Chapter 111: Reunion
“That it, sir?”
Rob nodded as the pilot highlighted a cleared section of the land surrounded by silver walls. From his brother’s descriptions alone, he was able to visualize roughly what to look for, but seeing it for himself—even through a screen—didn’t quite capture the scale of what Joseph had actually achieved. Finally, after so long not knowing when his next call would reach no one, he could meet his last remaining family.
The only issue was the large fire.
Based on the few conversations regarding the practice, there weren't many times that they had a fire like that going during the day. Sure, there was apparently a pit that they had going most of the time for their exploits with the local wood and discouraging wildlife, but that one was supposed to be behind the biggest building. The bonfire happening at the moment was off towards the walls and a fair distance away from anything else.
He hoped they were just celebrating something, because the alternative was a funeral.
“Where can we land?” he asked, satisfied that the location matched what he expected. It was further verified by Silva, confirming the general structure of the outposts they were looking for and showing it on her tablet for the others. The pilot pointed to one of a handful of clearings within a reasonable distance.
“We can set it down there. Should be everything we need. Once you get there, try to get clearance to land within the walls. It’d be safer for everyone and I can see a spot we should fit.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get my things ready.”
Silva chirped her excitement when he turned to leave, joining him as he made his way out the doors and towards their room. “We should have everything already packed, right?”
Robert pulled her into his side to give her a light squeeze, his smile a bit more strained than he would have liked. “Well, I just want to make sure.”
Some crew passed by, idle chatter amongst themselves fading as they turned a corner. Once they were clear of anyone overhearing, his fiancee beckoned him closer, having him lean down so she could whisper. “You’re nervous?”
He smirked, accepting that he was unable to hide much of anything from her. He straightened up as they reached the end of the hallway, pressing a button to call the elevator. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Why?”
Robert ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s been almost a year, Sil. God knows that man has been through hell and back—and that’s just what he hasn’t hidden from me.”
The elevator dinged, the doors opening. They got on, Silva giving him a worried look while he selected the crew quarters they stayed in. “Think he’s changed?”
“I know he has,” he admitted with a sigh. “Joe isn’t the same guy I was trying to get out of depression when I sent him on that cruise. I’m just worried that what he has shown me isn’t just the best version of what’s left.”
She reached out, grabbing his hand with her wingtips. “We’ll go meet him, then you can spend as long as you need to catch up; make sure that he’s still the man I’ll be calling my ‘brother-in-law.’” She giggled, fond memories coming back to her. “You both enjoy speaking a little too much, so I suppose I should make sure to pack extra snacks.”
He bumped into her playfully. “As I remember it, my talking to myself is exactly why we’re together.”
“I never said it was a bad thing,” she returned with a wink, smiling as they got to their floor. He stepped out, sweeping an arm wide to present the way forward.
“Then I hope my lady won’t mind if I take the time to properly converse with my brother.”
Silva’s feathers shimmered, the baby blue hue shifting in the ship’s lighting. She accepted the grandiose gesture, standing as tall as her small stature allowed and attempted to look more regal than amused as she walked out. “I’ll forgive you for now.”
“For now?”
She trilled her laughter. “For now. You better introduce me properly!”
He nodded through his chuckling as the love of his life lifted his spirits. “Of course, dear. Whatever you say.”
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The Spirit touched down on the golden grass in a gap amongst the forest, sending waves across the land and bending branches of trees as the engines powered down.
The landing zone they picked was fairly close to Joseph’s settlement, but far enough that—if the worst came to pass—they could keep the crew safe. He didn’t want to assume anything too early, but the sensor technician suggested a craft had already landed on the planet. Harrow had mentioned that a Lilhun military scout ship had made it here before them, and he could only hope that it was still separate from the ships hovering a bit further out in the system.
If everything was going to go as planned, then he needed better ground to stand on.
Oddly enough, the approaching ships had parked themselves a few days ago and didn’t look too interested in rushing to claim the land. It raised some questions, though none that the crew could answer with any confidence—they were too busy making sure they weren’t noticeable to look into it.
