Downward Spiral and Lost hopes

[Wolfs Ghost]

Tau-31, 804 A.S.

"Dear. We have contacts on scanners." A female voice spoke up.
"Hm?"
"Frequencies show that they're Gaians."
"Ah, quite lovely. Maybe they're here to get their shipment that we've been waiting to deliver. I'd like to get home to our family."
"You mean our son."
"And our house, and obviously I'd love to spend time with you, sweetheart." The man said smiling.

The woman giggled lightly and proceeded to open up a communications channel to the incoming wing of Gaian ships, which were escorting another transport.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look!" A little girl shouted as she ran into the bridge of the transport, literally running and grabbing her fathers pant leg. "Look!!" She shouted again, the man laughed and let his daughter escort him to the starboard window. "What is it Lena?" He asked gently, leaning down and picking her up in his arms.

"Look there!" She pointed happily.

The man squinted out towards the area his daughter was pointing, just as the Communications flared up.

"Bah! We've got company. Miss Goodman, get your transport out of here! Head to Islay! Fighter wings, break formation! Protect the transports at all costs! Inbound Hostile contacts."

"We have Armed Forces signatures approaching quickly."

"Damn..." Evelyn Goodman cursed under her breath as she scrambled over the controls.
"What? What is it dear?" James said setting his daughter down on the floor and calmly walking over towards his wife. "The Gaians picked up Armed Forces vessels enroute to this position."

"I thought the Green Front bribed these pilots, dear."
"It seems they didn't."

James spun on his heels and quickly walked over to his daughter, "Come on dear, we're going to go take a space walk." He said hustling the young girl over to the nearby Escape pod hatch. She climbed in, contently and unworried, including when her father shut the hatch behind her.

She could hear the muffled voices of her parents planning something, but couldn't exactly tell what. It wasn't like she cared to begin with. Until there was a sudden explosion that rocked the entire ship.

Back on board the transport, the explosion went off as a pair of missiles slammed into the hull of the transport. James grabbed onto a nearby bulkhead to keep himself from falling. "I'm not liking this." He mumbled, when a secondary explosion ripped the ship apart.

The escape pod was violently flung out of the transport, causing the young girl to hit her head hard against the padding of the seat, as the pod turned about she could faintly see the transport exploding, before everything went black.

---

[Wolfs Ghost]

Cambridge, 804 A.S. -- Two days later

Children giggled and ran down the sidewalk, the last bell had just ended and many children were eager to get home. The rush hour traffic was about to begin. Two of the children chased after each other playfully, when one abruptly stopped, there was a hand holding the fourteen year old from chasing the noble girl he was with.

"Austin..you know not to horse play around here." The man said dryly, "We have somethings to talk about."

"But," He stared on after the girl who had just now stopped and turned back grinning sheepishly at him. "She's taunting me!" He shouted waving a hand in the air towards the girl, who waved back. "Lady Purdon needs to get home to her parents. You know how much they hate simple commoners."

"Uncle..she's not like them! I mean, you notice they put her..." his voice trailed off as his uncle cut in.

"Lad, it's about your parents."

Austin broke from the mans grasp and turned around quickly, seeing his uncle and the father of the Noble girl a faint blush fell on his cheeks as he saw the man smiling a bit, "Are they coming home!?"

The man smiled and laughed lightly, "Aye, they'll be home in a few days, along with your sister." Austin closed his eyes quickly and smiled, "Yes!" He shouted, a few adults passing by looked over with questioning glances.

"Austin! Austin! Come here!" Came a voice that was oh so familiar. He opened his eyes and looked up at his uncle for a brief moment. "Go on." The man said, urging his nephew to chase after the girl, Austin nodded slightly and turned around.

"Amanda!" He shouted back at her, much to his uncles surprise he was grinning, "I'm going to get you!" A few seconds after shouting he ran towards her, and she shrieked in excitement and took off running, with Austin right behind her.

"The boy's strong, Sir Goodman. Just like your own son. Though I'm surprised you didn't tell him."
"Aye, I know. I know. A fine lad he'll grow up to be."
"Though, I wouldn't expect him to be happy when he's finally home, and you do tell him what happened."
"Nor do I. The grief will get him."
"Mmhm."

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