Chapter 10

Shayera stood silent and motionless, staring at the ground, in the Court of Fallen Heroes in Metropolis. She lifted her head and looked around at the various memorials that had been erected for the various superheroes which had fallen in the line of duty.

The statue for Supergirl was the original memorial the court had been built to hold. It showed her as a larger than life champion. She was standing at attention with her arm outstretched, an eagle perched on it. The statue was gold in color, which made it illuminate well in the light from the eternal flame that burned at the center of the court.

Shayera looked around at the other statues: Aquaman, the first Atom, Terra, and the first Blue Beetle. Shayera looked at the ground before looking back up at the statue in front of her. The statue was of her son, dressed as Hawkman.

Before he had left on his fateful trip to Thanagar he had planned on taking up the mantle of Hawkman. Carter Hall, the original Hawkamn, had helped him make a costume and he was all set to hand over the mantle. When Rex died, the rest of the League had insisted a memorial be built for him, honoring the hero he would have been. Shayera had felt he didn't belong out here with the others; they had all died trying to save others. The other members convinced her otherwise and she relented.

Since they didn't have a body they buried his wings under the statue instead. She was glad to have it. She would talk to it from time to time and that way she could feel like she was talking to her son.

"Olivia and Richie were married today," she said to the statue. "I know you would have been happy for them, even though you wouldn't have been able to go to the wedding without giving away their identities. I have to tell you I haven't been well today. I can't stop thinking about how you and Maril were supposed to be married. We all missed out on a lot with your death."

Shayera paused to wipe a tear from her eye. She continued talking to the statue. "I really wanted to sneak over there and support Maril. I know this day must have been hard for her. She was a bridesmaid in the wedding, of course. I wanted to go and see how she looked. Dick texted me a picture of her in her dress. She looked great. She would have made a beautiful bride. . ."

Shayera stopped as she heard someone in platform boots walking up behind her. She turned to see her could-have-been daughter-in-law Maril Grayson walking up behind her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said demurely. "I was going to stay back, but I wanted you to know I was here. You looked like you could use some company."

Maril looked apprehensive about talking to Shayera, but the girl didn't look overcome with sadness. The two of them had grown close ever since Rex's death. Maril had handled Rex's death better then Shayera, even though the girl had a lifelong fear of those around her dying.

"I heard you talking to him," Maril said. "I just wanted you to know I do it to."

Shayera felt better now that she had something else to think about. "It helps doesn't it?"

"It makes me feel like he's not really gone," she answered. "I know others will think it means we're not accepting his death, but-"

Maril paused for a moment and Shayera finished her sentence for her, "But accepting his death doesn't mean believing he isn't around in some capacity."

Maril smiled at her. "I didn't think you believed in the spiritual?"

"I've had a change of heart on the issue," she replied.

For a moment the two of them stood in silence admiring the memorial. "How was the wedding?" Shayera asked, breaking the silence.

"It was really nice. Why don't I tell you about it over coffee?"

"I would love that," Shayera said. "She touched the communicator in her earpiece to talk. "Two to beam up," she said.

The crowd of Thanagarians filled the square as they awaited the arrival of their hero. They covered the ground around the staircase leading to the capitol building. They would have covered the sky as well, but the authorities were keeping the skies clear for the day.

They were lining up to see the man they owed their new found freedoms to. Five years ago, Warhawk had come out of nowhere to challenge the Gordanian occupiers of Thanagar. He had built an army and won victories over them that no one could believe. The Gordanians had finally been forced to pass reforms and make Warhawk the head of a new Thanagarian government. They had not thrown off the Gordanians completely. The Thanagarians were still officially part of the Gordanian empire and had to pay taxes to them, but both sides new it was likely not too long until the Thanagarians would make an attempt to complete the break. The Gordanians still had one advantage over Thanagar; they had a large space force that was currently unopposed by the Thanagarians. They were trying to do everything they could to rectify the situation.

The already raucous crowd erupted in deafening cheers the moment they could see the transport carrying Warhawk on the horizon. The transport descended swiftly and came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. They could have landed right in front of the Capitol entrance, but Warhawk wanted to give his subjects the opportunity to see him.

The crowd became silent in anticipation as the side door flung itself open and the ramp descended. They became raucous with cheers again as Warhawk appeared and descended with his entourage. He was wearing his normal suit of armor. The armor started at his chest and from there ascended his body to cover his wings, neck, and face. He waved to the crowd.

Palace guards walked around the line of the crowd as Warhawk descended the ramp. Despite the General's popularity in gaining freedom for the Thanagarians, he still had many detractors. Many of them would have liked to see him dead. The Gordanians, of course, would have loved to see him dead.

