Radiance: Part One

V10: Talks Of Genocide

Fenne the 6th, 5694 CE; 2200hrs

"Grand Prince, with all due respect to yourself and your people, genocide- is out of the question. It's been nearly five hundred and fifteen years since any of our peoples has seen a real war. The council agrees with you that these desperate times call for desperate measures, but we cannot place the guilt for these crimes on all of them. We suggest reeducation, for the sake of peace. There will be a party more guilty than the rest of the populace, and they will pay for what they have done. The children shall not pay for the sins of their fathers'." The head of the Planetary Council- a council composed of leaders from their quadrant of the galaxy- Maegnus Y'n Efiecta radiated over the silent crowd.

"Councilor Maegnus," King Dahn Shii stood up, making eye contact with Maegnus, a glowing amorphous being, "How can we take such a transgression so lightly- there are so many deaths. How can we let them continue to threaten our peace?"

"Captain Lyda-" The councilor focused in on them, suddenly. They'd spoken a bit, since the meeting had begun, but had mostly been nodding along with what Vyrik and his father said.

"Yes, Councilor?" Lyda stood. They had taken to their leadership position without hesitation, and it only did more to the waves of blatant distraction in Vyrik's mind. He found himself lost in thought for parts of the day, stuck on the way they tasted- smelled- etc. He shook the thoughts from his mind for the umpteenth time that day.

"Were you or were you not aware that there might be casualties, mass or otherwise, were you and your people to take this excursion into the depths of space, in search of your refuge?" It wasn't so much that one could see the councilor looking at them as they could feel it. That seemed to be the way of most inorganic life, Vyrik noticed.

"Of course I was," they nodded. "I knew there was even a chance that we wouldn't survive at all. I'm grateful that we've managed to arrive mostly unscathed. I want to avenge the needless death of my people, but having come from a planet that was so divided by hatred, I can't say I agree with the idea of genocide, either. Our species' history, as well as, it seems, every other form of intelligent life, seem to show that education is the best way forward. I've already seen far too much death in my short life to sign off on more."

"Grand prince," The councilor's focus shifted again, "How can you disagree with this? Does your passion only guide you toward violence? Shall we revisit the path of violence that the galaxy has seen? Shall we revisit every lesson we now require to be taught, across the cosmos? Violence only breeds violence. We will not be lenient with The Gray, but we will not return to them exactly what they are asking for. Look upon them as petulant children, who act out because they know no other ways to seek attention. Do we encourage the suicide of someone who has known only darkness, or do we do our best to show them the light? How can you grow, if you are continually cut off at the knees?"

He hadn't looked at things from a perspective that wasn't enraged, yet. It was difficult to step back when so many of the people he cared about were struck with such an overbearing amount of loss, with himself in a position of power that could help to avenge them. He took a deep, thoughtful breath.

"I will admit to being impassioned." He nodded, shoving his pride into his pocket, where it belonged. "One can have difficulty seeing their enemy as anything but evil."

"The Gray are called what they are, because of their belief in the grey- the between. Their toxicity only grew when they refused to allow for progression in their society, trapping themselves in a hierarchy with no chance of growth, inward or outward. They hide themselves behind their walls in the fear that some outside force might change them into something that will depreciate them. They believe themselves deeply connected to the planet, considering themselves the original race of Alpha Terra 4, and thus the most valuable. Their sect is small, and generally nonviolent- The likelihood that the entirety of their species is responsible for this attack is statistically and mathematically unsound." Another council member stood on eleven foot long, spindly legs. She had a large, oblong head, equally long arms, and wore an intricate robe that cinched at her extremely thin waist. Her eyes were quite large and she had tentacles where Vyrik had hair, done up in an ornate style that wove in and out of itself. Her voice was low and sharp, words ending with a slight whistle, the only indication of an accent.