Chapter Two:
One week before take-off:
The first time Katie Holt met Shinji Shirogane, she believed that this would only be the first of a handful of times they were together.
The Kerberos Mission was a big deal. No one had ever gone that far into the reaches of the solar system before.
Commander Samuel Holt, Cadet Matthew Holt and Cadet Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane were to be the first.
There had been many big donors. There were hands to be shaken, more investors to be wined and dined.
But above all, the Galaxy Garrison had to force a smile, pretend that all was right when they were so furious at Katie's father.
It had started six months ago. When—due to their record timing and impeccable training record—the flight team made up of Cadets Shirogane, Holt and Wright were selected to observe on-board a real, routine flight to the International Space Station.
Although the three cadets were the same age as a majority of third-years at the Garrison, they were fifth years. The team had made headlines five years previously when the Galaxy Garrison announced that all three had met the academic and flight simulator qualifications for early admission. It was a rare feat, and there hadn't been any early acceptances in five years, and there had never been three students accepted within the same year. They formed a fast friendship—helped in Matt and Shiro's case as they were assigned to room together. Though they spent their first two years in their separate programs—Matt in communications, Tali in engineering, and Shiro in piloting—during their third year they were put onto the same flight team.
Even though they were a fighter team and the ship crew they were shadowing was a cargo team, the three were very much looking forward to the trip. The job was little more than playing mailman, just bringing in fresh supplies and new equipment, but it was also their first time actually in space. For Matt, there was extra excitement involved. They would be bringing his father, Commander Holt, back to earth after six months on the station conducting research.
Everything was fine on the trip up. The pilot's communications officer and engineer were not making the return trip, however, as they were assigned on the station for a stay while the pilot took a stint teaching at Galaxy Garrison. The return trip was supposed to have been just as easy, even without two crew members. After all, it wasn't exactly a solo flight with Commander Holt and three well-trained teenagers on board.
There was still no explanation as to what had suddenly knocked a satellite out of orbit, how it came spiraling into the ship. The impact was strong enough to send the pilot out of his chair, breaking his arm. Shiro, as the only trained pilot on board, immediately took the helm and began directing his own crew. While Tali did everything she could to assess and fix the damage, Matt immediately started making contact with mission control, calmly informing them of the situation and giving a warning to clear the airspace for the emergency landing, while calculating the exact coordinates of where they would land.
Even with the damage sustained, Shiro managed to safely land the craft in a way that senior officers swore they had only seen the best pilots do at the height of their careers. Never as an emergency landing, and certainly never as sixteen year old boys.
The entire teenage crew was again famous over-night, Shiro especially. Though Shiro insisted that he couldn't have done anything without his teammates, both Tali and Matt pointed out that, without him, they'd all be dead. They all had earned medals for their heroic actions. They each had begun work with some of the best in their fields. Tali was introduced to some of the top ship designers and engineers in the world. Matt's love and talent in the science fields led him to many introductions, as well as unnecessary encouragement to follow in his father's footsteps as a researcher, which was often a sub-specialty of communication officers.
As for Shiro, he quickly became a trophy piece. Diplomats, CEOs, politicians and quite a few celebrities all seemed to be fighting for a chance for Shiro to be the one to pilot them to whatever destination they needed. And the Garrison allowed that, letting Shiro be shown off.
Takashi Shirogane, the sixteen year old kid from the Galaxy Garrison who could pull off an emergency landing as if the only thing that happened was a change in the direction of the wind.
It was great publicity for the Galaxy Garrison, where Shiro rarely was anymore. He missed it, though, because he missed being with his team.
But he also started to worry that he would never get back into space. That he'd spend more time being on earth as a wonder kid. And even though he only expressed this in the confidence of Matt and Tali, the two had decided to approach Commander Holt for advice to help Shiro, hoping that he could persuade the Garrison to let Shiro stay at the school for a longer stint.
Commander Holt had another idea that he believed would serve better.
