"War is something I'll never get used to, but tonight has been a total shock." Eva sighed and leaned back in her bed as the news broadcaster over the radio spoke. "The city under martial law. Gunfire and the roar of jets echoing through the streets," he continued.
"What a shitshow," Lucky commented, finally speaking from the chair next to Eva's bed. "Good thing that's all the way out in Anchorhead, eh?"
Eva didn't say anything even if she wanted to. All she could manage was a slight nod while keeping her eyes on the radio as if it were about sprout legs and walk away. In the nearly two weeks since she'd gotten shot down, that radio had become her primary form of entertainment, especially for the first few days when she was stuck in bed. Granted, she received plenty of visitors- she even got to finally meet Captain Garth face to face, but they only stayed for a few minutes at a time.
The only exception to this, however, was Lucky. He'd come by every day for at least an hour, which he'd spend telling her what's been going on around the base and doing his best to cheer her up. It was easily the highlight of her day, seeing him smiling and eager to talk to her. More than anything, it made her truly appreciate him and everything he's done for her. This war had dragged on for months, and it felt like way longer than that. More happened in those months than Eva cared to remember, but through it all, thick and thin, she'd always have Lucky with her to keep her going.
"There's a strict curfew, but people gather at bars and other places to learn what's going on," the newscaster carrier on. "We archived all the footage we've shot for when the communication network comes back online."
Eva scoffed. "That's mighty optimistic of them. If I had to guess, I'd say we're gonna carry on like this for a while," she said wryly.
Lucky looked over at her. "Well, I suppose it's better to keep a positive outlook than a negative one," he pointed out with a shrug. "I know it's helped me through a lot of this." His voice gradually got quieter as he continued talking, and eventually, he looked over at the radio.
Eva glanced out the window of her room at the moon. She was given the all-clear to move out of the infirmary a week into her recovery, and she gladly welcomed the change of scenery. Something about the way the infirmary looked bugged her in a way she couldn't describe adequately. It just felt wrong to her. Although, that might've just been because of what it reminded her of, Vortex's death.
After letting his eyes wander around the room, Lucky reached over and grabbed the picture they took on their first day at Fort Grays. "Heh, I remember this." His voice was barely audible. "I've still got my copy of it, too."
Lucky kept a smile on his face, but as Eva looked over at him, she realized he was crying- a rare sight coming from Lucky. "Hey, you ok?" she asked in a gentle tone.
Lucky nodded and wiped the tears away with his sleeve. "Yeah, yeah, I'm ok," he said after a quick sniffle. "I, uh… I just miss him, is all." His eyes remained locked on the picture.
Eva reached out toward him but stopped herself. For a brief moment, she debated whether or not she wanted to follow through, and in the end, she cast any doubts in her mind aside. Moving slowly and deliberately, so she didn't startle him, she carefully put her hand on top of Lucky's, rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand. For the first few seconds, Eva wasn't sure how Lucky was going to respond, but even if she was the one performing the gesture, it made her feel comforted. Just having Lucky to be there for made her feel nice. Although, as the silence carried on, she decided she should say something to break it.
"Look, I- I've never really been, y'know, good with this sort of thing," she began. "But just know that as someone who's going through the exact same thing you are, I am… so sorry."
Lucky looked over at her and gave her one of the most heartfelt smiles Eva had ever seen from him. "You have nothing to apologize for." He flipped his hand over so he could squeeze hers tight. "Thanks, Eva. For, well… everything, really."
Eva quickly felt heat rising to her cheeks, but she didn't break eye contact. Now wasn't the time to ruin the moment with awkwardness. "Of course," she finally said. "Remember, I'm always here for you, Sean. Always."
Lucky let out a heavy sigh. "Eva, I-" He stopped himself, trying to think of the best way to say what was on his mind, but suddenly, both of them turned their heads toward the radio as the newscaster said something that grabbed their attention.
"Our capital's fall has led to another power struggle within the Erusean military. With the main conflict concluded, regional forces in the center, south, and east struggle over stabilization of the nation. In addition, regionalism is part of the in-fighting within these groups. Officers from countries annexed by Erusea have taken multiple groups and declared independence. There are even rumors of a military group called the Free Eruseans."
Eva rolled her eyes. "Great. Because with all the shit going on, that's exactly what we need right now," she grumbled. "Isn't this, like, the third time they've shown up in the last 20 years?"
