[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhqdQZGJJXU[/youtube][/center]

[right][b]The Study of William Locke[/b][/right]

William sat, glass in hand. The golden liquid barely touched as he stared at the screen behind his desk. His back to the rest of the room, he was completely ignoring everything behind him and focusing solely on the view before him. The screen showed the last minutes of Mars, or at least the last he'd ever see. Placements fired up towards the sky as vessels crashed and burned, the Devastators as an never ending wave of foes tearing through the joint human fleet. He sighed as he lifted the glass to his lips again, the ice cooled his lips as he sipped at the liquid in the glass. Sighing as he lowered it again. "Noah."

The construct appeared before him. Though his voice sounded solemn. "Yes Admiral?"

"Play personal archived footage, Alpha-2-2-9."

"Sir I don't think-"

"Just do it Noah."

The screen changed. "William stop it." His heart skipped a beat, no matter how many times he heard that sweet voice. His feelings for Rita had been true, he had no doubt about that. Though Amanda would always be first and foremost in his heart, he knew that at how he still ached whenever he heard that sweet voice or saw her as he did now. Her hair a rich brown, with eyes as blue as the oceans of Earth. She had the appearance of someone who could be cold and distant, though that couldn't be further from the truth. At least when it came to him.

That's when he heard his laughter, it was younger. Less harsh, before his voice had grown tired with age and the burden of command. "Oh come on Amanda-" The camera shook. "-You know you love the camera. It certainly loves you."

She went to mock slap him, moving closer to the camera. "You're going to be late you know."

"Oh, it's my ship. It's not going to leave without me." This was so long ago, another life. Leaving for his first [i]real[/i] command. The [i]Nightfury[/i]. It was an honour to be chosen, but he could remember that in those moments all that mattered was Amanda. Not the fact that he was a young up and coming Commander being assigned to the top of the line stealth vessel. He should never have accepted the position.

"I'm not sure that's how it works." 

"Well, I make the rules." Her laughter.

"Not all of them [i]Commander Locke[/i]."

[i]Not all of them.[/i]

He shook himself awake, the room was dark now. Noah had obviously seen fit to turn off the lights, he had noticed recently that the A.I had been increasingly taking care of him, probably due to the fact that after so long spending time together despite the fact that Noah was an A.I he was starting to accumalate an attachment to him. He had been told by the program leaders that this could happen, an A.I without a memory wipe could change and develop a personality. He turned around to face his desk, picking up a glass of water and drinking it in one go to clear his dry throat. "Time."

"The time is, 2130Hours. Ship time, Admiral." He nodded, he hadn't missed anything important then. The away team would likely be checking in soon via the [i]Nyx[/i]. He sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. What had happened to the world? Or rather, the solar system. Things used to be so simple, and then aliens invaded. Giant spaceships constructed, and expeditions to other... well. Noah was still figuring out if they were just in a different solar system or galaxy altogether. In all of this, while he had managed to keep his daughter safe as he had promised to his wife... she was down on an alien planet doing god knows what. If he had his way she'd be in a cryo-pod, or stuck aboard the ship. Despite this, she had proved herself capable. 

Picked by the council behind Genesis to serve, he had only just managed to snatch her up before she had been aboard another vessel. He knew there were rumours that she was her because of him, but he didn't care. She was safe so long as she was aboard this vessel, which is why it pained him that she was so good at her damned job and was selected to go down to the planet.

He turned back to the screen where a still of Amanda occupied the screen. "I'm coming back Amanda. One day, I'll come back for you."

In the mean time, he had humanity to look after. "Noah, give me an update."