Sil offered a hopeful whistle, her subtle worry souring the tone as she noticed his pensive expression. Most of the crew were staying on board while they were making the trip, but even with only four of his security detail, he wasn’t concerned for his own safety. They were the best of the best, and it helped that they had been working together long enough to almost publicly be friends.
Almost, because they insisted on keeping a slight distance that ‘allowed’ them to perform their job beyond closed doors. It didn’t stop the group from carrying on or having pretty personal conversations while they were acting in private, but the moment that duty called and outside eyes were available, they were no longer the people he could share a drink with; they were soldiers.
Steve—an average height man with a penchant for sleek armour—stood relaxed next to the door, thumbing shells from his bandoleer into the shotgun he refused to replace, an amiable nod given as Robert and his fiancee approached. “Boss.”
Rob rolled his eyes, scanning the room for the other three humans that would be accompanying him.
Besides Silva, the Trilaxin were being left behind—mostly because it was unanimously agreed upon that bringing them would probably cause the more skittish members of the newest species to open fire. Steve grabbed a few more shells from a box on a shelf next to him and refilled his belt, letting the weapon he was holding fall to be supported by the strap. Confident that his main firearm was ready, he checked the magazine of his pistol, then slotted it back into its holster.
“The guys are making sure those readings are right before we let you off the ship, sir,” the soldier reported, bumping his hip off the wall and habitually wrapping his hands around his shotgun. “They’ll be here when we get the all-clear.”
“If there’s anything out there, it’s probably just wildlife. We’ll be fine,” Robert refuted sarcastically, checking his own sidearm. Joseph had made it clear how annoyingly inconsistent the fauna could be, and he was inclined to believe him. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t stay put until the people he trusted to protect his life were fine with going, however, just that he would be a pain in the ass about it for his own amusement. Or he would, if Silva didn’t instantly reach up to smack him across the back of his head. Luckily, the feathery appendage startled more than hurt.
“Listen to them,” she chirped, frowning at his casual dismissal. “Joseph made it abundantly clear just how dangerous that wildlife is, and I’m too young to be a widow.”
Steve snorted his laughter at the much smaller woman’s chastisement, but forced a stoic expression when Rob gave him a toothless glare. Satisfied that his subordinate knew not to make both of their lives harder by encouraging her, he held his palms out in surrender to his fiancee.
“I will, I will. I know we didn’t come all the way out here just to die to wolves.”
“Speaking of wildlife,” a deep, booming voice chipped in. “It looks like we scared them off. Scans are clear.”
A hulk of a human entered the hanger, his equipment closer to what a bomb technician would wear than an ex-military asset. It made for an imposing figure, and that was ignoring what the man held. He insisted on using what he lovingly dubbed his ‘Daka’ and made a show of resting it upright on his shoulder.
Contrary to the debates him and Steve had, the aforementioned weapon was actually just a cut down machine gun of some type. Rob could never keep the old models in memory—nor the exact reason for the moniker—but it chugged, rather than spewed bullets, and had a large box that fed a belt into it. If Tom wasn’t the monster of a man that he was, then the Martian would bet the gun would be better used as a mounted weapon, instead of being lugged around so casually.
Robert waited until Tom was done stealing the spotlight to nod towards the door the soldier came from. “Where’s Rick and Samair?”
“Said they were getting extra equipment they need,” the man provided, smiling politely for Sil before raising a brow towards Steve and getting a shrug in return.
“Rick wants to keep explosives handy. Doc is checking his stuff and making sure the radio works.”
“Radio?” Sil asked, tilting her head. As usual, the men blinked at how naturally she rotated it so far. She never really registered that most humans would find the act incredibly uncomfortable, so she never bothered to temper the speed or angle.
“Works better than our usual methods this time,” Robert explained, smiling at the confusion. Some found her body language jarring, but he had come to find it adorable. That was simply the woman he loved. “The warp-spike has been fluctuating recently, so we decided to pick something more reliable—even if it’s worse, normally.”
She nodded her understanding. It wasn’t likely for people to be scanning for such blatant transmissions down here anyway, and the increased reliability more than made up for the limited ability of the tech. They would need to verify that the signal was clear as they went, but that was what came with the downgrade.
Tom and Steve shared a smirk as they double-checked their equipment and prepared for the outing, finishing up just as the last two members of their group joined.
