FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Moss awoke with a start the next morning to the blaring of his alarm clock. He slammed his fist on it and it fell silent once again. He reached for his glasses and slid them on his nose. The clock read 7:30. He stood up and threw on some casual clothes for the day. He packed his report into a small suitcase. The door his room popped open and the small Charmander looked in. She was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What was that noise?" She asked, sounding tired.

Moss latched up the suitcase before turning to answer. "My alarm clock." He answered with a smile. "I have to go to to work. Keldan needs to see these reports." He made his way past Teya and to the front door. He looked back to Qagan, who was still heavily sleeping on the couch. "Make sure he doesn't get into trouble." He said, looking dead serious.

Teya gave him a curious look. "Okay." She said carefully.

With that, Moss made his way out and the door closed behind him.

Chapter 1

Concerning Pokemon

Teya shrugged and made her way back to the couch. She sat next to Qagan as he slept. The past month or so had been full of adventure for her. Leaving the crater for the first time, she hadn't known what to expect. She had seen all sorts of new things and met some Pokemon during her quest. Yet Qagan had easily accepted her as if she had always been with him the whole time. There was much she didn't understand about him still. He had shown interest in her before, but still he had denied her offer to mate. Maybe it was that they were to different? Her mother once told her that to mate different types would result in nothing but satiated lusts, which was a sin in the highest degree. "To offend the gods would result in damnation" Her mother would say simply. Teaching Teya the laws that all Char followed. "The gods insist that we mate to multiply, not to serve our own selfishness." It was like her mother was droning in her ears all over again.

Teya sighed as she leaned against Qagan. Gods had always dominated her thoughts, pounded in by countless lectures on how not to do things that she wouldn't do anyways. Gods were for those without common sense, in her eyes. They place simple rules with eternal rewards or punishments. She didn't see any justice in it, but maybe that was how the Gods worked. Maybe they hate us. Teya let her thoughts drift to a figure she had almost completely forgotten about. She had been forbidden to see him by her father and her mother. Harith, a Ninetales that was known to the Char as a follower of the old ways. A Shaman, for lack of a better word. He believed that there was power in all things touched by the Flame. All creatures were created by the Flame, and therefore all were touched. "There is much that we will never know, child. The problem with that is some will claim to know all, and others will believe them. But those of us who admit our flaws, and accept them, are truly blessed." His words were always pleasant and soft to her ears. Unlike the followers of the Char, who would rant and rave of their perfection and never hear the words of others. Teya missed him most of all and prayed for his safety quietly. She remembered sneaking off when her parents slept, simply to talk with him. He was always happy to have her around.

She snuggled against Qagans fur, the warmth was soothing to her. The bandages were still wrapped around him. He had taken quite a beating, and she still blamed herself for it. Qagan would not be able to take the guilt from her. Risking his life just to stop the Humans and her father. Why did he do it?

"Because... He wanted to... And so did I..." Qagan whispered. Teya jumped in surprise.

"What?!" She asked with a squeak. His eyes were still closed when she looked to his face.

He awoke with a start. "Wha-?" He stammered, looking confused. "What happened?"

"What did you just say?" She queried.

Qagan still looked tired and confused. "I-uh... Just woke up." He stated.

Teya gave him an incredulous look. He answered a question she didn't ask openly. They both exchanged questioning looks for several seconds.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, with concern.

She nodded. "I feel fine."

Qagan gave her a curious look and shrugged. "If you say so." He said while stretching. He looked at the clock, almost 8-o'clock. "God, I need a shower." He chuckled. "I know it's bad when I can smell myself."

Teya smiled. "Something like a bath?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied. "I suppose you would like to clean yourself too. I'll let you go first."

He got off the couch and gestured for Teya to follow him down the hallway. He went into a small room that looked to be full of strange devices of Human origin. She looked around in wonder at them until she heard water start pouring into the tub. She watched as Qagan fiddled with some knobs on the wall. Steaming water poured from the nozzle.

"I would guess you like it hot?" He asked. She gave him a nod.

Once the tub was about three quarters full he twisted the knobs again and the flow subsided. He stood and walked to the door. "I'll let you have some privacy." He said with a warm smile. The door closed behind him.

