And that’s good. Because while we might not be strong enough to stop the Imaia from bringing their tyranny to whatever other worlds exist out among the stars, our children will be stronger.

The hour of the forging of the Remnant

Uuchantuu had only just climbed off the wing of Edendo's fighter—with Jaran's help, as her legs had turned to jelly from clutching the wing of a fighter while flying through the air—when Koruuksi barreled into her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank the auroras you're okay," he breathed, squeezing her.

"If you swing me around, I will throw up on you."

Koruuksi set her down, raising an eyebrow, and Uuchantuu smiled at him, throwing her arms around him. He returned the embrace, and she squeezed him just as hard as a warmth spreading through her.

When she pulled back, she took his face in her hands, looking him over, then meeting his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He knew she didn't mean physically.

Koruuksi gave her a half-smile and nodded. "I will be. I'm much better now that you're here."

Then he frowned, looking her up and down/ "Are you okay? you look—"

"Like I've been in a fight?" she finished. "That tends to happen when you raid a military installation. Jaran and Edendo made sure I got out okay, though."

Uuchantuu smiled, laughing as Koruuksi turned to the two men, who had held each other in an embrace. He gave them each a big hug, lifting them off the ground and laughing. Koruuksi made a remark to Edendo that Uuchantuu didn't hear, and both Edendo and his husband laughed.

Koruuksi patted each on the shoulder before turning back to Uuchantuu and pulling her into another hug.

“I don’t know if Araana’s going to make it,” she said, voice tight as she clung to her friend, “We got her out, but…”

“Then that’s all that matters,” Koruuksi said, squeezing her tight. “The medics will do what they can. When she makes it out, you’ll probably be her new hero.”

Uuchantuu blushed, choking back a sob, but frowned at Koruuksi as she pulled back, trying to play it off. "And by 'proud' you mean you never doubted me for a moment?"

Koruuksi smiled. "Of course not."

Uuchantuu's chest grew warm again, and somehow a smile tugged at her lips.

Auroras, he really means it.

Clearing her throat, Uuchantuu nodded toward the transport. "Who's the woman that ran after you after talking with Estingai?"

This time, Koruuksi blushed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, "That's Mahele's daughter, Paiz. She and I had a few things to clear up. Mahele… he’ll need a little time to process Kytai’s betrayal.”

Uuchantuu raised an eyebrow, then blinked as Koruuksi's blush deepened, cheeks turning a dark purple.

"I'll tell you later," he said, "if you haven't found out by then."

She probably would—she'd radioed Luuhuuta and Akseli to ask around as they helped unload supplies and fill her in on what had happened before they arrived.

"Have you spoken with Estingai yet?"

He shrugged. "Sort of? Not really. She has more important things to worry about right now. I will talk to her later, though."

Uuchantuu held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. She was about to look toward one of the other ships, when she caught something in Koruuksi's eyes.

"Will you really be okay?"

He didn't answer, and she stepped closer, putting a hand on his arm. "You know I'm here for you. You don't need to act like everything is okay around me. Remember that."

Koruuksi smiled, crossing an arm over his chest to take her hand/ "Thank you. I'm sorry I don't do that more for you." He took a deep breath. "I'm also sorry for being such an ass and leaving you hanging like that when you needed me."

Uuchantuu snorted. "Thank you." Then she softened her expression. "I handled it, though. I think we both needed to remember how to function without each other."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Koruuksi frowned, but nodded. "You're probably right."

"I missed you, though."

He smiled. "Me, too. And I'm glad that we can both successfully not screw everything up when we're apart. Though, by the looks of things, you did far better than I did."

Uuchantuu grinned.

"Never do that again?" Koruuksi suggested.

Uuchantuu shook her head. "Starless nights, no."

He grinned, pulling her into a hug. Then he stepped back. "I won't try to step in or take over or anything, by the way." Koruuksi looked to Jaran and Edendo, then to the other ships and their people. "It looks like you've built a good team. I'll just be your point-man, and your medic when needed. I do have a few people you might want to bring in, though."

Uuchantuu rolled her eyes and gave him a flat look. "You're too much like Estingai to keep that promise. I appreciate the thought, though."

Koruuksi sighed, but didn't object to it.

Uuchantuu smiled at him, then caught a familiar face over his shoulder. "Speaking of Estingai…"

Even as Koruuksi turned around, Uuchantuu jogged past him toward Estingai. She pulled up short at the last moment, remembering that Estingai had an image and propriety to maintain as a leader, no matter how much Uuchantuu wanted to hug her sister.

"I'm glad you're okay," Uuchantuu said.

Estingai smiled. "Me, too. And thank you. This wouldn't have worked without you."

