Macross Fan Fiction ❯ Above Reflex Point ❯ Stoic ( Epilogue )

Robotech: Above Reflex Point

Epilogue

From the very heart of Reflex Point, the Regis called to her children. The central hive pulsated with the raw energy of a transformation never before seen in the galaxy. Arching up into the sky, a pillar of light and power strained for and found the Neutron missiles, and- simply absorbed them. Into the clouds of a cloudless sky soared the Invid race, reversing and loosing the tide of destruction against the very ships who would have condemned Earth and Invid alike to annihilation. For the first time in forty years, the men, women, and children of the human race could look up into a clear blue sky without their revelry in its beauty, at least on some subconscious level being mitigated by a sense of impending calamity.

Four pilots stood motionless as statues, not far from where their leader sat dejectedly with his face buried in his hands in the middle of a grassy field. None of them had stripped off yet their sets of matching slate gray battle armor; like their leader they were reduced almost to a trance-like state.

The pilots didn't even notice the slim jump suited figure until he called out, "Captain."

"Lt. Commander Bernard," the squadron leader said matter-of-factly, removing his hands from his face and taking a deep breath. "We are alive, it would so appear."

Scott looked at him with compassion. He knew how many times he himself had gone through the hollowness which permutated every inch of his being. He'd also been given enough pathetic unsolicited advice by well-meaning friends to know that nothing he could say would make any difference to Gempshaw.

But despite himself, he walked over to the Captain and crouched down. The eyes that stared into his were rimmed with red but still held a look of defiance.

Scott spoke haltingly, aware that fully capturing what he meant to convey was impossible: "Only time will make this any easier for you. But I do know that you're strong enough to recover."

Gempshaw laughed and astonishing everyone present (including himself) by leaping easily to his feet. Bernard slowly rose up beside him.

"I'm not trying to be patronizing," Scott explained. "It's just that I know the next few months you'll look back one day as the worst in your entire life. It's inevitable."

"Do you have any other pearls of wisdom for me?" Gempshaw asked dryly.

Bernard considered for a moment. "If there is one thing you do, don't push them away." He gestured to the pilots who had remained by his side all afternoon in silence. "They're the only family you have now."

At hearing the word "family", Gempshaw was rather surprised that Rita Glancev's face flashed across his thoughts. Almost the entire REF fleet was gone, and with it, his second-in-command. He had ordered it thus. And his heart shuddered with a pang of regret for what he had always denied myself.

"Thank you…Scott," Gempshaw said hoarsely. "You're probably right about me. But I have something to tell you."

Scott inclined his head with curiosity as Gempshaw went on.

"You are a fool," Gempshaw said without even a hint of malice, "because this-" he said, pounding his fist on his armored chest plate, "-this is what will happen to you when you don't have a mission either."

Scott Bernard averted his eyes sadly, turned, and walked away.

"Your mission is the only family you'll ever have, Bernard!" Gempshaw called after him.

Scott did not answer as he walked back to the woman who waited for him, fuchsia hair billowing softly around her shoulders in the warm evening breeze.