Image by Kabomani-Tapir from Pixabay

Kuen waited until Fiera was well and truly asleep before heading downstairs and into the living room. He checked the cameras. His hackles were up and that usually meant trouble. Nothing was showing up, but he couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.

Gaspare came down. “You’ve got that feeling, don’t you?” he asked.

“I do. I don’t know if it’s paranoia or if it’s something else. We’ve been out here long enough for that woman to send one of the Devas after us. I don’t think she’d wait. Lakshmi’s death will require blood,” Kuen said grimly.

“How astute, silly boy.” The lightly accented voice told him who was lurking in the shadows of his home.

He turned but didn’t see the woman in question. “Camouflage?” he asked.

“Of course. We know your little friend upstairs killed Chanda and helped bring down Eshana. Lakshmi told us. Do you think we’re going to make it easy on you?” the assassin asked.

“They’re asleep. You may as well show yourself,” Kuen said.

“Oh, we will. After we kill them, so you know true pain,” the woman said.

Kuen got the impression she was gone from the room. He swore. “She’s going after Fury and Flicks.”

Gaspare was up the stairs in an instant. Kuen ran for the room he shared with Fiera. She was awake, struggling with someone he couldn’t see. Kuen grabbed for his gun, but it wasn’t where it should have been.

He watched blood splash across Fiera’s nightshirt, and she went limp. Something shimmered and the Deva stood, pulling off her hood. She smirked at Kuen. “She will be dead before you can count to ten,” the woman said. “My sister is doing the same for the man. Then she will kill the other man. Only you will be left.”

“You think you’re walking out of here alive?” Kuen growled.

“You can do nothing. You have no weapons,” the woman taunted. She stiffened with a gasp.

Fiera stood up, her hand jamming the blade into the woman’s back. “He might not have one, but I do,” she hissed. “If you’re going to kill someone, make sure they’re actually dead before you start gloating.”

“Fury, you still breathin’?” Phelix called.

“Painfully, but yes,” Fiera said. “You?”

“I am but I’m not sure about Gaspare,” Phelix said, his voice cracking.

That hint of hysteria told Kuen and Fiera just how close to breaking Phelix was. Fiera ripped the knife out and drew it across the Deva’s throat while Kuen ran across the hall. The other Deva was dead in much the same way Fiera had just dispatched her assailant. Gaspare was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

“Skathi,” Kuen said, borrowing Alena’s favorite swear word. “Gaspare, can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” Gaspare said weakly. “I’m not dead yet, and I won’t die if you can find a pressure bandage.”

“Med kit, in the bathroom,” Phelix said.

Kuen raced down the hall and grabbed their emergency med kit. He ran back and slapped the pressure bandage on Gaspare’s wound. Kuen could see the assassin’s blade hadn’t hit anything vital, but Gaspare had lost a lot of blood.

“I’m okay, Kuen. I just need food and rest. Starfire, I’ve had worse injuries on deployment,” Gaspare said, using Kuen to sit up.

Phelix walked over and shoved Kuen to the side. “Why did you walk into her knife, you idiot?” he asked, trying to make his words as clear as possible.

Gaspare eyed the other man before pulling him in for a rough kiss. “Because I wasn’t going to let her stab you and I knew where the knife would hit me wasn’t going to be vital. If she connected with you, it would be,” he explained.

Kuen backed out of the room. He was going to let those two work things out on their own. He went to check on Fiera. “Are they okay?” she asked as she grabbed a pressure bandage and applied it to her own wound.

“Gaspare got stabbed protecting Flicks, but it isn’t too serious. A pressure bandage stopped the bleeding, and it’ll just be a matter of letting the wound heal,” Kuen said. He paused. “I think the relationship is going to be different though.”

“Why do you say that?” Fiera asked.

“Gaspare kissed him.”

Fiera’s widened. “Oh.”

“Yeah. He took the knife to keep the Deva from stabbing Phelix. It distracted her enough that your brother was able to kill her,” Kuen said.

“Are we ever going to be allowed a moment’s peace?” Fiera asked, her voice rising hysterically. “Da shoots you, she sends the Devas, and I’m scared they’re goin’ t’come take you two away as Core any day now.”

