//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: What I've Become 
// by Knight Breeze 
//------------------------------//


Epilogue


Priestess Akitesh kept her attention locked on her oratory notes, trusting her personal drone to not let her bump into anyone as she made her way to the chapel.  “Let's see, choice is sacred, the Creator's dominion must be safeguarded at all costs...” she muttered to herself as she typed on the datapad in her left claw.

She was still somewhat new to the position, her ordination having only taken place a few days ago.  That being said, she was fairly nervous about addressing her new crew.  If it had been up to her, she would have forgone the whole tradition entirely.  It wasn't up to her, though, and now she was going to have to subject herself to the worst torture she could imagine: public speaking. 

As she was reviewing her notes, however, she felt a light tap on her shoulder as someone tried to get her attention.  “Priestess, I apologize, but something has come up,”  a male voice said behind her.

Akitesh turned and immediately recognized the face of Jedon, her Second Voice.  “What is it, Jedon?” she asked curiously.

“We just received a transmission from The Speaker.  It seems that a Krin science vessel has issued a distress signal from somewhere near the planet Euti,” he said with a bow.

“Which one was that again?  Was that the world with those weird, monkey-like beings obsessed with cats?” she asked as she pocketed her datapad.

Jedon shook his head at this.  “No, priestess.  It is the world with the abnormally high spiritual aura, the one that forces its sun to orbit the planet,” he said as he handed her a datapad.

As she took the datapad, her world suddenly burst into flames and darkness.  She saw a group of strange, terrifying bipedal creatures loping through the darkness.  They appeared to be hunting a group of Quortoth soldiers, slaughtering the mighty beastfolk with surprising efficiency, despite the fact that the beastfolk were armed and the monsters were not.

Something was... off... about the nightmares, however.  As terrifying as the bipedal creatures were, there seemed to be another, lighter form that overlapped them.  These ghostly forms mimicked their more beastly counterparts move for move, yet seemed to scream against what they were doing at the same time.

Everything seemed to change again, taking on a night time hue as she found herself standing in front of a burning, twisted wreck.  She could see shadows stumble and drag themselves from the burning starship, clutching at their bleeding bodies as they attempted to get away.  Their forms were hazy and indistinct, though, and quickly disappeared. 

One form did not disappear, and instead limped from the burning vessel with almost indecent haste.  As she watched, it turned to stare at the destruction behind it, revealing its face to her.

“Priestess! Are you okay?”  Jedon said, shaking his priestess as he tried to wake her from whatever vision had taken her.

“Yes, yes... I'm fine,” Akitesh said as she shook the last vestiges of the vision from her head.  “Set a course for Euti, I want to be there yesterday.”

He gave her one more worried look before bowing in respect.  “Yes, priestess.”

“Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to address the crew,” Akitesh said as she levitated her datapad out of her pocket,  while simultaneously handing back the one that Jedon had given her.  “We have a lot of work to do...”