Image by Peter Holmes from Pixabay

Fiera and Phelix poked around in the shed until Alena called them in to help with lunch. Gaspare looked a little pale but smiled when he joined them. He pitched in to help but wasn’t nearly as talkative as normal.

Fiera grabbed Kuen and hauled him off to the side. “What happened?”

“He overheard something I hoped he wouldn’t,” Kuen said. “I know why his father didn’t tell him about the idea of being antero. Or at least, I know what happened in the past that may have led to the admiral not telling his children about being antero. Gaspare didn’t know what had happened and needed to hear it from me and wanted to know if the incident was a common occurrence.”

“Was his father assaulted by someone claimin’ t’be antero?” Fiera asked, guessing right away what might have turned the High Admiral against those like her and her brother.

Kuen nodded. “I had to explain to Gaspare that what happened to his father was as normal and acceptable as any other form of rape. I think I’ve got Gaspare thinking and that should help him make his decision about Flicks.”

“Now I’m worried, Kuen. Flicks has the patience of a rock. He won’t make a move if Gaspare doesn’t show a sign he’s interested. But if Flicks misreads somethin’, it could lead t’trouble,” Fiera said.

“We’ll just have to deal with that when it happens,” Kuen said with a shrug.

“When? Not if?” Fiera asked.

“They’re human, Fury. Misunderstandings are a natural part of any relationship. Something’s going to go wrong at some point,” Kuen said.

Fiera grimaced. “Yer right about that. We’ll have t’play divide and conquer when it happens.”

“I’ll take Flicks. You take Gaspare,” Kuen said. “That way we can’t be accused of playing favorites.”

“Fair deal.”

“Fury, Kuen, quit slackin’. There’s work t’do,” Alena snapped.

“Yes Ma,” Fiera called, grinning at Kuen. The two went back to help with lunch.

Just as the food was put on the table everyone showed up. There was a mass of bodies pouring through the door and then the family was seated around the table. “Keo, Marc, Nev, yer stickin’ around after lunch,” Alena said. “I got a special project fer you. Rest of you eat and get back t’work.”

“Yes Ma,” came the chorus of voices.

“Herry? Yer supposed t’stick at the school,” Alena said. Fiera realized her youngest brother was there.

“They closed it, Ma,” Herry said. “Stars’ own truth they did. Two of the teachers got sick drinkin’ the water and they sent us all home. Told us not t’come back ‘til tomorrow. They think one of the pipes from the sewer is leakin’ into the cistern.”

“That’s not good,” Keoni said. “If the infrastructure is goin’ they’ll make us bring in one of their Core engineers t’fix it.”

“Yeah, and put the planet in even worse debt, which means they’ll grab more of the littles,” Alena snarled. “Bastards prob’ly sabotaged it so we’d have t’do just that.”

“Wait, they’d actually do that?” Gaspare asked.

“In a heartbeat,” Phelix said. “Gaspare, out here if it’s broken, we have t’fix it ourselves or see a full generation indentured just t’get some fancy engineer t’tell us how t’fix it. Then the next gen after ‘em gets indentured t’put those recommendations in play.”

“Skathi,” Alena spat. “I’m not lettin’ ‘em take Herry.”

Fiera felt sick. Her hands started shaking. “They’d take Herry, Ma?” She felt the panic rising up in her. Kuen put a hand on her arm and squeezed.

“Youngest little out of each family would get indentured. I’d have t’send Callie next,” Alena said. “Fury, you know what indenturement is like. And in their case, there’s no buyin’ free. ‘Cause the planet has t’pay off the debt first. Then any personal debts the littles rack up need t’be paid down. Only then do they get the chance t’go home.”

“Ma, I don’t want t’be indentured,” Herry said.

“Alena, can anyone help out when it’s something like this?” Gaspare asked.

“What’re you askin’?” Alena asked.

“I’ve got a level three cert in engineering. I’m not a licensed engineer, but I know a lot about it,” Gaspare said.

“I’ll take him up,” Siobhan said. “I’ve got my level one cert. I can say we’re there t’help and see what we can do t’sort this out, Ma.”

“What’re you goin’ t’tell ‘em ‘bout his relationship t’you?” Keoni asked.

“He’s got a marriage contract with me,” Phelix said. “She can say he’s my husband.”

“Sounds perfect.” Siobhan finished swallowing her food. “You ready?” Gaspare nodded and followed her out the door. Joana sighed and followed behind.

“Joei’s got a level two engineering cert,” Alena said with a worried smile. “Between the three of ‘em maybe they can keep us out of debt for a bit longer.”

“So what did you need us for, Ma?” Keoni asked as everyone else piled out the door. Herry stayed next to Fiera. He looked more than a little worried. Fiera wrapped shaking arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his hair. He wound his arms around her waist and squeezed tight. The pressure from his hug and the smell of her mother’s homemade shampoo calmed her.

