Shas’kor had stayed quiet the rest of that day, after the encounter with the Bentu’sin and Ma’eth’s little stunt, he did not have the strength to open his mouth if not to eat the canned algae that passed for a midday meal inside the vessel.
The child instead kept the proudest face ever, a smug, gue’la-like grin was plastered on the hybrid’s face.
Shas’kor remembered that annoying look, Vra’elo kept the same one when his friend had the bright idea of using a pulse rifle as a torch during a night mission against invading guardsmen, and had somehow shot a sentinel out of the blue, lucky idiot.
Truly, this kid was his father’s son, the renegade found himself between a laugh and a groan over the thought, of all things the steam cloud could have picked from his dad, it had to be this one.
Finally the cycle after it broke Shas’kor to see Ma’eth keep going as if nothing had happened, he needed to address him. Ma'eth was still seated comfortably and petting the drone when Shas’kor spoke to him, the renegade's voice sounded incredibly tired.
“Child, we need to talk about the little stunt you pulled yesterday with the Bentu’sin” Shas’kor said as he sat on the couch in front of the kid, who was looking at him as if the renegade had just spoken in vespid. “That was dangerous, you don’t know what could have-”
Ma’eth stopped him, putting himself in a more straight position but not letting go of the drone.
“What didn’t happen does not matter, it matters that it worked and where are we now.”
Shas’kor exhaled through his nasal slit, by the mont’au this kid was going to drive him insane, what did he think he was doing?
“But it does! If the Bentu’sin chose to reveal to the Aun what he saw, a fire warrior who has disappeared for days with a hybrid running around, we would be in quite the danger!”
“But he didn’t, he gave his word and pledged it on his ancestors, that’s the highest type of promise one can make in their culture you know? In no circumstance would they violate such promises.”
Shas’kor made a sign of annoyance with his hands, his tone was irritated over the situation.
“Just because it did not happen does not mean it couldn’t have! One must be prepared for all outcomes, especially for the worst ones!”
At that moment, Shas’kor felt like talking to Vra’elo again, he had the same discussions with him over and over again. His friend did not change nor did his worry, the renegade continued without thinking. “One must think what they are doing, child! Acting without thinking leads to dangerous situations you may not be able to get out of. In your situation, you do not have the luxury to act like…”
Shas’kor stopped himself and put a hand over his mouth, they both knew how that sentence was going to end.
To act like Vra’elo, like Ma’eth’s father, like his friend.
Ma’eth’s gaze had darkened, and the kid lowered his head; refusing to meet Shas’kor’s eyes. A quiet stillness had settled over the ship at that moment, only the drone and the ship’s motor continuing in their monotonous buzzing.
“By the Aun, i-i didn’t mean to…”
Shas’kor felt sick over what he had just said, he should have kept his mouth shut and his cursed tongue had no restraint. Ma’eth was holding the drone tight, a single tear ran through his cheeks, completely silent.
Shas’kor was quick to make the sign of the reckless talker with his left hand as an apology, but he knew well the gravity of what he had nearly said.
The renegade got up from the couch and silently returned to his seat on the cockpit, his mind a mist of different curses to himself, for dishonoring the memory of his closest friend, brother in all but blood, for insulting a father in front of their child, for his tongue laced with venom and sharp as steel.
The conversation had died there, a bitterness filled the stale air of the ship as Shas’kor picked up “Testimony” and returned to his lectures.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------‐—---------------------------------------------
Alsena, five years ago
Vra’elo did not understand his friend sometimes, they had been together since childhood, but still Shas’kor surprised him in more ways than one. Like this day, when the Shas’ui had declared he would be reassigned to patrolling the undergrounds of Alsena’s eastern parts, the gue’vesa quarter.
When it had happened, his friend made signs of gratitude over the choice, declaring it a “Task of important proportions” and “An honor for a young shas’la such as him”.
He is always so eager to please his superiors, putting up a facade of happy obedience, proud to serve The Greater Good in all its facets; even the most inconvenient. Truly a model fire warrior. It's what had gotten his friend the name Shas’kor, after all: a happy and warm breeze, like the south-eastern wind, THE Shas’kor, that blew from Sai’ran's seas in the humid months of summer.
