Series 1.13 - Reemergence, Part Two
One step after another through a never-ending path of darkness; a maze of shadows with no resolve. A man takes a step which then turns into thousands. Those steps build a pathway to something different; strength to make it through. A thousand steps through the dark leads him towards a microscopic flash of light. That nearly unmeasurable difference is all that is needed to go headlong through a wall and turn it into nothing more than a small obstacle. A bit of light creates enough hope to create something unstoppable deep inside of him. What is one to do when the obscurity of the darkness is more enticing than the freedom a light brings? What if the shadows drape across the shoulders like a warm blanket? This place makes no sense. Just another confusing step; thousands become trillions because they no longer matter. He is running away from the light again before he ever knew it.
Why am I running? Was I not created for this very reason? To oppose the wickedness that it brings; to try and stop it before it consumes us all.
He wanted to stop running now, but he remembered the voice that urged him on this far. He remembers the voice that saved him from the blinding wastelands of torment. The voice that told him that they had to run if they wanted to survive. The conflict in his heart and in his mind were as if two stars had met in space and were struggling not to pull each other apart. There was something else chasing him through the maze now; a memory of someone he used to be. It was a thought that cut him deeper than any blade ever could. He only remembered how he failed now and how it meant the end of everything. He was supposed to be the one saved them all, but now he was running away from the thing he was meant to stop.
I am sorry, but I cannot do this. I must stop and face this. They created me to do this, and I have forsaken them once before. I will not do it again. I’m sorry.
A trillion steps became a final one in an instant. Though he could still only see just a hint of the light through the darkness he had traveled, he knew that he had to make a stand. But the memory that had urged him to fight was fleeting and disenchanting; the doubt and distress overcame him once more. How could a man stand up against the pull of a star? He was being torn apart and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Why am I running? Was I not created for this very reason? To oppose the wickedness that it brings; to try and stop it before it consumes us all.
He wanted to stop running now, but he remembered the voice that urged him on this far. He remembers the voice that saved him from the blinding wastelands of torment. The voice that told him that they had to run if they wanted to survive. The conflict in his heart and in his mind were as if two stars had met in space and were struggling not to pull each other apart. There was something else chasing him through the maze now; a memory of someone he used to be. It was a thought that cut him deeper than any blade ever could. He only remembered how he failed now and how it meant the end of everything. He was supposed to be the one saved them all, but now he was running away from the thing he was meant to stop.
I am sorry, but I cannot do this. I must stop and face this. They created me to do this, and I have forsaken them once before. I will not do it again. I’m sorry.
A trillion steps became a final one in an instant. Though he could still only see just a hint of the light through the darkness he had traveled, he knew that he had to make a stand. But the memory that had urged him to fight was fleeting and disenchanting; the doubt and distress overcame him once more. How could a man stand up against the pull of a star? He was being torn apart and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
*****
“What now? Why are you stopping?” exclaimed Melora as she came to a sliding stop in the collapsing tunnel they had chosen to escape down.
Hox had been running just behind Aida and herself, but he had come to a sudden stop. Though there was a lack of light in the tunnel, she could see his outline in the glow of her Resonator as he turned to face the direction they had come.
“I know you probably don’t understand what is going on here, but I need to you listen to me and I need you to keep going with us. If you do not, I will not hesitate to leave you here.” said Melora.
“Hey, are you listening to me?” she grabbed hold of his forearm and turned him back towards her direction. She could not really see his eyes, other than the glow they cast, but she could feel him looking deep into her own somehow.
Who are you?
She was not sure if she had said the words out loud or merely thought them, but it seemed as though they resonated in the tired man’s mind. He took in a deep breath before grabbing hold of her opposite arm and motioned for her to lead the way forward. It came at no better time, as the enemy pursuers were gaining ground and much larger sections of the temple ceiling were falling around them, some being deflected by Aida’s UDE-1 shield, but not all.
