by Amy DuBoff
“Finally!” Saera smiled, but Wil could feel her worry.
She’ll put on a brave face for me, but I wonder how long she’ll be able to keep up the façade once we’re in the thick of battle. “I need to go break the news to my men.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, it’s all right. Besides, their share of the pomoliqueur should make the news more palatable.”
Saera nodded. “That should do the trick. Well, I’ll figure out whatever food goes with pomoliqueur and get us some dinner. Maybe I’ll even procure a real wax candle for some proper mood lighting.”
“That would be lovely.” Wil kissed her—just a peck at first, then long and deep. “I’ll see you soon.”
It was nearing dinnertime, but Wil anticipated his men were still in their quarters winding down after the afternoon practice session.
Wil hit the buzzer on the entry door, and Ian answered. “Hey,” Wil greeted him with a somewhat forced smile. “Is everyone around? I need to talk to you.”
Ian nodded. “Yeah. A few people are still in the showers, but we’re all here. What’s up?”
“It can wait a few minutes. May I come in?”
“Of course.” Ian stepped aside.
Two rows of sectional couches faced the broad viewscreen on one wall and a few lounge chairs were scattered around the perimeter of the spacious common room. At the back center of the space was a round table surrounded by twenty-one chairs; the touch-surface and integrated holographic projector made it perfect for the group’s strategy discussions. The entire quarters felt lived in after housing the same group for nearly five years, made more personal by several scrappy collages documenting team activities plastered on some of the otherwise blank walls.
A few men rose from their seats around the common room as Wil entered, and several more emerged from the bedrooms. Wil closed the door but stayed in the entryway, attempting to avoid direct eye contact with anyone. How are they going to take it?
After an awkward minute, Michael and a handful of other men walked out from the bathroom. They were dressed in their dark blue loungewear, but their hair was still wet. “What did you want to see us about?” Michael questioned.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” Wil said as he gestured toward the round table at the back of the room.
The men took seats around the table in their specialist groups. Wil sat down in his usual seat between Ian and Michael. All eyes were on Wil, anxiety evident on every face.
“We’re shipping out in two days.” Wil gave them a moment for the statement to sink in.
The men looked at each other, particularly to their Captain. The anxiety turned to stoicism for some and outright worry for others.
“I know you haven’t finished the formal training program,” Wil went on, “but we decided that it’s time you get some hands-on experience.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” asked Michael on behalf of the group.
“We’re going to H2. While I get acquainted with the command systems, you’ll continue to practice using their training center. Supposedly, they have a more advanced setup than we have here.”
“For how long?” Ian asked.
“However long they’ll give us.”
Most men let out a shaky breath and leaned back in their chairs, staring at the blank tabletop.
Ethan broke the silence. “Then we go to battle?” The flush on his face stood out against his blonde hair.
“Yes. We’ve trained for this. We’re ready.” The group seemed unsure. Wil looked to his Captains for support, but they avoided his gaze.
I need to have everyone with me. We can’t be fragmented. “This isn’t a time for second-guessing and doubt. We have a job to do.”
“You just dropped some pretty heavy news on us. Give us a break,” Curtis replied.
“This was coming for a long time.”
“It just felt like it was still a long ways off,” Ethan added.
I know the feeling. Wil looked around the table, catching a few bewildered stares. They’re looking to me for reassurance. I need to give them something, even though I’m barely holding it together myself. “Look, this is tough for me, too. I’ve had the war looming in front of me for my whole life, and now that it’s right around the corner, I feel… lost. I wish I had some magical words of encouragement to make this easier for you, but I don’t. All I can say is that we’re in this together. We’ve trained and practiced—countless hours, running through as many scenarios and crazy strategic plans as I could think of. We work together seamlessly, and that’s our strength.
“The Bakzen may be daunting to face alone, but together we’re far stronger than they can ever be. We know what it is to care about others, to stand strong as an individual and still be part of a team. We each have a role to play, and we know our parts inside and out. I’ve pushed you, harder than I should have at times, but now you’re so in tune with yourselves and each other that you can beat even the toughest simulations while half-asleep with your eyes closed. Yes, those may just be simulations, but why doubt what you can do in real life? We’re the elite of the elite. When someone tries to stand in our way, we rise to the occasion. We always do. And while the next few months will test us more than ever, I’m confident we’ll come out ahead.” Wil swallowed. “More than all that, we’re brothers. We have to take care of each other, like any family would. I promise you, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you all get home safely.”
After a few moments, the hardened faces of the men around the table softened.
“Your impromptu speeches are never required but are always appreciated,” Curtis joked.
“We know we’re prepared,” Ian said. “It’s just a lot to take in.”
Michael looked around the table, and everyone nodded. “Tell us what you need and we’re there.”
Wil flashed a heartfelt smile, his nerves beginning to settle. “Thank you. I’m grateful to have all of you by my side.”
