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All of the medical staff where respectfully keeping there distance as Dana sobbed piteously, holding and rocking her slave as tears of profound loss dripped on his cold and lifeless body. Seeing her grief was a lot more difficult to deal with then most of them expected, even if there patient had been human, none of them ever took it lightly when they failed to save a life. Even with death being a near constant in the larger hospitals on the planet below, with the state of the art, near miraculous medical technologies at there disposal, this group of furs where more often then not spared having to witness such heart rending scenes.

From the window of the chief physician's office, Melinda SwiftDash just stood, watching. One of her paws was cupping her muzzle as the other supported an elbow, the calico patterned bunny softly shaking as her own tears freely flowed. She had been the very last to leave nova and the one who had signed his death certificate not 15 minutes ago.

Doctor Stella Riversong, the station's chief medical officer had offered to be the one who pronounced his death, but the rabbit had refused to relinquish that responsibility. Melinda having been the fur who shut down the life support devices with her own paws when nova stopped responding, just couldn't allow the elderly mouse to fulfill that task for her. This had been the very first time Melinda had lost someone under her care and considered it to be a final act of love for there ship's slave to be the doctor who declared for all the world, that someone of value had passed away.

No, not simply passed away, he had been murdered. MURDERED......... for nothing more then loving and protecting someone she called a friend. The bunny surgeon had been sure to fill in that information on the document certifying his death, that he as a crew member of the crimson claw, had been murdered by humans wile protecting his ship. Even if he was not a member of there military, he had given his life in a heroic manner, truly fitting for any fur who had pledged there life for the protection of there world. She would see to it he was honored for his sacrifice, as she would for any other crewmate who had lost there life in such a fashion.

So distracted was she by these thoughts and her own grief that the doe didn't even notice when Sasha belatedly arrived, It taking the white Tigress only a few moments of speaking with a passing nurse to be sent running into the recovery area, into the arms of her captain and the rest of there crew. Nor did she notice as the unicorn priestess entered the office, looking from one doctor to the other, before walking over to the doe and tenderly curling her arms around Melinda from behind.

"O dear child, I can feel the guilt of his loss causing you such pain, but you shouldn't blame yourself. It was just not the Goddess's will for him to stay with us, he............" Eshara didn't even get to finish her tender words of comfort before the rabbit spun around and slapped her hard across the muzzle, resulting in three small red lines appearing to stain the mare's snow white fur. As hard as it was to surprise a telepath with the added ability to sense the emotions of others, Eshara had still been taken completely off guard by the rabbits sudden and violent outburst. Honestly with as revered as her race was, it truly was the first time in all her life any fur had ever risen a paw to her.

"How dare you simply dismiss the way that sweet innocent boy was MURDERED you flee bitten NAG! The Goddess had nothing to do with this, this, travesty......." The bunny started screaming, the look in her eyes filled with anger, pain and loss, until she saw Eshara press a paw to her cheek with blood beginning to seep through her fingers.

"O no! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Melinda cried out in horror as her eyes went wide at seeing what her claws had done to there beloved guiding light. Quickly she started searching for a dermal regenerator, how could she have done that, she had actually struck a priestess, drawing blood no less! With her paws trembling in shame the bunny had just opened a medical kit and withdrew the regenerator when she was stopped by a hug, both the priestess's arms holding her tenderly and lovingly for several long seconds.

"Child, forget about me. Pain of the flesh is momentary, but I can feel how your soul is suffering. You must not allow your grief and guilt to consume you. Please dearest child, please permit me to help you. You did all you could for nova, all anyone could have asked of you." The mare whispered into Melinda's ear, her loving hug never faltering as she empathically projected all the love, comfort and support she could.

It took the bunny several long and silent seconds to absorb both the priestess's words, as well as her empathic support, before all the tension drained from her body. Falling limp in the mare's arms, Melinda's reply came in a soft sob. "How can I ever forgive myself mother. I'm a doctor and I couldn't save him. I, we, we all tried so hard. It's not fair, it's just not fair. He, he deserved better."

"Ms Swiftdash, saving that human was an impossible task. Never in my 213 years have I seen anyfur so badly wounded who survived. It is a testament to your abilities and dedication that he held on as long as he did, especially considering he was already clinically dead before even being teleported here." It was the gray furred mouse who answered Melinda's grief stricken question, her bed side manner honed by centuries of practice helping to summon a genuine level of sympathy as she spoke.

Then in a much softer tone she added. "I know from personal experience how hard it can be to deal with a patient's death. But as doctors, we all know it is only a matter of time before somefur dies under our care."

"He was more then just a patient, he was ....... " Melinda sniffled, unable to find the words to express how she felt about there human.

"He was special..... Truly, there wasn't another soul like his in all the universe. I feel the short time he was among us was a gift from the Goddess, we where blessed to have called him our friend." The unicorn answered for her.

"Yes," Melinda added in a much sadder tone. " I feel so cheated by his death, like we are all the lesser for his loss."

Turning to look Melinda in the eyes, Eshara kissed the bunny tenderly on the cheek as she whispered "But Melinda dear child, you should take comfort in the knowledge that right this moment, the child of innocence is with our human. I know in my heart he is comforting nova and guiding him to paradise, where he will wait for us, until the day we may see him again."

"Do you really believe that, Mother?" Melinda asked.

"Yes I do child. Even in death our boy will know love, the goddess's son will see to it, as he does for all lost souls in there time of need." Eshara's voice was confident and unwavering in her faith as she answered.