The instructors in the academy had been mindful when thinking of both their names, partly because they were friends of their parents. Vra'elo was sure that they had a hand in choosing those names too. A proud breeze for his sky-reaching friend, and the impetuous course of a torrent for him.
That is what Vra’elo meant, “Impetuous Stream”, a name that indicated his personality in ways deeper than he could think.
But Vra’elo knew that under that cheerful facade Shas’kor was trembling with fear, he could see it in the way his friend hissed between his teeth, in his stance that for an imperceptible moment was less balanced, in his pheromones.
For all Shas’kor did to hide them, Vra’elo could scent them from a gue'la mile away.
He had argued with him that day and told his friend that he could not keep this attitude, obedience was a virtue obviously, but one had to speak up their mind sometimes. Especially in situations like this one, where Shas’kor was being sent to risk his life in tunnels full of scum, T’au, human and whatever alien inhabited the city, alone.
Vra’elo would have sworn his friend was trying to get into the Shas’ui’s intimates did he not know Shas’kor’s people-pleasing tendencies, his friend had always been like this, even more so when they were all each other had left.
As always, Shas’kor minimized it, his friend kept telling Vra’elo it was all fine, that he was worrying too much for him, that he was not feeling like a gue’la sent to death by their commissar.
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Vra’elo found this attitude infuriating, Shas’kor always hid what he truly thought, but not from him, that was a thing Vra’elo could not tolerate.
He knew Shas’kor was trying to reassure him and himself but by the Aun, how could he lie so blatantly? To him of all people? That was his friend’s flaw, overreaching, the only flaw of an otherwise model fire warrior, a true diamond in the rough, whose career was destined to reach the sky.
As always, he had somehow found himself talking of this to her, Por’el Nynoha, “Silk Worded”, no name had been best given for her, Vra’elo had seen it himself, a proud merchant that managed quickly to rise through the ranks of her peers.
Her words always pondered on the outside, made the hardest heart of stone agree to a reasonable deal. But on the inside, Vra’elo had noticed, there was something in her, something more than a soothing voice and silky words. Something was not still in Nynoha.
No, she moved, subtly, mischief in her eyes would sometimes glint, especially when something was successful, she would grin like a gue’la for a moment, to return immediately to her dignified neutral expression afterward. It was subtle, but Vra’elo noticed, Shas’kor always said he had a keen eye after all.
It had been only a few months since Vra’elo was her guardian, but they had been quick to make friends, she was talkative once one broke the ice, as humans say.
They had quickly gone over the strict code imposed by duty, he did not know how this weird friendship had started, but here they were, sitting on the couch of her massive living room, watching whatever the curved screen was transmitting with a mug of steamy ky’husa.
Alcohol. Shas’kor would be berating him for drinking while technically on duty, the teetotaler his friend was. But Shas’kor was not here to tell him to shine as he does, to remind him of how a proud paragon of the tau’va should act.
No, in that secluded mansion on the highlands of Alsena, it was only him, Nynoha, and her drone; Ro-nni. The little fella was many things, a Keeper of the house, a gardener, a guardian, a faithful companion and on times like this, a server of drinks, truly a Kor'vesa.
It had been a rough day for her too, dealing with a bunch of obtuse colleagues who refused to listen to her advice on the grounds that she was young, and therefore inexperienced.
As if the fact that in just two years of service, Nynoha rose from a Por’la just out of formation into a full fledged Por’el did not show her talent and skill.
She had been quiet at their sneers, but when they were out of sight and she was in the safety of her own home she had finally let out her lament. And so they were here, dumping their problems onto the other and laughing at each other's worries, complaining of all that would cross their mind.
“By the Aun, you speak of him like a old gue’la would do of their spouse!” Nynoha had jokingly commented when Vra’elo had finished his long tirade over Shas’kor's habits.
He took down the mug of ky'husa in a gulp at that, then he let out a deep exhale from his nasal chlasm.
“Well… It's just that he is the only ta'lissera I got. If his people-pleasing tendencies lead him to die in some ditch…”
“... then you would be alone” Nynoha concluded while petting her robotic helper on its metallic top.
