August 20th, 2168 CE
Jasper sighs as he flops onto the bed, thoroughly spent. His roommate, Dajana Lončar, rolls her eyes at his dramatics. "Come on Shepard, if we don't get to the mess on time, they'll have our heads."
"Lončar, I'm tempted to let them have it. They've already taken everything else." The instructors at the academy were nothing like his old track coach. They didn't settle for your best, you had to go beyond all limits put before you. No matter what the cost. Tough love, they call it. He scoffs at the notion. She huffs and tugs harshly on his left arm. Jasper hisses through his teeth and half-heartedly glares at her. She simply stares until he reluctantly rises to his feet, his stance rigid. She exits the room, with him following stiffly at her heel.
Once they reach the mess, he grows even stiffer. The quiet organization of the academy still stands in sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of his old schools' cafeterias, or the easy camaraderie pleasant in the messes of the Einstein and other ships. He quickly steps into line and waits his turn. Once he's gone through and gotten his rations, he seats himself in the furthest corner of the room. He doesn't feel comfortable giving anyone his back yet. He feels so alone here, and he's been having these awful headaches... He eats, but the rations they have on hand aren't as flavorful as what he's used to. It's not terrible, but it's not good either. Just, bland. He finishes quickly, and cleans up even quicker. He makes his way back to the barracks, intent on sleeping to dull the pain coursing through his body and mind.
March 15th, 2169 CE
"What?" Jasper's body goes cold. His eyes widen in disbelief, his palms growing sweaty. When his instructor pulled him from class because his mother was here, he'd been ecstatic. But this…
"I'm sorry son, I'm told he fought until the bitter end, but—"
"No! He's not dead! You can't just—" Hannah grabs her son from behind, pulling him away from the comm. Jasper squirms, but despite the past few months of training, his mother is still stronger than he is.
"Thank you, Admiral. We'll need some time to… to process this." Hannah's tears flow freely down her cheeks, but she keeps her composure. She must. Headmaster Nivens looks at her with understanding, but when their gaze shifts to Jasper, she sees only disappointment in their eyes.
"That's understandable. We'll go back to look for his remains when we can, but there's no telling how long the pirates will persist. The Alliance is sorry for your loss. Hackett out." The comm shuts off. Jasper cries out, angry that he isn't being listened to. Hannah hugs him tighter, pressing her face to his hair. Mother and son stay locked together for a moment, before Jasper slumps to the ground with a sob, turning to bury his face in his mother's shoulder while she does her best to comfort him. While they had been taking breakfast, the SSV Carrhae had come under fire from Batarian pirates. There had been only a handful of survivors. Isaac Shepard was not among them. The embrace lasts only a few minutes before her omni tool buzzes with a new comm. She takes a deep breath to regain her composure, before pulling him to his feet.
"Thank you, Headmaster Nivens, for allowing me to include him. I know his schedule is busy." Hannah salutes Nivens, who nods.
"It was for the best, Lieutenant Shepard. Jasper is an excellent student, he could spare the time, and it's better to handle these things with delicacy in the early days. I'm afraid he'll have to face some disciplinary action for that outburst, though." They narrow their eyes at the still sniffling teen, who does his best to stifle his grief and stand straight.
"I understand, and I have to take this on the Einstein." She pats her son on the back, hand lingering a few seconds before returning to her side. "Goodbye, I'll be in touch." She leaves swiftly, sadly recognizing that her time here is up.
"Shepard. Report to the gate as soon as your classes end. An instructor will provide you with your tasks for the next week. Dismissed." Nivens nods to the door. He nods shakily, leaving the room and returning to class. He barely registers the rest of the day, numb with the pain and helplessness of it all.
