Good evening! Saturday night…not the best night to post, but oh, well. Here it is! Please remember that this is a K/A and will end a K/A. But I believe that the test of true love is in its challenges and the journey to get to that point. ;)
RossodiSera: Thank you for the suggestion. This fic is very PG-13, it won't go very graphic in terms of love scenes.
Guest: Well my friend, here it is! Hope you like it.
SnyperLady: Oh, my friend, Lotor…I really wanted to make him smart in this fic. Not how we usually see him as an emotional villain. He still has a lot of anger, but his execution is different. And yes, he is thinking a lot of how he wants to get rid of the Force. So, yes, planning something very big.
CubbiesFan1: So I surprised a lot of people with that scene. Hmmm….you might be pleasantly surprised as the story continues. I feel bad for Sam, he's a good guy, but, Allura's heart belongs to another. She's just too stubborn to accept it.
Guest: I believe in happy endings and yes, they will stay together…but the path to get there. Well, that's what makes love stronger! LOL!
Mertz: Yes, poor Sam. He's fighting a very unfair battle.
Sunshineleo: You are very welcome. They'll be more. Yes, I feel bad for Sam. Oh, Kirian! I love her! She's one sharp blonde! LOL
Playlist
The Foo Fighters: All My Life
Sun in Your Eyes: Above and Beyond
The Fray: Trust
Chapter 11
Ensign Mosley watched in sheer awe from the giant screen inside the command center the lions flying in the air practicing several maneuvers. Each lion flew with accuracy, strength, class and precision.
"They're amazing," she said aloud as Coran, sitting next to her, nodded in agreement.
"They are slow today," Coran added. "The pilots are still getting used to them. After all these years without flying, it's understandable."
Turning to face him in disbelief, she asked, "This is slow? Advisor Coran, they're the fastest things I've seen throughout my experience with the Garrison and here for that matter."
Coran tried to hide the smile that threatened to appear at seeing Mosley's astonished gaze, but couldn't, "Ensign Mosley, believe me when I tell you that they are faster than what you are watching on screen. My guess is that Lance Allura, Hunk and Darrell are still trying to accustom themselves to flying them. It has been a long time since they have been with them."
Looking back at the screen, Kirian noted, "You didn't mention the Captain? Is he also trying to accustom himself to Black Lion? It is the biggest lion after all, but the Captain looks like he's having no trouble at all maneuvering him."
"Funny you should notice," Coran sighed. "The team has flown remarkably well despite the absence with their physical connections with their lions. But, Keith and Black lion seem to be completely in sync with each other."
"It's like they haven't been apart," she finished for him as she continued looked at the screen. "How is that possible?"
Coran looked at the young girl and shrugged calmly, "They are not really apart, Ensign Mosley. They are always connected in heart and mind."
The young woman pondered the Advisor's words, "Seems like the Captain and the Black Lion are more connected in heart and mind than we thought," she replied captivated by what she watched on screen.
Coran remained quiet and watched alongside the young woman. As the lions flew higher in altitude, Coran knew the exercise they attempted, "Let's see how they do when they dive."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Lance, you need to keep your nose up," Keith spoke to his second in command with a neutral tone as he noticed Red lion's nose fall too low when attempting to do the exercise.
"It's fine Keith," he answered curtly.
"Move Red up twenty degrees," Keith ordered calmly.
"I told you, it's fine," Lance answered with more of a kick in his tone.
"I'm marking a straight 90 degree dive," Keith stated sharply. "If you descend at that speed, you'll lose control and you won't be able to pull up in time."
"Who's the one flying the lion, Keith?" Lance sighed. "I know what I'm doing!"
"Lance," Keith continued without reacting to his second in command's inability to follow orders or the sharp tone, "Listen to what I'm telling you. My marking show you won't be able to pull up—"
"Let me show you how it's done," Lance interrupted him. "You're apparently out of practice."
"Lance, don't!" Allura now chimed in. "Follow orders."
