Kolme and Scarlet both found themselves stood in one of the break rooms of the Am-Fluchtig, a drab affair mostly dominated by benches and vending machines – It was a quiet day, only the two of them inhabiting the space.
They had come for hot drinks, the machine whistling slightly to indicate it was done.
“The upgrades nearly finished then ya?” Kolme mused as he picked the steaming cup up from the machine and handed it to Scarlet.
“Yup, Chief Pel's people are pretty much done – That Vijaik heavy has pretty much everything off
my old Neo-C installed now.” She answered back, accepting the cup.
Kolme frowned, “I begged for them to give us a couple heavies during Deadlight, I begged! You 'eard me even
– And now that its done and over? Now they finally give us one!”
Scarlet leaned forward, laying her free hand gently on the man's shoulder;
“Hey we've talked about this, no point fretting over it now, let's just be glad we finally got one ya?”
“Ya, ya you're right – But even now its just the one, they could of atleast given us enough for Sabban and Tomo too - And... and if they had fulfilled my request maybe Erfu would'a....” Kolme grumbled.
“I'm not sure how much good it would do Tomo now....” Scarlet trailed back, thinking to the former Rinie squad vice-leader and leader, the lather of which had recently taken Una's place as the Fluchtig's 5th pilot – Only to lock himself away in his quarters most of the time.
“-- That said, Sabban and Hoki are awfully close lately, you don't think those two are, ya know?”
Kolme let out a little half-hearted laugh;
“No chance, Sabban ain't the type to skirt-chase a teacher and anyway, Hoki don't swing that way – Naw I re'con it's more... I dunno how to put it right, those two knew Una longer than either of us right?
I think her passing is still hitting them pretty 'ard, two months or not, they're probably the only two people who can understand it proper.”
“I wish she'd lean on me more...” Scarlet murmured a little longingly, staring down into her coffee,
“I shouldn't really tell ya this, but who's to stop me? Looking like sometime next week things are gonna come to ahead.” Kolme added while scathing the back of his head.
“So the negotiations have failed?”
“Ah, I don't know much about all that – But TSU-s have kept gathering their forces, word is the home fleet is their target – A proper all out fleet battle any day now they say.”
Scarlet sighed, “Huh that so. I've been here a couple times before, heck so have you – I'd be surprised if this isn't it, a battle this scale – War is finally coming to an end right?”
Kolme nodded.
With a shake of her head, Scarlet turned her lonely eye to the rooms ceiling;
“Just two more months and we could of all made it, Una was so close to the end. If I could of just--”
Her voice was stopped as Kolme stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, a moment later Scarlet let her head drift sideways, to rest on the older man.
They stood in a silent embrace for a short time before Scarlet once more spoke up, “Kolme if they tell us to die, I mean not literally but if we start getting stupid, vague, inconsiderate orders – What will you do?”
Kolme paused a moment, clearly giving it due thought;
“If someone like Cap'ain Legro tells us to block the enemy with our bodies kinda thing?
To play cannon-fodder in a hopeless battle with no chance of winning? I think I'd charge up to the bridge, hold the coxswain at gunpoint and have the whole of the Fluchtig run away as fast as it can move.”
Scarlet smiled in relief – Kolme continued, “--But if, if it meant protecting this ship and the people on it, I'm not so sure – If Nate was in charge I think I'd stand and fight – If there was really hope IAFS actually could win, or if the alternative was too terrible to think about – Honestly I think I'd stay an' fight.
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Una protected this place with all she had, I think we'd owe it to her to do the same.”
Scarlet broke away from their embrace, shifted around to stare the man before her straight in the eyes – She nodded firmly; “Ya, me too – That's all we can do really.”
They leant forward as their lips met once more.
****
A familiar scene held place in the Am-Fluchtig's underhanger, 4 Vijaik Neos stood in their cages,
crates as well as other supplies and tools littered the floor space, a faint smell of machine oil permeated the space – Sitting atop some in particular was a tall, slender woman with elegant, almost angular features.
A short ways from her, by an open panel in one of the Neo's legs, was a well built young man, with unkempt hair and straggled stubble.
Sabban and Hoki had found themselves like this often as of late. Sabban had seized his incessant training after the final battle of Operation Deadlight, now back to a more regular amount of daily practise – Instead he spent that free time working on his mech.
Of course Chief Pel's mechanical team had long since insured every nut and bolt of the Neos were in top condition, but nonetheless Sabban spent hours daily polishing and checking over every inch of the battered old machine.
Hoki on the other hand found herself with more time than normal – She still had plenty duties to attend to and her training to keep up with, but the Fluchtig had been blessed with two months of no combat, leading her to more free time – Most of which she spent simply sitting in the vicinity of her young friend Sabban Vint, usually in silence.
Every once in a while though, they would strike up a little conversation;
“They believe a battle will happen next week, between us and them.” Hoki spoke softly.
Sabban grunted as he moved his head out from the open leg segment and turned to look in Hoki's general direction, “That so?”
“Yup.”
Silence fell once again – 2 months was a long time and Sabban wasn't the most chatty of individuals to begin with, they had long since exhausted most conversations, even so Sabban was polite enough to pose back a question;
“Hey I haven't seen you in the canteen much lately, you good?”
Hoki winced slightly, “Oh ummm, yes I suppose you wouldn't – I... It just hasn't felt right.”
“Hmmm?”
“To go there and drink fine teas I mean – It was something she always used to make time to do with me everyday. I know its exceptionally silly to say, but doesn't fell right anymore.”
“Oh, I see, that makes sense.”
----
“Sabban listen, would you think it rude for me to ask why you're here?”
The young man frowned, “Ah, well, I'm doing mech maintenance right?”
“What? Oh no sorry, I meant in IAFS – It's just Scar and Lt.Nilas both sort of ended up here by circumstance, being career soldiers and all that. And she had her connection to Station 5 – For me, with my father being a founder it was effectively inevitable, but I've never actually heard your reason.”
“Oh.” Sabban nodded, resting a hand on the back of his head, “My family is always in the military – My Ma' died in the First War, uncle too – I thought, if I was gonn'a be a soldier might as well join the organisation that might actually make the world slightly better. That was stupid of course, IAFS isn't that, no military is – I was just being a child I guess. Anyway that's all.”
Hoki nodded along attentively, a pang in her chest at the familiar reasoning - “I was sort of hoping you wouldn't sat that.”
“Err, sorry?”
“No, no of course, it's just I heard that answer alot when I was teacher – I actually liked it you know, teaching that is. Until I realised what I was actually doing, teaching kids to go off to fight and die - Not just the year you and her were in either, there are whole academy groups of kids who I helped teach, even if just for a short time, who've been completely wiped out, one by one – People I taught, kids I was complicit in murdering....”
The silence grew heavy, it hung over them both for some time.
Hoki stood from her perch on the crates, raising a sleeve to her moist eyes, blushing in embarrassment at herself - “Sorry, that was stupid to say, selfish – I'll talk to you later Sabban.”
She turned away from the man, beginning to walk away.
A moments hesitation, and Sabban called out; “Miss.Hoki? I don't know if it'd help but I don't mind coming with you to the canteen for tea or whatever sometime, k?”
Said the student to his former teacher.