Prompt Day 6: Breeze

Prompt Day 6: Breeze

***

It was fully dark by the time the cops had left with Rhint in custody.

The wreckage of their seacraft remained on the rocks just past the walkway along the shoreline - no doubt the removal or recovery of the damn thing would cost her. Maybe she could get something from the scrapyard since it would be beyond her financial means to fix the thing. Besides, she had nowhere to go which means no need for a vehicle.

Jet was long gone now too. Crashing back into her life just to try and take charge once more. Worrying about her, the way he always had. It was positively stifling. Even now she could hear his words to Rhint playing over and over in her mind… protect her, protect her, protect her… as if she was incapable of looking out for herself. As if she were a child.

Fury rose up in her, nearly choking her.

She clenched her fists, closed her eyes tight, and concentrated on taking slow deep breaths in… then out… in, then out.

With effort she managed to calm back down. Keeping her eyes closed, she hung her head and tried desperately to swallow down the tears that were threatening.

Rhint…

She was terrified for him. Self defense plea or not, he would have to serve time for his crime. Murder wasn't something they just put people back out on the street after. And he was such a sweet sensitive soul. He could barely handle roughing up the thugs that sometimes loitered in front of the bar. Killing the loan shark had been a terrible accident and she knew it would haunt him.

A gentle breeze stirred her hair. The tang of salt water teased her nose. It was late and dark and the water was cold but the breeze that caressed her face was surprisingly warm. Like the sigh of a mother, full of care and encouragement. It buoyed her spirits.

Lifting her chin from her chest, she reopened her eyes at last to take in the beauty of the glittering night sky. Countless stars scattered like diamonds on dark velvet, the moving points of light from the satellites and space stations just beyond the atmosphere. Infinity stretching out above her.

The breeze made her feel renewed. In an attempt to keep her worries about Rhint at bay, she focused on all the opportunity that lay ahead as she made the long, long walk back to La Fin.

There was insurance on the building… perhaps a fire would erupt down the street and engulf her property. Or, a gas line explosion? Though that seemed far more difficult to pull off. She knew an inferno would be easier to begin and escape from - messing with the gas, well, she wasn't trying to off herself on accident.

It rained on Ganymede plenty. Maybe the roof was in rough shape? A persistent leak could have damaged the structural integrity to the point of potential collapse. Actually, she really ought to investigate that when she got back. When she had taken over the mortgage of the structure she hadn't thought to inspect the building. The interior and all the dreams it could hold, that was all she had been concerned with and able to see. And damn if she hadn't pulled it off.

La Fin had been a refuge for folks in that quarter. The French Quarter (though in reality all of Ganymede had drawn heavily on inspiration from that once beautiful country on Earth). It had whispered to Alisa of romance, of breathtaking art, of fame and fortune. At one time, it had not only boasted all of that… those concepts had been truth. She had just been in the right place at the wrong time.

Everyone was hurting. Everywhere was run down. The news anchors spoke in scared tones about economic depression and soaring interest rates and food shortages. To be fair, there were always food shortages. On a world where 98% of the surface was water… that didn't leave much room for agriculture. Everything on Ganymede was a manmade construct - all the floating isles, with their grandiose cities, all the underwater science stations with their attempts at farming seaweed.

Trade relations with other moons and planets were crucial to the survival of Ganymede as a colonized world. Oh sure there was an abundance of aquatic life that had taken to the seas after being transplanted from Earth, but no one could survive solely on fish and there just weren't enough community gardens to feed an entire population.

It had never seemed so dire when she was a child. Her parents had sheltered her to some degree - and then of course so did Jet - but even aside from that, there had been more hope in the world. More assurance of a bright future for all.

And now, well, she was hardly the only person who had been forced to make uncomfortable choices. Who had to make terms with questionable allies. In some ways she had been lucky to even make it as long as she had. For years she'd successfully ran La Fin, mixing cocktails and offering a listening ear along with some general guidance or specific advice - like a good bartender ought to. She had run a business and been damn good at it. Her parents would have been proud if they'd lived to see the day.

Hell, she was proud of herself. It had been a clean establishment with liquor that hadn't been watered down the way a lot of the other bars tried to cut costs. But in the long run it didn't matter when gradually people were less and less able to afford to imbibe. Not only that, but rising housing costs were forcing families to move from the area because people couldn't afford the new rents.