Kuen gathered her into his arms and just held her close as she broke down. She wrapped shaking arms around his waist and clung to him. It was several minutes before the storm calmed enough for them to speak again.

By that point Phelix and Gaspare had emerged from their room. “What do we do with the bodies?” Gaspare asked.

“If we leave them for the security teams, they’ll start askin’ questions,” Phelix said.

“Drag them out beyond the fences, prob’ly a mile or so out into the badlands. We’ll need to make it look like they don’t come from the farm,” Fiera said.

“If one of you covers my back I’ll carry the bodies out,” Kuen said. “We don’t want blood trails or drag marks.”

“Fury, are you steady enough t’do it? Or do you want t’watch the maniac here while I go?” Phelix asked.

“I’ll guard my husband. You watch yers,” Fiera said. “Get me the rifle.”

“Right,” Phelix said.

Gaspare helped Fiera seal up the wounds on the two women. Kuen picked up the first. He frowned. She was very light. He scooped up the other. “I’ll take them both. They’re definite featherweights compared to the rest of us,” he said.

Fiera primed the rifle and the two walked outside. They walked two miles into the badlands. One got dropped off behind some rocks. The other was dropped a mile south of her sister. Then they went back to the farm.

Kuen dropped onto the couch. Phelix handed him a drink. Gaspare handed Fiera a glass of juice. “Good thing the crops don’t need a lot of tendin’ right now,” Phelix said. “None of us are goin’ t’be workin’ much for the next few days.”

“Are you hurt, Flicks?” Fiera asked.

“I overdid it on stabbin’ the ketch. Stressed my muscles in a bad way.” He gave her a pained smile. “I’m fine, Fury. I just need t’rest tomorrow and it’ll be okay.”

“All right. So long as she didn’t get a blade into you,” Fiera said.

“No, that was Gaspare,” Phelix said crossly.

“Gaspare, was it a Xenospar blade?” Kuen asked, suddenly remembering the preferred weapon of the Devas.

“Matte black kuyper steel. I wouldn’t have walked onto a Xenospar blade, Kuen. I’d have tossed something at her head,” Gaspare said. “I still have a few brains left.”

“A few?” Phelix asked. “You deliberately walked onto a frakkin’ knife.”

Gaspare sighed with exasperation. “What did you expect me to do, Flicks? She’s a trained assassin. I knew what she was as soon as she took her hood off. She’s one of the thirty-three Devas who serve Michi Nakano.”

“Thirty-two,” Fiera said. “Unless Intira is workin’ double duty.”

“Intira?” Kuen asked.

“Iacchus Santorini had one of the Devas as his bodyguard and general aide. I wondered why she reminded me of Lakshmi. Now I realize she’s prob’ly one of the Devas,” Fiera said.

“That’s a fair point,” Kuen said. “Not all of the Devas will be working for that woman.”

“They may consider it a matter of pride to come after us considering how many we’ve killed,” Gaspare said.

“How many – Fury, explain please?” Phelix asked. Fiera switched to twinspeak and gave him his explanation in half the time it would have taken in normal speech. “You three are either the best fighters in the galaxy or stars-cursed lucky.”

“I’d say we’re lucky,” Kuen said. “I know we’re not the best.”

“Definitely not,” Fiera agreed.

“What do we do now?” Gaspare asked.

“I suggest we eat something and go back to bed,” Kuen said. “Even if we can’t sleep, we should at least try to rest. The blood can wait until morning.” The others agreed and soon they were all back in their respective rooms.

Kuen curled up around Fiera without her even having to ask. She needed the comfort as much as he did. She turned and wrapped her arms around him. She was so quiet he thought she’d fallen asleep.

“Kuen, I’m scared.” Her voice was soft and shook as the words slipped out.

Her words startled him, more because she’d been quiet for so long. “So am I, my phoenix. I’m frightened for you, for our brothers, for myself,” he said. “I have no idea how to protect any of us and it is driving me insane with worry.”

“Two months, Kuen. I’ve been home for two months and still the violence of the war follows me. Why can’t I escape it?” Fiera asked.

“War never truly leaves us, regardless of where the battlefield is,” Kuen said bitterly. “I learned that on Bouarus.”

She rested her fingertips on his face. “How did you endure it?”

