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Legendary Aces
Chapter 44: A Familiar Place
-A Second Chance-
-Talisman-
International Flight, Western Osea
1115hrs 27 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
2315hrs 27 January 2016 (Oured Time)
While I would have much rather gotten into my F-15P and flown to Osea myself, both Ghost Eye and Lily made me take the long method. At least my seven days leave time didn't include the day traveling there and the day traveling back. Technically, that was nine days of leave time.
I had to take a military transport to Cinigrad, Yuktobania's capital. The transport was escorted by Windhover and the remaining three members of Garuda until we arrived at the border, where the Paragon Sect in Yuktobania had a squadron take over. Lily and Shadow stayed with me until we arrived at Cinigrad, however. Once at Cinigrad, I was met by two Paragon agents and taxied to Yuktobania's international airport. From there, we boarded a flight to Apito in Osea.
I hate commercial flights.
"Captain, is everything okay?" Agent Jones, one of the agents sitting with me, asked.
"I hate commercial flights," I repeated my thought from a moment ago.
"I apologize, Ma'am, but we should be arriving at Apito in about five hours," Agent Johnson, the second agent, said.
"Yeah, then we get to fly a different commercial flight to northern Osea."
"Actually, we will be meeting General Layla at the airport and going to Oured."
"We are?" I asked. "Will Yuko be with her?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Will you stop it with the "Ma'am"? I'm not that old..." I pouted.
"I apologize, Captain."
"Better." I leaned back in my seat and kept sulking about the flight. "I still hate commercial flights. I could have been there hours ago if I was flying my F-15."
"You fly jets?" A teenage boy sitting behind us suddenly asked.
I leaned up and turned around to face him. "Yeah."
"Tommy, it's not polite to eavesdrop," the boy's mother scolded him.
"It's fine, Miss. I don't mind," I said.
"What's it like?" Tommy asked.
"It's wonderful! You get to fly through the sky faster than the speed of sound and do all sorts of fancy moves. I could fly circles around this tin can."
"That's awesome! I've been into jets since the air show at McNealy Air Force Base in 2014."
"Hey! I was in that air show!"
"You were?"
"Yeah, I flew the F-15E Strike Eagle that had a mock battle with an F-22A Raptor."
"I remember that! It was awesome! Maybe I'll get to fly jets someday."
"Tommy, you have to be realistic," his mother said. "Becoming a pilot in the Air Force is very difficult."
"But I want to!"
I couldn't help myself with this kid. I could see the passion in his eyes. "You know what... Are you in your junior year? You look about sixteen or seventeen."
"Yes, I am."
"Are you Osean?"
"Yes."
I pulled a blank index card out of my bag, jotted down a name and phone number, and gave the card to the boy's mother. "Here. Call that sometime in the next month or so."
"Colonel Jack Bartlett?" the boy's mother asked.
"Yeah, he's the Base Commander at Sand Island. This isn't usually how you go about these things, but it can happen. Just tell him Yami sent you."
"Sand Island? You mean the base where the Razgriz and that legendary ace, Kye Akari, is stationed?"
"Yep. That's the one. They're good people. If you really want to fly a fighter someday, they'll get you straightened out."
"Thanks, Miss!" Tommy said.
"No problem. But before you call that number, you really do need to think about what you're doing. It's not all fun and games like you might think."
He just looked at me with confusion.
My own expression turned somewhat gloomy. "It's a lot of fun to fly, but that's not the only thing you do. I hope you never have to experience the dark side of it all, but I have to warn you about it either way."
The boy gulped.
"If you become a fighter pilot, you never know when you'll be forced into a conflict. War can come at any time. If you have to go to war, you'll have to kill people. It's not an easy thing to do at first. And even if you manage to get used to it, the feeling of disgust never goes away."
"Have you...?"
"Tommy!" his mother stopped him, but I knew what he was about to ask.
"Yes." I closed my eyes, turned back around, and slumped down in my seat. More than I care to count.
"I'm sorry, Miss."
"No, no, it's fine. Just think hard on your decision when you make that call and stand by it once it's done."
"Thank you."
The boy returned to his handheld game, and I looked out the window. I saw an image of Kye flying her X-03. It wasn't really there, but I could wish right?
