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Hel watched out the window as the surface of her old home grew closer. The landing was easy since only the best was allowed to fly the latest military shuttle. She flew sometimes, but Jaird was flying today. Flander sat next to her, keeping a close eye on her. He'd been like that since her training had been completed, and she was now an LT on his team. Being on his team wasn't a big deal because she'd been on his team as a trainee. Trainees were protected. They were only used in low-risk places. Now, she was an officer. One of low rank, working just like the others on the team. For team members, the risk was high.

Apparently, Flander didn't like that. He wanted her locked away somewhere safe where there was no risk. She turned eighteen, and everything had changed. When she was sixteen, she would have done anything for his attention. He treated her like a sister. Now, he wanted things to change. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that easy. She wasn't sure that things would change at all. Hel would admit that he had been an excellent teacher and adviser as far as the military went, but he had left much to be desired as a friend.

She put her mind back on what they were doing. The planet had never properly recovered. Everywhere she looked, there was chaos. Most of the decent, hardworking people had resettled elsewhere. There were too many criminals, many of whom had come from elsewhere. It was not the world of her childhood. It was not even the world that she had left. Nothing was the way she remembered it. She felt like she was in another world altogether.

As they exited the shuttle, everyone was on high alert. There was no doubt that if a person couldn't fight and protect themselves, they would die or be taken, and that might be worse. They hadn't been told precisely what they would do here. Only Flander knew. Her best guess was they would recover something. There were still places locked down by primitive means and would not allow entrance. Some places would be research centers like the one her sister had run.

The Majuri were big on technology. Some of the things her sister had created were probably still cutting-edge technology. They were headed in the direction of that research facility. Flander began moving faster just as she saw a group of males. It was a gang of some kind. Those were the most dangerous of the groups that had moved there. Many were backed by off-world interest groups looking for things like technology or other valuables left behind.

The Majuri knew about these groups and the various supporters who had brought them there. Hel had studied them and learned how to recognize several. Those who headed their way were not one of the groups she was familiar with. They were a rough bunch. That was probably why Flander was trying to get them to cover before the group got to them. It wasn't that they couldn't handle them. He simply wasn't willing to take the chance since she was with them. He would have to get over that, or she would have to move to another squad.

If Ranni knew, he would not allow them to continue working together. When they returned to the ship, she would have to decide if she wanted to snitch on him. He'd caused her a lot of grief when she'd been sixteen, and he showed no interest in her, but she still cared about Flander, and she knew this would upset him. For some reason, even though they had no real relationship, they cared about each other.

The problem was that she didn't want to be his sister, and he didn't want to be her lover. When she turned eighteen, and he still hadn't shown the interest that she wanted, Hel had decided that she needed to move on, and she knew for some reason that he wouldn't like it. Maybe some guys wanted their sister to stay virginal forever. She'd never had a big brother before and didn't want one. So, she didn't know his problem. The place before them was familiar, but it had taken some hits. It was amazing the place was still standing.

This was one of the places where her dad and her sister Kasey had worked on some of the technology they had come up with. Her dad had been a structural engineer there. He had worked on the practical aspects while Kasey devised the theories and plans for the things he built. She moved ahead of Flander, put in the code, and opened the door. They all hurried in, closing the door behind them, leaving the gang in the cold.

“I thought you would know how to get in here," Flander observed.

“Lane and I spent time here while my dad and Kasey worked. What are we looking for?” Hel asked.

“Those things that they were working on right before the attack.”

“I'm not sure exactly what that was, but I know where it might be. They tended to either hide downstairs or on the roof. My bet is downstairs in the basement.”

“Lead the way," Flander suggested.

There had been a cool elevator, but that no longer worked, so they had to take the stairs. The basement was six levels down, and that was a lot of stairs. Hel and Lane used to slide down the stair rails, and she remembered it had been a lot of fun. She suspected her dad and Kasey had made them that way so they could. It used up a lot of their excess energy and made it easier to be around them after they had gone down six floors. Now that she was older, it was just tiring and not so fun, even though she slid down a few levels.

“This is interesting. Did they build the rails for exercise?”

"No, just for Lane and me so we could have some fun," Hel admitted.

