[The Gunslingers, Book II, Chapter 23] [Darkness] Colt pulled the bandage off his head and wiped the blood off his forehead, the blood on the bandage he had used on his eye was his, but had come from a minor cut on his arm. "You think that was dramatic enough?" "I was convinced," said Torin. "I had tears in my eyes, sending that message out to the other planets was brilliant." "Boss, I think we need to go," shouted Jack. "Ancestors!" Cursed Garth. "The other Carriers are maneuvering towards us." "Jack, use the debris field to hide in," ordered Colt. "I think these orange dots mean they are firing at us," said Garth. The Battleship shuttered as something collided with it. "Jack, did a missile hit us?" shouted Colt. "I don't know," said Jack. Garth ran over to the Battleship’s Engineering Station and pushed a few buttons to make the Vid-screen display the ship status, "Sewage system is damaged and flooding on Deck 3." "We can worry about the toilets later," shouted Colt. "Why aren't we moving?" "I'm pushing the go button, nothing's happening," said Jack frantically. Another shutter ran through the Battleship and it listed hard to port, Ben fell and slid across the Bridge deck. Garth grabbed his leg and pulled Ben up to one of the crew chairs and tossed him into the chair. "Grav-plates are starting to fail," said Garth "Everyone buckle in," ordered Colt, "and get us moving." "I'm trying," said Jack. "I don't think its missiles, not yet; I think we are getting hit by debris from the Battle Carrier." "Garth, are those orange dots debris or missiles? Asked Colt. "Wait - there are red dots now," said Garth. "Orange is debris and red are missiles." Colt leaned forward and looked at the Nav-screen, "What are the blue and white dots?" "This screen doesn't have white or blue dots," Garth got up and ran across the rolling deck to the Nav-console to see what Colt was looking at. "I think those are ships," said Garth. "This magic box over here has a picture of a ship and the engines are flashing," said Ben. "I see that now too on my Vid-screen," said Jack. "I think the engines are damaged, I'm trying to restart them." "Umm... Jack, we need to go now," shouted Torin. "Look!" The boys looked at the forward Vid-screen on the wall. The battle shield doors were closed, but they could still see outside on the big Vid-screen hanging from the ceiling. "Oh crap," said Jack. "Jack, concentrate on getting us going, now!" said Colt. Jack turned back to the pilot's station and desperately tried getting the engines started while the others watched the Vid-screen; it looked as if a hundred or more missiles were headed right at them. "The engines are off-line, I can't get them started," Jack frantically pushed every button on his console desperately trying to start the engines. "Colt, we're running out of time," shouted Torin. "Escape pods?" suggested Garth. "Missiles will just pick us off," said Torin. "At least we have some armor if we stay here." "This Battleship isn't going to protect us from that," said Garth. "We need to get off this ship." Colt sat back down in the Captain's chair, his eyes turned cold and dead - lifeless. He had killed his team for a vain notion, a planet he barely knew. The planet was in the Vid-screen on the wall, a brown and grey world hanging in the vastness of space. There had to be a way, something. Colt closed his eyes and whispered a silent prayer to the ancestors, “show me a way to save them, I’m willing to sacrifice myself this time, no one else need to die for me.” Colt’s eyes flew open, of course, why hadn’t he seen it before, there was a way. "Guys, there are two Needle ships, they can carry two each—abandon ship." "Colt we aren't going..." Torin started to say. "That is an order," said Colt interrupting Torin’s protest. "Go now, you will have just enough time to get away." "I can't leave you," cried Torin. “I’m your First Deputy, to the death.” "I'm not getting out of this one," said Colt softly. "I used up all my luck; it's up to you now to save the team." "Colt, we are Merits, if we abandon you they will find us guilty of your death and we will be back in prison," said Garth. "I gave you an order," said Colt. "You are oath bound to obey." Colt could see a war of emotions rage across Garth’s face, then Torin grabbed Jack and Garth relented and took Ben, the boys headed for the ladder that would take them down to the docking tube attached to the Needle ships. "It's been an honor," said Torin standing next to the ladder as Jack crawled down first to the launch deck below. "And you, my friend," said Colt. "Now go." Torin disappeared down the ladder and Colt watched the missiles on the Vid-screen getting closer, and then watched as the two Needle ships leaped away from the Battleship and headed towards the planet. Colt pressed the Com-link button on the side of the Captain's chair and transmitted a general message. Garth was right, his Merits would be punished for his death, he needed to make sure they were no longer his Merits. "I, Lord Gunslinger Colton Cyness, do raise First Deputy Torin’Sar to the station of Lord Gunslinger, with all the privileges and responsibilities of that rank and order my Merits passed to Lord Sar to take as his own," Colt paused for a moment before continuing, "I further appoint Lord Sar as my sole heir and bequeath House Cyness and the Sovereignty of Cyness Minor to Lord Sar." "May the ancestors be with you, my truest brother," replied Lord Sar, his voice breaking slightly over