“Kids? We’re not even engaged. Slow your roll there, comms geek,” Ruth replied, but with a genuine smile. “On second thought, you’re quite endearing. Already picked out a house for us?”
“As a matter of fact…”
Ruth giggled and shook her head. “Oh, Robert Taylor. What am I going to do with you?”
“I was hoping you’d make an honest man out of me.”
“Pretty sure that’s the other way around.”
Taylor laughed. “Yeah. I’m old school, so it is. Look, we’ve got a real chance to move on now. The entire Terran Coalition does. Let’s take it. We’ve done our part, and by God, we deserve a break.”
The logic in his words made sense to her, but the emotional response that welled up in her said it wasn’t over, and there were still battles yet to be won against the League. “One day at a time, okay?”
“Deal.”
As the waitress made her way over to take their order, Ruth pondered the future. Her thoughts drifted to David, and she hoped he was okay. At least he’s with Angie tonight. I hope.
* * *
A few light-years away, Kenneth Lowe sat wearily in an automated helicar, stuck in a traffic jam on Churchill. He had a small apartment provided by SSI on the moon, but typically stayed on the orbital station for a few weeks at a time. It’s not like I’ve got a life planetside. He stared out the window, taking in the green, though alien beauty of the British colonized moon. One of the earliest non-American settlements, Churchill was unique in the Terran Coalition in that it required no terraforming. Humans were able to exist with little help from science.
His commlink started to beep, drawing Kenneth out of his mind and back into the physical world. With a downward glance, he realized it was from Korra. I wonder what she wants… probably mad I got her involved with this mess. After rummaging around in his satchel, he pulled out his tablet and engaged the vidlink.
“Hey, Kenneth, I wasn’t sure I’d get you,” she said. Her face appeared red, while her eyes were bloodshot and puffy.
“Good timing, as always. I left the transport about twenty minutes ago. Heading back to my place to get some sleep.”
“Are you okay? I’ve been worried about you for weeks, ever since the news started in on this war crimes crap.”
Kenneth pursed his lips together in an angry expression. “There were no war crimes. General Cohen wouldn’t know how to commit one, even if he tried. I get so tired of those talking heads that have no idea what it's like out there. They’re full of shit.” The last few words were delivered at a much higher volume.
“You don’t have to convince me.”
Her comment elicited a chuckle from Kenneth. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”
She shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe I have. A lot of my friends are Peace Union. I don’t have many of them left after standing up for you and the rest of the people sent on the shipyard mission. How’d my—former—best friend put it? Ah, yes, I’ve been ‘canceled.’”
“What’s that mean?” Kenneth asked, his eyebrows raised.
“If you disagree with someone, you refuse to listen to them and block all communication, while encouraging everyone else you know to do the same.”
“That’s among the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.”
Korra grinned. “I figured you’d say that.”
“What are you up to?”
“Oh, not much. I finished up my work a few hours ago and went home.” She paused for a moment. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Probably not. SSI has put me on leave for a few months. Lee told me she doesn’t want me to be a distraction to the company,” Kenneth replied. His voice took on a mocking tone. “Apparently, she’s afraid the government will blacklist them due to my involvement with the shipyard strike.”
“I’m sorry. I know you live for that job.”
Kenneth closed his eyes and blinked. “Maybe not anymore.”
“What, the great Kenneth Lowe, no longer in love with his work?”
“I’m not sure I’m cut out for this anymore. I keep seeing things I can’t get out of my head.” He bit down on his lip and stared at her. “I saw a woman sucked into space as she pleaded with me to save her. I couldn’t… there was nothing I could do except watch.” His voice broke and a tear slid down his face. “I’m sorry. I’m still a mess.”
Her facial expression softened, and her fingers touched the screen. “I’m sorry, Ken. I really am. I can’t imagine.”
“It’s war. Do you know what bothers me? That’s what I’m starting to think. There’s no reason to feel because we’re all going to die anyway.”
There was silence for several seconds as both of them stared at each other. It was Korra who finally spoke. “Whatever else has passed between us, I know you’re a good man. Always trying to make things better in your own way. It’s a blessing and a curse. Try to remember that, okay?”
Kenneth nodded in reply but remained silent. If she only knew how false that statement was.
“Hey, why don’t we meet somewhere and have dinner? It's early still.”
“I don’t think I’d be good company for a date right now.”
Korra rolled her eyes. “Who said anything about a date? I count you as a friend, and you need to be with people right now. So I’ll text you an address, and you redirect your helicar. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“See you in thirty minutes.”
The screen blinked out, leaving Kenneth alone in the quiet vehicle, its anti-gravs humming ever so softly. Maybe some time with her will do me some good. Or it could just remind me of what I’ve lost. At the end of the day, who says on their death bed “I wish I’d worked more.” He tried to push the thoughts out of his head and focus on spending some time with a person he cared about instead.
* * *
Dozens of kilometers away from the happy crowd at the Ready Room Bar, David sat alone in his apartment. It was quiet and dark. He had the lights off and stared out a window into the distance, the skyscrapers of the city visible in the night sky. The buzz of his doorbell interrupted the silence.
“Visitor confirmed, Angela Dinman,” the disembodied computer voice of his virtual assistant intoned.
“Unlock the door and admit her,” he said softly.