"Something like that," Lucky replied with a shrug. "You'd think after getting beaten down so many times they would've taken the hint." He cracked a slight smirk as he spoke, but it quickly vanished as he and Eva heard what the newscaster said next.
"System failures caused friendly fire incidents among Osean forces. There are even rumors of penal units turning on their former allies."
Both pilots looked at each other. The look they shared indicated perfectly that they were both thinking the same thing, but Eva was the one to say the words they were both thinking. "I wonder where those three went."
"Best not to think about it, I say," Lucky said. "Chances are, we'll never see them again anyway, so I'd rather not waste time dwelling on it. That's how I see it, at least."
As much as Eva wanted to worry about it, she knew he had a point. With everything that they had to deal with, Rogue Squadron wasn't very high up on her list of priorities, even if she liked to think they were. Eventually, she responded to Lucky with a simple nod and stared blankly at the wall in front of her. By that point, she even started to tune out the radio broadcast, so as far as she was concerned, it was just her and Lucky, and she preferred it that way. Although, it didn't last for long, as a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in," Eva called out, even though she didn't have the slightest clue who it was. She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself look at least somewhat presentable.
A moment later, a man dressed in a medic uniform opened the door and stepped inside. Eva instantly recognized him as the man that had been caring for her since she got shot down. "Ah, Lieutenant Kidd. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Eva quickly shook her head to dismiss his concerns. "Not at all, doc. Just hanging around." She reached over for the radio and shut it off. "So, what's up?" she asked, turning her attention back to the medic.
"I have the results from your examination earlier today, and I thought you mind want to know," he explained, looking down at the clipboard he held in his hand.
Almost instantly, Eva's eyes lit up, and she lept out of bed. "Are you here to tell me what I think you are?" she asked, unable to contain her eagerness.
The medic chuckled at her energy. "I must admit, you made a far swifter recovery than we initially thought you would, but yes. I'm here to tell you that you're cleared to fly again."
Lucky, who looked just as excited as she did, jumped up and hugged her. "Congrats!"
"By the way," the medic interjected. "I'm also here to let you know that Commander Knight wants to speak with you and your squadron."
Eva gave him a curt nod. "Right, thanks for the heads up." She glanced over at Lucky. "Got any idea where the others are? I think we oughta tell them the good news anyway," she said with a smirk.
Lucky shrugged. "Not sure. We could try the mess, though," he suggested.
"Mhm, I was gonna say the same thing." Just before Eva practically sprinted out of her room, she looked back at the medic and smiled. "Thanks again for, well, everything." She flashed a gracious look at him as she spoke.
The medic waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, I'm just doing my job. Now go on."
Eva was running so fast through the halls of the base that Lucky could barely keep up with her. She felt like she had a newfound feeling of freedom, and to say she was eager to put it to use would be the understatement of the year. She even ended up missing a few turns because she couldn't stop in time, but eventually, she reached the mess hall with Lucky trailing behind her. Just as the two of them predicted, Charger, Poet, and Magic were all seated at one of the tables, but it didn't take long for them to notice her.
"Woah. You seem to be in a hurry," Poet remarked with a smile. "Stretching your legs, or what?"
Eva was smiling ear to ear as she looked at them. She almost couldn't get the words out because of how much she was smiling, but she eventually managed. "The docs finally gave me a clean bill of health. I'm good to fly again!" she exclaimed, even jumping up in the air.
The three of them all wrapped their arms around her in a group hug, and they were joined by a panting Lucky a few moments later. The most Eva could hear was that they were all congratulating her, but she wasn't able to understand any more than that with all of them talking over each other. Finally, they all broke off from the hug and calmed down a bit.
"Good job, kid. I knew you'd pull through," Charger said, giving her a light nudge on the shoulder.
"God, that must've been torture," Magic said, thinking about what it would be like to be in Eva's position. "I can't even imagine what it was like to be cooped up like that."
Eva shrugged. "It wasn't all bad. I mean, I had you guys to keep me company," she pointed out.
"Ah, you sap," Poet teased her. "You better not be going soft on us."
Eva giggled at the remark. "You don't have to worry about that. I've been dying to get back up there," she said, nodding to the window in reference to the skies she missed so much. Suddenly, a realization hit her, and a frown found its way onto her face. "But then again, I don't suppose we have any aircraft for me to fly."
