Perfect Sacrifice (51 page)

"General Gordan," the man began.

"Yes, what is it?" Gordan asked anxiously.

"Um…we found a Geno," he began.  "It came up on shore just a few seconds ago."  The view switched to the outside of the base, showing Gordan the Geno.  It was in its water form, now slowly transforming.

Gordan smiled, knowing that it was indeed Jace.  The armor of the Geno was gold.  Only the knights were in possession of armor like that.  He watched as the Geno changed into its ground form.

"Would you like me to patch you through sir?" asked the official in the background at the harbor base.

"Yes," said Gordan, and he was quickly put through to the cockpit of the Geno.  He smiled when he saw the young man sitting in his chair.  He looked tired as he rubbed the back of his hand against his forehead.  A long sigh escaped his mouth afterwards.  He didn't seem to be aware that Gordan was watching him.

The man, Jace, eventually looked to the screen before him, seeming a little startled to say the least.  A smile quickly developed on his face.

"Hey general," he greeted cheerfully, but his voice was indeed tired sounding.  His bright green eyes drooped a little, only adding to his exhausted appearance.  He had probably stayed up for quite a few nights to make sure that he was safe and far from the base.  If he had really crossed the ocean in his Geno, which he had, he would have had to stay awake the whole time.  Jace really deserved a rest after that.

"Hello Jace," Gordan greeted with a smirk.

"You're looking pretty good sir," he complimented jokingly, running a shaking hand through his rather disheveled red hair.  It stuck out in random places, just reaching the top of his ears.  A few stray pieces hung down his face, covering a part of his right eye.

"Thank you," responded Gordan, "but I can't say the same to you."  Jace just gave a small laugh.

"Yeah, I bet I look terrible," he said.  "I haven't slept in days."

"We'll have a room ready for you when you get here," Gordan told him, drawing a relieved look from the young man.

"You're always so good to me," he said.  "I'll be there in a few hours, alright?  Bye!"  With that said, the screen went blank.  Gordan just stood there smiling, happy that he had four knights left.  Ray would be happy to see Jace.  He was going to keep this from her though.  Jace probably wanted to surprise her, and he would let him.  After all, they had grown up together.  It had been years since she had seen him.

Gordan turned around and began to leave the room.  He had been in there for hours.  He was really starting to get tired.  This whole incident had made him lose a lot of sleep.  He decided to get some while he waited for Jace.  After all, if the knight traveled at the speed of sound, he'd be there in a few hours.  Gordan couldn't wait to see the boy again.  This was going to be so much fun.

* * * *

Leon sat near the receptionist's desk, bored out of his mind.  He had been waiting for what felt like hours.  He began to zone out, but a tap on his shoulder quickly snapped him from it.  He turned towards the receptionist, a smile on her face.

"You can go see her now," she said.  "The doctor is finished with the operation."  Leon stood up and began to walk towards room 141.  He was surprised to find that the door was wide open and that Abby and Brian were nowhere to be seen.

Leon walked over to the bed where Ray was sleeping.  She looked quite peaceful as she just lied on her back, breathing softly from sleep.  Leon just watched her for a moment before taking note of the bandages on her arm.  It had been cleaned up as well, since there had been quite a bit of dried blood on it from the injury.  If this was like her other one though, she'd be better in a few days.  For some reason, she healed a lot faster than most people.

His attention soon went to her face, her eyes closed gently.  She was sleeping soundly, not making a single sound.  Her lips were parted just slightly, allowing the air to escape and come as she breathed.

Leon swallowed hard, feeling a little nervous as he stood there watching her.  Ray was a beautiful woman in more ways than one.  However, he was currently focused on only one.  She looked like an angel just lying there like that.  It was hard to believe that that same girl could easily pummel him with one arm tied behind her back.  This nineteen year old girl was the ace knight, probably one of the best pilots on the planet, if not the best.

Leon's attention quickly went to the left side of her face, still hidden by her hair.  He was starting to get curious as to why she wore it like that.  She was always making sure it fell in just the right way.  Just what was she trying to hide?  Curiosity was getting the best of him, and he reached out towards her.  He was about to brush her hair away when he heard Abby and Brian coming down the hall.  He quickly pulled away and went to go sit in one of the chairs.  Just as he did, Abby and Brian walked in, their eyes quickly going to him.

"Hey Leon," greeted Abby.  "How's Aaron doing?"

"Fine," he answered, trying to keep his words as short as he could.  He knew his voice would start to shake if he tried to say too much at once.

Abby and Brian walked over and sat next to him, their eyes on Ray as she just slept, not having a care in the word.

"If you guys need a ride back to the base," began Brian, "then we can give you one."  Leon just smiled since that's what he was just going to ask.  At least that problem had been solved.  Now all they had to do was wait for Ray who would probably be asleep for a few more hours.  Everything was going well, but Leon quickly remembered the one thing he had forgotten to do.  They hadn't gotten any errands done. 

He just smiled, not really caring that much. 
It looks like Chris and dad will just have to starve.
  For some reason the thought was rather funny to him.  After all, they did eat most of the food. 
Too bad for them.
  He just sat there, a smug smile on his face as he thought about their expressions when he would tell them that they hadn't brought back any groceries.

* * * *

Gordan sat up in his bed as his intercom system alerted him that a Geno had arrived.  He bounded out of the room and down the hall, acting like an anxious child instead of a general.  He really was excited to see Jace again.  He missed all his knights whenever they left, but Jace had been really hard to part with.

He ran into the hanger and watched as the gold Geno's cockpit opened, releasing the redheaded pilot.  He landed with ease on the metal floor, sighing as he stretched his arms.  He yawned not long after and then watched as Gordan ran up to him.  They both just smiled, though Jace's was a little more forced.  He was exhausted, and it was taking all of his strength just to stay standing.

