The Dove vs The Flame

Concord of Remembrance

We were brought in to arrange a peaceful evacuation of Kallion Alpha, for years The Scars of the Veridian Summit have weighed us down. All the other factions insist that we must never trust the Varkh Ascendancy, but no being is capable of only cruelty, those that don't understand kindness and forgiveness do not live long on their own. We no longer merely sit passively and wait for the Ascendancy to reach out to us, no longer naive enough to believe that an Ascendant Commander would willingly leave the Ascendancy. Instead we study the laws and institutions that the Varkh Ascendancy recognizes, basic laws of the galaxy that the Syndicate abide by, and any agreements that the Lucent Pact trusts. 

We wield these to great efficacy ever since the Second Pact, that is why when the leaders of Kallion Alpha sent a distress call requesting a neutral protector and mediator for their world, we jumped at the chance to prove our worth to the galaxy again. However, when we realized who the planet was under assault from we instantly understood why we, of all factions, were brought in. The Ash Vow had begun a systematic purge of the planet and the only building left was the command structure. These are terrified people who just want to live, we must protect them, even if it is from our own allies.

The representatives from Kallion Alpha have stated that they are merely science officers and they have no weapons to defend themselves; they only sought refuge in their planet's largest fortified location when pronouncements of the purges began. Such barbarism and violence from those we call allies, it is this kind of violence that caused me to lose my brother, our world swallowed in flames. I was lucky enough to be rescued by a Severed Fold member, but my brother had been swallowed by the Ash and Flames

Ash Vow

The Concord is impossibly naive if it believes that these Varkh worms wouldn't say anything to save their skins. Of course they mean us no harm, they lost all their ammunition in our first purges, we targeted their stores precisely. This planet has been responsible for much of the cruelty in the universe, you could not tell by looking at it now, but this used to be a Command and Strategy hub for these pyre-sniffers. The first thing we did was take out any Ascendancy comms towers on the planet so they couldn't call for reinforcements, then we set up a blockade to prevent any ships from leaving. We must purge the galaxy of the Ascendancy’s filth, not one officer or scientist should be left alive. Lest another innocent child be left to the watch as their sister is swallowed by the chaos and flames around them

I am to meet with the Concord representative, she will attempt to convince me that these people are innocent. But I know for a fact there is an officer here who ordered the purge of my world when our planet dared resist the Varkh Ascendancy. Any who allow him freedom are complicit in his actions and that is unacceptable. I will speak with the peacemaker, but I will make no promises by which I will be bound. The only thing that can forge a true bond is flame and that is what I will achieve. 

Aboard the Concord’s ship is a vast difference compared to the Ash Vow. I see artifacts of my people, the Aerii, from before the pyre-sniffers came. It is nice to see them preserved as all should remember that we were free, but alongside them I also see symbols of the Ascendancy. These are given the same respect as history from hundreds of thousands of years ago, to know that the destroyers of history and the weaponizers of lies are given the same respect as the ancient Aerii tells me all I need to know as I head back towards my ship. I was correct, these Concord know nothing of respect, they just acquiesce to any that have power, because they will be protected.

Gaela

I had heard that the Ash Vow leader had come aboard. I had instructed the escorts to bring him straight here, but apparently they felt it wise to show our zealous guest our Hall of Remembrance. He is now marching back towards his ship ready to continue the slaughter, I begin racing towards his ship so I can explain and keep hope alive that the innocents may still leave. With all the speed that my wings can take me I eventually reach his ship and I see a fellow Aerii with the same coloration. 

“You will cease your return and you will join me in my office, according to the Accords of the Second Pact” I spoke to the Ash Vow leader “I am Gaela Hopecaller, I want to make sure that the women and children are able to leave the planet. You will acknowledge me and understand that I will not allow the slaughter of innocents!”

“Why should I respect you? One who has never known battle, have you seen the cruelty of the Varkh up close? Have you felt the ash from those who you’ve lost? This is all that they understand! They are incapable of being innocent, they will tell you they are following orders, that they did not understand the depth. These are the cries of the desperate, the weak, the ones too proud to admit they knew better. I am Gaal, my Song Title was taken from me when the Ascendancy burned my world.”