Then, to the shock of the entire world, Commander Holt—during a live broadcast to announce the Kerberos mission—announced that he had chosen Takashi Shirogane to be his pilot, Matthew Holt his communication officer and Tali Wright to be his engineer.
Tali, however, had politely declined, also on public television, only a day later. Her grandfather—who had raised her most of her life—had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and there was strong indicators that he would not survive the year. Knowing it would take months to get to Kerberos, she decided to stay on Earth with her grandparents.
The Garrison hadn't approved of Commander Holt's initial choices, even less so with his decision to not replace Tali with another Garrison engineering student, despite seeing the logic in not trying to force a dynamic to work between two established team members and a new one. After all, the Commander and Matt both had some training as engineers. But the Garrison couldn't retract the Commander's announcement. Couldn't find a viable excuse not to use the boy who many—including the entire upper-level command of the Garrison—insisted was the best pilot in the world at barely seventeen years of age. They certainly would have preferred an older pilot. But their hands were tied. So even if they did not approve, they were going to throw a party as if they did.
Which was why thirteen-year-old Katie Holt was entering a ballroom on her brother's arm, wearing a light green dress that complimented her brother's dark green Garrison dress uniform. She looked around in awe initially, but chided herself. After all, she was gaping like a child. But she was pleased to note that she was not, in fact, the youngest in the room. That would have been Mitsu Shirogane, Shiro's ten year old sister, who stood proudly at his side, dressed in a kimono like her mother, and giving a big smile to everyone who approached her oldest brother.
Katie had met Shiro a few times before. He and Tali were frequent dinner guests on weekends. But the Shiroganes lived far enough away from the Garrison that the families had never met before. Katie was interested in meeting Shiro's brother, Shinji, who was a year older than Katie and set to start at Galaxy Garrison in the fall, three months after lift-off. Katie, on the other hand, would be starting her last year of middle school, and would follow onto to the Garrison a year later.
Matt led Katie directly over to Shiro and his family. Introductions were made, with translations at a minimum. Shiro had told Katie before that his family had moved to Japan when he was eight. His father, a renowned medical research scientist, had been offered a position at a research hospital in America, and so they had all went. While Shiro and his siblings were completely bilingual, their father's English was strongly accented and fairly strong with occasional stumbles, and his wife—a former kindergarten teacher—knew enough to get by.
One of the first things she noticed about Shinji Shirogane during those introductions was the immediate thing they shared in common: they both idolized their older brothers. Shinji seemed to be constantly watching Shiro, mimicking how he stood, relaxing when Shiro did. She also noticed how much the brothers looked alike. They wore their hair differently, Shinji's hair longer at the sides while Shiro's was closely buzzed, the longest bit of his hair being a forelock at the front that teasingly dangled between his eyes. But their smiles were the same, contagious and bright and friendly.
"So, are you going to be a pilot, too?" Katie asked Shinji as the parents and older brothers talked around them.
"Yeah. Fighter pilot." Shinji said with a grin. He glanced at Shiro beside him, who was laughing at something Matt had said. Shinji's grin grew some as he said, "How else am I going to beat Takashi's simulator times?" He turned back to Katie. "And you? Takashi mentioned you've already been accepted to the Garrison, but will enter next year."
Like Matt, she had been been offered early acceptance to the Garrison. However, unlike Matt, Katie had turned down the offer. While Matt had always known he had wanted to go to space, Katie wasn't as sure. Sure, she liked the idea, but she also had strongly thought about engineering fields outside of the military and space aspects, particularly medical engineering. She had only recently decided that she at the very least wanted the training and would start at the Garrison with the other students her age.
"Yeah, I have the aptitudes for both communications and engineer, apparently. But I'm not sure yet which I'll do." Katie said.
Katie didn't jump when suddenly a long, thin arm wrapped around her shoulders and Tali pulled her into a hug.
"The answer is easy. Join the engineering sisterhood, Katie!" Tali said teasingly.
