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Tally was shaking with fear and dare she say it, arousal. The way Sarah Alder was staring her down like she wanted to fight her or fuck her or both. The anger was understandable after their very public fight causing Alder to have to step down from her position. She didn’t mean to cause her such pain, she only did what she told her to do, search for the truth.
Tally found her in the dead of night, alone and standing in the darkness of her room nursing a bottle of whiskey that no matter how much she drank would never help her forget this day.
“What do you want, Craven? I don’t know what you could possibly have left to say after everything you’ve done to me.”
Tally felt bad, “I deserve that, I’m sorry, I didn’t know things would turn out like this.”
“But didn’t you? You’re not sorry at all. All of my sacrifices, all of the wars fought, the suffering. You will never understand. I gave away my freedom to the government so that all of you could live without witch hunts,” Alder placed the whiskey down and slowly stalked towards Tally like she was her prey.
“I, but, you said to search for the truth. People had the right to know why they were fighting. Your actions inadvertently created the spree!”
Tally shuffled backwards hitting the door as Alder invaded her space and smacked her hand against the wall next to her head, smoldering eyes staring her down.
“I am not responsible for the actions of others. You act like Nicte is a saint despite all the lives she killed so ruthlessly and you have made me out to be a devil for trying to end a war so more lives could be spared. One day you will have to suffer through an impossible choice and then you will understand, Tally. You are still so naive. How will my death weigh on your conscience now?” Sarah ran her hand over the younger woman's red hair, threading her fingers through it.
Tally stammered with tears in her eyes, “Your death?”
Alder leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, “It’s true, I have lived long enough after all.”
Tally clutched onto her jacket shaking, “I didn’t--”
“You didn’t think about the consequences? You are one of the most gifted knowers I’ve ever seen, Tally, but you still have a lot to learn,” Alder sighed and stood back, “I’m sorry Tally, I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. For once I wanted somebody to be the one suffering instead of me. It wasn’t right.”
Alder took a step back and faced away from her, “I’m unbearably tired, can you please leave now, cadet?”
Tally was crying now and her emotions were all over the place, she hadn’t expected things to come to this. Yet as her vision blurred from the tears she found herself stepping forward and wrapping her arms around the now ex-general causing her to tense like a frightened animal debating on whether she should fight or flight.
“I’m so sorry.”
Alder laughed at the irony of it all, “Now you’re sorry? Know this Tally Craven, something is coming and I fear my time will come long before my biddies die of old age,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “I hope that we meet again under better circumstances.”
Tally dropped her arms and walked to the door and paused facing away and after a few seconds Alder turned around to meet the young woman's tear filled eyes, “I don’t want to go,” Tally sniffled with pleading eyes.
Alder sighed, “You are so very selfish, Tally. Something I never had the privilege to be. I’m still angry with you, but how can I deny you when you look so pretty when you’re broken?”
Tally only stared at her and stepped closer, “If broken things are beautiful, then you’re the most beautiful of all.”
Alder chuckled and ran her thumb over Tally’s lower lip admiring their softness, “You can stay for tonight but tomorrow---”
Tally tried to stand a little taller, a little braver, “I hope tomorrow never comes then, whatever you were about to say. I hope it never comes.”
“How quickly your tune changes,” taking a step closer, Alder gives her a patronizing grin, “Fine, get on the bed, let's make tomorrow never come.”