Original Concept : GῖΦ™
Writer : Kate
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Chapter Three
Clarity stood at attention before Captain Bojack’s desk, struggling to remain stoic as he loudly reprimanded her and her crew.
« In all my cycles, I’ve never witnessed such reckless insubordination, » Bojack fumed, his gravelly voice sharper than Clarity had ever heard. « You stole a military vessel, abandoned your post, and risked not only your lives but the entire security of this outpost! »
He slammed his fist down, making Clarity flinch slightly. « I vouched for your character and judgment, and this is how you repay that trust? By going rogue on some vigilante crusade? »
« Sir, we only wanted to take the fight to the Vinne, » Clarity responded evenly. « Respectfully, we feel the Council’s current stance is too passive. We can do more. »
« That’s not your call to make, » Bojack retorted. « We must conserve our limited resources and ships if we’re to have any hope of withstanding a major offensive. Your actions could have compromised everything. »
He leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. « I understand you’re eager to confront the enemy. So am I. But we only triumph through discipline and cohesion, not the brash impulses of youth. »
Clarity swallowed her indignation and simply nodded. Arguing would only make this worse.
Bojack sat back with a weary sigh. « Despite everything, you are all valuable pilots, and we need everyone we can get. I convinced the tribunal to forgo a court martial. But you are indefinitely grounded and confined to quarters when off-duty. »
It was a lighter sentence than Clarity expected. « Thank you for your mercy, sir, » she said humbly.
Bojack’s expression softened just slightly. « I know you want to fight. Soon enough, that chance will come. But you must be patient and place your trust in those who guide you. Dismissed. »
Clarity and her crew filed out of Bojack’s office, disheartened but also relieved. Things could have gone much worse for their act of insubordination.
As they exited headquarters, Clarity immediately noticed a familiar figure leaning casually against the wall, waiting for them. Xaden Ralter gave her a roguish smirk.
« So the prodigal crew returns, » he remarked. « You’re the talk of the barracks lately. »
Clarity suppressed a flare of annoyance. She still felt foolish for letting this brash pilot tempt her into ‘borrowing’ that mech simulator. He had helped set her down this path.
« Nothing but envy, I’m sure, » Johan shot back before she could respond.
Xaden put up his hands disarmingly. « Woah, just busting your thrusters a bit. We all get a little stir-crazy grounded here. No judgment. »
He pushed off the wall and stepped closer. « But I’m guessing by your looks that the powers that be didn’t take it so lightly? »
Clarity crossed her arms. « We’ll manage. Right now we just want to get back to our bunks. »
She went to move past him but Xaden gently caught her arm, his expression earnest. « Hey, look – I’m sorry if I got you into hot water before. Got caught up in the thrill. »
He glanced around and lowered his voice. « Between us thrill-seekers, I say you did the right thing. Things are coming to a boil out there. We need to get in the fight. »
Despite herself, Clarity felt her frustration thaw a bit. She gave a small nod of appreciation. « When the time comes, we’ll be ready. Stay sharp. »
Xaden released her arm and stepped back. « Look forward to fighting alongside you soon. » He gave them a casual two-fingered salute and headed off down the tarmac, flight jacket rippling.
Clarity watched him go thoughtfully. Impulsive as he was, she couldn’t deny they were of like minds when it came to meeting threats head-on.
Over the next few weeks, Clarity chafed under the restrictions but kept her head down, determined to prove herself disciplined. Her crew ran endless flight and combat simulations, honing their skills for the battles ahead. The Council’s stance remained strictly defensive, but the horizon was growing darker.
Sure enough, one fateful day the alarm Klaxons resounded across headquarters. Clarity and Johan raced to the command center as grim-faced officers studied incoming intel.
« We’ve confirmed a large Vinne strike fleet massing on the edge of the system, » Bojack announced. « They’ll be in attack range within hours. »
The room exploded into activity. Squadrons were scrambled, defenses primed. Clarity’s heart hammered, knowing her time had finally come. In the chaos, she caught Bojack’s eye. He gave her a single nod. Permission granted.
She and Johan sprinted for the mech bay. The sleek humanoid machines towered over them, bristling with advanced weapons and shields. Clarity leapt into her cockpit with practiced ease, running through start-up sequences. Nearby, Johan’s mech thudded to life.
« Never thought I’d be so happy to see combat, » he said over the comm. « Let’s give these bastards hell. »
Clarity gripped her controls, feeling the mech respond and move like a hulking exoskeleton. « Stay sharp. For humanity. »
They strode out onto the tarmac, other mech squads falling in around them. Xaden’s Varangians took up position on their flank, assault cannons primed. Xaden’s voice crackled over comms.
« Knew you’d be here with us. Try to keep up, salvage jockeys. »
Clarity allowed herself a fierce grin. « Just focus on pulling your weight, hotshot. »
Together, the massed mechs lifted off, boosters flaring as they roared up to punch through atmosphere and meet the enemy head-on. Clarity angled them for a slingshot trajectory around the planet’s moon, building speed.
Her HUD displayed the sprawling Vinne fleet ahead, bristling with walkers and fighters. But Clarity felt no fear in this moment, only crystalline focus and readiness.
This was their purpose. Humanity was not yet defeated. And today, the Vinne would learn that lesson the hard way.