“Fury brought in some supplies she wants sold so she, Flicks, and their husbands can go start their farm,” Alena said. “You Roughlings know the markets best of all so I’m leavin’ the sellin’ up t’you.”

“What did you bring in, Fury?” Marc asked.

“It’s in the shed,” Fiera said, looking up. Herry refused to stop clinging to her, so she let him tag along as she took the others out.

Alena joined them and they looked through all the boxes. Fiera saw her mother pick a handful of things out of some of the crates and set them aside. “You’ll want those for yer farm. Trust me, Fury. You’ll need them more than you’ll miss the credits,” Alena said when she noticed her daughter staring at her.

“Okay, Ma. I trust you,” Fiera said. “Herry, you need t’let go. I have work to do.” Herry let go but it was clear he wasn’t happy. “You can stick close, just don’t cling.” Herry nodded and stayed nearby.

Marc and Keoni arranged for two different skimmers to come pick up the stuff while Neven called someone and set up a sale for the medical surplus they’d grabbed while on the station. The look of relief on the medic’s face told Fiera more than words that they were getting shorted on essential items again and it made her temper flare worse than before.

“Fury, breathe,” Alena said.

“Ma, I’m goin’ out t’kick the post,” Fiera said through gritted teeth.

“Take Kuen with you so if you pass out you got someone t’pick you up,” Alena said.

Fiera gritted her teeth and motioned for Kuen to follow her. Fiera went to the battered post and started using the kicks she’d taught Kuen on it. Kuen said nothing, just sat and watched her.

Fiera poured her rage into her blows until a wave of dizziness almost dropped her. Kuen caught her and she could feel him shaking almost as much as she was. “You tired or angry?” she asked.

“Both,” he said. “But with my strength, and as abused as that post has been today, I worry I’ll break it.” He propped her up. “Fury, you’re not walking in. I can tell right now you’re holding on to consciousness by the skin of your teeth.”

“Not quite that bad but I won’t make it up the stairs,” Fiera admitted.

“Can you handle me carrying you?” Kuen asked.

“Do I have a choice?” Fiera asked bitterly.

“I can walk you in and let you rest on the couch. It’s just after lunch so you taking a nap there probably wouldn’t look too out of place,” Kuen said. “Or we can not worry Herry by how pale you’ve gotten and I can get your ma to distract him while I sneak you up the stairs.”

“Get ma t’distract Herry and put me t’bed,” Fiera mumbled. She used the wall of the house to lower herself to the ground. “Don’t think the couch is going t’be good enough this time.”

“I’ll be right back. Try to stay conscious until I get back.” Kuen slipped inside the house.

Fiera stared resolutely at the post. She was so focused on staying awake, she didn’t realize someone was standing beside her until he spoke. “Just tell me he did this t’you, Fury. I’ll put a shot between his eyes.”

“Da? You’d better get out of here before he comes out. He’ll pound you into the dirt fer me since I can’t do it right now,” Fiera murmured.

“I did what I had to so we could win, Fury.” Eire knelt beside his daughter. “Did he do this t’you?”

“No. The Nakano ketch did, t’get back at you. She kept yellin’ ‘bout how she knew you loved me best, and how you’d know what it was like t’lose yer favorite child. When I died, she was goin’ t’arrange fer my body t’get dropped on ma’s doorstep. How do you think she’d have taken that, Da?” Fiera asked, looking at the man who’d been the focal point of her young life.

“Skathi, that woman never quits,” Eire spat.

“Get out of here before he comes back, or I’ll let him pound you and then I’ll call ma so she can do the same thing,” Fiera said.

“For what it’s worth, I never expected you t’get hurt that bad, Fury.” With that, Eire was gone.

Kuen came back out a few minutes later. He scooped her up and carried her up the stairs. He avoided the ones that creaked and set her on her bed. “Your ma told me to keep an eye on you. She said I needed to rest too, that I’ve put my body through more than I probably should have.” He paused. “Who was that I saw sneaking off, Fury?”

“Skathi, you’re too frakkin’ tall,” she muttered.

“Fury.” His voice was sharp.

“It was my da, okay? Don’t tell ma. She’ll have my hide for not stoppin’ him. He came t’say he was sorry, and t’ask me if he needed t’shoot you,” Fiera said.

“Fury, why is he so concerned about you but not the others?” Kuen asked.

Fiera closed her eyes and felt the tears stream down. “I’m his favorite. He loves the others. I know he does. But like Flicks and Herry are ma’s favorites, I’m da’s.”

“I didn’t think parents chose favorites,” Kuen said, sprawling on top of his blankets.

