Through the Ghost

Tal made his way down from Rahn’s office a few minutes later. The moist heat clung to him the moment he stepped out from the air-conditioned building. In the center of the courtyard he spied Chara playing with the cascading water of the fountain. The little girl laughed as she swiped her hand through the crisp, cool, streams. Anna sat on the edge smiling at the happy child.

“Having fun?” he inquired as he got closer.

Chara looked up and nodded her head vigorously.

Tal looked at Anna. “You okay?”

“I will be,” she replied without taking her eyes off the young girl.

A silence settled over them, the trickle of the fountain managed to fill the void. For a while they merely sat there, basking in the sunlight and the cool splash of the water.

“Before you left, I occasionally thought of moments like this. Just us, sitting, taking solace in our moments of peace between jobs,” Tal admitted.

Anna looked at him, repressing an amused smirk. “Bullshit.”

“Okay, no, but this is nice.”

Chara took a break from the fountain to sit with Anna.

“Tired?” Tal teases her.

She shook her head.

“I’ve been exercising with mommy,” she stated proudly.

“Really?” he inquired with faux curiosity.

“Yeah, she teaches me how to be tough so I can fight off the monsters,” Chara flexed non-existent arm muscles.

“Can you show me something?”

She looked at Anna pleadingly.

“Go ahead,” she said with an encouraging smile.

Chara hopped down, Tal bent his knees, arms on guard.

“Alright, give me your best shot,” he told her.

She struck quickly, small fists smacked into his arms with all the power of a declawed kitten. Her brow furrowed in concentration.

“Ow, ow, okay,” he called out in mock pain.

She stopped, her face is beaming with pride.

“Good job,” he added, rubbing his arms enthusiastically.

She laughed then hastily ran back towards Anna. Tal sat next to them once more. Chara resumed her aquatic activities as a warm breeze began to flow through the courtyard.

A group of operatives entered through the southern entrance, they were decked out in gear and weaponry. “Jaya!” Chara called out. The operative turned confusedly, then a smile appeared upon seeing Chara waving frantically for her attention. She waved goodbye to her fellow operatives, then walked towards the trio, offering a slow wave to the excited child.

“Hey, what’re you doing?” the raven-haired operative asked with a smile.

“Playing. You want to join?” Chara inquired.

“Oh, I don’t know…” Jaya answered with a knowing grin. Before Chara could react, the dark-haired operative’s hand swiped at the water. Chara screamed in surprise as droplets pelted her, a few missed their target and landed on Tal. Anna suppressed a laugh as her former partner wiped the liquid from his face. Chara attempted to fire back with a smaller splash only to have it fail to clear the rim of the fountain. Jaya laughed playfully before striking the water again.

“Chara, have you shown Jaya your present?” Anna inquired, bringing a cease fire to the water war.

She turned to her mom, a finger on her lips. “Miss Jaya, I made you something,” she announced a bit louder, returning her attention to the raven-haired operative.

Jaya smiled. “I can’t wait to see it.”

“Okay, come on,” Chara ordered before running off towards her room. Jaya turned to her brother and Anna mouthing the words you’re welcome, before following the energetic red-head.

It’s not long before they’re alone once more and the trickle of water danced behind them. Tal looked at her, taking in the serene image of her hair glowing in the sunlight. The tight smile at the edge of her lips.

“Tal?” her voice was uncertain, nervous.

His gut twisted as he anticipated the words yet to come out of her mouth. “Promise me that if I don’t make it tomorrow. You’ll take care of her.”

He sighed defeatedly. “I promise that you’re going to kick some Kulrathi ass, and you can tell that little girl all about it. With maybe less emphasis on blood and violence,” he said with a reassuring grin.

She smiled meekly at his attempt to alleviate the situation. “Please,” she begged.

He released a resigned breath. “Alright, I promise.”

“Thank you.” The tension drained from her body as she exhaled, her lips pulled back in a relieved smile.

“Come on, let’s head inside.” She climbed to her feet, holding a hand out to him.

He hesitated. “I’m sorry,” he said with a mischievous grin.

Her eyes went wide as he grasped her hand and pulled. They entered the water, the thrum of the fountain pulsed in their ears. They quickly resurfaced, sputtering, laughing and wiping water from their faces.

“What the hell was that for?” she asked though her tone was lighter, more relaxed than it’d been minutes before.

“I needed to hear it,” he answered.

“What?” She replied with a confused chuckle.

“Your laugh.”

She stopped laughing. Her features shifted back into a more somber expression. She looked about to say something.

He raised a hand to stop her. “If this is our last day,” he said. “I’d prefer it be a pleasant memory.”