The French Quarter was becoming a ghost town and Alisa wasn't sure what to do next. What move could she possibly make that others in similar situations hadn't already tried? There was no grant money out there. No credit cards she hadn't already maxed. No government assistance. She had already tried all the legitimate methods of survival before finally turning to Law Rentzuo, financial broker by day and thuggish loan shark by night.

Not her smartest move but then again she'd been out of smart moves. She'd been out of moves entirely except that last ditch effort to stay afloat.

It was after midnight by the time she got onto the street where La Fin was. Her apartment was conveniently located upstairs - which of course had made the cost of the place outrageous. It was a cute little place though, tiny and tidy just the way she liked it.

The lighting on the street was not particularly illuminating and so she had nearly reached the doorway by the time she realized someone was standing there with their back leaning against the door itself.

She stopped with a gasp, one hand flying to her chest and the other falling to the pocket at her hip where the gun rested.

"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you, Alisa."

"Who are you?!" Her voice shook.

The man ignored her. "You thought your debt died with Rentzuo? Don't be silly. You still owe that to his partners. See, Law was working with Europa. Lots of folks in this area are working with Europa. Things are changing around here - the docks'll be open again and trade will flow. So it's gonna work out real good for you actually, Alisa. You're gonna run your place same as ever. You're just gonna also hustle some stuff on the side for us. Gonna help Europa keep a nice discreet grasp on this neighborhood so the cops don't get too frisky. It's all gonna be good, Alisa. You'll see. Europa runs things real smooth, real professional. Don't you worry your pretty little head."

The man stepped away from her bar and gave her a nod as he walked off down the alley, leaving Alisa alone with her chaotic thoughts.

Europa Syndicate?! Hustling what? Hiding things from the cops?

An icy chill ran down her spine. The breeze had changed.

Suddenly the stars seemed dimmer, the night much colder, and her daydream of escape was dead. Fear coiled in her stomach and made her hands tremble as she unlocked the door and slipped inside.

She couldn't do this. Whatever they wanted of her. She wouldn't.

But… she had told Jet she was going to wait for Rhint. That hadn't been a lie - she had wanted Rhint at her side when she left. She still wanted Rhint at her side. He loved her so wholly and depended on her so much. Surely she could manage to keep herself together until he was released. How long could it be?

She would just play the game for now. Toe the line and keep to herself. And then Rhint would be back and they could take off together. Abandon this place and her debt. Together they would escape, free as the breeze…

Day 7 Prompt: Fireflies

***

The night sky was clouded over obscuring everything that was normally visible in the evenings. There were no moons, no stars, no satellites or space stations. Nothing to break the gloom that hung over the field except, here and there, an abrupt flash of light. Tiny sparks that appeared and disappeared so swiftly that Jet almost thought he was imaging it until Ed shrieked and pointed.

"Look! Ohhh, gone… oh there! Look quick!"

"What's that now?" Faye asked in a bored tone. She didn't look up from the novel spread open on her lap and casting a glow on her face.

"You're gonna ruin your eyes reading in the dark like this," Jet commented.

At his words, her eyes lifted to glare at him over the top of the book. "These pages are backlit. Don't be ridiculous."

"Studies have shown that there's still strain involved," He noted with a shrug. "Ed can back me up on this. But what do I care? They're your eyes, not mine."

Ed was running circles around the both of them, Ein trotting at her heels and yipping with excitement.

"Can you see them? The blips! Look, look!" She came to an abrupt halt beside Jet and pointed at one of the brief spots of light he'd noticed earlier.

Realization dawned. "Oh, those are lightning bugs, Ed." Jet said. "My grandmother told me about them. When she was a little girl on Earth she used to spend time at her grandfather's farm. He had fields and fields of goldenrod, and his wife had lovely gardens around their house. At night, her grandparents would bring her outside after supper to watch the sunset and the lightning bugs come out. She'd catch them in jars sometimes."

"Catch them? Bugs with a bounty on their heads?"

He chuckled. "No, she'd just collect a few and watch them glow until she fell asleep and then her grandfather would release them again." He paused thoughtfully, trying to remember everything he'd been told about the little critters. "That was one of the things she said she missed the most about living on Earth. See, Ganymede doesn't have any. There's no fields or swamps or forests or, well, any nature really. And most places they were introduced - like Venus or Io for example - were too arid. I think that's why they're all but extinct on Earth too. Though I guess who really keeps track of anything like that these days." He realized he was getting off topic, though Ed seemed to be listening intently. "They're good bugs to have around. They would eat the slugs and snails out of her grandmother's garden, protecting the plants."

