In the days after Kael left, Theresa felt an emptiness in her heart.
Although she had Sirin and Bianca to look after, and the two little girls were quite well-behaved, that familiar, reassuring presence was gone, and even the bitter gourd cake in the Schicksal Headquarters cafeteria seemed to lack some flavor.
Every day, she would hold her terminal, waiting for an encrypted communication from the Asgard.
Whenever that specific signal connected, she would immediately drop everything—whether it was headache-inducing documents or a half-eaten bitter gourd—and rush to the screen.
"Theresa? Can you hear me?"
Kael's face appeared on the light screen, with the Asgard's simple yet efficient bridge in the background.
He looked a bit tired, but his eyes were still sharp, and a gentle, slightly weary smile, which always reassured her, played on his lips.
"I can hear you! Kael, how are things on your end? Is the mission going smoothly? Are you injured?" Theresa rattled off questions like a machine gun, leaning forward unconsciously, almost wanting to dive into the screen.
"Everything's fine, don't worry."
Kael's voice came through the communicator, with a slight static noise, but still steady. "These remnants of the Third Empire are a bit more troublesome than expected, resisting like mad dogs... but it's still within control. The Asgard's firepower is sufficient to handle them."
He downplayed the intensity of the battle.
However, Theresa could tell how much pressure he had been under these past few days from his unconscious gesture of rubbing his temples and the barely concealed bloodshot in his eyes.
She even noticed a small, inconspicuous scorch mark on the collar of his uniform.
"You definitely didn't get enough rest again!"
Theresa pouted, her voice filled with both concern and reproach, "How many times have I told you! Even when you're commanding, you need to pay attention to..."
"Alright, alright, Theresa-sama is right."
Kael smiled helplessly, a smile that held a hint of indulgence and a touch of relaxation after completing the mission. "When I get back, I'll definitely get a good night's sleep. How are Sirin and Bianca? They haven't caused you any trouble, have they?"
"They're very well-behaved!"
Theresa immediately puffed out her chest, as if reporting achievements. "Sirin finished a five-hundred-piece puzzle all by herself today! Bianca is also working very hard in training, it's just... she always tries to use chopsticks like you when she eats, getting rice grains all over her face."
When talking about the two little girls, Theresa's tone unconsciously took on a 'parental' chattiness, which she herself didn't even notice.
Kael, on the other end of the screen, listened, his eyes growing softer.
"You've worked hard, Theresa," he said softly. "With you there, I truly feel at ease."
These words made Theresa's heart feel as if it had been warmed by a gentle current, smoothing away all the anxiety and subtle unease caused by waiting.
She even blushed a little, feeling shy, and mumbled, "It's good you know... So when will you be back?"
Kael pulled up the star map and looked at it. "The cleanup operation is in its final stages. We expect to eliminate this stronghold in at most one more day, and then we'll head back. If all goes well, we should arrive at the Schicksal Headquarters spaceport by tomorrow afternoon."
"Tomorrow afternoon!" Theresa's eyes lit up instantly. "It's a promise! Sirin, Bianca, and I will come to pick you up!"
"Yes, it's a promise."
Kael nodded, and seeing Theresa's joyful expression, he couldn't help but add another reminder, "Remember to keep an eye on them, don't let Ki... Bianca run around at the port."
"I know! You're so naggy!"
Theresa made a face at him, but in her heart, she was already planning which dress to wear to pick him up the day after tomorrow.
After the communication ended, Theresa hugged her terminal and happily spun around in place.
The day after tomorrow! Just two more days, and Kael would be back!
Far away on the front lines of the battlefield, after ending his call with Theresa, Kael's gentle smile gradually faded, replaced by the calm and focus of a commander.
He walked to the main screen, his eyes sharp as he looked at the signal source representing the enemy's last resistance.
"All units, attention. Execute final clearance plan 'Anvil'. Prioritize the integrity of the data core library. If there is resistance, kill on sight."
His voice was transmitted through the ship's internal communication to every combat unit.
The ensuing battle was unremarkable, a one-sided crushing as expected.
The remnants of the Third Empire rapidly melted away like snow under the sun in the face of the Asgard's powerful firepower.
When the last stronghold of resistance was precisely reduced to ruins by orbital bombardment, it marked the complete end of the cleanup mission.
