With his guards surrounding him, Tri-Lorn headed in the direction of the Rhade's residence. Along with the Home Guard personnel on scene, the media made the usual quiet street seem more like the conclave during the day. Though the media stood in a crowd around the gate to the property, which to members of the Home Guard currently stood guard on, they immediately parted for the triumvir's entourage. Members of the press started calling out questions to Tri-Lorn as he made his way through them and to the gate. The questions went unanswered though, as Tri-Lorn remained silent. He knew very little about the situation and didn't plan on commenting until he had the full picture.

Passing through the gate the Home Guard personnel held open for him, Tri-Lorn continued up the walkway to the residence's front door. The triumvir couldn't place the name of the man standing at the top of the front steps, but he knew the man served in the Home Guard.

"Tri-Lorn, this is a surprise," the man said as the triumvir's group stopped at the bottom of the steps.

Tri-Lorn nodded in acknowledgment of the statement. It wasn't often that a triumvir would show up at an incident like this, but having asked, maybe even pressured, Rhade to run for office, Tri-Lorn couldn't help but feel some responsibility for what Rhade was facing right now.

"I'm sure. I wanted to assess the situation myself though," Tri-Lorn replied, knowing that he didn't need to explain his actions to the man but feeling that the man deserved some kind of reply to the statement. "It looks like the Home Guard has gotten things under control right now."

"Yes, sir," Jenkins replied, standing up a little straighter even though he was out of uniform. Uniform or not, he still represented the Home Guard and as such he was a reflection of their commander's leadership skills - and that commander was Rhade. He didn't want to do anything that would reflect poorly on Admiral Rhade. "The area is secure, Admiral Rhade and his family are safe, and the suspect we did manage to catch has been transported to Argosy Station."

"Very well," Tri-Lorn replied, nodding in acknowledgment to the report even as he started forward again.

At the top of the steps, Lt. Jenkins stepped aside to allow the triumvir and his guards pass.

Stepping into the house, Tri-Lorn noted one of the guards he had assigned to Rhade was standing in a doorway right off the foyer. The guard nodded in acknowledgment of Tri-Lorn's presence and then nodded his head in the direction of the room he was standing in the doorway of. Making his way past the guard, the guards with him, save for one, taking up positions in the foyer, Tri-Lorn found himself in the home's kitchen.

The men were in the kitchen. Another young man who Tri-Lorn was sure was in the Home Guard but was currently not in uniform, Admiral Khalid, and Rhade. The three men were gathered around the island in the kitchen and didn't notice the triumvir's entrance at first.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ashmore said, looking across the island at his commanding officer. "Jenkins and I let you down tonight. If we had done a better job, they shouldn't have even been able to get close enough to throw the crude fire bombs."

"Nonsense," Rhade replied. "The property is too big to expect the two of you to cover the whole area. Not to mention, there is a lot of seclusion associated with the houses in this area. However, if you weren't here, not only wouldn't we have one of the culprits in custody but a lot more of the fire bombs, like the ones we found in the two bags left in the yard, would've probably ended up through windows as well. So no, you couldn't prevent the attack but the fact that you and Lt. Ashmore were here ensured the situation wasn't as bad as it could've been," he assured Jenkins. "I'm grateful the two of you were willing to volunteer on your own time to help me out, even though I was against the idea," he finished.

Realizing that it wasn't only Jenkins and Ashmore he hadn't shown the appropriate appreciation too, Rhade looked toward the doorway his shadow was standing in. He never got the intended thank-you out as he noticed the new arrival in his home.

"Tri-Lorn," Rhade said, the surprise evident in his voice, even as he stood a little straighter. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I didn't think you would, however, when I heard what happened I wanted to see for myself that you and your family were okay," Tri-Lorn replied even as he motioned for everyone to stay where they were. Like Rhade, the others had moved to a more respectful position when realizing their triumvir was in their presence. "How are your wife and children?"

"Physically, they're fine," Rhade replied. "Emotionally . . . "

Rhade paused in his reply as he looked around his home. This was their home. It was supposed to be their safe place. That feeling had been shattered now and if he felt that way, he couldn't imagine how Jillian and the children felt, especially Artemis.