Teya had never actually bathed alone before. The Hot Springs in the crater were usually busy. Full of all kinds of fire types. She had to admit that the silence would be relaxing and give her much needed time to think. She crawled over the edge of the tub and slowly dipped herself into the hot water. Noticeably cooler than the hot springs in the crater, but still pleasant and relaxing. She made sure to keep her flame just over the surface like she had all her life. It felt like the grime and troubles of her travels simply melted away as she relaxed in the relatively large tub. Her mind silenced itself to enjoy the feeling.

Qagan sat back on the couch and flipped on the television. Some commercials were playing. He wondered how Teya was able to handle herself so well in the last couple days. Her entire community and family has been destroyed, and she nary shed a tear. Maybe she held out hope for their survival? It seemed possible that some could have survived. He wanted to know exactly what happened. Zatsule said he killed them all, though he had no reason lie about it. He had no reason to tell the truth either. Finding survivors of the initial strike could be beneficial, it was likely Moss had drawn the same conclusion. He would need to discuss it with him later. This whole week was just full of problems that would need resolving.

Qagan sighed deeply. "So much work to be done." He muttered to himself.

His mind drifted back to Teya. She had been pretty understanding about everything the last several days. He wondered if that should worry him, probably not. Maybe her wisdom was ahead of her time? That seemed likely. She seems mature enough, except when she ran into the crater alone. He still couldn't figure out why she had done that. It didn't seem like a great decision to make. Perhaps she was getting anxious, and didn't want to disturb his sleep? Qagan was instantly filled with doubt, but what else could it be? He shook the thought from his head and turned his attention to the television once again. Freeing him from unanswerable questions.

Teya spent about a half hour inside the tub before she decided to get out. The water was getting too cold for her. The water was evaporating from her skin swiftly, soon she felt very cold. She was completely dry in a matter of minutes before she opened the door and walked to the living room. Qagan turned to her as she walked into view.

"Feel better?" He asked with a smile.

"The one thing I miss about the crater is the searing heat." She giggled. "So other than feeling frozen I'm perfectly fine." She gave an exaggerated sniffle.

Qagan rolled his eyes. "You could have used a towel." He laughed.

"A what?" She asked.

"Oh, that's right." He said. "Guess I could have showed you. Too late now." He shrugged.

She shook her head and crawled on to the couch.

Qagan stood up. "My turn." He chimed as he walked to the bathroom.

She watched the piece of technology sitting in front of her. The pictures changed rapidly and gave her a small headache. She strained to make some sense between it and the sounds that were pouring from it. Suddenly the quick changes stopped and slowed. It showed a grand stadium filled with thousands of humans cheering wildly.

"Welcome back! The battle so far is in favor of Jason Melir, of Habiel City. His Magmortar has taken two of his opponents Pokemon, who is now down to his last one." The announcer said excitedly. "With any luck it will be one that can withstand Magmortar's intense fire moves."

It seemed this human had a knack for stating the obvious.

The opposing human lifted a red and white sphere and tossed it. "You can do this, Swampert!"

The Pokemon seemed to emanate from a red beam. It stood, ready for battle. Magmortar however looked weary, but battle ready. It was clear that his captor would not let him rest. The two humans immediately began shouting commands at their Pokemon. Who seemed far to eager to obey them. Teya watched in curiosity as the Pokemon fought each other, much to the pleasure of the cheering crowd. Some hits were powerful and others managed to skim their target. Magmortar was launching many rounds at the Swampert, there were plenty of fiery explosions. Swampert was relying on it's type advantage kept dodging furiously and taking a couple of watergun shots. Magmortar did not take direct water hits well. It was struggling to stand at this point of it's fight.

She watched as the Pokemon struggled against each other to please the humans they served. Teya had never heard of a Pokemon who wanted to serve humans before they're captured. Yet when they are captured, it seems the only thing they live for. It was entirely unnatural. Her parents had always told her to stay far away from humans. "They will bend your will to theirs and force you to demean yourself in front of your own kind, as well as theirs." They had always told her. It wasn't clear to any Pokemon in the crater how this was possible, although many rumors persisted that they used some kind of magic. Harith had told her that the only powers the humans had was advanced intellect and a strong sense of mutual benefit in working together. He always did have an unspoken admiration for humans, but he also cursed them every time a Pokemon being captured was reported in the crater. A human in the crater was rare but not unheard of. They were usually stupid, but some were confident in their abilities to make it out alive. That usually didn't happen though.

