I liken it to, "Awwwww! SO cute....OW! OW! OW!"
It's a Peaceful Life
- Thread starter MarkWarrior
- Start date
Indeed.But it is only beginning,it would end with Mark and Catherina having their own puppies !
Chapter 26
New
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
I woke up the following day next to the fireplace. The warmth glowing embers of the last few pieces of firewood I'd thrown in the first thing to greet me aside from Sage's cold nose as she nudged my bare foot.
"I'm up," I grunted at the Twins, stretching my arms out over my head and sighing in relief as pops rippled down my spine. "I'll start some breakfast for us after we finish the chores."
Easing up onto my feet, I grabbed my socks and boots before slipping them on and walking out onto the front porch before stopping at what I saw.
The predawn glow peaked over the horizon, the brilliant light streams producing a purple, red, and brilliant sapphire sky in the distance. Two of the three moons were just beginning to recede into the hues of the atmosphere.
With the light's aid, I distributed feed to all of the animals, the pellets rattling in their buckets as the horses and cows fought for position. The sheep, on the other hand, could fend for themselves.
After calling the Twins back in, I knocked the dirt and dust off my boots before moving back inside and into the kitchen.
I blinked at two security guards I didn't recognize from the night before. Then shrugged and continued making coffee. There wasn't enough caffeine in my bloodstream to deal with this yet.
"Mornin'," I spoke. "How do you take your coffee?" I measured out the grounds and turned on the pot.
"Black," One of the two replied, the other nodding in agreement.
"I'll pour y'all a cup once it's ready," I rummaged through the fridge before pulling out the proteins for breakfast today.
Whistling, I poured three cups of coffee and started working on the actual meal for the day. The Bacon went on a baking sheet with the oven preset, and the sausage and eggs were on the cast iron. The toast had to be timed carefully to be ready when everything else was, but it was generally the easiest to cook.
As the smells of breakfast wafted through the house, more people woke up and went downstairs or wandered into the kitchen.
Yvonne was the first of the Steiner-Davions to do so, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the food.
"You're not allergic to Venison, right?" I asked, flipping some sausage over.
"No," she shook her head.
"Good," I gestured towards the plate piled high with food. "The rest of breakfast will take a little while. So you can snack on some sausage if you're hungry now."
The young blond hummed in response before she reached out and grabbed a couple of pieces. Chewing thoughtfully as she smiled in delight.
"Spicy," she chewed on the second piece. "It's good."
"Just try not to drop it or feed it to the dogs," I called out as she entered the living room. "Or you'll have to clean up the mess they leave behind."
The preteen simply waved me off and started playing with the puppies, the balls of fluff crawling all over her.
Hanse was the next person I saw leave his bedroom, but it was apparent he'd been awake and working to some capacity, given how sharp his gaze was when it snapped to the table, now laden with food.
"You like your coffee strong," The First Prince complimented, taking a sip and sighing contently. "Finally, someone who understands instead of giving me watered-down shit like the doctors insist on."
"I won't pretend to speak for doctors," I shrugged. "But sometimes you've got to ignore their advice if you want to actually enjoy life."
Katherine was the last one downstairs as the last plate plate touched the table. Her eyes were barely open and alert, her blond hair was a mess, and the clothes she'd worn to bed the night before were as wrinkled as could be.
"Morning," I greeted her.
"MPH!" her face buried itself in her elbow as she collapsed at the table.
With a laugh, I poured one last cup of coffee and set it in front of her, the warm aroma gently bringing her out of the morning funk.
I'd forgotten how good it was to have a full home. Sure, domestic life wasn't for everyone, but there was something about seeing friends and family around your table that made a place seem less like a house or simply a place to live. Instead, it felt more like a home.
With that in mind, I distributed food and asked one of the guards to collect Yvonne. The young girl's cheerful energy was a sharp contrast to her older sister.
The conversation started with small talk about my work on the farm and slowly broadened into things we had shared interests in.
"So," Hanse said after polishing off his plate and resting against the back of his chair. "I couldn't help but notice that you've got a small range set out there."
"I like shooting," I replied, feeling a twinge of unease. "And I've got a collection of antiques that I take out and shoot with occasionally."
"Antiques, you say," Hanse's eyes brimmed with interest. "I'd like to take a look at some of them sometime. I've a particular interest in military history for obvious reasons."
Then a new security guard moved up and whispered in his ear, leaving Hanse deflated,
"Unfortunately, I'll have to depart now," Hanse looked at Katherine, who was still waking up. "The security detail will remain behind and see you two return."
Katherine slowly finished the coffee before placing the cup into the sink.
A part of her wanted to collapse back into the bed and go back to sleep. Usually, she had no issues waking up or being active in the mornings. But something about this place felt warm and safe. She knew logically that The Mountain was safer than here, but everything in her soul felt safe and warm in the countryside.
All of which culminated in her getting the best sleep she'd had in months last night. Sure, she still felt sleepy, but she also felt rested. A weight had been lifted, and she felt a bit freer than she had the night before.
"I like it here," Yvonne said while they were playing with the puppies. "It's so different from anywhere else we've lived."
"I don't think it's necessarily the place," Katherine said, feeling her thoughts and emotions make the connection. "Places are just dots on a map. A house, an apartment, they're all just words."
After all, home had been many different places while Kat was growing up. Sometimes, it had been aboard a dropship for long periods as Mother, Victor, and her siblings traveled around the Realm, doing their best to unite it properly.
The two sisters continued bonding over the adorable fluff balls before Kat became restless and went outside.
The low hum of a combustion engine attracted her, and she eventually found herself under one of the smaller sheds on the property.
"Would it kill you to hold the light steady?" Mark's voice casually snarked.
"Actually," Katherine felt laughter bubble up inside her as she saw Thyme resting her head on Mark's chest, a headlamp attached to her head while her sister slept on a dog bed in the corner. "I think it might kill her to keep it steady."
Thyme's tail thumped on the ground, and she raised her head.
Mark was lying on his back on a wheeled contraption underneath an old farm truck she'd seen parked at the bakery.
"Sorry," Mark apologized. "I meant to spend more time with y'all, but vacations don't exactly happen on the farm."
He wheeled himself out, and Katherine shook at the sight of her best friend.
"What?" He asked, wiping his nearly black hands on a nearby towel. "Is something wrong?"
"I can't take you seriously," Katherine giggled. "You need a shower."
Mark used a clean part of the rag and wiped at his face, noting the grease that came off.
"Eh," he shrugged after a moment. "I've been worse. Now, you can give me a hug, or you can make yourself useful. This alternator seized up on me the day 'fore yesterday, and I've got to swap it out."
"What do you need?" Kat sat cross-legged next to the truck, between the toolbox and myself.
"The ten millimeter!" Mark wheeled himself back underneath. "Thankfully, I kept my luck when I jumped universes because I never seem to lose that one. But if my thirteen goes missing again, then I'm going to buy an entire store's worth and keep it in the toolbox."
"Here," Katherine dug around in the toolbox and handed Mark the requested wrench, her gaze wandering as she heard sounds from underneath the engine and muttered curses on occasion.
