Love In A Time Of Sorrow: A SciFi Alien Romance

Chapter 1

Tsurk

“Just open your eye, Tsurk, and tell me what you see.”

The tent flap billows open in the stiff spring winds, tearing the fabric back to reveal the bustle of Camp Hope outside. A Vakutan and a Shorcu stride past, each bearing one end of a heavy transmitter antenna. Such a sight would be sheer lunacy on any other world, but not here on Armstrong.

I squint, and the cybernetic eye in my left socket senses the muscle movement and zooms in. Way in, as it turns out, and suddenly I have an all too high definition image of the Vakutan’s nose hairs.

“It’s still zooming in way too much.” I bare my teeth in a silent snarl. “I swear to the Goddess, Faith, I’m about to rip this thing right out of my skull.”

The human woman hovering nearby, the cute one with the red hair, smiles warmly at me.

“That wouldn’t be a good idea, Tsurk. We all agreed that you couldn’t go back on active duty until you had one hundred percent of your vision back. But if you want to go back to work in the mess hall, well…”

“You and I both know that you know I’d rather get shot at than try to figure out how to get biscuits to rise. We can’t all be multi talented like you, Miss Faith.”

The other human woman in the room, dusky skinned and wearing a long white coat, grimaces in frustration.

“Stop moving, Tsurk. I’m trying to adjust the focus ratio on your new eye.”

“That’s what you said half an hour ago.”

“And you keep moving.”

The woman, Dr. Sika, taps on her data pad, which is connected to my cybernetic eye’s software suite. Sika is a relatively new arrival here on Armstrong, having come in on a badly damaged shuttle that limped out of the badlands on reserve power. Her medical expertise is a real boon, though I think Faith is kind of miffed that she’s no longer taking care of our sick and injured.

But Faith’s credentials go far beyond her training as an emergency medical technician. She has a rare quality, a combination of empathy, confidence, and a stubborn streak a mile wide that makes her a natural leader. 

I once heard one of my CO’s say that good leaders get others to follow their orders, but great leaders, well, great leaders get others to WANT to follow their orders. I have to admit, if Faith told me to jump off a cliff I’d ask her if she wanted me to do a backflip on the way down.

Most of the soldiers here in the camp, whether they come from Alliance background or Coalition, feel the same way. Even with the new arrivals, which have swelled our numbers, nearly everyone knows someone who Faith had a direct hand in saving. If you think about it, she’s the one who pulled all of us together, so really we kind of owe her, well, everything.

There are many among the former Ataxian troops, and even some of the Alliance, who whisper that Faith is the reincarnation of the Goddess Ataxia herself. While I’m not terribly devout—I choose to follow the Old Ways of my people, the Odex—I have to admit I have an easy, effortless platonic love for Faith, and if anyone were going to be the second coming of the goddess of mercy and love, it would be her.

Faith didn’t just help me come to terms with losing my natural eye. She healed my spirit as much as my body. The fighting on and around Armstrong had been brutal for some time, and myself and many others had been ground down into the doldrums of despair. Live or die, it didn’t seem to make much difference. We wound up following orders because it was easier than thinking for ourselves.

But Faith lifted me up, showed me that even in the darkest places in the galaxy hope can blossom. I’ve decided to allow it to blossom in my own heart. Even though I continue to train for war, and prepare for war, I hope to see the galaxy at peace in my lifetime.

If nothing else, we’re going to turn Armstrong into a haven for those who have had enough of fighting and killing. That’s the source of our strength more than our weapons or training. We believe in something, something bigger than ourselves. It’s a lot easier to put my life on the line when I believe in what I’m fighting for.

Which isn’t to say we don’t have our problems. Duric, Faith, and Riven have a difficult task set before them, trying to knit seven different sapient species from two different galactic empires to not only coexist, but thrive.

As if summoned by my thoughts, the Vakutan and Groglath commanders of our united forces come through the wind buffeted tent flaps. I turn toward them but that makes Sika curse.

“Hold. Still.”

At least I can still hear what’s going on, even if I can’t see it. Faith greets her co-leaders, and even though her tone is cheerful enough you can cut the tension with a power blade. There’s about to be a fight.

“Duric and I have discussed it with our senior officers, Faith, and there is simply no way we can risk losing you in the ruins of New Rio.”

Faith’s eyes narrow, and Riven blanches. Her anger is every bit as potent as her sense of mercy.

“Damn it, Riven, it’s my risk to take. The refugees I left behind when Gar abducted me could be dead for all I know. Many of them are children.”

Riven swallows hard, and turns toward Duric for support. The Vakutan visibly steels himself and steps forward.

“Miss Faith, we do want to help them, but at this time it presents too great a risk, not to mention a drain on our resources.”

“Drain on our resources?” Faith’s green eyes cloud over with a film of rage. “That’s the kind of talk that started, and perpetuated, this stupid war. We don’t sacrifice innocents because it would be inconvenient to save them. That’s not what the Soldiers of  Hope stand for.”

