A month after the battle of Phobos, life had all but returned to normal for Elias Thorton.
After the remainder of the pirates were rounded up and the enemy star station was secured, the sailors and marines of the 2nd Fleet were given the opportunity to rest and recuperate. Something was more than deserved in their collective opinion. Naturally, Elias used this time to go back home and visit his family to see how they had been doing. Although he frequently messaged them to keep them updated, actually getting to see them with his own eye was much more satisfying. Especially since it had been so long since he left home to start his tenure as a midshipman almost four years ago.
At the moment, the young man was spending his downtime walking the familiar streets of Trafalgar alongside his older sister, Layla.
To Elias, there was something comforting about the soft hum of the colony's artificial lighting system. And the way that the faint smell of ozone mixed with the more Earth-like scents of recycled air and freshly-harvested food truly made him feel like he was at home. In truth, being here finally made the young man realize just how long he had been away.
"I can't believe that you're actually back." Layla said with a teasing smile as she glanced at him. Like Elias, the woman had thick, curly black hair and a smooth caramel skin tone. However, unlike the young man, she didn't possess their mother's emerald green eyes. She instead had a pair of dark brown eyes that matched their father's.
"Yeah." Elias nodded while scanning the streets with his one good eye as they passed by some familiar shops and restaurants. "I still can't believe it's been almost four years since I left. I'm only going to be here for a week, though."
His left eye was now covered by a sleek, black patch. A temporary measure that was meant to hold him over until his new prosthetic was ready for him to pick up. Elias would be lying if he said that a small part of him didn't want to keep the eyepatch, though. In his opinion, it made him look tougher than he actually was. Then again, if he really wanted to appear as intimidating as possible, he could just walk around without it.
Layla chuckled softly, her dark eyes glinting with affection.
"So...what's been going on in your world? You've been running around in space for ages, and I barely hear from you anymore. Is the Navy everything you thought it would be? I heard about your big battle on the news, and I was worried when I found out about...well, you know...."
The woman then gestured to his eye, she suddenly adopted a concerned look on her face.
Elias smiled in return as his lips slightly tugged against the scar tissue on the left side of his face. He supposed it was only natural for the woman to show concern over him; he was her brother after all. Of course, the rest of his family was devastated to learn about his injury. Apparently, his father and oldest sister, Lunamaria, spent a whole day trying to calm his mother down when he told them about it. Thankfully, Layla decided to treat it just as casually as he was. Something that Elias genuinely appreciated from the woman.
"It's...It's like I always imagined. Well, mostly." Elias then said in response to his sister's inquiry. The words came slowly as he chose his next ones carefully. "Most of my days are filled with a lot of sitting and even more paperwork. The patrols are long, but they're never really boring. And things rarely ever go sideways."
"Except for the occasional giant space battles on different planets?" Layla then asked, dropping her tone.
Elias then paused, his gaze fixed ahead as he recalled the events of the battle. It was all still fresh in his mind. The sound of alarms blaring in the Shadowstrike's corridors, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he rushes forward into the star station, and the blinding flash of light that came from the explosion. For a brief second, the man felt the heat of the moment again as if it were happening right now. And the image of Lieutenant Vera's body flashed in his eye once again.
Luckily, the young man was able to shake it all off just as quickly as it came. He knew very well that PTSD was a serious issue that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. But for right now, the young man just wanted to relax and enjoy some time with his family. He could worry about his mental health once he got back to the fleet.
"Yeah...but those are a rare occurrence."
Layla's eyes narrowed, showing even more concern than they were before. But despite her obvious worries, she chose not to say anything. Instead, she just continued to walk beside him as they continued their journey through the city. Elias knew that she was holding back her words, but he wasn't quite sure how to make her feel at ease. He didn't want her to see him as broken or damaged. He wasn't, at least not really.
