[DISCONTINUED] Wyman - A Starbound Story

Discussion in 'Writing' started by Lodish, Jun 17, 2016.

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  1. Lodish

    Lodish Black Hole Surfer

    Hello folks, Lodish here with a first attempt at writing a story, set within the Starbound universe but of course with little tweaks (I think you'll notice them)

    This story depicts the backstory of Eijala, my main Avali SB character, before and during the Starbound events.

    For those who don't know watsanavali, here's the wiki page so you can learn more about them: http://avali.wikia.com/wiki/The_Official_Avali_Wiki

    Maybe I'll add some character biographies over time


    Of course, feedback and criticism are welcome, so I can improve and provide you higher quality writing :3

    I hope you have a good time reading :)
    ______________________________________________________________________

    Wyman - A Starbound Story


    The sun was high, during one of those rare days when its light could pierce through the thin cloud layer that constantly covered the sky.
    Several dozens avali packs were talking to eachother under the proud eyes of their instructors, the ceremony that officialy ended their military training was finished a few minutes ago.
    The yard was resonating with a hundreds of voices discussing varied topics, but all centered around their success concerning their training, and what they would do of it.

    In the middle of the crowd however, was standing a lone avali, purple-streaked black and white female, wearing a black jacket and a backpack on her shoulder.
    She was not talking to anyone, simply staring at the impressive building decorated with the orange tri-feather emblem, symbol of their kin. She took a deep breath before turning back, and making a first step towards the entrance gate.
    A tall avali grabbed her shoulder in a friendly way, stopping her walk.

    "Hey Eijala, you leaving already? C'mon, today's a special day!"

    She took a tired face and replied. "No, please, I'm tired and I have... stuff to do at home."

    "Always the same excuse, Eija. You could stay with us at least once!"

    As Eijala was about to answer, a young female placed herself between the two, facing the male.

    "Nell, don't you see she doesn't want to stay there? Just let her go, okay?"

    Nell hesitated for a second, before releasing her.

    "Alright, see you later then..."

    "Thanks. See you later guys, sorry I'm leaving this early." she said, before heading towards the gate.





    Night was falling as the sun slowly disappeared behind the faraway mountains that surrounded the colony.
    When Eija finally reached her tent, she listened to the eventual noises coming from inside. Nothing. She raised the cloth door and entered. No light, no one here. The lone avali sighed deeply, thinking to herself that of course, there couldn't be anyone inside, waiting for her. It has been like this for over a year now, but she still couldn't get used to it.

    She turned a light on, sat on a chair and emptied her backpack's contents on a table. Inside the bag was an armor set consisting of leg plates and a chestplate, the same as the one every trainee received during the ceremony. However, there was also a standard energy pistol and a worn aerogel combat knife. These were unofficial rewards given by one of her superiors, "for doing alone better than some other packs of five". She still remember these words, told by an instructor who was very kind and understanding towards her, unlike most of the others who laughed at her decision to follow a military training without a pack, long ago.

    Eijala took the knife out of its cover. She couldn't help but notice the numerous fighting marks , proof that this blade had been used on countless battles. She felt that this weapon stole many lives in the past, and was bound to take more in a close future. These feelings made her feel slightly uneasy.

    She got up and drew the knife in front of her. She stood in this position for a few seconds, then jumped forward and swung it twice at an imaginary enemy. She then jumped backwards, grabbed the pistol, aimed at head level, and pulled the trigger once in a fast, precise, deadly shot. The safe was still on, but she could hear the gunshot sound in her head.

    The soldier smiled at her own performance, hoping this could be put to good use someday. She holstered her knife, and stowed all of her gear on a shelf, save for the gun that she put into her footlocker.
    Once she was done, Eijala took her guitar, a gift from her father back when she found a pack, and sat down on a cushion in a corner of the room. She thought to herself that her packmates loved to hear her playing it.
    She closed her eyes, smiled, and started playing, while waiting for their arrival.



    "Is she sleeping?"

    "Probably, it is quite late."

    "I guess there's only one way to find out!" Renumi poked her packmate, Vaune, who smiled in response

    "Real funny, Ren. I missed this kind of subtle jokes, especially coming from you."

    The beige avali leaned closer to Eijala, sleeping on her cushion. He gently patted her shoulder. "Hey. We're here."

    Eijala slowly opened her eyes, her ears turned towards Vaune.

    "Hey guys." She stood, and yawned. "How was your day?"

