Two Years

Two years. Two long, miserable years I had been a capsuleer. There were a lot of things I would do over, and very few that I would not. However, the best thinking about drinking is that you can do it to celebrate or mourn. I decided to head towards Mercy’s Keep and find someone to share a drink with, though the odds of finding someone I could stand were dwindling every day. I wasn’t there long before a shrill voice rang out in the hall.

“Is any leadership from the Knighthood available?”

Such was the start of a conversation with Silas Vitalia, CEO of the Khanid Provincial Vanguard. Definitely not how I wanted things to start, but definitely in line with how the previous two years had gone. We spoke for a short period over the actions of a Lyn Farel, a Paladin with the Knighthood, and the ramifications of her words. Eventually Vitalia left, as the Khanid are wont to do, leaving me in peace.

“What was all of that about?” came a voice from near me.

I recognized the voice as belonging to one of my very few friends from within the Knighthood. "The damn KPV, coming around to ask about Lyn," I replied, feeling the frown Vitalia left on my face softening.

“The witch hunt continues. Aldrith needs to solve this problem,” Karmilla Strife stated.

“Aldrith is gone,” I countered.

“I've noticed.”

“But yes,” I agreed, “we can't have every damn corp that considers themselves faithful come knocking on our doors.”

“ I agree.”

“ The nerve of KPV to waltz in here and demand answers on private Knighthood matters,” I said, feeling a rant coming on, and trying to suppress it.

“ Unfortunately,” Karmilla replied, “Lyn's statements and activities were quite public.”

"Yeah,” I sighed heavily, “not much we can do about that now."

“ Of course not, especially without our leaders,” she said, pointing out the absence of both Aldrith and Shalee at the moment.

“Hell of a time to take a vacation, eh?” I joked in slight exasperation. I had no idea where Shalee had gone off too, leaving the Knighthood director-less for a few days.

I smiled at the sound as she laughed. "I think we're all going to need a vacation after all of this,”

“ I think you're right,” I replied, doing a quick check of places I might go to. I then remembered what I had come here to do, and sighed. "And I was in a somewhat good mood, too."

“ You happy to be back to active service in the Bleaks?” Karmilla asked, referring to my recent return to the pod and warzone.

“Mmh, that was part of it.” I did have quite the triumphant return. “ It also happened to be just in time for my two year anniversary.”

“ A happy coincidence,” she said.

I agreed. “ Do I still owe you a drink, Miss Strife?” I asked her, hoping I had found my drinking buddy for the event. “ If not, let's say I do. Fancy one?”

Karmilla smiled. "I'd love one."

I smiled back at her and motioned for a servant to come over. "Whisky," I ordered, looking towards Karmilla for hers. "...and...?"

“ I'll have the same.”

I found myself smiling again, nodding to the servant, sending him off. I looked back towards Karmilla. "Two years. Two, long years as a capsuleer."

“ Mine's coming up in a few days.”

“ Oh?” I asked, wondering if she was referring to her next ‘capsuleerhood anniversary. “How long?”

“Two years. You graduated eight days before me.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised. “Royal Amarr Institute? I don't remember seeing you, but then, hell, I don't remember most of the people I met there.”

“ I went to the Imperial Academy. That's why,” she said, clearing things up.

The servant finally reappeared with our whiskey, and I poured each of us a glass before I set the bottle between us. "Oh. Military type, eh?"

“How could you tell?” She asked, before taking the glass I offered her. “Thank you.”

I laughed lightly. "Well, couldn't take anything for granted. The only military training I got before becoming a capsuleer was brawling with Imperial Marines." A brief flash of memories of multiple bar fights flew through my mind and a wistful smile spread across my face.

“ I was a naval reservist for some time before I signed up for a capsuleer's crew. That was almost five years ago.”

I nodded. "I remember. Received that Harbinger upon graduation from the Academy."
She smiled at me again. “Yes. Things seemed simpler then.”

I sighed heavily, knowing exactly what she meant. "Tell me about it. Do you know what I've been through these past two years?"

“ I can't say that I do,” she answered before taking a small sip of her whiskey.

“A failed engagement, a betrayal, torture, two separate imprisonments, and of course, all the deaths from the war.” I downed my entire glass.

It had been two years filled with strife and misery. Even the most promising part, falling in love and getting engaged, had only led to heartbreak and betrayal, not to mention everything that the relationship had spawned: Watch and imprisonment from a shady organization, multiple clashes with undesirables, and the joining of the Knighthood itself. I could have spent a whole week telling her every detail, but not drinking alone meant I didn’t have to dwell on it all.

“ It sounds terrible,” she said, waking me from my momentary reverie.

I let out a laughed heavily infused with exasperation. "Yeah, I think I much preferred the mortal life."

“I don't,” she said. “We can do far more good from our position.”

“ Perhaps you're stronger than I, Miss Strife, for I do not always believe the cost to be worth it.”

“ You have suffered much, but you serve the greatest of causes.”

"I think some would beg to differ," I said, half to myself, thinking about the different causes I served, and which one actually had the final say.

“ Are you one of them?” She inquired.

"Hm?” I asked as I was again awoken from a brief reverie. “Oh, I’d say not, seeing as how I'm doing such.”

“ Then you shouldn't care what the opposition thinks. They're the ones who have resolved us to this,” she said, speaking of the Minmatar and their Republic.

“ To what?” I asked, too caught up in my own meaning to grasp hers.

“ To this struggle of ours,” she asserted, “To defend our faith and our people. To spread our message.”

“ Oh, oh, yes, the Empire,” I said, catching on. “Of course.” I refilled my glass. "So how've your two years been?"

“ Ups and downs, not as drastic as yours.”

“ Well, I've been celebrating my return to the battlefield with some action. Was happy to see that you were there for most of it. Quite the victories we won last night,” I said, bringing up the more celebratory side of the event. She had flown with the fleets as well, and it was about time we started drinking to the good things.