"It seems like there's a lot of work to do around here," She said after he had finished working. His face, neck, and hands were covered in grease and dirt. "It looks like you could use an extra set of hands around here more often."
"You offering?" Mark raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were supposed to finish attending a military academy?"
"I am," Kat admitted. "But I think my family could be persuaded to let me have a month or so before I start dealing with court politics or 'Mechs again."
She watched as Mark's face twisted in thought while he worked on the last bit of the engine, a rubber belt navigating a maze of pulleys.
"That may be something that they'd consider," Mark grinned as the engine started with a roar that dimmed into a pur. "But there's also something about responsibilities. You're a good friend," Mark continued, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. "And I'd hate for me to be the person that holds you back from greatness."
"Sometimes, you're entirely too reasonable, Mark," Katherine chided gently. "Now let's get you cleaned up and talk about this in the house."
"I'm up," I grunted at the Twins, stretching my arms out over my head and sighing in relief as pops rippled down my spine. "I'll start some breakfast for us after we finish the chores."
Easing up onto my feet, I grabbed my socks and boots before slipping them on and walking out onto the front porch before stopping at what I saw.
The predawn glow peaked over the horizon, the brilliant light streams producing a purple, red, and brilliant sapphire sky in the distance. Two of the three moons were just beginning to recede into the hues of the atmosphere.
With the light's aid, I distributed feed to all of the animals, the pellets rattling in their buckets as the horses and cows fought for position. The sheep, on the other hand, could fend for themselves.
After calling the Twins back in, I knocked the dirt and dust off my boots before moving back inside and into the kitchen.
I blinked at two security guards I didn't recognize from the night before. Then shrugged and continued making coffee. There wasn't enough caffeine in my bloodstream to deal with this yet.
"Mornin'," I spoke. "How do you take your coffee?" I measured out the grounds and turned on the pot.
"Black," One of the two replied, the other nodding in agreement.
"I'll pour y'all a cup once it's ready," I rummaged through the fridge before pulling out the proteins for breakfast today.
Whistling, I poured three cups of coffee and started working on the actual meal for the day. The Bacon went on a baking sheet with the oven preset, and the sausage and eggs were on the cast iron. The toast had to be timed carefully to be ready when everything else was, but it was generally the easiest to cook.
As the smells of breakfast wafted through the house, more people woke up and went downstairs or wandered into the kitchen.
Yvonne was the first of the Steiner-Davions to do so, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the food.
"You're not allergic to Venison, right?" I asked, flipping some sausage over.
"No," she shook her head.
"Good," I gestured towards the plate piled high with food. "The rest of breakfast will take a little while. So you can snack on some sausage if you're hungry now."
The young blond hummed in response before she reached out and grabbed a couple of pieces. Chewing thoughtfully as she smiled in delight.
"Spicy," she chewed on the second piece. "It's good."
"Just try not to drop it or feed it to the dogs," I called out as she entered the living room. "Or you'll have to clean up the mess they leave behind."
The preteen simply waved me off and started playing with the puppies, the balls of fluff crawling all over her.
Hanse was the next person I saw leave his bedroom, but it was apparent he'd been awake and working to some capacity, given how sharp his gaze was when it snapped to the table, now laden with food.
"You like your coffee strong," The First Prince complimented, taking a sip and sighing contently. "Finally, someone who understands instead of giving me watered-down shit like the doctors insist on."
"I won't pretend to speak for doctors," I shrugged. "But sometimes you've got to ignore their advice if you want to actually enjoy life."
Katherine was the last one downstairs as the last plate plate touched the table. Her eyes were barely open and alert, her blond hair was a mess, and the clothes she'd worn to bed the night before were as wrinkled as could be.
"Morning," I greeted her.
"MPH!" her face buried itself in her elbow as she collapsed at the table.
With a laugh, I poured one last cup of coffee and set it in front of her, the warm aroma gently bringing her out of the morning funk.
I'd forgotten how good it was to have a full home. Sure, domestic life wasn't for everyone, but there was something about seeing friends and family around your table that made a place seem less like a house or simply a place to live. Instead, it felt more like a home.
With that in mind, I distributed food and asked one of the guards to collect Yvonne. The young girl's cheerful energy was a sharp contrast to her older sister.
The conversation started with small talk about my work on the farm and slowly broadened into things we had shared interests in.
"So," Hanse said after polishing off his plate and resting against the back of his chair. "I couldn't help but notice that you've got a small range set out there."
"I like shooting," I replied, feeling a twinge of unease. "And I've got a collection of antiques that I take out and shoot with occasionally."
"Antiques, you say," Hanse's eyes brimmed with interest. "I'd like to take a look at some of them sometime. I've a particular interest in military history for obvious reasons."
Then a new security guard moved up and whispered in his ear, leaving Hanse deflated,
"Unfortunately, I'll have to depart now," Hanse looked at Katherine, who was still waking up. "The security detail will remain behind and see you two return."
Katherine slowly finished the coffee before placing the cup into the sink.
A part of her wanted to collapse back into the bed and go back to sleep. Usually, she had no issues waking up or being active in the mornings. But something about this place felt warm and safe. She knew logically that The Mountain was safer than here, but everything in her soul felt safe and warm in the countryside.
All of which culminated in her getting the best sleep she'd had in months last night. Sure, she still felt sleepy, but she also felt rested. A weight had been lifted, and she felt a bit freer than she had the night before.
"I like it here," Yvonne said while they were playing with the puppies. "It's so different from anywhere else we've lived."
"I don't think it's necessarily the place," Katherine said, feeling her thoughts and emotions make the connection. "Places are just dots on a map. A house, an apartment, they're all just words."
After all, home had been many different places while Kat was growing up. Sometimes, it had been aboard a dropship for long periods as Mother, Victor, and her siblings traveled around the Realm, doing their best to unite it properly.
The two sisters continued bonding over the adorable fluff balls before Kat became restless and went outside.
The low hum of a combustion engine attracted her, and she eventually found herself under one of the smaller sheds on the property.
"Would it kill you to hold the light steady?" Mark's voice casually snarked.
"Actually," Katherine felt laughter bubble up inside her as she saw Thyme resting her head on Mark's chest, a headlamp attached to her head while her sister slept on a dog bed in the corner. "I think it might kill her to keep it steady."
Thyme's tail thumped on the ground, and she raised her head.
Mark was lying on his back on a wheeled contraption underneath an old farm truck she'd seen parked at the bakery.
"Sorry," Mark apologized. "I meant to spend more time with y'all, but vacations don't exactly happen on the farm."
He wheeled himself out, and Katherine shook at the sight of her best friend.
"What?" He asked, wiping his nearly black hands on a nearby towel. "Is something wrong?"
"I can't take you seriously," Katherine giggled. "You need a shower."
Mark used a clean part of the rag and wiped at his face, noting the grease that came off.
"Eh," he shrugged after a moment. "I've been worse. Now, you can give me a hug, or you can make yourself useful. This alternator seized up on me the day 'fore yesterday, and I've got to swap it out."
"What do you need?" Kat sat cross-legged next to the truck, between the toolbox and myself.
"The ten millimeter!" Mark wheeled himself back underneath. "Thankfully, I kept my luck when I jumped universes because I never seem to lose that one. But if my thirteen goes missing again, then I'm going to buy an entire store's worth and keep it in the toolbox."
