'REDEMPTION -PT.2'

A gold Mozambique flew through the air as Kain tackled her from behind, "You see that's the problem with you; you only think that there's only one way out of a situation."

Her fist collided with his shoulder as she tried to escape his grip on her waist. She eventually wiggled free and swung her boot at him again. For someone not wanting to cause him further harm he found it ironic that she was literally stomping him to the ground. He dodged her attacks easily, never forgetting her fighting pattern. He snatched her ankle in his hand and pulled her down beside him, pinning her down. She looked up with eyes of fire, teeth gritting;

"You see that's the problem with you; you see the good in everything, especially where you shouldn't." She shot back, her aggressive nature taking hold. She took his hands holding her down and pushed upwards, surprising him with her synthetic strength before throwing him onto his back. She began to search for her gun in the grass as he sat up,

"What, you mean like I did with you?" He jabbed, picking up the black Wingman lying beside him. By the time she found her Mozambique she was too late; Kain had sat himself down with his own gun aimed at his head.

"Kain, what are you doing-"

"Oh, what, you can kill yourself but I can't do myself in?" He laughed, "Sounds like a bit of a double standard going on here."

Phiram however wasn't laughing. Kain had suffered more than he should by her hands and watching him joke about his own suicide was the last think that could draw any sort of humor out of her. He simply smiled, proving his point; "Pretty stupid when someone else does it, huh."

She cringed. She didn't want to admit he was right but - he was right. With a defeated sigh she lowered her weapon and tucked it back into her leg holster, knowing the battle was already over. Kain did the same, staring at her under haughty eyes as she sat down in front of him. After it all was said and done she still hadn't learned her lesson; she continued to allow her fatalistic nihilism towards herself and her actions dictate her every move. So long as she kept this up she was on a surefire course towards disaster.

The wind was soft and warm from the sun as it blew petals of windflowers through the space between them. Phiram had imagined this day for so long that it was her favorite daydream. Many a time back on Valor-4 she envisioned something like this where her and Kyle would explore the expansive, lush wilderness of Harmony. They had a running joke between them; once they left that dump of a city they'd go home and find Harmony together. A smile pursed her lips upon thinking about it but as she looked for Kain's reaction and received nothing more than a tired stare it made her realize again that they would never have that moment.

"Phiram," Kain started, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily, "There's really no easy way to say this."

She pointed her lips as she looked down, nodding, "I know."

He gave her a shrug before picking up his helmet lying by his feet, "I am going home now. It's been a hell of a day."

Phiram cursed herself for not saying the things she'd planned to say. For two years she had compiled a day and a half's worth of speech, expressing her apology in beautiful, poetic detail for the severity of her actions. The truth was that she still felt for him, even more so that she did during their entire three year relationship and he'd never know it. She felt the door closing as Kain gathered his gear and prepared to leave but rather than speak up about her revelation she chose to keep her mouth shut, content that perhaps he would continue on with his newfound peace.

"Thank you. You know, for coming," She said through a forced smile. Kain returned the gesture as he pulled himself up. Zero and Kye moved in slowly, each prepared to console their Pilots. The Holopilot grabbed the brim of his helmet, swinging it gently as he began to walk away, a piece of folded paper falling out and onto the grass. Intrigued, Phiram carefully picked it up and studied it; she couldn't believe it. Slowly she began to unfold it, almost certain of its contents. As her suspicions were confirmed true, she held her breath as she began to read.

Zero's palm extended to his Pilot and as Kain climbed up the bulky metal, he turned to give her once last parting glance- just as she had done to him years ago. He was about to put on his helmet when he noticed something inside was missing. He looked over to her, his heart skipping a beat in anxiety as he watched her read the piece of literature, the one thing he didn't want her knowing about.

"Phiram, hey. Don't read that-" He scrambled out of the Titan's grasp and bounded over to her. The look on her face was a mixture of disbelief and utter confusion, leaving Kain unsure as to if her reaction was sentimental or revolted. Her brown eyes found him staring and she gave him a wounded glance.

"You kept this?" She asked lightly. He nodded quietly, his eyes softening a little as he stood over her, drowning her with his shadow. She had to wonder, though; "Why?"

Kain shrugged, looking at the note fondly as he read over the years old text, "Force of habit, I guess."

