High By the Beach

[Marcus Tritum]

"The starbird?"

Kato glanced out the viewport. Far in the distance, the kaleidoscope of colors seemed surreal. He studied the center of the explosion, almost as if looking for a shape amidst the whorl. The winsome smile returned as did his attention to her.

"It's life in the midst of death. A symbol of hope."

The Alliance painted the starbird on their military ships, which Sam found pretty ironic. Bringing you freedom and hope, with a side of turbolaser. But he made it a point to stay out of the sort of politics that could cost him viewership. Wasn't it all just the same in the end, anyway?

Meeting her eyes, Sam found he could not look away. They seemed to shift in the light, splashes of green and brown, with flecks of blue. He became acutely aware that they were completely alone in the corridor, standing very near. Reaching one hand up, almost compulsively, he gently brushed back a strand of hair from her forehead and tucked it back behind her ear.

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

Her gaze followed his back out the viewport, to the collapsing star.

"Life in the midst of death," she murmured, voice and gaze distant. "I like that."

It was strange timing. A metaphor that struck her deeper than the casual laughter and flirting. It wasn't really possible, she realized, to get away from the events that had led her to this point. She could pretend, of course. Go on a vacation like a normal person, as if somewhere not far on the other side of this moment was her own supernova. That death and, if all went well, rebirth, waited. Would she collapse in on herself, become a spiritual black hole that would pull everything she cared about in with her? Or would she shine all the brighter for it?

"Hope is good," she said quietly, looking back up at him-

And stopping, very still for a moment as his hand reached up. She hadn't caught the previous looks, nothing past the initial casual flirt, the rakish charm that was just the way some people unwound. There was a weight in that verdant gaze now that hadn't been there at the poolside.

And they were very, very alone.

"I thought you wanted to watch the supernova, Mister Kato."

A crooked smile played across her lips, her tone mostly teasing yes, but also with a hint of a question behind it.

[member="Kato"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

A short, soft chuckle. "It's Sam."

He'd always been the guy one step ahead of the game, too smart by half, but there was something about her. The violent beauty of the supernova was terrifying. Not even the stars could live forever. No matter what he did, time would always catch up. No matter what he achieved, time would always be there to shackle his ambition.

Coming here, he'd hoped to escape all that, but the explosion just reminded him of the fear.

In her eyes he found a different terror. The terror of possibility. The sort that set the pulse racing. He could feel his heart now, a quickening beat. Why? He couldn't place it.

"I-"

His commlink chirped. Kato snorted, frowning slightly. "Sorry, I thought I turned that off."

He fished a hand in his pocket and put it on silent mode. It started buzzing. Repeatedly. "What? Need to take this."

Sam stepped away, flipping the commlink open and holding it to his ear.

On the other end of the line, he heard two words. "They know."

The blood drained from his face. Slowly, the hand holding the commlink dropped to hang by his side. "Uh," he frowned. There was a tightness in his throat that made talking difficult. "I... have to go."

He left at a pace that was not a run, but most certainly was not a walk.

[member="Irajah Ven"]