* * *

Upon the ancient stone tablets believed to be carved by the Goddess's own claws countless millennia ago, can be found what awaits each Anthro when there time on the mortal realm comes to it's end. The Goddess, after using parts of her own soul to create life upon the world, then selected a male from each race to seed life within her blessed womb. From these matings, her four children where born. For each of her three daughters a realm was created, each charged with the sacred duty of shepherding the fragments of there Mothers soul along the never ending cycle of death and rebirth.

For her first child, The Daughter of Judgment, a grand temple was carved deep within the world. Upon death, a soul would awaken in darkness and travel the path of light to seek out the temple of fait and face judgment for there deeds. The Daughter of judgment, beyond all mortal influences, would wait a souls deeds and decide to which of her sisters the soul would be given.

For her second child, The Daughter of Light, a perfect paradise was created where a pure soul could rest and commune with there guardian spirits, sharing all they had learned in life. After a generation had past or when the Goddess felt they where ready, the soul would then be seeded back into a mortal body, reborn to gain new life experiences.

For her Third child, The Daughter of Darkness, The Goddess crafted a realm devoid of shape or substance. For evil souls who had squandered there time in the mortal world by causing pain and suffering, staining the divine spark of life gifted to them by there creator, the dark pit awaited for there punishment and purification. Here a soul would float, disembodied and helpless, to reflect on there deeds and wait for the Daughter of Darkness or her servants to find them. Once set upon by these demons, the soul would be forced to re-live all there misdeeds through the eyes of there victims. The demon, having taken the souls mortal form, would inflict upon them what they had done to others in life. As this happened, the demon would feast on the soul's sins, purging it all until the soul was pure once again. Then, and only then, the soul would be returned to the mortal realm as a feral beast in penance for the gift they had squandered.

With such pain and punishment awaiting an evil soul, sometimes they would choose to leave the path of light and wonder off into the darkness surrounding the temple of judgment, there fear causing them to break the cycle of rebirth and become lost in purgatory. Here there soul would wonder, there ethereal body slowly decaying as all they had been in each incarnation of there mortal lives evaporated into oblivion.

Still with much love for her mortal children, The Goddess tasked her fourth child, The Child of Innocents, with seeking out these lost souls and offering them a final chance to return before they became forever lost. An eternal child, he would seek out these souls, offering love and comfort, as he led them back to The Daughter of Judgment. He would accompany them beyond the determination of there deeds and journey with them to find his other sister, be she Light or Dark, his boundless love giving them the strength to except there fait so that once again they could be redeemed and return to life.

* * *

Somewhere between life and death in a world of darkness and shadows

With a start nova bolted upright with a scream of fear and phantom pain, the slave's eyes darting around in search of the humans who moments ago had been threatening to kill him and his Mistress. Panicked, his eyes darted left, right and even above him, only for his fear to be quickly compounded by confusion at the sight of never ending darkness surrounding him.

"Hello!" He timidly called into the blackness, not even the sound of his own echo returning to him.

After several long moments with no movement or sounds in any direction, his fear started to subside when no threats presented themselves. Only then did he truly begin to take notice of his surroundings. The darkness witch had so confused him at first truly did seem to extend in every direction, not even the sparkling of star light or clouds to be seen from high above.

"Hello, is anyone there? Mistress?" he called out once again.

Still with no reply he shifted his position and slowly got to his knees. Having expected a stab of pain as he had received each time he moved over the last few days, he was surprised when not even the life long aches he had carried for so long presented themselves to torment his body. But as he staggered to his feet, he was treated to an even bigger surprise as small flames burst forward all around him. As his eyes adjusted from the initial flash of light, now six barely visible stone pillars sprang into existence in a circle surrounding him, each holding a flickering torch capped by a tiny blue flame.

"Is anyone there?" he whimpered, "Please, I'm scared. I don't know where I am. If anyone is there please answer me."

Sniffling in fear he lowered his eyes and hugged himself, his voice dropping to a barely audible whisper as he all but pleaded "Please.... I just don't want to be alone."

For a long time he just stood there, begging in his mind for anyone to come and help him. After what seemed like hours with no reply he opened his eyes and looked around, hoping to find something, anything to tell him where he was or how to find his way out of this terrible place. Looking at the dirty stone floor he stood upon, nova could just make out some kind of crest, strange alien writing carved into the stones that made up it's boarder. With a start he realized the writing was in the Anthro language, the same writing he had seen on his Mistress's ship and the collar she had given him.

HIS COLLAR!

Nova's mind clicked and his hand instantly snapped up, only to find the symbol of his enslavement missing from around his neck. But it was not just his collar, all of his clothing was gone, the young human stood bear and completely exposed. Why hadn't he noticed that until now? True he was nude for much of his life, but he was always so embarrassed of it, thus keenly aware of his state of dress. Confused and blushing beat red, both of his hands covered his penis and testicals. It wasn't fair, why was someone being so cruel to him, he hadn't done anything to earn such humiliation.

Unable to do anything about his nudity the slave turned his attention back to the writing on the floor, studying it closely in hopes he might be able to understand enough of it to gain some much needed answers. To his shock, as he cleaned the dirt from the letters, he was able to not only read them, but understood each word.

'Follow faithfully the path of light and venture not into the darkness for your soul may become forever lost.'

As he spoke the words aloud more flames started to spring to life leading away from his island of light in the darkness, illuminating a path far off into the distance. This path, composed of more torches mounted on pillars set about 50 yards apart, must be what the writing was telling him to follow. For a long time he just stood there......... Thinking. Should he really do as the writing told him? What if his Mistress returned looking for him? With as old as the writing appeared to be, what if there was nothing remaining at the end of the path for him to find?

