The day was raining, low clouds with purple and greenish lightning flickering in the depths, blue bolts now and then striking down out of the sky. The rain taste bitter on the tongue, with a metallic tang that made the back teeth vizz even as the taste left your tongue.

The house to house clearing had ended months ago, power lines and infrastructure were being relaid, and computer systems were being hooked back into the city. There were construction crews constantly at work, as long as worker safety could be seen to and maintained.

There was just so much to fix.

The hoverbus used graviton and fans to move quietly through the city, purring as it did so. It was fairly new, only a year old, brought in through great expense on the massive trading ships that plied the galaxies trade routes. The number 001 was popular with the people of the slowly rebuilt city as it was the first vehicle that represented normality to everyone.

The majority of the people on the hoverbus were either going to or coming back from shopping, heading to the homes of relatives or friends, or just running errands. Podlings, chicks, and hatchlings were looking out the windows at the rain, the lightning in the clouds, and the places where construction was still underway. They were excitedly pointing things out to their parents and each other. Several times construction workers waved at them, which made them all hop up and down and furiously wave back.

The bus stopped at a construction site just being set up, around a heavily damaged building. It still had damage from combat on it, unrepaired in over a year.

A single Telkan got off the bus, his hands jammed in the pockets of his heavy black coat, a hat pulled low over his eyes. The bus driver noted that the Telkan male was moving stiffly and wondered if he was all right.

The male crossed the street, walking over to a small group of mixed species people standing by the open gap in the wall where a fence had once been.

"It is good to see you," the newcomer said when a female Ikeekik embraced him.

"You came," a tall Terran human said. He was slender, like a honed blade, with brown skin and a shaved head.

"Of course," the Telkan said. "I need to see this."

A Frestilek female hugged the male Telkan. "Much has changed, has it not?"

"Yes. I am happy to see you survived," the Telkan male said.

The Shavashan with several small hatchlings in a comfortable nesting purse reached out and hugged the male Telkan. "I am happy to see you."

"And I you," the Telkan said. He sighed, stepped forward, and embraced the female Telkan present who was holding hands with two broodcarriers, who both were holding onto podling strollers. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," the Telkan female said, tears wetting the fur around her eyes. "We did what we had to do. He did what he had to do. We all saw how it was there at the end."

The male sighed, a very Terran sounding noise, and stared at the building. He could barely make out the old logo.

KISTIMET CORPORATE SECURITY

"A lot of bad things happened in there," the Shavashan said softly. "We saw and heard many many bad things."

"Momma sad?" one of the hatchlings asked, looking up from the nesting purse.

"It's OK, honey," the Shavashan said, reaching down and skritching the little hatchling's neck right behind the ears, making the hatchling purr.

The male Telkan took a small urn out of his coat and held it out to the female Telkan, who sniffled and took it, holding it tight for a moment. The female Ikeekik and Shavashan touched both her shoulders and the two broodcarriers keened in pain softly and rubbed her arms.

"I looked up where he went down, went out there and searched. Found a couple shards of armor. Put it in the urn with some dirt. I'm sorry there's no more, but the armor's self-destruct does a pretty complete job," the male Telkan said. "Again, I'm sorry."

"Thank you for this," the female Telkan said, wiping her eyes. "From his whole family, thank you."

A female elf, tall and graceful, dressed in flowing soft cloth, stopped next to the small group, looking at them for a moment with eyes that were full of care and sorrow.

"I am El-Dare-Seen-591, sister to Cel-ebrim-bor-274, who fell next to your mate," the elven woman said. "I bring condolences from my High Queen and pride in his bravery."

The female Telkan nodded.

The female elf held out her hand, turning it over and opening it, to reveal a small pin of three green leaves edged with gold. "She sends this. A token," the elf woman paused. "And a promise."

"I thank you," the female Telkan said.

"She promises that where your mate fell, there shall be trees, where there will be leaves for podlings to play in and soft moss for them to nap upon," the elf said. "There will be an elf there to guard them until the High Court is no more."

The female buried her face in her hands, weeping. The elf touched her shoulder and moved on, vanishing around the corner.

The others waited for the female to lower her hands, wiping her face and whiskers with a cloth.

"Ready?" the tall lean human asked.

"I am," the Telkan female said.