Thankfully, both of the others were geared up in much less distinctive attire—a simple vest holding their ammo and a rifle slung over their shoulders. Rick had the additional explosive charges on a belt around his stomach, his tattoos and gruff exterior making him visually distinct in a way that was hard to match. Samair just kept medical supplies in his various pockets and backpack. It was always a good idea to be able to treat a wound if anything went wrong, and the medic was qualified to do pretty much everything shy of neurosurgery.
How the middle-eastern doctor came to be employed by a PMC—then by Rob—was more a series of coincidences than an actual progression of his career, but the man was even-tempered and kind, so most never bothered digging into it. Between putting holes in people and sewing them up, the internal nickname of ‘Doc’ was still used amongst the crew—even if Samair refused to respond to it. He was polite enough that Rob honoured the request not to use it. Not that anyone else bothered.
“Ready boys?” Steve asked loudly, getting serious expressions and sharp nods in return. Each soldier chambered a round. “I want a four-point perimeter and shouldered guns. If it moves, I want it sighted and verified. We are dealing with possible friendly unknowns struggling in an alien environment; if there is so much as one bullet fired that I didn’t personally authorize, you will be the next thing shot, and I’ll personally hold Doc down until you bleed out. We are not letting your twitchy fingers fuck this up. Do I make myself clear?”
The other three stood straight, Samair suppressing a roll of his eyes. “Sir, yes, sir!”
Steve nodded, glancing at their employer. “Ready, boss?”
Robert patted Silva’s back. With the Trilaxin giving her best attempt to seem confident, he waved a hand outward.
“Let’s go.”
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It was interesting for him to walk amongst the oddly-coloured flora. Silver bark, golden leaves and grass, an orange sky accented by blue clouds, marginally higher gravity, and—like Joseph told him quite a while ago—the eerie rolling silence drew his attention, each combating to prove themselves the most ‘alien’ as distant noise of the ecosystem picked back up well after they passed.
Silva spent her time talking to herself in her native tongue, making him mute his translator just a few minutes into the spiel. She learned English as part of her duties before they were engaged, and had since come to prefer using it when speaking with him or other humans who knew it, over relying on the variance that Union-provided translation tech often supplied. Since the contents seemed to be speculation on whatever crossed her mind, he decided that she would let him know when she had something relevant to say. It wasn’t like Lilhun or Atmo was a part of the language packs he had available, anyway.
The soldiers who acted as his security were spread out; Steve and Tom held the front, while Rick and Samair followed at a short distance. All four had their guns slowly scanning the trees, the flat expressions betraying how routine it was for them. Considering that they were on a planet that had literally only just been confirmed safe to breathe the air of—the only difference being that it was slightly richer in oxygen—they were completely unfazed. No known enemies, no known wildlife, and no known landmarks, yet they moved smoothly, unperturbed as they fell into their training.
The closest thing they had to a confrontation was Steve halting their progress and sweeping the canopy with his gun, eventually refocusing and giving permission to continue, but also telling the others to double-up on vigilance. The rest of the trip was a fair bit more tense with the four soldiers never taking a finger away from hovering over their triggers, but the additional layer of caution did wonders for Silva’s nervousness.
Thankfully, that was the only event of note during their trek, the silver walls of his brother’s home coming into view as they reached the clearing it occupied. He knew there was supposedly a gate they could enter from, but wherever it was, they couldn’t see it. It was much larger than he thought it would be, and that only made the feat that much more impressive—the towering structure making the idea of climbing it untenable.
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After a brief vote, they picked a direction and started circling the walls, the escorts happy to have one less direction to keep their barrels aimed at.
His building hope turned to a sickening churning of his stomach as they progressed. It wasn’t a surprise, considering the brutal nature of the stories Joseph had shared, but...this?
There was blood staining the clearing and walls. So much blood.
“Combat,” Rick concluded, pointing to the increasingly common scorch marks along the silver bulwark. “Looks like a lot of it, too.”
“No bodies,” Tom added curiously. Samair crouched to examine the grass, pulling everyone else to a stop. He put on an examination glove to test the crimson fluid on his fingers, his gaze following the slight smearing.
