'So you actually became a Capsuleer, and that after your brother went catatonic in the attempt to make it, and you founded an outpost in Wormhole Space.' Nevire sounded impressed. She reached out from where she was sitting beside him on the sun-warmed bench. Tentatively she traced a finger along the outline of the top-most spinal plug that sat exposed above the small collar of his lightly-fitting civilian shirt. 'Somehow I always knew you would have it in you. You always came out best in all the tests.' she stated after a short pause.
Cedrien shrugged as he looked out over the sea. 'Operating and commanding spaceships was what I knew best. When they discharged me I felt like I had nowhere else to go, so I underwent the procedure.' he paused and pressed his lips together tightly when he made himself relive that past. 'My father was furious of course. I guess he was just afraid to lose me too. Mother did not even say a thing.' his expression hardened. 'I guess it did not matter to her anymore after she had already lost her favorite firstborn son.' Barely hidden resentment charged every word in that last sentence. 'I started a new life, far away from everything.' he closed with a relieved exhalation.
'Did it hurt?' she asked and half-turned on the bench to rest her face in her hand, the elbow on the backrest. She looked at his profile, awaiting the answer.
'You get over it. They have good medication and rehab programs.' he replied directly.
'No, I meant losing your ship, your rank … everything you had worked for in all those years, and breaking with your family.' Nevire clarified her question.
Cedrien turned to look at her and nodded. 'It was like losing everything I valued in life.' his voice carried the hint of something unspoken, but he stopped himself there and looked back out at the glittering surface of the bay. 'Many of my old crew joined me when I went to look for a new beginning. A few of them are still with me.' he took a deep breath and looked back into her lush brown eyes, unable to speak.
Those alluring irises of hers held his gaze, and after a long moment she finally broke the silence 'Why did you not ask me to come with you?' she wondered. 'I never heard anything from you again after the court-martial.' grievance crept into her voice.
'I did not want to drag you down with me.' He replied with a pained expression 'You still had your career ahead of you, and you served under Commander Yun by then. How could I …'
'I would have left all of this behind to be with you.' Nevire interrupted him firmly and stood up. She folded her arms in front of her and looked out to where the silhouette of a large sailing barge cast a long, sharp shadow over the waves. 'I left the navy soon after you vanished. It was not the same for me anymore.' her shoulders heaved with a deep sigh. 'What is it like out there? In wormhole space I mean?' she asked while traveling her gaze along the luxurious outskirts of the city on the other side of the bay.
'Beautiful, fascinating, dangerous.' Cedrien began and then looked down at his feet 'Lonely.' he finally said quietly.
Nevire turned and sat down beside him again, clasping his hand. 'Let me come back with you.' she requested 'It does not have to be for long. I just want to see what kind of life you lead out there, be with you for some time after all those years we have not seen each other.'
Cedrien's dark blue eyes met with hers and he searched there for help with his answer. He nodded when he found it. 'I will show it to you then.' he finally conceded.
Her face lit up with a smile. He returned it, triggered by the blissful feeling that welled up inside of him. 'Let's walk back to town. You can stay with me while I arrange for some leave from my work.' she offered eagerly.
***
When their commander arrived back from the undisclosed errand he had been running out in Empire-Space, many of the crew speculated about the woman he had brought back with him.
Was she a Capsuleer recruit? But, if so, why did she not have her own ship then?
A diplomat from an Alliance? Without guards or assistants? Not likely.
A trade representative? But talk had made the rounds, that they had recently opened a good connection for that. So that could not be the answer.
Only a bare handful of crew members, those who had known Cedrien for many years, recognized her during the time he spent to lead her around the station and it's hangars: Nevire Chatal – former Navy Academy colleague, and later lover, of their captain. Even those few, however, could not say what it meant that she appeared here now. All they noticed was that their commanding officer seemed to be in a better mood than he ever was since the establishment of their small colony.
***
Alira had just returned from a flight to Hek, where she had the subsystems of the Sei'r reconfigured. Her whole technical crew was busy fitting and refitting different ship components under her direction, when Cedrien appeared in the vast maintenance dock with his guest.
'This is where we build ships and refit them. We make almost everything we need out here ourselves.' he explained with a sweeping gesture across the staggering expanse of walkways, robotic cranes, observation stations and assorted machinery. 'And this here is one of my Capsuleer crew.' he pointed at the Sebiestor woman surrounded by technicians. She operated a large holographic ship-fitting simulator in the middle of a sanity-defying arrangement of cables, half-assembled parts and machinery.
Alira had not noticed their approach, but she turned around with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes when she heard Cedrien's voice. She eagerly walked a few steps in his direction. 'I managed to get even more capacity out of her this time. We are just running the last simulation with a new array of guns and …' she stopped her enthusiastic outburst when she registered the other woman. 'Who is she?' her smile died, and her desire to impress was replaced by a subconsciously nagging suspicion.
'I am sorry.' Cedrien began 'Alira, this is my old friend Nevire. We served in the Navy together.' his female companion – dressed in tasteful Gallente designer fashion – smiled at the Matari woman with an open expression on her face.
Alira was not the most socially savvy person, but the obvious way Cedrien looked at that vibrantly exotic lady was not lost on her. She nodded at the other woman curtly with a stony expression, and then looked back at him. 'Just make sure she doesn't trip over anything. We work a bit differently here than what she might be used to from the Gallente navy.' and with that she turned to walk back to the holographic simulator, leaving the present company behind with a feeling of surprised unease. 'Let's get this procedure running, we haven't got all day.' she snapped at one of the engineers who stood there dumbfounded by her sudden change of mood.
'What is her problem?' Nevire asked once she and Cedrien had gained some distance from the awkward scene.
'She flew with the Thukker tribe before she became part of my crew. Those people take their ships very seriously.' Cedrien shrugged. 'I guess she was uncomfortable with a stranger around.' He laughed in an attempt to diffuse the situation 'You should have seen her on the day some guys commandeered that Loki cruiser of hers.' and with that he began to tell the story while Nevire slid her hand into his and he matched her affectionate gesture.
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