Chapter Fifty-Eight: Departure
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Tyler Island, Spring Sea.
October 28th, 2019.
0600hrs.
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Two days of peace and quiet went by for the refugees, but for everyone else on base one of those days was spent tirelessly planning a strategy and speech to present those people with. They needed more guys on the ground, more people holding guns, and that meant they needed every able-bodied person they could get. The problem was that only a handful were military and the civilians among them had every reason to want nothing to do with this fight. But they knew that going into it. They just had to find some way to make their case.
The plan was straightforward. Major Grimm would have people working to get equipment loaded up and once that was finished they'd gather up everyone in one of the hangars and give them the rundown. Part of that rundown was the Princess speaking with them to try and convince them to fight. She was supposed to be good at giving speeches, so it was a safe option. But there was no telling how well they'd take that.
Naomi wondered what the other refugees thought of the Princess. She had spent time around them, but not enough to gauge their views on her. She helped save their lives, but she also fueled the war that put their families and their lives in danger in the first place. Naomi wouldn't blame them if they never forgave her. However, things would probably be easier on everyone if they did. It was complicated, just like everything else. Not that she expected anything different at that point.
She spent her morning with her father at breakfast, wanting to spend what time she could with him before he shipped off with the others. It would probably only be for a couple of days, but so much could happen while she wasn't there to help keep them safe. Avril and Bandog had ended up stranded on Tyler Island for weeks when the LRSSG was supposed to be at the island in a matter of days. The idea of something happening to anyone under her command was unbearable enough, but the idea she would lose her father? She already knew she wasn't strong enough for that. She didn't want to leave his side.
But after breakfast, her anxiety led her towards Colonel Beckett's office. At first she wondered what she was going to say or what he could say to make her feel better, but as she muttered under her breath and tried to work things out she managed to get some kind of idea. The walk felt like it went on forever, but by the time she arrived at his office door she realized it wasn't nearly enough time. But she had gone all the way out there and it would be a waste to just bail when she'd gotten that far.
So, she knocked on the door. Beckett's voice sounded from the other side, a slight drawl to it as usual. "Yeah, come on in." Naomi opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Beckett lifted his head from what he was writing down, looking exhausted, but as soon as he saw her he gave her a small smile. "Ah, Trigger. Didn't think I'd be seeing you until the briefing, er...thing later."
"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Naomi asked him right away, on instinct. Maybe she was looking for an out or something, but she couldn't take it back now.
"No. I was just writing some things down, it's nothing that can't wait," he replied, sliding the notebook he was writing in away. He motioned to one of the empty chairs against the wall, but Naomi hesitated, not sure if she felt like sitting down. She had too much restless energy. Noticing the hesitation and likely the look on her face, his expression and voice softened. "Are you doing okay?"
"That's not really an easy question to answer," Naomi said, forcing out a breathy chuckle to try and seem more at ease. She was about as 'okay' as one could be when almost everyone she cared about was in a warzone. She took a deep breath, trying to keep in the urge to start pacing. "I'm fine. I think. I've just been thinking a lot."
"Okay, then I have a better question for you," Beckett said, leaning back in his seat. He looked at her sympathetically as he spoke. "What's on your mind?"
"The operation," Naomi practically blurted out. She gave in and started pacing since it was the only way she could keep herself from going insane. As she did, she explained the problem to him. "I know that I was all for it, and believe me I still am. And I understand that having close relationships with the people on the battlefield with you means things can get...complicated. And things are very, very complicated right now, as if they weren't complicated enough. But..."
She trailed off, trying to find the words. After a short pause, Beckett tried to fill in the blanks for her. "But you're still worried about it, aren't you?" he asked, and she glanced his way and nodded. He began to lightly tap his pen on his desk as he thought through his next words. It didn't take long for him to find what to say. "Well, if it's your men that you're worried about, I know each and every one of them will be fine. You're a good leader, you've kept them alive this far. If it's our guys on the ground, I trust Jacob to keep them alive." Naomi didn't pause in her pacing, letting out a quiet but frustrated huff. That was enough to tip him off. "But something tells me it's not as simple as that. Am I off?"
"No." Naomi didn't stop her pacing, grabbing a fistful of her hair as tightly as she could while she paced, trying to stave off her frustration and growing anxiety. "I'm always worried about my guys. I'm naturally worried about the guys on the ground. It's just..." She hesitated again, and paused for a few moments just to gather her thoughts. She lowered her voice a bit. "It's just different. Everything is...so different."
"I see," Beckett said, a soft smile crossing his face. It was faint, but still there. And she had no idea if it was amusement or his attempt to set her at ease. "It's your dad you're worried about, isn't it?"
There wasn't any reason she should be surprised that he guessed it so easily. Her anxiety was cranked up to eleven. There were plenty of people she could be that worried about, but only two that complicated things. Naomi resumed her pacing, but at a slower pace, nodding to confirm what Beckett had asked before she said anything. "We've been in combat together before. I was worried then, but no more than usual," she said. "But this is different."
"Because you're in the air and he's on the ground?" Beckett guessed, and when Naomi nodded he sat back with a sigh. He tried to reassure her, though he clearly had no clue how to go about that with how slowly he spoke, choosing every word as carefully and gently as he could. "You've had allies on the ground before. This isn't any different than that."
"Except that it is. He's my father...I don't play favorites, you know that, it's just..." Naomi clenched her fists, almost stumbling over her own feet. No one ever said frustrated pacing was meant to be graceful. The embarrassing almost-trip was enough to get her to snap out of her head, coming to a stop in front of Beckett's desk. He watched her quietly, patiently waiting for whatever it was she needed to say. "In the air I can try to control things. But for the people on the ground, all I can do is just...fight off what I can and hope it's enough. And I'm not against the operation or against them going, I'm..." She hated to admit it, least of all to a commander she was still getting to know, but there wasn't any better way to explain it. "I guess I'm just afraid. I mean, I feel like I'm afraid all the time, but with the way things have been going and how high the stakes are I'm scared I'm gonna lose everyone. It's my worst fear at this point."
