(Two days later...)

"So, just to make sure I understand, are we actually going to Solara?" Boreas inquired once he had entered the cockpit.

"Yes, we are. Once we meet with the contractors, we're are going to make sure they won't stiff us. Jackson assured me he hired the best people to help us get settled down on Solara, but it doesn't hurt to be careful."

"No, no it doesn't," he agreed, "Well, I guess we can fetch Janet and Danny after everything's set up. Damn...I never thought I'd be coming back here...honestly, I remember why we picked this planet for my family to hide out on in the first place: barely anyone knows about it. Unlike Du'vuna or Ouro'Boron, Solara really doesn't have any outstanding features. Simply put, it's a homey little pastoral planet. It's perfect for us to lay low on."

"True," I muttered, "How are you holding up over your brother wanting to stay on Sylkiir V?"

"It was his decision. He's an adult, so I trust him to make the right decisions." Even as he said this, I could tell he was worried.

"We could always check up on Raphael," I pointed out, "We may not serve Jackson anymore, but we helped cripple the Federation–the fact we took out Djarek provides enough leverage to sway Jack's opinion."

"Good point...I guess that's why he supplied us with a shitton of contractors to work with."

"Exactly," I replied, "We may not have seen eye to eye, but I'm glad Jackson respected my wishes in the end."

"Yeah," Boreas replied, only to grow silent, "...You holding up okay, Cylus?"

The nightmares haven't gone away yet, but I've tried to focus on my family: between Alexander's dorkiness and Alannah's chaotic nature, I've at least managed to keep a smile on my face. Even if it wasn't genuine at times.

"I'm better," I finally answered, "I think Solara is going to help me in more ways than one."

"Agreed," Boreas answered, only to clear his throat, "Well, I'm gonna head back into the cargo hold. I'll check and make sure everything's been taken care of."

"Alright. Thanks Boreas."

With a grunt, my old friend walked out of the cockpit. In his place, Alexander appeared.

"Sooo, how are things going up here?"

"If you're wondering if we've reached Solara yet, the answer's no."

"Fuck!" Alex fumed, "We've been flying for four fucking hours now!"

I rolled my eyes. "Kids these days."

I heard Alannah chuckle. "No patience."

Huh, I thought you were asleep. "Indeed."

"Alex, please calm down," Another voice chimed in.

The kid sighed in response. "Oh alright...sorry Raina."

"You did nothing wrong. Trust me, I am rather sick of being stuck on this ship, but our patience will pay off in the end."

"Yeah...you're right."

"Seriously woman, how do you do it?" Alannah demanded, "I tell my son to be patient, and he calls me gay. How do you hold power over Alex?"

"Simple: she has the key to his heart and his prick," I explained, "Have you seen the way the kid acts around his lil crush?"

"Dad, I will kick you out of this fucking ship!"

"Do that, and I'll take you to hell with me."

"And you'll never stop arguing for the rest of eternity," my wife grumbled, "Please, for the love of god, calm the fuck down before I crack heads together."

"Yeeaah...let's not resort to that..." Raina muttered, "Alex? How about we head back to the cargo hold..."

"That's the best course of action..." he grumbled.

"Have fun, virgin," I called.

"Go fuck yourself, dad!"

"I don't take offers."

With that out of the way, I was able to focus on the journey ahead of us.

"So...are you actually feeling better?" Alannah prompted me, "I know it's been, what, two-three days since we got away from Ouro'Boron, so I don't blame you for still being shaken over...everything that happened."

"I feel a little better," I admitted, "I know I've been acting strange, and I apologize for that. I've just been...conscious of all the lives I've taken throughout the years. It's weighed heavily on my heart, so Ouro'Boron was the...breaking point, if you will. I'll try not to become cold and distant–if anything, Alex would force me to brighten up."

"Yep. Sounds like our son," Alannah mused, chuckling to herself, "Well, I'm glad you're starting to feel better. I wouldn't blame you for becoming reserved and distant–I know I'd do the same thing if I were in your shoes. You've been a bounty hunter for far longer than I have, so I can only imagine the things you have to live with."

I shrugged in response. "I've lived with most of my scars for a long time. I may not have moved on from those old ghosts, but I've at least managed to live with them. It's a sad fact of life, but at least I have you by my side."

The slightest of sniffles could be heard. "I love you Cylus."

Ignoring the stinging in my eyes, I managed to get out a response. "Love you too."

After that, silence won the day. I focused on the journey ahead of me even as my thoughts went astray. Even if we're going to a planet like Solara, I have no idea what's going to happen. Well, guess that really doesn't matter. As long as my family will be safe. I'll be happy.

Thankfully, we reached our destination a few hours later: the dark orange and beige planet greeted us like a warm hug as my ship entered Solara's atmosphere. Flying over serene veldts and small settlements, I felt at peace. Yeah, I can work with this.

Landing in one such settlement, I stood up and grabbed my helmet. Staring at it for several moments, I sighed and walked into the cargo hold. I threw open a box and looked down at my armor, which I had stored neatly within the crate. Setting my helmet down on my duster, I looked down at what I was wearing: for once, I was garbed in normal clothing, which consisted of a dark gray shirt, a black jacket, and matching pants with my old boots. Not far off from my old attire, but I at least don't look like a bounty hunter. With a sigh of contentment, I sealed the metal container and patted the top of it.

