Tyler was silent for a long time, watching the London traffic flash by, throwing up puffs of water. If she closed her eyes, the cars could have been fighters, tearing clouds of dust from a Houston training field. Fighters that would carry the next generation of pilots thundering off into the sky. Then Page's hand has heavy on her shoulder, dragging her back to the present. Almost subconsciously, she looped her fingers between his, turning to face him. He was right. She could stay. Resign from the Air Force, stay on in New London, yet... That would be the final betrayal to the fleet, wouldn't it? "No. I'll go back with the Air Force, Tom. Command might have abandoned them, but I won't do the same." She took a shuddering breath, drawing strength from the simple action. "I might not have lead them out here, but I'll take them back. I owe them that much."
"Maybe, when it's all over, when our people are all back home, I'll come back."She scooped up the rank slides still sitting on the table with her free hand, sliding them into a pocket in her jumpsuit. Soon. Soon, she would take them off for good, one way or another. Either the Air Force would dissolve entirely, or she'd be kicked back to ground school - Which wasn't an option. That left the Secondary Fleet. "I need to stay with them. Just until things at home are sorted out again." Then, maybe, she could come back to Bretonia. She straightened as she pocketed the slides, raising her face to look Page in the eyes.
![[Image: icthMHY.png]](http://i.imgur.com/icthMHY.png)