No, if these seemingly magical torches where still working, then the path had to lead him to someone who could at least tell him what was happening. Paralyzed by indecision with no one to tell him what to do, nova was about to return to his knees and just wait for his Mistress when a soft, almost musical voice called out to him from the darkness. "Come to me precious, return to my loving embrace. I've been waiting so long to hold you again........."

"Who are you?" Nova called back into the never ending night. That voice, there was something about that voice nova knew. Warm and comforting, like it had been with him, a part of him, for as long as he could remember.

"Return to me precious......" was his only answer.

Even without knowing the owner of the voice, nova just knew he had to obey her. He knew that he trusted her, that if he could find her, she would be his salvation from the darkness and return him to where he truly belonged.

"Yes, Mistress." He responded, as he started to fallow the flickering torch light. One way or the other, he would find his way back to the mink he loved.

With no way to tell time it could have been mere hours or even days as the human traveled, he having lost count of the number of pillars he had passed along this seemingly endless path. A few times he had stopped to examine the torches in hopes there would be some more writing around them, some numbers or other indication of how much longer he had to walk. With no luck, he had then tried to pull some of the torches free in order to carry more light with him, only to find them to securely fastened for his limited strength to dislodge. After failing on the fifth try he just gave up and kept walking, his hands having long ago given up on his modesty to just comfortingly hug himself.

Step by step his mind kept returning to the past, to his final tender words to his Mistress and the sorrowful look in her eyes in those last few seconds before pushing her to the ground. Yes, she had understood his betrayal was all an act and had forgiven him, she had even tried to command him not to save her, but he just couldn't allow her to be harmed. Then he couldn't remember what had happened after that, he just hoped she was safe and they would be together soon.

"Human!" A deep and angry voice snarled from the darkness.

Nova's head snapped up and he froze in his tracks at the sound of this new voice, It trailing off into a menacing growl from somewhere behind him. Instantly filled with fear, nova spun around to scan the darkness, a seemingly impossible task even with a torch just a few feet behind.

"Hell...Hello?" Nova whimpered as he quickly stepped back to place himself securely against the closest pillar, his eyes darting left and right for whomever had spoken.

"Humaaaaaaaaaaan!" More voices started to growl as the first pair of glowing eyes came into view. Wile nova had a flash of hope at seeing what appeared to be Anthros coming to find him, that hope was sent screaming from his mind as he got his very first look at them. One by one, the shambolic creatures slowly emerged from the darkness to surround him, the sound of there collective growls, snarls and ragged pants only adding to the horror of there gruesome appearances. Some of the creatures still walked upright upon two legs, others stumbled on all fours like their feral ancestors, but most simply dragged themselves along the cold ground, there legs shattered, broken or completely missing. Each and every one of them, from the largest of predators, to the smallest of pray where covered in ragged and open wounds, torn flesh clearly visible through the fur barely clinging to there rotting, slimy and blood soaked bodies.

With his mind so completely filled by mortal terror at the sight of what appeared to be ghouls who had come to devour him, nova dared not even draw a breath as the monsters stopped at the very edge of the light cast by the torch just above him. And devour him is exactly what they intended, the lingering warmth of his recently lost life drawing them to him in hopes of staving off the decay of there own bodies who had been so ravaged by there time spent lost in the darkness.

"Human, killer of furs....." One of them snarled.

"So warm, so bright, feast on it's flesh." Another panted, it's blackened tongue hanging from it's muzzle as bloody drool dripped to the ground.

"Vengeance... Human... Die..." A third growled incoherently as it scraped it's claws across the ground, only to have several of them brake free of the rotted paw far to decayed to retain them.

With so little of there mortal thoughts and memories remaining, the more intact of the creatures seamed to be struggling between hatred for the human who trespassed among them, and there feral instincts to consume his soul, absorbing what remained of his life's energy. Several times they tried to approach him, only to be driven back as the torch flared, whining and yelping as it's light seemed to scorch there already tattered flesh. One of the creatures barely more then a head and torso being pulled along by it's single remaining arm refused to stop as the light caused it's fur to smoke, it's jaws snapping wildly the closer and closer it drew.

But as it closed within striking distance the torch above nova's head flashed as brightly as the noon day sun for the briefest of seconds, the boy having to close his eyes and cover his ears as all the monsters released blood curdling screams. When nova could look again all the more mobile ghouls had retreated far off into the darkness, the others who had been unable to escape still screeching in pain from having nearly all there distinguishing features burned away. The one who's approach had triggered the torch was still laying where it had been seconds before, but now it had been reduced to a smoldering pile of gelatinous ooze that still struggled to retain it's shape as it continued to melt away.

"Mercy....." The dissolving creature begged, it's voice chocked and gargling as it's body began to form an inky black puddle on the floor.

All nova could do was stair into the monsters fear and pain stricken eyes, a sob building in his throat as his heart went out to it. This was a look he had seen far to often in his young life, the eyes of someone who knew there time had come. It was the look he had been forced to see in the eyes of his former Master's victims, Anthro and Human alike, begging, no pleading for the sweet surrender of death, begging for there suffering to end. Even though the creature had been trying to kill him mere moments ago, nova just could not allow it's suffering to continue. Something deep down in his soul urged him to act, a long forgotten part of himself filling the human with new courage as he rose to his feet, blocking the torch's light as his shadow enveloped what remained of the ghoul.

"I'm so sorry I can't do more to ease your passing." Nova softly whispered down to it, the monster's writhing coming to an end as the torch's light no longer inflicted agony upon it.

