The clock was ticking, on the way back home Luka managed to catch a glimpse of the pending inspection vehicles. In no time Luka landed his plane, he looked calm from the outside but he was really stressed.
As the plane came to a stop, Luka turned off the engines, no time to park it. Erika's face was still red from the abuse she received earlier, but her tiers have dried up.
"Erika, I need you to go into the house and start putting away Marina's stuff." She nodded and quickly rushed out of the plane and into the house.
When she got in, the first thing she saw in the living room was Marina practicing the Grinkovka dance, with several books about it out in the open. Marina immediately noticed Erika and stopped in her dance, the 13 y/o kid rushed in excitement towards Erika shouting.
"Erika!" In a happy tone. However, Erika looked up at the clock and it said 2:51, only 9 minutes left.
"Okay Marina, we have to put away all the heirlooms, quickly!"
The girl complied and went to grab the books and took them to her room. In the meanwhile, Erika was scanning the living room for anything she might've missed. The living room looked clear of anything contraband. She followed by inspecting the separate rooms, hers and her pops is clear. But when she walked into Marina's room, it was a mess.
Books and dresses all over the place, Erika quickly got to hiding the stuff in the safety hatchets, located under beds, behind walls, hidden drawers and such. The house was filled with these in most rooms. They were about almost done when they heard the bell ring. Erika quickly panicked and shoved all the rest into a single hatch located under the bed of Marina, and then put a box over it.
Footsteps would be heard walking by the room, Erika looked out and it was Luka going to open the door. Luke would also take a quick skim through the living room, before heading to the front door.
Erika looked at Marina and told her
"Alright Marina, let's say hi to the guests"
Marina was a very shy kid, but very passionate. As they walked to the front door, Luka opened it. They were revealed to an officer, he had a very high rank insignia badge.
"Greetings, Major Voslyev. Well now just Mr. Voslyev" The officer spoke.
Luka looked at the officer. "You look familiar," He said as he scanned his memories. "As yes, Commander Alrimya!"
"Well, it's Colonel now" Both of them shook hands, then Luka invited them in. The troops immediately went into search mode, and started inspecting the living room, checking corners and drawers around the house.
"It's a very nice habitat you live in, with two very disciplined girls."
Luka nodded "Yes Sir, I took my utmost to take care of them, and make sure they learn all the essentials in life" He smiled, it was a fake smile though.
Luka remembered the Colonel back in the Great War, he met him in the Summer of 1945, back when he was still a rookie. Their operation was to defend Comberth Harbor, it was a heavy and nasty battle that lasted around 4 months. The battle was to keep a Yuke footing on the Usean land so the invading forces could have a landing place. It was a bloody battle, he remembers Nikita using some morally wrong unconventional tactics and sometimes they were even illegal. But if it wasn't for those extreme moves it's likely Comberth Harbor would've fallen.
"You wanna take a seat Sir?" Luka asked.
The Colonel nodded, he sat down on the couch, the two girls to the side. While Luka went to the kitchen to get some water. The Colonel looked around the house, it was pretty decorated with pictures of the family growing up. Then he looked at the girls.
"Is he a good father?"
Erika nodded "Indeed he is, he's taught me and Marina all the basics of living out here, even how to fly his plane, the Antonov An-2".
"Ah yes, the beautiful Antonov 2. The plane was built late during the great war, and it's such a shame because it's such a versatile aircraft. I've lost too many soldiers due to the lack of efficient transport, but when I saw this plane coming towards me from the horizon I knew those men were living to see the next day."
Erika nodded, to his statement. "My dad always tells me that it's one of the few planes you can trust, and that it has never failed him."
"Indeed, it has never failed me either. Tell me, did you know your mother also loved this plane?"
Erika was curious "No, I did not"
"Well, I guess you knew that she was a medic during the great war, she was always on transport aircraft taking care of the patients in mid flight. Did your father never teach you that?"
Erika thought about her mother, Lyudmila. Erika was 4 y/o when she died, and Marina was just born a few months prior. Erika has very few memories of her.
"No, my father is sensitive to topics regarding my mother, he prefers not to say anything. Only the pictures hanging in this house tell us about her."
The Colonel looked around at the walls with the pictures, then he remembered about how she died, his expression saddened a bit. "Such a tragedy what happened to her, I'm sorry for your loss"
"Well, thank you for caring, and telling me about this."
"You're welcome." The Colonel paused a bit "Say, you seem like a smart girl. Why not when you reach the age, come down to the city, your intelligence can help a lot more than it does up here, in a farm."
