Interlude Six: Retribution

            The winds howled and screamed around them. Caroline glanced out the rift that formed the entrance to the cave they'd set the CHULAINN down in, her hair whipping around her in the wind. They had been running from the Guild for several weeks until they had found refuge in this ravine in the Grand Stream. Even though the winds were more than fierce, the design of the gunship had proven its worth – they had navigated the storms of the area that had helped the Grand Stream to its many myths with minimal problems.

            Beyond the gray clouds Tom could barely make out a glimmer of the red setting sun filtering through. "It's a nice sight, huh?" He stepped up to his sister. "Yeah." She turned around and glanced over her brother. It was obvious he'd been working with the repair crews recently, as had she. "How's the engine?" she asked him, smiling.

            "How's the armor?" he shot back, matching her smile.

            They chuckled and turned back to the little cliff that overlooked the valley where the CHULAINN was parked. Suddenly, Caroline started laughing. Tom shot her a puzzled look.

            "What's so funny?"

            "Remember in the Academy? Remember what we wanted to do?"

            Tom thought back. "Lots of things...uh...get our own ships?"

            "Nope."

            "Become Admiral?"

            "Nope."

            "I give up," Tom laughed. "What was it?"

            "We wanted to fly the Grand Stream once, remember?" Caroline smiled, her eyes twinkling. Tom grinned. That was a true smile he had been missing about her far too often lately. "Damn straight we wanted to."

            "And we did," she told him, gesturing at the rift. "Just not the way we imagined we would."

            Tom chuckled. He turned to her, his tone growing serious again. "We're back at the beginning," he said.

            "What do you mean?"

            "We're back at zero again. Starting the whole thing again. All over." Tom's eyes wandered across the construction site. "Caroline...am I doing the right thing? We tried fighting the Guild once, and we barely escaped with our lives. Should we stop now?"

            His sister sighed. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure because I don't know if we can win. But if I think about all the Guild has done, about what they might do, then, no matter what happens, they have to be stopped. And we have to start somewhere."  She paused for a moment to stare at the CHULAINN. Before she could continue, Tom interrupted her.

            "I'm dragging all these people into this with me. You say you don't know if we can win. Do I have the right to tell these people to go to death for something only we believe in?"

            "They're soldiers. They know their duty – to their country, and to themselves. Trust me, Tom. We're all in this with you. To the end." She punched him in the shoulder lightly. "And besides, what happened to the No-surrender-no-retreat guy? You never gave up this easily. Ever."

            Tom looked up. "What do you think? Can we win?"

            "Well, we're certainly not going to win if you keep standing here doubting yourself."

            He laughed. "All right. Let's get going – we got a job to finish."

            "Don't you mean, we got a war to win?" Caroline asked with a lopsided smile.

            "Winning is a given." The siblings laughed.