Beckett was quiet for several moments, and Naomi didn't have anything else she could say to make him understand. She wondered if she even needed to. Eventually, he moved in his seat, sitting back up and setting down the pen in his hands. Then he stayed still and quiet before he took a deep breath. And finally he spoke. "You know, your dad is one of the hardest damn people to kill. Who or whatever is looking out for him probably has to put in overtime..." he said, pausing for a moment as if he was searching for the right words. "He's survived a lot longer than most. Your whole family has, actually."
"That doesn't make him or us invincible," Naomi pointed out. She looked back on all of the close calls she had and how reckless she could be. It wasn't like she really thought about worst case scenarios when it came to herself. Her father was the same way. "What am I supposed to do if he does something stupid out there?"
"You're...really one to talk," Beckett lightly teased her with a small smile. She blew out a breathy laugh and rolled her eyes, but she didn't argue. He had her there. And that seemed to be his goal, given the slightly amused look on his face. That aside, he went on. "Your dad would beg to differ, but he's bound to do something stupid. Like dragging Kathryn down to Oured damn near the second news of your arrest and court martial broke out. Then shipping to Usea...and practically demanding I come down and help run things...the list goes on." Beckett let out a short, dry laugh and shook his head. "The man likes to take a stand for things. What he doesn't like is not doing anything when he can, especially when family is involved."
"I know I should just get over it and accept that it's happening whether I like it or not, but it isn't that easy," Naomi said. She clenched and unclenched her fist. "What if something happens and he isn't lucky this time?"
"You need to have more faith in him," Beckett told her. He leaned back in his seat again, his shoulders falling slack as he tried to relax. "His motives and drive have changed a lot since I first met him. And I mean...a lot. The fact you even exist is proof of that," he said after a pause. "He wouldn't be doing this if he didn't think that he could come home."
"I have faith in him. Just like I have faith in the others," Naomi said. And she wasn't lying.
"Then apparently you don't have much in yourself," Beckett observed, narrowing his eyes. There wasn't a single harsh thing about the guy. He didn't come off as especially sharp, and yet apparently he had a talent for perception. Naomi didn't dignify him with a response, feeling her jaw clench, but that was the only answer he needed. "A good pilot like you should have no problem keeping things in your control. You do your part, give them the air support they need, and they'll be able to do theirs."
Naomi wasn't so easily convinced. The rational part of her head was, but that wasn't the side she used that often as much as she hated to admit it. She dug her nails into her palm, lowering her voice but keeping eye contact with Beckett. "Colonel...PJ," she said, not sure he would approve of her using his nickname that way, but she wanted to drop the formalities for just a second. "Do you really think we can handle this?"
Beckett gave her a reassuring smile, and he didn't have to think long about his answer. "If there's anyone that can handle this, believe me, it's you. And your father. And everyone else in the LRSSG," he said. "I've seen enough to know a bunch of heroes when I see them. This'll end the war, trust me, Naomi."
She nodded slowly, giving him a smile. By now she had settled down a bit. "I'll try," she said with a sigh, deciding the best way to handle this all was just to be brave. She guessed she'd done alright if she got that far. Suddenly feeling embarrassed for wasting his time, she forced out a small chuckle and swallowed the knot in her throat. "Sorry to bother you with this. I just didn't want to worry anyone else, so...I came to you."
"It's not a bother. I'm happy to help if I can," Beckett said. He let out a laugh of his own. "If anything, I'm glad you came to me. I haven't really had the chance to talk with you, and get to know you," he added. "Your parents never shut up about you, but...they wanted to give you a normal life and keeping you away from us and that whole mess was their best strategy."
"Kinda makes me feel cheated out of something. But it's out in the open now," Naomi said, shrugging her shoulders. It wasn't something she had the time or energy to be bothered about, and if she was bothered it wasn't anything she was losing sleep over. It was life. She had a family that loved her, mistakes aside, and that was good enough.
"More than enough time to make up for that once the war is over," Beckett said. "And believe me, Cipher's gonna want to meet you then."
"Guess I shouldn't disappoint anyone then," Naomi said, giving a slight chuckle.
Beckett got to his feet, grunting from the effort and pressure on his bad leg. He pulled himself together quickly, though, never once losing his smile. "Well, only the whole world is gonna be watching you, more or less," he said with a shrug of his own, sounding almost dismissive.
Naomi snorted. "So, no pressure or anything, right?"
"Nah, none at all," he said. There was a pause and both of them let out a short but genuine laugh. Once they both managed to put on a straight face again, Beckett took a breath and added, "But I don't think you'll have to worry about disappointing anyone. You'll all be fine. And if you're not then I'll deal with every last one of you myself." He moved around his desk, slight limp still present, and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Now come on, I think we should go check in with Jacob."
The two of them headed for the door, but just as Beckett opened the door to allow her to go first they were met by the face of one of the Erusean defectors. His hand was in the air, as if he had just been about to knock, but he almost jumped when the door opened. Naomi recognized him, though she didn't know him especially well. He was one of the ones of Belkan descent. Middle-aged, married, and a father of two young girls, and she knew that his name was Georg. What she didn't know was why he had come all the way over there.
The three of them stood in a confused silence for a few moments. Then Beckett broke the silence. "Er...Lieutenant Fitzgerald, right?" he asked, and Georg nodded. Beckett smiled. "How can I help you?"
"Colonel Beckett, sir. And Major Foulke," Georg said, nodding to each of them. He gave an almost nervous smile, but he didn't sound nervous as he went on. Either he was just an awkward looking guy or he was good at hiding his anxiety. "I actually was hoping to be able to speak to you both. Well, I didn't know that the Major was going to be here, but it's very fortunate for me that she was...saves me two trips, right?"
"You wanted to talk to me?" Naomi asked, raising a brow. The refugees hadn't really sought her out like that, least of all any of the ones that were formerly among Erusea's ranks. She had spoken to them in passing, but they seemed to purposefully distance themselves. She couldn't exactly blame them for that. "What's it about?"
