Chapter Text
Aionios population had almost no health problems. Ether miraculously healed all broken bones and wounds without leaving any traces — of course, if it was used immediately, before the injuries began to heal naturally. Military medicine could deal with poisoning or infection. Most people had no chance of living to old age, which excluded age-related diseases. Almost everyone maintained a fairly healthy lifestyle, except for participating in an endless war. …Mental problems? Who would pay attention to them in these circumstances, as long as the soldier did not shoot at his or her own comrades?
But one exception still existed and sometimes spoiled the lives of even the toughest fighters: the common cold. Even with all the technology available in Aionios, it took about a week to treat it. The cold that knocked Eunie off her feet was the reason why a couple of days ago Teach received a request from Ouroboros to help them as a healer and was now getting off the transport in Colony Tau. Tomorrow morning, they were supposed to move to the lower levels of the forest in search of fragments of the Origin.
Teach exchanged greetings with the commander of Tau and went to the tents where Noah and company were camped. And he found one more familiar person there.
“Teach?” she raised her eyebrows in surprise at his approach, almost dropping her duffel bag from her hands.
“…Ashera. I didn't expect to see you here.”
“Ashera will help us with the search instead of Lanz,” Mio chimed in, “he also got sick, right after Eunie. Good evening, Commander.”
The dubiously “good” evening was spent in preparations and camp chores. Ashera did not seem eager to communicate with him. She was much quieter and gloomier than the last time they met. This was for the best — he was in no mood to argue with her either. The atmosphere in the camp remained tense — everyone remembered how the “friendly match” in Colony 11 ended and what he and Ashera said to each other.
Finally, it was time for lights out, he got to bed, closed his eyes and began to sort through the memories.
...He was assigned to Colony Chi on the front line after completing training as a promising soldier, with excellent recommendations from his instructors. Some time later, already in the rank of lieutenant, he was participating in skirmishes with Kevesi Colony 3, against which they were fighting for that region. Several times he clashed with one of the enemy soldiers, a squad leader, apparently. He remembered her well. And her twinsaber (which left him with a scar on his shoulder as a souvenir), and a frivolous hairpin with a flower (because she was not stopped by the fact that she was left in the middle of a battle without a helmet), and her complete lack of any instinct of self-preservation (nevertheless, she managed to stay alive every time). And thwarted operations, and sabotage, and ambushes... He did not yet know her name, but he knew her as a headache for his colony, his command and himself.
…In their last encounter, he seemed to almost get her — in fact, he was ready to just tear her throat with his teeth if necessary, and it seemed that it was mutual. Just the memory of this feeling made him take a deep breath. ...But, very inopportunely, someone’s levnis exploded nearby, and they were scattered in different directions. He was picked up by his comrades, half-stunned, and dragged away, and in the chaos of that day they did not meet again.
…His first serious victory as a commander was the complete destruction of Colony 3. He did not meet her on the battlefield. She was not among those killed.
...And then he had many other battles and victories. At first it seemed to him that he was better suited to this than others, and he even enjoyed it. However, the further it went, the more difficult it was to enjoy it, but he still believed that the end justifies the means. ...Finally, the meat grinder of war devoured his entire colony, all his naive ambitions, and almost crushed himself.
...And after all this, he entered Colony 11, no longer as an enemy, but as a guest, and in front of him stood the best defender of Keves, the Undying Blade, That Suicidal Maniac Ashera — and he recognized her face. Worse than that, it was as if he was looking into a mirror and seeing a reflection of his old self. But Ashera looked absolutely proud of herself. And this was his ally.
This was enough to throw him off balance. Enough for him to start trading barbs with her in front of his former subordinates — they had never seen him like that before.
Ashera recognized him too. Of course, his words that he had not met her before did not deceive her. (But it helped to avoid unwanted conversation and mention of his past in the presence of Ouroboros and the entire personnel of Colony 11, as he believed.)
And finally, circumstances developed in such a way that he had to fight next to her and cover her back. Personal feelings were never a reason to abandon his obligations. But Teach decided to take a closer look at Ashera, since he got such an opportunity. After all, some allies may be worse than enemies.