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Kuen’s muscles strained under the load, but he pulled the cart of stone out of the field. All around him other residents of the farming community labored alongside him and his family to clear the fields before spring planting. Fiera passed him with an empty cart and grinned tiredly at him. They’d been at it since just after dawn and it was almost sundown. They’d continue working until the last of their neighbors had to leave to make it home for curfew, pausing only for the meal cooked by Alena and Thea in the makeshift cook tent the two women had set up.

Kuen didn’t know how Alena had done it, but two days after Himostava she’d shown up not just with her own children but with two dozen other adults from the community. Not only did they help move the stone, but the engineers in the group also shored up the valley walls to prevent this from happening again during another earthquake. Any stone that did fall would be shunted off to the sides, well out of harms reach of the farm.

“We’re almost done,” one of the men said with a weary sigh. “Another day of this and you’ll be set t’go fer spring.”

“We appreciate the help, Liam,” Fiera said. She knew everyone here. She’d grown up with all of them. Kuen was again reminded how he and Gaspare were outsiders in spite of being on Sorus for six years. They knew some people but nowhere near as many as Fiera and Phelix, and while the community knew who Kuen and Gaspare were it was the Rezouac twins they respected as being the locals.

“Yer ma is very persuasive, Fury,” Liam said with a chuckle.

“That she is,” Fiera said with a rueful laugh. More was said but Kuen was out of hearing range.

He reached the stone pile where Gaspare and a couple others were offloading the carts. “How much more do we have?” Gaspare asked.

“Another day and the fields should be clear,” Kuen said. “Or so Liam was saying when I was on my way down with his load.”

“I’ll be glad to be done with it,” Gaspare said.

“You and me both,” Kuen said, stretching and popping his back. “I don’t think I’ve hauled this much weight in my life. The grav sleds help but this is still heavy.”

“Unloading it isn’t easy either,” Gaspare said. “You and Fury are going to have a lot of stone to work out your frustrations on for years to come.”

“Always a good thing,” Kuen agreed. “Is there an empty I can take back up?”

“Right here,” one of the others said, motioning to an empty cart. Kuen grabbed it and took it back up while they got to work unloading the one he’d brought down.

He got back to the fields in time for Alena to call a meal break. He ate with the rest and was one of the first back to work. Mathilde came out of the house. “Kuen, there is a woman on the comm for you. She is CAF,” she said, almost spitting the last.

“We have friends in the CAF, Mathilde,” Kuen said. “What’s her name?”

“She said to tell you her name is Mouse,” Mathilde said.

“Go,” Fiera said. “If she’s calling it can’t be good.”

Kuen strode back to the house and sat down at the comm. “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking note of the distressed look on her face.

“High Admiral Aceves was assassinated over Himostava, and Darkling’s being implicated,” Lt. Coltrin said. “High Admiral Leone isn’t even trying to deny it. He said that she was a liability and that it’s Intel’s job to remove such issues. He gave Darkling orders to find a way to remove her from the High Command. It was up to him to figure it out. If assassination was the method used, then there was no other choice. He’s also not going to do anything to save him. Darkling is going to be executed for treason.”

“You need to calm down, Mouse,” Kuen said, reverting to her nickname. “You can’t let yourself be seen as overly emotional or they’ll start wondering if you were working with him.”

“You’re right, but there’s a lot of us here who are angry over High Admiral Leone’s treatment of Darkling who aren’t tied to Intel at all,” Lt. Coltrin said. “High Admiral Benoit would never have done this.”

“Can you get word to Fabrice?” Kuen asked. “Or get High Admiral Seaton to get word to Fabrice? I have an odd feeling that he might be able to do something to protect Darkling even if the CAF won’t.”

Lt. Coltrin’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t even thought of that. He hates High Admiral Leone as much as the rest of us since he wasn’t the replacement he picked.” A slow smile spread across her face. “Even if he can’t do anything it’s an idea. Thank you, Kuen.”

