ONE: Epilogue of Hermesh

22. Kal'narth

As the Xacreth shuttle made its final approach towards Kal'narth, the dark moon orbiting the barren red planet Hehnu, finally came in view. Catching a glimpse of their destination from inside his atmospheric suit, it occurred to 1st Admiral Herrek'Nole that he was the first of his kind to ever have set eyes on the moon. For it almost always remained hidden between two of the planet's largest moons.

Kal'narth, which meant 'the bringer of death,' was the Helmeshi name for this obscure moon, whose very existence was only discovered after the beginning of the Xacreth War.

If Manwatu accounts were to be believed, Kal'narth was the forward staging post from where the 'rebels' launched their first attack. The Xacreths had constructed a massive subterranean staging post. On that fateful first day of the war, 600 ships left this moon. 200 of them made their way towards the Manwatu settlement of Nyreen. The other 400 crossed into Helmeshi space and launched a devastating attack on the Ya'kanto.

Once the shuttle had started its descent, Nole realised their final destination was actually an adjacent space station, also orbiting Henhu. After the shuttle landed on level ground with a gentle thud, the door opened, allowing both the Helmeshi and the Xacreth to step out. Nole followed Shanoke Baakin towards a door at the other end of the docking bay. Walking through it, the two made their way through a luminous corridor which led them to what appeared to be an atmospheric chamber. As they stepped closer, the door opened automatically.

"1st Admiral Herrek'Nole, it was an honour to finally meet you in person," Shanoke Baakin's translator echoed inside the vastness of the empty chamber, "Please step inside."

"Thank you," was all Nole could manage in response.

The moment Nole stepped inside, the door closed behind him. Seconds later, the entire chamber was filled with a form of liquid air which momentarily drowned the Helmeshi.

In spite of Nole's building apprehension, he remained calm. To his surprise, the entire adjustment process took very little time. Soon enough, the liquid atmosphere was sucked out to give way to a gaseous atmosphere and the corresponding gravity adjustment also made his suit feel lighter. Nole waited for the door on the other side of the chamber to open. When it did, the apprehensive Helmeshi stepped out to find himself standing in a large, darkened room.

Even as he waited for his visual sensors to adjust to the reduced light, he could make out the faint silhouette of a figure on the other end of the room. Even before his vision adjusted, Herrek'Nole heard a familiar voice speak out to him, “Been a long time, Nole."

“Commodore...” Nole choked, as he noticing the old Amarthian lying in bed, right in front of him.

Despite Shanoke Baakin's confirmation and his own fervent hopes, Nole knew that the sceptic in him would not have believed Reemon Erra was still alive, until the Amarthian was right in front of him in flesh and blood. But now, in front of the resurrected Amarthian, the Helmeshi found himself at a loss for words.

“You look surprised, my friend. Who else could have sent you that message?” Erra's weak voice floated up to him.

“Yes...but...we were sure your ship did not make it out of Ralnac.” replied a bewildered Nole.

“The ship that was supposed to carry me indeed did not escape the enemy, no. But I did. And now, as you can see for yourself, here I am, quite alive and reasonably unharmed.”

Nole was still too shocked to find the right words to express what he felt at that moment.

“Well?” Erra asked after a short pause, “You have nothing to say after witnessing a dead friend come back to life? And here we Amarthians use to believe all Helmeshi talked too much.”