Angel of the Alliance (Lady Hellgate Book 4)
Page 30
“Well met, Lieutenant. My name is Jharo Mar, and I was a Rendron Marine,” the hologram said.
It was a manifestation of the long-dead sergeant, with an AI imitating his voice to speak to Helga as if it were a ghost. She was so intrigued that she reached out to touch him, but her hand went through the projection, and she giggled like an excited schoolgirl. As a cadet, they were forbidden from coming to this deck, and it used to stay locked, since she had tried several times to see it. There had been a field trip that she missed due to being detained to her berth for fighting.
Helga had forgotten about this place, just like many other splendors that were forbidden to them. She realized then that the door had opened because of her rank and status as a lieutenant. This was holy ground to the captain, and aside from simulations, only at ceremonies were regular crew allowed to come here. Her eyes looked past the wall to the back row, where the names of the honored rates glowed ominously in the low light.
She thought about her father, Algo Ate, and something the captain had told her when she graduated from the academy.
“Algo gave up a lot to fight for the Alliance,” he had said. “He was impressive. I’m surprised he didn’t try for BLAST. The things they did on Meluvia, Traxis, and Casan. Men and women of his generation were made from different stuff.”
To impress a man as important as Captain Retzo Sho was a feat that wasn’t easy for anyone not named Cilas Mec. Was her father’s name in this hall? Was there an Ate immortalized inside of this beautiful display of excellence? Helga walked to the back on legs that seemed to weaken with every step, and found the wall that corresponded with his years and rank, then started going down the list of A-names in the list.
“Algo ‘Hounder’ Ate,” she read, a lump growing in her throat as she stood there shaking.
She touched his name, and the menu appeared, giving options for his biography, list of accolades, years of service, and details on his death. Helga touched his face and nearly fell backward when it shifted and his image appeared. His voice sent shivers down her spine, and his salute put the hairs on her arms on end. It was her father, as she remembered him, complete in his dress blues, a Rendron Marine through and through.
“D-dad?” she whispered in disbelief, unable to hold back her emotions.
“Hello, Lieutenant. My name is Sergeant Algo Ate, and I was a Rendron Marine,” he said.
Helga spoke with him for a long time, learning as much as she could about his numerous accomplishments. She then looked for the dead Nighthawks: Adan Cruse, Casein Varnes, Horne Wyatt and Cage Hem. All three men were present, and surprisingly, Lamia Brafa as well. She was pleased to see that their likeness was as close to the real thing as a hologram could get. This warmed her heart more for having seen her father, and knowing now that there was an image to replace the fuzzy memory in her head.
The last time she had seen Algo, she was so small that he could pick her up in one hand. Then the war had taken him, and she and her twin brother, Rolph, were left with their mother, Peraplis. None of them had taken his passing well, her mother especially, and a few years later, the void in her heart had driven her to suicide. For so long, Helga had lived the same memory over and over, with her father coming to see them on shore leave, his face a mask of unspoken horrors as he feigned happiness playing with them.
Now as a lieutenant, she got to see him in his prime, handsome, strong, and unshaken. It gave her hope to one day join him inside this place, as well as in the afterlife, where they would become a family again. These lost Nighthawks lifted her spirits. She remembered their banter, and how as a rookie they had allowed her to gamble cards with them. She won a game or two, to the annoyance of Horne Wyatt, who had been her biggest critic until he saved her life, showing her that he cared.
They were her brothers, especially Cruse, who had taken her under his wing as a pilot. She had thought them lost, but here they were, for any time in the future when she needed them.
“Family,” she whispered. “Your girl has come home, and you wouldn’t believe the stories I have to tell.”
About The Author
GREG DRAGON brings a fresh perspective to fiction by telling human stories of life, love and relationships in a science fiction setting. This unconventional author spins his celestial scenes from an imagination nurtured from being an avid reader himself. His exposure to multiple cultures, multiple religions, martial arts, and travel lends a unique dynamic to his stories.
See Greg’s author page at gregdragon.com or keep up with his latest books and appearances through email.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
About The Author