Chapter Text
PART I
“Congratulations Captain Shirogane!”
Shiro grinned and covered his head as a giant balloon burst above him. Confetti shaped like stars rained down on the guests in the Richardson’s living room. Most were wearing hats and blowing party horns. The end of Adam’s horn lightly whapped Shiro’s cheek. The two exchanged soft glances before Karl Richardson pulled Shiro into a side hug.
“Good job, Captain,” he said, grinning. “We all knew you were going to pass. Three stripes look good on you!”
“Thank you, Admiral,” said Shiro.
“Oh, we’re not at the Garrison. You can call me Karl.”
Shiro looked around. Officers of all ranks milled around the living room, kitchen, and backyard. It was a home fit for an admiral - two stories, a music room off the living room, a pool in the backyard - yet felt warm and comfortable. Karl and his wife, Amber, always held parties at their home whenever officers were promoted.
Many felt that Karl was the most approachable official on the Admiral Board. His blue eyes always sparkled with kindness and, no matter the rank, he always treated others with dignity and respect. Shiro remembered his first year as a Garrison cadet. Karl had been a flight instructor then. Every day he found a way to buoy up his students’ spirits. Even when Karl was promoted to a Vice Admiral and became head of the Galaxy Garrison school, he still made time to eat in the mess hall with the cadets, join them in physical training exams, and talk in the hall. His presence, along with Amber, helped make the Galaxy Garrison school as great as its reputation.
“Our youngest captain yet.” Amber’s Irish lilt made Shiro look to his right. She approached him, a wrapped gift in her hands. Her green eyes shone with pride as she handed it over. “Always setting new records and showing those other cadets who’s boss.” She winked.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, Mrs. Richardson,” said Shiro.
“Oh, this is homemade.” Amber waved a hand. “And please, call me Amber. I’m not enlisted like my husband.”
“But she’s definitely the admiral of this household,” Karl chuckled.
Shiro tore off the silver wrapping paper and let it fall to the floor. A black leather scrapbook proudly bore Captain Takashi Shirogane in embossed gold lettering. Curious, he turned to the first page. His first year cadet photograph beamed up at him.
“I hope you don’t mind that I retrieved some photos from the archive,” Amber said.
“Not at all.” Shiro turned the pages, touched at the effort Amber put into his scrapbook. The pages were filled with pictures and Garrison newspaper clippings about him. He smiled at the candid shots with his classmates. There was even a picture of him and Adam at the last Garrison Ball, both in their mess dress and holding hands.
“Thank you,” Shiro said softly, looking at Karl and Amber. “For everything.” He grinned. “There’s a reason the cadets call you Mama R and Pops.”
Amber laid a hand on his arm. “I wish your parents could have been here.”
Shiro smiled sadly. “Me too. I - oof!” He jerked forward half a step as someone slapped him on the back.
“So, now that you’re officially a captain, are you gonna put in your bid for the Kerberos mission?”
Jeremy, Karl and Amber’s oldest child, draped his arm around Shiro’s shoulders. He had the same twinkling blue eyes and brown hair as his father, though his chin and calculating mind reminded everyone of Amber. As an only child, Shiro felt that Jeremy was almost a younger brother. Whenever there had been family days at the Garrison, Karl and Amber always invited Shiro to participate in activities with them. As a cadet, two years apart felt like lightyears to Shiro. Now on the cusp of nineteen, Jeremy was starting to feel more like an equal.
“As soon as I can,” Shrio responded, reaching over and tousling Jeremy’s hair.
“You’ve got plenty of time,” said Karl. He took a sip of ginger ale. “The submission window is still open. Training won’t begin for a good while.”
“And you? Are you gonna try to go now that you’ve finally graduated?” Shiro asked Jeremy.
“No, I doubt I’ll make captain before the window closes.” He ran a hand through his moppy hair that fell to the right side of his head. “I don’t think I’ll appreciate the science of the mission. But Matt will!” He grabbed Matthew Holt’s arm and pulled him into the conversation. “I keep telling him he needs to make sure to apply. He’ll be done with school when the mission starts.”
“Oh that would be wonderful,” Amber said, smiling. Matt turned a deep red, looked down at the ground, and excused himself while hurrying away.
“You don’t want to go because you can’t survive being away from Karina that long,” someone said in a sing-song voice.
Jeremy narrowed his eyes and turned around. Kara, his little sister, smiled innocently and took a bite of her brownie. Shiro thought that if Kara had red hair like her mother, she’d be the spitting image of Amber.
“Quiet you,” said Jeremy. “This is about Shiro’s promotion, not my love life.”
“Or lack of one,” Kara sniggered.
“Kara,” Amber said warningly.
“She just wanted some time to think.” Jeremy indignantly pulled on the hem of his uniform jacket.
“Well I would, too, if you wanted me to be stuck with you forever.”