"Hey, don't you lead my baby sister astray." Matt said, turning to grin at Tali. "Communications is where all the fun's at, you know."
Tali scoffed, putting a hand on her hip, her other arm still around Katie's shoulders.
"Clearly you have a twisted definition of the word 'fun'." Tali said, eyes glittering. Katie grinned, knowing that the two were only teasing each other, as usual.
"Katie could be a pilot, you know." Shiro said suddenly, making both his teammates splutter, Matt rushing to put his hands over Katie's ears.
"Blasphemy!" Matt said jokingly. "Don't listen to him, Katie!"
"The world of science needs this baby's beautiful brain!" Tali said dramatically, throwing both arms around Katie again while giving Shiro a horrified look.
Katie giggled, surprised to see Shiro get into the playful banter Matt and Tali usually engaged, the 'Whose position was better and more important and more fun?' one where there were absolutely no hard feelings at the end, just a lot of laughter. Shiro was the one who stayed out of it and smiled patiently while they went at it, occasionally rolling his eyes and then give Katie a look that said 'What can you do?' that always made her grin. But to her further surprise, Shiro seemed fairly serious.
"Math and science is just as important to a pilot as it is to communications and engineers." He said. "But, in all honesty, a pilot with a better understanding of math and science would be more beneficial to missions like this. Besides, Matt, weren't you the one who was complaining about how Katie bested your first-year simulator time when she was in sixth grade?" He looked at Katie. "I'm surprised they didn't test your aptitude for being a pilot as well."
"Oh, well," Katie said, blushing some. "My simulator scores are just okay. But my math and science have always been great, so it was kind of agreed that I'd just be tested for those two positions."
"Well," Shiro said, giving her a small smile. "For what it's worth, I think you could still be a great pilot someday."
Katie's blush deepened as she stumbled around a 'Thank you'.
Everyone lauded her academic record. Her high IQ, her perfect test scores, her aptitude for computers and robotics. Even her extra-curricular activities highlighted her genius: The captain of the robotics club; the only fifth grader to be on her private school's junior high division math team; and, not as publically known, she was currently working on equipment that could be used to pick up various information like sound waves from beyond the reaches of the solar system.
But no one had ever thought she should be a pilot. Sure, she had thought about it a lot, read all the manuals that were available at her school and even a few from her father's library, but she had never put too much thought into it. It'd be cool, definitely, but she'd never be great. She'd like to try someday, just to know the basics.
But having Shiro say that she could be… Having anyone say that she could be was great… But hearing Shiro say it—Shiro who was still considered a kid but the most idolized pilot in the whole world, even before he was awarded any medals or chosen for Kerberos—made her wonder if it was actually possible.
Maybe it wasn't such a far-fetched idea after all.
"So, Shiro, where's Keith hiding?" Tali asked, looking around the ballroom.
"He has a simulator test in the morning," Shiro said. "So it was better he stay in the dorms and rest up for it."
"I have a feeling Iverson also had a part in this," Tali said, hand on her hip. "Because we both know Keith could pass a simulator test in his sleep."
"Who's Keith?" Shinji and Katie asked at the same time.
"Well, because Shiro already wasn't enough of a good person between getting some of the best grades at the Garrison—" Matt said.
"—And best simulator scores." Tali added.
"—And tutoring other students." Matt added.
"—And organizing the annual food and toy drive." Tali said, now ticking off things on her fingers.
"—And rescuing cats from trees and helping little old ladies across the street…" Matt said.
"Hey, it was only one cat and it was just a little kitten!" Shiro said.
"Anyways," Tali said, waving a hand to brush away Shiro's comment. "Because Mister I'm-So-Perfect over here embodies all that is good and pure in the universe, the Garrison recruited him for outreach."
"What does that mean?" Shinji asked, brow furrowing.
"Oh, you know. School visits preaching the good ol' Garrison Gospel. Tour the world, visit space and all that." Tali said.
