(The following takes place after the events of Titan Exile, and long before the events of Titan Contact)

Chapter 1

“Epistratichos!” An energetic voice broke the peace of what was about to be Epistratichos Darren Xanthopolous’ lunch break. It had not been the first interruption, and it would not likely be the last.

Darren reluctantly threw down his loose-meat on marble-rye sandwich – well, as close as Avalon got to marble rye, anyhow – and after quickly running a napkin over his mouth and checking his uniform quickly for mustard he looked up to meet the young officer, who stood at attention, saluting him stiffly.

“Yes?” Asked Darren, not quite at irate just yet, though hungry would soon deliver him there. Rixie’s made the closest thing to corned beef on rye outside of Earth. Alex swore every sandwich was made from one hundred percent Avalonian-raised beef, Darren was sure it tasted more gamey and lean than any beef he’d ever tasted.

“Sir! Reports in from Whisky, Tango and Foxtrot outposts, no bandit activity, outland settlements report unremarkable!” The young man wasted no time in quickly dropping a clip board on Darren’s desk, before backing up. It was in fact anything but unremarkable to read such a report sent in from the outlands, which normally enjoyed near-constant insurgencies, raids and bandit attacks, this was a sign things were finally taking a turn for the better.

Darren eyed the sheet casually before looking back up to the alert soldier. “At ease, soldier.” Darren said at last, loosely returning the soldiers salute, which has remained up since the soldier’s sudden loud entrance.

An awkward pause filled the room, once convinced there was something else the young solder had wanted to say, Darren let out a soft sigh, uncrossed his arms, and leaned back on his chair. “Anything else, soldier?”

“Sir, yes sir!” The young man reached for the clip board he had handed Darren, and flipped a few pages, then turned it around back to face his commanding officer.

His signature, sure there were a dozen or more others who could sign off on the document, of course fate would have it that Darren had to be the one to do it.

“Stratichos Xanthopolous insisted…sir!”

“Oh she did eh? Taxiarch Fabio Tarsuss wasn’t available?” Darren grumbled, his dear wife was fully capable of approving such things on her own, as we’re any number of lesser commissioned officers under her command. “What’s yer name soldier?” Darren asked, making a motion for the clipboard the soldier held.

“Ilklokagos Pethergrous, sir!” The young soldier shouted, once again saluting stiffly.

“Ilkokagos, work and love are two universes that need never mix.” Darren said, loosely saluting the determined soldier. The Avalonian people were a dutiful bunch. Lysis had run a tight ship before his arrival, though she had told him that it had taken a great deal of work to get them to that point. He had been impressed from the start, and not just with their commander; nobody could claim they lacked discipline.

“Um…I will try to remember that Epistratichos, sir!” The soldier said dutifully, watching the Epistratichos as he scribbled his signature on the official document.

“Soldier, do yourself a favor, don’t take life so seriously hmmm?” Darren chuckled; he didn’t even so much as look over the document in hand before throwing his signature on it and sliding it back.

“Sir, yes sir!”

Darren rubbed his temples and shook his head lightly. “Dismissed…and soldier…When you see Taxiarch Fabio, give him a kick in the ass for me eh?” Darren groaned.

“Um…sir…”

“That would be a joke soldier; you’d be wise to remember to laugh when a superior officer cracks a joke.” Darren said, half serious.

“Oh…right…yes, sir…” The soldier replied awkwardly, giving him one more salute before heading on his way.

Darren tapped his temple. “I damn well told’em I didn’t want nothing higher than non-com…but did they listen?” Darren grumbled before taking a bite of his sandwich. Of course on cue, the familiar ring of his data pad broke the silence of the room.

“Gat’damnit.” Darren cursed, quickly cleaning his mouth and fishing through his cluttered desk for his pad. “Yea?” Darren said roughly.

“You didn’t even read it, did you?” Lysis, semiserious face greeted him on the other end.

“Sure I did.” Darren lied.

“You’re as bad a liar as you are a fighter, I could have had you sign your own letter of resignation and you’d not be none the wiser!” Lysis scolded.

Darren ran a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. “Don’t get my hopes up, Stratichos.” He sighed, and looked down to his pad with a look of surrender. “Any reason yer busting my chops today beautiful?”

Lysis face twisted into a dirty scowl. The jerk damn well knew she couldn’t be angry at him if he refused to fight back. That was cheating! “You…just…next time you’d best…no…not really…just got a lot on my mind.” Lysis looked away. “Sorry….”

“First time in forever ya don’t got rioting in the streets, looting or bandits at the gate, you should be proud of yer’self and yer men and women…what’s wrong?” Darren dared ask, eyeing his sandwich…the meat had already gone cold, and the mustard was compromising the integrity of the bread.

