Loyalties

Chapter 32: Adrian

A full day passed since the memorial and the same guilt still pangs at me. I should be over all this now, it's done and over. But if I'm being honest they all were the only friends I've had.

I feel in my pocket, my finger touching cool metal. I still got it. After all this time, I still held onto it.

At least something survived, I think, pulling it out of my pocket. It's a ring, silver, polished to the point it could be a mirror, with a small diamond stud on it.

I was going to give this to you, but it seems I cannot do that now.

I clench my fist, first in sadness then in anger. All I want is to throw the precious ring at the wall, stomping on it with my boot and killing the last cheerful, perfect thing in this new hell. But, I can't bring myself to do it.

The sun shines through the small crack I call a window, though it's enough to light up my room. The Black Sun has already began to rebuild the city, using whatever machines they can get their hands on: terraformers, droids, anything. A few of the shorter skyscrapers are finished with the framework, though the larger ones will take a few months at the pace they're going at.

A knock on the door puts me out of my trance. "Come," I call, and standing there is First Lieutenant Dylan Lamare, a straggler who asked to join last night.

"Sir, Gunship Two has not reported back to base," he says, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "Shall I sand a search-"

I raise my hand to stop him. "Mark them as dead," I croak. "Unless they find their way back here they're gone."

"Yes sir," the lieutenant says, saluting, and walking off.

Another three down, I stare at the floor. Another 267 more to go Jade. Come here and finish us off.

I stand up, feeling my back crack as I do so. I grab my rail pistol off the side table and walk out towards the central hub. As I walk down the secluded hallway, my boots thunder, each step causing me to go deaf. I realize I'm still holding Cindy's ring, I shove it back in my pocket. Out of sight, out of mind.

I reach the hub, where it's bustling with action. Today's the day when we try to make contact with others using hidden frequency channels the Black Sun shouldn't know about. A quarter of the room is trying to make contact here on Earth, while another quarter is trying off-world contact. The rest of the soldiers are either doing some sort of recreational activity, analyzing different battles against the Black Sun, or sharing stories to try and distract themselves.

I walk towards the group trying to see if there are any survivors on other planets. The section is bustling with action, people constantly adjusting frequencies and others sending S.O.S signals, hoping someone will reply.

"How does it look so far," I ask one of the nearby officers.

"Not too good," he says, turning to me and saluting. "It seems all of our outposts have been completely destroyed. We'll try the next system."

"Very good, do that," I say. "If need be, contact another duchy."

"Yes Admiral," the officer says, turning back to his work.

"Admiral!" someone shouts from across the room. "We've made contact!"

I run over to the other side of the room. The woman who called be over salutes.

"I've made somewhat of a stable connection, sir," she says, handing me the earpiece.

"This is Admiral Adrian Gershwarve of Outpost Alpha, to whom am I speaking to?" I ask, hoping the connection holds.

"Admiral, this is General Kostas, General of the Eighth Battalion," the voice says. "We are in the Madagascar islands, pinned. We think the Black Sun has-"

The connection is lost. "Get it back," I order.