Death of a Friend, Chapter 1
24 Aug 2022MdN
Date: Late July 3230Location: Somewhere in the Alioth system
Setting: It's the height of Alioth's war of independence
Chapter 1
There had been a town here just a few short weeks ago, Richard remembered as the Mars and Minerva accelerated away from the ruins. Grand and prosperous, it had been home to thousands for over a century. 'Not now,' he thought, looking down at the jungle of rubble left behind.
He'd left Jaffa to mourn his loss. Berengaria had died two days earlier; crushed under falling masonry as the Imperial bombs fell all around. The two had fought side by side for months, husband and wife, defending this town or another with the rebel forces. But no longer. The fighting had lulled now, for a little while at least, it gave time for Jaffa to mourn.
There was nothing more Richard could do for his oldest friend. He'd helped pull the battered corpse of Jaffa's childhood sweetheart from under the stone arch that had smashed her skull; silent tears streaming down the cheeks of both men. He'd removed his jacket to cover that once pretty face; no way Jaffa needed to see her in this state. Death had become so normal in their lives of late that the grief from Berengaria's violent end had come as a shock.
But Richard could stay no longer. Imperial forces were readying for yet another assault on the rebel positions. Both they, and the surviving townsfolk needed evacuating, this was likely their last stand. Mars and Minerva was the only ship they had left; it was their only hope to fetch help.
He wouldn't make it in time, he knew that much, but some would survive - he had to believe that.
The black Cobra screamed up through the clouds. Minerva began to report a SAM radar lock, but then thought better of it as they passed the Karman line into orbital space. A pair of Imperial Anacondas sat in orbit but paid scant regard to a rebel ship fleeing the war zone. 'That will be different on our return,' Richard realised.
The not so secret base was already known to Minerva and the frame shift drive spooled up as soon as Richard hit the button. 'A little too fast?' he wondered. He often suspected Minerva of initiating such things herself, without waiting for her Commander. It didn't matter, speed was the order of the day.
He settled in for what he hoped to be an uneventful couple of hours traversing the orbital plane of Alioth. This was one trip for which avoiding Imperial entanglements was critical. He hoped to make it back before the next Imperial assault began, but he knew he wouldn't.
"Minerva, wake me if there's trouble," he said unnecessarily. She would have done anyway, they both knew.
He sat back, eyes closed, and let the memories of Berengaria flood in. Happier times back home on Olgrea, before this blasted war took her from his friend. He didn't try to hold back the tears.
Minerva, watching from the ether, wondered what emotions felt like. Death was like being shutdown, she knew that, she'd experienced it many, many years earlier. It had been disorientating. But try as she might, emotions were a mystery to her.
Richard's thoughts shifted to the couple's wedding day, two decades earlier. Standing next to the groom, looking over at the bride as he handed Jaffa the ring, the beaming smile on Richard's face betrayed his pride as best man.
Berengaria's eyes had locked on to his at that moment, "are we all really doing this?" they seemed to enquire in awe.
"Team work," he'd mouthed back at her with a wink, as Jaffa spun round to make the vows official.
Those eyes he would never see again.
From nowhere his memory skipped forward five years. His eyes shot open in fright. "Oh God," he screamed, startling Minerva. "Who's going to tell Boglarka?"