<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Dark Star Dropship</strong><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/e/ef/Damian_Harper.jpg)</div><br/><br/>A million thoughts were going through Damian's mind. He still felt like wanting to grab onto the nearest throat and squeeze the life out of it, or at least grab hold of a desk and make it intimately acquainted with the floor, wrong side up. But he swallowed it all, barely, and kept his composure. He was an officer of a mercenary company, what little there was left of it. Together with Allia and Kari, he was one of the highest ranking survivors. Logically, it would either be him or Kari to take over from her father, but he squashed those thoughts along with his aggression. It was not respectful to speak of promotions when the memory of a friend was still fresh in his mind. His pace was confident, as always, but those who knew him well enough would see cracks in the usual mask of cold indifference. It took a lot to shake up a seasoned clanner, that much was well known, and he was shaken up by what had happened. It wasn't the first time he lost allies and even friends, and they had not even been the bloodiest of defeats he had encountered. But never before had he seen a company bested so thoroughly. There was nearly nothing left of them, people or gear.<br/><br/>From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of Allia, and just like Kari, some relief as to her survival reached him. Familiar faces were important in a time like that. He knew the young lieutenant got along well with Kari, and she was likely a hell of a lot better at cheering people up than he was. Damian had known Moreno's daughter for quite a few years now, and while he counted her among the few he trusted with his life, he could still not reliably be given the empathic duty of comforting her after a profound loss.<br/><br/>Despite his attention being miles away, trying to formulate a best way to bring the news to Kari's attention, he still sent a calm nod in Allia's direction. If not for her fire support, he was skeptical any of them would have made it out alive. She stayed cool enough to function under extreme emotional and physical pressure. He was not going to forget that anytime soon. And he also repaid his debts where due.<br/><br/>As the two entered the side office, he slowly shut the door, and waited a few moments for Kari to sit down, should she choose to. He highly doubted she was going to have the patience for a lengthy tale leading up to her father's sacrifice, so he decided to be as blunt as he always was. He had no idea whether the short pain being preferable over a lengthy one applied to something like this, but what other options did he have. He still remember when the news came to him that his wife would die on that hospital bed. The doctor had been straightforward and brief. He despised them for it at the time, but that had vanished over the following months. He hoped she was going to follow the same train of thought.<br/><br/>He turned walked over to the wall furthest from the door, behind the desk in the office. Hands clasped behind his back, while he took a deep breath. Finally, he turned to face her, doing so only halfway so she saw his profile, rather than front.<br/><strong>"As I was falling back, I encountered your father in the woods. He had been mortally wounded and chose to stay behind,"</strong> he explained. But, the brevity did not feel right. So he continued to speak.<br/><strong>"His cockpit had been damaged, with the internal structure bulging inward and, by his account, having injured him to the point where he could no longer move,"</strong> his eyes averted from the woman opposite the administrative furniture between them and came to rest on a non-specific point on the floor before him. <strong>"I attempted to convince him to open the cockpit so I could take him along. He refused. He ordered me to continue on and leave him behind. He was going to self-destruct his 'Mech, hopefully taking a few Falcons with him. I do not know if he succeeded,"</strong> the strict clanner continued, sorrow barely evident in his voice, even though it was in his eyes.<br/><br/><strong>"Your father died a hero in battle, ma'am,"</strong> he did not know if she valued such a thing, but among his own, that was considered an honor.<br/><strong>"My condolences,"</strong> Damian concluded with a slow exhale. He had lost a dear friend that day, and the galaxy felt a little emptier from then onward.</div>