Chapter 32: Hiding in Plain Sight

Tim examined his computer as their ship drew near Destiny’s main hangar. Statistics for the battle were not in completely, but the tentative losses had been heavy for their side. Various ships and crew had died, totaling five squadrons in all. Their numbers were down to 39 squadrons, or 195 ships.

The hangar door slammed shut with a loud crash, pulling him out of his thoughts. They were safely back inside Destiny, their first major battle over and done with. But had they won?

Sara opened the door and stepped out. The bright lights made her blink after being inside the dim, cramped confines of the ship. How long had she been in there? Thirty minutes? An hour? Five hours? Time was immeasurable when you fought for your life and the lives of countless others. The nearest clock was back in their room...

Tim and Celia stepped out behind her. “What’s the commotion?” Sara shrugged. “I have no idea. You’re the senior pilot, shouldn’t you know?” Celia frowned at her. “I can’t see through you, moron.” Sara stepped aside wordlessly and let Celia take a look, wincing as the shorter woman squealed. “He’s coming here? To us?” Sara shaded her tired eyes and noticed a small group heading towards them. “Who’s coming?”

“The squadron leader, you dolt! He probably noticed our excellent achievements during the battle and wants to give us congratulations!” Celia took several deep breaths. “Wow...he’s even more handsome up close than I had thought...” Sara hushed her. “Quiet. He’s almost here.”

“Am I correct in assuming that this young lady is the pilot?” The leader directed his question to Celia, but was looking at Sara. The former nodded breathlessly, entranced. “Daniel Welm is my name. I am the pilot of ship 127, and as you may have already guessed, the leader of the Gray Knights. Might I have your names?”

Sara felt her mind begin to slow. The effect this man had on women made him the envy of every other man. He was tall and well-built, his walk refreshingly free of a swagger, his speech refined and soft, the epitome of charisma and grace. His attitude was charming; he had the look of someone who said little, not because there was little to say, but because he was able to simplify it and reserve speech, which he obviously valued. Dirty blonde hair was combed back just enough to look neat, but not so much as to look excessively elegant. His hazel eyes were clear and focused at the moment, but threatened to gaze off into the distance at some unseen object.

Sara almost forgot a question had been asked. “Oh, right. I’m Sara, this is Tim, this is Celia, and Darren...” she paused and looked around. “Darren is inside the ship, still.” Daniel nodded. “Before I headed to the private debriefing, I wanted to thank you personally for doing such an excellent job. Your piloting saved many lives, and you probably don’t know that your kills rank you higher than any other new pilot.”

Sara blushed. “Well, it’s not just me in there. I have a very good communications officer, and my mechanic is second to none.” The deliberate exclusion of the overseer’s name was not lost on Celia, who folded her arms and glared at the back of Sara’s head. Daniel smiled warmly. “Well, the Gray Knights are certainly better for your skills. And I hope you can strategize as well as pilot...because at this rate, you’ll have your own squadron in no time.”

Celia woke from her trance for a brief period. “Her own squadron? But pilots have to have at least three years experience, and then the testing, and even then it’s less than fifty percent success rate...” The leader held up a hand. “I know the requirements quite well. I would not be surprised, however, if they bend the rules yet again. We have already bent them by making a pre-emptive strike on the enemy. What is to differentiate that strike from her early promotion?”

Celia couldn’t answer, to Sara’s delight. But she had one last question. “Why did you choose the Gray Knights as your squadron name? It seems different from all the others.” Daniel nodded, his eyes unfocusing as he began to speak. “Back on Shirn, I was an ordinary man with an ordinary job in a nondescript village. I went to work as a store clerk before the sun came up, and closed shop long after the sun went down. I was happily married for two years, with a baby soon to arrive. It was a simple life, but a good one.”

His voice remained devoid of emotion, as if he was reading a book out loud rather than telling his own tale. “And then raiders came. The local military was tied up with a riot in the larger towns. They couldn’t send aid. They couldn’t even contact mercenaries to come fight for money. The bandits slaughtered most of our village, taking the women for themselves...and then killing them soon afterwards. My wife and my unborn child were unceremoniously cut to pieces before my very eyes.”

Sara shuddered. “I’m sorry.” Daniel smiled reassuringly to show that his pain was past, and continued. “I flew into a rage and killed my captor, taking his sword up against the others. But there were dozens of bandits, better armed and armored than I. I expected to die fighting, and almost did. One attacker snuck up behind me and knocked me unconscious with the flat of his blade, giving the others ample time to tie me to a stake. They planned to burn me alive as a warning to any villagers who still held hopes of resistance.”

