Chapter 129: Home
“Thanks for watching her.”
Sunundra looked away from the Queens, her small smile turning towards him. “It was no trouble.”
Joseph shook his head, glancing at his daughter and Daisy as they started running after each other around Jax. The black-furred male laughed, occasionally moving to screw up whatever rhythm was set. “Knowing them, I’d say it was. She’s a lovely kit, but she’ll find any way she can to get up to something.”
The otherwise quiet night was filled with Sunny’s chuckle, as well as the clicks and chitters of Rose and Cobalt, the two escorts watching their charges carry on in the moonlight in front of the High Huntress’ abode. Tel was doing her best to seem aloof, but there was a peacefulness to her expression that he was used to seeing on Pan. Maybe it was the earlier interaction with her father, or maybe it was a reflection of how relaxed he was at the moment, but she watched the playful Queens quietly, contentment keeping her posture relaxed and her tail swaying.
The Grand Hunter stood next to Sunundra near the building, while everyone else was a fair distance away to allow space for the carrying on. It gave them a privacy that he didn’t particularly need, but he supposed that they had gotten into the habit over time.
“Then she would learn such from you, no?”
He raised a brow playfully, his scowl missing any intensity it would have had if the unexpected barb came from someone else. “Are you calling me difficult?”
The pale-furred female didn’t meet his faux accusatory glare, instead giggling as Daisy broke off from the chase to hide behind Tel. “Simply stating the obvious.”
He snorted, his attention moving upward to watch the dimly lit clouds that threatened to rain on them. “You’d be right either way.”
It hadn’t been too long since his discussion with Jax’s sister, but that alone took a while. He really only went with the intention of settling the favour, but they ended up working out the whole ambassador-slash-delegate deal while they were at it. The female was cooperative—considering he broke into her room as soon as night fell—which made wrapping everything up a quick and painless process. Climbing to the second level of a building wasn’t on his list of expected activities for the trip, but the expansion of the congressional building also meant that they unintentionally made doing so quite a bit easier.
It certainly had an element of thrill to come off so nonchalant while effectively appearing out of thin air to his observer. He could see where Tel got her fun from it.
“We should probably head back before it gets wet,” he sighed, running through the list of things he would have to manage in the morning. Rob needed to sit down with the First Claw again and work out a plan for avoiding the Union, and Joseph needed to get something of an arrangement ready with Trill. The idea was to get some more Blades for the settlement, for a start, then figure out things from there. Hopefully, the weather wouldn’t be too bad—trying to go from place to place in a downpour sounded less than ideal.
The group made sure they had everything while Daisy entered the building with Cobalt after saying goodbye to everyone, but the Grand Hunter paused before heading out with the rest, a passive curiosity sitting on his mind.
“Hey, Sunny?” He waited for her to hum in acknowledgement, waving the others to go on ahead. Of course, they stopped where they were, Tel keeping most of her attention on him while scanning the environment. He rolled his eyes and looked to the now-High Huntress, keeping his voice low. “What’s with the whole tail thing?”
Sunundra blinked, a huff of a laugh following. “Pardon?”
“Tails,” he reiterated, noticing that it didn’t seem to clarify anything. He scratched his chin as he thought of a better way to explain it. “Well, like Tel has kept hers latched to me most of the time. I don’t mind, but I am curious, since Pan does it too. Actually, it feels like I’m tethered to someone most of the time, honestly. Or several someones.”
Her eyes rolled slowly in thought before it clicked for her. “Ah. ‘First and last light.’”
It was his turn to be confused. “Who-what-now?”
She nodded towards the waiting group. “The explanation will take a moment. We can speak of it another time. I am rather surprised you would ask it of me as opposed to your direct pack.”