“Too bad, Barf Bag - you already are!” Jeremy grabbed Kara in a headlock. She squeaked as her brownie tumbled to the floor. “Families are forever, right?” He gave out an evil laugh. “You’ll never get away from me!”
“Ow - no!” Kara struggled against Jeremy as he gave her a noogie, causing her black headband to slip off. “Mama!”
“Jeremy, that’s enough,” said Amber firmly.
He let go of her and walked away, cackling. Kara stuck her tongue out at his back before picking up her headband.
“Will you be joining us at the Garrison this upcoming year, Kara?” Shiro asked.
“I’m planning on it!” Before putting her headband back on, Kara tried smoothing out her hair. A small section still stuck out in all directions. “I already signed up for the test.”
“Which program do you want to go into?”
“Piloting, like Dad and Jeremy.” She paused for a moment. “But communications would be fun, too.”
Shiro grinned. “Well, being a Richardson, I have no doubt you’ll get into the pilot program. Flying is in your blood.”
“And the gift of gab,” Karl added, winking at his daughter.
“Congratulations again, Captain Shirogane,” said Kara, beaming at him.
“Thank you, Kara.” He sighed as she skipped over to Jeremy, Matt, and the Holts’ daughter. “They’ve both grown up so much.”
“I know.” Karl put an arm around Amber. “They’re not crawling down the Garrison hallways in diapers anymore.”
“If only we could get Kara to stop crawling in the vents,” Amber groaned.
Karl and Shiro laughed. “It’s good to have dreams, sweetheart,” said Karl, giving her a kiss on the head.
Shiro mingled with the other guests for the next few hours, making his rounds in the kitchen and backyard. Feeling somewhat drained, he went to the living room again, now empty of guests. The Richardsons always had a way of making people feel like part of their family, despite being so close knit themselves. He studied the various pictures of them on the bookshelves. How did they do it, Shiro wondered. Was it because of the welcoming smile all of them had? Was it their kindness and outgoing natures? Was it everything? Or did they have a magical something no one else possessed?
His eyes were drawn to a wooden crest on the wall in the very center of the living room. What looked like angel wings were carved into the center with a crossed sword and arrow underneath it. In bold capital letters, a phrase was engraved at the very top of the crest: IN AETERNUM VINCTI.
“You’ll have to excuse the most recent family photo.”
Shiro jumped and turned around. Karl stopped next to him and put his hands behind his back. He nodded to the biggest picture frame on the bookshelf. “It was the least blurry one.”
In the picture, Karl and Jeremy were dressed in their Garrison uniforms. Amber had her hands up to block her face. Jeremy and Kara faced off, each holding a Super Soaker with streams of water shooting towards the other. Kara wore a pair of thick black glasses with a fake nose and mustache attached to them, and a headband with shamrocks on wiggly springs sat haphazardly on Jeremy’s head. Karl had his arms protectively around Amber, his mouth open as if in mid-yell.
“I think my favorite,” said Shiro, “is still the one with Kara over your shoulder crying and Jeremy pointing a slingshot at her.”
Karl laughed. “She was five in that one. My baby’s not such a little girl anymore.”
They lapsed into silence. Shiro looked back at the crest. He read over the words several times, quietly saying them to see how they felt on his tongue.
“Admir - Karl, sir, I’ve always wondered about that crest.” He nodded to it. “Would you mind explaining what it means? I’ve never heard that phrase before: In Aeternum Vincti .”
“Ah.” Karl considered the crest for a moment. “While Amber and I were dating, we talked a lot about what we wanted in our future family. We both come from … difficult families.”
Shiro looked at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Really.” Karl gave him a half smile. “My father was extremely abusive - verbally, mentally, physically. Some of my earliest memories are of him beating us. He would fly into these rages and let loose on everyone. My mother, afraid he would eventually kill one of us, ran away with me and my siblings. She divorced him, but never stopped loving him. She couldn’t bring herself to remarry.” Karl paused. “My mother was a good woman, Shiro. She was loving and a hard worker and taught us everything she knew. But her alcoholism … it crippled her so much. Even after she got sober, the damage had been done to her liver and kidneys. I still miss her.”
He cleared his throat. “Amber is, at least, on speaking terms with her parents and brother, though it’s extremely strained. Saying they were unhappy about her marrying an American in the military is putting it kindly.” Karl chuckled. “It didn’t help that eight months after we met we were married, and I encouraged her to follow her musical passion. I think, in their eyes, I ruined her, since Amber never became a nurse. She never got her license. The day after her graduation, she took her viola and auditioned for the city’s symphony orchestra. And she’s never regretted it. Neither have I.
“Family crests, of course, are important in Europe. Amber didn’t feel her parents would be happy with their family crest in our home, so we created our own.” Karl stretched out his arms and took the crest off the wall. “It embodies our ancestors, us, and posterity.” He traced a finger over the crossed swords and arrows. “My family has a long military heritage. My father was in the military, a few uncles, my grandfather … I think at least one person from each generation was enlisted in one branch of the military. The arrow and sword signify our commitment to justice. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly, free from tyranny of all sorts.”