"My Goddess, please grant this tortured soul your love and bring it peace." He added in a soft prayer as his tears dripped to the ground.

"Thank ..... You..... " The ghoul gasped one last time as it became still and motionless, liquefying, then disappearing as it's remains drained away into cracks permeating the stone floor. But just as the last of it's body faded from sight a tiny pin prick of light materialized, shining like a brilliant golden star. With a shock nova realized what he was seeing, a pure, untainted soul, truly free of all life's burdens.

Awed by the sight before him nova dropped back to his knees as it floated toward him, the tiny golden star passing through his body, filling him with a sensation of love and warmth. Momentarily distracted by this, nova didn't even notice as the souls appearance drove all the remaining ghouls into a howling frenzy, more of them attacking the barrier of torch light in a desperate attempt to feed on it before it could return to the goddess and be forever lost to them.

"For so long I have suffered, lost and alone in the darkness. Thank you for setting me free! But now you must run, little human. The others still hunger for the warmth of your life. Run swiftly to the lake of lost souls. Once you cross the bridge, they will no longer be able to pursue you. Only then will the path to judgment be safe again. I shall not be able to distract them for long wile you make your escape, so you must run, NOW." Nova could here a new voice, (or perhaps many collective voices) somehow whispering in his mind, expressing gratitude for the compassion he had shown in it's/there final moments of existence.

Before he could even try to respond to the souls words, it separated from his body and slowly floated away. He watched as it flew back along the path he had traveled, passing through and extinguishing the flames of the torches that had guided him to this point and kept him safe. Without there light to drive the monsters back most of them swarmed after it, mindlessly howling in hunger. True to the soul's pledge, it was only a few moments before the rest of the ghouls cleared the path ahead in pursuit of there next meal. Now unable to return the way he had come, even if he wished to, nova was left with no other choice then to quickly jump to his feet and bolt down the path as fast as his legs could carry him.

* * *

In Doctor Riversong's office

Fallowing Stella, Eshara and Melinda's talk, the trio had fallen silent for a long time, just taking comfort in each others company as Melinda tended to the damage her claws had done to the priestess's cheek. Wile any other fur would have become angry at being assaulted and felt the need to lash out in return, Eshara had been quick to reassure her and show the bunny that all was forgiven. Unbeknown to either doctors, the unicorn had used the shock of the moment in combination with her empathic gifts to very subtly quell the bunnies feelings of loss and grief, relieving her charges pain as her race had done for centuries. This was the true reason equines where so beloved in there roll as spiritual guides, knowing just how far they could go to help others, without crossing the often blurry lines of mental manipulation which had nearly destroyed there kind so long ago.

Perhaps it was simple curiosity or her own way of helping the rabbit and unicorn deal with there powerful feelings of loss, but as doctor Riversong watched the two cuddling and speaking so lovingly about there human, she simply felt the need to ask them about him and how he had come to be in there lives. " So Ms Swiftdash, tell me about this human. Um, Nova, was that his name?"

At the pair's nods, she asked. "Tell me about this Nova. I am curious about how a human slave came to live on an Alliance Warship. There must be quite a story behind that."

There was some much needed laughter over the next five minutes as the pair told her of nova's few days spent on there ship. From the wonderful meals he had cooked, to the seemingly effortless way he had endeared himself to all of them, the mouse found herself simply enthralled and impressed with there wonderful tale of inter-species love. Of course they where both very careful not to reveal to much about his past, especially about him being a slave to other humans or that one of his past owners had been the notorious Admiral Keegan, better known as the butcher.

Inevitably, as important as Nova's beating and near death had been to Melinda's feelings about him, that part of the story came up. This Melinda had taken a very clinical approach to, using a great deal of medical jargon in describing her treatment of him. Doctor Riversong seemed to be greatly impressed by this, never having herd of nanites being injected into someone's nose to reach there brain.

"That's incredible Ms Swiftdash, I wouldn't have thought that possible." The mouse said, looking at the medical student before her with a new level of respect in her eyes.

"For a fur it wouldn't have been, but the human nose is significantly different then ours." Melinda replied with a soft smile on her muzzle.

The Rabbit was just about to elaborate on how she had pulled off that medical miracle when she was preempted by a soft knock at the door and a rather nervous looking nurse poking her head in. "Um, Doctors? It, Um, appears we have a new patient. It's, another human, bound and under heavy guard. I think he's also from the ship our other patients arrived from."

Shocked by this, it was Melinda who first found her voice, the rabbit loudly shouting "ONE OF THOSE MURDERERS SURVIVED????"

"Um.... Yes. Yes, Ma'am. His wounds are mostly superficial with some miner burns. The ... " she stopped and looked back over her shoulder nervously. "The guards want to know if you have time to treat him now, so they can transfer him groundside for interrogation."

"Interrogation my tail, that bastared should be in the claws of the Daughter of Darkness for the life he took." The Bunny snarled, her fangs showing and claws out as if she was ready to charge into the other room and finish him off herself.

"Melinda." The unicorn gasped.

"Ms Swiftdash," doctor Riversong admonished as she rose to her feet. " Regardless of his crime, that human is now a patient in this hospital and we are ethically bound to render aid, regardless of our personal feelings."

Softly shaking again Melinda turned to look at Gateway Station's chief medical officer, her claws digging into her own tightly clenched fists as she sniffled. "With all due respect Ma'am, I don't think I can trust myself to do that. The human in that room took my shipmates hostage and killed someone we cared deeply about. Please don't ask me to help him after all we have suffered at his paws today."