"But I was also asked to mentor a kid who has high simulator scores." Shiro said, taking control before Tali or Matt could continue in their teasing praise. Katie tried to hide her smile at seeing how Shiro's blush went to his ears, though it was hard to see with his natural skin tone. "He's actually about to finish his first year at the Garrison. Shinji, you might have some classes with him. His full name is Keith Kwan. He's a good kid. A bit of a loner, but he's a good friend once he warms up to you. A phenomenal pilot, too."
"Shiro's practically adopted him." Matt said. "Or Keith's adopted Shiro. We're not sure which."
"Poor kid's going to be wandering around like a lost puppy while you're gone." Tali said. Shiro gave her a look and opened his mouth, but she waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, Shiro. I'll look out for him. Make sure he eats and force him to interact with his peers and all that good stuff. I promise."
"Keith's an orphan. He stays at a group home when the Garrison's on break. He was a bit of a wild child until Shiro got ahold of him," Matt confided in Katie and Shinji later as Shiro got dragged away to shake hands with someone. "He's a good kid, like Shiro said. I think Shiro's worried about him, though."
"Takashi's always worrying about someone." Shinji said with a small smile. "He can be such a mother hen somedays. But I think it's what makes him such a good pilot. He looks out for his crew and keeps track of everything and everyone."
"It makes people want to follow him." Katie said, without realizing she had said anything. "Because he may worry, but it shows the heart behind the orders. He won't do anything that purposefully hurts anyone, won't ask anyone to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He won't do anything too risky or take all the credit for himself."
"You've got him nailed down to the tee, Katie." Tali said, accepting a drink from a passing waiter. "To. The. Tee."
Five months and five days after take-off:
The second time Katie Holt met Shinji Shirogane, the mood was much less celebratory.
It wasn't a funeral. It was a memorial service. A funeral implied that there was bodies to bury or cremate.
Three bodies, floating around in space for all eternity.
Katie sat ramrod straight on the pew beside her mother, staring straight ahead. A bundle of tissues were clenched in her fists in her lap, but she didn't use any of them, instead passing them back and forth to the two women beside her: her mother on her right, and Tali on her left.
She looked past all the flowers, the three portraits displayed on easels. She ignored the comforting words of the minister, and the translator dutifully repeating every word into Japanese for the Shirogane relatives who spoke little to no English, as well as for the official broadcast in Japan. She instead decided to focus on the stained-glass that made up the back wall of the church, an artist's interpretation of Jesus ascending into Heaven to the shock of his followers, all on the ground.
She couldn't help but feel like there couldn't have been a better scene that represented the current situation and how she felt. Her dad, Matt, Shiro… three of the most perfect men she had ever known… all so good and kind-hearted and smart… gone up into the heavens, leaving those still on the ground stunned.
Katie tore her eyes away and looked across to the other front pew. Dr. Shirogane sitting just as straight as Katie, his daughter pressing her face into his side to hide her tears. His hand in his daughter's hair, holding her tightly as his own tears silently slid down his cheeks. On his other side, Mrs. Shirogane rocked back and forth, silently sobbing into her own tissues. And Shinji, in his Garrison uniform, the orange and white the only color in the room. Like her, he stared straight ahead, past everything in front of him.
She had to talk to him. She couldn't find time before the service, where she stood beside her mother in the church foyer across from the Shirogane family. Shinji had been swarmed by so many family members; aunts, uncles, cousins, his grandparents… Katie had been surrounded by family as well. Then there were so many people coming up to shake her hand, so many Garrison officials and strangers and family friends. Matt, Shiro and Tali's friends from the Garrison, including a few girls who had flanked Tali leading up to the ceremony, when Mrs. Holt had grabbed Tali and insisted she sit with the family, which had made the usually composed Tali start to sob.
Katie closed her eyes. The reception, where all those who hadn't been able to fill up the sanctuary would come and offer their condolences. She would get Shinji aside at the reception. She would tell him about her suspicions. How things didn't sound right. About how the questions she and her mother asked were answered with "That's classified information".
