A Pelican had come to retrieve them the moment they'd arrived at FOB-03. UNSC HighCom was really dedicated to bringing them upstairs for this one. For some reason or other, Shin couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He sure tried to not show it, though. Usually, when the highest representative of an armed force called you up to report, it meant one of two things:Bad news, or something had happened that necessitated your presence on board their ship.
The fact that the entire squadron was being brought on board didn't alleviate Shin's worry any more. In fact, it somewhat exacerbated it, especially considering he could see how antsy his own teammates were getting. Kurena was tapping her foot, arms crossed to her chest, Daiya and Anju were uncharacteristically focused, Myna, Lecca, Haruto and the others seemed tense, Theo was thinking, his sketchbook and pencil in his hand and Raiden was looking ahead.
The Pelican began to rumble, with the Pilot announcing over the PA "We're breaking Atmosphere!"
Shin felt his stomach almost go to his feet as the acceleration and gravitational force pushed him against his harness. He gazed back toward the aircraft's exit hatch and out of the window, then gasped as he saw the ground grow smaller and smaller in size, until even the cities were just specks on the greater, green continent they occupied. Following that, the planet slowly, but fully came into view, the blue of the atmosphere awash with the light of their sun.
And the oceans...
He sighed, letting his mind wander and leaning back into his seat as his own comrades started gasping at the sight. All of them were watching the planet grow smaller in the distance. Certainly, she was massive, a big globe of blue and green that had been their home since their version of mankind had found itself able to form conscious thought. Perhaps even before that. Shin could do little but wonder how the rest of mankind felt.
"Hey, capt'n!" The Pilot poked his head out, looking back, "You and the kids wanna come forward and see the fleet? We're nearing the Serene Mind as we speak!"
Shin nodded, then undid his harness. Slowly, he felt himself become lightweight as he stood up, like a feather. He didn't float, however, the aircraft maintaining some semblance of artificial gravity as the man and his teammates marched forward, crowding into the cockpit to see what black chariots their saviors rode in upon. Awestruck, even Shin himself could do little but let his jaw drop at the sight.
Many of the ships had the shapes of 'guns' in the most basic sense. The Frigates protecting the fleet were probably the best example, resembling rifles in design. Some had battle-damages and carbonized scars on their black battle-plates, others seemed fresh off the production line. The most imposing, however, out of the entire fleet, remained the central ship and her sisters, as well as the escorting Cruisers.
Two Marathon-class heavy cruisers, heavily-armed, heavily armored and designed to take a severe beating, flanked the sister Carriers sat above the planet. Continuous 'air' traffic circulated to and from the Epoch-class heavy carriers, with Pelicans, Heron Dropships and even bigger craft deploying planetside in order to continue establishing defenses around the multitude of allied countries.
"Christ..." Theo commented, "Look at them all..."
Several members of Spearhead murmured in agreement. It was a sight to behold.
Seemed as if they were taking the warnings Shin had given in regards to a Large Scale Offensive quite seriously, too, taking into account the Gunships moving toward the planet. The Pilot spoke, "Beauties, ain't they?" and smirked behind his helmet, before switching on his Radio and stating, "Serene Mind, this is Pelican Alpha Nine-Nine-Three Heavy, carrying TIER ONE VIPs aboard at the request of Admiral Nakano. Requesting permission to land, over?"
"Tier One, huh?" Theo smirked, looking ahead at the Carriers. A few of the kids let out chuckles, while Shin shook his head, his lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile. The Admiral did mention in her message that they were making arrangements for the kids to feel at home. Several thousand other Eighty-Sixes were also resting aboard the Fleet, evenly divided, so Shin presumed they'd meet them as well.
"We got an upgrade," Raiden commented, grinning.
"Well, someone oughta have considered us VIPs after a while," Chuckled Lecca, "Good to know our contribution to mankind's continued survival is appreciated."
Even the pilots let out a chuckle at that comment as they brought the Pelican in for Landing. The aircraft banked to the right, powering its engines and slowing as the massive hangar opened up for them. Inside, deck crew, Marines and other staff coordinated with each-other. On the landing platform they were being directed to by the sailors operating as the ship's varied crews, they saw a familiar face in the dress whites of the Navy.
The other Pelican, the one that they'd come with that was also carrying a box of some kind via the magnetic locking system on its underbelly, just behind the Blood Tray(still a nickname that worried a good chunk of Spearhead), touched down a platform to their left. Shin looked to his squadron and Raiden spoke, "Well, kids, here's our stop..." before turning to the pilot and saying, "Thanks for the ride..."
He got a thumbs up from the man before he and the rest of the crew exited the vehicle and lined up in front of the Admiral. They saluted the woman, their postures straight as rods. She saluted back, then smirked and said, "At ease, kids. Took your sweet-ass time to visit us up here, but I guess it's only natural. You did decide to go back out into the field... Fairly commonplace among your folk."
