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? Maybeshe 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 aclean 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 Ranniwas 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 shediscovered 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.