Swampert slammed it's fist into Magmortar. Knocking it out thoroughly. The trainer lifted the sphere and said "Return." With an arrogance that made her cringe. It seemed so nonchalant, he didn't care that Magmortar had done all the work. He took credit for it's victory, and seemed to let it carry the shame of defeat. Teya felt pity for the Magmortar she had never met, and felt anger toward a human that had done her no wrong. The camera panned to the challenger who did not smile, yet he cheered on his Pokemon. Telling it how it was doing a superb job. This cooled her head a bit, but it was almost as bad as telling your slave he's doing a good job.

"That's win number one from the challenger." The announcer sounded far to excited. "But can Swampert keep up the fight two more times?"

This human was almost unbearable to listen to.

The fight continued on. The one called Jason chose a Pokemon called Electabuzz. The battle raged for several minutes before Swampert once again stood victorious. The challenger, raining encouraging words to his Pokemon. Jason looked to be getting angry and called out his final choice, "Win, Staraptor!" He ordered. A large flying type emerged and spread it's wings wide. Trying and succeeding at being intimidating. A murderous look on it's face. Teya watched as the two stared each other down before charging into each other with their selected attacks ready. An odd sight to behold. They dove in, in a flurry of claws, fists, and determination.

Qagan cut the bandages from himself with his one remaining spike. They slipped easily from him as he inspected himself carefully with a sigh. He wondered how other Lucario would handle losing their spikes. It didn't bother him too much. He could feel scars under his freshly regrown fur. Other than those few wounds, he didn't notice much a difference. He twisted the knobs until a relatively warm water poured from the shower nozzle. He stepped in the stream of water and felt it consume him in it's purity. The water cleansed him of the filth he had attained, dirt and dried blood swirled down the drain to be forgotten. Qagan sifted through his fur with his paws to loosen the deeper stuff. He always had enjoyed keeping himself clean. The last couple weeks had made it harder for himself to do so. Hunting poachers meant he had to keep from going into any open areas, such as lakes or streams. Making him avoid such areas only served to strengthen his rage against them. They didn't have a chance. Qagan smirked to himself, he couldn't say they didn't deserve what he gave to them.

He spent about fifteen minutes cleaning himself before he got out and grabbed a towel from the counter. He dried himself thoroughly before grooming his fur to acceptable standards. He inspected himself in the mirror for a second before realizing he has never taken so much care in his appearance before.

"Trying to impress someone?" He asked to his reflection.

His reflection only gave a devious smile in return before he walked out.

Qagan walked into the living room to see Teya watching a Pokemon battle on the television.

"The humans say that thing will melt your brain, you know?" He joked.

Teya turned to him with a bored look on her face. "It honestly wouldn't surprise me." She stated.

Qagan laughed, and switched off the television with the remote.

"Let's go get some fresh air." He said. "We've been inside for far too long."

Teya nodded in agreement before following him to the door.

They walked quietly through the complex. Some humans were roaming about but none were paying attention to them. These hallways felt like they should be full of noise and conversation. Yet no sounds were heard throughout the building, almost like everyone was afraid to disturb the peace that dominated it. The two Pokemon made their way out a pair of doors and into the morning sun. The small town was bustling with activity, a far cry from the silence in the large building. Humans and Pokemon going about their business as usual. It was an odd sight to Teya. How could such a place exist so close to her home and not have heard about it? Different types of Pokemon not only walked together, but talked with each other as if there were no difference between them. Harith had often told her that things were different outside of the crater. He never went into details, but had always told her that some were more open than others to specific ideas. Ones that the Char would not only frown upon, they would also proclaim them damned. These kinds of things must have been what he talked about.

Teya followed Qagan closely as they approached an open field. It seemed a good place to relax if nothing else. They both sat down in the grass and enjoyed the breeze that flowed through the few trees that were scattered about. Several humans and Pokemon were also relaxing and playing games around the field.

"Nice day." Qagan said simply.

Teya nodded. "Beautiful." She agreed.

Qagan stretched himself and lay down on the grass.

"You know you'll have to talk about it eventually." He stated.

Teya gave him a questioning look. "About what?" she asked.

"About the crater. About who your worried about. About yourself. About how you feel about this entire situation. Take your pick." He said, nonchalantly.

She thought for a minute. "Well, The crater was not anything like it was before I left. Perhaps I should have been more prepared for it. It was cold and dark. I never wish to be in a place like that again." She answered. "I'm not sure how to feel about... any of it. I worry for Harith, a teacher of mine who always showed me patience. I worry for my mother and my father. But whatever that creature was in the crater clearly wasn't the Char he was before. I worry for everyone who was unfortunate enough to live there." Her tone was sullen.

