Family Matters

[Nightfall]

Some days before, Omicron Alpha, near Planet Malta

"Alvarez, see to it that a shipment of Cardamine makes it to Freeport 9, for Grand Admiral Korrd, complements from Admiral Fokke!"

The "Black Ace", Nightfall's black Sabre VHF, speeds up, enters cruise speed...
... a formation of three Outcast IFF Sabre VHFs appear from behind.

"Black leader to group, prepare tractor beams! Firing CD. Black leader, Fox 1!"

*

In the cockpit of the "Black Ace"...
"It so bright! So... It's calling me! Such a warm feeling...
"I'm a thousand lightyears away from home!""
... the Cardamine high bliss blinding him to the fact that he is just a few Ks from being vaporised in the...
Suddenly, a voice echoes in Bernard's head: "Warning! Entering Sun Corona!"
"Hey! I am actually flying into a sta... *cruise engine shuts down*... r! Wha...!!!"

*

"Black Leader to group, engage tractor beams, let's take him home!"

***

Bernard was enjoying the light breeze playing in the orange grass, the green sun was setting on the horizon. A time perfect for meditation...
The last few months on Malta did good to him, he recovered from the physical injuries. Only a few scars left as a memento of the Titanic duels on Honshu... the defeat he had to deal with... that was his greatest foe... the ebb of his will before Sephiroth.
Bernard fought it from within, even when under Sephiroth's control, he tried to fight off...

***Flashback:
A hail of bullets swarmed around Nightfall, nicking him in the legs and arms, he looked back to See the Major pointing a pair of pistols at him, that fool, what was he, But korrd wasn't there.
***end Flashback

"God, Major Alpha... he got promoted to Vice Admiral since that time... haven't heard in a while from him. Must be busy doing my job too right now. Good thought of stoping me there. In spite of Battle Meditation, even I couldn't see him, which made Sephiroth loose control of me" he thought "that allowed me time to sever my ties with the Force... I still feel it occasionally..."

"Bernard!" an angelic voice shattered his heavy thoughts into nothingness. "Ah, Kaela..." he thought and turned around on the terace and a gasp of wind blew his hair back. There she was, glittering in the sunset, the wind restless in her hair. She took his hand and she would have dragged him if he didn't willingly go where she started leading.
"Come, you know you shouldn't spend so much time outside, remember what happened last time?" she spoke, making an alusion of his last sortie outside the docking ring.
"Almost, the key word is "almost", and you always forget it, my dear. Besides, it didn't happen anyway." he replied as they were dissapearing behind the massive pillars of the terrace entering the main Hacienda.

---

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God? - from 'Nightfall' by I. Asimov
The Outcasts consider Siniestre Nube a sacred place for several reasons. Early explorers discovered a jumphole within the depths of the cloud that leads to a strange world of ringed stars and strange craft. All ships in the burrial ground are placed facing that hole to honor the Alien Spirits. - An Outcast rumor