April 21st, 2169 CE
Jasper stares despondently down at the stone bearing his father's name. His first visit to Texas, and his pa wasn't here to show him around like he'd promised. Jasper's thoughts went back to his report, how he'd thought to dismiss the beauty of this place because of its bloody history. He should've listened. If he'd just changed his report, if he hadn't pushed Mason over the edge…
Hannah places a comforting hand on the small of her son's back. Isaac had been an only child, and his parents had long since passed away. There was no one there but the two of them. Jasper couldn't know the details of the attack. Isaac, her Kerze, had always been a bit of a hotshot, and he'd paid the price more than once. But it had never been this heavy before. With him gone, she worries about what will become of Jasper. She's getting a promotion to Lieutenant Commander soon, and with him only in his second semester of academy, he'll feel so alone.
Jasper murmurs. "Es tut mir leid, Pa." Hannah freezes. Her eyes go dark.
"Jasper. Don't. We've talked about this," She holds her son firmly by the shoulders, her hazel gaze boring into his grays.
"But… But if I'd just listened to him, he wouldn't have been—"
"No. They'd been planning to transfer him anyways. If not to the Carrhae, then to some other ship in the Traverse. You had nothing to do with this." Hannah feels the fight rising in him. She narrows her eyes. Jasper clenches his fists. A moment passes, but it feels like an eternity. Jasper crumples and looks away, back to the cold stone. Hannah follows suit. They stand there for a few minutes, remembering happier times. Rain begins to fall. They stand for a few more minutes. It rains harder. Hannah, the water soaking through her blues, pats Jasper's own soggy suit shoulders. "Come, schatz. We have to go. We'll come back to see him again; I promise."
With reluctant steps, Jasper walks away from his father's stone. Back with his mother, back to the academy. A part of him never leaves.
May 19th, 2170 CE
Mindoir is under attack. Jasper can barely believe the words as he sees them scrolling through the extranet. He freezes, his thoughts turning to Mason for the first time in almost a year. His mother's ship was near there the last time they'd spoken over comms. Qasim Jagoda, his roommate for the year, looks over at him with a puzzled frown. "Shepard?"
"Mindoir. It's… They're…" Jasper is still running through his own mind, imagining all the worst-case scenarios. Will he be an orphan now? What if they come for Arcturus? What if—
"Breathe." Qasim pulls away his datapad, looking at him with a carefully neutral expression. "Do you need me to get the doctor?" Doctor Jones, the academy counselor, had done wonders to help Jasper bounce back from his father's death. Jasper shakes his head. He doesn't need to see them right now. Qasim nods, then throws the datapad into a drawer. He returns to scrolling through his own datapad on his bed. Jasper just stares at the ceiling, thankful for the intervention. He forcefully turns his mind to their recent assignment about final test on battlefield tactics…
May 27th, 2170 CE
"Nein, geh nicht... Bitte... Ich liebe..." Jasper murmurs, his breath hitching. Tears soak into his pillow. Ma had finally commed today. She'd said that there was nothing they could do. The Batarians had taken almost everyone on Mindoir before Alliance forces could assist the Einstein and what few other ships had been in the area. His mind had gone once again to that fight two years ago. Mason, a bully though he might have been, didn't deserve a life as some Batarian's plaything. No one did. His thoughts had inevitably gone back to their time together, and as stressful as it was, Jasper couldn't deny the ache in his heart. He'd loved Mason once, and it hurt to know that he was most likely gone forever.
"Bitte, komm einfach zu mir zurück…" More murmuring. He dreams of Mason and his father, running towards the Batarians with their heads held high, rifles at the ready. He sees the harpoons arcing towards them. He hears their gasping screams as they find their mark and the vacuum of space sets in, robbing them of precious air. He sees their hollow eyes staring out at him accusingly from the filthy cages, reaching out to… to…
"…ard! Shepard!" Qasim shakes him roughly to reality. Jasper shoots up with a gasp, knocking his forehead into the other teen's chin. Both groan and clutch the affected areas. Jasper looks up at him apologetically after a moment.
"Sorry Jagoda, bad dreams, I guess." Qasim rubs his mouth, checking for chipped teeth. He nods slowly, sympathy in his eyes.