"Here," Katherine dug around in the toolbox and handed Mark the requested wrench, her gaze wandering as she heard sounds from underneath the engine and muttered curses on occasion.
"It seems like there's a lot of work to do around here," She said after he had finished working. His face, neck, and hands were covered in grease and dirt. "It looks like you could use an extra set of hands around here more often."
"You offering?" Mark raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were supposed to finish attending a military academy?"
"I am," Kat admitted. "But I think my family could be persuaded to let me have a month or so before I start dealing with court politics or 'Mechs again."
She watched as Mark's face twisted in thought while he worked on the last bit of the engine, a rubber belt navigating a maze of pulleys.
"That may be something that they'd consider," Mark grinned as the engine started with a roar that dimmed into a pur. "But there's also something about responsibilities. You're a good friend," Mark continued, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. "And I'd hate for me to be the person that holds you back from greatness."
"Sometimes, you're entirely too reasonable, Mark," Katherine chided gently. "Now let's get you cleaned up and talk about this in the house."
nice slice of life.
Chapter 27
New
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
I spent the time cutting the grease and rinsing it off as much as possible while trying to piece together my scattered thoughts and emotions from a jumbled mess into something that might resemble a cohesive whole.
I liked Kat. I knew that, and both she and I knew that there was definitely the potential for something much deeper than the friendship that we currently had.
But for all of my analogies and metaphors involving the farm. My thoughts of it representing me piecing my life back together. There was still one core thing I hadn’t dealt with.
I hadn’t just been yoinked from a solitary existence in one universe and thrown into another. Even two years into this new life, I still struggled with the thought of not just what I’d left behind. But who I had left behind.
I almost wish I had been a widower. Sometimes, I thought it might be easier if my wife had died and left me to figure things out instead of this hellish in-between that I was in now.
Because somewhere deep down, I wasn’t sure that I’d ever given up hope of finding a way back.
I sighed and sat down on the toilet in the master bathroom, a rag in my hands as I scrubbed away the spots that were easy to miss.
“I’m such a mess,” I chuckled harshly, leaning back and staring at my hands for a moment like they held the keys to the universe.
After a few minutes, I stood up and used the water faucet to rinse the remaining soap suds, clearing away the dirt beneath and revealing my farmer's tan.
Wringing the rag out in the sink, I wiped the last bit of grease and tossed it in the dirty laundry hamper. A sigh escaped my lips as I nodded to myself.
I still didn’t know what I would say or necessarily how I would say it, but I did know one thing for sure: I had spent my adult life facing reality head-on, and I wouldn’t stop doing it now.
So, with my heart in my chest and a lump in my throat, I opened the door and began to look for Katherine.
I glanced in the living room and smiled at Yvonne sleeping in the pile of puppies. While the sight was adorable, I was looking for someone else. So I passed through the house, peeking through every doorway until I went outside.
I found Katherine on my front porch. Sage and Thyme were sitting at her feet, letting her brush her fingers through their fur. The three stared off into the farmland, gazing at something I couldn’t see in the distance.
I wished I’d had a camera at that single moment. Kat’s hair glowed in the afternoon sun, the loose locks framing a halo around her. The rocking chair underneath her creaked in slow movements as she gently rocked back and forth.
I swallowed, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
After seeing Mark off to the shower, Kat checked on Yvonne and, finding her still playing with the puppies, stepped outside to admire the day.
The Twins followed her as she nodded at the guard standing by in a shadowed corner and then sat down in one of the few rocking chairs that dotted the wraparound porch.
“Hey, girls,” Kat relaxed in the glow of New Avalon’s star, the gentle warmth of the rays letting her close her eyes and rest. “Let’s just sit here for a while.”
Katherine knew she wouldn’t be able to stay much longer than today. So, she was going to grab every tiny bit of rest that she could. And hopefully, she could get some answers as well.
With her eyes closed, Katherine slowly dozed in and out of wakefulness. The warm puddles of fur at her feet helped soothe her soul with their calmness.
Then, footsteps gently pressed on the porch's hardwood. The barely audible noise culminated in the creak of the chair next to her, prompting her to open her eyes.
“Hi,” Mark smiled, meeting her eyes and leaning back in his chair. “I think there’s a conversation we need to have.”
Yes, they needed to have a conversation. Katherine wouldn’t put this off anymore; she’d been through too much to let it slip from her grasp. But she couldn’t look into the minds and souls of other people. She’d accepted that years ago.
“Let’s start with the obvious bits.” She opened her eyes fully and looked at the man before her.
She tried to stay serious through it, but he had missed a bit of grease and dirt, and she found a smile break free.
“I like being friends with you,” she said, feeling a nervous tingle run through her body and a slight flutter in her stomach. “But I also want to try for something more.”
“I think I can agree to that,” Mark replied, the smile on his face causing those flutters again. “But I do have to warn you about some stuff. I come with some issues that I’m not sure I’ve worked through yet.”
For once, Mark seemed nervous, a bit of that energy coming out in tapping his hand on the chair's armrest and him looking out over the fields, looking for something.
“I was married before all of this,” He nearly whispered. “I still think I am married in many ways.”
He looked at Katherine, a hint of tears in his eyes before a blink shuttered them behind his willpower again.
“As a teenager, I had the same fantasies everyone has,” he continued. “We all dream of living in our favorite places, of making real impacts and change that we don’t think we can do in our regular lives. As an adult, though, that dream becomes part of a nightmare. I don’t have any family here beyond the few I chose. I left my wife behind, and I have no idea if she even knows what happened. I could be dead back home, a copy of me could be living my life, or I could have just vanished from her perspective one night. Leaving her alone to face the world.”
Mark breathed deeply in through his nose and then exhaled.
“A part of me thinks that if I move on. That I’ll have given up on finding a way home.” He swallowed. “But at the same time, another part of me has already accepted that there’s no way back. I’m still reconciling those pieces of myself.”
“I’m sorry, I come with baggage.” Mark wiped a lone tear from his eye and laughed a bit.
“And you think I don’t?” Katherine raised an eyebrow.
“Fair,” Mark continued laughing. “That’s very fair, Princess.”
“That’s Princess Steiner Davion to you.” Katherine tried to act haughty and failed when Sage and Thyme licked her hands.
The two talked a bit longer and eventually stood up to enter the house. But before they did, Mark pulled her in for another warm hug, letting her tuck her chin into his shoulder.
Tomorrow, Katherine would prepare to attend NAIS as a military academy student. But right now, she had something else on her mind.
So, she pulled back and leaned in for a chaste kiss before stomping inside to rouse her little sister. The fluttering settled into a warm feeling in her stomach as she threw open the playpen and joined the sleeping pile of puppies and princesses.
I liked Kat. I knew that, and both she and I knew that there was definitely the potential for something much deeper than the friendship that we currently had.
But for all of my analogies and metaphors involving the farm. My thoughts of it representing me piecing my life back together. There was still one core thing I hadn’t dealt with.
I hadn’t just been yoinked from a solitary existence in one universe and thrown into another. Even two years into this new life, I still struggled with the thought of not just what I’d left behind. But who I had left behind.