“Clotted, but fresh enough that it hasn’t completely dried. There was a fight here, but the corpses have been moved. No signs of survivors leaving, anyway.”
“Clean up?”
The doctor stood, removing the glove and tossing it into a pocket for later disposal while warily eyeing the trees. “That’s my guess, but it hasn’t been very long.”
Steve kept his attention on the wall, eyes darting to and fro. “Anyone notice any movement? Hear anything? This is supposed to be like a village, right?”
The group silenced, listening closely.
Nothing.
An exchange of glances had the four escorts tighten their formation, Robert placing an arm protectively around Silva as they moved on.
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The evidence of the violence increased as they finally neared the gate, painting a much clearer picture of what happened. Torn armour and weapons lay scattered, large tree trunks fashioned into projectiles were embedded into the dirt, and arrows peppered the ground. Scorched sections accented both the wall and grass, leaving just the slightest hint of burning wood in the air.
Looking through the passage, there was even more damage done, and not a single person—Lilhun or otherwise—to be seen. Just vacant structures and damage to the settlement.
“Are we sure we’re doing this, boss?” Steve asked hesitantly, his shotgun kept forward. Tom mirrored the sentiment while he kept watch, Rick and Samair covering the rear. Rob took a breath, glancing to Sil for her input.
“We came all this way,” she stated simply, giving her most supportive smile. Reassured and emboldened, he nodded, urging the group forward. Steve reluctantly accepted, gesturing for Samair to radio in what was happening. After informing the crew that they had reached their destination, but it wasn’t as lively as expected, they received confirmation and requests to return if things looked risky. Satisfied, the soldiers took point as they entered the gate.
The buildings were surprisingly robust in design, based on the hammering they had taken. Each looked no worse for wear structurally, though visually they had seen better days. Not to be deterred by the carnage, the group pressed forward, weapons scanning around each corner as Robert took in the place that his brother had built from the ground up.
It carried a different kind of weight, knowing that a man trapped without a single member of his own species had managed to make something like this—regardless of how much help he had. Everything had an air of professionalism, but with character that extended far beyond that of prefab units and established paradigms. Even the subtle differences in window sizes spoke of the preferences of those who lived there, or of the needs related to whatever work was done within, and the layout of the settlement as a whole allowed plenty of space between buildings. The fallen posts and tipped over benches probably lent a comfortable aesthetic at one point, but their battle-worn appearance now just spoke of a desperate struggle.
He found himself clenching his fist, the white-knuckled grip driving his nails into the palm of his hands.
His brother had struggled so hard, overcame so many challenges, and when help finally arrived...this was what they saw. Not the smiling face of the family member Robert had broken more laws for than his lawyers would care to think about. Not Joseph showing off the place he was so proud of, nor the people he had come to be so close to.
No. Just a war-stuck village and the wisps of smoke from a dying bonfire in the distance.
How late was he?
“Boss.”
Did he make it in time at all?
“Robert?”
Was there anything left to save?
The pain in his wrist snapped him out of his thoughts, Silva digging the small claws of her wings into his arm. He flicked his gaze down to her, seeing her own focus elsewhere. Following it, he spotted what had gotten the group’s attention.
A Lilhun. Specifically, one dressed in an eerily familiar uniform, though it was an imitation. The dark red-furred female walked calmly towards the group, her expression placid, but eyes cautiously examining the set of firearms aimed at her. She stopped a respectful distance away before bowing lightly, the slight amber beneath her eyelids exposing the ever-vigilant regard that eventually settled on the Trilaxin. She spoke in a soft—though growled—utterance, patiently awaiting a response.
Robert took a step forward, placing himself slightly in front of Silva. “We’re not here to cause trouble. Do you know English?”
The female blinked, visibly surprised by the language. Recomposing herself, she wiped off the emotion and repeated her bow. “Then I shall re-introduce myself. I am Scarlet, lead servant of Grand Hunter Joseph. May I ask your business?”
Five seconds in, and he was already sick of waiting. “I’m here to see my brother.”
Her eyes narrowed as she rose, again inspecting the guns still levelled at her. “Then you will be stripped of your weapons.” She gestured to the battle-scarred settlement. “I need not explain why, correct?”
