Written in The Stars

[NDak 0]

“Is it written in the Stars? Are we paying for some crime? Is that all we’re good for, some stretch of mortal time, Or some God’s Experiment, in which we have no choice? Given paradise if only for one day?” ~ “Written in the Stars,” Aida

 

Erei’Riov Destorie N’Dak

CSEC | RES Talon

SD 0501.25

 

>Begin<

 

N'Dak lay, bleeding slowly and internally, both figuratively and literally. His leg had a bone sticking out the side, and for all intensive purposes, he felt yy’a. He thought, by now, he would be used to such situations, but h’nah here was yet again contemplating his own life.

 

A few minutes ago—or was it hours, time had seemed to slow, he had shown his true barbarity. He had unleashed upon t’Aehjae. And she had capitulated before him. Beaten, literally and figuratively, she would no longer threaten his dominion over the D’Heno. Some victory.

 

For a moment, he had savored his victory. He was king of his realm now. And some realm it was. At that very moment, when he should have been enjoying his triumph, he realized just how trivial he was. The son of a great Senator, the Grandson of an Admiral, and the Great Grandson of a War Hero, reduced to battling a mere peasant for rank—pathetic.

 

Sure he had shown himself superior to her, but at what price? He had lowered himself to a barbaric level of the Kll’inghannsu.

 

Slowly, he realized how trivial all of this was. His ancestors had been players in the Empire, note worthy, written about in histories. They would live on, in statue, in story, in books. But what of himself? Would anyone read out about tr’Destorie Ma’Lyn, Son of D’Lvon of the House of N’Dak? No. He would be but a foot note in the Galae Archives.

 

When he died which would be rhae a few hours at best, there would be no statues erected, no great monument, no lavish Imperial Ceremonies. No…it would be a lonely day, and no one would weep for the death of the traitorous N’Dak, who had scared his name, and forsaken his lineage.

 

He had been ordained to be the next Great Leader of the House of N’Dak, destined to be the greater of his namesakes Destorie and Ma’Lyn—but now—but now he was destined for obscurity. What had he done to deserve such a lowly and shameful fate?

 

What had his House done? With his disgrace, and destiny to obscurity, the House of N’Dak would likely expire. Sure there were his two Sisters, but they wouldn't hold on their allegiance to him—they never had. t’Savu and he had never agreed on much, perhaps that is why they took holy separate paths. She to the Tal’Shiar and he to the Galae.

 

He had not spoken with her since he left for Qo’Nos some years ago, and had not planned to speak with her again any time soon. To him, she had abandoned the family long ago, and was no longer a member of the House of N’Dak, the feeling was likely mutual.

 

t’Savu’s twin sister t’Rasa, she at least had made something of herself politically. Engaged to the son of a Praetor, she had risen in status, likely she was thought of better than maybe even her father. She too would cast of the name N’Dak for it was no longer held in the esteem it once was, and it would provide a weakness for her new husband.

 

Then there was his brother…Issaha. The boy could barely make it in the Galae with out someone’s help, let alone further the House of N’Dak.

 

Sadly, the House of N’Dak’s future looked as bleak as Destorie’s. Sure he had managed to regain some of his status, as had hi father, and apparently his mother as well. But that didn't mean that the House of N’Dak could ever be resurrected to its once glorious status of the old days.

 

“Elements…” N’Dak said to himself.

 

This should have been his time; now it’s over it never began. How had he come to this, how had he slipped and fell, how had he thrown half a life time away with out any thought at all. He closed his eyes to so much for so long, and he could no longer could. He tried to blame it on fortune, some kind of shift in the stars, a twist in his fate. But he knew the truth and it haunted him, it flew just a little a too far. The truth mocked him, and it shocked him, it flew just a little too far. But he’d learned it a little too late.

 

Now all he could do, was hold his head high, and try and salvage something from the ruins that he had created, yes he, no one was responsible for his situation, no one but him. However, that was rather hard to do, when one was buried under multiple-tons of rock and wreckage. He only hoped that t’Rexan had the good sense to blow that fvadt lloann’na garbage scowl back to that bloody smelly rock they called Earth.

 

Just minutes, an hour at most before he had sealed t’Aehjae’s fate and destiny to second tier status, but had saved both their lives in the process. He had done what was necessary to survive, yet again. But now, faced with such overwhelming odds, would he yet again survive? Would t’Rexan save him, yet again?

 

On some level, he enjoyed living through the near yy’as and being saved by t’Rexan—it had to infuriate the woman on a personal level that she had to save the life of a Rihan who had nearly killed her, one who wouldn’t have thought twice about going through with the act; had it presented it self.

 

That, and once again disappointing his enemies rhae the Talon was, at the moment, what was keeping him alive. The look on Laehval’s face, he imagined, would be priceless. Sure she had saved his life rhae the planet, just a few weeks ago. However, N’Dak did na doubt that had the circumstances been different, she would have let him yy’a.

 

Then there was the matter of his brother. Issaha, in all likelihood, was spastic. Issaha, despite his public appearance, had always been captivated by his eldest sibling, and Destorie would not want to go and yy’a on him…t’Ksa would have to sedate the boy.

 

Of course on some level, though Destorie would never admit it, even to himself, he would not want to die, because he would not want to cause pain to his brother. Despite their…squabbles. Destorie loved his brother; he was, growing up, a friend and confidant. And the only true link he had with any of his family.

 

His mother had always been distant and removed from him, always on assignment, or busy. His sisters had never had much to do with him (as they drove each other completely insane) and he was the son who could never quite measure up to what his father had always dreamed him to be.

 

N’Dak coughed a bit, his ribs had yet to fully heal from the beating, and were tender yet again from the rough crash landing.

 

“Elements,” he though to himself. “The least those Lloann’na could have done was shoot us outright, then at least my death would be reciprocated with their immediate slaughter, and they say we have na honor.”

 

He leaned back against the cold wall, watching as R’tor worked, or at least in his haze, he perceived her as working. He only hoped that if t’Rexan was going to rescue him, that she would do it soon.

 

>End<

Edited February 17, 2005 by NDak