Conner nodded, looking just as ticked as Ronnie was. He was going to take her with him, whether they liked it or not. He didn’t feel safe leaving her alone on this ship, not with aliens that she seemed weary of.
Arriss leaned into her boyfriend, starting to look anxious. Something about this whole thing was bothering her, but she couldn’t place her finger on what. Why couldn’t Valiel come with them?
Mercy smiled faintly and looked down at the floor. “I mean, I would like you to,” she said softly. “But that’s up to you.”
The Commander didn't bother to explain. "In any case, we have a trajectory planned that gets us to Earth in about a day. Once there, you'll have two days with your families, and then we're off again. I know it's not much, but you'll be back to them often."
Romulus nodded as the Commander finished explaining, before glancing back at Mercy. "If you think your family can handle me for two days…"
Arriss went silent for a few moments, deep in thought, before she leaned over towards Ronnie. “Can I come stay with you…?”
“I think they can.” She gently squeezed his hand, smiling softly. “Just don’t act too crazy, okay? And I swear, if you start flirting with anyone…”
Ronnie nodded. "That's fine, but… don't you want your folks to at least know you're alive?"
Romulus grinned at her. "Got a sister? A cousin, maybe?"
“I… uh…” She looked down, pressing her lips together. “I’ll probably send them a call or something. Maybe visit once.”
“Ew, Romulus!” Mercy laughed softly, pushing him away. “You’re messed up.”
Ronnie nodded. "Fine with me." He kept his voice soft with her. "You'd be welcomed."
He turned back to the Commander. "Any other reason you brought us down here?
Romulus had to laugh with her. "Oh, c'mon, you're just upset that your female family members would definitely go for this." He chuckled, but glanced up as the Commander started speaking again.
"Well, to give you the news about Earth, and get your qualifications, but also to check on how you'd feel about working as a team. I'm rethinking that now, but if you two-" he looked between Romulus and Ronnie "-think you can get along, then… there's the question. How would you all feel about being on one team together?"
Mercy smiled and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Keep telling yourself that.”
Arriss raised her eyebrows at the suggestion before she scanned everyone in the room. Her group would be a little bit bigger than it was before, but she was sure she could handle it. Besides, most of the people in the room knew how to do their jobs correctly.
Mercy, however, was much more hesitant. She glanced over at Romulus, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Romulus, I know you two have a history, but… take it easy on him okay?” she asked softly. “We need to be able to work as a team without getting into fights.”
Romulus looked at Mercy, legitimately a little bothered. "Hey, we haven't punched each other yet, it's ok. We'll be alright."
They did have history, but… Romulus could handle it like an adult, thanks very much.
Ronnie glanced at Arriss, before asking the Commander. "And who do you have in mind as Captain?"
The Commander smiled at him. "Good question. I hadn't decided yet."
“Alright, alright. I trust you, okay? I just… I don’t want anything to interfere with this mission.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “This means a lot to me.”
Arriss raised an eyebrow, looking a little conflicted by that information. Part of her would love to be captain and navigate a ship again, but she also worried how that would affect her relationship with Ronnie. After all, the whole reason they were able to be together was because Arriss was no longer in charge. Would that change if she was picked?
Romulus quirked an eyebrow at her. He'd have to ask more about that later. He wasn't sure why the xeno attempt to overthrow their dictatorial leaders was super important to Mercy, personally. But he didn't argue.
Ronnie nodded slowly. "Do you have roles picked, based on our strengths?"
Commander Verrick leaned forward. "Arriss will pilot. You're in engineering. Romulus is there as security. Connor will be educated to work as both cartographer and radar technician. Mercy can be educated as a medic, since her psychology background gives her an edge there." He hadn't decided about Kirk just yet.
Kirk snorted. “I’ll be there for moral support.”
Mercy smiled at her brother’s remark before leaning over to Romulus, a mischievous grin on her face. “I don’t think we should put you on security,” she teased. “You might be buff, but the moment you see a pretty girl, you’ll drop your guard.”
Arriss intertwined her fingers with Ronnie’s before she spoke up again. “So when should we arrive back at earth?”
"We may have more use for you here, Kirk. But it'll depend on what you decide to study." Commander Verrick smiled at him, before turning to Arriss. "We'll pull into Earth's orbit roughly 22 hours from now, and then you all will have 48 hours with your families. The we'll be at Callisto for 48 hours, and then we're off again."
Romulus chuckled at her. "Listen, I think you've got me all wrong. I'm not on duty here, so I can relax and flirt a little bit. On duty though, it's different."
“What I decide to study?” He chuckled before letting out an over dramatic brown. “Sounds like a lot of work.”
Arriss nodded at the general’s comment before turning to Ronnie. “Maybe we can go on an actual date while we’re down there.” She smiled. “Only if you want to.”
“Mm, I don’t know if I believed that,” Mercy teased, but she knew he was telling the truth. Ronnie was good at his job, and he knew when to be serious. She turned back towards the table, staring at her hands as she pulled in a shaky breath. “I’m nervous to see my family again after so long…”
The Commander chuckled at Kirk. "Exactly. Though if you'd rather not, we are in need of a janitor." He let that sink in, an amused expression on his face.
