It had been two Days.
Two days since the battle of Earth and Captain Scott Patterson was in a drab gray room on a space station. He had a bandage around his head, but was other wise fine, just feeling light headed and woozy.
But the Universe Today report before him was occupying pride of place as far as his attention went.
The battle for Earth was one of the bloodiest in the Alliance's history. More then one hundred and twenty thousand….dead, more then three hundred thousand…wounded. That included both the EA and ISA forces that came to Earth's defense, and all the civilians around it.
As for the Centauri's massive invasion effort, who knew?
But it was clear that the Narn attacks were just a diversion, a way of diverting valuable forces away from the ISA's greatest son and it nearly worked as well.
If it was not for that meddling Destroyer.
Patterson cracked a smile at that, not that he was 'happy' but it was the only moment that he could break him out of his somber and reflective mood.
They had done it, they had saved Earth. The EA had fulfilled its most sacred obligation once again.
But at a terrible price, of men, lives, resources, and morale.
On his own ship they withstood massive damage, and took severe casualties. Sixty two dead, two hundred and ninety eight wounded. This was just a testament to the Warlock design, a testament to her survivability in battle, and that of the crew. At least they would be alive to fight another day, and another battle.
He looked up from the front page story, and saw a haggard looking Michael Keegan making his way slowly over to Patterson's 'office'. This was just an area of deck plating with a desk on it, surrounding by an entire cargo bay with other officers, and then a triage facility with bandgaged and moaning men, being attended to by pretty nurses.
Keegan finally found his way through the maze and saluted crisply. "Sir." He said.
"Lieutenant." Patterson said saluting easily, and lazily, too beat up still too much care for proper military protocol. "You wish to say something?"
"I do sir." Michael hesitated, Patterson arched a curious eyebrow. He plowed on. "The EAS Andrew Jackson is getting ready for another deployment. Turns out the Centauri are making another push near the Vega system. They are getting ready to move out, but they need qualified and experienced pilots. I figured I would join up with them."
Patterson chuckled. "Yes Lt. you have my permission, just come back in one piece."
Keegan saluted, and did an about face perfectly, Patterson could not help but grin at the sight of the suddenly proper fighter pilot, as he got back to his reports on the Gandalf's status on his desk. But he could not help but remark off handedly, out of the side of his mouth, like it was perfectly natural. "Oh, and tell Stacia she is cleared to go if she is so inclined."
Patterson watched Keegan stiffen perceptibly, before continuing on in a more natural pace.
As soon as he was out of sight, Patterson threw the sheet down hard on the desk, making it spill over the edge and onto the floor. He had no choice. He needed to see them, they just faced extinction for crying out loud, but something about it still made him hesitate.
It had been twenty years since they last saw each other, and even then it was not a 'proper' reunion. Just a funeral, and then he was off again.
He had no choice. But at least there was something more he could do before the inevitable meeting…actually the only thing he could do given that all space transport was for official military function only. So he had to make some pretense of going down if he was even going to do it tonight.
So with that thought in mind he got up with a creak and a groan, and marched over to the airlock, and then the com horn, trying to get some kind of single out.
In the mean time Stacia Clarke had her head on top of her arms. Staring bored at the opposite wall of the mess hall that she was in; station 'Gama' that was orbiting the moon. Still the last surviving space station over the moon, and it still took extreme damage from fighters and the cross fire. But it was still standing.
She had been here…in the mess hall…almost non stop since the battle. Just sitting here, reading, eating, and sleeping. Nothing she could do otherwise, they had denied her the ability to go and repair her own ship. She could only watch from here.
She felt a familiar stirring, and blinked up just in time to see Michael Keegan enter the mess hall. He saw her and made his way over. She got up pushing her chair in, and they said hello quietly to one another, despite being one of the only one or two in here.
"Well," he continued. "The EAS Andy Jackson is heading out on a mission. The Centauri are trying to open up a second front, and they are heading out to head them off at the pass."
"I see." She said hesitating, not sure what this had to do with them.
"Yeah, I requested that I could go, and Captain Patterson said yes."
"Oh," she said slightly shocked, but then she grinned. "Can I come?" Finally a stop to all this monotony.
"Captain Patterson said you could come, yes." Michael said with a slight edge.
"Captain Patterson? And what about you, you hardly sound thrilled."
"You are an engineer." He said uneasily.
"Yes, a very good one, I also made a good RIO if you remembered."
He started to head out into the hall, she followed doggedly. "Yes, a great RIO, one of the best I have ever had." Keegan said.
"Then what is the problem?" She said trying not to sound hurt.
"Nothing."
"But-"
"Look, it is no problem. Not really, nothing I feel like explaining now anyways." He said turning toward her. Then he moved off, not saying another word, leaving her behind.
On Earth, forty miles North of the 'San Diego wastelands', Captain Patterson was just moving onto a military facility, one housing his friend James Norman.
He turned left onto a row of barracks, and moved to the third one down, the largest building at this area of the base.
On the door it had the plaque with the unit '7th Marine Division, 3rd Battalion' emblazoned across it.
This was Norman's home unit, the one that he did basic with, the one that he spent most of his career assigned to as he went on other EA ships as well.
He entered the door as it opened with a mechanic whoosh, as a gust of wind blew around him.
His sight adjusted and he looked around the crowded room. The Marines here looked tired, depressed, and battle wearied, despite not being involved in the actual action themselves. Though Patterson could only imagine that this is how the rest of the planet must have been feeling.
