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They’d delayed the hearing for three months, leaving Fiera to fret endlessly. She at least had company in that because Phelix was as much of a nervous wreck as she was. Keoni and Marc were far less concerned. “If they pushed it out father, I’d be worried,” Keoni told them as they gathered at the courthouse. “Now, they’re goin’ t’try t’keep us from speakin’ up. Don’t let them. Show them why we’re called the Roughlings and trample them, Fury.”

“I can do that, no problem,” Fiera said. “Sometimes, when I was in the Core, I had t’talk over the worst chatterboxes. If they think they can out talk someone who got paid t’do it for a livin’, they’re even more vapor brained than the usual CAF soldier.”

“I can’t do much talkin’ ‘cause I’m easy t’talk over,” Phelix said. “Yer goin’ t’have to do all the initial talkin’ and drag me in when needed.”

“No worries, Flicks. I can do this.” Fiera smoothed her dress. She wasn’t back to full strength, but she was far closer than she’d been when the soldiers showed up to take Kuen and Gaspare away.

The Rezouacs walked in as a family, only Thea, Teigue, Herry, and Thea’s littles – and Callie – were missing. There were a lot of whispers. You just didn’t see the family move as a pack these days. They were there to support Fiera and Phelix, and Fiera knew they’d be her backup if she needed it.

Alena squeezed her hand. “You just let them try to deport our boys, Fury. They’ll learn why Rezouac is a feared name on Sorus, and it isn’t ‘cause of yer da,” she whispered.

“Thanks, Ma,” Fiera said.

The blue dress she’d worn for the festival was what she wore right now. The wedding ring was safely tucked beneath it, but she openly wore the phoenix brooch. Fiera’s head was held high and her spine stiff. She was the Blue Butterfly again, and she was going to take this contract and make it her own.

The first few hearings went without incident. Then they brought out Kuen and Gaspare. The Rezouac family, and several others, stirred angrily at how roughed up the two men were. Neven growled under his breath. The CAF lieutenant smirked and opened his mouth to speak.

Fiera stood up and in clear tones, without the usual clipped words of the Colony, addressed him. “You will not be sending my husband or my twin brother’s husband off of Sorus.” The lieutenant gaped at her. “That was what you were about to say, wasn’t it, lieutenant?”

“How did you know that we were deporting them? No one was supposed to tell you,” the man blurted.

“It’s painfully obvious that’s what you intended from the start,” Fiera said, letting all her scorn drip from her words. “You delayed the hearing hoping we’d give up and then when we didn’t you rushed it in so we couldn’t be here in order to get them off world before we could stop it.” She gestured to the sea of red heads with her. “As you can see, we are here, and we are not letting you deport them.”

“Who are you to say what we can and can’t do on our planet?” the lieutenant demanded.

“Your planet?” Fiera asked. There was a lot of angry muttering. “Lieutenant, I had some hope you’d have read the Accords by now, with being stationed out here for as long as you have been. The planet of Sorus still belongs to the people of Sorus. We simply agreed to abide by the rules set forth in the peace forced on us by the CWA. Now, as per those laws, my husband and brother-in-law would have had to have broken some major laws in order for you to deport them. Yet nowhere in any records that you will find have they done that. So please tell me, under what law are you deporting them?”

The lieutenant gaped at her. A man dressed in a much different uniform stepped forward. A distinctive looking tattoo under one ear gave Fiera a hint as to who she was dealing with now. “Young lady, you speak very well for someone who is from the Colonies,” the officer said. “Are you perhaps educated in the Core?”

“Tell me, General Athalos. Did you ever hear of a courtesan named the Blue Butterfly of Bouarus?” Fiera asked.

The man’s eyes widened. “I did indeed. She was considered the gem in Iacchus Santorini’s collection, but she vanished just before the war started.”

Fiera gave her best bow, as taught to her by Xenon. “I came home, General.”

The man choked. “No wonder you know our ways so well.” His eyes narrowed. “Wait, then that means that these two are –.”

“They are precisely who they say they are, General Athalos. You are well aware that everyone has secrets. Even you.” Fiera’s eyes narrowed. “I still remember everything I learned while I was on Bouarus. What would your men think, I wonder, if I started talking about some of the things I learned about you?”

General Athalos glared at her. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Test me and see, General. I want my husband and brother-in-law back,” Fiera said coldly.

“You know why we’re sending him back,” he said, jabbing a finger at Kuen.

“Are you still her puppet, General Athalos? I’d have thought the CAF would have learned the futility of following a madwoman’s demands after she nearly got half your soldiers killed in her ongoing feud with my idiot father,” Fiera said. “Who, by the way, will be summarily shot and delivered to the CAF for justice if he ever crosses our path.”

General Athalos stared at Fiera. “Lieutenant, I will make the final decision regarding the fate of these two young men personally. Escort the Rezouac family, since I’m sure this young woman refuses to be separated from them, and the two young men to my office. Immediately.”

“At once, General,” the lieutenant said, confused by what was happening.

“Fury, what are you playin’ at?” Phelix whispered.

