Heritage

Heritage (Chapter 54)

Chapter 54: Stella

I stare into the mirror as I place my hair into a tight bun. I adjust it here and there in order to make sure it's up to snuff. My eyes trail over to the new scar that extends from my hairline on the right side of my head to half way down my forehead.

The doctors said if I hadn't been wearing the helmet, my brain would've been turned into scrambled eggs. Out of curiosity, I took the bandages off one day while recovering. The scar as a whole extends across my scalp like a spider-web. It's a near exact image of the pattern that my helmet had on it when it cracked.

It's been a month since that happened. Today is my first day back on duty and the tests beforehand that got me here were extensive. I'm told I didn't wake up for three days and the doctors were afraid that I might be brain-dead due to lower than normal brain activity.

They felt it was a miracle that I had woken up so soon. After which, they spent the remaining weeks ensuring that I had full cognitive function. From color recognition, to depth perception, to emotional stability, the doctors ran every possible test they could; which ended up being a test in mental fortitude all on its own.

I trail my eyes down until I meet them in my reflection. I found out later that my copilot didn't make it. It turned out that I sent medical personnel to an injured man that didn't exist any longer. In the ignition of the fuel it blew off too much of the fighter and the vacuum ended up pulling him, along with his seat out into open space. He died of oxygen deprivation and deep-freezing temperatures before anyone realized where he was.

I had the opportunity to meet his son as he was coming to claim his father's body and bury it on their home world.

I feel tears start to form and see my eyes gloss over and well up.

What I found when his son came to claim him was not sorrow, but pride. He was proud that his father died doing the thing he was most passionate about. So proud in fact, that he followed directly in his footsteps, I noticed by the uniform he was wearing.

The tears slide down my cheeks.

His son placed a hand on my shoulder and thanked me for being there with him in the end as well as for letting him save me. I found out later that Jinkor believe that the greatest death is in dying to preserve another's life. It all clicked to me after that. He knew the fuel leaked too far in. But he didn't care. If he died, he wanted to make sure it made me live.

I close my eyes and look away from the mirror, taking a seat on the cot next to it. I take a moment to compose myself, wiping the tears from my eyes and taking a deep breathe.

I wish Leon were here.

I stare off into space, holding on to that thought. I feel a warm hand grab mine. I look up and see that Richard is staring at me with concerned eyes.

"You okay?" He asks simply.

I quickly wrap my arms around him and squeeze him hard.

He doesn't say anything for a while. I let him go.

He smiles at me. "I'd be careful with that Pilot Grade One Stella. You just might get yourself in trouble for PDA,"

I can't help but smile back. And hugging Richard succeeded in making Leon disappear from my mind.

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"Alright, so you got your helmets here, rigging here, and side arms here. I assume they taught you about a crash pistol in the academy?"