“No, it’s been itching at me. Besides, Tel would probably dodge the question, and Jax would turn it into an opportunity to ask if I wanted to sleep with him and Harrow.” He sighed through his nose, calling out to the others waiting for him. “Tel, you and the rest go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
His mate started shaking her head in disapproval, pausing to consider something. A few words and a paw gesture later, Violet, Rose, and the black-furred male made their way back to the den for the night, while Tel opted to kick off a wall to sit on the edge of a rooftop. Joseph raised a brow, his shoulders slumping in defeat while his fiancee entertained herself by cleaning her claws patiently.
“Really?”
Tel turned her ears towards him, raising her voice loud enough for him to hear. “The Blades will ensure their safe arrival.”
Oh, right.
“That works, I guess,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he chastised himself for forgetting that he kind of owned every assassin in the encampment now, even if he wasn’t sure how many that was yet.
...Weirder every day.
Sunny met his mildly embarrassed expression with her own amusement.
“Something something flashlight?” he prompted, rolling his wrist to focus the conversation. The female chuckled to herself.
“It is first and last light: a term used when referring to the habit you are inquiring about.”
“That doesn’t tell me much.”
She tilted her head to the side in consideration for a few seconds. “How much do you know about our young?”
“Like, infants?” She nodded. “Uh... Not much, honestly. I guess they’re fluffy?”
Sunundra burst into quiet laughter—a nice change of pace from her usually muted reactions. “Yes, they are, but that is not the attribute of note.” She managed to compose herself, only falling into brief fits of giggling one or two more times. “Newborns are blind, Joseph.”
His brows shot up, but he kept his concern at bay. “That’s...”
“It is natural, worry not,” she assured, shaking her head to further dissuade the notion. “For the initial developmental phase, their sight is weakened—first by the inability to properly open their eyes, then by a longer adjustment period. During such time, their interactions with the world around them are limited, as one might suspect.”
“Right...”
“As you likely have noticed, the tail is the longest appendage on our forms.” She emphasized her point by flicking her own, waiting for his agreement before continuing. “Such is even truer as young. Because of that, infants will typically use them to grasp objects that would otherwise be out of reach—from the paws of their current caretaker, to the toys they happen to come across. Their world is largely dictated by what their tails allow them access to.”
Joseph got himself comfortable, moving to lean against the wall for what was turning into a longer answer than he was expecting. Considering that Harrow was due to pop out a fluffy addition sooner or later, he was more than happy to brush up on the random details of Lilhun babies before it was needed. Sunny followed him the few steps he took, keeping close in the dark environment for his benefit. It was a nice gesture, given that his own pack often forgot his comparatively poor night vision.
“The ‘first’ part of the phrase is what happens after the initial complete lack of sight, when the kit might open its eyes for the first time—barring any potential medical intervention to ensure proper development, of course. Due to their inclination to hold objects using them, their introduction to sight—blurry as it may be—is whatever they have wrapped within the grasp of their tail. For the briefest of moments, their entire existence is centred around that. Some pride themselves on being the ‘first,’ while others may attempt to insert ‘omens of kind futures,’ such as themed toys or sentimental items, in hopes of guiding development.”
“Kind of like ‘influencing’ how they grow up, right? Like money, so that they’d be wealthy, or a book, so they’d be intelligent,” Joseph offered, vaguely remembering that some human cultures still bothered with that kind of thing; it usually involved laying out a selection for a baby to pick from, and whichever they chose was supposed to be what they would grow up to value. He never held much stock in the idea, but he could see the cultural appeal for Lilhuns, he supposed.
Sunny nodded, a mild sadness forcing her to break eye contact.
“Somewhat, yes. Some attempt to...dissuade the defect when it is suspected using such a method, but confirming the variance often takes well into development to truly be sure, so success or failure is merely superstition that has persisted for one reason or another.” Her voice weakened near the end, the human taking the chance to bring things away from a likely sore subject.
“After the ‘first?’”
“Hmm? Yes. Apologies.” He waved it off casually. “Since the kit is still rather limited for some time as their vision improves, their tails remain their primary method of interaction. Most still grasp at objects with them, but it also becomes how they train their depth perception. Quite a few who are later to start this behaviour can be seen colliding with furniture and walls regularly.”