As Warhawk walked and waved to the crowd he soaked up their adulation. Wanting to speak to them he pressed a button on his belt and the armor around his mouth and neck pulled itself back. "Thank you," he said to the crowd over and over in response to their cheers to him.

A fight started in the throng of admirers and several guards ran to the spot at once to attend to it. When this occurred, a woman in the audience saw her opening and flew over the rope and launched herself at him.

He immediately noticed the woman coming at him. His bodyguards on the other hand, did not notice her immediately and were slow to react. As she flew towards him he felt no fear as he could see there was no malice on her face. Instead, she had a look of elation as she made her way to her hero.

When the woman reached Warhawk she threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. He returned the kiss and embraced her until his bodyguards pulled her away. "Thank you, we owe you everything," she yelled at him as the guards led her away. She continued talking more, but after a certain distance he couldn't hear her voice over the crowd.

He reached the stairs to the palace and paid no attention to the crowd anymore. As he ascended the stairs he motioned one of the bodyguards who had remained behind and spoke to him. "Take the woman to a decent room and question her. I don't think she is harmless, but make sure of that. If she turns out to be harmless hold on to her until I give you further instructions." As he disappeared into the Capitol building the sounds of the crowd died down.

Warhawk walked the halls with his most trusted friends and advisors around him. These people all knew his real identity as Rex Stewart, but for now they were all to keep that knowledge to themselves. A Tamaranean delegation was inside and they didn't want any of them overhearing too much. They wanted the Tamaraneans to see him as Warhawk, the mysterious and militaristic savior of the Thanagarians.

Warhawk and his delegates reached the meeting hall before the Tamaraneans were ready for them. They all scrambled to take their places for the meeting. Rex looked around at them, but gave no indication of disparagement. He cared little for the diplomatic formalities that others might have cared about a great deal.

At the head of the table sat a large and well-built Tamaranian with a long grey beard. Rex immediately recognized him as Galfore, the guardian of Maril's mother when she was a child on Tamaran. After Koriand'r became queen, he stayed in her service as her liaison to the Tamaranean Council of Elders. Rex had met him a couple of times, but he knew the man did not know him well enough to recognize him or his voice in any capacity. He had nothing to fear by having this meeting with him.

"I care little about how diplomatic protocol dictates this meeting should be held," he said as he glanced at the other end of the table where he should have been sitting. "In my experience there is nothing that beats talking closely to someone face to face. It helps when they are in a position where you can read their body language and clearly see their facial expressions."

Galfore smiled as he got up and walked up to meet Warhawk. "I've never been one for protocol either, even though it was often my duty to teach it to the Queen. I have always preferred the direct face-to-face meeting as well. I won't even point out you're not quite living up to the ideal with half your face covered."

"As the host of this meeting, I should be able to reserve at least one privilege for myself. Besides, it shouldn't be that important for you to look me in the eyes. It's not like we're getting married here."

There was a gasp out of all the professional diplomats around them, but Galfore just laughed at his joke. "It's refreshing to a see a politician not so full of themselves," he said. Rex didn't feel the need to correct him and tell Galfore he wasn't exactly a politician.

"We should get down to business, there is much to discuss," Galfore began. "I have been ordered by the Queen to deliver a message to you that Tamaran regrets the fact it ignored the plight of the Thanagarian people for so long. The smuggling of weapons to aid you in your revolution was a first step we took in order to right several past wrongs. We hope a new, strong friendship with your nation can be achieved despite any resentment your people might have for us."

"From what I have heard, your only regret was that after our defeat the Gordanians began to set their sights on Tamaran. Your aid to us was only for your own self-protection. By having us fight the Gordanians, it helped prevent your nation from having to do so. You wish to continue sending us weapons, but you don't want it to look like it is in your own self-interest. I wish to clear your conscious, you can send us weapons and munitions in a cynical fashion and we won't care one bit. We have no choice other than to fight the Gordanians for our freedom. We don't care why you are arming us, we just need the weapons."

Rex looked around at all the Tamaranean delegates. From the looks on their faces and their body language he could tell he was on the right track with what he was saying. "As I said previously, I have little need for the formalities of diplomacy that much of the universe seems to run on. You were here to make a deal with me ensuring that if you continue to ship us armaments we will continue to use them to fight the Gordanians and keep them off your backs. I am here to tell you that agreement is fine with me. You can stay here a couple more days if you need to make your Queen think you worked hard and followed all the normal protocols. I will even assign someone to show you around, if you want. I think we are done here, then, go back and tell your Queen you can keep the shipments flowing."