    "Not much to say, really." Nayu replied. "What about you Eija? How did it went?"

    "How did it went? Hang on..." Eijala walked over the room to the shelf and took her combat armor aswell as her knife, and shown these to her pack, a bit of pride sparkling into her eyes."It went pretty well, I think."

    She put back her belongings on the shelf. "This means your training is over, right?" Vaune asked.

    She grinned. "Heh, heck yeah, I am now a first class soldier! I'm glad this is finally over."

    Renumi clapped her hands. "Alright, time to celebrate now! Let's go to the café!"

    "The café? Oh no, I'm pretty positive that every trainee rushed it as soon as they could, it is most likely full by now..." Eijala answered.

    Vaune smiled broadly at her. "We have already reserved a table there."

    "Wha- ... Why did you do that? I wasn't even sure I passed the trials! What if I failed?"

    "Come on Eija, I think that you are the only person in this whole colony thinking that." Nayu replied in a firm tone. "Anyway, what are we waiting for?"



    ...



    "And when will you be done with your studies?" Eijala asked. The place was umpleasantly noisy, especially for sharp avali ears. Many packs were hanging out in the large tent, almost exclusively ex-trainees, busy reminding importants events that occured during their training or planning their future as a military; laughs could be heard from all directions. The Wyman pack was occupying a small table located in a corner of the room, away from the constant noise generated by other clients. Renumi, Nayu and Vaune were kneeled around the table, having a drink, while Eijala was lying of the latter's side.

    "Roughly a week, maybe a bit less." he replied.

    "A week? Sheesh..." Her eyes turned towards Nayu. "At least tell me you found someplace to go or something."

    "About that." The brown avali deployed an hologram displaying a planet along with some text, and pictures of a small colony. "There is a recently founded colony in a quite far away system, looking for workers in many fields, including ours. I had a small discussion with them, and they are more than willing to welcome us there."

    Eijala raised her head to listen to her packmate.

    "It may be located in a very remote system, but it may be worth it. There is no way we can't find a job there. And given your grade, you'll most likely get a good position in their military forces."

    She took a look at the holograms. "And don't they mind if we are the most... unusual pack of this side of the universe? I mean, we have a soldier and three engineers."

    "More like a musician and three engineers!" Renumi added.

    "Ren, please. Anyway, they assured me this is in no way an issue. They are actually quite eager to welcome a military, since even though this is a quiet sector, their own forces aren't very developped."

    "This definitely seems interesting..." She thought for a second. "And what about the travel? How will we get there? How long will it be?"

    "Unfortunately it'll be long one." He replied. "We'll have to board a ship to a huge space station, from which we'll take another ship to the colony. It will take a few days with FTL travel, but this is the fastest route."

    "Oh well, what is one more week of waiting anyway?" Eijala layed down of Vaune again. "I've lived worse."

    He replied in a friendly tone. "No, you haven't. We have never left you alone for more than two days."

    "You have no idea how long and boring this was."

    "And I don't want to. But anyway, I'm pretty sure you are more than happy to take off to another colony, no matter how far it is.

    "Well, I guess you are right. Although it doesn't means you can take your time finishing your stuff."

    Renumi put down her drink. "Our stuff? By a word such as 'stuff', would you mean something insignificant like our studies?"

    Eijala stared at her with a playful eye. "Your studies, whatever."



    The soldier stood and picked up her glass. She raised it up, and spoke as loud as she could : "To our future departure!"
    Her packmates raised their drinks in response and, to her surprise, hurras from others avalis could be heard across the room.



    "Hi dad, how are you? I am done with my training, and since Ren, Vaune and Nayu are still studying, I have some time to kill. Don't you mind if I visit you this afternoon? I know you may be busy working, but we'll settle to another colony within days, so it may be our last chance to see eachother. I have a lot of stuff to tell you about, so try to free yourself some time, okay?"



    ...



    Eijala dusted the snow off her wings once she entered the building. The automatic door hissed behind her as she walked towards an avali sat behind a desk.
    He raised his head off his holograms and greeted her. "Hello, miss. May I help you?"

    "Yes, I'd like to see Eikos. Professor Eikos." she asked.

    He tapped his holograms. "Mmhh... And you are?"

    "Her daughter, Eijala."

    He looked at her attentively, then smiled and replied. "Oh, it's you! Sorry I haven't recognized you sooner. Anyway, your father's in his office as usual, alpha wing, third floor, room number six. His name is on the door, you can't miss it." He pointed a large corridor. "Right this way, just follow the signs. Enjoy your stay!"