"Yeah, is everything alright?" Beckett added as well, looking between the two of them. He stepped aside to allow Georg to come into the office, lightly closing the door behind him as he did to give the three of them the privacy to talk. Not exactly necessary, but more polite than making him stand out in the hallway with the door wide open.
"Major Grimm and Lieutenant Hartmann were kind enough to talk with some of us, let us know ahead of time about the situation, you know," Georg explained quickly once the door shut, glancing over his shoulder as Beckett moved to stand beside Naomi, in front of his desk once more. Hazel eyes flitted between the two of them, more like he was watching for their reactions rather than afraid of them. "Anyways, they pulled aside all the actual soldiers. So not many of us know about the operation, but some of us are aware."
Naomi's chest suddenly felt tight, as she realized what he might have come there to say. "So, what about it, then?" she asked, trying not to sound nervous. She was pretty sure she did, though. Forcing a small laugh to hopefully ease the tension, she asked, "Are you here to tell us all to go to hell or...?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Georg said, letting out a soft laugh of his own. Naomi almost felt relieved, but she didn't want to get ahead of herself. She and Beckett stayed quiet, waiting for Georg to continue. He was quick to explain, not missing a beat. "The other Erusean soldiers were all quite willing to speak with me about it, and we each talked it over with our families. And I wanted to reassure you all that if nothing else, we're willing to volunteer. Whatever it is you need us to do, just say the word."
Beckett looked over at Naomi, and she looked over at him to find her own shock and surprise written all over his face. That was arguably the best outcome from the conversation. Beckett sputtered a bit as he tried to figure out his response, but he got it without too much trouble. "We– Well, I mean, that's great news," he said, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I was expecting a lot worse, honestly."
"I hope I didn't worry either of you," Georg said, giving them an almost apologetic look. "I just wanted to get that in the open, so you have a bit of hope going into this."
"Why?" Naomi blurted out the first question that came to her head, and as Georg gave her a perplexed look she quickly added, "I mean why are you so willing to volunteer? I was expecting you not to because...well, if anyone has a good reason to be fed up with this shit, it would be you and the other defectors."
Georg paused for a minute, not taken aback but clearly not expecting the question. Eventually, he looked down and his smile faded. "I can't speak for the others, but for me...I couldn't sit by and do nothing. Not in good conscience," he said, suddenly appearing embarrassed. "It's the least I could do to help you after all of you were so willing to help me."
He didn't really seem like he wanted to talk about it. Naomi would have liked to know, but she didn't want to pry and pressure someone that she barely knew. Everyone had their reasons, and it wasn't her place to pry. She probably shouldn't have even asked him anything to begin with, but her curiosity and confusion got the better of her. Whatever reasons the full-blooded Eruseans had, and whatever reason Georg and the others with Belkan heritage had, they were their own reasons. They didn't owe her an explanation, and she should have just been grateful they were willing to help.
Feeling bad, like she'd put him on the spot, Naomi just offered him a reassuring smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," she said. He lifted his head, looking between her and Beckett. She went on. "But thank you. We're glad to have you on our side."
"Of course, Major," Georg said with a stiff nod. Like a soldier speaking with his superior, all the way down to almost standing at attention.
"Well –" Beckett clapped his hands together. "– now that we've got that out of the way, I think we oughta go and see what the rest of the refugees think about all of this." He crossed the room in a few strides, opening the door up and standing to the side, allowing the two of them to go out before him. "Shall we head out? We wouldn't want to keep them waiting."
Naomi took a deep breath and headed for the door without another word, Georg taking his cues from her and not moving until she did. When she passed him, he fell in step behind her, following her to the door. Once they were out, Beckett followed them out into the hall, pulling the door close behind him. It shut with an echoing click, and the only other sounds after that were their footsteps as the three of them set off.
The halls were deserted, everyone else either busy elsewhere or gathered at the hangar, waiting for the big speech. Naomi steeled herself, preparing for the worst but trying to keep Beckett's words in her mind. She just needed to have a little faith.
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0700hrs.
"Are you ready for this?" Naomi asked the Princess as the two of them stood off to the side of the crowd gathered in the hangar, keeping out of the way while Beckett spoke with Major Grimm. The rest of the LRSSG stood off on the opposite end of the crowd or closer to the open hangar doors, but the Princess had been keeping away from them and trying to keep a low profile so Naomi broke off to keep her company.
Neither of them looked very formidable, one dressed in a standard flight suit and the other in jeans and a t-shirt. The latter definitely wasn't what you expected a Princess to wear, and with her hair in a frizzy ponytail as it had been for the last week or so instead of some fancy updo and no copious amounts of blush and lip gloss she hardly even resembled a Princess.
The Princess would mainly be the one addressing the people, but Naomi was there to make it clear they were all on the same side. There had to be unity, or else no one was going to go for it. That was probably one of the only plans they had for this whole thing. The other was that they had to be genuine. That last part kind of made the whole unity thing pretty risky. It wasn't as difficult to tell where everyone was standing at that point, but their alliance wasn't some kind of unbreakable bond. Either way, if the Princess was even half as good at giving speeches as everyone claimed then she'd have no issue selling it.
Taking a deep breath and tugging at the hem of her t-shirt, the Princess answered, "I'm not exactly 'ready' for anything, but I'll do what I must."
"I wouldn't be too nervous. We've got the actual military guys on our side if nothing else," Naomi said, recalling the brief exchange with Georg. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Truth be told, she was a bit nervous herself. But she didn't want the Princess to catch on to that, so she gave her a small smile. "Besides, you'll be fine. You have a way with words."
"Rehearsed words," the Princess said almost glumly. She glanced out towards the crowd. "I read from a script or cue cards. Colonel Beckett told me yesterday that speaking straight from the heart would be a better way to convince them, but I can't just plan on the fly like you can."