"Ohhh good bugs." Ed watched with wonder as more and more lightning bugs appeared around them.

By this point Faye had set aside her book on methods of physical therapy and was watching as well. Her face took on a wistful expression. "We called them fireflies when we saw them," She confided. "Never caught them - it's just better to let them live in peace."

Ed nodded without taking her eyes off the brightly blinking bugs.

"We are the watchers, they are the watched." She bent down and scooped Ein up into her arms and for a few quiet minutes everyone just observed as the lightning bugs, or fireflies, puttered around and alternated between glowing greenish or going dark. Then Ed gasped. "Spike-person! How is he going to see them from the hospital?!"

"We're on Mars, Ed. He's probably seen them before since they exist here after all," Faye replied.

Jet didn't think that was likely. Spike seemed like a city boy through and through. The odds of him having spent time in one of the craters like this where nature had been given free reign…

"It's okay, Ed," Jet reassured the teen. "We can always come back here with him once he's on his feet again."

"Yay!! Ed loves camping." She grinned at him though it was hard to see now that it was so dark out. "Ed is glad you responded to the hail. Tracking meteors was dull, dull, dull! Going here then there then everywhere… it was making Ed dizzy! The Bebop travels all over but we go at a much better pace. Gotta stop and smell the roses! Take time to make time!"

A snort from Faye. "More like we'd get stuck somewhere til we made enough money for gas,"

"Anyway, Ed," Jet spoke over his salty comrade. "I'm glad you reached out to us. Even if you decide to help your dad again someday, there's always a place for you here."

A sigh from Faye. "Yeah kid," She confirmed a moment later. "It was nice to duck out for a minute after the ship was running again. I can only handle Mars in small doses and it would've sucked to just sit around waiting for that lunkhead to get better. You gave us the impetus to get our shit in gear."

A giggle from Ed. "Impetus! Big words from Faye-Faye! Were you reading the dictionary?" She teased.

"Hey!"

Jet laughed. Things weren't exactly back to normal yet - one member of the crew was still missing, after all, but it would only be another week or two before he was released into their care. Jet was looking forward to it and also dreading it. No doubt Spike would be surly after so much time spent in a hospital hooked up to machines. He never made a particularly good patient, but his wounds had been too much for Jet to handle himself.

Even the recuperation was gonna be different than anything Spike had been used to before, which was probably why Faye was reading up on physical therapy. That would be a whole cranky ordeal.

But now Jet had an ace up his sleeve. A way to break up the monotony. Something relaxing and refreshing and full of unexpected delights.

A field far from the city, where the only lights came from the little bugs that continued to dance around the trio - and Ein - as they basked in the peace of the moment.

Day 8 Picnic

***

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was the bluest of blue with hardly any clouds scattered about - and the ones that were present were very clearly not the type to bear rain. Best of all, a cool breeze was doing wonders at keeping the temperature from soaring to an uncomfortable level.

Spike could see and feel none of this. He was currently making his way along a sewer that ran under the street where Faye was posted up outside a tall brick building. Jet was sitting in a cafe several blocks away, leisurely drinking a frothy frozen coffee beverage that had once had a work of art drawn on the surface.

"Anything out there, Faye?" Jet asked.

"No. Nothing that resembles a squat banana anyway." Came her grumpy reply.

"A Fiat 500 is a perfectly serviceable vehicle, Faye. I don't know why you're the one on the road, I should be up there and you should be slumming along down here in this crap," Spike grumbled irritably. "You're not even gonna be able to identify the damn car unless it drives over your fucking foot."

"You're the one who wanted best odds of running into the damn robbers!" She whisper-yelled into her comm, trying to be discreet.

"That's enough idle chatter, you two." Jet cut in. "Faye, don't antagonize him. I can hear street traffic, why aren't you inside pretending to set up a savings account? And Spike, you knew this wasn't gonna be a picnic. The thieves are gonna hear you bitching if they really are sneaking into the bank from below. Get it together, both of you."

"Picnic, picnic! Beautiful day in the neighborhood, let's gooooo!" Ed's voice came through the comms, along with rapid-fire excited barking, and everyone winced.

