Sparrow & Tulip

"Did not. You can stand right there, I'll only be a few meters away, relative."

Claire smiled sweetly at him. "No, we'll only be a few meters away."

Oliver got a stubborn look on his face, but Claire had her own look and pointed a finger at him, and he sighed. "Fine. Just stay close."

Ten minutes later, a large rectangle on the floor had been outlined in duct tape, Claire and Oliver waited at one end, pulling wet towels over their heads. They wore firefighters' bunker coats, borrowed from Emergency Services.

Around them, a quiet hum filled the room, building in pitch and volume. A mirage-like shimmer flickered at the far end of the rectangle.

"We're ready," Oliver said.

Claire put her arms around him, and they shared a quick kiss.

"Anything special we need to do? Run through?" she asked.

"No, the heat bloom comes from zeroing out our momentum, we can just walk through. Walk quick though, it's going to be hot."

She nodded, taking his hand. They walked into the shimmer together.

Claire thought she'd tripped over something at first and was falling forward. At the same time, her inner ear insisted that she was on her feet. A roaring and intense heat washed over them around them and she pulled the towel further around her face. They staggered a few more steps forward and the heat was suddenly gone, replaced by the warm air of Te'varvfathi. It felt like a polar wind against her face. Claire's mouth and throat were utterly dry. She coughed and the movement stretched her skin oddly. It felt almost like leather against her fingers.

Lowering the completely dry towel, Claire looked around. It didn't look all that different from home, they could've been in Greece maybe. The houses around them looked like plaster and were all painted brilliant white with large round windows set deeply back into the thick walls. Claire looked over her shoulder and saw that the gentle shimmer had been replaced by long tongues of fire, being blown back by a hurricane wind.

They were in a crowded town square, it looked like a market day. All around them, the crowds were staring at the pair of them. Oliver yelled something to them as something big roared across the sky, trailing smoke and flame.

That got them moving. The first to arrive was a man and his family. He asked something Claire didn't understand but Ollie answered, sounding reassuring. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. His family followed him through and disappeared. Reassured, the Ta'avi began running past them, disappearing into the shimmer. Then she saw a woman running with two children in her arms. The ground jolted underneath them, knocking the woman off her feet.

Claire immediately ran to help and saw that she'd probably sprained her ankle. The kids looked okay but were obviously more than she could handle. Then Oliver was beside her, helping the woman to her feet and saying something. The woman clutched the infant and Claire scooped up the other child. It was a little girl that looked close to the same age as her twins. She clutched Claire's neck as she and Oliver helped the mother limp to the gate. Claire handed her the toddler as Oliver explained something to her. She nodded at Claire and stepped through the gate.

Oliver saw a man leading a small group of black haired Garragh into a house and called to him. The man changed direction and ran toward them.

"Hey, it's Jhendrui!" Claire said, surprised.

The man stared at them. "Master Oli'vehndra? And Lady Claire! How is this?"

"This is a gate to our lab on Terra." Oliver said. "The Black Swarm has come."

The man paled and made sure his daughter was with him. Without a word, he pushed her into the shimmer and began yelling orders at the rest of the Garragh. Claire tried to nudge him toward the gate, but he shook his head.

"I am a Tulani Steward! They are my responsibility!"

Claire let him go and started helping people go through as Oliver kept fiddling with the equipment in the backpack. There were just a few people left when a crackling roar began, so loud that Claire felt it as much as heard it.

"Holy god," she whispered, looking up.

Above them was a massive cloud, boiling black and gray, lightning constantly strobing. It grew rapidly along with the roll of accompanying thunder. Claire took a short step toward the Tulani steward, spun as she grabbed him and threw the larger man over her hip and through the gate.

The roiling chaos was nearly on top of them now and her husband was yanking wires out of the device. The gate vanished and Claire nodded, understanding. He grabbed her and they hugged tightly.

