Scarlet walked back through the corridors, turning off slightly to arrive at the junior officer's quarters - Although nearby to her own room, she seldom had much reason to travel this particular area of the ship and hadn't at all the last couple days with Una being in sick-bay.

As she walked, Scarlet found herself in a damn-good mood - For today was a good day.

 She was under no circumstances afraid to think that, in fact were someone at her side, she would of said it out loud. She did not believe in doom-saying, in superstition and wives' tales.

 Major Moncha's prediction had been wrong, all three of them went out to battle, all three came back - Life was not ruled by some imaginary force or God and she was free to think it was turning out to be a damn-good day.

 She could think as many positive thoughts as she liked, she could be happy that Una was getting back to her old self - Happy that she had found someone to talk to in Kolme Nilas, happy that Hoki was opening up a little more.

 Nothing could jinx or change a good day, like today, life simply wasn't ruled by such foolish notions.

She rounded the last corner and faced the space where Una O' Conchabhair's room should lie.

 It wasn't there.

In the space where once her door had lay, was a hastily welded and sealed sheet of reinforced metal, caution tape thrown across and a guard standing before it.

 Scarlet winked and steadied her heart, 'Una's fine, I just talked with her a few minutes ago.'

Stepping forward she coughed into her palm to catch the guard's attention, the lazy looking man turned, paused a moment before saluting - "Ma'am?"

 She sighed internally, the man was probably someone random, the Fluchtig didn't have Marines or MPs to guard doorways, she shouldn't be surprised to find such an uninspired vigil as this - At another time she might of chewed him out for not standing up straight and what not, but she didn't want to sully her good mood;

 "Yo, what happened here then?"

The guard looked back at her stupidly, she sighed openly this time, "Behind you?"

"Oh! That, right, during the battle a few days ago this one and the room up from it got hit or somethin'." The man said back hurriedly.

"Darn, bad luck I guess - Was anything recovered?" Scarlet frowned.

"Errr Ya, Quartermaster has the stuff, he sent me here."

Scarlet nodded, she'd never met the Fluchtig's Quartermaster but she was sure it wouldn't take long, "The lower decks right? Next to the under-hanger."

The guard nodded and that was that, a bummer for Una but these things happened when you lived on an active warship - Sometimes your bedroom got blown out into space, worse things could happen 'at sea' - She turned to head back the way she had come - When the man called out once more;

 "Oh umm, Ma'am, do you know who lives here?"

She stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Well ya, why else would I talk to you?"

The man flinched a little before saluting, "Well err, sorry for your loss."

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Scarlet paused, 'Sorry for your loss' felt a bit much... Did this man value objects more then her perhaps, he worked for the Quartermaster so maybe that really was all it was...

 Her heart fell, she turned back around to face the man and the massive gash in the wall so roughly covered over;

 "Was someone in there when it was hit crewmen?"

The man blinked, then his eyes grew wide, "Oh yes, although we haven't worked out her name."

Scarlet's heart fell even lower, "What exactly are you here for?!" She barked at the man.

He flinched again, "To look for people who might know who it was lived here?"

She couldn't believe the idiot before her, "Let me get this straight, you're here not to guard, but to look for people who know this room's former inhabitants, but didn't think to ask me?"

".....Yes?"

"Who was it died you buffoon!? Someone from this room behind you, or the room one up?"

"Oh definitely this one, the other room's occupants were out at the time, what with the battle and all - Quartermaster reckons this room's owner might have been someone from the night shift, asleep when the battle started. He keeps trying to tell the bridge staff, but they're so busy with everything going on and.... Ummm.... Miss, are you alright?"

"Cally...." Scarlet said blankly.

 Una's roommate, someone Scarlet barely knew, a nightshift officer aboard the bridge - She had probably been getting ready to go stand by, or maybe came back to pick up something she'd forgotten, or just not been required anywhere and stayed in her room - What did the reason matter, she was dead.

"Did you recover the body?" Scarlet asked.

"No..."

She snapped her head up, "Then how can you be sure?"

"Ah-h-h we s-saw it Ma'am, but the Fluchtig got underway quite fast after the battle, there was so little time and, ah..... She would of died instantly Ma'am, the explosion would of killed her the moment it hit the ship."

Was that meant to be a comfort? That Cally hadn't suffered, hadn't been forced to have the air pulled forcefully from her lungs as the vacuum of space claimed her? What did that matter to Scarlet, what did it matter to anyone whether the woman had made an epic final stand, spoke last words of wisdom, or simply died in an instant - She was dead no matter what.

And Scarlet hardly even cared, she didn't know Cally for anything other than to pass her in a corridor - But that wasn't why she was trembling now, why her fists clenched and her eye twitched and the stub of her lost leg throbbed.

 Someone close to them, someone familiar to their daily lives had died, someone Una woke up in the same room as everyday - How would this affect her? How much misery could that girl be forced to content with?

 It felt like a joke, like reality was spiting in her face just for letting herself think for one moment they might all make it through this war alive.

Scarlet struck out, ramming her fist against the metal wall, her knuckles cracking simultaneously, echoing through the corridor; "Fuck!!"

The stupid guard panicked, "Wait, don't do that, those are just temporary repairs!" He squealed.

Would this break Una's spirit? Would it be enough to damped Kolme's too? Could something like this knock any momentum they might have to get back on their feet and fight again?

She slammed her now bleeding fist against the wall a second time; "Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit!!!"

 The words were a roar.

They had failed, failed to all come back home again - Cally had probably died before Scarlet had even got to the cockpit of her mech, she literally couldn't of prevented this, she wasn't good enough, not even to save one stupid woman who just so happened to be Una's friend.

 She struck the wall a third time, a visible indent, a wail of anguish that echoed across the Am-Fluchtig.

Two days, no one had even noticed for two whole days.

 "Fuck it all to fucking Hell!!"