Mission Grief

[Nijil tr'Korjata 0]

Mission Grief - Jylliene and Nijil

 

The cheers from the Rihan orphans in the Children’s Center quite made his day. Any engineer could have lugged the heavy reactor and installed it. Having a fellow Rihan, and Nijil himself, made it worthwhile. If not for all of the work to do for Aegis, he would have stayed with Annisha.

 

Nijil thought of his daughter now as the lift took him slowly to the second engineering station on the other pylon. His daughter. For the first time since taking her in he made the Rihan girl to daughter transition. The very real danger of the attack on the station stirred up emotions he’d never experienced, that of guilt and of a protector. More than once he extended the shields over the Children’s Center without Jorahl’s approval and it worked.

 

Now alone in the lift he was finally able to exhale. His daughter was alright, seemingly unharmed. Her normal self. Her father leaned against the wall of the lift and held his head. First silence, then the eyes watered. Not since his belief of his parent’s death had he cried. Neither out of joy nor sorrow did he shed his tears. Emotionally he needed this. Perhaps having Jylliene at his side would be ideal. Sadly, station operations needed her adept routing skills.

 

Annisha, bless her, in short order clutched Nijil’s heart and made it whole. For that matter so did Jylliene. His emotional liberation ended abruptly as the sound of an incoming communication chirped from his uniform. Another cog in an endless wheel of repairs no doubt.

 

 

“Ops to SubCommander tr’Korjata”

 

"I'm here," he says sniffling. What timing.

 

“The Iagga has confirmed its intended arrival time - I have sent the information to you.” A pause. “Are you okay?”

 

Nijil wiped his eyes as he leaned against the wall. "No, I mean yes. It's not what you think. Just stress."

 

“Which means it’s exactly what I think, e’lev. We are all stretched thin right now.” A slight pause. “I will see you later,” came the com, in a softer tone. “Ops out.”

 

Did she know? The strained station engineer thought of them both, thankful they made it through. He'd not have the frame of mind if any of them had perished.