Beneath the dedication, though, he could tell they were still on edge. They needed some time to decompress, and he did, too. There was no knowing when they might get another break. “Let’s cancel practice for the next two days. You deserve some R&R.” Besides, there’s nothing we can go over now that will make any difference.
Curtis and several others looked shocked. “No practice for two whole days? What are we supposed to do?”
“I don’t care,” Wil replied. “Sleep, get drunk, get laid. Whatever you want. We leave here with no regrets.”
“What about you?” asked Michael.
“I’m going to focus on being an attentive husband, for once. I trust you’ll be able to fend for yourselves.”
Ian, for one, was having no difficulty getting behind the prospect of free-time. “Maybe,” he said with a devious glint in his eyes.
As much as I want to think we’ll get through the war just fine, there’s no knowing what sacrifices we might need to make. “All joking aside, make this time count. These are the last two days of freedom we may get.”
“—For a few months, or even years,” Michael clarified. “Then we can have all the free-time we want. No more war hanging over our heads.”
He’s right, I can’t show any doubts that we’ll win. “We just have to commit and get through this. All of us. Together.”
There were determined smiles and nods around the room.
“Now, go relax and have some fun. Just try not to go too crazy.”
“Us? Never,” Ethan said with a playful smile.
There were more than a few other mischievous grins, but Wil had no real concerns. Their sense of duty is as strong as mine. They’ll be rested and ready when I need them. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a beautiful woman waiting for me with a bottle of Tararia’s finest liqueur.”
Curtis exchanged glances with Ethan. “How do we get in on that?”
Wil cracked a slight smile. “I thought you might ask. I’m afraid you’re on your own with the women.
But, the high-class booze I stashed in the supply closet down the hall might help with that. Locker P-0187.” That prospect perked up even the most serious men in the group. “It’s so good that it might just be illegal on a few planets. Enjoy.”
“Oh, we will!” Ethan exclaimed.
“Let it never be said that I don’t take good care of you.”
“We’d never think of it,” Michael said.
Now I just have to take care of you when it matters most.
* * *
Most of the Primus Elites had retreated to their own personal corner of Headquarters to process the transition—some following Wil’s advice, and others contemplating their own thoughts and their place in the fight to come. For Michael, it was a time of quiet reflection.
After ensuring the equitable distribution of the pomoliqueur, he’d headed for the spaceport on the surface of the moon. Though he couldn’t look down on Earth, he enjoyed taking in the familiar star constellations.
The presence of someone approaching pulled him from his thoughts. He glanced over and was surprised to see Saera’s former roommate and longtime friend, Elise, heading over. He had rarely spoken to her since Wil and Saera’s wedding, but she had a combination of self-confidence and humility that Michael found to be good company.
“I thought I might find you up here,” she greeted after a moment.
“Looking for me?” Michael asked.
“Saera told me about the deployment,” Elise replied, casting her dark eyes down. “I doubt I’m far behind you.”
“We’ll need everyone in their own way.”
Elise came to stand next to him, placing her arms on the railing in front of the panoramic window. “We’re living in crazy times.”
“I’ll say.”
They stood in silence for a few minutes.
“Are you scared?” Elise asked at last.
“I’m not sure,” Michael replied truthfully. “On the one hand, I’m apprehensive about heading into a dark unknown and know that we’ll be putting our lives on the line every moment we’re out there. On the other hand, I’ll still be with my best friends. I have complete faith in them and know we’ll be successful.”
“I wish I felt so confident.”
“Oh, you’ll be fine.” Michael gave her a playful nudge.
“Yeah, yeah.” She cracked a smile, keeping her eyes on the starscape.
Michael examined her profile, finding her quite striking in the starlight. “Really, why did you come find me up here?”
Elise took a slow breath, finally glancing up at him. “You’ll look after Saera, won’t you? She’s my best friend. I’m going to miss her like crazy, but it’d be easier knowing that someone has her back.”
“I think that’s Wil’s job as her husband.”
“I know, but he’ll be busy leading everything. You and Saera knew each other from before, right?”
Michael tensed. “Yeah, since we were little kids.”
“So you care about her, too. You know where I’m coming from.”
“I do, but things are a little more complicated when it comes to us.” Michael returned his attention out the window.
“She’s always dodged my questions when I’ve asked about you two,” Elise said slowly.
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Did you have a falling out?”
Michael let out a short breath through his teeth. “Not exactly.”
“What then?”
“She was going through a rough time. I wanted to be there for her, but instead she ran away. It took me a long time to come to terms with why she did that,” he admitted.
Elise nodded. “So you cared about her as more than just a friend.”
“We were kids,” Michael said with a shrug.
“And now?”
“Now I have a lot more important things to worry about than my childhood crush.”
“I guess we all do,” Elise murmured.
“Don’t worry,” Michael continued. “I’ll be looking out for her, just like I’ll be looking out for the rest of my friends.”