"You were screaming. Something in German. Looked like you were reaching for something." Jasper looks away guiltily, remembering a little of what he'd thought of while caught in the depths of sleep.
"Didn't mean to worry you. What time is it?" Jasper looks around and sees daylight streaming in from a crack in the curtains.
"Just after 0500. We might as well dress. I heard someone running down the hall earlier. You must've spooked a fresh one." Qasim smirks. Jasper scoffs, looking at him with mock disapproval.
"Jagoda, you know that we're meant to serve as an example to the youth, not run them ragged." Qasim chuckles. Jasper laughs too, pulling him in for a quick kiss. Qasim parts from him after a few seconds with a wide grin.
"Well Shepard, maybe refrain from imitating the fire alarm from now on." Jasper mock-scowls and almost pelts him with a pillow, but he hears strong footfalls drawing near, and stands to attention from the bed instead. The door opens, and an instructor enters. Jasper and Qasim salute him. He nods to Qasim.
"Jagoda, back to bed with you." His eyes turn to Jasper. "Shepard, with me. Ten laps and then report to Doctor Jones for an eval." Jasper bites back a groan. This'll be fun.
January 6th, 2171 CE
"Thank you again, Doctor Jones. For everything." Jasper shakes hands with the academy therapist, sad to conclude their time together. While he'd been worried when they'd insisted on the necessity of therapy, he found himself looking forward to every visit these days. Jones had taught him so much about himself, and how to deal with his nightmares. He'll miss them a lot.
"It's always good to see you, Jasper. I'm sorry to leave you. If you ever need to talk, I'm just a comm away, understand?" Jones has a gentle way about them, it makes people let their guard down. They are one of the Alliance's best, and it shows. Jasper hopes he can learn to do the same, some day. It would be nice to help people with their problems. It's good, calm work.
"I understand, Doctor Jones. Take care." Jasper waves over his shoulder as he walks out the door. Jones is leaving for a new posting on the Citadel. Jasper is a little envious. He hopes that someday, he can see it too. If the stories are anything to go by, it's unbelievably beautiful there…
April 29th, 2171 CE
Jasper falls to his knees in front of the climbing wall, his head splitting. The headaches have been worsening as of late, but he's made the mistake of waiting to see if they become debilitating before reporting to the instructors. One of them strides over with fury, but Jasper closes his eyes and hisses, fisting his hands into his flattop as another wave of agony rolls over him. He feels hands yanking him to his feet, guiding him roughly towards the east, the medical building. Great. The next wave bowls him over again, and he sees spots behind his eyelids. The sound of groans drives out all else. His body begins to spasm, and the spots intensify, taking on a purplish-blue hue. Then the world goes dark.
May 11th, 2171 CE
Jasper gasps heavily as he tries once again to pull the box towards him. His biotics encompass it with a faint glow, but nothing more. The biotics instructor, Ježek, scoffs at his pathetic attempts at a standard pull. They glare at him, disappointment plain to see.
"Shepard. Focus." They believe in action, not words, so his previous attempts to explain that he's doing all he can fell on deaf ears. As near as the doctors can tell, his manifestation is because of a secondary Eezo exposure. Probably from his time hanging out on the engineering deck on the Einstein. The Chief Engineer, De Smet, found his queries refreshing at the time, Jasper hopes she's not in trouble for what's happening. Pain pulls him from his thoughts. He's pushing too hard. The box just won't move. The glow around it begins to fade, and the glow around his outstretched hand sputters into a loose collection of sparks, like dying stars. He falls to his knees, spent. Ježek makes a disgusted noise from somewhere behind him, then thrusts a juice box under his chin.
"Drink. You're done." He freezes at the lack of specification. Is this it? Are they flunking him out of the academy? No. Damnit, he was so close to graduation. Just one more year. He punches the straw through the top, and drinks as swiftly as he can without causing a bout of hiccups. Ježek shakes their head and activates their omni tool.