"Good to see you, too, Admiral," Shin replied nonchalantly.
"Likewise, captain Nouzen," She smiled. Spreading her arms out as if to motion to the ship itself, she asked, "So, what do you think of my old girl?"
"She's big, ma'am," Raiden replied, arms crossed to his chest as he looked around. Nakano only smirked at the comment, to which Raiden was first in asking, "Why bring us up here, though? We still have work to do down there, prepping for the LSO," and he stopped to gaze out from the Hangar at the planet below. A bout of existentialism hit him, the thoughts of being a mote of dust in the grand scheme of things.
He sighed, then looked away as the Admiral answered, "Follow me. Lieutenant-Colonel Wenzel's already aboard and waiting for us on the Crew Deck."
"The Lieutenant-Colonel decided to tag along?" Hummed Theo, though he wore a grin, "Talk about suspicious."
Nakano snorted, "Ye of little faith, Rikka," then motioned to them to follow. As the group departed the hangar, Shin noticed something 'moving' with the box that was on the other Pelican, wondering for a moment just what that 'something' or 'someone' was. Crew saluted Spearhead as they passed. One would think they were, in fact, saluting the Admiral, but they kept their hands raised to their heads even as the Colorata pilots moved through in formation.
Shin didn't know how to feel about it. Neither did the rest of his team, clearly, as when he looked back, he saw the confusion on their faces. Raiden masked it with smiles and saluting back, Kurena, with her standard youthful excitement. Anju and Daiya remained focused on one-another, while Haruto, Lecca, Myna and the rest seemed to be laughing and joking about it. It was good to know they were in high spirits, even if confused.
Nakano looked back to Shin, then said, "Something worrying you, Captain?"
"No, ma'am," Shin replied firmly, "But... I want to ask why you brought us here. The Legion's offensive is not far."
"And we are doing our best to actively prepare for it," She replied in a desire to alleviate Shin's clear worry, "Our forces are mobilizing across the Four Allied States we have secured com with so far, while any other states are being made aware of the situation at hand and are being prepared by our allies. Giad, Wald and Roa Gracia have already begun arraying their forces secretly, while San Magnolia's Garrisons are being brought up. Another three Mechanized Infantry divisions and a squadron of Alba-operated Reginleifs have been mustered... Not to mention a whole new Battalion of tanks."
"Legion might see the movement," Shin offered, wishing to be somewhat proactive, "Prepare an even bigger assault..."
"If they do, we have countermeasures," Nakano replied, unfazed, "Nuclear warheads, MAC bombardment and EM weaponry should do in any massed gathering of Legion assets in preparation for the mass assault. Even so, they'll have to evenly divide all their forces to face four separate fronts... We're more concerned over appearances of a Third Party that may be an issue in San Magnolia."
"Oh?" Shin felt his heart sink. What problems arose on the old Homefront now?
"The Holy Magnolian Order of Purity, apparently a Fascist party bordering on the old National-Socialist ideologies of racial and national purity, is making the rounds in the undecided population. We thought the President had banned it and confirmed that she did when we talked to her on our last Debriefing. Looks like they're looking to get the undecided on their side... And it's working. About five percent of those formerly in the group of unsure citizens have already vouched their support."
"Anything you're doing to counter that?" Theo asked, his voice carrying a hint of hatred.
"ONI agents are already on-site and engaging in counter-ops. Intel gathering, counter-propaganda efforts, raising the stakes... The five percent that joined up with the HMOP are the old, so far, though. You know, standard population that would fall for that kind of crap rhetoric," She explained, then hummed and added, "However, I've increased security around President Monet and her cabinet, not to mention important military figures in San Magnolia. A majority of the SPARTAN-IIIs we had on board are running interference, security for the important figures..."
"... Right..." Shin sighed, unsure if he should ask...
Kurena, of all people, did it for him, though. She asked, "How's the Major?"
Nakano looked back to Kukumila, slightly surprised, before replying with a smirk, "Well... For starters? She's a Colonel now."
Anju smiled, "Well, well. It seems she's moved up in the world."
"For a girl nearing eighteen years of age to be a Colonel..." Snorted Nakano, "I'd barely joined the bloody Navy by that time. But, alas, that was Jeanne's decision with making the girl an officer. She's also gathered a crowd of loyal ones around her, mostly the youth. General Karlstahl, however, seems to have turned a full one-eighty from his previous demeanor. According to both Jeanne and Vladilena, anyway... He's fully supporting the efforts of the current government."
"Talk about a real change of heart," Daiya quipped.
