Chapter 735: A commander’s apology.
Sunshine tried to remain composed. She gave a stiff, respectful nod and buried her guilt in a dark corner of her heart where it would never see the light of day. "Thank you, your Majesty, sovereign of seas. It was just another day on the job, really. Any repairman in our shoes would have done the same thing."
Commander Melvin nodded. "Indeed, all our repairmen would have done the same."
The King did not even hide his sneer at the commander’s obvious lie.
Nine, however, had zero composure left. "GOLD? IN THE VAULT?" he hollered, punching the air. "Your majesty, you are the man! You are the absolute GOAT of the galaxy!" He used a term that Sunshine had taught him.
Before she could stop him, Nine lunged forward, many arms wide, clearly aiming for a bear hug. Vaelor whose hand was already on the hilt of a glowing sword, stepped forward.
"Nine, no!" Sunshine lunged, grabbing the back of Nine’s jacket and yanking him backward just as Vaelor’s blade cleared its scabbard by an inch. "Sorry! He’s just... very enthusiastic about precious metals! Please don’t hurt him!"
The King actually chuckled_ a dry, rasping sound. "He has spirit. Let them pass, I have become used to it."
Sunshine dragged a cheering Nine toward the section where the other heroes were gathered in their assigned glass chairs. Some smiled at her; others narrowed their eyes which held jealousy and the rest acted indifferent.
The next part of the event was the one she dreaded most: an intimate dinner with the Repairman Council. She imagined hours of being asked technical questions while trying to figure out which fork was for salad and which was for alien food.
To her surprise, the dinner wasn’t a nightmare. The dinner was actually enjoyable. The repairmen laughed, they complained about their bosses, and the food was surprisingly good. Sunshine found herself actually enjoying a plate of something that tasted like spicy steak but looked like blue mushrooms, she had been told that it had been made from fruit meat.
By the time she excused herself to find the restrooms, she was feeling almost relaxed. That lasted until she turned a corner in the dimly lit corridor and ran straight into Commander Melvin.
She froze. Her first instinct was to turn around and bolt back to the mess hall, but Melvin spoke before she could pivot.
"Sunshine Raine. A word?"
She stopped, her shoulders tensing. "Commander. I was just... going to get some fresh air." She found herself wishing for anyone or anything to save her. At this point, even a watcher was welcome.
To her utter shock, Melvin didn’t bark an order or critique her posture. He looked down at his boots, then back at her. "I wanted to apologize for how things went down in Pyraeth," he said quietly. "If I put you under any unnecessary pressure especially by issuing that command, I truly apologize."
Sunshine scoffed quietly, the sound escaping before she could catch it.
"I only wanted to help you," Melvin continued, his voice softer than she’d ever heard it. "In any way I could. You have a lot on your shoulders, Sunshine Raine and as your bosses, we have failed you. I understand why you made the decision you did. But I must still warn you, that prime core will be what actually destroys your planet and not the Xylas. Give it to me and let me destroy it, Argon was disappointed that I wasted his time. Someday, you might need his help, and he will not be very welcoming. I think...."
Sunshine looked at him as he continued to speak. For a second, she wanted to scream. She wanted to tell him that if he really wanted to help, he could stop giving her medals and start closing the rifts that were tearing her world apart. She wanted to tell him that ’help’ wasn’t a speech; it was a solution. That apologies did not always have to be verbal, and some action would be appreciated greatly.
But she looked at his face_ tired, aging, and the traces of deceit_ and the fire died down. Maybe he was truly sorry, and the rules were preventing him from helping. But, even in this moment he was still trying to get his paws on the prime core.
"I appreciate the sentiment, Commander. I still won’t change my mind." she said, her voice flat but not unkind. She offered a small, clipped bow_ the kind you give to a boss you don’t particularly like but have to respect_ and walked away, her heels clicking on the stone floor, leaving the Commander alone in the shadows of the hallway.
"That insolent female." Melvin whispered, he knew that the organization could do so much with the prime core, if only Sunshine would give it up. But she was as single minded as her damn grandfather.
And just like him, she was under the protection of the Glacis King so they couldn’t force her to give up the stones.
Sunshine left the celebratory event early, her mind a whirlwind of champagne bubbles and the lingering echoes of distant music. She didn’t know that back at home, surprising news was waiting for her_ the kind of news that makes the world stop spinning for a second, even in the middle of an apocalypse.
When she materialized in the center of the living room, the air felt different. It smelled like expensive perfume and mischief. Nimo was sitting on the edge of a newly sewed velvet sofa, her back straight and a grin plastered across her face that looked like it was trying to escape her cheeks.
"Took you long enough," Nimo said, her voice vibrating with a secret.
"My feet were killing me, and if I had to hear one more speech about ’intergalactic peace,’ I was going to scream," Sunshine grumbled, kicking off her boots.
Nimo stood up, smoothed down her short white dress, and took a deep breath. "Well, I have a speech for you. Or rather, an announcement."
She held up her left hand. A band of gold caught the flickering candlelight, gleaming with a stubborn brightness. "Dwayne and I... we did it. We’re married."
Sunshine froze, one shoe halfway across the floor. Her jaw dropped so low she felt like she might trip over it. Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. How could she not have guessed? The white dress, expensive perfume and make up_ things that Nimo hated since she was a tom boy.
"You did what?" Sunshine finally gasped, her voice hitting a pitch only dogs could hear. She looked at the ring, then at Nimo, then back at the ring. "How could you do such a vile, treacherous, absolutely heartless thing? You got married without me! I’m your best friend! I was supposed to wear a hideous dress and cry into a bouquet!"
"Traitor!" Zulu screamed from the window, equally outraged like Sunshine.