“I know who he is, and he’s got some pretty nasty secrets he won’t want his men finding out about him,” Fiera said. “The Blue Butterfly never revealed what she learned in a contract. However, the game just changed, and he isn’t sure if I’m playing by his rules or my own.”

The soldiers escorted the family to the general’s office. The general seated himself behind his desk. “I thought the Blue Butterfly didn’t reveal what she learned from her contracts,” he said.

“You were never one of my contracts, General Athalos. I simply listened while the High Command talked and got drunk,” Fiera said. “Now, I’ve fought too long and hard to get Kuen and Gaspare out here and safely installed on my farm. I am sick and tired of the CAF trying to ruin our lives. I’ll keep quiet about what I learned if you let them go and keep quiet about who they were before they went civilian from the CAF. Both of us gets what we want.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?” General Athalos asked.

“General, one thing Fury’s good at is keepin’ secrets between her teeth. If she says she won’t tell, she means it,” Alena said. “I don’t know anythin’ about her contracts as the Blue Butterfly and she’s been home long enough she could’ve told me a lot of them.”

“I still hold to my rule of not mentioning what happened, but in this case, I’ll make an exception,” Fiera said. “If you so much as breathe a word about who they are or attempt to deport them.”

The general steepled his fingers. “I was warned you were a formidable opponent, Blue Butterfly. I thought that would end here on Sorus. It seems it’s only gotten more pronounced.”

“On Bouarus I was only playing the game for money. Here I’m competing to keep my family together. I will not let you ruin our lives any more than the CAF already has, General. So, what is it to be? Do I release the information you’d rather I didn’t? Or do I get my quiet life?” Fiera asked.

“Is that really what you want?” General Athalos asked.

“It’s what I came home for. I just want to live my life quietly on my farm with my family,” Fiera said.

“Very well, Blue Butterfly. But if I have any trouble with you or your husband, I will deport all four of you immediately regardless of your planetary status,” General Athalos said.

Fiera’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Your lieutenant seems like he’d be a very useful sponge for information, General.”

The general’s face turned purple. “General Athalos, one thing I learned early on before I ever became one of her favored patrons – never threaten the Blue Butterfly. She takes it as a challenge and will personally make your life hell,” Kuen said, speaking for the first time. The general turned to look at him. “What, you thought we started out as friends?” He snorted. “We couldn’t stand each other. But we understood the need for mutual protection. Friendship and affection grew from that. While I don’t suggest that you will ever be friends, I do think you could be something more than antagonistic towards each other.”

“General, do you like fresh vegetables?” Fiera asked, a sudden inspiration striking her.

“Of course I do,” General Athalos said, confused by the abrupt change of topic.

“I’ll wager you can’t afford what’s left over in the market. None of us can and I know they don’t pay you enough for that,” Fiera said. “It was a common complaint I heard from all the officers at those parties.”

“What did you have in mind?” General Athalos asked, eyes narrowed.

“Simple enough. You know as well as I do that every household on Sorus keeps a garden. We’re no different. Leave us alone and I’ll see to it you get a basket of whatever vegetables we have in season in our garden,” Fiera said. “No cost to you, other than your cooperation.”

“I’ll add the ones from our garden to it since I’ve got more t’spare than Fury does,” Alena said.

General Athalos looked at the gathered family thoughtfully. “I’ve noticed out here trade is more the way of things.” He scratched his jaw. “All right, Butterfly. You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll keep quiet if you do, and if you supply me with fresh vegetables that are in season.”

“If we get the greenhouse permit you might get vegetables that are out of season,” Phelix said. “‘Cause then we can grow some for ourselves in the greenhouse as we experiment with field starts.”

It took the general a minute to work through the slurred speech. Wordlessly he grabbed his tablet and put in his recommendation. “You should have the approval tomorrow,” he said. “I expect good things to come out of this deal.”

“We are many things, General Athalos,” Fiera said, gesturing to her family. “But dishonest isn’t among them. That trait lies solely with my father, who can burn at the heart of a supernova for all we care.”

“You’ll really turn him over to us if you catch him?” General Athalos asked.

“In a heartbeat,” Fiera said. “After everything he’s put us through, we feel he deserves worse than a clean death. We know the CAF will give him what we can’t.”

“You’re right about that,” the general said. He undid the restraints on Kuen and Gaspare. “All right, take your husbands home. I’ll speak with my aide and have him contact your farm with where you can send the vegetables.”

“Thank you very much, General Athalos. It’s a very good thing I’ve suddenly forgotten all those things I heard about you,” Fiera said.

“Until they become convenient to remember,” the general said. Fiera shrugged gracefully. “You’re a formidable woman no matter where you are, Butterfly. I’ll have to remember that.”

“Enjoy the rest of your day, General.” Fiera led her family out. As soon as they were outside, she let out a deep sigh of relief. “Starfire, I am so glad that worked.”

Her siblings were all staring at her. “How did you do that?” Marc asked.

“I was trained as a courtesan, Marc,” Fiera said. “I learned how t’turn people t’jelly just by lookin’ at them. I couldn’t have done my job if I didn’t know how t’dress them down without makin’ it sound impressive. I also learned how t’twist them around and make them do what I wanted.”