“Boss, you can’t—”
“—Do what she wants, Steve,” Rob interrupted, leaving no room for argument. Sil placed a wing cautiously on his back, receiving a placating smile over his shoulder. He focused back on the Lilhun.
“You’re one of the assassins Joe trained, right? Where is he?”
A dangerous smirk broke through the servile mask before taking on a melancholic tint. “The master is mourning the losses. My others will take your kinetics, then I will be happy to escort you.”
Tom yelped, drawing attention to two more females dressed the same as Scarlet. They held out their paws expectantly, but kept their heads inclined and eyes closed. After some gentle reassurances, and some not-so-gentle glares, the two silently disappeared with the guns—much to the guards’ collective displeasure. Oddly enough, no one bothered with the pistol on Robert’s hip, though the uninterested glances made him sure they were aware of it.
Rick made a quiet, spiteful joke about his explosives still being on hand, but quickly patted his belt to find nothing occupying the pouches. Scarlet simply smiled when the man scowled at her.
“Our purpose—first and foremost—is to ensure that which may harm what belongs to him is removed.” She extended an arm out as she turned, offering the way onward. “Of course, that may include those who claim their intentions are pure, yet seek to deceive us. Shall we go?”
The soldiers took turns glaring at Rick, the man shrinking a bit under the scrutiny. Rob shook his head, breathing a sigh of relief now that he could focus on the good news.
Joe was alive.
Scarlet waited for them to start after her, the lingering glance at Silva not going without notice. Regardless, she didn’t have anything to say about the Trilaxin, and led them through the settlement without further complaint.
The signs of conflict ebbed and flowed with their surroundings—some areas having evidence of full-blown war, while others seemed to be more representative of what the settlement used to be. Those places brought pride and pain in equal parts to the elder Wright’s heart. He could practically see the place filled with friendly faces and barking laughter as the population carried about their day.
As it was, there were only vacant sections absent of smiles.
“What happened?” he caught himself asking wistfully. Scarlet’s ear turned back towards him, but she otherwise continued without breaking stride.
“Incursion. A male sought to slaughter and claim what was ours.”
“And where is that bastard now?”
“Where he belongs,” she answered, bored by the question, though Rob could swear there was a lilt of glee to her voice. “Along with all else who seek the same.”
He was going to ask what she meant, but her tone made him hesitate. He resigned himself to just asking his brother.
Not much longer now.
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It took a minute, but they did start to see signs of life past the few ‘servants’ of Joe’s. At first, it was someone carrying some clothing from one of the houses, their back turned to them as they turned a corner. Then, it was a pair of males sleeping in the open, blood staining their fur and exhaustion taking away the ability to stay awake as they sat against a building. Slowly, more dozing people could be seen—some of them stirring as the group walked past—but the rare instance of those still actively moving was the interesting part.
They would see humans, widen their eyes in surprise, then notice Sil before letting apprehension take over. Silent queries were answered by their guide shaking her head, and the subtle explanation was accepted with wary nods.
One female repeated the process, jogging off out of sight before Scarlet could reassure them. Contrary to what he expected, they returned only a few moments later, a tall female following and dismissing the first. The black-furred addition paused mid-stride, their expression slipping from hostile to pure shock.
Though he hadn’t really seen most of Joseph’s pack—only really speaking with Pan, Tel, and Harrow—he did know the main ones by description. He smiled weakly, fixing his jacket with a tug. The female blinked, walking towards the group with only a glance spared to Silva. Robert motioned his guards back as he stepped forward, Scarlet bowing towards the new female respectfully.
They stopped just beyond arm’s reach from each other as the black-furred female took her time examining him, eventually flicking an ear and sniffing the air more forcefully, as if taking in his scent.
“Robert?” she asked carefully, confusion evident. He nodded, holding his arms out slightly to display himself.
“In the flesh. I take it that you’re Sahari?”
She returned the confirmation, regret marring her expression. “Why might you be... Why now?”
He struggled to maintain the smile. “I kind of guessed that I missed something. Is he okay?”
