Veranda Incognita, Home of the Waverlys

[Craines]

The events that happened next were hurried and sudden. Fiona, her face streaming with tears, stepped out of the door. The NURSE, finger on trigger, fired in front of her. Fiona tripped. The bullet, hurtling towards its target, could not be stopped. It embedded itself in Fiona's torso. She fell to the ground, the silent sniper rifle being reloaded. There was no indication that anything had happened apart from Jessica's screams, a large hole torn in Fiona's ornate apparel, and the blood pouring out of the Kusari Ambassador.

Jessica moved her mother into the kitchen, the blood leaving a slight trail behind her. Despite the disgust that Pops, Mal, and everyone else in the room had for Fiona, their overpowering urge to help Jessica, or, in Kane's case, shut her up, won over. The men moved Fiona into a first aid area, where they began to do all that they could for the woman.

Fiona opened her eyes slightly, straining to focus them. She saw, much to her sorrow, Pops standing there, unwilling to look at her. She spoke softly, each word hurting her. "I...love you...Reggie. I lied...to...protect...you...That's all...if you knew...would you...have loved...me back? Knowing...that I...was the spawn...of a madman...?" She coughed up some blood, which invoked small whimpers from Jessica, who had slipped in. Pops did not respond, so Fiona kept on talking.

"I found out...that he was my relative...when he contacted the GNN... he sent me a hail, hacked the systems...his entire diary and journal...uploaded...under code 404Harle153Epiph. Read...and you can see... why I hid the truth...

"The Ska Ralla...? Can't be found...invisible...intelligent...hundreds of human minds trapped within...sentient ship...attacking would be futile...don't try it..."

She sputtered up some more blood, and looked over at Pops, and he finally looked down at her. His eyes had not lost that look of anger or hurt, but Fiona went on anyways. "Reggie...do you love me, too? Do...you...?"

Her eyes closed, and Jessie began to sob uncontrollably. The medical robot stated that the bullet had been removed, but that it would be some time until she would be declared either recovering or dead. It would be a long night. Jessie ran to her mother, hugging her and crying on her silk robe. The men left the room, and Mal looked at Pops.

"Well, old man? Do you love her? Could you forgive her? Hell, I don't think I could, but... it's your choice, old man. Do you love her, hate her, or are you undecided?"

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