It was to be a quick mission. The Alliance had determined that there was a cache of illegal weapons being stockpiled on Shadow. They needed a team to go in, get the evidence of it and then destroy it. It had to be done with the utmost precision. That is why they turned to Kane.

Kane was loyal, patriotic and on a mission, absolutely reliable. In the dozen or so times he had been sent out, he had not failed to complete the all assigned tasks. He had showed such potential while in the Alliance Academy on Ariel that he was recruited into the Special Operations branch of the military directly upon graduation. High honor indeed since that had happened only three times in the history of the Alliance military. Short of some sweeping change in the political landscape or other unforeseen event, Kane’s military career was set.

Now, tensions were high. The Alliance for months had been reaching out to the so called Independents with overtures of peace and good will. The remote independent planets were savage and often ruled by ruthless despots. The Alliance wanted to offer everyone in the ‘Verse safety, security and protective freedom. They had the best food, the best medical and the most advanced culture and they wanted everyone to enjoy those things. But it seemed that the malevolent rulers of those savage ‘Independent’ worlds would rather brutalize their citizenry that enjoy prosperity as a member of the Alliance. What was worse is those same citizens appeared to have been brainwashed to the point where, by and large, they accepted the way things were and even supported their Independent rulers. Because of this things had come to the point where the patience and benevolence of the Alliance had been stretched to the breaking point.

All of this was part of why Kane was here now. He and his team—Schmidt, Wallace, Sing and Lopez—were here on Shadow to try and remove a threat to the peace of the ‘Verse. They had been set down three days ago and since then had been working toward the objective that loomed ahead. Kane knew the importance of this mission and was fully invested in accomplishing it or not coming back alive. Not that he was a fatalist or had a death wish, nor did he want his team mates dead, but he and his comrades knew that their lives were nothing compared to the souls whose liberty hinged on their success. The night was dark, the air was still and the hour was perfect. Everything was a go.

Lopez and Wallace took up positions of security on the fringes of the compound while Schmidt, Sing and Kane carefully worked their way deep into the facility. True enough, they had found the weapons cache and much more. There were all manner of stolen supplies and equipment. These anarchists were even brazen enough to leave the Alliance marker on everything…right down to the food packs.

The team had enough evidence and it was time to place the charges to blow everything up. Working quickly and stealthily, they avoided all of the Browncoat sentries and patrols. When the charges were set, they called in for extraction and to give the sitrep to their command. They began moving out, but immediately things went wrong.

Although Kane could not figure out how they had been seen, machine guns opened up on them from their left and right flanks. Lopez and Wallace began suppressive fire, but Lopez was quickly injured and Wallace was suppressed by the volume of accurate fire. What was worse is it turned out that enemy troops had gotten onto the teams egress route and was not engaging the team. Kane tried to organize the team to fight the threat and allow them to get out as a whole, but the fire and the maneuver effectiveness of the Independents was overwhelming. It was almost as if they knew the team’s plan.

By now everyone except Schmidt and Kane were injured. Kane, with no option, gave the “fade” command—a prearranged command indicating the team was to separate and get out as best as they could. Kane positioned himself to cover the team as they moved out. Lopez moved slowly, but was moving and would get out. Everything looked like it would be alright

Then the mortars started.

The explosions came down virtually on top of Kane. Fortunately, he had chosen a good position, but the blasts and concussion force was numbing. The shrapnel was pinging off the rocks, flame scorching all vegetation. Through it all Kane somehow heard Schmidt call to him over the microtransmitter, telling him he could cover Kane as he retreated. Kane rose up and turned to move when a mortar finally found him. Pain shot through his shoulder, chest, stomach, hip and leg. He knew it was bad, but at that moment the charges went off destroying the cache of supplies. Kane smiled through the pain as he began to collapse. Schmidt began to run forward, but was cut down by enemy fire and lay on the ground in pain. ‘It didn’t matter,’ Kane thought as shock began to take him, ‘We did it!’ He fell to his knees, then fell over onto his back. He closed his eyes.

Light began to bathe him and a wind stirred and swirled about him. ‘This is what it is like to die,’ Kane thought and everything went dark and he lost consciousness. The last thing he remembered was a roaring sound that reminded him of ship thrusters. He was convinced it must be the voice of God.

Light again, and noise—people talking and music playing quietly. Kane heard a tinging sound like metal hitting metal and a wooshing sound like a re-breather. He also heard a beeping sound playing out a tune in regular beats. And close by, a female voice…soft and gentle, but with authority. He soaked in it convinced he was waking in Paradise.

He opened his eyes and intense light flooded in. Then, above him, and angel! Clothed in white, all he could see what her eyes. ‘What beautiful eyes’ he thought, ‘the eyes of an angel.” They were green-grey and sparkled with life. The light surrounded her and sprang from her as if alive. Even though he could not see more, he thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. ‘I love you,’ he thought.

Her eyes flicked up and looked into his. The edges of them began to crease betraying a smile. It was almost as if she heard his thought, but why not…she was an angel after all. The gaze seemed to last forever, but then she looked off to the side and spoke.

“He’s coming around. Take him back down,” she said. He voice was musical.

