Fall of Icarus

Adam stole a glance at his own watch. “You’re going to be killing yourself to try to make it in time.”

“Yes or no?”

“I’m out. There’s no way I’m going to sprint the length of the Revolution just to go meet a woman, especially one who actually seems to find you attractive!”

He smiled as the Squadron Commander concluded his summary. “Your loss. I’ll tell you all about her later tonight.”

Yen was out of his chair and walking brusquely toward the rear exit to the briefing room before Garrix had finished saying “dismissed”. Once out the door, he broke into a sprint, hurrying toward the lift that would take him down to the living quarters. There were some advantages to being a combat veteran, as Yen had found. Though only an Insertion Team Leader onboard one of the Cair transport ships, Yen was given his own room on the Revolution, an honor normally reserved for a more senior Officer. As the door to his room slid open, he rushed inside, slipping past the small dining room table and flicking on the bedroom lights. His pristine dress uniform was already laid out on the bed, having been prepositioned earlier that morning. Stripping off the soiled uniform, Yen retained enough sense to carry the dirty clothes into the bathroom with him, knowing there was still a chance that he would not be coming home alone tonight.

Stepping into the shower, Yen made quick work of scrubbing his body clean. It seemed that no sooner had the soap been washed from his skin and out of his hair, then the water was turned off and he was toweling dry. Looking in the mirror, he realized just how rough he looked. Even against his yellow skin, the faint outlines of a bruise could be seen spreading across his left cheek, a gift from an overzealous Oterian during the training practice today. During their rehearsed incursion on an enemy ship, the Oterian had been too eager to exit the Cair mock-up. His thrown elbow, as he shoved his way to the front of the line, caught Yen on the side of the face, snapping his head backward from the force of the blow. Yen already had an adequate punishment planned for the soldier, but seeing the bruise reignited his anger.

Glancing down at his watch, Yen jumped as he realized how much time had already passed. Running a brush through his long, black hair, Yen gave one final cursory glance in the mirror before hurrying back into the bedroom and slipping into his uniform. No marks or lint stained the crisp Infantry uniform. Yen readjusted the series of medals that hung heavily on the left side of his chest; medals he had won during the multiple missions conducted while he served with the covert operations division of the Infantry. Dominating the rack of medals, hanging above the others, Yen caught sight of the Alliance Service Cross, one of the highest awards offered in the military. He earned it during his final mission with the covert operations, one which pained him to relive.

Yen had been one of seven soldiers assigned to his covert operations team a year before. They had been a close team, spending nearly every moment together, both on and off work. Though they were relatively junior based on their time in the military, the team was also the best in the Alliance. Many of the stories about his missions were impressive and made for great conversations at the bar. Many of his missions, though, he couldn’t speak about now, nor did he think they would ever be declassified enough for him to share with even his closest friends.

His last mission had been a disaster. Betrayed by the Captain of their ship, a Pilgrim who harbored secret loyalties to the Terran Empire, Yen, Adam Decker, and over one hundred other soldiers were left for dead in a city full of mutated monsters; one final gift from the already overly generous Empire. For two days, the soldiers fought against the ravenous Seques, but in the war of attrition, the Seques were destined to win. In the end, Yen’s team leader sacrificed himself to kill the rogue Captain. Yen, Adam, and an Uligart named Buren were all that survived. They brought word of the betrayal to the High Council and told them the other information they had gleamed during their conflict: that the Terran Empire had sent a small fleet into Alliance space. For their bravery and heroism, all three were awarded the Alliance Service Cross.

Yen fingered the medal idly as he rode the lift up to the main airlock. He hoped he wasn’t too late, though he knew the size of the crowds that would already be gathered around the airlock. The arrival of newly assigned soldiers was always a reason for a celebration. Though the Fleet and Infantry both covered missions throughout known space, it seemed that the military was a small world. It was inevitable that you ran into long lost friends and counterparts with whom you served years before. Yen wasn’t looking for a long lost friend, even if some of his fellow comrades were going to be arriving today. His focus would be entirely on finding a single woman from the throng of new arrivals. He realized the daunting task ahead. Not only did he have to contend with fighting his way to the front of the crowd, he also had to contend with spotting Keryn amidst the sea of uniformed crewmen.

