Joakim wearily rubbed his eyes as consciousness returned to him, finding himself in the bed he’d crawled into hours earlier. Despite having slept for an adequate amount of time, he still felt drowsy.
“I remember the first time I left home,” a young man’s voice spoke from the door to his bedroom. Joakim craned his neck to see a Meinrad gazing at him with a friendly smile. “Walking through that icy wasteland after landing on Terra sure did a number on me. Space lag is one hell of a phenomenon.”
“Oh. Is it morning yet, Warrant Officer?” Joakim said, his voice hoarse.
“Yeah. And you don’t have to call me by my rank when the instructor’s not around, Joakim.” Meinrad said.
”Um, alright. What are you here for?”
“The instructor’s gathering us around for a briefing, so she asked me to tell you,” he said. “Get your uniform on and meet us in her study in 20.”
“I’ll be right there.” Joakim nodded, Meinrad leaving his room with a smile of acknowledgement.
Joakim hauled himself to the bathroom to wash up and realized how terrible he looked. He wasn’t used to crossing literal ends of the solar system in mere hours like all his other compatriots, so it was expected. He looked like he’d seen a bloody war. Speaking of which, that must’ve been why Colonel Gerlachus had called the Frei Squad to her office. She would probably discuss their involvement in the impending war against Terra.
Slipping on his comfortable dress uniform, he strolled through the halls of the third and uppermost floor of the Solich Palace. Passing by a small handful of officers made him realize that the Frei Squad was only one of the ancient residence’s tenants. Most of the first floor and all of the second floor was reserved for office and storage spaces for regular military officers when they were not deployed. The Frei Squad only had full access to the uppermost floor as well as the palace’s great hall. Joakim stood at the side as he waited for a small group of tenured Titanian soldiers to pass by, offering a salute that was only reciprocated by nods at best. Continuing on his way with a sigh after they had long left his vicinity, he approached the door of the colonel’s study, identified by a plaque installed on it bearing her name and rank.
His hand left his side, about to knock at the door, when a voice spoke close to his ear.
“Good morning, Joakim. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one late!”
The boy nearly jumped, turning around to see Lucia with an apologetic look on her face.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought your Detection was always active, so I thought you would’ve noticed me coming this way. Sorry.”
“It’s… it’s fine,” Joakim sighed. “It is always active. I just wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.”
“Oh, yeah? You really are different, huh?”
Joakim didn’t know whether that was an insult or a compliment, even though it was most certainly the latter given Lucia’s disposition. He shrugged her off and knocked at the door.
“Come in, we’re all inside.” Tove Gerlachus said behind the door.
The two soldiers entered and sat at the remaining empty chairs in front of the Colonel’s floating desk, one that was similar to most officers’ desks. Gerlachus took her folded hands off her desk, signaling that she was ready to begin speaking.
“As you all know, we have entered into a state of war against both Martian and Terran terrorists. Naturally, we would be deployed as soon as possible once we’re given directives by Brigadier General Brose. However, we also have welcomed back your two most senior colleagues, Warrant Officer Glynn and Master Sergeant Nordskov. Since they have been gone for two years, I requested temporary leaves of absences for them, which the brigadier general kindly accepted.”
Klaudia and Meinrad turned to look at one another and smiled, although the girl’s grin was significantly wider.
“We’re very thankful, Instructor.” Meinrad said.
“Thank you so much.” Klaudia spoke.
Gerlachus merely acknowledged their gratitude with a nod in their general direction.
“The two of you will be allowed to return to your homes this afternoon, and you are to stay there for two weeks. Please take the time to reconnect with your families and rest. But, for the rest of you, you will continue training and studying as normal. Except for you, Private Holt.”
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“Sorry, Instructor?”
“You should know that the relationship between our planet and your birthplace is very long and complex. If you don’t know about it, you won’t be able to understand the reason we are being forced to defend ourselves. Those who fight without knowing why lessen themselves to mindless pawns. Private Holt, I don’t believe you are one. So, starting today until Glynn and Nordskov return, you will devote an extra hour of study towards history. Any questions?”
“No, Instructor. I think I’m fine.” Joakim admitted.
“Anyone else have anything to ask or bring up?”
No one did. They all knew what they were to do, even though Sindri looked somewhat disappointed. It was clear that he wished to enter the battlefield right away.
“Then you are all dismissed.”
Joakim left the room first. Instead of returning to his quarters, he felt compelled to wait a little longer. For some reason, he’d preferred to depart in a group instead of being alone.
“Have any of you had breakfast yet?” Lucia asked her squad mates once everyone was out in the hall. “If you haven’t, we can get something together.”