No longer listening, Lance accelerated Red Lion toward the ground accelerating the lion to the point that even Darrell and Hunk shouted for him to stop.
"Pull up!" Darrell shouted.
Twenty-five thousand feet.
"Lance, stop!" Hunk yelled.
Fifteen thousand feet.
"Damn it, Lance!" Allura's voice grew higher.
Ten thousand feet.
"Pull up McClain!" Allura shouted.
During the entire exchange, Keith said nothing. He just watched what he knew would happen. At fifteen hundred feet, he finally spoke with an eerie calm, "You've reached your limit and you won't be able to pull up now."
"I hell I won't!" Lance yelled back trying to pull up his lion and finding out that he couldn't.
Calmly, Keith then ordered, "Turn your lion. Falling on its side will reduce impact. Brace yourself."
"No, I can do this!" Lance stubbornness wouldn't give away.
"Now, Lance!" Keith yelled out as he noticed that Red had reached five hundred feet.
"Lance, you have to!" Darrell yelled out, "You won't make it!"
"Lance!"
Hearing all their voices at the same time, brought Lance to action. About to turn the lion to its side, he suddenly felt Red taking over. His eyes widened as he watched the controls turn on their own. He thought he was imagining things, "No wa–"
Blackness.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Is he alright?" Kirian asked as she and Coran watched Red Lion fall it its side on an abrasive impact. They had both heard the interaction between the captain and his second in command. Even though, they didn't interfere, Kirian could tell that the Advisor wanted to.
"Lance, are you all right?" Coran immediately called out.
After a pronounced minute of silence they heard an answer, "Yes…Yeah. I'm fine."
"You should get yourself check out at MedTech, Lieutenant McClain," Kirian said. Looking at Coran she said, "I'll contact Doctor Gorma to let him know you'll be there to see him."
After a moment, they all heard Keith speak, "I think that's enough for today. Lance, get yourself checked out and cleared. Hunk take a look at Red. Make sure he's okay. We will debrief after lunch."
When both watched the lions heading back to base, Mosley asked, "Does that usually happen?"
"What?"
"Differences of opinions?" Kirian raised her brow in question.
The old advisor sighed, "With Keith and Lance? Always. Those two have a true love and hate relationship. I just hope that the latter doesn't play a bigger part in this war."
XXXXXXXXX
The dining hall was a large room with about two-hundred rectangular metal picnic tables that fit eight to ten officers comfortably. The area was opened for three shifts, breakfast, lunch and dinner. All officers were welcomed as long as they were properly groomed and uniforms or flight suits were in pristine condition. It was a sign of respect and leadership.
Darrell, Hunk and Allura found themselves among their counterparts having lunch as they waited for Lance to return from Medtech. After practice, the team quickly showered, Lance checked himself out for a possible concussion and injuries from the fall and Keith went to speak to Coran. Hunk and Pidge, prior to hitting the shower, went to check on Red and found it to have minimal scratches that the engineers could quickly fix in hours. Other than that, the lion was sound.
Allura looked around and found Sam at one of the officer tables having lunch with his peers. He made eye contact with her and smiled. She smiled in return before turning her attention to her group. Despite their relationship, Allura was glad that they kept parts of their work life separate. They had lunch together from time to time, but they both knew where they stood in terms of ranking. As ridiculous as it was, there was a hierarchy to uphold in the Corps.
"Practice could have gone a lot worse," Darrell said as he picked at his sandwich.
"Which part?" Hunk sighed as he played with his meal using his fork. Despite the talking, his mind kept wondering, "Being out of practice or Lance's antics?"
"That was stupid of him," Allura shook her head, "He knows better than that. Keith could have pulled rank on him and really have made things worse. How's Red?"
"Fine," Darrell answered as he took a small bite. "Minor scratches. The engineers will have him fixed up by tonight."
