>> Chapter 13>>

Chapter Fourteen
New Daiamid
Hiigara
20:42 New Daiamid AHL 06.17.21

Commodore Edson and Captain Saborn entered the large reception room on the first floor of the capitol building, into the celebratory party after the battle. Already, many other officers were dancing and talking the night away. Then, a spotlight shined down on them, and the assembled officers began to clap and whistle. Commodore Edson’s fellow officers gave him and Captain Saborn backslaps and handshakes. Finally, everybody returned to dancing.

“Shall we, XO?” asked Commodore Edson.

Captain Saborn smiled. “Wes, do you think that I would say no?”

Commodore Edson returned the grin and took her into his arms. They began to dance the night away.

Somewhere in Asaam Kiith'sid
Hiigara
04:28 New Daiamid AHL 06.18.21

Most of the crews of the naval vessels orbiting Hiigara had disembarked their ships, and checked into various lodgings all over Hiigara. This meant that space was limited for the members of Lighting Fleet. Commodore Edson shared a rather cramped room with Captain Saborn, but neither of them minded.

Commodore Edson would have been sleeping on the floor, but they were sitting on the folding bed, watching a holodrama broadcast on the small display in their room. After weeks of being onboard the Liberator, which was currently in dry-dock undergoing repairs, the two officers were enjoying a much-deserved shore leave. The holodrama ended, and Captain Saborn turned towards Commodore Edson.

“Wes, where are you folks? I mean, shouldn’t you contact them or something?”

It was common knowledge that Captain Saborn was the only daughter of parents that had her comparatively late in their lives. Thus, she had no living relatives left, as she was the only member of her family within the age qualifications to have been onboard the cryo trays. Commodore Edson thought about his response for a moment. He finally decided to let her know his parents’ fate.

“Not many people know what happened to my parents or my childhood, since I never talked about it. Anyway, they were both killed in a hovercar accident the day I was born.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I heard about my folks from some of the workers in the orphanage when I was little. They were both con artists and such. I spent the first sixteen years of my life in a government orphanage on Kharak. At least they taught us useful things there. When I joined up, I was just so damned sick of it all, and I lied about my age. I ended up as one of the relief pilots on the Mothership. The only mission I ever flew was when the main pilot got sick just as we were returning to Kharak. I ended up buzzing the Assault Frigates that were hitting the cryo trays.”

“So you’ve been in the service all your adult life and nobody’s ever really cared for you.”

“I guess you could say that. After landfall, I went from fighter command to fleet command, and I began officer training. You should know that. A few days after I graduated, I got into a fight with a Taiidani Republican officer that was on shore leave. It was Selquet. After the fight, we got to know each other pretty well. I got posted onto a command carrier, and he was the Republican attaché, so we managed to keep in contact. He treated me like a second nephew or something like that, which is the closest I’ve ever come to having a family. As for non-family relationships, I was just a loner before I joined up. Say, why are you asking me all these questions all of a sudden?”

Captain Saborn gave him a sympathetic smile. “I didn’t ask. You began to ramble.”

Commodore Edson laughed. “That’s true. You know, you’re the first person that’s ever gotten me to talk like this. Even Selquet didn’t know.”

“Hm.” Then, Captain Saborn thought for a moment, and sudden realization came into her head. “Come to think of it, I guess I should thank you.”

“For what?”

“My life. You’re a big part of the reason why I’m still alive today.”

Commodore Edson snorted. “I didn’t do anything special. Dodging Imp turret fire wasn’t that hard. If you want to think of it that way, then you could say I saved everybody’s ass.”

“I’ll take your word for it. But that still means something special to me.”

Captain Saborn leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He turned to face her, and wrapped his arms around her neck. She followed suit. Commodore Edson was lost in the sweetness of her lips.

>> Epilogue>>