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Chapter 6The Ending

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Sami sat down in her office at the military headquarters at the Orange Star capital. "Why is he not back yet? We won over a day ago." She leaned back in her big computer chair.

"Maybe…maybe he's…" She shook her head at the very thought. She looked up at the door in the office as someone knocked. Sami slowly rose and walked to the door, opening it. She stopped halfway.

"Hello, Sam." Eagle stood there in the doorway. "You want to let me in." Sami opened the door completely and he walked in. "Hey, why's it so dark in here?" He flipped a switch next to the door.

"So, you finally came back." Sami closed the door and walked back behind her desk.

"Yeah, um, I-I'm…" his voice trailed off.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry for how rude I was when I first met you." He blushed lightly.

"Forget about it. That's in the past." She looked back at him with a light grin. He could now see her perfectly in the bright light. While he was wearing the fight suit he wore for combat mission in his aircraft, she was wearing the dress uniform.

The uniform was more formfitting that the combat uniform he had normally seen her in. He also noticed that, though most other female officers wore a skirt with the uniform, she wore slacks. Her cover was setting on the desk and her gloves were on top of that.

"Alright…" Eagle looked down, embarrassed. Here he was wearing a sweaty uniform, and she…she was wearing one of the most elegant uniforms in the Orange Star military.

"Hey, did you happen to bring at least your service dress uniform with you?" He looked back up at her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Good. You've got a treaty signing to go to in an hour. Get changed into it."

"Treaty signing?"

"Yeah, between Green Earth and Orange Star."

"So, you have to be there too." Sami nodded back. "So, I guess it good I brought it with me." He patted the bag that was strapped around his shoulder.

"Good, go ahead and get changed in here." She walked passed him as she spoke.

"What's wrong with the bathroom?"

"To far." She closed the door. He was quickly out of the sweaty flight suit and was now buttoning the long sleeve button up shirt that would go underneath the service coat. As he buttoned he looked around at the pictures on the desk and around the room.

There was a picture of a younger, teenaged Sami along with an older man. He assumed the man was her father. There was another picture of her, maybe in her early twenty's. She looked slightly different. Her hair was pulled back into a small bun and she was wearing a cadet uniform. She stood next to a slightly younger, yet taller woman in the same cadet uniform. Eagle paused. That was Sonja in the picture. The only times he had seen them interact before, they were harsh and cold to each other, yet in this picture, they looked to be best friends.

Eagle grabbed his tie out of the bag and began to tie it around his neck. He moved his eyes to the last picture on the desk. Sami was in the middle, she was the shortest. Surrounding her were five men, each differing in height. All of them wore the same type of clothing, a dark forest green turtleneck with a dark shade of pants. One other had the same reddish-orange hair like Sami. All the others had reddish-brown hair. Her brothers, perhaps? He looked up as someone knocked on the door. He opened the door and let Sami back in.

"Done yet?" She closed the door behind her.

"Almost." Eagle had finished tying his tie and put on the service coat.

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Eagle and Sami walked into the room at the same time, but from different entrances. They had driven together there, but the both figured it wouldn't be right to act as if anything was going on between them.

"Finally! We were wondering if you were ever gonna make it!" Max called as he walked towards her.

"What? I told you I'd be here."

"What were you doing back at headquarters?" Sami gulped.

"I told you, business."

"Yeah, but I asked Nell, and she said there was no work for you to be doing." Her mind raced. She didn't know what to say, then something clicked and she knew exactly what to say.

"Personal business," She crossed her arms as she spoke, "which means, none of your business."

"Right…" Max turned and walked away. Sami watched him as he moved to the front row and sat down next to Andy. She reluctantly walked to them and sat down next to Max. On her right was an empty seat, followed by Drake. She looked up as Drake did when Eagle walked up. He looked but the only open seat was between Drake and Sami. He sat down between them.

"Good evening. If you will please find your seat, we can get started." The event manager walked back off stage. Everyone in the room quieted down and quickly sat down. The event manager walked back on stage. "Now, it would be my honor to welcome the President of Orange Star." Every military personnel in the building rose to attention.

"Thank you. You may take your seats." All that stood, sat back down. "We are here today to join in a treaty with Green Earth, who helped us in the fight against Sturm. I would now like to welcome the Prime Minister of Green Earth." The Prime Minister walked out. She stood next to the president.

"Thank you all for coming," she began. "This treaty we sign today will be a guide for our two countries' relations for years to come." The event manager walked back out with a rolled up paper. The president and prime minister slowly unrolled the paper.

"This is the treaty-the Treaty of Newhaven." The president held the paper proudly. Sami leaned back slightly.

Newhaven…that was where Eagle got shot down. Where she fought with him. Where this whole mess was unraveled. Sturm…the 'Andy clone…all of it. She thought about that past rather than listen to them continue to babble on about the treaty.

She looked up only to watch them sign the treaty and clap at that. As they and a few other important people continued talking, she propped her head up as if she was paying attention, but her mind was elsewhere. Little did she know, but Eagle was doing the exact same thing. Quickly one hour passed. The event manager walked back on stage.

"Thank you all for being her for this momentous night," and with that the ceremony ended. Everyone got up to leave. Andy quickly walked over to Sami, Eagle, and Drake.

"Hey, there's a party for all the commanding officers back at my place! You wanta come?" Sami looked back, smiled, and nodded.

"That sounds like a great idea, laddie." Drake put his arm on Eagle's shoulder. "What do ya say, Eagle?"

"I'm in," and with that Andy ran off to tell Max. Drake pushed Eagle.

"See ya then, mate!" Drake walked off.

"You ready to go?" Sami turned to leave.

"Yeah, let's go."

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Sami's old Jeep stopped slowly in front of Andy's house. They could already smell the barbeque in the air, while they were still a mile away. Eagle and Sami jumped out and headed up the steps to the door. She pressed the doorbell.

"Hey, guys, glad you could make it!" They followed Andy in, through the living room and kitchen, to the backyard. Max was at the grill, making burgers and hot dogs. Everyone else was standing around talking. They were the last ones to get there. They had stopped at Sami's apartment on the way there so they could change. Eagle now wore jeans and a polo shirt with a geometric design and a flight jacket over that. The jacket wasn't his, it was his father's.

Sami was wearing camouflage cargo pants and an olive green shirt that read 'OSMC' on the back. Time passed slowly. Everyone ate about six. By seven, it was too dark to stay outside. Sami and Eagle both sat on Andy's large couch, but they sat at opposite ends making idle chitchat with other people.

Drake came and made Eagle move down toward the middle so he could sit on the end. Sonja came and did the same to Sami. They sat there, next to each other for the rest of the night. After ten, they had to leave. That ride back to the HQ was the last time they were in each other's company. That is until Black Hole came again…

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