Chrysalis To A Butterfly [Kiana Kaslana X Male OC]

Interlude: Where Dreams Concluded

'Captain on the bridge', The female AI Voice integrated into the elevator announced.

"We need to do something about this greeting, Captain."

"I have requested Major Roseweisse multiple times to change it," Sophia replied, her demeanour changing from that of an easygoing senior to a strict superior officer. "But she always insists on keeping it. Her argument is whoever owned this ship before us won't like it if we removed that."

"I wasn't aware that the commander was sentimental."

"Aren't all humans?"

"Who knows?" Sal mused. "In our line of work, I don't think we have the choice to be sentimental. We kill, we betray, and we create chaos and destruction, all for the sake of humanity. Doesn't that make us some kind of robot of justice?"

Sophia chuckled at his reasoning.

"What?" He shot her a glare.

"You are a human, Sal," She stated. "And so am I, and Major Rosseweise as well as all our squadmates. Just because we are doing Schicksal's dirty work, it doesn't imply that we must also throw away our humanity."

"But won't that be much easier?"

"Throwing away your humanity?"

"Yeah," Sal replied. "If we didn't retain our human emotions, then carrying out our missions would become much easier. We won't be making irrational choices, plus we will be able to choose the most efficient way of getting the job done. And most of all, we won't have to carry the pain or hurt that comes from afflicting pain on fellow humans."

"Sal," Sophia gave him a side glance. "It seems to me that rather than giving up your humanity, you are trying to run away from your responsibility. There is a difference between the two."

"Am I?" Sal mused.

"Maybe."

"You never give answers in absolutes, Sophia." He grumbled.

"It's Captain now," She scolded him as she walked towards the main control centre at the centre of the humongous Bridge. "And there is no answer in this world which could be dealt with, in absolutes. As long as humanity exists, we will always have differences. That is why my perception of believing you are trying to run away might not be true, though, in matters of heart, you do have a habit of pushing people away."

"We are not discussing my romantic life right now. So-" Sophia shot him a glare, her expression sending him the message 'You call me Sophia once again, and I get you seven days in brig along with mandatory toilet cleaning duties' "Captain, I think my romantic life should be kept out of this intellectual conversation."

"And why must that be Lieutenant?" Sophia asked, amused. "Because I believe the only common emotion that every human being shares and understands to a certain degree is love. And by understanding your fundamental issue of pushing away the love that others try to give you, we can also understand why you want to give up your humanity."

"Has anyone ever told you that you would make an excellent therapist, Captain?" Sal groaned as he climbed the single flight of stairs leading to the central command centre in the bridge. That is where most of their meetings occurred.

"Was that a compliment?" Sophia shot him an amused look.

"Sarcasm, Captain," Sal sighed and smiled.

Sophia chuckled.

"Though," Sophia stopped. "Sooner or later, you will have to face this part of yourself, Lazy Sal, because if you don't, you might never be able to accept the love you deserve."

Her back was towards Sal as the warm air the ship's heating system produced blasted from the black alloyed floor. For the first time since entering the bridge, Sal also noticed the faint droning noise emitted from the corner of the damp room. The convex windows that usually showed the view outside were now shut closed with a white-coloured shutter-military-grade armour.

Sal sighed and held the cylindrical railings that were welded around the stairs. His skin could feel the cold radiate from the brazen structure despite the heater trying to keep it warm. The temperature outside was minus, and the fact that they were so high up in the sky didn't help much.

"I will keep that in mind, Captain," He replied with his eyes gazing at the shuttered windows, his mind already flying through the skies outside, experiencing freedom and happiness. "no promises on confronting it, though."

"Whatever I am going to do with you." She sighed but smiled nonetheless. "Anyways, let's move; I am sure Major Rosseweise has started the meeting already."

"Sure," He replied. "Also, Captain, I was wondering why-"

"Major likes to keep her bridge moderately cold," She cut Sal off as if she knew what he was about to ask. "Also, if you would ask why you were unaware of this despite being a part of the Lilith Squad for over a year now. Then the answer is: you, being a Lazy Sal, has never allowed you to reach Bridge on time. Thus, your briefing always occurred in either the Mech Hangar or the Brig."

"I understand," Sal gulped, not wanting to question Sophia any further. Once she enters the Captain mode, she is a thousand times more strict and scary than the normal mode Sophia.

"Good," Sophia climbed the final flight of stairs. "Then shall we make haste?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sal saluted and followed her as they entered Beowulf's bridge. A place that Sal would visit for the first and last time. As this is where his dreams would conclude, and a new story would begin.

A story filled with love, except the boy would be too scared to accept it.

*****

A/N All right, here is the last chapter for the day and maybe for the week. There is little to say about this one, except that it is short compared to the previous one. This chapter is just an introspective conversation between Sal and Sophia. I hope through that conversation, you can see some new shades of our sad boy Sal. Though there is a lot to come regarding his past at the moment, I will only be writing about his involvement in Operation Dusk, as it is directly tied to his trial proceeding in Iustisia Palace.

Oh, also, for every reader who doesn't follow me, I wanted to make a quick announcement; if you want to read some wholesome drabble of our beloved Tuna and Sal, check out the conversation segment in my profile. I post KiaSal drabble there. But if you guys feel that the Conversation segment is a hassle, I can also make it a separate web-novel story in Wattpad. If you guys prefer that, then let me know. Also place holder title for the KiaSal Drabble: Kiana And Sal's Bizzare RomCom Drabble Collection.

All right then, like always, happy reading! And good night!