Star-Crossed Lovers

"I don't suppose you'd be my date?" he said with an empty smile.

"I'd be delighted," Maylene said. She touched his shoulder comfortingly. "Pick me up at eighteen hundred?"

"I'll be there."

Maylene left, leaving Eric to himself. As soon as the door closed, he collapsed on the bed and wept.

****************

". . . For this action, Lieutenant Eric Tanner Burke is awarded the Interstellar Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Diamonds. Congratulations, Lieutenant," the admiral at the podium said. There was polite, if reverent, applause from the gathered crowd. She pinned the medal on Eric's chest and shook his hand.

"Thank you, sir," he replied.

"You've made us all proud," she said, then snapped sharply to attention. Burke hated all the pomp and circumstance of award ceremonies. He felt that they covered up the dirty business of warfare with starched uniforms, and normally he would have done whatever he could to get away from even his own decorations.

This day though, he didn't feel so bad about being where he was. Fleet Admiral Bernadette von Luck was a legend in the special forces community. Her reputation was well-deserved and paid for in blood, much of it her own. A SOLAR herself, von Luck was known to watch out for all those under her command and she never hesitated to bring her own command ship into the fight with its guns blazing rather than hang back and give orders from a distance.

"Just get me back to the Teams, sir," Eric said quietly so only she could hear, then returned the salute.

Admiral von Luck smiled knowingly.

In addition to him, three others were awarded the Knight's Cross and a dozen other men and women were given other awards for courage, bravery and sacrifice. The ceremony then devolved into hob-knobbing and congratulations among the brass. Many of the honorees hated it just as much as Burke; they were soldiers and didn't get their medals by driving ships through space or sitting behind a desk.

Eric made his way through the crowd that parted easily for him. The Knight's Cross earned him admiration, but the other ribbons and medals on his chest—especially the SOLAR's golden sun device—bought him an extra wide berth.

Some of the people wanted to shake his hand. Some wanted their picture taken with a war hero. He smiled and endured the ceremony. After all, it was part of being a naval officer. Eric knew that he would be promoted out of his platoon soon—whether he liked it or not—and some of the people in the room might be overseeing his next duty assignment.

Near the bar, Eric ran into Maylene. She and the others with her came to attention; people who earned the Knight's Cross were saluted first, regardless of their rank. Eric noticed there was a glint of humour in her artificial eyes, as if she knew how much he wanted to get out of there.

The four other officers with Maylene were all VR fighter pilots. They all had awards for multiple kills and campaign ribbons from half a dozen star systems. Maylene introduced Eric to the others and the group exchanged some meaningless small talk.

Soon, though, Maylene took Eric by the arm and the two wandered off.

Although the room was crowded with officers, marines and sailors, the pair made their way to an upper level of the station's observation deck which was less crowded. The blast shields were pulled back giving them a magnificent view of 40 Eridani's three stars.

They stood in silence staring out into the emptiness of space. Her hand was in the crook of his arm, just at the point where it had been severed. It was a strange sensation. On the part of his arm that was flesh and blood, he could feel the tingle of her touch. The mechanical part, though, didn't feel anything. There were sensors in the artificial skin that sent signals to his brain that simulated tactile stimulation, but the sensation was different.

It was like a wetsuit was over part of his arm and not the other. Even though his fine motor skills were improving, he was still trying to adjust to the subtle changes in feeling in his fingers and along the artificial skin. A part of him wondered if he would still be an effective special operator. Touch was vital to handling explosives and other weapons, and he was now less than a whole man.

"It seems so far away," Maylene said finally.

"What does?"

"Earth," she replied softly. "Home."

Eric sighed softly. His free hand brushed Maylene's. Even though they came from different parts of the same navy, they shared a common bond as amputees with cybernetic limbs. He stared into her eyes, seeing her for the first time as a woman, and not a fellow patient or officer.

He started to say something, but heard someone walking up behind them. The steps were soft, as if the person were accustomed to moving silently. If he hadn't spent so much time in the field, Burke probably would not have heard her.

Maylene jumped when she realised someone was standing behind them. Both she and Eric reflexively stood at attention.

