FALAHA'S JOURNEY: A Spacegirl's Account in Three Movements

Episode #2

The Emergency Codex states that all distress calls must be ignored on the way to Kan Diona; stealth mode is mandatory. The day I discovered this fact was the day we received a distress signal.

It was coming from the direction of the large Tue Nua colony, Medas. Every living thing on the planet had been completely wiped out. Only a few people had made it into space and some of them needed immediate medical attention. Right now their damaged escape vessel was drifting in the middle of nothingness. The Medans' life support had failed half a day ago and was beyond repair, so they didn't have much time left before this piece of scrap became their icy grave. But even if they had still had life support, their transport had no distortion drive to go anywhere within their lifetimes.

At the time, I was on the Bridge with my father. I knew nothing of the Codex at that point, but I strongly felt he had made up his mind and was going to abandon these people. Before I could stop them, the words flew out of my mouth: "We are going to help, aren't we?"

Father looked at me, his dark eyes filled with sadness.

"Aren't we?" I repeated, ignoring the silent tension that engulfed the Bridge. I had completely forgotten about the potential dangers lurking in the area and how we could become a target if our presence was announced, or even worse, how we could lead the enemy right to our destination, endangering billions of lives there. I tried again not to see how painful it was for my father, no, for a Commander, to say his next words.

"Of course." He smiled, softly putting his huge hand on my head.

I wish now he had simply scolded me and said, "No."

But then, somehow, everyone else was smiling, too, and all the tension disappeared.

[2.44.7.15.11].267.8.2 - 15.7.6.[18]

Sixteenth hour of second day of ninth week, year 267 on the Short Count, Commonwealth Main Time.

Quennah was getting ready for the rescue mission.