Brother

Brother

But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day

As the blocky ship crashed into the station, it impacted with nigh a sound, as things tend to do in space. It blew with a brilliant orange-red fireball, engulfing both the station and the ship itself

On the bridge of that ship, the Defiant, just moments before the impact, Tano’rath had had a shouting match with his brother, Talorath over who should stay on the vessel and do the deed. You see, the autopilot had been blown out with the main computer core. The only thing left to steer the ship was the half-melted navigator’s console. Tano’rath was the captain, the commander of the vessel. Talorath was his first officer, also known as the XO.

It reached a point where the older of the two, Tano’rath drew his pistol and threatened to shoot. It was only then that the lieutenant backed down, and went to the waiting escape pod, wings drooping and tail dragging on the floor. The exasperated captain gave a long sigh, his hand shaking as he held his weapon, watching his younger brother leave with a trail of tears.

Once the pod was away, he gave another sigh, holding back his own emotions. Why did it have to go down that way? He quietly promised to be back, although he knew that that was the biggest lie ever. The first one in his life, breaking the Drakonian honour code. However, that didn't matter. He knew that this would be his last mission, and no one would know.

The captain gave the bridge one more glance, looking at what the place had become. Clean wall panels, touch screens all long gone, replaced with soot and dangling wires. Broken glass and boiled screens. This was not how he had hoped it would end, yet this was still his ship.

He sat at the navigator’s chair, silently opening the manual override and piloting the Defiant to her final destination. As the vessel closed the gap between it and the station, the view of the hole caused by allied forces came into view. All twisted metal and venting gases. The captain’s expression hardened into a grim smile, as the slapped the screen, bringing the ship to maximum throttle, or the maximum of whatever measly output that could be gotten from the damaged engines anyway. The room is filled with smoke from circuits fused, and the loud whining sound of failing sublight engines.

When the vessel impacted, Tano’rath was thrown forward, but felt no pain as the explosion vapourised him almost instantly.

didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real blue

Most knew the both of them, the captain and his first officer to always being at loggerheads. The former always seeking to bend the rules, looking for loopholes to poke his claws through, while the latter was by the book, always trying to keep his errant, and sometimes slightly crazy brother in line. Tano’rath was the elder, and had been in the service for longer, which explained his higher rank of senior captain, though he loathed the ‘senior’ part, saying that it made him sound old.

Talorath, however, was a rising star, but very inexperienced. He had never really seen combat before, and fitted the stereotypical peacetime officer. By the book, and cautious. Tano’rath, on the other hand, had seen his share of action, and knew where and when the rules took a back seat… However, there is no substitute for experience.

Talorath, however was always intent of keeping to the rules, and would often get into arguments with his brother. Yet, he broke his own share of regulations at times, but would be shielded by his older brother, who despite everything, cared very much for him.
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As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come whatever
We will still be
Friends Brothers Forever


My name is Tano’rath, but most here know me as Keane Tan. I am dragonkin, but anatomically human. I have my past life memories, but they are few, and I honestly don’t remember much. I know that I had a younger brother, whose name is Talorath. He was annoying at times, but I miss him…and I’ll probably never see him again.

The only thing I really regret is having to point a gun at him at the last moment. It is not a way to go….and not the way to be remembered. Sometimes I wonder if he hates me for it.

Whatever it is, I learn from the past and live in the present. It is almost a given fact that no one’s going to come for me, and much less Talorath, who is probably living out his life happily and not having to argue with me anymore. Chances are that they would give him his command. The war took many officers and men alike, and there would surely be vacancies for someone of his calibre. I used to say that he was horrible at his job, but he’s actually an excellent officer, and that was my way of egging him on. I’m not a very affectionate guy.

Either way, I serve in the army here, as a conscript. The irony is on me here. I’m a corporal. One of the men.

Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us around?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

However, it changed when one fine day, I woke not in my bed in the bunk.

Well, actually, I did, but the bed and I together with it were all not in the bunk anymore. I was in some sort of room, with metallic walls, and a digital flat panel on my right. On my left was a small table, and in front was a door. What was the most amazing, however was none of this. The most amazing thing was that they had managed to move me, my spectacles and my entire double decker bed without waking me, or touching a single hair on my head for that matter.

