Resolutions

Kat was sitting in a chair near the bar, at the Terrace of the Cerra Manor on Huola VII. Her appearance was immaculate, her uniform looking as if it had just been pressed, and not a hair out of place on her head, despite having just come off patrols.

She glanced up towards the bartender and asked, "A glass of Rose, please."
He nodded back, "Sure, coming right up." and turned around to find a bottle on the rack behind him, then poured out a glass and brought it to her.
Kat nodded her thanks with a smile as he returned to the bar, then pulled out her neocom as it chimed softly. Her green eyes calmly looked over the message displayed on the screen, then again, to make sure she wasn't somehow misreading it. She sighed, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, then, to her surprise, she started laughing. She was safe! No evidence remained of her ghastly betrayal of the Empire, it was like it had never happened. She did owe Vlad, who she had contracted to get it taken care of, a lot, but that was something she could easily live with, now that her fear of Imperial Intelligence, and far more importantly, in her mind, Shalee, finding out what she had done was gone. Yet, a small voice, the voice of her Innocence, wondered aloud in her mind as to whether ordering the deaths of a group of people to cover her ass was worth it.

I still have one more thing to do tonight, though. She thought, the thought banishing her smile. She picked up her neocom and typed out a message, then sat back and savored her glass of wine.

It took him about a half hour to arrive, but Kat was grateful that it gave her some time to brood over what she was going to say. A shuttle touched down quietly, looking almost hesitant, as if to reflect the mood of it's pilot. He emerged, and walked over to sit next to Kat, who set her glass down and said, "Hey Josh."
Josh Vercetti responded calmly, "Hello there, How are you?"
Kat sighed internally, desperate for some indication of his inner feelings, after their last conversation in which she'd indicated that she needed some time to decide if it was better that they part ways, then said, "I'm alright, and you?"
He, in the same calm voice, said, "Can't complain. What's on your mind?"
She sighed, this time out loud, in decision as she decided to just say it. "I'm sorry. I don't think we have a future together. At least, not as a couple. I don't know how else to say it."
He only nods, "I was afraid of that, but very well." to which she frowns slightly.
"I don't want to hurt you, but I do think it's for the best."
"Sadly, I agree. We just don't seem to have as much in common as we first thought. However I'd like to remain friends."
Kat smiled and hugged Josh, not revealing her warring inner emotions, the release of nervousness, and especially her annoyance at herself for feeling that he should have fought it, and said, "Thank you for understanding, and not making it difficult."
"I try."
Kat just smiled faintly, then took a rather large sip of her wine. At which Josh stated, "Seems like something else is on your mind."
Kat shook her head slightly, "I was just really worried you'd take it badly."
Josh sighed slightly, "Of course it hurts, but I'm not the type of overreact about something I feel as well."
Kat sighed and shook her head, then said grumpily, "You'd be the first."
Josh smiled slightly, "I'm Caldari, I was trained not to show emotion."
Kat chucked at that, then said, "Were it always so." Knowing that she didn't mean it.
Josh smiled again, "That's why I defected to Amarr. They are just no fun." He then stood and smoothed the front of his tunic, "Well, I have to tend to some errands, Perhaps I'll catch you tomorrow." Without waiting for her to reply, he turned and walked back to his shuttle.

As the shuttle turned and roared back up into space, Kat finished her glass, knowing she had done the right thing, but not feeling much better for it.