    She thanked him, and headed towards the direction he gave her.



    ...



    "...and I fell asleep in the middle of the café. This is what they told me, anyway. But this is true that yesterday I was completely exhausted, even though I didn't do anything that could've put me in such a state."

    Eijala was sitting on a maglev chair, in front of her father, sitting in a similar chair. They were in a square room, with orange-streaked white walls so common amongst avali structures; a long window on the bottom wall gave a large view over the colony. A potted nakati ovoid was silently glowing on a desk, one of the only furnitures in the office.

    "You know, it is probably due to the stress of the ceremony. And... maybe because you achieved a... goal of yours." He smiled as he ended his sentence.

    "A goal of mine, yeah." She chuckled, then stopped talking, searching the right words for what she wanted to say.

    Eikos noticed her hesitation. "What's wrong, sweetie? Is something the matter?"

    She raised her head and her gaze met her father's, as she began to speak. "Dad. You know why did I choose this path. Because I wanted to honor mom, to become like her. But you have never really told me what happened to her that day. You always told me that she sacrificed herself to save us, that I was too young to hear this, that you will tell me when it will be the time. And I think that... now is the time."

    He turned his eyes away from Eijala's. He was now finding himself in the situation he always avoided, knowing that he has no choice but to comply to her daughter's request.

    She stood. "Please dad, I know it is painful for you to remember that, but I want to hear it at least once before I leave." Her voice became more insistent. "Please."



    After a deep breathing, Eikos raised his head and stared at her. "How you've grown..." he thought, as a tear fell from his eye.
    He sighed, his face caught in a half-smile. "Look at you. You remind me of her when we met for the first times; stubborn and very curious, always taking care of others... Heh, she would be proud of what you've become, really." He sighed again. "You are not a kit anymore, I guess you can hear this now. Alright, sit down and listen, because this will take a while."

    Eijala sat down, waiting for her father to tell her the tale of her missing mother.

    "It all started twenty-two years ago. My pack and I were hired in a huge, major space station as scientists. This station was built long ago for research purposes in an uninhabited system. This was a fairly unusual workplace, as we were working not only with Avalis, but with Humans, Apexes, Avians, Hylotls and Florans as well. After almost a few months there, we met a friendly pack working as guards in the station, and Jesa, your mother, was part of this pack. Our packs became close friends over time, and she became very curious about what we were studying. Eventually I fell in love with her and, when I told her about that, she took it very well. As of this day, we spent a lot of time together, she dropped by in my lab whenever she had the time. During all this time spent together, we shared our experiences: I shown her my works, while she learned me how to handle a weapon, but she also learned me how to use a guitar-- everything I've shown you comes from her. Those were good, carefree times... They lasted for around a year when... something happened."

    Eikos was now standing, turned towards his daughter. He smiled, a sad smile that was unique to him.

    "It was you. When your egg hatched, we were so happy that mere words cannot describe what how we felt; your mother, despite her work, spent as much time with you as she could. You spent countless days napping in my arms, while I was at work... These were the best days of my entire life."

    His face darkened. "Of course, it couldn't last long..."

    "A few months after your birth, an alarm resonated in the station. A red alert, meaning that the security has been breached. My pack and I were completely panicked, as we've never been in such a situation before. You were sleeping right next to me, and the noise caused by the alert woke you up. According to the speakers, the breach was located in a far sector of the station; yet we were ordered to prepare to leave. Soon after, Jesa and her pack came in our lab, telling us that the attackers were gradually taking over the station, and that we had to leave as fast as we could. I took you in my arms and we left the lab, and began running through the corridor, in direction of the escape pods. What we didn't knew at the time, was that the sector wasn't safe anymore. An explosion, followed by crumbling debris, got me separated from the others. By the time I recovered from my fall, I lost track of them. The hit I took to the head, combined with the far-off screams of the people trying to escape and the shooting sounds left me completely disoriented and unable to find my way out. You then started crying, not understanding what was going on. I tried to reassure you, telling you that we'll be safe, that we'll find everyone again, but these words sounded hollow even to myself. I fled the direction of the fights, and ran several minutes without meeting anyone. To further add to the horror of the situation, lights all across the station started flickering, electrical systems began failing. At this point I even wondered if there still was an escape pod waiting for us. I truly thought we were abandonned, until we ran into your mother. ...Alone. Her face was all bloody, several gashes were marking her body, and in her eyes I could read deep despair. As soon as I saw her I hugged her with my free arm, and asked her where were the others. By her look, I already knew what happened... They..."

