Starfire: Return to Tamaran

Scene 18: Riot to Freedom

When the meeting adjourned, one of Trogaar's guards came to deliver a message to Blackfire. "Master Komand'r, I do not mean to intrude upon your time, but a team of Psions have returned and have requested you meet them at once."

Blackfire knew what this meant, though the guard did not. The Psions who she employed had returned with what they needed to create the cure for her disease. If all went well, she would finally be able to fly on her own power. The prospect was too sweet to ignore.

"Very well, I will meet with them," Blackfire informed the guard.

A short time later, she was back at the lab, where the Psions were waiting for her. "Welcome back, Master Komand'r," the chief scientist said in greeting. "You will be pleased to hear our mission was a success. We have all we need to create the cure. After we get some rest, we will begin work on it without delay."

"Very good," said Blackfire, then more quietly, she added, "A shame I won't get to use it against you, sister dear. Perhaps Father was right about one thing. You truly can't have everything in life."

***

The evening before the execution, the guards had placed Galfore and Krissand'r in the same cell as the Emperor of Tamaran. In their hearts, they had a feeling they would never see Koriand'r alive again. With Galfore, though, there was still one thing keeping him from despair.

When the cell door opened, they were shoved inside with the emperor, who had to back away to avoid being trampled on by the new arrivals. As soon as the door slammed shut, he gasped when he realized who his new cellmates were.

"Galfore, Krissand'r, what has happened to you two?" he demanded.

Krissand'r was shaking too much to give any coherent answer. Galfore placed a hand gently on the back of her neck and made her sit down on one of the cots. "It's okay, darling. I can explain."

"So what has happened?" the Emperor of Tamaran asked again. "What has my daughter done to have you two imprisoned here?"

For the first time in his life, Galfore glared at his old friend. "Your daughter was trying to do a noble deed and liberate us from the Citadel once and for all. We are here because we agreed to harbor her and because we would have tried to protect her."

It was the Emperor's turn to glare. "You are here because you believed she could succeed to do something impossible. The Citadel cannot be defeated by a mere child."

"That mere child is your daughter," said Krissand'r, finding her voice at last. "You should be proud of the reasons she has returned! She has come back because she cares for her people. She cares what happens to us, and she has no inclination for it to continue."

"And your reward for helping her was ending up in this cell," retorted the Emperor of Tamaran, "while she remains at large."

"If only that were true," said Galfore.

"What are you saying?"

"Koriand'r has also been captured," replied Galfore. "They are going to execute her tomorrow in front of all our people."

The Emperor of Tamaran slumped against the wall. Krissand'r made her way to help him up, but he held up a hand and she backed away. When he spoke again, his tone was not angry, but grieved.

"When Tamaran fell, all I held dear was lost. My wife was murdered and Koriand'r, my pride and my joy, was taken from me as a slave to the Citadel. The only thing keeping from despair completely was the lingering hope she was still alive. Now I know she has returned to free us, only to be brought down and killed for it. The Citadel's victory over us is now complete."