Rex turned and walked away when Galfore yelled for him to stop. Rex thought about just ignoring him and walking out, but was curious about what the old man had to say. He turned back to look at him.

"While much of what you said is correct, there is one proposal I was sent to make that you are probably not anticipating. It is a proposal that is extremely classified. I am going to ask the rest of my delegation to leave. I would suggest you do the same, as it is best that what I am going to tell you does not go too far."

The Tamaraneans all stood up and quickly left the room. Rex nodded to his contingent, and they did the same. Rex wasn't that worried about his people spreading rumors, but he wanted Galfore to feel he could speak freely.

When Galfore and Rex were alone, he picked up the conversation. "While my nation wishes to stay free of a war with the Gordanians, we do not wish to do so at the expense of the Thanagarians. The Elders of Tamaran realize the combined might of Tamaran and a free Thanagar is such that the Gordanians would never dare to fight a combined force of both. A combined force would achieve peace through strength and give your nation what it was been striving to achieve. The only question is how such an alliance would begin, and how it would proceed."

"I guess you have an idea for that?" Rex asked Galfore.

"Yes, I have a proposal to present to you that was given to me by the Tamaranean Elders. They wish for our two nations to be united as one. What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room, of course. Queen Korand'r is sick and is approaching death. She will be succeeded by her daughter Maril, a young woman who has spent most of her life on the planet Earth. There are grumblings among the populace and in our administration that she will not be able to lead Tamaran, as she knows so little about it. This presents an opportunity to take steps to dilute her responsibilities while uniting our nations. The people of Thanagar are calling you Emperor and consider you the equivalent of a royal ruler. Monarchy is a concept foreign to Thanagar, but with you as their leader they appear ready to embrace it. That is why the Elders of Tamaran propose uniting our two nations by a marriage between you and the future Queen of Tamaran."

Rex was almost shaking over what he was being told. Maril's mother was dying, she was about to become queen, and he was being asked to marry her. It was an opportunity for him to have what he always wanted; to have the life he thought had been lost to him. He knew it could never be, though. He was no longer the person Maril had fallen in love with. He had done things she would never approve of and would never be able to accept. A marriage could never work between them now.

Rex was about to decline the offer when he realized he was looking at things all wrong. This marriage wasn't about any personal relationship between him and Maril; it was about what was best for their nations. He knew that the history of Earth was full of royal marriages that were built around politics instead of love. This marriage would be just like that. It was clear this joining with Tamaran was in Thanagar's best interest, and Rex was going to have to take it.

"Has the future Queen been presented with this proposal, and if so, what did she say about it?" Rex asked.

"She does not know about this," Galfore admitted. "From what her mother says about her, she will accept it. On her home planet she is a superhero, and is accustomed to making the sacrifices to do what must be done. She will understand the need for Tamaran to unite with Thanagar and will accept the proposal. I know there may be concerns for what kind of relationship the two of you may have, but may I remind you this marriage will be purely political. The two of you will not have to spend time together other than official functions, and, of course, the production of an heir."

"I take it you are telling me this to gauge the possibility of having it officially presented?" Rex asked.

"Yes, there is no need to make an official overture if you would decline. Doing so would put us in the crosshairs of the Gordanians even more."

"And we can't have that," Rex said with snark in his voice.

"Are you willing to give us an answer?" Galfore asked.

Rex thought for a minute and then came up with the perfect answer. "I don't like the idea of playing safe and would not want to be in government with people who do not feel the same way. I want to see if your new queen is willing to take risks. I want to see if she has the courage to do it. If you are determined to have our two nations joined as one, have your new queen make the proposal to me. I will give my answer to her and her alone."

Rex turned and walked away before he could see Galfore's reaction to what he said. From what he knew about Galfore, he had a sense the man would understand what Rex was trying to do.

When Rex walked out of the room he was immediately met by the head of his security detail. The man informed Rex that the woman who had run up to him was nothing more than a harmless but overzealous fan. He hardly heard the man as he thought about the pain Maril would experience over having to deal with her mother's death. From what Galfore had said she would be experiencing it alone. He wished more than anything he could be there for her. After losing him, losing her mother would be extra tough for her.

He wondered if she would really accept the marriage proposal. She was always one to do her duty, but she was also a hopeless romantic. Accepting a loveless marriage would be difficult for her. However, if he were to reveal himself to her, she would think differently, if she would still be able to love him.

He tried to push Maril out of his mind and when it did the news on the overzealous fan sunk in. Looking back on the incident he remembered how much the woman resembled Maril. He stopped in his tracks as a thought occurred to him.

"Where is the woman you questioned at the moment?" he asked his head of security.

