Planet: Eteran

First Insurgency War

AVA

"Here we are, the best place to enjoy food." Meryn bounded in front of them to wave around their little haven in the grove. "I call tree seat, by the way."

In the shadow of pink leaves, she smiled at Rayan who hesitated on the edge with his hands clasped together. Ava moved forward to claim her place among the tangled leaves as they danced with the gentle breeze coursing through Eastpoint. "Well?" Ava asked as she waved her lung. "Are you going to eat standing up?"

Rayan swayed with the shadows until he stood between them, then took a cautious seat on the grass. Meryn dove into his prepared box, then asked, "What, never eaten outside before?"

"We weren't allowed," Rayan mumbled. "It was too hot most of the time on top of that. It was also easier to keep an eye on the students if they were all in the same place." He opened up his box with a small sniff before tugging out a sandwich. "Same with our gyms. We didn't have anything like a pitch or a running lane. We just... were stuck in school until we had to leave."

Ava chewed on the mallows James packed for her, where they melted into sweet clouds onto her tongue. His picture tucked at the bottom of her box, safe from harm. "I guess that makes sense — if you were in a big city, there probably isn't a lot of space."

"Sounds boring," Meryn said as he opened his schoolbag.

Rayan smiled at Meryn. "You'd be right. It was."

Meryn hummed as he took out his school datapad to spread holotexts out in front of him. "So, what happened? Any particular reason you moved out into the middle of nowhere compared to Odaport. Why not move to someplace like Roxton? It'd probably be less of a shock."

Ava studied Rayan's expression when he shifted on his crossed legs. "My mother was apparently born and raised here, so at the end of last term, we moved." He put his box down in his lap with a deep frown. "I mean, I didn't like it over there, but it had its quirks, and I could go solar-boarding." Steel entered the autumn golds. "Probably for the best though. I didn't exactly... get along with a lot of people."

It fell quiet with only the wind as an answer. Ava plastered a smile on her face. "I don't see why you didn't. You seem nice."

Rayan's lips parted in shock, and he dipped his head forward so the black curls hid his brow. "It's not like that — at least, I hope it's not... it's just... I had a... penchant to not be agreeable with..." He sucked in his lips, and Ava frowned at the slight quake to his shoulders. "Authority, to put it simply."

Well, he doesn't seem to want to talk about it. Ava eyed Meryn, who frowned. Ava sighed and placed the mallows back into her box to get to work on her sandwich. But I can guess. If he's anything like James with our dad... James hears the word 'rules' and he does the exact opposite of them. In this case I think there's more to it. Ava frowned when Meryn opened another holotext, focused on the words. "Meryn, what's that work?"

"Oh, it's stuff I had to get finished over the break," Meryn explained, causing Rayan to switch his attention to him.

"You didn't finish it earlier?" Ava asked, and scooted to investigate, but frowned when Meryn slipped out of reach. "That's unlike you. You alright?"

"Me?" Meryn pointed at himself, then waved the holotexts away. "I'm fine! Great! I just slacked on these. I am taking a lot of Outerworld language classes, so it's hard to keep track of them sometimes. I don't wanna end up mixing words as a translator, now that would be embarrassing." Meryn laughed, but Ava frowned at the hollowness, and Rayan shared her expression. Her best friend's laugh died, and he slumped. "Okay, guess that was not a good joke. I need to work on that." He clicked open his pen and wrote slow translations of the texts. "Sorry!"

Ava scooted closer, but stopped when Meryn gave her a side-eye. "Is it too much? If you need some help, I can try. You did skip a whole Quad level, Meryn."

"What? No!" Meryn shook his head a little too wildly. "No, of course not. I can handle it. You already have too much on your plate." He hesitated, and Ava drew back when he stood up, taking his lunchbox and bag into his hands. "Actually, I should finish this in the library instead of slacking, shouldn't I? Don't steal my tree seat while I'm gone!"

Unable to get a word out, Meryn retreated past their pink-shaded haven to disappear back to the main school grounds. Ava set her hand on her lap, while Rayan never blinked as he watched Meryn's shape scarper away. In the silence, she swallowed the last of her mallows, unable to savour the sweetness until Rayan dragged his attention to her with a questioning tilt to his lips.

"No, he's not usually like that," she answered the unspoken question.

Rayan's eyes narrowed as he switched his attention back to where Meryn disappeared.

Should I go after him? I mean... he practically ran away from me the first time. Ava stared down at her lunchbox, her appetite swallowed into the black hole. Until another shape came closer from where Meryn absconded, and she lifted her head to the shadow which blocked out the sun spreading its rays through the overcast sky.

"James?"

James set his hands in his pockets, and a deeper scowl filled his features. Rayan inched back, but Ava stood to meet her twin brother. "What's up?"

"I just got a message from Mom. You should check yours," James said as he shifted with his backpack, and Rayan ducked back behind his lunchbox, where a deeper glow settled on the tips of his ears. "Also, Meryn just—"

"We know. I must not have been alerted by Mom's message." Ava tapped her compearl to flick through her messages. One from a group chat with the student coordinators about the line-up of upcoming events and delegations of tasks and their next meeting. Mom. Mom. Mom. Ava flicked to the M's of her contacts, and clicked the red comline.

