LOVE & CONQUEST-Colonel Quaritch-

T W E N T Y-F I V E

"W-What?" The word came difficultly and quiet, barely above a whisper. Kirey'a stumbles backward, her hands raised to cover her mouth.

Who? She wondered.

Breathing shakily, Kirey'a stepped even further from her husband. Slowly dropping to her knees with her body facing away from him and toward the two girls. Both hands now caressing her stomach, Kirey'a tried to process everything. She tried to understand what she felt. Fear? Grief? Defeat.

Like she had failed the Sullys, like she had failed herself.

Though, she would not allow the tears to fully form. Tired of crying, tired of not doing anything about it.

With glossy eyes, Kirey'a looked over her shoulder and into her husbands. However, despite what he might have been feeling underneath-all she could see was an unbothered murderer standing before her.
A murderer she couldn't help but love above all the hate seething within her.

Lips trembling, her voice quivered against the words. "How could you allow this?" She asked.

His lips pressed into a thin line, abruptly turning from the woman. He didn't want to see it, the sadness in her composure. Pulling his shoulders back to straighten his posture, he spoke loudly into the telecoms. "Can you hear me, Corporal?"

"Yeah... I think you can."

"I've got your daughters-same deal as before. You for them."

After a moment, Miles gestured for his comrades to move into position. Once they had all left earshot, he turns and approaches Kirey'a.

Crouching in front of her, he smoothed his hands over her own. Thumbs brushing against her growing belly. "This is a war." He spoke as he leaned in to look into her big, tearful eyes. "People are going to die. And you have to be prepared for that."

Kirey'a wasn't sure how to take that bit of advice-if she could call it that. It seemed like he was trying, in his own way. Though, it didn't make her feel any better.
A boy she had known his whole life, was dead. Simply because her husband wanted to hurt his father.

Although she tried, Kirey'a was unable to convince herself that what had happened, was for love. It wasn't. It was just a man with an obsession. A liar.

As she looked him in the eyes, a single tear fell from her own. Voice hollowed as she spoke, "I understand now." She said, pushing his hands from her. "But I no longer know you."

Miles' heart shot into his throat. His eyes grew hot, and he felt as if his face had gone pale. Hearing Kirey'a utter those words washed over him like a heavy wave of dread.

He wanted to say something, anything to reassure her, but his mouth grew too dry to speak. As Miles stared upon his upset wife, he drew in a deep breath before rising to his feet. Spinning on his heel as the air left his lungs.

As Miles went to leave her to her sorrows, he stopped himself. Having only moved a few feet from her, with his back turned he just stood there. Tail hanging remarkably still whilst his ears flicked about nervously. What was he doing? Her friend had died, and he had not given her a single condolence.

However, if anything his words would only upset her further. He did promise not to hurt them, and he had every intention in withholding that promise. But the second his eyes laid on Jake Sully, all of the anger surged back into him like it had never left. Vengeance overtook his mind; Betrayal to their race, his own death.

Everything Kirey'a had shown him, everything she made him feel, faded away.

Now, the Colonel knew what had happened could not be undone, and he knew that she would continue to morn regardless. But he needed her to understand the risk of clouded judgment. He needed her help.