Chapter Thirty-Four
End of the Road
Time passed, but grief continued to press down. I wanted to hide in the palace, but I was a father with a child, with friends who needed me, and responsibilities. An overwhelming Sandari vote reinstated my man, making him officially a Sentinel again, with the understanding that I too would help.
The twin moons of Sudo hung low in the sky.
The dry air stilled, as if the desert itself sensed the funeral.
A simple, pointed stone marker carved by Karel's village stood at the center of the gathering.
It wasn't a Volardi tradition, but Zephyron honored Earth.
They hide all evidence of the person when gone, but I couldn't do that.
My friend was too 'larger than life' for that.
Parker's drone, with Simulacra crawlers, had been sent back into the tunnels, along with search parties, searching for every possible passage, but no corpse had been found. There was only one explanation.
Zerlites had eaten everything as they did with Tydalos.
I swallowed against the lump in my throat.
Everyone was here. Joel, Chase, Alen, Cindy, Maurice, Dad, Karel.
.. even General Westmore, dressed in his formal Army uniform, watching with his arms crossed.
Ryan and Wyatt stood near the back. I'd barely spoken to them since they landed, but I was glad they came.
A tall, black-armored figure watched at the crowd's edge, quiet and unmoving. I recognized him. He was the one who originally brought Dad to Sudo. The suit looked Volardi but worn and scuffed as if recently damaged.
Zephyron stood beside me with his hand resting against my back.
Solis approached my other side, her white frame gleaming in the desert sunlight.
Beside her, Axios stood, mostly repaired.
Slivers of his memory crystal were gone forever in the flood, leaving gaps in his experience.
His voice came through steady and clinical.
"I do not recall much of this Parker, but from all accounts, he was an exemplary Human. I look forward to learning more."
Solis brightened. "And I will share everything! He was ever so fascinating!"
I gave them both a smile before turning to face the camera.
Cindy had directed the entire ceremony, arranging for it to be filmed and broadcast Empire-wide.
She worked behind the scenes like always, but it was her vision that made this moment possible.
Parker's documentary would be seen by trillions within a few weeks.
He had edited most of it, and what he wasn't around to film.
.. well, we knew our friend and could guess his stylistic choices.
He never saw what his old phone recorded from the Trial, but we added a version of Tydalos' plans.
It was enough for Humanity to know he didn't have their best interests.
They wouldn't know about his true intention to convert Earth—and not just gay men—into a breeding ground.
I still believed this partnership will work.
I wouldn't be in love otherwise, but my people didn't need to think of the worst the Volardi had to offer.
I took a breath, trying not to think of the trillions of viewers. At the last moment, Brandon walked up with me and whispered, "You got this!" Then he stepped out of camera range.
"You all know me, and I'm here to talk about someone who deserves your attention and to be remembered," I said.
"Most people know Parker as a journalist or a documentarian, but really, he was a scriptwriter.
He helped craft the stories that made the Volardi known to Earth before we even knew they were real and here. Now..."
Now he's gone. No more snark. No more time with my friend.
My chest seized, and Brandon stepped into view. "If not for Parker, I wouldn't have had my show." He pointed to Alen and then Zephyron. "Which means we wouldn't have met the men we love or our beautiful children. The Empire wouldn't have hope."
I nodded hard, wiping away the tears. "More than that... he was what we call in Georgia: 'Good People.' Above all that, he was my friend, and that's what really mattered."
Cindy hugged me as I sat. Her usual sharp confidence was tempered with something softer. "I'll make sure his final work reaches every corner of the empire." I held her hand tight, not able to speak, and hoped it conveyed: 'He'd have liked that.'
Karel spoke next out of consideration and practicality.
Tensions eased a bit on Earth, and there would always be those who didn't want aliens in their universe.
Having different species on Sudo was a message: Grow up, or you'll be left behind.
He began in his native tongue, punctuated by short, rhythmic howls, before shifting into the musically toned Galactic Standard.
The warm desert wind rushed through us as he finished.
