Ishk stood before the flames, an orange glow engulfing him as he watched on silently. The smell didn't bother him much, but it wasn't the smell that had him in a state of perpetual emotional shock. His gaze followed the flickering flames in mild fascination as his mind tried to blank out the corpses turning into ash. He found it difficult to look away, and not for the first time he wondered if this was even appropriate.

Aliens burn bodies, right? They bury them too, but floor too hard. Mama Ally not mind now, anyway.

For a long time after he'd found her body, Ishk had simply sat dumbfounded. He'd had no idea where to go, what to do or why he should keep going at all. He'd began piling their bodies in the main lobby, more for something to keep his mind from focusing too much on the hurt than a real purpose. Seeing them all in one bloodied lump, however, had only made it worse, and he'd decided he didn't want to see them anymore.

Another gout of flame from his flamer kept the bonfire going, as what little kindling he'd managed to find had long since disappeared in the heat. Ishk sat down heavily on a marble bench, his eyes still watching his friends and family burn while he exhaled softly. He thanked himself for having the foresight to put Mama Ally on the bottom of the pile, as if he saw her now ...

That pretty face contorted in pain and horror, compounded by the warping image of flames, as her skin melted from the bone...

"Would have no mind left to lose," Ishk murmured to himself, letting his gaze drift down to his empty and scratched up palms. Why? I did everything I could. Everything mama teach, everything general say, and still everyone die. Not even a chance to say goodbye to mama before... Ishk sniffed back some of the mucus beginning to seep from his olfactory senses in his forehead and wiped what he could off with the back of his hand.

He moved to wipe the snotty slime on the bench, but hesitated when he heard her voice in his head.

No, Ishk. We don't wipe things on other peoples belongings. Use a tissue.

"Yes, mama Ally." He stood from the bench and moved towards the remains of the restroom, leaving the smoldering pile behind without a backward glance. Ishk ignored the chipped and battered walls as if they were still the pristine ones he'd left behind, and grabbed the nearest tissue between two claws. He carefully removed it from the box on the half shattered sink, and dabbed at his forehead and hands to dry them off. Deciding it would be best if he took the box with him, just in case, Ishk left again to go back through Allyna's office.

He shouldered past the mashed door, a box of tissues under one arm and a dead eyed expression as he looked over the bloodstained room. He went through books, shelves of old antiques, all her belongings, looking for anything he could use. The desk still sat overturned on one side of the office, and he knelt down to begin going through the drawers. Without any idea of what he was looking for, it took a while to parse through the unreadable papers and useless art pieces before he found something interesting.

A small sealed box sat in the back of one drawer, the dusty texture of the surface felt both fuzzy and firm at the same time. He frowned, the first expression he'd had for hours before sitting down on his rear heavily with his legs outstretched in front of him. He worked at the clasp in determination, picking at it until the tiny bolt slid from the lock and let him open it. He had to squint at first, as his eyes were still burning from smoke and snot.

The box only measured to the length of his palm, but the item inside surprised him so badly he choked on his own spit in surprise. A tiny bronze rectangle shone back at him brightly, his own reflection looking surprisingly terrible as he read the flowing script etched into its front.

Ishk'Itar

A name tag? His mind reeled and his hand shook visibly, disbelief turning his limbs numb. She had my name tag done... She only gave those to the smart ones. Ones ready to leave the school for the citadel and talk to aliens for vorcha. She said it was like what aliens called a, Die-ploom-ah.

With still-shaking hands, Ishk gently took the name tag from its niche and held it close to his face for inspection. It had little pins on the back, sharp sticks made to pierce clothing protruding out. He had no clothing that such a pin would work on, though, and he frowned again in frustration. After a minute of deep thought, he had the genius idea of pinning it through his own chest skin, only to find his skin too tough for it.

Chuffing dejectedly, Ishk carefully put the nametag back into the box and closed it. He ran a thumb over the soft fuzzy material on the outside in childlike delight, before putting the box into a pocket on his armor and leaving the room once more.

He'd thought about just finding a gun left over from the fighting and ending it all more than once in the last few hours. The idea had seemed not only viable, but a mercy if he couldn't get off the planet or find some food. He knew his body would adapt as best it could to his not eating, and that it would likely drag out his death for a few more weeks if he didn't do something about it. Now, however, he was no longer so sure he was willing to allow this to pass.

His face took on a determined set as he stalked past the smoldering bodies and towards the hangar bay, and he did not let himself see the carnage all around him on his way past.

Mama Ally had believed in him, had been ready to give him the highest honor one of his species could bear, and he was not about to simply let all she had done die in a single fleeting gunshot. The fact that she had kept it, even after he'd left her without so much as a note, warmed his blood to a slow boil. He would always love her, but she could not help him anymore.

Might be ship in hangar still, and if not, I will build one.