Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 466: Remembering Past Trauma

"Stop delaying Director Fenrir," Dahlia told the woman as she handed Dahlia a coffee mug with whiskey. Even while holding it away from her face she could smell the strong, almost overpowering smell.

"I am not delaying Dahlia, I am just... building up the courage." Fenrir declared as she sat down in her own seat after handing the High Priestess another mug with whiskey. The High Priestess smelled it and then held it away.

The mar’talic and other Victorium races had varying opinions on alcohol and other substances of similar style. But they were a gray area for them so it was perfectly fine for humans to still sell and participate in alcohols and drugs that were not illegal in the human territories.

"You are right about favoritism, I have been taking you off missions specifically to protect you. As for handing them to Jace, well that is something else entirely." Director Fenrir started off.

"How is it different?" Dahlia asked as took a sip of whiskey and then looked at the mug with surprise. "Oh? That is strong?"

"Three hundred proof. Not made for normal humans to digest. One of only a single set in existence. I have been saving it for a very special occasion." Director Fenrir took a sip of her own whiskey glass and smiled. "It is a very special day."

"Director Fenrir..." The High Priestess clicked out.

"I know... ha..." Director Fenrir smiled and raised a glass. "Did you know that Trajan was not my first child?"

Dahlia flinched as she recalled the history of the Vexical Imperial Family. The fourth Prince, Trajan was supposed to be Fenrir’s first child. But there was barely any mention of the concubine aside from a few political maneuvers before Trajan appeared. Even then he only appeared after the public got a hold of medical records of his birth.

"I was not. I doubt anyone was aware." Dahlia pointed out. "I mean, at this point why hide them?"

"Because Dahlia, in order to hide them we had to completely disconnect from them. My children that I managed to hide, all three of them, were temporarily placed in orphanages before being adopted by trusted associates." At this, Dahlia flinched and frowned before opening and closing her mouth.

The High Priestess looked over at Dahlia and then had a thoughtful look on her face. "Commander Dahlia was in an orphanage before being adopted. Colonel Jace was raised in an orphanage as well."

"Are Jace and I..." Dahlia asked, already trying to put the pieces together. "Siblings?"

"Twins? No." Fenrir shook her head before taking another swig of whiskey. "You are my daughter. In fact you and your twin brother were my first. But at the same time we were worried about the First Prince who had killed his younger sibling and mother just for the throne."

Dahlia’s eyes glazed over as she sat back in her chair. After a moment she downed the rest of the whiskey. "Explain... from the start."

Fenrir nodded after a moment, "very well." She grabbed the whiskey bottle. Pouring herself some more whiskey and pushing it across her desk so Dahlia could pour herself some.

"Shortly before I gave birth. I was in the Echo System, I was staying there to research the system with my own classified unit. But the moment we heard what happened to the Empress we decided it would be best to hide your existence." Fenrir began with a sad tone.

"Then why not hide me in the Echo System? The prince clearly did not know how to get there." Dahlia pointed out.

"Because the prince was not the only person we were worried about. The previous emperor was moving in the shadows as well. As it was, he was trying to assassinate several people who wanted to see him removed from the throne and your biological father placed on the throne in his place. Myself included. He did not hesitate in teaching the prince his bloodthirsty ideals. So we decided to hide my children out of sight and almost completely out of reach."

"Was it really that bad?" Dahlia asked as she shakily poured herself another mug of whiskey. She was starting to regret asking because she had never seen the Director, someone she respected, looking so hollow and broken. Exuding the regret of the past actions and sacrifices she made.

"I not only had to give up my children. I had to initially place them in orphanages. I placed both you and your twin brother in a nice orphanage on Kamot Prime. Unfortunately soon after, the orphanage director was caught up in a criminal scheme. All of the children were moved to an orphanage in the slums outside the capital city of the planet." Fenrir tapped her desk and a holographic file appeared, she made a circle with her finger on the desk and it spun around so Dahlia could read it.

