Stephen motioned to Dylan, who instantly walked to the balcony ledge and let out a loud whistle to get the people’s attention.
“Everyone, listen! The Governor is about to speak!” Dylan proclaimed.
After a moment, the crowd settled down and turned their attention to the balcony.
Stephen stepped up and surveyed them all for a few seconds before speaking. “My friends…my people, tomorrow we will fight for our very lives, in a battle to determine the future of our race. Our enemy is strong, but we are stronger! They are swift, but we move quicker! And most importantly, they are smart, but we are wiser!”
The people nodded and began chattering their agreements but quickly settled down again when Stephen raised his hand to retrieve their attention.
“I will not lie to you,” he continued. “We are outnumbered. But we are not outwitted! We will succeed! We will survive! We will fight to the very end! And we will not die in vain! We will not slip quietly into the darkness! We will not surrender to the forces of evil! We will not yield our spirits to a faceless enemy who attacks the defenseless! We will prevail! We will persevere! And all my dear people, listen to me now, when I say that we will undoubtedly… and assuredly…be…the victors!”
With this, the crowd broke out into cheers, and their hands waved wildly in the air. They had been stirred in a way they never knew possible before. Even in the face of danger, when doom seemed to be lurking ever closer, all seemed well within them.
Dylan joined the people in cheering Stephen on and forgot all his inhibitions about maintaining a professional demeanor at the assembly. He was undoubtedly ready now to fight by Stephen’s side to his own death, and he would never regret a moment of it.
Stephen knew now, as the people howled with fervor and brandished their powered fists in the air, that they were ready, as much as they could possibly be, to face the challenge before them. Whatever the outcome of the following day’s battle, Stephen knew in his deepest of emotions that they would all be heroes.
The world was quiet at sunset. The wind even appeared to die down for a moment, as if it were pausing to watch the day end. Hills and plains seemed to glow with life as the dim sunlight danced over the land, growing weaker and weaker with each passing moment. It had become Stephen’s favorite part of day.
Even on this day, possibly his last, Stephen still stopped to savor the wondrous show. He leaned against a tree with a warm smile on his face. His thoughts dwelt on his mother - a kind apparition whom he was remembering less and less with each day that passed. But with the fading of memories, his love for her did not follow. He missed her deeply.
Stephen’s father held bittersweet reverence in the young man’s heart. He loved the man, but never allowed himself to know him. Stephen thought back to the day when he was just a boy. His mother and many other people had been killed when a passing meteorite had smashed a section of the ship’s arboretum. The hull was ruptured and his mother was killed. His father was leading the team that had tried desperately to save them - to seal the hole before it was too late. But he had failed.
Stephen alone had been amazed that his father could not save them, and never forgave him for it. Until now, Stephen had despised his father silently. Only now did Stephen begin to understand what a true hero his father had been. He had come to understand that a hero was not created by success at a heroic endeavor, but merely in the attempt.
In the place within his heart where Stephen used to hold his resentment, he now kept a sickness - a regret that he had not realized this truth sooner, so that he could have forgiven his father years ago, and been at peace. He regretted that he was never able to tell his father in person that he was proud to be his one and only son.
All the regrets in his heart gelled, and Stephen envisioned Mandel’s corpse, the smoldering ship he had once known as a home, the sight of Michael vanishing into darkness, and the image of his mother being swept into an icy tomb. The alien barbarians were to blame for it all!
Stephen felt with great certainty that the evil ferocity these creatures embodied was the source of all his pain. Soon he would make them understand his pain. Soon, he would make his final stand. He then thought back to the master race that these aliens were once subject to, the travelers. He imagined the cruelty and contempt for life they must have inflicted upon these beasts. Was it really their fault that they now hated all foreign presence in their domain? Should they be blamed for the malice they possessed? Stephen shook his head.
“They would never forgive us,” he said quietly to himself.
He sighed deeply and gazed at the darkening grass at his feet. The wind began to pick up a bit, and the world became filled with sound again. Stephen looked up to see that the sun had vanished, and he was alone in the pale after-glow. He turned and quietly said goodbye to the world, then walked back towards the city. Tomorrow, his fate would be decided.
Stephen stood alone in the corridor, bombarded by his worries of the upcoming battle. He went to the end of the hallway and stopped beside his room, looking over at the doorway that led to Kirin’s room. Only darkness reigned within it.
Ever since the funeral, Stephen had not seen Kirin at all. She had not returned to her apartment - at least, not when Stephen was around. Even her comrades in the hospital were unable to tell him where she might be.
Stephen felt another great rush of pity for the wounded girl, and he wondered where she had been. He then walked through his apartment and stepped out onto his patio, leaning over the rail.
Stephen stared toward the moon that rose ever higher in the cloudless night sky. Its shine not only illuminated the forest, but also created a magnificent aura that blotted out all the stars surrounding the white orb.
