Page 28 of Subchief Flander
“You can help me test some of these miniature robots. We use them on the surface to find out what's happening down there. I need to count them and make sure we got all of them back, and if not, find the ones that didn't come back.”
“I wasn't aware that you were keeping such a close count on them," Hel admitted.
“We must because we don't want anyone to know about them, and if they do, we need to know. We also don't want them to try to recreate them and use them against us. One of these insects slipped in with the others and could find out everything that we're doing," Kasey offered.
She understood the need for secrecy and to ensure that all the insects that flew back were theirs and not altered. This would be a good job for her today because she could count, inspect, and see if it was one of the insects that they had sent out. She could also look at it and ensure it wasn't altered. By the end of the day, she felt she would wish she hadn't volunteered.
So many bugs and never enough time. There were ten different kinds of bugs and at least one thousand each. Kasey set up a table with a giant magnifying glass, and she was just running them through, looking for anything suspicious. No wonder she had been so happy that her sister had volunteered. This job was hell, and she didn't understand why Kasey had no helpers. It was too much for one person to do. Hel worked hard,and by lunch, she hurt all over, even her eyes, from so much inspection.
Kasey and she ate in a private officer's area. It was the best food around, and she knew her sister was trying to show her appreciation for the help she'd given. Hel, in turn, was pleased with her wonderful meal. While officers could eat there, they were only allowed one meal a week free. After that, they had to pay, and these meals weren't cheap. Flander would save up to get two meals and then take her here. That meant they were able to eat there twice a month. They were saving their money because, eventually, they would have some kind of house somewhere. With a child on the way, they needed to save harder.
Some other officers, especially those who weren't married, would pay the price to eat the meals and not worry about it. Some even took dates there, which was why this area made so much money. One night a week, anyone could eat there if they were willing to pay. Enlisted men would often take a date there to impress them. They couldn't do it often because most didn't make enough money. It still didn't stop them, and even a few married ones did it. This was a successful way to raise money for other things.
Flander entered his quarters, moving towards her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. His hand moved to her stomach, and then he leaned down to kiss her stomach.
“Is the baby behaving today?”
“He is.”
“You think it’s a boy?” Flander asked.
"I don't know, but he could be."
“So, he until we find out otherwise?”
“Why not.” Hel agreed.
“I hope you know that I just want a healthy baby. I love you and the baby no matter what.”
“Just like I love you both as well.”
"I have a surprise for you. We are moving to another apartment, and this one will be ours."
Epilogue
A few months had passed, and Hel touched her swollen belly and was ready for the baby to come. She and Flander had moved to another set of quarters, and she felt more at home there. That had the other bedroom decorated and set up for the baby. It was beautiful and convenient for working parents. She worked with Kasey often and knew her sister appreciated the help. It was still hard to understand why she didn't have more than one person assigned to her.
Kasey had mentioned that if she found some of her former assistants, she would get Ranni to hire them. Hel hoped they were found soon, and she was working on it, too. Everything else seemed to be going well. Her relationship with Flander was perfect and much like the one her sister and Ranni had. She had wondered if they would ever achieve that and was pleased that they had so soon. Their relationship helped her deal with the loss of working with her squad.
Two more weeks have passed, and now they are on the surface of Purgatory. Peace had come, but it hadn't come easily. The gangs were disbanded and dealt with. Citizens could safely walk the streets, and rebuilding had begun. Could an attack like that happen again? Anything was possible, but it wouldn't be the grabbers because they had been banned from the empire, and if they were found within their boundaries, their ships would be destroyed. Rumor was that they had found a new planet and decided to try to settle there. That planet had no indigenous people, and some feared the survival of the animals there. Several of them had been removed and taken by scientists to a place where they could be protected.
She exchanged a look with her sister. Their dream was well on its way. Rebuilding was being spearheaded by the Majuri, aspromised. It seemed all warriors were trained in construction at an early age. It was obvious that they were good at it as the rebuilding was proceeding quickly. Flander took her hand and squeezed it. She looked up at him, and he smiled. Hel had to admit that he and Ranni had a large part in the progress that they had made and that it had taken a toll on both of them.
Hel understood because some of those choices had also taken a toll on her. Maybe now that they were seeing the results of their actions, the guilt would ease. Someday, she could see their family living in a house near this very location. The area would thrive, with residents, stores, restaurants, and many other businesses. It would be much like before, and she loved it there then. Maybe the progress would wipe out the bad memories of the attack and what had happened afterward. So many had died, and while they could reclaim the buildings and other items, the lives would be lost forever.
This was a time of new growth and rebuilding. Others would come, and Purgatory would rise from the ashes of the old and shine with the new.
