Rocket’s ship

[Ryle “Rocket” Arora]

Once we're all frontally out of our wet suites we head for the memorial in the center of town. The closer we get however the more packed things get. People have come to line the streets and stare at us. At first I feel tense and then I hear it

"As we go marching marching in the beauty of the day a million darkened kitchens a thousand milllofts gray. Are touch with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses for the people here are singing bread and roses bread and roses."

The song rises from the thoughts of the people in the square.  An on Maris children's song sung by our grate queen as they executed her. As it dies down another starts up. The hanging tree. Our prices is slow as children run in front of us to give us flowers and thank us. By the time we reach the memorial we car covered in flowers and garlands and reaper starts to sing

"For I'm a good old rebel and that's just what I am and for the federation I do not give a damn I'm glad I fough again er I only wish we won't I ain't ask any pardon for anything I do. I fought with general Rocket for three years there about got wounded in four places and I starved at point look out. I got the rumitism from camping in the snow still I killed a chance of federals and I'd like to get some more. For I'm a good old rebel and that's just what I am and for their federation I do not give a damn I'm glad I fought against her I only wish we'd won we don't want any pardon for anything we've done.we won't have any pardon for anything we've done!"

The final line is echoed as we all face the great stone wall with millions of names carved into it. Each line is a name, age and where they died. Many of the names are children, Tepish fought with us and won their freedom it's the only planet to ever free itself from federation rule. It's been 70 years and they rember us.

I reach out gently and run my fingers over the names. So many children so many lives lost. And then I hear it. The sobbing of my crew of my own voice and the people in the square raise up an old hum almost forgotten a prayer of morning a prayer of peace

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

Kor stands back, feeling tears pricking at his eyes. So many lives lost... all for what? Someone's stubborn pride, not wanting to be part of the Federation anymore? He feels out of place, excluded. Everyone here hates the Federation. It feels, on some level, like they all hate him. Some part of him pushes back against that feeling. It's not his fault he was born in the Federation. It's not his fault his grandpa is an amoral corporation-owner who bought himself a pet planet. It's not Kor's fault his father was some, what, war criminal? Kor didn't ask to be born. He didn't ask to be engineered, he didn't ask to be part of the ruling class on Edo, he didn't ask to be part of the Federation. Where do they get off, saying the Federation is bad? There's plenty of good people who are part of the Federation, people who just want to live their lives, people who just want to be free from the raping and pillaging that goes on outside the Federation borders. Surely that's a good thing?

[Reaper]

I can see kor flinch a minute and I place my had on his shoulder. "No one blames you for this kor. This isn't your fault. It never was. But it is part of our shared history. We hate the government not the people. Come with me to the other side"

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

"You said my dad was part of this. My grandfather bankrolled a lot of the war. My family is part of this enemy you hate so much. How can that be real? We're just people. Like anyone else."

[Ryle “Rocket” Arora]

" you are not your father. And back then we all did things we're not proud of. But Kor you need to see the other side with me" I take reapers hand and we lead kor to the other side a white wall full of names of people who lived and those that risked everything to save them. "This is also your legacy. These people are alive because normal everyday federation citizens decided to help them. War is awful for both sides. But that was also 70 years ago. Today we know all the good that the everyday people did. We morn our losses but we also celebrate those who saved us." I pick one of the garlands off from around my neck and place it on his "we celebrate the new generation that can live up to the legacy of these names. These names that remind us that people and government are separate."

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

Kor traces one of the names idly -- another Kuronue, someone else with the same first name as him. What must their life have been like?

"Tell me about this battle," he says quietly. "What was it for?"

[Ryle “Rocket” Arora]

"Let's find a quite place to chat" I say and lead the way away from the square to a small caffe once tea has been ordered and arrives I take a breath. "Where to start? Maybe the very beginning is best. Well Maris was my home. I was a normal girl. I lived in a farm with my brothers and sisters. Then the desertion came. They wanted more than what we were giving them. They occupied my home. Moved us off the farm and into a mining settlement. I lost my family to the mines but I found reaper there. He was an outside contractor. We got married at 16 had our son at 18. That's when everything really changed. Our queen fought back. She was tired of her people suffering so she fought back. Killed the over sear of Maris. Two day later they hung her along with all the presets and nobility from the center of the town square of the capitol. After that things went bad quickly. Doctor Mengalive was out in charge of Maris. He started making super shoulders. Made out of medal or out of genetic mods. Both of our kinda come from those experiments. It went like that for a few years but then he found that he had better luck with children. That started the rebellion. The battle of Maris was for the safety of our children. I volunteered for my mech but the children were taken in the night. Their families sloughterd. I used to be part of it. I was a federation shoulder. But theirs only so many times you can kidnap a child before you either rebel or stop caring. Reaper and some friends were talking revelation and I joined them. Just before the battle started smugglers came and took and many families away as they could. Then we attacked the medical compound. The battle lasted 12 days but when it was over Maris was libatated from there we came to tepesh. Then we joined with the people's resistance from the beta quadrant and it grew from there. Anywhere they were hurting children we would show up. The Maris rebellion was for our families and children. To stop their explosion and murder. Does that make sense kor?"

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

And my father... he helped this man? "I barely remember my father," he says quietly. "I remember being held up high in the air, being cuddled. A soft, rough voice. But he left my mother and me when I was small, and she died when I was eight. I was raised by my uncle, and he was... he was grooming me to be his bride. Finally he made me get naked in front of him and I couldn't... I killed him. And then I ran away."

[Ryle “Rocket” Arora]

"Oh kor....." it's a soft whisper "Kor no one is going to hurt you ever again like that.  I promis." Reaper looks at me and I nod slightly. We talked about this a long time ago. About helping kids like Kor who were running from pain and abuse. About opening our ship to them. We hadn't done it for so many reasons but now it just felt right we'd talked the night before about what to do now with our ship and our crew. Seams only right to turn us into a learning vessel give kids a chance to learn a trade far away from the pain of home. And seeing Kor like this in need of a family makes it clear to me. Our little families going to get a bit bigger

[Reaper]

"Kor what do you need from us? How can we support you?"

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

"I don't... know," he says quietly. "I can't... I know I can't ever go home again. I guess... I just really want to find my father. To find out why he left us. Why he didn't come back for me, or take me with him."

[Ryle “Rocket” Arora]

"Kor what do you know about complex post traumatic stress disorder?" I ask carefully

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

"Complex what?" asks Kor, blankly. "Is that the thing soldiers get?"

[Ryle “Rocket” Arora]

"Well yeah but it's more common than you think. See when you go through somthing traumatic like war or an abusive relation ship or even witnessing what happened at Brayla. It can effect you. And sometimes those effects stick around long term. I have CPTSD. That why when we were soaring I shot at you. It's because I had a flashback and I wasn't on the ship anymore. I was back in Maris. Back in the war. I take medications to help with it. I also talk to the doc about it. But not everyone gets help with it. Some people can't make the change back to Sicilian life. They try but they just can't. So they run out on their families or else they drink and use drugs some do both. We're still looking for your father but there's a good chance he'll be in a bad way when we find him. He may not even know the war is over. Or he may not feel like he has a right to be in your life because you're untouched by war and he's done some things I life he's not proud of. You should be prepared for the fact that he may not be able to see you."

[Kuronue "Kor" Higurashi]

Kor nods, face grave and tea untouched. "I have to try though."