"I dunno, I'd say you're pretty impulsive. Not as bad as me maybe, but..." Naomi trailed off. She didn't want to give either one of them too much credit. "Point is, I think you'll be fine." She looked up, behind the Princess, to see Beckett finish whatever he was saying to Grimm and heading towards the two of them. She sighed, looking back to the Princess. "Aaand we've run out of time, so you're gonna have to be, whether you like it or not."
The Princess glanced over her shoulder to see the Colonel marching towards them, turning back to face Naomi. She was good at hiding how nervous she was from her face, but the tension in her shoulders gave it away. At least to anyone that was paying attention. She blew out a breath, speaking softly. "Whew...okay, wonderful," she said, almost under her breath. She put on a smile. "There's no need to worry, right? I'll be fine, like you said."
"Are you always this way before public speaking?" Naomi asked her. Before the girl could answer, though, Beckett reached them and Naomi straightened up as the Princess turned to face him.
Beckett came to a halt a foot or so from them, looking between the two of them. His resting expression meant he always wore the slightest smile, but it was hard for him to hide how tired he looked. Even so, he greeted them as normally as he could, giving them a more obvious smile. "Alright, you two, it's showtime," he said, letting out a breath. The smile became a little more awkward as he tried to lighten the mood. "Knock 'em dead up there...or something like that, yeah?"
"Yes, sir, we'll do our best," the Princess promised, looking to Naomi. Her demeanor changed in an instant. She wiped away all signs of her nervousness, putting on a winning smile as she held out her hand to Naomi. It was as if she'd been that collected the whole time, but her fingertips still trembled slightly. "Well, then, shall we, Major?"
"I guess so. No turning back, now," Naomi said. She brushed past the Princess, not about to take her hand and run off like they were childhood friends or something. It wasn't meant to be rude, though the Princess did awkwardly retract her hand and lightly cleared her throat. Whatever the intention was, there wasn't any reason to dwell on it. Not when they had a job to do.
The two of them set off across the hangar without another word, both trying to carry themselves in a way fitting a military officer and the closest thing to a head of state that Erusea had at the moment. It wasn't anything that they weren't used to. They made their way to the front of the crowd, hand in hand, no one paying them any attention as they moved along the edge of the refugees. Naomi looked over her shoulder as Beckett fell in behind them, but as they rounded on the crowd he broke off and went to stand beside her father and Grimm.
The refugees themselves were more interested in their own conversations. It was hard to tell exactly what they were talking about, since so many of them were talking over one another. Everyone that could be on their feet were standing out there, while the children were just outside of the hangar playing with Leo. Since they couldn't serve even if they wanted to, no one saw any point in making them stand around there, and given how perceptive they were it wouldn't be very responsible to needlessly stress them out. The only ones present were the ones that could reasonably fight. They weren't young but they weren't well past their prime, either.
Only a few of the conversations stopped as Georg, who was standing up at the front alongside a dirty-blonde haired woman that Naomi recognized as his wife, took notice of the Princess and Naomi. He got his wife and another Erusean soldier's attention, and it tipped off a few of the others. A few of the more oblivious men and women were more to the center or back of the crowd, but as soon as the Princess cleared her throat and her voice echoed throughout the hangar the entire crowd went dead quiet.
All eyes were on her, people standing on their toes and craning their necks to try and get a clear view of her. She kept her posture rigid and her hands clasped together in front of her, maybe in an attempt to hide or settle her nerves. Her voice was clear as she spoke though. "Good morning to you all. I'd like to start by thanking you all for being here, as well as for your patience," she said, starting off slow from the sound of things. "I'm sure that by now you're all very confused, perhaps even afraid. I'd like to set your minds at ease before we go any further. You're not in any danger, you are completely safe here. All of that being said, that safety will not last if we do not eventually take a stand to end this war."
A few confused murmurs spread through the crowd, but they were quickly silenced. Naomi kept shifting her focus from the Princess to the refugees, trying to gauge both parties' reactions. The Princess took a breath, and then continued. "The global satellite and communications network has been partially restored, and through this partial restoration we received word of Osean and Erusean forces compiling their strength and joining forces in Selatapura," she explained to them, glancing only briefly towards Beckett and Naomi as if to make sure she was on the right track. "This alliance has asked for all the help they can get to take the space elevator out of control of the Radicals. However, as there is no way to guarantee the legitimacy of this operation and the danger the Arsenal Bird poses to aerial forces is great, Colonel Beckett, Major Foulke, and the Osean soldiers here on this island have proposed a solution.
"We will deploy a unit to Seletapura by sea to verify that it is not a trap and to help get the operation underway. Afterwards, they will send confirmation to Three Strikes and the LRSSG, who will launch an aerial assault on the Radical military, the drones, and the Arsenal Bird," she told them, choosing each of her words carefully. Naomi watched and listened, and everyone else seemed completely drawn in. She must have realized that she had to do things now or never, as the next words out of her mouth were, "However, their ground forces are few and we do not know what will be waiting for them. They need more men and women on their side. So regrettably, I have to ask something of you all...if you want to fight for your homes, to help put an end to this war, to protect your families...we need you. If you are strong and able, please, consider joining this fight."
Now the crowd wasn't so easily silenced. The regular civilians began to hiss and murmur among themselves.
"Is she serious?" one man asked.
"Haven't we fought and lost enough?" a woman demanded.
"Do we even know the risks?" another asked. "You heard what she said, right?"
Naomi leaned towards the Princess' ear, noting how the girl's expression faded as her eyes darted over the crowd. "You better think fast, Your Highness," she told her, "Or else all the flowery words in the world aren't gonna save this."
The Princess blinked rapidly a few times, looking over at Naomi and taking in her words. Then she took a deep breath, bringing a hand up to her chest as she stepped forward, almost desperately raising her voice. "Please, listen to me! I understand all that you've been through, and I would not be asking this of you if it were not absolutely necessary," she told them. "Nor would I ever ask you to do something that I myself am unwilling to do –"
"You're asking us to fight a war that you started!" a man interrupted, his voice harsh. Several people voiced their agreement.
