There was an eerie silence that had spread across the ship as the Callisto prepared to leave the Liraxa system. Mood and morale of the crew had dipped in an instant, and sunk to abysmal levels as the latest reports came in, and their offer for support was declined. 

Captain Ceix had called a meeting with the Elders of both tribes, and for the first time in centuries they had been in agreement – to reject the solution of a telepathic field. They had called it an interference, and “not meant to be”. Vorel Syn had been retuned to Liraxa IV and gone free of punishment, making those who knew what he had done believe that he had a benefactor amongst the Elders, and acted on their orders. 

But the news of the rejected solution had spread like wildfire, and now students and scholars alike were on the barricades, joined by those who had lost loved ones in the conflict, and those no longer willing to accept the decision-making of their Elders. Now, Liraxa IV truly was at war. 

The factions with each other, and with themselves.

Jonathan Keller had tried every approach possible. Calm, professional, understanding… and then he had gotten loud and aggressive. None of it had worked. 

Now, he found himself alone in his quarters, his children fast asleep. He had visited Liraxa IV one last time, to retrieve something from the market, and now he was eager to try it out. 

Perhaps it wouldn’t work. Perhaps it was better if it didn’t work. He didn’t expect anything to happen, but he wanted to try. 

“Here’s to us.”, he said to the silence of his living quarters, and opened the vial of Veliun. Its content shimmered within, reminding him of the colorful market they had visited. He had been frustrated then. Hateful even. But a lot had changed. 

Keller hadn’t asked how the remedy was taken, but didn’t quite dare trying to check their database. Instead, he simply downed a sip of the liquid, and hoped for the best. 

Brennan would surely be mad at him if she knew, and that… bothered Jonathan. Which was odd, because until a few days ago, he had disliked the woman with an unreasonable intensity. Now, after the incident with the malfunctioning suit, he still couldn’t quite accept her as his superior officer. He still also doubted her competence. But if he was honest, he felt a little protective of her. 

He vividly remembered the relief he had felt when they had returned to the Callisto, and when Brennan had turned out to not suffer any lasting injuries. 

Jonathan sat down at the sofa, letting his mind wander. He hadn’t spend much time here as of late, always scared of slowing down too much. But now, for the first time since Ricarda’s death, he felt safe enough to relax. 

Ricarda. 

Usually he avoided thinking of her. Grief and anger had festered in his soul, tainting the memory of his wife. Though today, it seemed that those emotions had faded into the background. Instead, he fondly remembered their hourlong conversations, and their (sometimes heated) discussions on how to parent their children. 

If he closed his eyes, he could almost hear her voice. She had this odd accent he had teased her for on a regular basis, and a way of falling silent, knowing full well that Jonathan hated that and would fill said void with his rambling. She would have made an amazing interrogator. 

They had fought, yes, but they had always found ways to navigate their disagreements, and they had made a great team. 

He could feel her hand on his face now, and her soft lips on his. 

“I know it’s not perfect.”, she said “But you did your best. The Elder’s decision is their own.”

He felt better hearing that. And even though he intellectually knew that there was no way Ricarda was here and gave him that much needed affirmation, he basked in it.  Who cared if the Liraxan’s elected war over the potential of peace? They did their job, and that was all that could be asked of them.

“Do you remember our mission back on Kavilis? It was not so dissimilar. Sometimes, people need to walk their own path.” 

There was a warmth rising up in his chest, radiating to his sore limbs and eventually filling his head. It drove out the darkness that had made it’s home there, 

And for the first time in weeks, he smiled.