A few seconds later, the light to the living room came on as Angie strode in. Her face was ashen, eyes narrowed together, and a frown on her lips. “David?” she asked tentatively. “Are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.”
David glanced up. “I had my commlink off.”
“Why?”
“It should be glaringly obvious I want to be alone.”
“Are you asking me to leave?”
In truth, he wanted anything but. Part of him longed to feel her embrace and caress her softly while trying not to think of the pain he felt inside. Another part was angry, and the desire to smash his fist into the wall was difficult to suppress. Vocalizing any of it was difficult. “Er… no. Of course not.” He paused for a moment. “I’m not good company right now.”
Angie sat down next to him. “What’s wrong?”
“Really?”
“I don’t know if you won’t tell me.”
“A thousand dead on my ship, half the Terran Coalition thinks I’m a monster that murdered tens of thousands of League civilians, my crew gets attacked by Peace Union protesters… and you’re going to ask me what’s wrong?” David’s voice grew in volume. By the time he finished speaking, it was a snarl.
After several moments of silence, Angie spoke. “Should I leave?”
Now look what you’ve done. David frowned, and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m not myself.”
She stared at him, eyes wide. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“Because they’ve never run my crew and me through the mud, saying we’re a bunch of killers before!” The words flew out of his mouth like a torrent of dark, angry water. “I’ve put my entire life into
the defense of my country. I gave the Terran Coalition my best years because I believed it was the right thing to do.” That’s not true, and you know it, his mind thundered in return. You’re angry because you let hatred for the League blind you, and that got people killed who didn’t need to die.
“It's not true, though.”
The way she said it, the slight hesitation in Angie’s voice, caused David to stare at her. “You think I fired on civilians?”
Angie looked away, and took a breath. “Sometimes in the fog of war, mistakes can be made.”
Blinding rage erupted within David. His face turned blood red, and his eyes grew wide as saucers. “I have never killed a civilian on purpose. An entire station of them? I gave the League commander fifteen minutes to get his people off, and even when he exceeded that limit, we held our fire until escape pods and shuttles stopped launching.” His voice took on an ugly, angry tone.
“David…” Her voice trailed off. “Please, I love you. I just want to help. Talk to me, maybe if you let some of this out—"
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Please, try.”
“I…” David’s voice petered out. Try telling her the truth, something inside said. “I ordered a risky strategy to jump our ships in closer than the Lawrence limit. I ordered Hayworth to do it, over his objections.” His eyes locked straight ahead. “It was nearly a disaster. The Lion had a release of exotic particles. If not for the heroic efforts of the engineering personnel, the ship would’ve been lost.”
“David, that’s not your fault. You did what you always do and made a judgment call.”
He stared at her. “Then I pressed on, instead of doing the smart thing and pulling out. I lost hundreds of pilots, hundreds of personnel on the Lion herself, plus the other vessels. I let my emotions get the better of me and it cost a thousand people their lives.” As he spoke, the anger left his voice, and he started to cry. “Now I’m welcomed home as a hero, and at the same time, a butcher that massacred League civilians in a war crime? Meanwhile, the war’s over, and it was all for nothing. The League gets to survive, when we could destroy them. Twenty years from now, they’ll come back and try to kill us all again. I can’t help but ask, is it somehow my fault?”
Angie leaned forward and embraced him. “I’m sorry.” Her arms wrapped tightly around him with a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be okay.”
David’s answer was a series of gut-wrenching sobs. His mouth was unable to form the words he wanted to speak, while his mind condemned him for his actions. Finally, he spoke. “I almost got us all killed. You might want to know, Fuentes wants to hold a criminal investigation. Spencer pardoned everyone except me. I wouldn’t accept it. I know I didn’t break the laws of war, but damnit, Angie, I ought to be punished for what I did do.”
She pulled back and stared into his eyes. “I know one thing about you, David Cohen. You love your crew and that ship. Almost more than you love me.” Her smile was a bitter one. “I wasn’t there, but I bet everyone there would back your actions. Wouldn’t they?”
“It doesn’t matter what they say. What counts is what I know inside.”
“Then be a better man. Make amends. The war’s over, right?”
“Probably,” David replied, staring into her eyes.
“Then retire, we’ll go somewhere, start over, and you can do whatever you want. Become a rabbi, if that’s still your dream. We can do us.”
He forced a smile to his lips. “It's hard to see a future like that.”
“Try.” She gave him a gentle kiss.
“Okay.” He embraced her again and tried to be in the moment. Dark thoughts, however, would not leave his mind. No matter how hard he attempted to banish them, guilt and pain roared up from his soul. And so, he cried into her shoulder, wondering what the next day would bring and where God had gone, as David felt completely and utterly alone.
THE END
Echoes of War: Book 7 – Finish the Fight: After David finds himself stripped of command, he’s called on one last time to defend the Terran Coalition. Read the epic conclusion to Echoes of War, now!
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Acknowledgments
Dave – thank you for all the guidance and mentorship as I continue to write the Echoes of War series.
There are many people (too many to name) that have offered encouragement, support, and help on this novel—you know who you are. Thanks.
As I have with my previous works, I continue to thank God for giving me the ability to write and bring this story to life. I hope everyone enjoys reading it, as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.
Run the Gauntlet: Echoes of War Book Six Page 30