"A war that led to most of us losing our families! Some of us almost lost our own lives!" a different man spoke up. "And now you're asking us to fight for you? The same person that got us into this mess?"
"You may have helped save us once, but one act of goodwill hardly gives you the right to pretend that we owe you something," a woman scoffed. "If we owe anyone a life debt it's the Oseans!"
"You and your country turned on us!" spat a young man.
"Enough!" Georg's voice rang out, raised to a shout to silence anyone else. He took a few steps so he was easier to see. His wife let go of his hand, not trying to hold him back. Once he had their attention, he took a deep breath. "I understand that this is a terrifying prospect...and I understand that I bear some responsibility in this war as well. Just as much as the Princess. But wouldn't you want someone else to take a stand and fight for you?" He paused, allowing anyone to speak up if they wanted. When no one said anything, he went on. "No one will fault you if you refuse. No one has any right to demand that you fight on the front lines, especially those of you that aren't soldiers. You have no obligation. But know that if you do decide to fight with them, you're not fighting for them, you're fighting to end the war that destroyed your homes and family. You're fighting for your family."
The crowd didn't protest. A few of them exchanged a few looks, but most of them were grudgingly willing to let them continue.
The Princess gave Georg a grateful look when he turned back and nodded to them. Naomi was prepared for the possibility things wouldn't have worked out, and she still wasn't certain things were going to play out the way they wanted. She didn't even blame them for being furious with the Princess. But she felt a bit relieved when they all settled down. And when the Princess looked to her for encouragement, she nodded for her to go on.
"Thank you. Just as I was saying, I would never ask you to do something that I myself am unwilling to do. I understand that you're used to lies and empty promises, that you're used to people not caring for you. But I care, and everyone here does as well. We're all on your side," the Princess said. She glanced over at Naomi once again, then swallowed and said, "I am standing beside Three Strikes now. You know her as many things...a monster, a hero, an Osean. And what I'm sure you're well aware of by now is that her parents are Belkan by birth, and this fact has been held against her by her own people as well as Erusea. But she and I are on the same side."
The Princess looked back at Naomi once again while she let the comment sink in, with a look that she couldn't understand, and it caught her off guard. It was like she wanted something, but Naomi had no idea what. It wasn't until the Princess reached for her, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards her that Naomi understood her plan. The Princess didn't wait for their fingers to interlock before she lifted her arm up, taking Naomi's with her in a sign of unity. Naomi sucked in a breath in surprise and held it, looking up at her arm raised in the air against her will, then back out at the crowd trying not to look shocked. She thought about saying something, like asking what the hell her plan was, but the Princess started talking before she had the chance.
"I am going to be standing beside her like this in spirit on whatever battlefield is waiting for us. Not as a silent ally sitting safely on the sidelines, but on the ground alongside all of you. I'm going to fight with her, for all of you. For your families. For our future," the Princess said. At first Naomi would have thought it was an act, like she was just trying to manipulate things in her favor to get what she wanted. But there was no script in front of her. No sticky notes, no cue cards. There were, however, tears starting to visibly form in her eyes. Whatever she was saying was something that she truly, genuinely believed in. "We're all fighting on the same side, for the same thing."
The whole crowd was staring at them now, like they couldn't believe their eyes. Naomi looked over the crowd, then over at her father and Beckett, then at the other pilots in the LRSSG. She noticed, off to the side, Genette stood with his camera, documenting the entire exchange. All eyes were on them, and if they managed to make it out of this war alive then the whole world would one day be watching this. One thing was certain, the Princess really did know how to work a crowd.
Thinking about the impact and considering what the Princess said, Naomi tried to calm herself down and adjusted her hand in the Princess' grasp. The Princess fought it at first, trying to keep face although she was obviously worried that Naomi was going to snatch her hand back, but once Naomi's fingers grasped for hers she relaxed her hold. And Naomi was able to properly interlock their fingers, taking a breath and straightening up before she put on a smile of her own.
Regardless of Naomi's views on the Princess, she was right about one thing. She may have already come to terms with the fact they were fighting for the same thing, but she wasn't sure how to handle that or how she needed to handle it. But looking out at these people, she realized what they needed. They needed leaders they could rely on, even if they were only leading them for a short time, and leaving the Princess to fend for herself wasn't going to change anything that happened and it sure wasn't going to end the war.
Although she wasn't exactly skilled with public speaking, Naomi knew she couldn't just stand by and look pretty. She had to say something. She glanced over at her father, and then looked back to the crowd. Taking a few deep breaths, she just said what came to mind. "I don't really think I'm much of a hero, and I can't promise that it won't be dangerous," she told them. "But I can promise you that I'll do my best to keep you all safe. And the Princess will, too. Whatever it takes. We're going to end this war."
The refugees all considered what had been said, and they were quiet for what felt like an eternity. The Princess lowered her arm but didn't let go of Naomi's hand, likely forgetting she was even holding on, and Naomi was too focused on the refugees to pull away from them. She looked for Count and the others, and he, Tabloid, Bandog, and Avril were all watching her, while everyone else was practically holding their breath as they waited for some kind of response from the crowd. Other Osean soldiers seemed to be in the same boat.
But after what felt like an eternity, Georg broke away from his wife and stepped up to stand by Naomi's side. He was followed by the other military defectors, who split up to stand either alongside Georg or by the Princess' side. One by one, until all of the Erusean soldiers had broken off from the crowd, and they all stood side by side with Naomi and the Princess and waited to see what the civilians would do. Another eternity of silence, until a young man from the back of the crowd pushed his way to the front.
"Alright. I'll fight with you," he said, turning to face the others. "It's not like I've got much left to lose, right?"
"I'll fight, too!" A woman stepped up to follow him.
One of the older men in the group joined them. "Me too."