"Good, but tell me of the happier times. When a smile was on your face, and your eyes were bright." He said. "It will be good for you."

She realized suddenly that Qagan had spilled his soul to her the day before. She hadn't told him anything of herself. At least it wouldn't be as... Colorful as his had been.

"Alright then." She said. Calling her memories back to her mind. "I was raised in the ways of the Char. A religion that I was told is exclusive to those living in the crater. I always told my brother I never much cared for it. He kept my visits to Harith a secret. I met Harith one day in the hot springs when my parents lost track of me. I heard him talking about a beach to the southeast where Blastoise had disposed of a Human poaching operation. My curiosity led me to listen to him. He continued talking to the group that had formed around him. Not a single Char was there. He stopped talking and looked to me. He asked if I needed something. I grew hot with embarrassment and told him that I was just curious and that I would leave if he wanted me to. All eyes were on me by that point. Some looked angry, others looked hateful. Harith however, He said. All who seek knowledge will find it here. Everyone looked uncomfortable with his decision, but accepted it nonetheless. I was allowed to stay. I would seek him out some days when I had a problem. He always would help me, even after my father had forbidden our meeting. I was never really sure if he knew he was putting his own life in danger. If he did know he simply didn't care." She finished.

Qagan seemed deep in thought. "Was he a Char?" He asked.

"No, he was a Ninetales. He practiced a sort of Shamanism that the Char hate. They thought it conflicted with our beliefs, but I thought they were more connected than they were willing to admit." She answered with a smile. "Just a bunch of stubborn Char wanting power over others."

"My brother was a good person. He was more like my father than I could ever hope to be. He taught me the ways of the Char and he often asked me of the things Harith would teach me. My brother and I would discuss both of them for hours and try to figure out if we could see the similarities between the two, maybe even combine them. These discussions brought us closer as kin, as we challenged the beliefs we held for so long. The beliefs that our parents forced onto us. Never offering a second view of the world we inhabited." She fiddled with the grass a little bit. "But to my brother and me, the world was to vast to be subject to one set of rules. There isn't just one way to do things. If we applied ourselves we could see more than one solution to any problem. Our ability to think, or willingness to think, is what set us apart from our brethren in the crater. We always had to have our conversations in private though. Questioning such things is taboo. We were to be single minded and united in our efforts."

Qagan's mind skipped back to something Zatsule had said, _To no longer burden each other with their wants or differences. In death they are unified and quiet, no longer weighed down by their petty lives._Maybe he did it because they were beginning to question him, and the beliefs he held? They were not unified in beliefs after Zatsule had killed his son and his daughter simply defied him and left the crater. If you cannot control your children, How are you to be a good leader? An interesting theory if nothing else.

"Life lead by religion? Interesting." He said. "Some humans have beliefs like that, you know? It's been a long time since, but they used to kill in the name of their gods. Even when the rules stated they were not to do so. Religion has a habit of being selective of the rules it follows at any given time."

Teya nodded. "That fact did not escape me or my brother."

They both sat in silence for several minutes, enjoying the cool breeze. The sun was rising ever slower in the sky. It's radiance warming them as they relaxed.

"I'be interruptin' sometin?" A deep voice boomed behind them. They both turned simultaneously to see a large turtle with cannons raised over his shoulders, a Blastoise. Teya had never seen one up close before. He stood 5'7" yet he looked much taller. His shell was covered with scuffs and scratches. He had a serious look on his face and his arms were crossed. Qagan stood to face him with a smile.

"Well, look what the tide swept in!" He joked.

"An' look what de E'rt' shook up." The Blastoise retorted.

"Still haven't developed that sense of humor yet? I thought your mate would've lightened you up a little."

"She tries I'be sure. It been lackin' since I help you take de small ones to lessons. I tell you I still be on probation for it."

"How does that affect your humor? I'm still laughing about it."

The Blastoise tried desperately to hold back a smile, and failed.

"Damn it, Qagan." He laughed. The two gave a friendly embrace. "You been missed 'round here brot'er." the two released each other and the Blastoise looked to the Charmander who was now standing next to Qagan. "Who be dis?" he asked.

"This is one of my newest friends, Miss Teya." Qagan answered.

The Blastoise gave her a curious look. "Of de Char, or de Flame? If you don't mind me askin', Miss Teya." He said with a slight polite bow.