“With a smaller family you don’t, but a brood as big as ours? Can’t help it. You watch ma ‘round Flicks and Herry. She doesn’t treat ‘em the same as the rest. It’s why we didn’t get yelled at fer stayin’ up so late last night. We had Flicks with us,” Fiera said.

“That’s why your ma is so afraid of losing Herry to the ISRS,” Kuen said.

“T’be fair, she’d be scared t’lose any of us to ‘em. Kuen, they’re horrible. Indenturement is just legalized slavery and if someone dies it don’t get back t’the family for months, sometimes years. If they get notified at all,” Fiera said.

Kuen’s hand covered hers. “But it would half kill her to lose Flicks or Herry.”

“Yeah. Me, she’s happy t’see but she knows I’m da’s favorite. Makes things interestin’ between us. Don’t mean she doesn’t love me, and she’ll walk through fire t’help me. It just means things get tense between us from time t’time,” Fiera said.

“Fury, are you going to tell her you saw your father?” Kuen asked.

“No, and neither are you. She don’t need to know he’s still in the area.” Fiera sighed and dropped the Colony speech patterns. “It’s better if she doesn’t know, Kuen. That way if something happens, she won’t be lying if she’s asked about him. Ma doesn’t like lying. She’s pretty free with her fists if she catches us telling falsehoods, so she won’t lie if she can avoid it herself. Just keep quiet about it for now. If I see him again, I’ll tell her.”

“Are you sure, Fiera?” Kuen asked, ignoring her nickname for the moment.

“I’m sure.”

“All right then. So, tell me what kinds of crops we’ll grow on our farm,” Kuen said.

Fiera smiled, grateful for the change of subject. “Depends on what seeds we can get. We’ll probably grow peppers and peas. Those are always in high demand. Maybe some sweet corn too, if the seeds aren’t too expensive. We’ll want to limit what we grow our first year just to be sure the soil is good. Growing peas and peppers are a good idea because they each take in different amounts of the nutrients you find in a good soil. We’ll get a fair estimate of what we’re working with by seeing how well they do.”

“And how well do you think they’ll do?” Kuen asked.

Fiera’s smile faded. “It’ll depend on how hard hit that patch of dirt was during the assault that caused the famine.” She paused. “Kuen, I know you probably asked my mother about it. How long before I left did the famine happen?”

“She said you left in the middle of it,” Kuen said.

“How many of my memories are permanently mucked up because of the DiME therapy? I keep expecting to see Herry much older than he is. I’m struggling to put his face with the memory of the little boy I have in my head. Because, in my head, he should be at least twenty, not twelve. And seeing my sibs alive is a little jarring. Flicks being alive is right. He didn’t die during the famine. He told me Keo, Marc, and Nev were alive. I talked to Minnie when you took me back to the Colonies. I’m thrilled to see them all. But my memories all say they should be dead.” Fiera groaned and slammed her fists into her mattress. “What did he do to me?”

“He created a false identity that is still warring with the real one, and probably will for the rest of your life, Fiera. Unless we locate the person who did the DiME programming and have them completely remove Fiera Molohaney from your consciousness,” Kuen said. “But that runs the risks of losing the associated memories.”

“Which I refuse to do. I don’t want to lose my time as the Blue Butterfly. I made some good friends in that role.” Fiera sighed. “I’ll just have to deal with the cognitive dissonance and try not to show my discomfort too much.”

“You do disturb Herry with how much you tense when he hugs you,” Kuen pointed out.

“Skathi, I try so hard not to. I’ll have to work on that.” She yawned. “Kuen, you see the marks on the window frame?”

Kuen rolled over and looked. “Yes.”

“Make sure I’m awake when the shade from the roof hits the one that’s two down from the one it’s on now,” Fiera said.

“No alarm clocks?” Kuen asked.

“That is my alarm clock. I’m just worried I won’t wake up to it right now, I’m that worn out,” Fiera said.

“I will do my best,” Kuen said.

“Thanks.” She closed her eyes and fell into a troubled sleep.

It was the soft drag of fingers on wood that roused her. She glanced at the window frame and saw the shadow was just above her chosen mark. She glanced over the edge of the bed at Kuen. He was asleep. She smiled. His hand was still on hers. She gave it a light tug. He opened his eyes.

Fiera climbed out of bed and opened her door. Phelix was leaning on the door frame. “Ma sent me t’wake you. Said you’d prob’ly be ready t’get up now,” he said. “Gaspare and the bratlings are still at the school. She’s worried ‘bout that. Herry’s drivin’ her crazy and she needs someone t’find somethin’ fer him t’do. Marc and Keo took yer stuff off t’sell it. Nev’s gone back to the med center.”

“Why doesn’t ma send Herry t’the fields? That’s what she usually did to us when we acted up,” Fiera said.