"Did you notice how calm he was?" Hunk looked at his two teammates as he put his fork down, "It was eerie. There was no emotion in his tone or features. I watched him on screen, nothing. Even when Lance fell, there was no emotion or reaction. He just acted…"
"As if he didn't care?" Darrell finished the sentence for Hunk.
"No," Hunk shook his head. "I don't think that's it."
"What would you expect? Aside from him being who he is, prison must have made him harder and less caring," Darrell shrugged.
"I think there's more," Hunk looked at his friends. "I can't pinpoint it. But, I think we are missing something."
Allura remained quiet for a moment before speaking, but in the end, she couldn't hold her opinion, "Fact of the matter is that Lance was acting like the jerk he typically is. If I would have been in Keith's position, I would have—"
"You would have what?"
Allura looked up to find Lance staring at her blue eyes, "I would have grounded you. Really, Lance, how stupid were you this morning?"
Lance rolled his eyes before he sat down. He had gotten his food before finding them, "Listen Altair, I really thought I could maneuver Red. Guess I'm a little out of practice."
"A little?" Darrell laughed, "Face it dude, you screwed up. By the way, your lion sends its regards."
"How is Red?" Lance asked genuinely concerned.
"It'll live," Hunk answered taking a bite out of his mash potatoes. "No thanks to you!"
Lance didn't answer, he knew he screwed up.
"It's going to take a little time to get used to the lions again, that's all," Allura chimed in, noticing Lance's sudden change.
"Well, Keith didn't seem to be having too much trouble today," Hunk stated very neutrally, his thoughts still twirling around his head. "Did you all see him? Every maneuver was perfect. I wonder if he got any flying time before us."
Allura didn't say much, but she had to admit that Hunk was right. From the moment Keith and Black bonded, something happened that hadn't happened to her and Blue or any other of the lions with their pilots. Maybe Hunk had a theory. She wished he shared it with her.
Lance wanted to tell the group what he witnessed during his downfall, but for the life of him, he wasn't sure if what he saw was real. He needed to think that through a little more. Once the pilot was in command, the lion would only respond to him…or her. He had never witnessed Red respond on its own. Not when he was in command.
"Well, speak of the devil," Darrell interrupted his ongoing thoughts as he watched Keith walk in to the dining hall.
Keith looked around briefly and found an empty table by a window on the far end of the room. The team wasn't the only one watching him. The dining hall was enthralled with him as he walked casually and without care to the table. Allura quickly turned and looked at Sam whose gaze toward her commanding officer held both fear and hate.
"I don't see him making any friends in this room," Lance muttered before looking at his plate to begin eating.
"I don't think that's his intention," Hunk responded watching Keith look out the window as he ate.
A few minutes later, Kirian Mosley walked into the dining hall carrying her tray. Darrell was about to call out to her when he watched her immediately turn and head to the direction where Keith sat.
"Seems like Mosley has taken a liking to our Fearless Leader," Lance said sarcastically as he began eating his salad from the tray.
"Yep, looks like it," Hunk laughed a bit, turning to Darrell who looked back, annoyed.
Allura, on the other hand remained silent as she watched the petite short hair blonde make her way to Kogane's table.
Not too far away, Sam watched intently as his girlfriend glared at the scene in front of them.
XXXXXXXXX
Oblivious to what was going on around him, Keith ate his meal in peace, tuning out the noise level in the dining hall. He was used to tuning out noise. The dining hall somewhat reminded him of the dining areas in prison. Sure the base was much cleaner and comfortable and it did help that there were no guards around with guns watching every move he made while eating. But, overall, it was the same set up. Keith was glad that he didn't have to sit next to anyone. While in prison, he always had to sit next to other prisoners since the number of people was about two times greater than where he ate at the moment and the prison hall was much smaller. At first, the inmates wanted to cause trouble. They wanted to fight him just to taunt and establish hierarchy within the prison society. It didn't take long for them to realize that he wasn't interested in being the big man there.