He smiled. “I had my family, even if I didn’t know what that meant back then.”

“What do you mean?” Fiera asked.

“I had my phoenix and my brother,” Kuen said. “Here I still have my phoenix, and now I have two brothers. I see why you gained so much strength fighting for your family, Fiera. The desire to protect all of you is a powerful thing.”

“It can also get you killed if yer not careful,” Fiera said.

“You’re right. But would it be worth it? That is the question I have to ask myself,” Kuen said.

“You, Flicks, Gaspare, yer worth my life, Kuen,” Fiera said.

“As you’re all worth mine, Fiera,” Kuen said. He brushed his fingers down her cheek. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to do something stupid and get myself killed. But I am willing to take what risks I must to ensure we’re all safe.”

“So am I,” she said.

“I know, my phoenix. Who better to watch my back than the woman who has long guarded my heart?” He kissed her. She responded with a desperate need that he answered. Soon speech was unnecessary and then, when they were through, sleep finally came.

The next few weeks passed uneventfully. Gaspare and Fiera recovered, and the farm thrived. No new calamities arose. Kuen and Gaspare’s agents found them on Sorus, and they handled their business requirements while Phelix and Fiera watched.

“You two seem t’be pretty connected t’the Core still,” Phelix said.

“Those are all Colony accounts,” Gaspare said. “We do business only in the Colonies these days. It saves uncomfortable questions about our origins. We finally got what money we have left after the vapor brain seized our assets transferred out here.”

“It isn’t as much as we’d like, barely enough for a couple of seasons on the farm, but it’ll help,” Kuen said as he checked their balances. He frowned. “Someone else is monitoring our accounts. Fury, do you recognize this tag?”

Fiera came and looked over the records. He saw her turn pale. “It’s the CAF administration out here, Kuen. You and Gaspare are tagged as Core Worlders. They’re goin’ t’be comin’ fer you now.”

“How soon?” Gaspare asked.

“If they tagged yer accounts, today or tomorrow,” Phelix said.

“Flicks, no matter what happens, keep an eye on your sister,” Kuen said.

“Fury, you keep an eye on Flicks,” Gaspare said.

“We won’t let you get deported or shot,” Phelix said. “They have t’give you a trial. It’s in their regulations. I’ll get Keo and Marc involved as soon as yer taken in. They’re the most law-minded of the family.”

Fiera took a deep breath. “I’ll have Thea come talk t’us so I don’t lose my mind,” she said. “I’ll help Flicks and the Roughlings keep you here, no matter what it takes.”

Kuen pulled the ring off his neck. “I doubt I’d get this back when they take us in, so you keep it for me until I’m back with you, Fury,” he said, fastening the chain around her neck. Fiera nodded, tucking it under her shirt.

Kuen held her close. It wasn’t even an hour later when there was pounding on the door. “Open up in the name of the Central Worlds Alliance Combined Armed Forces security.”

“Pretentious, aren’t they?” Fiera muttered. She opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“We’re here for Kuen and Gaspare Rezouac, also known as Kuen Fenghuang and Gaspare Lonefar,” the young soldier said.

Kuen and Gaspare came forward. “Is there a problem?” Gaspare asked.

“You’re Central Worlds citizens and are suspected of being sympathizers to the Colony rebels. You’re to present yourselves for judgment and potential deportation back to the Core,” the man said.

“They’re our husbands,” Fiera said. “Our contracts to marry should be on file.”

“Your family is hardly above suspicion, Ms. Rezouac,” the soldier sneered. “Now, are you going to resist?”

“No, because we’ve been expecting you,” Kuen said. The soldier gaped. “Really, if you’re going to look into someone’s financial records you should do a better job of covering your tracks.”

“If you were trained by High Admiral Benoit, or anyone in his department, he’d be ashamed by how sloppy you’re being,” Gaspare said with a grim smile. “Now, his wife and my husband do have to keep our farm running without us so they can pay our taxes this season so if you don’t mind, let’s not continue to delay them.”

“We’ll put in the calls as quick as we can, Gaspare,” Phelix said from where he leaned against the wall.

“I know you will, Flicks,” Gaspare said.

“Don’t get into any fights,” Fiera said.