Goodbye, little ones. We love you both so mu...

~~~~

Amanda looked up as Jhendrui slid across the floor, crashing into the little group that had just staggered through, knocking several of them over, adding to the chaos in the room. There was a sharp pop as the gate disappeared.

"Get it back," Amanda said to the engineer on the targeting board.

His fingers were already flying across the keyboard as she leapt down to the arrival area. Jhendrui was looking around, bewildered. She went and helped everyone to their feet.

"Lady D'hamandhau!" Jhendrui yelled when he recognized her.

"Just call me Amanda, old friend," she said quietly, helping him to his feet.

"Lady Claire was there, she...threw me," he said indignantly. "I must go back, there was a giant black cloud..."

"Doctor!" the engineer yelled over the din of panicked refugees. "I'm not able to locate the planetary mass. Did the beacon change the targeting sequence somehow? I'm not even sensing the interference from the mass of the moons..."

Amanda's chest clenched and there was pain in her throat as she realized what had happened. Just like that, their lives were snuffed out, her other half, her oldest and best friend, was gone. With him went her friend, the brave woman who had sworn to protect him and had gone through so much to give him children. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears run down her cheeks.

Goodbye Oli'vehndra and goodbye dearest Claire. May you find eternal grace and mercy beside quiet rivers. Oh Mercy's tears, the twins! What am I going to...

"Doctor? What if I reenter the coordinates manually?"

I swear to you both, I will raise your little ones as if they were my own.

"Doctor Tulani?"

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She looked up at the man at the jury-rigged controls. "Shut it down. It's all gone."

The man looked at her in dawning horror. "The whole planet?"

She nodded, the numbness sweeping over her. "Just...shut it down."

Amanda turned to Jhendrui who was looking around him, trying to understand where they were.

"Mistress, what about the gate?" he asked in Shareef.

Amanda realized he didn't speak English. Why would he? He'd never been to Terra before. She took another deep breath and wiped her face. There would be time for emotions later. Right now, she still had a lot to do.

"Oli'vehndra closed it from the other side. Otherwise, the energy from the impact would have followed you through. You remember Nikolai? He's trying to get the refugees settled. Will you help him?"

"Of course, Lady...Amanda. We'll be able to get home from here?"

"Very easily," Amanda said, patting his arm. However, she doubted either of them would ever set eyes on Garradya Hoh again. Their system was so close to Te'varvfathi Hoh, it would be hard for the enemy not to find them. The Garragh had far better armaments than the Ta'avi had, but once the Swarm found a planet it could only end one way.

September 7, 2041

Golden Mirror Research Facility

Central Iowa

The captain pulled her car into the circular drive of the security building and stopped under the canopy that sheltered the front door. It was a no-parking area, but she wouldn't be here long. Overhead, the Iowa sky had begun to turn into the deep blue of evening, and the last sliver of the sun turned the western horizon orange and bronze. A warm breeze made the surrounding fields of corn toss and rustle. She decided it was a good omen, she would be the wind of change.

Outside the door, she paused, emptying her mind of extraneous thoughts. There was only the path forward, she had planned well. Once focused, she took a deep breath and stepped through the front door.

At the desk was one of the young Cadets. He looked up from whatever he was reading and smiled at her.

"Hey Captain Jenkins, I heard you were on leave."

His eyes barely had time to widen in surprise as she pulled the silenced pistol out from behind her back and shot him. The kid slumped back in the chair, the look of surprise still on his face and a wisp of smoke coming from the black hole in the middle of his forehead. She waited but the sound hadn't been enough to alert anyone else in the building. Captain Nina Jenkins pulled out her key card and headed for the armory. The clock had just begun ticking, she had to time this perfectly.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. she reminded herself.

Eight minutes later, exactly on schedule, Jenkins was back at the front door with a large duffel bag over her shoulder. She pushed a detonator into the block of composition explosive and pulled the tab before tossing it into the lobby behind her and ducked behind her car.

Fifteen seconds later, an explosion blew the glass out of the doors, showering the car with small fragments. Her back pressed against the front tire, she saw the shockwave racing away, pushing the corn tassels over as it went. There was a second explosion from deeper in the building and Jenkins stood up and dusted herself off. She'd used two blocks of the enhanced plastic explosive it had easily destroyed the reinforced training building. There were four more blocks of explosive in her duffel. It would be more than enough to erase the High Energy Research building. She tossed the duffle in the car and got in.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Barely an hour later, Jenkins was back behind the wheel. Behind her, a towering column of thick black smoke marked what was left of her former employers. She rolled the window down, letting the roar of the wind fill the car. The Project issued cell phone had already gone out the window, consigned to the night air flying past the windows. After a couple of miles, she shut the rushing air out and pulled out a cellphone she'd never used before. It had been secreted in the bag along with her weapons and she'd been warned to leave it alone until she needed it. Nina hadn't charged it, but the screen immediately lit as soon as she pushed the button.

"Yes." The dry, almost sibilant, voice filled the car and she shuddered slightly in spite of herself. If a desert predator spoke, it would sound like that. The voice of snakes and scorpions.

"It's done." There was a long pause and she thought he'd disconnected.

"The fires are seen, yes. We are coming. Do you have them?"

Jenkins swallowed, mouth dry. "I could only get one."

There was another long pause, and she felt her arms and legs start to tremble. She would just kill herself out here. Fast and clean rather than the things they'd shown her. A quick death would be paradise compared to...she jumped when the lizard voice spoke again.

"One is sufficient. Take it to the Curiosity."

Nina Jenkins almost wet herself in relief. The screen went dark and seconds later she was swearing and fumbling the smoking device out of the window. There was a dull flash on the road behind her and she shook her hand. That was going to leave blisters.

She'd drive straight through, she decided. When the caffeine stopped working, she'd switch to the amphetamines. Getting her adrenal glands back in order would be a bitch but nothing like what they would do to her if she failed. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