A man by the name of Pike picked a fight with him one morning during breakfast. Keith tried to avoid the situation, but Pike would not have any of it. When walking away would not deter the situation, Keith tried talking his way out. Words didn't help when it came to Pike. A six foot three man weighing almost three hundred and fifty pounds was not going to bother listening to anything Keith said.
Pike had thrown the first punch and hit Keith square in the jaw. As the other inmates created a circle, excited to watch the fight they longed for, Keith quickly composed himself, got up from the floor and noticed Pike waiting for him. Keith also noticed that the guards had not left their posts. He had heard that Pike had been a problem for the penitentiary. The man had already completed his seventh year of a forty-five year sentence and he had already had about twenty-five altercations with other inmates. The guards could only do so much. Other than giving him solitary confinement, which obviously didn't work, they couldn't do any more to stop the monster.
So when Keith noticed that the all the guards stayed at their posts, he knew what they wanted him to do. He wasn't going to kill him, but he would make sure, Pike would behave for the rest of his sentence. He fought him almost like he fought Zolon, except the intention to kill wasn't there. In the end, he had neutralized the problem. Pike walked away with five broken ribs, a fractured femur, a black eye, swollen nose and a destroyed ego. No one would ever look at him the same way again.
After the fight, the guards took Keith to solitary confinement. But during his ten day stay, he was given books to read, a comfortable bed, and even a small tablet in case he wanted to watch any programs. The guards told him that the warden had given him a "gift". Keith didn't ask for reasons or explanations. He accepted his reward and enjoyed his ten days of confinement in bliss.
Looking back at it, he thought that what he enjoyed the most was the silence and joy of being able to hear his own thoughts.
"Commander Kogane," he suddenly heard a voice bring him back to the current world.
He looked up to find Kirian smiling at him. So much for blissful silence. "How can I help you Ensign Mosley?"
"Would you mind if I have lunch with you?"
He wanted to tell her yes, that he would, but the young woman had already put her tray down on the table and even though she hadn't sat yet, Keith knew that the question was not up for debate, "Sure, have a seat."
"Thank you," she answered with a smile as she sat down. "I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed watching all of you at practice this morning."
"It wasn't much of a practice session," he replied. "I just wanted the team to start their bonding process with the lions."
"Bonding?"
Keith picked up a piece of bread from his tray and took a bite before answering, "As you bond with your lion, you are less likely to make mistakes up in the air."
Mosley remained pensive for a moment, "So today, Lieutenant McClain wasn't bonding correctly?"
He shrugged without saying a word as he began eating.
"You seem to bond very well with Black," she continued her questioning. "What's your secret?"
He looked at her with unreadable eyes, "It's complicated." Keith answered simply before going back to his meal.
Mosley knew she wasn't going to get any more out of the commander about the topic. Instead, she went back to her food and both ate silently for a bit. It took a few minutes before Keith finally looked up and asked her, "What is it that you want Mosley?"
"I just wanted to have lunch with you," she told him.
"And?"
She sighed and looked at him, "How do you know?"
"It's written all over your face," Keith answered seriously. "Now, what is it that you want? I have a debriefing and planning session in ten minutes."
"I read the report you submitted to Advisor Coran. You're thinking of sending a Mole to Korrinth to run surveillance. I'd like to be that person."
"That has not been approved."
"But, you know that sooner or later it will," she reasoned. "I just want an opportunity to be able to do it once it does."
"Why?"
"It's a great career opportunity," Mosley answered with excitement. "I have a goal Commander Kogane. I want to become Lieutenant by the time I reach my twenty fifth birthday—"
"So advancement opportunity is your motivator," Keith interrupted with a sarcastic tone. "Let me tell you something Mosley. If you think I care about what you want to be when you grow up, know that I don't give a damn. The only thing I care about is the making sure we save that lives of those on Arus and Earth. I will not rely on some snot nosed kid who only wants to take on an assignment to make mommy and daddy proud and to advance her military career."