He snorted, not quite ready for the image of a Lilhun toddler using their tails as a walking stick, nor them face-planting into a table leg because they didn’t. Sunundra smiled, probably right on board with the humour.
“The behaviour follows them as they grow. Since they may now interact with more than just what their tails find, using it for such becomes selective. Not by much, initially, but enough to be noticeable. From every object within reach, to the familiar, then just preferred items.”
Joseph raised a brow, crossing his arms for comfort. “I figured they would keep grabbing at new things with it.”
She shook her head. “It is still their longest appendage, and as such, the most important to them. Without it, their range for interacting with the world is lessened. The young prefer to view the unknown, and only when they believe it to be safe will they venture with their tails. If an item is successfully obtained, then they will use their paws in an attempt to understand it further.”
“Fair, I guess. Human infants try to eat everything.”
She giggled. “I recall hearing as much. Regardless, once they have reached adolescence, the reliance on their tail diminishes to being used to interacting with a few items of importance—primarily favoured objects. It continues to dwindle in use as they reach maturity.”
“So why am I always wrapped up?” A fuzzy tap to his nose from the conversational topic reminded him to stop interrupting.
Sunundra smiled at his reluctant obedience. “Once they have reached maturity, most outgrow the behaviour. It remains a part of us, and some actively train themselves to suppress it entirely, but it is there all the same—albeit restricted in utilization.”
He drew a long breath, trying to lower his brow as he mulled over the information, then shrugged when he conceded that the best he could do was a haphazard guess. “So they wrap up their favourite things without thinking?”
“Close,” she commended, her eyes drifting as they became lost in memory. “It is saved for their den-parents, kits, and mates, typically—others and assorted objects may qualify, depending on the individual, but those are the most common. The ‘last’ comes from those who are fortunate enough to pass with their other, the tails intertwined so as not to be separated in transit to the Great Hunt. Their tail claims the one whom they wish to be their final memory—be it the feel of their fur, the warmth of their touch, or the scent that remains.”
She exhaled sharply, returning to the moment with a slightly less enthusiastic expression tinted by sorrow. “It is a statement of the subconscious. ‘Without this, I am nothing.’ All wish to be sought by another, and it is...peaceful to have it reciprocated.”
He nodded along, his face falling pensive as her wistfulness took the forefront of her tone. “Well, now I feel bad. I don’t exactly...”
She shook her head as he vaguely gestured to the appendage he lacked. “I have watched you, Joseph. You often stroke their tails with your paws when able, yes?”
“Yeah? It’s soft and it sort of calms them... Ah.”
Sunny let out a quiet chuckle. “It is different, yet the same.”
“I, uh... Thanks,” he murmured, rubbing at the back of his neck. “That’s been on my mind for a while. I figured it was affectionate, but I didn’t think... Yeah.”
“You are quite welcome,” she assured him playfully, a yawn slipping out of her muzzle. “Your elder sibling mentioned a possible method for communication between our settlements, so I will ask for clarification on the rise.”
“Sure thing. I’ll see what I can do on my end.”
A rumble of thunder in the distance drew a frown from him, the familiar sound bringing back memories of the days surrounding his father’s funeral, now that the distraction that was his curiosity had been sated. The tombstone was put over nothing, yet he visited it regularly until he got on his feet, letting the ‘spirit’ of his parent know about the events in his life. Once Emma... Well, he started going again before the cruise, but it was moments like this where he wished he could just sit down on the grass in front of that admittedly cheap stone and let his dad know how life has been. The last time hadn’t been hopeful, but with everything that had happened in the last year, he could picture his dad reacting in a number of ways.
“I wonder how my father would feel about his kit running Avalon and owning a continent on an alien planet,” he mused aloud dryly, not quite registering the words slipping from his lips.