Sahari’s gaze wandered elsewhere, a blink bringing it to the ground before she cycled a breath and focused on him. “Physically, yes. Though...”
“How bad?” he questioned quietly.
“He is suffering,” she answered, straightening up and making an attempt to seem reassuring. “But he is still our Grand Hunter, if that was your concern. He is a strong male.”
Rob snorted a mirthless laugh, shaking his head. He gestured to the others with him one at a time. “There are more back on my ship, but this is the group I have with me. This is my security detail—Rick, Samair, Tom, and Steve—and this is Silva, my fiancee, as well as the Trilaxin representative for your people’s first proper contact.”
Sahari nodded in greeting, her eyes softening at the mention of a personal relationship with the avian. “I am Sahari, Head of personnel management. If you come as friends, then you will be treated the same.”
“They do,” Rob asserted firmly, glancing at Steve. There would be no screwing around, and he needed the soldier to keep the others aware of that. “We were told the settlement was attacked?”
“Indeed, and though the source has been dealt with, it was not without casualty.”
He flinched at the sorrow in her tone. A thumb jabbed over his shoulder towards their medic. “How can we help? We have a doctor if you need it.”
The black-furred female smiled, tipping her head towards Samair. “If this one would be amiable, then perhaps one trained in medical affairs would be appreciated. The amount of our own who are versed in such is rather lacking.”
“Sir—“
“—Anything you need,” he interjected, cutting Steve’s protest short. Rob gestured for the middle-eastern man, the medic joining his side with confidence and motivation to help. “He’s qualified to do pretty much everything you could have come up, and has the materials on hand for half of it; the rest is on my ship, along with anyone else qualified.”
“We would be in your debt,” Sahari assured, bowing her head in gratitude.
“After what you guys did for Joe? No. This isn’t even the beginning of what I intend to do for you.”
“Thank you,” she voiced quietly, her gaze warming further. She nodded to the servant. “Scarlet, could you escort this male to the den? There are many who would benefit from his attention.”
The dark red-furred female bowed again. “Of course. I shall alert Grand Huntress Sunundra for her experience with potentially relevant compounds as well.”
“Do.”
Rob raised a brow as Scarlet walked off, Samair in tow. “Sunundra? She’s here?”
“She is visiting for various reasons. You know of her?”
He returned a hesitant expression. “Harrow mentioned her when I last called.”
Sahari accepted the answer with a tilt of her head, taking a breath. “Shall we continue? I believe Joseph is with his mates at the pyre.”
“Sounds good to me,” he agreed softly, following her lead.
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They had to pass the ‘den’ to get where they were going, and finally, Rob could see where everyone was. People were carrying materials in and around the area, while others were helping treat what remained of wounds. He spotted Samair digging through his bag for some things while various Lilhuns less-than-discreetly talked amongst themselves, gesturing towards the new human. The medic didn’t seem to be considering much beyond whoever was put in front of him for treatment, and no one looked opposed to the new human, so Robert could breathe easier with that concern out of the way.
A blond-furred female exited the building, looking curiously towards them. With a wave from Sahari, the other joined them, standing to their new guide’s side. She repeated the same curious routine of looking at each of them—lingering on Silva—before sniffing the air and snapping her head to Sahari. With a small smile and a nod, the new addition brightened considerably.
“Joseph’s kin, no?” she asked to be sure. Rob smirked wryly, wondering how many times people were going to ask—and how they even came to the conclusion so quickly anyway.
Thankfully, the rest of the establishing ‘song and dance’ was handled by Sahari, and her mate, Nalah, was more than willing to pause what she was doing to join them. More people noticed the arrivals, and more gossiped amongst themselves as they went past where Joseph had started living—the space evidently transformed into a hospital until everyone had recovered enough to fix up what was damaged.
All in all, it seemed like most were using the opportunity to hold a day of mourning, the morose atmosphere colouring even the most amiable interactions. It was understandable, but Rob felt guilty once he learned that he could have helped if he was only a day earlier. If nothing else, having something new to talk about should help with morale, he supposed.
They exited the constructed section of the settlement, moving into the ‘future developments’ portion. That alone made Rob feel like dirt. Joseph—never knowing if help would arrive at all—had taken it into his own hands to provide an expansion plan for quite the number of people, not including the Atmo that were oddly absent from the activities.