Mom's last message popped in front of her.

'Dad's home.'

Ava leaped to her feet, and James raised his hands with a scoff. "No need to bring out the fanfare, Ava."

Message out of her face, she bowed to Rayan. "I'm sorry, but I have to go home. Here—" She opened up her comline, and then gave it to Rayan, who fumbled to enter it into his. "If you need any help, send me a message! I have to go see my dad."

"O-Oh, it's no problem." Rayan waved his hands as he gathered up his own lunchbox and bag. "I'll see you two later, then, hopefully." His smile, full of kindness returned, but it faltered when his gaze settled on James, who folded his arms and studied him with his customary facial features. "Don't let me hold you up. I'm quite sure I know at least how to get back home without getting lost in the forest."

James scoffed. "I don't know, you did get lost on the pitch trying to find the supermarket."

Rayan's smile died in full, and Ava swatted James' arm. "Hey, cut him some slack."

"What?" James asked in indiginance. "I'm not wrong."

Ava sighed and nodded to Rayan. "Don't mind him. If you need directions to anything, send me a message."

Rayan blinked, and then the gentle smile returned. "I will. I'll see you in class, Ava."

He shuffled back to the main school building, and when he disappeared as well, Ava folded her arms to glare at her nightmare of a twin brother. "I mean, there are nicer ways to put that," she pointed out as they walked together in the opposite direction. "When did you get the message?"

"Earlier," James said as they left the school ground with the crowd of students leaving to enjoy the rest of their day. Ava tried to pick out Meryn from the crowd, but her best friend never revealed himself. Jon bounced along with Tom, and soon, they were deep into Eastpoint, heading off the beaten track to head home. "I'm just going to walk with you back home before doing my evening wanderings — probably run into Jon who's been on my case about helping him find a frontliner..."

"You're not going to say hi to our dad? When was the last time we saw him?" Ava drifted on the sidewalk, causing James to stop in time with her.

"Oh, let me think..." James pinched his chin and pursed his lips. "Oh!" Finger pointed upwards, he folded his arms and scowled. "I remember. He lectured you for having the audacity to make up a test, that might I add, you got a perfect on once you did. He never bothered to ask why you had to make it up. Of which, the reason was you were sick, there was no possible way for you to do it."

"I didn't tell him, and he didn't really lecture me—"

"—oh, and then he proceeds to give me shit... because why not, I guess? He always finds something wrong to prod." His scowl remained as he stomped onto the track home. "It's not as if he cares either way. He just wants to complain."

Ava rushed to him and clasped his forearm. "Maybe this will be different? I know last time he just seemed out of it..."

"Okay, but you say that every time. At what point does it start being a stupid excuse?" James snapped, and Ava drew back. He threw his arms into the air. "Let's just get this over with so I can do something I enjoy instead of being miserable. I've got an infopod of pictures I need to set into a drive and upload."

"James, he's our dad."

"No. He's our father."

Ava tugged him back. "You're not going to let this go?"

James ignored her as they reached the front step of their house, and the door swung open.

"Avie! Jamesy!" Janie launched herself into Jame's arms, who's scowl disappeared in a fleeting moment. "Dad's home." She pointed her finger into the living room off to the side. "Look!"

Ava peeked around the corner, while James stomped to the staircase without his own. Dad lifted himself off the couch, no cigar to be seen as beef stew simmered in the kitchen. "Dad." Ava gave up on her brother to hug him, which he returned without hesitation. Cigar smoke filled her nostrils, but there was a comforting sensation he brought with him. Time stretched on, and the underlying fear subsided. In the corner of her eye, James folded his arms.

"You've grown the last time I saw you, Ava," he observed in the familiar, gruff voice. He lifted his gaze to James when Ava let him go. "You too, James."

James avoided their shared hazel gaze with a heavy scoff before heading to the dinner table, giving Dad a wide berth.

"Dinner should be ready soon, Garrett," Mom said from the kitchen while Ava shook her head at James' cold attitude. "I cooked your favourite for this occasion. Though, if you ever get tired of it—"

Dad switched his attention to Mom with a slight smile and an approving nod. "I'd never be tired of the beef stew you cook, Maryse. MRE's often get tiring during training." He shuffled over to join James at the table, who scooted into a different seat away from him. If Dad noticed, he gave no acknowledgement as Ava took the seat between them.

Dinner as a family...

Mom set the beef stew in the middle and urged Janie into her seat.

Ava poured the stew into her bowl, while James kept his empty bowl close to him. "We have a new kid," she said to spark a conversation. "Rayan Falae. Isn't your boss General Falae?"

"Yes, I knew Illiya wanted to move back here, so I offered to come with for a bit of leave," Dad replied. "Her kid's a troublemaker though. Even when he doesn't look for it, it finds him. I'd take caution around him."

The happiness which swelled in her heart burst into a perforated balloon.

James choked out a laugh. "A troublemaker? What did he do, trip over an old lady or something?"

Ava eyed James. Really? You're the one that gave him shit for stumbling onto the pitch.

