{Reipon}

Korac looked around the room as people hooted and hollered their enthusiastic agreement. Hell, he agreed. He usually did with Xelan’s strategies on a macro-level. As in millennia before, the Prince still trusted the General with the micro details—arranging squads, distributing weapons, organizing rendezvous, and so forth. It was so bizarre to be existing in this dynamic once more, but perhaps more unusual than that was how naturally it all fell into place.

Twenty-One cut through the good cheer to sober everyone. “Why can’t they mine the Aegis ore from their tombs on Thailea?”

This should prove interesting.

Korac tried to stop it, but a smirk crept on his face as he leaned his chair back and propped his boots on the table. That’s right. On the nice shiny table. The big vein in Xelan’s head pulsed.

Lamassau stood to take the metaphorical mic. “About eight thousand years ago, a cataclysm befell Thailea. A blizzardous hurricane plagues the surface, planet-wide. It only thaws in the eye of the storm for a day, maybe two at the most. It’s almost impossible to mine it.”

Ross asked, “Befell?”

Kyle shook his head. “Don’t ask.” He and Andrew both kept their eyes away from Xelan at the front.

Devis chuffed and grumbled something.

This was enough. “Why don’t you tell them?” Korac shot Xelan a challenging look across the table, big enough to compensate for issues Korac knew the decorator didn’t have. Plenty of the people in this room deserved to know of the Prince’s involvement in Thailea’s devastation.

Xelan met the stare full-on and let an entire one or two minutes pass that way. Eventually, he said, “I will. One day. It’s not relevant to this discussion.”

Well, that was intriguing. Sagan whispered in a hush to Pehton, “A Verse?”

The entire room full of people with fairly decent hearing looked expectantly at Xelan.

Tameka cleared her throat and waved. “Let’s get back to Phase II.” She shot Korac a glare that made him want to cause even more trouble, but out of respect to her relationship with Sagan, he’d chill.

Sagan patted his thigh as if she knew.

Pehton giggled under her breath in a sound that truly relieved Korac. He was almost ready to rearrange Caedes’ face when the bald Icarus walked in with Miy. Not that it was any of Korac’s business.

Pablo raised his hand in a weird trait of American students before asking, “Will you need me this time?”

Xelan nodded as he switched the image back to Mon3. “I think there are people trapped here for the gas, and you could be useful if they require medical attention.”

Lynn frowned, unhappy with the answer.

“Don’t worry, Lynn. We’ll keep him safe,” Xelan assured something he couldn’t and never should promise. “Here’s what I’m thinking.” He changed the image to Earth. “We need you, Lynn, Lamassau, and Andrew to meet with Legir, Cypher, and Colton on Earth. Lynn, can you see about transporting whatever you can from the arsenal to here? We’re also worried about the nacre situation that’s unfolding there. Grab some samples and bring them back for testing. I know we dropped that ball while running for our lives out of Earth and Cinder.”

Lynn nodded. Lamassau tipped an invisible hat brim like a cowboy. Andrew asked, “Why do you need me there?”

Tameka took this one. “I think you can suggest people into forgetting you were there, if necessary.”

Kyle laughed. “I didn’t know you were a Jedi, Conscience.”

Andrew nudged him.

Xelan possessed the good grace to look sheepish. “Well, yes.”

Lynn grumbled something about dealing with the two of them for Phase II.

Sagan snickered against Korac, and he loved every second of the sound. Elden, she was steadily returning to herself. He kissed the top of her head to let her know how much it meant to him.

Xelan ran a hand through his hair as he went to the next planet, Pil. He looked less worked up and more distraught—

Korac almost straightened in his chair at the realization. Xelan had read Korac’s Verse, and this was him compartmentalizing at his best. As the Traitor Prince went on explaining to Ross, Jack, Miy, Devis, and Twenty-One about their job to restore Pil with X, Korac wondered what exactly from his Verse put Xelan through the wringer.

Most likely the material that they’d redacted for the public broadcast. Korac owed Sagan a special favor for giving Xelan the only unredacted copy. All on her own initiative. He loved that honesty in her, and moreover—Elden, he couldn’t believe he was about to admit this even to himself—he loved her for bringing him to a house full of people so like her.

“…And that’s all. Recon about exactly what happened and establish a network to rebuild there. We can’t let those people continue to go without homes and jobs with no effort from us to correct it.” Xelan shot Jack a reassuring smile. “I know you can handle it. Miy and Twenty-One will be there to back you up.”

Miy nodded to the big Icarus on her left. He returned the gesture. So many laconic people in one outfit.

