by Francis, Ron
Jesse had spent a lot of time in training and reflection since the journey began, and his crew decided it wasn’t good to continue to let him brood. He really was struggling with this upcoming fight. He wasn’t scared, but he had some serious reservations about this whole scenario. Could he kill a man if he were injured and posed no immediate threat? He had no desire to even see Captain Reed again, let alone save her, but at the same time he did not want to see an entire sector go to war because he was still mad at his ex-girlfriend.
“It’s going to be alright, Jesse, I have no doubt you are capable of beating Garrinoras in a death match.” Kimi put her arm around him as she spoke.
“I just feel like I’m fighting myself here, too, Kimi. On one hand, getting rid of Garrinoras for good seems like a great idea. But on the other hand….” Jesse looked doubtful, and it scared her, she had never seen him doubt himself or his decisions before. “You’d probably agree with this, but I'd almost rather be saving a stranger than saving Captain Reed. I don’t think I have forgiven her yet. I just need to come to terms with all of this and I need to do it before the fight. I can't afford any distractions if I wish to survive the battle to come." Kimi had noticed that since they first spoke with Wennagal, Jesse hadn't referred to her as Cassie once, but always Captain Reed, and for some reason, that troubled her.
Endeavor was now only two days from Kaldor, which meant that in just over four days, the most anticipated event in the recent history of the Lawless Sector would be under way. The death match was on, and this was one fight she didn't know if Jesse could win.