"Ed! Radio quiet! Unless there's been any developments - ya gotta shush!" Spike hissed.

"Nothing on the news! Best bet is still the Bank of Tharsis where you're at… though they might go to Jet-person's location still!"

"None of that is a new development, Ed," Faye sighed.

"Ed hopes they show up soon! Hungry hungry Edward! Hungry hungry Ein! Can't it be picnic time?!"

"Ed!!" Their voices all chorused, as she giggled and Ein continued to bark.

"Who ever said we were having a picnic after this anyway?" Faye griped.

"Yeah all I'm doing after this is showering for the next two days. Ugh the stench down here is unbelievable." Spike complained.

"You are all so bad at being stealthy." Jet groaned.

"Beatnik, pick up sticks, give a lolli a nice big lick. Jet-person said picnic to Spike-person and Ed and Ein agree - it's the best way to spend this day! Three against two, outside dining is the thing to do!"

Silence from Spike and Faye which spoke volumes.

Jet grimaced and wiped his hand over his face. "It was a saying, Ed."

"Yep yep yep! A picnic! That's what we're saying!" She chortled over the line. "Oh ho ho! Yellow stubby car headed your way Faye-Faye! Street cameras show only one occupant! That means…"

"Hey!!" Spike's voice shouted over the comm. The sounds of splashing and a struggle.

"Uh oh…" Ed gave a guilty laugh. "Hope we didn't spoil your hiding spot, Spike-person!"

From Faye's comm came the sound of her angry shrieking as she engaged with the driver of the getaway vehicle.

A sound of slurping from Jet's end as he finished his drink and then, "You know what, Ed? I think they've got this under control. I say let's take that picnic after all."

"C'mon, Faye-Faye! Chugga chugga chugga choo choo!" Ed galloped around the living room making train noises and yelling "Wahoo!" whenever she made the leap from the back of the couch to the floor.

"You know that's not how trains operate, right Ed? They're on tracks but they aren't roller coasters." Faye explained in a bored tone. She had been considering laying out in the sun working on her tan and had no interest in taking a train trip with Ed. Besides, it didn't seem like Io had much to offer in terms of scenery.

"If you think you're just gonna be lazing around here while I do all the repair work to get the Bebop space-worthy again…" Jet spoke up then, letting his sentence trickle off into an unspoken promise of 'not gonna let that happen' while Faye gestured in disbelief at Spike's sprawled out form on the couch.

"What about him?!" She demanded when Jet merely stared at her with an intentionally blank expression designed to infuriate her.

"Oh he'll be helping me once he wakes up. I figure it's best to let him sleep off that trip though. Never seen him as out of sorts as when those cops showed up. We're damn lucky Ed brought back normal mushrooms and not the hallucinogenic ones."

They both turned to look at Ed, who paused in her current lap around the living room to grin sheepishly.

"Anyway, you might as well go with her. No doubt I'll need more parts than this town has to offer - maybe you can bring some things back. It'll do you both some good to get some fresh out and get out from under foot." Jet nodded to himself as if the matter was decided. Ed began shouting with joy, an exuberant celebration that prompted Spike to grumble wordlessly and turn on his side to face the back cushion of the couch.

"Ughhhh. Fine. But this train better have a smoking car!" Faye irritably acquiesced. The things she did for the people on this ship, sheesh.

***

"So where is the ticket station, Ed?" Faye asked as they walked along the tracks. She had her gun, her comm, her smokes, and a bottle of tequila she'd haggled from a toothless bum who had set himself up in the shade of the Bebop. That was an issue for Jet to sort out, Faye wasn't about to kick someone out into the blazing sun. If he didn't get the repairs done soon though there'd be no shortage of folks skulking around hoping for some free housing to utilize. Vagabonds, much like Faye herself, wasted no time in taking advantage of whatever opportunities arose in their vicinity.

Anyway, not her problem.

Ed, taking monstrously long strides, fed a mushroom to Ein as she walked. The little dog was sitting contentedly in a backpack along with some squirt guns and a thin blanket Faye had seen Ed use as a cape countless times. Aside from that, Ed seemed to have both pockets almost overflowing with mushrooms, which Faye decided would be a good thing in the dining car was too pricey or didn't have anything delectable to offer.

The hacker glanced over her shoulder at Faye and then looked both ways up and down the track before laying flat on her stomach on the ground and resting her head on one of the rails. Faye frowned at her abrupt movement.