“I think I’ll start packing my things to go home,” Meinrad declined kindly. “Thanks for the offer, though.”
“The training won’t do itself.” Sindri rejected proudly.
“Like hell I’d eat with you.” Klaudia scoffed at the girl rather rudely.
Lucia took a step back, taken aback. But she also remembered why Klaudia had reacted to her offer in such a way. She put her hands up in defense and smiled nervously.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” she said. “You guys go on your way,”
She then turned to find Joakim and Malin remaining at her side.
“So I’m guessing…”
“Well, I’m pretty hungry right now,” Joakim admitted as his stomach growled. “I wouldn’t mind going with you.”
“That’s great. What about you, Mal?”
“I only stayed so that I knew what everyone else was up to.” Malin said in her signature nonchalant tone. She was about to turn around and take her leave when Lucia slapped a hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder.
“Come on, you don’t have anything better to do. Just sit with us, it’ll be nice!”
They went into an elevator which took them down to the first floor. Even months after he first used one, Joakim still felt uncomfortable using it. He tightly grasped the rails on two of the walls, hugging tightly against a corner. Lucia couldn’t help but giggle softly, to which Joakim rolled his eyes. The kitchen was void of the exotic smells and aromas that filled most. Instead, on a counter was a bowl filled with small cubes, each cube a solid color that was either green, yellow or red. Beside the bowl was a plate covered in packaged crackers. Adjacent was a pile of stacked up platters with spoons and next to that was a machine that dispensed heated water.
“Mal, why don’t you go first?”
“Thanks.” Mal shrugged. She placed three cubes, each a different color onto the centre of each platter before taking two crackers and putting them on the side. She then pressed a singular button on the water machine, where the precious liquid rained down onto the cubes like a clear waterfall. The cubes began breaking apart and melding together before becoming a soup of sorts.
“Why do they serve us this crap?” Joakim asked Lucia, knowing that Mal wouldn’t have given him a satisfactory answer. “It tastes awful.”
“It’s not supposed to taste good,” she responded, allowing Joakim to move ahead of her. “It contains all the nutrients and calories we need as soldiers. This freeze-dried stuff is a lot easier to transport and cheaper to make especially since we’re going through a shortage of the real stuff.”
“I see,” Joakim sighed. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate real food—that must’ve been back when his parents were alive, and he still lived under the same roof as his brother. “Do you like it?”
“I’ve never had the real stuff to begin with, so this is all I know.” Lucia giggled. “Well, maybe a few times. Back when Mother still lived with us. I… suppose I like it.”
“Your mother?” Joakim said as he remembered not seeing one with the Ruders family. He surmised that she was in the same state as his own. “I’m sorry to hear.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Lucia spoke gently. “She’s still around. Anyway, let’s find ourselves a table.”
Malin had already pushed a floating table out from the wall over to the middle of the hall along with three seats for herself and her two colleagues.
“Thank you, Malin.” Joakim said. Lucia followed with a similar grateful expression.
“Mhm.” the girl nodded simply, stirring around the steaming soup.
After a few minutes of quiet indulgence, Joakim broke the silence.
“I can’t wait to get back to Earth.” Joakim sighed. The processed food that slid down his tongue and through his throat did not get any easier to consume.
“You wanna fight that bad?” Lucia laughed.
“If that’s what it takes… maybe. But I really just want to see my brother again. I was so happy to see that he was alive but… what’ll he think of me?”
“Meinrad and Klaudia seem to know him,” Lucia noted. “I’m sure if you asked them they can tell you what he’s been up to. If he’s your brother…”
“I want to find out myself,” Joakim countered. “And once I find him, I don’t ever want to let him out of my sight again.”
“But… he was working with the terrorists. How will you make that work?”
“I’ll find a way.” he said, resolve enriching his voice.
“Does your brother care about Terra that much?” Malin suddenly asked after a long time of silent eating.
“That’s where he’s been all his life… he’s not the kind of person to change his mind about big things like that.” Joakim surmised.
“And what about you?” she asked.
Joakim thought long about what he’d thought. The people, places and habits had all made his home world special to him. But nearly all of that was gone. All but his brother.
“I… I don’t know, to be honest. Everything I knew and loved was there, obviously. But I only have my brother now.” he admitted.
“Mal, what are you trying to say?” Lucia asked, trying to force her way into the conversation. But the full-blooded Terran girl simply put a hand to her face.
“Joakim, everyone here had to make a compromise. No one here wanted to fight. But we fight so that we can earn our freedom. You didn’t have a choice. But at some point, you’ll have to make a compromise if you want to get your brother back.”