Kadance: Another Tale

27

The shuttle lands on the now empty compound.  As the group debarks the shuttle they notice the empty loneliness that pervades the once busy compound. Kadance, Jayse and Tommy watch in silence as Kellan makes his way over to where he and his Lt. Commander placed Jenks.

Kadance comes up and places a comforting hand on Kellan, "Is this then, your friend, Commander?"

"Yeah, this is Jenks, Sareen's son and a good friend even if I didn't know him for very long."

Shortly after his words the wind whips around them and Sareen's shape takes form once more. "Be at peace, Commander, my son is." Sareen looks at Kadance and her husbands. 

"You are a very formidable woman, Kadance. We are pleased to finally meet you and thank you."

Kadance looks at Sareen in confusion, "You are of course welcome, but it is I that should thank you, for the help you gave my husbands and my other security personnel." Kellan had allowed them to touch the knife as well and they all lost the anger that Kadance couldn't get rid of.

"A gift of my appreciation, Kadance. It was through your efforts that the humans were able to withstand the shifters for as long as they did. It was through your's and your sister's ideas that the Warriors were able to grow and have the numbers to defeat the scourge of the universe. Or at least one of them. 

"Now, I will be giving the information so that the war can finish." Tommy and Jayse's eyes grow big and they clutch at their heads as the information causes their heads to pain. "Forgive me, I didn't realize it would cause you pain. Commander, please, touch them with the knife and their pain will leave."

Kellan looks wide eyed at Sareen's image. Then with baited breath he slowly removes his flint knife and cautiously walks over to Tommy and Jayse. They are too busy fighting to stay upright to notice his approach. He lightly touches their hands with the blade and instantly their headaches ease.

The two men look at Sareen having a hard time keeping their mouths shut. "Is that all their worlds?" Jayse finally manages to get out.

Sareen nods, "Yes, they have for millennia gone from planet to planet and destroyed the occupants before taking over the planet. You are the only successful people to stand against them for any length of time. You must take them out and destroy them entirely or they will come back even stronger than ever, then no one will be able to destroy them."

Sareen looks at the three she asked to be brought to her. "Your children and those that are united with them will be instrumental in the destruction of the shifters, but it will come at a high cost. And the cost is not necessarily that of their lives, but of their mind. They will be in need of your help a great deal, Kadance." Sareen produces three more of the flint knives and presents them to Kadance, Jayse and Tommy. "Unfortunately, the only way for some will be your final grace as you call it, but for most the knives will help. But none of those sent will ever be the same again. You must be prepared for that."

Sareen turns to Kellan, "You have unwittingly made yourself part of Dayla, Commander, when you cut yourself on Dayla's gift to you and your blood and her stone found each other. You will be allowed to rest here once you are passed if you are killed in combat or if you feel your death coming you are welcome to return. All those of Beta Company, if they wish will be allowed their rest here when their time is over. Please, let them know?"

Kellan's eyes grow wide in wonder. That is not something he'd ever thought he'd be offered. Before the curse he had thought that Dayla was the most beautiful of the planets he's ever been to. "I thank you, Sareen and I thank Dayla. I for one will accept this offer and will notify the others of my company of it as well. Will we too, be preserved as the damned are?"