"Very well Ms Swiftdash, but in time you will learn a 'REAL' doctor can not pick and choose her patients." Doctor Riversong said before picking up her medical scanner and leaving the room, her comment very clearly meant to show her disapproval at any physician who would refuse to treat someone in need because of her own personal feelings.

Now seething with a mix of anger, disgust and contempt Melinda lowered her head and closed her eyes as the priestess laid a supportive paw on her shoulder. "I know I should be better than this mother. But I, just can't see that human as anything other then a murderer. I'm not strong enough to aid my enemy, not after they have taken so much from us. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No child it doesn't. In time you will find it in your heart to grant forgiveness to the ones who hurt you, but for now the wound is still fresh on your heart. Remember, if we can not rise above the hate and brake the cycle, in time we will become no better then the ones we fight." Eshara softly whispered into the bunnies ear, holding her firmly and comfortingly by the shoulders.

"You still think I should go out there and help him don't you, even after he killed Nova?" She asked, her eyes still closed so as not to meet the priestess's gaze.

"Only you can answer that question child. You are a doctor and gave an oath to save lives, but if you feel you will do more harm then good, perhaps it would be better if you retired to the recovery area and checked on our friends." Wile the unicorn's words where soft and supportive, they still stung the bunnies heart. Was she really so petty? Yes the man in the other room had taken so much from her and her friends, but he was still someone in need.

That is when Melinda lifted her head and locked eyes with her priestess. In that very second a feeling of calm and peace washed over her, the bunny knowing in an instant what she needed to do. With a deep sigh, she shook her head and whispered "No Mother, I think I am needed most in the treatment area. The Goddess has seen fit to give me a lot of experience treating humans in the last few days, it would be a sin if I refused to use that knowledge when it is needed."

"Good girl, I'm proud of you." Eshara whispered as she pressed a kiss between the bunnies eyes. With that Melinda gave a soft smile and left quickly to attend to her patient, the bunny stealing a kiss from the priestess's lips before she left. Eshara gave a soft shake of her head as she touched her lips, not angry at the kiss, more amused at the fact that after all this time the furs of the crimson claw where still trying to sway her sexual preferences.

Now alone in the office, Eshara turned to look out the window at Dana and her slave. With a little over 25 minutes having past since his death, the mink's grief stricken sobs had slowly faded into silent tears as she just held him to her chest. For a few moments the unicorn extended her empathic senses into the treatment area in hopes of gauging weather or not enough time had passed for her to approach the mink and help to sooth her loss, only to quickly pull them back as she was assaulted by a level of grief she had not been prepared for. From this distance, she had not only felt Dana, but the rest of the crew in the recovery area as well.

"This is going to be so hard," She thought. "Even last night I could feel the love between them, but this morning it had grown so much stronger. How can I possibly help her now, especially with that love adding to her pain and hurting her so?"

"Her love for him is the key, Sister. You must help her to feel that pure, true love again, if she is ever going to be able to let him go." The voice of Lady Amalthea, the blessed Matriarch of the holy order of light whispered in Eshara's mind, comfortingly advising her.

"Blessed Mother, I hadn't sensed your arrival. If Lady Beleth is with you, I desperately need your help. Dana is going to take all my strength, but the rest of my charges are also grieving and in pain." Eshara mentally replied with her eyes tightly close and paws softly trembling.

"We have been waiting for your arrival since early this morning, sister. Fear not for those you guide, even now Beleth is summoning more sisters from home. Soon there will be more then enough of us to council all your charges, you should simply focus your attentions to aiding the mink. Her grief is so strong, we can feel her mental sobs reaching us here in the Stations temple." The Blessed matriarch tenderly reassured, lending her own mental strength to the unicorn's nearly over taxed mind.

"Thank you, Blessed Mother. I truly hope I am up to this task, it has been many years since I have felt someone in such extreme emotional distress. I fear I may have to go beyond some limits for Dana's own mental well being, if empathic support is insufficient to brake her downward spiral." Eshara confessed, the worry in her voice clear at the prospect of possibly having to enter her friends mind without being able to first ask her consent.

"We are speaking of matters of life and death, Sister. This Dana has been your charge and your friend for a long time. You should know how far she will allow you to go and if that proves not to be enough, your sisters will be here to assist you." There was only a small warning in Lady Amalthea's words, but also the implication that forgiveness would be granted for any transgression, if it was needed to prevent Dana's sorrow from harming her.

"Yes, blessed Mother. Thank you." With that Eshara took a moment to draw a deep breath and gather her strength before heading out of the office and into the maelstrom of emotions that currently permeated gateway station's medical bay. "I'm coming Dana...."

* * *

Deep within purgatory, nearing the temple of Judgment

Nova had been running hard along the path of light, the howls of the ghouls far behind him only serving to fuel his desperate flight. His breaths came in hard pants as his lungs and legs burned, the young human not daring to slow his pace for fear of being caught and devoured. The pure soul that had given him this chance to flee said that all he needed to do was find some bridge and he would be safe, so he ran in hopes he could reach it before his body gave out and the monsters set upon him.

After what felt like a good fifteen minutes of running, his goal finally began to come into view, still far off in the distance. At first it looked as if the light ahead was simply growing brighter, but as he closed the distance what appeared to be two pillars side by side, slowly resolved into massive stone statues of twin unicorns. Both where over twenty feet high and accented with outstretched wings, each holding what looked to be a large bowl of burning liquid in there intricately carved paws. Beyond them, the path changed into a suspended walkway hanging several feet over some kind of lake. It was the bridge, SAFETY AT LAST.