After a moments thought she realized she could now choose between the two, but a thought jumped in her head. One of total freedom. "Neither." She decided.

Qagan made a mental note of it.

"Interestin'." The Blastoise smiled. "I be Temin C'lana. I follow de flow of de Aura. Pleasure be mine."

The two Pokemon bowed in mutual respect.

"She traveled with me here." Qagan said. "Quite the companion, never a dull moment.

Teya flushed with embarrassment.

"No worse dan traversin' wit' you." Temin stated. "I recall we nearly had our heads off wit' some 'umans, along wit' deir pets."

"Oh, no need to exaggerate. I had them under control the whole time. Nothing but rabble." He rebutted.

The Blastoise waved him off with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway." He said, changing the subject. "What happened to you? Why de sudden return?" Noticing Qagan was missing some pieces.

"I got on the wrong side of a battle." He said. Teya eyed him curiously.

Temin matched her look. "I never seen you beat so bad you loss sometin'. How bad is it?"

Qagan gave him a goofy smile. "Not bad enough to kill me. He'll just have to try harder next time."

"Ah, you be a hopeless mess." The Blastoise frowned. "Had been lookin' for trouble, and it looks like you found it. Hope you had enough fun for a while."

He shrugged. "I didn't go looking for trouble. It just has a habit of jumping in front of me. And when it decides to do so again, I will have no say in it."

Temin just shook his head. "Me t'inks we should catch up wit' each ot'er. You had lunch yet?"

Teya thought for a second and realized they hadn't eaten since the day before. She licked her lips at the thought of a meal.

"I think that would be a great idea. We haven't even had breakfast this morning. I'm hankering for some food." He said, patting his stomach.

"Well, you best mind your manners dis time. Pavati is pretty furious about last time. She said she never seen such poor graces before."

"I've never been in the house of someone so up tight and ungrateful..." Qagan stopped himself. An angry glare from Temin told him to shut up. That glare eventually receded back into a smile.

"Sorry bro, but she's de boss." He said simply.

"Guess I can't complain too much. She does make a damn good lunch." Qagan replied. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior."

Temin turned to lead them, Qagan grabbed Teya's claw and gave her a wink. She couldn't help but smile, he was nothing but a troublemaker. At least he had a sense of humor. The two walked, claw in paw behind the Blastoise. Basking in the relationship that was slowly growing between them.

Chapter 2

The Human Agenda

Moss walked quietly yet swiftly to the main office which Keldan was working in. Their were many people walking past him, thankfully only exchanging in quick greetings. He wasn't necessarily going to be late. Actually, he was going to be fairly early. Moss simply hated to be late, and he felt the only way to avoid it was to be really early to every appointment. The faster he was in, the faster he was out.

He stopped at the receptionists desk. "Keldan in yet?"

The receptionist nodded and hit a button on the phone. "Moss is here." She said in a weary tone.

The phone replied with a perky beep. "Ah, good. Let him in."

She gestured to the door with a nod.

He walked to the door and opened it wide before shutting it behind him.

"Fashionably early?" Keldan sighed. "Can't you be late like everyone else?

Moss chuckled as he made his way to the desk. The professor was an older gentleman with black but graying hair. He had a frail frame and tended to stay inside, his pale skin was a monument to his accomplishments. He also stood at 5'11" tall. It made him look like he would be snapped in half if a gust blew through the building. It was his mind that made him invaluable to the ones he worked for in the Jinto region. He was sitting patiently and looking to Moss with a smirk.

"I could be, but that would make me far less annoying." Moss stated. He pulled a chair over to the desk and sat down. He placed the briefcase on the desk. "My report is on the top. Along with several other pieces of paperwork that you left for me."

Keldan shrugged. "I'm giving you a more active roll here. If you don't we have to pull the plug on the secondary objective."

Moss rolled his eyes. "Is it not enough that we build their damned weapons?"

"It's just that keeping them free is not profitable."

"Not if they don't give it a fucking chance. They assume far to much."

"I agree. Which is the only reason they're allowing this to continue. So as far as that goes, I need you to be the leader of that operation." Keldan said.

Moss gave him a curious look. "I thought Isis was taking care of it."

"She is, but I've seen that you've been helping out in many ways. Will this really make a difference?"

Moss mumbled something to himself angrily. "I hate paperwork." He finally said.

"Good. It'll build character then." Keldan laughed. "At any rate, I suppose we should discuss our latest blot on the records. I must say I'm not to thrilled with the outcome, I've been reading reports from the others. Most not saying good things of you."