"Ed… you said you caught the train before. Where did you go for your ticket?"

There came a cry of a train whistle in the distance and then, slowly at first but progressing quickly, the unmistakable rumble and sounds of an approaching train. Faye could see the dust on the tracks vibrating as the rails shook.

Ed jumped to her feet and gave Faye a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Faye-Faye! Ed has a plan! Be ready to follow, okay?"

"What? No no, not okay. What are you talking about?" Faye suspected she knew the answer but she couldn't quite believe it.

In less time than she expected, a train was soon bearing down towards them at a fairly decent clip. It blew its whistle again as it approached, possibly to alert them - as if they could have somehow not noticed - and Ed gave a hearty wave when the engine passed.

Faye was starting to relax - clearly Ed hadn't been suggesting what Faye had thought she was - when all of a sudden the hacker broke into a flat out sprint alongside the train.

"C'mon, Faye-Faye! Alllllllll aboard!" With a show of nimble dexterity she leapt into the air at full speed and tumbled into a train car whose door had been open.

Gaping in disbelief, Faye was dashing to catch up before she knew what was happening. Ed, with Ein peeking out over her shoulder, was leaning out the door and shouting encouragements at her.

"Yay Faye-Faye! Run run fast as you can! You can do it! Just believe in yourself! I think I can I think I can I think I can…" Ed chanted the mantra repeatedly and Ein even gave a short howl as if to add his vote of confidence in Faye's untested train hopping abilities.

This was insane! But she couldn't just leave the damn kid alone. Who knew where the train was going? Or who else might be already on board, catching a sneaky ride like Ed was herself?

"Ed!!! Why are we doing this?!" Faye shrieked, panting as she drew closer to the car. Privately she was impressed with herself for not just keeping up with a speeding train but for managing to catch up to Ed's car in particular. If it kept on at this speed, they would probably survive a jump off the train later as well. Faye was nearly positive Ed hadn't thought that far ahead yet.

Ed was laughing delightedly. "Because we can!" She crowed in reply.

Well, there was nothing for it now but to take a leap of faith.

“You sure you wanna do this?”

Faye stared at the image of the eye on the window of the shop. Lines radiated from the eye, some straight and some wavy, and she got the impression it was supposed to indicate energy emanating from the eye itself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a firm hand fell upon her shoulder.

Jet gave her a gentle shake. “Faye? You sure about this?” He asked again.

She blinked at the reflection in the window, seeing concern on Jet’s brow and blankness on her own features. He towered over her by a good few inches, standing solid at her side in his usual jumpsuit, and she realized it was reassuring to see him there. That had been the whole point of bringing him along, truth be told.

“I gotta do something, Jet.” She replied eventually, still looking at the window rather than turning to face him in conversation. “I nearly got stabbed the other night when that chick got in my face. For a split second, I swear I was looking at a girl I went to school with. But that’s impossible - everyone I knew is ancient or dead.” She sighed. “I can’t keep having these memories pop up randomly. It’s gonna get me killed one of these times. I need some answers. I need the whole picture, not just chunks.”

He grunted. “No, I get that. And for the record, I agree. Spike might’ve talked mighty about the past being pointless but that was always a load of bull. Look where it got him, after all. Right now you’re a liability to yourself and to me.” His hand fell off her shoulder so he could gesture with both hands at the sketchy looking building in front of them. “I meant… is this really the best bet? You wanna waste your woolongs on this? This guy probably uses this bullshit mumbo jumbo to lure people in and rob them blind or worse.”

Faye smiled softly at that. “Yeah, no kidding. Why do you think I asked you to come along?” She turned her head slightly to glance at him through her eyelashes, deliberately demure. “Even if he’s the real deal… if I’m in some state of hypnosis, I need you to have my back. Be a good guard dog and keep me safe.”

Despite the facial hair that covered a good portion of his face, Faye could still see the subtle flush of color that spread across his cheeks. Embarrassment at her coy act? Irritation over her intention misuse of his cop nickname? Whatever the reason, Jet stiffened and rolled his shoulders as if to make himself even more fierce looking and immovable.

