Letter Home

Dearest Clutch-Mothers:

I am sorry that I have not written you in so long. I hope the weather of the Low Country greets you as well as the weather of Zaniah greets me. During the war I was too busy to write. I became consumed with freeing our far-cousins. After the war I was laid low. My faith in the cause had been shaken. I did not feel worthy to have communication with you.

Now I am back at the world where my faith was tested. I feel like I must speak my soul to you.

It was the last days of my participation in the war with the Empire as commander of one of the Don's missile destroyers. The Zaniah sector was the only remaining Union outpost in the East Pardus Rim and we suspected an assault was imminent. From orbit my sensor officer Neelae, who i believe is the first-daughter to clutch mother Everose, alerted me to Imperial signatures coming from the surface. It was a Shadow Stealth Craft. Agreements with the local government prohibited me from ordering fire while the Imperial ship was still in orbit over Zaniah so gave the order to wait. As soon as the Shadow left orbit we pounced.

My gunners and navigators gave the Imperial a hellish chase all the way to the wormhole to Reaperspace. Unfortunately- or fortunately I do not know. The Shadow's small size prevented us from delivering the killer shot. Now at the worm hole I again ordered my crew to wait for the Shadow to move. Instead of evasive maneuvers we received a signal.

"Put it through." I ordered.

On the screen before me was a Keldon girl. Young, beautiful, and innocent.

"Why was my ship almost destroyed.... by your guns?"

I was perplexed. Her alliance flag did not register as neutral in the database. It was all I could to to keep my jaw from gaping. Somehow I managed to keep my military composure.

"There is a war on. Or have you been under a rock the past two months?"

Apparently she had been. She explained that she had been on Zaniah visiting family for some time. She knew nothing of the war with the Union. After hearing this I instructed her to keep flying south for the PASS EMP military outposts and she would have no further quarrel from me. She thanked me, the screen blinked off, and she was gone.

I gave command of the bridge to Martex, who is first-son to clutch-mother Marlease if I am not mistaken, and retired to my quarters. I was crushed. I had almost ordered the murder of an innocent child. One of the very beings I was trying to save. I began to think back to my past actions. The Sirion had destroyed two Constrictor-class heavy freighters. How many Keldons had been aboard them?

Who was the bigger criminal? The Emperor for lying to Keldons their entire lives or me for murdering them for being lied to? A few days later I resigned the Sirion's commission as a warship and moved what remained of the crew to this Behemoth we are flying now.

As you know the Union did not win the war. We did not liberate the sister grandmothers like I told you we would. My faith in the methods was shaken that day in the Zaniah sector. But not my faith in the goal. I am not yet convinced that unification can be brought without bloodshed.
Until bloodshed is wrought again I hope to further the cause through peaceful communication.

I may not return home again for some time. I will try to keep your sons and daughters safe.

Give my love to the youngest of my clutch-brothers and sisters.

-Dex