“I am sweetheart.” Jon smiled. “But having you here has made it easier. Dad was very happy about you and I. He would have wanted us to get married here if he was still in that shell.”

“I’m glad he knew.” Aren said holding him. “But I don’t think I would have let us be forced into marring here. We do love each other but I don’t think we should be mated in till this war is over.”

“I agree with you on that.” Jon said. “Any word on how the refit is going on my ship.”

“She will be ready in a few days.” Aren smiled. “As will the rest of the fleet. It wasn’t the best idea for us to attack earth so soon after the battle of Alpha Sentry. We lost a lot of lives out there.”

“We would have lost a lot more here if we had waited.” Jon said. “Have the Cainen left yet?”

“Yes.” Aren smiled. “They pledged to return once they freed their home world. They believe you are the savior of their race with you sending the Teroand elf ships with them to take back Car Caine.”

“As much as I hate saying it, we need them.” Jon frowned. “We will need as many of the other races as we can get if we are gonna save the Kreen. They are the only reason that we don’t all serve the Sslisk to begin with. I feel we have the need to return the favor.”

Jon watched as his father’s body was lowered into the ground. He felt a tear run down his cheek as the box disappeared into the ground. Soon he would be back in space and hoped that he wouldn’t share his father’s fate. This war was far from over but he didn’t know if any of them would survive but he knew that the fleet he and his father built would play a major role in the coming battles.

“Are you gonna be my captain?” Jon asked as the started to bury his father.

“You know I will lover boy.” Aren said. “The only person who knows that ship half as good as you do is me. I half to be your captain and I will serve as your captain until this war ends.”

“Good.” Jon said taking her in his arms. “I would hate to have to train a new pain in the ass when I already have you trained to be the one pain that can keep me from going to far.”

“I love you too.” She smiled hugging him and biting his neck lightly.

Jon held her as the last of the dirt was placed over his father. This day was over and earth had been freed but now they had to strike the Sslisk in a way they wouldn’t recover. Jon was now the admiral of the Blackmore fleet and he would show the Sslisk what a free human was truly capable of.

Fin.