the last pilot

Memories

Ren Drilla. War hero of earth. The last resistance. The great commander. The sacrifice for freedom. He was known by those names, made immortal through history books and stories told be the older generation. But to me, he had always gone by one name. Dad.

Even with the chaos around me, i let my mind slip away, and memories of my past surfaced. Memories I had left behind, Memories of earth, before the Helios.

~~~~I was five, and everything I could remember was peaceful....~~~~

"Dad! come on!" I yelled, following my older sister, Sirah. We were going to thw falls, my favorite spot on the weekends. It was peaceful, and the grass was warm beneath my barefeet. The sky was blue, and the sun was bright and calming.

"Ill be there soon Zan, let me have some alone time with momma." I heard my dad reply, as my sister and I went into the peaceful river. The falls were a few feet away, and our parents had always warned not to go near them alone.

Everything was perfect, everything was calm, until.....

"Hey Zan, lets go up the falls. we can do it, weve climbed them before." Sirah spat out, happily dancing in the water. She was seven, and I had always followed her everywhere.

"I.... Okay..... But dont leave me behind." i whispered, looking back at our parents who were laying together in the grass. I broke my gaze and looked at Sirah who was holding her hand out to me. I took it, and smiled at her happily.

The breaze was gentle at the top of the falls, and it was beautiful. The water was rushing at our feet, and the rocks were harsh and rugged beneath the flow.

Everything was peaceful, until....

"Sirah..... Dont go so close to the edge...."

~~~~

I left my old memories, trying to erase the images of Sirah falling from the edge, her body lifeless at the bottom as the water turned red.

This was a moment I had buried in my mind, the moment that i had forgotten about my sister. Ignored the fact that she had ever been there. It was also the moment that I had lost my relationship with my dad. The very next summer, around my sixth birthday, that was when we had Abandoned earth, and I watched from the ships dome as my father vanished from sight.

"Fucking move!" The archer screamed, as she sent several arrows into the oncoming screachers. She was brave, and focused, and her orders were clear.

"Aria, come on!" i yelled, and grabbed Iris by the hand once again, as I noticed but ignored Arias nervous glance at the helios enfused child. She held her own screaming girl tighter in her arms, but I didnt have time to ask questions. I turned and led Iris and Aria deep into the cave, scared of seeing my father, and wondering how he was still alive.

My mind broke, the image of Sirah etched into my eyes, as more memories entered my head, but I pushed them away.

"Aria.... You go.... Find him... I cant go in." i spoke, frozen where i was standing.

"Daddy.... Itll be ok, just keep moving." Iris spoke up at me, her eyes were wide with compassion and innocene. She took my hand and drug me further into the cave. Aria looked back at me when she heard the word, daddy, and i felt deep confussion and worry from her gaze.

"daddy...? what... what did i miss?" she asked, and held onto the screaming girl in her arms even tighter.

"i could ask you the same thing Aria but this isnt the time." I spoke, and continued towards the deep end of the cave. A thin light began to grow brighter, as the end of the tunnel opened into a wide cavern. In the center, was a lone chair, carved out of rock, and a lone figure sat upon it.