The door itself was a single metal panel, that looked to be sliding rather than swinging. I didn't dare to get out of bed to look, however. Not that I could anyway. The floor looked to be made of metal, and would surely be cold. On top of that, however skilled the movers had been, they had forgotten my shoes and slippers.

I ended up sitting up in the bed, half-heartedly checking my phone to check for reception. There was none. I looked around, even tapped a wall experimentally. The texture and sound it made was hauntingly familiar.

Eventually, it dawned on me that saying something would probably alert whoever it was that had taken me prisoner. I had no clue whether or not that was a good idea, but the fact that I was not panicking and screaming for help was already an outstanding achievement. In fact, I somehow felt at ease with my surroundings, as if I had been in a room like this before…

“H-Hello? Anyone there?” I muttered, while fiddling with my spectacles.

Nothing.

I glanced at my watch, and watched as the seconds ticked by. A few minutes on, and still nothing…

I was about to shout when the door finally slid open. I saw no one, but heard hushed voices in the hallway outside, which seemed to be empty. The people were probably out of my line of sight.

“You sure….it’s validated?”

“Yes, sir, we ran the tests five times. That’s definitely him, just…in a different package.”

“Yes, I saw the pictures. So, that’s really him?” The voice was familiar…

“Yes. We even did a full brain scan. Twice.”

“Twice? And he didn't wake up?”

“Not a peep, sir. It also let us get the translator configured when we scanned the language centres. We…did sedate him a little though, just in case, but he’s up.”

“Can I speak with him?”

“Well, sir, you did open the door. I don’t see a reason why not, but he might not recognise you.”

“I am aware. Close the door once I’m inside.”

“Sir? Is that wise?”

“It’s my order. Besides, I doubt if he’ll attack me. Relax, corporal.”

“Yessir.”

No matter what mental training I had, no matter what discipline I had, it didn't prepare me for who and what come through the door, which shut behind him.

Wearing a white uniform top with two breast pockets, a pair of epaulettes, one adorning each shoulder, a pair of long midnight blue pants, black scales, gunmetal grey on his underside, wings folded neatly behind him, tail held off the ground with dignity, that snout, a pair of horns at the back of his head, the mane of black hair...ro...fur, and a pair of piercing blue slit-pupiled eyes, in walked the last person I expected to see.

I felt my own eyes widen, as I sat up and pushed my blanket off, acutely aware that I was in a pair of running shorts, black, and a black regulation singlet, I was terribly under-dressed, and even more unprepared to meet…. I felt my own mouth involuntarily speak his name. “…Talorath?”

As I stood on the cold metal floor, I noted that he was almost a full head taller than me, as he looked down and looked me over.

When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?

The lanky Drakonian cracked a smile, though I could see his emotions churning away behind his eyes. “You remember.”

It was hard to face him like this… Not to mention after so long. It took me a while to pull myself back under control, before the emotions could wretch control of my mind of body… “…Yes. I’m sorry.”

He cocked his head, and I noticed that there were tears streaming down his snout. “SSorry? Sorry for what?”

I have no words to describe how I felt, and how much I had to pour in to hold it back just to make my apology clear. “F-For p-pointing the gun at you… I’m sorry…”

I felt warm tears streaming down my own face as I spoke, some dropping onto my glasses, blurring my vision further. He didn’t seem angry, but it was hard to say. Perhaps he was waiting for the last moment to start screaming in a rage?

…perhaps not. He cohoked a little and shook his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, my brother. You saved my life…and gave yours. Do you know where and who you are?”

I nodded slowly, trying and trying to bring myself back under my own control, managing to croak out my response. “That’s…..good…that you’re…not angry. I know…who I am… My name…is Tano’rath. We’re…on a….ship, right?”

Talorath nodded. “And I’m here to take my brother home, and to give him back what he has lost.”

“…am I dreaming?” I muttered, still looking up at him, pulling over one of his hands to look over, prodding at his scales.

He forced a smile through the tears. “No, you most definitely are not. Come, we must get started with turning you back…”