She was shocked by his words, but he wasn't done yet.
"Think very hard Mosley. If all you care about is military ranking and social status, you don't belong on my team. I need people who are willing to give themselves fully, not for money or fame and certainly not to prove to the world they are the best. I need people who don't give a damn what others think of them because all they care about is saving lives, not matter what the cost! I need self-sacrificing people willing to give up everything if it means saving even one person. That's who I need! Join or stop wasting my time."
Clearly angry, Keith stood up and walked away.
VVVVVVVVVVV
"What pissed him off?" Lance asked as the group as they all watched Keith walk out the dining hall.
"She must have said something stupid," Hunk snorted. "Really stupid."
"Hunk!" Darrell suddenly stopped his friend from speaking, "What do you have against her?"
"Do you want me to tell you?" Hunk challenged as he looked back to Darrell. Seeing his friend growing angrier, he sighed, "Whatever man."
Noticing that Allura had been quiet, Lance turned to her and watched as she closed her eyes as if in pain, "Hey, Altair, you alright?"
She nodded without saying a word at first, but then swallowed hard, "I'm fine…sorry, just have a bit of a headache." Opening her eyes, she noticed her three friend looking back at her concerned, "Guys, I'm fine. Really."
"You don't look like it, Princess," Hunk replied. "You sure?"
Allura smiled, "Yeah, Hunk, I'm fine. Listen, I'm going to freshen up before the meeting. I'll see you all in a bit." Standing up, she walked toward the dining hall doors before disappearing from sights.
Looking at Altair as she left, Darrell turned to both Lance and Hunk, "What was that all about?"
VVVVVVVVVVV
Romelle had worked most of the morning in her home office coordinating a fundraiser for the Arus Children's Foundation, an organization helping orphaned children find safe homes with loving parents. Romelle had started as a volunteer and in the past twenty years had risen as Vice-President of Major Gifts.
The annual gala the year prior raised three million dollars. Romelle hoped this year she'd double. She was deep in concentration that she startled when the vidscreen alerted her of a call. Quickly swiveling her chair around to vidscreen, she smiled when she read who the caller's name was. Accepting the call by pressing a button, the face of her angel appeared on screen a few seconds later, "Hope! Baby! How are you?"
As Romelle looked at her daughter on screen, she couldn't help to notice how beautiful she was. Hope inherited almost everything from Sven. Her rich black hair, the shape of her eyes, even the shape of her lips, everything was Sven with the exception of the color of the eyes. Romelle's soft blue gentle eyes heightened Hope's beauty. Romelle had also been glad that Hope inherited something else from her, her body. At least, every now and then she could swap clothes with her daughter.
"Mom!" the young girl smiled. "I'm so glad to see you!"
"Oh, honey," Romelle's eyes almost watered. "I'm so glad to see you! I didn't think you'd be calling me this early. Thought you were still getting to know more of Paris."
"Well," she answered, "It's not that early Mom. As a matter of fact, it is well over seven o'clock in the evening. I just got out of work and a few of my colleagues are going to this pub a few blocks down the building to celebrate the boss' birthday. Just wanted to call you since I know you have to meet with the board later on and I didn't know if I would catch you."
"Oh, you remembered the monthly board meeting?" she laughed.
"You mean, the ones you dragged me to every month for five years?" Hope joked. "Yeah, they somehow stuck in my mind."
The two laughed before Romelle looked at her daughter with a tinge of sadness in her eyes, "Oh, I miss you so my Hope."
"I miss you too Mom," the young girl answered, "How are you? I spoke to Daddy a few days back. And, well… he was concerned that he hadn't heard from you."
"I'm fine," the older woman sighed. "Your dad has always been a worrier." Hope had begun to call Ryan Dad after a few months of meeting her and Romelle. It just seemed natural for the little girl who had just lost her father at such an early age. The name came out of the blue one night while Romelle was getting ready to go out for an evening with him. Ryan helped Hope with her homework while she prepared. After they finished the assignment, the little girl smiled at him and replied, "Thanks Daddy."
