They hailed transports and rendezvoused at the main city port where Jayne had a battlecruiser ready. Hauk ran up the ramp and grabbed his unmarked black battlesuit. But before he started attaching the exoskeletal suit to his body, he paused to look at the men and women around him. Darling, Maris, Drake, Nyk, Shahara, Fain, Bastien, Caillen, Kasen, Nero – and Jayne and Ryn, who were piloting them.

Funny how he’d never thought twice about the fact that when they needed him he’d dropped whatever he was doing to run to their sides. Of course in his case, there was never anything that important to pull him away from. Gaming, maybe horsing around with his electronics. Nothing serious. But all of them had left their spouses and children to join him on this quest.

Never had he loved them more as he finally understood the sacrifices they were making to be here. The risk each of them took.

For him and Sumi.

And for their daughter.

“You okay?” Darling asked.

Hauk pulled him closer and pressed his forehead to Darling’s. “Thank you.”

“For what? Being family?” Darling shoved him away. “It’s what we do. You know that.”

“Just don’t get me killed,” Caillen said as he suited up. “My wife would follow me to hell and I’d never hear the end of it.”

Hauk laughed. “You’re not right, are you?”

Kasen sighed heavily. “No, he isn’t. I blame Shahara totally. I tried to beat it out of him when we were young, but she always took the baby brother’s side, instead of the sister’s side.”

Shaking his head, Hauk pinned a stare on Nyk. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Love such a tiny little woman who can’t defend herself?”

Nykyrian cracked a very rare grin that exposed a set of dimples identical to Thia’s. “Don’t let her meek manner fool you. There’s a lot of fire and courage in Kiara. You’d be amazed at how fierce she is. But I know what you’re really asking. And the size of the person or their abilities doesn’t matter. It’s the size of the love you hold for them that keeps you up at night, terrified of losing them. In many ways, I’m grateful Kiara’s not a warrior.” He passed his stare to Shahara. “She doesn’t put herself in harm’s way. Since she’s not trained to fight, she calls for help.”

“What are you implying?” Shahara asked.

Caillen snorted. “That you can kick the shit out of us. And I have the boot prints on my ass to prove it.”

She passed an irritated scowl to Nykyrian. “If I flushed him out the airlock, I trust the rest of you would back me in telling Desideria it was an accident, right?”