remembered this Adrian, the emotionless commander. It was one of the things that had infuriated her back at the Academy.
“We will destroy their presence in every system surrounding their home system. The projections indicate that they will figure out what we are planning and abandon their other systems after we pass through six of their remaining eleven systems. I agree with these projections. The Sowir prisoners have made it very clear that the Sowir ships will fight to the death; they will not ask for mercy, nor will they surrender. They are now aware that we know that they don’t keep their word to those they don’t consider true beings, and that we will not keep our word to them. They would rather all fight to the end, hoping to hurt us in the process. And we will deny them that.”
“Is there really no way to get them to surrender?” Nair asked, voicing Bethany’s thoughts as well.
Adrian shook his head sadly. “Perhaps there is a way, but it would require putting our people at great risk. The reason why they are not going to accept any kind of agreement now is simple. They know that we have Nel as part of our Empire. They understand that we will never allow them to live peacefully at our borders, so they see no point in talking. It is very logical to their minds.”
Nair nodded his thanks for the answer.
Adrian looked around. “Any other questions?” he asked. When no one said anything, he cleared the holo. “Alright, Fleet Commanders Jones and Hakeem, you are free to inspect your ships. If you want any changes or additions, you have until the end of the week to request them.” He nodded a dismissal.
People got up and started leaving. Only Bethany and Adrian stayed by some unspoken agreement. When the last person exited and left them alone, the silence somehow deepened and grew heavier. Adrian stood up and leaned on a chair.
“So, how have you been?” he asked. His cold, commanding demeanor was gone now. He looked uncomfortable, unsure.
“Good. You? I heard that you had a tough few years…” Beth said, equally awkward.
“I’m good, and yes, it has been an interesting couple of years,” Adrian said. After another uncomfortable silence, he spoke again. “How’s Harry?” he asked.
Beth shifted uncomfortably. “He is good...We are divorced,” she added quickly. Perhaps too quickly.
Adrian’s eyes widened a bit at that. “Really? I hadn’t heard.”
“Well, well the fact that it happened a few days ago is probably why. Not many people know,” she said with a crooked smile. That managed to make Adrian’s lip curl into a small smile. Then, before she chickened out, she stood. “Adrian, I know that we haven’t really spoken in a long time. That even though we’ve put the past behind, we still haven’t made any steps to actually talk again.”
“I know, Beth,” Adrian said sadly. “It wasn’t that I didn’t forgive you, or that I didn’t want to. It’s just that there were other more important things in my life. I would love to be your friend again, Beth, but you need to know that it won’t ever be more than that. You hurt me, but it isn’t really about that. I have changed. I am not the same person I was then. If you want to be friends again, I can do that. But if you want something more…Then it is better if we pretend we are only colleagues.” For a moment, she thought that she saw something in his face, but it was hidden too quickly for her to recognize it.
Beth dropped her head to hide the emotions on her face. She had hoped that they might move forward from where they’d left off years ago. But she knew that it was unlikely. She stood up and stepped around the table to stand in front of him. She extended her hand to him. “Friends?”
Adrian smiled and took her hand in a handshake. “Friends.”
Chapter Six
December; Vanguard Fleet – Trans-lane to Sowir system
Adrian sat in the command center of the Harbinger, three lead balls floating around him, and
“We will destroy their presence in every system surrounding their home system. The projections indicate that they will figure out what we are planning and abandon their other systems after we pass through six of their remaining eleven systems. I agree with these projections. The Sowir prisoners have made it very clear that the Sowir ships will fight to the death; they will not ask for mercy, nor will they surrender. They are now aware that we know that they don’t keep their word to those they don’t consider true beings, and that we will not keep our word to them. They would rather all fight to the end, hoping to hurt us in the process. And we will deny them that.”
“Is there really no way to get them to surrender?” Nair asked, voicing Bethany’s thoughts as well.
Adrian shook his head sadly. “Perhaps there is a way, but it would require putting our people at great risk. The reason why they are not going to accept any kind of agreement now is simple. They know that we have Nel as part of our Empire. They understand that we will never allow them to live peacefully at our borders, so they see no point in talking. It is very logical to their minds.”
Nair nodded his thanks for the answer.
Adrian looked around. “Any other questions?” he asked. When no one said anything, he cleared the holo. “Alright, Fleet Commanders Jones and Hakeem, you are free to inspect your ships. If you want any changes or additions, you have until the end of the week to request them.” He nodded a dismissal.
People got up and started leaving. Only Bethany and Adrian stayed by some unspoken agreement. When the last person exited and left them alone, the silence somehow deepened and grew heavier. Adrian stood up and leaned on a chair.
“So, how have you been?” he asked. His cold, commanding demeanor was gone now. He looked uncomfortable, unsure.
“Good. You? I heard that you had a tough few years…” Beth said, equally awkward.
“I’m good, and yes, it has been an interesting couple of years,” Adrian said. After another uncomfortable silence, he spoke again. “How’s Harry?” he asked.
Beth shifted uncomfortably. “He is good...We are divorced,” she added quickly. Perhaps too quickly.
Adrian’s eyes widened a bit at that. “Really? I hadn’t heard.”
“Well, well the fact that it happened a few days ago is probably why. Not many people know,” she said with a crooked smile. That managed to make Adrian’s lip curl into a small smile. Then, before she chickened out, she stood. “Adrian, I know that we haven’t really spoken in a long time. That even though we’ve put the past behind, we still haven’t made any steps to actually talk again.”
“I know, Beth,” Adrian said sadly. “It wasn’t that I didn’t forgive you, or that I didn’t want to. It’s just that there were other more important things in my life. I would love to be your friend again, Beth, but you need to know that it won’t ever be more than that. You hurt me, but it isn’t really about that. I have changed. I am not the same person I was then. If you want to be friends again, I can do that. But if you want something more…Then it is better if we pretend we are only colleagues.” For a moment, she thought that she saw something in his face, but it was hidden too quickly for her to recognize it.
Beth dropped her head to hide the emotions on her face. She had hoped that they might move forward from where they’d left off years ago. But she knew that it was unlikely. She stood up and stepped around the table to stand in front of him. She extended her hand to him. “Friends?”
Adrian smiled and took her hand in a handshake. “Friends.”
Chapter Six
December; Vanguard Fleet – Trans-lane to Sowir system
Adrian sat in the command center of the Harbinger, three lead balls floating around him, and
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