“I don’t know that he can do anything, but Fabrice Benoit was a master of military intelligence. He valued those like Darkling, and I don’t think he’d want to see him die because Leone was a vapor brained ass and none of the other members of the High Command were willing to speak up to save him,” Kuen said.

“I should get going. I might be able to reach Fabrice before his family leaves Cova,” Lt. Coltrin said. “I appreciate you taking time to talk to me.” Kuen nodded and the call ended.

“This Darkling, he is a friend also?” Mathilde asked.

“He’s been helping us look for our girls,” Kuen said, startling Mathilde. “We wouldn’t have known they weren’t in the hands of their kidnapper, let alone that it was possible they were rescued by Eire Rezouac, without his digging into it. Lt. Coltrin was the one who turned him onto the task in the first place. Not everyone in the CAF is bad, Mathilde. I won’t disagree with you that there are some corrupt officers and some nasty soldiers. I’ve met several. But remember that many of the soldiers are just ordinary men and women who are trying to get by and don’t really understand what’s going on.”

“If they do not understand, why do they fight?” Mathilde asked.

“Because that is what’s required of them,” Kuen said. He left the house and rejoined the others in the fields.

“Anything serious?” Fiera asked as she started tossing stones into the cart he was working in. He filled her in on what Lt. Coltrin had told him. “That’s despicable. I may despise Gaspare’s father for what he did to him, but from what I know of the man he’d never have left one of his people out to hang like that.”

“He wouldn’t have,” Kuen said. “He would have had all sorts of evidence ready to prove why High Admiral Aceves was a traitor and deserved her death, kept the identity of the assassin secret, and diverted the attention of everyone to Aceves’ crimes rather than keep the focus on who killed her. Leone doesn’t like Darkling so he’s able to get rid of two problems with one incident.”

They filled up the cart and Kuen hauled it down. He filled Gaspare in on what Lt. Coltrin told him as well. “My father is a vapor brained bastard but even he’d never have done what Leone is doing,” Gaspare said.

“That’s what Fury and I were saying,” Kuen said. “I’m fairly certain this is Leone’s way of getting rid of Darkling, who he doesn’t like, and Aceves at the same time.”

“You really think my father will be able to save Darkling?” Gaspare asked.

“If anyone can, he will,” Kuen said. “Your father hated wasted talent more than anything and I doubt that’s changed much.”

Gaspare snorted. “That’s the stars’ own truth.”

Kuen grabbed another empty cart and hauled it back out to the fields. He worked until he was so numb and tired he could barely stand. The last of the neighbors went home and Alena took her household home. Kuen sluiced off and fell into bed, Fiera collapsing next to him.

“One more day of this,” she groaned.

“We’ll be done with it then,” Kuen said.

“It’s worth it, right?” Fiera asked.

“We’ll be able to meet our obligation and we won’t lose Gael,” Kuen said.

“It’s worth it then,” Fiera said. Her words slurred and she was soon fast asleep. Kuen followed her into slumber a moment later.

The next day was a repeat of the previous several but at the end of the work day everyone celebrated because the last of the stones had been moved out of the fields. Alena fixed a huge feast for everyone, and they ate heartily. It was Keoni who first noticed the stranger at the gate. “Kuen, Fury, you’ve got a guest,” Keoni said quietly. “I don’t recognize him.”

Kuen looked over and his eyes widened. “Excuse me,” he said and walked over. “Darkling, what are you doing here?”

“Fabrice Benoit covered my tracks and told me to come,” Captain Drake said. “He sent me out here to see if I could be of use to you. He even managed to requisition me one of the heavyworlder suits so I could function without dying until my system gets used to the high grav.” He grinned. “Apparently Mouse called him on Cova. She must have been shocked when he told her he was already in the process of saving my hide.”

“How many in the CAF know your face?” Kuen asked.