"A life well-lived leaves an echo in the world. His will not fade."
I swallowed hard. Around us, grey-furred Sandari elders nodded, their chimes swaying gently in the wind.
They knew one of their own was behind the ice asteroids and follow-up destruction, as was a Volardi.
Yet, they were grateful for the contained Zerlites.
The creatures were still out there and dangerous, but between the musical herding techniques and the solar collectors drying out herds, we had a faster way.
There was even talk of releasing more water now since we now had a better containment procedure.
It would be closer to Earth one day, with both deserts and water.
Zephyron stepped forward, giving an opportunity for anyone else to speak.
Dad had been offered but thought it best he stayed off-camera.
Brody was back on Earth. He knew what a single Volardi planned, and so far, said nothing.
My assumption was that Westmore spoke privately, both threatening him and cutting a deal.
I couldn't argue. He had, in fact, saved my father.
My brothers could have spoken, but they too figured this wasn't their moment.
So, it left my man. Zephyron's voice boomed, deep and steady.
"Parker of Earth was not one of us, yet he demonstrated the strength of a warrior.
Even in the simplest tasks, he uncovered truths and stood against powerful forces without yielding.
His story will remain." He lifted his chin.
"I did not think kindly of Humans. Those like him and Thomas showed me my error.
He helped me see that Humans possess gifts that may serve both Volardi and Sandari.
I expect Earth will assist other worlds within our Empire, both with children and their cleverness.
I honor the fallen Human as a combat brother. "
With that, the funeral finished.
The group began to disperse, with whispers and quiet farewells.
I noticed the black-armored figure again, who had delivered my father to Sudo, this time stepping back into the crowd's edge.
Still silent. Still watching. Maybe he came for Parker, too, or someone else. I turned, walking toward my brothers.
They stood off to the side, waiting. Chase, Joel, and Wyatt were watching me with quiet understanding. Joel, the responsible one, was the first to step forward, holding out his arms. "Let's see my nephew." For the first time in a while, a real smile touched my lips.
I placed a nephew in his uncle's arms, and for a moment, the aching loss eased, if only a little. I lost a friend, and Axios didn't remember our adventures, although he seemed fine with it. But... I have a life, and my family's here.
So I smiled as new uncles played. Joel, the responsible one, held him the proper way, supportive, secure, and careful. Chase, analytical as ever, observed his nephew's purple eyes. He then turned his own purple, which got a gurgle from my kid.
Wyatt crouched, brushing brown dust from his shirt.
His frame seemed a little rounder than I remembered, not by much but enough to notice.
I had half-jokingly asked him if he had joined the Omega Program, and he laughed and said he definitely didn't do that.
Wyatt never lied; it's one reason people thought he was abrasive.
Pointing it out would be rude, so I let it go.
He made silly faces until my kid let out a delighted squeal.
A grin grew on my face. "He's gonna think Uncle Wyatt's weird."
"Better than boring," he shot back. He then glanced over at Dad, standing with Karel and a few Sandari, talking and looking at peace. "So, is he really staying here?" Wyatt asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. It's not the green hills of Georgia, but the Sandari? They're his people. He'll go do something else down the line. For now, he just wants his quiet and to help others."
Joel frowned. "I saw the footage from Parker's phone. He saved Zephyron by giving him his blade back, and you know... kept our people from being at each other's throats. Couldn't he get his worm thing removed?"
Dad overheard and walked toward us, rubbing the silver scar on his stomach and chest. "I could," he admitted.
"But I haven't felt like me in a long time.
Not great. Not bad. Just me." He paused, staring at us all.
"I remember everything now. The pain of not having your mother and the joy when she was around.
" His neck tightened. "I know I'd never drink again, even if I could, but I'm not taking any chances.
" He exhaled deeply. "I'm leaving it in and the scar. A man needs to know what he has done."
I swallowed hard, nodding. For all the damage, all the regret, he chose to live with it. Maybe it was his way of making things right. "Just remember the good too, okay? Please? You raised four boys." I asked. He nodded, walking away to chat with Karel.