I almost wish I had been a widower. Sometimes, I thought it might be easier if my wife had died and left me to figure things out instead of this hellish in-between that I was in now.
Because somewhere deep down, I wasn’t sure that I’d ever given up hope of finding a way back.
I sighed and sat down on the toilet in the master bathroom, a rag in my hands as I scrubbed away the spots that were easy to miss.
“I’m such a mess,” I chuckled harshly, leaning back and staring at my hands for a moment like they held the keys to the universe.
After a few minutes, I stood up and used the water faucet to rinse the remaining soap suds, clearing away the dirt beneath and revealing my farmer's tan.
Wringing the rag out in the sink, I wiped the last bit of grease and tossed it in the dirty laundry hamper. A sigh escaped my lips as I nodded to myself.
I still didn’t know what I would say or necessarily how I would say it, but I did know one thing for sure: I had spent my adult life facing reality head-on, and I wouldn’t stop doing it now.
So, with my heart in my chest and a lump in my throat, I opened the door and began to look for Katherine.
I glanced in the living room and smiled at Yvonne sleeping in the pile of puppies. While the sight was adorable, I was looking for someone else. So I passed through the house, peeking through every doorway until I went outside.
I found Katherine on my front porch. Sage and Thyme were sitting at her feet, letting her brush her fingers through their fur. The three stared off into the farmland, gazing at something I couldn’t see in the distance.
I wished I’d had a camera at that single moment. Kat’s hair glowed in the afternoon sun, the loose locks framing a halo around her. The rocking chair underneath her creaked in slow movements as she gently rocked back and forth.
I swallowed, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
After seeing Mark off to the shower, Kat checked on Yvonne and, finding her still playing with the puppies, stepped outside to admire the day.
The Twins followed her as she nodded at the guard standing by in a shadowed corner and then sat down in one of the few rocking chairs that dotted the wraparound porch.
“Hey, girls,” Kat relaxed in the glow of New Avalon’s star, the gentle warmth of the rays letting her close her eyes and rest. “Let’s just sit here for a while.”
Katherine knew she wouldn’t be able to stay much longer than today. So, she was going to grab every tiny bit of rest that she could. And hopefully, she could get some answers as well.
With her eyes closed, Katherine slowly dozed in and out of wakefulness. The warm puddles of fur at her feet helped soothe her soul with their calmness.
Then, footsteps gently pressed on the porch's hardwood. The barely audible noise culminated in the creak of the chair next to her, prompting her to open her eyes.
“Hi,” Mark smiled, meeting her eyes and leaning back in his chair. “I think there’s a conversation we need to have.”
Yes, they needed to have a conversation. Katherine wouldn’t put this off anymore; she’d been through too much to let it slip from her grasp. But she couldn’t look into the minds and souls of other people. She’d accepted that years ago.
“Let’s start with the obvious bits.” She opened her eyes fully and looked at the man before her.
She tried to stay serious through it, but he had missed a bit of grease and dirt, and she found a smile break free.
“I like being friends with you,” she said, feeling a nervous tingle run through her body and a slight flutter in her stomach. “But I also want to try for something more.”
“I think I can agree to that,” Mark replied, the smile on his face causing those flutters again. “But I do have to warn you about some stuff. I come with some issues that I’m not sure I’ve worked through yet.”
For once, Mark seemed nervous, a bit of that energy coming out in tapping his hand on the chair's armrest and him looking out over the fields, looking for something.
“I was married before all of this,” He nearly whispered. “I still think I am married in many ways.”
He looked at Katherine, a hint of tears in his eyes before a blink shuttered them behind his willpower again.
“As a teenager, I had the same fantasies everyone has,” he continued. “We all dream of living in our favorite places, of making real impacts and change that we don’t think we can do in our regular lives. As an adult, though, that dream becomes part of a nightmare. I don’t have any family here beyond the few I chose. I left my wife behind, and I have no idea if she even knows what happened. I could be dead back home, a copy of me could be living my life, or I could have just vanished from her perspective one night. Leaving her alone to face the world.”
Mark breathed deeply in through his nose and then exhaled.
“A part of me thinks that if I move on. That I’ll have given up on finding a way home.” He swallowed. “But at the same time, another part of me has already accepted that there’s no way back. I’m still reconciling those pieces of myself.”
“I’m sorry, I come with baggage.” Mark wiped a lone tear from his eye and laughed a bit.
“And you think I don’t?” Katherine raised an eyebrow.
“Fair,” Mark continued laughing. “That’s very fair, Princess.”
“That’s Princess Steiner Davion to you.” Katherine tried to act haughty and failed when Sage and Thyme licked her hands.
The two talked a bit longer and eventually stood up to enter the house. But before they did, Mark pulled her in for another warm hug, letting her tuck her chin into his shoulder.
Tomorrow, Katherine would prepare to attend NAIS as a military academy student. But right now, she had something else on her mind.
So, she pulled back and leaned in for a chaste kiss before stomping inside to rouse her little sister. The fluttering settled into a warm feeling in her stomach as she threw open the playpen and joined the sleeping pile of puppies and princesses.
Chapter 28
New
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
“So, you’re still getting a military commission?” I asked Kat after we finished dinner and returned ot the porch.
“Yeah,” she replied. “I know that what I experienced was hard. But I still have a responsibility. Part of me putting the pieces back together is proving to myself that I can still do things like that. That I can still be something.”
I could tell she was still somewhat nervous about the decision in a way she hadn’t been before. What I had now figured out was that a kidnapping of some kind had happened. But I didn’t pry or pressure her. I knew exactly what it was like to feel like you had to do something to prove to yourself that you weren’t broken beyond repair. That you were still capable.
“I get it,” I replied, feeling nostalgic. “Even without the whole inter dimensional bullshit. So, Luke knows this story, but I don’t think any of the people behind the doctors at NAIS really asked questions while fixing me up.”
I leaned back. This was a story I’d told many times back home, used to help out teenagers or people who experienced setbacks that they thought they couldn’t overcome.
“So,” I began by standing up and asking her to walk with me. “One of the tools used on the farm a lot is called an auger. We use it to dig holes and get things ready for big fence posts, light poles, etc.” I pointed at the tool in question. “When I was fifteen, I spent a month helping my grandfather build a fence on his farm. Honestly, it looked a lot like this one but without the barn. Well, on the last day I was there,” I dry swallowed. Sometimes, when telling the specifics, I still felt the pain. “We had one last post to dig. So, like the other two weeks, I helped secure the auger so it didn’t wallow out a shallow hole and stood there. Then, this bolt snapped.” I touched a bolt that prevented the auger from swinging front to back. “And got flung into my eye. Miracle of miracles, instead of punching through my eye to my brain, or anything that normally happens when an object flies at high speeds toward the soft bits. Instead, I just had a jacked up eye, and had to figure out life from there.”
I paused, taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, and opening them again.
