Rebirth: They went not gently into that goodnight…
24 Dec 2022Astraeius
But still, their day came to a close. Whether they raged, whether they fought wildly, or whether they merely wept in fear or cried out in desperation, that is for their shades to know and treasure. Or perhaps regret. But as for those of us who remain, they are forever lost. Their homes, empty. Their hearths, cold. Their voices, silenced.I meant to walk their streets. What demon guided me, I do not know. I have never had kin in Matshiru, nor friends or even close acquaintances. Perhaps it was the feeling of responsibility from having fought for them – and lost. Or perhaps the mere morbose curiosity of seeing what the enemy does to our homes, once it has charred and bloodied them, stolen them from butchered owners with its acid claw. Because, though I would prefer not to ponder such matters, I am curious. Curious about this enemy that we know so little, despite our history of conflicts. Curious about the fate of the abducted ones, grim though it most likely is. Curious about the Thargoid enemy's motives, because how can we defeat an enemy about whom we ignore everything except how to kill it? It matters little, I suppose. What counts is that I set it into my head to set foot on one of those ravaged worlds.
I did manage to spy them, those lonely and empty homes. First, from the cockpit of my ship, a mere blur as I sped away from a squadron of scouts. Then, in the distance, as I slowly scaled the cliffs that towered above the hydroponic farms of the settlement. I never truly feared the aliens would keep anything resembling a garrison… yet I would not risk using my jump jets. Perhaps I should have. It might have distracted them.
Instead, just as I reached the silent walls of the abandoned town, the blinking light in the corner of my helm warned me: my ship was under attack. I’ve never run as fast, spurred by the image of a Hydra devouring a ship one year in the making. I should have had her return to orbit, but I feared the need for a quick escape. Whether from the aliens, or from the images I imagined I would find, I cannot say. I never managed to walk those streets, and whatever grim sights I might have found in the homes of the fallen, still exist only in my imagination. Perhaps I’ll try again, but it does now seem like such a waste of time, when there are so many battles burning across the night sky.
I’ve heard people speak of our victory against the Taranis maelstrom’s forces. And yes, we've had victories. But these have only served to halt their advance. To solidify our front lines. Relieve some of the pressure from an ever encroaching enemy. But, in systems such as Matshiru, there are still empty homes that call for their owners. Some of whom will never be able to answer. This is not victory. These are the ebbs and flows of war.
I gave my ship her name in the hopes that she might shine brightly, even were we to truly be facing the vespers of our civilisation. Now I see those that speak as if though we were once more basking in the warm midday sun. There is nothing wrong with optimism, for it is the fodder of determination. But there are still monsters out there that would extinguish our light, and against them... well... we have yet much rage to unleash.