“That’s your expertise, my phoenix,” Kuen said. “Not mine.” The two men followed the soldier off. His commanding officer looked at them.

“Did they give you any trouble?” he asked.

“No sir. They said they were expecting us, something about their financial records,” the soldier said.

The man frowned. “You shouldn’t have noticed us checking those.”

Gaspare described the tag as they’d seen it. “Anyone with any knowledge of CAF procedure knows what that tag means, sergeant,” he said, noticing the man’s rank insignia. “If you’re part of intel, High Admiral Benoit will have your hide for being so sloppy.”

“What do you know about the CAF?” the man demanded.

“It’s in our best interest to know things,” Kuen said. “Ignorance is the quickest way to a swift death anywhere in the universe. Doubly so out here.”

They were shoved into the skimmer and had guns trained on them the entire time. They were marched into the detention center in full view of everyone. A small crowd gathered.

“Hey, let the Rezouacs’ husbands go home,” someone called.

“They haven’t done anythin’ wrong,” someone else yelled.

“You’re just targetin’ the family again,” someone else protested.

“Let them go home,” a fourth person shouted.

“Nothin’ but bullies, the lot of you,” a fifth person yelled.

“They’re just livin’ their lives out here, not botherin’ anyone,” a sixth person shouted. “Let them go home.”

“Yeah, they’re just tryin’ t’be good farmers, and work fer a livin’. Not like you genetic wastes livin’ like parasites out here,” a seventh person shouted.

“Either return to your normal duties or join them in the DC,” the sergeant barked. He made a gesture. Kuen and Gaspare were shoved through the doors.

“I didn’t realize we were so popular,” Gaspare muttered as the two were processed. The clerk was so flustered from the continued protests outside that he didn’t bother doing a gene scan, which Kuen was relieved by. The two were shunted into neighboring cells and the forcefields went up.

Kuen stretched out on the bed. His legs dangled comically over the end, but he didn’t say anything. If he did, he’d be targeted for violence. He kept quiet and just closed his eyes. He heard a few snickers but didn’t bother reacting to them.

“You seem remarkably calm for someone who’s facing deportation,” a new voice said coldly.

Kuen cracked an eyelid. This person had a higher rank insignia and therefore needed to be answered. “I am aware of the stipulations of the Accords, Lieutenant. I would have to be found guilty of some kind of infraction to be deported back to the Core. I have no such record on Sorus, or anywhere in the Colonies. In fact, you will not find any crimes attached to my name. You won’t find anything for Gaspare either. Therefore, as per the strictest adherence to the laws, neither my brother nor myself can be deported.”

“You call him your brother, but you’re not related,” the lieutenant said quickly.

“We have contracts to marry with a set of twins,” Kuen said.

“Ah yes, the Rezouac twins Fiera and Phelix. Who, might I add, are veterans of the war between the Core and the Colonies,” the lieutenant said, smirking as if he’d just proved his point of them being criminals.

“That is not considered a crime, lieutenant,” Kuen countered. “So long as they do not raise arms against a citizen of the CWA or a member of the CAF, which they have not done since their return to Sorus. The CAF also knows their exact position because they registered themselves as veterans of that unfortunate conflict, so it is quite easy to tag their whereabouts.”

“You’re very well informed for a mere farmer,” the lieutenant said.

“Lieutenant, we both know the only reason Gaspare and I were picked up is because we’re well attached businessmen who happened to have our funds transferred to our Sorus accounts. Funds, I might add, which are barely enough to fund two seasons on the farm we now own with our spouses,” Kuen said. “We aren’t even all that wealthy. Why you decided to detain us still remains a mystery, but we will let you play your power games because we know it makes the CAF happy to do so.”

The man glared at Kuen and went to the next cell to try to intimidate Gaspare. It didn’t work on him either and the lieutenant stormed off. “I don’t think he liked my answers,” Gaspare called.

“Mine either,” Kuen replied. “But we all know what’s really going on.”

“Yes, and I won’t pretend I don’t,” Gaspare said.

“You two shut up or I’ll separate the both of you into solitary,” the lieutenant snapped from where he was standing. Kuen sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to fall into a light doze. Fiera was right. Being in the detention center was just an excuse to take a nap.