"Take your time," the male Telkan told her.

The female Telkan was the first to step onto the construction site. There were some workers over by a large truck. The sole Terran moved toward the group, a datapad in his hand.

"Is what?" a chick asked, pointing at the building.

"A terrible place," the Ikeekik answered.

"Look icky," another chick said.

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"Not like," a little Shavashan hatchling said.

"Don't cry, momma," one of the podlings, dressed in a tunic with a little hat on her head, said to the female Telkan.

"It's OK, sweetie," the Telkan female said, reaching down to pouch the little podling's head.

The Terran with the datapad came up and the little group parted to let him approach the female Telkan. He moved up to her and held out the datapad.

"The ants are in position. Just press that red button on the screen and the building will be down in seconds," the Terran said.

"Thank you," the Telkan woman said. She motioned to the broodcarriers. "Elisha'anti and Emthe'eesa, touch it with me."

Together the three Telkan touched the big red button marked "READY" on the datapad. As soon as they did the button vanished and it showed the interior of the building.

The Telkan male saw "Interrogation Cells" listed on the floorplan, shuddered, and looked away.

The building looked fine for a moment, the went soft and slightly blurry looking. With a sigh heard over the low rumble of thunder, the building collapsed into ash.

The small group stood there for a long time, staring, as a new building slowly came back up. Not a squat, oppressive looking building, but a building of white stone, clear windows, and comfortable looking walkways.

"Is it done?" the female Telkan asked.

"It's done," the male Terran said. The female Telkan handed him the datapad and stared at the building.

"What will it be?" the female asked softly.

"A long term physical, mental, and emotional care facility," the Terran with the datapad said.

"He would have liked that," the female Telkan said.

The Terran with the datapad nodded and walked away, going back to the group of construction workers who were all working with datapads.

"Look nice," one of the hatchlings said.

"Look, momma, daddy's name," one of the larger podlings said, holding tight the broodcarrier's tail.

USTOR MEMORIAL COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL CENTER was appearing on the front of the new building.

The female Telkan turned, wiping her eyes. "Come, loved ones, we need to go home."

"Momma tired?" the podling asked.

"Momma's tired," the female Telkan said. She looked at the male Telkan and patted the urn again. "Thank you, again."

"It was the least I could do. I'm sorry I wasn't there," the male Telkan said.

"Everyone thought you were dead. We've all seen what you went through," the female said, shaking her head. "You gave much."

"He gave all," the male Telkan said.

"Home. Is raining. Podlings need warm," the broodcarrier Elisha'anti said, her voice low and soft.

"Let's go," the female Telkan agreed. She held her broodcarrier's hands, the large two year old podlings holding the broodcarrier's tail, and walked down the sidewalk to a waiting hovercar.

"Take care of yourself, my friend," the Frestilik said, touching the male Telkan's shoulder.

"You too, my friend," the male Telkan said, returning the gesture.

The Frestilik left, going out to a waiting taxi.

"Our old lives are now gone forever. I do not know if I am glad or not. It seems there should be a reminder of what we endured, what we have escaped from," the Shavashan said softly.

"The Great Forge is reminder enough," the male Telkan said, shuddering.

"Be well," the Shavashan said. She nodded and moved away, looking into her nesting purse to check on her sleeping hatchlings.

The Ikeekik waited a moment, the looked at the Telkan male, who was staring at the building as if he could somehow divine its past and future by just staring. She shivered slightly, seeing the cybernetic eye, its frame black warsteel instead of the more common durachrome or prosthetic blending types.

"Is your mate and broodcarriers well?" the Ikeekik asked slowly.

"My mate is stressed, but that is to be expected," the male Telkan said.

"I will go now. My chicks should be out of the rain," the Ikeekik said.

"Be well, old friend," the male Telkan said.

"This is the last time we see each other, isn't it?" the Ikeekik asked softly, their voice full of pain.

"Yes," the male Telkan said.

"Please, do not lose the part of you that told quiet jokes on the bus ride home," the Ikeekik said. "Do not them take that last part of you as they took so much from all of us in that terrible place."

"I will not," the male Telkan said. "Be well, old friend."

The Ikeekik touched the male Telkan and left, opening an umbrella and hobbing down the street, leaving only the lean male Terran and the male Telkan.