Phiram's eyes lowered to the grass, realizing it didn't mean anything to him anymore as she handed him the yellowed paper, "Here."

As he reached out to take the note, he found himself glued to the spot. His gloved hand made contact with hers. The titanium felt surprisingly warm in his palm and he swallowed hard, memories of that day flooding back into his head. He wanted to pull away but something within him flared up again. Phiram looked him over with a mixture of puzzlement and melancholy, unsure of what was going through his head. His eyes darted around as he stood deep in thought, thinking back to the day they had met three and a half years ago;

VALOR-4

TWO YEARS PRIOR;

Kuiper City was an absolute dive; what was once a successful IMC controlled mining planet, Valor-4 had fallen in such despair over the years that all that was left were the bones of the once towering metropolis. The IMC were famous for abandoning ship anytime a project went south and this was one such example. A deadly blast of radiation spread planet wide, forcing a mass exodus of military and civilians alike. Fast forward ten years later and the planet once again became active with bandits and pirates, pillaging through billions of dollars in equipment and machinery. Salvage ships arrived and left daily, removing the evidence of any sort of human settlement little by little.

Down in the ruins of Kuiper crime grew rampant; factions of nearly every sort fought over wreckage and sought out the most valuable asset on the Frontier; Titans. Dubbed the 'Titan Graveyard', thousands upon thousands of inactive Titans from nearly forty Hammond Robotics factories were scattered amongst the ruins, free for the taking. These chassis made up a large portion of pirate fleets and many a prospective Pilot ventured down into the slums in search of a partner. However, as any wise man knows; where there's loot there's greed. For this reason, Valor-4 had been classified as an extremely dangerous planet by both Militia and IMC forces, both keen on leaving the radiation soaked disaster alone.

Kyle was just a mere nineteen years old when he first embarked into the fray. Zero had been completely blindsided by his decision to go solo but nevertheless respected his decision. His Pilot kept it hush hush about his exact whereabouts, worried the Militia would discharge him if they knew he was traveling to a red listed planet without supervision- let alone a plan. Something drew him to the depths and he wasn't quite sure what it was; until he met her.

He could never forget the first time he'd saw her; there she was, in mid battle with a band of pirates, no less. He was instantly captivated by the nimble movement of her Northstar, her Railgun splitting apart a charging Ogre's hull with intense precision. Her thrusters fired in odd sequence as she dodged the hailstorm of bullets peppering her from a nearby Tone. The Stryder's chassis lit up moments before she totaled her last opponent with a beautiful, fiery display of Flightcore. As the Atlas fell dead she landed gracefully atop her kill, seemingly pleased with herself. It was in that moment he knew he was in love.

Fast forward a month later, he finally mustered the courage to talk to her. She had always been a wanderer and wherever she went, people seemed to leave her alone. He wasn't entirely sure as to why until the first time she opened her mouth;

"What do you need?" She inquired coldly, in mid chew of a bowl of rice as she skimmed through an outdated magazine on modern science, her eyes never bothering to meet his. Instinct told him to ditch and run yet the challenge was presented and he found his stubbornness chomping at the bit. He took a seat across from her and when he finally grabbed her attention, something about his calm, friendly demeanor piqued her interest. An odd familiarity about him made her feel as if they'd known each other before, although she couldn't recall where from. Regardless, they began to talk which led on for hours and before they knew it, it was 4 AM.

Several months passed and Kyle and Phiram were inseparable. They did everything together; whether it be beach combing through sludge or spelunking for treasure in the ruins of Kuiper the duo always found something to keep themselves busy. The only problem was that neither of them were willing to admit the growing feelings they'd been secretly developing for one another.

Phiram often took the first leap. Whereas Kyle was strong and a natural leader, she sometimes had to boost him up every now and then when he felt inadequate. In return, he offered her the safety and security she'd been longing for nearly her entire life. They balanced each other out well and Phiram often took note - literally - of every one of his qualities she admired.

On one such day after a long hunt that resulted in finding a cache of three brand new Atlas chassis, they decided to celebrate. Half a bottle of wine later and Phiram and Kyle were a laughing mess. The sun had given way to a clear night sky splattered with stars and the pair had unknowingly let down their guard. He wasn't sure what transpired first but before he knew it Phiram had kissed him. As he returned the motion he knew his life would never be the same; an old flame had been reawakened between them and when he looked into her eyes, he saw the other half of his soul staring back. It was in that moment he understood why he came to one of the most dangerous places on the Frontier.