"It was not some big trick or elusive plan. It was just bad timing. No one we trusted was on the planet to immediately come check on you two. So you were transferred to an orphanage in the slums where you caught the eye of a rather sick person." Fenrir’s eyes grew distant as she continued her explanation. "Late one night the man decided to fulfill his fantasies and broke into the orphanage. Finding a bunch of vulnerable young children. We do not know for certain what happened that night. But we do know one thing."

"My brother died that night?" Dahlia asked as a new file or rather a police report appeared.

"Yes he did, but we also know that if it was not for a scrappy and angry child called Jace. You would have died like your brother did." As she said it, Dahlia could feel as her mind was pulled back like she was remembering what happened that night.

—--------------------------

It was a stormy night. She could not sleep because of the various lighting that was striking a nearby building. It was acting like a lightning rod for the entire city. But the loud bangs could be heard by buildings that were not sound proofed like the orphanage was not.

It kept her up in this large smelly room with all these other orphans. Others whose parents could not, or would not keep them. Most of them were cowering under the sheets. But she was with her brother, Naught.

They were quietly playing a game with blocks of wood. Waiting for the night to pass. As they were waiting the door to the room soundly flew open and slammed against the wall. It was loud and creaky with its hinges barely intact.

A skinny man with an unseeable face walks in. As he did the children in the room screamed and scattered. Some hiding under the beds or behind them. She and Naught were shocked and just looked at him.

His soulless eyes scanned the room until they stopped on her and her brother. Then he showed his teeth full of metal and jagged bone. He began prowling across the room as he pulled off a leather belt.

It cracked against a bed like lightning as he cackled something sinister. She and her brother quickly jumped off the bed and ran. Going straight out the door and into the hall. Naught wanted them to go to the older kids. They could help.

But as they were in the hall she felt pain in her other arm and was yanked backwards away from her brother. Naught turned around but a belt buckle smashed him over the head and he yelped. Before he could get up a foot stepped on his back and the man chuckled sinisterly.

She tried to struggle out of the grip that was holding her arm. He brought his face closer and licked her face. She began screaming for help. After she did she watched as a few of the doors opened and heads popped out to look what the commotion was.

Most of them just grunted and went back to their rooms. But the only one that stayed out was a kid that looked like the same age as them. She looked him right in his tired eyes, but they looked just as hollow and soulless as the man that was attacking them.

She heard her brother quietly and barely breath out something as the man’s boot was crushing his body. "Help... my sister... please."

"Shut up you brat!" The man screamed and slammed his boot down. She could hear the crunch and watched as her brother’s arm that was reaching out to the other kid went slack. She stopped crying and stared in horror. "Aww... now you stopped resisting. That is no fun! But I now what will get you-"

The man did not get to finish his entrance. She watched it happen but did not process it. The young man that came out of one of the rooms that were meant for older kids ran across the room, jumping on a side table and yanking the rickety lamp out of the wall before slamming it over the man’s head.

He dropped her and fell backwards with a howl of pain. Shattering an already broken hall mirror by knocking it to the ground. "You little shit!" The man called out.

But the other kid was already running over, dropping the broken lamp and picking up a piece of the broken mirror. There was another crack as the belt smacked the kid in the side of the face. But he just kept going and stabbed the man in the leg. He screamed and fell to the ground as the kid jumped up on him and just started stabbing and did not stop even after he was covered in red.

She does not recall what happened after that because she fainted from the whole situation and her brother’s death was too much. The next day, she was adopted by her adopted parents who were horrified to learn what happened. While she did not just forget, it was blocked out.

—-----------------

"I... remember... how do I remember?" Dahlia asked in horror as the memories came flooding back.

"Nanotechnolgy." Fenrir answered with a sigh. "Tricky little technology probably stimulated part of your brain to help you remember. It likely determined that it would be beneficial to your growth. Happens to me all the time when I need to remember something."

"That is..." Dahlia looked at Fenrir. "What... Why did Jace save me?"

Fenrir scoffed. "Save you?"