~~~~

Amanda and Mirjam stood on the roof of a prefab building and watched the fires raging across the R&D facility. Footsteps crunched across the gravel behind them and Mirjam turned and saw Lou Hayden, the Security Service chief.

Until today, Mirjam had allowed Lou and a few of his team captains to approach her Ward without being frisked. They'd been trusted comrades and friends. Until today.

Lou had been around Wardens long enough that he could easily guess Mirjam's state of mind. He'd left his weapons with an assistant and stopped ten meters away, holding his hands away from his sides as he turned in place. Mirjam nodded and he came close enough to speak comfortably.

"Doctor Tulani, we've accounted for Captain Jenkin's team. Six bodies were found at the Citadel along with several Cadets that were on duty. The other four had signed out on leave last night. We got a message to them and all four immediately surrendered themselves to a facility on the East Coast thirty minutes ago. They've been separated and all of them appear to be in shock. Medical wants permission to sedate one who's...highly distraught."

"What's that mean, Lou?" Amanda asked.

The man took a deep breath. "Sergeant Andy Howard is hysterical and had to be put in restraints. He was engaged to one of the casualties. The other three have already volunteered for destructive interrogation."

Amanda made a face and shook her head but didn't say anything. Lou looked at Mirjam.

"You and I both know that smear of filth went solo on this," Mirjam said in her low, mean voice. "We've got enough dead, don't waste any more assets."

"Thank you. They'll be assigned to separate postings when things calm down. There's something else; Ian Jones' body was identified a few minutes ago. His death triggered failsafe messages designating an interim Project Director. You are the most senior person, Dr. Tulani."

Amanda laughed bitterly. "Why not? It's not like I can quit and go home, right?"

Lou didn't know how to respond to that. Only fifteen hours after Te'varvfathi was shattered, the attacks had begun on Amanda's homeworld. The Garragh fleet had counterattacked immediately but had been easily overwhelmed. Within a day, all three of the planet's moons had been accelerated into the planet. Like Te'varvfathi, there was nothing there now but a rapidly expanding cloud of dust and debris.

"You're expecting a clean-up operation?" Mirjam asked.

Lou nodded. "We're assuming they're already on the way. All the backups are long gone. The last personnel are loading now."

He didn't bother to mention the sensitive projects. All the labs with exotic materials were in the center of the inferno.

"Any sign of Theo's body?" Mirjam hated the words as they left her mouth, especially as Amanda flinched.

"Nothing. The playrooms were only slightly damaged, we should have found him. My people are still looking."

Amanda took a deep breath and turned to face Lou for the first time. "Captain Hayden, get notifications out to the field groups and other centers. We need to get replacements recruited and up to speed."

"You've got it, ma'am. There's transport waiting downstairs, we're being relocated to the Echo training facility."

Mirjam nodded to Lou and he went back down the ladder.