“Proud,” Sunundra answered quietly, drawing his somewhat confused attention. She smiled at him, warm yet distant. “He is proud of you, I am sure. For one's young to find success and love amongst others is a wish of even the most callous den.”
He felt the corners of his lips tug in a mournful smile, but it became more genuine after a moment or two as he returned his gaze to the sky. “Yeah, maybe. I should get going. I pray the moon treats you well, Sunshine.”
“Rest well, Joe.”
The two parted ways just as the sky decided to let loose the water it had stored, the droplets giving way to sheeting rain by the time Joseph and Tel made it back to their temporary dwelling. Soaked—and a little worked up by the female of the pair dragging him under an awning to both threaten and arouse him for trying to get rid of her—the Grand Hunter shook off the multifaceted haze and stripped down to his underwear before getting into the pile. Maybe he would have been a little more reserved with everyone in attendance, but the roller coaster of emotions that the day put him through had him out like a light in no time, sparing no fucks to give for Scarlet’s sleepy chuckle when both Jax and Tel smothered him in fur.
He just flipped her off with his limited movement and fell into a dreamless night, taking comfort in the warmth that surrounded him.
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Unfortunately for...well, everyone, the rain had no plans on stopping just because day came around again. If anything, it got a little worse, the bluish tint to the sunlight filtering through the clouds giving the last day in the encampment an appropriate finality. Mist generated by the precipitation crashing into every surface left something of a fog to be navigated, and was exactly as conducive to being warm as one would expect.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
That is to say: everyone was drenched, cold, annoyed, and happy to be loading up to go home. The only exception seemed to be the Queens; Violet and Daisy occupied themselves by playing in the puddles instead of letting a bit of water ruin their time together. Watching it was almost enough to make standing outside under an overhanging roof in the rain worth it.
He was still more than ready to see Pan again, and by the excited flicks of her tail, Tel was too—though she denied it with an uncharacteristically adorable pout at the suggestion. He didn’t press his luck with teasing her, however; they had been dangerously close to having an audience when he woke up to her being a little too enthusiastic about his state of dress. It was best not to push her buttons, since at this point, he was pretty sure all of them were ones that would have him dragged by the collar to pay for his mistake. Not the worst punishment, honestly, but not one he wanted taking place where any number of disgruntled soldiers could show up to complain.
His fiancee’s excitement for returning back to the den was mirrored by the rest of them; Jax was eager to see Harrow again, Scarlet wanted to check in with the other girls, and Volta was just happy to be going back to a place she was used to. Robert’s security guards were quiet about the whole affair, but it was pretty clear that they weren’t going to complain about being somewhere that wasn’t filled with another people’s military.
Joseph adjusted the hood on his borrowed jacket as he switched which foot bore his weight, finding himself missing the attire he usually wore when he needed protection from the elements. He caught himself trying to pull the material further than it was designed to go a few times, the absence of the moss-wolf skull stitched into his Wraith armour bringing back memories of the Atmo who helped make it. Would Mama be happy with what he’s managed? Would she chitter at his uncertainty and all but drag him into her, purring in that strange insectoid way as they watched the fire together? Or would she be disappointed with how far he was willing to go to see his goals met?
A sighed escaped him yet again, brought by a phantom pain in his chest that was getting easier to manage each time, but was no less unpleasant. At least Violet didn’t wake up looking for the Hatcher again this morning, the usual grogginess of consciousness forgone in favour of her excitement to play with her sister. He didn’t care about spending a bit of time scratching her back or silently holding his daughter after she woke up, but he was glad her day started on a brighter note—early rise and all.
Speaking of: the ass-crack of dawn seemed to be a popular time for everyone to be dragged out of bed around here, but maybe that was a military thing. Regardless, he was no more pleased about it than yesterday—though Robert’s insistence on getting the specifics sorted with the UM was what ruined the Grand Hunter’s rest this time. Luckily, the First Claw was up and running around directing her soldiers to dissemble the encampment, so it wasn’t much of a chore to convince her to abandon the rain for talks about not getting shot down by the Union. Joseph was filled in on the general plan after.
