[Kie]

So much destruction... I grew up near this town. I had friends and family here. My breaths came in shallow gasps as my heart accelerated. I reached for Ben. He took up my hand and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could he have said? Instead he nodded an affirmation that he was here for me.

The houses were arranged in multiple circles of increasing diameter around a central courtyard. The Center, as we called it, once hosted vibrant markets, colorful fairs, and impromptu events. Now it consisted of a single massive crater. The destructive wrath radiated out, sparing no dwellings close and only a few further away. Most were only cracked shells or piles of brownish rubble littered with scattered remnants of everyday life. A few people sifted through the debris while others wandered aimlessly.

My family home occupied a farm site near the edge of Freehold. I pleaded to myself as I squeezed Ben's hand, 'please let it be untouched'. I held my breath as we flew closer.

A single sob escaped my lips. "No..."

Half of my childhood home laid in crumbled ruin. Of the multi-domed structure, what rooms still stood were cracked like broken eggs. All that was left of my old room were flattened slabs of composite building material. The barn and sheds behind the house were also damaged. Memories of my growing up here flashed through my mind. I shuddered. My parents, my brothers... were they still alive? A flurry of dark thoughts tore at my gut.

Ben landed the flyer by what was left of the front door. He held me while I sobbed on his shoulder. Ar'ell's face turned a light green as he put a hand gently on my shoulder. He seemed to realize my fears of what may be inside. Ben led me to the door, his arm supporting me.

A familiar voice called out. "Kie!"

I gasped and ran to my grandmother, smothering her with a tight hug. Her long silver hair surrounded me as we embraced. My second oldest brother, Seth, also came around with a hunting rifle slung across his back. Usually the jokester, but gone was his usual grin, replaced with a grim expression. I hugged him as well.

I was almost afraid to ask. "Mom, Dad, and my other brothers? Are they okay?"

Seth clenched his jaw and tensed his face. Grandma Brinne answered, "Your mom and two youngest brothers are at an evac site. They are fine. Your father and Angus... They stayed to defend the home." She shook her head. "They were hurt, or worse, but we have not found where they were taken. It's difficult to get information in this chaos."

Her words abruptly stopped and her jaw dropped as Ar'ell came around the corner carrying his lance. Seth bared his teeth and swung his rifle around. I grabbed it to stop him. "No! He is with us!"

Seth hissed. "You defend these monsters!"

Ben stepped in front of Ar'ell and held up his hands. "Kie is right. He is not one of them. He fights with us." 

Ar'ell asked me who these people were in song. I explained in song. His face turned a light shade of blue.

I introduced him. "This is Ar'ell of the Orra clan. Those that invaded our world are of the Em'arn clan. They shot him down and killed his mate."

Grandma's eyes grew wide. "How do you know this?"

"I learned their language. It is based on pitch and intonation. I can sing it."

Ben held up his hand, showing the four-pointed star of the Orra clan. "Kie and I were made members of his clan. We will have legal standing to argue our interests in front of some sort of alien judge."

Some of the tension on Grandma Brinne's face faded. "Could that end the fighting?"

I nodded. "I think so. We have to try." 

"The Governor will need to know of this. But the hard-wire comms are down and they are jamming the short wave radios now."

Ar'ell squealed a warning and jumped to the side. He leveled his lance and fired. An Em'arn soldier wearing a black uniform collapsed, a gaping wound to its neck spurting a blue-green liquid. Another emerged from behind the damaged barn. Seth brought his rifle up and fired as the alien lifted his lance. The soldier stumbled back, dazed but otherwise unhurt. Ar'ell took advantage of the opening and sent a yellow pulse into the soldier's chest.

Grandma waved her hands in the air. "Go! Go to the Southwest Ag Research Station. Ben, your mother is there. She will be able to communicate with the Governor."

"Grandma, Seth, you can come with us."

She shook her head. "No. Our duties are here." She gave me a quick hug. "Now go, child! We love you."

Ben wasted no time leaving Freehold. He flew low and fast, following the river that would lead us to the research station. After a few minutes his facial muscles visibly relaxed and he blew out a cleansing breath.

Ben turned to me to speak but paused when he saw my tears. "I'm sorry, Kie. I hope your dad and brother will be okay. When we get a chance, we will come back to your family."

He reached across and put his hand on my shoulder. I leaned into it. "Thank you."

As I thought of what we must do, the whole weight of Paradise seemed to press down on me. "Ben, what if we fail? What if I fail?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what we will face, but together--"

His words were interrupted by a deafening crash. The flyer lurched to the side, nearly overturning. As it tilted, I caught a glimpse of an alien craft above and behind us. Shiny, rounded with two extended thrusters, it looked very much like the spaceship Ar'ell arrived in.

Panel lights flashed warnings as Ben wrenched at the control yoke. A feeling of weightlessness tingled my gut as we plummeted toward the ground. He managed to level the flyer, but we went into a flat spin, still falling.

I looked back a Ar'ell. His face flashed pale green, but otherwise, he seemed calm. Out of the window to his side, I noticed smoke trailing our descent. The rear left outrigger fan was missing! All that was left of it was a bit of tangled grey plas-steel. From Ben's window, a dark streak whistled past us at some incredible velocity. They were firing at us!

I held my breath while my heart raced. I reached out to Ben but then pulled my hand back. His concentration was focused solely on regaining control of the flyer and I did not want to change that. He gritted his teeth and feverishly worked the controls as if our lives depended on it. Because they did.