James returned her side-eye, but then gave her a devilish smile as he switched his attention back to Dad when he explained, "No. Before, he gallivanted around Odaport, hung out with the wrong types, painted graffiti on Sanctum property; he solarsurfed around the salt flat factories where he's not supposed to be." He sipped at the stew. "He also got into a very severe fight at his previous school. Got himself and several other students suspended."

I didn't exactly get along with other people, Rayan's withdrawn voice admitted as he hid in his lunchbox as if ashamed.

Ava placed her spoon back in her bowl with the sinking realization. "I don't know, Dad, that doesn't seem right," she whispered. "He didn't come across that way when we were doing an ice-breaking exercise, and when I was showing around the collegiate grounds he just... followed and listened."

Dad continued to eat without a response. Ava glanced at James' brow when it furrowed at her. To mask her dull mood, she forced a smile back on her face.

Smile, even though it's hard.

James stabbed his spoon into the bottom of the bowl with a clink. "Well," he said. "I don't know about that. He came across more clumsy if anything. Quick to jump without thinking things through, too. I wouldn't define him as a troublemaker for that, though. He can't be that bad of a guy, in my opinion." Ava gaped when James glared at Dad with contempt. "What, just because he can't follow little irrelevant rules makes him a bad person? One or two issues and you're already condemning him, Dad?"

"Children aren't always like their parents, James," Dad retorted, though his voice remained calm and collected. "Illiya gave Rayan too much free reign in Odaport. The kid is going to get himself hurt one day and will only have himself to blame for it, or worse."

James opened his mouth, but Ava pinched him underneath the table to stop the fight.

Dad considered them. "I can't force you to not associate with him. You're old enough to make your choices."

James glared daggers at Dad, who returned the staredown. Her appetite disappeared, stuck between the silent battle and pushed her bowl away.

In a break of war, Dad tipped his head. "So... James, I heard from your principal that they have you tapped to go to Pero's Flight Academy. You were showing some talent during your summer trips. I've sent a recommendation to the Headmaster."

James blinked, staredown lost as Ava snapped back to him in shock. "What?"

"I thought it was something you might've been interested in," Dad said, brow furrowing in much the same way as his son's. "Your photography and writing are good... but they can't quite sustain you. You can get quite a lot of experience from the PFA. If you're as talented as I believe you are, you could find a good line of work—"

James leaped from his chair. "How about you ask me about what I want instead of doing whatever you think? I'm not Ava, I'm not going to take it from you of all people!" He pushed his bowl. "This isn't the Strike Forces where you can tell me what I can or can't do with my life—"

"James..." Mom warned. "I don't think that's what he was trying to say—"

"I'm done. I don't need your stupid recommendation to get into PFA! I can do things just fine on my own." James picked his bowl to toss it into the sink, Ava sank into her chair when he stomped out of the living room and headed upstairs, where his door slammed.

It fell silent.

Mom sighed and brought two fingers up to her nose. Dad clasped his hands together with a confused frown.

"I think I'm done." Ava pushed her bowl to the side. "I'll do the dishes later..."

Mom eyed the contents. "You barely ate, sweetheart."

"I had a heavy lunch," she lied. "Besides, I need to get some last minute work done for the coordinators." Without either of her parent's permission, she rushed out of her seat and upstairs. Each breath escaped her lungs with one count as she stumbled past her room to reach James'. I know how much photography and writing means to James... I just want to check on him. He's never been that explosive before.

Ava clicked his door open, where he sprawled face first into the long pillow on his bed. On one wall, a mosaic of his pictures he painstakingly fit together to create beautiful colours and tell a story. On his desk, several full notepads were scratched into with a pen to stifle his neat handwriting, along with the personal holoboard he used for writing. Ava drifted at the door frame, and headed to his side.

"James."

"I don't want to hear it," he said, muffled. "I just want to sleep. Which you should also do."

Ava frowned, then leaned forward. "James, I want to show you something."

"Hm?"

Ava left to head for her room, tearing through her own desk to find her precious secret. A sigil of a wolf against a rough starlit field, where its teeth snarled in protective strength.

Back at James' side, she handed it to him, and he sighed. "You finally finished it?

Ava nodded. "It's a tag," she explained further. "I want to make a group of explorers. I'm going to call it 'The Northern Wolves'."

"What happened to the Southern Wolves?" Ava hit him on the back, causing him to twist over onto it. "Alright, sorry, what's the plan you have then?"

"I want to have lots of adventure out there with people I love and care about," Ava explained. "I want to see, hear, and feel everything. I'm going to do it, James."

"Well, you can't go adventuring if you can't keep your eyes open," James pointed out. "You can do whatever you want, Ava. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He smiled. "So, go to bed and stop bothering me." He threw his extra pillow at her, and Ava found the strength to smile along.

A smile, that's what I wanted.

Sleep never came easy. Distant celestial heavens and spreading nebula danced along her dreams. Beauty awaited in the endless, star-speckled expanse. Treasures and experiences untold, awaited for anyone willing to learn and look for it. A journey sought to learn all the different things, to experience what the starry heavens carried.

Everything was so much larger, outside their little town of Eastpoint.