Alone, Nynoha did understand that fear, the Por’el was alone herself after all, that was the whole reason for why she was here talking about her problems with a Shas'la of all people.
What did they have in common? Absolutely nothing, if not for the random chance that Vra’elo was assigned to be her retinue by the Shas’ui. They would have no good reason to speak in other circumstances.
Yet somehow, or maybe because of it, they had easily bonded, sometimes it was good speaking with someone coming from a completely different plane of existence, Vra’elo thought.
“It must be nice to have someone like him around.”
Vra’elo mad the sign of the curious pupil with his right hand at Nynoha, at which she made the sign of the quiet wave.
“Even if you are divergent sometimes, you stop each other from being at your worst, you clearly care a lot about each other.”
Vra’elo made a gue’la smile then as he refilled his mug, a gentle breeze coming through the open window made the ky'husa's steam follow its course.
“I wish I had someone to keep me balanced sometimes, it's hard to connect when your rank peers treat you more like a nuisance than a colleague. I wonder if I made the right choice sometimes, wouldn't be so lonely if I had focused more on making … connections in the past.”
“On that regard you should not worry Por’el, we’re still young and have all the time in the universe, besides, it's not like I made that many connections either.” he chuckled.
It was Nynoha's turn to be surprised here as she placed her mug on the table for a moment.
“Really? I would have thought a fiery Shas’la like you would have had many stories to tell already.”
“Not really, it turns out that when you are being ‘lightened the way’ by a shining diamond such as my friend, people decide that ‘trying to overshine him’ is not worth the effort.”
Nynoha mockingly made the sign of The Unbreaking Shield then and let out a small chuckle.
“How quaint, he shields you from the world's corruption and helps you to the Tau’va’s light. Truly a Kor'vesa, like my Ro-nni.” she said while petting her robotic companion again.
Vra’elo wrinkled his nasal slit as he reciprocated the laugh, a Drone, that was a fitting description For Shas’kor. His friend acted like one of the ‘faithful helpers’ sometimes, his reasoning was more often than not cold, robotic even, as much as he acted like a doormat.
“Maybe that’s why he does not like drones, he finds them competition.” Vra’elo said with a laugh full of mirth and a human smile in his dry lips, which had been replicated by Nynoha.
Then, as the Por’el took her mug back and drank deeply, she made the sign of the stoic loss with her left hand, her voice laced with playfulness.
“A waste though, that he would let your face wilt with time without companionship.”
Vra’elo gulped again, a slip-up? That would be a grave error for a sister of water, especially for a high ranking individual. He pondered for a moment how to answer and against common sense, he reciprocated the compliment before she could make a sign of apology.
“Well… it is quite the mistake of your peers not to value your insight too, Por’el.”
Nynoha stared at Vra’elo’s deep black eyes for a moment, her face seemingly neutral, but he could notice the faint deepening of a blush over the cheek, an improper response to an improper comment.
She wrinkled her nasal chlasm as she finally spoke, her tone silkier than usual.
“Oh please, use my name when you speak to me, this facade of propriety suits you not, friend. Not when I have already heard how you speak time and time again.”
“If you wish so…”
This was a request Vra’elo should likely not second, he knew it well enough, but between the ky’husa and the playful breeze coming from the outside, he felt too light to worry of propriety and reason.
Afterall, were he to follow the proper Code, he would not be seated in that couch having a talk with her. If he had been proper, like Shas’kor, he would be on the outside, at the gate of Nynoha's house, guarding the gate from a threat that would never come. Her residence was isolated from prying eyes, found on a lonely hill near a forest of yellow-leaved trees, typical Sai’ran Flora.
Who knows what his friend would say at seeing him now, doing nothing while he must be in some filthy underground tunnel, being a beacon of the tau’va by the ‘grace’ of his hands to whatever scum hides there. Vra'elo got lucky instead, too lucky.
Eternal moments of silence followed as Ro-nni filled both their cups again, in the meanwhile the screen after them was displaying some incredibly old human pict that had been retrieved by the Fio in some anomaly between time and space. Vra’elo did not know nor cared how any of it worked.