That was all it took for others to do the same. By the time they were done, almost all of the refugees were quite literally up in arms, ready to fight for them. The only exceptions were the men and women that were choosing to stay behind with their children instead of fighting on the front lines. Although it was clear they were still uncertain and afraid, they were willing to give the Princess and the LRSSG their support in the fight. Whatever their reasons, whatever convinced them, Naomi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The Princess looked like she could cry tears of joy on the spot, but she kept her cool. She gave Naomi's hand a squeeze and then released her hold, and Naomi finally pulled her hand back while the Princess stepped forward to thank each of the people as they came forward. Even if they weren't always so eager and ready, it seemed she had managed to wrap them around her finger. Maybe it wasn't quite like the other speeches she had done, but it was probably more sincere than any of those had been. She even almost managed to win Naomi over with it. Or maybe she actually had won her over, it was too early to tell.
As Grimm directed each of them to speak with him and his men to get everything set in motion, the Princess finally had a chance to step back. Naomi elbowed her slightly to get her attention. "See, what'd I tell you? You've got a way with words."
"I don't think I could have done it without you," the Princess said.
"I'm sure you'd have done just fine," Naomi said, scoffing slightly. The Princess looked at her like she had three heads. "What?"
"You really don't get it, do you, Major?" The Princess asked.
Naomi just stared at her. "Get what?"
"Those people aren't rallying just behind me. You could see it in their eyes, when I mentioned you," the Princess said, nodding out to the crowd. She smiled. "Whether you think it or not, you have the makings of a hero more than I do. What I'm doing...I'm doing this as a path to redemption of sorts. To put right my mistakes. They can see through that in a heartbeat." She took a deep breath. "Believe me, I do care about them and I'm not just using them. But I have to prove that to them. You don't have to prove that or anything else."
Naomi couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "Yeah, maybe not to them, but I'm gonna have hell to pay with my own people one of these days," she said. "And I'm not a saint. We've already made that pretty clear."
"Saint or not, you're the one that's making this possible," the Princess said, chuckling slightly. "We're gonna end the war, thanks to you."
"It's a joint effort. And I'm not gonna fight with you about it," Naomi conceded, and that was the best she could offer. A compromise. It wouldn't be the first one and she had a pretty good feeling that it wasn't going to be the last. She sighed, looking over at where her father stood, speaking with Beckett. "Besides, this right here was just half the battle. Now...it's on to the hard part."
|...|...|...|
2000hrs.
Evidently, as Pixy discovered, there really was a reason Erusea was so willing to go to war. At least a reason beyond misguided hatred. As it turned out, the Princess truly was persuasive. How much of that was genuine care and desire to do good and how much of it was just pulling strings like a puppet master he didn't know. And frankly he didn't have the energy to care very much. What mattered was that they actually stood a chance in a fight if things went south, and the refugees were more than willing to fight if it meant possibly getting their homes back. As long as they had a reason to fight he didn't concern himself in the politics of it all.
Besides, he had other things to be worried about. Although he volunteered for this and being separated from allies or even family wasn't uncommon, that didn't mean it was easy. You'd think you'd get used to it after enough time, but the truth was it only got harder. Between the preparations for the operation and coming up with contingencies there wasn't much time to worry about it. But now that all of that was done, the reality of it sunk in and he found himself pushing himself through the rest of the evening. As the night dragged on, and it got closer to the time to leave, it just got worse.
Now they were all standing out at the port attached to the base, loading up the last of their equipment and people. They were just fortunate that some ships had remained untouched by enemies and allies alike in the attacks on the island, leaving them with a way to slip past the radar and get to Seletapura. Pixy wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing that one ship was enough to fulfill their needs. Granted, they'd be a bit cramped, but they didn't want to draw more attention to themselves than necessary and they wouldn't be on the water for very long anyways. With any luck, they'd arrive in Selatapura by sunrise.
That was one of the things that set everyone at ease, even just a little. Although they'd had plans go south in the past, being able to have contact with their allies and hopefully have air support flying in before too long gave them some kind of comfort. And Pixy could tell that contact or no contact, Naomi wasn't going to sit by waiting if she didn't hear from them. If there was anyone involved that was still a mess, it was her, though she was good at hiding it behind smiles and dry humor.
As they finished up the final preparations, everyone got ready to say their goodbyes. Around the port, Naomi and the rest of the LRSSG's pilots had gathered to say goodbye to everyone. They handed each of their friends off in shifts, all of them wanting to get their own goodbyes in, and right now they were finishing up what would be the last of them. Naomi seemed to be trying to put off saying goodbye to Pixy until the last possible minute, so he kept out of the way, listening in on conversations and joining in when asked.
He stood by Genette, who was just starting to pack away his camera, having knelt to the ground to load it into the bag he carried with him everywhere. The guy had been dutifully documenting everything, from filming and photographing the Princess' speech to snapping candid photos of the pilots and anything else that future historians might find interesting. Then he asked to go along on the mission at the last minute, stating that the world was going to want to know what happened and he had a way to make sure that they did. From what Pixy knew of him, he'd be able to handle himself just fine.
Kathryn stood a few feet from them alongside Clown, having finished saying goodbye to Jacob and now leaving her brother-in-law to Hans and PJ. She watched Genette as he zipped up his bag, now moving on to checking all of the pockets to ensure his battery and spare were where they were supposed to be. She broke the brief silence as she asked him, "Are you all set?"
"Just about," he replied. He pulled open the various pockets velcroed shut, digging his hand down into it to make sure he didn't miss anything. Once that was done he grunted and pushed himself up to his feet, pulling the bag up with him before he slung it over his shoulder. Although he was only just pushing thirty-five, something as simple as standing up from kneeling seemed to take a lot out of him. "There we go," he said, blowing out a breath. "Now I'm all set."
"Good, good. Now, then, don't forget your lunch money and if any of the other kids wanna try and bully you just sock 'em in the jaw," Clown said out of nowhere, putting on a voice clearly intended to mock some stereotypical sitcom father figure. He was trying to lighten the mood, and he at least managed to get Pixy and Genette to crack up a bit. Kathryn refused to give him the satisfaction, though, stifling her laughter and rolling her eyes. He chuckled. "Aww, c'mon, Kid, loosen up. I thought it was cute!"