His query about where the insects were died in his throat, the gathering around the cinders of the fire that had worried him coming into view.
There they were, the smallest insectoids curling into the larger ones or various Lilhuns who were sitting next to the dying flames, all with their backs to him as they watched the fading wisps of smoke float from the remains. In the centre was a few colours of fur that he had actually spent a considerable amount of time looking at on his terminal, and needed no guesswork to place.
Harrow sat on the lap of a large black-furred male that almost towered over her—presumably Jax. Tel’s grey fur stood out in contrast to Pan’s white as the two had a yellow and purple Atmo leaning into them, respectively.
In the centre was the haggard form of the man he had come so far to see, even the slight angle revealing scars and wear on his face that forced a sympathetic grimace from the Martian. Silva tapped his arm to get his attention, silently urging him to go. Sahari and Nalah dispelled his hesitant expression when they smiled and reiterated the instruction, their tails intertwining as they stood, content to watch. Rob prepared himself as best he could, checking his jacket and confirming that he still had what he brought.
He walked up behind the group, stopping a few paces behind them. Ears turned, but no one was particularly interested in anything besides quietly respecting the dead. It felt almost sinful to disrupt the ambience, but he couldn’t bring himself to wait any longer. He missed his family, and he hoped that whatever god was being honoured here would forgive him.
“I haven’t seen you like this in a while,” Rob commented, carefully testing the waters. “Not since mom, anyway.”
Joe laughed wryly, not showing surprise. “Close, actually. Mama passed. Violet said she would want to go with everyone else... Watch over them on their way, you know?”
The correction left a deafening silence in its wake, Robert taking several attempts to pick something to say before settling on plain honesty. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to thank her for taking care of you all this time.”
A long breath was exhaled as his brother’s head drooped. “I’m sure she knows.”
“You knew I was coming,” he surmised eventually, recognizing the sorrowful tone and lack of reaction to his sudden appearance. Even when pain was fresh, Joe was pushing past it. Managing it. Robert never felt so sorry for his brother, nor so proud. From being a wreck after Emma, to someone who was processing the events healthily; the youngest Wright had healed.
Joseph nodded, eyes never leaving the embers. “Faye went to confirm what was landing and came back when she figured out who. I just wanted to… I don’t know, actually.”
Working his way to his feet, he brushed off the dust, and finally turned around, his mates joining the act a moment later.
The brothers stared at each other, neither wanting to make the first move or risk upsetting an unspoken balance between them with words. Much to both of their surprise, Pan broke the stalemate, approaching while holding the Atmo by the blade. She smiled as brightly as she could through the sadness.
“There is much that has happened, but rest assured, he is overjoyed you have come.”
Rob closed his mouth as a response died on his tongue. He read the documents on Lilhun experimentation; if there was anyone who could know exactly what was going through his brother’s mind, it was her. “I’m glad I could be here. I’m sorry it took so long.”
The purple Atmo stepped forward on her own, a deflated posture giving way to a visible attempt to greet him despite the melancholy. He crouched to match her level, confirming with the adoptive mother before he initiated a hug. Pan nodded, a tear building in her eye. Assured that it was fine, he embraced his new niece, taking a moment to get over the fact that he was one of very few humans to ever touch the new species. Excitement turned to quiet pity as the insectoid gave quiet cries, the unpleasant sound nothing like the excitable clicks and chitters he heard during his calls. He closed his eyes and leaned into it more, rubbing her back in the way he remembered their mother doing before the sickness became too much.
A hand on his shoulder had him part slightly to see who wanted his attention, but all his eyes met was the warm gaze of a father. Joseph gave him a genuine smile.
“Meet my daughter, Violet. She’s different, but at least she’s prettier than me, right?”
For the first time in quite a while—and though there was still much to be done for the both of them—the two brothers shared a laugh at a stupid joke, subtle tension melting away. Robert wiped away the tear, offering his sibling an apologetic nod.
“I’m finally here, Joe.”
He pulled Robert to his feet, bringing him into a firm embrace.
“I’m glad you are, Rob. I missed you.”