The Smokeless Hunt would send out some shuttles for the packs to use free of charge, and by the end of the week, would be heading out to convene with the other Claws-turned-High-Elders. Once the freshly-minted ‘top of command’ was done figuring out what the new plan was, they’d start working out how to move with Horizon’s help and evacuate their home planets to take up residence on a few substitutes that had already been chosen. The planet Joseph owned a chunk of was the first candidate for a major migration, so once everything was good to go, there was going to be another few colony ships unloading to populate the surface. It wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to draw attention to themselves, but it would ensure a robust population if every other planet was found.
A grim thought, but a required one.
It also meant that the First Claw would be using the time to visit her family, which was where the favour he asked for came in.
Jax offered a comforting paw on Joseph’s shoulder, noticing both the yawn he produced, and the pensive expression he wore, which reminded the Grand Hunter that he should be thinking about how he was going to break the news to the black-furred male—especially since there was now a deadline attached.
Difficult conversations aside, the UM would be given a method to directly contact Rob’s group, and Avalon—courtesy of Trill’s forethought when dealing with the Martian—would be given information to better prepare them to decide which requests to accept when the United Military asked for Blades. Joseph sat in the middle of it all, quietly pretending that the grey-furred Blademaster...Blade? Pretending that Trill was still in charge of things while the male pretended that Joseph wasn’t, and that also meant convincing Rob that Joseph didn’t go to Trill to...
Sweet fuck, he hated politics. Rob thought Trill was quietly still in charge of Avalon’s Blades, and Joseph pretended not to be, so Rob didn’t blow a gasket. Simple.
...Hunt Mother, save him.
It was only another hour or so of splashing around before Sunundra stopped by to gather Cobalt and Daisy, the latter pulling Violet aside for a quick conversation. Smiling at the Queens, Sunny came up to the rest of them taking shelter from the rain under an overhang, waiting to be covered before freeing a familiar tablet terminal from her waistband. Sure enough, it was one of the ones belonging to Rob’s security—he could even see Tom’s name scratched into the back.
“Your brother provided this and assured me that this will allow us to communicate,” she explained, smirking at his suspicion. He shrugged, thoughts of petty theft set to rest.
“My terminal back at the den is...” He paused, thinking of a way to explain that it had been turned into a medical implement without directly outing that he was in possession of a purportedly dead UM asset on life support to any wayward ears. “...Out of service.”
Sunny hesitantly nodded, dismissing a question that she thankfully noticed would defeat the point of his vague answer. “He claimed to have another he is willing to part with for your own use.”
“That works. Can you charge it?”
The pale-furred female checked the device over, locating the relevant port and musing about it before tucking it away with an affirmative hum. “It may take some creativity, but I am in possession of skilled technicians. They will make short work of the task.”
“Fair enough. I’ll keep in touch,” he assured, tipping his head towards the two young Atmo finishing up their chat. The Queens embraced, reluctant to part after such little time together. His bored expression warmed a bit. “Can’t keep them away for too long, right?”
Sunundra agreed, begrudgingly breaking them apart when the pilot of her shuttle called out over the storm to get them loaded up. Cobalt went through the same song and dance with Rose, joining the female and Daisy as they prepared to brave the downpour. “I await your visit, Joseph.”
“We’re doing karaoke!” he called after them, earning an amused glance over Sunny’s shoulder and a shake of her head before they got out of sight.
“Plan to deafen us, my love?”
He ignored Tel’s toothless insult, then grunted at the elbow to the ribs he got for not paying attention to her. An amused laugh from the side drew his regard, Jax hefting his axe to act as an unconventional umbrella as Joseph leaned into the rain to look past Scarlet and see who found it so funny. Trill and Loptr had joined them in what little shelter the awning provided at some point, the orange-furred male clearing his throat when he noticed the attention his chortle earned.