    Eikos took a few slow, silent steps across the room, apparently struggling internally.

    "They were... dead, killed by the raiders. In a second, my whole world collapsed. All the people I knew and cared about disappeared, with the exception of you two. I fell on my knees, unable to withstand the situation. Jesa forced me to stand up and run, saying that we had to leave so we could at least save you. So we ran to find an exit. On the way out we met some of our attackers, who died by the hands of your mother before they could threaten us; she turned into a machine, dealing death to whoever could put our lives in danger. She was our guardian, putting her life on the table to defend ours. Eventually we found the escape pods; the room was crowded, full of people desperately trying to escape. Once we finally managed to get into one, she didn't follow us. Your mother hugged you one last time, then stepped back. She told me that there still were people trapped inside the station and no matter how much she wanted to stay with us, she had to fullfill her duty. Take care of our daughter, give her a future. I love you both. Those were the last words I heard from her. The doors closed, and the pod launched. Through the glass, I looked at her one last time. She was crying, but her eyes were burning with determination, the retentless volition of the hunter, willing nothing but to take down those who killed her loved ones. On this instant, I knew she would fight every one of these renegades or die trying. I had under my eyes a true hunter, disregarding her own existence to protect others... a hero. A true hero. And... that was the last time I ever saw her."

    He sighed silently. "Our vessel was flying to the nearest station. During the ride, I was sobbing uncontrollably, crying for our losses, yelling at the injustice of the world. I didn't wanted to live anymore, I wanted to die so I could join the others. And you... you were here, sitting on my legs, watching me with an interrogative look, wondering why I was acting like that. I looked at you, and I saw your mother's eyes, the exact same look. And I knew what she wanted me to do: to find a safe place where I could raise you, as best as I could. This is what she would have done. You were all that was left to me, and I couldn't afford to lose you."

    "We landed in a station refitted to welcome the refugees, and lived here a few weeks. A military operation was launched to retrieve the lost station, and I wanted to stay until the end, in hope of finding one of us. The operation was a success and several survivors were found, but... unfortunately my pack, Jesa and hers were confirmed killed. This was a crushing blow to me. I decided to leave the system, so I could try to forget what happened, and raise you properly. Eventually we ended up here, in this very colony, and lived here up to today."
    "This was the story of... this was our story."

    He stopped talking, waiting for Eija's reaction. A minute passed, without her doing a single move. Then, without a word, she stood and hugged her father.

    "Thank you for telling me this, dad. I swear that this tale won't be forgotten." She said on a soft tone.

    "I know you won't let this happen. I'll miss you, you know." he calmly replied.

    "I'll miss you too." After another silent minute, she stepped back. "I think I'll have to go now, the others must be back now."

    "Alright, go find them. We'll see again before your departure, sweetie."

    "Until then, dad." she said in response, before walking towards the door. After opening it, she turned back, facing her father. "Oh, and dad, one more thing."

    "Yes?"

    "I couldn't have been prouder of my parents."

    He took the compliment with a broad smile. "I couldn't have been prouder of my daughter."



    ...



    Eikos was looking at the stars through the opened window, his eyes covered in tears. Night fell several hours ago, but he still couldn't find sleep.

    "Jesa, where are you?" he asked to the sky, hopelessly waiting for an answer.

     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2016
  2. Lodish

    Lodish Black Hole Surfer

    Tanananana chapter two! Have a good reading :)

    "Is she sleeping?"

    "Probably, it is quite late."

    "I guess there's only one way to find out!" Renumi poked her packmate, Vaune, who smiled in response

    "Real funny, Ren. I missed this kind of subtle jokes, especially coming from you."

    The beige avali leaned closer to Eijala, sleeping on her cushion. He gently patted her shoulder. "Hey. We're here."

    Eijala slowly opened her eyes, her ears turned towards Vaune.

    "Hey guys." She stood, and yawned. "How was your day?"

    "Not much to say, really." Nayu replied. "What about you Eija? How did it went?"

    "How did it went? Hang on..." Eijala walked over the room to the shelf and took her combat armor aswell as her knife, and shown these to her pack, a bit of pride sparkling into her eyes."It went pretty well, I think."