“You were spoiled, weren’t you?”

Hel shot him an irritated look and continued until they hit the basement. It looked just like it had before. The door had sealed off that section, not even letting in air. When it opened, the air rushed in. Where was the safe that had held all those plans Kasey had made? There it was, and she hurried to it. In a way, it was odd that Kasey had made her, and Lane remembered how to access the safe. When she did, the large round door rolled to the side, and it was a huge room full of all kinds of things. There were plans, a robot, weapons, and many other things, all of which were useful.

She didn't understand why her sister hadn't come with them. This place had been her baby. It was where she achieved the most, and her best ideas came to fruition. Neither she nor Ranni had come along, and she found that odd. She may have to get used to being a follower because no one told her anything anymore. At least she got to go out into the field. She was the only female on any of these kinds of squads, and at least that was something.

“You remember all that?” Flander looked surprised.

“Kasey made it like a game. She wrote a little song for each code needed in this facility. We were just playing around and didn't realize we were memorizing what was needed to enter in case something happened to her dad. Crazy, isn't it?”

“Brilliant. You didn't even realize what you were doing, and yet you got all the important information memorized.”

“I was old enough that it wasn't difficult, but our brother learned it all too.”

“Let me poke around in there and see if I can find what we are supposed to bring back. Is that a working robot?”

“It's a security robot. It can work automatically or be remote-controlled. It shoots lasers, among other things. We were never allowed to play with it because Dad said it kills," Hel admitted.

“Would you let your children play with something like that?”

“Probably not, but we didn’t see things that way. Kasey messed with things like that all the time. She wasn’t that much older.”

“She was the age you are now. You’re about to get the chance to put this robot to use.” Flander observed.

Hel couldn’t deny that she was thrilled. It was funny that she remembered everything her sister had told her about turning on this robot. She immediately began to set it up and flipped the switch.

“I am B3PO. Who is in charge?”

"I'm Hel, and I am in charge. Take a good look around at my squad and cause them no harm. Anyone who attacks us needs to be neutralized."

“Will he be able to make it up the steps?” Flander asked.

“Yes. B3PO is an adaptable and adjustable robot.”

“Does his name mean anything?”

"Of the bots Kasey made, he is the third in the PO line. It stands for Power Operator. I had no part in naming him," Hel explained.

"I've got what was needed. We must lock everything up as we leave to keep it safe."

"No problem." Hel shut the first door, locking it as the guys and B3PO exited before her, and they hit the stairs.

The robot hit them hard, and he was loud, but he was also quick. They all followed, moving up the stairs to the top floor, where she locked another door. The outer door would be the last one. They were all waiting for her. The robot went first. The shooting began immediately. B3PO took out many of the gang. The others scurried to find cover as lasers continued to fire. It was odd that the gang seemed to have old-fashioned bullets. They weren't nearly as good as the lasers that her squad fired.

Where do those bullets even come from? Those were some things that old Earth and other planets no longer needed to live. It was true that there was a market for antique guns and the bullets they shot, but those were generally made in small amounts just to suit a specific buyer. Those buyers were usually wealthy people who liked playing around with those items. Hel was all for lasers. Although she had been taught to shoot the antique guns and rifles. The gang didn't seem to have been trained to shoot them because their aim was terrible.

Occasionally, a gun with jam, and it was clear that their lasers were much more reliable than the old guns the gang was shooting. She wondered if that gang was there to try to get into some of her sister's workplaces. Any of the research that Kasey had done would be invaluable to any group. Her squad was dressed in heavy bulletproof uniforms, and they even had face shields that they had all pulled down that would protect them from most weapons, but there were no guarantees. The incoming bullets were not as heavy because about half the gang had been taken out, and the other half was trying to fire from behind a wall.

A bullet hit near her. A piece of stone broke off, flew up under her face shield, and hit her cheek. It stung like the devil, and she was sure it would probably leave a scar. Flander cussed a blue streak and pulled her closer to him, and they began to move quickly. The robot took a position in the rear and continued to fire at the gang. Hel admired the robot's behavior and efficiency in taking out the enemy. What bothered her was how young most of the gang members looked.