“Did you two really hate each other?” Joana asked, looking from Kuen to Fiera and back.

Kuen chuckled. “She hit me fairly hard because I said something stupid.”

“That was the night Aoi died. You deserved it,” Fiera said.

“Yes I did. You still hit me harder than I thought you could,” Kuen said. He stretched. “Those cells are not comfortable.”

“We’ll get you boys home and let poor Gaspare shave,” Fiera said, looking over at the other young man.

“Fury, you’re a wonder,” Gaspare said. “How did you even recognize him? The man’s dropped a good fifty pounds at least since I last saw him.”

“I saw his name tag, and then I noticed the small tattoo under his right ear and realized it was the same man we both despised back on Bouarus,” Fiera said. “War changes people, Gaspare. You know that as well as I do.”

“Fury, can you talk like the Core Worlders and like us now?” Siobhan asked.

“Core, Colonies, I can do them both, Shiv,” Fiera said. “I prefer Colonies though. It’s more natural t’me.”

Alena laughed. “You might find yerself gettin’ asked t’come talk to the Core Worlders, to help out around town since you talk like them. It might get them t’respect you more and get us into trouble less.”

“Hey, if I’m not workin’ the fields I’ll help out where I can, Ma,” Fiera said.

“You serious, Fury?” someone asked.

“Straight and serious,” Fiera said. “Anythin’ t’help out the family and our people. I’m done with fightin’ unless there’s good reason. It’s just not worth it. It costs too many innocent lives.”

“I am remarkably surprised the daughter of Eire Rezouac would have that sentiment,” a cool feminine voice said.

Fiera stiffened. She knew that voice. From the way Gaspare and Kuen tensed, they recognized it as well. “High Admiral Seaton, what an unusual occurrence to have one of the High Command so far out in the Colonies,” Fiera said, switching back to the Core World accent. She turned to the immaculately dressed woman and placed her hands on her hips. “What do you want? We’ve got a farm to run, and I’ve been delayed longer than I like in getting things done because of the issues caused for me and my family by the CAF.”

High Admiral Seaton raised an eyebrow. “You consider those two as part of your family now?”

“Contracts to marry make them both part of the family,” Fiera said. “Kuen’s mine. Gaspare’s my twin’s.”

“You have a twin sister?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“Twin brother. Gaspare’s antero. I’m surprised you didn’t know the reason High Admiral Benoit disowned him,” Fiera said.

“I was under the impression he disowned him due to his defection to the Colonies,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“No, High Admiral Seaton,” Gaspare said. “I was disowned because I dared to marry a man in direct opposition to my father’s very skewed views on the world.”

“I’m sorry, Gaspare. For what it’s worth, not all of us think the same way he does,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“I appreciate the sentiment, High Admiral. However, what he says or does is no longer any concern of mine.” Gaspare put his arm around Phelix’s waist. “I’ve found a family that actually cares about me.” Joana slipped an arm in his free arm and Keoni moved up behind them to put a hand on Gaspare’s shoulder. “I have no need of his approval any longer.”

High Admiral Seaton smiled. “He’ll have a fit if I bother telling him this. I might just do it to force the old bastard to retire due to mental strain. It might do him some good.”

“High Admiral Seaton, was there a reason you stopped us?” Fiera asked. “My husband and my brother need to bathe and could probably use a proper meal since I’m certain they were not treated well while in the detention center.”

“I’m just surprised to find the Blue Butterfly flew home when she seemed so comfortable on Bouarus,” High Admiral Seaton said coolly.

“I detested Bouarus but didn’t have the means to return home without falling back into the same trap that landed me as the Blue Butterfly in the first place, High Admiral. I was not willing to take on that kind of debt again, so I was willing to wait and bide my time. When war became inevitable, I was returned to the Colonies by some very well-meaning and well-connected patrons,” Fiera said.

High Admiral Seaton glared at Kuen and Gaspare. “Yes, we’re aware of how you escaped us, Ms. Rezouac. Believe me, we were very angry with these two for that one.”

“I’m sure you were. You had plans on parading me around to prove my father was either too weak-willed to keep up the fight because he was saving his daughter, or too callous to save a life because he left his daughter to be tortured and killed by the CAF,” Fiera said. Alena gasped. “I’m aware of what your plans were, High Admiral. This makes me very grateful to my husband and my brother for their quick thinking in smuggling me out of the Core.”

“How could you possibly have figured that out?” High Admiral Seaton demanded.

“High Admiral, you are constantly operating under the misguided notion that just because we eschewed the more advanced technology we neglect our education here in the Colonies,” Fiera said. “I will wager most of us have a higher educational background than most of your high-level officers and we’re farmers. Now, do explain why a member of the CAF High Command is on Sorus, of all places?”

She said this last with enough volume that it made several people turn and look at the woman. People started whispering and several insults flew in lieu of more dangerous items. No one wanted to risk an open riot and getting shot. It was clear High Admiral Seaton was not welcome where she stood.

