Redemptions Revolution PT3: Lessons from Persephone

Mid January 2507, Persephone

“I want you to go to Jiangyin with my family. It won’t be as comfortable as you have it here, but you’ll be safe.” Allen says as he sits in a wooden chair. Though slender the young woman standing behind him is most definitely pregnant. She braids his long hair as he closes his eyes and seems to meditate for a moment.

“This white streak in your hair is getting thicker. I think we should dye it.” she replies with seemingly more to say. “I’ve never been off planet. Well, there was that time we borrowed that shuttle before we were married but that was for a whole different reason.” She finishes the braid by tying it off with a piece of red cloth before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Reaching up slightly Allen holds her hand together on his chest as to help her hold him tighter.

“It isn’t safe here now and after we’re done the Alliance will be lookin’ for us and nothing will stop them. They will call what we do a criminal action and I don’t want you havin’ to suffer for any part of it.” Allen lays his head against the inside of her arm. “T’was a hard enough fight getting’ you to marry me and I’ll be fighting just as hard to git back to you.”

Leaning forward she kisses him lightly at first then deeper and deeper as the moment drifts on.

KNOCKKNOCK KNOCK KNOCKKNOCK

Allen slips from her arms and reaches for his pistol belt hanging near the door. Relieving the pistol from its holster the distinct engraving of NIGHTMARE on the side of his Model 1911 Earth That Was sidearm catches his eye as it passes. He had engraved the name in honor of the unit that embraced him so readily. Though he had felt acceptance before, this was acceptance of a different sort. With them he was not primitive or uneducated or a peasant. With them he was a comrade. An equal. A brother.

Racking the slide of his weapon Allen holds it at his side as if trying to conceal it while opening the door. As it opens the sound of a person snapping to attention makes Allen smile slightly. He opens the door fully to reveal Amarok in his newly pressed uniform. Giving a nonchalant half salute Allen leads Amarok into the door.

Taking off his helmet, “Miss Lily, it is well to see you this day.” Amarok bows slightly to Lily, Allen’s wife.

Stepping forward Lily’s dress seems a bit out of place as a soldiers pay should not afford such finery. Her light unblemished skin and shiny light brown hair seems to be like that of an officers or lords wife.

“You look incredible Am. And I see your markings are almost done.” Lily states as she eyes the tattooed markings on Amaroks face.

“It is difficult finding the right thing to mark with. Rider and myself walk too far so I can finish. We finded a claw two days ago and Rider tells me there is root for dye along the road down a mile and a bit. Thinks I will get it before we leave.” Amaroks English seems a bit broken but he has only been studying for a month. His native tongue, that of the Cold Desert people of Shadow, can still be heard with light clicks and pops as Amarok speaks.

Allen speaks to Amarok in his native tongue, “cl’indit a-ch’te ayoot.” *Meet me outside*

Nodding Amarok bows to Lily, “I hope the day is fine for you.” Finished with his polite gesture Amarok turns mechanically and walks out the door, Allen closes the door behind him.

“He is such a gentleman for…” Lily cuts herself off seemingly in defense of her previous social class. She grins lightly before continuing jokingly, “…the current situation.”

“In his society it’s a great dishonor to think of women as less than an equal. Clans have gone to war for breeches in their social protocol.” Allen replaces his sidearm to its holster before putting on the belt. “Now they have sanctioned battles not unlike the duels still lawful in the upper social classes. Though a man’s second is responsible to make the deathblow, not his opponent.”

With a confused look Lily reaches to a coat hook on the right side of the door. After retrieving Allen’s long coat she holds it up for him to put on. “I guess that keeps a man from getting into the fight in the first place. Has to be a hard thing, asking your closest friend to protect your honor by killing you if you lose.”

After putting his arms in the coat sleeves Allen pulls it on and turns to her. “They are a mild mannered people, peaceful in fact. But they are not without anger and hate just like the rest of us. They’re just better connected to everything. If’n more people were as lucky as they then these current happenings might not even go on.” he tells her as he walks to a closet in the rear of the small living room. Retrieving the sub machinegun issued to him the caliber matches that of his sidearm.

As Allen turns back to Lily she stands in front of the door with a hand behind her back.

“I had your family send me these. They say happy hunting. I don’t agree with them, but it is your way.” Lily states sadly as she reveals a turkey feather and rabbits foot tied together with a thin leather strap. Stepping toward each other Lily opens Allen’s coat and ties the loose end to the inside. Before closing it she reaches in with both arms and embraces Allen tightly, he gasps and shudders as he pulls he closer with his free arm.

“I will get back to you as soon as this is over.” Allen tells her in supreme confidence. Lily sobs lightly and he lets his subgun fall to the floor. Holding her with his right Allen runs his left hand along the curve of her jawbone caressing her face lightly. Unlocking his own jaw he speaks softly to her as he guides her to look at him, “There is nothing that can ever keep me from you,” lowering his hand to her swollen belly, “or you.”

Squatting Allen picks up his sub machinegun which also bears the NIGHTMARE marking.Standing he says, “Don’t watch me go. It’ll be like I never left.” He says this half as a reassurance, half so he doesn’t look back to see her crying. Allen knows she’ll watch anyways. And he knows that he’ll look back.

A light kiss between them before Allen picks up his helmet and walks out the door. “Ready to go huntin’?” he asks Amarok.

“More than I can tell you.” Amarok replies. Allen looks back for but a moment as they walk on.