Reverently he ran his palm over the wings. “Wings symbolize so many things. Angels are always the first thing that comes to mind. And what are they for? Messengers of God, to help carry out His will. They bring mercy and peace along with justice. What is life if we can’t serve those around us? Doesn’t the Bible tell us that we are, essentially, to work hand-in-hand with God, to help those in need?
“And finally … In Aeternum Vincti.” The hairs on the back of Shiro’s neck stood up - in a good way. He felt the power in those words as Karl spoke them.
“It’s a Latin term that means ‘eternally bound.’ I read it in a book when I was at the Garrison as a cadet, and it’s never left my mind since. Amber and I didn’t want to continue carrying around the pain our families caused. We wanted to make sure we showed the love we have for each other every day.” Karl hung the crest back on the wall. “No matter what happens in this life … we are eternally bound to each other.”
Shiro looked at the crest again. It seemed to shine a little brighter.
“I want that,” he said wistfully. “My parents were always so proud of me until …” His voice trailed off.
“You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.” Karl put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You and Adam are committed to each other.”
“I just wish my parents thought of it that way. Adam’s are more understanding.” He smiled sadly. “At least my parents are talking to me again.”
He turned and looked out the window. Jeremy and Kara were sparring with corn cobs in the backyard. Adam chatted with Amber and the Holts. Shiro’s heart fluttered, like it always did when he saw Adam.
“Sometimes family,” came Karl’s voice, “isn’t blood. It’s also the bond you form with those who care about you the most - the people that come into your life that you can’t imagine how you lived without them in the first place.”
Shiro smiled at him. “Thank you, Karl.”
“Anytime, soldier.”
A small beeping broke the peaceful atmosphere. Shiro rolled his eyes. He raised his left wrist and checked the information on the electronic bracelet before pressing a button at the top of the screen. LOGGED flashed in green for a few seconds before the numbers reset themselves.
“How’s your arm?” Karl asked.
“Stable.” Shiro bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to say any more. After a few moments he sighed. “You’d think, with all the advancements we’ve made by now, there would be a cure for Becker Muscular Dystrophy.” He tasted the bitterness in his voice.
Karl remained quiet for a moment. “There’s always the option of a prosthet -”
“No,” Shiro said sharply. “Prosthetics aren’t nearly as good as they need to be.” He put his face in his hands. “I’m sorry, Karl, I don’t mean -”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Karl waved a hand. “It’s frustrating, what with the military’s physical expectations.”
“And to think, if I hadn’t been a cadet here, I don’t think we would have found out as early as we did.” Shiro raised his left arm and balled his hand into a fist as tight as possible. “I want to do everything I can with the Garrison before this forces me to discharge.” His arm dropped. “That’s why the Kerberos mission means so much to me.”
“Is Adam still unsure?”
Shiro’s mouth twitched. “Yes. He’s worried about the impact being in space for so long will have on my health.”
“There’s still plenty of time to discuss it,” Karl said gently. “Compromise is one of the hardest things in a relationship. Just yesterday Amber and I couldn’t agree on which birthday cake to get Kara. Amber wanted white and purple but I wanted the Garrison uniform colors. So we decided to get Bugs Bunny standing in a field of purple flowers and eating a carrot. Thank heavens she liked those cartoons as a child.”
Shiro laughed. “Thank you, Karl. You always know how to make everyone feel better.”
“Hopefully this assignment I have for you will add to your good mood.” He winked at Shrio, who raised his eyebrow in return.
“And what’s that?”
“Well …” Karl lightly bounced on the balls of his feet a few times. “Captain Jenkins retired, as you know. He always went around to the schools in the spring to talk about the Galaxy Garrison to the eighth graders.”
“Yes, I remember.” Shiro smiled. “He loved that time of year.”
“For a few years now I’ve been wanting someone a little younger to go to the schools. Jenkins was so stubborn he didn’t want to give that assignment up, so I agreed he could keep it until retirement.” Karl looked at Shiro. “You’ve created quite a name for yourself here. I think you would have a great time with the kids. Your pilot students adore you.”
“You really think I’m the best fit?” Shiro asked, surprised.
“I personally wouldn’t want anyone else. You have a natural knack with teenagers. Much more than Iverson.” Karl made a pained face. “Our lowest enrollment was the one year he went with Jenkins. He’s a fantastic officer, just not … what kids need for initial encouragement. So what do you say, Captain Shirogane?”
“Of course,” said Shiro. “I would be honored.”
“Fantastic.” Karl clapped him on the back. “I’ll get you the schedule on Monday. You have about a week before school starts back up from Christmas break. That should give you enough time to review Jenkins’ material and create anything new you want to do.” He started walking away, but paused and turned around. “Oh, and … we got a new mobile simulator for the kids to try out during the school visits. I’ll let you give it a test drive on Monday after you get the schedule.”
Shiro grinned and saluted. “Yes, sir!”