"Humaaaaaaaaaaan!" a voice growled behind him, fallowed by the sound of heavy foot falls quickly giving chase. Out of fear, nova sped up and spared a glance behind him, looking over his shoulder just in time to see a wolf like ghoul running on all four paws. Snarling and spitting, It was keeping just beyond the light cast by the torches, out of there range to harm it. Without warning it suddenly accelerated and leapt at nova as he reached the mid point between two of the protective torches, it's claws only missing him by mere inches as he dove forward, rolled on the ground, then quickly got back to his feet.

Damn it, he had been so close to safety. With a glance back nova's fears where confirmed as the wolf ghoul once again returned to it's paws and resumed pursuit, the small lead gained by it's fall gone in moments as it closed on him again. It had been moving fast when it attacked, much to fast for nova to clear the last 200 yards to the bridge before it could try again, a pounce nova knew for sure he couldn't possibly be lucky enough to dodge a second time.

Franticly nova started running mental calculations, at his current rate of speed the next attack was most likely to come at the last gap before the bridge. But what could he do? If he stopped the torch light would protect him, also leaving him trapped until more ghouls arrived to encircle him. If he tried to keep going the monster would get him for sure. There had to be a way, safety was a mere 100 yards away.

Distracted by the monster fast on his heals nova never noticed as another, much larger ghoul stepped out of the darkness and into the gap mere feet before him. His head had just turned back to the bridge when the bear's powerful swipe landed hard against his chest, it's claws cutting deeply into his skin. In an instant he was sent to the ground, blood pouring from the three gashes that stretched from his chin down to his pelvis. Still to shocked by the attack to even feel pain yet, the human didn't even have time to scream as a second wolf ghoul quickly leapt forward and snapped it's jaws tight around his left ankle, dragging him from the path's protective light and forever into darkness.

Flash

Nova gasped as his eyes fluttered, the first wolf ghoul from moments before still flying over his head as he fell to the ground barely avoiding it's pounce. What had just happened, wasn't he just caught by a second wolf and killed? Where had the bear gone? Why was he so far from the bridge again when it had been only a few yards away when last he looked? Had his capture and death been only a vision, a premonition of danger meant to warn him before it was to late to avoid?

Either way, the confusion caused by this was enough to bring him to a dead stop right in front of the last torch before the bridge. Wile the bear had not yet appeared, there was something out there, holding just far enough beyond the light to obscure it's identity. A pair of faintly glowing eyes slowly moved toward the gap, looking directly at him full of hunger, but a hunger tinted by hatred.

"I know your there and I'm not going to let you kill me, Mr. bear." Nova softly whispered, looking directly at the glowing eyes.

"Kill you, human? I'm not just going to kill you. I'm going to rip you limb from limb as you scream. I will feast on your flesh as my pets suck the marrow from your bones. There is still so much life in you, you will sustain us for years." The bear growled as it lumbered into view.

Like the other ghouls nova had seen in this terrible place, it was covered in bloody wounds with large patches of flesh and fur torn from it's body. But unlike the others, it had an air of intelligence about it, as if it's mind was more intact then any others he had encountered so far. Strangely, this gave nova hope. If this ghoul still had it's mind, then maybe it could be reasoned with and convinced to let him go.

"Why me? I've done nothing to you. Please, I just want to go home." The young human pleaded.

This earned a humorless laugh from the bear as it's pet wolves sat on either side of it, both of them nuzzling there master's legs before turning to hungrily growl at nova. "O, such innocents, such purity. But still I can smell the sin on your soul, I can feel the lives you have taken crying out for vengeance."

"I....." nova sniffled. "I've never killed anyone. I can't. The conditioning prevents me from harming anyone."

"Who do you think you are lying to, Human! I can smell your sin, your guilt. There is blood on your paws, more then I have ever felt before." The bear roared, both of it's pets trying to attack only to be driven back as the torch flared in response.

"It, It wasn't my fault. My, My Master is the one who killed them. I, I, I, couldn't stop him." Nova started to sob, his hands covering his face. How could the monster have known. No one was ever supposed to know. His Master had promised him no one would ever know. The butcher had punished him so harshly that day for his failure, but still he carried the guilt for the millions of furs who had been killed due to his inability to save them. For his actions that day nova knew hell rightfully awaited him, an eternity of merciless punishment for the innocent lives staining his soul.

"Still more lies, Human?" The bear snarled. Again the wolf ghouls tried to attack, one making it nearly half way to nova, before being driven back by a very bright flash.

Hearing the wolves yelps of pain nova looked up, surprised to find the light had driven them so far into the darkness only there eyes could be seen. The bear to had been driven back several feet, much of it's fur still smoking as it shielded it's face with both paws. An instant later nova realized how he could get passed them and reach the bridge. It would be very risky, in fact so dangerous that if he failed, there would be no second chances.

"THRICE DAMNED HUMAN," The bear roared. "Come from the light now or I'll...."

"OR YOU'LL WHAT?" Nova yelled back, cutting off the bear ghoul as all his years of repressed shame and humiliation boiled up inside him. "YOU'LL HURL MORE EMPTY THREATS AT ME? NO!!! YOU'LL DO NOTHING BECAUSE YOU ARE POWERLESS!!! YOU ARE NOTHING!!! YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER ANIMAL WHO IS NO THREAT TO A HUMAN!!!"

Just as nova had hoped, his screaming at the bear utterly enraged it, the ghoul dropping to all fours as it loudly roared at him. As before, when the bear expressed anger, It's pet wolves responded, this time being driven into a howling frenzy. Without a moments hesitation both wolves charged directly at there human pray in mindless predatory anger, leaping into the air as they reached pouncing distance. This instinctual reaction is exactly what nova was hoping for, his one and only chance to escape.