“Most people don’t know what they’ll do in life at fifteen or sixteen.” I sat on one of the tractor tires I kept in this shed. “Before that, I knew exactly what I would do in life. I had made it my life’s goal to join the military up to that point. But after that, I had to figure everything out again. It’s almost funny, one incident in my life that wrecked my entire life’s goal at that point. It is what helped me figure out what perseverance was. Before, I was smart but lazy. Afterwards, I couldn’t afford to be lazy. I had to work twice as hard to regain depth perception and figure out how to navigate the world again. I also had something to prove, not really to other people. But to myself, that I was still enough. That with enough hard work, I could still do everything I did before the accident. Now, that was partly a lie, because no matter what I tried, I never did manage to get my eye medically waived so I could join the military.”
I laughed at myself a bit.
“The point of this all is. I understand how life can get completely wrecked by outside circumstances. And I don’t need to know exactly what you’re going through to support you and help you figure out where you’re going in life.”
I pulled her in for a hug.
“And believe me, I absolutely understand proving something to yourself. External accolades mean nothing when you feel like you’re broken inside.”
Katherine didn’t say anything for a moment. Just leaning into my chest and accepting whatever comfort I could provide.
We sat on the tractor tire for a while, just resting and being together. After my story, I don’t think she wanted to talk, which was absolutely fine with me.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t remain here forever. Katherine and Yvonne had to return to The Mountain tonight, and I had to do the nightly chores and start moving the animals over to the schedule we followed when I was working at the bakery.
Sure, Luke hadn’t given me an exact timeframe on when he’d be opening it back up, but if I knew my friend, he’d get stir crazy in a few days and give me a call.
“Hey,” I gently shook her. “While I’d like for us to stay like this for the rest of the evening, I don’t think your father or security detail would be pleased if we stayed out here much longer.”
“Right.” Katherine pulled away, blinking away a bit of sleep from her eyes. “Dad’s going to start working with me on ‘Mech skills in the morning.”
“There you are!” Yvonne stomped into the shed. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” She paused at the sight of us so close together and glared at me for a minute, her eyes narrowing into points.
I just shrugged and let Katherine pull away entirely.
“Just because you have cute dogs doesn’t mean you’re trustworthy yet,” Yvonne muttered.
“Sure,” I said as I stood and ruffled her hair as I walked by. “Whatever you say, shortie.”
Katherine giggled behind me as I imagined the look on Yvonne’s face. Her laughter filling the air.
If there was one thing that I was going to miss when we went back to the routines of life. It was that the farm was going to be lonely again. Sure, I enjoyed being alone at times. But the people you interact with and come to love are a big part of the reason for life being enjoyable in the first place.
Family, friends, and strangers you met once and eventually became closer than friends—all of that made life worth living. Sure, there was drudgery, responsibility, and necessity. But those things aren’t what drive us to do anything in life. It’s the people.
Author’s note: I got a bit personal with this one. Hopefully, that just makes it better.
“Yeah,” she replied. “I know that what I experienced was hard. But I still have a responsibility. Part of me putting the pieces back together is proving to myself that I can still do things like that. That I can still be something.”
I could tell she was still somewhat nervous about the decision in a way she hadn’t been before. What I had now figured out was that a kidnapping of some kind had happened. But I didn’t pry or pressure her. I knew exactly what it was like to feel like you had to do something to prove to yourself that you weren’t broken beyond repair. That you were still capable.
“I get it,” I replied, feeling nostalgic. “Even without the whole inter dimensional bullshit. So, Luke knows this story, but I don’t think any of the people behind the doctors at NAIS really asked questions while fixing me up.”
I leaned back. This was a story I’d told many times back home, used to help out teenagers or people who experienced setbacks that they thought they couldn’t overcome.
“So,” I began by standing up and asking her to walk with me. “One of the tools used on the farm a lot is called an auger. We use it to dig holes and get things ready for big fence posts, light poles, etc.” I pointed at the tool in question. “When I was fifteen, I spent a month helping my grandfather build a fence on his farm. Honestly, it looked a lot like this one but without the barn. Well, on the last day I was there,” I dry swallowed. Sometimes, when telling the specifics, I still felt the pain. “We had one last post to dig. So, like the other two weeks, I helped secure the auger so it didn’t wallow out a shallow hole and stood there. Then, this bolt snapped.” I touched a bolt that prevented the auger from swinging front to back. “And got flung into my eye. Miracle of miracles, instead of punching through my eye to my brain, or anything that normally happens when an object flies at high speeds toward the soft bits. Instead, I just had a jacked up eye, and had to figure out life from there.”
I paused, taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, and opening them again.
“Most people don’t know what they’ll do in life at fifteen or sixteen.” I sat on one of the tractor tires I kept in this shed. “Before that, I knew exactly what I would do in life. I had made it my life’s goal to join the military up to that point. But after that, I had to figure everything out again. It’s almost funny, one incident in my life that wrecked my entire life’s goal at that point. It is what helped me figure out what perseverance was. Before, I was smart but lazy. Afterwards, I couldn’t afford to be lazy. I had to work twice as hard to regain depth perception and figure out how to navigate the world again. I also had something to prove, not really to other people. But to myself, that I was still enough. That with enough hard work, I could still do everything I did before the accident. Now, that was partly a lie, because no matter what I tried, I never did manage to get my eye medically waived so I could join the military.”
I laughed at myself a bit.
“The point of this all is. I understand how life can get completely wrecked by outside circumstances. And I don’t need to know exactly what you’re going through to support you and help you figure out where you’re going in life.”
I pulled her in for a hug.
“And believe me, I absolutely understand proving something to yourself. External accolades mean nothing when you feel like you’re broken inside.”
Katherine didn’t say anything for a moment. Just leaning into my chest and accepting whatever comfort I could provide.
We sat on the tractor tire for a while, just resting and being together. After my story, I don’t think she wanted to talk, which was absolutely fine with me.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t remain here forever. Katherine and Yvonne had to return to The Mountain tonight, and I had to do the nightly chores and start moving the animals over to the schedule we followed when I was working at the bakery.
Sure, Luke hadn’t given me an exact timeframe on when he’d be opening it back up, but if I knew my friend, he’d get stir crazy in a few days and give me a call.
“Hey,” I gently shook her. “While I’d like for us to stay like this for the rest of the evening, I don’t think your father or security detail would be pleased if we stayed out here much longer.”
“Right.” Katherine pulled away, blinking away a bit of sleep from her eyes. “Dad’s going to start working with me on ‘Mech skills in the morning.”
“There you are!” Yvonne stomped into the shed. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” She paused at the sight of us so close together and glared at me for a minute, her eyes narrowing into points.
I just shrugged and let Katherine pull away entirely.
“Just because you have cute dogs doesn’t mean you’re trustworthy yet,” Yvonne muttered.
“Sure,” I said as I stood and ruffled her hair as I walked by. “Whatever you say, shortie.”
Katherine giggled behind me as I imagined the look on Yvonne’s face. Her laughter filling the air.
If there was one thing that I was going to miss when we went back to the routines of life. It was that the farm was going to be lonely again. Sure, I enjoyed being alone at times. But the people you interact with and come to love are a big part of the reason for life being enjoyable in the first place.
Family, friends, and strangers you met once and eventually became closer than friends—all of that made life worth living. Sure, there was drudgery, responsibility, and necessity. But those things aren’t what drive us to do anything in life. It’s the people.
Author’s note: I got a bit personal with this one. Hopefully, that just makes it better.