“Next.” Tameka changed the image to Reipon. “Home team. Bones, Pehton, and Caedes—Do you three mind staying here with Pax, Bethany, and Triss?”

Pablo spoke up. “I’ll need to give you an overview of Triss’ care.”

While they talked, Sagan reached over and squeezed Korac’s hand. He wished he could convince her there was no way Triss would die without having Razor’s baby.

“Now time for Mon3 team. Sagan, if you don’t mind sticking with us for travel?”

Xelan glanced at their hands clasped on the table for only a moment, but it was enough to make Korac smirk. “Where do you want me?” Because the two always worked together, and the phrasing was provocative enough to make people glance away. Too easy.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Tameka stepped up. “You two will take the plant. Pablo will be under your care. Kyle, this is your time to show Ross up. Her current record is two hundred and twenty. Tumu, you’ll be keeping the children from misbehaving.”

Korac glanced over in time to share a nod of respect with Kyle. They were absolutely misbehaving.

Gesturing at Iuo, Xelan said, “Tameka and I will scout informants to find the plant.”

The room hushed once more.

“It’s time to get the Valkyrie back.”

After that declaration, everyone deliberated a while longer before breaking for lunch. During which, Korac lost track of Sagan, but he knew where to find her.

The nursery was off their suites with its crib, changing station, and dresser full of baby clothes. Stuffed animals lined the crib and matched the mobile hovering above. Everything was decorated sweetly in the colors of Korac and Sagan’s eyes, silver and lilac. Soft.

Sagan sat in the middle of the floor, unpacking another haul of bibs and folded them neatly for storage, all while smiling and humming a tune in her work. Korac wanted to ask her now, but it wasn’t the right time. Although this space represented a tremendous leap of faith for their relationship, it was also confined by the anxiety of Triss’ impending labor. By her death.

Bittersweet.

The world deserved better than Gait’s first Executive Warden. She was a monster, but raising her child—her and Razor’s child—after she left this life was both poetic and criminal simultaneously. Perfect for Korac. Strained for Sagan. After all, there was a chance the little girl might grow to resent the people raising her who also killed her birth parents.

“Where’d you get those this time?” Korac sat on the floor beside Sagan, one knee up and one leg stretched out. Reaching over, he grabbed a few bibs to help fold.

She stopped humming. “Thank you. These are from Legir. They’re made of fruit fibers in case little Echo decides to suck on them.”

Echo.

The beautiful name tinged Sagan’s smile with sadness every time she said it. It hurt Korac’s heart, but he understood why she named the baby after Rayne.

Sagan changed the subject. “Can you believe Jack not only suggested that we take Enki for the Vast Collective, but that Xelan perpetuated the idea? Surely it’s impossible to operate that thing.”

Ahh… something Korac could help her with. “I suppose you think it’s too late for me to ask my father for driving lessons?”

Eyes wide, Sagan stopped her work and turned to him, asking, “You would do that?”

Korac shrugged and took the stacks of bibs to the changing table while saying, “It’s a secure facility, and with the Progeny, anything is possible.”

“Wow… Imagine it. All of us under one enormous roof.” Sagan ticked them off on her fingers as she listed them. “Earth, Cinder, Reipon, Pil, Mon3, L. Capra, Lukemore, Yu, the people evicted from Gait, whoever stays on Enki, and—Hey, is there anyone on Thailea?”

Korac shook his head solemnly and walked back to help Sagan stand on the floor.

She kissed his cheek, “Thanks. Wait a minute.” Staring at her fingers, she frowned prettily. “Are there only eleven planets in the Vast Collective? I’ve never noticed before, but I don’t think I’ve heard of the twelfth world.”

So she found the age-old mystery. Korac smiled ruefully. “We’ve reached the crux of the matter. No one has.”

Those eyes stretched wide, and Sagan’s pretty lashes fluttered with big blinks. “Seriously?”

“No one knows what the twelfth planet is or why the Vast Collective is always referred to as the Twelve Worlds.”

Tameka walked by and stopped when she saw them through the doorway. “Hey, I was just looking for you.”

“Tameka, did you know there isn’t a twelfth world?” Sagan’s incredulous disbelief made Korac smirk comically.

The other Progeny woman frowned. “Really? Girl, I’m not able to process any more revelations today. Not after what I learned about Rayne.”

Korac placed his hand on the belt at the small of Sagan’s back. He loved when she wore his clothes. He also loved the slight throb of the vein in Tameka’s neck as she watched. She and Xelan shared similar triggers. Korac cleared his throat to ask, “Did you need us?”

“Oh, right.” Tameka stopped staring and poked around the room as she danced around her purpose. “Do you think…” She sighed. “Could you watch Pax for us after the mission? We uh… need some alone time.”

