MARCH PROMPT:ADOPTION/GOOD & BAD LUCK/VIDEO GAME/COLLEGE/HAIRCUTS/GENDER;BODY-SWAP
OPTIONAL GENRE/THEMES:ALTERNATE UNIVERSE/FLUFF/SCI-FI
Synopsis: They are both on the edge of separation. Despite that, the universe has other plans for them.
#Alternate Universe #SCI-FI #Cliffhanger #Unsolved Mystery #Not Beta Read #NSFW
Notes:
I ran out of ideas to fit March prompt. So, I ended up torturing myself and experimenting with my least favorite genre, space SCI-FI. This is a jumble of all the space SCI-FI materials I know (all are either watched or read once).
"Are you sure, Diaco?" Claire asked her second-in-command with her eyes laser-focused on the hologram model of the uncharted planet that they were about to make entry.
"Affirm.", answered Inéz.
But she still wanted to provide her option. "I could deck you. It's easier."
"Nah... you know me. I don't like easy." This time Inéz replied the ship commander casually.
Claire snickered, "You don't say."
Inéz added upon seeing Claire relax for the first time since they came across the distress beacon. "You need me to stabilize the ship while you grab your dear hubby."
"Not soon to be."
"No. No. No. He still hasn't signed the papers.."
Claire grunted, "I shared with you too much."
"Because I'm your trusted confidant."
Claire failed to counter Inéz's riposte, instead, she shifted her attention to the AI assistant. "LILI, countdown?"
"10 minutes. Entering 800089KL atmosphere." the AI voice filled the flight deck.
Claire switched off the main thruster and increased the layer of the cooling surface system. The spacecraft shuddered indicating it leaving the planet's orbit and beginning its atmospheric entry.
Claire turned to the lieutenant next to her, "Countermeasures?"
"Checked.", complied Inéz, her hand moving wildly double-checking the system on the cockpit panel.
"Weapons?"
"Checked."
Satisfied, Claire commanded. "Activate clocking mechanism."
"Activating clocking mechanism.", LILI obeyed the command.
"You ready, Lieutenant?"
"Right back at you, skipper."
The light freighter glided through the obsidian airspace of the unknown planet. Besides the geological data from the AI scanner and the lack of information about its occupants, the planet was deemed hostile by the federation. Claire and her partner, Inéz Diaco were on the way back to the mothership of Colony 3 Expeditionary Strike Group from a humane patrol run at the neighboring planet when they captured a distress beacon from a gunship on a reconnaissance mission in their radar.
"Ground requesting comms." LILI read out the incoming transmission.
Claire replied, "Send it."
LILI programmed the interlink connection directly to her earpiece, a clear beep could be heard through her and Inéz's earpiece when the transmission succeeded. Hereafter, LILI voiced the command, "Ground Crew IDEN."
"Scout Detachment. Quebec X-ray Romeo 3 9 6 1. Major Kennedy, Leon Scott."
Even though, Claire recognized correctly the documentation presented she still turned to Inéz. It was part of protocol. Inéz nodded as verify the details in the system.
Claire took over, "Acknowledged. This is DGFS Voyager, mark your location."
"Affirm.", responded Leon.
"Marker received. Stand by."
Inéz transferred the marker reading to the holographic mainframe system. The red dot subsequently appeared in the geographical hologram indicating Leon's position. Claire's worry lines became more prominent when the marker clearly displayed Leon in some sort of concealment but completely surrounded by a large number of anomalies.
"He surrounded. We cannot land.", Inéz stated the obvious.
"Modify the plan. You gonna greet our guest and make sure he got into the ship."
"Roger that." Inéz removed herself from the seat hastily, exited the flight deck, and proceeded to the cargo bay.
"LILI, reprogram weapon to automatic precision run." Although she dismissed the idea of AI having control of their only weapon, she needed the help she could get.
"Reprograming weapon to automatic precision run." The AI read back her instructions.
"Voyager to Ground."
"Send."
"This going to be touch-and-go retrieval. Do you think you can make a jump over the precipice after I clear your path?"
"Affirmative."
"Fantastic. My lieutenant will be by the cargo ramp to receive you." She glanced at the programming made by LILI on the holographic screen on her left and announced her approval for the gun run plan.
