Warning: This is a sci-fi novel that contains violent themes. This is also a lesbian romance. Thank you to Chief Hal for proofreading.
Chapter 4
After days of traversing the rough seas, the two soldiers finally made it to their destination. Once Reyna jumped off the raft, she helped Celine off, before she bound her wrists together again.
Accepting her role as the captured soldier, Celine not only agreed with this, but helped Reyna tie her up, by putting her arms behind her. But as they made their way toward the barracks, the Ishla soldier couldn’t help but become wide-eyed at the sight of the large Yeveland base.
Both sweaty and smelly from their long journey, Reyna led Celine to the main building where she could confront her military. As they came across soldiers, Celine became impressed by the way they all stopped and saluted Captain Fire once they saw her.
I knew this woman was a big deal,
the Ishla soldier thought to herself, every time she witnessed a soldier saluting Reyna.
She’s a captain and all... but everyone is completely frozen at her presence. This military is definitely more impressive than ours, but perhaps Reyna is something special, even to the likes of Yeveland.
As they entered the front door of the main building, a soldier greeted them. “Captain Fire... we weren’t expecting you...”
“Yeah, whatever,” Reyna replied before handing Celine over to the soldier. “Take care of her for me.”
“Who do we have here?” the soldier asked, still looking dumbfounded.
“This is Private Violet from the Ishla Military. I captured her, after I was abandoned at Nova.”
“Captain Fire... you weren’t abandoned... There were plans to retrieve you...”
“Private Violet was abandoned by her military as well,” Reyna interrupted, with a straightforward tone. “She actually tried to help me... probably because it was her only way of survival... But still... put her in a safe cell and make sure she gets medical attention.”
“Yes, ma’am...” she responded, before hesitantly taking custody of the confused Celine. “And where do you plan on going now?”
As Reyna walked off, she coldly explained, “I need to talk to a few people. I guess I’ll start with my Lieutenant.”
While the soldier watched Captain Fire disappear into the hallway, Celine couldn’t help but notice the tension between them.
Reyna’s face didn’t change, but I could tell she was upset,
she thought to herself.
Ugh, I wish I spoke their language! Reyna seems so hot when she’s all fired up...
Eventually, Reyna found Mara walking down one of the hallways, after having a meeting with her squad. When she rushed up to confront the lieutenant, she immediately noticed the shock in her eyes.
“Captain?!” Mara reacted, as she came to a complete stop. “What are you doing here?!”
Staring deep into Mara’s eyes, Reyna answered, “I was forced to build a raft to escape Nova since my lieutenant abandoned me.”
“The explosions... I was going to come back for you...”
“Protocol is that you return within forty-eight hours, but here we are, over a week later.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Mara responded, shaking at the knees, just like she did when she spoke to the blonde woman the previous day. “I was given direct orders by the general not to return until two weeks had passed. Only now did I decide to go against her orders... but I’m obviously too late...”
“Why?” Reyna asked, shaking her head in confusion. “Why would you receive orders that leave me in such a compromised position?”
“Please... just give me a chance to explain...” the lieutenant started, trying desperately to gather her breath. “I was promoted under the condition that I would keep certain things confidential.
“Obviously, I don’t know as much as I thought I did, and I definitely don’t know as much as you do. I don’t know why I was ordered to do what I did, but with the classified information I have now, I was afraid of not only losing my rank, but my life as well.
“I’m so sorry... I don’t know if I’m cut out for this position... I never expected any of this. I could hardly live with myself after what happened... and now that you’re here, all I can do is ask that you don’t kill me...”
Reyna stared at the lieutenant for a moment, before speaking. Never changing her expression, she simply replied, “I’m not going to kill you.”
With hopeful eyes, Mara asked, “You’re not?”
Shaking her head, the captain continued, “I don’t plan on it, for now... This isn’t about you. This is much bigger than you.”
She began to walk off, with her mind now focused on the general and her direct orders. However, before she left the lieutenant’s sight, Reyna turned her head and made one final comment. “You’re right, by the way; You’re not cut out for this job.”
Still trembling, Mara leaned her back against the wall, before slowly sliding to the ground. With tears running down her cheeks, she hid her face with her arms, as she wept on the floor.
Bursting into the office, Reyna stood before the woman who was in charge of the entire military, General Yvette. There was an awkward moment of silence as the other high-ranking officials witnessed the stare down between the two powerful women.
“Captain Reyna Fire,” the general started, with a little smirk. “I was just made aware of your arrival. Welcome back.”
“I’d like to speak to you privately, General,” Reyna stated, while glancing at the other officials. “This doesn’t concern them.”
Although it was first met with protest, Yvette instructed the others to step out, so she could have her solo meeting, just as Reyna requested. Once everyone else was out, the general stood by the window, where the light shone on her. With a smile, she asked, “Now that we’re alone; how may I help you?”
“I’d really like to know why the forty-eight-hour rescue protocol was ignored. How long were you planning on letting me stay out there?”
“Oh, Captain... we would have come and got you, eventually. I believe we were set for your rescue three days from now, although there was word that Lieutenant Mara had intentions on going earlier.”
“That doesn’t answer why the forty-eight-hour rule was violated,” Reyna responded, looking unamused.
With a smirk, General Yvette gave her explanation. “We needed more time to safely return to Nova. I mean, what if something really did happen to you? It would have been irresponsible to go without a weapon.”
“We didn’t have a weapon during our initial trip,” the captain shot back.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Yvette argued with a smug look. “You know as well as I do, there was a weapon present during the first trip. Now, you can keep pretending all you want that things are completely different now, but remember what I said... The past never forgets.”
Suddenly, an image came to Reyna’s mind. It was the group of soldiers stomping and kicking that child once again. With an emotionless face, just like that child possessed, she responded, “I know the past doesn’t forget... but does it ever die? What would become of this world?”
“Oh, the past can’t die,” General Yvette responded, without a worry in the world. “We had an agreement, remember? You wanted a certain someone to be able to live out her own, peaceful life. Well, that won’t happen if we’re forced to move to Weapon Three.”
“Understood,” Captain Fire responded, with a blank stare. “The world has made itself perfectly clear. This is just how it has to be. I’m fine with that.”
Now that she was satisfied, the general changed her tone before moving on to other matters. “So, I hear you brought a prisoner from Nova.”
“I did, but she’s not a threat. There’s no need to take any precautions with her.”
“I’m surprised. It isn’t like you to show such mercy. Did you become soft during your time at Nova?”
“As I stated, General, she is no threat. She’s a simple private that was abandoned by her Ishla squad. She would have died out there, if I hadn’t brought her as a prisoner.”
“And you care, why?” Yvette asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I didn’t want to be responsible for an unnecessary death,” Reyna explained in a cold tone. “She wasn’t the one who threw explosives at me. There’s no need to view her as any type of threat.”
“So, then… what do you suggest we do with her?”