the Com-link. Colt cut the Com-link and stood facing the big Vid-screen with a hand on his revolver in a last act of defiance. The Merits would be safe, Torin was a Lord now and the Merits were his, they couldn't be blamed for Colt's death. The missiles raced towards the doomed Battleship. *** Wes stood on the roof of the Justice Building and watched the winged Raven rock his egg, tears streaming down the Ravens face. Wes knew the winged Raven's name now, such and odd name - Raen. The sound of it was alien and strange, but also made a difference in how Wes saw the Raven now. He was no longer just a mysterious and alien being from a culture so vastly different from anyone in the Empire as to be nearly incomprehsible—Raen was a person now. “Goodbye my love,” Raen whispered to the egg. Perhaps the gap between their species would be repaired and maybe, just maybe Wes could find a way to end the Shadow War that had raged across the galaxy. Though it was true that Wes had been spared seeing the Shadow War due to the protection Mother Raven had given him, it had been brutal and costly for the Gunslinger Order. “You will never tell her of me?” whispered Raen. “If that is your wish,” said Wes. “Though, in my species I am too young to be a father, she might do the math someday and discover the truth on her own.” “It is the only way,” said Raen. “The only way to protect her is for me to never see her again.” “We can find a way, someday,” said Wes. “If I see her again it must be from a distance,” said Raen. “You and I must appear to be enemies, or at least reluctant allies.” “She will wonder about her Daraian mother,” said Wes. “It is common for a Daraian mother to die when passing an egg fertilized by an off-worlder,” said Raen. “Our species are just barely compatible, and though fertilization of a viable egg is extremely rare and causes severe medical problems for the Daraian female, it does occur.” Wes really didn’t want to think about fertilizing a Daraian egg, he didn’t even know how that would work, but he was fairly certain it had to be such an alien experience as to be beyond anything he could imagine. “I’ll ask Mother Raven to help me with an appropriate story,” said Wes reluctantly. “You will do what is right,” said Raen. “You have honor, and that is not a thing I have found common among you Gunslingers.” Honor, thought Wes, the Daraian’s culture was so different that they could not see or understand that the Gunslingers were nothing but honor, but there would be no purpose served arguing this point with the Raven. Wes would protect the little life contained within that egg with his own life, she would won’t for nothing – Wes silently made the oath to himself. Raen sat the egg down on the roof and faced Wes. “There is one last thing that must be done.” “What is that?” asked Wes. The winged Raven gave no warning; his Talon dagger was out before Wes could react and drove it into the Gunslingers side and twisted it slightly. The blood drained from Wes’s face and he grabbed the Raven weakly by the shoulders. “That is for Petrel,” Raen said as he pulled the dagger out and drove it in again on Wes’s other side, Wes slipped to his knees and screamed as Raen twisted the dagger and let the Gunslingers body fall away from his blade. “And that is for Ruddy.” Raen kicked the Gunslinger away and Wes fell on his side holding the bleeding wounds, the pain seared through him and he felt the world spinning and he understood – the blade had been poisoned. “I was careful not to penetrate any vital organs,” said Raen. “The poison only ensures you do not lose consciousness and escape the pain, you will live, but the next several hours will be torturous – you have now paid for the deaths of the two sweetest Chirps that have ever been.” Raen picked the egg up and laid it in Wes’s arms. Wes struggled to see through the haze of pain and fought to keep his hands steady as he held the egg. The winged Raven spread his wings and lifted himself up into the sky and then was soaring away, across the city. Wes struggled through the pain to keep hold of the egg – his egg. The poison burned through Wes’s blood and every part of him was on fire… poison… not poison… punishment, thought Wes, it was Justice that he be punished. He knew it, understood it, he had murdered those Ravens, his team never thought to just talk to the Ravens, to meet them honestly at the spaceport, instead they had snuck into the town like thieves in the night. They weren’t set up, they had done it themselves, had done an evil too great to admit. Wes had felt the guilt deep inside him for months, he knew he was guilty and now the guilt was being burned away – yes, this was Justice, finally. Wes looked up through the pain, Urai was there, and Tani, the Judge, and Thor. Urai was pressing his hands against the bleeding wounds. “I am guilty,” Wes choked the words out. “I am punished.” The Judge knelt next to Wes and put a hand out to try and comfort Wes through the pain. Wes pushed the hand away. “No, I must be punished.” “You are a stubborn boy that it takes this to finally accept your guilt,” The Judge nodded at Wes. “Yes, I have known the entire time, but now there is real hope for you to be the One.” Thor pushed in and took the egg, “I will protect it,” assured Thor. “No, Tani,” whispered Wes trying to take the egg back. “Tani must take care of her.” “Why, because I’m a girl?” asked Tani standing over him. “I’m not taking care of a baby, you’re crazy.” “Tani, Nick, go find