“My business here is confidential, and you are not a member of the CAF,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“I see,” Fiera said. “Well, I suggest you take your business off of Sorus as soon as possible. You aren’t well liked here, High Admiral. You will not find your stay here pleasant.”

“If anyone causes trouble they’ll be shot for their actions,” High Admiral Seaton snapped.

“We don’t have to resort to violence, High Admiral,” Fiera said. “There are many ways we can make you uncomfortable without ever doing anything that would qualify us for getting shot under the Accords. This is our planet, and we know it far better than you will ever be able to.”

“Withholding valuable information could be seen as a form of violence, Butterfly,” High Admiral Seaton said. “Consider that when you discuss inciting rebellion against us.”

Fiera laughed. “High Admiral, you are under the impression that we’d do anything. We won’t have to. Sorus will take care of you without us ever doing anything. I notice you’re using one of the special suits that allows a featherweight to survive on a high grav world. How long do you think that suit will last with the constant strain on it? I give it two days, maybe three, before it starts failing. Our gravity is on par with Gaitera, and I know those suits don’t last more than a few days there.”

“I do have more than one suit, Butterfly,” High Admiral Seaton said. “I am also trained to survive on a high grav world without the suit, so if I have to, I can deal with the gravity here without it.”

“Then why aren’t you already doing that? If you wanted to impress us that would have been the way to go,” Fiera said.

“There is only one way to impress Colonial drek,” High Admiral Seaton spat. “And that is to resort to violence because that is all you seem to understand.”

“We are far more reasonable than you give us credit for being,” Fiera snapped back. “You Core Worlders have never bothered talking to us. It’s you who can’t do anything but utilize violence and fear as a weapon against us.”

“If you hadn’t withdrawn your trade agreements from us, we wouldn’t have had to annex you in the first place,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“Who told you we withdrew our trade agreements? We were in the process of negotiating more advantageous trade contracts with several CWA entities when the CAF attacked us without provocation,” Fiera said. “The CAF and the Assembly betrayed us, not the other way around, High Admiral.”

“How would you know?” High Admiral Seaton asked. “You’re not old enough to remember the start of this conflict.”

“No, but I am,” Alena said, joining her daughter. “We were livin’ peacefully and tradin’ with the Core when out of nowhere we were attacked and annexed. The lies about us stoppin’ tradin’ didn’t even start makin’ the rounds until three years after the annexation was complete ‘cause there were those in the Core who objected to what happened and the Assembly had to come up with a reason for it that would silence those voices.”

High Admiral Seaton stared at Alena. “You were alive when the annexation happened?” she asked.

“Alive and workin’ in a hostel that catered to Core Worlders comin’ out t’the Colonies,” Alena said. “Some were doin’ business, some were movin’ out to get away from tech, and some were just there for a vacation. It was good work, hard but honest, and I met a lot of interestin’ people.”

“Alena’s not the only one who was around before the annexation,” an older farmer said. “I was on Icrtara, lookin’ fer a way out of the family business, when the first call fer settlers fer Sorus came up. I came here first and laid some of the early foundations fer the first few cities here. This was before the annexation. I had my farm established and was startin’ t’grow my first crops when we were annexed. I almost lost my farm ‘cause of the obligations laid on us by the Core.”

A few others spoke up, sharing their experiences prior to the annexation. One man came from a family who traded exclusively with the Core who could confirm his family didn’t stop trading with the Core until the annexation made it illegal for Colonists to trade their own goods. They had to go through Core representatives and couldn’t make as much money trading because they were considered suppliers and not actual traders.

High Admiral Seaton listened carefully. “This is true for all those who remember life before the annexation?” she asked. “They’ll confirm you were still trading with the CWA?”

“Every last one of them,” Alena said. “It was how we got the limited tech we used, not t’mention we did like our luxuries which we purchased from the Core.”

“Why are you fighting against the annexation? Didn’t that just give you better access to that tech and those luxuries?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“High Admiral Seaton, we can’t afford the goods from our own homeworlds let alone the goods from the Core. We’ve been stripped of our rights, our possessions, and what little wealth we had accrued,” Fiera said. “We are forced off our homeworlds and into extreme debt, which leads to indenturement and long-term exile from our homes. Many indentured Colonists are killed by those who buy their debts, and nothing is done about it. We are considered less than human by Core Worlders and as such our lives mean nothing. Our children are enslaved to pay debts we have no choice but to take on because the Assembly says we must. There is nothing like what the Colonies face going on in the CWA. Michi Nakano’s plan to destroy the Colonies to get at my father is paying off for her and is destroying us.”

“What do you mean, Michi Nakano’s plan?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“Every action the CAF takes is ordered by the Assembly. The Assembly is bought and paid for by Michi Nakano,” Fiera said. “The annexation and the war are nothing more than actions she’s taken in her ongoing feud with my father after he broke off their engagement and disappeared into the Colonies to get away from her. My father’s actions are reprehensible, and they are in direct response to Michi Nakano. This whole mess is a long, drawn-out lovers’ feud between two incredibly selfish people who cannot get over each other.”

“High Admiral Benoit has known this for some time,” Gaspare said. “I helped provide some of the information to him about the relationship between Eire Rezouac and Michi Nakano.”