"Hoping the old man's not doing it just to be on the winning side," Lecca murmured, crossing her arms to her chest. Indeed, some of the other members of Spearhead had voiced the same opinions a while back, during training. What if the Republic's high-ranks only did this because they were afraid of the UNSC and would backstab them at a first opportunity?
"I met Karlstahl and I can tell a man that's lying through his teeth," Nakano shot back as they stopped in front of one of the trams that would lead them to the Crew Deck. She turned to face a surprised Lecca, as well as the rest of a waiting Spearhead, before stating, "He's as honest as we have been with you. He really didn't see a way out before this, he was a hypocritical and Lena herself said that he was ready to have her thrown out of the Army just so she would stop trying to help you. Now? Now, Lena said the man's vigorously assisting in bringing the Army of this New Republic into fighting shape... He doesn't want a repeat of the start of the Legion War and he firmly believes we mean to help him and his people avoid it and bring the Republic up to what it said it was prior to the war."
That gave pause to the dissenting voices. The UNSC Admiral had defended an Alba officer that had, so far, been known as one of the men that helped orchestrate their own torture and deaths by proxy. Whether it had been willing or not had no bearing on the fact that it happened until now. The Admiral saw the conflict in their eyes in this matter, stating simply, "He regrets what he was forced to do... And so do a few of Lena's friends."
"We'll take your word for it, ma'am," Raiden stated. The woman motioned toward the tram and walked onto it, with Spearhead following not far behind. Each member sat themselves down on one of the empty leather chairs, arranging their panzer uniforms and rank pins. The tram started, its maglev system powering on. A faint, distant whirr filled the ears of the Processors aboard as the vehicle lurched forward.
Shin was sat next to Nakano, his mind wandering. He knew Lena had made other friends, of course, but some section of his mind wandered into the teenage fallacies and stupidity of a hormonal young man. He suppressed those thoughts for as long as possible, his mind locked on the fact that, from Major, Lena had jumped one rank to make Colonel, possibly being given command of a whole Brigade now.
"How is the Colonel doing? You never did continue," He asked Nakano.
The woman smiled, "She's doing fine. Still waiting on news from us in regards to you, I'm sure, but... With everything that's going on? Situation's been busy enough for us not to be able to get the info to her. She's also busy enough to have issues when it comes to reading reports not related to preparing the defenses of San Magnolia..." and she sighed. Shin took a pause. So she had thought up the Legion would come in... Without his help?
"Huh," Shin murmured.
"I'd like to deliver the news ASAP, but I'm still playing top politician with Wald, Roa Gracia and, now, the Seafaring Nations of Regicide, even farther north than Roa Gracia. Not to mention another new nation that appeared, the 'Rin-Liu' Trading Federation," The woman sighed, then rubbed her eyes, "Christ... It's like trying to herd cats. Every nation here has its own goals, its own petty little reasons for something or other..."
"We get the issue, ma'am. Also... As much as we'd like for the Colonel to know we're still kicking? I think we can tell her if we survive the LSO," Raiden offered. He got a few sideways glances cast at him by his own squadron-mates, including Shin, before stating, "I know that sounds like a heartless thing to say right now, but I think she would be better off if she could focus on helping the defense of San Magnolia when the time comes."
"Raiden's not wrong," Theo stated, leaning against his seat and watching the many sights of the ship pass by them through the window. He turned to everyone and said, "Imagine how distracted she'll be about our safety. Distracted enough to not be able to focus on the enemy at the gates. You know she's like that, I know she's like that... Hell, I'm sure she knows she's like that."
The rest of the squadron looked to one-another, then several sighs echoed across the hold of the tram. Shin spoke, "You're both right... Let's keep our presence in the Federacy a secret until after the Large Scale Offensive. And let's hope that they survive the offensive as well. Our best bet on meeting our Handler is to survive the operation. Following that?"
"We'll see her and her friends," Kurena stated, though she seemed a hint angry.
"And we'll get that chiffon cake I asked for," Smiled Anju, words which garnered a few giggles out of the kids.
Nakano smiled, then hummed. After gazing out the windows of the tram for a moment, she stood to her feet and said, "Crew Deck coming up..."
"What did you wanna show us here, anyway, ma'am?" Theo asked while he and his teammates stood to their feet. Nakano flashed them another smirk, before leading them off the transport and into the wide hallway that led to the Deck. Sitting by a bulkhead door that separated the hall and two intersections from the deck itself, leaned against the wall, Grethe turned to greet them.
She saluted the Admiral and said, "It's all ready, Admiral."
"Thank you, Lieutenant-Colonel..." The woman replied. Grethe smiled at Spearhead, before turning to the bulkhead door as it opened. A faint music played from within the Crew Deck's central hall. As they entered, they were greeted by a formation of Marines, Army and even Naval Personnel clad in their dress uniforms. Two hundred dress shoes clacked against the titanium plate below. Two hundred men and women of the UNSC snapped to attention, saluting the entering squadron and the officers.
