QT: Our Dreams Follow

Arc 2.6

"It is not too late to change your mind," said Sander.

"Now you're being ridiculous." Heru retorted. "We are already on our way to the Empire, brother. Don't you think it's time to accept the situation for what it is?"

"This is your marriage, the person with whom you'll spend the rest of your life. I thought you were a romantic, Heru. Is this how you want your life to go?" His brother looked quite comfortable in his uniform but the tenseness of his form belied the smiles with which he greeted every officer that came across them.

He stared at stars passing them by like lines of light, too tired to discuss the issue of his marriage once more, especially with his brother. It was no secret that Captain d'Aville was firmly against it. The fact that the captain had to be escorted outside the reception hall during the engagement by his mother had been met with both concern and laughter. It had not been something that they could hide from the media, and so the people learned of it as well. They both laughed at what had happened and worried as to why. While the attendees had no time to laugh. The Admiral's amusement and intoxication angered many but it was not so much anger that concerned them, as it was worry that she would treat their fragile Alliance with the same gravitas as her faux-marriage.

"Perhaps, I know better now," He said bitterly. The only way to stop Sander from continuing on another fruitless rant was to play the victim. Nothing silenced him sooner than allusions to his accident and his ex. Sander wouldn't want to trigger any flashback for his poor brother after all.

"We'll be falling out of warp soon," Sander said instead, not even trying to pretend he wasn't changing the subject. "We'll be docking on Station Aeon-35 in about an hour to restock. Want me to prepare an escort for you to go out for a bit?"

Heru shook his head. "No, I am fine here. I am enjoying the view." He motioned toward the large viewing windows on the Observation Lounge. And it wasn't an excuse. He truly was enjoying the view. Having never lived in such an advanced interstellar civilization before, he found everything aboard the spaceship to be fascinating, especially the views it offered of the universe, while they moved at warp speed.

Sander gave him a long look before he sighed and left.

Heru couldn't help but sigh in relief at finally being left alone. At least in the Empire he wouldn't have to pretend so much and his could let down his guard from time to time. Although, thinking of his fiancée, there was a significant chance things would become worse. Not wanting to dwell on such thoughts, he allowed his amazement at the technology available in this time take over. They had been traveling for a little over two weeks on this spaceship, and there only a few days left before they arrived in the Imperial Capital. By then, it would have been a month since his arrival in this world. A month since... Brigitte. He huffed. She would be so furious if she could look at him now. Marrying another woman. And with a grander ceremony at that.

Well, their fake marriage hadn't had much of a ceremony—.

The deck shook abruptly and threw him on the floor. A sharp piercing sound rang out throughout the ship.

"Attention crew. This is the Captain speaking. The ship has been boarded by unknown hostiles. All non-combat and non-essential personnel are to evacuate to their quarters immediately. Repeating. We are being boarded by unknown hostiles. Non-combat and non-essential personnel, evacuate to your quarters immediately."

He tried to stand up. What the—?

The deck shook again, much more strongly, and he crashed with the wall. He felt a sharp pain on the back of his head and then, he knew no more.

* * *

"Sir, the GSS Horizon has engaged in battle with three unaffiliated Battlecruisers. Should we offer assistance?"