“You are more than welcome to my father, if you can capture him, High Admiral Seaton. You won’t find many people out here who will offer him shelter or aid,” Fiera said. “In fact, if he crosses our paths he will be shot and delivered to the CAF for you to do as you please with him.”

High Admiral Seaton looked confused. “I thought you would all rather fight than give him up,” she said.

“Hardly, High Admiral. He has caused more trouble for our family, and we are not inclined to shelter him,” Fiera said. “You will find this sentiment shared by most of our neighbors.”

“Wing him and give him to the CAF,” someone shouted.

“Let them deal with him. It’s no more than he deserves,” someone else agreed.

“How interesting,” High Admiral Seaton said. “Does this feeling extend to all the remaining members of the resistance?”

“Any known resistance members will be turned over t’the CAF,” someone said.

“We don’t want them here any more than you do, High Admiral,” someone else said.

“High Admiral, the vast majority of us just want to do our jobs, take care of our families, and live our lives as quietly as possible,” Fiera said. “That includes me. I’ve seen enough war and death to last a hundred lifetimes.” There was a weariness in her tone that she knew the High Admiral would hear. “We are too busy trying to meet our obligations and keep our families out of the hands of the ISRS to want to play games with the resistance. If we catch any of them, we will turn them over to the CAF. Their presence is a disruption to our lives that we do not need.”

“How interesting,” High Admiral Seaton said. “Are your feelings shared by everyone?”

“Most people feel the same way we do,” Alena said. “There’s a few who might try t’shelter known resistance members, but they can’t hide them forever and in the end they’ll get caught too and we’ll turn the whole lot of them over to yer soldiers. We want peace, not violence.”

“A remarkably progressive way of thinking,” High Admiral Seaton said. “One that I could only wish was shared by the rest of the Colonies.”

“You may find that this opinion is shared by more of us out here than you think, High Admiral,” Fiera said.

High Admiral Seaton frowned and walked off. “This can’t be good,” Gaspare said. “Seaton doesn’t leave the Core without reason.”

“Do you think they’re goin’ t’start somethin’ out here again?” Keoni asked. “I don’t want the littles hurt ‘cause somethin’ set a fire in their afterburners.”

“You think it’s da and his friends?” Marc asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Fiera said. “Come on. Let’s get the boys home. We’ll find out soon enough what’s happenin’. If there’s a High Admiral out here, it’s not goin’ t’be good. I want a decent meal in my stomach before it starts.”

“I hear you there,” Phelix said.

“Fury, you think they’re goin’ t’bombard us again?” a woman asked fearfully.

“No reason fer them to,” Fiera said. “But that’s never stopped them before. I’d make sure the shelters are stocked, just in case.”

Several men headed off in the direction of the shelters while a few of the women went straight to their homes. “What will they do?” Gaspare asked.

“They’ll call their friends and family. Those will call everyone they know, and it’ll get spread like a wildfire that we could be in for trouble. Families will have time t’prepare,” Fiera said. “I don’t know what we’re gettin’ ready fer – and it could just be nothin’ – but if somethin’ does happen, we’ll have an easier time of gettin’ everyone into the shelters safely.”

The Rezouac family split up and went back to the two farms. Fiera fixed a meal for them. Kuen and Gaspare ate and bathed. While they were bathing, Fiera changed out of her dress but made sure the phoenix was fastened inside her shirt as always. Kuen came in after bathing and found her pacing around their room.

“You’re not going to help anyone wearing yourself out like that, Fury,” Kuen said.

“Here,” she said, pulling the ring off. “I don’t get this back until we’re married.” He ducked down and she hooked the chain around his neck. “I feel safer with you wearin’ it.”

Kuen pulled her in close. “I’ve missed you, my phoenix,” he said.

Fiera wrapped her arms around him. “I’ve missed you too,” she said.

They stood there for several minutes, Fiera listening to Kuen’s heartbeat. A loud explosion sent her running for the window. The house shook as a second explosion went off. “What is it?” Kuen asked.

“Those bastards are bombin’ us again,” Fiera said. “For no frakkin’ reason, they’re bombin’ us.”

“Seaton asked about the resistance. Could they be hiding out here?” Kuen asked.

“If they are, they’re goin’ about findin’ them the wrong way,” Fiera snapped.

“Fury, ma’s on the comm,” Phelix yelled. “Get down here now.”

Fury was halfway down the stairs before she just jumped the last half. She landed easily, her old grace returning. She ran for the comm. “Ma, you okay?” she asked.

“We’re fine,” Alena said. “Shelby’s comin’ t’get you. Nickel’s comin’ t’get us. Fury, if we lose the crops, I lose Herry.”

“Ma, breathe. We got money. We’ll pay your taxes this year if we have to,” Fiera said.

“She’s right, Alena. We won’t let Herry be indentured,” Kuen said.

Some of the strain on Alena’s face faded. “But what about yer farm?”

“We’ll manage,” Fiera said. “Come on, Ma. I’ve got a few things I can sell. Our farm’s so small we can get by.”