"I suppose not." Moss mused. "Though there wasn't much to be done. You know what the consequences could have been."

"I told you before that I don't know anything for certain." Keldan replied. "All we know is that 25 of the people we sent to secure the crater are either KIA or MIA. That effects the entire operation I'm afraid. We are not to send squads to patrol outside of the the city limits, We are to let the Rangers to handle stuff like that from now on."

"Could they have done better?" Moss asked sarcastically.

"That's not the point. It's their job to watch over the reserve. It may be named for me but that doesn't give us the right to take the law in our hands."

"They should be worried about the disturbing amount of poachers. There is no way they could've taken that Charizard at the sad rate they're going.

"Again, that's not the point. We are only supposed to be protecting ourselves, not the reserve or Qagan for that matter."

Moss' face twisted with anger. "I think you owe him far more than that, yet I didn't see you volunteer to help him."

Keldan winced slightly at the blow he had been dealt. "You know there's nothing I could've done." He stammered.

"That's not the point." Moss replied.

They both sat in silence for several seconds, it was almost deafening.

"The Charizard in the crater." Moss paused. "He did call himself Hate. He was one of your experiments."

"Yes. I remember." Keldan sighed. "The uncertainty of all of it is the problem. Only a small fraction of questions answered. We should have watched him closer. He's loose now, probably no way we can stop him."

"Qagan did have a small talk with him during the battle. Perhaps we'll find more information out later. These reports will help."

"I'm sure they will, but I'm not even sure if there's anything we can do." Keldan pulled the briefcase across the desk. "Only one way to find out..." He paused for a second. "Oh yes!" He said, as if a thought popped into his head. "What of the Charmander?"

"Oh. Actually, she was the only reason Qagan was headed to the crater in the first place. She got out before the incident I would guess." Moss explained. "Long story, but I did get it in the report."

"Excellent, I can't wait!" He said with sincerity. "You never leave out the details, sometimes they're the most important."

"Well, it's good you'll enjoy it then. It's quite lengthy."

The phone chirped on his desk. "The Commander is here, sir." The receptionist droned.

Keldan leaned over to press a button. "Send him in, please."

The door popped open after a couple seconds. Alex walked in. A man standing 6'2" with brown hair and a thin build. The military training did make him strong, but it didn't show it. It looked like you could easily overcome him, a potentially fatal mistake. He wore a pair of thin framed glasses, with thick lenses.

"How's it goin'?" Moss chimed.

Alex shot him a glare as he pulled over another chair. "I've had better days, thanks to you." He grumbled.

"Oh, do tell!" Keldan joked, feigning interest.

Alex slammed a pile of papers on his desk. "These are the new protocols we will be following. Security, weapons check out, external missions, the works."

Keldan frowned deeply. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Moss shook his head. "For fuck sake, Alex! We're already the military's bitch, isn't that enough for them?"

"Not anymore! You should thank your lucky stars they didn't shut this place down! That last stunt you pulled killed 25 young men! You wouldn't believe the amount of strings I had to pull to get this place to stay afloat, I damn near got demoted and replaced!" He huffed.

"Look you two!" Keldan said. "I am not sure whether or not this was a right decision or not, and honestly, I'm not sure if I can even draw that conclusion. But I will not have it tear this place asunder. We will get along and move along or we'll all deal with the consequences."

The brothers both nodded in understanding.

"Alex, I do understand that the loss of life is unacceptable, I really do. I am prepared to deal with the consequences of making the decision to send them, and if that means tighter protocols than so be it. Moss, I realize that had we not saved Qagan... We have no idea what would have happened. We likely wouldn't be prepared for it. What has passed is a tragedy, but we must move on lest we become trapped in the past. I will take care of these protocols first, then I will read the report. Now I want you two to get along! Dismissed." Keldan finished.

The two brothers stood and gave a respectful bow before retreating out the door. They both got out into the hall before turning to each other.

"Look." Moss started. "I realize I crossed the line. I should have at least given you a heads up, and I'm willing to make it up to you by paying the tabs tonight at the bar. Maybe get a few frosty ones, eh?"

Alex sighed. "Hmm... Sounds like you're trying to bribe a military officer... Those drinks better not be cheap."

They both laughed and walked down the hallway together. Talking of happier things to pass. Keldan was right in some respect, the dead would be remembered as the men they were. Happy and fun loving people, that would always be missed once they were gone...