“Out here? Only Mouse,” Captain Drake said. “And by the time Fabrice is done, High Admiral Leone won’t dare breathe wrong without fear of having his secrets leaked where he doesn’t want them. What secrets they are I don’t know. I’m not privy to that information.”

“Come on in,” Kuen said, unlocking the gate. “We’re having a feast to celebrate getting a landslide out of our fields. I hope you don’t mind being put to work as a farmhand, because that’s what’s going to happen once spring hits.”

“Point me to a job and tell me what to do,” Captain Drake said. “I’m not as strong as you and your family but I can learn.”

“Your help will be much appreciated,” Kuen said. He led Captain Drake over to the group. “No worries, Keo. It’s an old friend of ours. Daniel, this is Keoni Rezouac. He’s Fury’s oldest brother.”

Fiera grabbed his arm and pulled him down. “That’s Darkling,” she hissed in his ear.

“Yes. It seems Gaspare’s father sent him out here to hide. He’ll help us on the farm. I don’t know where we’re going to put him though,” Kuen said.

“I’m not giving up the girls’ room,” Fiera said.

“He can sleep on the couch until we can build a new room on to the house,” Kuen told her.

Alena walked up to Daniel and handed him a plate. “You look like you haven’t eaten in a good fair bit,” she said.

“It’s been a while since my last meal,” Daniel agreed.

“Eat up. I made more than enough,” she said with a warm smile. She glanced at Kuen with a raised eyebrow. “He family?”

“He is now,” Fiera said, answering for Kuen.

“You’ll have to explain later,” Alena said. She wandered off to deal with something else.

“Who was that?” Daniel asked, looking from Kuen to Fiera.

“My ma,” Fiera said. “Alena Rezouac. She’s kind of the matriarch of the whole family. Even I answer to her, and I’ve got my own household to run.”

“She’s got more presence about her than some people I could name,” Daniel said, digging into the food. “Oh stars, real food. I tell you, it’s been a good two days since I ate anything.”

“You shouldn’t be starving yourself like that,” Fiera said, clucking her tongue. Kuen grinned. Fiera was sliding into the same “feed and care” mode that Alena got into. “We’ll make sure you eat well, even if it’s all pretty plain fare.”

“Plain is better than living on water for two days,” Daniel said.

Gaspare joined them. “I just talked to Liam. Since we need another room added onto the house, he’ll be by in the spring to build one on in exchange for some vegetables from the greenhouse. He says if we don’t have enough, he’ll ask Alena to make up the difference,” he said.

“I’ll do it,” Alena said as she drifted past. “You just worry about gettin’ yer farm runnin’.”

“Yes Ma,” Fiera said with a laugh.

“Daniel, let me introduce you to the rest of the family,” Kuen said. “The ones who live here, at least.”

“Meaning who?” Daniel asked.

“My husband and our littles,” Gaspare said.

“Phelix – we call him Flicks – got too overwhelmed and is inside with the littles,” Kuen said. He led Daniel inside. “Flicks, we got us a resident farmhand. He’s been adopted into the family.”

Phelix looked up from where he was cuddling with the children. “He looks military,” he said.

“This is Darkling,” Kuen said. “Though we’re calling him Daniel for now so he doesn’t get caught out.”

“Ah, that’s fine then,” Phelix said. “Daniel, these are mine and Gaspare’s littles. The smallest of the four is Gael. She’s the youngest. The twins are Eli and Elian. This one’s Pascal.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Daniel said.

Kuen took Daniel over to where the holo still of the twins was. “And here’s our girls, safe on Annorth,” he said. “This is the most recent picture we have of them with their grandfather.”

“I’m glad they’re safe. I wish I could have done more to bring them back to you,” Daniel said.

“I wish we could have gotten them back sooner too,” Kuen said. “But Eire is sending us messages as he can letting us know how they’re doing, and we were able to send them their Himostava gifts and some cookies which made Fury feel better.”

“How about you?” Daniel asked.