Celia gasped, her eyes wide. “Did they?” Sara rolled her eyes as Daniel chuckled, thoroughly amused. “No, they did not. Before they could throw the torch onto my pyre, a man cloaked all in gray walked among them. Nobody knew where he had come from or why they hadn’t noticed him before, but when he took the torch and set one of their own on fire, they counted him as an enemy. However, their sword strokes meant nothing to him. He was a wisp of smoke carried on the wind. Even if they had connected, his armor would have been more than sufficient.”

Daniel was coming to the end of his tale. “The man finished every last bandit and made sure they were all dead before cutting me free. He never removed his gray cloak or armor, though I did catch a glimpse of his face when he helped me up. I will always remember my rescuer. He took no payment other than our thanks, and although he left soon after, he graciously gave us his name. He called himself...Peregrin...The Gray Knight.” Daniel straightened up and his eyes focused once more. “So you see, I named my squadron after my rescuer and hero. If I can do even one small portion of what that man has done for others, then I can die a happy man.”

Celia fairly swooned. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” Daniel chuckled again, but glanced around. “I should probably hurry to the debriefing. It was nice meeting you all, Sara,” he shook each person’s hand as he said their name, “Tim, Celia, and I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet Darren. I shall have to talk to him some other time.” Sara nodded wordlessly and watched him walk away.

The two women stared in silence as their squad leader disappeared through a heavy door. One of Darren’s tools falling to the ground woke them from their stupor, and Sara turned to greet him. “You just missed Daniel Welm, our squadron leader.” Darren raised an eyebrow. “Did I? I heard the whole conversation except for the introductions, but didn’t think that we did well enough to warrant a visit from such as he...”

Celia nodded, still staring dreamily at the door Daniel had exited through. "Sara...can you do as good a job piloting next time as you did last time?" Sara shrugged. "Sure, I guess. No harm in trying." Celia nodded again. "Good...good...well, the battle's over. Classes are all canceled until tomorrow, so enjoy the rest of today day off. I'm going to head to the bar."

Tim blinked. "We have a bar? I didn't know that." Celia grinned. "Well, more specifically, a simulated bar. The ISP room proves useful once more...all of the buzz of the alcohol, none of the hangover and headaches. I prefer the atmosphere to the drink, however. Anyone care to join me?" She gave a pointed look at Darren, who politely smiled and declined. "It is, after all, still my honeymoon." He barely missed Sara's adoring glance and Tim's half-hidden smile because of Celia's look. It was...strange, as if she was searching for something in his demeanor. Whatever it was, she didn't find it, because she shrugged and left.

"Get some rest, you two. We'll need you awake to fly." With that playful parting shot, Tim left as well. Darren turned to Sara, who still had that adoring look on her face that he loved. "What's that for?" She smiled. "It's not technically still our honeymoon. You lied." He shrugged. "And if I did? Maybe I noticed she was trying something and decided not to go along with it." Sara slapped his arm. "I knew that already. That's why I gave you that look. I'm blonde, but I'm not that blonde." Seeing his grin, she raised her arm again. "And I swear, the first joke I hear..."

Darren started walking back to their room, still grinning. "Aw, but I had a ton of them all saved up..." Sara followed, shaking her head and smiling. The elevator was out of order again, so their climb down the stairs was quickly joined by a noisy group of male pilots rushing towards the second floor.

Darren and Sara looked at each other and shrugged. It didn't concern them. The room had been cleaned while they were out, another perk of being a pilot. The alarm clock read 6:23, but neither of them were hungry, just tired. The day of unfamiliarity had put a bit of a limp in their steps. Sara headed for the bathroom while Darren took off his shoes and lay down on the bed with a groan.

He could hear her moving around in the bathroom through the open door. Darren mused to himself for a while, and then said, "We should get paid to not make out in public." He buried his face in a pillow to keep from laughing as he heard Sara spit toothpaste all over the mirror. She finished brushing her teeth, cleaned the mess up and came out, glaring at him. "You did that on purpose."

Even with his face hidden, she could still hear his laugh through the pillow and see his entire body shaking. She leaped onto the bed and rolled him over, smacking him lightly on the head with another pillow. Darren contained his laughter long enough to yank the pillow from her hand and hit her back with it. "Careful, woman. You know not the secret techniques of the pillow as I-oof!" He was cut off when the other pillow connected sharply with his ribs. "…Very well. You win this round." Sara grinned triumphantly. "And don't you forget it."

With a note of humor in his voice, Darren changed the subjec. "How was your first day at work, honey?" Sara fell backwards onto him and sighed. "Not too bad, I think. I could do without Celia, but I suppose that can't be helped." Darren reached down and began rubbing Sara's shoulders. She groaned loudly and tensed before relaxing them as much as she could. Between painful gasps of breath, she managed "And how was yours?"