"24 plasma gunshots. Creeping barrage. North to East. How copy?"
"24 plasma gunshots. Creeping barrage. North to East. Copied.", repeated Leon with clarity in his voice.
"Last call."
Inéz's voice chimed in the comms, "Ramp ready."
"Weapon ready.", obliged LILI.
She let out a long exhale when she heard his calm voice. "Ground ready."
"On my mark.", said Claire, both hands skilfully handling the instruments to maneuver the spacecraft stealthily by the precipice.
As soon she got the stern of the spacecraft aligned with the edge of the precipice, she commanded, "GUNS. GUNS. GUNS."
The DGFS Voyager was out of concealment the moment the plasma rail gun delivered a fusillade of plasma rounds. The deafening gunfire echoed through the canyon. Claire firmly held the control stick trying to stabilize the spacecraft from the faint kickback and the wave of the gunfires.
The indicator of the cargo airlock lighted up, soon after Inéz announced the securing of their guest, "Our VIP secured, skipper."
"Roger that.", said Claire, simultaneously the countermeasure sensor on the portside was blaring its alarm.
"Incoming rockets fire. Bearing 220 degrees. Decoy deployed.", reported LILI. And the night sky was colored with pyrotechnic.
"Understood." The spacecraft tipped a little too low as Claire steered it away from the shockwave of the rockets hitting the countermeasure flares.
"Please strap to your seat, sir. This flight out going to be rough.", advised Inéz. After she keyed in command to unfold one of the auxiliary seats just behind the flight deck, she currently returned back to her co-pilot seat to resume her assistance to the ship commander.
"Where's the other calvary?", asked Leon innocently.
Claire replied over her shoulder. "We're it."
"Oh for fuck's sake. Don't tell me that you come without any gunship.", snapped Leon in disbelief. He slumped on the seat and strapped in the safety belt.
"Hold on.", notified Claire. The ship started to make a significant climb when she activated its main ion thruster.
"You came here to an uncharted planet without gunship. Have you lost your mind!", screamed Leon fuming anger, seizing the armrest of the seat in an iron grip.
"All do respect, sir, your timing for admonition is a little bit amiss right now.", blurted Claire unconsciously. If it was another officer surely she get reprimanded straight away for doing that.
"Dome is up." Inéz quickly reacted when the countermeasure sensor blared again.
"Acknowledged."
The electromagnetic force field absorbed the shockwave of the salvo of plasma canon that was subjected by the ground offense. The light freighter rocked hard when the cannon blast hit the stern.
"Almighty Luffian!" Leon inwardly screamed the name of the ancient saint of the Oborian.
"LILI, set course to hyperspace." Ignoring Leon, she barked a command to the AI. As per usual it obliged without complaints.
They have used most of the ship's defense mechanisms. If they stay any longer they, with this kind of fire rate would exhaust all of them. Inéz next to her reported the damages that they sustained. They only had the backup hyperdrive, the main was gone from the rocket attacks. Claire fired up all the ion thrusters at maximum capacity, leaving the hostile planet with speed.
"Entering hyperspace." LILI announced as soon as the spacecraft passed the planet's orbit.
Claire sighed in relief, "You good?"
"Yeah, I'm 10.", answered Inéz.
"Okay, I gonna check on our guest."
"Roger dodger."
This was the first time they faced each other since Claire sent him the divorce documentation 3 months ago. Coincidently, Leon was sent away on a mission and left her without any answer. She walked toward where he was seated. Behind the helmet, she knew he was seething. Angry with her. And withstanding the current pain, of course.
She noticed his left prosthetic arm was torn off. Hydraulic oil dripping on the floor. His right hand still gripping his plasma handgun. She noticed the slight tremble. She stood in front of him, scrutinizing his damaged state. His exo-armor suit was a wreck. There was a dent on his right abdomen and his right thigh was punctured. She tried not to panic.
"Where's OSCAR?", asked Claire about his droid partner.
"On my wrist."
Even though the droid body frame had perished, Claire felt relieved when she was informed that he managed to save the droid mainframe. Leon holstered the handgun and pushed the button to pull the visor up.
He killed the intercoms, now their conversation was more private. "You could kill yourself with your rogue mission."