Ryan was taken aback and Romelle immediately knew that Hope had chosen him for her. From there on, she knew what she had to do to guarantee her daughter had father figure in her life.
"Dad just wants to make sure you are alright," Hope answered a little firmer. "Mom, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
Carefully, the young woman asked, "Have you seen Uncle Keith?"
Romelle grew serious, "Yes, I have."
"How is he?"
She shrugged, "You know him, honey. He's fine."
"Ahh," Hope nodded. "I guess he hasn't changed a bit." Pausing for a bit, the young girl carefully asked, "How is Uncle Lance? Have you seen him?"
"Honey, why all of a sudden these questions?" Romelle questioned her daughter. "You know I've seen them."
"Mom, you, me, everyone in the universe has seen them on the news, television shows and global media. My question is have you seen him?"
Taking a deep breath, Romelle then answered, "Yes, honey. I've seen your uncle."
Hope smiled, "Good. Mom—"
"Honey, let's not start another conversation regarding your uncle, okay."
"I wasn't going to," Hope smiled innocently. "All I asked was if you had seen him. You're the one that assumed I was going to speak about him."
Romelle rolled her eyes, "I guess you got me."
"Well, since you brought up the subject, I just want to tell let you know that I think—"
"Hope!"
"Talk to Uncle Lance!" the girl didn't deter with a smile. "Mom, I'm not going to tell you this again. This is the last time I will ever mentioned him, okay. It's time. We both known this for years. It's time."
"Who's assuming this time?"
"This isn't an assumption, Mother," she answered firmly. "It's an opportunity. You may not see it, but amidst this war, you might find the peace you seek."
"Oh baby," Romelle smiled sadly, "The only peace I'll ever have is when I finally see you truly happy. Truly, truly happy. And you know exactly what I mean."
"Mom," Hope replied. "I know things look grim…hopeless. Darrell is just not ready. But, he will be. I know he will come around. And we will be together."
"How can you be so sure?" Romelle asked. "Hope, you can't just sit and wait for someone who will not give you what you want."
"I won't settle for anyone else. I know he will."
"How do you know?"
"Honestly, I have no idea," the girl laughed a little. "I just know that Darrell and I will find our way. Just like you will–."
"Hope!"
The girl laughed harder, "Fine, no more talking. I just wanted to see and speak to my beautiful mother. I'll call you in a few days. And I'll be there for the gala. It's in a month, right?"
"Right," Romelle smiled. "I'll see you soon, honey."
"Good. I'll get to see you and Grandpa. I miss him so much," Suddenly Romelle heard her daughter's friends call her, "Okay, I have to go. Love you!"
"Love you too honey," Romelle answered.
"Call Daddy!" Hope said before disconnecting.
Laughing a little after she had finished speaking to her daughter, Romelle opened a window in her vidscreen and punched in the code to call Ryan. After all, she was never one to disappoint her daughter.
XXXXXXXXXX
As the group entered the conference room, they watched Keith look up from the datapad he currently read as he sat comfortably in one of the conference room chairs. The group, without word, took their seats and waited for their leader to speak.
"I'm waiting on Coran, to start," was all that Keith said as his eyes went back to the datapad, but not before observing Lance and checking that he was alright.
Looking at each other for a moment, the group sat down quietly and waited. Minutes later, Coran walked in, Kirian lagging behind, "My apologies, the meeting with the generals ran longer than expected. Commander Kogane, thank you for waiting. Please begin."
Nodding, Keith began, "In light that this was our first practice session in years, I'm not going to go into specifics. We need to bond with the lions as much as we can in order to be in sync at battle. As you know, mistakes should happen during practice," he looked at Lance, "But they will cost us during battle. A large percentage of our mistakes happen because we are not fully one with our lions. Spend time with them, bond. See through their eyes. It's the only way you will succeed."
