Kadance

5c

"Have done Lt." At Jayse's shocked look Kadance continues. "Yes, I know about your promotion before they discharged you. Have done.

"Thompson is very worried that you will go suicidal. Have done. You've lost your family, your friends, even your career. But you've not lost everything. You haven't lost all your family or friends. You still have Thompson. At least you're of sound mind not like Rory. At least you're whole of body unlike Thompson. You think you are the only one to suffer tragedy Lt? Not even close." Kadances voice has become hard as flint striking stone as she continues. She completely misses Jayse's look turning from anger to admiration.

"The day I lost my sister I lost my only family. My sister dead by shifters and my nephews taken to training to become warriors. I had no family left. No friends to turn to. No job and no training or even any skills for a job. No home, no money." Kadance fights hard to keep the tears back and her tone becomes biting.

"You may no longer be able to fight as a soldier, but you still have the skills that made you a leader, a man that others would unhesitatingly follow. You have skills and abilities I'll never have or any civilian for that matter. Gads Lt. your anger flares and I can feel it all the way over here. I know you fight it and fight it hard to keep it from overtaking you like it did today. I know that if you lose that fight you could break me easier than breaking a twig would be for me and you'd think about it about as much as if I were a twig.

"But get over yourself. I've experienced the hells of war firsthand." Kadance holds up her hand to stop him from interrupting her. "Oh, I know, it's nothing like what you've experienced. Or any of the Companies have experienced. You see the action, I see the aftermath. You deal out the destruction and I deal with fixing it. If I can. I've had people come in here broken inside, much like Rory." Here her voice saddens. "Some we could fix others, like Rory, we couldn't. But unlike Rory they didn't get the final grace and I had to watch them suffer until finally death brought them peace. I've seen people that have lost body functions/parts and having to relearn how to live. For some it was too much and they gave up.

"There are thousands of displaced civilians that have left their planets looking for a new start with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Many having lost their family and friends everything except their lives and they fight to start over. Yet here you are so quick to give up yours and to take as many with you as you can." She shakes her head in disgust.

Jayse sees unshed tears gathering in her eyes as the sun slowly sinks beneath the horizon. Her voice is choked and it's obviously hard for her to continue. "I've seen premature babies born struggling to live. Each breath, each heart beat a victory and a torment as they struggle to survive the drug addiction withdrawals. Standing by unable to comfort them. I've taken over a dozen babies to the morgue due to their lost battle. But at least they fought Lt.

"You are so busy in your pity party that you can't even see the pain you're inflicting on Thompson. He needs your support, but you're so focused on hating your life and yourself to see he needs help too." Kadance is so angry now that she doesn't dare say anything further.

In frustration she turns and walks away from Jayse. He laughs as she turns to go, "You're beautiful when you're angry." Jayse says and grabs her and turns her around to kiss her hard.

She slaps him as hard as she can. She hisses at him angrily, "Don't you mock me." This time she storms away and he lets her. She stomps down the beach, staying just out of reach of the waves.

Jayse may have let her go, but he walks with her down to the waters edge. "Please, Ms. Kadance let me apologize." She stops walking, but refuses to look at him.

"I am sorry I offended you. I most definitely wasn't mocking you." He sighs heavily and runs his hands through his hair in frustration. "I'm stepping in waters I don't know. At times I step into a deep hole. Please there was no offense intended in my actions. My people don't put a high premium on artificial beauty. Outside looks fade or are easily maimed." Jayse holds up one of his battle scarred hands. "Puff balls, are what we call the skinny beauties, those we mock. Yes, we have skinny beautiful women, but they have depth to them as well. All our children receive the same basic training. We look to what makes a person to find true beauty.

"So when I say you're beautiful when you're angry I mean it. Hell, I think you're beautiful even when you're not angry. Kadance you are a very beautiful woman." By this time Kadance is turned facing him. She looks at him uncertainly but finds the truth in his face and eyes.

As the sun fades Jayse gently brings his hand up and pushes her hair back from her face. With his other hand he gently caresses her face. She sighs and closes her eyes as he lightly kisses her eyelids, forehead, nose and each cheek. The kisses are as light as butterfly wings and just as gentle. She waits in anticipation as Jayse at last reaches her lips. Light at first he doesn't press. When she doesn't pull away or object he gently brings her toward him and deepens the kiss. It's with difficulty that he pulls back. They are both breathing heavily and both need time to pull themselves together.

After she pulls herself together she faces him with tears in her eyes. "Why have you done this? By law we cannot do this. A warrior and a civilian cannot be together."

The sun sets in glorious colors but they fade fast from brilliant pinks and reds to the deeper purple and mauve. The shadows grow quickly and they soon lose sight of each other. In the quiet Jayse speaks, "You could be a part of the warrior class if you like." That is the last thing Kadance expected to hear Jayse say to her.

So astounded she can only splutter, "What me? How? I mean in order to join your class I'd have to have something to pass on to enhance the warrior race, like my sister's intelligence. I don't have much above average intelligence. I have nothing special to offer."

Jayse smiles as he caresses her face with his thumbs. "There's your attributes as a nurse: kindness, caring, gentleness. We need that a great deal in our medic services. But even more than that, there is your bravery, your willingness to stand up and protect. That is invaluable. We can always use those qualities.

"Once command saw you- the video of the fight where your sister died- they asked us to keep our eyes out for you. You see, we don't keep track of civies. There are just too many of you. But when someone shows us they have something to offer we look for them. We've been looking for you for ten years now. Once the offer has been made it can be rejected but never rescinded." Kadance stands stunned and Jayse takes advantage of her silence and kisses her again.

As the last light fades neither one notices a third person packing up his equipment with satisfaction. He'll clean up the audio and send the footage to Command. The crises of Lt. Jayse is dealt with. The delighted smile covers his face as he goes back over the dressing down Kadance gave Jayse. Stupid civilians, Kadance is absolutely glorious.