The others all looked at each other, and finally, Magic spoke. "So should we show her the surprise?"
Eva narrowed her eyes at each of them. "Surprise? What are you going on about?"
Lucky shook his head. "Not yet. The doc said the Commander wants to see us, so we should probably head to see him first."
Charger nodded. "Yeah, good call. Probably best not to keep him waiting."
The five pilots wasted no time as they got moving just as soon as they arrived and started making their way over the Commander Knight's office. As they walked, Eva felt a wave of familiarity wash over her. It had felt like so long since she had been able to spend a significant amount of time with these people that had become her closest friends, and now that she remembered what it was like, she realized how much she missed it.
Commander Knight noticed Nexus Squadron the moment they opened the door to his office. He had a big smile on his face and gestured for them to come further inside. "Good to see you, Nexus Squadron," he said before turning his attention to Eva specifically as she closed the door behind everyone. "I hear you're cleared to fly again. Congratulations."
Eva nodded sheepishly. "Thank you, sir. I, uh, I've been looking forward to this since… y'know."
Knight gave her an understanding nod. "Since the last sortie," he finished her sentence. "Which, regrettably, brings me to the reason that I called you all here."
Eva took a deep breath as she realized precisely what this was about. "Vortex."
"Yes. The unfortunate death of Major Haynes means we have to re-establish command of Nexus Squadron," Knight explained, keeping his gaze on Eva.
As the commander spoke, something about the situation didn't make sense to Eva. "I thought commander would just go to Charger; why all this?" she asked, arching an eyebrow in his direction.
"Captain Conley has gone on record saying he doesn't think he'd be able to handle command of the squadron," Knight said, briefly flicking his gaze over to Charger. "However, in light of this, he, along with everyone else in the squadron, suggested that you would be a good fit for the position."
Eva looked at the commander wide-eyed before eventually turning her stunned gaze at each of her wingmen. "M- me?" she asked. "Sir, with all due respect, what makes you think that I would be the best person to lead this squadron? I- I don't have any experience in that area." She repeatedly fumbled over her words as she tried to come up with any sort of excuses.
"And you think any of us do?" Magic asked wryly. "Quit selling yourself so short, Diamond. Have you ever stopped to consider what all you've accomplished in just a few months? You beat back an experimental superfighter three times. You took on an Arsenal Bird twice. Hell, you destroyed the entirety of the comm-jamming facility by yourself."
Charger picked up right where Magic left off. "Diamond, you are one of the best pilots I've seen, especially for someone your age. I knew Vortex for a long time, and I can't think of anyone more worthy to fill his shoes."
"You've turned the tide of entire battles," Poet reminded her. "I mean, we probably might not have even made it back to Fort Grays if not for you."
Finally, Lucky spoke up. "Diamond, I don't know how you don't realize it, but you are just… incredible. I know I may not have a lot of experience, but you are, without a doubt, the best pilot I've ever seen, and it doesn't even stop there." He looked her dead in the eyes. "You've saved my life countless times, and not only that, but even on the ground, you've inspired me when I thought there was no hope." He tried to search for more words but eventually just shrugged and said, "It's the natural choice."
Eva sighed. She didn't want the position because she didn't want to fail and led any of them down like she let Vortex down, but after seeing all of them so adamant that she should do it, she didn't know. Then, Eva thought that maybe she'd have a better chance to keep them all safe as a leader. Besides, once she finally got home, she could only imagine how proud her mother would be upon hearing of her success, as well as how proud her father would have been.
Finally, she looked up at Commander Knight with a sigh. "If I say yes, can I make a request?"
The look on Knight's face didn't display any emotion- as if he was waiting for her to speak before he decided what to feel. "What is it?"
"I…" Eva stopped herself. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but she just couldn't put the words together. That didn't stop her from trying, though. "I just don't think I could take up the mantle of Nexus 1. It's too much, and I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about how I have to live up to Vortex's names, so… perhaps a change in name for the squadron?" Her voice got higher as she finally asked the question on her mind.
"Well, it depends on the name, I suppose," Knight replied as he began to show a more understanding expression.
For a moment, Eva thought about choosing the name Vortex Squadron, but that would likely only make things worse. Besides, whenever she thought about Vortex after he died, she could only think about him as a reminder of their time on the Kestrel II, back when things were simpler. That's when she got an idea.