Erika remembered what happened to her earlier, of how she was abused by some corrupt police officers.
Then Luka arrived back, with a tray with enough cups for all and some water to accompany it. The Colonel grabbed a drink.
"Thank you for your hospitality Voslyev" He said as he raised the cup to take a drink from it.
"You're welcome Colonel" Luka replied.
The room stayed silent for a while as everyone took drinks from their cups. Luka decided to break the silence.
"So what brings you here Colonel? I thought your station would be somewhere more important, like Cinigrad"
"Well yes, it is, but it doesn't mean I'm not tied to the city like a chain. A few years ago I decided to work on my own project of improving motherland defense, so now I work for that department as well. I analyze all locations of Yuktobania, especially the shore ones, to figure out the best defense strategy with the state officials."
"I see, and while you're here you decided to drop by to visit me."
"That is correct Mr. Voslyev, and I also looked into some files while on the way here. And it says you also own a La-7?"
Luka put down his cup of water "Yes, indeed, and it's not just any La-7, it's mine. Well the last one I flew during the war. But don't worry, I only use it to perform acrobats around this field when I feel like it. The guns are still there but it's not like I own ammo, or can even get a 20 mm without arousing suspicion"
The Colonel chuckled "Hehe, you were a beast in that aircraft. You along with your squadron were some of the best pilots ever seen in this country, and the entire war."
"Yeah, but I left that to the past now. Haven't been serving for over 10 years. Speaking of which, that La-5FN is really rusty. I haven't flown it in ages."
"We still have the parts to repair it if you need. In fact, I'm staying here for quite a while, if you want to I can assign you a spot in the formation for Victory day this June. I'm sure the people and the other pilots would love flying alongside such a legend."
"Thank you for the offer, I'll consider it."
The Yuke soldiers all returned to the living room. "Sir, the house is cleared and secured. No contraband items found"
"Good work, now get back to the vehicle, I will be right behind you. I'm just gonna say my farewell to the home owners."
The soldiers walked out by the front door. Nikita sipped the last drops of his cup of water. And then stood up.
"Welp, it was a pleasure seeing you again Voslyev, but I got work to attend to."
"It was a pleasure seeing you too Alrimya, until next time"
"Until next time comrade, Together as Yuktobania!"
The Colonel walked out the front door. Luka shut it after they left, leaning his head on the door and giving a sigh of relief. He looked back at his children, who also had a moment of relief.
"Alright, everyone can relax now."
Marina got up and went back to her room. Erika was still sitting down, Luka could notice her face was still red from the beating. He approached her.
"Is everything alright?" He said softly
Erika didn't even bat an eye to her father, she just kept looking to the void. Thoughts clouded her mind.
"Why was I born here? There are 3 and a half Billion people in this world, and I had to go to one of the countries that doesn't allow you to live. I am tired of being abused and condemned by this country, by those who are supposed to protect us. I have been robbed of an opportunity to live a free life, travel the world, and express my opinion. Instead I am a statistic, a number in this wretched place."
Tears started to form on her eyelids, before Luka could say anything, she stormed off to her room. Luka didn't chase her since she was right, and he had to give her some personal space. He sat down on the couch, with an empty expression on his face.
He decided to turn on the radio to his side, pressing it and finding the nearest FM frequency, to his surprise an old song turned up.
The song was named "Forever", it is a song that he practiced a choreography with in his school. It was for a dancing competition against other establishments, that's how he met his wife: Lyudmila, they were both fifteen. At the time Luka was a very shy kid, so Lyudmila was the one who approached him first, starting a friendship that evolved into a relationship that ended in hardship. Just like Erika, she was also tired of living in Yuktobania. She didn't become a nurse to serve the country but to help the weak men dragged into a war by ideology out of their consent, she believed that saving these helpless men who have seen the worst side of a world, will help guide it to a better one.
Luka was on the verge of tears listening to the song, but he didn't turn it off. It reminded him of how she turned him from a boy to man with her morals, ever since she died he's been afraid to lose anything more.
Once again, he remembered Iosef, how he lost everything. Iosef is a man that is more shattered than he is. Luka is now heavily considering that offer, and that little voice inside him telling Luka to do it, has drowned out the entire voice of it saying not to.
He got up and walked to the bathroom and grabbed some barbered scissors, he looked at himself, a man getting older. He let his facial hair grow since he didn't feel the need to trim it since he stopped fighting. He is weak and giving up his sword. He grabbed his ponytail, a sign of peace, but peace is nowhere to be found, waiting for a hero to come and bring it is no longer an option. He cuts the pony tail clean off.
Luka has made his choice.