"You also could be killed if you stay any longer."
Her nonchalant answer irked him. "You know the protocol."
"Yes. By looking at your situation is far worse. You lucky I'm near."
"Huh?! Lucky? I don't know if being saved by someone that so eager to get rid of you in their life is considered lucky. Let me see if you managed to lug this bulk hauler to Juggernaut in one piece, then I will rethink the whole thing. As for now, this whole thing is just another stroke of bad luck."
His sardonic rant stung her with hurtfulness, "Are you done?"
"No. You even drag your subordinate with you. What kind of leader are you!" A fiery exclamation of wrath and disdain was coming from his mouth.
Claire riposted, "I don't think you're the person to lecture me about that considering you did so many times before me."
"Then you know well enough you gonna get a court martial for this.", admonished Leon.
"Let me worry about that later. I need to disengage your Biomech."
With a scowl still frozen on his face, he stood up and moved one step away from the seat.
Immediately, she lent him a hand to keep his body straight when she saw him struggle to maintain his balance. He thwacked the button on his chest and automatically the locking joints at each side of the exo-armor suit were released allowing him to climb out from it. Clad with only a tank top and a boxer brief, there were splotches of bruises all over his body. He slumped back in his seat. His complexion was growing pallid and her movement was increasingly torpid.
"Ready?"
The worst part of using the biomechanical limb was when engaging and disengaging the device. The pain was induced by its mechanism tried to connect and disconnect with the central nerve system of the user's body.
"Go ahead."
The moment Claire thumbs the released knob, Leon's knuckled turned white as he gripped the armrest with his head pushing into the headrest. The prosthetic limb thudded into the floor. He once described to her the pain was like being sheer by a plasma knife with the zapping of 1000 in milliseconds of electrical shots. She looked at him apologetically whilst he was trying to regulate his breath.
"How long is this?", asked Claire, examining the grisly laceration on his right thigh.
"42 minutes."
"I need to deploy the nanobots."
"Fuck off." Leon glowered at her. No animosity, just annoyance.
Medical nanobots were usually deployed to treat life injuries in combat casualty care. Open wound and internal. However, the pain inflicted by nanobots was far worse than disengaging biomechanical limbs.
"If you nick your femoral artery, bioform will not last longer."
"Why are you so keen on saving me?", asked Leon, his tone leaning on sarcastic.
"You haven't signed the papers."
"Just let me die. Kill me already."
"Find someone else." Leon averted his head away from her.
She drew him to her, cradling his face tenderly. "Come on."
And Leon yielded to her pleading and hooked around her shoulder. Claire noticed he shifted his weight more to her than intended, indicating that the wound was definitely nick his femoral artery. So, she slithered her arm around his abdomen to carry his excess weight. He was limping and short time enough was dragging his leg.
"LILI, extend pod 02."
She deposited him on her personal pod. In delirium, he was holding her hand while enduring the pain from the nanobots as he rode himself to unconsciousness. Emotion washed over her as she proceeded to place a comforting kiss, resulting in his creased forehead smoothening to solace.
-*-
Since Leon arrived back at Colony 3 ESG mothership, all his time was spent in the medical bay. The first whole week he was put under an induced coma and submerged into a tetraphane algae healing tank, a commodity that the federation pillaged from giant planets in the Khimokiva constellation. The following week they gave him a new biomechanical limb and spent most of his time in physical therapy. By the time he returned to their shared quarter, all Claire's stuff was gone.
When he showed up in front of her new single quarter, there was no surprise in her expression. She knew well enough that he could track her even though she was sent to a different galaxy. He leaned against the wall, gracing his gratitude to her.
"Thank you for saving me."
"It was nothing.", said Claire, her voice was soft and quiet. Only in camisole and underwear, she was getting ready for bed.
"Certainly it was not -nothing- when you nearly got yourself to jail."
As expected, Leon's rescue was enough to bring Claire before court martial. The trial was lightning-fast which Leon found odd. It made him wonder because the medical had not yet released him but the verdict conviction was out. The only reason she was not thrown to the labor camp in Colony 101 was her split-second decision to rescue him had saved his life.
"Maybe you can do something for me in return."
