![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT
Broadcast over speakers onboard, Doss speaks:
This is a CODE RED ALERT and all hands are required.
Earlier this evening, Bone intercepted a directive from the Architects to initiate a Sterilisation Event in Xitang, China on 01/29/2026 at 1600. There's no information about what is triggering this, but we have a unique chance to save 50,000 souls from eradication.
Evacuation is our primary goal here. We know the blast radius is 15.5 miles (25 km for our non-Americans). We need to get as many people as possible out of the radius as quickly and as efficiently as we can. St James has a suggested approach here. Espionage, consult with your chain of command for assignments.
Ground Forces will be on site getting as many people to safety as possible. Your primary directive is evacuation. Utilize any resources at your disposal.
These people are Veiled. This makes things easier and trickier at the same time. We won't have widespread panic: you're fighting against complacency.
Pilots, your primary directive is drone destruction You're the hail Mary: as long as the drones are targeting you, they can't execute their orders. We need to give people on the ground as much time as we can. You'll be against the big boys, not just the standard drones. They're powerful, but they're slow. Take advantage of your maneuverability.
Strategists, you'll be manning Command with Science. Let them run point on ground communication and stick to what you know best: how to keep our pilots alive.
Remember the mission. Let's go be big damn heroes.
Jamie & Jax
Jamie fought his way through the crowd before closing his hand on Jax’s shoulder. “Jax,” he said again, quieter this time. “This is our last load of people to evacuate. Get on the ship.” He was afraid that if he wasn’t firm, he might be ignored.
It was tempting. There had been a siren going off in Jax all day, howling at him to save as many as possible. To make up for those he couldn't save, had watched die, during the Fall. An apology to them, a promise of a future to these people. This was already so many lives protected.
He clamped a hand around Jamie’s wrist and realized he was shaking. "Okay. Yeah," he whispered, sounding as tired as he felt.
A wave of relief flooded Jamie, Jax wasn’t going to fight him over this. “Good,” he didn’t offer any other words while they moved back to the ship. Jamie could feel the hand around his wrist shaking and knew they needed to get back and sit.
Once the remaining civilians had boarded the ship, Jamie returned to the spot he told Jax to stay while Jamie was finishing up. “You did great,” he said plopping down on the floor next to him, he was exhausted. “We got a lot of people out and they’re going to be okay. You should be proud.” His eyes met Jax’s, hoping to convey sincerity.
The eyes that met his gaze were less bright now that they were against a wall, all of Jax's weight slumped back into it. He had kept all of this emotion bottled up for hours, and they weren't out of the danger zone yet, but next to Jamie, he felt safe enough to let his absolute exhaustion take over. Ishaan had told him to keep it together for everyone. To the best of his ability, he had.
He nodded in understanding, and fisted his hands against his abdomen in an effort to still the tremors. "Wasn't just me," he pointed out.
Jamie took a deep breath and released it, hoping some of the tension in his body would escape with it. It didn’t, it would take longer for his brain to catch up that they were out of immediate danger. That they were going to be safe. For now.
“No, it wasn’t just you. But that doesn’t take away from your part in this. And I wanted you to hear it out loud,” he reaches a hand out and puts it over one of Jax’s fists, trying to still them. “It’s okay to relax a little bit now.” Jamie adds, leaning his head against the wall.
A part of Jax wished it was appropriate to unfurl his hand and take Jamie’s. Instead, he shifted closer and rested his head on the younger man's shoulder. "Jus' a little bit," he mumbled, stubborn. "Wings aren't even up yet."
“I’m not asking you to pretend we’re sitting on a beach somewhere right now. But maybe dial it down from a 10 to a 9,” Jamie suggested, knowing it might be a fruitless attempt to encourage calm. “I should’ve asked earlier, but you’re okay, right? Physically I mean. Didn’t get hurt down here?” He hadn’t been able to detect anything with a quick glance earlier, that didn’t mean something wasn’t hiding out of sight.
"M'okay." Jax adjusted his head ever so slightly, strands of dark hair brushing under Jamie’s jaw. "You?"
“Okay,” he let his chin rest gently on Jax’s head. “You’d tell me if you weren’t?” Jamie paused for a second, enjoying the quiet of the moment, before responding to Jax. “I’m fine,” he said. Even though he wasn’t sure if mentally that was true.
"Okay," was Jax's murmur in turn. "And I'd tell you." He took in a shuddery exhale that felt good to expel, the weight of the day dispersing somewhat with the breath. "Your smile, by the way. That's your best feature."
“You better,” it was a toothless threat with no energy behind it. Hearing Jax’s sigh allowed Jamie to settle a little more. “Hmmm,” he hummed, considering this. “I’m surprised it’s not the glasses, honestly. You seem fond of them too.”
A hand drew up expectantly. "Them, too."
“Now?” his voice was edged with disbelief. With a roll of his eyes, Jamie removed his glasses and put them in Jax’s hand. “Here.”
With some difficulty, the glasses were slid onto Jax’s face. It was strange how it'd become a source of silly comfort over the years. Less silly was how Jamie had become that as well, for him. He sighed once more. "If I fall asleep, wake me up."
Jamie grinned down at Jax, who at that point was a little blurry, “I hate to say they don’t look bad on you”. He would need the glasses back at some point but right now Jax wearing them served as a reminder of lighter days than today. “I promise I’ll wake you up,” Jamie agreed with no intention of following through on his promise — his friend could use the sleep.