"To this day I'm amazed that your name wasn't supposed to be ironic," Kathryn said with a huff, trying to keep down her amusement. "Your sense of humor is all over the place...and still just...so bad."
"I'm hilarious, you're just a grouch. Worse than Knocker sometimes, I swear," Clown said with a dramatic sigh and a shake of his head. He took a step forward to give Genette a stiff pat to the back. "In all seriousness, take care of yourself. Don't go tryin' to be a hero or nothin'."
"Relax. Both of you. I've been through worse," Genette said. That was a common reassurance of his. He lightly drummed his fingers on the side of his bag. "Hopefully things out there aren't gonna be nearly as bad, but..."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you," Pixy put in with a slight chuckle. Although he wasn't exactly the best person when it came to his own personal safety, he liked to think he was good at keeping others in line. The fact PJ wasn't dead was proof of that. Though to be fair that wasn't for a lack of trying. He crossed his arms. "Someone's gotta make sure you don't do anything stupid."
"Actually, I think you're the one we should be worried about," Kathryn said, turning her attention to him. She glanced over her shoulder at Naomi, but only for a second. "Don't be too reckless out there, yeah? There's plenty of other hotshots with more than enough recklessness for all of us."
"Mmhmm. Like you?" Pixy teased her. She didn't give him a response, her jaw clenching a bit as if she was deciding whether or not to come up with some kind of comeback. Pixy didn't give her the chance to. "I'm just giving you a hard time, alright? I'll do my best."
Before anyone could say anything else, their attention was drawn towards the ship as a few Osean soldiers shouted back and forth on the ship's deck before one of them called down to Jacob that everything was pretty much locked and loaded. Jacob's response was to thank him, then raise his voice so those still remaining on dry land with him could hear. "Alright, everyone, I hate to do this but it's time to finish up your goodbyes!" he called out. "Fifteen minutes, then we gotta head out!"
Once everyone processed what was said, no one wasted any time wrapping things up. Taylor found his way over to the Princess, talking about something or other with her before he eventually shrugged off his flight jacket and offered it to her. They were too far away for Pixy to hear what was being said. She threw her hands up, blushing, and apparently not wanting to take it from him, but he just shrugged. Her hands fell to her side, and she smiled, hesitating just a moment longer before she took the jacket from him and put it on. Then she held out her arms and put on a regal pose, likely asking him how she looked. His response was to laugh and give her a thumbs up, apparently telling her it looked fine. Aside from looking a size or two too big for her, it didn't look awful.
Over Naomi and the rest of her squadron, Húxiān and Bandog were saying their goodbyes. Bandog's dog, Sarge, stood loyally by his side and only slightly reacted when Húxiān reached down to pet her. She held the dog's face on either side, scratching her behind her ears, which Sarge responded to by slightly leaning towards her to try and lick her nose. Húxiān pulled away and laughed at both the dog and something Bandog had said. It appeared neither of them were exactly sure if they should hug or what, so their interaction was simply Húxiān placing a hand on his shoulder and awkwardly patting it a few times. Bandog, someone that Pixy knew to be a real hardass, seemed flustered by that alone.
Tabloid and the mechanic, Avril, seemed to have a better idea of how to interact with one another but not much more of one. Their awkwardness actually reminded Pixy of Emma and when they first met...which was excusable for the two of them, since they'd been teenagers, but for these guys they were grown adults that could keep things together until it came to emotional moments it seemed. Something was said that prompted Tabloid to laugh and nervously rub at the back of his neck before Avril reached up and pulled him into a hug.
After that, it was everyone's turn to finish up their goodbyes with their friends. Pixy watched as everyone went through the motions. Kathryn and Hans said goodbye to Jacob and Genette one last time, followed by PJ and Taylor, who both moved on to Jacob after speaking with the Princess again. While Naomi worked her way down the line. She started with giving a hug to Avril, then pulling Bandog in involuntarily for the same treatment. He resisted just a moment, then reluctantly returned the hug and gave her a pat on the back. Once that was done, she also gave Sarge a few scratches behind the ear before she moved on to the Princess.
Pixy stayed where he was, keeping out of the way, and waiting for his turn to say goodbye to his daughter. She kept glancing over at him every so often, and from the looks of things she was trying to put off their goodbye until last. He couldn't blame her. The more he waited though, the closer it got to leaving, it gave the reality of the situation time to set in and his chest started aching. The last time he'd had to say goodbye was when she was sent to that penal unit, before that when she shipped off overseas, and college, not to mention his own deployments prior to that. It never got any easier.
Before long, Naomi had found her way over to him. He took a deep breath and gave her a smile as she approached, not wanting her to know he was nervous or upset at all. Once she was in earshot, he gave her the most upbeat greeting he could. "Hey, kiddo," he said, trying not to look too concerned as he noticed how tired she looked. Instead, he tried to lightly tease her, "C'mon, don't look so down. Your pouting never worked when you were a kid, it isn't gonna work now."
"I never pouted," Naomi protested.
She wasn't exactly wrong. When he'd left for Usea in 2004, taking on a job offer he wanted to pursue, it had been a couple of months after she turned six. Well past the age of ever throwing tantrums. But in the days leading up to him leaving she stayed latched onto him, constantly demanding his attention, and not only did it make him feel bad but it made it very difficult to leave. When he was gone she was glued to her mother's side, but when he returned she went almost everywhere he did whenever she could.
Naomi, regardless of her actions saying otherwise, wasn't an idiot. Even as a kid. She had a concept of war and death, even if she was fortunate enough to have never experienced it. But now he couldn't just tell her he was going away for a bit for work and he'd be back before she knew it to try and calm her down. Now she was an adult, and a soldier, with an incredibly painful and personal understanding of war. They both knew exactly what was coming and what could happen. And honestly, knowing that she knew all the ways he could die and was worried about it made it worse.