Looking back down into Kane’s eyes she said to him, “It’s ok. You’ll be alright. We’re almost done.”

She looked away again and said something about giving him a shot of morphaline, but then things faded out. He hated it because she was fading too, but he felt he would see her again, and that comforted him.

“Kane?” a voice called out, somehow familiar. But something was wrong. He had pain. Not overwhelming, but there was pain. Was their physical pain in Heaven?

“Kane?” the voice said sweetly and musically. The thought ‘my angel’ came into his mind.

With effort he opened his eyes. The light in the room pained him. He was sure he must have been out for some time. Sounds assaulted his ears and he could feel the weight of his body again.

His eyes focused and then he saw her. It was her: the angel he had seen. There was no mistaking those eyes. They filled him with hope and peace, love and happiness. While not strange things to Kane, he only felt them this strongly since looking into her eyes.

She stood close to his bed and smiled as she saw his consciousness and awareness grow.

“Well, it is good to see all of my hard work was not wasted,” she said in a lyrical, very proper tone.

It finally came together in Kane’s mind. He had been injured, but was rescued. This was an Alliance hospital. He wasn’t sure where, but the equipment, the way she was dressed, everything about him in the room, he knew it was Alliance. But it wasn’t a military hospital.

“You’re on Ariel,” the angel answered as if knowing Kane’s thoughts.

“And I am Doctor Jubail,” she began, “but you can call me Jade, if you like.”

He did like. Not only like, he loved. She was amazing. There was something about her that captivated him. But he couldn’t bring himself to speak for fear of breaking the magic.

“I am the Chief of Surgery and Internal Medicine here. I have been working your case since you came in two weeks ago. You had us worried, but I knew you weren’t going to leave us yet.”

She smiled at him and said, “You must still be tired. I just wanted to make you were going to be ok. The team here will take care of you and in a few days you will be moved to the Rehabilitation Ward. After that we should be able to get you back to your unit.”

She reached out and grabbed his hand for a moment and smiled at him again. It suddenly occurred to Kane what was happening. She was the surgeon—the one that had worked on him and tended him. He must have been out for some time and she had cared for him. But now, he was recovering and he was going to be moved away. He might never see her again.

“Take care and heal quickly,” she said, letting go of his hand to turn and leave.

She was going. He didn’t want her to go, but what could he say to convince her to stay or at least come back. He had never been afraid, but suddenly he was...afraid he would never see her again.

“Doctor!” he said in a croaky voice—a voice that had not been used in some time.

She turned back to face him.

He swallowed hard and began again, “Jade, would you come back and visit me?”

He felt stupid and awkward. He couldn’t say something smooth and poetic, but clumsy and blundering. He quickly convinced himself that she would give a polite non-committal answer and then excuse herself. He hoped so desperately for the contrary, but who was he and what he could he offer. She was and appeared to have everything. He despaired.

“I would like that,” she said in that same musical tone. She grabbed his hand, smiled and spoke one more, “I would like that greatly.”

Here eyes lit up again, but with a light and sparkle was greater than he had seen. He slowly began to entertain the thought that she was as drawn to him and he was to her.

For the next thirty days, while Kane recovered, she never failed to come and visit him. Off duty or on, she would come by and sit with him. Usually, many times a day. She would call his room when it had been more than a few hours and he would have the nurses and therapist deliver notes to her. Sometimes he had to threaten force to encourage them to comply, but in the end they would do as he asked.

When the day came for him to be discharged, she cried. It was the first time he had seen sadness in her eyes. Kane hated it. Kane would be returning to his unit and with the war coming, he knew he would be back in action shortly.

Jade hung her head, then leaned against Kane’s chest.

“I’ll miss you,” she said through soft sobs.

What could Kane say? He had never known anyone he cared for or loved as much as this woman, but he knew the future looked very dark. He just could not bring himself to tie her to a potentially tragic future. But he also could not just walk away from her either. Thoughts he had never before had crossed his mind and he did not know how to process them. He knew he had to say something. He grabbed her arms gently, but firmly and turned her so he could look into those eyes again.

“Look, I could die, do you understand,” he said with force enough to startle her.

She nodded.

“I can’t have that on my conscience. I can’t bring that on you, do you understand me?”

She nodded again with great tears welling up in her eyes.

“But,” he began and then hesitated,” but I love you. I know if I don’t have you, if I leave this place without a promise from you, I will certainly die.”

She looked up at him for the first time this day with hope in her eyes.

“Jade,” he said slowly and gently,”My Angel, will you marry me?”

Jade answered with her kiss…the first kiss they had shared. It was a desperate, passionate kiss full of life and joy, accented with many a muffled ‘yes’, and quickly followed by more tears and joyous laughter.

For several minutes they lingered there: Jade in her Doctor’s smock, Kane in his battle dress. Finally, when he knew the magic was complete, he turned her face to him and kissed her again. Then spoke.

“I must go, you understand.”

“I do, Beloved,” she replied.

“But I will be back,” he said with certainty. “And if anything goes wrong, I will come for you.”

She nodded again and he pulled her close to him, kissing her passionately. Then, in a flash, he let go, turned and was gone. But, in her mind, she knew he would be back…she knew he was thinking of her.