Chapter Four (Jake and Kimiko)

[Akirapryde]

Walking through the corridor of the VIP level, Jake found Kimiko’s quarters easily. He knocked on the door and it was one of her bodyguards who opened it. After a short conversation, the bodyguard allowed Jake in. The space was not overly decorative, but it was pleasant to the eyes. He walked through a short entry area where the bodyguards ensured that no one breached the inner room.

As he was led in to the inner room, Jake saw Kimiko sitting on a small sofa. It was clear that the scene he was witnessing was staged for his benefit. Jake didn’t need Eric’s background to know that Kimiko had been crying. He didn’t blame her. After all, she just learned that her mother had died. The bodyguard announced Jake’s arrival and then bowed out the door.

Kimiko rose from the sofa, “I am glad you came to visit Lieutenant,” Kimiko said softly. He couldn’t deny that Kimiko had a great degree of inner strength. She carried herself well as she walked over to Jake and motioned towards a small bar, “would you like a drink?”

[CarcerKango]

Jake smiled tiredly. "A drink sounds great. Nonalcoholic, preferably." He knew he'd need a clear head for this.
"I thought you might want some company," he said, running a hand through his messy hair briefly.
He almost asked /are you okay?/ but realized immediately how useless that question would be. Right now, he had a feeling that Kimiko just needed someone to be there. He walked over to her slowly. "Actually, the drink can wait," he said suddenly. He wasn't sure whether to embrace her, or even lay a hand on her. He wasn't sure what to do, what might upset her, so instead he merely stood before her, letting Kimiko understand that he was there for her.

[Akirapryde]

Kimiko walked over to the small bar and started to pull out a pair of glasses, "nonalcoholic it is" she said trying to be positive. "Some company sounds wonderful" she said with a smile. It was a falsely painted on, but it was clear that she was trying to hide her pain.

As Jake spoke again, her shoulders sank, "I just can't believe my mother is gone. When I got word that my father was killed last January, I was devastated. But he was a soldier and it was expected. Over the years, I knew that one day he would be killed in combat. My mother was a tech, a scientist, a teacher." She turned from Jake and walked over to a large window. Beyond the window, Jake could see clearly the large world growing closer. Kimiko looked down upon the world as she continued, "my mother was a business woman" he said then fell silent.

She lifted her hand and touched the glass as if touching the world itself. "I know that other people have suffered as well. I don't want to sound selfish with my own suffering."

[CarcerKango]

Jake strode to Kimiko's side, staring out the window with her. "What do you need me to do? If there's anything I can do to help you through this...I'll do it."
He gazed down at the planet, sharing this moment with her, melancholy, yet hopeful.

[Akirapryde]

Kimiko looked out the window as she spoke, "I know they are hiding something from me." Her voice was level despite being filled with sadness. "All my life my mother and father hid things from me."

She pointed the southern most landmass, "there is a school for future leaders of New Earth hidden in those mountains. It's actual existence was hidden from me till my brothers had returned from there" she explained.

She drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily, "I don't know why things are hidden from me. But now I am Duchess of New Earth and they still hide things from me."

She turned to face him, "i need someone I can trust. Someone to be honest to me." She reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. "you ask me what you can do for me. Can you be this person for me?"

[CarcerKango]

Jake stared clearly into her eyes, utterly confident in his next words, spoken in a strong voice: "I can and I will." He almost added, /I have nothing to hide,/ but considering where he came from, that wouldn't be very accurate. He returned Kimiko's gesture, putting his opposite hand on her shoulder in turn.

[Akirapryde]

Kimiko nodded and turned back towards the world before them, "I was born on New Earth. It is my home" she explained.

She turned and walked over to her dresser and pulled out a clothe. She wrapped it around her head and tied the Hijab to her head, "you would be so surprised at the people and places of my world." She walked back over to the window and pointed at a large landmass in the northern hemisphere of the world, "that landmass is Cancer." She then pointed to a large group of islands near the equator, "those islands are the central islands. The largest one in the center is Aries. It is also home to the largest Castle Brian on our world." She said then paused, "have you ever seen the inside of a Castle Brian?"

[CarcerKango]

"Can't say that I have," Jake said carefully. "I know the basics of what they are, never saw one personally." He looked at the indicated portions of the world. "It's so beautiful...I've made planetfall before of course, but I never seem to get tired of it." The corners of his mouth twitched in a small half-smile.

[Akirapryde]

"I hardly traveled before I left home with my aunt," Kimiko said as she looked out through the window. She continued to tidy up her Hijab while she continued to speak, "the only other time I traveled from New Earth was when my father took all of us to Mecca on Terra for Ramadan."

She turned around and leaned up against the glass window. "I remember the stories my father told of when he was a kid. How his father used to take him and his brothers to Mecca. They would travel from their home in Tunisia through the dessert to Mecca. He spoke of how much that trip meant to him as a kid. I am had my brothers been there, I am sure they would have loved it. But somehow I felt like it wasn't for me.

"My father and I spoke on the last night. Everyone had gone to sleep. He and I set by the camp fire just talking. He told me how special I was to him. By this time I already realized that my father was sad that I didn't share his love for military things. Still it did make me feel good that he said I was still special to him."

She took in a deep breath and added, my brothers traveled a lot more than I did. She smiled, "I have seen only three worlds. Terra, Luthian and my home of New Earth."

She turned back to the window and the large world that appeared beyond the window, "I love seeing other worlds. But New Earth will always be my home. And I have been gone too long as it is."

[CarcerKango]

Jake smiled tentatively. "Good thing you're coming back now, then."

After a moment, he added a question. "What was Terra like? I've never been there."