It was always a good time for Elias whenever he had the chance to come back home and visit his family.
Although it wasn't the most luxurious place in the solar system, the colony of Trafalgar would always hold a special place in the green-eyed man's heart. After all, it was the place where he grew up. And there was nowhere in all of space where Elias felt more at ease looking upon the stars than right here.
By now, a little over a month had passed since the battle of New Haven, and Elias was still adjusting to all the new changes that came with it. The loss of his arm and his rapid promotion to the rank of Captain still felt like one giant blur to him. Just a month ago, he had been embroiled in the heat of battle, unsure of whether or not he was going to make it out alive. Now, he was sitting at the dinner table of his childhood home surrounded by his loved ones. The familiar scents of freshly cooked vegetables and warm bread filled the air as everyone around him discussed what was going on in their lives.
"The food is as lovely as always, Mrs. Serena!" Marida said with a warm smile while gently resting her hand on her swollen belly.
Marida's pregnancy was nearing its final stages, and the couple had come to Trafalgar so that their son could be born in the place where Elias had spent his childhood. A place with plenty of loving family nearby to help the woman out, just in case the green-eyed man had to be called away for an emergency. The thought of becoming a father stirred something deep within Elias every time he thought about it. Something that could only be described as a mix of excitement, pride, and fear. But, even as that faithful day drew close, Elias couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to welcome a child into this amazing world that he got to experience so much of in his life.
As the evening turned into night, the conversation grew ever lively as everyone enjoyed a comforting blend of familial banter while catching up on the latest gossip. And in the middle of all the fun, Elias's eldest sister, Lunamaria Dyson, decided that now was a good time to tease her younger brother about all the publicity that he had gotten recently.
"You know, it's kind of funny...." Lunamaria smirked while swirling her glass of wine. "It feels like just yesterday when you were that scrawny little punk running around the neighborhood, skipping school, and causing trouble with all the other kids. Now, you're some decorated war hero and the talk of the town. Honestly, you make me and Layla look like we're wasting our time."
In Elias's opinion, Lunamaria was the most refined and proper member of their family. Which made sense considering she was the wife of Trafalgar's newest Chief Prosecutor. Just like Layla, the woman had their family's signature curly black hair and their father's deep brown eyes. But unlike the two youngest Thorton siblings, most people knew her as someone who cut a striking figure with sharp features while maintaining an air of effortless elegance about her.
Elias chuckled at his sister's comment while taking a sip from his glass. "Hey, calm down with all that 'hero' talk, alright? I'm still trying to get used to people asking me for pictures whenever I go run errands."
"Oh, please...." Layla rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you don't enjoy the attention."
The group shared another laugh as they continued to enjoy their meal. Everything was going just as smoothly as expected until Elias's mother finally decided to say what had been on her mind for the last few days.
"Elias...." The red-headed woman began to speak while holding a somber expression on her face. "I know you've been through a lot, and I don't want to cause any trouble by saying this, but... don't you think it's time that you left the Navy?"
There was a long silence around the table after those words left the woman's mouth, the kind of silence that only his mother's gentle yet insistent worry could inspire. Elias immediately felt his stomach tighten, followed by a familiar pressure that formed in his chest whenever this particular topic of conversation came up.
Unsurprisingly, Elias's father slowly nodded his head in agreement. His gaze was just as worried as his wife's. "She's right, son. You've given up so much already. Maybe it's time you thought about shifting careers into something more... safe. Something that'll give you more time at home with your family."
"I actually agree with Mom and Dad on this." Lunamaria added as she leaned forward in her seat. "You've already done more than enough in your career. Hell, you're literally a national hero at this point. I don't think that anyone would fault you for hanging it up and doing something else. Especially after already losing so much as a result of all that fighting."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Elias could see Layla eyeing his new prosthetic arm.
Another long silence followed as Elias absorbed the weight of their words. The man would be lying if he said that he wasn't expecting something like this to happen when he and his wife decided to come here. After all, his family -especially his mother- had always feared for his safety ever since he first left home when he was sixteen. It was only natural, though. They were his family, and their concern ran deep.
That being said, none of them truly understood what being in the Navy meant to Elias, nor what it had given him. Ever since he was twelve, he had always dreamed of the stars and exploring the vast, unknown reaches of space. It was that same dream that had driven him through every hardship, every battle, and every scar. Sure, his body may have been broken as a result of chasing that dream. But even now, his spirit had never once wavered.
"I get it, Mom." Elias said slowly after letting out a calm breath. "I know you're worried. You've seen what I've been through, and I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to watch this kind of stuff happen to me. But...I made my choice a long time ago. I'm not leaving the Navy."
Although his father and sister wanted to argue their points a bit more, it was clear by the look on Elias's face that he wasn't going to back down on this. So, the two of them simply decided to acquiesce for the time being. Serena, on the other hand, clearly wasn't satisfied with what she heard, though. And judging by the look on the woman's face, this wasn't going to be the last time she brought it up.
Quickly hoping to lighten up the mood, Elias gave his family a small, rueful smile before deciding to say a quick joke. "Besides, I don't see why you guys are so worried. I still have two more limbs to lose before I'll be forced to medically retire. So, I'm good!"
The joke landed with an awkward thud.
Serena's face flushed as she cast a disapproving glare at her son. "Elias! That's not something to joke about!"
Marida, who had been silently observing the conversation, squeezed her husband's hand under the table before finally speaking up on his behalf. "Mrs. Serena, I completely understand how you're feeling. Believe me, I worry about him too, but this is truly what he wants. And I think the best thing for all of us to do is to simply be there for Elias and make sure that he knows that he has our support."
Elias met his wife's gaze and felt a surge of gratitude. She had always known what drove him, and though she too feared for his safety, she had never once asked him to leave the life he had chosen.
The conversation then shifted as Elias took the opportunity to show his family his new prosthetic arm. His recently lost limb had been replaced with a cutting-edge mechanical wonder. One with a sleek black and silver design that was surprisingly nimble in its movements. The other members of the Thorton family couldn't help but marvel at the technology in front of them, all of them leaning in to examine the fine craftsmanship of the prosthetic. Elias even took the time to demonstrate the precision of the artificial limb by balancing a fork on his robotic fingers. Although it could never truly replace his original arm, the more he used it, the more Elias learned to love the new addition to his body.
'Thank the gods for modern medicine.' The man thought while explaining to his father how the device worked.
"You should probably wear gloves with it, Elias." Layla then said as he pointed to the artificial limb. "Just so that people don't keep gawking at you. I already saw a few nosey weirdos doing that when we went to pick you up at the spaceport."
Elias chuckled, his lips curling into a smile. "I think you're right, this thing does stand out quite a bit. But hey, at least it works just as good as the real thing!"
As the evening drew to a close and the dishes were cleared away, Elias found himself in the peaceful silence of his childhood bedroom. The soft hum of the house's ventilation system filled the air as he lay beside Marida, watching her sleep peacefully as she drifted off into dreamland. The man then lay back on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling and allowed his thoughts to drift.
As he slowly began to fall asleep, Elias couldn't help but think about his future once again. For the first time in a long time, he felt something more than the uncertainty of space. He felt a sense of peace, knowing that whatever came next, he had already chosen his path. And it was one that led him ever forward, into the vast unknown.
The man then closed his eyes as he let the silence of the room wash over him and waited for sleep to come, knowing that the future was waiting just beyond the horizon.