Vong War Annals – “Support systems” 03.02.2011

            Tag touched Les’s shoulder gently.  The grip of the small woman was warm, firm, and she squeezed his shoulder before just letting her hand rest there.  He’s more lost than I thought he was.  Deeper into that dark place.  I shouldn’t have sent him home with his folks tonight.  I should have made him come home with me.  She silently drew a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, finding her own center as she felt a fleeting sense of guilt that came from her, not from him.  Too late to change that now.
            Karinlyyn tilted her head slightly, studying him from behind her mask.  She cleared her throat softly, leaning against her staff.  “You forgive her and you forgive yourself.  Your death…would have been meaningless.  Completely meaningless.  She prevented that, though it came at a price for both of you.”  She paused, quiet for a long moment.  She finally straightened, bouncing the staff from one hand over to the other.  “Why did you do it?  Do you even really know why you did it?”
            Tag cleared her throat quietly, squeezed Les’s shoulder again, and then went quiet once more.  Her bicolored gaze focused on Karinlyyn for a long moment before flicking to Les.  Her voice is very quiet, almost too quiet to be heard.  “Regardless of your answer, Les, you’ll still have us, and your family, and this unit.  We don’t throw people away just because they flirt with the Dark Side.  We’d lose too many good people that way.”

~ Erin

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