"Come a long way since here, haven't you?" the male Terran asked.

"Yes," the Telkan said. He gave a long sigh. "Sometimes I just wonder..." he let his words trail off.

"Sometimes, so do I. I've been Space Force for centuries and sometimes I look back and wonder," the Terran said. He touched the Telkan's shoulder. "Just remember, there's no going back. Even if you wanted to, nothing goes backwards but C+ shells."

The Telkan gave a very-humanesque snort of laughter. "C+ shells, cures all your ills. Apply as directed."

The lean Terran barked a laughed. "You'll do fine, sir."

"Thank you, Sergeant," the Telkan said. "You staying here or being deployed out? Heard the Second Wave is about to hit Lanaktallan Space."

"That's just rumors, sir, you know that," the Terran Sergeant grinned. "I'm staying here. They want the Army to dig in on Telkan-1 and Telkan-2. I'm assigned here for another eight years anyway, they don't need me somewhere," he looked up at the sky then back down at the Telkan. "How about you, sir?"

The Telkan nodded. "Pulling out soon."

"Come home safe, son," the only Sergeant who would call the Telkan that said. He touched the Telkan's shoulder. "You want a ride back?"

The Telkan male shook his head. "No. I'll ride the bus."

"If you're sure, sir," the Terran said, shrugging. He turned and left, leaving the male Telkan staring at where the new building was taking place.

"Worker Vuxten, you are fined one hour's pay for loitering," the Telkan whispered to himself.

After a long moment he turned and left, walking quietly through the rain to the bus stop. He sat, staring at the damaged buildings that were still being repaired or, if they were too damaged or had too dark of a past, demolished. Several Telkan sat near him, and an Ikeekik with a clutch of tiny cheeplings in her nesting purse sat and kept glancing at him. She surreptitiously took a picture of the male Telkan with the cyber-eye with her phone, putting it up on her social media account.

The bus showed up and they all filed aboard. The male Telkan stared out the window as the bus slowly moved through the route, lost in thought, lost in painful memories of fear and pain.

At the gate to the Space Force Telkan Marine base the bus stopped and the male Telkan got off the bus, moving slowly and a little stiffly. The gate guards recognized him without even consulting their implants and saluted as he moved by. He just nodded, walking slowly up the street.

He looked at the buildings, at the two parks, at the swimming pool.

The pool is reserved for podlings... he thought to himself, his lips twisting in a wry expression. He shook his head.

When he reached the nice little house he slowly walked up the walk.

"Worker Vuxten, you are fined one hour's pay for tardiness," he whispered to himself as he reached for the front door.

The door opened to reveal a female Telkan, white fur on her muzzle, around her eyes and ears.

The female Telkan hugged the male. "Are you all right?" she asked softly into his ear.

"I will be," the male said. "Let's go inside. I want to be with you, our broodcarriers, and our podlings."

The door closed behind them.

Inside the house, he sat down for the last dinner he'd have with his family until it was all over with. Afterwards he played with the podlings while his wife and broodcarriers sat on the couch, holding each other's hands and watching.

Much later his implant woke him. He got up carefully and quietly so as not to disturb his wife or his broodcarriers. He knew his wife was awake when he touched her shoulder and whispered "I love you. All of you." He got dressed, knowing she was staring at him though almost closed eyes, memorizing every bit of him.

He quietly went downstairs, picking up his gear, and walked out into the night.

Other Telkan were leaving their houses as he walked out to the sidewalk, heading for the Division muster point.

He was dressed in adaptive camouflage, his brimmed hat on his head, as he walked. Some Telkan waited until he passed, others hurried out of their homes as he walked down the sidewalk.

In a long streaming line the Telkan Marines of First Telkan Marine Division made their way to the muster point in the pre-dawn darkness.

The male Telkan made sure everyone was in place, checking with company commanders, brigade and regiment commanders. Afterwards he took his place, standing next to the Commanding Officer of his unit.

On his shoulder was the crossed rifles over upraised fist in the middle of a triangle.

At the order they all filed onto the dropships. Once seated, the dropships lifted up, vanishing into the night. Leaving behind all most of them had ever known. Leaving behind friends, family, children as the dropships made their way toward the massive combat ships waiting in orbit.

The Telkan were going to war.