"Mission accomplished. All units, begin return voyage."
Kael issued the final order, leaned back in the command chair, and let out a long sigh of relief.
His nerves, taut for several days, could finally relax. A deep sense of fatigue washed over him, but more than that, there was a feeling of ease after completing the mission and... an eagerness to return home.
He missed the not-so-soft but comfortable sofa in the Schicksal Headquarters dormitory, he missed Theresa's boisterous voice, he missed Sirin's quiet, dependent gaze, and he even missed Bianca's clumsy yet earnest attempts to use chopsticks.
The return journey was calm and uneventful.
Kael even, for once, didn't deal with the backlog of documents. Instead, he returned to his resting cabin and slept soundly.
In his dream, there was no gunfire or smoke, only warm sunshine and Theresa's silly smiling face as she held a bitter gourd milk tea.
When he was awakened again, the Asgard was already approaching the Schicksal Headquarters spaceport.
Through the observation window, he could see the familiar building, like a giant steel beast, growing larger and larger in his view.
Kael meticulously straightened his uniform, smoothed out the wrinkles, and wiped away any dust that might be on his face.
He hoped to look a bit more refreshed when he returned, so Theresa wouldn't nag him again.
The battleship docked smoothly at the designated pier, and the gangway slowly lowered. Kael took a deep breath and walked down with steady steps.
Almost as soon as his feet touched the solid ground, a white figure, accompanied by a familiar fragrance, rushed towards him!
"Kael!"
Theresa, like a happy little bird, crashed directly into his arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his waist and rubbing her head forcefully against his chest. "You're finally back!"
Kael was nudged back half a step, then chuckled, reaching out to gently hug her and pat her back: "Yes, I'm back. Didn't I tell you? It's not that easy to die."
His tone carried the lightness of a completed mission and a hint of playfulness.
Theresa looked up from his embrace, carefully examining his face, and reached out to touch the faint bluish tint under his eyes, saying with concern, "Look at you, you have dark circles! You must have stayed up all night commanding again!"
"The mission required it."
Kael let her examine him, his gaze passing over her head to see Sirin and Bianca standing a little further away, looking at him.
Sirin was wearing the light purple dress Kael had bought her, her long purple hair gently swaying in the port's breeze. She looked at Kael, her golden eyes filled with the joy and relief of having him back.
But she didn't rush over like Theresa. She just hugged the Haxxor Bunny (Homu) doll in her arms tightly, a subtle but incredibly genuine smile curving her lips.
Bianca, on the other hand, was much more excited. She wore a small training uniform, her short golden hair like a fluffy sun. She waved vigorously and shouted loudly, "Brother! Welcome back!"
Kael smiled at them, waved, and then lowered his head to say to Theresa, who was still clinging to him, "Alright, Theresa, a lot of people are watching."
Theresa reluctantly let go, but immediately linked her arm through his, as if afraid he would run off.
Her face showed undisguised happiness and contentment; her previous worries and anxieties had long vanished.
"Let's go, let's go! Let's head back! I've prepared bitter gourd juice for you! Extra strong! To perk you up!"
Theresa pulled Kael towards the living quarters.
Kael was helplessly dragged along by her, feeling the warmth and strength on his arm, his heart at peace.
He was back, back to this place full of life and... noise.
This feeling wasn't bad.
Sirin and Bianca also trotted along, walking on either side of Kael.
Sirin quietly reached out and held Kael's free hand, while Bianca, imitating her, held onto the corner of his clothes.
"I'll write the mission report later," Kael said to Theresa, feeling this long-lost calm. "First, I'll walk with you all. Anything new at Schicksal Headquarters recently?"
"Oh, yes, yes!"
Theresa immediately began chattering, from the new bitter gourd spicy cake in the cafeteria to which equipment broke down in the training ground, and then to how she finally dealt with some of the documents that had been driving her crazy... Kael listened patiently, occasionally agreeing with a few words, his gaze sweeping over the three girls beside him—the lively Theresa, the quiet Sirin, and the innocent Bianca.
The warm sunshine fell on them, bringing with it the laziness and contentment of returning from battle.
All the danger and fatigue seemed to be a thing of the past; at this moment, only peace and beauty remained.
(Where's the knife? Those Herrschers of a Thousand People in the comments, tone it down!)
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