Dangerous Ideas by Vincent Cleaver
"I've never been alone, 'among aliens', not that way. But I have always been alone, among my own kind, until I met you... does that make any sense to you?"
"Perfect sense, actually. But, do you resent this, just a little bit, like I do?"
Kev nodded. "I've come to realize that there was something about him, or maybe I always knew. Little things, and the way he's 'Old Complications' and not..." a curious look crossed his face. "You know, I can't remember his actual name... isn't that strange?"
"You've never used it, and neither have I. None of us in the Rangers use it at all."
"Maybe that's because, in a way, he is the Conservancy, and the Cee is us. A child of it, like me; an Earthling and her father, who became Rangers… did the two of you ever want to settle elsewhere?"
"No; there didn't seem much point. There are other Humans in the Conservancy, and we wanted to get away from the bad memories, to make a new start. We could have been saved and been dropped off quietly on Earth, with a story that nobody would have believed, but still..."
"So I grew up in this, and you chose it, and we both want to be here. And Ol'Cee wants us to be happy-"
"What we have is important to him; it's a part of why he did what he did for me."
"Then let's not disappoint, huh?" Kev kissed her.
***
Old Complications declined to join the Broojs' in their celebration, but Thomas went on with them. Old Complications took a walk along the river, upstream away from the settlement. Hours passed. He stalked some of the local wildlife half-hardheartedly, for sport or because he was bored, but he gave it up. It wasn't really fair, and while He-Who-Waits knew better than to demand 'fair' from the universe, he detested cruelty in others and was appalled to find it in himself. The creatures of this world had their part to play, somehow, whatever it was. And whatever his part in all of this was, it was not to make the wider Galaxy one little bit more painful than it had to be.
He was not surprised when the Bluehorn youth, Anjadin Brooj, came looking for him. He was alone, but that was expected, too.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"It's not what you think," Anjadin said. "I was going to talk to you about the human female, but... I asked my Dad to let me come tell you this."
"Tell me what?"
"The Bluehorn worlds surrendered to the Markov Imeprium three days ago... and the Ranger Commandant, your former partner, has resigned. He's going back to his homeworld."
"I see." The Hunter showed no emotion. "Thank you... is there anything else?"
"Is there anything else?!" Anjadin shouted. "Your friend just abandoned you; he turned his back on everyone in the Conservancy!"
"And... just how is what he did any different from what you did?"
"I thought you would understand!"
"I do, believe me, I do." Ol'Cee turned away again. "It hurts, but I understand what he has done."