"Layla, I'm fine." The man finally said, his voice was firm but gentle. "It's just an eye, it's not like it's the end of the world. Besides, miners who are younger than me get hurt working on asteroids all the time, right? It's just part of the job."
Layla's lips pressed into a thin line. Now, she wasn't even pretending not to be worried. "It's not the same thing, Elias. Those guys don't put their lives in danger fighting space pirates."
Elias gave her a look, one that made it clear that he wasn't going to back down on this. "I'm not a kid anymore, Layla. You don't have to worry about me. Besides, this is what I want to do. This is where I'm supposed to be."
The elder Thorton sibling looked like she wanted to say more, but instead chose not to. They both knew that dragging this conversation out any further wouldn't do them any good. But for Elias, that was enough.
He wasn't quite sure how to explain it to her, or even to himself sometimes. Elias just simply loved being out there in space. That's really all it was. And the Colonial Navy gave him the opportunity to do what he loved, much more than what he would've gotten if he just worked on a regular civilian cargo vessel. Or even on some bougie cruise liner that ferried people back and forth to Earth. Yes, sometimes the job got ugly, but that was what he signed up for. And the young man had already proven that he was capable, that he could handle the responsibility.
Eventually, Layla led them toward one of Trafalgar's more popular restaurants. It was a spot known for its great view of the moon due to its position right under one of the colony's main windows. After getting settled into a booth, the waitress came by and took their orders. And while they waited for their food, Elias leaned back in his seat and chose to enjoy the view.
It was quite an amazing sight when he thought about it. Since Trafalgar's primary function was to serve as the main agricultural colony for the L-2 region, fields of crops filled the landscape as far as the eye could see. And the contrast of those crop fields against the backdrop of space created one hell of an image. Almost like one of those old Renaissance paintings that were crafted on Earth almost a thousand years ago.
"So, how's life?" Elias then asked Layla as he took a sip of his water. "I heard that you're working for the governor now. I thought you hated politics?"
Layla chuckled. "Believe me, I still do! But, someone's got to keep things running smoothly around here. And as much I hate to admit it, I've got a knack for making sure people don't screw up. Plus, the pay was way too good to pass up."
The woman then smiled. And she didn't even try to hide the pride in her voice. "I'm doing good, though. Way better than what I probably should be."
The conversation went on like this as the two ate their lunch. Filled with the kind of easy banter that only siblings could have. It was enough to make Elias forget the troubles that were plaguing his mind. And for that, he was grateful.
Just as they finished up with their meal, a mischievous grin suddenly grew on Layla's face. The woman clearly had something that she wanted to say. "You want to know something funny?"
"What?" Elias quirked his eyebrow.
"From what I've heard, you have a secret admirer."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know that big shipping mogul from Utopia, Randle Hull? Well...." Layla leaned in closer as she began to explain. "Apparently, one of his kids, Marida, has been asking around about you."
"Seriously?" That was certainly shocking to hear.
"Yup! She's been using her dad's connections here in the colony to get some information on you. Apparently, you saved her and her friends from some pirates a few months back, and she's looking to give you some kind of reward~."
Elias felt his face heat up slightly, but he managed to keep his cool. "You make it sound like I have a stalker or something."
Layla laughed. "Oh, I'm sure her intentions are perfectly innocent. I can't really blame her, though. I mean, who wouldn't be interested in the dashing young superstar of the Navy who managed to distinguish himself in one of the biggest space battles in recent memory?"
Elias rolled his eye. He could hardly call himself a superstar. Sure, he somehow managed to get himself an award due to his actions during the battle. However, what he did was hardly anything of note in his opinion. That being said, he would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious as to why the young woman he helped rescue all that time ago was trying to find some information on him.
'I might need to check up on that in the future.'
Eventually, the two siblings decided to finally head over to their parents' house. And as they made their way there, Elias found himself more at peace than he had in a long time. There was something about walking in the soft light beneath Trafalgar's artificial sky that managed to smile on his face.
'It feels good to be home.'