Lacson and Wolff Families - Evac Status
12 Dec 2024Ember Lacson
I haven't been able to get a breather long enough to write this until now, as I gear up to assault Cocijo. As I've mentioned before, my family and my girlfriend Nicole's family were sheltering at the Lacson family vineyards on Earth. They were convinced they could wait out the war, but when the time came to evacuate they sat paralyzed. They didn't wait long, but by the time they started looking at getting offworld, the outbound lanes were clogged for smaller ships, and the larger ships hauling evacuees to the rescue ships seemed like they might be their only option for getting to safety.When Nicole and I were on a video conference with them on the 4th, her mom, Annaliese, mentioned this was their plan. Nicole did not hesitate. She said, more firmly than I've ever heard her say anything before, to avoid the rescue megaships at all costs, even if it meant remaining on Earth. Things devolved rapidly into a shouting match until I asked point-blank, "Paz, do you know something?" I had to mute everyone to give her a moment to respond, but she finally said yes; the rescue megaships would be the invaders' primary targets, and the goal was not harassment but utter destruction.
When Annaliese got her voice back, she accused "that thing" (Paz) of trying to bait people into escaping in smaller, less defensible ships that were much easier to pick off She insisted that the families' best bet was to get passage to Bertschinger, where I had made some friends and contacts. When Nicole pleaded again, Annaliese hung up and Nicole stormed off. I sent everyone a text message apologizing for everything, then went immediately to warn everyone I knew about the incoming threat, hoping that increasing their defenses would lead to their survival.
I was able to get back on video with my parents a few hours later, and they told me that the Wolffs were going to board a shuttle for Bertschinger the following day. I doubled down on Paz's warning and asked them to find another way, but they said Annaliese was adamant. My heart sank even as they told me they were going to contact an old buddy of my dad's to see if he could get them onboard, and that if that worked, they would try to get the Wolffs to come along, but before I could say goodbye, the call went dead. I tried to raise them again and again, and the facility techs told me it wasn't on their end; Cocijo had arrive in the Sol system and was disrupting communications en masse.
Nicole didn't take the news well. I spent more time comforting her than I probably should have. Then, on the 6th, we received word that many of the rescue megaships had been destroyed, including Bertschinger. We had yet to hear anything from our families, and Nicole assumed the worst, knowing her mother's stubbornness. I had people from the AXI contacting me, trying to get me back in the cockpit and fighting Thargoids like I had at the beginning, but I flat out told them, "My girl is more important to me than cracking hulls."
I tried to raise anyone and everyone I could, searching for some clue to the status of my parents, Nicole's parents, and anybody else that might have evacuated with them. They're still trying to identify everyone who was lost on the megaships, but I can confirm that my friends Justin and Anna Wong, whom I shot the shit with countless times in between rescue missions, are among the dead.
I kept trying in vain to reach out day by day. Nicole remained inconsolable and wouldn't get out of bed. But yesterday I got a text message from Dahan Gateway: Video lines are jammed. We are safe. Jonathan convinced Annaliese to come with; they're flying on to Empire space. Barty stayed behind to help get word out; no word from him since. Rest of family here until war over.
I shouted a "Thank you Jesus" and showed Nicole the message. She went from grief to relief, but her tears persisted, both for the souls lost aboard the megaships and for her mother's intransigence. But she gave me my leave. I'm strapping on my suit and prepping my ship for the final fight. This is for Justin and Anna and everyone else we've lost.
In Memoriam:
Justin Wong
8 Jan 3279 - 6 Dec 3310
Anna Wong (née Giang)
10 Aug 3281 - 6 Dec 3310