“I don’t mean to sound concerned, but if we’re going to get out of here, we need to keep moving, please.” Aida said through an understandable amount of strain in her voice.
“He’s fine, we’re coming, just keep pushing forward. Once we find a way outside, we’ll either get to the ship or make a final stand.” Melora said, in the Commandant’s tone of voice she had become most known for.
They continued their push towards the outermost sections of the temple with the goal of reaching the outside before the entire temple collapsed. The enemy forces, including the leader who had killed Kel, were somehow able to keep track with every twist and turn they made down the darkened passages. Melora began to wonder if they somehow had a way of tracking Hox because it appeared as though he was infused with the same kind of energy as they were. They had suspected that he had been either a living trophy or an attempt at creating something that they could use in acts of espionage. Ultimately, it did not really matter to her. She knew that if they were able to regroup out in the open, she could beat the Sunder leader and his troops in a fight. And if not, she would at least be able to hold her own long enough with the help of Aida for the others to find them in the ship and provide support. And if the prisoner turned out to be a threat, she would do what she had to do remedy that situation too.
The longer they ran, the less time they had before a total collapse. Aida’s strength was fading and Melora was not sure just how much longer the girl could protect them from the shower of debris. She knew that she had to think of something drastic and soon; otherwise, her legacy would come to an end in a way that was not ideal. Her life story was the topic of countless civilizations around the galaxy, perhaps only second to her father’s. There was no one more famous; or infamous for that matter. Every choice she made was scrutinized and every word she chose broken apart by fans and detractors alike. Nobody would approve of it all coming to an end due to her being crushed to death on some unheard-of planet on the outskirts of the galaxy the first time she ever encountered the Sunder. A large piece of a ceiling came down directly on top of the shield, which caused Aida to stumble; she nearly lost her grip under the pressure. Melora could see the girl struggling to stand back up on both feet and vaguely saw through the dark what looked like UDE-1-scarring on the girl’s neck and hands forming. Melora could wait no longer.
What she was about to do was dangerous and she knew it. She began to well up the UDE-1 inside of her Resonator Harness to the point where it began to overflow and spill out in a sentient-like cloud around her body. She knew the risk to her wellbeing this would likely cause; she also knew just how much more she could handle than anyone else had ever been able to and was willing to push for more.
What’s losing your mind in the face of death, anyway?
She was indeed losing the sense of who she was or what she was doing the more UDE-1 engulfed her. She could feel the immense lure of the power as it weaved its way through her entire being. It felt…good. But she knew she could not let it go on; she had to release it or else it would corrupt her entirely. And if that happened, the others were doomed anyway. With a booming cry, she angled her arms towards the nearest wall and sent all the UDE-1 she had been building up careening towards it in a mighty flourish of energy through her Resonator and through her arms. It felt as though her skin had been scorched off in the process and an undeniable sense of dread and despair at losing the UDE-1 and the power it had promised her weakened her knees until she had joined Aida on the floor. The tunnel had filled with more dust and smoke but also something promising: light. Her plan had worked; the UDE-1 blast had knocked down enough of the surrounding wall that they now had an opening to escape to the outside through. She mustered what little physical strength she still had, all the while ignoring the incredible pain her body was in, and lifted Aida up from her kneeled position.
“We need to get through there and out fast, I think I just expedited the temple falling down.”
“I…think…so…Commandant…” said a very fatigued Aida in a breathless whisper.
The three of them pushed over the piles of rock that was now blocking their path to the hole that Melora had made in the temple wall. The pale light of the small star that Kerworn circled was more welcoming than anything Melora had ever seen; or at least that is what she felt in this very moment. The other part of her mind was still in utter anguish at letting go of the power she had allowed to build up inside of her. But she felt ashamed for mourning that more than the loss of Kel and snapped back into reality once more.
She knew that she may have made a grave tactical error in exerting herself so much for them to escape, but there was no other choice. The only hope she had now was if the extra damage she had caused would be enough to trap the Sunder on their tail. Even the strongest Controller, and she was, could not win a fight in the state she was now in; Aida wouldn’t be much of a help either.