Joseph sighed, trying to remember the name of Loptr’s mate in an attempt to bridge the mild antagonistic gap between them. He was still tired and a little dragged out from the disrupted sleep, but it was on the tip of his tongue...
“The details of the arrangement have been solidified, Blademaster,” Trill reported, giving a shallow bow that was still somehow overdone. “They are merely organizing some miscellaneous items before we are all to return to our territories.”
Sarah? No... Shannon? No, why would he think that? Ah, that one office party, right. Still no, though.
“We seek some of the Blades to reforge,” Tel informed her father, giving Joseph time to stare a hole through the increasingly uncomfortable High Hunter.
Sherry. No, it ends with an ‘a.’
“I will provide once the settlement has been informed of their new Blademasters, if that is sufficient.”
Loptr’s eyes narrowed in annoyance with the unwavering stare directed at him. His scoff led to his gaze dropping to the new knife on Joseph’s hip, shock and disgust passing his expression.
“And those in orbit?”
Trill shrugged. “With the appearance of a Union threat, I would recommend having them escort the settlement ship as it retreats out of range of detection—both as a precautionary measure, and as a reminder for the UM not to take us lightly.”
Tel nodded. “Then we accept the delay for the time being, unless my Sheath finds the arrangement unsatisfactory?”
They waited for him to voice a complaint, but he just absently grunted his approval, only partially paying any mind to the conversation. Loptr kept his attention flicking between the black dagger and Trill, eventually making his concern known.
“High one, the alien is in possession of—“
A snap of Joseph’s fingers drew everyone’s attention as the Grand Hunter’s expression flipped to a distinctly pleased one, his index finger bouncing in smug self-satisfaction. “Your mate is Serba, right?”
The High Hunter looked to Trill for context, getting ignored like he was in trouble and the Blademaster wanted nothing to do with it. Loptr glanced at the weapon again before cautiously nodding, the possibility of Joseph now owning the symbol dawning on him. “Y-yes, high one.”
“We stayed at your settlement a while ago. She made sure we were treated well.” Joseph crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall as he mentally congratulated himself for actually remembering, though it would probably be a little weird to end things with that. Compliments were always nice, right? “Beautiful female, and quite charming too. You’re lucky to have her.”
“I... I am, high one. Thank you for your kind words.”
Joseph shot the guy a glance as he remembered how little Loptr was around being a topic of conversation back then. He didn’t really have room to talk, but he also had absolutely no plans on leaving Pan again for as long as he could help it. That being said... “We’ll be sure to keep the hospitality in mind, if you ever find yourself our way.”
“O-of course, high one. If you would excuse me.”
The orange-furred male wasted no time fast-walking into the rain and out of view, a few moments of confusion passing before Trill chuckled.
“Taking on the role of a Blademaster so soon, Joseph?”
He raised a brow at the male, looking to see if anyone else knew what the hell that was supposed to mean, but paused when he noticed that both Tel and Scarlet had partly drawn their daggers in response to his ‘eureka’ moment. Pair that with what happened at the High Hunter’s settlement, the intense stare of a tired man thinking too hard, and the weapon signifying Trill’s approval on his hip...
That came off as a promise to put a crossbow bolt through his head if he ever stepped foot into the settlement, and to do so with literally no one to make him answer for it...
He just accidentally threatened someone, didn’t he?
...Shit.
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The rest of the day—and it did actually take that long for everything to be sorted out—was spent settling details with Trill and waiting for Robert to finish with the First Claw. Joseph was under the impression that there wasn’t a whole lot to cover, but in retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t have trivialized just how much went into convincing an alien species that your ideas weren’t insanity.