Why was it classified? She wondered. What exactly was the Garrison hiding from a grieving widow and mother? A daughter and sister? Did the Shiroganes get the same answer about their beloved son and brother?
Katie wanted answers. She was so sure Shinji would be the same.
Which was why she tried to separate from her mother as soon as they got into the reception hall, which was essentially another session of hand-shaking and accepting condolences. Muttering a feeble excuse about going to the bathroom, she zeroed in on Shinji and tried to get to him as fast as possible. However, in her haste, she bumped into someone.
"Sorry." The person said immediately, turning to look at Katie, who blinked, stunned. She looked up at the speaker, a boy about two years older than her, also in an orange and white Garrison uniform.
He looked East Asian, with shaggy black hair with long bangs and longer hair around his neck and deep dark eyes rimmed with purplish bruises similar to the ones around Katie's own eyes. Like her, he hadn't been able to sleep for the last several nights. Maybe had spent a few of those nights crying as well. Briefly, she wondered if he was one of the Shirogane's relatives. But then she saw the brass nametag pinned to his chest: KWAN. Not a Japanese name. But it was familiar name.
"You're Keith." She blurted out before she could stop herself. He nodded, not even looking surprised.
"And you must be Matt's sister. Catherine?" He said, his mouth twisting some and his eyebrows furrowing at his attempt to remember her name.
"Katelyn." Katie corrected. "But everyone calls me Katie. You… You knew Matt? And Shiro?"
"Yeah." Keith said quietly. "I… Yeah. I'm sorry. For your loss."
"Thank you." Katie said, nodding her head some. Before either of them could force more awkward conversation, Keith bowed his head, then turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Katie watched him for a moment, then started back on her path towards Shinji. She stopped a few steps away, watching as Shinji stood silently as a tall, lanky Latino boy and a slightly taller and stockier boy with darker skin, both in Garrison uniforms. She got close enough to hear the conversation.
"—So, basically, your brother was the whole reason I wanted to go to Garrison in the first place." The Latino boy was saying. Pidge took a bit of pity on the boy, being prone to nervous rambles herself. "He's my hero. And… And I don't know why I'm telling you all this, other than I'm just really just so sad he's gone, and I can't offer enough condolences. Your brother was a great guy, an amazing pilot and—"
"Yes." Shinji said tightly. "He was. Thank you, Cadet Sanchez-Garcia, Cadet Kekoa, for your condolences. If you will excuse me…"
Shinji turned and walked away, leaving both boys standing stunned. Katie frowned and pushed between them to get to Shinji.
"Excuse me!" She said as she squeezed past, evoking a yelp from the Latino boy.
"Shinji!" Katie called, slowing down as Shinji froze, turning to face her. "Shinji, can we talk? In private?'
Shinji stared at her suspiciously, but nodded, gesturing with his head towards a door that led to a nearby kitchen.
They stepped into the hall and Shinji said,
"What is it?"
She explained her doubts, her concerns, her suspicions. Her plans and determination to discover the truth.
He let her finish. He didn't interrupt. But he didn't look particularly interested, or angered, or even upset. His face was just blank.
"So, I feel like we need to figure out what really happened." Katie finished breathlessly.
"You are delusional." Shinji said in a low voice.
Katie blinked, feeling herself taking an unconscious, defensive step backwards.
"I'm not delusional." She argued. "Something is going on, a cover up or something. We both know Shiro was too good of a pilot for it to be pilot error like the Garrison claims."
"Takashi was a good pilot, yes. But he was also human, Katie." Shinji said, voice tight. "Humans make errors. And what does it matter anyway, if it is a cover-up? That isn't going to bring anyone—not Takashi, not your dad, not Matt—back to life. They're dead, Katie. Nothing's going to change that."
With that, he pushed past her, leaving her alone.
She stood there shaking, the tears finally coming to her for the first time that day, despite promising herself that she wouldn't cry. Not today. Not in front of other people. She clenched her fists and curled her lips.
