The first raindrop that fell from London's overcast sky wasn't enough to pull Gabriel from his catatonic state, but the subsequent ones were. Brought back from his contemplation—which under other circumstances would have been severely punished by his superiors—he finally turned his attention to the ceremony he was part of. A few meters from where he stood, an empty coffin—he knew—was being carried to the grave where it would eternally rest. There should have been his great friend, mentor, and the brother life had given him: Thomas Moncrief, captain of the Third Squadron of the Royal Air Force's special forces, who, along with 9 other brave R.A.F. comrades and countless other allied soldiers, had lost his life in Operation Moonfall weeks before.
Around the coffin stood members of the British Army and the Aegis organization, dressed in their white ceremonial uniforms for solemn occasions or, simply, tragedies like this.
After a gun salute, the coffin could no longer be seen. Thus ended the story of the bravest and most honest man Gabriel had ever known; his own life had been spared from becoming an even greater tragedy thanks to Thomas Moncrief and the hand he and his family had extended to him.
Amidst the raindrops, now heavier, Gabriel observed the figure of a beautiful woman with long brown hair, dressed in black, hiding part of her face with her umbrella. Thomas's widow, Samantha Moncrief, gently held the hand of the couple's only daughter, Julie. The beautiful little girl, a perfect miniature of her mother, seemed lost, and Gabriel knew that for her, the true pain would only come after a few months, when her father's absence truly weighed down. Clenching his fists and closing his eyes, he wanted to run to the other side of the grounds and embrace Samantha and Julie, but he was too much of a coward for that. Before leaving the memorial where the ceremony was taking place, he gave a final salute to his brother.
Slightly raising the umbrella she used for protection, Samantha, whose marked eyes betrayed the tears she had shed, sadly watched Gabriel leave the burial. After a light sigh, she gave a weak smile to her daughter, indicating the way out, so they too could go home.
"Doctor Moncrief."
Upon hearing her name called by a familiar voice, Samantha left her daughter in her sister's care. Turning around, she saw a solemn face known to her and her late husband for over a decade. The marks of a war veteran were etched on his tired face; his white hair and posture indicated the experience she knew the man possessed.
"Major Pellegrini."
Major-General Gianluca Pellegrini responded with a simple affirmative gesture, motioning with his hands for them both to get out of the rain. Samantha observed the man, who was already past 50, the way she observed her countless patients. The British armed forces psychologist knew that the man beside her had performed today's ritual more times than anyone would wish. Pellegrini, who knew Samantha well enough to understand that the sympathetic talk he always used in these situations wouldn't be effective, got straight to the point.
"It's about Lieutenant Gabriel Sirghi, Doctor Moncrief." After a brief silence, the Major continued. "Yesterday, he came to request a discharge from service."
Samantha bit her lip, closing her eyes in anguish.
"I, obviously, refused."
"Do you believe he's fit to continue serving?"
"That's something you will help us answer. I, however, no longer believe that keeping him in this division, or even on this front, is viable."
Samantha let out an ironic smile.
"He's too valuable an asset to dispose of, isn't he?"
"That, too. Before any transfer, he and the rest of the squadron will be honored tomorrow at 19:00 hours at the academy."
Samantha tried unsuccessfully to hide the pain she felt—her husband's squadron, the one he had given his life to protect.
"I would like you to participate in the ceremony; we need a family member or loved one of the pilots for the medal presentation."
That was too cruel; however, the brief silence was broken by the psychologist's response.
"I'll be there, Major. I've already lost my husband; I won't lose my brother."
And so, Samantha returned to her daughter's company, soon leaving the rainy memorial. Pellegrini watched her for a few more seconds before turning his attention back to the crowd. Today, he had buried another of his former protégés, and the triviality of this situation frightened him more and more.
<>
"London, November 26th, 2238. Good evening, another edition of BBC1 is starting. We begin today with coverage of the largest operation in the last ten years. Among the terrestrial military forces, in conjunction with the Aegis organization. The attack on the Nitocris lunar base, until then under the control of the Alliance of Space Colonies forces, was a success. The Operation involved mor-"
"...Success."
Gabriel turned off the television in his hotel room, using his reflection to finish adjusting his uniform for the ceremony in a few hours. Medals he knew his squadron deserved, but which would never erase the bitter taste of loss.