“I’m still extremely angry,” Kuen admitted. “I’m also concerned for the welfare of my younger sister. I know what kind of monster my mother is, and I don’t trust her to be able to raise Kagome well.”

“There’s some concern about that among certain people too, especially since it looks like what is left of Michi Nakano’s mind is slipping,” Daniel said.

“What?” Kuen asked.

“She is forgetting things, losing track of time, making demands on the Assembly that are suicidal and has actually lost her some of her allies,” Daniel said. “She actually wanted them to order the CAF to force all humans off Annorth.”

“The Arpathi wouldn’t allow it,” Kuen said. “Not from what Fury and Flicks tell me about them, at any rate.”

“No, they wouldn’t. They would also look on the CAF interfering in their way of life as an act of war and the Assembly may be full of idiots but not a single one of them wishes to engage in hostilities with the Arpathi and Kwarron,” Daniel said.

“How did you find out about all of this?” Kuen asked.

“Fabrice told me. He said to tell you that just because he’s no longer the High Admiral in charge of CAF intelligence doesn’t mean he’s not keeping his hand in,” Daniel said. “He also said one of these days he plans on coming out here himself to have a word with Gaspare. I think the old man regrets cutting him off. He’s definitely changed his tune about the Colonies since he retired.”

“He has?” Kuen asked.

Daniel nodded. “He’s actively supporting the efforts to set things right out here, much to the dismay of Mercado and Dartle. Seaton finds it amusing, Classen thinks he’s completely lost what was left of his mind, and Leone was – until Fabrice stepped in to save me – agreeing with him. Now I think Leone is realizing just how dangerous Fabrice Benoit is, and that’s not a good thing.”

“It is a good thing,” Kuen said. “Because High Admiral Leone can’t be certain who works for Fabrice Benoit and who doesn’t. He can’t be sure if he moves against the man that Fabrice won’t be warned and retaliate. Leone is probably walking the plasma blade’s edge of paranoia right now, not knowing what Fabrice will do.”

“Which is just what my father likes doing to people,” Gaspare said as he and Fiera walked in. “Alena’s chasing everyone off, and then she and the Roughlings are packing things up. She sent us in to warm up. What’s my old man doing?”

“Scaring the High Command even though he’s retired,” Kuen said.

Gaspare smiled thinly. “As much as I hate him for what he did to me, I still admire him for the kind of hold he has on people,” he said.

“Daniel was telling me he’s changed a lot since then,” Kuen said.

“Oh?” Gaspare asked. Daniel reiterated what he’d just told Kuen. “My old man, the one who cursed the Colonies’ names every day, is actively supporting them? I wonder what changed him.”

“I have an idea, and you’re not going to like it,” Daniel said.

“What?” Gaspare asked.

“Someone sent Lady Benoit a holo still of a pair of very adorable littles – a boy and his younger sister – about a year ago,” Daniel said. “My guess is it was two of your littles. She showed the holo still to Fabrice and on that day he stopped trying to drink himself into an early grave. What little I got from Dorielle and Emele is that they think he’s doing this to keep the littles safe. Emele even told me he’s starting to ask more questions of your antero uncle and learn more about what it means to be antero. It also helps your youngest sister fell in love with a woman.”

“Honore is antero?” Gaspare rubbed his face with his hands. “She’s always been mother’s favorite. Mother must have been beside herself when she suspected who Honore was in love with and knowing our father’s attitude.”

“I don’t know the whole of it,” Daniel said. “Since your father is as good at keeping us out as he was at inserting us into other places. I’m only going based on what Emele and Dorielle said before I got pinned for Aceves’ murder.”

“Did you actually kill her?” Fiera asked.

“No,” Daniel said. “That was done by one of Leone’s elite teams. But since I’m a convenient scapegoat, here I am. I was off world trying to figure out how to get onto Annorth without getting myself blown up. The Arpathi really do not like the CAF.”

“You were trying to see if you could get to our girls to bring them home,” Kuen guessed. Daniel nodded. “You’d have had to convince Eire Rezouac you could be trusted, and I doubt he’d have been willing to trust anyone in the CAF.”