Just get outside and call Tae.
She never liked having to rely on her brother to bail her out of situations like this, even if those moments were so few and far between. She reveled in being known as the stronger, more competent Rowe child. And she also knew she was never going to hear the end of it from Tae for the way this mission had turned out. The last thing he needed was more ammunition; but she needed him. So, she had to accept the sacrifice of the situation.
They finally made it out through the opening in the wall and into a cobbled courtyard of old stone pathways. Aida could finally release the UDE-1 from her Resonator and do what she could to focus on her own recovery. Hox stumbled down onto his hands and knees, as his body began to glow brighter in the aura of white that had been surrounding him. Melora wasted no time in clicking her comm-set active and attempted to contact the others.
“Attention Strike Team Pilot, this is Commandant Rowe. Respond immediately to my location for exfiltration.”
The seconds between when her sentence had ended and the reply felt like hours, but she was relieved to hear Alere’s reply, nonetheless.
“We’re on you, boss lady. You can’t wait around though once we’re down there, we’ve got major enemy sky reinforcements in route on our position.”
“Understood. You have three for pickup.”
“Three? Kel is okay? He made it out too?” The voice of her brother broke over the channel.
Before she had time to think of a reply, a boom of horrid lightning and thunder exploded in the opening of the temple she had made. The Sunder were closer now.
“Just get here and fast.”
“You got it.” said Alere.
Hox had been running just behind Aida and herself, but he had come to a sudden stop. Though there was a lack of light in the tunnel, she could see his outline in the glow of her Resonator as he turned to face the direction they had come.
“I know you probably don’t understand what is going on here, but I need to you listen to me and I need you to keep going with us. If you do not, I will not hesitate to leave you here.” said Melora.
“Hey, are you listening to me?” she grabbed hold of his forearm and turned him back towards her direction. She could not really see his eyes, other than the glow they cast, but she could feel him looking deep into her own somehow.
Who are you?
She was not sure if she had said the words out loud or merely thought them, but it seemed as though they resonated in the tired man’s mind. He took in a deep breath before grabbing hold of her opposite arm and motioned for her to lead the way forward. It came at no better time, as the enemy pursuers were gaining ground and much larger sections of the temple ceiling were falling around them, some being deflected by Aida’s UDE-1 shield, but not all.
“I don’t mean to sound concerned, but if we’re going to get out of here, we need to keep moving, please.” Aida said through an understandable amount of strain in her voice.
“He’s fine, we’re coming, just keep pushing forward. Once we find a way outside, we’ll either get to the ship or make a final stand.” Melora said, in the Commandant’s tone of voice she had become most known for.
They continued their push towards the outermost sections of the temple with the goal of reaching the outside before the entire temple collapsed. The enemy forces, including the leader who had killed Kel, were somehow able to keep track with every twist and turn they made down the darkened passages. Melora began to wonder if they somehow had a way of tracking Hox because it appeared as though he was infused with the same kind of energy as they were. They had suspected that he had been either a living trophy or an attempt at creating something that they could use in acts of espionage. Ultimately, it did not really matter to her. She knew that if they were able to regroup out in the open, she could beat the Sunder leader and his troops in a fight. And if not, she would at least be able to hold her own long enough with the help of Aida for the others to find them in the ship and provide support. And if the prisoner turned out to be a threat, she would do what she had to do remedy that situation too.
The longer they ran, the less time they had before a total collapse. Aida’s strength was fading and Melora was not sure just how much longer the girl could protect them from the shower of debris. She knew that she had to think of something drastic and soon; otherwise, her legacy would come to an end in a way that was not ideal. Her life story was the topic of countless civilizations around the galaxy, perhaps only second to her father’s. There was no one more famous; or infamous for that matter. Every choice she made was scrutinized and every word she chose broken apart by fans and detractors alike. Nobody would approve of it all coming to an end due to her being crushed to death on some unheard-of planet on the outskirts of the galaxy the first time she ever encountered the Sunder. A large piece of a ceiling came down directly on top of the shield, which caused Aida to stumble; she nearly lost her grip under the pressure. Melora could see the girl struggling to stand back up on both feet and vaguely saw through the dark what looked like UDE-1-scarring on the girl’s neck and hands forming. Melora could wait no longer.