Breathing in the night air, Stephen let his attention fall on the outcropping outside the city that overlooked the huge battlefield below. There, on the outcropping, sat a tiny white figure. She was alone and sorrowed - bathed in moonlight. Stephen breathed out in sympathy and immediately knew what he wanted to do…what he needed to do.
The journey up to the outlook was one that Stephen had ventured numerous times. But this time, he ventured with the realization that it would be the last time he ever saw it. In his mind, Stephen was sure that the humans would prevail the next day, but somewhere in the recesses of his consciousness, he stifled the image of himself falling lifelessly on the battlefield. He could hardly bear the thought of his own death, but with certainty, he knew that it was coming after the next sunrise.
Kirin sat alone in the cool grass with a white sheet wrapped around her shoulders - an image Stephen held to be very precious. But now Stephen sensed that she needed more than her own company. She did not turn her head as he walked out onto the outcropping and knelt down a few feet away from her. Stephen could see no tears in her eyes, but she sat with a hunched over demeanor that well expressed her feelings of sorrow. He moved his gaze up to the magnificent, shimmering full moon that seemed to cover the entire sky. He could not imagine what the proper thing to say would be, but he felt that his presence alone was probably some comfort to her.
The two sat in silence for several moments, watching the moon. A breeze swayed the short grass and lightly swept through Kirin’s flowing, black hair. She reached up to pull a single strand away from her face, and she exhaled ever so softly. The night air was warm, but a cold shiver made Stephen tremble.
“I know it’s not your fault,” said Kirin, softly. Her gaze never shifted from the moon as she spoke.
Stephen turned in astonishment, never expecting to hear her say those words.
“I realize now that what he did, he had to do…” she then spoke almost in a whisper “… and what you did, you had to do...”
Stephen began to say something to agree with her, but his better judgment told him that it would be wiser to just remain silent at the time.
“Tomorrow, you’re going to fight for us all… in a battle that he would have fought in if he were still here...” She paused for a m
oment, the sound of her voice replaced by the natural serenade of the night air. “And I’m afraid…” she whispered.
Stephen bowed his head silently and stared at the pure green grass. After a moment, he rose and slowly stepped over to sit down beside her. Still unsure if what he was doing was good, he slowly placed his arm around her shoulder and consoled her through gentle touch.
“Everything will be fine,” Stephen whispered to her. “Whatever happens…it will be alright.”
Kirin moved her eyes away from the titanic moon and met Stephen’s tender gaze.
As he looked into the hurt eyes of the girl he had never truly known before, Stephen began to sense a fondness for Kirin that he didn’t want to keep from her. However, fear held him inhibited, and he found that all he could do was return an affectionate stare.
Kirin did not know exactly how to react to the young man either, but she somehow needed him more than the very air she breathed.
Stephen could sense her new emotion toward him and turned to completely face her, inviting her to proceed in any way she wished.
Kirin did not feel threatened any more than Stephen felt aggressive, and the two remained together for another moment, toiling in hesitation.
Kirin leaned closer to Stephen and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.
Overcome with a rush of fondness, Stephen nodded gently with approval, holding her close to his own body, afraid to ever let her go.
After a moment of shared comfort, the two released their grip on each other, and Kirin sat back with her eyes fixed on the ground. It was then that Stephen noticed the single, clear droplet roll across her cheek and fall into the grass. Stephen softly placed his fingertips under her chin, encouraging her to look up.
Kirin once again raised her head to met Stephen’s gaze and revealed to him the only instance in her adult life that she had ever cried.
Stephen’s heart melted. He gently wiped away her tears with all the affection of a boy enamored with his first love.
As the breeze returned to cool Kirin’s face, she leaned forward once again - this time to embrace Stephen’s lips in a show of affection that neither of them had ever experienced before.
The compassionate kiss continued on as the gentle breeze turned into a cool wind that flowed around and throughout the clothes and hair of the two humans caring for one another in the loneliness of a place that was still not their home.
Stephen sat back, his hands now resting on the shoulders of his newfound comfort.
Kirin lowered her head and began to sob, distraught with affection and sorrow. Again, she leaned forward to hold her love close.
Stephen consoled her warmly, but he began to feel a swell of anger rise within him, as he glared out over the beautiful green plain below that was soon to become a horribly desecrated field of death.
He would never let anything happen to her.
All was still at the base of the alien tower. Portions of the structure still lay burning in the early morning light. A large portion of the base structure remained upright, although no lights could be seen through its windows.
Suddenly, a loud screeching noise resounded over the valley, and a huge metal door began to scrape slowly open. Out of the doorway, red eyes began to glow and the tower shook with a deep rumble. Dust and debris were blown about as an enormous, monstrous form glided stealthily out of the edifice and turned to the southwest.
3
The endless void of space sat quiet and still, just as it had for a virtual eternity past. A giant body, (thought small in comparison to some of the others in the system) slowly turned on its axis. As it rotated around in space, en enormous, purely white sun began to peer slowly over the planet’s horizon, sending forth rays of light, warmth and hope.