Before she left that night she handed him something; a folded piece of paper. She left his loft without saying anything more, preferring to retreat as stealthily as possible. As he opened it and read the words inscribed with blue ink he felt a warmth spill from his heart, soaking him to the core as a big grin stretched from ear to ear.

When we get back to Harmony the first thing I want to do is watch as the sunrise lights up your eyes.

You are a cool, calm ocean and all I want is to drown in you.

We've weathered the storm and now that the rain is clearing all I can see is happiness ahead.

There isn't a single thing I wouldn't do for you and I want you to know that.

Where you see flaws I only see beauty; I couldn't fault you if I wanted to.

Your scars are my scars and if you give me the chance I'd earn a million more with you.

Everything about you is stunning and my heart burns with bliss every moment I'm graced with your company.

You are the first thing on my mind in the morning and my last thought as I go to sleep.

Home is wherever you are and whenever I seem to get lost, its your voice that brings me back.

When the weight of the world on your shoulders gets a little too heavy, please know I'll be there to help lift you up.

We share one heart, one soul and by the grace of some God I am eternally grateful that you found me.

It sure feels good to be reunited with your other half.

-Phiram

They stood there for what had felt like hours.

Kain exhaled sharply, releasing the pent up stress filling his lungs. They had been so happy. Even after all this time Kain couldn't understand how things could change so quickly from being high on cloud nine to rotting in hell. Worst of all the irony was that the woman responsible for bringing him so much joy in his life was the same person that had inflicted the worst kind of torture on him imaginable.

Phiram slowly pulled her hand away, taking the paper with her, "Maybe it's time to-"

"Did you mean it?" He asked abruptly and without warning. She froze, exhaling softly. She understood his concern; ever since that day she'd left him, everything she'd said or done seemed like a fraud, yet that was hardly the case.

"I meant every word, Kyle." She said gently, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, "Please believe that."

What happened next was something nobody was prepared for, least of all Phiram. Kain reached out slowly and cupped her small face in his shaking hands, an old fire igniting somewhere deep within his heart. He was so tired of fighting. Perhaps it was the stress eating away at him or the heat of the moment fogging his brain, but for one last time he wanted a taste of what they had. The emotions he'd buried long ago swiftly resurfaced and in a gentle swoop he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

To his surprise she reciprocated, as her hands made their way up his neck. He smiled wearily under heavy eyes, running his thumbs over her cheeks and brushing away her fresh tears. Metal digits traced up his jawline, scruffing up his beard just as they used to every morning he'd wake up next to her. Kain's eyes closed as his chin tilted down and he pulled her in, nearly breaking as her lips found his.

"Kain! Come in! What the hell you doing down there!?" The voice filling his helmet feed startled him as he jolted back, picking up the transmitter and holding it to his ear, "Goddammit Kain, come in."

"Reading you loud and clear; what's the issue?" He barked, his heart now racing a mile a minute.

"What's the issue? You weren't approved for landing on Typhon!"

Kain shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering that Phiram's transmission was only sent to Zero. They had no idea about his current situation.

"We must have picked up a bad transmission, then." Was the only excuse he could muster at the moment.

"Damn it all, Kain. We're picking you up. Five minutes to the evac zone so I suggest you get moving! Sending the co-ordinates to your Titan."

Kain's head swiveled around to see Zero behind him, crouching before him as his chassis opened up, "I have some bad news."

Phiram and Kye exchanged worried looks. He gave them a reassuring smile before returning to the Ronin, his mind ablaze with wild thoughts; "What is it, Zero?"

"Typhon is under planet wide evacuation. There's an incredibly volatile energy source that has gone-"

A sudden seismic rumble quaked below their feet, throwing both Pilot and Stryder off balance as they crashed to the ground. The tremors were unlike anything any of them had witnessed before and as Kain got to his hands and knees he could feel the energy spreading through the planet and rippling through his core. Kye had grabbed Phiram and loaded her inside her cockpit, Zero doing the same with Kain.

"Kye, we have to get them out of here," Zero urged.

The Northstar began to hover and reached down, offering the other Stryder a hand, "Come- I have an idea that's so crazy it just might work."

Zero took her hand in his and in an instant they were airborne. Below them the trees shook and alien birds shrieked in the distance.

