Chapter Three (Closure)

[Aria Blackthorn]

Suki’s smile only grew as she listened to Adrian, “listen,” she said softly when it was her time to speak. “I know you don’t truly know Comstar. At least not like I do.” She paused a moment and thought about her words. “When Precentor Karimi and the rest of his Comstar Explore Corps came to my world, there was great suffering, there had been war between the colonies. The central government lacked the ability to end the suffering or conflicts. In one year, Precentor Karimi brought a lot of that suffering under control. Acting as a negotiator, he was able to do things that no one from any of our colonies could do. He brought about not just peace, but change. Real change!”

“I know he is not a God,” she said then paused. A smiled crossed her lips as a funny thought crossed her mind. “Despite what some more remote colonies thought of him. But he was a remarkable man. The kind of guy that you would…..well, for me, leave my homeworld and follow in to a wide open unknown galaxy.”

She fell silent for a moment then laughed a bit, “it’s funny. I remember the last time I was with him. We were in the mech bay of the Prince of Wales. He was talking to me about our journeys through my home system and how helpful I had been as a translator. He went on talking about the future of his unit. About my future. And how together we could accomplish so much. He never really talked about himself or things he did. It was always us, as a team. His accomplishments were always ours. He never asked for the spot light even though he more than deserved it. Instead he nudged us in to it. He would let us take center stage while he would cheer our successes.” A tear started to roll down her check as she thought of her lost friends and mentor. She brushed the tear away as she turned away from Adrian.

After a moment she continued, “And as we walked I felt like there was nowhere else I wanted to be. There I was, in the shadow of this great man. As he spoke, he had this way of making you feel like the entire Inner Sphere centered on you. Like you really mattered, not just to those around you, but to something much bigger. Like you mattered to the entire Inner Sphere. You couldn’t help but want to be part of his dreams for the future.”

She turned back towards Adrian, “No, you’re wrong. They are different. One man, leading his group changed my homeworld and its colonies for the better. He saved me from a life on the streets. I don’t know what Comstar is for you, but this is what Comstar is to me. They are the people that brought an end to suffering, peace and change to my people. Comstar is the man who rescued me when no one else would.”

Before anyone could mistake what she meant, Suki reached out and took hold of Adrian’s arm. Her aim was starting to get better or maybe she was just lucky. She managed to get his arm in only two attempts. “But I also grew up on the streets. I’m not blind……um….well….you know what I mean, I am not about to run around and betray you guys either. I just want you to know what they mean to me, and why.”