“Don’t you go sellin’ that ring, Fury. I’ll sell your da’s weddin’ ring if I have to first,” Alena said.

“I promise, Ma,” Fiera said. “I won’t sell my ring.” There was another explosion and the comm went dead.

“Did she end the call?” Gaspare asked.

“No, they took down the comm grid,” Fiera said. “Skathi, now ma’s really goin’ t’worry.”

Shelby showed up a few minutes later. No one spoke. They just jumped into the skimmer. Shelby redlined it as she went as fast as she could for the shelters.

She got them into town. The stream of people was chaotic, and many were panicking. Fiera found the rest of her family and their group joined with the rest of the Rezouacs as they dove into the designated shelter space. “Why’re they doin’ this, ma?” a child asked, tears streaming down her face.

“‘Cause they’re greedy bastards and won’t let us be,” her mother said, holding her close.

“Could be they think the rebels are here on Sorus and they think beatin’ us into submission will bring them out,” Alena said.

“It’s yer husband’s fault, Alena,” the woman snapped.

“You aren’t hearin’ me argue, are you, Nadiya?” Alena snapped back. “If I could, I’d turn him over to the CAF right now so they’d take him and all his friends and leave.”

“What about Fury? She’s a rebel too, isn’t she?” someone asked.

“No, she isn’t, and don’t you go spreadin’ that kind of lie,” someone said, hitting the person who spoke as hard as they dared. “Fury’s been defendin’ us and tryin’ t’keep that frakkin’ ketch High Admiral Seaton from doin’ this. She told her none of us was shelterin’ the rebels and t’leave us alone.”

“All I ever wanted was t’have my frakkin’ farm, marry, and have littles,” Fiera snapped at the person who’d accused her of being a rebel. “My da had other plans. I didn’t get a say in any of it. If I had, I’d have told him t’shove his plans up his afterburners and prob’ly shot him myself.”

“You?” The person snorted. “Yer Eire’s favorite. You wouldn’t have done anythin’ against him.”

“Are you so sure?” Phelix asked. “Fury’s goin’ t’shoot him as soon as she sets eyes on him. If she doesn’t get him, I will. He almost killed her husband. He almost killed her. She doesn’t care about him any more than the rest of us do.”

“I would be curious,” a feminine voice said. All eyes were drawn to High Admiral Seaton, who had made her way into the shelter with several CAF soldiers. These soldiers kept their hands on their guns as they watched the hostile or frightened faces around them. “To hear your side of the Lusitania tragedy.”

“I don’t remember much about it, to be honest,” Fiera said, dropping the Colony accent. “I bought my ticket to Totov, thinking I was going to earn my tier three cert in botany and then get a job working life support for the company who owned the passenger liners. That’s what my father told me my cover story would be. I remember buying my ticket. That is absolutely the last thing I remember clearly until I came back to myself on Bouarus.”

“He used DiME programming on you,” Thea said, her voice thick with horror. DiME programming was not a tool to be used lightly in her profession, and the fact that it was used to create a false persona for Fiera would be something that bothered her.

“You had to have a contact to utilize your true persona in the Core,” High Admiral Seaton said.

Fiera nodded. “Lady Kakoric – my father’s twin sister – was apparently my keeper. She used a particular phrase to wake me, but I was never really in control even then. She was supposed to get as much as she could about anything that would affect the Colonies from me and then put me back to sleep so Fiera Molohaney would wake up.”

“They didn’t count on her formidable willpower cracking the DiME persona,” Kuen said.

“When that happened, I realized what that frakking waste of genetic material did to me, figured out what the connection with Lady Kakoric was, and used a private comm to fully break down the DiME programming,” Fiera said. “I merged the persona I’d been programmed with and my own and continued life as the Blue Butterfly until I was returned to the Colonies.”

“Do you still have your knowledge of everything you learned as the Blue Butterfly?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“Every bit of it, locked up in here.” Fiera tapped her temple. “And there it’s staying unless I have a use for it.” She smiled coldly. “Such as pretentious generals who think we’re backwater idiots and not the well-educated population we actually are. Or High Admirals who have a fetish for torturing those from the Colonies and derives sexual pleasure from our terror.” She tapped one finger against her lips. “Or was that High Admiral Aceves? You two are so much alike I always got you confused with one another.”

High Admiral Seaton glared at her. “You think this gives me pleasure, Butterfly?” she asked.

“Absolutely I do. You’re down here so you can watch our misery firsthand instead of being up with your fleet. What else am I supposed to think?” Fiera asked.

“I’m here to ensure that our targets don’t escape again,” High Admiral Seaton said. “I dislike having to use force like this.”

“Then why are you? I assume your line of questioning from earlier means you’re after the members of the resistance who you suspect to be hiding on Sorus. You have no business wiping out our crops again just because you’re hunting down a handful of idiots,” Fiera snapped.