The bear seeing what it's pets where about to do quickly turned to run, fleeing for the darkness before there attack could trigger the full force of the torch keeping them from there meal. Second by agonizing second each heart beat drew out into an eternity, nova dropping to his knees as if to cower, just as he had done so many times in his life. But this time, as one knee touched the ground, his other leg shot out behind him, landing the human in a near perfect sprinters stance. As first one and then the second wolf ghoul crossed the line of protective light, the torch flared and nova was off.

* * *

In Gateway Station's recovery area.

When Sasha had entered the recovery room she found Kayla comfortingly cuddled with Crystal, the vixen's attempts to console the devastated jaguar meeting with very little success as she hopelessly sobbed on her captain's shoulder. Likewise the rest of there crew had paired off in need of similar support, the bunny twins curled around Mick with the female's muzzle buried in his chest, arms clinging to him tightly. The only lone fur was Sergeant Thunder in the back of the room, a data pad gripped in one of the large liger's paws, a hateful look on her face as she glared at it with a predator's intensity.

With all the stealth of her feline heritage the Tigress silently slipped in behind Crystal and added her arms to Kayla's loving hug. She then laid her muzzle across the back of the jaguar's neck with a tender purr, hoping very much both grief stricken females would be comforted by her presence. For what seemed like a long time the trio just cuddled in silence, Kayla and Sasha exchanging a look known to all lovers in a time of loss, one that pledged an eternity together loving and protecting each others hearts.

When finally Crystal's sobs died down to soft sniffles it was her who broke the silence. "Kayla?"

"Yes, Kitten?" the vixen answered using a long running term of affection for her feline doctor, hoping perhaps it might help to remind her that none of them would hold her responsible for there slave's death.

"I've been thinking. When the humans from the Black Rock died of radiation poisoning, I asked Melinda to do research on there culture's death rituals. I know the decision is ultimately yours and Dana's, but I think nova has earned the dignity of being laid to rest by his people's customs." Crystal's voice was little more then a sorrowful whisper, her head still resting on the vixen's shoulder as if unable to meet her eyes.

"That he has. Slave or not, his death was one of honorable sacrifice, befitting a warriors tribute." Sasha answered. For a feline of any race, honor was something held in the highest of regards. In her eyes, they owed nova a debt for his protection of Dana and the engineering crew, a debt her feline honor told her they would never be able to fully repay.

"More then you know, commander." Sergeant Thunder spoke up from the other side of the room. She then held up the data pad she had been glaring at, before adding with a growl. "Bash sent me the video from her TACC. Nova placed himself on top of Dana and shielded her with his own body. I know he loved her, but to do that, I don't think I have ever seen something so, so brave."

At this point all the other furs in the room had lifted there heads to look at her as she spoke, a few of them releasing new tears at hearing this. They had all been told by Kayla that Nova's apparent betrayal had been an act to protect them, but now knowing how he had met his end only served to compound there feelings of guilt for how they had treated him.

Mick, who had been the first to try attacking nova, then released his bunny lover and sat up, looking from first the sergeant, then to Kayla as he said. "Captain, with your permission, I would like to nominate our ship's slave for a commendation of sacrifice. I know command might not grant it to him because he was human, but I know that I, at the very least, owe it to him to make the request."

"I second the nomination." Both bunny twins stated in unison.

Mick smiled and pulled them both to him in a soft hug, kissing the male between the eyes, before licking the female's cheek. Holding them both tightly he then looked around the room, locking eyes with each and every fur as he spoke. "I think I can speak for everyfur here when I say we all owe it to him to put our names on the request."

This earned enthusiastic nods from everyone in the room, it seeming to be the only way available to atone for there recent actions. But still, it wouldn't be enough for most of them, it would still take several long days of soul searching before they would be able to expunge the guilt and shame from there hearts.

"Thank you all for that." Kayla answered. "I was already considering doing just that, but your support will make it all the easier. As for laying him to rest according to human customs, I need to speak to Dana about that once she has had time to grieve. But not now, I pity anyone who would dare get between Dana and her boy right now."

With the goddess's often twisted sense of humor it should have come as little surprise that no sooner had Kayla said those words then loud screaming could be herd coming from the main treatment area, it sounding as if something very, very bad had just happened. Even with the door closed Dana's voice could be herd clearly yelling at someone, her tone that of a female ready to remove someone's throat with her bear teeth and claws. Reluctantly the Captain, Doctor and First officer all disengaged from each other and quickly moved to investigate the source of the disturbance. With everything that had already happened today, for Dana to be reacting this badly could mean only one thing.

* * *

In the main treatment area

As it turned out, the only human to survive the assault on main engineering was the one who had beaten Dana and taken her uniform. Protected by the restraint sphere meant for the mink and her slave, he hadn't received any additional injuries fallowing the ones inflicted by the explosion which had killed his commanding officer. Still with burns on the left side of his face and arm, he was putting up a mild resistance as Doctor's Swiftdash and Riversong treated him. In fact the only thing keeping him from actively fighting them was the five arm security furs, all with a hand weapon trained on him, daring him to give them an excuse to finish him. Bound at the wrists with shackles securely chained around his belly and a hobble at the ankles, even if he had been able to get free, he wouldn't have gotten very far before his new collar crippled him by pain beyond anything a human was capable of withstanding. Truly the stations security staff was taking no chances with this human soldier, a trained killer who would soon be facing murder charges for the two deaths resulting from his escape attempt.