Darren shrugged. "Good, I guess." Sara shot him a glance. "You...guess? Are you okay?" He had to smile at the obvious concern in her voice. "Well, it's just that...I just don't feel too comfortable here. Surrounded by high-tech electronics and shining white walls...this just isn't where I like to be. I belong back on the forests and land again, living the simple life found only on Shirn." Sara nodded slowly. "I wish I felt that way...but I kinda like it up here. I guess the scheduling and electronics appeal to me more than the 'simple life.'"

Darren shrugged again. "Nothing wrong with feeling like that. Just personal preference." Sara yawned loudly, then covered her mouth. "Ugh. Sorry. I guess I must be more tired than I thought. Uh, Darren...I'm not sure how to say this, but..." Darren chuckled. "I know. but should I let you try to verbalize it and enjoy the result, or let you off easy?"

Sara sighed. When she was truly tired, her patience was thin even with him, and thankfully, he noticed. "I understand. It's alright. Get some rest." Darren pulled up the blankets and covered her gently. She sighed contentedly, warmth spreading throughout her body. She was asleep in moments.

Darren lay awake, staring at the ceiling for a bit longer. There is no way I'm gonna be able to get to sleep tonight...
~
Phil lead the group of people down the stairs. "Hurry up, guys! We're gonna miss the first part of the whole thing!" Someone he had never seen before caught up with them. "Hey, what's all the commotion?" Someone else in the group called back "We're heading to the bar! There's a show tonight!" People joined the rapidly growing gathering as they neared the ISP room.

Phil swung the door open and stepped into an old-style Shirnish bar, complete with stools, booths, and liquor. He grinned. "Now this is how the room should be used." The man next to him shushed him quickly. "Wait util the song's over!"

"...like a dream, come true..." The lilting voice of Celia May brought the first song to a close.. Phil groaned. "Aw, man. Now we gotta wait for the next one." The man who had previously shushed him grinned, and slapped him on the back. "Hey, cheer up! There's plenty of ways to pass the time, and the bartender knows the mix for every one!" With a laugh, he turned back to his drink.

Celia's evening gown glittered as she walked across the platform towards the edge. Her break in between songs was kept quiet by one simple fact: the bouncer would break the face of anyone who tried to talk to her without being talked to first. It was a good rule, from Celia's point of view.

She stepped off the small stage and spotted Darren sitting in a corner booth with his back against the wall, eyes closed and relaxing. In the room, the patrons could assume different types of clothing, within limits; Darren had chosen his usual hooded traveler's cloak. After scanning the room with a moment's hesitation, Celia walked over and stood in front of him. Darren opened one eye and smiled welcomingly, then opened the other. "Great job up there, C. You have an incredible voice."

Celia nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah…thanks." After a short pause, she went on. "Hey, could I ask you something?" Darren nodded. "Ask away." Celia sat down across the table and looked around the room. "You're a decent, good-looking, intelligent man. Why…did you choose Sara?" Darren shrugged. "Why do you ask?" "I don't have to give you my reasons!" snapped Celia. She calmed herself and continued quietly. "I just…want to know what you see in her, since I don't seem to be able to find any reasons for you to like her."

Darren closed his eyes again. "Very well. To start, we've known each other for about five years. We developed a very deep friendship, and I became the silent support after both her parents died." He didn't bother explaining Sara's real parentage; Celia didn't need to know that much.

He continued, "After traveling together, saving each other's lives many times, and generally experiencing closeness that others can only dream of...there was one time in particular…" His eyes became cloudy as his mind drifted off into the memory, reliving it.

Celia glanced up from the table at him. "And?" Darren shook his head and smiled. "Sorry. There was one time where everyone but me was helpless to fight, and so I fought alone. After a long battle, I had begun to destroy the creature that was in our way…and it dealt me a mortal blow. I was in pain, of course, but could still communicate with Sara. I thought it was best to let her know how I felt, just in case I did die. What I didn't expect was the power that she'd been holding inside."

He met Celia's gaze and grinned. "I guess you could say making the first move saved my life. It had taken a while, but we'd both been thinking about telling the other person about how we felt. She's got a pure heart, always willing to help, intensely loyal, and," he chuckled to himself briefly. "She just won't give up. On anything. Sara's a very determined person. And since we can match ourselves against each other mentally and physically without worrying about small details like who wins, every time we 'fight' it ends up with us drawing closer."

Celia stared off into the distance. "Sounds like an ideal marriage." Darren shrugged. "All I do is continually try to put her interests above my own. When she does the same for me, then we appreciate each other more and an ideal marriage becomes possible."

"C! You're up in two minutes!" Celia glanced over her shoulder at the stage manager. "I've gotta go get ready. Staying for the whole thing?" Darren smiled. "Sure. It's been a while since I've heard such great singing." Celia waved the compliment away, saying "What about Sara?" Darren's face was complacent. "She was rather tired, and so I let her sleep. I'd be sleeping too, but..."

