Ultima Ratio

Chapter 53: Stranger in a Familiar Land

The arrival of Sergeant Sam and the Freedom Force in Washington, DC, seemed to ignite more fanfare than the other locations Akira had joined them at, but she wasn't sure if her perspective was skewed. With her anxiety, all things seemed amplified, whether it be the flashing of reporters' cameras or the itchiness of her standard uniform.

As soon as they touched down at Reagan National, it was like she was greeted by a familiar stranger. Just like she feared, she recognized the iconic buildings, the smell of the air, and the locals' mannerisms, but somehow, it still managed to feel like she didn't belong.

Their first stop was the Capitol Building. There, thousands of people filled the western lawn, then spilled out onto the National Mall, many holding the flags of the United States and Nations. A buzz filled the air when the Aegis Squad made their appearance, both to verify that the area was secure and to prelude the main event. Cheers erupted as soon as Sam appeared on the balcony, waving with a smile that didn't quite reach his sunken eyes.

Akira wasn't surprised. She had been with him the night before, all the way into the early hours of the morning. Her dad had been as well, and while he could only be with them on a computer monitor and tinny speakers in the ship's wardroom, he stayed for hours to comfort them before their long day ahead. They were all reluctant to part when Sam was inevitably dragged off for his preparations, but Akira's dad assured that he would be with them both the entire time.

As much as Akira tried to summon her dad's presence, especially as she stared at a civilian's banner that hailed Sam to forever be the nation's second son, it did nothing to ease the tightness in her chest.

After he and a few others gave patriotic speeches, Sergeant Sam's tour continued. Next was the National Air and Space Museum, and he conversed and posed with the surviving American heroes of the former space colonies. As Akira's gaze swept the crowd of select attendees and reporters, her eyes fell on her team's two corporals.

First, there was Quyen, and while she appeared focused on surveying the area for threats, her attention always seemed to pause on one particular display. Along the opposite wall was a scaled replica of the Axis Mundi space elevator, complete with miniature cabs running up and down the tracks between the Earth and space station models.

Then, there was Elodie. With almost everyone else focused on Sam and the other esteemed guests, Elodie casually meandered across the room to join Quyen. When Quyen didn't acknowledge her presence, Elodie whispered something; Quyen responded by narrowing her eyes at her earpiece's projection before turning her glare to Elodie herself.

But Elodie didn't seem the least bit perturbed. Instead, she said something else, this time receiving a twitch from Quyen's lips. One more comment was enough to get Quyen to reveal a small grin, then shake her head in mild amusement. Elodie was smiling as well, hers with a hint of mischief, and only after Quyen lightly elbowed her arm did she return to her post.

Their next stop was the Lincoln Memorial for a brief photo-op, followed by a school that both Akira and Sam attended for their elementary and secondary educations. While both had spent slightly less time there than most graduates—Sam so he could mourn his parents and Akira to do the same, plus fast-track her way into college—the campus was still achingly familiar.

Akira was eventually distracted by the elementary students' recess. The plan had been for the propaganda team to gather footage of Sergeant Sam mingling with the children, but his large figure surrounded by significantly tinier ones seemed unsettling to the director. To fix this, Danya was recruited, who in turn would only participate if the rest of the Aegis Squad did. As a result, the six of them joined Sergeant Sam and his small supporters on the playground, pushing them on the swings and making sure none of them broke their necks or skulls.