"Nivens. I'm dropping Shepard from the course. His biotics are weak as a kitten, and we'll get nothing by wasting our time on them." He feels his shoulders slump. Ma will be so disappointed in him. Brought down because he couldn't mind his own business on her own post. Ježek then thrusts a protein bar into his crestfallen face, and numbly, he takes it. They return their focus to their comm with Nivens, but he's no longer paying attention. He's going down his list of options for what to do next. As he eats, the comm ends, and Ježek goes over to the other cadets, giving feedback as if they haven't put an end to his aspirations. He gets up and awaits further instruction. Another instructor enters the room, and he stands at attention, waiting for the inevitable. There are no words for the relief he feels when they arrive at a different classroom instead of the dorms.
April 11th, 2172 CE
Jasper lets out a breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding. He's lying on his side, looking at his datapad, while his partner, Seisyll Vaughn, is drifting in and out of sleep with their face pressing into the meat of his back. He'd officially enlisted today, and had just gotten confirmation. He'd be going through OCS after graduation. Pa would've been so proud of him… His omni tool buzzes. Ma. He answers the comm.
"Schatz. I heard from the headmaster that you enlisted today." She's upset. Seisyll shifts uncomfortably, and then awkwardly gets to their feet from their place behind him. They exit the room as quietly as they can. Jasper shoots them an apologetic smile as they go, to which they smile back and mouth 'good luck' before fully shutting the door.
"Yeah, it just… It feels like the right thing to do." He straightens as she hums. She'd wanted him to do something in medicine after graduation, to play it safe. He couldn't live with himself if he did. He knows that she knows that. After a minute of silence, she sighs.
"Alright. I guess that's that, then." He blinks. He'd thought it would be more… intense than this. They sit in awkward silence for a few minutes, before she speaks again. "I hope you're ready for what comes next, schatz. It's not going to be easy."
"I know, Ma. It's just… It's the right thing to do. I'm sure of it." Ma hums. "Ma, there's something I—"
There's some noise on her end, she groans. "I should go. I love you, schatz." The comm cuts off. Jasper sighs. She's been so busy lately. But he's glad he was right about her coming around. He gets up from the bed, and exits the room to look for Seisyll, to let them know that the potential danger is past. He hopes that he can at least introduce them to Ma before he ships out.
July 22nd, 2172 CE
"Look alive. I am Major Dolby, and I will be your guide to the wonderful and terrifying world of technology. You are here because the Alliance thinks I can make decent Engineers out of you." The bespectacled man rakes his critical eyes over Jasper's class disdainfully. "I have my doubts." He activates his omni tool. "See this? This is your life now. While the grunts learn all the fancy ways of shooting at the enemy, you will be learning to dismantle them outright. Now…" Dolby proceeds to give them a presentation on the basic functions of their specialized omni tools, focusing on an ability he refers to as 'Overload.'
Dolby signals to the back corner of the tent, where a stern looking woman stands and makes her way beside Dolby. "This is Gunnery Chief Sakamoto. She will be helping me determine your ability to overload an enemy's kinetic barriers." Sakamoto activates her own omni tool, fingers hovering over the console. "Miss Sakamoto will be applying an ability colloquially referred to as a 'Shield Boost' and it is your job to apply the 'Overload' and neutralize the barrier increase. Who wants to go first?"
One of the people on the far-left thrusts their hand into the air. Dolby scoffs and smiles toothily. "Well, too bad. We'll go alphabetically."
Each in the class does their best to follow Dolby's instruction, but most only get the shield down by around thirty percent. When Jasper's name comes up, he carefully calls to mind everything he's managed to glean by observing Dolby's presentation and the others' attempts. He swiftly inputs the command, flicking his wrist. The resulting flash is almost blinding. He squints his eyes instinctively. Dolby cackles. "Finally, some progress. See this, class? One of you almost has the science down." Jasper blinks, and to his astonishment, he's managed to lower the shield by forty-five percent, almost undoing the 'Shield Boost' entirely. Pride swells in his chest. Dolby's hard eyes flash into his and the feeling swiftly departs. "However, I won't settle for almost. Next."