"Not this again." He could guess what she meant by it. He turned to make his leave but Claire slammed the door button locked. She trapped him against the door. He had no choice but to face her and entertain the dreading matters.
"We agreed to have our marriage annul once Sherry turned 16, now she is 18. So, there's no reason to extend further."
His gaze danced over her, "Just that?"
"Yes, just that."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't need you to believe me."
Yes, they married for the sake of Sherry's cause. It was a ruse to get adoption rights that saved Sherry not to being placed in the juvenile military camp as military conscription. Deep Galactic Federation would never leave alone an orphan child without sending them to Colony 99. However, they were in love before the whole thing happened. Their relationship history was founded long before the war and their bonds were fortified because of the war. So to hear her carelessly excluded him from the true reason for her stubborn decision ignited the spark of fury in him. The vehemence in him was apparent by what he transpired next.
"What the fuck happened?"
"Reality happens. This is what we agreed in the first place."
"Reality?", scoffed Leon as he advanced towards her with her reversed a few steps back to avoid collision. The mountain of confidence she had before crumbled as her stance lost its composure.
"What made you do this? Who made you do this?!"
"It's nobody."
"I don't believe you. If you don't care about me, why would be risking your life saving me?"
"I did it for the federation. You're their best operative."
"Fucking shit. What's going on, Claire?"
He grasped her arm and pivoted her body with her back facing the wall. A pinch of surprise by her submissiveness was evident on his face because he well knew that she would fight back if she was subjugated to something that she did not agree with.
She averted her eyes from him, "Nothing going on."
"You said you love me."
"I said many things."
"Claire, look me in the eye." His left hand drew her close, almost forcefully. In contrast, his right hand cradled the side of her face, tenderly.
His expression darkened as he growled at her, "Was it a lie?"
The tears that welled in her eyes rolled down to her cheek. "That-"
It broke his heart to see her like this. There was no forbearance left in him. He did not let her finish her sentences, instead crushing his lip on hers. When she just accepted his caresses to her lips, he asked again when he allowed her to steal the air to breathe.
"Who made you do this, Claire?"
She said breathly between kisses, "Nobody."
He caged her with his left hand and his right arm pressed her shoulder against the wall. It left her tip-toeing when his knee slid between her legs, rubbing her there with his thigh. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and abused it with nips and kisses. Her thin cotton underwear could not restrain the friction caused by the synthetic material of his pants which made her moan his name.
"Leon..."
A clear sign that she was longing for him. A feeling of strain surged on his left arm when he heaved her, to replace his knee with his right hand. Feeling motivated, he pushed aside the covering cloth and inserted a digit inside of her. A gasp escaped from her mouth. However, when he started fondling the sensitive nub above her slick slit, both of her hands shot up and grasped his shoulder to find leverage. Their eyes met, and both ends flooded with heat and lust.
Leon whispered hotly, "Tell me to stop and I will stop, Claire."
It caught him off guard when Claire replied to him by wrapping his long leg around him and melting her lips on his with ferocious kisses. He brought his right hand hastily to support the weight since his prosthetic limb could not sustain the additional weight due to it being newly fixed. It somehow demoralizing for him and he groaned in frustration.
Luckily, he had something that he could dwell on to overshadow the thought of his encumbrance. He carried her to the single cot precariously without her breaking off the kisses. The next thing he knew was his uniform was discarded as he hovered above her naked body, riding himself into a coital feat that he dreamed of ever since the bitter separation.
It was early morning at 0320 he roused from his nap, when Claire moved away trying to dislodge herself from his hugging arms. Upon hearing her wincing, he scrambled to a sitting position with his hand bracing her back.
Worrily, he asked. "You okay?"
Claire patted his shoulder and walked awkwardly to the lavatory. He remained in the same position even after she came back to him, her walking pattern still wobbly as before. Languidly, she ushered Leon to lie back down as she nestled against his hard body. She pulled his arm to have it around her waist again like earlier and he kissed her temple tenderly in return.
"Sorry for being too rough."
"No, it's fine. I'm the one who instigated it."
"Still..."
"It's okay."
"You still haven't answered my question from before. Did someone make you do it?"
She remained quiet, only to stroke his cheek and peck his lips.
He added, "I don't like this. You not being honest with me."
