Chapter One
One image was ingrained in his brain for the rest of his days, Nathaniel Taylor had seen plenty of carnage in his life. He had lost plenty as well but never would he forget the sight of his own son gunning down his second in command. Even knowing her chances she had the grit to remind him of something that had allowed them to come home.
Yet coming home was bittersweet, two days ago they had returned to Terra Nova, three days since Washington had been executed and more than a week since the colony had been surrendered; with twenty six casualties. Now the colony was alone with no connection to 2149, in a time stream not connected to the wasted world they left behind; alone except for the enemy army heading for the badlands. It was still sinking in for all of them.
Still there was hope, in only two days the colony was rallying, young and old working together to rebuild; to fight for their home. He was struggling as he worked through the reports of the soldiers he had left behind, and coordinated the inventory of the supplies, and repairs to their perimeter defenses.
Nathaniel didn't like the picture coming together, he still had more reports to gather; he hoped there would be something in them. None would forget the devastation done by the Phoenix Army. With no connection to 2149 their enemy had fled to the badlands with the Sixers in hopes of finding another portal to the future. Thanks to Lieutenant Washington they finally had the upper hand, there was no fixed connection left in 2149; it would be a lot of work to open another if it was even possible.
What she had done would never be forgotten, but what led up to it troubled him, he had known Washington for more than fifteen years. The fact she spent the entire occupation in a bar licking her wounds did not sit well with him. He couldn't understand her actions but she hadn't deserved to die, not yet and not by his son's hand.
Yet having seen too much of what his son valued he had made some decisions he wished never to have been faced with. Since his return he had asked everyone he could think of what had been done with her body. Having encountered his son face to face he feared the worst. Lieutenant Alicia Washington had only been thirty four and her actions had allowed their resistance to succeed at the price of her life. He didn't know if they would ever lay her to rest.
