One of the three suns of planet Huǒ hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the cemetery, its rays gentle but warm. The sky was a vibrant blue, a serene contrast to the weight of the earth beneath their feet. Birds called in the distance, and the soft hum of a breeze stirred the air, rustling the leaves of the old trees lining the rows of white gravestones. Huǒ was known as the world without night because at least one of its suns was always up. The everlasting daylight made it a popular tourist destination. But Róngyù and his wife, Rekka, a fellow Huǒ, held a more somber gathering.

  As Róngyù walked, his polished boots made a soft crunch on the gravel path. His uniform felt heavier not from the burdens of command but from something personal. He hadn't seen Rekka in months, not since the siege of Eternareign had taken him away, and now, as they strolled side by side, he could hardly believe the woman walking next to him was the same one he'd kissed goodbye. During the siege, he received a message that she was pregnant with their first child. And with this realization, the stakes for victory grew to untold heights. Now, he wasn’t just fighting for the innocents of the galaxy but also to ensure his child’s future.

  Rekka's hand rested lightly on the curve of her stomach, her pregnant belly swelling beneath the soft fabric of her dress. Her dark hair, loose in the wind, shone like a halo in the sunlight, and her eyes, though shadowed with the grief of the past years, still held the warmth he remembered. She glowed as only someone expecting a new life could. But there was something bittersweet in that glow. They were here to honor the fallen, and she knew, just as he did, that many of the names etched in stone were the men he led.

  "I'm glad you’re home," Rekka gave Róngyù a small smile. "But I wish it were under different circumstances."

  Róngyù nodded yes, eyes scanning the rows of graves. “I wish that, too!”

  They agreed to visit the cemetery together. For Róngyù, it felt like an obligation, a final gesture of respect for those who had given everything. But for Rekka, it was something else. It was a place of quiet reflection, remembering the fallen soldiers and life before her husband was a general. Carrying the many burdens of his rank.

  They reached a small clearing in the cemetery, the rows of graves stretching out before them, names etched in stone, some familiar, some not. A memorial stood in the center, a sculpture of a soldier kneeling, head bowed in reverence. Róngyù paused, a tightness in his chest as he looked at it. His mind flashed to the faces of the men he’d lost, the ones who had trusted him to lead them home.

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to come here!”

  “I needed to,” she said, her hand squeezing his. “I think we both did!”

  Her words were gentle but firm. She refused to show the bitterness that had occasionally crept into her voice from Róngyù’s absence. Instead, she held on to him, offering her strength just as he had always offered his.

  “I should’ve been here more,” Róngyù said, a deep regret pressing on his chest. “I should’ve...”

  “You did what you had to do,” Rekka interrupted, her gaze steady and sure. “And I’m proud of you for it, lover. I always have been!”

  He swallowed, his throat tight. The weight of Rekka’s words settled in him like a balm, but it didn’t erase the guilt. The guilt he couldn’t protect them all, the guilt that there were lives he couldn’t save. "I’m just... sorry," he murmured.

  She reached up, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead, her fingers gentle against his skin. "Don’t apologize. You came home to us. That’s what matters. And now we get to move forward together!"

  The couple stood there, gazing out over the rows of gravestones for a minute. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable but shared. There was so much they didn’t say aloud, but in this quiet place, among the memories of the lost, they could both feel it: the weight of everything they’d survived and the fragile hope that lay ahead.

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  “I’ll be here for the both of us,” Róngyù said finally, his usual optimism returning to his voice. "I won't let this war take any more from us."

  Rekka smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek as she nodded. “And I’ll be here, waiting for you, every time you return!”

  “But there’s still one thing, Rekka!”

  “What?”

  “I fear there may be something wrong with Damara!”

  “Is she unwell, lover?”

  “Indeed, but not an illness of the body, but the mind and soul!”

  “What makes you think this way?”

  “I could tell from the last time I saw her!”

  Rekka drew closer to Róngyù, awaiting an elaboration.

  “After Zeemos, the way she talked and moved was disconcerting. It was that of someone whose will shattered!”

  On Earth, the humans and off-worlders scrambled readily from the morning, still repairing the damage from the nemesis attack and endeavoring to live life in the wake of tragedy. But one couple lay asleep in bed, needing additional rest from the trials of the past months. However, the soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains, hitting them. Daisy stirred first, the edge of her consciousness dragging her from sleep. She blinked at the aching hollowness that greeted her each morning, now as familiar as the bed she lay in. She felt Carter beside her even before she turned her head. A part of her was fearful to wake him, to discuss the weight of it, the weight of failure they both carried.

  The memories of the mission flooded back: the chaos, the screams, Evelyn stabbing her in the stomach. The enemy captured Clive, their closest friend, and many other soldiers. Hundreds of lives were lost, and hundreds more were hanging in the balance. The cold truth of their situation took root deep within their hearts. Finally, she exhaled, slow and deliberate, before turning to look at him. Carter’s eyes were closed. His expression closed off as well, but she knew the flickers of torment that haunted his mind. Daisy knew it as surely as she knew the feel of his body beside hers.

  Daisy ran her finger across Carter’s cheek, trying to wake him as gently as possible. He didn’t react at first, but his hand shifted as if Carter was trying to keep himself anchored to sleep.

  “Carter, it's okay,” she whispered, the words thick with grief.

  His gaze flickered open, and his eyes, the color of steel, held hers for a long moment. No words of reassurance. Just the quiet understanding that they were both living in the same hollow space.

  “Don’t,” he said softly, his voice rough from too many sleepless nights. “You don’t need to remind me.”

  “I needed to know if you’re okay, my love!” Daisy forced a smile.

  Carter exhaled heavily.“I’m sorry if I was rude!”

  “Don’t be! But do you think we can get them back?”

  Carter’s hand shifted in the space between them, reaching for her. He tangled his fingers into hers, the touch firm but slow, as if afraid she might shatter at the slightest force. He pulled her hand to his chest, holding on to something solid in the storm of their grief.

  “I don’t know,” he said finally. His voice was quieter now, almost as if he were speaking to the room, perhaps to the uncertainty of tomorrow. “I just... I don’t know.”

  The silence stretched long between them.

  Daisy had two seemingly unsolvable questions: how to save their comrades and what to do about Evelyn. If Carter couldn’t supply them, Daisy had to seek them out elsewhere. She didn’t know where to begin, but she couldn’t despair. Daisy had to persevere in the name of her father and even the slightest hope of rescuing Clive and the others.

  She shifted closer, wrapping around Carter, her body instinctively seeking his warmth. “We can’t give up, Carter!”

  “I know, believe me, I know!”

  “We’re just on a… what’s the right military term?”

  “I guess a tactical retreat!”

  “Exactly! A tactical retreat! We’ll use this time to rest, recuperate, and pray!”

  “Do you have anything specific in mind?”

  Daisy thought about it for a moment.”Let’s spend our leave time celebrating Thanksgiving with Ma!”

  Carter rolled over, facing away from Daisy and groaning. “I don’t know about that, red!”

  “Why?” Daisy slumped onto Carter’s back, wrapping around his body.”It’ll be fun!”

  “Red, it’s clear your mom doesn’t like me!”

  “Where did you get that idea?”

  “I’m the reason you’re not a virgin anymore!”

  “We’re both responsible for that! Besides, Ma doesn’t hold grudges!”

  Carter rolled back over, facing Daisy.“And I’m too worried about Clive!”

  “I am, too, but I’m sure some Kansas air will help us figure out what to do!” Daisy kissed Carter.

  “The things I do for you, red!”