they float in darkness, they're not alone,
now here they come; now here they come;
now they will be received."
Fourteen thousand aliens; and only six-hundred from my home planet. All of us have something in common: the humans attacked our planets. We crowd within the maze of caverns, the caves lit only by patches of glowing crystals that stick out of the stone. I sit in my spot, a high ledge in the jutting from the rock, watching over the scattered patches of beings. I let my feet hang off the edge, and I slowly swing them back and forth. I have my wings tucked behind me, pressed against the rocky wall. For the umpteenth time I reach into my mind and try to trigger the voice again, the one from before, but I get nothing. Well, nothing but a scaly shoulder rubbing against mine.
"Hey, Caomh," I say quietly.
My elder brother nods but doesn't meet my eyes. He watches the crowds below. The collar of his shirt is dotted with beads of sweat, and I know that he's been at it again. Trying to find a way out.
I look away from him and stare at my knees.
"This is my fault," Caomh says softly, and it's not the first I've heard this. I shake my head.
"No, you couldn't done anything."
He looks at me, eyes violet daggers into my pools of gold. "Seti," he says simply, gently, "I'm not talking about the humans."
I toss my head again. "No. It's mine."
It's the voice's fault, I think. It lied to me.
"Ishme was my responsibility," Caomh says, "not yours. I was supposed to watch out for him, and I failed at that when I handed him to you and made you go to the ships."
"You were only thinking of us," I say, "and I don't judge you. I'm sure Ishme didn't either."
"Caomh."
My brother and I turn at the voice and see a dark-skinned girl standing over us, her arms clasped behind her back. "We need to start planning."
My brother nods and stands, but I catch his arm as he turns.
He looks at me and flashes me a small smile. "Thank you, Seti. And don't worry. The war coming will only end in our victory."
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