Post by Threid on Aug 13, 2010 16:39:21 GMT -5
"You know, Kelly probably just figured she'd head for the nearest colony - side 5's wasn't too far away from the battle where we last saw her. Knowing Kelly, she's throwing a few back right now, to hell with the fact that Side 5's under Zeek control!"
Kyle's hand moved unconsciously to his uniform's breast-pocket. The letter had come just yesterday, and it had changed everything.
Karol continued, raising another glass of cheap ship-grade beer as he spoke, "After the war, I'm going to ask her to marry me. I don't have the balls that Aurem does - asking a woman in the service to marry me while we're still fighting - I just can't do it. Props to him, and to his bride - may she recover soon!" He finished.
The Beam Team had been very efficient during their last battle. Brought together by their shared uncertainty, driven by a determination to find the truth, and knowing that they had to get through whatever battles separated them from their loved ones, they had fought with a coordination and tenacity that Kyle had not enjoyed since Madelaine, Tybalt and Gerard. It seemed like so long ago, now.
" To Arieta. And to Aurem." Arieta may have been put into a coma, but Aurem had been changed just as drastically, if not more so. If Arieta woke up, she'd be the same person - if a bit slower in the head. If Aurem ever woke up from his burning rage and determination, who knew what would be left on the inside.
"And to Kelly and Nora," he finished. He moved his hand off the letter in his breast pocket, fighting the urge to smile. He resisted the urge to add And to all our lost comrades! deciding it was better to think it, rather than say it. No point in ruining Karol's optimism - at least not before the war was over, and maybe not even then.
She was alive. The date on the letter placed it sometime during the recent conflict, but now that Kyle had learned that Nora had not died in the initial hostilities, it seemed a small jump to assume that she had made it out of the city all right. It would be like Karol discovering that Kelly had sent a message to him after her disappearance. The puzzle was still incomplete, but he had found an important piece, and it was immensely comforting to him.
It was a simple letter, and Kyle knew it by heart now:
Dear Kyle, I am alright. Ran into some trouble, but pulled through. Hope this finds you well. Yours, now as before, and always, Nora
He had not shared its contents with anyone yet; he did not want to come across as over-excited or gloating to Karol, and he was enjoying the camaraderie that they shared. He would, when the time came, and he was prepared to explain things in a clear, sensitive manner.
"Maybe I'll invite Nora to Side 5 when the war's over. We can all reminisce about how crazy the war was." Talking about it, it was almost like the war was over. Wasn't it? The war on the ground had been all but decided with their two victories at Odessa and Jaburo. Sure, there was still some resistance down there, but eventually, the EF would win out. And now that reinforcements had arrived in space, the ZEF wasn't looking quite so fearsome.
The fact that he felt the war was drawing to a close, in addition to his new GM Sniper II rifle, Nora's letter, and Karol's companionship made him feel as if he could take on anything that got in his way. Almost everything was still up in the air, really, but Kyle felt that he had most of the war behind him, and most of his life still ahead of him. If Nora was alive, he couldn't afford to lose. And if she was not, he had nothing left to lose.
He turned the shudder to a smile as he and Karol continued talking.
Kyle's hand moved unconsciously to his uniform's breast-pocket. The letter had come just yesterday, and it had changed everything.
Karol continued, raising another glass of cheap ship-grade beer as he spoke, "After the war, I'm going to ask her to marry me. I don't have the balls that Aurem does - asking a woman in the service to marry me while we're still fighting - I just can't do it. Props to him, and to his bride - may she recover soon!" He finished.
The Beam Team had been very efficient during their last battle. Brought together by their shared uncertainty, driven by a determination to find the truth, and knowing that they had to get through whatever battles separated them from their loved ones, they had fought with a coordination and tenacity that Kyle had not enjoyed since Madelaine, Tybalt and Gerard. It seemed like so long ago, now.
" To Arieta. And to Aurem." Arieta may have been put into a coma, but Aurem had been changed just as drastically, if not more so. If Arieta woke up, she'd be the same person - if a bit slower in the head. If Aurem ever woke up from his burning rage and determination, who knew what would be left on the inside.
"And to Kelly and Nora," he finished. He moved his hand off the letter in his breast pocket, fighting the urge to smile. He resisted the urge to add And to all our lost comrades! deciding it was better to think it, rather than say it. No point in ruining Karol's optimism - at least not before the war was over, and maybe not even then.
She was alive. The date on the letter placed it sometime during the recent conflict, but now that Kyle had learned that Nora had not died in the initial hostilities, it seemed a small jump to assume that she had made it out of the city all right. It would be like Karol discovering that Kelly had sent a message to him after her disappearance. The puzzle was still incomplete, but he had found an important piece, and it was immensely comforting to him.
It was a simple letter, and Kyle knew it by heart now:
Dear Kyle, I am alright. Ran into some trouble, but pulled through. Hope this finds you well. Yours, now as before, and always, Nora
He had not shared its contents with anyone yet; he did not want to come across as over-excited or gloating to Karol, and he was enjoying the camaraderie that they shared. He would, when the time came, and he was prepared to explain things in a clear, sensitive manner.
"Maybe I'll invite Nora to Side 5 when the war's over. We can all reminisce about how crazy the war was." Talking about it, it was almost like the war was over. Wasn't it? The war on the ground had been all but decided with their two victories at Odessa and Jaburo. Sure, there was still some resistance down there, but eventually, the EF would win out. And now that reinforcements had arrived in space, the ZEF wasn't looking quite so fearsome.
The fact that he felt the war was drawing to a close, in addition to his new GM Sniper II rifle, Nora's letter, and Karol's companionship made him feel as if he could take on anything that got in his way. Almost everything was still up in the air, really, but Kyle felt that he had most of the war behind him, and most of his life still ahead of him. If Nora was alive, he couldn't afford to lose. And if she was not, he had nothing left to lose.
He turned the shudder to a smile as he and Karol continued talking.