Editing Bleeding Out (Warhammer High) (section)

===The End===


Remilia lifted the little bag of clothes she had brought to Freya’s home, deep in thought.  There were several days’ outfits in there, which would hardly be enough to make it through the summer even with diligent washing.  She had to go home, and get what she would need for the trip, which was slated to begin in less than three weeks…or, she supposed, just go buy more, which was both avoiding the issue and proving Jake right.

She huffed impatiently, dropping the bag on the bed in her suite and standing up.  “I’ve been dodging this long enough.”  She swept her vox and wallet into the bag and emptied it of its clothes.  “Can’t stay away from him forever.”
A knock on the door disrupted her mumblings.  She finished scooping her meager few belongings into the bag before acknowledging it.  “Come in.”

The door swung open on its artistically rustic hinges.  Freya ambled in, hands in pockets.  “Heading home?” she asked.

“Not for long.  Just to pick up some clothes,” Remilia said.

“Uh huh.”  Freya stared at her cousin wistfully.  “Listen…two weeks is a while.  You can stay here if you want, but…”

Remilia closed her eyes, her stomach knotting.  “But yeah.  I should get this over with.  I know.”

Freya turned her eyes to the floor, wondering how to phrase her question.  “I know I shouldn’t be there, but I feel like I need to be.”  Remilia drew a shuddering breath.

“Damn it.”  She dropped the bag, turned, and slid her arms under Freya’s own.  “Stop making me wish you were my sister.”

Freya blinked her tears away.  “I am.  Don’t worry.”  She wrapped her own arms around Remilia’s shoulders and held her tight.

Remilia sighed heavily, blowing Freya’s hair back a bit.  “…Okay.  Time to get this over with.”

“Yep.”  Freya picked the bag up and lead Remilia out to the parking lot, where her car was waiting.

The two girls rode in silence to the Dorn mansion.  Remilia climbed out, staring at the imposing edifice.  It was home.  That hadn’t changed.  But it wasn’t homey any more.  The door opened as they walked up, and a pair of Imperial Army officers walked out, discussing something urgently.  They both paused when they saw the Royal cousins, but neither girl stopped to chat, simply walking right by them into the house.  Rogal Dorn himself was sitting in the main room, looking over what the officers had apparently delivered.  When he heard the door close, he glanced up, his eyes freezing when he saw his daughter and niece.  “Remilia.  Welcome home.”

“Hi, Dad,” Remilia said, surprised at how calm she felt.  “Freya, you know where my room is?” she asked.

“Yeah…I’ll, uh, go do…that,” Freya said, grabbing the bag and making a break for the door.

Silence reigned.  Remilia crossed her arms, waiting for the storm to roll in.

Rogal stood, dropping the dataslate down on the table.  He ran his hands over his eyes, clearly unready for this as much as Remilia had been.  “Look...I don’t know how to fix this.”

“Neither do I, Dad, which is why I’m going on the road trip.”  Remilia sighed, tapping her finger on her arm.  “I gotta say, though, Dad, I’ve done some thinking, and I realized that I’m more disappointed that you didn’t try to help me through this than anything else.”

“I gathered,” Dorn said heavily.  “Listen to me, Remilia.  I will admit that…after a frank exchange with your uncle,” he said, in a complete lack of irony, “I have realized that it would be best if I asked you first.  So…how do you want this to end?”

“To end?” Remilia asked.  She thought over the question.  “I want you to understand how important it is to me that you and Mom be part of my life, and that I be a part of yours.”

Rogal Dorn nodded, eyes shut.  “Right.”  He opened his eyes again, trying to rein his temper in.  “And…how should I demonstrate that, while you live in your cousin’s house, leave for the entire summer, and then go straight off to college?”

“Dad…” Remilia clenched her fists, trying very hard not to remind him that he had had seventeen years to get that part right.  “Dad, I was going to leave at the end of summer anyway.  For now, just trust me that I need some time off.”  She turned to regard him directly.  “But if you want a specific example, here’s one.  That graduation paper.  Do remember my topic?  I got the paper back yesterday.  I got a B+.  Do you know what my visual was?”

