Empyrean Iris

Chapter 30

Chalan looked down at the human and his single glassy eye reflecting the universe back at her. It was strange, though the universe was so large and vast, the stars were not cramped on the surface, as if it had been designed specifically to hold eternity.

He looked away and the stars vanished as angled swirls of blueish UV light cut across his skin.

Each human's UV strips came in a different pattern.

Captain Vir's were angled onto his cheeks and down onto his forehead, shimmering a near iridescent green blue in the light.

Despite his anger, and despite the way he had treated her, Chalan saw a glaring contradiction in the human's words, "Than why did we fight for those aliens, why did we fight for the Finnari if not for honor?"

He turned his head to look at her, "Sometimes we humans do good things for poor reasons."

"What are your reasons?"

The human opened his mouth and then closed it. Chalan watched in fascination, She tried to keep a part of herself distant, to avoid thinking too much into the ideologies of this human, but she couldn't help herself from being interested. From paying attention, drinking in whatever words he might give her.

If she was going to get answers, she was going to get them here.

"I...." He sighed, "Because no one deserves to be repressed. No one deserves to be treated less-than, no one deserves to fear for their life just because they are different, and that is what I believe." He turned away from her, "I suppose, to answer your question, my people find honor in protecting the weak, and helping those who can't help themselves."

Chalan stared at him, her golden eyes bright with curiosity, "That is a strange thought."

He turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised, "How is that strange?"

She rumbled in amusement deep in her throat, "Why protect the weak, when the weak only hinder you? Why help those who cannot help themselves? If they cannot help themselves then they are of no use to society."

He stared at her face twisting into an expression of disgust, "I feel bad for any sort of society that thinks that way. Just because someone is weak doesn't mean they have no value. Maybe they are very intelligent or are an amazing artist. Perhaps being around them reminds others how great the world is or how nice other people can be. Sometimes people who can't help themselves are only that way because of their circumstances, and things might change once they have the help they need. Maybe all it takes is a little push."

Chalan stared at him. That certainly was not a Drev philosophy.

If you were useless in one way you were useless in all the ways, there was no point trying to keep you alive if resources would have to be expended away from other people to do it.

"Is that how it works on your planet, Drev, do they just toss away anyone they don't see as useful?"

She shrugged, "That is how it has always been. It is not questioned."

"That I am glad I don't live in a world like that."

She tilted her head slightly in one direction, "Because of your leg?"

The corner of his mouth twitched up slightly, "What would your people have done? Killed me, left me to die in the ash?"

She remained quiet, but the human was right. That is exactly what they would have done.

"But that's why you're here isn't it? Because you were beaten by the very people you thought you crippled."

She continued to remain silent.