“I too have lost everything from the Ascendancy, but I will not burn the entire Galaxy to heal my own pain. I will make sure that no one needs to suffer that pain again, now please join me in my office and we can discuss this rationally. We each have something the other wants, so let's discuss how to achieve our goals.” I said to Gaal as he conceded and followed me to my office. On the way we discussed our Hall of Remembrance, He asked why the Ascendancy’s history is given as much deference as other history.

“Our true death is being forgotten, the Ascendancy seeks to erase all that disagree with them, but regardless of their attempts they are unable. The tablet that you saw with Veruthik on it, did you actually read it?” I asked Gaal

“No, I don't understand Veruthik” he said back plainly 

“Well if you did, you’d see that the tablet is an order from the Consillium, that any history related to the Elaran and Colonials be destroyed. That tablet proves that no matter what they cannot erase everything. We know that at some point during the Golden Age when Colonials first emerged they had a relationship with the Elaran. What that relationship was, we are unsure. But it was dangerous enough that the Colonials sought to destroy any trace of it. But this tablet, this order, is proof that they had a connection.”

Gaal stared unchanged by the information “And this is supposed to make me forgive the Ascendancy? This just proves that they have a history of denying anything and everything that might connect them to the Strand. We already knew this, and this doesn't change the fact that an Ascendant Officer down on the planet is responsible for the purge on my homeworld, Outer-Luxirra, the one that left me a sole survivor and took my entire people.”

I look back at him aghast, “I was also living on Outer-Luxirra when the Varkh Skarn Trekh legions burned my village down. I lost a brother to the flames. I was saved by a Severed Fold member who taught me that life is about forgiveness. You cannot move through the Galaxy lashing at everything that doesn't like who you are or what you represent. Regardless, this is my office. Please let's sit and have a reasonable discussion.”

Gaal

The pieces begin falling into place, is this actually my sister? The one that I thought was lost to the Ascendancy’s Flames, those same flames that reforged me into the Warrior sitting across from this peacemaker. I sit and stare silently for what feels like 10 minutes until Gaela speaks up. 

“I am not so naive to believe that the Ascendancy wants to be free from oppression. I understand that there are guilty members within the Ascendancy, I am not asking you to forgive the cruelty that they inflicted on us. All I request is that you allow the ones not guilty of galactic crimes to leave unmolested. There are children and non-combatants that are truly terrified. Is this the freedom you bring? One where the Ascendancy’s children are put through the same torturous punishment we went through? Will you show the Ascendancy that we are in fact no better than they are? That we respond to cruelty with cruelty? Or will you show compassion and kindness to those that were born into a system they do not understand?” She said as if she were speaking with a knowledge of one beyond her years.

“And how do you plan to prevent the guilty from fleeing before they can receive their justice?” I responded curtly. “I agree that the children should not be put through that pain. But you think that the Officers more concerned about keeping their heads won't try to sneak out with the non-combatants?” 

“If we scan every colonial on the planet against the Scepter’s database of Ascendancy criminals holding those flagged, will we be allowed to begin removing the children and non-combatants?” She said as if unaware of what awaited those pyre-sniffer criminals. “Then bringing the guilty to a Federation Prison?” She added onto the end.

“The galaxy demands Ash! Not imprisonment! These fascists burn everything they touch! And you want to put them right in the middle of the Pact!”

“Will you listen to yourself? The Ascendancy isn't the one threatening to burn children right now! You adopt the tactics of your enemy! So do we, but just because we don't want blood doesn't mean we cannot defeat them! Our strength is together, the Ascendancy wants to tear us apart by any means necessary. Will you be another of their methods of control? Giving them something to fear, so they can convince others that they are the true peace?” 

I just sat there, stunned by the words. “I never thought my sister would be the one to bring me back from the ash. I will allow your plan to proceed, but my soldiers will act as security. They know not to kill unless ordered. But I will not watch another Veridian Summit take place. You may run your scans against the remaining population.”

Kallion Alpha

Gaal and Gaela watched as the colonials were processed, waiting to see if the officer who ordered the purge was still there. They waited, but all that the scans turned up were some low level officers who were too young to have ordered any purge. Gaela quietly held the hand of her brother, now reunited as the last shuttle of civilians are taken off the world to a Lucent Pact stronghold where they can get transportation back to their Ascendancy home worlds if that is what they wish.  While Gaal may not have gotten vengeance the Pact has proven that it is more than a scattered faction of conflicting goals, they can align and achieve a true peace for a galaxy that must never forget.