Elise relaxed against the railing and smiled. “Thanks.”
“Who’s going to be looking after you?”
Elise flushed. “I guess I’m on my own.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Well, apparently hanging out as the sidekick to a secret dynastic heir isn’t a great way to get noticed as an individual.”
“Tell me about it.”
She laughed. “Oh, right! I guess you’ve been down that road, too.”
“I knew who Wil was from the start. He told all the Primus Elites on our first day.”
“Lucky you, being in the inner circle.”
“I’m far from that.” Who knows what it is Wil and Saera are keeping from us.
“Well, regardless, Wil is lucky to have you as a friend. Based on what Saera has relayed to me, he counts on you.”
“We’re a team. We try not to let each other down.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think the Bakzen stand a chance.” She grinned.
He smiled back. “Thanks.”
Elise pushed off from the railing. “Now, if you don’t have anything better to do, I heard they were going to open up a special dessert buffet. No better send-off to a deployment than a proper sugar high, right?”
“Was that an invitation to join you?”
She gave him a sheepish shrug. “I figure us sidekicks should stick together.”
“Okay, deal.”
* * *
“Can you believe we head out in two days?” Cris asked his wife. The news from Wil and Banks about the expeditious deployment was more of a harsh reality than a shock.
Kate linked her arm around his as they situated themselves on the couch in their quarters. “It’s all so surreal.”
Leaving their familiar and comfortable home was going to be difficult, despite the time they’d spent on the Vanquish over the years. This trip was different.
“How’s Wil holding up?” Kate asked after a pause.
“Well enough. He wants all this to be over.”
“I can relate.”
Cris leaned back. “But I wonder if it really will be over once the Bakzen are gone.”
Kate brought her head to his chest. “There’ll still be another enemy out there. It won’t truly be over until they’re gone, too.”
The Priesthood will bury evidence of the war and then move on to their next scheme to perpetuate their control. We’ll never be truly at peace until they no longer rule Tararia. “I’ll do everything I can to accomplish that in my lifetime. After what everyone has been through with the war, we need to look toward a better future.”
“I’ll be right there alongside you through it all.”
Cris held his wife close. “I couldn’t do any of this without you.”
She smiled up at him. “You lucked out, then, because you don’t have to.”
* * *
“I have to say, the liquor stash was a great idea,” Saera commented as she took another sip of her pomoliqueur.
Wil smiled back at her. “You can thank my dad for that one.”
“Best in-laws ever! Sorry you got stuck with my family.”
“It’s not all bad.”
Saera sighed and patted his leg. “That’s nice of you to say. At least we don’t have to see them often.” It helps that we’re literally not living on the same planet.
“Do you ever miss Earth?” Wil asked.
“I may have lived there, but it was never a real home—at least not with that family.”
“Then the TSS came along…”
“At that moment, my entire perspective changed. I really didn’t know what I was getting into!” Saera chuckled to herself, thinking back on how out-of-place she’d been in the TSS at first, when things that she now took for granted had seemed like magic. “But, this is where I found the family I always wanted. I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”
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Wil wrapped his arm around her. “I can’t believe how far we’ve come.”
Saera snuggled up to him. “I know, right? It’s hard to believe there was a time before we knew each other.”
“Not just that,” Wil clarified, “but how things were for the first few years. Sneak around just to see each other…”
“That was exhausting!” Saera exclaimed. “And for years! How did we manage to keep it secret for so long?”
“We’re just that good.”
She laughed. “I guess we are.”
Wil disentangled from Saera just long enough to top off their glasses with more pomoliqueur. He handed her glass back to her.
“To better times,” Saera said, raising the drink for a toast.
“To better times.” Wil clinked his glass against hers and they both took a sip.
She sat in quiet contemplation for a few moments. “How long do you think it will take before we can get back to this?”
Wil slumped back on the couch. “I have no idea.”
“I guess we don’t even rightly know what we’re walking into, huh?”
“No, we really don’t.”
Saera felt him tense next to her, and she took his hand. That wasn’t the right thing to bring up. “We need to enjoy these times while we can.”
The anxious worry evaporated from Wil under her gentle touch. “Thank you for keeping me grounded.”
“Always. I’d do anything for you.”
“And I you.”
Saera polished off her drink and set down the empty glass. “No more heavy talk.” She climbed onto Wil’s lap, straddling him. “We have two days to ourselves. We need to make the most of it.”
Wil placed his hands on her hips. “How do you propose we do that?”
“For starters, I’m going to consume an inadvisable amount of chocolate.”
“Your phrasing makes me hesitant to endorse that plan, but okay.”
“Also, no checking email or anything work-related for the next two days.”
“Agreed.”
“Good. Now, I believe we have a backlog of terrible movies to watch.” Saera pressed herself closer to Wil, drawing him in for a kiss.