"Feed me that drop point, Z. I have a feeling were on borrowed time."

"Done. How fast can you get us there?"

Kye snickered, "Less than five minutes, I'll give ya that." She laughed as they shot into the air, back into the clouds.

The temperature dropped again as they climbed in elevation, water beading down both Titans now. Kain could hardly focus on what was happening, his mind reeling with thoughts of Phiram and their days back in Kuiper City. He couldn't see her but if the feeling in his gut was correct, he'd say she felt about the same way as he did. He let out a deep breath as a weary smile parted his lips.

Sunlight filtered in through Zero's ocular systems and lit up the screen as they emerged back into daylight. Kye carefully set them down atop the landing point where him and Zero had first landed hours earlier. Up here the tremors could hardly be felt and the Ronin took this time to stretch his legs.

"Incoming!"

Kain watched as the sight of a Militia dropship came into view and hovered a few meters from their position. Zero made a dash for the ship, opening his doors and making sure Kain made it aboard safely. Kye slowly made her way over, looking a little lost as Zero helped her into the cargo ramp.

"Kain!"

The Pilot turned around to view the towering figure of his friend and superior. He swallowed heavily, wondering just how bad the reprimand would be. Jed Karangula stood around seven feet tall, donning the blue grey suit of a Grapple Pilot. He crossed his arms with a heavy sigh before a light laugh escaped his lips,

"Not sure what you were doing down there, but if anyone was to get out of that shit alive it would have to be you. We couldn't kill you if we tried." He patted his shoulder before disappearing into the briefing area and Kain wasn't sure this time if he was joking or not. The next thought in his head was to ensure everyone made it out alive; that included Phiram. He took two steps towards the closing ramp just in time to see Zero leap out of the ship.

"Zero, NO!" He yelled, scrambling to the door but Kye stopped him, holding him still with her hand. He fought hard against her, completely devastated and confused. Jed and a few other Grunts immediately ran over to see what all the commotion was about.

"Easy, Kain! What's wrong-"

"What's wrong? My goddamn Titan just fell out of this ship, what do you mean what's wrong!?" He cried, pointing a finger downwards. The light about them split and fizzed out as they entered warpdrive. In mere seconds they hung in space, now overlooking Typhon. Kain watched in horror as hundreds of other dropships popped up all over in a mass exodus, similar to the stories of the Valor-4 evacuation over a decade ago.

"Sorry Pilot, sometimes these things happen."

The man lowered his eyes at the Grunt, "Excuse me?" He reached out and grabbed him by the throat, holding him up, "These things happen!? No I don't fucking think so!" He raged. Jed and the others forced him away from the solider, watching as the man fell to his knees clutching his throat. Kain shook them off, throwing a fist at another when Jed threw him to the ground. He pulled his arms behind his back and restrained him, locking his wrists with zipties. The Pilot growled out as he lie face down, pinned under the weight of the bigger Pilot.

"Isn't someone going to do something about this!?" Kain cried, "He's my Titan, I can't just leave him there-"

Jed sighed uneasily, "Like he said, Kain, sometimes these things happen. Current protocol denies us from returning to a planet under evacuation. There's nothing we can do."

He couldn't believe it. As Jed continued to spew out useless information he closed his eyes and called to Zero through their bond; "Zero, are you alright?"

"Kain.." Zero's voice was filled with determination yet he could detect a trace of nervousness lace within his words, "Please forgive me."

"Buddy-" He felt utterly helpless, "I will always forgive you... I only ask though, why?"

"Speak to Kye, she'll fill you in. It's been an honor, Kyle."

Tears began to bead at the corners of his eyes hearing Zero speak like this and he turned his head to look at the Northstar, who seemed to be grieving. Something about Zero's abrupt vacancy didn't quite make sense.

"Kye, come here. Please." He begged, a part of him breaking as he watched the Titan crawl towards him like a cowering dog. She reached his side and he tapped his boot against her chassis in comfort, "Please have some good news. At least Phiram is safe with us, right?" Anything was a positive at this point.

The Northstar's optic went dim as she opened her chassis, revealing nothing but an empty seat with Phiram's letter sitting neatly in it. Kain felt his heart twist like a dishrag as she uttered the words he wasn't ready to hear;

"She says she's sorry, and hopes one day you'll understand."