“Remilia, I don’t want my interest in your life to be defined by my recall of trivia,” Rogal said.

“Trivia,” Remilia said, exasperation flooding her voice.  “Trivia.  Dad, it’s not goddamned trivia to ME!  It’s my high school graduation project!  If you want to be part of my life, and MEAN it, then the very LEAST you could do is start caring about what I care about!  Or if you can’t do that, at least recognize what is and isn’t important to me!”

“I see.”  Rogal sank back into his seat, sounding a little upset himself.  “Remilia, I make a point of attending every one of your soccer games I’m here for.”

“And that meant something to me, Dad, but were you there because you wanted me to win, or because you wanted me to be happy?  Don’t answer that, it doesn’t matter.”  She tapped her foot on the floor, her mind turning over as fast as it could.  “All right.  We both want this to work.  And I don’t want to go off to college angry.  So…for now, let’s just both agree that it should end better than this.  All right?”

Dorn sighed.  “So be it then.  Remilia…I show it poorly, I know, but your mother and I do love you.  I do want you to be happy.”

“I believe you, Dad,” Remilia said quietly, massaging the bridge of her nose.  “I love you too.”

Freya sidled back into the room, trying very hard to be invisible.  Remilia held up her hand to stop her.  “Freya…I’ll be staying.  Until the trip.”

“You’re sure?” Freya asked, cutting her eyes towards Rogal.

“Yeah.”

“Good!” Freya proclaimed.  She set the bag and the suitcase she had pilfered en route down on the floor and scampered over to Remilia, giving her a quick hug from behind.  She aimed a quick, awkward wave at Rogal, too, before making for the door.  “See you later,” she called over her shoulder as she made her escape.

Remilia picked both bags up, slinging them both.  “I’ll be down to talk about the paper after I unpack all this,” she said, a tone of undeniable instruction in her voice as she said it.

Her father nodded as she vanished up the stairs.  “I’ll be here.”

Freya slid into the car, tapping the glass even as the door closed behind her, trying to urge the car away before Remilia could change her mind.  Remilia herself unpacked her things, noting with grim humor that the room looked better than it had in months.  The cleaning staff had obviously taken the opportunity her absence had presented to scour the place.  Dispersing her stuff back to its proper place in the room, she chucked the suitcase and bag into her closet and sank back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.  She squinted, and made out the faint, familiar outlines of the plastic stars she had stuck on her ceiling as a child, and then pried them off when she had been ‘too old’ for it.  The sight elicited an unwilling smile.  Maybe she had made the right choice.


For the thousands of students at Imperator High, the moment of truth – final exams – arrived the following week, and convoys of nervous teens lined the halls of the building, anticipating being put through the grinder one last time.  As schedules ended and report cards appeared on parents’ home computers, security ramped up in preparation for the graduation ceremony.  Morticia herself promised to make an appearance even if she couldn’t stay through the whole thing, which suited her fine anyway.

The ceremony itself was a zoo, with the Treasury stationing its guards invisibly around the building well in advance, and most of the Primarchs choosing not to attend so as not to upstage the other children (or simply being off-world when it happened).  As Morticia crossed the stage, naturally, the room erupted in cheers, which she acknowledged with a nod and carefree wave that did more to assuage the fears of her friends and family than a single interview ever could.

As it ended, and graduates lined up outside for photographs and rides, Venus and Jake stood by the roadside for their photos, which Misja had already promised to distribute on their behalf while they were gone.  As soon as they were snapped, Jake made tracks for his battered old aircar, stomach abuzz with nerves.  Five days.  Five days before he took off for their trip.  He couldn’t believe it.  He was done, he had passed, and he was going to NOCTURNE!

Morticia, he noted as he passed, was climbing into her own aircar already, with no time at all for pictures.  Her father had been the only Primarch to show.  He hadn’t been surprised at that, by any means, though he was grateful that Mortarion had at least had the sensibility to wait outside.