    She put back her belongings on the shelf. "This means your training is over, right?" Vaune asked.

    She grinned. "Heh, heck yeah, I am now a first class soldier! I'm glad this is finally over."

    Renumi clapped her hands. "Alright, time to celebrate now! Let's go to the café!"

    "The café? Oh no, I'm pretty positive that every trainee rushed it as soon as they could, it is most likely full by now..." Eijala answered.

    Vaune smiled broadly at her. "We have already reserved a table there."

    "Wha- ... Why did you do that? I wasn't even sure I passed the trials! What if I failed?"

    "Come on Eija, I think that you are the only person in this whole colony thinking that." Nayu replied in a firm tone. "Anyway, what are we waiting for?"



    ...



    "And when will you be done with your studies?" Eijala asked. The place was umpleasantly noisy, especially for sharp avali ears. Many packs were hanging out in the large tent, almost exclusively ex-trainees, busy reminding importants events that occured during their training or planning their future as a military; laughs could be heard from all directions. The Wyman pack was occupying a small table located in a corner of the room, away from the constant noise generated by other clients. Renumi, Nayu and Vaune were kneeled around the table, having a drink, while Eijala was lying of the latter's side.

    "Roughly a week, maybe a bit less." he replied.

    "A week? Sheesh..." Her eyes turned towards Nayu. "At least tell me you found someplace to go or something."

    "About that." The brown avali deployed an hologram displaying a planet along with some text, and pictures of a small colony. "There is a recently founded colony in a quite far away system, looking for workers in many fields, including ours. I had a small discussion with them, and they are more than willing to welcome us there."

    Eijala raised her head to listen to her packmate.

    "It may be located in a very remote system, but it may be worth it. There is no way we can't find a job there. And given your grade, you'll most likely get a good position in their military forces."

    She took a look at the holograms. "And don't they mind if we are the most... unusual pack of this side of the universe? I mean, we have a soldier and three engineers."

    "More like a musician and three engineers!" Renumi added.

    "Ren, please. Anyway, they assured me this is in no way an issue. They are actually quite eager to welcome a military, since even though this is a quiet sector, their own forces aren't very developped."

    "This definitely seems interesting..." She thought for a second. "And what about the travel? How will we get there? How long will it be?"

    "Unfortunately it'll be long one." He replied. "We'll have to board a ship to a huge space station, from which we'll take another ship to the colony. It will take a few days with FTL travel, but this is the fastest route."

    "Oh well, what is one more week of waiting anyway?" Eijala layed down of Vaune again. "I've lived worse."

    He replied in a friendly tone. "No, you haven't. We have never left you alone for more than two days."

    "You have no idea how long and boring this was."

    "And I don't want to. But anyway, I'm pretty sure you are more than happy to take off to another colony, no matter how far it is.

    "Well, I guess you are right. Although it doesn't means you can take your time finishing your stuff."

    Renumi put down her drink. "Our stuff? By a word such as 'stuff', would you mean something insignificant like our studies?"

    Eijala stared at her with a playful eye. "Your studies, whatever."



    The soldier stood and picked up her glass. She raised it up, and spoke as loud as she could : "To our future departure!"
    Her packmates raised their drinks in response and, to her surprise, hurras from others avalis could be heard across the room.


    I'll try to update this story on a regular basis as of now, and to write bigger chapters.
    Oh, and I'd like some feedback, so I can improve my writing! Tis is hard to improve when there's no one behind you telling you what's wrong
    --- Post updated ---
    Chapter three is here and HOLY- why is it twice as long as the others? Oh well.
    Happy (heh) reading :nuruhappy:


    "Hi dad, how are you? I am done with my training, and since Ren, Vaune and Nayu are still studying, I have some time to kill. Don't you mind if I visit you this afternoon? I know you may be busy working, but we'll settle to another colony within days, so it may be our last chance to see eachother. I have a lot of stuff to tell you about, so try to free yourself some time, okay?"



    ...



    Eijala dusted the snow off her wings once she entered the building. The automatic door hissed behind her as she walked towards an avali sat behind a desk.
    He raised his head off his holograms and greeted her. "Hello, miss. May I help you?"

    "Yes, I'd like to see Eikos. Professor Eikos." she asked.

    He tapped his holograms. "Mmhh... And you are?"

    "Her daughter, Eijala."