"Excuse me, Commander . . . Lieutenant," von Luck said. The look on her face was all business. She smiled at Burke, as if she was going to let him in on a joke. "May I have a word with you for a moment?"

"Of course, Fleet Admiral."

Torres bowed slightly and walked off.

"How much longer are they going to keep you here?" von Luck asked.

Burke shrugged. "A month or so."

"You're dying to get back out there, aren't you, Lieutenant?"

"It's killing me, sir." The frustration was evident on his face. "My platoon needs me."

"Your platoon doesn't exist anymore," the admiral said softly. Eric grimaced. "Team 23 has been disbanded. Alpha and Foxtrot platoons were wiped out in the invasion of Kestellani. Bravo and Charlie were shot up pretty bad. Team 11 also suffered heavy casualties and what's left of Team 23 was folded in with them."

Eric's stomach started to churn. He hadn't heard any news of his old platoon, but the Kestellani campaign was only a couple of days old and the de-classified reports hadn't made it back from the front lines yet. He made a mental note to check up on his teammates.

von Luck's eyes were dark with anger, frustration and fear. "We're losing too many SOLARs, Lieutenant. It takes almost three years from the time a kid starts BUD/S until they get their shooting star. We've lost the equivalent of three whole teams in the past two years in sector seven alone."

She paused for a moment, staring intensely into Eric's eyes.

"I'm taking a temporary break in rank and turning the sector force over to Admiral Kaklamanakis. I'll be assuming the role of COMSPECWAR for this quadrant."

Eric looked shocked. He had never known of an admiral to willingly give up a star, much less two. Things must be bad.

"I'm re-organising the sector SPECWAR chain and putting many of our officers and senior NCOs back in the field to staunch the bleeding. I have three job openings and as our latest war hero, you get your pick of which one you want." She had a sly smile, as if she already knew which one he would take. "I know you're up for selection to sub-commander. The Special Warfare Center in Coronado needs some to run the JOTC. Would you be interested in that? You'll get to go home for a couple of years. Didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask.

"We're consolidating most of the SOLAR teams in the quadrant. Team 6 was dissolved last year when those four platoons were lost out on Mellura. I'm taking what's left of Team 17, Team 22 and some fresh meat right out of the Center and standing up a new Team 6. They need an XO. How about it?"

Paper-pusher and babysitter, Eric thought and shook his head. "What's option three?"

von Luck shot him a quick grin. "I can sit on your promotion for one more deployment. You'll still come over to Team 6 but as OIC for Alpha platoon. I know officers always want to operate more, and most only get two deployments. This will make four for you, although your previous one got cut short. In all likelihood, this will be your last. We need experienced officers and chiefs passing their knowledge on to the next generation of SOLARs, but we also need them in the field saving the asses of this generation, too."

"I'll take that one," Burke said with a broad smile.

"I thought you might."

"Thank you, sir." He reached out and she shook his hand firmly. Something in her grip told him that if she could somehow trade her stars for a lieutenant's bars, she'd take the platoon herself.

"I'll get your orders processed and we'll see you in about a month," von Luck turned and walked away.

Eric couldn't stop smiling. He was going to get back to the Teams!

He looked around the party for Maylene, wanting to share the good news with someone. As it turned out, he didn't have to look far. She was watching from a short distance away and when Admiral von Luck left, she walked towards Eric.

She saw the sparkle in his eyes and couldn't help but smile herself. "Good news, I take it?"

"I'm getting a platoon back," Eric said, as giddy and excited as she had ever seen him. "Come on, let's go get a drink."

People like to buy war heroes drinks and Eric cashed in.

They got back to his room sometime after 0130. Eric wasn't falling down drunk, but he was close.

He leaned heavily on Maylene's shoulder. She was in babysitter mode. Fortunately, most everyone else at the party either left early or was fairly drunk themselves, so it was no big deal.

Maylene sat Eric down on the edge of his bed and started to undress him. She hung up his tunic with its shiny medals and ribbons, then slipped him out of his pants.

"I should undress you, too," he slurred.

"Not tonight, Romeo." Maylene smiled to herself as she brushed Eric's fumbling hands away.

She pulled down the covers on his bed and laid the drunk lieutenant down.