"I said does your shoulder still hurt?" Melinda asked once again, giving the human a soft poke on said area to get his attention. This had been the third time she tried to ask the man who was distractedly watching Dana, frowning at the boy held in her arms.

"No." He answered without looking up at her. Then he asked, his voice in a very soft tone. "What happened to the boy?"

"You know perfectly well what happened to him." Melinda snarled, the bunny tightening her grip on the dermal regenerator she had been using to heal his burns.

"Look I'm not trying to start a fight with you, fluff ball!" He snapped back at her. "I was knocked out in the first few seconds of the attack and just want to know if it was your fire or ours that killed him!"

Patient or not, male or not, Melinda back handed the human across the face and leveled the end of her regenerator at him like a weapon as she spat. "Speak to me like that again and you will keep those burns, human. As for Nova, it was not only your fire that killed him, your friends deliberately targeted him when he was unarmed and defenseless. His death was a cowardly act of murder, nothing more."

For just a moment the human looked back at her with a hateful glare as if there was a hot retort on his lips, but instead he just let out a long sigh and dropped his head as he answered. "I'm truly sorry about that, he was a nice kid and I liked him. Truthfully I can't even find it in myself to hate him for betraying us. I saw first hand what that cat did to him on the slave ship, even after that kid was broken, the cat just kept torturing him for the sheer fun of it."

He then looked up and locked eyes with the now very uncomfortable bunny, nodding over to Dana as he added. "I was also in the cargo bay when she took him the first night on your ship. At the time I thought she was just going to have her fun with him like that cat, but now looking at her over there, I know better. No, in a much more twisted and sadistic way, what she did was worse. After being so brutalized and broken for months on end, she was kind to him, most likely even slept with him and told the boy she loved him. She and the rest of you used what the cat did to Stockholm him until he couldn't even remember who he was or where his loyalties belonged."

As the human talked Melinda grew more and more furious, finally tightening her fist around the dermal regenerator until it snapped in two. Oh, how the bunny wanted to grab the human by his stolen uniform and scream into his face. Scream how they had shown nova more love and kindness in his few days among them, then any human had his whole life. Scream how he had been enslaved from early childhood and passed from one owner to another before ending up under the lash of the butcher. But she couldn't. She couldn't say a word about his life time of slavery and abuse because not even she had high enough security clearance to know that. Even before docking Crystal had told her all non-vital medical information about nova had been placed under a temporary security seal by Kayla, the vixen expecting it to be made even more highly classified by command once they had been briefed.

Still the bunny felt she needed to say something in Dana's defense, her voice taking on that extremely soft and even tone one only got when being pushed beyond simple rage as she growled. "I'm only going to say this once, human, so listen closely. Dana is over there crying her heart out, Because ... She ... Loved ... Him. That love was not some trick to manipulate him, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Are you even capable of understanding that? One of us, loving one of you not to gain some advantage in this thrice dammed war, but in spite of it?"

"What I understand is this," The man answered, his eyes still locked with hers. "We all learn in basic training that you animals will use sex to get information from prisoners. We've all herd the stories about how the guards in your detention camps will trick a human into loving her, only to dump him like yesterdays garbage once she gets what she wants."

"But..." He stopped looking over to Dana, watching as she pressed a kiss to the boys cold dead lips. "But seeing that mink right now? Yes, I believe you when you say she must have cared for him at the very least. There would be no reason to keeping up an act at this point, not that I think anyone is a good enough actor to fake that kind of grief."

Seemingly mollified by this answer, Melinda handed her broken regenerator to a nearby nurse and excepted a replacement one to stop the still forming bruise she had inflicted by striking the man. As she did this the bunny could not help but ponder what the human had said. Wile it was common knowledge that humans used rape as a tool in there interrogations, she didn't think her fellow furs would use sex in such a dishonorable way. In that moment the rabbit gained a glimmering flash of insight that struck her to the very core.

It might have been common knowledge, but did that make it true? Furs where taught to fear being raped by humans and humans where taught that furs would use love and consensual sex as a weapon much the same way. But what if that horrible belief was simply something propagated by both races leaders to keep there respective militaries hating and mistrusting one another? That disgusting thought pained Melinda as nothing in this war ever had before. How could there ever be piece with such an ugly lie casting the seeds of doubt on even the smallest interactions between the ones fighting? And that was the horrible truth. There couldn't be, even the smallest glimmers of trust between Anthro and Human would purposefully never be allowed to grow.

Just as Melinda felt tears starting to well up in her eyes she turned her head back to Dana and was struck by another thought. Perhaps not even the most devious and heartless plans of the powerful could succeed in stopping there two peoples from coming together. In both Human and Anthro history, a simple truth had prevailed time and time again, Love always found a way.

"You know, if our peoples had been allowed to find what Dana and Nova had, there might not have been a war in the first place. All it took was a few days for them to give there hearts to one another, neither expecting anything except love and affection." Melinda said as she passed her gaze from Dana, to doctor Riversong, then over each security officer, before finally ending up on the human she was treating.

"Maybe you are right about that, Doctor." He answered, showing Melinda respect for the first time. He then extended a chained hand as far as it would go, offering her a hand shake in gesture of friendship as he said "I'm Lieutenant Commander Charles Graystone, and you are?"

"Doctor Melinda Swiftdash, and I am a ........." Melinda started to say before a scream from the other side of the room drew all there attentions.

For a few seconds there was some frantic activity before a very startled nurse looked back at them, her voice shaking as she called out. "Um, Doctors? I don't understand these readings, please come take a look at this."

"He's alive, he's alive, he just has to be alive." Dana was crying out at the top of her lungs.

To be continued...