'It's up to us to keep their memories alive.' Those words of encouragement Vortex gave her after the Kestrel II sank echoed in Eva's mind over and over again. Finally, she looked at Knight with a determined look. "Kestrel Squadron," she decided.
Knight looked at her and nodded. "Very well. Now that that's settled, I'll guide you through some basics tomorrow. Now, it's late, so I'm sure you want to get some sleep. Dismissed."
As if on command, Eva let out a small yawn in agreement, but Lucky cut in before Eva had a chance to agree with the Commander. "Hang on. We've still got a surprise for you. We spent ages on it." A second later, he had his hands covering Eva's eyes, and he was guiding her out of the room with Charger, Poet, and Magic right behind him.
"Is all of this really necessary?" Eva asked with a smirk.
Lucky turned her to the left and guided her down a flight of stairs. "Yep. Now close your eyes, and don't open them until I tell you," he instructed.
"You've already got your hands over my eyes, so what good what that do?"
Magic giggled. "Oh, ye of little faith. It'll all make sense soon enough."
Despite her best efforts to determine where they were taking her or what this 'surprise' of theirs was, Eva was still entirely in the dark. All she knew was that she was outside and going into another building. Suddenly, they stopped her and started shuffling around in whatever room they were in. Eva debated whether or not she should open her eyes and see what they were up to but decided against it.
"Okay, open your eyes!" Lucky told her, standing a few feet away based on how far away his voice was.
After what felt like an eternity of having her eyes closed, Eva finally lifted her eyelids back. For a brief moment after seeing what was in front of her, she stopped breathing, and her heart skipped a beat. Then, she gasped. Charger, Lucky, Magic, and Poet all stood in front of an F-16C. Only, it wasn't just any F-16. This one bore the markings of her old Su-35, and along with her emblem, it had blue on the wings and tails and a kestrel on both sides of the vertical stabilizer.
"Surprise!" they all cheered in crude unison.
"Since your Flanker is down and out, Clown donated his spare plane for you to fly," Poet explained, looking back up at the Viper.
"Mhm. Needless to say, we decided to give it the ol' Diamond Touch while you were recovering," Charger added.
"It was Magic's idea initially, but we thought you'd really like it, so we got to work pretty much right away," Lucky added. "Although, it was a pain to create a truly accurate recreation."
Magic waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, I just knew you were a bit down in the dumps, so I figured you could use a pick-me-up. Personally, it helped me a bit, too."
"So? Whaddya think?" Lucky asked.
Eva let out a sigh of content. "You guys are… the best," she finally said. A moment later, she rushed forward and wrapped them all into a hug. "Seriously, what did I do to deserve you guys?"
Charger looked down at her with a chuckle. "Glad you like it, kid," he remarked.
"I just hope I'll be able to put it to good use soon enough," Eva said, looking up at the F-16.
"Well, Knight said that we're running dangerously low on fuel and ammo, so I wouldn't count on that," Poet pointed out. "I'm not really sure what our plan is, to be honest."
Suddenly, Magic let out a big yawn. "Well, speaking of Knight, he was right. It's definitely getting late, and I'm exhausted, so I'll be off to hit the hay. G'night guys," she said, waving at the group before leaving the hangar.
Charger stretched his arms out until he heard a pop. "Yeah, not a bad idea," he agreed. "You guys coming?" he asked, turning back to look at what the others were doing before he left.
Eva shook her head. "You guys can go on ahead if you want. I think I'm gonna stay out here for a bit longer."
Eva's three wingmen still present in the hangar, especially Lucky, gave her a concerned and confused look before eventually obliging. Once she was alone, Eva walked up to the main doorway and looked out at the starry night sky above her. Slowly but surely, she leaned against the frame of the entrance and slid to the ground. With everything that had been going on all day, Eva couldn't help but think of Vortex. Obviously, she missed him more than words could put into meaning. Aside from her flight instructor, he was the closest thing to a father she ever had, and now he was gone, and she had to fill his place.
"Vortex, wherever you are, I hope I make you proud," Eva murmured softly.
Suddenly, her head snapped toward the source of a familiar voice asking, "Hey… you ok?" Lucky had doubled back, and he now stood next to her.
Eva looked back up at the stars with a defeated sigh. "This is all just so much," she admitted. "It's only been a few months since this war started, but I feel like we've been here for at least a year."