She glanced around at the ships for a moment before looking back to Uuchantuu. "Is what Akseli said about how much you brought back to Wolfden accurate?"

Uuchantuu nodded. "We took everything we could."

She blushed as Estingai beamed at her, and her eyes bulged when the older woman pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," Estingai whispered as Uuchantuu returned the embrace. "Thank you so much."

Uuchantuu found herself unable to speak. She just squeezed Estingai as hard as she could.

When she pulled back, she smiled up at Estingai, then swallowed and glanced back toward Koruuksi.

"I'm going to go check on my team," she told Estingai. "I think you two should talk."

* * *

Koruuksi looked after Uuchantuu for a moment as she walked away, still a bit surprised Estingai had hugged her in public.

That’s… out of character.

He didn't have any sort of image or propriety to maintain—or, he guessed being more physically affectionate was part of his image—but Estingai took that sort of thing much more seriously than he did.

When Koruuksi looked to his sister, he met her eyes as she studied him, doing the same. Neither one wore their masks, yet he still couldn't read her face.

He approached her.

"You shouldn't have asked so much of Uuchantuu," Koruuksi said when she met him halfway. He winced as soon as the words left his mouth.

You're trying not to be an asshole, remember?

"I know."

Koruuksi blinked at his sister, and found she was no longer looking at him. Instead her eyes were downcast, gaze far off.

"I shouldn't have asked it of either of you, but I had no choice."

She sighed, then looked in the direction Uuchantuu had gone for a moment before returning her gaze to him.

"Uuchantuu, at least, seems to have come out of it stronger."

Estingai looked him up and down. "What about you?"

Koruuksi thought for a moment and had to flex his fingers as the burning rage of realizing Kytai's betrayal came back to him.

"I think the line I'm willing to cross has moved a bit. But I still need to be absolutely certain before crossing it."

Estingai nodded.

"What are they going to do with her?" he asked. He didn't need to say who.

Estingai glanced back over her shoulder.

"We don't have the resources to imprison people. They're either exiled or executed. And she's too dangerous to merely exile."

Estingai sighed, turning her gaze back to him.

"I think Paiz will likely take care of that personally after a very thorough interrogation."

"That doesn't bother you?" Koruuksi asked. "That she gets to kill the one responsible for Svemakuu's death?"

"Does it bother you?"

Koruuksi frowned, thinking, then shook his head. "I think it's best if I make sure it doesn't."

Estingai snorted. "You're a better person than I am, then. Or a healthier one, at least."

Silence stretched between them, quickly growing awkward.

"I'm sorry for being such an asshole.”

Estingai blinked at him, eyes wide. Koruuksi continued before she could say anything. He needed to just get it out.

"And for not taking care of all this more quickly. And for being so distant before I left. I know it would have been better if we'd talked before I left, but I just—"

He cut off with a sigh as words failed him.

Estingai stepped in close and hugged him.

"I know. I'm sorry, too. Are you… sure you're okay?"

Koruuksi hugged her back, then pulled back and shrugged. "I'll get there. What about you? You seem better, but…"

Estingai frowned, then took a deep breath. "There are some things I need to talk to you and Uuchantuu about later. Alone."

Koruuksi tensed, eyes wide, but Estingai shook her head. "Nothing like that. Nothing any of us need to worry about right now. I just…" She trailed off. I went through Svemakuu's things."

Koruuksi gazed wide-eyed at his sister. The sudden tightness to her voice tugged at his heart.

"I used my orangenodes," she said, hand going to her chest. "Tried to remember him, but it was just too much." She took a deep, shuddering breath, "I don't know if I can recover from this, Koruuksi. I can keep going—I will keep going, but I don't know if I can ever be who I was again."

Koruuksi gazed at his sister for a moment, then pulled her into a hug, holding her tight.

"I'm not sure if any of us can be," he said as she hugged him back, clutching at his jacket.

For a moment, Koruuksi almost thought he felt Estingai relax into his embrace. Then she stiffened.

Koruuksi pulled back, scanning their surroundings. Nothing seemed off.

"What is it?" he asked, looking back to Estingai.

Her gaze was far off for a moment, then she blinked and shook herself, shooting him a tight, half smile.

"Nothing," she breathed. "I just missed you."

Then she nodded back toward the dais at the front of the massive cavern Last Shadow used as a hangar.

"I should probably go speak with Paiz and the others. Need to see what Ironpeak's opinion of all this is, and who will be leading them. And make sure Meik'ka and Uuldina don't try to work with Paiz to edge me out."

Koruuksi nodded, then thumbed over his shoulder to the fighter Uuchantuu had rode in on. "Take Edendo and Jaran with you. People in Ironpeak like them. They should be able to help."

Estingai nodded and then smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you, Koruuksi. I couldn't have done this without you."