The wide hall was practically filled with the UNSC's soldiery and even with the rank and file of some other Processor Squadrons, some of which were recovering from injuries sustained down below. Theo noticed a young man with a robotic left arm saluting them and smiling. He hummed, then allowed himself a smile, too, while the others looked around, surprised.
Ahead of them, resided the singer. A young woman sang as she faced a...
A mural.
A giant slab of Titanium resided, embedded onto the floor, its top corners bearing two flags, one of the UNSC and one that spelled 'Eighty-Sixth Sector, Eastern Front'. Indented in the Titanium were the written names of over five hundred Processors, starting alphabetically. Only the first names, surprisingly. On the sides of the Titanium plate, the borders were sculpted as well, with images of Juggernauts and soldiers, all neatly lined up and saluting, their faces obscured by their hands.
Finally, on the bottom of this entire thing, outlining everything, were five destroyed Juggernauts, familiar to their operators, as well as a large, box-shaped machine, damaged beyond belief. The four-legged Scavenger Bot lay on its side, guarding a box familiar to Shin and his team. FIDO. The poor thing looked like it'd been sandblasted by the debris of the first heavy artillery impact.
Left speechless, Spearhead stared up at the Memorial Wall. Beside them, Grethe began, "We found these Juggernauts and the Scavenger model within the confines of the city where we recovered you. The Legion had severely damaged them, opened up on them like they were still occupied... Before a UNSC Tank Force rolled through to re-secure the town. We also found a giant crater next to them, where..." She tilted her head toward the Scavenger bot, "Fido over there resided."
"We recovered all of them and the box of names you scratched up into those Juggernaut Fragments, Captain," The Admiral smiled, seeing the dumbfound looks of the Spearhead Squadron. She continued, "Figured we'd give them a proper tombstone. All of them. Don't worry, all the name plates were returned to the box and set beside the Scavenger. We've also left spaces to complete with the names of other Processors, per the records of the Republic... San Magnolia also built its own monument to your people."
"Huh..." Shin's lips became razor-thin as he read the names, stopping at two in particular.
Kaie. She had been one of the people closest to him and Lena. She had always spoken to the now-Colonel that was their Handler...
He sighed, then moved onto the next name. Shourei. Rei. His thoughts went to his brother as he allowed himself a moment to grieve, though his face didn't show it. He felt Raiden elbow him in the shoulder, turning to face his executive officer. He gave a nod to Shin, smiling, before turning back to listen to the singing UNSC Marine. Theo, meanwhile, seemed to recognize the song, tapping his foot to the beat...
The others also took their time, grieving at the names they saw. Kujo, Kaie, the others of their squadron and the squadrons Shin had fought beside. Always, always, he was the last one alive out of them. Five hundred people that Shin had met, fought by the sides of and bled with. Names of former Processor Captains he had served under also jumped in his view.
Especially one.
He felt his scarf, looking at one of the first names on the list. Alice Araish, one of the kindest people Shin had had the luck of winding up under the command of. She had gifted him the scarf he wore even now. She was one of the people that had helped make Shin who he was today. The Undertaker, the Reaper of the Eastern Front. If only she could've lived to see their reinforcements arriving.
"... Yet to and fro, in my dreams I go... And I kneel and I pray for you! For Slavery fled, o' glorious dead! When you fell in the Foggy Dew!" Sang the girl at the front. She saluted just as Theo seemed to realize who it was, then turned to face them. A freckled beauty with scarlet hair greeted Spearhead with a proud smile, saluting them as well, before stating, "Spearhead and the Admiral, on-deck! It's been a while."
"Mary!" Kurena beamed.
"What're you doing up here, Sarge?" Raiden crossed his arms to his chest, grinning.
"Well, I couldn't exactly miss the unveiling, could I?" She inquired, smiling, "Especially when I heard you were coming aboard. Admiral was kind enough to let me know..." and she turned to Theo. The young man went a combination of pale and redder than the blood running through his veins. She looked to the Admiral for a moment and she gave an approving nod.
Mary walked up to Theo, slapped him upside the head much to his surprise, then brought him in for the best hug Theo had ever gotten in a long-ass while. The surprised young man didn't even know what to say, simply wrapping his arms around the girl and letting her lean her head against his sohulder. She spoke, her voice growing low, "I missed you, you dumbass..." while the rest of the Squadron smiled at the semi-one-sided exchange. The Admiral chuckled, then looked to Grethe.