Last edited:
@MarkWarrior , i read story about dude making Dune technology for Steiners,it is interesting.
Here:
Fun thing is - dude do not want engage in politics,too,only writing books and making stuff.
Here:
Fun thing is - dude do not want engage in politics,too,only writing books and making stuff.
Chapter 29
New
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
“Hey, Luke,” I pulled the older man in for a hug, noting that he seemed to have aged another few years in the last six months. “You doing alright?”
“I’m tired,” he grunted. “I didn’t think that I’d ever get reactivated, and I had forgotten how much it wears on you.”
He gestured for me to take a seat at a table, a sigh escaping his lips as he reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette that wasn’t there.
“I’m probably going to close up shop and retire in the next six months,” he confided in me. “I’m old, I’m tired, and I want to spend a lot more time with my kids. Cheryl agrees with me. We’re planning on looking around your area for any good deals on property.”
For a moment, Luke’s attention wasn’t in the present, it was somewhere in the distant past before he shook his head and focused back on our conversation.
“A lot of things I thought I’d dealt with are starting to eat at me again,” Luke’s brown eyes were filled with an emotion I couldn’t describe, but I identified with. “I don’t want to leave you hanging though. I’ve got enough money. So, if you want the bakery, it’s yours. Just let me know and I’ll have the documents drawn up.”
I mulled over the thought in my mind, testing and seeing if I liked the idea before speaking out loud.
“How about this,” I replied. “Leave it in your name. This is a family business, it should go to your kids and grandkids. We both know that Alvin and Alyssa love the bakery. They should get the chance to decide its future. I’ll run it if you want, or you can leave it close up. But I’m not going to take something away from you or your family. Not after everything y’all’ve done for me.”
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Luke leaned back in his chair. “But Mason’s jump infantry, and Alice isn’t interested in any businesses. Not with having four kids with one more on the way.”
“Just take some time to think about it,” I drawled, a bit of emotion rapidly forcing its way up my throat. “You’ve always done right by me. Let me do the same for you and yours.”
“Alright,” Luke nodded after a moment, swallowing. “I’ll discuss it with Cheryl and Alice. Mason got deployed with the rest of the units rotating up north. So, he’s not going to be able to weigh in on this. But for now, we should probably get started on getting everything back up and running.”
We weren’t opening today, instead we were inspecting machines, checking the gas levels, and doing general maintenance before ordering the supplies that would be needed to bring the bakery back to life.
It was almost funny, Kat realized as she crawled through the mud before clambering over an obstacle in the abbreviated boot camp that was the introduction to NAMA. Just how much easier this was than being kept in that cold room.
The lack of privacy might be the same, but there was something great about the structure and order that was present in everything that the Drill Instructors worked them through. Everything they told them to do had a purpose and was carefully sculpted. The DIs knew exactly how far to push someone and test them without breaking them down.
Sure, this wasn’t the full experience that she’d have gotten upon enlisting. But according to her father, this was more to gauge where the cadets were physically and mentally. Not to break them, but to see what they understood and where they could be best used. Young officers were supposed to be a bit wild, to see fresh new tactics and look at things differently. Their reckless nature balanced out with the seasoned and measured calm of senior noncommissioned officers.
Kat might be covered in mud, and feeling cold as a bit of wind chilled her, but this was nothing compared to the constant cold and bright white of the room she’d been kept in.
“Good work, Cadet Davion! That was your best time today!” A drill instructor nodded. “Drink water and go stand with your squad.”
“Yes ma’am!” Kat yelled and then jogged over to where the overachiever was waiting.
“Here,” the Squad Leader passed her a canteen. “Drink up. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
Kat gratefully accepted and sipped at the lukewarm water, the liquid soothing her warm throat.
There was no conversation beyond that, the FedCom was moving into a wartime footing as the few transmissions and leaked Battleroms of the invaders made their way onto various media outlets. Which meant that everything got streamlined. Officer training went from two to four years, to a stripped down year, year and a half. Enlistedmen and women still went through standard boot camps, but their job specific training was also streamlined. Anything you didn’t pick up at your school, you were going to be learning en-route to, or in the field.
Kat slowly drank more water and waited for the rest of her squad to finish the obstacle before a drill instructor strode over and led them through some stretches before taking them on a run.
Here, it didn’t matter that Kat was a Davion. In fact, being a Davion in a Federated Suns military academy meant that you were expected to perform above whatever expectations that were set.
So, despite what seemed like Chaos going on around her, Kat felt more at peace here than she did in the Mountain. Here in the mud, getting her own hands dirty was more satisfying than all of the economics and sociopolitical courses she’d taken over the last few years.
“Why are you here?” Katherine asked Melissa, the doppelganger set the book down on the bedside. “What’s the point of spending time with me at all? I’m a security threat.”
“You are,” Melissa agreed, a warm smile never leaving her face. “But you have the potential to be more than that.”
“In what way?” Katherine scoffed. “I’m fucking compromised. None of my memories are real, nothing I remember doing even mattered at all. And God knows what else is fucked up with me.”
“None of that was your fault,” Melissa chided gently. “Do you think that we executed Hanse’s doppelganger when he returned? No, it took years of dedicated therapy and deprogramming, but he now has a life again. We may never restore everything that he once was, but he built himself back into something again.”
Melissa sat down next to Katherine, ignoring the pointed look the security guard gave her and pulled the younger blond in for a hug.
“We have the resources to try and help you. But it’s up to you to take the first step. I, for one, am glad to have another member of the family. Even if how we got you was a little odd.”
Melissa kissed the doppelganger on the head and stood up.
“Just think about it,” She said as she exited. “It won’t be an overnight change, but given time. I think that we can help you find a place to fit in around our craziness.”
The door slid shut behind the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, leaving the clone of Katherine Steiner-Davion to her own thoughts.
“I’m tired,” he grunted. “I didn’t think that I’d ever get reactivated, and I had forgotten how much it wears on you.”
He gestured for me to take a seat at a table, a sigh escaping his lips as he reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette that wasn’t there.
“I’m probably going to close up shop and retire in the next six months,” he confided in me. “I’m old, I’m tired, and I want to spend a lot more time with my kids. Cheryl agrees with me. We’re planning on looking around your area for any good deals on property.”
For a moment, Luke’s attention wasn’t in the present, it was somewhere in the distant past before he shook his head and focused back on our conversation.
“A lot of things I thought I’d dealt with are starting to eat at me again,” Luke’s brown eyes were filled with an emotion I couldn’t describe, but I identified with. “I don’t want to leave you hanging though. I’ve got enough money. So, if you want the bakery, it’s yours. Just let me know and I’ll have the documents drawn up.”
I mulled over the thought in my mind, testing and seeing if I liked the idea before speaking out loud.
“How about this,” I replied. “Leave it in your name. This is a family business, it should go to your kids and grandkids. We both know that Alvin and Alyssa love the bakery. They should get the chance to decide its future. I’ll run it if you want, or you can leave it close up. But I’m not going to take something away from you or your family. Not after everything y’all’ve done for me.”
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Luke leaned back in his chair. “But Mason’s jump infantry, and Alice isn’t interested in any businesses. Not with having four kids with one more on the way.”