“Bandits and looting I can handle…but this…the rebuilding, the uncertainty…I don’t know. Darren, the guilds are restless, we’re spending a lot of money on defense, you’d think the results of such would be self-evident…but it seems nothing makes everyone happy. The council’s barely gotten going, in the big scheme of things, and sure, we’re supporting it now, but if things go bad…I’m afraid we’re going to be back where we started.”

“Well,” Darren ran a hand under his nose and sniffed stiffly, “that’s the thing about democracy Hun, you can set up the cards, even stack the deck…but in the end ya gotta be ready to play the hand that’s dealt. Sooner or later yer gonna have to let go and trust this thing can stand up under its own weight.”

Lysis nodded. “It’s not fair you know….”

“Hmmm?”

“How you manage to stay so calm all the time…it’s not fair.”

Darren laughed. “Well, what kinda hope would our kids have if we were both full of piss and vinegar?”

Lysis eyed him for a moment, unsure exactly what he was talking about.

“Never mind, anything else I can help you with beautiful?” Darren smiled roguishly.

“If I think of another reason to yell at you, I’ll let you know.” Lysis grumbled.

“I will look forward to it!” Darren chuckled as the com ended.

Darren rubbed his hands together and pulled his lunch close, no sooner did he reach for the sandwich however, than the annoying buzz of his data pad rang off once more. Darren cursed and shoved the plate away, roughly picking up his pad and accepting the long range communications request.

“Yea, what is it?” Darren snapped, his stomach no longer willing to put off lunch!

“Hello to you too sunshine!” A smirking brunette grinned to him from the other end of where ever she was calling from.

“Eyrn!” Darren’s expression softened, her hair was shorter and she was sporting a rather dark tan, but it was Eyrn! He’d recognize that face at any size, across any distance.

“What’s got you in a mood?” Eyrn teased; her voice was steady, even though it was clear she was in transit, likely walking.

“Hunger is all, never mind. How the hell are ya Twat? Hell it’s been ages? Months at least, I’ve lost track. You look burnt, been somewhere with sun?”

“Fribbulus Xax, actually, can you believe it? Darren you have to visit, the Capital averages at Eighty-one with almost zero humidity! It’s gorgeous, on a clear day you can see the rings. I got to see the gathering of the Great Assembly, and was given tour of the Hall of Honour, I even ate Ler delicacies! You’ve not lived until you have tried boiled Morgfant spleen in black gravy.”

Darren made a sour face, eyeing his sandwich with less attraction. “You’ll have to pass on the recipe to twit.” Darren grinned.

“It was such an amazing place; I can’t wait to go back. The Ler are so hospitable and welcoming, nothing like you’d think for a species who yell and scream all the time.”

Darren chuckled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “Didcha learn’t talk without pissen them off?”

“I spoke with the volume and tone of a true warrior!” Eyrn shouted, and then ruined it of course with a giggle.

Darren laughed and shook his head. “I’d’a loved to of gone with, but things ‘round here have been busy. Were just now starting to get a bit of a reprieve from the insurgencies, got the city proper secure, businesses are starting to profit, the guilds are relaxing a bit, even the outlands are quiet, which I gotta admit don’t quite feel right.”

“That’s wonderful, good to hear something positive out of you! If anyone could get the job done, it’s Master Sergeant Avery, 4th MISG, Black-two company, 1st Squad, minder of the nicest girl on seven worlds!”

“Heh, ya mean Epistratichos Darren Xanthopolous.” Darren said, with a reflective laugh.

“Epistratichos…that’s like what…President…right?” Eyrn teased. “Gotta be higher than a noncom though, at least….”

“Yeayea…don’t get smart with me kid.” Darren grumbled, with a sour face.

“Well, since things are going so good, you won’t mind at all if I come for a visit then, right?” Eyrn asked, rather excitedly.

“I..well…a’course not! Yer always welcome.” Darren said, finding it near impossible to hide the warm smile creeping onto his face. Eyrn was the next closest thing he had to family outside of Lysis, along with Izzy Ibanez, Eyrn was the last connection he had to Earth. The universe had taken them down different paths, so when given a chance to spend time together, Darren could never refuse.

“I’m glad you feel that way, because my shuttle just docked at Valhalla station and I’d hate to have to hitch a ride back to Seretana, and the Gyfjon is half way to Sol Earth by now!” Eyrn teased.

“Damn hell, could’a thought to give me a lil more notice!” Darren nearly fell off his chair, catching himself for dignity’s sake.

“I know how much you love surprises, Sarge!” Eyrn exclaimed, with glee.

Darren composed himself, eyeing the little titan’s proud grin of accomplishment, though he didn’t have time to be angry with her. “You know exactly how much I love surprises, which is why you’re up on the got’damn station. Well, let me know when ya get here then. I assume yer staying with Provolone up in her castle in the sky?”