"Did we miss it?" Inquired a familiar voice as Volkov walked in. The group turned to face the ODST Major, with Shin and Spearhead snapping-to. Saluting, the man said, "At ease, at ease. Don't start with me..." before turning his salute to the Admiral. This was a right family Reunion for all those that mattered to Spearhead, so the Major spoke his mind, "I and my team are going to be headed planet-side, soon, to enhance the security around the President."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate the backup, Major," Shin spoke. "We have to talk to you all about telling the... Colonel... And President about us."
"Lemme guess. After that 'large scale offensive', right?" Volkov inquired, surprising Shin. He added, "We figured it'd be best to keep it on the down low so Vladilena doesn't worry and so she can be at one hundred percent. Other than that... Well, we have ONI agents making contact with another new country, don't we?" and turned to the Admiral. She nodded, though she seemed a tad uneasy at the reminder.
"Holy Theocracy of Noiryanaruse. The Theocracy for short..." She sighed, then turned to a confused Spearhead, adding, "No time to explain, it's a lot... We're here to honor the fallen."
"Among other things..." Captain Ambroz spoke, approaching. He saluted, then said, "A pleasure to finally make your acquaintances, Spearhead."
"Sir," The kids all saluted the man, noticing the 'box' behind them. Followed by a short figure that they instantly recognized. From the surprised yelp she let out as she hid behind the large metal crate. Thumping echoed from within the crate, confusing everyone. The robotic chirps of a machine echoed from within, muffled and with varying pitches.
"No, Fido, stop! You were supposed to be a surprise! AAAAAA-" Yelped Frederica Rosenfort as the machine burst out from the box, to the laughs of several of the crew on board. Fido, of course, being the giant box of metal that he was, immediately charged toward shin, letting out several high-pitched chirps that surprised the man. He took a step to the right, dodging Fido's first charge, then looked to Grethe. His eyes glimmered with a joy unshown, while his face painted the picture of a confused young man.
"We found his form, destroyed, near by your Feldreßes," Grethe stated, "After we resecured the town we found you in, we brought him and the Juggernauts in... And found out that his Matrix was still wholely operational."
"With some help from techs aboard the Serene Mind," Ambroz began, "We repaired and upgraded the little guy."
A few people snorted at the use of the word 'little' to describe a Barrett Scavenger drone with the consciousness of what amounted to a puppydog in love with its master. Spearhead noticed the brand new shine on the Drone's body, as well as some of the reinforcements made to it, including reactive armor plating and what looked to be a small emitter of some kind. Raiden turned and asked, "And... The emitter on top?"
"A first testbed for a specialized energy shield," Grethe smirked.
"Wait, what-"
"ENERGY SHIELD!?"
Lecca and Haruto, of course. The former seemed confused, while the latter was outright bouncing up and down excitedly. Shin, meanwhile, played with Fido, dodging his charges and playful jumps under the gazes and laughter of the crew aboard. Grethe explained, "The UNSC's been considering providing an energy shield array to most of our combat mechanoids. We've been testing it out with Fido's help while you were out..."
"And...?" Theo smirked as he still held Mary close.
"Well, early testing's promising, but doctor Rochefort still wants to keep going for a bit. We'll probably be introducing some Reginleifs with it first, before it becomes commonplace," Nakano replied, then looked to Shin as he stared questioningly at them. She said, "It's an extra layer of defense that does not impede movement, Captain Nouzen. Don't worry, you'll still be as agile as ever."
"Good," He replied, then dodged Fido without even looking. He turned to the bot now and said, "Sit," to which it replied with a cheerful "Piii~!" and plopped itself down, almost denting the floor. Shin chuckled, patting the machine's frame.
"It's good to have you back, boy," Daiya commented as he walked up to them. Another series of happy chirps were Fido's reply to the greeting. The boy chuckled, then patted it on the frame, too, before turning to Frederica and crossing his arms. He was still smiling, however, as the little girl recovered from the shock of Fido bursting out of his containment/surprise gift packaging.
Shin hummed, then walked up to her and extended his hand, asking, "You knew about this?"
"Of course..." She said, taking his hand and being lifted up to her feet. She dusted herself off, then arranged her garrison cap and smiled. Of course, Shin had gotten the talk about Frederica being their mascot a while back and was... Not particularly thrilled. She was, however, still a sort of little sister to the team. She spoke, "And I couldn't not be aboard for it."
"Hm," Shin hummed, then patted the girl on the head, "Thanks..." and he turned to the rest of the officers, "To all of you."
"Don't mention it, Nouzen," Replied Ambroz. Shin replied with a curt nod, then gazed upon his Squadron. Many processors, still alive. Not on the Memorial. It had hit him like a hammer just now. Certainly, he was still the one to guide them. But, perhaps, he would not need to be a Reaper anymore. He would still carry the title, should it be required to come back, but...
His entire squadron smiled at him. Fido chirped in his ear. Even Frederica being there was somehow soothing to him...
This was almost perfect. Almost.