It was about 1120 hours my time, in western Emmeria where the Polaris was stationed, but it was in the late evening here. I pulled out my phone and took a look at the local time. It was about 1820 hours here, seven hours ahead.
"What time is it in Oured?" I asked.
Agent Jones checked his phone. Three separate times were displayed on his phone. One was for Cinigrad, one was for the local time, and the third must have been for Oured. "2320 hours."
"A twelve hour difference, huh? I'm going to have to completely flip my sleeping schedule. What time will it be when we land?"
"Apito is one time zone closer, so... it will be about 0310 hours in Apito and 0410 hours in Oured when we land."
"Alright." I smiled lightly to myself. I'll make sure that the first thing Yuko sees this morning is me. She'll be so happy.
It was going to be a long day, so I forced myself to sleep the rest of the trip.
Apito International Airport, Osea
1620hrs 27 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
0420hrs 28 January 2016 (Oured Time)
"Hey, Mom!" I said. "It's good to see you."
"I'm happy you were able to get some leave time. Yuko will be so happy to see you. It'll be a nice surprise, too, since I didn't tell her you were coming."
"Where is she?"
"She's sleeping at the White House. President Harling was nice enough to let us stay there while we're in town."
"So, why Oured? I thought I was coming up to the base."
"I'll tell you in the car."
The White House, Oured, Osea
1950hrs 27 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
0750hrs 28 January 2016 (Oured Time)
Takeshi was in Oured. That's why Mom brought us here. It seems he ignored the agents that talked to him earlier this month. Maybe if he saw me, he would stop for a second. Maybe he would give me enough time.
I was lying in bed next to Yuko. I had been watching her sleep for a good half an hour. She was so peaceful. I couldn't help but wonder what she would say when she woke up.
I was willing to wait there until she woke up, but I didn't have to wait long. She moved a little and slowly opened her eyes.
"Mommy!"
-Blaze-
Gracemeria, Emmeria
0530hrs 28 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
0930hrs 28 January 2016 (Gracemeria Time)
1730hrs 28 January 2016 (Oured Time)
Monica wasn't getting any better. The Estovakians gained an unusual interest in her case and even requested a specialist from Yuktobania to come examine her. I was sitting in the waiting room. Lieutenant Colonel Victor Voychek was there with me, having also grown worried about the woman.
The man surprised me. He told me about how he led the invasion of Gracemeria, but how he also cared for the citizens of both countries. I got a good vibe from him. He seemed like the type that didn't relish in war, and would rather be at peace. However, he also was a man of duty and wouldn't go against the orders he was given, regardless of his own opinions.
He wasn't interested in Monica because of her rare disease, but instead for her wellbeing. I grew respect for him, even if he was Yami's enemy.
The specialist was able to diagnose the disease. It didn't have an official name yet. Apparently there was only two other cases of the disease in the world, both of having come from Gracemeria before the invasion and both men. One was in a hospital in Cinigrad, and the other was in a hospital in Belka's capital, Dinsmark. The man in Dinsmark was released from the hospital two weeks ago, having made a full recovery, and the man in Cinigrad was expected to be released in another week.
The disease was rare, but not severe. Thanks to those two cases, a cure was available. The specialist administered the cure immediately, though he stated that she would need to remain in the hospital until all of the symptoms were cleared up, which he estimated to be three weeks.
"The first case took twenty three days, but the second case is clearing up faster and expected to be nineteen days. I recommend three weeks for recovery, but you may adjust that time frame if Miss Lampert clears up faster or slower," the doctor explained.
Voychek and I visited Monica for a short while before leaving the hospital together.
"It's all thanks to you that she was able to be treated," I said. "I can't thank you enough."
"Enough people have died due to this war," Voychek replied. "I am partially responsible for that. Seeing that she will make a full recovery is a light in the darkness."
I smiled at him. "Well said. And thank you for not investigating where I've been staying."
"At this point, it doesn't matter. I could arrange transport for you and your daughter to return to Osea."
"What about the kids?"
"As much as I'd like to guarantee their wellbeing, I cannot."
"It really is unfortunate... this war. You're a good man, Lieutenant Colonel Voychek." I offered my hand to him, which he immediately shook.
"Those are kind words, Lieutenant Colonel Akari. Despite that, I must still perform my duties as a member of the Estovakian Air Force."
"I understand. I can't say I wish you luck, since I'm rooting for Emmeria."