    He looked at her attentively, then smiled and replied. "Oh, it's you! Sorry I haven't recognized you sooner. Anyway, your father's in his office as usual, alpha wing, third floor, room number six. His name is on the door, you can't miss it." He pointed a large corridor. "Right this way, just follow the signs. Enjoy your stay!"

    She thanked him, and headed towards the direction he gave her.



    ...



    "...and I fell asleep in the middle of the café. This is what they told me, anyway. But this is true that yesterday I was completely exhausted, even though I didn't do anything that could've put me in such a state."

    Eijala was sitting on a maglev chair, in front of her father, sitting in a similar chair. They were in a square room, with orange-streaked white walls so common amongst avali structures; a long window on the bottom wall gave a large view over the colony. A potted nakati ovoid was silently glowing on a desk, one of the only furnitures in the office.

    "You know, it is probably due to the stress of the ceremony. And... maybe because you achieved a... goal of yours." He smiled as he ended his sentence.

    "A goal of mine, yeah." She chuckled, then stopped talking, searching the right words for what she wanted to say.

    Eikos noticed her hesitation. "What's wrong, sweetie? Is something the matter?"

    She raised her head and her gaze met her father's, as she began to speak. "Dad. You know why did I choose this path. Because I wanted to honor mom, to become like her. But you have never really told me what happened to her that day. You always told me that she sacrificed herself to save us, that I was too young to hear this, that you will tell me when it will be the time. And I think that... now is the time."

    He turned his eyes away from Eijala's. He was now finding himself in the situation he always avoided, knowing that he has no choice but to comply to her daughter's request.

    She stood. "Please dad, I know it is painful for you to remember that, but I want to hear it at least once before I leave." Her voice became more insistent. "Please."



    After a deep breathing, Eikos raised his head and stared at her. "How you've grown..." he thought, as a tear fell from his eye.
    He sighed, his face caught in a half-smile. "Look at you. You remind me of her when we met for the first times; stubborn and very curious, always taking care of others... Heh, she would be proud of what you've become, really." He sighed again. "You are not a kit anymore, I guess you can hear this now. Alright, sit down and listen, because this will take a while."

    Eijala sat down, waiting for her father to tell her the tale of her missing mother.

    "It all started twenty-two years ago. My pack and I were hired in a huge, major space station as scientists. This station was built long ago for research purposes in an uninhabited system. This was a fairly unusual workplace, as we were working not only with Avalis, but with Humans, Apexes, Avians, Hylotls and Florans as well. After almost a few months there, we met a friendly pack working as guards in the station, and Jesa, your mother, was part of this pack. Our packs became close friends over time, and she became very curious about what we were studying. Eventually I fell in love with her and, when I told her about that, she took it very well. As of this day, we spent a lot of time together, she dropped by in my lab whenever she had the time. During all this time spent together, we shared our experiences: I shown her my works, while she learned me how to handle a weapon, but she also learned me how to use a guitar-- everything I've shown you comes from her. Those were good, carefree times... They lasted for around a year when... something happened."

    Eikos was now standing, turned towards his daughter. He smiled, a sad smile that was unique to him.

    "It was you. When your egg hatched, we were so happy that mere words cannot describe what how we felt; your mother, despite her work, spent as much time with you as she could. You spent countless days napping in my arms, while I was at work... These were the best days of my entire life."

    His face darkened. "Of course, it couldn't last long..."

    "A few months after your birth, an alarm resonated in the station. A red alert, meaning that the security has been breached. My pack and I were completely panicked, as we've never been in such a situation before. You were sleeping right next to me, and the noise caused by the alert woke you up. According to the speakers, the breach was located in a far sector of the station; yet we were ordered to prepare to leave. Soon after, Jesa and her pack came in our lab, telling us that the attackers were gradually taking over the station, and that we had to leave as fast as we could. I took you in my arms and we left the lab, and began running through the corridor, in direction of the escape pods. What we didn't knew at the time, was that the sector wasn't safe anymore. An explosion, followed by crumbling debris, got me separated from the others. By the time I recovered from my fall, I lost track of them. The hit I took to the head, combined with the far-off screams of the people trying to escape and the shooting sounds left me completely disoriented and unable to find my way out. You then started crying, not understanding what was going on. I tried to reassure you, telling you that we'll be safe, that we'll find everyone again, but these words sounded hollow even to myself. I fled the direction of the fights, and ran several minutes without meeting anyone. To further add to the horror of the situation, lights all across the station started flickering, electrical systems began failing. At this point I even wondered if there still was an escape pod waiting for us. I truly thought we were abandonned, until we ran into your mother. ...Alone. Her face was all bloody, several gashes were marking her body, and in her eyes I could read deep despair. As soon as I saw her I hugged her with my free arm, and asked her where were the others. By her look, I already knew what happened... They..."

