Bad Memories ((Matthews/Caine))

[C.T. Caine 0]

At least Harvey had been too woozy to bite her again, Caine though with a certain amount of bleak humor as she turned and exited what had become the defacto interrogation tent for the Federation's presence on Avaros. Their irritable looter-cum-terrorist prisoner had proved less than helpful, despite all the effort she and Owen Matthews had put into the process, and since learning that other members of his group had been captured by the Agincourt's Marine contingent, he had clammed up altogether. He had, however, slipped up by providing a single piece of very important certain information which had shaken Caine more than she liked to admit.

 

She let out a long breath as she stepped into the open air outside the cramped tent, then turned to see Buddha as he stepped out behind her.

 

Owen's spirits had risen somewhat when Slick had told him they had captured more terrorists. Harvey had proven a hard nut to crack and so far their efforts had not yielded the desired results. As he stepped out of the tent behind Caine, he noticed her worried expression. "Are you alright, Junior?"

 

Caine grunted. "I've been better. I don't like what we heard in there..." She jerked her head toward the tent behind him. "Or what it implies. If they're working with the Soltan..." Her voice trailed off and she grimaced. "I'd hoped to have more time before I had to deal with them again."

 

"Oh, I'd hoped I'd never have to deal with them again. But I guess we can't always have what we wish for." Buddha was trying to think of something to say to cheer her up but it wasn't easy. He didn't know what exactly Caine's previous experiences with the Soltan had been like but pretty much everyone from Earth had lost someone during the attack.

 

Caine grinned faintly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Never figured they wouldn't be back for a repeat performance one of these days. That would have been...illogical..." She quirked one eyebrow up and then shrugged, beginning to walk along the corridor between the tents in the general direction of their makeshift "brig" area. "But I'd never have thought it'd be like this. Collaborators..." She made a "pah!" noise, a dry spit, conveying a complete distaste for the entire idea.

 

Owen knew how she felt. He couldn't believe anyone would help the Soltans either. However, there were always people collaborating with the bad guys to achieve their own petty goals. To some, apparently the means didn't matter. "I know what you mean. I actually feel like beating some sense into them." He paused and sat down on a crate that was standing between two tents. "I lost my entire family during the attack...or rather what was left of it."

 

Caine checked her step and turned to see him sit down, and her expression tightened, her pointed eyebrows drawing together in a sympathetic expression. "I'm so sorry, Buddha..." she said quietly. "That must have been...horrific."

 

He looked up at her and shrugged. "I try not to think about it. You know, first the Gideon then my family...gee, I'll need a good shrink someday." Owen chuckled, trying to hide his emotions.

 

Caine puffed a half-snort out through her nose. "Twenty years from now there'll be a lot of aging Soltan-era officers having group therapy, I think," she said dryly. She knew, vaguely, of the ship which had been destroyed in the Agincourt's Perseus Arm mission prior to the attack on Earth, though she had not known that that Matthews had come from it.

 

She shook her head slightly and let her hand drop to his shoulder for a moment and squeeze before releasing. Her eyes drifted up towards the sky, now darkening as evening approached; she could spot a small moving light drifting parallel to the southern horizon -- Agincourt. She wondered how soon the little dot was going to have company. "At least this time we've got a little forewarning. We know they're coming, we can prepare."

 

Owen smiled as Cain squeezed his shoulder. Normally he would have made some remark or other but now was not the time; even he knew that. "The question is whether knowing they'll come will actually help, Caine."

 

Caine shot him a sober look. "It'll help. It has to. Anything's better than watching the ground around you saturated with fire and not knowing why..."

 

Owen bit back a sarcastic response as he realized what her last statement meant. "You were on Earth when it happened, weren't you?"

 

Caine was silent for a moment before nodding. "I was in San Francisco -- waiting for my transfer orders back to shipboard duty." Her expression didn't shift but her throat convulsed a little as she swallowed. "I was visiting the Academy campus, actually, while I had the opportunity." Another pause. "Not much left of it now."

 

"I bet. I was in Sydney after the attacks. It was pretty bad. I've seen a lot in my career but I think that was the worst. I mean, it was back home, not just some planet."

 

Caine nodded once. "Yeah...Australia took a hell of a beating...I didn't get to participate in the rescue ops there, they shipped me offplanet, but I hear it was a nasty sight. You're right, too...it was easy to think of Earth as the untouchable center of the Federation. The place we were from as distinct from wherever we happened to be doing good deeds or blowing things up. And then the Soltan came along and reminded us that we had a gut to be kicked in too." The expression of disgust returned again to her face. "I suppose my point is that I'd rather have known what was kicking me at the time."

 

Owen nodded slowly. "It's always easier when you know who's blowing up your home. Although it'd have been nice if we'd have had a chance to fight back. Maybe you're right and this time we'll get the chance. But as likely as not we'll end up facing an enemy with far superior weapons. I'd prefer being on an even footing."

 

Caine glanced at him, and then grinned. "Only an even footing? While we're wishing I'd prefer to be able to kick their rears."

 

"That's the spirit, Junior," Owen said as he jumped to his feet. "Let's go grill those bastards and see what we can find out. Maybe we can prepare a surprise for the Soltans."