a weary smile.
The Alesooc returned it with a smile of his own, showing off his many large teeth.
"Humour is in short supply among the doomed, Captain Paige, I applaud you," He turned to Kloha and whispered again, then moved towards Monika, heaving her up and onto his shoulders with one hand.
Monika elected to omit a scream as he slung her up on her injured shoulder.
The Alesooc looked down at Kloha as he re-adjusted Monika onto a more comfortable position, "Wapitivu-member, I suggest you stay here for the night. The White-Tails attacked our territory earlier this evening, and Ampli Aro says there are still more out there."
Kloha bowed to him, "I accept your suggestion, but I must return at first light. As Hitch Guide, I am already gone too long."
"We will send you back with the best members of Mother Below's personal guard. Guide V'Tarcsh will likely join you, he has much to discuss with Guide Ori about our continued efforts of resistance."
Resistance? Resistance. Resistance. Monika rolled the word around in her mind, which was in and of itself feeling as sluggish as the word felt, Why is that so familiar? I feel like I heard that word earlier, but why do I also get the feeling it wasn't good?
The Alesooc moved away from Kloha, who went off in a direction that Monika couldn't see or follow. She tried to take in the details of the village, memorize and map it out, but the pain was excruciating. Even having been switched to her good shoulder, the Alesooc walked like a mountain on stilts and it felt like the galaxy itself was shaking her about with each step that he took. With her eyes closed tightly, Monika bit on her lip and did her best to hold in the pain.
"I'm taking you to our doctor. He runs a small shop near the entrance to town. Unfortunately, that means he was caught in the crossfire today. He's alive, thankfully, but there might be a draft on the operating table."
Monika couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not, given that the winds out here were whipping her alive.
The mountain laughed a few seconds later.
"I don't know if you'll notice a difference though! Don't worry about those White-Tails, Captain, we pushed them back. A few of the Ampli mothers got together and forced a counter-attack, those cowardly White-Tails aren't likely to try again for a couple of days. Say what you want about the Alesooc and our ways, but when our children are threatened, their mothers reply with twice the force!"
Another booming laugh.
"My mother was the same way. I tell you this, Captain Paige, I have never seen Romulans run so fast. She just took a head in each hand and smacked them together, the rest of them scattered like fleas. They came back in force, but nobody, off-worlder or otherwise, has ever doubted the strength of an Ampli!"
If it wasn't for the unbearable pain and nausea caused by his laughter and his footsteps, Monika may have laughed with the Alesooc. However, the reality was that his help felt like it was killing her, and his laughter certainly did not make the journey any easier. She almost preferred the endless hours of continuous walking.
Thankfully, mercifully so, they reached the doctor.
The Alesooc ducked to get inside the building, gently setting Monika down on a bed that felt like it was made of leaves and straw. Knowing the Dathaurians, it probably was.
"Chief Tal," He said, his voice still loud and, now that he was inside, seemingly shaking the room, "We've got another miracle for you, looks like it's an easier job."
Another?
Hoofsteps clunked into the room, across a floor that sounded like it was made of hollowed out tubes. A voice, elderly and wavering, like Jad'sko's, responded with an impatient tone.
"Shoo, shoo, I don't need you shaking this whole building apart with your voice, Makius."
"Right, right," Makius replied, quieting, "My bad, Chief Tal. I didn't know if you were awake or not."
"I am, I've been trying to keep that blue thing alive. Whatever's eating her, it's working faster than I can. Who's this?"
"Captain Monika Paige, a Federation-member. The Federation-member."
A knowing silence passed between the two, and, moments later, a curious snout and beady eyes appeared in Monika's vision, blurred as it was.
"So, you're the one who startled the White-Tails so bad they started doing their own dirty work again," Chief Tal said, mystified, before adding, "I thought you'd be taller, and have bigger antlers."
"Chief Tal, she's an off-worlder. They don't have antlers."
"Oh yah, Makius?" Chief Tal turned his head away, "Because that blue one's got them. They're short and funky looking, and one I think I'll have to amputate, but she's got antlers."
Blue? Antlers?
Monika sat up, far too fast as she soon found out as she nearly collapsed out of the bed, saved only by Chief Tal's outstretched arms.
"Where is zha?" Monika asked.
"Zha? What's a zha?" Chief Tal looked between her and Makius, who shrugged.
"The blue one," Monika hissed, grasping at Tal's jacket with her good arm, "Where is zha?"
"Oh, she's one of yours isn't she?" He said, nodding slowly in understanding, "She's in the back, spilling some sort of black and blue sludge all over my floors and in a lot of pain."
Monika attempted to hoist herself up, but Tal stopped her with a hand that radiated more strength than it showed.
"Easy now, Captain, you heading back there isn't going to do anything but cause more chaos. I have far too much of that right now, you just rest and once I have her stabilized I'll get to you."
"No," Monika insisted, forcing herself back up, "I need to see zhar."
"That blue thing wouldn't be able to understand anything, Captain. She's hardly conscious, and barely alive. She took a nasty fall today, and if it wasn't for what I can only assume is a genetic tendency towards suicide in your antler-less kind, she'd be dead."
That did nothing to lessen Monika's attempts to get up, and, in fact, only heightened her anxiety and panic, and she struggled harder. However, Chief Tal's grip was firm, and she did little more than exhaust herself.
"I'll let you see her as soon as I can, Captain, but her and your other friend are in critical condition, and I need to get them patched up. Understand?"
Monika couldn't fathom who it was that constituted as her 'other friend', but she didn't care. She needed to see Lesmila, especially after what Chief Tal had told her.
Seeing that she wasn't about to quit struggling, Chief Tal had Makius hand him a wooden cup from a nearby shelf, and the Alesooc forced Monika to lay back down.
"Now, quit struggling, you're putting yourself into a panic. Drink this," He slowly pushed the cup towards her, "It'll numb the pain, and help stimulate some growth back in that shoulder of yours."
Monika didn't want to drink it, she didn't want to lay still, she wanted to see Lesmila, to make sure that her best friend was alright. To tell zhar everything she'd ever felt, everything she might never get to say again. That need overrode every other instinct in her body.
Chief Tal clearly saw that fact as well and, with Makius' help, forced her to drink the concoction. It went down about as smoothly as an icicle, and it tasted like a bog mixed with chalk. Together, the Alesoocs held her down until it began to take effect. Slowly, she stopped fighting them, stopped struggling, and it felt like she simply fell backwards, head over heels, into unconsciousness. The last tangible thought on her mind being one word, one that filled her with intense emotions. One name that seemed to set the galaxy of her heart on fire, just by a glance, a brush of the stark-white hair.
Lesmila.