"But you trust me?"
"Yes.", answered Leon. Serene smile, almost angelic flitted across her mouth. She continued casting spells with her loving gaze.
Therefore, he conceded. "If it is what you want, then I will sign it."
"Thank you."
Claire kissed him to which Leon reciprocated. And they carried on the rest of their morning with another intimate love-making affair till dawn, where whole section of the Colony 3 ESG mothership resonated with the routine morning announcements.
-*-
Claire's guarded steps ceased moving by the retinal scanner and looked directly into it. After a moment, a green light flashed verifying her access as the pre-airlock chamber slide opened. Passing through the chamber, she then entered the inside of Yankee 7. In total a dozen freighters including hers were seen docked in the cavernous hangar, but one familiar light freighter caught her attention.
It's the DGFS Patriot, Leon's gunship. Props to the Salvage Team, they managed to rescue the spacecraft and mend it all together. Its auxiliary power unit was running, the thought of Leon in the area. Claire quickened her pace and keyed in the codes as soon as she arrived at the side door of her spacecraft. She only got one step on the collapsible ramp when her body was pushed in further forcefully. Due to her lack the sense of awareness, she stumbled in her steps. Nearly kissing the steel-plated floor of the spacecraft, however, a strong hand seized her waist to keep her balance.
"What the-"
"What are you doing here?"
"This my ship."
"No, you lost your ship. So, I asked you again Lieutenant, what are you doing here?", asked Leon sternly as the quiet sound of the ramp folded back automatically in the background.
Leon's deep blue eyes locked at her cerulean blues, challenging her for any retaliation. Claire tasted defeat. Her once tense squared shoulder relaxed, she let out a sigh. Her demotion and being relinquished command of DGFS Voyager did not go unnoticed by him. Leon knew too much about her. He was undoubtedly aware of her modified assignment and Inéz being transferred to Colony 10 ESG.
She slipped out of Leon's hold and walked to the command control, "Are you on a mission?"
"Just got recommission."
"Where to?"
"Here I thought I am the ranking officer?"
"My apology, sir.", uttered Claire, standing fast with chin up, chest out, shoulders back, and stomach in. She postured up in assertion like the fresh boot just graduated from the academy.
A smirk danced on his lips, "At ease. Grab your gear."
She scrambled on her feet following the man exiting the ship, "Leon?"
"You going after the same ping 6 months ago."
"So, you're on a mission on Reath."
Claire collided with his chest when he abruptly stopped and faced her. "Negative. Planet Yaran."
"That next to Planet Reath. So you on supply."
"Yes. Ship out in 5."
Leon marched out from DGFS Voyager and walked toward his mighty gunship. The specialist who ran his ship checklist stood by the ramp, waiting for him.
"Major Kennedy, the ship is all stock and ready."
"I'm also ready." Shouldering her knapsack, Claire primed with his helmet and plasma rifle in each hand respectively.
The specialist looked bewildered by the additional mission crew. Passing the tablet back with his verified signature he clarified, "She's not here."
She graced the young specialist with a toothy grin and a wink, "I'm not here."
His lips curved into a thin smile witnessing the specialist squirmed where he stood. The specialist asserted, "She's not here."
Pleased, Leon made his way to his light freighter as Claire followed suit. She was greeted with OSCAR by the door from the side of DGFS Patriot.
"So glad you joining us, Lieutenant Redfield.", said Leon's droid partner, it almost sounded like a human.
"Likewise, OSCAR. You look nice in your new skin, as always."
"That's very kind, Lieutenant. Thank You. Let me help you with your gear."
"You're welcome. And thank you.", said Claire, proceeding to the auxiliary seat that was exactly behind the pilot seat. Leon was flicking switches on the cockpit panels, simultaneously on comms obtaining clearance from the flight control center. As for OSCAR has returned to the co-pilot seat busy setting the coordinates for their destination on the holographic screen.
"Set our path through hyperspace. Destination: Planet Reath."
"Modified mission course?"
"Affirmative."
"Understood."
Leon fired up DGFS Patriot and disengaged the ship from its docking system. Still communicating with his earpiece, he steered the ship to face the hangar door.