“How can we be sure you’re not sheltering them somewhere? This way we know you’ll learn your lesson and not do something so foolish,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“Tell me, High Admiral. Does the ISRS give the High Command a kickback for every life it enslaves?” Fiera snarled. The admiral looked at her with some confusion. “If you destroy our crops, we’ll not be able to pay the obligations to the Core. If that happens, we lose an entire generation to indenturement. I assume, since the CAF does this so frakking often, you must get some kind of payment from the ISRS for every life you help ruin.”

“We receive no kind of payment or benefit from the actions of the ISRS,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“If you find out where they are, will you stop bombin’ our crops?” Herry asked, shocking everyone. All eyes fixed on the twelve-year-old boy. He was pale and shaking.

“If there’s some proof of where they are then yes,” High Admiral Seaton said. “We will stop the bombardment of the crops.”

“I know the general idea of where they’re hidin’,” Herry said. “My da told me where he was goin’ and where the rebels would be hidin’ when they came back to Sorus.”

“Where is he?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“They’re in the badlands,” Herry said. “If you have a map, I can show you.”

High Admiral Seaton frowned. She pulled up a map of the planet. “Show me.”

“Leave off, Ma. I can do it,” Herry said. “You and Fury are right. Da doesn’t deserve our help, and if his friends are here and gettin’ us bombed out again, they don’t deserve us savin’ them either.” Herry walked up and tapped a segment on the map. “I don’t know the area very well. I never went huntin’ out there.”

“I know the area fairly well,” Fiera said. “So do a lot of us. Hunting in the badlands is something most adults do at some point in their lives because it’s an easy source of food.”

“Where would be a likely place for them to hide?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

Fiera walked up. “Here or here. Fresh water, good hunting, and lots of cover.”

“Here too,” a man said, coming up and tapping another location. “There’s a cave system that used t’be home t’some pretty nasty beasts. We cleared them out the year after you left, Fury. Rebels could’ve turned it into a nice warren.”

The High Admiral looked at Fiera. She put her hand to her ear. “This is High Admiral Seaton. Abort previous attack vector. Target the following coordinates.” She rattled off the areas Fiera and the other person had pointed out. “Hit it hard and fast, then send in the drop ships to check for biologics.” She looked at Fiera. “If they’re there, I’ll leave your crops alone. If not, the crops die and your planet can suffer.”

Fiera spun around so she wouldn’t hit the woman and stalked back over to her family. “Herry, why didn’t you say somethin’ earlier?” Alena asked.

“‘Cause I wanted t’protect da, but I can’t do that anymore. I don’t want to be indentured. There’s lots more like me that’ll get hurt if da and his friends don’t get caught,” Herry said miserably.

The sound of the bombs changed to something more distant. Keoni went rigid. “Skathi,” Thea muttered. She caught hold of his face. “Keo, focus. Yer here, with me and the littles. Come on, Keo. You can do this. Breathe in and out. Count the breaths with me. Come on, Keo. Please.”

“What’s wrong with him?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“He’s a vet, like most of us in here,” a man said. “He took a lot of damage. His wife’s tryin’ t’keep him from goin’ insane.”

Fiera wasn’t faring much better than her brother. The sounds of the bombs reminded her too much of the explosion on Junna. The memories she’d tried to suppress came crashing down on her head. Kuen put his hands on her shoulders.

“Breathe, Fury,” he murmured. “You’re not there. You’re here with us. Do what Thea suggested. Count the breaths.”

Fiera struggled but felt herself losing to the panic. “Fury, sing,” Thea said suddenly, looking over her shoulder. “You’ve got the best voice t’drag him out of this.”

“Me? Sing?” Fiera’s voice was rough as she fought with her own panic. “What am I supposed t’sing, Thea?”

“I don’t care. Somethin’. Anythin’.” There was real desperation in her voice as Keoni’s body started going rigid.

“Anyone have a guitar?” Phelix asked. One was shoved in Fiera’s hands. “Sing, Fury. Focus on the music.”

The first song that came to mind was the song she wrote for Kuen while on Junna. She took a deep breath and started singing. From there she sang one of her old favorites, talking about how scars couldn’t hide real beauty. Then she went on to a song about how truth set you free and lies kept you trapped.

She paused, her throat dry. Keoni looked at his sister, tears streaking down his cheeks. “Thanks Fury.”

“Glad yer here, Keo,” Fiera said, coughing. Someone handed her a flask of juice. She took a big drink. Her hands were still shaking but the overwhelming sense of fear was gone. “Don’t suppose you want t’sing ma’s song with me?”

“Yeah, let me get a drink and I’ll sing with you,” Keoni said.

“So will I,” Phelix said. The rest of the Roughlings circled around her and they sang the song she’d written for their mother. Then she and Phelix sang the song she’d written for their grandparents.

“Fury, do you have anythin’ new?” someone asked.

Fiera paused. “I do, but I haven’t had time t’practice it yet. I don’t know if it’s any good.”

“Try it out on us. It’s not like we’re goin’ anywhere,” Shelby said. “You never used t’be so shy.”

Fiera snorted. “Shy isn’t it, Shell. Okay, okay. I’ll sing it. Just remember, if it’s bad it’s yer fault. You asked.” There were some laughs, a few were slightly hysterical, but she could see she was helping distract everyone.

