"Major."

Marcus' head snapped upright, the sights, sounds and smells of his memories disappearing like breath-mist on a mirror. He was back in his room on the Sorrento, sat in his seat with the diplomatic papers clasped in his fingers. There was no sweat upon his brow, no dirt upon his clothes, and no blood upon his hands.

"Is everything alright, sir?" a man's voice asked politely.

The Horusan looked up, his irises refocusing as a figure was silhouetted in the open doorway. It was a man with a well-built physique, but slightly shorter than Earth average. As Marcus' eyes adjusted, the bright light of the outside halls dimming as his irises shrunk in size, he saw that it was Ichiro. The First Lieutenant was dressed in his Wyvern-pattern assault armour, whose pistons and deep grey armour plates gleamed cleanly in the light of the corridor. However, in spite of his powerful and proud look in his battle gear, Ichiro looked deeply concerned, his narrow lips pulled into a dark straight line while his features formed into a grim stare.

Marcus forced a smile as he saw a member of his company. "Yes, Ichi. Just collecting my documents," he replied.

Ichi didn't look convinced, but he nodded nonetheless. "Very well, sir."

Marcus rose from his seat. "Anyways, what are you doing here?" he asked his subordinate. "I thought you and the others were getting suited up?"

Ichi blinked. "Captain Sakong sent me, sir. It's been half an hour, and she wanted to know what was keeping you." He spoke like a soldier, blunt and plain, without inflection. And what he said made Marcus' eyes widen.

Half an hour? Had he really been sitting here for that long?

The Major's gaze lowered, his head hanging in embarrassment. He had gotten lost in the past at a time when he was needed most in the present. When the burden of responsibility tugged him downwards like a backpack full of rocks.

"Sir?" Ichiro asked again.

Marcus looked up. "Sorry, Ichi. I was just making sure I had everything we needed." He lied blatantly as, below the desk where the Lieutenant couldn't see, he folded and slipped the single piece of paper into his pocket.

Ichiro looked Marcus dead in the eyes, his mouth curving in a strange, suspicious way. "Very well, sir," he said at length.

Marcus took the Lieutenant at his word, rose from his seat and approached the door. Ichi stood aside, allowing Marcus to get past. The two men then walked down the corridor, with Marcus slightly ahead of his subordinate, who kept his head lowered in a humble manner. Ichi was normally shorter than Marcus, but with him in his armour and the Major in naval garb, they came to equal height.

They walked past many crew members, with Marcus glimpsing their expressions as he did so. Every face was pallid and uneasy, their features pulled into grim looks of fear, despair and anger, even as they carried out their work.

And he didn't blame them. Just a year ago, this was the home of the greatest enemy humanity had ever faced...

"Are the memories coming back for you too, sir?" Ichiro asked.

Marcus' head turned around, looking his subordinate straight in the eye. Ichi returned his gaze with a simple, yet unapologetic, stare.

"You're out of line, Ichi." The Major deflected the question.

"I know, sir." Ichiro responded immediately, unrelenting and showing no fear, even in the presence of his superior officer.

Marcus raised an eyebrow when the Inarian didn't apologise. "Then why do you still ask?"

Ichiro blinked, but didn't break his gaze, even as they continued to walk down the hallway. "Because they have been for everyone else, sir. When we were gearing up in the armoury, Elizabeth had tears in her eyes, and Arjun was talking to Jennifer about..." his voice trailed off a little.

Marcus frowned and lowered his gaze. "Kleber?" he asked.

Ichi responded immediately. "Yes... sir."

Major Winter clenched his fist, a dilemma rupturing his heart. He couldn't bear lying to Ichiro, or to any of his team. They needed to trust each other. But he needed to lead them, to remain strong and act as someone they could look up to. And when emotions ran rampant, the best role model was one who could persevere amidst such pain.

Kleber was just like that...

However, when Marcus looked the Inarian in the eye, there was a certain glint of knowledge that told him instantly that Ichi knew the truth. Even if he categorically denied it, his subordinate and friend would know that the ghosts of the past where still haunting the Major. Ghosts bound to the blood-soaked soil of Sirtha Prime.

So he refused to lie. "Yes." Marcus admitted. "The memories have been coming back for me too..."

Ichi didn't smirk, nor frown, nor make a remark under his breath. He just respectfully nodded with a straight face, much to his commander's relief. "I understand, sir."

Marcus looked at him, any shame the Horusan would have had fading from his face. "We're back where it was all supposed to end. And even though the Union won, we lost both our leader and the peace that we all sacrificed so much for..."

"We all lost something here, sir." Ichi replied calmly. "Some more than others."

It was then that they walked past one of the Sorrento's great plasma generators, visible through a pane of reinforced glass. As they did so, Ichi looked up, and as the diffracting light struck his right eye at an angle, something was revealed. Glittering stripes of silverish white flashed between his pupil and iris, turning it from black to a ghostly grey for a fraction of a second. The coiling frame of entangled wires hung behind a sphere of synthetic material, opaque unless the light pierced through the lens projectors sideways-on.

A mechanical eye.

Marcus glowered, his gaze falling upon the floor as his mouth frowned grimly. Another memory flashed before his eyes. Just after that vast ship appeared in the skies overhead, the Major saw something that he'd never forget. No matter how hard he tried to repress it, it always wormed its way back into his skull. Even earlier, his memories were leading up to the terrible moment that changed the SOSC 5th Company forever.

Major Aharon Kleber. KIA. In a way too horrible to imagine, yet beheld by every one of his troops.

Soon enough, the two men reached the armoury after travelling down some more corridors and up an elevator. As they approached the room, Ichi spoke. "Captain Sakong and Master Sergeant Ferro are waiting for you in the berths, sir. Shall I inform them of your presence?"

"Yes, Ichi." Marcus replied. "Thank you. You're dismissed."

The Inarian turned and took a few steps away from the armoury door... but then paused. Stopping in his tracks, he turned back to Marcus, a look of both thoughtfulness and doubt upon his face.

"Sir?" Ichi spoke again, and Marcus turned to face him. "What would Aharon think of us if he saw what we were doing here?"

Marcus' heart trembled in his chest as the loss of his old friend was brought to the fore once again. However, inside that heart, he knew what the answer was, and he replied immediately to Ichi's question.

"He would know that we're doing our duty. Nothing more, and nothing less."

Ichi lowered his head into a slight nod, then continued to walk away. What he truly felt behind the dutiful gaze in his eyes was anyone's guess.

Marcus glowered for a moment, his heart heavy as he then turned and walked into the Sorrento's main armoury. As he walked, each step seemed to feel heavier, and Marcus didn't know for sure if it was due to the ship manoeuvring. A hollow, gnawing feeling began to build up inside his heart, eating away at his emotions and drawing them in as he finally entered the armoury.