"We expected to arrive Allon Di constellation in 5 hours and 38 minutes.", announced OSCAR.
"Acknowledged."
The red light by the door turned green, as the air evacuated from the airlock and the hanger door slid open. Leon with ease piloted the spaceship leaving its mothership and launched into hyperspace without deferral.
He finally addressed her once he activated the auto-pilot system. "I'm gonna head the pod. Make yourself useful and take the first watch."
OSCAR titled its head, inquiring further. So, Claire felt the need to explain, "He's still mad at me. Let him be."
"He loves you. And you love him too."
She only answered the droid with a smile. "Things are complicated between us."
"Conversation is the one way to resolve any compilation. For me, I think it's the best way."
"Okay."
"And in my opinion, the best time to do it is now."
"For a droid like you, surely you got a lot of opinions."
"I'll take that as a compliment, Lieutenant."
Shaking her head, she exited the flight deck and found Leon at tranquility bay. Fussing with his new biomechanical arm, she saw him doing rotating motions to the troubling limb.
"Still sore?"
"Yeah, but tolerable. Although Chambers did reprimand me for the swelling I got from a week ago. You know from the heavy lifting I did that night."
Claire cleared her throat, ignoring his remark. "Um... I just wanna say thank you. Allowing me to tag along."
Leon proceeded sitting on the edge of the sleeping pod. "What special about this ping? Didn't you go to Reath and screen 6 months ago?"
Claire leaned next to the cover of the pod, "We did. But the beacon died right outside the planet's orbit. We could not get the marker location."
"Hurmm...and now?"
"I received the beacon an hour before we shipped out from Juggernaut. I figured if I be quick then I could reach without it disappearing again."
"By going alone? Not to mention trying to steal a federation freighter."
"I didn't think through. It was foolish of me."
"Yes, it was." She pouted hearing his admission while he added, "Claire, promise me you go through me even after we-"
He could not bear to say it. He even could not bear to admit that he already signed the papers. By looking at his expression, she could guess what he meant therefore she nodded. But it did not give him solace.
"Don't just nod. Say it."
"I promise." He laid down in peace after hearing her confession.
So, she was ready to take her leave and said, "Okay. I should return to the flight deck. I don't want OSCAR to have the impression that we do something other than just talking."
"Something else like what?"
"You a smart one. Go figure."
"You mean sexing? I don't see it as not possible. The pod can fit the two of us conveniently."
"Cheeky but not here."
"Is that a promise too?"
"What promise?"
"So I can have sex with you somewhere else other than inside the pod?"
"Go to sleep, Major Kennedy."
She pushed herself away from the pod, yet he managed to catch her hand. She turned to him again, her hand cradling his face and gently stroking his cheek. She smiled and planted an endearing kiss on his forehead.
"Get some rest, Leon. Good night."
"Good to see you again, Claire. Good night."
The linked hand broke off, she heard the hissing sound of the pod closing as she walked back to the flight deck.
-*-
By the look of the cavern, someone made an encampment here. A rugged tent, a leftover firepit, and some clothes that were left hanging to dry. Claire motioned Leon a hand signal indicating the marker's location inside one of the caves inside the cavern. Leon aimed his plasma rifle and advanced with Claire tailing behind. They repositioned backing the wall near the entrance of the smaller cave. Before Leon was ready to finish his count for entry, a dart from a pulse gun came shooting out from the cave. The charge was too low to penetrate his exo-armor suit and immobilize him. A soft whimper could be heard, the sound of a child.
"Leon-", called Claire, a little too loud.
"Dad?"
A small child aged around 8 was the spitting image of him came out behind the rock formation. As soon after the child aimed his flashlight at Leon's face, the boy sprinted in his direction and hugged him by his leg.
Leon was too perplexed by the situation, he forgot how to react. "What the shit?"
"Language!"
"Mommy?" Her strobe light flashed the area where the boy came from. A girl with a darker shade of red hair peeked slowly from the concealment.
"Lara, look. Mom and Dad, they came back."
Leon sensed no hostility, as he pulled the visor up. He asked in annoyance, "What's going on here, Claire? Are they my kids that I did not know about?"
"What?! No, they are not mine. I thought they were yours since he ran to you first."
"You the one who drag me here. Obviously, you know something."