They needed to survive the LSO.
He sighed deeply, then looked to Nakano and asked, "You mentioned that Lena was also working with an 'old friend' of mine. Who might that be?"
"Her name's Henrietta von Penrose. She's a Technical Lieutenant for the SanMag forces," She replied, then narrowed her lips as she watched the boy try to remember the name. She was hesitant to reveal more to Shin, lest he be angry, or lest his squadron be angry. She said, "I'll let you remember her yourself, Captain. And remember your past, of course... If she seeks you out to talk to you after the LSO, you can reminisce."
"Very well," Shin sighed, giving her a nod. The name sounded familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
He could figure it out later, when they met. Right now, he needed to honor the dead in some way, shape or form. And he knew just how, to be honest. He drew his pistol... The very tool he had used to put an end to so many of his comrades' suffering throughout the years, then set it in front of the massive epitaph, looking up at and giving the names one last read in his thoughts.
Republic of San Magnolia
Lena read the newspaper for the first time in her life since she'd gotten a computer. Reports of people going missing had started cropping up at around the same time as the first poster for the Holy Order had appeared in the city. ONI and most planet-side assets knew that wasn't coincidental at all, but it was a matter of finding out where these people were disappearing to that was troubling.
Most of the disappearances were, strangely enough, Alba instead of the newly-returned Colorata. The Alba were, of course, part of the 'undecided' sector of the populace, those unsure if the Republic would benefit from their alliance with the UNSC and the other nations. Despite some of those improvements being clear-cut and shown in the technological and agricultural departments already, as well as in the military...
Lena sighed, pinching her brow, then set aside the newspaper and stood to her feet. She left her room, dressed in nothing but her nightgown, and marched down to get another snack. She missed talking to Spearhead. To all of them. Though, whenever she thought of them, her mind always wandered to the voice of their leader. She wondered just how Shin was doing in all of this. If he and his squad were even... No, they were alive. They had to be.
She decided not to think too much about it, lest she sadden herself. San Magnolia and her friends needed her at one hundred percent.
She entered the kitchen, only to find her mother there, also clad in her nightgown. Margareta Milizé, the woman that had birthed the very Colonel now sat in front of her, looked at Lena with a pair of tired silver eyes. Her usually well-kept hair was a mess, courtesy of the fact she had also come down just prior to the hours where they would go to sleep.
Her mother shifted uneasily on her feet, averting her gaze as she greeted the girl, "Good evening, Vladilena..."
"Mother...?" Lena replied with a nod, "What are you doing up this late?"
"I could ask you the same thing, young lady..." The woman replied, though with no malice behind her voice. Rather, she seemed to be apologetic, slowly turning to face an impassive Lena staring right at her. She continued, "I take it you want a late night snack, as well?" before opening the fridge and pulling out two plates covered by saran wrap. As Lena walked up to the kitchen island, the woman set her plate down, then took out two forks.
Lena hummed, then nodded and said, "Thanks..." just before her mother handed her a fork.
"Anything for my girl," The woman replied absentmindedly as she undid the thin transparent plastic wrap, revealing the food in all its glory. It was a piece of cake out of a recently-made chocolate cake that they'd procured and somehow finished in less than two days. Sure, Lena recalled eating a couple pieces too many, but she also remembered that this was one of Annette's recipes.
One of the good ones.
"Your friend, Henrietta, really knows her way around a good bake," Margareta spoke, though she was merely looking at the cake instead of even trying to stick her fork into it.
"Yeah, she's learned a lot over the past few years," Lena remarked, looking at her own piece of cake herself. She and her mother hadn't much talked since her father had died during that outing to the Eighty-Sixth Sector. Only the usual 'When are you going to quit the Army? When are you going to get married?' shtick that she kept up with. Her mom was also among those who saw Alba as the supreme race above all else.
Or so she seemed to play it when they were together. She recalled one talk that Margareta and Václav. Despite some of their ideological differences, either her mother gave in to her father's words some times, or just nodded along to let him believe what he wanted. She hadn't seen her mother for a few days after her father's funeral, she recalled. It was almost as if she had disappeared. Lena knew her mother had loved him dearly, else they wouldn't have married. No matter how much her family opposed it.
"So have you," Margareta observed, looking at her daughter.
"What?" Lena didn't know how to take that. Margareta approached her, then lifted the strand of dyed hair with one hand and looked at it. She simply caressed it, having set the cake aside. She looked at the red strand, gently moving her hand over it, then looked at her surprised daughter before letting the hair gently fall back into place. A faint smile played on the woman's lips, surprising Lena.