“That’s why I wasn’t going to go in as someone from the CAF. I was going to go in as your friend,” Daniel said. “I was trying to make the arrangements when I got the warning from one of the renegades in Intel. I called Fabrice and he made the calls that got me out here.”

“Well, there’s not much to do in the winter so we’ll put you to learning on the greenhouse plants. We’ll have to get the starts going for spring anyway. Easier than trying to go straight from seed,” Fiera said. “That way you can learn how to deal with plants in a controlled environment.”

“You’ll have to be patient with me. I’m not near as fast as the rest of you,” Daniel said apologetically. “The suit helps diffuse the gravity pull for me, but I can still feel it.”

“Of course you can,” Fiera said. “You’re a featherweight on a high grav world.”

“You’ll want to eventually train yourself away from using the suit,” Gaspare said. “They’re hard to repair and if you find yourself without it out here and you haven’t been practicing without it, you’re going to suffocate.”

“I’ve got it set to slowly diminish the diffusion over the course of three months,” Daniel said. “Fabrice suggested it since he knew how hard it would be for me to get it repaired out here.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Kuen said. “You’re going to be very uncomfortable as you get used to the high gravity, but you should be able to acclimatize better than most featherweights given how we’re trained in the CAF.”

Daniel nodded. “That’s what Fabrice said.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so where are you putting me to sleep until you can build my room?”

“You’re on the couch until we can set you up properly,” Fiera said. “The only empty room right now is our daughters’.”

“I wouldn’t ask for that one, and wouldn’t take it if it was offered,” Daniel said.

“We appreciate that, Daniel,” Kuen said.

“I think the littles are ready for bed,” Phelix said. “Gaspare, come help me get them settled and then we can all talk about things it’s better for small ears not to hear.”

“Agreed,” Gaspare said. He scooped up Gael and Elian while Pascal and Eli clambered up onto Phelix. The two men took their children upstairs.

Fiera got some bedding out of the cupboard and set up the couch as a bed for Daniel. Kuen showed him where he could stow his gear. Alena poked her head in. “We’re headin’ out, Fury. If you need me, give me a call,” she said.

“Thanks Ma,” Fiera said. “I appreciate all the help.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Alena said. She waved to Kuen and left.

Kuen sighed. “Now that’s what a mother is supposed to be like,” he said.

“That she is,” Fiera said. Kuen felt her wrap her arms around his waist. “Don’t you dare start comparing that woman with my ma, Kuen Rezouac. She isn’t anything like what a ma should be and the sooner we can work out how to get your sister away from her the better.”

“There’s some discussion about removing Kagome from her mother’s care but she apparently has a group of elite bodyguards watching over the child now,” Daniel said. “I think someone called them the Devas.”

Kuen grimaced. “The Devas are genetically engineered to be the consummate bodyguards and assassins. They’ll keep Kagome safe from outsiders, but can they protect her from her own mother?”

“Doubtful,” Fiera said with a snort. “Look at what Lakshmi did for that woman. Do you think her sisters are going to be any different?”

“Lakshmi grew up with my mother,” Kuen said. “She was intimately connected to her on so many levels I can’t even begin to untangle them. The other Devas aren’t that close with her.”

“True,” Fiera said.

Gaspare and Phelix came back down. “Okay, the children are down,” Gaspare said. “Now, can someone fill me in on what was discussed while I was still outside?”

“I’d like to know what I missed too,” Fiera said. Daniel and Kuen filled them in on the little they’d missed. “Michi Nakano is losing her mind, it’s anyone’s guess if Fabrice Benoit has lost his mind or not, and the High Admirals are squabbling between each other like bickering children. Some of the Assembly has woken up to the fact Michi Nakano is completely insane and turned away from her. Have I missed anything?”

“Only thing I didn’t get to mention yet is Aceves had no replacement waiting,” Daniel said. “He died in an accident a few months ago.”