    Eikos took a few slow, silent steps across the room, apparently struggling internally.

    "They were... dead, killed by the raiders. In a second, my whole world collapsed. All the people I knew and cared about disappeared, with the exception of you two. I fell on my knees, unable to withstand the situation. Jesa forced me to stand up and run, saying that we had to leave so we could at least save you. So we ran to find an exit. On the way out we met some of our attackers, who died by the hands of your mother before they could threaten us; she turned into a machine, dealing death to whoever could put our lives in danger. She was our guardian, putting her life on the table to defend ours. Eventually we found the escape pods; the room was crowded, full of people desperately trying to escape. Once we finally managed to get into one, she didn't follow us. Your mother hugged you one last time, then stepped back. She told me that there still were people trapped inside the station and no matter how much she wanted to stay with us, she had to fullfill her duty. Take care of our daughter, give her a future. I love you both. Those were the last words I heard from her. The doors closed, and the pod launched. Through the glass, I looked at her one last time. She was crying, but her eyes were burning with determination, the retentless volition of the hunter, willing nothing but to take down those who killed her loved ones. On this instant, I knew she would fight every one of these renegades or die trying. I had under my eyes a true hunter, disregarding her own existence to protect others... a hero. A true hero. And... that was the last time I ever saw her."

    He sighed silently. "Our vessel was flying to the nearest station. During the ride, I was sobbing uncontrollably, crying for our losses, yelling at the injustice of the world. I didn't wanted to live anymore, I wanted to die so I could join the others. And you... you were here, sitting on my legs, watching me with an interrogative look, wondering why I was acting like that. I looked at you, and I saw your mother's eyes, the exact same look. And I knew what she wanted me to do: to find a safe place where I could raise you, as best as I could. This is what she would have done. You were all that was left to me, and I couldn't afford to lose you."

    "We landed in a station refitted to welcome the refugees, and lived here a few weeks. A military operation was launched to retrieve the lost station, and I wanted to stay until the end, in hope of finding one of us. The operation was a success and several survivors were found, but... unfortunately my pack, Jesa and hers were confirmed killed. This was a crushing blow to me. I decided to leave the system, so I could try to forget what happened, and raise you properly. Eventually we ended up here, in this very colony, and lived here up to today."
    "This was the story of... this was our story."

    He stopped talking, waiting for Eija's reaction. A minute passed, without her doing a single move. Then, without a word, she stood and hugged her father.

    "Thank you for telling me this, dad. I swear that this tale won't be forgotten." She said on a soft tone.

    "I know you won't let this happen. I'll miss you, you know." he calmly replied.

    "I'll miss you too." After another silent minute, she stepped back. "I think I'll have to go now, the others must be back now."

    "Alright, go find them. We'll see again before your departure, sweetie."

    "Until then, dad." she said in response, before walking towards the door. After opening it, she turned back, facing her father. "Oh, and dad, one more thing."

    "Yes?"

    "I couldn't have been prouder of my parents."

    He took the compliment with a broad smile. "I couldn't have been prouder of my daughter."



    ...



    Eikos was looking at the stars through the opened window, his eyes covered in tears. Night fell several hours ago, but he still couldn't find sleep.

    "Jesa, where are you?" he asked to the sky, hopelessly waiting for an answer.


    As usual, feedback would be welcome, because it is hard to correct your mistakes when you can't see them.
    --- Post updated ---
    Update: I will no longer update this thread (yeah that was short) since I am not happy with what I wrote so far. I plan to completely rewrite this later on.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2016
    Sgt.fox170 likes this.
  3. The12ZodiacKeys

    The12ZodiacKeys Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    Hopefully it won't die out I injoy avali characters and the storys that come with it.
     
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  4. Lodish

    Lodish Black Hole Surfer

    Glad to see someones likes this :p Sorry to disappoint you, but this story is discontinued, since I ended up disliking my own work.
    However! However. My plans have changed, and I have been working on a complete rewrite of it! This one is a lot better and much more readable, as writers more experienced than I helped me a lot doing it :nurutease:

    You can find it here, if you want to read it :)
     
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