Fiera rested her fingers against the strings of the guitar. This one was going to be hard. It was another one she’d written for Kuen, to show how much he meant to her. She took a deep breath and struck the opening chords.

The song was someone encouraging a wing clipped phoenix to burn away her bedraggled feathers and to fly again. Kuen stirred beside her. Did he understand the meaning? She hoped so because this was one of her most personal songs yet.

She finished and there was a burst of spontaneous applause. Fiera passed the guitar over to Shelby. “Are you done?” Shelby asked.

“Yeah, someone else gets t’keep us entertained. I’m played out,” Fiera said.

“How about the Ballad of the Heartland?” Shelby asked, looking at the others in the shelter. There was a general agreement and soon others were joining in with Shelby in singing the familiar old tune.

“You and I need to talk later,” Kuen whispered in Fiera’s ear. “About that last song.”

“I figured,” Fiera said.

High Admiral Seaton came over to her. “That first song you sang, where did you hear it?”

“I wrote it. I wrote all the songs I sang,” Fiera said tiredly. She leaned against Kuen. “When I get stressed and can’t hit somethin’ I write music. I couldn’t as the Blue Butterfly, but I’ve started doin’ it again. It seems like a safer way t’handle my temper.”

“It sounded almost as if you were singing from the perspective of someone in love with a man on the other side of the war than you,” High Admiral Seaton said.

“High Admiral, I wrote that while I was in Phoenix Squadron, leadin’ my soldiers against Core troops,” Fiera said. “Far as I knew, I was fightin’ against Kuen and would probably end up dead by his hand ‘cause I sure as hell wasn’t goin’ t’be able to shoot him. In the end, it turned out to be a moot point ‘cause I was captured by an agent of Michi Nakano instead of the CAF.”

“Is that what happened to you?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“You should ask High Admiral Benoit why he’s keeping important secrets,” Gaspare said quietly, hanging onto Phelix’s hand.

“He knew who had her?” High Admiral Seaton asked.

“He did,” Gaspare said. “For a full five months before he bothered telling me. The only reason he didn’t get hit was because he was on Cova and I was on Celaria.”

“I see,” High Admiral Seaton said. “Those other songs you sang, Butterfly. When did you write them?”

“First, my name is Fiera. You can use that or Fury. I left the Blue Butterfly behind on Bouarus,” Fiera said. “As for when I wrote them, most of them are old songs I wrote when I was in my teens and early twenties. The last one I wrote while Kuen and Gaspare were in the DC as a way t’keep myself from goin’ completely insane.”

“How interesting.” The High Admiral returned to her seat and watched the people try to keep themselves from panicking by singing and entertaining each other.

“It’s takin’ forever,” Joana said, coming over to Fiera six hours into their being stuck in the shelter.

“This kind of thing does, Joei,” Fiera said.

“I’m gettin’ worried that they didn’t find da and his friends,” Joana said.

“There’s three areas t’search. It’s goin’ t’take some time. At least the bombin’ has stopped,” Fiera said.

The High Admiral stood up. “It seems you were all right. My drop team found a collection of bodies and were able to identify some key people among them,” she said. “The only one we haven’t been able to locate is Eire Rezouac.” There was a collective groan. “Don’t worry. We’re not going to continue the bombardment over one man. However, if you do see him the reward for his capture is now double if he is brought in alive.” With that the shelter was opened and everyone escaped into the evening gloom. “General Athalos, the curfew is suspended this evening so these people can reach their homes in safety.”

“Yes sir,” General Athalos said. “Sir, shall I offer the use of the military skimmers to get some of these families out to their farms? There are those who live quite a distance away from town.”

“I don’t see why not. We did cause a major disturbance in their lives today. We can afford to be generous this once,” High Admiral Seaton said.

Fiera and her little family availed themselves of the military skimmer, probably one owned by a family on Sorus before it was conscripted by the CAF, and headed home. “You’ve got a pretty voice, Ms. Rezouac,” the soldier driving it said. “Thanks for singing for us.”

“I sang for my people,” Fiera said. “To keep them calm.”

“Yes, but it helped a lot of us too,” the soldier said. There was a pause. “Ms. Rezouac, you might be surprised to learn this but not all of us are happy about how things are either. We follow our orders like we’re supposed to – we’ve all learned that lesson – but we’d like to go home too. We want you to be able to live your lives and us our lives and just be normal people too.”

“A pity we can’t convince the High Command of that,” Gaspare said.

“I wish we could,” the soldier said. “There’s a lot of us who’d like to go home to our families.” She laughed. “I know I look young, but I’ve got a wife and two children waiting for me on Diopra. I haven’t seen them since just after we adopted my youngest, and that was a few months after the war ended. I went into the reserves and was immediately pulled back into active service.”

“Maybe one day there’ll be a real peace between Core and Colonies,” Kuen said. “And we can all raise our littles without having to worry about this whole mess.” “I hope so,” the young CAF soldier said. The journey continued in silence and the four got out at their house. They thanked the soldier and sent her on her way. Phelix took Gaspare’s hand and the two went into their room. Fiera took Kuen’s and they went to their room together.