Her smile returned, his grinned victoriously. She leaned forward, he tasted the fresh water on her lips and brushed the hair from her eyes. “You know, Chara will be entertaining Jaya for a while,” she added suggestively.

His eyebrows arched with intrigue. Before he could respond however, Anna stood up and dragged him from the edge of the fountain. A trail of rapidly drying puddles followed behind them as she led him towards the residential building.

The cool hallway sent an immediate chill through him. Tal stopped and pulled her close, they locked lips once more as he blindly pressed his free hand against the door pad. It slid open, he pulled her inside. The taste of water lingered on his lips.

They stood in the center of the room, his hands slid down her shoulders to her bare forearms. The damp shirt clung to his chest as he attempted to peal it off. She laughed as she placed a firm hand on his chest, forcing him backwards onto the bed.

Allie had notified Jaya that they would be “catching -up” for the rest of the day. His sister voiced little complaints about the whole affair. They spent the next few hours talking; about Chara mostly. Her first steps, her first word, and the time she gave Kirosan a “haircut”. He heard about how Anna found New Azariah and what the small colony had been like. He’d shared Jaya’s first day on Praga, and the pride he’d felt upon hearing she broke Anna’s record. He even told her about the mission where he had to work with Maya Gaige, though she’d already heard the pirate’s side of the story.

Eventually they’d drifted off to sleep though he soon found himself wide awake with her arm wrapped around his stomach, and her breath on his neck. The past few hours they’d spent together had felt revitalizing, it’d been like a piece of him had been returned. Now it felt like an afterthought. He watched her sleep, she seemed so relaxed, so blissfully unconcerned with the fact she’d take part in a duel to the death.

He gazed back down at his partner. I know what you are thinking, Allie warned him. And I do not like it.

“Me neither,” he whispered before placing a silent kiss on the top of Anna’s head. Despite carefully getting up from the bed the mattress still emitted a slight groan as he got to his feet. Anna rolled onto her side, the sound of her light snoring ceased momentarily then resumed.

He pulled on his clothes as quietly as possible, stumbling slightly while trying to pull his pant leg on.

I really must protest, you are unnecessarily putting yourself in jeopardy, Allie argued.

His shirt, still damp from their spill into the fountain, was the last piece of clothing he put on before walking to the door. There was an audible roll of the bed as the door slid open. “Where are you going?” Anna mumbled hazily. He continued through the threshold without a response.

“Lock it,” he commanded his AI.

Tal… the program started to argue but is cut off.

“Just do it,” he pressed.

“Wait!” Anna called out as the realization jolted her awake.

He turned around to see her throw the covers off herself. The door pad blinked red, and Anna’s fists smashed against the door. Her muffled protests called out inaudibly through the barrier.

“You’ll thank me later,” he responded, not even sure if she could hear him, his right hand remained pressed against the door. “I hope,” he added as he walked away. Anna’s frustrated pounding dully reverberated behind him as he stalked down the otherwise silent hallway.

The moment he walked into the humid air his clothes stuck to his body. He progressed towards The Amaryllis. As he passed through the entrance to the ship he noticed the loading bay door to his ship gradually opening on his arrival. “I thought you didn’t want to help me,” he commented.

I do not, Allie replied. But if you are so keen on doing this, I may as well help ensure our survival.

The ramp fully lowered with a climactic thud. He traversed the ramp woodenly, almost as if his body was fighting the insane decision he’d made. Of course, knowing what Allie was capable of, he wouldn’t be surprised if that was actually the case.

Making a beeline towards the armory, he began pulling on his signature crimson armor. It’d since been buffed and cleaned of the blood stains and scrapes from its last use. He took a moment to adjust to the familiar weight on his chest and limbs. The racks of guns gleamed temptingly under the lights. Their sleek forms called out to his aching fingers.

He knew the duel was supposed to be melee focused. Yet he couldn’t quite shake the uncomfortable feeling that it’d be a mistake to leave his firearms behind. Then he had an idea. Reis had mentioned a prototype for a new bracer he was working on, supposedly it could conceal a small sidearm.

Stealing now? Allie chastised him.

“It’s more like a beta test,” Tal replied.

The facility grounds were silent. Spots of light illuminated his way towards the lab, though as a fully augmented operative he didn’t require their assistance. The research labs were on the second floor. There was little barrier for entering the section, the problem would come with getting into Griff’s personal lab space.

Unfortunately, his old friend was asleep at his desk again. Tal knocked on the glass of the door. Reis jolted awake, nearly falling out of his chair. The Orothros researcher’s hair was flattened on one side and raised on the other. He looked around alertly to identify the source of the disturbance; his eyes settled on Tal waiting patiently at the door. The sight of his friend instantly lowered whatever guard had been raised. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Reis walked to the door and opened it.