That, and there ended up being more in the ‘assorted’ pile than he thought; from arranging communications between the major powers on private channels, to laying out every move that was going to happen right up until the UM was able to join the fray. It was a time consuming process to say the least, and one that apparently highlighted the need for Lilhuns to fully evacuate their population centres before they could commit to taking on assignments from Horizon.
With the Union already being aware of the system that the furry species owned, the only thing stopping them from finishing the job was likely how noticeable it would be to gather a force large enough to do so. The information that Horizon had suggested that there was movement towards such a thing being prepared, but keeping it quiet meant that it was a slower process, thus allowing the UM to exist for as long as it had. It opened a few paths forward, and the one they had settled on involved moving their species out to places preemptively picked for them, then turning their homeworlds to ash in a bid to fake society collapsing in on itself.
Rob’s tone as he caught Joseph up was enough to say how poorly the idea was received, but the fact that the Grand Hunter was hearing about it at all told that it was eventually accepted. He didn’t even have a baseline to compare against, but the thought of torching the settlement and starting elsewhere was a morbid thought, so he figured it was several magnitudes worse for such a traditional people. Even if following it meant that the Union would amass an army, flood the system with ships looking for war, then think that their target had nuked itself while they were away, it was a dangerous gamble. One that meant that Lilhuns would be fully entrusting themselves to their new allies, but the alternative was trying to fight against something many times larger than themselves, with nowhere to go if things went tits up.
And it would have, had a lone human not crashed onto a planet that their military dumped some undesirable soldiers onto. That human survived, met with another species, then all but took the local population by storm—Lilhun by Lilhun, subsuming pack after pack—until the rescue team arrived just in time to be slapped across the face with the idea that their leadership was dooming them. It was made worse when you considered that this single human was a catalyst for a violent regime change, then an offer that they literally could not afford to refuse was all but thrust into their faces.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about his place in all of it, and admittedly, he didn’t want to think about it. There wasn’t a way to go back to before the cruise, nor a way to make it so that he hadn’t dragged Pan from a bush to nurse her back to health. Even if there was, he wouldn’t. The journey to his position of power was stained with mourning voices and heartbreaking stories, but he took solace in knowing that he caused as few of those as possible. He gave downtrodden people hope. Or, well, he liked to think he did.
It made accepting his future easier.
Trill eventually left with his own tablet—Steve’s this time—and a promise to keep the shift in ownership over the Blades to himself. Rob didn’t need to know that his brother had the means to insert himself into the grand scheme of things, and Joseph didn’t want Robert placing shackles on his attempts to. There were things that needed to be done—things that he was uniquely able to achieve. With the grey-furred male happy to follow the order to act as a mouthpiece for Avalon when dealing with the UM and Horizon, it let the Grand Hunter focus on preparing.
And there was much to prepare.
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Their ride back to the settlement was a longer one than the trip to the congressional, in part due to the intense rain that rocked and vibrated Leader’s shuttle. Not that Joseph was very aware of it, dozing on Scarlet’s lap while Tel did maintenance on their weapons. He knew that he should have probably spent his time doing something productive, but he also wanted to nap, and sleep won the argument in the end. It didn’t help his wakefulness when Tel all but ordered the dark red-furred Wraith to be a pillow—something that Volta was surprisingly compliant with—though it did make for a more solid rest than he had the entire time he was at the congressional.
Scarlet was perfectly fine with stroking his head, her claws lightly scratching at his scalp the same way he often did to her when she was nearby and he was lost in thought. Violet nuzzled into him, basically forcing the blue-furred cleaner into the Wraith’s side as the Queen requested the same treatment as her father. It was a peaceful way to pass out, honestly, even if Jax couldn’t stop making suggestive comments about taking the pair to bed.
Regardless, at least it let his mind wander from the awkward balancing act with Robert that required both of them to pretend they hadn’t done something the other would disapprove of—even if Joseph was the only one who knew the whole story.