Soldiers of Hope. I don’t know who came up with the name, but I like it. Duric frowns, because he thinks it pretentious, but you have to cut him some slack, being a Vakutan and all.

Faith stands up straight and begins gathering up medical supplies in a dark blue backpack.

“But fine. Whatever. Gar and I will go and collect the children. That way you shouldn’t have to worry about a drain on your precious resources.”

“Please, Miss Faith, don’t do this.” Duric sighs, and exchanges helpless glances with Riven. “There are a lot of people who rely upon you now. It’s not just your life that you’re risking.”

“I can’t just leave them there. It’s bad enough that they’ve been on their own for this long.”

I grin as my cybernetic eye focuses as seamlessly as my natural eye.

“How’s that?”

I look at Dr. Sika and grin.

“Perfect.” I stand up, drawing the attention of our dueling leadership. “Miss Faith, I humbly suggest that you allow me to lead a small team into New Rio. We’ll extract the refugees and bring them back here, safe and sound.”

“Tsurk, do you even know where their hide out is?”

I turn to Riven and shrug.

“So I’ll take Gar along as one of my team. He’s been there before.”

Faith gets thoughtful, while Riven and Duric exchange meaningful looks.

“I suppose it’s an option…” Riven’s wizened face scrunches up in thought. “So long as you’re fit for active duty.”

“Don’t worry, Commander. I’ve got a real…eye…for danger.”

Well, at least Faith has the good grace to laugh at my lame joke.

With full permission from my commanders, I head out into the camp to pick my team members. Our camp sits in the shadow of a big, ugly comm tower that’s been fried into worthlessness by some carefully placed EMPs. It’s become our unofficial symbol, and many of my fellows have tattooed its image upon themselves, with a star at the top.

I move through the camp until I spot a skinny Grolgath youth cleaning his rifle.

“Jinn, gear up. You’re coming with me.”

He looks up at me and swallows visibly.

“Me? Why?”

“We’re going into New Rios and rescuing Faith’s kids.”

“We are? I didn’t know she was a mother.”

I cast my gaze skyward and sigh. Jinn’s not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.

“Not her real kids, dumb ass, the kids she used to teach. Come on, you  might be a nervous wreck most of the time but you’re a crack shot. I need distance support.”

“Okay, Tsurk. I’ll get my gear.” His eyes narrow and he jabs a finger at me. “But just know, I’m never speaking to you again if you get me killed.”

“True enough.” I grin and leave him to gather his gear. My next target is a brawny Vakutan, who I find playing Twonk with a small group near the quartermaster’s tent.

“Brum, quit cheating those idiots out of their credits and gear up. We’ve got a mission.”

Brum looks up, an eager gleam in his red eyes.

“At last. When do we leave?”

“In an hour, if we can swing it. I’m still gathering us up. When you’re ready meet me at Jinn’s tent.”

“Copy that.”

Brum, if you’ll notice, is much easier to convince than Jinn. He didn’t even ask what the assignment was or where we were going.

I head over to the walls, where my best friend Syth stands guard. As the snow has melted, we’ve had to chop down trees from the nearby forest to shore up our defenses. Syth stands at the top of a sturdy wooden palisade, the spring sun glinting off the metal of his artificial leg. When I first enlisted, Syth sort of took me under his wing and taught me about how life in the military actually works. We’ve saved each other’s lives a dozen times over since then, and there’s no one I trust more to have my back than him.

“Yo, Syth.”

He looks down at me and grins.

“What do you want, you ugly bastard? Like the eye, by the way. It draws attention from the rest of your unfortunate countenance.”

“Are you done?”

“No, but I could be. You got a serious look on your face, Tsurk. Did someone die?”

“No, but they will if we don’t get a move on. I need you for my team. We’re heading into the ruins of New Rio to collect the refugees.”

Syth’s brow ridges arch high on his scaled face.

“Faith’s kids?”

“Yeah.”

“You got it.”

Like many of us, Syth is dedicated to Faith. She helped him overcome an agonizing phantom limb pain, and ever since he’s been one of her most ardent supporters. He even stood up to our entire army on her account.

“Meet me at Jinn’s tent when you’re ready.”

“Copy that. It’ll be good to be back in action again.”

I can understand his desire to get back out there. When you’re maimed in battle, as both of us were, you go through a time where you feel useless. We’re eager to prove our mettle, even if it’s just to ourselves.

My final recruit is hard to find, because he’s the type of guy who you’ll never see unless he wants you to. When I locate Gar, he’s up in the high limbs of an evergreen tree, a pair of binoculars up to his red eyes.

“Hey, Gar. I need you, man.”

Gar glances down at me, and then leaps down from the tree like a jungle cat. Landing in an easy crouch, he slowly stands up and crosses his arms over his chest.

“What can I do for you, Tsurk?”

“We’re going to rescue your fiance’s kids. Interested?”

The gleam in his eyes is all the answer I need.