He laughed lightly. "That's probably for the best."
"I have to go now. The kids will want an update on Monica. Goodbye for now."
"Before you go, perhaps I could arrange supplies for you and those children." He looked to me for a response, and I nodded. "The location of your hideout would be kept safe with me, but I think it would be better that anyone else involved not find out. We can meet up at the station, and I will allow you to drive a vehicle stocked with supplies. You will drive the vehicle an extra distance that you will not disclose, then return it to the station after you unload the supplies." He looked to me again. He eyes said that he wanted to do more, but he could not offer anything else.
"I can't refuse that."
"It will be ready in three days at this time."
"Thank you."
I parted ways with Voychek and headed toward the catacombs under the castle, being careful to take a different route in case someone might have been following.
-Talisman-
Oured, Osea
0550hrs 28 January 2016 (Polaris Time)
1750hrs 28 January 2016 (Oured Time)
Agent Jones and Agent Johnson were able to track Takeshi down. He wasn't exactly hiding, so it wasn't too difficult for them to find him. He was at a food court in the shopping mall downtown.
He was still sitting there when we arrived, so I had Mom take Yuko and stay back out of sight. Agents Jones and Johnson, however, insisted that they stay with me, but agreed to give me the space I needed when I approached Takeshi.
"What are you doing here, Yami?" He wasn't happy to see me, but this had to be done.
"I want to talk."
He just returned to his cheese fries and ignored me.
"Takeshi, please."
"Why should I listen to you now? You didn't say anything when it mattered. You just up and vanished without a word."
"I'm sorry!"
"Broken record."
"I couldn't tell you!"
"Also a broken record. I don't like secrets. Even if it was classified, I wanted to know what happened and where you went."
"It wasn't my secret."
"Yeah, it was your famous sister's secret. I would have understood if you had given me something. But no, it was so important that you didn't as much as say goodbye when you left."
"Takeshi, when I got that call... I thought she was dead. You saw the newscast about the incident in November City. I had to go."
"I'm not saying that you shouldn't have gone. I would have gone, too. But, Yami, you left the day of our wedding! I stayed at the altar all day hoping you got caught in traffic or something. You were nowhere to be found. Even your Aunt Miko didn't know what happened to you. I tried asking at the base, but they just said it was classified. I didn't know what to think. You could have died and I wouldn't have even known."
"I'm sor... well, that's a broken a record."
"I felt robbed, Yami."
"I tried to find you when I got back, but you were gone."
"When you left, you took my trust with you. Even now that I know where you went and what happened, I still don't trust you, and I doubt I ever will."
I felt a tear run down my right cheek. "Is there no way you can forgive me?"
He didn't answer.
"You're right. It was our wedding day. I should have said something. I didn't tell you that I was leaving. I didn't even tell my sister that I was supposed to have gotten married that day, though that conversation happened later. I got caught up in the moment. I wanted to see my sister alive so bad that I was willing to ignore the man I was to marry. I was an Emmerian Air Force Second Lieutenant that was about to be married, but I acted like a kid."
He still didn't say anything.
"I know it's a broken record, but I'm sorry. I won't bother you again." It was difficult to control my tears, but I just barely managed. I started to walk away, but he grabbed my arm after I turned around.
"No, I'm sorry, Yami."
"Wha...?"
"I gave it to you cold, and you told me something a woman should never have to say." He pulled me into a hug. "I'll forgive you, if you can forgive me, too."
I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. The tears running down my face changed from sadness to happiness.
He pulled away and looked into my eyes. "What do you say?"
"I..." I couldn't muster more than that. I fell to my knees. He bent down with me, and I buried my face in his chest. I spent the next few minutes crying. "Takeshi," I said as I raised my head.
"I'm ready for us to have a second chance."
I nodded and we kissed. It felt like forever before we pulled away from each other.
"I've missed that," he said.
"Yeah," I said. "Hey... uh. While I was gone that time, something else happened. Well, it happened- started before I left, but I didn't discover it until afterward."
"Hmm?"
I turned toward the two agents and hollered at them to go get my mother.
"I get to meet your mother?" Takeshi asked.
"And someone else."
Mom walked over, and I could see Yuko trying to hide behind her.
"Who's the kid?" he asked.