The group remained quiet, but Keith could tell that they were processing what he had just said. Pausing for a moment, he then went to the next order of business, "I want us to discuss what Darrell was able to find while hacking onto Korrinth's systems. Darrell, since you found it, why don't you share it with the group."
Turning to the group, the man began to speak, "It seems that Korrinth is bringing in large deposits of Zinc and Titanium Oxide along with plasmonic metals and organic-inorganic hybrid materials."
"How much?" Lance suddenly sat up and asked.
"A boatload," the young man said as he turned to his older comrade.
"Why would they need such materials?" Allura questioned. "Are they building a weapon? A robeast?"
"Robeast?" Lance smirked, "Haggar was the only one capable of putting together those monstrosities."
"But, Haggar isn't there anymore," Keith reminded that group. "At least, that's what we think so far. The fact is, we don't know what is going on at Korrinth and no matter how much we hack into their systems or how much we assume, we might not be as prepared as we think."
"So what are you proposing?" Hunk finally voiced out his questioning.
"I suggested to Coran that we send a mole. Someone who can run surveillance from the inside," Keith answered. "It's the only way we will know exactly what Lotor is planning."
"Are you thinking of sending one of us?" Allura asked.
"No," Keith shook his head. "We will definitely be made out. At the moment, there are some humans who have made Korrinth their home for years. Lotor has not killed them only because they have no affiliations with the military."
"Citizens of Korrinth," Coran added. "Some of them were even born there. It's a small population. I assume Lotor will not pay too much attention to them, for now."
Keith nodded, "I'm sure that he's keeping a close eye on them, but for the moment, he doesn't believe that these humans pose a threat to him. I'm suggesting that we have someone either from the Garrison or the Arusian Corps run surveillance as a citizen. Of course, this person will need to speak the language and know the customs of the planet in order to assimilate into society."
"How long would this person be there for?" Lance asked with keen interest.
"I'm not sure," the commander answered. "As long as they need to be. Right now, my main objective is to get that person in. Sooner or later, Lotor may want to take a census of the human population. If he does, it will be harder to infiltrate the planet. The window of opportunity is small. We need someone in there as soon as possible."
The group became quiet for a moment, processing everything that they had heard. During this time, Darrell watched Kirian Mosley. The girl looked nervous, maybe a bit sad. He wondered what exactly had happened in the dining hall between her and Keith.
"Have you thought of anyone in particular?" Hunk asked.
Kirian immediately looked up.
The commander shrugged, "I'm not sure yet."
"We need someone who will fit the profile human on Korrinth," Coran added.
"And that would be?" Lance asked.
"If it is someone young," Kirian stated looking at Keith, "The average age will be between twenty and twenty-five. Most are single. If they are older, you're looking at anyone between thirty-five to forty-nine. Since the planet is mostly dessert, you'll find the human population in the main cities. Most are merchants and traders. They import goods from other planets that would be useful or will attract the average Drule. I'm assuming that the person going in would enter as a trader and try to sell products that attract not only Drule citizens, but Drule soldiers. It would be a good way to establish relationships and acquire information. Not to mention some sort of access to the military bases."
The entire room looked at Kirian, amazed by what she had strategized in just a few minutes. The young lady never deterred her gaze from the captain, who was the only one who showed no surprise or amazement by her statement. Instead, he looked at her dead in the eyes and answered, "You know your information well Mosley."
The girl smiled.
"I'm confident that your knowledge will help you achieve what you came here for, a higher rank in office."
Mosley's eyes widened with shock and her smile withered away like a rose ending its peak of bloom.
With that Keith turned around and looked at the rest of the room. "Coran and I will work on who will be sent as a cover. For now, I need you to continue with your assignments. I'll patrol tonight and we'll hold practice tomorrow morning at 0800 hours. You are all dismissed."
As everyone left the room, Mosley stood up and walked out without looking at anyone. Darrell immediately followed her.