At least the humor, which was not lost in translating the ancient gue'la tongue, was good. The film was about some insane old man believing himself a warrior and dragging along a farmer with him in various ridiculous adventures. He had to admit the scene where the protagonist charged into the flock of some unknown wooly animal was good.
“You know, sometimes I wish I had been born a Gue'vesa.” she said after downing another mug.
Vra’elo made the sign of the awaiting student, not getting the depth of Nynoha’s statement. Why would one not want to be a T’au afterall?
“Humans, they live longer than us, on average they’re stronger, but most importantly… they are free. For all the good and bad that it does, they’re free.” for a moment, she smiled like them before continuing.
“They can choose what to make of their lives, one of them can be a labourer, a warrior, a pilot, or even the wise advisor of a revered Aun. They can be all of that within a single lifetime.” She refilled her mug in the meanwhile.
“Compared to them, Vra’elo, we are born for our role and to fulfill that role alone in service of The Greater Good. Never will you wield the forging flame of our brothers and sisters of earth, neither will I ever wield your pulse fire.”
Vra’elo stared at her while quietly sipping the steamy ky’husa of his own mug, her expression was unreadable in that moment.
“In some places like Tau’n and Bork’an, it is not even left to us to whom we mate, but to some cold algorithm. Paradoxically, they are freer than us in our own state, I really envy them sometimes.” By then she made the sign of the reckless talker with her left hand while adjusting her posture.
“Forgive me, my tongue wandered again, you must be looking at me as if I just spoke in Vespid.”
Vra’elo hissed between his teeth before speaking, his tone was still full of mirth, but something deeper was in it.
“I believe you stated your piece well… Nynoha. Besides, there is no reason to excuse yourself when I was the first one to speak mindlessly.”
Her nasal slit wrinkled on hearing her request fullfilled, she was blushing again too.
“Your point of view has merit for me, we give our all to the tau’va, more often than not without anything in turn. Our peers of earth say that it is wise to plant a tree when you will never enjoy its shade, but sometimes… I wish I could just run, be selfish, forget of The Greater Good, of the Ethereals. Of my duty.”
That said, Vra'elo downed his mug again and waited for the drone to refill it.
“Madness, our kind would call it, like that gue’la in this ancient relic.” she had said while hissing between her teeth.
At that, Vra’elo rose from his seat and, to Nynoha’s surprise, he grabbed her hand and led her forward as he raised his right arm in some declaration with fire burning in his pitch black eyes.
“I would proudly charge a thousand windmills like him then. Nynoha, if that meant for once, that the decision was truly mine!”
She stared at him unmoving for what felt eons, completely stunned by his boldness. Those words were dangerous to even pronounce, she should have scolded him, but instead, a gue’la smile crept over her face, her voice softer, nearly trembling.
“I… I should not be suggesting this, friend, but…” she placed a hand over his shoulder-pad before making the sign of the open congress with the other.
“My duty is to protect you, Nynoha, even from myself.” he had said as his gaze darkened.
“Forget your duty, Vra’elo, we have served The Greater Good all our lives. For once, let us do as you say, if you so wish to charge windmills, I would gladly follow.”
Vra’elo said nothing to her, the Shas'la only pulled the Por’el closer, and damned her with a kiss. Unchaste, improper, criminal.
Caste should stay with its caste, so dictated the Tau'va. To selfishly do otherwise was taboo among the T'au; a sin, as Humans called it.
But the two did not care as the breeze that blew outside made steam rise from their abandoned mugs of ky'husa.
As Vra’elo let his dark hair out of their braid and allowed them to tangle with Nynoha's copper in a way that reminded him of Sai’ran's flower fields, he thought of Shas’kor one final time.
They were not different from the scum his friend was fighting somewhere in the depths of Alsena now, filth, they were the same.
But he remembered an old saying of the humans then, ‘From diamond nothing grows, from manure flowers bloom’.
He would never be a proud beacon of the Tau’va, but he would have something his friend will never get in his life of service, a moment of freedom. And that, for Vra’elo and for Nynoha, was enough.
