Chapter Nine:
" The pretty feathers fell,
Drifting down like snow.
The crippled bird
Lost its wings... "
" Alpha Wing Leader! "
"Alpha Wing Leader! Do you copy? I repeat do you copy? " The sharp inquiry was loud and clear over the intercom.
" This is Alpha Wing Leader. Go ahead, Neba. " Reya answered.
" You have fresh orders from Lord Krelian. Data transferring now. Neba out."
[Data from main computer received.]
Barely a scant second after the communications died, Caliginus had already received the new orders. Reya frowned as she considered the implications. She only knew that Krelian had vetoed her previously planned mission objectives when she reported for duty in the morning. All she had managed to find out before having to dock in her own Caliginus into the holding deck of Neba, a standard Solarian Class B carrier, was that Kahr and Sigurd had been assigned different missions from hers.
I don't like this…
Flying blind…
Together with the whole squadron wing assigned under her command, Reya was presently sitting smug in her own gear in the lower belly of Neba heading towards an unknown destination. Suppressing the sense of unease that was gnawing at her, Reya called up the new orders to her combat screen.
Air insertion into Sector 20546…
Section 20546.
It caught her attention immediately being the coordinates for the region of Simarn, the continent southeast of the Aquavy Islands. As far as Reya knew of the warring fractions on the surface, Simarn was strongly supporting her ally continent Kunad in the war against Solaris but Solaris had yet to officially declare war on Simarn.
Other than another pair of detailed coordinates that marked their drop zone, nothing was revealed about the mission purpose. Reya had to resist the urge to swear when the words on her screen faded. The strange secrecy that cloaked the entire mission was beyond her understanding.
" Establish communication link to Neba. "
[Link established.]
" Neba, this is Alpha Wing Leader. Requesting mission objective. "
" Request denied. You will maintain radio silence until drop off. "
" Wait! " But she was too late, her protest answered by the buzz of the dropped channel.
Acting on Reya's instinctive thought, Caliginus immediately attempted to re-establish the broken communication link.
[All frequencies closed. Unable to set up communication link.]
Damned! They cut me off!
Just what is he trying to do?
" If only I knew what Sig and Kahr were assigned then perhaps I would have had some idea what to expect. I'm used to not knowing what he wants of me until the last minute but there's a whole new squadron with me… " Reya spoke her thoughts aloud as she was prone to do when alone with her Caliginus.
[Incoming transmission.]
" Commander? " The voice sounded a little green and a touch unsure.
" Yes, Vonern? " Reya replied her usual wingman.
" I hate to sound stupid but just what are we supposed to do after insertion? "
Reya had to resist the urge to sigh.
" I'm afraid I don't know myself. Command rejected my request for the mission objective. "
" … "
Stunned silence greeted her revelation.
" Vonern? "
" … Yes, Commander… "
" Keep it to yourself, I don't want any panic. "
" … Understood. "
" Good. Anything else? "
" No, Commander. Guess we just have to wait and see then. Vonern out. "
Wait and see. How apt…
Deciding not to waste any precious Gear fuel, Reya switched off all energy channels, maintaining only the essential life-support system. The whole squadron was being kept in perpetual alert mode meaning all pilots were on combat standby, ready to launch for battle on spilt second notice. War was not purely physical but mental as well and Reya fully approved letting the new Jugend graduates have a taste of the mental pressure that a soldier had to learn how to get used to. Closing her eyes, Reya lapsed into a meditative mode.
" Tears of the moon? " Sigurd muttered against her ear, the light breath of his words sending delicious tremors through her.
Wrapping her arms across his, Reya pulled herself tighter into his embrace to rest her head against his shoulder, holding him close to her. It was a foreign feeling to her being held by someone else besides her sister and brother. It made her feel wanted, needed and at the same time, cherished and protected. She savored the sensation, blossoming like a flower under the life-giving sun.
She was in love.
" Yes, tears. Doesn't it look as if the moon is crying silvery rivulets of diamond tears? "
" Would you cry like the moon for me? Shed diamond tears because of me? " Sigurd's voice grew serious.
" Would you make me cry then? " Her voice was soft as she raised her head to look at him.
" Perhaps…" Sigurd's azure orbs radiated a faint hint of regret.
" There may be things I do which will inadvertently hurt you. "
She could tell by the subtle shifts of his body that the admission cost him and she was touched by the painful honesty. Sigurd did not want to lie to her and Reya, who had grew up on lies and untruths, appreciated him even more for being open with her. Reya cradled his face between her palms and searched his soul.
" You would hurt me? "
" Yes…"
" Then I guess I'll have to take a chance on getting hurt. "
Her answer shook his very core. Sigurd crushed her in his arms, knocking the breath out of her. He clutched her tightly for she was his lifeline in a world that he did not belong. In that fallen city of the skies, Sigurd had never thought that there would be someone he would ever truly care about and now that he had found her, she was more than precious. But yet, she may be something that he had to give up too soon.
" Sigurd…"
He kissed her with tenderness born of desperation, not willing to contemplate the question of leaving her. Sigurd's cerulean eyes were a shade darker in the night, the stormy color reflecting the tempest raging in his heart. Torn between the decision to reveal the deepest secret he has hidden and to be honest with her, Sigurd fought an internal battle with himself.
Intuitively sensing the internal conflict raging within the man she loved, Reya sought to