#intense character development

The snow crunched beneath Nika's boots as she stepped out of the half submerged ship. It was late at night, and her breath frosted in front of her face. The moonlight lit a golden path against the snow. It was beautiful. But her thoughts tonight were distracted. She climbed up into a tree along the riverbank and curled her legs beneath her in the crook of the branches. Pulling out her PDA, she began tapping in an entry. 

Taking my post outside tonight. I need a break. 

I haven't seen or spoken to anyone in NovaStar in days. But this assignment I took is remote, and may take a week or so, until it's finished. I can't really leave.

We managed to capture the Dominion prisoners. There have been 4, I think. But only three of them are still with us. I don't know what happened to the Mechari. I haven't seen it since last night, when Anninion and Sindra took it outside. They didn't come back with it. 

So now, we're down to two Cassian's and a Chua. Tonight was rough.. 

The Cassian named Neveran sets my temper off like nothing I've ever felt before. He just keeps talking and talking.. running his mouth. Taunting. The other one.. I don't know his name. He seems more emotionally charged. Angry, scared. But not cocky like Neveran. 

I hit Neveran, several times. Last night, when he started bragging about what they've done to us. Then again tonight, when he called us Zealots. I kicked him in the face.. shot him later with my stun. I didn't feel bad for it. They're monsters, and deserve nothing less. 

But the other Aurin that showed up tonight- I don't know. She took it to a new level. Neveran was running his mouth as usual.. so she asked Sindra if she could take his finger. His trigger finger. It wasn't until then that he finally got it. Then he got scared. Really, really scared. And he started screaming and begging. 

That got to me, in a big way. It surprised me, because I've felt nothing but hate and anger towards them until that moment. But he seemed so terrified and desperate. At first I was going to just leave, but I knew I'd still be able to hear him outside anyway. Then she took some kind of thing out of her jacket, and he really started screaming. It looked metal, like a cylinder. Like his finger would be put inside it. I was just about to leave, but then couldn't. I had to try to at least do something. I told her it was one thing to beat and even kill them, but somehow, dismembering them when they're alive and screaming? That seemed like it was taking it way too far. I challenged her, and she asked if I'd rather she take my finger. I almost told her to fight me.. but there are so many of them- the Aurin. Tyssen and I are the only humans there. Instead, I told her it was something the Dominion would do, and we were above that. Somehow, she let it go and didn't cut his finger off. 

I gave the other one some water, and he nearly drowned himself he was trying to drink so fast. Apparently, they haven't been given water since yesterday. I let him drink two canteens. Then I reminded him, and myself, that they would be dead by the time this was over.