"You're very pretty, Maylene," Eric mumbled. "We should . . . we should go out some time."

Maylene ran her hands over her friend's muscular shoulders. Like all SOLARs, he was solidly built, and after five years in the field, he was in great shape. Her hand traced his left elbow, where the flesh and bone met the metal and biosynth skin. She stared admiringly at him for a moment and reached over and dimmed the lights.

Eric's eyes were heavy from all the drinks and it was just a matter of seconds after his head hit the pillow before he was snoring softly.

The fighter pilot leaned in and kissed Eric softly on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams, hero," she whispered. Then she got up and left him to sleep off the liquor.

*********************************

Over the next week, Eric and Maylene didn't see much of each other. Both spent a lot of time in physical therapy. No one said anything, but each sensed that something big was about to happen. Both wanted to be back on the front lines.

After their group session, Maylene took Eric's hand. Both had a lot more control over their fingers than they did right after being fitted for their prostheses, and their hands locked together almost naturally.

"I have a surprise for you," she said with a smile.

"And what would that be?" Eric asked.

"You'll see," Maylene replied. "Pack an overnight bag and meet me in hanger charlie two-four at fourteen thirty. No uniforms."

Before he could say anything else, Maylene kissed Eric on the cheek and disappeared down the corridor.

Eric rushed back to his room and threw a set of utility coveralls and some other clothes into bag. He didn't have much by way of civilian clothes but still managed to scrounge together a couple of outfits. Checking his watch, he made his way to the hanger deck at the appointed time.

Maylene was there. She had a duffel over one shoulder and a camera bag over the other. Eric walked up to her. "Where are we going?"

They were in one of the citadel's smaller hangers, reserved mostly for civilian traffic. A couple of shuttles sat on one end. In the middle was a mid-range civilian transport.

"Somewhere special," she replied with a grin.

They boarded the transport and strapped themselves in to their seats. Following a quick pre-launch check, they were cleared for departure and were floating free in space. The ship moved slightly as the thrusters maneuvered it away from the space station.

Eric and Maylene held hands as a familiar hum filled the ship. An instant later the Burkhart FTL drive kicked in and the transport entered hyperspace.

The trip was quick, only about four hours. They reverted back to realspace around a shimmering blue planet. It wasn't Terra, but it was close. Eric didn't know sector twelve that well, so he didn't have any idea what planet it was, but it must have been an important one. The TSN didn't park sixDragon-class firebases in orbit around planets with no strategic value.

Within a few minutes, the transport entered the planet's atmosphere, crossed the terminator into the night side and landed outside a modern city.

"Welcome to Persepolis City," a pleasant, but automated, voice said over the intercom. "We hope your stay here is a pleasant one."

The fresh air was a welcome relief from the stuffy confines of space stations and starships. Lights from the spaceport gave off a busy glow. There was a certain amount of bustle around the civilian spaceport.

Maylene tugged at Eric's arm. He took her hand as she led him through the terminal. Cabs were waiting by the curb and they hopped in one.

It took off and headed to a set of coordinates Maylene rattled off to the autopilot. They were headed away from the city and out into some snow-capped mountains. The anti-grav drive was nearly silent.

Even at night, the moonlight shone off the mountains. Both of them took in the limited view and looked forward to seeing the planet in daylight.

"It's nice to remember that life isn't all gunmetal grey, isn't it?" Maylene asked.

Eric only nodded. Sometimes he forgot that there was a world outside the Teams. It was the warrior-monk mentality. When he took leave, it was usually doing macho things with those under his buddies or to see his parents. He wasn't married and had never dated much. Being a SOLAR was his life.

The small airspeeder dropped down to just above the treeline and they saw their destination. Built on the side of the mountain, a large resort jutted out. The cab settled down on the covered landing pad. The air was cold and brisk.

"I should have packed some warmer clothes," Eric said retrieving his duffel out of the back.

"Why?" Maylene asked, a seductive look on her face. "Who says you're going out in this?"

Eric's jaw dropped open, unable to respond.

She took his hand again and they went inside. The resort was busy, but not full. It was clearly upscale and catered to the winter sports crowd. Eric felt very under-dressed.