Mother Raven, quickly,” ordered the Judge. The hours drifted by slowly and much of that time Wes spent screaming as the fire came and went in waves. His wounds were deep and he would feel them for a few weeks, but they weren’t lethal. Visions and waking nightmares, hallucinations and demons marched past Wes’s vision as the poison in his blood worked its course. Wes saw a Raven, a real Raven, land on his chest and tip its head to the side and stare at him with its black eye. The Raven hopped down next to Wes’s ear and spoke to him, “Come with me.” And then he was standing on a beach, the ocean to his left and a cliff to his right – he couldn’t move. Wes tried to look up and could see a countless sea of people standing on top of the cliff staring down at him. He tried to move, his arms, legs – he was frozen in place. He tried to call out but his mouth would not move nor could he make any sound. Two Ravens walked past Wes and glanced at him with some sympathy, thought Wes, or perhaps pity. They said nothing and walked on, then another two, and another two. The procession of Ravens continued until finally two of the Ravens stopped and the first one, a larger more muscled Raven, spoke. “We forgive you, now you must forgive yourself.” The second Raven – oh ancestors – no. Wes knew this one, he was the most beautiful Raven Wes had ever seen, and he had seen him once before, this was the Raven that Wes had killed on that horrible day. “He is cute, may I have him?” asked the Raven. “Only for a moment, my love,” replied the other Raven. The beautiful Raven stretched up and kissed Wes on the mouth and then pressed his mouth to Wes’s ear, “I forgive you, but mother does not, but do not fear, you will not be alone long.” Tears formed in Wes’s eyes, he tried to cry out that he was sorry, that it had been a mistake. Wes desperately wanted to speak, but his voice would not work. “He will never be permitted to come here, will he?” asked the beautiful Raven. “No, he is Cettise, his kind will not be permitted in this land,” said the muscled Raven. The two Ravens turned away from Wes and continued walking along the beach until they were gone from view. Wes remained frozen in place, silently pleading to be released. Then a tall man in a duster was standing in front of Wes, and Wes knew him – Jon Black, the Gunslinger. Jon Black stared at Wes for a very long time until a woman dressed in a black flowing gown that looked to be made of the very night itself appeared next him. Wes did not know this woman, but something about her terrified him on the deepest primordial level of his brain. “I will give you the Herald for this one,” said the woman. “He belongs to my father, and we already have the Herald,” replied Jon Black. “How long do you think you can keep the Herald if I choose to take her?” asked the woman. Wes tried to scream – tried to tell Jon Black not to let the woman have him. “He must choose,” said Jon Black. The woman placed her hand on Wes’s cheek, it was cold and he felt a darkness so deep that he knew if she took him he would be lost forever in the night. “Though it may take another ten-thousand years for another Herald to come, I am willing to wait - you or the Herald, choose,” the woman’s voice penetrated his soul and he felt a fear so deep Wes thought surely he would die if she spoke to him again. And then he understood – If he refused, the egg would know this fear, this darkness, it was his choice, one of them would be plunged into the darkness of the night. Wes felt his voice return, he didn’t know how he knew, only that he would be able to speak the words, one sentence, and that would be all the woman would permit him to speak. He was betrayed - no, not betrayed - he was guilty and was given to the darkness for his sin against the Ravens. “My life for Cassi,” Wes did not look at the woman, but instead at Jon Black as he said the words, and tried to convey that he did not blame Jon Black for the punishment he knew was coming - he had sinned against the Ravens and would now suffer for eternity for his crime. Jon Black did not flinch or betray any emotion that he understood or cared. “It is done, do with him as you like, but you may never have the Herald,” said Jon Black. The beach was gone and Wes floated in an endless darkness - no body, nothing to hold on to, he sensed the dark so completely that he could not even form the idea of tears or pain – only fear. The woman was there, but not as a woman, that incarnation was gone, she was a shadow now that wrapped around him and devoured him. “What will you give me for your freedom?” asked the shadow. “I will not steal another’s life to escape this and save my soul,” screamed Wes. “You have no soul, Cettise,” the shadow whispered. It’s breath that was not breath spread over Wes and smothered him. “That is how you are able to go between the land of the dead and the land of the living - but that does not matter, oh murderer of my children - I will break your mind and soon you will only know madness unless you offer me what I want.” Wes knew it was true, the terror was so complete that he would soon be insane - he would be broken and become a screaming flicker of a shadow in the darkness. “NO!” screamed Wes. “I am guilty, this is my punishment, I will not give it to another!” The shadow screamed at him, “you will know the pain my children knew when you took their lives,” and then the shadow was gone and Wes was alone in the infinite darkness - he screamed and nothing heard him.