September 26th, 2172 CE
2nd Lieutenant Jasper Shepard. He repeats it in his head, his excitement almost unbearable. He's an official Alliance officer. Pa is probably hollering with joy wherever he is now. Ma had kept in contact throughout OCS, as had Seisyll, and they'd been proud to hear that he'd graduated. He'd be touring the Terminus Systems, leading a platoon on missions as soon as his shore leave was up tomorrow. Despite the training, he's nervous about his own future performance. So many people will be relying on him to keep them alive out there. For the moment, he's waiting patiently for the SSV Stockholm to dock. Ma got some shore leave of her own, and to celebrate her birthday and his graduation, they want to spend some time in her native Frankfurt. Unfortunately, he'd have to ship out before Seisyll would be able to finish their medical training in three weeks' time.
As he sees the cruiser glide into place, he makes his way towards the landing platform with a bounce in his step. It's been too long since he's seen her in person. As soon as the airlock closes behind her, the two Shepards embrace, basking in the other's presence.
"Es ist zu lange her, Schatz." She pushes him to arm's length, appraising him with a smile. "Ich bin so stolz auf dich. Dein Vater ist es auch, wo immer er auch sein mag." He feels his eyes water as a boyish grin splits his cheeks. She grins too, her own eyes shining.
"Ja, Pa muss gerade einen Aufruhr haben." He wipes his eyes, and she lets go of him to pull up a map on her omni tool.
"Also, das erste, was Sie probieren müssen, ist die Wurst. Es gibt ein schönes Restaurant unten am Fluss." She begins walking towards the exit, and he falls quickly into step beside her. This visit to Earth will be a much happier affair than the last.
September 28th, 2172 CE
Her 48th birthday. She can hardly believe it's come and gone so quickly. Hannah Shepard looks at the ceiling pensively. Her thoughts have taken a turn for the worse, worrying over the dangers her schatz is about to face. She has faith that he will be up to the challenge, but faith is often never enough. Jasper hums happily from the bed on the other side of the room. A small smile curves her lips. Today was a blessing. To show her son around her home city was a dream come true. He was still so curious, so eager to learn about everything, even after he'd come to know the worst of their history. She knows that the drive to grow will help him survive what is to come. She turns to face him, smile growing ever fonder. He's going to do great things, her schatz. She only hopes that she lives to see it. With her thoughts shifting to dreams of a happy future full of smiles and cheers, Hannah Shepard drifts away.
September 29th, 2172 CE
Mother and son hug tightly as both prepare to board their respective vessels. The past few days have been invaluable to them both. Both know they won't reunite for a while, and simply wish to remain in contact for as long as possible. Alas, they must part. Hannah kisses Jasper's forehead before making her way back to the Stockholm, while he turns to make his way towards the Cannae. As the two Shepards enter their respective airlocks, they hope with all their might that they will see the other again someday soon.
"You must be Shepard." Jasper turns towards the gruff voice and sees a stocky woman standing with her hands behind her back.
"I am Operations Chief Gomer Côté. I lead the fire teams of the platoon. Follow me to the crews' quarters, and I'll introduce you to the rest of the marines." She nods and walks away, and he falls into step behind her, glancing around the CIC. Together, they enter the elevator, and as they descend to the crew deck, he takes a calming breath, and his eyes brim with steady determination. They enter the quarters proper, and at the sight of Côté, twelve marines rise from their bunks with pensive expressions. She stands at attention to Jasper's right side. He looks forward at the marines, his face stern and expression unreadable as he meets each of their eyes.
"Hello, I'm 2nd Lieutenant Shepard…"
October 26th 2172 CE
"Welcome to the Reykjavik, Lieutenant." Captain Inderjeet Borgogni keeps their expression neutral as they greet Jasper outside the airlock.
He salutes. "Captain."
Borgogni nods and begins walking towards their command center. He follows at a respectable distance. Once they reach the desk, Borgogni hands him a datapad. "These are the dossiers on your platoon. Most of them are on shore leave but should be back by 0500."