"Hey Gordan," he greeted through another yawn.  "I'd love to chat and all, but I could really use some rest."

"Of course," said Gordan as he turned around.  "Follow me."  They began walking through the base, heading towards the residential area.

"So," began Jace, "have you told them that I'm still alive?"

"Not yet," he responded with a smile, glancing back at the man following him.  "I thought you'd like to do that yourself.  All of them will be surprised."

"Where are they anyway?" he asked as he looked around the hallway.

"Abby and Brian went into Torran today," Gordan explained as they turned the corner, getting closer to the room that had been prepared for Jace.  "And Ray isn't here anymore."  That comment nearly stopped Jace in his tracks, but instead his balance faltered a little.  He had been hoping that she was.  She was one of the main reasons he had tried so hard to get to Nerid.  He had wanted to see her again.

"Where is she?" he asked curiously, sounding perhaps a little worried.

"She's staying with David Solaris and his two sons," replied Gordan, watching as Jace thought this over.  It was no mystery why.  Any blind man could see it.  Jace had always liked Ray ever since they were kids.  It was hard to believe that after all those years apart he still cared that much.

"I see," he said, his last word hanging for a while.  "I guess I'll have to drop by once I'm rested up."

"I'm sure she'd like that," he said, a smirk on his face.  It would be interesting if he did go there.  He'd probably ask her a ton of questions and end up asking if he could stay there as well.  Dr. Solaris would say yes in order to make Ray happy, and then all hell would break loose.  For some reason, he thought it would be entertaining to watch.  Too bad he wouldn't get to see any of it.

They turned a few more corners before reaching Jace's room.  It had been nicely prepared for him in case he wanted to stay at the base.  He probably wouldn't though.  Nothing was going to keep him from seeing Ray.

"When you decide to leave for the Solaris base," began Gordan as Jace walked into the room, "make sure you tell me first, alright?"

"Yeah, okay," responded Jace as he closed the door behind him.  He walked over to the bed, his eyes slowly closing.  He didn't want to bother with changing out of his clothing.  He didn't want to bother with the blankets on the bed either.  He just fell, letting gravity lead him to the soft bed.  He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

* * * *

It had been a good two days since the incident in Torran.  Everything had been explained to Dr. Solaris and Chris, who ended up going out and running the errands the next day.  The repair shop had yet to call in about their Genos.  It would probably take a while.  After all, there had been so much damage done.

Ray and Leon were currently standing in the hanger, not really having anything to do.  Ray was currently teaching Leon how to use a gun properly.  If he was going to go holding one of Ramirez's men at gunpoint, he needed to know how to do so properly.  Maybe later she'd show him how to fight with a sword as well.  She did have a few short swords, but she didn't use them that often.

Just as Leon had predicted, Ray was no longer wearing the bandages.  The wound hadn't even been stitched, seeing as how she didn't need it.  Even now the bullet hole was closing.  All that was left was a rather large red cut where the wound had once been.  It was hard to tell she had ever been shot.

"Leon," she called, "straighten your arms.  Your angle is crooked."  He did what she said, but she still didn't seem happy.  "Now aim properly.  Aiming is the most important thing after all."

"I know that," he said, shooting her a small glare.  He began aiming at the makeshift target of scrap metal, and he probably would have hit the center if the sound of a Geno roar had thrown him off.  Instead, he missed the target completely, and the bullet lodged itself into the wall of the base. 
Damn.  I'm probably going to have to fix that.

"What was that sound?" questioned Dr. Solaris as he and Chris entered the hanger from the kitchen.  They walked down the stairs and came to stand next to Leon and Ray.  They all looked out into the desert to see a golden Geno approaching, its armor gleaming in the bright rays of the sun.

"Who would be coming out this way?" questioned Chris.

"Well, it's a gold Geno," noted Ray.  "It's either Abby or Brian."

The Geno stopped just as it reached the hanger, not daring to step in.  It crouched down, and the cockpit opened.  A man with red hair and bright green eyes stood up, a large smile on his face as his eyes fell on Ray.  The wind tossed his clothing, his kaki colored jacket billowing in the breeze wildly. 

He jumped down from the Geno, his eyes never once leaving Ray.  He watched as her eyes widened in shock, but she soon became overwhelmed with excitement.  She hadn't been this happy in a long while.  She began to wonder if this was real or not.  Maybe she was seeing things, but Dr. Solaris, Leon, and Chris were all seeing the same thing.  He wasn't a ghost or a figment of her imagination.  He was real, and he wasn't going anywhere.

"Hey Ray," he greeted cheerfully, and it took her a while to respond.  She was still shocked at seeing him there.

"Jace," she whispered, but a smile soon enveloped her face, and she ran to him.  "Jace!" she shouted happily as she jumped towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  He quickly hugged her, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"It's good to see you again too," he responded with a small laugh.

"I thought that…you had been killed," she said, her voice muffled from being pressed against his chest.  He just smiled and hugged her tighter.

"Nah, I'm too smart for that," he told her, pulling away a little.  "It's good to see that you're doing alright.  I really missed you, you know?"

"Same here," she said, looking up into his green eyes.  She quickly remembered that there were other people in the hanger, and all of them were probably equally confused as to what was going on. 

She turned around, a sheepish smile on her face as she looked over the Solaris family.  She had yet to make the introductions.

"Sorry, how rude of me," she apologized, her smile still intact.  "Everyone, this is Jace, one of the knights from Trin."

"Hello," he greeted, looking over all of them as the shock washed over their expressions.  After all, he was supposed to be dead.  That's what everyone thought anyway.

"Jace," began Ray, drawing his attention.  "That's Chris, Leon, and Dr. Solaris, and this is their base where I'm currently staying."