"Alright, alright, so it wasn't exactly pouting. But you're an open book," Pixy said, looking over her face. She mirrored his posture and tried to look offended by his comment, but other than the spark in her eyes she didn't look like her heart was into a bickering competition. "I hate to see you upset. About anything. Especially when there isn't really much that can be done about it."
"You could just not go..." Naomi pointed out, almost innocently. He sighed, giving her a pointed look at the remark that she made and judging from the light chuckle she let out he guessed she was trying to get that kind of reaction. "Yeah, yeah, I'm being stupid and childish, I know. That time I was pouting."
"If you don't watch it I'm not gonna feel bad at all about leaving," Pixy warned her jokingly. She rolled her eyes and the smile she was wearing didn't fade, something he considered an accomplishment. He let his expression soften. "Seriously, though, it'll all be fine. I've been on the ground before and I came back, didn't I?"
"Yeah. You did," Naomi conceded. She took a deep breath, her smile slipping to the point it was barely there. "But that doesn't mean I'm not worried about you. It's hard to keep everyone safe when you're all over the place...if you were gonna be flying with us, I dunno, it might be different. Not very different, but...easier, I guess."
"It's not any different. Just keep looking out for everyone like you've been doing, like you always do, and we'll all be fine. Promise," Pixy said. He knew better than to promise anything, and Naomi knew he couldn't guarantee that promise would be kept, but it gave them both some fuel going forward. If it got a weight off of her shoulders and it gave him something to focus on then that was good enough. Everywhere he went, every war he'd ever been in, his wife and children were always on his mind. He wasn't going to leave them behind again. "But this goes both ways, understand? If I have to come back, so do you. Don't lose your head out there."
"Roger, wilco," Naomi said, letting out a breath through her nose. It looked like she was stuck between trying not to laugh and trying not to cry. Or just trying not to do both at the same time.
"Alright, come here," Pixy said, putting a hand on her shoulder and lightly pulling her towards him. She followed the rest of the way, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his shoulder while he rested a hand on her head. He held onto her tightly, the way he had since the day she was born, but not so much she couldn't breathe. Part of him was worried he wasn't going to come back, and he hoped if he didn't then his family knew how much he had loved them. His flaws and mistakes aside he loved them more than anything, and he hated leaving, but he couldn't just do nothing. She pulled away from him and sniffled, keeping her head down, and he gently kissed the top of her head before he took a step back. He didn't want to be the reason she was crying, so he tried again to lighten the mood. "Chin up, soldier, we'll be home before long."
"God, and they call me an idiot," Naomi said, sniffling again and reaching up to wipe away the tears that had started to form, giving him a dry laugh. "Go sparingly on the cheese, would you?"
"Alright, cheesiness or idiocy aside, I'm still your father," Pixy said, reaching out and lightly flicking her forehead. He gave a soft laugh of his own. "Keep it up and I'm gonna tell PJ to ground you as soon as this war is over."
Naomi opened her mouth to throw out a comeback, but as soon as she did Jacob's voice rang out again. Time was up. They'd be moving out as soon as everyone was on board. Naomi clenched her jaw, taking a few breaths before she looked back at him. "I guess it's time for you to go, then," she said. "Try not to do anything stupid out there."
"Yeah, Kathryn already told me. If you don't, then I won't, deal?" Pixy asked her, reaching for a compromise. He could be impulsive, and careless, and reckless, at least with his own safety and he was well aware that at least Naomi and Roland had picked up on that. They all drove one another crazy, but it had served them all well so far. Not many people were willing to do what they were, for better or for worse.
"Deal," Naomi agreed with a sigh. She moved in for another hug, holding tightly to him and then relaxing some once he returned it. "I love you, Dad."
He placed another kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, too, kiddo," he told her. He gently squeezed her shoulders to signal for her to let go. The last thing he needed was Jacob getting onto him for being the last one to get onboard. She let go of him, reluctantly, the way she had when she'd been younger. He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I'll see you soon."
"See you soon," Naomi repeated with a nod, giving him a smile of her own as he moved to back away. That was the only thing either of them could think to say. A small reminder for the two of them. It didn't do anything but make them feel just a bit better.
As much as he didn't want to, second guessing his decision and trying not to worry about her so much, Pixy turned towards the ship and fell in not far behind Genette. One by one, the last of them climbed aboard. It was Avril that took the longest with her bad leg, but Bandog helped support her and the Princess kept close in case they needed help as they all made their way across the concrete and towards the ramp. By now, it seemed everyone in the bridge had finally figured out how to get things up and running, and that was partially why they had stalled for so long. They were all safely aboard at just the right amount of time. Everything was up and running.
The refugees that were joining them flocked to the edge of the ship's deck as they were setting off, those that chose to stay behind all gathering to wish them luck. Pixy didn't want to join them, not wanting Naomi to see him look at all scared or weak. He settled down on what seating was available outside, adjusting his jacket and staring down at his hands, listening to the sound of the ocean and the various 'goodbye's being shouted from the other end of the ship and from the solid ground they were leaving behind. It wasn't long before he was joined by Genette and Jacob, though they didn't say anything.
When he looked back at the way they came, he could see the port and the lights from the base getting smaller in the distance. Nothing ahead of them but open water for the rest of the night. He sighed, looking out at the water and then up at the darkness above him. A clear sky full of stars and the ocean...might have been pretty if he wasn't preoccupied. The sight would get old before too long. Still, he might as well get used to it. He couldn't turn back now.
The only thing that made him feel better was knowing that he wasn't completely abandoning his family. Not any of them back home. His family had each other, obviously, but they had plenty of other people to look out for them if he wasn't around. Naomi was always especially reliant on her relationships with other people, and in the here and now she had every single person under her command to watch out for and he knew from everything he'd seen that they'd be watching after her. Her own wingmen, especially Count, would make sure nothing happened to her. They'd all be fine.
He knew he shouldn't worry. Hell, they were on their way to save the world. Besides that, it wasn't his first rodeo or hers. In a matter of hours, this could all be behind them. And that was probably the most comforting thing of all.