"Are you up to the job?" Mirjam asked quietly once they were alone again.

"Why wouldn't I be? I don't have anything else left."

"Yes, you do," Mirjam said firmly. "You have a niece, not to mention large groups of frightened refugees, depending on you. We can get you some help, you've already been through..."

"I know exactly what I've been through. And as I said, I have nothing else left to do. Your job is to keep me under control. If I can't do it, you'll be the first to know."

Mirjam stepped closer and put a gentle hand on her arm. "You're wrong. My job is to care for you, not control you."

Amanda nodded without saying anything. They'd been bonded long enough that Mirjam knew the signs and pulled the taller woman into a hug. Amanda put her face into her Warden's shoulder and finally let herself weep.

~~~~

May 3, 2041

Unincorporated Village of Watson's Hole

Western West Virginia

Ted took a deep breath of the chilly air as he looked up at the predawn sky. He automatically found the Big Dipper and traced it to the North Star. There wasn't a hint of cloud in the sky this morning and he could see the ghost of the Milky Way. This was always the best part of the day; everyone else was still asleep and for a short magical time, the world belonged to him.

It was supposed to be a warm spring day later, but for now he could feel the last echoes of the winter seeping through his old barn coat. He walked from the patio out to the barn, automatically stepping around the junkers scattered around the yard as he kept his eyes on the sky. At least until the flood lights around the property came on, dazzling him. Behind him, the screen-door thwaped.

"Why you out here creeping around in the dark?" his stepbrother, Junior, grumbled as he pulled the collar of his coat up against the cold.

Ted gestured at the sky. "Regarding the magnificent canopy that the Good Lord hath seen fit to start our day."

"Day? Blasphemy! Where is the sun if this is da-yeh?" Junior said, imitating Elmer Hicks's exaggerated hill accent. "No, suh! There is no sun he'uh! What do I see before me? Stars, my brothers! Uh-stahs-uh! The Good Lord named this naight, Brother Runtling."

Ted laughed as he closed the gate behind them. "You'd be more awake if you didn't stay up texting all night with my fiancé."

"That's blasphemy again, going against the nature that the Good Lord hath provided every living thing. It's unnatural. So is being so cheerful at such a blasphemous hour. One day I'm gonna lay on my ass all day, get up around noon. I'll get my own little grow set up, just sit in the shade and watch my Kentucky Gold grow."

In the barn, the cows were already making a fuss, knowing their voices meant feeding time.

"Hey, don't do that voice in front of your mother. I think she's sweet on Brother Elmer," Ted said as the two of them tossed hay down.

Junior grimaced. "The Good Lord tell me that it's too early for your blasphemy, therefore go forth and feed the cocks of the field, I want to check Big Momma and her piglets."

Ted grabbed a pail and scooped from the bin of chicken feed as Junior went to slop the hogs and headed for the fenced area in front of the coop. There was a muffled burble as the rooster took note of him, but they wouldn't really wake up until it was light. Then it was back into the barn to fill the horse feeders. Junior walked over and handed him one of the flat-bottomed shovels he was holding, and they began mucking the place out.

By the time they had finished, the sky was bright over the eastern ridge and Ted could hear the cattle bellowing on the farm next door. The back screen-door thwaped again and Elmer Hicks, lay preacher at the church, as well as the caretaker for Miss Crabtree's grow, came out, buckling on his usual holster around his huge gut. He didn't say anything to Ted or Junior, just began inspecting the barn and all the animals. It had been a long time since he'd found anything to complain about, but Brother Elmer was a man of deeply ingrained habits.

"Sister Mildred has breakfast on the stove" he announced when he was finished. "Git ye'selves on right quick."

"Blessed Day, Elmer," Junior said as he came down from the loft.

"And Blessed Day to you, boy. Y'all get along and get fed. Your momma don't want you boys late to school, y'hear?"

"Your momma's manager wants to get you gone," Ted whispered as they washed at an outside sink. "Down at school, not up here in his business."

"I'm gonna hurt you so bad," Junior whispered back. "Then I can have Julie for myself, win-win."

"Can't do your homework if I'm all busted up, Brother I-Can't-Do-Math"

"You are the pain of hellfire in my behind, Brother Runt."