Rhivera (Complete Novel)

~Chapter Nine- Parents~

~Chapter Nine- Parents~

~Juaquin~

Over the last few months, Nirivo becomes well known throughout the country. I've been able to play a pivotal part in every mission I've been involved in thanks to the Survival Suit. Other officers in the military have asked if I could be transferred from Ilyana's squad into theirs, but I've refused them each time, I'm happy where I am.

During daily training, Ilyana is pulled away from the squad by Raul. I see him handing her a letter. She comes back to us and stops training to go over the letter.

Corporal Ilyana Ferzo,

We request you and your squad's assistance for a mission in Joldair. You are to arrive at Joldair Military Base on August 10th for briefing on this mission.

Regards,

General Lena Veran

"Why would she want our squad?" A squad member asks.

"She doesn't want us. She wants Nirivo." Another says, darting their eyes towards me.

"Regardless, we're going. Colonel Rios has already given us the go ahead." Ilyana says in a formal manner. She maintains that presence at base, but she drops her guard with me on the dates we've been going on lately.

"Does the Colonel know what the mission is?" I ask.

Ilyana maintains her official ways when addressing me, "He's unsure. The Colonel believes it's something best kept a secret."

That evening, our squad boards a train headed eastbound for Joldair. Our squad is given our own private passenger car for the trip. I set the suitcase for Survival Suit underneath my seat, and Ilyana promptly sits next to me, greeting me with a smile. We settle in for the trip. It's night when the train enters Sotra.

I can see Sotra's jungles in the distance and I recall our encounter with Miro there. If I had the Survival Suit back then, maybe things would've turned out differently... No. I might've been able to stand against them, but everyone else would've been in danger. The best I could've done is defend everyone else while they escaped.

"Juaquin, mind if I ask you something?" Ilyana snaps me out of the trance I'm in. I must've been staring out the train's window for a while at the passing green environ.

"Go ahead," I say.

"Your father and the Colonel were old friends, right?"

"Yeah, how did you find out about that?" I hadn't mentioned that to her. I've told her my dad was gone, but nothing else about him. Maybe I was afraid to say too much about him for fear of accidentally mentioning Eugenio Jr.

"I looked into it. I've always noticed that you and Raul were close, and wanted to find out why." Ilyana responds, sounding somewhat guilty, "I know you lost your father when you were fairly young."

"Yeah, the RLA killed him." I tell her. I knew technically it was Population Control, but I held the RLA at fault. They're the ones who crippled him. He didn't want to live after that.

"Is that why you joined the military?" Ilyana asks.

"Yeah. It makes me feel closer to him." I respond honestly, "Why did you join the military?"

"Population Control is in the right, and the RLA and Miro are trying to ruin that. Everyone will be better off once they're dealt with." Ilyana states in a matter of fact way.