He could have lambasted his brother for suggesting the political leaders of a species be assassinated, but for the sake of keeping the peace—and because he knew it was the only way for both species to avoid being targeted by the Union—he kept his mouth shut. It didn’t make the manipulation any easier to swallow, but at least it came from a desire for the Martian to see his brother safe. There were worse reasons to lie.
Like the one he had for not telling Rob about what he was setting into motion.
The shuttle slowed as it approached the settlement, the moonlight that replaced the sun hours ago lighting the landing zone. The ship was pretty much silent when it wasn’t screaming through the atmosphere, so it didn’t surprise him when barely anyone came to greet them. The security taking the late patrols were quick to offer their welcomes, but they agreed to keep quiet when asked. No need to rouse the pack so late at night.
Leader stopped down to the airlock to see them off, but his mind was obviously elsewhere. The green-furred male had been told of his reassignment and informed that he would be put on reserves until the groundwork for his new position was put in place—something that Joseph asked for personally. The guy would get paid vacation until the embassy was built and otherwise staffed, but by the look on his face, he had other things occupying his thoughts than taking it easy for the foreseeable future.
That didn’t stop Joseph from thanking the soldier for everything while pretending he didn’t know about the eventual position, but it did mean that he coaxed the male into admitting he was going to visit his family. He apparently kept Tech’s mask and wanted to fulfill a promise of taking her to see where he grew up. It was a wistful gesture that Joseph needed to stop himself from commenting on. Even if they did manage to get Tech away from needing constant observation, there was no way he could ever let the UM know what he did. It was one thing to pull strings, but it was another beast entirely to admit to what happened.
They waved goodbye to Leader, watching the ship leave as quietly as it arrived, wondering how long it would be until they saw him again. Hopefully, there would be more than just a stuffy UM building to return to.
Rob, Sil, and the human security headed off to spend the night aboard their ship, Scarlet was all but dragged by Volta towards the den, and everyone else followed behind. No one blamed them for their excitement to sleep in a place that was familiar.
The double doors of the den opened and closed, followed by the dormitory wing echoing the same sounds. Violet immediately encouraged Rose to join her in her own room, while Jax branched off to sleep with Harrow.
It was only when Joseph and Tel found his room empty that they noticed Jax leaving his own with a perplexed expression. They checked the others one by one, closing each door as quietly as they could until they reached Nalah’s. The bed was a lumpy pile of multicolored fur, Sahari on one side, and her blond-furred mate on the other. Pan and Harrow dozed in the middle, the two females taking comfort with the rest of the den.
Well, he had been curious about where Pan would end up sleeping, but he wasn’t quite ready for how adorable it was to have her nestled in Sahari’s arms while draping her leg over Harrow.
Jax nudged Joseph’s shoulder, earning a questioning look that silently confessed a lack of desire to disturb them. The Grand Hunter nodded, agreeing that he didn’t want to separate anyone. A second tap on the shoulder revealed that the black-furred male wore a toothy grin.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised when Jax slipped into the bed, nor when he ended up depositing Nalah on his chest while getting his arm around Harrow. Hell, no one seemed bothered by the adjustment to their pile, but that was probably to be expected when so many people ended up as a mess of tangled limbs. Light sleepers didn’t do much sleeping in the cuddle puddle.
Joseph was a little less sure of how to copy his friend, but Tel held no such reservations, instead deftly inserting herself at the top of the bed to resume her usual pillow-like duties. The addition caused a gap for him to fill as Sahari rolled onto her back, but even that was an exaggeration—he’d be lucky if he got away with only a mild suffocation in fur and awkward placement.
One heavy sigh later, he crawled over the chaos and slotted himself in between the black and white coats of his bonds, with Tel providing a soft surface to rest his head on. As unconscious as his pack may have been, nobody wasted any time in trapping him, Pan cooing in her sleep as she nuzzled happily into his chest and Sahari completing the effect by pulling him down into hers.
A thought passed his mind as sleep encouragingly pulled him deeper into the warm embrace of his odd family.
Rob was right; this was home.