The Solaris Irregulars
Part 14: The Burden of Command
ComStar Satellite Facility Alpha-Five
Portland, New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
Cairo sat on the cliff top and looked down at the waves crashing below, the sun colouring them a golden hue. After the Spirit Sight had arrived at the Nadia jump-point with Jackson Davion on board two weeks ago, he had been less than surprised to find Simon Clearwater waiting at the recharge station for him. The ComStar Precentor had said how sorry he was over the death of Akira Takayama, and how he would personally see to it that his family was taken care of.
Cairo believed the second part, but not the first: the look in Clearwater's eyes had told him that the mysterious 'HPG administrator' saw the death as merely a foot note, a statistic. Cairo found himself asking himself for the hundredth time why he had agreed to help. He knew Word of Blake didn't like him, and would be happy to see him dead, but they where after Steven Cairo, and he had a set of travel papers in his real name, Steven Clark, hidden in his personal effects.
He heard the rumbling roar from a heavy VTOL over the crashing waves, headed towards the facility's helipad. It wasn't until the transport turned for the final approach that he saw the markings on the side: Armstrong-1, the first Princesses VTOL. He had known this moment would come for a long time, but he dreaded it none the less.
He glanced around the compound, and saw at lest a dozen security agents, all of them looking at him intently. He knew that there would be twice as many that he couldn't see. He shrugged, and then straightened his jacket. A door on the side of the VTOL swung down, and a man Cairo recognized as Tancred Sandoval stepped out, had a look around, and then helped his fiancé from the transport. Yvonne Steiner-Davion looked stunning in the simple blue dress, and Cairo understood why her people adored her. Even her shadow flattered her, the thin wisp of black dance his direction.
He watched as the first Princes of the Federated Suns walked towards him. He bowed as she reached him. She smiled, "I assure you Captain Cairo, it is I who should honour you. You saved my cousin, and by that, possibly my realm."
Cairo shook his head, "I did very little, your majesty: It was Star-Commodore Ivan Leroux and his crew who rescued your cousin. I was merely there."
The first Princes smiled again "My brother Victor tells me that if not for you, the Solaris Irregulars would never have been formed, and the Spirit Sight would not have been in a position to help. But I must ask: why did you get involved in all this? You are not from the Inner Sphere, and I doubt Word of Blake would have any interest in a..." she trailed off, ashamed of what she had been about to say.
Cairo smile "You can say it: a small Periphery world that dos not matter in the grand scheme of things. Don't worry; it's true. I had the chance to walk away and let history take it course, but I didn't. You can tell the Preccentor Martial that I fight for my own reasons, and that I fight on his side should be enough for him. I mean nether of you any disrespect, but I lost a good man during the fight with the Sword of Blake, and the Spirit Sight lost five crewmembers. We were able to save fifty-three survivors from the Melissa Davion, out of a crew of two hundred and ninety-four. I'm sure that there will be a memorial to them somewhere, but I'm not used to dealing with death on such a large scale. Until a year ago I was a mere lieutenant, only responsible for twenty lives, twenty-one if you count my daughter." He had to hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes, "Now I'm a Captain, and I have over one hundred people relying on me to make the right decisions, and to keep them safe. I don't like it, but it's what I have to do. I know your responsible for a entire nation, but your have advisors, and regional governments to do most of the work: I'm all that between the people under my command and death." As Cairo finished, his shadow seemed to agree with him, swelling with the courage that he had to show to even speak so candidly, nonetheless speak of his hardships as Captain.
Yvonne Steiner-Davion placed her hand on his cheek "You remind me of my brother Peter: He found his way, so will you. Good luck, Captain Cairo."
And with that, she left, her shadow dancing back to the VTOL, and the flaring lights from the ship, matching the sun, left Cairo seeing stars, as he slowly began to walk away, his shadow still matching his thoughts, still proud, still brave, still worried, still sad.
Still sad that he had to keep putting his friends and compatriots into danger.
TBC...