Dropping his robe and gown into the trunk of his car, he started it up, gingerly maneuvering it over to where his parents and Misja were waiting.  “You ready to head out?” he asked of the group.

“I think so,” George said, clambering into the back.

“Is Venus not coming?” Jake asked.

Misja shook her head.  “No, she and her cousins have a dinner planned.  I’m sure she’ll want to see you after, though.”

“Oh, cool.  Well, say Hi to everyone for me, OK?” Jake asked,  Misja nodded, smiling happily.

“You should be proud of yourself, Jake, congratulations.”

“Thank you very much,” Jake said with a confident grin.  “I’ll see you later, then,” he added, lifting the car smoothly off the ground and angling for the airlock.  Venus watched it go from the street, already having removed her own gown and donned far more formal clothes.  Sliding a pair of mirrored sunglasses on purely for show, she climbed into the back of Furia’s own aircar, along with several of her cousins.

“Well.  Here we are,” Alpharia said, all melodrama.

“And DAMN, it feels good,” Farah chimed in happily.  She laced her fingers together behind her head and reclined against the seat.  “No more waking up at six in the morning to go hear old people talk.”

“And then college happened,” Omegan noted.

“College is something that happens to other people,” Farah said dismissively.  “I’m still going to take a year off.”

Kelly shifted in her own seat.  “It felt good to be at the ceremony.”

“Feel like you’re ready to go home?” Venus asked, fidgeting with the tassel of her cap.

“…I think so, yeah, even if it’s nothing but exercise, comfort food, and staying largely indoors for a while,” Kelly admitted.

“Sounds more fun than being stuck on a ship for a month,” Venus said ruefully.

“Yeah, when are you heading off?” Furia asked, yanking the robe off and struggling into a nicer blouse.  Which, by her standards, meant a clean one.

“Four days.  Can’t wait,” Venus said.

“Wait, I thought it was later,” Omegan said.

Venus shrugged, sending ripples through the silver material of her dress.  “It was.  Emergency rescheduling.  The Salamander ship we were going to use was diverted, we’ll be going with a Legionary escort instead.”

“That’s probably better,” Furia said, tossing the graduation outfit unceremoniously into the corner of the car.  “Line ships are so fucking uncomfortable.  It’s like there’s a goddamned law against comfortable beds.”

“My Ladies, we are five minutes out,” the driver said over the intercom.

“I’m nervous.  I’ve never been to this place,” Omegan said.

“You’ll love it,” Venus said.  She leaned back and took in the view through the window.  The greenery of Startseite faded a bit as the car slowed and descended on the edge of the cluster of buildings around the hive skin below the airlock.  “I’ve been here a few times with Dad.  Best food in the city.”


Mortarion gently squeezed his daughter’s hand as she sat back down in the limo.  “I’m very proud of you, Morticia."

“Thanks, Dad,” Morticia said exhaustedly.  “I admit.  I’m glad I came after all.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go out for dinner with your cousins?” Mortarion asked.

“Yeah, I’m just not up for it,” she said, closing her eyes to rest for a moment.  “Doctor says that I should stop feeling like a narcoleptic within a few more days.  I’m just glad I didn’t fall asleep in my seat on the field house floor.”


As the day of the trip approached, the Royal cousins found themselves, as expected, moving apart.  As soon as her doctor declared her able to travel, Morticia took off for Albiona, eager to see the world.  Freya and company prepared for their journey in their own ways: shopping for winter gear for all five, and thermal gear for Alex and Jake.  True to her word, Remilia made a point of paying for Jake’s gear, to which he made a token protest before gratefully accepting.  It took several days of frank discussions before Remilia was ready to really forgive her father, but they were both sincere in their desire for a reconciliation.  Over time, she supposed, things would be able to return to normal, as much as they could be.

When the day of departure finally arrived, the group assembled in the spaceport atop Hive Tetra, collecting their belonging and making their farewells.  Teams of baggage forklifts and other vehicles pulled their cargo aboard the ship’s freight haulers.  Salamander serfs by the dozen directed the loaders, waving little orange plastic rods to guide the cargo units.