Moldovan, Gabriel and his family were victims of the 100-year-plus war between Earth's military forces and the rebellious space colonies. The hardest hit were developing countries, including those in Eastern Europe. The young boy, then 10 years old, was the sole survivor in his home. Taken to one of the countless refugee camps scattered across the continent, Gabriel was fortunate to find two people who would change his life forever: Thomas and Samantha. The then-young couple, newly enlisted in the British army forces, extended a hand that would save him.
Fourteen years later, he had just buried the brother life had gifted him and lacked the courage to face the sister who, he knew, would be waiting for him with open arms. As much as the situation painted him as a hero, deep down, he would never forgive himself. Perhaps, if he were a better shot, perhaps, if he had sacrificed himself instead of his brother, perhaps...
Gabriel was interrupted from the self-inflicted torture he had endured since the end of the operation by the sound of the phone in his room.
Samantha waited nervously with the car in front of the hotel where Gabriel was staying. She was ready to drag her brother to the car if necessary, but to her surprise, it wasn't. With a faint smile, she greeted him as soon as he got into the car.
"Good evening, Biel."
The seconds of silence were quickly broken when the first tears since he pulled the trigger in Operation Moonfall, condemning thousands of lives, fell from Gabriel's face. And then Samantha hugged him, as she had done so many times during the nightmare-filled dawns of the child, now a man. It was the desperate cry of someone who would blame himself forever, Samantha knew. Broken soldiers, destroyed by harsh battles, were part of Doctor Moncrief's daily life. And it wouldn't be her brother she would lose.
The autopilot took them to the ballroom of the Royal Pilots Academy in London. After a few seconds for Gabriel to compose himself, Samantha placed both hands on his face, looking him in the eyes with all the affection she could convey.
"Your brother would be proud to see you today, Biel. The guilt I know you're feeling won't negate that fact. Julie and I will be here, as always; we are your family!"
She gave Gabriel a warm kiss on the forehead, showing the smile that had sought him out in the darkness more than once.
"Lift your head, Gabriel Sirghi. The path ahead can only be seen that way."
Gabriel smiled, a smile that mixed pain and nostalgia, at the phrase Thomas had said more than once.
"Then I will follow it."
<>
The ceremony lasted a little over an hour. The 3 surviving pilots of the third squadron were decorated with honors of merit. Gabriel was also awarded the medal symbolizing the title of ace, the first given in 10 years to an R.A.F. pilot since his late brother earned the merit in one of his many battles. Samantha returned home with her daughter shortly after the ceremony, but not before compelling Gabriel, with one of her classic threatening looks, to enjoy the party.
The pilot was having another glass of the expensive champagne served to the guests when he sketched a brief smile upon seeing one of his squadron mates, accompanied by his family, approach to greet him.
"Young Gabriel!"
"Vice Captain Vasquez," Gabriel greeted, saluting.
"None of that, lad. Today is a day for celebration!"
The 48-year-old veteran, who seemed to shed a decade when not in uniform, could draw smiles from most of the squadron with his spontaneity.
"Heard you're being transferred to a different division."
Marco Vazquez tossed the sentence into the air casually, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, sir. At the end of next week."
A female voice joined the conversation, just as Gabriel noticed the beautiful Theresa Vazquez, smiling as she always did.
"So, does this mean I can no longer count on you to keep my father safe and sound, Biel?"
She was beautiful; the white party dress highlighted her lovely figure, her fine and delicate face, and her mesmerizing green eyes matched perfectly with her long blonde hair, which hid the brooch symbolizing she was an engineering student at the Aegis Foundation's military university. With a playful smile, she poked Gabriel a little harder.
"Don't you have anything to tell me?"
"Not with your father here."
Vasquez laughed genuinely.
"I'll leave you two alone..."
Before leaving, Vasquez gave Gabriel a strong hug.
"Thanks for everything, kid. For protecting me and protecting her smile and my family's."
A lump formed in Gabriel's throat. Perceptive from life's experiences, Vasquez lightly patted the young man's cheek.
"Lift your head, Gabriel..."
Without completing the sentence, Vasquez lightly touched his daughter's shoulder before returning to his wife, who was watching the scene from a distance. After a few more seconds, Theresa's eyes widened when she saw Gabriel's hand extended to her.
"May I have this dance, Miss Vasquez?"
Theresa joked, giving a slight curtsy.
"We're not English, but this is still an English ball..."
And then, they danced.
<>
Watching the young ones, and some not so young, dancing to the sound of music from the last century, drew something akin to a smile from Major Pellegrini. It was for moments like these that he had fought all his life.