Fine, then, She thought. I'll just do this on my own.
TO: SSHIROGANE
FROM: KHOLT314
SUBJECT: KERBEROS
Dear Shinji,
Despite what you insisted the last time we spoke, I am not delusional. Maybe it won't make a difference, and maybe it won't bring my dad and our brothers back to life, but it will bring closure. That's what my mom says. (She, by the way, does NOT think I am delusional.)
Since we have last spoken, I have hacked as far as I can into the Garrison's information about the Kerberos mission. There was a log, one that indicated that the crew landed on Kerberos without any problem. That they were conducting research. No recording of a lift-off, though. The last entry was from my dad. They were going to collect ice samples.
But they never came back.
So, if they got to Kerberos just fine, and were actually doing research on the planet, why is the Garrison still insisting on calling this a 'pilot error'?
Katie Holt
TO: KHOLT314
FROM: SSHIROGANE
SUBJECT: RE: KERBEROS
Katie,
You do realize you are sending this to my Galaxy Garrison e-mail address, correct?
Seriously, give it up already. Don't contact me again.
SS
TO: SSHIROGANE
FROM: KHOLT314
SUBJECT: NOT PILOT ERROR!
Shinji,
I am contacting you to inform you that your request for me to not contact you again has been denied.
Oh, and thanks for tipping off Commander Iverson. I'm presuming it was you. Just had to endure him in my living room lecturing me about confidential, classified information and how it wasn't for little girls. Gave him the memory stick with all that I had downloaded. Or, at least, that's what he thinks.
Think about it, it doesn't make sense! Why call it pilot error when it could simply be "Oh, whoops, spacesuit malfunction" or something? Are they intentionally trying to put the fault on Shiro and if so why?
Also, have been building a device that can pick up sound-waves all the way to Kerberos and beyond. I keep getting one word, or what sounds like a word. It's "Voltron". I'm still trying to do some research as to what it is, but I'm running into too many dead ends. Have you heard of this word by any chance?
Katelyn Holt
TO: KHOLT314
FROM: SSHIROGANE
SUBJECT: RE: NOT PILOT ERROR!
Katelyn,
It's not a cover up. Obviously the Garrison is still trying to analyze exactly what happened, but have a general idea, enough to get people off their backs. Get over yourself.
And I don't know what a "Voltron" is. Your stupid machine is probably making some weird sound that sounds like that.
I mean it: do not contact me again.
SS
P.S. And yes, I was the one who told Iverson.
TO: SSHIROGANE
FROM: KHOLT314
SUBJECT: RE: NOT PILOT ERROR!
Shinji,
Then why don't they just say so?
No, it's not my machine. And my machine is smarter than you and always will be.
And no.
Katelyn
P.S. You suck.
TO: KHOLT314
FROM: SSHIROGANE
SUBJECT: OLIVE BRANCH
Katelyn,
After a great deal of thought, I do see that your theories do have some weight. I would like to help you in all further investigation of this cover-up. How would you like an opportunity to get into the staff computers here at the Garrison? I can sneak you in and out. I know you've gotten in before, making excuses to talk to the instructors and that sort of thing. But that's only during business hours and probably not enough time for you to get everything. We have a free-night in town coming up, and all the instructors have to be nearby to keep a watch on the students. It'd be the perfect opportunity for you to have all the time you need.
SS
TO: SSHIROGANE
FROM: KHOLT314
SUBJECT: RE: OLIVE BRANCH
Shinji,
Thank you so much! I'm so glad that I was finally able to convince you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's exactly what I need and I promise you I'll share everything I discover! Just tell me the date, time and where we should meet up!
Katie
Eleven months after take-off, five months before The Arrival:
Katie couldn't even begin to process what had just happened.
Escorted off the Garrison premises. Banned from setting foot there again. Her acceptance retracted.