Sly. The smirk on Korac’s face twisted and skewed to the sly. He glanced down at Sagan. She smiled up at him before answering for them both. “We’d be happy to. It’ll be fun practice. Do you think he can handle being around me, though?”

Tameka kept her back to them as she assured, “Oh, yeah. In fact, I think this will diminish his crush once he’s spent some normal time with you. He’s into piggyback rides and forts right now.” She stopped fidgeting and straightened her spine. “Thank you.” When she faced them again, her eyes were full of something Korac couldn’t quite place. “Both of you.”

“Oh. No. Thank you.” At Tameka’s raised brow, Korac elaborated, “I can’t wait to teach your youngling all manner of swear words and how to dress properly.”

Sagan snickered into her hands. “Babe, I think you might give her a stroke.”

“Mommy! There you are.” Pax took a step in until Tameka held up a finger. “Oh. I forgot. Uncle Kor and Auntie Sagan, can I come in?”

Korac’s heart expanded at Sagan, kneeling and holding out her arms. “Only if you give me a hug?”

Pax blushed to his red hair but waddled over like a bashful penguin. After jumping in her arms, Sagan made a sound which warmed Korac through when she squeezed and picked Pax up. When the time came, Sagan would make an excellent mother. Pax reached an arm out to Korac, who, despite his own doubts about fatherhood, immediately joined the hug.

“Uncle Nock misses you.”

Stunned, Korac opened his eyes to meet mirrors of himself in Pax’s midnight blue rings. Older. His eyes looked older than his body and mind.

“What was that, Pax?” Tameka asked, as Korac and Sagan handed him over to her.

The youngling glanced between the three adults, all looking shocked. As if he did something wrong, Pax clammed up.

Tameka gave an apologetic glance to Sagan and Korac. “I don’t know where that came from.”

“The Verse, mommy,” Pax said into her shoulder. “They miss each other.”

Korac worked to keep the confusion and any potential suspicion from his face. Sagan held his hand, and he felt the tension in her small bones.

“Pax, are you spooking your mom with your dreams?” Xelan stood in the doorway. “Sorry for not telling you, Tameka. Last night, Pax woke up with dreams inspired by your Verse, Korac.”

The toddler wiggled and reached for his father, who took him from Tameka and set him on the floor to jump on his daddy’s back.

Tameka’s frown melted into a softer expression. “I see.” To Sagan and Korac, she offered, “We’ll talk to him before you watch him tonight.”

Korac kept his eyes on Pax. The boy communed with Rayne in his dreams, and rumors circulated over the last day that Nox often appeared when Rayne spoke to the Progeny in their dreams. What if…

“It’s fine, really, Tameka.” Sagan took her sister’s hand and squeezed it. “Is everyone ready for Andrew’s Lazarus experiment?”

“This should prove interesting.” Xelan glanced between the girls before locking that ancient stare on Korac. “Do you girls mind going ahead without me?”

Korac narrowed his eyes at the Traitor Prince. Sagan glanced at him, and he assured, “Go. I’ll check on Triss while you help with Andrew.”

The women left with little waves and curious stares. Pax remained attached to Xelan like a ginger turtle shell. Quiet stretched between them.

Unable to take it any longer, Korac chuffed and found a wall to lean against. “What is it?” He folded his arms and crossed his legs at the ankles, settled for this battle.

Pax braided strands of Xelan’s hair together as their leader confessed, “I finished your Verse.”

“Did you want an autograph?”

Xelan made a disgusted sound and stared at the ceiling as if begging it for strength. Eventually, he asked on a groan, “You can’t make this easy, can you?”

Korac’s eyes narrowed further as he shrugged. “You read my life. Do you think anything in it was easy?”

“No. Elden, no. I wish…” Xelan placed his hands on his hips and stared at his tapping foot as he collected his thoughts into words. After a few minutes, he sighed. “I wish we’d communicated more. That I understood your background more. Hell, I wish for many things, Korac, but right now I wish we could get along.”

Bitterness boiled inside Korac’s heart. It stung. But near it—heart adjacent—came an unexpected spark. “You believed it?”

Xelan met his eyes then. “Every word. You weren’t one for lies. I don’t believe you’d lie to Rayne or to Sagan.”

“Auntie Rayne and Auntie Sagan, hee!” Pax beamed at both men, and Korac be damned if that didn’t melt his cool exterior. Some.

Korac held out his hand. “Maybe we start with trust.”

Xelan clasped his wrist. As they shook, a smile spread across the Prince’s face. “You’re still planning to give me a hard time, aren’t you?”

“Every fucking day, your highness.”