“All right, let’s get a move on if we’re gonna do this. No sense wasting daylight.” He started towards the door and then stopped to look back at her fully. “If this doesn’t work, Faye… there are other options we can try. Meditation. Art therapy. Hell, talking to a licensed psychiatrist might even crack open the dam you’ve got blocking up your memories.” He reached out his metal hand towards her in a silent invitation. “I know you don’t have the cash for art supplies or a therapist, but I’d be willing to help you figure this out.”

Now it was Faye’s turn to blush. Having him see her so vulnerable, having him clearly care so much about what was going on with her and legitimately wanting to help… It was a lot. It made her stomach feel bubbly and her heart give a twinge. It also made her want to get the hell away as fast and as far as she could. Ignoring the urge to flee was a struggle she hoped he couldn’t see. The last thing she needed was for him to have any idea of the feelings she was battling.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she reached out and grasped his hand with as much confidence as she could feign.

“One thing at a time,” She said as Jet opened the door to lead them both inside. “I’m already in debt over my head to too many people, I don’t need to add you to the list.”

Jet snorted. “Girl, if I bothered to keep track of the shit you owed me for since you came on the ship…” He shook his head and gripped her hand a little tighter when she blanched at his words and tried to inconspicuously slip her hand free. “Never mind all that. Let’s see what this hypnotist has in store for ya. At the very least this should be very entertaining for me! Maybe I’ll ask him to make you quack like a duck.”

“If that’s as creative as you can get…” She sighed. “Well, I brought you as a bodyguard after all, not an idea man.” She stepped quickly to get in front of him, though she didn’t let go of his hand, and rapped her knuckles against the countertop at the front of the room they’d entered.

Moments later, a tall man with a handlebar mustache emerged from the beaded curtain doorway at the far end of the room. He wore a voluminous dark purple robe over baggy lime green trousers, a bright yellow flowy button up shirt with the top three buttons open to reveal a pale chest and a few curly chest hairs, and had a very round hat perched on a head of hair that genuinely made Faye a bit envious.

“Careful!” He called out, shooting the pair of them a charming smile. “That’s a Ouija countertop you’re announcing yourself to. For best results with spirits, you always want to be polite.”

Faye could feel the groan that Jet strove to keep to himself and had to concentrate on flashing the obnoxiously dressed man a warm smile of greeting rather than laugh in his face.

“I’m not interested in conversing with any spirits today,” She said plainly. “The ad online said you’re a hypnotist? I want to sort out some memories if you think you’re capable of handling that sort of job.”

The man turned his nose into the air with a huff. “Darling, you’ve got some nerve doubting my abilities right off the bat! Come, let’s take care of payment first and then you’ll see how well I earn my fee! I’ll have you spouting off the very first words you ever spoke as a baby, that’s how far back I can take you with my skill!”

He waved her over to a small desk situated next to the Ouija board countertop and held out his hand for her woolong card which she finally handed over with a wince as he scanned it through his system. There was a long pause and then the machine glowed a green much more soothing than the man’s pants and Faye let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Perfect! Now, let us head back into the divining chamber. Is there a scent of incense you prefer? How about crystals? Perhaps you’d like to hold a piece of quartz? Works wonders on bringing forth clarity of the mind.” The man kept up his prattle of offers as they went deeper into the building and Faye felt herself nearly overwhelmed again - both by the litany of absurdity spilling from the man’s lips, and the choking odor of dozens of overlapping incense sticks that must have been burnt recently.

She almost balked again, but Jet - seeming to sense her uncertainty - gave her hand a tentative squeeze. It was so light it was almost unnoticeable, though she realized he was afraid to put too much force into it since it wasn’t his real hand. Aside from the gesture itself being a comfort, it was the reminder of his built-in strength that truly served to stay her desire to flee. She wanted, no…needed answers, and Jet was there to protect her on this potentially dangerous quest. She had come this far already - coughed up more woolongs than she cared to think about - and she knew there was no turning back now.

Day 10: Summer Romance

***

It was summer when they met. Or, well, it would have been summer on Mars. It was most definitely not summer on Titan itself - not the way she expected summer to be. There weren’t really seasons on the small mining moon. Or, not seasons as Earth and Mars experienced them. Technically seasons on Saturn, and subsequently also Titan, lasted years (more than seven Earth years and just over three Mars years) but the weather of the seasons did not vary much at all.

It was tidally locked onto Saturn with the same side constantly facing the gas giant with its glowing rings. The view, when visible, was starkly beautiful. A depressing contrast to the neverending grays and sandy browns of Titan itself. While there were rivers and lakes and seas, it was dry where the battlefield was. All desert as far as the eye could see. Desert and sandstorms and bloody conflict.