They were almost to the ship, and the robot was keeping up well even though it was backing up instead of moving forward as it protected their rear. It seemed her sister had left everything of value behind because she feared it would be destroyed if she took it. Hel would have taken it with her, and it would have been destroyed. Kasey was a lot smarter than she was, even in practical matters. Her mother told her not to compare herself to her sister because their strengths were in different areas, and they were both brilliant. Isn't that what a mother is supposed to say? Her mother always knew the right things to say or do. Thank goodness her mom had returned to them.

She still needed to find her dad. Even if he was gone, she and her family needed closure. Hopefully, some of the toys that Kasey designed would help the search. Hel suspected that he was still alive and being held somewhere. A structural engineer as good as he was could always be of use. He did better when he worked with his oldest daughter because they were the perfect team. Hel had always hoped that when she got older, she would have a skill she could share with her mother, and there was still hope that that was true.

She was an intern working toward becoming a full-fledged doctor like her mother. It was unlikely that she would ever develop the interest in being the research biologist her mother had been, but she had learned that you couldn't have it all. You were lucky if you managed to get anything at all. Right now, she would give it all up just to find her father and get him back safely. They had made it into the ship and were flying with the robot. The robot appeared to be causing problems because it was much heavier than it looked, and it was an adjustment that the pilot had to make.

“Move that damn thing into the center so that we don't lean one way or the other," Jaird yelled irritably.

She used the remote to resettle B3PO. It seemed to calm Jaird, but it did not matter much since they were almost on the main ship. When they were docked, and the door opened, she saw that Kasey and Ranni were waiting for them. They all disembarked and stood there waiting as the robot came out and stood in front of the ship, looking around.

“A very interesting robot," Ranni observed.

“He's probably the reason we made it back alive," Hel commented.

“She's been injured and needs medical treatment," Flander admitted.

“It's nothing life-threatening, but I may end up with a scar," Hel explained.

“Go to medical and get that treated," Ranni directed.

He was the boss, so she left and headed to medical. No one came with her, not that she expected anyone to since she was an adult. She wondered what was happening and what they would do with the returned information. It wasn't hard to figure out what they would do with B3PO. They would make one hundred of them and use them in areas like the planet below, where they could not gain control. When they first left, it looked like the planet would be rebuilt, but it wasn’t long before it was flooded with gangs and other criminals.

The Emperor had immediately pulled out their troops because he wasn't willing to risk anyone without a good reason. It had taken two years for him to find a good enough reason. B3PO should have been a good enough reason, but the research center was a treasure trove.

“Do we have a hurt?” Jacks asked.

He was a medic and could be irritating. It probably bothered him that she was training to be a doctor while he was a medic. She didn't know why he wasn't training to be a doctor, but it wasn't her business. Just like what she was doing wasn't any of his business. Her training had already been half over when she had come onboard, which had been given to her by her mother and the local college on her planet.

“Looks like we'll be able to fix this right up, and you shouldn't even have a scar. Why do they have you going out with that rough squad? You're just a girl, for goodness' sake," Jacks observed.

That was how all those warriors looked at things, so she was the only female on any of the squads in her area. She'd heard some had several women on them. No one said anything about them because they knew they had worked hard to gain their position on the squads. It was only here where, for some reason, some of the warriors felt like she'd been given her position.

Kasey was a fully trained warrior but rarely went out in the field. Before, it had been because she was expecting her son, and then he needed her, but why did she hold back now? Maybe she was expecting again? Majuri warriors wanted that from their females—one child after another or barefoot and pregnant. That wasn't her and never would be. Jacks sealed her wound, and it looked like she'd never been injured.

"Thank you," Hel mumbled, and then she hurried away.

She headed to her room where she could have some time to herself even though she wasn't tired. There was just a need to be alone, at least for a while. It wasn't like they would tell her anything that was going on anyway. Everything was a secret, and it was one that she wasn't allowed to know. She only found things out when she was present and needed to recover the information that the Majuri wanted. There was a knock on the door, so she yelled to come in.

It was Kasey. “I thought you would come back.”

“I didn’t feel welcome. I’m never told anything important.”