Jasper nods and pockets the datapad. He looks up, his brow creasing. "You said most were on shore leave, Captain?"
"Correct. Gunnery Chief Leng is down in the cargo hold, though I suggest you read his file before speaking with him. He can be… difficult." Borgogni's expression remains steady, but Jasper can read the irritation in their green eyes. He prefers to learn who his people are from them, not Alliance files, which can be inaccurate. He keeps the thought to himself though.
"Understood. Is there anything I can do now?" Borgogni eyes him, then shakes their head, turning back to their private terminal.
"No. Feel free to tour the ship. I'll comm you when the rest of your squad arrives." He nods, then makes his way to the elevator, punching in the crew deck's number. He goes about making his rounds, familiarizing himself with the area and key personnel. He then stores his belongings on his designated bunk. This done, he returns to the elevator and descends to the cargo hold. Upon exiting, he sees a man mercilessly working a sandbag in on the leftmost side of the hold. The man pauses as the elevator closes, turning his attention briefly to Jasper. He looks him up and down, sizing him up for a moment. He snorts and turns back to the bag. Jasper looks around, and spies a woman working on one of the shuttles with a blowtorch. He calmly makes his way towards her and waits patiently for her to finish.
After a few minutes, the woman finishes her suture, then takes off the welding mask and turns to face Jasper. "What?"
"Hello, I'm 2nd Lieutenant Shepard. I'm looking for Gunnery Chief Leng. Is he around?" The woman grunts.
"I'm Holst. I'll be flying you to the ground most of the time." She holds out a hand, which Jasper promptly shakes. "The show off working on the bag is Leng. Good luck." She nods her head and lowers the mask again. Jasper nods and walks towards Leng, who is still wailing on the poor piece of equipment.
"Hello, I—"
"I heard. What do you want?" Leng doesn't even look his way as he delivers a devastating roundhouse, splitting the sandbag wide open, spilling its contents all over the ground. Jasper hums.
"I like to know my people firsthand." Jasper offers his hand. Leng looks down at it with a bored expression, then looks back up at Jasper with a critical brow raised.
"You got my file, right? Read that then, and don't waste my time." Jasper's own brow rises. That's some attitude Leng's packing. It's little wonder the captain saw fit to warn him. Leng is on the move, opening the supply crate. He grunts and closes the doors after a few moments. "Holst! Call the requisitions team and tell them we need a new bag. I'm hitting the showers."
"Wasn't even finished…" Jasper hears Leng mutter under his breath. Jasper smiles, seeing an opportunity.
"In that case, why not get in a quick spar?" Jasper calls out. Leng freezes. Slowly, he turns to look at Shepard with a scowl.
"I just told you not to waste my time."
"That's awfully cocky, don't you think?" Jasper raises his brows, his expression one of mock innocence. Leng narrows his eyes and grunts, walking brusquely past Jasper, knocking their shoulders together before stopping in the middle of the hold. He turns to Jasper with a nasty smirk as he lowers into position.
"Let's get this over with then. And remember, you asked for this." Jasper hums and cracks his knuckles, entering his own low stance. For a moment, the two stand there, waiting. Leng opens with a strong jab that Jasper turns aside, throwing a hook in response. Leng leans back to avoid the blow, smirking. "Predictable."
Jasper creases his brows, stepping forward and feinting a follow-up hook, but Leng doesn't take the bait, scoffing at his attempt. Jasper frowns and shunts back. The two circle each other for a moment, before Leng rushes in with a spinning hook, which Jasper ducks, only for Leng's follow up side kick to strike him true in the chest. He grunts harshly, the blow winding him heavily, but manages to grab hold of Leng's leg, dragging him to the ground in a joint lock. Leng growls and twists to grab Jasper's neck. Jasper, having taken the precious moment to draw in air, pushes Leng away and rises to his feet, moving back out of reach. Leng rolls to the side to cover his own rise, scowling furiously. Jasper's ribs ache as he surges forward, throwing an axe handle kick which Leng sidesteps, throwing a knee towards Jasper's open flank. Jasper manages to get his leg up to block the blow, gritting his teeth as Leng's knee grinds into his shin.