"Major-General Pellegrini."
Pellegrini quickly stood up, saluting his arriving superior.
"General Watkins."
The imposing general of the Royal Forces, and now a council member of the Aegis organization, sat down beside Pellegrini and, without delay, as a military man of his caliber usually did, got straight to the point.
"Have the preparations for transferring the rifle to the R&D sector been completed?"
"Yes, sir, as well as the first prototype from the partnership with Merseyside."
"Then we'll use them in conjunction... And the pilot? I had to justify to the council why we're sending our first ace in a decade to be a 'test' pilot."
"My apologies, sir."
Watkins nodded affirmatively before proceeding.
"I trust your judgment, Major. And I also share your excitement..."
"Excitement, sir?"
"It's the first time in decades we have superior technology in this conflict. Let's cultivate and expand this advantage."
The general stood up from the table after concluding, and left. Pellegrini watched the man, already distant, wondering if 'excitement' was the right word for what he felt. Everything was about to change, indeed. But the blood that would be shed might be too high a price to pay.
--
On one of the balconies, beautifully lit by the ballroom, Gabriel and Theresa observed the gardens that separated the numerous buildings of the military academy.
"So... Test pilot, huh?" Theresa said, nudging her friend.
"I believe it will be an experience, but I doubt it will be worse than what I've already faced."
The young woman gave a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sure it won't be. By the way, the unit you'll be piloting is ready to be shipped."
"So you've seen it already?"
"Yup, it's something like the Camelot series they currently pilot... Only with two more generators, and almost two tons lighter."
Gabriel thought for a moment before continuing.
"...That thing must be fast."
"Not just fast, the power generation is on another level too."
She gave a small smile.
"Obviously, we'll need that for your new toy to be viable."
The new particle rifle developed in Oxford's Research & Development sector, affectionately nicknamed Excalibur, was apparently ready for testing; the prototype of this rifle was the weapon he had used in the previous operation. Before bad memories could ruin the moment, Gabriel joked about the situation.
"Just remember to put an ejection button in the new model in case of problems."
"We will."
Gabriel moved away from the balcony, indicating it was time to go. As he headed for the exit, he felt Theresa's light touch on his uniform sleeve. The young woman's question was direct.
"And us? Are we going to part ways in the same situation as now?"
Gabriel smiled; the pain he felt from recent events hadn't lessened, but thanks to the beautiful woman before him, he could forget it for moments. Lightly touching Theresa's face, he extended his hand for her to accompany him.
"We have to stop by somewhere before we go home."
And hand in hand, they left.
<>
The week came to an end, and once again under the rain, Gabriel watched his sister and niece. This time without tears, with a sad but gentle smile. Theresa had also accompanied him to the base where he would soon take off. Julie, who seemed somewhat downcast, looked frightened at Gabriel, who affectionately touched her hair. Lowering himself to the child's eye level, he let himself be hugged.
"The promise I made still stands; I'll bring you our little secret when I get back."
"Thank you, Uncle! Take photos, lots of photos when you get there!"
He smiled, parting from Julie.
"I'll try."
Turning to his sister, the kiss on the forehead he had grown accustomed to again, happened.
"I'll make sure to visit you at least every quarter."
Gabriel didn't even try to convince Samantha otherwise.
"Take care, Biel. Call me when you can. If you don't call, I will, so you know."
Now turning to Theresa, he had no time to react; the young woman threw herself into his arms, and the gentle kiss was inevitable.
"I heard there are some women on the team, so I'm going to make sure my territory is marked!"
They both laughed, and then Gabriel asked hopefully.
"Will you be able to transfer to the prototype R&D division after your graduation?"
"I don't know, they might assign me to another project, but I swear I'll try!"
After another kiss, they parted, and then Gabriel began his walk to the large military plane awaiting him. With a slight wave, they separated.
Slowly returning to her car, Samantha didn't miss the opportunity to tease her new sister-in-law.
"That's a beautiful engagement ring you have there, Theresa."
Blushing, Theresa showed the jewel to Samantha, smiling.
"It is, sis."
<>
Beside the modern plane, Gabriel greeted the pilots and smiled upon seeing that the familiar face of Henry Enfield was one of them. After a brief exchange of salutes, he boarded the aircraft. His destination was the Aegis organization's most modern testing base, the place where the fate of billions of lives could be decided.
The home of humanity's gods, or perhaps its demons: The Amaterasu Omikami Research and Development Center in Kyoto.