Kadance

4

"She was very intelligent and so they asked her to join them in their intelligence department. She did very well there even against full blooded warriors." Kadance's voice takes on a note of pride.

"She was very beautiful too. Many of the warriors vied for her attention, but she met and fell in love with a Major in Alpha Company. Although I never met the Major, my sister was very much in love. They got married and he got her pregnant before he was deployed for one last mission.

"He never even knew she was pregnant before he died." Kadance's voice turns sad. Everyone including Jayse and Thompson are hooked onto her every word. And with every word the two warriors are smiling even more. They are very familiar with her sisters story.

"My sister was distraught. She invited me to live with her, I accepted. From the time she had the twins I was there to help raise them. But young warriors leave their parents at a young age to train. My sister didn't want them to go, but she understood. The twins were thrilled at the idea of course, but my sister quite often cried herself to sleep. They were all she had left of her Major.

"The time came, she got special permission for me to go with them to the drop off planet. There all the newest youngsters meet and go to their final destination. But even that location was kept from me, they didn't want to take chances that the information would get out. But somehow it did. My sister helped to defend the children. When the shifters broke through to our location she managed to kill several of them before she too was killed." Her voice breaks and she wipes away angrily at the hated tears that memory brings.

"Sigma Company arrived and took care of the shifter invasion. The children were safe, but it was too late for my sister.

"It was Corp. Rory, Corp. Thompson and Sgt Jayse that found us. That wasn't their ranking back then. But that didn't matter.

"Rory was so full of life, he was always cracking jokes and making life bearable. Thompson was cocky out to conquer the world and nothing could stop him." Kadance gives a sad smile at her memories of these two. Again she angrily wipes away the tears from her eyes.

"Jayse, although just a corporal, was serious but kind. He always seemed to bring the best in others out. You always wanted to do and be the best for him." Thompson nudges Jayse and nods. Jayse rolls his eyes and motions for Thompson to leave him alone.

No one notices as the two warriors silently slip into the room. All were riveted by the nurse's story. And the nurse is too caught up her memories. "He is the kind of man whose men would follow him into hell."

"They did and died there." Jayse says and they all jump at his voice. Jayse too is lost now in memories. Very old ones trying to place the nurse exactly.

He turns to the nurse, "You look familiar and talk as if we've met before." He finds the memory he's looking for. He remembers the dead woman protecting her sons. A stunned bystander, a civilian by her clothing, a younger version of the woman standing before him.

Understanding lights his eyes, he has full memory of that situation now. "Your nephews were sent to training camp. Your sister was killed." He looks at her far more closely now. "But you're not one of us." His voice hides any emotions he might be feeling.

"No, sir, but my sister was, my nephews are." The nurses voice is a peculiar mix of pride and humility.

A rare smile, big and genuine, lights up Jayse's face. "Oh, yes. I've kept my eyes on those two scamps. Two of the brightest kids at the Camp. They've quite organized the others to their desires," Jayse snorts. "They are giving the leaders there fits. They aren't quite sure how to deal with them." Jayse looks back at the nurse and smiles again. But the smile is short lived. "I had requested them for Sigma some time ago. Now I don't know which Company they'll go too." The smile is gone now, but he conceals his pain.

"Sir?" Kadance is stunned. She had no idea her nephews were chosen for the elite Company.

Thompson takes all this in, but hides his expression behind a bland face. He takes up the narrative for Jayse. He knows Jayse has fallen into one of his moods. "It is rare for an entire Company or family as we consider them, to be taken out all at once. If it happens, then that Company is retired or considered dead. Jayse and I have been discharged, redlined if you will and the others died in hell," Thompson explains.

"I made up the name to explain the condition. The higher ups don't really have a name for it. It means we aren't safe in a battle zone and for some of us, not even around civilians. Those like Jayse and myself are usually taken off the core planets and left on a colony planet or moon. We pose less danger to others if we aren't around too many people. We and Rory were too ill to be sent to another planet, it was considered a necessary risk to have us on Gaia.

"Those that are the most dangerous I call suiciders or berserkers. They've lost everything and have been taken over the limit that they can handle. Fortunately for everyone there aren't many suiciders. Mostly because we warriors don't live long enough to become that bad." Thompson says it all so light heartedly that the deadly words don't register with most of those there. But they do in the Nurse and in the Dr.

The Dr. swallows silently only now understanding how close he came to death previously. "Sir, I apologize for speaking out of turn before." His words are spoken quickly but were definitely fervent and sincere.

Jayse smiles as he turns to Thompson, "Humility from a doctor. Miracles do happen."

Jayse turns back to the doctor as Thompson gives a returning grin. "Apology accepted. I've heard about you, and other than your suicidal tendencies I hear you're the best. We're always looking for and needing the best." Jayse looks down at his wrist com unit. He types something and then looks back at the doctor. "I've sent the info to Command Central. Should you ever decide to join us you'd be welcome." The doctor is astounded and struck speechless. He went from being nearly killed by a warrior to being asked to join the warrior society.

"Nurse," Jayse looks at her name tag, "Kadance should you ever care to hear about your nephews you are welcome to contact me." Jayse writes down his contact info and hands it to the nurse that is also struck speechless. He turns to leaves then turns back, "our ways are different. I'm not familiar with the ways of civilians. I have heard that families are closer knit than ours. That they are more like our Companies. For my people, their children bring them pride by going to camp. Only occasionally are they in contact afterwards. Most children are orphans before they graduate so the lack of ties makes it easier for us to bear the deaths.

"Your sister died to protect others and is remembered as such. Your nephews are proud of their parents, and who they were. They know they aren't any less because their mother wasn't born into the warrior class," Jayse hesitates.

"What you don't know is that no child perished that day because of your sister. She had spotted weaknesses in the defense and formulated a better defense than was instigated before the shifters attacked. Had she not done so, or if she hadn't been there to hold off the attack then many of the kids would have been killed before Sigma could get there. You can truly be proud of her Nurse Kadance."

"Thank you for that Sgt. Jayse," tears are once more in her eyes and she fights back the sobs that threaten to come out. "I've always been proud of my sister, but I'm glad to know her sons are too. And," picking up the card with his info on it, "I'd like to hear more about them, they are my only family now." This last was said in a near whisper that the two warriors were barely able to pick up.

Feeling uncomfortable with the near tears Jayse nods brusquely, "Call anytime. I have lots of free time." His voice doesn't betray the bitterness he feels at the words. He again nods his goodbye as he and Thompson leave.