"C! If you're gonna sing, you better get movin'!" Celia smiled apologetically and rose. "Don't feel bad if you doze off. A lot of the time, people come here to forget, so I sing a few slow songs." Darren nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." Celia headed backstage as Darren closed his eyes and sank into memories once more.
~
Sara woke up breathing heavily, not quite knowing why. She felt the bed next to her, experiencing a short stab of fear. No Darren. She looked at the clock through sleep-blurred eyes. 2:23 in the morning. Sara considered calling to him through the link, but only briefly. If he was out walking, he probably wouldn't want to be disturbed. And if he was somewhere else...Sara pushed the thought from her mind, mentally telling herself to calm down. Trust him. He'd tell you if there was something you could do about it.

The door eased open and Sara sat up slightly, shading her eyes from the light. A shadowed figure stepped in and closed the door quickly, Darren's voice comfortingly warm. "Sorry to wake you. I couldn't sleep and didn't think you'd appreciate my tossing and turing." A second later, he was on the bed beside her, obviously worried.

"You're shaking. What's wrong?" Sara made an effort to smile. "I just can't hide anything from you, can I?" She could feel his searching eyes on her face. "Considering I just got done explaining our wonderful relationship to Celia, I think there should be very little to hide." Darren could now hear a hint of something akin to jealousy in her voice, but not quite anger. "Celia? She asked about me, did she?"

Darren laughed quietly. "Oh yes, indeed she did. She doesn't think much of you, in case you hadn't already noticed. She was singing at the bar tonight, and asked some questions about us. I gave her some history, leaving out much for the sake of time. I think she learned something, though, and that's good." He put an arm around his wife. "But that's not why your breathing is erratic and the bed is shuddering."

Sara took a deep, albeit shaky breath. "I woke up...scared for some reason, feeling alone and abandoned...and you weren't here." Darren closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." He heard her hair swish as she shook her head. "You needed to think, to wander, to do whatever...and I know it's for the best." Darren pulled her close. "If there's anything I can do to put your mind at ease, just let me know, okay?" He felt her nod. "And Sara? This may be a strange time to ask, but before I forget...could you please try to be nice to Celia?"

Sara's face was unreadable in the darkness. "I...suppose so. Any reason in particular?" "While I was talking to her, I found out some things that she looks for. What she wants is a guy that will care about her more than himself."

Confused, Sara cut in. "But that's like the shy kid, Tim. And it seems like she doesn't like him or even want to be near him." Darren sighed. "Yes. You see, she attacks what she so desperately searches for, in an attempt to prove that what she seeks cannot be found. Twisted, but unfortunately it can't be helped. Someone must have hurt her very badly..."

Sara grinned. "Well then, she's in for a surprise if she's trying to find fault with Tim. He hasn't looked at me for longer than two seconds, and always my face." It was Darren's turn to grin. "He knows you're off-limits. He's not looking at you" his voice dropped to a low pitch, "because you're mine." Sara shivered in anticipation. "So how do you expect me to be nice to Celia, since she seems bent on taking you from me?"

To her disappointment, Darren's voice returned to normal. "Well, consider that she outranks you. Also consider that beneath her tough exterior, she's a scared little girl. I'm not saying you have to bow and scrape," he grinned. "On the contrary, I enjoy seeing you two trade insults. Perhaps I shouldn't, but the point is that you don't have to worry about somebody else seducing your husband."

Sara shrugged. "I wasn't too worried about that...just a little. How'd you guess?" Darren smiled at himself. "Because I felt the same little bit of worry when I heard your conversation with the esteemed Mr. Welm. He's quite the charmer, even if he doesn't intend to." Sara leaned over and kissed Darren. "Well, let me put your worries to rest, then. I hold my marriage vows in high regard, no matter where or how they were taken."

Darren smiled. "I know. And knowing that makes all the difference." He leaned back and stared at the ceiling, a thought coming from nowhere into his head. "We lost five squadrons today. If this keeps up, we'll all be dead soon. There's no way we can win using brute force." Sara leaned back as well. "Then we change our strategy to counteract theirs. If they use brute force, turning them against each other would produce the best results."

Darren sat up straight. "Tell Daniel what you just told me. Even if they already know, you'll look the better pilot for thinking of it. And if they didn't know...then you may have just saved lives." Sara glanced at him. "Alright...but in the meantime...how about sleep?" Darren put an arm around her and drew her close. "Sounds like a good idea to me. Any idea what tomorrow," he looked at the clock. "...today will be like?"

Sara shrugged.. "Probably classes, and most likely we'll be starting where we left off. It'd be no different than any other day, I imagine."

- posted by Nick @ 8/13/2004 10:17:00 PM