Since I Found Serenity | Glowfic Constellation

To those who survived it, the battle for Serenity Valley would always be the worst of the war.

It was worse for Erika than for some of the others. Not that there were many other survivors. But the planet Hera was where she had grown up, and to lose, ultimately, here of all places, was about a gallon of lemon juice in the wound. That Serenity Valley was nowhere near her childhood home, that her parents were alright, was--some comfort. Not enough.

They stuck everyone in prison camps, after, for underspecified "war crimes." (And what of the war crimes the Alliance committed? No matter, of course; history is written by the victors.)

(The others from her platoon were dead. She knew this. There hadn't been another living soul around, when the Alliance came for her, and she couldn't find anyone in her camp, and she had heard the whispers--)

(If the Serenity Valley had taught her anything, it was that hope was futile. If she had any to spare she might as well spend it on hoping that Anwar and Sargon got to see Cardea again in some kind of afterlife. That one, at least, she could never know the answer to be disappointed by it.)

She would almost have been grateful when the Alliance let them all go, not too long after they had mopped them up in the first place, if she had the capacity to be grateful to the Alliance for anything. Too much trouble to keep, she would have heard with some satisfaction, if she had been in any state to be actually making trouble, if it weren't just that the Alliance didn't want to bother feeding and trying them all.

The Dust Devils came recruiting not long after, and Erika felt less like a walking corpse than she had since the Independent High Command had ordered surrender. She could do something meaningful again, strike at the monsters in suits who played games with peoples' lives--

avenge her friends--

she could do something again.

Almost a year after the end of the war, she felt almost like a real person. Sitting in a bar with one's (not friends, not really, she hadn't had a friend since--) comrades attempting with futility to drown the cold and empty places inside, that was a human thing to do, right?

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on-the-horizon

He smiles.

just-enjoy-ourselves

Bea is in no hurry at all to end the hug, but it'll have to end sometime; for example, the tea is going to require attending to sooner or later.

on-the-horizon

Yes. Wouldn't do to forget the tea.

just-enjoy-ourselves

Especially since it is delicious. And caffeine might be appropriate here.

on-the-horizon

The kind of tired that Sargon is, caffeine won't help with. But it is really good tea.

just-enjoy-ourselves

It is. She's glad she picked something with a softer flavor; something sharper would go less well with that conversation.

on-the-horizon

So. Tea.

"Thanks for the lesson. And the hugs. I really appreciate the hugs."

just-enjoy-ourselves

"Any time. I mean it. I mean, except if I'm--busy with something that shouldn't be interrupted--but other than that."

on-the-horizon

He smiles again. "Thanks. ...you'd make a good thane, I think."

just-enjoy-ourselves

"High praise."

on-the-horizon

"Yeah."

just-enjoy-ourselves

"I'm honored by your regard."

on-the-horizon

He smiles.

just-enjoy-ourselves

She starts putting away the tea things.

on-the-horizon

He watches her for a moment, then says, "I better get going. See you later."

just-enjoy-ourselves

"See you."

on-the-horizon

Off he goes.

just-enjoy-ourselves

More time passes. Bea continues with both Tina and Sargons' lessons, and the ship keeps flying all over the 'verse for this job or that. Bea continues taking clients in any port they stay in long enough.

At one point she comes back from one wearing a slightly uncharacteristic shawl.

on-the-horizon

Sargon is in the cargo bay when she comes up the ramp. He half-turns and gives her a little wave and a, "Hey," then goes back to stacking crates, careful not to obstruct her path by stepping in front of the stairs.

just-enjoy-ourselves

"Hey," she says in return, and when she's just to the bottom of the stairs, "oh, blast."

on-the-horizon

"Mm?" he says, glancing at her.

just-enjoy-ourselves

Her shawl had caught on a corner of one of the crates, and she hadn't noticed until she had essentially walked out from under it.

The reason for it becomes clear. Her chest bears a neat row of parallel welts, and there's a bruise on her shoulder in the shape of human teeth.

on-the-horizon

—oh.

He should not be looking at this, she was obviously wearing that shawl for a reason—she's so close he could reach out and touch that bruise, so close he could kiss it—he stands very still for a second, and then blinks and drops his eyes and takes a small step back, prevented from going any further by the stack of crates behind him.

just-enjoy-ourselves

...That sure was a thing, wasn't it.

"I would appreciate it," she says carefully, retrieving the shawl--but not immediately putting it back on, "if you wouldn't mention this to the others. People--get the wrong idea, sometimes, and--it's not that I don't trust them, but it's easier to make a habit than not."

on-the-horizon