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Evildoers did not only destroy the lives of their victims, their victims' families, and their whole communities, but they also forced the good guys to become killers.
Anandur understood perfectly well why Wonder didn't want to be a Guardian even though she was stronger than most of the males puffing cigars out on Kian's balcony.
She didn't want to be a killer.
To this day, his beautiful, gentle mate had nightmares about killing the males who had set out to violate her and then end her. She had probably saved the lives of countless women who would have fallen victim to those males, and yet she couldn't shake the guilt for taking their lives.
Anandur had gotten over that a long time ago, perhaps because the natural aggression of males made it easier for them, or perhaps it got easier the more times one killed. He was nearly a thousand years old, and he had ended the lives of many, which had probably saved multitudes of innocents.
He had no regrets.
With a sigh, he took another puff of his cigar, letting the rich smoke fill his mouth. Tonight was about living in the moment,about laughter and camaraderie. Later, he was going to marry the love of his life in front of his friends and family.
Things didn't get much better than that.
Dagor
"I'm ready to go." Dagor extinguished his cigar in the ashtray. "I still need to change into my tux."
It would take him a minute, but he was anxious to get back to Frankie and see her all decked out.
"Yeah, me too," Negal said. "I need to take a shower to wash off the cigar stench."
"Shhh." Dagor put a finger on his lips. "You're insulting our host," he whispered.
"Right." Negal rolled his eyes while saying out loud, "I need to wash off the lovely aroma of cigars."
Chuckling, Dagor glanced at Aru, who was in the midst of an animated discussion with Kian.
When Dagor signaled that he and Negal were leaving, he waved them off. "Don't wait for me."
Negal pushed his hands into his pockets. "Did you hear Aru? He said that tearing out the hearts of those Doomers wasbarbaric. According to him, Anumatians have evolved from such savagery."
Dagor let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, 'evolved.' Anumatians destroy entire populations without even setting foot on their planets, and that's somehow more civilized?"
Negal nodded. "That's precisely what crossed my mind when he said it. It's a convenient way to distance ourselves from the reality of what we do. If we don't see it, touch it, or smell it, then it's somehow okay. That's such hypocrisy."
Dagor's thoughts drifted back to the horrors inflicted by the Doomers' henchmen. The images Jacki's words had painted were forever etched into his mind, fueling rage and a burning desire for justice. "What they did to those villagers was horrific. Nothing less than a barbaric response seems fitting."
Negal remained silent for a moment. "It's a fine line," he finally said, "between justice and vengeance, between civilization and savagery. But the way I see it, you need to respond in kind. It's better to sow such intense fear in your enemies that they won't dare repeat their evil deeds than to act civilized and let them believe that you are weak. That will only encourage more violence and more suffering and will force you to eventually do what you should have done to begin with. Aru must have led a sheltered life before he joined the Galactic Peacekeepers."
Dagor laughed. "Peacekeepers. What a joke that is. We are the overseers, the enforcers, but the noble bleeding hearts back home prefer the nice-sounding term Peacekeepers. The whole universe is full of hypocrisy."
"I guess we'll have to find our own balance," Negal said quietly. "Do what needs to be done, but not lose ourselves in the process.I can perform barbaric acts without becoming a savage. I know why this needs to be done, and I think that the trick is not to relish it."
"That's not easy, my friend. The need for revenge is a powerful force."
They parted ways in the elevator when Dagor exited on Frankie's level, and Negal continued to the upper deck.
He was about to enter the code when Frankie opened the door, and seeing her, he took a step back.
"You look... stunning," Dagor finally managed to say.
Her eyes sparkled with delight at his reaction, and her smile widened. "Thank you. I was hoping that would be your response." She stepped aside to let him in.
"I'm glad I didn't disappoint you." He couldn't take his eyes off her.
Every detail was flawless, from the hair that was styled to perfection to the way her red dress hugged her figure. It was more than her physical beauty that captivated him, though. It was the confidence and joy she exuded that truly made her shine.
