guess...I’ve realized that things change fast. One moment, I’m thinking this planet is too hot, and the next I’m bleeding out with three holes in my chest. Nothing is for sure, and nothing lasts. So, why hold back?” he asked, pausing to see how she’d taken it. Her continued squinting didn’t give him much confidence. He meant what he said though—no holding back now. “Eve, you’re the only one who’s ever cared. The army won’t take me back; I’m never going to be able to fight again. Stay with me,” he begged with an unsure smile. This seemed to break her squint, and she slightly smiled at him.
“Ben, I can’t,” she asserted, coming back to reality. “Your injury,” she began again, “it’s not just a physical one. That was a traumatic experience. You’ll recover, but it’ll take time. Just relax and try not to make any big decisions, okay?” she urged.
“No,” he exclaimed, “this is how I truly feel. I know because I haven’t felt it before. You think this is a self-preservation thing? It’s not. I know what self-preservation looks like. I know what it feels like. I have lived my whole life trying to survive. This is not that. This is a genuine connection. I’ve never felt it before, and if you met my father, you’d know why. Trust me, Eve, this is the real deal. I know you feel the same,” he told her. She looked at the rough ground, sorting through her thoughts. This was uncharted territory for her, and she clearly wanted to make the right decision.
“Maybe,” she murmured softly, and for a vague moment Burns thought he might have actually won her over. Then, suddenly, she became her normal self again. “But it’s complicated. I just...I can’t. People got hurt because I chose to pull you out. It looks bad, a romance between us. We have a connection, but it isn’t a reason to shirk my responsibilities. When it comes, I’m going to go to that military tribunal, and I’m not going to fight it. The moment we start making exceptions is the moment we stop doing what is right. I’m sorry, Ben, I know you understand.” She gave him a soft smile, then stood up and walked away, refusing to discuss it any further.
He wanted desperately to follow, but he did not. She had saved him out of the goodness of her heart, and it was selfish to ask her to do any more than that. He was just glad she knew how he felt. He truly did love her. That was all that mattered.
WESTERN DUCHESS
If there was one thing Burns had forgotten about the military, it was that sub-space travel was a real treat.
Entering a generated black hole, time became irrelevant until you exited. Sometimes it felt like you were stuck in a never-ending loop of painful strings, continuing on and on without any purpose or direction until you were suddenly, violently, sucked out and thrown back together. It was disorienting and nauseating.
Luckily, the more you did it, the better you could cope with it. Most military personnel, especially those in the Invasion fleets, became exceptionally prepared for it. Civilians, however, had issues. Sub-space travel was not cleared for any civilian craft, not even interplanetary transports. As such, most were unprepared for its bite. This included Brosi, who had immediately collapsed to the floor the moment they exited the generated portal.
“Whoa,” Rhett murmured, leaning forward in his seat to help Brosi, “not in your helmet, kid.” He was, of course, referencing the tendency people had of vomiting their first time through sub-space. In the Invasion Fleets, they used to call it “plug-bombing” due to the fact that every soldier was required to wear a re-breather mask during the jump.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Brosi said defensively as he slid back into his seat. He didn’t seem to have vomited. More than likely, he’d talked himself out of it.
The interaction had made Burns realize the mistake he’d made in sitting arrangements, though. Brosi
“Ben, I can’t,” she asserted, coming back to reality. “Your injury,” she began again, “it’s not just a physical one. That was a traumatic experience. You’ll recover, but it’ll take time. Just relax and try not to make any big decisions, okay?” she urged.
“No,” he exclaimed, “this is how I truly feel. I know because I haven’t felt it before. You think this is a self-preservation thing? It’s not. I know what self-preservation looks like. I know what it feels like. I have lived my whole life trying to survive. This is not that. This is a genuine connection. I’ve never felt it before, and if you met my father, you’d know why. Trust me, Eve, this is the real deal. I know you feel the same,” he told her. She looked at the rough ground, sorting through her thoughts. This was uncharted territory for her, and she clearly wanted to make the right decision.
“Maybe,” she murmured softly, and for a vague moment Burns thought he might have actually won her over. Then, suddenly, she became her normal self again. “But it’s complicated. I just...I can’t. People got hurt because I chose to pull you out. It looks bad, a romance between us. We have a connection, but it isn’t a reason to shirk my responsibilities. When it comes, I’m going to go to that military tribunal, and I’m not going to fight it. The moment we start making exceptions is the moment we stop doing what is right. I’m sorry, Ben, I know you understand.” She gave him a soft smile, then stood up and walked away, refusing to discuss it any further.
He wanted desperately to follow, but he did not. She had saved him out of the goodness of her heart, and it was selfish to ask her to do any more than that. He was just glad she knew how he felt. He truly did love her. That was all that mattered.
WESTERN DUCHESS
If there was one thing Burns had forgotten about the military, it was that sub-space travel was a real treat.
Entering a generated black hole, time became irrelevant until you exited. Sometimes it felt like you were stuck in a never-ending loop of painful strings, continuing on and on without any purpose or direction until you were suddenly, violently, sucked out and thrown back together. It was disorienting and nauseating.
Luckily, the more you did it, the better you could cope with it. Most military personnel, especially those in the Invasion fleets, became exceptionally prepared for it. Civilians, however, had issues. Sub-space travel was not cleared for any civilian craft, not even interplanetary transports. As such, most were unprepared for its bite. This included Brosi, who had immediately collapsed to the floor the moment they exited the generated portal.
“Whoa,” Rhett murmured, leaning forward in his seat to help Brosi, “not in your helmet, kid.” He was, of course, referencing the tendency people had of vomiting their first time through sub-space. In the Invasion Fleets, they used to call it “plug-bombing” due to the fact that every soldier was required to wear a re-breather mask during the jump.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Brosi said defensively as he slid back into his seat. He didn’t seem to have vomited. More than likely, he’d talked himself out of it.
The interaction had made Burns realize the mistake he’d made in sitting arrangements, though. Brosi
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