“Just take some time to think about it,” I drawled, a bit of emotion rapidly forcing its way up my throat. “You’ve always done right by me. Let me do the same for you and yours.”
“Alright,” Luke nodded after a moment, swallowing. “I’ll discuss it with Cheryl and Alice. Mason got deployed with the rest of the units rotating up north. So, he’s not going to be able to weigh in on this. But for now, we should probably get started on getting everything back up and running.”
We weren’t opening today, instead we were inspecting machines, checking the gas levels, and doing general maintenance before ordering the supplies that would be needed to bring the bakery back to life.
It was almost funny, Kat realized as she crawled through the mud before clambering over an obstacle in the abbreviated boot camp that was the introduction to NAMA. Just how much easier this was than being kept in that cold room.
The lack of privacy might be the same, but there was something great about the structure and order that was present in everything that the Drill Instructors worked them through. Everything they told them to do had a purpose and was carefully sculpted. The DIs knew exactly how far to push someone and test them without breaking them down.
Sure, this wasn’t the full experience that she’d have gotten upon enlisting. But according to her father, this was more to gauge where the cadets were physically and mentally. Not to break them, but to see what they understood and where they could be best used. Young officers were supposed to be a bit wild, to see fresh new tactics and look at things differently. Their reckless nature balanced out with the seasoned and measured calm of senior noncommissioned officers.
Kat might be covered in mud, and feeling cold as a bit of wind chilled her, but this was nothing compared to the constant cold and bright white of the room she’d been kept in.
“Good work, Cadet Davion! That was your best time today!” A drill instructor nodded. “Drink water and go stand with your squad.”
“Yes ma’am!” Kat yelled and then jogged over to where the overachiever was waiting.
“Here,” the Squad Leader passed her a canteen. “Drink up. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
Kat gratefully accepted and sipped at the lukewarm water, the liquid soothing her warm throat.
There was no conversation beyond that, the FedCom was moving into a wartime footing as the few transmissions and leaked Battleroms of the invaders made their way onto various media outlets. Which meant that everything got streamlined. Officer training went from two to four years, to a stripped down year, year and a half. Enlistedmen and women still went through standard boot camps, but their job specific training was also streamlined. Anything you didn’t pick up at your school, you were going to be learning en-route to, or in the field.
Kat slowly drank more water and waited for the rest of her squad to finish the obstacle before a drill instructor strode over and led them through some stretches before taking them on a run.
Here, it didn’t matter that Kat was a Davion. In fact, being a Davion in a Federated Suns military academy meant that you were expected to perform above whatever expectations that were set.
So, despite what seemed like Chaos going on around her, Kat felt more at peace here than she did in the Mountain. Here in the mud, getting her own hands dirty was more satisfying than all of the economics and sociopolitical courses she’d taken over the last few years.
“Why are you here?” Katherine asked Melissa, the doppelganger set the book down on the bedside. “What’s the point of spending time with me at all? I’m a security threat.”
“You are,” Melissa agreed, a warm smile never leaving her face. “But you have the potential to be more than that.”
“In what way?” Katherine scoffed. “I’m fucking compromised. None of my memories are real, nothing I remember doing even mattered at all. And God knows what else is fucked up with me.”
“None of that was your fault,” Melissa chided gently. “Do you think that we executed Hanse’s doppelganger when he returned? No, it took years of dedicated therapy and deprogramming, but he now has a life again. We may never restore everything that he once was, but he built himself back into something again.”
Melissa sat down next to Katherine, ignoring the pointed look the security guard gave her and pulled the younger blond in for a hug.
“We have the resources to try and help you. But it’s up to you to take the first step. I, for one, am glad to have another member of the family. Even if how we got you was a little odd.”
Melissa kissed the doppelganger on the head and stood up.
“Just think about it,” She said as she exited. “It won’t be an overnight change, but given time. I think that we can help you find a place to fit in around our craziness.”
The door slid shut behind the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, leaving the clone of Katherine Steiner-Davion to her own thoughts.
Co-opting the enemy's weapons is a wonderful thing.
That.She could fuck Comstar for Davions now.
PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Vatnik
Basic training is basically shock therapy and is not a fun experience, unless you are screwed in the head, which shows how bad the kidnapping experience was for Katherine.
She can always look back and say, "I survived hell all ready."
Chapter 30
New
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
A few days later, Luke came to a decision about what to do with the bakery.
“So, I’m going to be honest,” Luke confided in me as we set things up one morning. “Cheryl and I aren’t really all that attached to the bakery. It’s something for me to do that keeps me busy, but we're just as comfortable doing anything else. In fact, Cheryl would rather us find something we can do together as we get older. With that in mind, we’re going to go forward with finding a buyer for the bakery. But until we have everything sorted out, we’re going to keep it open.”
There was a part of me that was disappointed. I had hoped that Luke, Cheryl, and their family would be willing to keep the bakery. But at the same time, I also understood why they were deciding to sell it.
“You getting reactivated changed things, didn’t it?” I asked, putting a handful of pieces together.
“Aye,” Luke nodded, swallowing down the last bite of a donut with some coffee. “Cheryl and I thought we were done dealing with the long distance shit. But if there’s a chance that I’m going to have to go back behind enemy lines with this new war then we want to spend as much time together as possible.”
We slowly cleaned up and started opening the shop after that. A comfortable silence filled the atmosphere as we moved through all of the routines.
“How long do you think it’ll take to find a buyer?” I finally asked.
“Depends on the market, really,” Luke shrugged. “I could find someone next week, or it could be six months from now. Either way, we’re open until someone makes an offer.”
“Fair enough,” I replied. “Just give me a fair warning if you get the chance. I’m close to being self-sufficient with regard to the farm. Just need to find a buyer for the meat and eggs we produce.”
“I can’t help you with that one,” the veteran chuckled. “I’m barely competent here in the bakery. Animals and farms aren’t exactly my thing,” he paused. “Unless you count killing and eating them in the field.”
“I mean, most of the processing is similar,” I replied. “But it’s not the sort of shop-talk to get into when we’re about to open.”
The transition from the small boot-camp experience into a classroom environment was somewhat jarring to Katherine. All of the time she’d spent locked into a room had changed and twisted a part of her.
Gone were the days when she was perfectly fine with spending the entirety of her day in a classroom diving into information and absorbing it. No, something inside drove her outside, she needed to be able to see the sun, to feel the wind on her skin, and experience life.
Thankfully, their curriculum split up the classrooms and field exercises. With the goal of training high quality officers, they spent almost as much time in the field as they did in the classroom. With every session of classroom and book learning supplemented by applying those lessons in the field.
The other thing that separated Boot Camp from the rest of the Officer training was Liberty. Every two weeks the cadets were allowed three days off. With the requirement being that any time spent off-site had to be approved by their CO.
Kat had plans for her three days off. While everyone else seemed hyper-focused on going to local bars, or spending them asleep in the barracks, she wanted to do something that meant more.
The first day, she’d spend with Yvonne and her father in the Mountain. Hopefully Victor had finally sent a letter back or something more to indicate that he was alive since the world he was stationed on was attacked.