Invisible and undetectable to any device, a pure, bodiless entity descended on the planet in search of the beacon of true love between mortals.
The afternoon sky was dark and heavy with moisture. Dense, black storm clouds loomed overhead on the battlefield, and the occasional rumble of nearby thunder foretold of the storm that was soon to ensue.
The outcropping where Stephen and Kirin had met the night before no longer peered out over an empty field of grass below, but rather watched upon the human army assembled at its base - arrayed like a fan and standing ready at every moment.
The morning scout report had estimated that the enemy army would arrive in the late morning, so Stephen and the rest of the humans had been waiting for several hours. Each man carried the weapon of his own taste. Some had traditional swords of steel, others had new bizarre blades of deadly shape, and still others carried blades as well as long bows and crossbows. These men were lined up along the sides of the massive cluster of hand-to-hand warriors.
In front of the impressive array of archers stood twenty men with backpack-rifles, which were all that could be procured since the main storage of weapons onboard the ship had been full when it was destroyed.
At the very front of the assembled group of combatants stood Dylan Hamish, tall and mighty in the face of his new responsibility as head of the human military. He surveyed the group of men under his command with pride, for not only had the military soldiers come to fight, but almost every other able man in the human race as well. He had trained the civilians well over the last several days. Although they were not as prepared as the military fighters, he was certain that the men had heart enough to make a valiant stand that day.
The warriors were assembled in dozens of rows, each of which stretched the entire width of the field. Stephen waited anxiously in the midst of the third row of men. He knew there was only one man qualified to command the army. For the duration of the battle, Stephen had relinquished all command to Dylan, who was grateful for the acknowledgement.
Stephen had then humbly joined the ranks of the men, all of whom greeted him with smiles of approval and acceptance whether or not they had ever met him before.
As he, and all the other warriors, waited impatiently for the battle to begin, Stephen reflected on all the events that had unfolded to bring him to this point in his life. He could not have imagined that all these things would ever occur.
Stephen remembered briefly his parents. He remembered how he spent most of his life with his friend Mandel. Then Stephen’s mind quickly shifted to the image of his friend’s lifeless body hanging from the spear, and he shuddered in disgust and sudden anger. He realized that he had grown to hate the creatures that were the cause of so much pain and loss in his life.
The beasts had taken his only friend Mandel, his only mentor Michael, and were now threatening to take away the lives of his entire race for a reason that neither Stephen, nor anyone else, could fully understand.
Stephen was unable to fathom what had caused the creatures’ unwarranted hatred for the humans, and he then grew even angrier. Even if they were trespassing among the aliens’ living area, there was still no reason to so ruthlessly attack and attempt to exterminate the innocent people. His anger then began to burn brightly.
Stephen imagined the damage they had done to Kirin - an entirely innocent victim. They had taken away her only means of companionship on the new planet and the only person she ever loved. For this, Stephen bitterly and caustically thanked the beasts, for that is what he knew must have driven her to desire his own affection. His fury built and began to thrive.
Kirin looked around the buzzing control room. Everywhere, computer consoles and blinking control panels hummed with life as a handful of mumbling technicians busily checked instruments and monitors. Kirin walked to the farthest part of the room and peered out the slanted window to the ground twenty stories below. She gently stroked the wedding band dangling from her neck by a cord.
“Miss Lee,” Byron said, as he walked over to her and sat down at a computer console. “How are you feeling?”
Kirin smiled meekly. “I’m alright,” she said. She turned to face the window again. Unconsciously, Kirin continued to stroke the ring
. “I was wondering if it would be okay for me to observe from in here. I’ll stay out of your way.”
Byron looked up from the computer and squirmed in his chair. “I’m not sure if you would want to see this. It may get very…brutal, you know?”
She nodded. “I know that, but I’ll feel much better being able to see what’s going on for myself. I’ll be alright, if you’ll let me stay.”
Byron shrugged and pointed to the console right beside his. “Sure…if you insist. You can use that monitor there if you like. No one’s using it.”
“Thank you,” she said humbly.
“It’s no problem,” he replied. Byron watched her sit down and wondered what she must be feeling. He could not imagine the whirlwind of emotions she was facing.
Kirin examined the console before her and quickly refamiliarized herself with the controls. Her monitor displayed a slightly blurred image of the battlefield where hundreds of warriors stood, waiting for the final conflict. She immediately tried to pick out Stephen’s face among the crowd, but she had no idea where to look.
Kirin glanced at the console and found a zooming button atop a small joystick. She tried the switch and instantly, the camera began to swivel from its mounted position on a tree nearby the men. She closed in on the nearest row of warriors, each of whom stood with a very long bow in his hand, and she began scanning each face.
As Kirin slowly searched the crowd for her love, she began to wonder if it would be better for her not to find him at all. In her stomach, she became afraid of finding him, for she did not want to watch him fall in death, should such a tragedy occur during the battle.
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