Hey guys and girls, me again!
This is one of my fav chapters, because it has the return of one of my fav characters!

I'll give you three guesses as to who it is...

THE RETURN OF BELLEZA

Three days went by quicker then lightning.

Despite what Carlos had said, he had indeed in the end appointed a new Chief of Operations for Cape Victory. Mr. Mowett was a bit naïve at times, however Carlos had faith that Steven and Mr. Blakeney would get him on the right track.

A knock on the door, followed by the creak of hinges alerted the dozing Carlos to a visitor.

"Who is it?"

"Um…Uncle Carlos?"

The commander looked round, only to see Maria peep around the door.

"Hey Maria," he smiled as he beckoned the small girl in, "What can I do for you?"

Maria smiled as she came in, leaning on the desk when she got there.

"Will wanted me to let you know the Lynx has just made port and the Captain is coming to your office."

Carlos frowned, before picking up a report that he had been reading before he dozed off.

"I see," he muttered.

"It's a lady," Maria suddenly became starry eyed, "She's very beautiful."

"A lady captain, who would have thought it?" Carlos mused as he furiously read the report, "Don't see many of those these days."

Maria frowned at her "Uncle's" lack of enthusiasm. She stared at the teen as he continued to read, before coming round the desk and slowly peeling down the top of the report, staring directly at him.

Carlos continued to read for a moment, before looking up at the blond hair girl.

"Papa says you don't want to leave, is that true?"

Carlos gave a small half smile, "Yes it's true, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Why?"

"Because if I refused to go, then I'd loose my job, and I'd let down so many people."

"Why?"

Carlos chuckled, "It's a little complicated, I'll tell you about it some other time,"

At that moment another knock on the door alerted the two to another visitor.

Carlos grimaced for a moment, before sighing. He couldn't put this off. "Come."

The door opened a second time, revealing someone he never expected in his life to see wear a Captain's uniform.

Before him stood Belleza Rodriguez, decked out in the trim and less bulky armour of a Valuan Captain, obviously made for a woman, her long brown hair falling neatly around her shoulders.

She smiled at the state of shock she had left her best friend and raised an eyebrow at Maria.

"Am I intruding on something?" she asked.

"I um…no of course not," Carlos stuttered, before turning to the small blond girl beside him, "Maria could you go home now, I'll see you later okay?"

Maria smiled, before planting a small kiss on his cheek. "Okay," she said chirpily, before skipping out of the room, pausing only to curtsy to Belleza.

Belleza gazed after her as she closed the door.

"Nice kid," she said quietly as Carlos rose from his chair, before adding with a smirk, "You never told me you had a daughter. Whose the lucky girl?"

Carlos merely raised an eyebrow as he came round his desk.

"Do the math Belleza, she wasn't even able to talk when I was five. She's Admiral Mendosa's child, Dr. Maturin looks after her."

Belleza continued to smirk as she crossed the room, "I was just pulling your leg Commander. It's obvious that in three years you still haven't got a sense of humour."

Carlos smiled as he and she stood almost toe to toe. It was at that moment he realised exactly how much he had grown. When they had parted ways at the Academy, he was almost a head and a half shorter then she was. Now, they were almost eye to eye.

"I haven't got much of a sense in hairstyles either," he commented.

Belleza gently ruffled his long hair, "Well, We'll see if we can't bring it to order."

Carlos continued to smile. A part of him was just begging to hug her, like they had done all those years ago, but another was telling him this was his future superior officer, you couldn't just hug her just like that.

"It's…good to see you," he said quietly.

Belleza looked at him as though he was stupid, "Come here you," she said with a smirk, before pulling him into her embrace.

Carlos gave a squeak of alarm as she did so, not entirely sure what was happening, before gently hugging her back.

"It's good to see you too," he heard her mumble into his hair.

Carlos smiled as he rested his head on her shoulder, not wanting to pull away, but eventually, they pulled apart.

Belleza sighed as Carlos returned to his desk.

"I take it you've done all the things Admiral Mackenzie ordered you to do?" she asked.

Carlos nodded silently as he went to pick up the report he had been reading, before thinking better of it, deciding instead to turn and look out of the view through his window.

"I'm going to miss it here," he sighed, "I had a good thing going. Maybe I should have rejected all those enemy ships from my Dry Dock."

He felt Belleza come up behind him and gently circle her arms around his neck.

"If it makes you feel any better, I heard you were going to be assigned to Admiral Alfonso's flagship so he could spite you. Admiral Gregorio and me managed to pull a few strings though. We couldn't get you to stay put, so we figured that putting you with me would be the next best thing."

Carlos smiled to himself and gently took her hand.

"I just can't shake off the feeling that…that Esperanza's going to go to the dogs when I leave," he sighed.

Belleza frowned, "You don't thinkthe person you assignedwill do a good job?"

"Oh it's not that," he sighed, "I just think…after the war, Esperanza won't have much use anymore. I fear Valua will abandon it. And that would be a shame. I've worked for six years trying to make this place a peaceful, equal, nice enviroment to live and work, and I can't help but feel that when the war is over, win or lose, Esperanza will not be as I left it."

Belleza sighed, before standing up straight.

"if it makes you feel better, once the war is over, I'll see to it you get a promotion to Captain at least, and have you posted at Esperanza okay?"

Carlos turned around and stood, smiling as he did so.

"I'll hold you to that," he said quietly.

Belleza returned the smile, before glancing up at Carlos's hair.

"Well, before we depart I want something done about that hair," she smirked, "I think I know a hairstyle that suits you perfectly."

(7)

The next day the Renown class Cruiser H.M.S. Lynx stood by preparing to depart for the colony of Mendosa Island, one of the last outposts named after the former Admiral of the First Fleet.

Carlos, now back to his neatly clipped black hair, said his goodbyes to each of his officers, with Blakeney, Maria and Stephen the best till last, before addressing the entire colony.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "Boy's and girls. Officers of the Valuan Empire. In the three years since I arrived in this city, I have come to know each and every one of you personally. Whether it was just in passing, or whether we worked together on a daily basis, I find myself looking at you like family, which makes leaving all the more harder. I leave you all in the capable hands of Mr. Mowett, and his second in command, Mr. Blakeney. I hope you treat them exactly the same as you did me. I hope that if I ever return here, I find you all in one piece."

A few chuckles murmured around the congregation.

"And now I must say goodbye, but not farewell. I know I shall see most of you again, I can feel it, but until then…" he smiled before doing the Valuan salute, "HAIL VALUA!"

"VALUA RULE THE SKIES!" the crowd roared in return.

"Three cheers for Commander Meridian!" someone cried.

"Hip hip!"

"huzzah!"

"Hip hip!"

"HUZZAH!"

"Hip hip!"

"HAZZAH!"

The assembly continued to cheer as Carlos boarded the ship, the Lynx slowly taking off into the orange sky.

Carlos leaned on the railing as he watched Esperanza sink down below him.

He watched with a smile as Will Blakeney put an arm around Maria, he had a feeling there would be something between those two the next time they met.

He gazed out over the orange sky, not knowing what we would do, now that he could very well be going up against the people he had helped over the years.

Little did he know, he was going to go up against a certain faction of the Blue Rogues sooner than he thought.

What do ya think?
Anyway, Next week, prepare to see a couple of very familiar faces!

Keep reading and reviewing!

Dearing