“More likely Leone arranged for his assassination too,” Gaspare said.

Daniel shook his head. “It was an accident. There were plenty of witnesses and at least three different investigative agencies confirmed his death was just bad luck and faulty equipment. So right now there’s a vacancy on the High Command that they’re scrambling to fill.”

“That’s both good and bad,” Gaspare said. All eyes turned on him, but Kuen and Daniel were nodding. “Good in that it keeps the High Command off balance. Bad in that now we won’t know anything about who’s taking her place, where their loyalties lie, or what their motives might be.”

“Right now, I’m just glad Aceves is out of the picture,” Fiera said. “Playing politics between her and Seaton almost got my brother killed.”

“I know,” Gaspare said. “My concern is if we’re going to get another one like her that we don’t have any intel on because they’ve been chosen from the main officer pool.”

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Kuen said.

“That seems to be all we do these days,” Fiera grumbled. “Wait for something to happen with no way to do anything to change the miserable things that come out of others making the wrong decisions.”

Kuen slipped his arm around her shoulders. “That seems to be a common side effect of life, my phoenix,” he said. “There are those who make the decisions and those who deal with the aftermath. Unfortunately, we are among those who must cope with the fallout.”

“One of these days I’d like to be someone who makes decisions other have to deal with the fallout from,” Fiera muttered.

“If the ketch dies before Kagome turns sixteen, we’ll get that chance,” Kuen said.

“And if she doesn’t, we’ll have a younger version of your mother to torment us until we die,” Fiera said.

Kuen nudged her. “You are not in a fit mood to be around people tonight,” he said.

“No, I’m not. I’m going to take a shower and put myself to bed. You boys can stay up late to talk if you want,” she said. She turned and walked away.

“She’s, well, I’d like to say she’s not usually like this but unfortunately since the girls were taken, she’s almost always like this,” Gaspare said.

“Do you blame her?” Phelix asked softly, watching his sister walk away.

“Not in the slightest, Flicks,” Gaspare said. “I’d probably be the same. Or you would be, if it was our littles.”

Phelix nodded. “I know her better than any of you. She’s angry and hurt and very depressed. It’s taking everything she’s got to get through the day, and she’s got less to give to others, and it’s eating at her.”

“And the only thing that’ll fix it is if our girls come home,” Kuen said, seeing where Phelix was tracking.

Phelix nodded. “She’s never been good at dealing with emotional problems she couldn’t hit. That was always my job. Now I can’t fix it, you can’t either Kuen, and she’s struggling to accept the fact that she is essentially helpless right now.”

“I can only offer her so much help before she hits me hard enough to leave bruises,” Kuen said, rubbing his arm where the latest evidence of her less than gentle reminder that he needed to back off was finally fading.

Phelix winced. “Yeah, you’re durable enough you can take a hit or two. I think you two should start sparring again. I know you were doing it for a while but after the littles came along you quit. See if you can entice her back into that. It’ll give her someone to work her frustrations out on without her needing to admit she needs that help.”

“I’ll grab her in the morning,” Kuen said.

“Are you going to be able to fight, given how heavy all that stone looked?” Daniel asked.

Kuen snorted. “The day I can’t spar with her is the day I am officially dead, Daniel.”

“He’ll be fine,” Gaspare said. “These two have been through literal hell and come out sparring with each other. It’s just their way of showing affection I think.”

“In our own way it is,” Kuen said.

“It’s certainly Fury’s way of showing affection,” Phelix said with a grin. “Her favorite tactic is to either squeeze you hard enough to break your ribs or punch you hard enough to bruise. Haven’t you noticed that, Gaspare?”

“Truth be told, I haven’t paid that much attention,” Gaspare said with a laugh. “I think I’ll head up too. I need a shower and I can read for a bit before I fall asleep,” Kuen said. “You three can do whatever you want, within reason of course.” He laughed as Phelix smacked his arm lightly and went upstairs.