(Page 1 of 10) The Crimson Heart Part 7 by Cameron OlsonSUMMARY: This is the seventh part in a novella detailing a mission undertaken by Tevvin Marsden and his mercenary starnavy in the year 2413.Dialogue Legend:
"Spoken Dialogue"
//Telecommunications\\
::Private Thoughts of a Character::
--Other--
Part 7 "Relief Mission"
July 23'rd, 2413 AD, moments later...
Tevvin watched as the ion beam from the Firedrake Redeemed struck on the exact spot targeted by the fighters and punched through the flaw their attacks had created. The assault cruiser shivered as the ravening beam burrowed into her and found the containment field for her own ion cannon. Moments later her engines and shield shut off. That was the only sign that she no longer had a bridge, or even an emergency bridge. All of that registered in Tevvin's mind, but he felt nothing about it. He heard people cheering, someone praising God, himself giving more orders. The last two pirate destroyers were surrendering. The remaining fighters requesting orders directly from the bridge. Tevvin handed command to Garrett while unbuckling himself from the captain's chair. He left the bridge in an emotional daze, feeling nothing, like some great axe was suspended over his heart and it was staying perfectly still.
When he arrived at the blast door leading to the fighter control room he didn't remember how he had gotten there, but he didn't care and he punched emergency overrides into the glowing red panel that controlled the door. As emergency doors dropped on either side of the hall, converting the area in front of the blast door into an impromptu airlock, Tevvin thought enough to close his helmet, though there was no worry as the suit was networked into the ship and the doors would never open for him until he did. At last he heard the sound of air rushing out of the enclosed section of hallway. When his suit listed a near perfect vacuum, the light on the door-control turned green and the blast doors opened onto a wrecked room with marines in dark-crimson power armor and engineers in their orange technical armor crawling over everything. He scanned the room intently, praying for the first time since arriving that he would find what he was looking for. When he spotted a woman wearing the crimson and gold vacuum armor of one of his tactical commanders he crossed the room at a run and spun the wearer around to crush her close in his arms. He didn't know how long it was before he realized that Kirika was talking to him. She had stopped trying to break his hold as soon as she realized he wasn't letting go.
"Tevvin, I'm alright," Kirika said, pressing the clear faceplate of her vacuum armor against Tevvin's so she could talk to him directly. "I'm alright, I didn't get hurt. Tev..."
He pulled her closer and she grew quiet, ignoring the feeling that they were getting strange looks. At last Tevvin spoke, simply to say, "Thank God you're alive." The two stood together for another minute before Kirika pushed against him gently and said,
"I have to help the repair crews get things ready for the fighters and you have to get back to the bridge, Tev. I'll find you as soon as I'm free. I love you."
Tevvin nodded and squeezed her again before letting her go.
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