Game of Riches (ONC)

It was me.

They came too soon.

I was pulled up and away from Evan. He jolted awake next to me and could only watch as they dragged me out of his cell and down the corridor. I didn't fight them, I knew where they were taking me. 

Once again, I was alone with the Captain. 

"I've decided you are no longer safe to walk the halls." He said as the door slid shut and I had the resounding feeling it would not open for me again. 

"Do you not trust me?"

"You have proven yourself, and that is why I must protect you from these barbarians." He said and motioned for me to sit. "I do have one thing to ask you. If you had to chose somewhere to live after all this is over, where would you pick?"

The only place I had family was Shiffir. He wouldn't want to see me though, so it didn't really change anything. 

"A planet. I crave the open skylines, the never ending land."

"Ships make you claustrophobic."

I nodded. "I don't think I could ever truly be happy off planet."

"Shiffir?" He asked. "Would you ever want to return?"

I glanced up at him. His questions always cut to the bone. 

"Do you think your father could ever forgive you for your actions?"

"My father is a good military man. His morals have always been strong. But he lost sight of them with me." I said and tugged at my nail beds. 

"Do you want to speak with him?" He sat down opposite me and took my hands. "Perhaps he could forgive you." 

I wanted to frown at him. Where was he going with this?

"I am also a man of the military. I have connections."

It struck me then, my father could help us. Help me, if only I could gain the courage to ask. I never thought I would see my father's face again. But perhaps everything had been pointing towards this. My past never wanted to leave me. It continued to fight back, a wave crashing down upon me, again and again, forcing me to turn back. 

"You would let me speak with him? On this ship."

"We're in range."

I nodded. "Then yes." I said and gripped his hand back. "Though I need some time to process this. I don't know what I want to say to him. It's been such a long time."

"Don't think too long," he stood, "we won't be in range forever."

He left me alone in his rooms, and with each beat of my heart, I knew I was a second closer to speaking with my father. I knew there was good in his heart, had to hope the bitterness had left him and he was wiser. I had to hope the pain in my heart when I thought of him, did not still haunt him as well.

I took the time to wander. He'd left the doors open to the rest of the chamber. The first room contained a cabinet laid with fine china, glasses and whiskey. There was no table, only a single chair and a bookshelf. I studied the tomes to find they were all non-fiction. The rest of the room was bare. No knickknacks. Nothing personal.  He was an enigma. Something I couldn't figure out, nor did I want to. I needed to though. If there was something I could use against him, maybe that would make the difference. 

I left the room and entered the bedroom I'd slept in. It was much the same with the bed in the centre and the window looking out onto the stars. I stopped for a moment to admire them, then carried on with my search. At the push of a button, a set of wardrobes slide open to reveal more uniforms. I pushed them aside. Nothing.