Freya and Alex stood to one side, watching their stuff get filed away.  Freya was nearly hopping from foot to foot in excitement.  “I can’t wait!” she proclaimed happily, squeezing Alex’s hand.

“I know, this is crazy,” Alex said, watching the procession through his mask.  He and the other non-genemodded people on the landing platform were wearing breathing masks, to protect against lack of atmosphere on top of the massive structure.  The Royal daughters themselves were not so inconvenienced.

Neither was Vulkan.  He and Misja had arrived to show Venus off, and in Vulkan’s case, pass along orders to the ship’s Captain.  Misja was busily hugging her daughter and pressing last-minute goodies upon her when Vulkan returned from his own task.

“Now, I know the ship’s Astropath isn’t a messaging service, but try to include a quick update when you arrive, all right?” she fussed.

“I will, Mom, I promise,” Venus said, hiking a backpack of personal effects over her shoulder.  A few paces away, Jake was being buried in a similar armful.

“I’ll send a message when the ship’s docked on Prometheus, but we don’t know exactly when that will be,” Jake explained.  He adjusted his mask, grimacing against the bitter cold.

“I’m sure you’ll have a great time, Jacob,” George said.  He looked up at the rows of Salamander serfs still working on the pad.  “Just be sure to refuse any recruitment offers, huh?”

“Bet on it,” replied.

Remilia’s mother walked up to her jumpsuited daughter and gave her a quick hug.  “You be safe out there, okay?”

“As safe as anyone is on Nocturne, I promise,” Remilia said.  “Say goodbye to Dad for me, all right?”

“I will.  Are you going to come right back home afterward?” her mother asked worriedly.

“I suspect so.  We don’t know the exact date of our return to the system, so I will if I can,” Remilia said, picking up a suitcase and dropping it on a passing cargo pallet.

Vulkan marched up before the tableau of farewells and clapped his hands once.  “Last call, people, the ship lifts in ten minutes and they need passengers aboard.”

Sandra sniffed as she gave her son one final hug.  “All right, Jake, you take care up there, all right?”

“I will,” he promised, shaking his father’s hand and slinging his bag.  “I’ll stop by when I get home, before I head off to Kouthry.”

“Send souvenirs, okay?” George joked.  “Just…not grandkids, yet.”

“Oh my god shut up,” Jake grumbled, glaring daggers at his father.  “I’ll see you when I see you, okay?”

Venus squeezed his shoulder as she passed.  “Got to go.  Bye!” he said, waving again as he joined the stream of serfs and crew that were trooping onboard the lifter.  His parents waved as he and his friends vanished into the cavernous cargo lifter’s load deck.
Remilia and Venus had been aboard one before, and directed the little party away from the zoo of people and cargo into the corridors of the ship.  As the massive cargo vessel lifted off, the ship’s artificial gravity kicked in, nearly knocking all five teens to their feet.  Venus lead them into a small viewing area on the upper deck, and they watched in awe as the spaceport below shrank into the endless, featureless gray of the hives.  For nearly an hour they watched their planet disappear into the distance.
When the planet had shrunk away to the size of a plate, the view was suddenly cut off by two metal plates cutting off their view, sealing behind them.  They had arrived on the ''Iron Tide''.

Venus led them into the massive bay, where all five quietly gaped at the sight of row after row of fighters and cargo ships aligned in rows on the deck.  A small contingent of guards arrived to escort them up to their cabins.  After several decks and lifts, they arrived at a suite of three rooms in the officers’ sections of the ship, where the Captain would quarter guests.  Since this was a Navy escort and not an actual Salamander ship, there was room for a bit of luxury, and the rooms were pleasantly accorded, with reasonable beds and dedicated restrooms.

The little party dispersed their possessions into their rooms, and waited as their larger items were delivered to the cabins by the ship’s crew, which Venus directed adroitly.  Bowing out, the crewers left the five to their own devices.
Shipboard clocks insisted that the time was the dead of night, so all five bedded down, eager for the journey, and hoping that it would be worth every minute.


FIN


[[Category:Warhammer High]][[Category:Stories]]