Lucky nodded and sat down beside her. "I know what you mean, and with the satellites down, it seems like it'll take even longer for things to go back to the way they were."
"I don't know what we're going to have to do to end this war, but… but I'm scared," Eva whispered. "Scared I won't be able to live up to the example Vortex set, scared we'll lose this, and it'll all be for nothing, and scared I'll lose you guys."
Lucky shook his head. "You won't lose us. I'll make sure of that myself if I have to."
"No, you don't get it," Eva insisted, raising her voice ever so slightly. "I've heard so many people say that in the last few months, and just about every one of them is dead now. Captain Waller, Domino and Torch, Castor Squadron, Commander Gates, Major Tillmin, Crosswind, Trench, Trigger, and now Vortex… It just feels like I'm destined to lose people. Hell, the whole reason Gates, Tillmin, Trench, and Crosswind died is because I couldn't keep Slipstream alive."
At first, Lucky didn't say anything. He just kept his defeated gaze on Eva as he searched for the words he wanted to use to convey what he was feeling. It was evident by the look on his face that he wanted to do something, anything, to help cheer her up, but he couldn't think of anything. The more Eva thought about it, the more confused she got. Because no matter how she tried to think about it, she couldn't understand why he was so insistent on making her happy. Although, that's not to say she didn't appreciate it.
"Look, Eva… I- I know what you mean. After all, I've lost those people, too, but… but I just- I'm sick of losing people. That's why I want to make sure we keep everyone else safe from here on out; no more deaths." He looked away, and it was then that Eva noticed his cheeks showing a hint of red. "More than any of that, though… I- I don't wanna lose you."
It was at that moment that a switch flipped in Eva's brain, and everything began to make sense. Although she still had a hard time wrapping her head around the concept, it still made sense when she thought about it. After all, she had known Lucky for what felt like ages by now, and she'd gotten to know him a lot in that time.
"What do you mean?" she asked after gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
Lucky turned to face her. "When you, uh, got shot down, I- I thought you were dead for a while, Eva. And that just… it made me feel awful. Because you've saved my life so many times, I think I've lost track." He cracked a smile at his remark, but it faded just as soon as it appeared. "But… more importantly, I- I couldn't stand the thought of losing you because, well, you're smart, funny, talented, and, um, beautiful." His cheeks were utterly red by this point. "And we've been through so much together."
"Sean…" Eva began before her voice trailed off as she sought out the words she was looking for. "There's not a chance in hell I would've been able to make it as far as I have without you. If… if it weren't for your optimism, your humor, and that positively infectious smile, I would've given up ages ago, so, uh…" Now her cheeks were red. "Thank you."
Eva had no idea what prompted her to do it, but a moment later, she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and pressed her lips to Lucky's. She didn't know what Lucky's reaction was going to be, but in the few seconds that she moved, she hadn't even considered it. Then, seconds after her lips made contact with his, she realized what she had just done and pulled away with a look of pure terror on her face.
"Oh my god, I- I am… so sorry, Sean," she apologized. "I just, I don't know. I- I, uh, I don't know what came over me and-"
Eva stopped babbling as Lucky brought his hand up to her cheek, and it was then that she realized how soft his hands were. However, she didn't have long to think about it as Lucky returned the kiss she gave him. A monumental feeling of warmth and comfort washed over Eva, and she felt truly in bliss. No words could accurately describe how good she felt at that moment, but that was ok- all she cared about was what was happening then and there.
Time seemed to grind to a halt as soon as Lucky moved forward, but eventually, the two of them pulled away from each other. Almost immediately, though, Eva put her arms around his neck and pulled him close so she could rest her head on his shoulder. That sense of security she felt as Lucky leaned his head against hers erased any fears she might've had.
"Like I said: we're not losing anyone else," Lucky said softly. "I promise." He shifted slightly to give Eva a brief kiss on the top of her head before leaning against her again.
Eva didn't say anything after that. She didn't need to, neither did Lucky- nor did they move for the rest of the night, either. Eva glanced up at the sky and back to Lucky. The stars seemed dim compared to his brown eyes, twinkling in the moonlight, and based on the way he was looking at her, she could tell he was thinking the same thing, or at least, something similar. A chilly October breeze swept through the air, but neither of them seemed to care. All they could feel was the warmth shared between them.