Once everyone was out, Coran turned to Keith, "What was that all about?"
"You may want to ask her that yourself," he answered cryptically before walking out the door.
XXXXXXXXXX
Walking briskly to reach the young lady that basically had ran out the conference room, Darrell called out to her hoping she'd want to talk to him, "Mosley! Stop!"
The girl turned looked at Darrell briefly, shook her head and continued walking.
"Kirian," Darrell ran faster, catching up to her as he said, "Hey, listen to me stop."
With unshed tears, the girl looked at him, "I'm sorry Darrell, I just can't talk to you right now."
"What did that bastard do to you?" he asked already feeling his anger rising as he looked at the young girl. "I need to know."
"No," she shook her head, "He didn't do anything."
"Then, what's wrong?"
Kirian sighed, "I said something I shouldn't have said. It's not his fault, it's mine!"
"What are you talking about?" Darrell said confused. "I don't understand what you are saying."
The young woman looked up, "I understand now why he acted the way that he did. Darrell, it's not about prestige or even honor. It's about the people. That's all he's ever cared about and that's all he's asking for. I didn't understand, I screwed up and now, I have to make him believe in me again."
"Slow down!" Darrell tried to reason. He had no idea what Mosley meant by her words. Had the girl gone crazy? "Kirian, I don't understand anything that you are saying. Please, just slow down, help me understand."
"Darrell," Kirian took a deep breath, "The Captain made me see what's important. He didn't do anything wrong, he made me see." She smiled. "I'll see you later Darrell, I have things to do."
With that, the young woman left, leaving Darrell even more confused than before.
XXXXXXXXXX
Sam arrived home later that night to find his apartment very quiet. For a moment, he thought Allura had picked up her things and gone home, but as he walked further in, he found the bedroom lights on.
"Allura?" he asked, making his way to the bedroom. He found her walking out of the shower wearing his robe. At that moment, he couldn't help but smile, "Well, now that's a nice sight to see when you are coming home."
Unfazed by the comment, Allura looked at him, "That is a pretty pitiful way to begin the serious conversation we are about to have."
Sighing Sam just nodded, "I know. Look Allura, I don't want to argue with you. I know I made a mistake. I shouldn't have answered Kogane the way I did. I don't want this to escalate."
"Oh, it won't escalate," she agreed. "It would have escalated last night if we had continued because I was beyond pissed, Sam. How dare you? No matter what happened in the past, Keith is my commanding officer and you belittled me in front of him?"
"I wasn't trying to belittle you!"
"No?" she replied sarcastically. "So coming at us like a school jock and trying to defend me like I'm a damsel in distress in front of my commanding officer wasn't a way to belittle me? Let's see Sam, next time you are speaking to Coran, let me just barge in and start a ruckus!"
"Allura it wasn't meant to be that way!"
"Then what was it meant to be?" she scolded him.
"Don't you see how he looks at you? Didn't you notice how he kept walking toward you? Taunting you?" Sam sighed with frustration, "He wants something!"
"What?"
"You!" the man almost yelled, "Allura, he wants you."
Stunned, Altair just stared silently at the man as he continued speaking.
"I've been with you for…forever Allura. Yet, I know that I don't have that connection that you and Kogane have. I never will. And, I'm afraid, okay."
"Sam—"
"Let me finish," he said. "I'm afraid of losing you. Do you have any idea how it feels to compete with someone like Kogane? Is it even possible?"
Suddenly, after hearing everything that Sam had said, all of Allura's anger withered away. Instead, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly, "You don't have to compete with him. You've never had to."
Wrapping his hands around her, Sam held her, "I hope not Allura. I love you more than my life. I don't want to lose you."
She shook her head and whispered, "You won't." Then, as if knowing Sam needed a confirmation, Allura kissed him deeply and he, in turn, kissed her back.
Within moments, Altair's robe fell to the floor before Sam picked her up and walked toward the bed.