region was the old City Center of Kelgar, modified to better suit the needs of the Faalcomana after they usurped the city. It was four towers connected by fifth story skywalks. The Faalcomana had tailored the South Tower for many ceremonial purposes. Various spiritual gatherings and ceremonies, such as worship and rites of passages were held on its lower levels. Outside of that, it was used for non-military storage; it housed, among other things, the morgue.
Inside the morgue, it was cold and dark, with large stone tables all throughout on which the bodies of the fallen were placed. Faalcomana tradition was to cremate the remains of the dead to free their spirit in order for it to reach the eternal realm. They believed that the timelier they were in “freeing” the spirit, the healthier it would be for all that awaited it. Those viewed as the most disgraceful and unrighteous to the Faalcomana were denied any kind of postmortem rite with the goal of hurting or even killing the spirit within, believing it could essentially be starved to complete nonexistence if it were deprived of the next realm for long enough (though there are variations of this doctrine).
The bodies of the four Faalcomana killed in the confrontation the night before, along with the other three the Coalition group had found murdered, were carefully brought in and placed on the tables, each one of them still in their bulky armor just as they were in battle. Since these seven served and died for the Faalcomana cause, they would be honored and cremated no later than the next sunrise. After all of the bodies were placed, the eight Faalcomana who carried them in exited the morgue, closing the large steel door behind them. With the door closed, the only light remaining in the room were small torches that barely graced the eerie room with a glow. The corpses laid completely still, fitting perfectly with the lifeless environment in which they were placed.
Suddenly the last Faalcomana corpse that was brought in began to move, and after a slight struggle, it sat up. After sitting up, it began looking back and forth, surveying the room. Then a Faalcomana corpse on another stone table attempted to roll off the table onto its feet, but the effort resulted in it falling flat to the floor, the sound echoing within the room, but not penetrating the room’s thick walls. With all of the commotion, two more corpses began looking around the room. Then the Faalcomana that sat up removed its mask, revealing that it was in fact Johvad.
“Everyone be careful,” he sternly whispered to the others.
“Sorry!” Zaeleth retorted face first from the ground.
The other two Faalcomana, who were actually Faltensee and Kadel, sat up. Johvad worked his way out of the bulky armor so he could aid them. Zaeleth crawled out of the armor while still on the floor, hopping to his feet as soon as he was out of it. He and Johvad helped Faltensee and Kadel up and out of their armor. All four then grabbed additional gear they had stashed in their respective suits of Faalcomana armor and began equipping it on themselves.
“Well, that was the easy part,” Zaeleth said as they were finishing up. Faltensee pressed a few buttons on his wristcom to send an update out to all relevant parties. All four men stood fully equipped with their masks ready on top of their heads.
Zaeleth, being in his mid-twenties, was nearly half the age of the three men he was with. However, his unkempt hair and what he had of a beard managed to make him appear older than he was. He brought a certain energy to the group that had served them well since he joined them in his teens.
“I have notified the others of our position,” Faltensee said. Zaeleth quickly took in their grim location as he ravenously consumed a nutrient dense, paste-like food from a tube to hold off his hunger and remain energized. The shameless display of his appetite, for which he was known, drew the attention of his comrades. He extended the tube out to them, stopping just short of directly feeding Johvad, who immediately waved it off. Zaeleth quickly shrugged off their disinterest before taking another large bite. It helped lighten the mood for the group.
“What do we do now?” he asked as soon as the bite had become manageable enough so that he could speak clearly.
“We wait,” Johvad quickly responded. Zaeleth surveyed the room once more, then lightheartedly grimaced to make it known that he was less than thrilled with their situation and setting. Still looking around, he found his attention focused on the tube of food in his hand. His eyebrows raised up at the sight, as he contemplated another bite.
Aboard his ship as it headed toward Gratuak, Tettarov had connected with Fre’erik using the video communication system to update him on his meeting with Jeccan. “He did not waver.”