“With the school pipes broken? She doesn’t want him out of her sight until she’s sure he’s not goin’ t’get taken,” Phelix said.

“Right. Kuen, want t’help me keep Herry entertained for a bit while ma does her work?” Fiera asked.

“Doing what?” Kuen asked from his position on her floor.

“I have no idea. Normally I’d take him out to the fields and make him break rocks but I’m in no shape t’fight off the ISRS if they come with indenturement orders,” Fiera said.

“We could take him out to our plot and have him break rocks there,” Phelix suggested. “It has t’be done and better t’do it while we have a spare hand.”

“That’s too much of a hike and we don’t have a skimmer,” Fiera said.

“Skathi, I forgot about that. Teach him t’kick the post? Ma said she wants him t’learn t’defend himself,” Phelix said. “More’n just hittin’ someone hard.”

“Sounds good,” Kuen said, getting up. “We can teach him to kick the post.”

“You teach, I’ll supervise,” Fiera said. “Not sure I should be kickin’ anything after almost passin’ out earlier.”

The three walked downstairs together. “Okay Herry, yer with us,” Phelix said.

“What’re we doin’, Flicks?” Herry asked, stepping away from Alena.

“Yer goin’ t’learn t’kick the post, same as we did,” Fiera said. “I’m goin’ t’supervise while Flicks and Kuen teach you.”

“It’ll mostly be Kuen since me and Fury are walkin’ wounded these days,” Phelix said. “And I overdid it kickin’ the post earlier too.”

“I have to learn t’kick the post? From Kuen?” Herry gulped. “Sure I can’t stay and help ma?”

“Don’t let him break anythin’. I’m not up for a hike into the med center and I don’t know when Nev will be back,” Alena said, not turning away from the pot she was stirring.

“Okay, Ma,” Fiera said. “You heard her, Herry. Let’s go.”

For the next two hours the trio kept the youngest of the Rezouac direct line busy practicing punches and kicks against the well-worn post all the older children had learned against. Fiera made sure he suffered no broken bones, though he did end up with some scraped knuckles. She took him inside and dosed the wounds with antibacterial ointment and wrapped a bandage around them.

“Nothin’ serious?” Alena asked.

“Wouldn’t have brought him in if it was,” Fiera said.

“Good enough. Come help me with dinner.” Alena frowned. “Fury, you can’t even stand up straight. What’re you doin’ on yer feet?”

“I hate bein’ bedridden, Ma. You know that,” Fiera said.

“Go sit yer behind down on that couch and don’t get up again until I call you fer dinner,” Alena snapped.

“Yes Ma,” Fiera said. She rolled her eyes at her mother’s back and Alena turned around and pointed with her spoon.

“Kuen, how bad are you?” Alena rounded on him. Kuen held up his hands. Fiera saw the slight tremor as she flopped down on the familiar worn sofa. “Go sit down next t’Fury. Flicks? How’s yer hand?”

“Steady as a rock, Ma. Helpin’ with Herry settled me right down,” Phelix said.

“Good. Herry, you worn out enough t’do what I tell you to?” Alena asked.

“Yes Ma,” Herry said.

“Good. You two are my helpers tonight,” Alena said, smiling at the two of them.

Kuen sat down beside Fiera. “I see what you mean about those two being her favorites,” he whispered into her ear.

Fiera nodded. “She takes good care of all of us but those two, she’s super careful with them,” she whispered back. She leaned her head on his chest. “Don’t let me doze too long if I fall asleep again.”

“And let you miss dinner? Alena would have my hide,” Kuen said. Fiera sighed and closed her eyes. She was out again between one breath and the next.

Kuen roused her for dinner, but she couldn’t seem to gather enough energy to eat. Alena frowned. “Nev, go grab yer scanner. Run a scan on Fury,” she said.

“Right, Ma.” Neven scampered up the stairs and came down with a portable med scanner.

“I’m fine, Ma. Just tired,” Fiera mumbled. At least, she thought she mumbled something along those lines.

“Ma, Fury’s blood pressure is really low. Her heart rate’s fast and shallow and her O2 level is dangerously low. Electrolytes are so off the charts wrong it’s not even funny. She’s goin’ into shock,” Neven said as if through a long, dark tunnel.

“Skathi, what kind of vapor brained medic did you have takin’ care of her?” Alena shouted.

“One not used to heavyworlders,” Kuen said. “Least that’s my guess with what’s going on.”

“Can’t take her to the clinic,” Fiera heard Neven say. “They’d just plug her into a machine and let her die. Ma, I’m goin’ t’need the livin’ room again.”

“Take it over. Get yer sister on her feet,” Alena said.

“Kuen, pick her up and…” Fiera didn’t hear what Neven wanted Kuen to do. She lost her battle with unconsciousness.