They went to the desk and checked in. He started to draw out his ID card, but Maylene stayed his hand. "This is my treat."

"But—"

"You can buy dinner," she said with a smile.

They went to their room; each only had a carry-on bag and did not need a bellhop.

Against the far wall was a huge bay window that overlooked the valley and city below. Even at night, the view was fantastic. Compared to the Spartan quarters at Citadel Haven or the cramped berths onboard a space cruiser, the resort was palatial.

Eric set his bag next to the dresser. Maylene began to rifle through hers, finally finding a comfortable pair of pants and a sweater.

"I'm hungry," she said before stepping into the bathroom. "Let's go get something to eat and then watch the sun come up."

With that, she closed the door behind her. Eric dug through his duffel looking for something suitable to wear. He didn't know what to expect and hadn't packed much by way of dress clothes. He threw on a pair of khakis and a pull-over shirt.

A few minutes later, Maylene came out of the bathroom. Eric stared at her, dumbfounded.

Her short hair was styled back, not because she liked to wear it short, but because it had been burned off in the fire and was just now growing back. Her outfit covered all of her burn scars and did a good job of highlighting her generous curves. Eric had never seen her out of a uniform or hospital gown and just then realised how attractive she was.

He ran his hand nervously through his hair and then offered Maylene his arm. They went back down the lift to the main lobby. There was a little activity around them as the employees were beginning to get the place ready for the coming day.

The resort was located a little over 100 kilometers outside of Persepolis City on the planet New Persia in the Babylon system. It was a couple of light years closer to Terra from 40 Eridani. It had a breathable atmosphere, but there was no indigenous sentient life and it terraformed easily.

The Alliance settled the system because the nearby planets were rich in minerals. New Persia quickly became a major waypoint between Earth and the outlying sectors. Spaceports sprung up quickly, some of them just stopping points for supply ships, others—like Persepolis City—became tourist and military R&R destinations.

Eric and Maylene got a table with a stunning view and settled in to watch the sun come up. Once they got looking over the menu, both realised they were famished.

The food tasted like ambrosia. Even in the 24th Century, military food still tasted . . . well, military. That is, it's not bad, but it's not worth writing home about either. And the galleys tended to serve the same five menus over and over and over.

They had local dishes recommended by the waiter, and their meal arrived just as dawn's first rays were breaking over the horizon. The large red sun slowly filled the sky as they ate, beginning the planet's 29 hour day.

The meal passed quietly. Eric didn't really know what to expect and Maylene seemed to have reverted back to her initial shyness from when they met.

Both had been in the service so long, they really didn't have anything else to talk about.

Other people began to trickle into the restaurant. Some were going to go skiing on the slopes, others were going to take airspeeder tours of the mountains. A group of teenagers was planning on going jetboarding over in a nearby valley.

As the crowd got larger, Eric found himself nervously scanning the room for snipers or looking for egress routes, and he had to tell himself more than once to quit being so paranoid. He thought it was odd that the people there seemed content pretending that there wasn't a war going on. Of course, they were far from the front lines and it seemed so far away.

Their meal over, Eric paid with his ID card and he and Maylene wandered around the resort. There was a full service spa, shopping, skiing instructors, a casino and basically anything you could want from an upscale hotel.

Most of the clientele appeared to be civilian, although Eric noticed several people who were in the military. They weren't in uniform, but he could tell. Soldiers and sailors can recognise each other instantly.

Maylene's hand rested in the crook of his arm as they walked. A couple of times, their eyes met, but she quickly looked away.

After a while, they ended up back at their room. Neither felt like partaking in any of the resort's activities. Although the day was just starting on the planet, Eric and Maylene were still on ship's time and they were getting tired.

Eric's companion was fidgety. And he was, too. They got back to the room and she went in to the bathroom to change. Eric put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt then sat down on the couch, wondering what the sleeping arrangements were going to be. There was only one king-sized bed.

When Maylene came out, she was wearing a bathrobe that went down past her knees, pulled tight around her. Eric brushed past her and went to wash up.

He came out and found that Maylene had already crawled into the bed. Her robe was hung over the chair by the desk and the covers were pulled up to her neck.