Eyrn nodded. “Yup, I hear her guest rooms have swimming pool sized bathtubs and heated furniture!”

“Won’t be like swimming in the Great Pond, but I s’ppose it’ll have to do eh?” Darren grinned.

“I’ll let you know as soon as my shuttle touches ground!” Eyrn smiled.

“Alright Twat, try’n stay out of trouble till then eh?” Darren laughed, then smiled warmly.

“You know me. See ya soon!” Eyrn waved, which made her image shake too for a moment.

“Yup, see ya soon kid!”

Darren watched as Eyrn’s face vanished. He couldn’t help but stare in mild amazement, whenever he talked to her over distances like that, it was almost damn near impossible to tell if she was titan or human. It was true, when the issue of size was taken off the table, there was very little difference between the two species. Though when he came to Eyrn Fitzgerald, she always did seem more human than titan.

“Alright beautiful, ya got my complete attention!” Darren said, pulling his plate close…only to hear another voice brake in.
“Personal reports are in Sir!” Palemst Huvul Jorenton stood at attention, saluting Epistratichos Xanthopolous with the dutiful fervor of well-disciplined soldier.

“Of’fricken course they are…” Darren groaned, eyeing his lunch longingly before looking up quickly to meet the soldier’s eye. Darren sighed, waving his hand dismissively. Jorenton was Darren’s ‘Izzy’ on Avalon, with all the personality and attitude of Reese Jones. Izzy, without the irksome and predictable tendency to throw protocol to the wayside.

There was something to be said for Corporal Ibanez’s particular way of getting things done, though. Namely that it tended to get done, without his near constant nod of approval at every step.

Solders like Palemst Jorenton got the job done, but Darren was just a little too used to Ibanez. Even if he’d never admit it.

“I’m a work’n man Jorenton, at gat’dang ease, Palemst!” Darren barked as he took the clip board Asker Jorenton offered dutifully.

“Of course sir, working man sir, understood sir!” Huvul drilled out automatically, still standing at attention.

Darren rubbed his temples slowly with one hand, drawing his attention to the clipboard with mild interest. “Is it just me Palemst, or are these recruits getting younger’n younger by the year?”

“Young but eager sir!” The Avalonean equivalent of a buck sergeant responded, with no small sense of pride.

Darren silently eyed the report, sniffing gruffly as he eyed the sheet of paper through his nose. “More low numbers on special ops.” Darren said after a time, his eyes never left the sheet.

“No lower than the group before them, and the ones before that, sir.” Huvul responded quickly, though with much less enthusiasm.

Darren set the clipboard down and slid it back to Asker Jorenton. “Put’em through basic again. No more recruits get through without passing special ops,” Darren said, leaving little room for a difference of opinion.

Asker Huvul hesitated. “Permission to speak candidly?” Huvul said at last.

“Would it matter if I said no?” Darren sighed.

“Sir, insurgents are one thing, vandals and rogue guild factions, we can handle that. In fact we haven’t seen a proper insurgency in nine Imperial months, five weeks, two days….”

“And you don’t see the point in special ops… is that what you’re getting at?” Darren asked, mildly amused.

“I get it…in theory…but sir…in practically…what chance would we really stand should we ever find ourselves under attack by a titan…even just one?” asked Huvul, grimly.

Darren processed what Palemst Jorenton had said, and nodded slowly. “Hmmmph…good question.” Darren motioned towards the training yards outside his office door. “They feel the same?”

“Honestly Sir, they think it’s futile. Should there ever be a titan attack…Like the Battles of Atlantis…they…we aren’t sure there is enough training in the world to handle that.” Huvul looked back to his commanding officer, ashamed to admit he, too shared the same hopeless feeling.

“That…and well with the Tarsuss compound so heavily guarded, what is the chance we would even have to face another catastrophe like those?”

Darren simply nodded and cleared his throat. “Alright Palemst, dismissed.”

Palemst Jorenton saluted stiffly, reviving a handwave from Darren. Without delay, Epistratichos Xanthopolous pulled his data pad and swiped through the contacts. After a short while a familiar black braided haired face greeted him. “Urg…do you have any idea what time it is? Honestly don’t humans ever sleep?” Rixie Tam groaned. “I got out of the corps so I wouldn’t be woken up in the middle of the night.”

Darren grinned ear to ear, and clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Trix, remember that thing we talked about a while back at the last meeting?”

Rixie took a few moments to jog her memory before rolling her eyes, “Look, I already told Alex, I’m not dressing up as this Big Barda woman okay? You two will have to find someone else to cosplay nerd stuff with….”

Darren shook his head and took a bite out of his sandwich, swallowing before speaking “Naw, not that…but while we’re on the topic of villains…I’m wondering if you’d be interested in doing me a little favor….”