"Look at yourself, Lena," She said, motioning to the girl, "You're a grown woman... Well, still only seventeen, but..." She sighed deeply, unsure of how to explain it. With a glint of sadness behind her silver eyes, she added, "If you'll forgive me for forgoing the standard, almost robotic noblewoman's speech patterns that you've grown so accustomed to, you've changed a hell of a lot. You've done what your father wanted to do, somehow. You've... Become more than I or he wanted from you."
Lena paused, mouth opening slightly to reply. She, however, couldn't find anything to say. Not before her mother continued a second later, "I had always thought Václav was an idealist out of his depth, a man who romanticized the thought of never giving up. He always pushed forward, no matter the odds. He, Jeanne and Jérôme, three of the best officers the Republic Army had ever had, managed to bring as many of their people alive as possible behind the Gran Mur... It was when he saw what we did to the Eighty-Six."
"I know. He told me the story of how he and his entire unit retreated. And how the MPs held back the Colorata of their forces to bring them in, help build the Gran Mur itself," Lena stated, her mind turning to the grim reminder her father had carried unto death and beyond. The dog tags of a single Colorata soldier, buried with him so that that man's name was never forgotten, even when the very Republic would be destroyed.
"I remember him storming home that day," Margareta chuckled sadly, "Angry, ready to go tell the Government where they could shove that new policy of theirs..."
Lena chuckled, "He was always a bit more abrasive to other authority figures."
"Another thing you take from him," Margareta smiled, "I was always a pushover."
"No, I'm sure dad had more than a few bouts with you," The only daughter of the family quipped, which garnered a short chuckle out of Margareta. Lena looked at the kitchen island and spoke, her voice soft, "I don't think we've had a talk like this since before he..." and she paused, biting back tears. Margareta nodded, clenching and unclenching her jaw as if she, too, was trying to stifle tears.
"Yeah..." She sighed, "I haven't spoken to neither Jeanne, nor Jérôme since the funeral. I hear she's still our president?"
"Yes," Lena nodded, "The UNSC made sure to keep someone with the same interests as them in place."
A snort escaped Margareta's mouth. It wasn't derisive to the acronym of their newfound allies, nor was it to them. Rather, it seemed amused. She spoke, her tone similar, calm, somewhat happy, "Oh, the United Nations Space Command. The people of another world that just up and decided to help us fix our own mistakes without so much as a peep. Like angels, descended from the goddamn heavens to help the Colorata and aid us in our defense."
"Our first contact with an alien species, dead in the middle of a War for survival, and it's humans in the same predicament as us," Lena added, "It almost feels like too good a cosmic coincidence."
"The exact coincidence you needed to help push your and your father's ideals forth," She replied, then looked up at the ceiling, leaning against the counter, "Almost too perfect to be true. Yet, it happened and here we are, looking at the world change before us. Our Allies have tanks rolling around our country, our people are being trained and our Army returns to its pre-Invasion strength."
"I hope you're not about to go on a tirade about-" Lena had started. Knowing her mom, she was about to start on how their Army could defeat even the UNSC now.
"... If only your dad was here to see it," She said melancholically, shocking Lena. She looked to the girl, arms now crossed to her chest, then flashed the girl a smile, stating, "Oh, calm yourself, Lena. I've... Only been keeping that stupid façade up for posterity's sake, just like a lot of people you've met... I loved your father too much. And I did see some truth in his words."
"So, why did you decide to come talk to me about it only now?" Lena asked, still surprised her mother came out about her issues like that, "You've been distant for the better part of my childhood after dad..."
"I know," She sighed, "I know. I... Don't really have an answer for why I turned the way I did. I think I just descended down into the whole Holy Order of Purity thing without any actual reason. Just worry for you," And she looked to Lena, "You remember how angry I was when you joined the Military? Without my permission, of all things...? And then when you went and made yourself a Handler."
"I do," Lena replied, "I don't think either of us had been that upset in a long while."
Her mother nodded. It had been a tough moment for them to get used to. Yet again, her mother had never left her room for a month after that announcement, followed with her continuously berating Lena over the choice she made, demanding that she get married and leave the military and all that. Until recently, of course, when Lena's mom had once again taken a few days(this time) to think in her room, before Lena started seeing her around again.
She had seemed a bit more... Open. Just before Lena had left for training with the ODSTs, she had suggested that she would take care of Teppy if needed. Sure, Lena took that as her mom offering to let the poor cat starve to death, but she should have considered it a possible attempt to mend their relationship. Maybe? She didn't know. Taking into account what was going on...
"Why?" Lena asked.
"Hm?" Margareta raised a brow. She plucked her fork and took a bite of the cake, which had, by now, reached room temperature. She smiled.
"Why...? Why have this talk now?" She pressed, unsure, hesitant.