The days were long and dim. The nights were long and dark. The sky was almost constantly hazy and the air quality poor at best. Bunkers had been brought over by army trucks, long and narrow rooms where soldiers could eat or sleep or train. It was the only place where a person could take a breath and not feel as though they were choking.

She regretted volunteering immediately. But the recruiters had been so passionate about the cause. Mars desperately needed the minerals and materials that Titan had in abundance. The liquid hydrocarbons outnumbered in the hundreds that which could be found on Earth, which itself had far more than Mars. The silicates and iron were negligible, but the liquid hydrocarbons… the basis of crude oil, natural gas, coal… the energy sources that were so necessary for life everywhere.

She was no miner. No oiler. Not at all versed in how to obtain the resources from the land or lakes here on Titan. But that didn’t matter in the least. She was the brawn. The brute force. The line of defense for those hard working individuals.

Her unit and the half dozen other units waging a drawn-out war against forces from Europa and Ganymede. Mars had had a military presence on Titan since the first Titan War, but Elektra herself had only been stationed there since she left Mars during spring.

Vincent, as it turned out, had been on Titan considerably longer.

They met while on patrol one dusky evening. She witnessed him saving the life of another soldier by using his own body to shield the other man when a section of the trench collapsed in a bombing attack from the enemy. She'd always appreciated strong men, men who fearlessly stood up in protection of others. And while the way he filled out his uniform was certainly easy on the eye, it was actually the way he carelessly pushed the boundaries of what was allowed that gave her a secret thrill.

His thick black hair was longer than what was permitted and caught her eye both for the luxurious sheen in this dusty world and for the way the length flouted the rules so boldly. His eyes were gray and kind. His hair was what she noticed first but it was the eyes - the window to the soul, as they said - that held her rapt.

Something about her must have appealed to him as well because as soon as the alarm blared to signify the end of their shift he was at her side, a question in his gaze that she answered wordlessly by rising up to capture his lips with her own.

The kiss was greedy, possessive, powerful. They were soldiers, fighting to show off their skill. They were on the forefront of a brutal engagement where they saw comrades falling each and every day.

Survival was by no means a guarantee. It wasn’t just the enemy forces they had to worry about. The methane rain, the blinding sandstorms, the chilling temperature drops, the venomous creatures scuttling about on this godforsaken rock. There was no end to the threats that they faced, even in slumber.

This war, unlike the first on Titan, was a summer war and theirs was a summer romance.

Their affair was invigorating. He was an incredible lover, attentive and energetic and full of charm. They spent hours together whenever possible, though being in separate units meant that their schedules did not sync very often. But they made the most of every encounter.

She learned that he had been a soldier for years and outstripped her in both rank and strength. It became a form of foreplay for her to contest her abilities against his. In this dangerous place, with no hope for getting home, it was crucial to keep honing your skills. To pour your all into fighting techniques and breathing techniques and dreaming about a return you might not live to experience.

Hand to hand combat turned into life-affirming love making every chance they had to steal away.

Theirs was a deep connection, the most intense relationship she’d ever had. He worshipped her body with his, he beguiled her mind with recitations of poetry and chapters of philosophical books he’d committed to memory. In return, she showered him with love physically and emotionally. She ran her hands through his mane of hair, singing softly to counter the howling winds outside the bunker.

They spoke of goals outside of survival. Reminiscing about summers on Mars in the craters… the blue skies, the green grass, and everything they missed from home. Daydreams of getting back and sinking their teeth into ripe plums and peaches and whatever fruit was in season at the time. Sweetness and tartness colliding on their tongues, juices dribbling down their chins. Simple pleasures they could only revisit in dreams or in their postcoital whispers to one another.

The months passed by and they fell deeper and deeper into love. It was an intoxicating romance, the kind of desperate affair that feeds the heart and fuels the soul and forestalls any notion of ever finding another person with whom one can be so utterly whole.

And then abruptly her tour was over and she was being shipped back. It was entirely unexpected. She had signed up for three years and had only served two. But her unit was rounded up overnight and loaded onto a transport ship before she could find him to say goodbye.

Watching the moon recede in her mind’s eye - for the transport ship had no windows in the cabin where the army was seated - she felt her heart breaking.