What she was about to do was dangerous and she knew it. She began to well up the UDE-1 inside of her Resonator Harness to the point where it began to overflow and spill out in a sentient-like cloud around her body. She knew the risk to her wellbeing this would likely cause; she also knew just how much more she could handle than anyone else had ever been able to and was willing to push for more.
What’s losing your mind in the face of death, anyway?
She was indeed losing the sense of who she was or what she was doing the more UDE-1 engulfed her. She could feel the immense lure of the power as it weaved its way through her entire being. It felt…good. But she knew she could not let it go on; she had to release it or else it would corrupt her entirely. And if that happened, the others were doomed anyway. With a booming cry, she angled her arms towards the nearest wall and sent all the UDE-1 she had been building up careening towards it in a mighty flourish of energy through her Resonator and through her arms. It felt as though her skin had been scorched off in the process and an undeniable sense of dread and despair at losing the UDE-1 and the power it had promised her weakened her knees until she had joined Aida on the floor. The tunnel had filled with more dust and smoke but also something promising: light. Her plan had worked; the UDE-1 blast had knocked down enough of the surrounding wall that they now had an opening to escape to the outside through. She mustered what little physical strength she still had, all the while ignoring the incredible pain her body was in, and lifted Aida up from her kneeled position.
“We need to get through there and out fast, I think I just expedited the temple falling down.”
“I…think…so…Commandant…” said a very fatigued Aida in a breathless whisper.
The three of them pushed over the piles of rock that was now blocking their path to the hole that Melora had made in the temple wall. The pale light of the small star that Kerworn circled was more welcoming than anything Melora had ever seen; or at least that is what she felt in this very moment. The other part of her mind was still in utter anguish at letting go of the power she had allowed to build up inside of her. But she felt ashamed for mourning that more than the loss of Kel and snapped back into reality once more.
She knew that she may have made a grave tactical error in exerting herself so much for them to escape, but there was no other choice. The only hope she had now was if the extra damage she had caused would be enough to trap the Sunder on their tail. Even the strongest Controller, and she was, could not win a fight in the state she was now in; Aida wouldn’t be much of a help either.
Just get outside and call Tae.
She never liked having to rely on her brother to bail her out of situations like this, even if those moments were so few and far between. She reveled in being known as the stronger, more competent Rowe child. And she also knew she was never going to hear the end of it from Tae for the way this mission had turned out. The last thing he needed was more ammunition; but she needed him. So, she had to accept the sacrifice of the situation.
They finally made it out through the opening in the wall and into a cobbled courtyard of old stone pathways. Aida could finally release the UDE-1 from her Resonator and do what she could to focus on her own recovery. Hox stumbled down onto his hands and knees, as his body began to glow brighter in the aura of white that had been surrounding him. Melora wasted no time in clicking her comm-set active and attempted to contact the others.
“Attention Strike Team Pilot, this is Commandant Rowe. Respond immediately to my location for exfiltration.”
The seconds between when her sentence had ended and the reply felt like hours, but she was relieved to hear Alere’s reply, nonetheless.
“We’re on you, boss lady. You can’t wait around though once we’re down there, we’ve got major enemy sky reinforcements in route on our position.”
“Understood. You have three for pickup.”
“Three? Kel is okay? He made it out too?” The voice of her brother broke over the channel.
Before she had time to think of a reply, a boom of horrid lightning and thunder exploded in the opening of the temple she had made. The Sunder were closer now.
“Just get here and fast.”
“You got it.” said Alere.