“Nor did I expect him to,” Fre’erik said, frustrated but unsurprised by the news. “He has left us no choice. Give the order; send the battalions out.” Tettarov was uneasy about the plan on multiple counts.
“You are sure?”
“I am sure that we must unify the cause of our kind, and unleash our power to destroy all who oppose us.” Tettarov quickly reminded himself that any lives sacrificed would serve to save many in the future.
“Faalcomana,” he said resolutely.
“Faalcomana.” The transmission ceased, and Tettarov prepared to give the order to send two battalions to search for something they were not meant to find.
In the Old Palace of Sancharann, Jeccan and Marael were at last alone. Though they had seen one another and been with each other periodically throughout the day, it had all been in the company of others. Jeccan had a busy day, dealing with Tettarov was only the beginning of it. Jeccan and Marael thoroughly enjoyed the company of one another, but they always felt uncomfortable in the presence of others, perhaps that was one of the reasons others were unable to see the beautiful and genuine bond they shared. Throughout the years of their relationship they had been viewed as a disgrace to their respective kind, and as pets to one another. Many attempts to undermine their connection had been made, but slowly their relationship had come to be accepted. Although it was seldom appreciated as the wonderful union it truly was.
They had the large balcony doors open to allow the cool night breeze to blow through the room. The two were snuggled together on an extravagant chaise lounge, Marael was dwarfed in the arms of Jeccan, but she was very comfortable there. They both closed their eyes and inhaled the cool fresh breeze as it traveled to them. As monstrous as Jeccan would ordinarily be viewed, in this capacity he appeared peaceful and loving, at least as much as someone with his outward attributes ever could. “Why can’t it always be like this,” Marael asked in a soothing and loving tone. Jeccan smiled at the thought.
“One day it will be,” he responded in her native tongue. He spoke it slowly and very softly, doing much better with it than most other Faalcomana. “I had always desired peace between our kinds, but now I see the harmony that we can have…that we should have. I will not give in to the pressure from my brother and those who believe as he does. I will continue to stand and even fight for what is good.”
“Why can’t they see it as you do?”
“Fear. I’ve tried to leave all of the hardships we experienced, and the hardships that we were told of our ancestors in the past. They cling to them. The fearmongering has blinded them, and it has made them hateful and violent.” He had many thoughts racing in his mind as he spoke, leaving him visibly uncomfortable. Mariel could see it weighing heavily on him. In all of their years together, she had heard more from others about the past of Jeccan and the Faalcomana than she had from him, though she wasn’t sure how much of it were true. “We came through many tribulations,” he paused, again distracted by the thought of it all, “but that doesn’t excuse their actions.”
She snuggled in closer to him, pressing her head into his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around him as much as she could. He warmly reciprocated the affection. He adored how genuine she was, not just in her display of love, but in all that she said and did. “You’re a good man.” Jeccan truly appreciated her kind words, but he didn’t feel good, or not good enough. At times, with his relationship wi
th Marael and with the much greater peace he had achieved on Wreithelosheve, the conflict on Gratuak nearly slipped his mind, but today he was reminded of how complacent he had been at times, and how little progress he had effected there.
“We were once a great race, I know we can be again,” he said slightly discouraged, almost as if to affirm his own beliefs. Marael turned within his arms to face him, and as she gently caressed the rough skin of his face, she began to move her lips to his.
It was midday in Kelgar and inside the South Tower, the four that had infiltrated it prepared to set out on their respective missions. They were hoping to capitalize on the element of surprise, knowing that without that advantage they would be grossly outnumbered and overpowered.
“Kadel and I will make our way to the power control room,” Faltensee said.
Johvad followed up with “and we’ll get to the communication tower.”
“Once in place, we wait for the go ahead,” Faltensee finished.
“That’s when the party really starts,” Zaeleth added. Johvad nodded his head slightly to the side and shrugged his shoulders to acknowledge that was one way to put it.
“They are too arrogant to stay