"We are still holding her."

"Ask her if she would like to go to see my quarters and take her there if she says yes," he commanded them.

Rex sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He could hear Airon breathing as she slept peacefully on the other side of the bed. A million thoughts ran through his head and he tried to push them all aside.

Unlike many of the men he led, Rex never participated in the spoils of war. Each victory his men earned came with the attention of the newly freed citizens, particularly the females. While the men enjoined the companies of women the night of each big victory, Rex was always alone. He did not fight for such perks and would have felt it a betrayal of his love for Maril.

There were times where he tried to enjoy such perks, but he ended up never being able to go through with it. It was the same story tonight. In being reminded of what he had lost with Maril he felt the need for companionship, and Airon seemed more than willing to give him what he wanted. Once again, he couldn't go through with it. He spent the whole night pouring out his soul to her. It was much more reckless then having sex with her. Very few people who fought alongside him new his true story. To most of Thanagar he was a nameless and faceless prisoner who had broken out and then raised an army to throw out the Gordanian oppressors. No one cared about his history. There was little way any enemy could use his personal history against him, but he had always tried to play it safe and reveal personal details to only those he trusted the most.

Airon seemed to worship him so much that it appeared there was no way she would reveal he was the son of Shayera Hol. To Rex's surprise, Airon was not a young, star struck girl, but an older woman with children. She was so thankful to Rex that because of him, her children would not have to grow up on a world oppressed by the Gordanians. She had listened attentively to everything he said and tried to comfort him. When she had said all she could she laid down and went to sleep.

Rex was feeling hot and thought taking in the cool night air would be good for him. He walked to the doors of the balcony and when he threw them open he felt the night wind blow all over his naked body. The cool air hitting his wet skin made him feel refreshed. He walked all the way out and looked over the capital city.

It was the middle of the night and the city was still completely lit up. Since the Gordanians had been expelled from the city it had become the city that never slept. He hoped the Gordanians would stay away forever and it would always be that way. Maybe if Thanagar united with Tamaran the world would be able to see the peace it needed.

Rex sighed as he realized he was not going to be able to get Maril out of his head for the foreseeable future. He looked up at the night sky as he thought of her. He remembered how whenever he took a trip to Tamaran with her she pointed out Earth and Thanagar for him. She would always stand behind and point out the stars to him. As he thought about it he could almost feel her warm breath on the back of his neck.

As he attuned his senses to his surroundings he could hear Airon walking up behind him. As she put her arms around his stomach and pressed her naked body against his he imagined that she was Maril. The image was ruined when she wrapped her wings around him and started brushing her feathers against him. The sensation felt great to him and he just took it in instead of telling her to stop.

Rex felt Airon press one of her cheeks against his back. He next felt her run her fingers along one of the scars where his wings used to be. "You've suffered so much for us, for our people," she said to him.

He made no reply as she planted a few kisses on the scar. "Are you looking for home?" she asked him when she was done.

"Yes," he replied. "I'm trying to find Earth's sun in the night sky."

"It's the bright one to the left, right against the horizon," she said as she pointed it to him. He looked in the direction and found it.

"Are you thinking about your fiance, your family?" she asked him.

"Of course," he replied.

"You should send them a message. Tell them you are alive. You would be freeing them from so much pain." Airon pressed her face against the back of Rex's shoulder and kissed it. She continued stroking him with her wings.

They had spent almost the entire night talking about how he couldn't do that. They would detest everything he had done to free Thanagar. His mother detested the Thanagarian Elders for the way they had been willing to sacrifice all of Earth for victory. She had tried to instill in him he should never kill for any reason, she taught him to save everyone, even his enemies. Maril was the same way. She was a superhero who could barely stand to hurt a fly. In all the conversations they had as children about what they would do as superheroes, she always said she could never kill.

There were others who would think differently, of course. Helena didn't completely see eye to eye with her father on the no killing rule. His father was a former Marine who had been in war and might understand many of the things Rex had to do. Even with him, he was afraid he would not be able to tolerate everything.

"They will know the truth soon enough," he said to her. He had told her all about the proposal and his prediction Maril would make the offer to him. They would all know who he was then and would have to live with the knowledge of what he had done.

Airon moved her wings away from him. She flapped them and flew up and flipped around so that she came down facing him. She landed in his arms and they started kissing.

Rex broke off the kissing and pushed Airon away. "You should get out of here," he said. "I can't do this."

Airon rubbed his cheek with her hand. "I don't understand why you cause yourself so much pain. You can have everything you want, it's there for you." She walked back inside his room. He gave her enough time to dress and leave, then he headed inside himself.