"No. I'm here for the beacon. Look at the boy's and the girl's wrist."
Claire dropped to one knee and greeted the boy, "Hi."
"Hi." The blond-haired boy addressed her politely.
She then looked at the little girl and later back to the boy, "You understand us? You speak our language?"
And both of the children nodded. "You taught us how to speak a few languages, including Oborian."
"What's your name?"
"I'm Scott. Scott William Kennedy. And this is my twin sister, Lara Catherine Kennedy."
"What?" Their answers piqued Leon's interest, at last.
Her brows raised and a smirk formed on her lips. She quired, "Are sure they are not yours? Cause they got every name from your side of the family."
Mirroring Claire's demeanor, Leon turned to the little girl who was named after his birth mother and asked, "Are you alone here? Where is your Mommy?"
"Why are you being weird, Daddy? That's Mommy. Claire Redfield." Her index finger was pointing at Claire's name painted on the exo-armor suit. She giggled, thinking about how funny Leon's behavior was to the whole situation.
"Yeah, why are you two being weird?", asked Scott, his face showing suspicions. Leon stood up and set both of his hands in akimbo.
"This is- I don't know what to tell. Some sort of tesseract mix-up or wormhole collapse... but we're not your parents. I'm Leon Kennedy and she's Claire Redfield, but we're not your -Leon Kennedy- and -Claire Redfield-. Great Luffy! What I'm mumbling about here. Claire help me out." Leon was indeed spouting something that sounded gibberish.
"Scott, where exactly have your parent gone to?"
"Dad went out to get supplies. When Mom could not reach him, she went to look after him. She gave us this. She told us if she doesn't return in 3 days, we just have to push this button and she'll come back and get us."
"And you came.", chimed Lara, her face was dazzled with happiness. Leon and Claire exchanged looks, their expression showed confusion. Nonetheless, their meeting up was interrupted by much more foreboding news.
"Patriot to Ground. Hostiles inbound.", reported OSCAR through their earpiece.
"Dröc?"
"Affirmative."
"How many?"
"2 gunships and 3 transporters."
Each transporter could carry a minimum of 1000 Dröc. It was more they could handle, especially now with kids. Claire detected concern on his face as Leon replied to the droid, "Copied. Keep concealment, we gonna exit the planet quietly."
"We cannot leave them here."
"I know. But were have to get going quickly and quietly."
"Okay children, we have to go."
Lara's face displayed distress, she instantly grabbed the backpack that passed by Scott. "Is the ugly monster here again?"
"Think so. Come on."
The cataclysm came raining down on them when Umbre Coalition parted from the federation and waged war against them. Creating an army with modification and augmentation, by infected their ownself with anomalies in order to own power and immortality. One drawback of the enhancement was the need to sate their hunger with the flesh of others.
For hundreds of years, they terrorized the galaxies. Raiding the planets, devouring its occupants. For Umbre own concern. There was no humanity in them. The federation labeled them as Dröc, the extinct being of Planet Zamora which shared the same comportment as theirs. Myth claimed that they killed and devoured each other until one left on the planet. Its demise was unknown. Alas, by looking at the circumstances, the conspiracist may have been right on this. The Umbre was the rendition of the present day of the Dröc back then. Or even worse of a creature living today.
The twins expeditiously positioned themselves between Leon and Claire in the column. Surprisingly, they both knew the drill. Like they had been through before, which made it easy for them to swiftly exit the cavern without notifying the enemies. Leon put DGFS Patriot at its maximum power, and the spaceship reached orbit in under 30 minutes. He directed Claire to take care of the children while he set their course for hyperspace.
Leon looked up from the hologram model of Planet Yaran when he noticed Claire sauntering back to the flight deck from tranquility bay. The spaceship glided through hyperspace with the final destination toward the Colony 3 ESG mothership.
"They asleep?"
Claire settled down in co-pilot seat, "Sedation. OSCAR is with them."
"Hyperspace can make them crappy. Especially for the first-timer. It's for the best."
Her head pressed to the headrest, she stole a glimpse at Leon. Same as hers, he has changed back to his uniform which she always finds attractive. He raised his eyebrow when he caught her staring, a handsome smug on his face.
