Through Chaos by Joshua A. Johnston

Author:Joshua A. Johnston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Published: 2018-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

19

Retaelus: Nebula’s Edge

Earth Index 1307.196

“It is good to be out / It is good to be away / (relief),” said Au’p, cradling Sarco’s staff close to its dark, gelatinous, Plury’be body. “Our place is not with the Separate / Our place is fighting Dar / (certainty).”

Jared looked up from where he was crouched next to a conduit, the pain from his ribs less aggravating this morning than it had been a couple of days ago. All of the crew was on the bridge, either at their stations or making repairs under Triphox’s direction. Five months languishing in a Separate cargo hold, followed by a frenetic escape from the Separate’s liberator, followed by a frantic series of evasive jumps through the dust-filled nebula of the Nameless Place, had taken its toll on the interceptor.

Now they were, for the moment, in a relatively safe spot: just outside of the Separate’s detection network but not quite to the border of the Domain’s Net.

Jared’s gaze lingered momentarily on the spacescape before them. It was an otherwise-unremarkable vista of open space, sprinkled with stars, notable only for being the first open space they’d seen in months. That it also was the border of Dar’s Domain tempered his happiness, but only to a degree. There was a point in time not long ago when Jared thought he’d never see the stars again.

He said to Au’p, “I agree, it is good to be free. I just wish I would stop dreaming about them.”

Kilvin, sitting at navigation, turned his nose up. “You smell tense, Captain. Did you have a nightmare last night?”

“I’ve had them every time I’ve slept since we escaped,” he said, not even bothering to try to explain the way he felt about them. “What makes it worse is that in this dream I actually felt moments of happiness.”

“Happiness?” said Darel, handing a tool back to Triphox. “You wished to stay with the Separate?”

“I can take us back, sir,” said Kilvin.

Jared stood, frowning at his two officers. “Serves me right for teaching you about Human humor.”

“Did I sound humorous?” said Kilvin.

“I was not being humorous,” said Darel.

Jared put his hands on his hips. “Of course not,” he said, although he wasn’t sure. “I’ll pass on the offer . . . but I’ll also admit that there was a certain appeal to their life. They found a way of living separate from evil.”

“You cannot separate from evil / Evil is everywhere,” said Au’p. “Much good is with the Separate / Much evil is with the Separate.”

“Their definition of good is distorted,” said Vetta. “It was a life based on faith, but one that held little concern for what happened outside the nebula. It is the opposite of the ideals that led us all to join the Navy.”

“Or to follow the Incarnate,” said Kilvin in a soft voice.

“Or to follow the Incarnate,” agreed Vetta.

Jared rubbed his face in thought. He was finally getting accustomed to life without a beard again, and it felt good. As he resumed his repair of the console in front of him, he said, “I don’t disagree with you.

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