#kasya

Midnight was silent on the ship now that General Litvak had full control. For the better, Kasya thought, rinsing her hands with a bitter expression. The large screen television supplied the room with a gentle glow; it remained on at all hours, sharing Federation news and galactic weather. It was irrelevant, with the disruption to their communications, the update was weeks old.

Her exhausted gaze tracked to the massive steel wall. The bay window that held one of the most breathtaking views of the galaxy had been ordered permanently shut by the General; out of fear that something outside was looking in. All unnecessary windows were closed. Day after day, the Federation ship that she marveled was transforming into another Tymalian tin-can military craft.

"Rough night?"

Elekasya glanced at every entrance of the room, searching for the owner of the voice.

"I know that look... That act..."

"Where are you? Show yourself now." Kasya snapped, her tone raspy and hushed. The voice was as familiar as it was strange, it was someone she heard before, whose name she couldn't pin-point.

"Your name is Elekasya?--" The voice was interrupted by the low hum of transmission static.

She glanced to the television, waves from the solar storm cast a low haze, blowing out the vision of a beautiful woman. Kasya moved in closer, lowering the volume. "You were one of the ones we left at the ice planet? How are you reaching us?" Suspicion arched her thin eyebrow. The General had barred all external connections; something like this would have to be programmed manually, not an easy task.

"It must be fate."

"State your name."

"Celestia Zenith, but a woman like you can call me Astoria."

"Well, Astoria. I will have you know that hacking Federation transmission systems is a federal offense."

Astoria laughed.

"A criminal offense is humorous to you?"

"What are you going to do? Run and tell on me to your General?"

Ire lit Kasya's silver gaze. "What are you implying?"

"You know what I'm implying, otherwise you wouldn't be blushing."

Kasya's cheeks burned deep purple, her thin lips pressed, scrambling for the words to string together a dismissive reply.

"I get it. You do what you have to do, the ends justify the means."

"How would you know?"

"I was a pawn my whole life, if I ever had my own thought, I was put back in my place. I couldn't eat without their permission; everything I did was for that little scrap of praise they'd throw my way. I was forced to wind around their fingers and they knew I had to do anything."

A weighted sigh accompanied Kasya to her seat, sinking into the cushion of the couch she buried her face into her hands, grasping into her hair. "I joined the military to strengthen the shield for my people, for pride to my nation. I thought if I worked hard I would be given respect and honor. Since the day I was recruited, I watched others advance for far less than what I was putting in. They don't tell you that when they praise Tymalian glory in school."

Even though her confession was met with silence, she felt a fragment of weight lift from her shoulders. Not once had she heard those words outside of her mind, not even did she speak them to Xin, who she once told everything. This was something he could never understand, more than that she feared how such a revelation would change his opinion of her.

Kasya pushed the bitter tears from her eyes, looking back to the screen. The transmission was no longer running, broken by the distant storm from the system which it came from. So strange, it could have been a dream.