Saxifrage Fire

0017

Agatha was leaned over the holograph table, studying an image of the dam with a knitted brow and a cigarette resting on her lips. She nearly dropped the cigarette when she spotted Thea and company walk through the door.

"How did you know?"

Thea's heart sank a little- she'd been fairly sure but now it was final- she had Euthalia pinned. She glanced around at the rest of Agatha's company to distract herself from the blow of the news. Pa was present, spinning in a chair while blowing the steam off a hot cup of coffee. The broad-shouldered lieutenant was pouring over the dam and map of the camp as if she might find the answers to world peace in the beams of holographic light.

"I told you. Euthalia and I grew up together. I know her favorite shade of lipstick; it wasn't hard to predict that she'd retaliate."

Agatha drew in smoke and blew through rounded lips while shaking her head.

"You get your calculative nature from your father."

Thea crossed her arms, feeling a pang in her chest.

"I dare say I outmatch him, actually."

"Something your Father would say."

Thea clenched her jaw, trying to keep the image of her Father pressing the pistol to Mother's temple out of her head but the only thing that could end the cycle of the memory was a bullet but what sort of vengeance would that be? No- she had to live to see to it that Father paid.

Ezi cleared her throat.

"Is there no end to your considerate nature, General?" she asked, wandering over to her adopted father to steal his coffee.

The elderly man surrendered it with a shrug.

Agatha glanced between the girls, blinking.

"Oh... right. Sorry, Thea."

She breathed in deeply to tame the flame rising in her chest and pulled up a chair, flopping down forcefully to make a point.

"So, what's your decision, General?" she asked- her tone cold like her Father's.

Agatha grimaced, maybe out of guilt, maybe out of fear for what was to come.

"We picked up a transmission confirming that everyone in the camp will be terminated in the early morning." Her voice trailed off a bit. "It's been ten years since they cleared the camp; they were bringing into too many captured to process into the NESP system...." She cleared her throat and took a draw from her cigarette. "I wasn't General at the time, and to be completely honest, I'm... conflicted."

Thea studied her Grandmother's slumped posture and the flame in her chest died down.

"I think you know where I stand," she said.

Agatha nodded.

"Anyone else have something to say?"

The Luintenent raised her hand as if in a classroom.

"If I may, General, the likelihood of giving away our position while simply trying to reach the camp in time is... likely. Now, with the Toxin... this could be the Sera General's plan."

Agatha's eyes widened and she pointed her cigarette at her while nodded.

"That has crossed my mind, Cassandra. But still, our other option is to abandon those people. What's the Camp's capacity?"

"At full? Five hundred, Ma'am."

Thea stared vacantly at the holograph as her mind took her back to the moment she'd grabbed the young man's hand through the bars and promised she'd help get them out. For reasons she couldn't calculate, she felt bound to that promise with every living fiber of her body.