Across the Expanse: Day 16
Havardy: Jim… hey Lee, wake up.
Lee: Hmm? What’s going on?
Havardy: It’s time to eat man.
Lee: You sure that’s a good idea? I did get shot in the gut you know.
Havardy: And considering you made it all the way back here and didn’t bleed out I’m guessing that it didn’t rupture your stomach or any major arteries.
Lee: Fair point, and the self-sealant on my suit did a oddly good job of blocking the bleeding for a bit.
Havardy: You know you could have just told me and I would have picked you up right?
Lee: Too risky. You were already dealing with two Corsairs and I didn’t want to distract you.
Havardy: Yeah well one of the idiots crashed his ship trying to following me into the ravines, so I guess you would be right. *sighs* Just don’t do that again alright?
Lee: I hope I never have to. *laughs* Ow, alright, I shouldn’t do that.
Havardy: Probably not. Anyways eat up, I couldn’t find any breakfast rations so you’ll have to get by on mac and cheese.
Lee: Fine by me, I could do with some comfort food. How’s our water looking?
Havardy: We should have enough for at least a week so that’s not an issue. A fighter wing will probably get here within a day or two if everything went to plan.
Lee: Right, then I can get some real treatment.
Havardy: Are you saying my medical care was not enough?
Lee: Well it was certainly… unique.
Havardy: Unique?
Lee: I’ve never gotten three staples in one spot before, that’s for sure.
Havardy: …
Lee: Feel’s like I got this little nugget of metal in my side. It itches sometimes.
Havardy: ...would you like me to take another look at that wound? I’m sure there are some more staples I could use for… extra sealant.
Lee: You know, you don’t have to make that kind of face when saying that.
Havardy: What face? This is my caring face.
Lee: ...I am really glad you’re not a doctor.
Lee: So what are you here for?
Havardy: What do you mean?
Lee: I saw you flying, there is no way the Coalition would waste a pilot like you out here.
Havardy: *Laughs* Right, well there had plenty of reason to put me here.
Lee: What do you mean?
Havardy: You’ve heard of Damian Reynolds right?
Lee: Who hasn’t? He was a hero. Captain of the SS Ragnall and fought in countless battles. Hell, he took down Hawken in the Fractus Sector.
Havardy: He liked to call himself Admiral Hawken over the coms, it got really tiring after a while.
Lee: You were there?
Havardy: Yeah. He almost had the better of us, but Reynolds, as always, pulled us through. Of course, Hawken got away.
Lee: What? But the news reported that he was defeated over Fallis IV right?
Havardy: Oh he was defeated alright. We blew up every single one of his ships, except for one, his escape ship. Of course the higher ups counted that as a victory and didn’t mention that little detail in the initial press release.
Lee: So Hawken is still alive?
Havardy: No… he’s dead, I saw that with my own eyes. Reynolds had a grudge to settle see? Hawken killed his wife and daughter, so he hunted him down all the way out into the Fringes. The Coalition saw no problem assigning Reynolds this task either. He was already in the spotlight and the hero, how could they say no? So he took the Ragnall out to the Fringes under the pretense of a patrol/goodwill campaign... what do you think he did when he found out that Hawken was in the colony below?
Lee: ...the bombing of Klavis II.
Havardy: The incident that destroyed his reputation and tarnishes the Coalition to this day.
Lee: But the reports said that it was in order to eliminate a group of pirates hiding out in the colonies.
Havardy: You think that makes it any better? But no, no it wasn’t that. It was the act of a man desperate for revenge, so desperate that he’d blow up an entire colony in order to kill one man. I expected him to own up to his mistake, his crimes… but he didn’t. He made excuses, told the crew that it was necessary Hawken could never gain power again, told them that it was justice, and that the Colony was at fault for harboring a criminal.
Lee: ...Jesus.
Havardy: And you know what the sick part was? The crew agreed. They saw no issues with it, and when the higher ups decided to cover the whole thing up they went along with it. All of them, except me.
Lee: You were the one who leaked the information?
Havardy: You’re damn right I was. I wasn’t going to let that bastard get away with everything and be the hero. He was every bit a monster that Hawken was and I knew it. Of course I knew the consequences, which is why I ended up here.
Lee: I’m surprised they didn’t court martial you.
Havardy: Do you honestly think they would have done that? Even if I never revealed my name to the media the moment they would try to kick me out you’d better believe I wouldn’t leave quietly. I would be a martyr, and further tarnish their reputation. And I would tell the media everything too. Group of pirates or a single pirate, blowing up an entire colony just for that? No, you're not getting away with it. So they struck a deal with me.
Lee: What kind of deal?
Havardy: I would be stationed here, for an indefinite period of time for an indefinite period of silence, and in return they wouldn’t blacklist my family.
Lee: ...that means your brother would have never been able to attend the Academy.
Havardy: Exactly, my parents may be long gone but I’ve been looking out for him ever since I was 14. He’s been starry eyed about the Academy ever since I attended. If he was blacklisted… he wouldn’t be accepted anywhere. He couldn’t get a job, pursue his dreams… nothing.
Lee: You didn’t tell him what happened?
Havardy: I really wanted to, but if I mentioned even a word it to him the deal was over. So I let him go. Some small, optimistic part of me wants to believe that he’ll make a difference, inject some of that idealism of his into the Coalition, but I know better. The best I can hope is that he’ll live a comfortable life, one that isn’t like the one his sister’s had.
Lee: ...shit. I’m sorry Amy.
Havardy: Not your fault, but now you know why I’m so jaded.
Lee: ...
Havardy: Gah, I need a nap. Wake me up if anything important happens.
Lee: Yeah… will do.
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