Epilogue 1 – Miya and Franklin attend a wedding.
07/17/3049 | Noius Archipelago, Kaznejoy, Draconis Combine
Almost everyone at the wedding was as colorful as the venue, a tropical island within an artificial sea. Delicate orchids clung to trunks, and flowering bushes erupted in abundance. Franklin Sakamoto hugged the sides occasionally bumping into Shin Yodama, or the other less reputable guests from the Legion of Vega that nevertheless were invited to Kurita Hohiro and Tsukamoto Ayame’s wedding.
Miya Kurita, in a brilliant scarlet and gold Yukata bumped into him on purpose almost spilling his drink. “Now who are you?” She plucked his collar straight, “Mysterious stranger.”
“I’m just the pilot. Looking to pluck off a few tipsy bridesmaids.”
“We both know that’s not true,” she leaned closer and opened her flower printed fan, “but Ichika has been eying you.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “I think she has a thing for bad boys.”
He quaffed the last of his beer and picked another off the bar. “You are enjoying this too much.”
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been invited to a family event, of course I am.”
She snapped the fan closed and pulled on his tie as she glided away, “See you around scoundrel.”
Epilogue 2 – Strays
08/09/3049 | St Ives Martial Academy, St Ives, Capellan Confederation
Three Union Dropships bearing the triagonal logo of the Kell Hounds burned out of the sky to land at the SIAMS starport. Two dozen mechs and as many vehicles thundered onto the tarmac and took up defensive positions as a motorcade headed for the academy itself.
Colonel Daniel Allard stepped out of the heavy APC his black cape billowing behind him and boots clacking on the stairs. Caitlin and Phelan Kell follow close behind in their black battledress uniform backed by a platoon of Pit Bulls, from the 1st Kell Hounds elite infantry battalion, carrying stun-sticks and pistols.
The SIAMS Commandant and his men stand at the top of the stairs,
“Colonel Allard, this is highly irregular. How did you get past the detection grid? What business do you have here?”
His tone was adamant “I am here to pick up some strays.” He raised a hand and the Hounds behind him paused, “Are you going to let me pass or are we headed for an altercation?”
“There is protocol to follow. They should have a choice in the matter.”
“The choice has already been made, you know it, I know it too, if they don’t see it, they soon will.
If it makes it easier for the Chancellor to digest, we can beat you up and take them.”
Tension mounted as the two men stared each other down before the Commandant signaled for his men to lower their weapons. “Just get it over with.”
Two squads of Pit Bulls stayed behind at the entrance with the vehicles while another followed them. They found their target doors next to one another and bid the Pit Bulls wait nearby. “Phelen, Caitlin, why don’t you have adjoining rooms? It would make so many things easier.”
“Phelen doesn’t wash his socks.”
“Well, your candles stink.”
“They are premium fragrances!”
“Kids, kids, calm down.”
“You can’t talk to us like that Colonel. You’re our brother-in-law, not our Uncle.”
“Your Uncle is a bad role model and I have children almost as old as you.
Behave or I will bust you both for insubordination.”
He pointed toward the doors, “the mission.”
Phelen walked forward with his sister, “How do you think they sleep?”
She opened the side of her battledress, “I brought a stab vest. You?”
“I’m not wearing a Pit Bull’s helmet for the style.”
They slammed on the doors and shouted firmly. “Cassandra and Kai Allard-Liao, open up!”
Cassandra and Kai opened the doors and rubbed their eyes multiple times as they saw faces in front of them for the first time since their father passed years ago. “Who are you?”
“It is a good thing they were wearing clothes Caitlin.”
“Sure was Phelen. That would have been awkward.”
“Why are you on St Ives?”
Daniel stepped forward, “To take you to Arc Royal. You will start training as a Kell Hound on Monday.”
Kai and Cassandra took a step into the hallway still knocking the sleep out of their faces, “This is some kind of weird joke right sis?”
“It must be, there’s no way we can get to Arc-Royal in three days. It’s in the Lyran Commonwealth.”
“Did the mess serve us expired food again?”
“It tasted fine to me.”
The Hounds looked at one another as the two continued their strange discourse, “No this is for real. Katrina Steiner gave Morgan Kell an open check, that nothing should be denied to him. We already have a LCN command circuit all the way to Arc Royal.”
Their pupils grew strangely wide despite the light, “That would take more than a dozen jumpships.”
“Almost twenty actually, just because the Archon cannot deny Morgan Kell anything, doesn’t meant that he won’t be in Melissa’s doghouse for a while after this. The LCN is using it as a fleet exercise and flex to show off for the Mariks.”
“We can’t leave Capellan space. We’d lose any chance of reclaiming our mother’s titles and her name.”
“That was already lost long ago. If you stay here, you’ll just be another of Tormano’s officers but if you join us, you’ll be family.
We don’t leave our family behind, but sometimes it takes a little longer to bring them back home."
