Sixty Eight: Holograms

System: Arzad
Occupancy: Amarr Empire
Sovereignty: Amarr Empire
Constellation: Semou
Region: Devoid
Security Level: 0.2
Location: 24th Imperial Crusade Logistic Support

Shalee sat perched on a moving crate inside a newly purchased apartment in the Arzad system with a computer console balanced on her thighs. She had meant to spend this time unpacking but instead she had discovered the apartment's built in virtual reality holo system and had been distracted with it for the past two hours.

Before her stood a holographic image of herself. An exact replica, a digital avatar that she could project anywhere in space that had the means to receive it. She'd tried it once before, at La Maison, and didn't really care for it. Or maybe it was the company.

At the time she was unimpressed with the experience, it seemed ridiculous to waste her time in such an unreal world, only pretending to smoke, or drink, even if it seemed real. She knew it wasn't.

She never went back.

But today while she was supposed to be setting up her apartment, she found the internal console that allowed her to download her avatar for the Holo-Ground and became absorbed with the process. Choosing clothes. Hair colors. Morphing her eye color, facial expressions.

She was completely intrigued by it now, and was tempted to enter into Star Fraction's La Maison again...but then decided against it.

Finally, she turned the thing off and stretched out on the crate, staring up at the ceiling.

"Activate." A camera drone hovered over her and panned out, capturing the disarray of her apartment. Boxes and crates were strewn everywhere, waiting to be unpacked.

"So, new apartment. I'm keeping the others, of course, especially the one in Choonka because Raphael bought it for me. But this one will be much more convenient for the war. Our headquarters are now based here and we start most of our patrols from the system."

"Plus, it will be nice having First Praetorian Guards for neighbors instead of Star Fraction." she smirked.

"We've been flying some with some of their pilots and it has worked out really well."

"The war has taken a turn for the worse. We lost two systems in 24 hours, both when Aldrith and I were not on patrols. But that doesn't take the sting out of it. Since then we've stepped up our presence on the battlefield, doing double patrols. It's been exhausting, but necessary. Every pilot counts."

She fell silent as she stared up at the ceiling. A holgram of the Arzad system stretched across it, giving her the feeling of floating in space.

"Garst has finally left me alone. I told Aldrith he would, I told him he'd give up and go back to null sec."

"At first I wanted to kill him...I walked around for days wearing my Ni Kunni veil, with no one the wiser to what he had done. It hid the bruises and finally they faded. But I can't quite forget it."

Her expression twisted, betraying her distress. "I just wanted him to die...and that isn't me. I try not to harbor such anger and hatred but I can't seem to shake this off."

"I've had a few offers to do it actually. After the attack, by chance Von showed up at my Choonka apartment. I hadn't seen him in forever and was actually suprised that he tracked me down. He wants to be a part of my life again and has forgiven me for leaving him back then. I invited him in, we ended up talking for hours."

"He knew. He knew something was desperately wrong and finally got it out of me. I've never seen him so angry before. He said he would hunt him down and kill him for me. Just like that. Believe me, I was tempted to take him up on the offer, but I told him no. I don't want anymore drama over this, I just want it all to go away. I want him to go away."

"Von ended up staying the night in the guest bedroom, I guess his protectiveness hasn't worn off. He's met Aldrith and Soren both and has even expressed an interest in the corp. So...I guess we will see how that goes."

"To be honest, I do like having him around again. He once saved me, I wont ever really forget that. Plus I don't like being alone anymore. Things are better with people around."

"I've had both Von and Soren stay over, plus Feinlyn said he would as well."

"I guess I shouldn't be so terrified...but...theres a part of me that knows he will come back. He always comes back."