Leng, still scowling, retracts his leg and throws a series of jabs and elbows, which Jasper barely manages to block or evade. He sees an opening amidst the barrage, and delivers a ducking uppercut flush to Leng's chin, staggering him. He surges forward again, this time with a strong hook, but Leng grabs his arm, quick as a flash, and catches him with a joint lock of his own. "Predictable." He drawls, a smirk adorning his lips once again.
Jasper grinds his teeth as Leng begins to twist his arm out of place, before managing to turn just enough to deliver and elbow strike to the broad of the other man's jaw. Leng twists more, and Jasper hisses under his breath in pain, then throws the elbow again, harder this time. This time, Leng does let go, rolling away to rise and assess the damage. He hums as he rubs his jaw, resuming his stance. Jasper rolls to a stand of his own, cradling his arm briefly to check the joint. It's stiffer than before, but still viable. Jasper resumes his own stance, and the two circle each other once more.
They trade blows and grapple attempts for a minute or so, with Leng clearly having the upper hand. Jasper feels frustration creeping into his strikes, throwing them slightly off center. Leng still hasn't lost that smirk of his. Jasper thinks he has an opening when Leng moves to throw his roundhouse. Jasper ducks, intent on delivering a heavy blow to Leng's outstretched abdomen, only for Leng to abort the movement into a spin and rush in with a tackle to Jasper's leg, seizing it in an agonizingly painful joint lock. He twists, swift and hard, then plants a harsh knee to the small of Jasper's back, leaning towards his face with a vicious smile, pulling his knee nearly out of its socket. "Predictable." Leng murmurs huskily, his eyes blazing victoriously.
Jasper cries out as Leng pulls his leg even more harshly. His mind races, trying to see a way out of this. Leng pulls even harder, and with gnashing teeth and clenched eyes, Jasper taps Leng thrice on the shoulder. Leng holds position for a few more agonizing seconds, before finally letting go and standing with a pleased chuff. "See? A waste of time. Next time, just listen. Okay?" Leng singsongs the last word before stalking off to the elevator. Jasper opens his eyes and gets to his feet, his left leg shaking with the effort, just in time to see a grinning Leng give him a mock salute as the elevator closes.
Holst whistles from the other side of the room. "Damn. You lasted longer than the last one, heck, you even got a decent hit in. Nice going." Jasper looks at her disbelievingly. Leng has thoroughly trounced him. Holst just chuckles and returns to the shuttle console. Jasper limps his way to the elevator, and ascends to the med bay for some treatment. This is going to be a long tour; he thinks to himself.
Author's Notes
I'm really sorry I couldn't write a better fight scene. I've been wracking my brain for a couple of days now over it. I hope someone had a good time reading this.
Translations:
Es tut mir leid, Pa. = I'm sorry, Pa.
Kerze = Candle.
Hannah's full pet name for Irwin: "Meine Kerze im Dunkeln." Or "My candle in the dark."
Nein, geh nicht... Bitte... Ich liebe... = No, don't go… Please… I love…
Bitte, komm einfach zu mir zurück… = Please, just come back to me…
Es ist zu lange her, Schatz. = It's been too long, honey.
Ich bin so stolz auf dich. Dein Vater ist es auch, wo immer er auch sein mag. = I'm so proud of you. Your father is too, wherever he might be.
Ja, Pa muss gerade einen Aufruhr haben. = Yeah, Pa must be having a riot right about now.
Also, das erste, was Sie probieren müssen, ist die Wurst. Es gibt ein schönes Restaurant unten am Fluss. = So, the first thing you must try is the sausage. There is a lovely restaurant down by the river.
Remember, criticisms are treasures. I'll hopefully see you all again by the end of the week with the second half of this chapter. Until we meet again!