Margareta sighed, "I knew that question was coming," and she fully turned to face Lena, "I didn't want what was coming to catch our relationship as bad as it was, Lena. I want to mend what broke when your dad died, for all it's worth now, after so many years... I know there's something big coming. I can feel it in the fact the whole country is abuzz with preparation. The UNSC and our Army are amassing, preparing for something. I am not a moron that can't read the context."
"You're afraid," Lena stated bluntly, noticing her mother's body movement. Margareta nodded, which surprised Lena. That her mother wouldn't deny something like that was a sign of something greater pushing her desire to mend everything. She approached her daughter, putting her hands on her cheeks and looking her over, like she used to do before everything went to hell.
Margareta Milizé could only smile at her daughter, stating, "Your father always said that his work would be left to the next generation of Milizés. To change the Republic for the better. I guess he was right, in a way. The next generation brought the hope this country needed by the sheer stupid luck that follows this bloodline..." and she pat Lena on the head. Though hesitant, she spoke once more after a moment's pause to let the stunned Lena recover, "You've... Done good, Lena. I'm sure your father would be very proud of you. And, for all it is worth right now, I am proud, too."
Lena gasped, her heart rate spiking. Her mother was never this straightforward with any of her feelings, especially after her father's death. A first tear escaped her eyes as she leaned toward her mother, wrapping her arms around her. Margareta replied in kind, gently moving her hands down and wrapping her daughter in a tight hug, her own tears wetting Lena's shoulder. Her mother was afraid.
"I am scared, Lena," Margareta spoke through the tears, "Not of the Legion... Not of whatever else is coming... I am scared of losing you. You're the last member of my close family that I have with me. It was why I always berated your choices about joining the military. I still hate that you are part of it because of what seems to be on its way, but I... I am sure you'll do your best to survive."
"I will. I'll keep the Republic safe. I'll keep everyone safe, whatever comes," Lena replied, wary and weeping silently.
"Don't make a promise you cannot keep, my daughter," Her mother whispered, tightly hugging her. She spoke more loudly, "I should warn you about the Holy Order of Purity."
Lena took a look at her mother after those words, surprised. Margareta whispered to Lena, "They came to see me while you were at the Palace Blancneige, Lena. They told me that they are willing to take all those loyal to the True Republic somewhere safe, to survive what they call a 'cleansing', wherein all those who betrayed the Republic would be killed and their true order would return. Be careful. Please. Do not let any of those... Monsters... Touch you. And take it from me, they will try something. Let the UNSC and Jeanne know about it. Before it's too late."
"We'll be careful, mom," Lena replied. Those bastards spooked her mom, huh? "We'll be ready. We'll even get the extra security we need."
"I know, dear," She patted her on the head, "I know," And she smiled. Lena was just like her father. Self-confident, thank the Saint. "And I will try to keep myself safe, too. As best as I can, anyway." It was the least she could tell her daughter. They had just reconnected. She had no intention of stumbling or dying. Not without a good reason. She quipped, smiling, "I'm not going to die before I see you married to that Captain Nouzen you've spoken to."
Lena blushed, her heart skipping a beat, before she pushed her mom to arms' length and looked her in the eye, surprised. Margareta chuckled, "Yes, yes, I overheard you talking to him," That made Lena's heart stop for a good second, "And I also heard your cute little freak-out after talking about his brother," and that outright made Lena lightheaded, ready to faint in her mother's arms. Margareta chuckled, then stated, "I have not asked the UNSC about it, but I'm aware he was important to you. And I'm certain he's out there, same as his unit."
"Jeez..." Lena murmured, "You really had to bring that up, huh?"
"I would not be your mother if I didn't inquire about potential marriage material for you," She chuckled, then shrugged and looked away from Lena, "It doesn't matter if he's Colorata or not. If he makes you happy..." And she looked to Lena, who, by now, was furiously blushing. Margareta began to giggle, stating, "I see your buttons are still very easy to push, daughter of mine... Just like mine."
Lena pouted, puffing up her cheeks at her mother as red tinted them. The two heard a meow below, then gazed down to see him. Teppy, Lena's not-so-recently-acquired furry companion looked up, to which Margareta exclaimed, "Teppy!" before picking him up. Lena's wide eyes, slightly-agape mouth and raised brows told her that she was curious as to what was going on. Margareta raised a brow, asking, "Do you believe I would have genuinely harmed this sweet little animal, Lena? I wanted cats when I was little, but mother always told me 'No, Margareta, they are filthy creatures!' When I saw him, it was like a dream come true, but then you just started hiding him from me!"
"Oh..." Lena paused, suddenly feeling a bit bad for keeping him away from her mother. Margareta glared, though only she knew it was fake, as she coddled Teppy. Teppy himself was purring happily in Margareta's arms. And Lena rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed at her assumptions in regards to her own mother. Sure as sure, Lena had yet again presumed wrong.
Then, they laughed together, like family...