He looked around, glaring around the bays, any of the Marines that caught his eye instantly looked away, that was not a look to be trapped with for long. But yet, Patterson could not see his friend.
He was about to move up to a gunnery sergeant and inquire after Norman's whereabouts, but he felt a tapping on his shoulder.
He spun around on his heels only to come face to face with a not too kind looking friend.
"So you have not seen them yet?" He interrupted before Patterson could say likewise.
"Uh-no, and that is 'so you have not seen them yet 'sir'." Patterson retorted.
Norman unleashed a crooked grin on him. "Yes sir, I figured you were here because you want back up?"
"Yes, and I need military transport to go anywhere, most of the planet is still in a shock."
"Yeah we will take ground transport, get you there in a jiff." Norman said, leading the way.
Ten minutes later they were rolling down the pavement of the 'Patterson family home' just North of LA. No transport on the road, no one but military, and military transport carrying an EAMC Colonel and an EAN Captain. That tended to let you get places quickly.
Norman decided to pull off, and then park out in the drive way. Patterson got out, so did Norman, but he stayed back
Patterson walked up the driveway, finding the climb difficult, but not because he was out of shape.
Then the door opened, and an older woman came out of it and looked at him nervously. Obviously the appearance of military ground transport scared her ever so slightly, but she was more curious then anything, what could the Earth Alliance want with her?
But then shock came into her eyes, as she recognized who that had to be. "Scott?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's me." He smiled timidly.
She grinned at him, as much as she could, and then hobbled over him and wrapped him in a hug. She then released him and raised her voice back to the house. "Hey everyone! Scott is here."
"Scott?" he heard a familiar sounding voice ask.
Jennifer then came into the doorway, and she opened up her arms wide, her own niece followed her out, staying in the door way and giving him a curious look.
"Hello Scott." She said giving him an intense hug.
"Hello Jennifer, what are you doing here?" He asked cautiously, figuring she should be in school.
"Oh, college gave all of us some time off to spend time with our families in the wake of the attack." She explained, her eyes sparkling intently.
"I see." He said, as he started for the house, the two women following him in his wake.
He stopped in the door and bent down to investigate the younger blond kid in front of him. "Hello" He greeted smiling warmly, "my name is Scott Patterson, and what is yours?"
"I'm Lisa" She said brightly. Her eyes were taking him in. "You are in Earth Force aren't you?"
"Yes I am, a captain." He replied eagerly.
"Cool!" She said skipping off.
"Where's Jeff?" He asked curiously
"Oh, he decided to go visit his old buddies from the Earth Air National Guard unit that he served in a while ago, turns out they were really fragged over Earth in the last battle. He is moving to check on them."
"I see," Patterson let his shoulders sag almost imperceptibly, then he shook his head to clear it.
He sat down at the table, with Lisa hopping around from one room to the other, Jennifer following her around cautiously, following her niece with her eyes.
Tea and biscuits were served, Patterson's mom had always made the best Biscuits imaginable, he still remembered that.
They chatted for a long time, going over the events of the past few days, and that was enough of a topic to keep them occupied until the sun was beginning to set.
Jennifer looked at the clock, startled; she got up and took Lisa gently by the hand. "I am sorry, but I promised Lisa's parents that I would get her home soon, after they finished carousing, and I have to get to the university early to continue my classes."
Patterson smiled, while his mom got up and said her good byes, kissing Jen on both cheeks, and ruffling Lisa's blond hair, before she returned to sit down opposite Scott.
Silence came down between them, muffling the world around them like a thick blanket, seeming to stretch out into awkward infinity.
"He didn't blame you you know." His mother suddenly burst out.
"I know that Mom." He placed his cup down on the table and actually heaved a sigh. "But, when you are running as long as I have been, it looks like when you do look back on it, all the things that you could have done differently."
"So that is what you were doing? You always wanted to serve, what happened was never going to change that."
"I know, and I did, but the way I did it, the way I just left you like that, running away at a too young age."
He got up in a huff and went over to the window, admiring the beauty, but he could not help but feel trapped by the shadows.
His mom wondered to herself if she should get up and try and comfort her son, or what she should do. After all he was not even her son.
"It's just that" he blurted out pausing, and then collecting his breath. "Just that, I could not take it anymore, the fights, the incrimination and the accusations that were flying between the two of us, and then how I felt he was treating you. I could not take that environment anymore."
"And then you ran." She said, trying to make it sound gentle.
"Yes I ran, I ran all the way to Earth Force, to outer space, and then I just barely made it back, but even then I was distant, this time running because of guilt more then anything, for what I had done."
"Jennifer forgave you."
"Yes she did, a long long time ago. I do not even know why, the two of them were so close."
"She has that type of soul Scott"
"I know."
His mother went over to her son, and turned him around, stroking his back and looking into his eyes.
"Well you are here now, that is all that is important to me, and to us." She said. He moved to talk again, "but we could use to see you more often around here, and we should catch up on the little time that we have left in this world." She smiled, he looked a bit uncertain; she laughed and pinched his cheek. "Not that I want you to give up your career or anything, just once or twice more a year would be nice."
Patterson grinned; in trying not to he was sheepish. "I will try mom, but it's going to be hard with the war on, though I can probably stay all night if I have to-"
Norman entered the house in a rush, and then paused up short in the sight; he bowed slightly to Mrs. Patterson. "Sir, Earth Force Command wants to see you; they sounded urgent."
"Well, I should go."
"You do what you have to."
"Yes ma'am." He said saluting crisply, before running out with his first officer and jumping into the Military transport.
Storm clouds gathering on the Horizon.