The second day, she was going to spend with Mark. It was kinda funny, she’d expected more butterflies or things out of the romance novels she and her friends had read growing up. While those things weren’t lacking. They weren’t the constant that had been depicted. Instead, there was a constant comfort. The knowledge firm that no matter what, that he would be there waiting. If she needed anything, or if anything were wrong, that he would be there to fix it. To offer an ear or a hand as needed.
Kat shook her head, finishing her woolgathering, and tossing the last of her clothes into her ruck.
“Where are you headed, Davion?” Adam Durand asked.
“Out on leave, Squad leader,” Kat replied. “I’ve got the approval here.” She handed him the slip of paper showing that everything had been stamped and filed appropriately.
“Everything looks like it’s in order, enjoy,” the minor noble replied. “I’ll be available through today if you or any of the squad needs anything. I’ll be unavailable tomorrow or the day after.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kat smiled. “See you in three days.”
She slung the ruck over her shoulder and headed for the door. Every minute mattered, after all.
LIC Report: 17655059KH
Subject: Evacuation of VIPs and the 2nd Kell Hounds
Date: August 11, 3050
Reporting Agent: REDACTED
Due to the circumstances involving this letter and the due to the subjects involved including letters to be transmitted, I have decided to be direct in my naming conventions at this time.
The Battle of Tell I has dragged on for months, and most of the 12th Donegal Guards have been crippled or destroyed in the ensuing conflict with the X-Rays, (Now identified as Clan Jade Falcon). The Kell Hounds are better off, but only slightly so, and as such were instructed to evacuate Trell with the wounded and the VIPs in the form of Victor Steiner-Davion and Phelan Kell.
The VIPS did require some heavy convincing, but were able to be persuaded to depart, though somewhat unwillingly.
I will be remaining behind with the 12th Donegal Guards in order to maintain potential communications with their forces left as well as the Federated Commonwealth Armed Forces.
The rest of my reports have been attached to this document as well as letters from both of the VIPs.
Any further reports are unlikely due to enemy aggression.
Agent Redacted.
“So, I’m going to be honest,” Luke confided in me as we set things up one morning. “Cheryl and I aren’t really all that attached to the bakery. It’s something for me to do that keeps me busy, but we're just as comfortable doing anything else. In fact, Cheryl would rather us find something we can do together as we get older. With that in mind, we’re going to go forward with finding a buyer for the bakery. But until we have everything sorted out, we’re going to keep it open.”
There was a part of me that was disappointed. I had hoped that Luke, Cheryl, and their family would be willing to keep the bakery. But at the same time, I also understood why they were deciding to sell it.
“You getting reactivated changed things, didn’t it?” I asked, putting a handful of pieces together.
“Aye,” Luke nodded, swallowing down the last bite of a donut with some coffee. “Cheryl and I thought we were done dealing with the long distance shit. But if there’s a chance that I’m going to have to go back behind enemy lines with this new war then we want to spend as much time together as possible.”
We slowly cleaned up and started opening the shop after that. A comfortable silence filled the atmosphere as we moved through all of the routines.
“How long do you think it’ll take to find a buyer?” I finally asked.
“Depends on the market, really,” Luke shrugged. “I could find someone next week, or it could be six months from now. Either way, we’re open until someone makes an offer.”
“Fair enough,” I replied. “Just give me a fair warning if you get the chance. I’m close to being self-sufficient with regard to the farm. Just need to find a buyer for the meat and eggs we produce.”
“I can’t help you with that one,” the veteran chuckled. “I’m barely competent here in the bakery. Animals and farms aren’t exactly my thing,” he paused. “Unless you count killing and eating them in the field.”
“I mean, most of the processing is similar,” I replied. “But it’s not the sort of shop-talk to get into when we’re about to open.”
The transition from the small boot-camp experience into a classroom environment was somewhat jarring to Katherine. All of the time she’d spent locked into a room had changed and twisted a part of her.
Gone were the days when she was perfectly fine with spending the entirety of her day in a classroom diving into information and absorbing it. No, something inside drove her outside, she needed to be able to see the sun, to feel the wind on her skin, and experience life.
Thankfully, their curriculum split up the classrooms and field exercises. With the goal of training high quality officers, they spent almost as much time in the field as they did in the classroom. With every session of classroom and book learning supplemented by applying those lessons in the field.
The other thing that separated Boot Camp from the rest of the Officer training was Liberty. Every two weeks the cadets were allowed three days off. With the requirement being that any time spent off-site had to be approved by their CO.
Kat had plans for her three days off. While everyone else seemed hyper-focused on going to local bars, or spending them asleep in the barracks, she wanted to do something that meant more.
The first day, she’d spend with Yvonne and her father in the Mountain. Hopefully Victor had finally sent a letter back or something more to indicate that he was alive since the world he was stationed on was attacked.
The second day, she was going to spend with Mark. It was kinda funny, she’d expected more butterflies or things out of the romance novels she and her friends had read growing up. While those things weren’t lacking. They weren’t the constant that had been depicted. Instead, there was a constant comfort. The knowledge firm that no matter what, that he would be there waiting. If she needed anything, or if anything were wrong, that he would be there to fix it. To offer an ear or a hand as needed.
Kat shook her head, finishing her woolgathering, and tossing the last of her clothes into her ruck.
“Where are you headed, Davion?” Adam Durand asked.
“Out on leave, Squad leader,” Kat replied. “I’ve got the approval here.” She handed him the slip of paper showing that everything had been stamped and filed appropriately.
“Everything looks like it’s in order, enjoy,” the minor noble replied. “I’ll be available through today if you or any of the squad needs anything. I’ll be unavailable tomorrow or the day after.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kat smiled. “See you in three days.”
She slung the ruck over her shoulder and headed for the door. Every minute mattered, after all.
LIC Report: 17655059KH
Subject: Evacuation of VIPs and the 2nd Kell Hounds
Date: August 11, 3050
Reporting Agent: REDACTED
Due to the circumstances involving this letter and the due to the subjects involved including letters to be transmitted, I have decided to be direct in my naming conventions at this time.
The Battle of Tell I has dragged on for months, and most of the 12th Donegal Guards have been crippled or destroyed in the ensuing conflict with the X-Rays, (Now identified as Clan Jade Falcon). The Kell Hounds are better off, but only slightly so, and as such were instructed to evacuate Trell with the wounded and the VIPs in the form of Victor Steiner-Davion and Phelan Kell.
The VIPS did require some heavy convincing, but were able to be persuaded to depart, though somewhat unwillingly.
I will be remaining behind with the 12th Donegal Guards in order to maintain potential communications with their forces left as well as the Federated Commonwealth Armed Forces.
The rest of my reports have been attached to this document as well as letters from both of the VIPs.
Any further reports are unlikely due to enemy aggression.
Agent Redacted.
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PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Vatnik
Katherine will really hat the interstellar travel, will she?
Did the convincing had to be done manually?
Did the convincing had to be done manually?
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Given Victor had to get knocked out in OTL. Yeah, it did.
Simonbob
Well-known member
Yep.
Victor has balls, but not too many brains. And those he has got are entirely tactical.
It was pretty much the developers way of stupid-pilling all the capable people so that PeaceTech never broke out.