Clarity drifted awake slowly, her senses muddy. There was a repetitive beeping nearby. She tried to move but her body felt heavy, sluggish. Her left arm throbbed with dull pain.
As her vision focused, she realized she was in a med bay. Her arm was wrapped in bandages and connected to an IV drip. What happened? Her mind strained to recall how she got here.
« Clarity? Are you awake? » came a familiar voice. She turned her head to see Johan in the next bed over, also looking pretty banged up. His leg was in a cast propped up.
« Johan. What’s going on? Why are we in medical? » Clarity asked, her voice hoarse.
Johan’s expression turned somber. He hesitated before answering. « We were on a training exercise out at the new off-world bases. You took a bad fall, got banged up pretty badly. Don’t you remember? »
Clarity wracked her brain but came up empty. The last thing she recalled was…being at headquarters? Reporting for duty? Everything after was a blur.
« I don’t remember any of that, » Clarity said, trying to sit up straighter. A spike of pain lanced through her arm at the movement. She gritted her teeth, breathing through it.
« Take it easy, » Johan cautioned. « You got a nasty concussion from the fall. Doc said there might be some memory issues. »
Clarity shook her head in frustration. Why couldn’t she recall this training accident? She tried to think back, but it only aggravated her headache.
Glancing around the med bay, she saw several other patients with injuries, mostly pilots by the looks of their flight suits. None of it triggered any memories.
Just then, Captain Bojack entered, his arm in a sling. He looked weary but managed a smile when he saw Clarity. « Welcome back, kid. Gave us all a real scare. »
« Captain…sir, I’m sorry but I’m having trouble remembering exactly what happened, » Clarity said hesitantly.
Bojack’s face became grave. He shared a look with Johan. « Well, that’s…understandable, given your head trauma. The, uh, accident was fairly chaotic. »
Clarity’s unease was growing. Why was Bojack being so evasive? And why didn’t Johan seem surprised by her memory loss?
Just then, a nurse arrived to check Clarity’s vitals and IV. « I wouldn’t worry too much about fuzzy memories, » she said kindly as she worked. « Things will come back with time and rest. »
But her bedside manner seemed off. Mechanical. Clarity was missing something here, she could feel it.
After Bojack and the nurse left, she turned to Johan. « Are you sure it was just a training fall? That story doesn’t sit right with me. And why are so many pilots injured? »
Johan chewed his lip, seeming conflicted. Finally he leaned in close. « I probably shouldn’t say anything, but…it wasn’t a normal exercise. There was an incident, a combat situation. But they’re keeping it quiet for now, so don’t spread this around. »
Clarity’s pulse quickened. A combat situation? Had they come under attack? But who would dare attack their base? The Vinne?
Her head throbbed as she tried to put together these puzzle pieces. She needed to get to the bottom of this.
Clarity continued to have trouble reconciling any of this with her missing memories. But it had the ring of truth, and she trusted Johan. She made him promise not to mention her lapses in memory to anyone else. The last thing she wanted was to be forced off duty over this.
Finally the day came when Clarity was discharged from medical. She immediately headed for HQ, hoping to find some answers in mission logs or reports. But she was barred from restricted areas, still being on medical leave.
Frustrated, Clarity retreated to her bunk to think. Her missing memories consumed her thoughts. She needed to talk to someone else who had been on that fateful training exercise.
After hours of searching, she tracked down a pilot from another squadron who had also been injured in the mysterious incident. But when Clarity tried to ask him about it, he went pale and refused to discuss anything. « Sorry ma’am, I’m under strict orders not to talk about that day, » he stammered before retreating.
Clarity was now certain something major was being covered up. She wracked her brain, trying to break through the mental block in her mind. That night she tossed and turned, plagued by flashes of light, muffled explosions, and twisted metal shapes she couldn’t place.
The next morning, her headache had returned with a vengeance. But she was more determined than ever to uncover the truth. Clarity snuck into Command, trying to access mission archives. An angry watch commander caught her and threatened a court martial.
Clarity fled, feeling out of options. But as she passed by med bay, she noticed Bojack exiting. That gave her an idea.
She managed to sneak in and access medical records, searching for clues. What she found made her blood turn to ice. The real cause of death listed for many of the injured pilots was not training accidents, but burn trauma and shrapnel wounds consistent with combat injuries.
Her heart pounded as the horrible truth dawned on her. There had been a battle against some unknown enemy force. One epic enough to cause all this devastation. And the Council was covering up the very fact it had happened.
Clarity’s headache split her skull, memories suddenly flooding back. The Vinne surprise attack…being swarmed by enemy walkers…desperately returning fire…Johan’s mech getting hit as he shielded her from an explosion…everything went black.
Clarity staggered from the med bay in shock. She had to tell someone. But who would believe her? Who could she even trust anymore? This subterfuge went to the highest levels.
Just then, she spotted Xaden across the tarmac. Maybe the only other pilot foolishly impulsive enough to listen. She raced over to him.
« Xaden, something is very wrong here. I know what really happened during that training exercise. We need to find out why Command is lying about the Vinne attack. »
Xaden stared at her, confusion morphing into concern. « What are you talking about? There haven’t been any Vinne here. And I don’t know any Xaden.”
Dread pooled in Clarity’s gut. What was happening here? She turned and ran, unsure where she was fleeing to, only knowing she had uncovered something terrible, and that nowhere was safe now.
To Be Continued ?