Ronnie looked thoughtful. "…It's not that I don't want to, but… I do have family I want to see." He looked her in the eyes. "I will make time for you though. Just might not be a date exactly…"
Romulus nodded slowly at her. "I can understand that. My family haven't heard from me at all since I went to boot camp, so… I feel that."
“A janitor?” Kirk laughed. “Not to be mean to the janitors out there. I’m sure they’re great. But can you see me bending down, cleaning up someone’s mess?”
Arriss smiled, kissing his cheek. “Of course. I understand,” she said. Her eyes furrowed in concern for a moment, and she looked more anxious. “Do you think your family will like me…?”
Mercy raised an eyebrow. “You know, you never told me much about your family,” she said. “What are they like?”
Commander Verrick answered him honestly, in a very matter-of-fact tone. "What, can I see you- an uneducated human with no powers, no real skills, and no drive to learn because it 'sounds like a lot of work'- cleaning up other people's messes? Absolutely. For sure."
Ronnie laughed quietly. "I think they'll think you're crazy if you're coming home with me… but I think they'll like you."
Romulus looked thoughtful for a moment. "They're ok… I don't really know, now. It's been so long."
Kirk snorted, rolling his eyes. “I can see your kind doesn’t have much of a sense of humor,” he replied. “But yeah, I’ll learn something. It’ll just take some time.”
Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. “I don’t have to come with you if you don’t want me to, my love. I understand just wanting to spend time with your family,” she replied. “I can stay in a hotel or something, it’s no big deal.”
“Well, I think my family will like you,” she said softly, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’re a great person, so I’m sure you’ll get along.”
"And I can see your kind have no sense of respect for rank, or the concept of insubordination." Commander Verrick kept his tone conversational, but his meaning was clear. "You are able to take as long as you need to. We can provide that."
.
Ronnie shook his head. "No, I want you there. They just… I love them, but they don't have the best opinion of me."
.
Romulus smiled at her. "I'm glad you think so. Though I'm perfectly good with staying on the ship if I have to." Earth for him had been enemy territory for so long, this conversation kinda felt wrong to even have.
“Nah, I understand your rank, but I also call out bull crap when I see it.” Kirk gave a simple shrug. “It’ll take me a while, but I’m sure I’ll manage to be useful somehow. Other than being a janitor.”
*
“They don’t?” Arriss eyebrows furrowed in concern before she reached over and held his cheek. “Well, they’re wrong. I think your amazing.”
*
“Stay on here and be bored out of your mind?” She laughed softly. “You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to. I’m definitely not forcing you to come. But I could show you around my hometown…”
"Sounds more like you call anything with which you disagree 'bullcrap'." Commander Verrick chuckled. "I'm sure you will, though the offer still stands if you ever decide to give up."
.
Ronnie shrugged. "Yeah, I went off to school to learn to kill people. They didn't think too highly of that."
.
"There's plenty to do here." Romulus laughed. "But… I'll definitely come with you if you want me to."
“Me? Give up? Pssh.” Kirk snorted. “What openings are there on the ship?”
*
“You joined the special forces, my love. You fought for our country.” Her let out a sigh as she gently rubbed his arm. “I think it was noble of you.”
*
“Well, I would like you to come.” She looked away. “My family… they can be a bit annoying sometimes. It- it would be nice to have someone to talk with.”
"I'll get you the list once you're back from leave." Commander Verrick nodded at him. "I'm glad you're not the giving up type. That's all we ask."
.
Ronnie nodded slowly. "Yeah… but it still comes down to killing…" He glanced over at Romulus, not an angry look this time, just… pensive.
.
Romulus gave her a sympathetic look. "That's hard… but I can listen well. I can do that for you."
He wasn't sure what to make of this. Mercy had rejected his advances all the way up to yesterday at lunch, and suddenly, she was wanting to talk to him. Had one moment of tenderness really meant that much to her?
"Well, I don't know about them, but I'm proud og you for enlisting and serving as long as you did," she replied. "Even still, you work hard for your country."
Arriss gave him a strained smile. Part of her wished that she was like him. He did everything to protect his country, and yet she abandoned her people in a heartbeat.
*
She sighed, trying to hide the worry on her faxe. She loved her family, she really did, but she was worried what they would think of her. Had she made them proud, or would they reject her like they'd rejected her older brother?
"Thanks, Romulus." She smiled faintly. "That means a lot."
Ronnie shrugged. "It was a job. It was a war we were fighting for ambiguous reasons, and I just wanted to be part of something bigger than me. I thought I'd gotten that by joining up but… by the end of it, I just wanted to be a person again." He looked her in the eyes. "And you gave me that, Arriss. Which is why I would leave humanity behind to follow you, if I had to."
.
She looked worried, and Romulus smiled, trying to assuage that. "Of course. It'll be alright."
Commander Verrick spoke up then. "Well. Now that we've got that out in the open, you all are dismissed. Predp for being home, decide what you want to say and do, and we'll have those ID's for by the time we land."
“I would too, Ronnie.” She smiled as she looked up at him. “I would leave everything behind to be with you.”
She gently brushed his nose against his before she stood up and began to walk towards the door, loosely holding his hand in hers.
Mercy walked after Ronnie and Arriss, snorting softly as she looked over at them. She then turned to Romulus, an eyebrow raised.
“Well, they’re sure lovey dovey now, aren’t they?” she commented. “How long have they been dating? Like two days?”
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