Bonding

Running. Lore sprinted after the figure. Lore watched as their past ran effortlessly through the open streets and, to start, thought they’d struggle to keep up due to the memory’s increased gravity but, as if by muscle memory, as soon as they started running, it became a none-issue.
“Quatarr.” Lore said to themselves.
“Precisely.” The Hologram floated along with them. “Lore saw an unfamiliar face walking around without any issues and put two and two together. Despite the prevalence of humanoid species in the universe, there’s only one out there with golden skin.” Eventually, Lore caught up with the figure who had found a back alley in which to spring a trap. They watched as the woman confronted Lore and Lore confirmed that they were also a fugitive; she dropped to the floor. “Lore’s involvement in The Three Year Month made them a legend amongst Quatarrians, regardless of their side in the conflict.” The woman lowered her hood. “Char is Eastern Quatarrii, she was officially against Lore but she didn’t really want to be there.”
“That’s Catherine!” Lore pointed to the Quatarrian woman kneeling at Lore’s feet.
“Ah, yes, she was instructed to choose a different name to test whether you’d received the necessary memories but the plans changed.” The Hologram paused. “Very last minute might I add.”
“How do you… Never mind.” Lore sighed. “What was she doing here?”
“Same thing you were.” The Hologram created a door and directed them through it. “After The Three Year Month, Crait tried to negotiate with Quatarr. They were rather eager to start mining but the Quatarrian’s had their reservations; one thing led to another and they cancelled their agreement. Crait didn’t take that too well and destroyed the planet as was their original plan. Char relocated here after The Temporal Sciences Guild started mining, sensing the trouble it would bring. She was one of only a handful of Quatarrians to survive the purge of her planet.”
“A few?” Pity filled their throat when they next looked at Char. “How many survived?”
“We’re not too sure. Best estimate was somewhere around three thousand, with most of them being nomads that left long before the planet’s destruction. Three thousand from a planet of nearly twelve billion.” The Hologram delivered the fact as cold and calmly as they had any other piece of information. “Char came here as its one of the few places even her own people wouldn’t go.”
Lore took a moment to absorb the fact that Catherine’s people were nearly extinct.“Why not? Because they can’t leave?”
“Not quite.” The Hologram created a holographic model of the solar system and a battery. It showed the battery charging. “The sun’s radiation is harmless to most organisms as Tempora radiation is relatively inert however, especially in the case of Eastern Quatarrii, the Quatarrian body naturally generates its own Tempora like radiation. The sun’s additional radiation can only be absorbed for a short amount of time before it poisons them.” The battery expanded and started to leak. “Her robes will help for a while but she’ll have to leave the system for at least a month for every three she wishes to stay here.” The animation changed and showed the battery charging and discharging. “Regardless, this was the day they met. Suspicious of them and their motives, she brought them back to her bungalow to keep an eye on them. That’s where we are now.”

The bungalow reminded them of a Protectorate safe house. It was barely lived in and seemed to only contain the bare necessities; nothing more and nothing less than needed; a cushion sat in the middle of the room with a small tray table in front of it; a kitchen area with the facilities to prepare basic meals. Lore and Char entered. Lore first with Char following close after, she virtually threw them through the door.
“So, ‘Sha’tara’, why are you really here?” She asked pointedly. “Are you here to lead your Protectorate to me, finish what they started?”
“What they started? What’s happened?” Lore looked genuinely confused.
“For them, remember, it’s only been a week since the war ended and they spent most of that week in prison.” The Hologram prompted.
“Your people destroyed Quatarr, exterminated her people. I am among the last of the Quatarrii.” She tightened her grip on her pistol. “They trusted you. They only allowed the new outsiders in because of you.”
“I honestly don’t have a clue what’s going on. I came here straight from a cell.” Lore held their hands up. “I came here to hide from The Protectorate… From Crait too…” She lowered her pistol slowly. “I also came to find a way to change things.”
“What do you mean, change things?” Char looked ready to holster but hovered just shy.
“There was this vision. The Oracles glimpsed the future, and saw the Collapse of Everything. The Omega Outcome.” Lore paused, but none of the words seemed to mean anything to her. “The universe only has.” They checked their Breacher. “About fifteen years left before major catastrophes start killing everyone. Everyone except humanity, the Quatarrians, the Aetar and the Soloss.”
“The Cornerstone species.” She finally set her pistol down. “So what, you think we’d be better off working together? Ally ourselves with the Aetar and Soloss?”
“That but I think we need to go one better. We need to bring Quatarr back. Imagine, all four of the major species, standing together, the whole galaxy would rally with us. A united front against the end of everything.” Lore and their past waited for her response with baited breaths.
“You’ve got quite the imagination on you.” She seemed unsure of whether to cry or laugh. “There isn’t a species in the known universe that would stand with Earth now and Quatarr is gone.” She shook her head.
“But what if it wasn’t?” Lore smiled. “I’ve had an idea.” The room fell silent. Hit.