She looked down to hide her blushing face and at the same time took out something from her front pocket. "Look, the beacon."
"This is from the First War."
"Exactly. How long ago is it?
"Like 600 years ago. How do they even have this? Also, Reath was discovered like 120 years ago. It doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe the pioneers got to Reath around the First War without marking in the archive?"
Leon melted to his pilot seat and lazily replied to her question. "Honestly, I don't know Claire."
"When I got the distress beacon from Reath in my radar, I thought it was a defect, glitch, or something. Then Inéz ran a diagnostic remotely and found the signal was genuine. However, when we were about to reach the planet the signal was gone."
"Hurmm... We have a bigger problem here. OSCAR didn't manage to detect Dröc ships until they were in Reath. They must have acquired a forwarding base or station in the nearest planet."
She drew a sharp breath, "Yaran."
"Precisely. My mission is to have a look out for the lost transmission from our base in Yaran. My guess is they already took the base considering they landed in Reath without detection."
Then, he added, "Did you detect any anomaly when you were in Reath 6 months ago?"
"No. Nothing abnormal."
"This might be a recent occurrence."
"Have you reported in?"
"Only about the Dröc. Not the children."
"Then what did you say when you were supposed to be on Yaran instead you encountered Dröc sighting on Reath?"
"Simple. Radar abnormality. All action is based on my discretion. They have to suck it. If they do not like my method."
She chuckled. "We need something concrete to disclose about them." Then, sheepishly she added, "The girl keeps calling me Mommy."
"You mean Lara?"
"Yes. Lara."
He glanced at her knowingly, a slow smile playing on his lips. He knew how much she loved children. Because she expressed to him freely when he professed his love to her that she wanted children of her own. Somehow, it deepened his love for her much more.
"She kind of looks like you. With red hair. And ponytail."
"Come on. Clearly, I'm not the only girl in the galaxy have red hair and wearing a ponytail."
"She got you laugh."
A pinkish blushing spread across her face upon hearing his remarks and she responded with, "And Scott? He's the perfect mold of you. Especially with that haircut."
"I couldn't deny that."
She joined his laugh. "Yeah."
"But who are they? Are you sure you didn't give birth to a twin without knowing? To be exact, our twin."
"You are joking, right? You do know that I have to carry them for 9 months before pushing them out to the universe. Of course, I would know."
"Clone?"
"With our DNA? That a stretch."
"Yeah, and they had parents before we found them. That they claimed looks like us. What's going on?" Leon looked straight, his index finger tapping on the armrest. Only to shift his gaze to her when she started to speak again.
"There are too many questions with no answer. We cannot let the federation send them to Colony 99. We have to keep them close."
"You mean to have them stay in Juggernaut? How are we gonna do that?"
Her eyes met his blue ones as she bubbled over with enthusiasm. "There are kids in Juggernaut."
"That is for senior executive officer."
"You are a senior executive officer. A Major is a senior executive officer."
"Graduate from the academy. I got the title Major from battlefield commendation remember? Not sure it applied to me though."
"You know that bullshit if it only applied for those nepo babies and cock suckers. Half of them didn't even fight in the war."
His face lit up in amusement. He liked seeing her get so worked out for his sake. It made him feel special. Although sometimes it concerning, he admitted. If she is not careful, it might be going to cause her trouble.
"Easy, Claire."
"Alright. Erm...the papers? I hope-"
"I already signed the paper, lucky I have yet to send them to HR council. It's still in my personal cloud.", said Leon, checking the hologram that transmitted from his wrist.
A smile swept across her face and exclaimed, "Thank goodness! Okay just delete them."
"Oh, fuck."
Her happiness was short-lived when she heard him curse. "What's wrong?"
"It's gone. Somebody hacked my cloud."
She was on the edge of her seat, beckoning him. "Are you sure? Maybe you accidentally deleted them."
"No, Claire. My alarm just peeped when we were on Reath. I ignored it thinking I going to check them later." Leon briefly looked at her and concentrated back again on the hologram.
"Check your command prompt."
"I'm doing right now.", countered Leon, choking with apprehension.
The corners of her eyes creased with concern, "And?"
Mirroring her expression, he confessed his loss. "It was hacked. And somebody stole the divorce papers."