"You made this possible. B3PO was the main reason for the mission. I made a deal with the Emperor, and they will start manufacturing B3POS and use them to clean up the planet. We'll be able to rebuild."

“Will that matter to us?” Hel asked.

“It will. I can’t stand seeing our home like this. Someday, I want to live there again.”

Hel had to admit that surprised her. She thought someday Ranni and Kasey would live in the palace and rule the whole Empire. The Emperor might live a long time, but eventually, that would be her brother-in-law's position. Maybe they could use this as a vacation home, but she didn't think they would ever be able to live there.

As far as her life went, she had no idea where it would go. Some would say it was good that her whole life was like a clean slate before her, and she could take it in any direction. Her outlook was dismal, and she had no idea how she would ever succeed anywhere. Hel didn't know what she wanted to do for a living because she was torn between two careers. There was no romance in her life. The only one she wanted would never work for her.

“I can't deny that I'll be glad to see the planet brought to order and the rebuilding beginning in earnest. But where is the money going to come from? Everything of value has been removed from the planet, and most buildings are total rubble.”

“That's where Mercury is going to come in. As soon as the planet is brought to order, the Majuri will help rebuild the company. We'll hire people, and the money they make will help them rebuild their homes. There are enough projects that were begun and even a few that were finished that we didn't have time to start manufacturing to make enough money that we can build other things like apartment buildings for the people working on the planet.” Kasey admitted.

“Big plans. I hope you're able to pull this all off.”

“I need you and the rest of our family to help. It will take all of us to do so much.”

"We'll see what we can do once the robot police get the planet in order," Hel said.

"You're right. They are starting to manufacture right away. Not all the robots are coming here, but a squad of ten will be brought in within a month."

“You must have done a great job negotiating. When did you do that?”

"We did a video conference. Not all of Chief Radvar’s blood are impressive. He's a pig, and he hit on me. I thought Ranni was going to reach through the screen and choke him," Kasey admitted.

“No family is perfect. Look at our family. Everyone is a genius but me.”

“You are a genius and a warrior. Give yourself a break.”

Her sister patted her on the back and left. Kasey never knew what to say when she made comments like that. She couldn't help it because she didn't feel as smart and capable as the rest of her family. Even Lane, her young brother, had found his spot as an engineer. He was a talented one and in constant demand. Maybe her sister was right that she shouldn't compare herself to the rest of her family because there weren't many people who could compare to them.

Hel wasn't sure what to do now. She took a shower, changed her clothes, and went to sleep. The physical effort hadn't been difficult. It was the mental challenge of going home. When she woke up, home was all that was on her mind. Sixteen wonderful years spent on that planet with her family before it all went to hell. It was hard to come to grips with. Seeing it as that had brought it all back, she couldn't get it off her mind. She might have never really dealt with what had happened and how it had affected her. Usually, she would have discussed it with her mother, but she couldn't do that. Her mother had been through so much. She'd been through even more than she and her siblings had.

Kasey had moved on with her new life and her mate and son. Lane loved the life they had now even more than their life on the planet. She was the only lonely one who hadn't managed to adjust and find something else to hold on to. Even her mother had returned to work, and her job meant a lot to her. Mom was still looking to find a way to get their father back, but if she discovered that he was gone and she was sure of it, Hel had a feeling she would move on, too.

Hel decided to go get supper. The cafeteria was crowded, and she’d managed to get there just when everyone else had. She saw her squad, so she got her tray and joined them. If she didn’t, she knew she’d catch hell.

"Hey, Girl," Tomsin greeted.

“Hey.” She sat down by him.

Ronner, Jaird, Tanen, and Flander all sat nearby. The squads had six people in them. Hel had been lucky that someone had transferred out, leaving a spot for her at the right time. Even when it happened, she wondered if Ranni had a hand in it.

“Did you get rid of someone to make room for me?” Hel had asked.

"No, I talked someone into staying until you were ready. Otherwise, he'd have left a year too soon," Ranni grinned.

Hel had to admit her sister's mate was gorgeous, but Flander drew her in. Too bad one of the other guys didn't. She tried to concentrate on her food because she was hungry, but her eyes kept moving to Flander. Why couldn't she just forget about him? A good question with no answer.