“What are you doing up?” Reis asked with a yawn.

“I have a problem that I think you can help me with,” he answered with a smile.

Reis yawned again. “Um, sure. What is it?” he asked as Tal entered the small laboratory.

The desk was cluttered with scraps from various projects. The only light in the room was a small lamp at the corner of his workbench. Tal spotted robotic limbs piled on top of each other, tactical lenses that were cracked and burned, and three gutted weapons, but there was no sign of the bracer.

“Is it about Anna?”

“Yeah, what gave it away?”

“The last time you came to see me at the crack of dawn was when you both got those tattoos around your finger.”

Tal smiled sheepishly, in hopes of misdirecting his friend. It was then that he noticed the safe hidden just below Reis’s desk.

Can you open it? he mentally queried Allie.

Of course, she replied.

Will you?

The light switched from red to green, a quiet click emitted from the lock. Reis, in his early morning/pre-caffeine state failed to notice the sound as he tiredly patted himself awake.

“She’s in a lot of trouble.”

“She’s managed to survive worse,” Reis reminded him.

“And Chara? I’ve went through the death of a parent at a young age and look how well adjusted I turned out.”

“Jaya’s turned out fine.”

“She barely remembers them. Anna has been all Chara’s had since she was born.”

Reis yawned again. “Can we at least discuss this over coffee? Where I can be more awake for your melodrama?”

Tal laughed. “Sure,” he replied. He stepped directly into the desk, causing a couple items to fall off.

Reis rolled his eyes and moved to help.

Tal waved him off. “I’ve got it, go warm me up a cup.”

Reis hesitated, then shrugged and walked towards the door.

“Just remember to lock up,” he announced as he crossed the threshold.

Tal swiftly pressed the release on his bracer allowing the device to fall to the floor. Plucking the prototype from the safe he hastily clasped it around his forearm. Before he left he placed his old bracer in the safe and returned the fallen objects, an old bobble head and two styluses, to the desk.

This thing is just as likely to explode as it is to work, Allie informed him.

Then let’s hope it’s the latter, he thought.

When he exited the building the first thing he noticed was the dim glow cresting the horizon. It was time. He crossed the courtyard and exited onto the eastern grounds of the facility.

It was a section generally used as the prepping ground for the final trials recruits undertook. He spotted Rahn stoically staring down the Kulrathi entourage as the sun crested the treetops. Another figure, likely his assistant Adrielle, paced behind the Orothros leader. The Kulrathi stood statuesque in their reflective silver armor. There was no indication of anxiety or anticipation. A sense of dread crept into the back of his mind. Stories of their actions during the war came flooding back. He closed his eyes, counted to three the reopened them. His blood was pumping with the thrill of battle.

As soon as he started to make his way closer to Rahn, he heard a voice call out to him. He turned to see Anna furiously marching towards him. With nowhere else to go, he smiled helplessly as she approached.

“Are you insane?” she asked through bared teeth.

“Maybe, but I doubt that’s why you’re here. Listen I-“

Her fist clocked him across the face before he could finish. For a moment, he thought he felt a tooth come loose, but Allie repaired the damage just as quickly.

“No, shut up! You’re not doing this for me.”

He looked at her, still rubbing his struck jaw.

“I’m not,” he admitted.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“Well, maybe I am,” he answered. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, I’m doing it for Chara. If something happens to you she’ll be devastated. Me? I’m nobody. She’ll feel maybe a tinge of empathy.”

“Tal…”

“Don’t worry. I’m gonna be fine. I promise,” he said with a cocky grin.

She sighed, “You know I hate promises.”

Her gaze switched to look down at his arm. “Where’d you get that piece of junk?”

He looks at the golden device on his right forearm. “I borrowed it from Reis.”

“Why?” she inquired suspiciously.

“It has a secret gun compartment, figured that might come in handy.”

Allie popped up on the bracer’s projector, though her image was distorted and fizzled in and out of existence. “It may also explode upon use.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed in Tal’s direction.

“I never liked that arm much anyways.”

Anna remained silently disapproving.

“No good luck kiss?” he asked with mock scorn.

She shook her head. “You have to win to get one of those.”

He laughed, and together they walked towards Rahn and Adrielle.

“’Bout time, thought you two were gonna take all damn day. You ready?” Rahn inquired without turning around.

“Tal’s going in, not me,” Anna clarified.

“I know, that’s why I was asking him,” Rahn clarified finally turning to face them.

Tal tried his best to shrug off the uncertainty that lurked in his stomach.

“That’s all you brought with you?” Rahn asked.

“Just one more thing,” Tal responded before removing a piece of fabric from the pouch on his hip. He dramatically pulled it down over his head. Replacing his face with that of the ghostly visage inscribed on it.