Chapter 14

We stayed huddled together on the sofa, and none of us spoke. We didn’t need to. Even if I couldn’t name it, I felt that something had changed between us, and part of me hoped it was for the better.

After a while, I got up, took three MRE packs from the kitchen, and brought them back. We ate in silence, but this time, it wasn’t the heavy and oppressive feeling that I had grown so used to that I now took it for granted. No, this was something else, and part of me liked it. It felt strangely comforting, a feeling I’d almost forgotten existed.

“Should we have some tea?”, Mai’Ri asked, looking at the girl.

“I can bring it!”

An’Ri leapt from the sofa and rushed out the sliding door. Mai’Ri looked at me and sighed.

“My sister was ill. It wasn’t…you know...”

“Thank you...”

She looked down, and I was sure there was more to this story than she’d told me, but I accepted her silence and didn’t ask any further. Hesitantly, I rested my head on her shoulder. That’s how they did it, right?

“Did we hurt…?”, she asked quietly.

“No…”

The door opened, and An’Ri came in carrying a tray with the teapot and glasses. She set it on the floor and then squeezed in between us. She felt cold, her hair damp from the rain. I got up, took a blanket from my bedroom, and put it on the floor, wishing for the first time that my flat looked nicer.

We went to sit on the floor, around the teapot, and they put their hands on it. I hesitated for a moment before joining them. Mai’Ri looked at me, but I nodded, trying to smile. I tried to relax as the subtle flow of Tau filled the air. It would get easier with time... At least that’s what I hoped for as I pushed against the rising uneasiness and instead focused on her hands touching mine. They were warm, just like the teapot.

Once heated, we shared the tea. It tasted better than I remembered, and I smiled. It almost felt like a scene from the movie.

When they finally left in the evening, my flat felt even emptier than before. I sighed and sat on the sofa, not really knowing what to do. It wasn’t boredom, but something else, but I couldn’t name it, no matter how hard I tried. In the end, I took a shower but couldn’t force myself to clear my mind with a blast of cold water, as I always did. I went to bed early, and despite the many thoughts passing through my mind, I fell asleep with ease.

When the alarm rang, the morning part of me wanted to stay in bed and daydream about yesterday, but my habit kicked in, and after the workout and a cold shower, I was almost back to my usual self. It had cleared up, so I took my coffee to the balcony and sat down as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. Their flat was still dark, so I would probably see them when I got back from work.

I drank the last of the coffee, I put on my jacket and left. The white ribbon was still pinned to it, and it made me smile. If she really wanted to grow flowers, I could look for something after work.

Like always, I arrived early, so only Major Takahashi was in, standing with a cup of coffee in front of the big map plastered on the wall, watching it with a slight smile on his face. I saluted, and he gave me a small bow.

“The rain will keep the dust down, so work should be easier for the next few days”

I nodded and hesitated for a moment.

“Sir, can I ask a question?”

“Ask freely, Fury.”

He smiled and gave me a curious look.

“What is it about?”

I pulled out my notebook from my pocket and flipped through the pages.

“Military aid, work allocation and a few more things of similar matter”

I tried to stay professional, not sure about his reaction, and definitely not ready to tell him why I had asked about it in the first place. He just nodded and gestured for me to follow him to the small room that served as his office.

I spent the next half an hour trying to note down his explanations, and then he helped me fill in Mai’Ri’s form. By this point, I was sure he had understood what I had got involved in, but thankfully, he didn’t comment on it, staying as professional as I was.

“If you have time after work, you could take my car and go and speak with them”

He pointed at the screen.

“Those two are pretty urgent”

I blinked and looked at him.

“I could email them, but you know…”, he smiled and looked at me.

Yeah, they may not check it in time, or at all, given their mistrust of officials from outside their communities. I got it by now. I nodded.

“Thank you, Fury”

He looked at his watch and sighed.

“We’ve made the others wait.”

Everyone was already assembled when we walked into the briefing room. I got a few curious glances as I joined the rest, and after a short briefing, I headed to Fenrir to get to work.

Even if the sky was clear, the air still felt fresh. The team working on the ground would be happy. I glanced at the sea of rubble sticking out of the puddles of water, wondering how long it would take to clean it all. At least we were ready to start another sector today, so all the machines had to be moved first.

I put on my suit and glanced towards a group of volunteers walking into the parameter. I was sure some of them were Ta’al, even if it was difficult to tell due to the protective gear they wore. I watched them working together as Fenrir’s systems slowly came online, suddenly wondering how many of them already had flower pots leaning against the balconies of their newly rebuilt homes.