"Come here, Yuko." She nervously walked out from behind Mom and instead stood behind me. "Yuko, this is Takeshi Miyamoto, but you can call him "Dad"."
"Hey, don't you think that's a bit sudden?" he said. "It's only been a minute and you already want your daughter to call me "Dad"? Is she adopted or is she yours?"
I giggled at him. "She's mine..." I got closer and whispered into his ear. "And yours. You knocked me up before I left."
His eyes widened so much that I thought they were about to pop out of his head. "You mean, she's..."
"Your daughter, Takeshi." I stooped down next to Yuko. "Sweetie, he's your Daddy."
Yuko was overjoyed, as was Takeshi. It's not every day that you meet your father for the first time, or that you meet your daughter for the first time.
I stepped back and let them get acquainted.
"You did well, Yami. I'm proud of you," Mom said quietly. "In the midst of war, nothing helps a person more than something like this."
"It's a peace of mind I've wanted for so long," I said, a tear still in my eye. "Yuko finally got to meet her father."
Takeshi ended up going back to the base with us. Parting him and Yuko was neigh impossible, though I wouldn't do that anyway so long as I got to join the fun.
Yuko made us play "airplanes" with her a lot. The game was a lot of fun, and it was amazingly similar to the real thing. The full simulator version was even better, which that was surprisingly similar to our training simulators.
Yuko, Takeshi, and I spent most of my week off playing together, be it the airplane game or whatever else. The days were really fun, and the nights were... also fun.
Osean Paragon Base
1245hrs 4 February 2016 (Polaris Time)
2045hrs 4 February 2016 (Osean Base Time)
"I have to go back tomorrow," I said. Takeshi and I were laying on the bed. Yuko was covered up and asleep.
"Your mother already told me."
"Well, I wanted to tell you, too! I doubt I'll be back before the war is over, and there's always a chance that I might not come back at all." He looked away, not wanting to acknowledge the last part.
"I know," he said quietly. "Emmeria needs you. I'll stay here with your mother and Yuko until you're done."
"Yuko will be happy to have you around."
"She's a good girl. I'm just happy that I can be here for her now."
"Yeah."
We started to kiss, but a knock on the door interrupted us. I sighed and got up.
"I apologize for interrupting you, Captain, but the General wants to see you in the Holo-Chamber," a Pandoran Second Lieutenant said.
"The what did you say? We have a Holo-Chamber?"
"It's... different. You'll understand when you see it."
"Yeah, I can guess well enough what it is, just more of shocked it's a thing now. I've only been in Emmeria half a year!" The Lieutenant didn't know how to respond, so I continued. "One second." I turned around and waved to Takeshi. "I'll be back."
I followed the Lieutenant to the Holo-Chamber. It was an empty room with a round table in the middle. He closed the door behind me, leaving me with my mother.
"So about the Holo-Chamber..."
She didn't respond, but instead pressed a button on the remote in her hand. Suddenly, every edge in the room glowed in a dim red and blue light. The bottom edges, top edges, and the corner edges all glowed. A grid made of the same red and blue light appeared on the round table, and a hologram of both my grandfathers, Charles and Hiroto, appeared standing next to my mother. Holograms of my Aunt Allison, Jackson Barrett, and Lily's maternal grandfather, who was also my Grandpa Hiroto's brother, also appeared around the round table. Holograms of other people I didn't recognize also appeared around the table, and every one wore highly decorated uniforms. Not a single one of them was less than a General or Admiral.
Wow... I felt overwhelmed. "So..."
"Shh. We're waiting for one more."
Soon, one more hologram appeared. It was a rather distorted image of Lily. "Lily?"
Everyone turned and looked at me.
"What is a Captain doing in this meeting?" a man wearing a Belkan General's uniform asked.
"She shouldn't be here!" an Aurelian General said adamantly.
"Calm down, both of you," Mom commanded. "She is more than qualified to be at this meeting."
"Technically, she is not," Lily argued. "But I have no problem with it if my acting Supreme Commander will allow it." She glanced over at Grandpa Charles.
"I see no harm or fowl."
"So be it," the Belkan said. The Aurelian merely nodded.
"So what's going on?" I asked.
"Just go along with it, Yami," Mom said.
"Is everyone present?" Grandpa Charles asked. He glanced around and did a quick head count. "Good. Let this meeting of the Pandoran Leaders commence."