She didn't understand. She was supposed to have a full hour. She was so close… Shinji promised her that no one would be around. And yet Iverson shows up, guards in tow, awaiting orders.
And now she had two guards standing over her where she sat fuming on the bus stop bench, waiting for the next bus back to the city.
"It's a long drive home. How about I buy you a drink for the road?"
She looked up to see Shinji in his Garrison uniform. All around them, she could see more uniform-clad students milling around on their rare one night a month in town, the one night they could come and go as they pleased. The one night that Shinji insisted would be the best day for her to come.
Shinji smiled up at the guards, but it wasn't the smile that she remembered, the one that was so much like Shiro's. This one… This one had very little life in it. It was forced.
"I promise I'll have her back here before her bus arrives. Please, I just want to spend a few minutes with my old friend, Miss Holt."
The guards exchanged a look, then one pointed to a covered pavilion lined with vending machines.
"That is as far as you can go." The guard said.
Shinji nodded and started walking. Katie followed.
"What happened?" She asked as she followed him. "You said I would have an hour. What went wrong? Iverson was supposed to be here. So why'd he go back?"
"I'm not quite sure." Shinji said, pulling out his wallet and examining the drink choices of a soda machine. "Are you more of a Coke or Pepsi kind of person?"
"Forget about the drinks for a moment," Katie said. "Iverson was too well prepared. And he's basically torn my Garrison acceptance letter to shreds. I'm not allowed anywhere near the property ever again."
"Wow." Shinji said, now feeding the vending machine quarters. "That's going to put a dent in this operation of yours."
"Argh!" Katie exclaimed, kicking the nearest vending machine. She heard something fall to the bottom of the machine, and she quickly checked it, hoping for something good, something to improve her mood. She frowned. Only peanuts. She loved peanut butter, but hated peanuts. They were too dry…
Then, suddenly something clicked into her head.
"You don't seem that upset about this," She said, glaring up at Shinji, who popped open his can of soda. "Especially considering this was your idea."
Shinji didn't say anything, only took a long sip of his drink.
Katie straightened up, fists balling at her side.
"You set me up, didn't you?" She said through gritted teeth. "You invited me here, helped me get in, then tipped off Iverson, didn't you?"
"I still can't believe you fell for it." Shinji said. "But I knew you wouldn't give up otherwise. You're too stubborn, Katie. But you were going to get yourself hurt."
"You said you would help me! You lied to me! You betrayed me!" Katie yelled. "Yes, I'm hurt, but you're the one responsible!"
Shinji stared at her evenly.
"Do everyone a favor, Katelyn Holt, and let the dead rest in peace." He said. "And do yourself a favor and do what I did: get grief counseling."
He turned to see one of the guards approaching, the bus pulling into the station.
"I believe your ride is here." He said.
Katie held back the tears as best she could.
"I will never forgive you for this, Shinji Shirogane." She hissed. "I'm going to find out what happened, and Iverson can't stop me. You can't stop me. I'm going to find out the truth no matter what."
With that, she stormed off, marching past the confused guard and getting on the bus without a word.
She did have a long ride, full of brushing away hot tears.
She closed her eyes, and thought of the video feeds, the information she had gotten before Iverson interrupted her. Before Shinji betrayed her.
The video feeds, the cameras that recorded everything from every angle outside the windshield. Hearing the voice of her father, her brother, Shiro, as they laughed and celebrated the safe arrival onto Kerberos.
There was no crash. There was no pilot error at all.
So what did happen? Where was her family? Where was Dad and Matt?
She opened her eyes and stared out the window.
She was going to find out. She had to find out. She was not going to stop searching, even if she was the only one.
And, on that bus ride, she slowly starting to piece together her next plan.
She was going to get back into Galaxy Garrison.
But she wasn't going to do so as Katelyn Holt.
It was on that bus-ride home that Katie Holt died. And Katie Holt was going to stay dead until she proved that her father and brother weren't dead. Until her family was whole again.
From the ashes, Pidge Gunderson was born.