After I was done storing old memories, I regarded the remnants of my crew and beckoned for them to follow me. Once we were off my ship, I started to look for the contractors Jackson had hired for me. Thankfully, they weren't too hard to find and I was able to tell them what I wanted them to do. Long story short, I wanted them to build two houses for me, Boreas, and our families to reside in.

When all of that was dealt with, I loosed a breath I didn't realize I had been holding for several moments. Well, that's over with.

"That went better than expected," Boreas mused, "At least the contractors sounded competent. With that out of the way, that begs the question: what now?"

"Simple: we find somewhere to stay while our houses are built," I responded, "There should be somewhere we can hunker down in."

"I mean, we are in a larger colony, so you aren't wrong. However, I dunno if there's an inn for us to stay at since Solara doesn't get very many visitors," Alannah stated.

"Please, I remember Janet telling me about hunters and other tourists who've come here to taste the local fauna. Since we did in fact land one of the larder colonies, I'm sure we'll find something," Boreas replied, "All we have to do is explore a bit and see what we can find."

"Fair enough," I muttered, only to raise my voice, "Alright guys, let's get moving."

"Ugh, it's hot as balls out here!" my son chimed in.

I rolled my eyes. "Should've worn something different, numbnuts. You knew we were coming here, yes?"

"...Yes."

"Then I'm sorry. Whenever we find somewhere to lay low in, you can get dressed."

"...Alright."

Thankfully, we were allowed to fetch our belongings from our rooms on Sylkiir V before we left, so we carried our stuff in bags and suitcases as we walked along a stone road.

"This place sure is beautiful," Raina mused, "I'm glad we came here."

"As am I," Alex replied, "It'll be interesting getting used to life on Solara, but I think we all deserve some relaxation."

"Agreed," Vi'karac chimed in. His silhouette appeared beside me, but he didn't completely manifest, "It will be nice to not have to worry about harrowing hunts and the like."

"Indeed," Ki'aras added, "Peace is a luxury I was not given. This will be...different, but not unwanted."

I couldn't help but nod in response. "You're not wrong, Kia. We all need this..."

The rest of my crew mumbled in agreement, and I continued looking for a place to stay. Barely anyone paid us any attention, and I was glad they didn't. Rather not have any unfortunate misunderstandings. After about thirty minutes of searching, I finally found a small building that appeared to be an inn. Entering said building, I was thankfully right.

Approaching the small front desk, I smiled when an old woman behind the counter beamed at me.

"How can I help you?" she prompted me.

In response, I set two gold shivs down on the counter top. "Can my family and I occupy some of your rooms? Hope those two shivs will cover all costs."

The presumed owner was understandably baffled. "Th-This is your family?"

Turning around partially, my smile broadened. "Yes. They are. Will those two shivs suffice?"

"Y-Yes, yes they most certainly will," she responded, "The rooms aren't very big, so would three rooms work for you? Two people could share one each."

"Works with me," I answered when I turned back around to address her, "Thank you."

"I-I should be thanking you! What is your name, kind sir?"

"The name's Cylus," I answered, feeling a weight lift from my chest, "Cylus Haze."

"Well Mr. Haze, please allow me to help your family get situated in my humble establishment. My husband should drop by soon enough and get lunch started. He makes a mean brushhopper stew."

"Excellent," I replied, "Lead the way."

After we were led to three empty rooms, I turned to regard my son. Obviously, he was a little nervous since he managed to put two and two together.

"Um, I take it me and Boreas are sharing a room," he inquired, only to yelp when my old friend slapped him on the back.

"Nah, I'm getting a room to myself," he replied, shooting me a wink, "You're a man, Alex. Don't be a baby bitch."

With a snort, I watched as my son regarded Raina. Much to my amusement, she appeared to be enjoying this exchange.

"So, um, you cool with us sharing a room?" he inquired, "I can always sleep on the floor."

Raina laughed, which caused Alex's face to turn crimson. "I don't see a problem with that, Alexander. You don't have to sleep on the floor."

"Ah...okay..." he squeaked. 

With that, everyone went into their respective rooms. Setting my duffel bag down in front of our bed, I took stock of my surroundings: the building we were in appeared to be made out of a mixture of stone and wood, but I could tell it was built to last. As for our furnishings, everything appeared to be hand-crafted.

"Dang. This place isn't half bad," Alannah mused as she set her stuff down beside mine and sat down on our bed, "Good eye, love."

I huffed out a chuckle while sitting down beside her. "No kidding. Well, here's hoping we won't spend too long here. With Boreas and Alex running around, there's no telling what chaos will be caused."

My wife shrugged. "Eh, Raina will at least keep our son in line. I mean, seriously: she has the poor kid in the palm of her hand."

"He's smitten over her–much like I was when I first met you," I pointed out, earning an adorable blush from Alannah.

"Good to see your way with words hasn't dwindled," she began, tittering to herself, "I can tell you're feeling better, Mr. Haze."

I felt a bright grin appear on my face. "I suppose you could say that, Mrs. Haze."

"Damn, I like the ring of that," Alannah muttered, "Bout time this happened."

"Yes, about damn time indeed."

-End of Act V-