As the doors to the lift opened, Yen’s heart sank. The cheers of a massive crowd along with the swell of dozens of overlapping conversations washed over him, overwhelming his senses. Because of the droning Squadron Commander’s brief and his own daydreaming while getting ready, Yen was late. They’d already arrived.

Yen barely had any space to stand, as he pushed his way off the elevator. Craning his neck, he tried to see over the crowd. He was fighting against a raging torrent of bodies, many of which were already heading toward his now empty lift, on their way to a hundred different points of interest throughout the ship. Still undeterred, Yen pushed his way further upstream, working his way toward the large iris through which the new recruits arrived. Yen caught sight of a few promising sights: a flash of silver hair, blazing violet eyes, deeply tanned skin. But each time Yen thought he saw something that reminded him of Keryn, the person turned and he realized it wasn’t her. His emotions were cresting waves, first reaching a peak of anticipation only to be crushed in the wake.

As the crowd began to thin, Yen started to lose hope. Had he arrived too late? Had she been one of the first to pass through the airlock, only to be snatched up by her pilot sponsor and whisked away? Fewer and fewer new arrivals trickled through the airlock as they finished exiting the transport docked outside. Looking down the tunnel, Yen didn’t see her anywhere. Disheartened, Yen turned away and stepped toward the lift.

“Yen Xiao?” a familiar feminine voice called from behind him.

Smiling broadly, Yen turned to see Keryn Riddell emerge from the gathered crowd. Her fine silver hair was pulled back into a professional ponytail, exposing her naturally deeply tanned Wyndgaart skin and the red and purple tattoos — identifying characteristics of her race — that traced the curves of her cheeks and disappeared beneath the high necked collar of her uniform. Intensely violet eyes sparkled maddeningly in the halogen light. Though he met her only once before, her image was burned permanently into his memory. She was truly just as beautiful as he remembered.

Sighing with relief, Yen spoke. “I was so worried I’d already missed you.”

“I didn’t see you at first, but I had faith that you’d be here eventually.”

Yen served with Keryn’s older brother, Eza, during his time on the covert operations team. On the same mission for which he received the Alliance Service Cross, Eza was killed trying to afford the rest of them time to escape the planet. Had it not been for the sacrifice of Yen’s best friend, he would have died on the planet himself. That moment had not been lost in the passage of time and Yen felt obligated to look after Keryn, to ensure she stayed safe during her service as a Cair pilot. Yen, though, found his task of watching after Keryn more of a boon and less of a professional obligation.

“Are you going to show me around,” Keryn asked, “or are we going to sit here all day in awkward silence?”

Yen shook his head as he realized he’d been staring. “I’m sorry. Come on, I’ll show you the highlights.”

They walked past the lift, choosing instead to walk the length of the ship. Their tour lasted for hours, though most of their time was spent examining the Duun and Cair ships that lined the enormous hangar bay. The hangar would be Keryn’s second home, once she got settled into her normal routine. She asked a ridiculous amount of questions, as they finished their tour and made their way toward the housing area where Keryn would be living. Though Keryn was curious about much of the ship’s day-to-day operations, most of their conversation remained solely on small talk: about Keryn’s experiences in the Fleet Academy, her temporary position in the replacement center as she awaited permanent orders onboard an Alliance Cruiser, and how she felt after receiving her orders assigning her to the Revolution.

“I meant to ask you about that,” Keryn said as they discussed her current assignment. “I was assigned to the Farimas Space Station while I was waiting for orders. All my fellow classmates were there. We were getting settled in for the long haul, since we were all told it would be up to six months before permanent positions opened up in any of the Cruiser Squadrons. Yet, miraculously, I suddenly get orders assigning me to the Revolution. No one else seemed to have received any orders except me.”

“I guess you’re just lucky that way,” Yen said with a smile.

“You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?” Keryn asked coyly.

Yen smiled mischievously. “Using my rank and position in such a way would’ve been unethical. Hypothetically,