"Emotionally, I don't know how well any of us are doing," Rhade finally admitted.

"Jillian and the kids are at my home," Admiral Khalid added. "We sent them through the backyards with a couple of Home Guard officers in an attempt to keep the media from knowing about it."

Tri-Lorn nodded. "Good. The less they're in the spotlight, the better," the triumvir said. "I've talked to Tri-Laurent. We're in agreement that in light of this attack on your home, we are going to officially have two members of the Home Guard protecting your family until we get a better idea of what is going on. My own guard will continue shadowing you," he said, looking in Telemachus' direction as he made the announcement.

"And if people start saying your showing favoritism to one particular candidate?" Khalid asked, feeling that someone had to point the possibility out even if he did agree with the triumvir's choice.

"I won't have civilians being targets, no matter who was behind this attack," Tri-Lorn replied. "I will deal with whatever ramifications this decision has as they come along."

"Thank-you," Rhade replied, knowing that the triumvir was going to be fielding quite a few questions from the media in the next few days. Nor was he going to be the only one doing so. Rhade had a feeling he was going to be hounded by the media even more than usual in the coming days. He wasn't looking forward to it, but if he could manage to keep his family out of the spotlight, then he would consider that a victory.

Tri-Lorn simply nodded, even as he looked to his lead guard. "I want you to discreetly escort Admiral Rhade to the Khalid resident so he can be with his family tonight. I will handle the circus out front."

"All of us?"

"Yes," Tri-Lorn told him. "There are enough Home Guard personnel on site that I believe I'll be safe enough. Not that I think anyone else is going to try anything giving the number of people in the area right now."

"Yes, sir," his lead guard replied.

Tri-Lorn turned his attention back to Rhade. Before the Home Guard Commander had a chance to speak up, Tri-Lorn continued. "I'll speak with you tomorrow, Admiral. Tonight, your place is with your family."

"Yes, sir," Rhade replied, his triumvir's words putting an end to the protest he was about to bring up, though he was inwardly relieved. While he wouldn't mind working on trying to figure out who was behind this, he knew it was probably best if he let his men work on that. He was to close to this. As for the media circus out front of his house, he would happily let anyone else deal with them right about now.

"The back door is this way," Rhade's 'shadow' said to his fellow guards, as he moved around the counter to Rhade's side.

"So, what do we know about this attack so far?" Rhade heard Tri-Lorn ask as he moved with the guards to the back door of his home.

Fifteen minutes later, Rhade was approaching the backdoor of Admiral Khalid's residence. As the neared the house, Rhade noticed that Lt. Rondon, one of the two officers that had escorted his family, was standing by the rear entrance of the house. Rondon pointed his weapon in their direction briefly before recognizing them and lowering it.

"Sir, your family is inside," Rondon reported as Rhade and Tri-Lorn's guards reached the house. "Lt. Chase is inside, standing guard at the front door. There has been no indication though that anyone noticed our arrival here."

"That's good to hear," Rhade replied. "The two of you will remain on watch here tonight. I'll get someone to relieve you in the morning. Tri-Lorn has authorized having Home Guard personnel keep watch on my family for the time being."

"We would have anyway, sir," Lt. Rondon replied.

"I know," Rhade replied. "And I thank-you," he added, reaching out and clasping the Lieutenant's shoulder.

"Let's get you inside, sir," his 'shadow' said, from just behind him.

As Rhade entered the door that Rondon held open for him, he noted that the rest of the triumvir's guards were moving quietly back across the yard.

Walking through the back door of the Khalid residence, Telemachus found himself in their kitchen. At the counter sat Millicent Khalid.

"Raymond's still over at my place. They're still wrapping things up over there," Telemachus told her as the older woman got to her feet. A soft click behind him told him that his shadow had shut the door behind them.

"Of course he is," Millicent replied, as she stood up and moved around the counter to where Telemachus stood. "I know my husband, and he will be there until everything is wrapped up but you should be here with your family," shed added, reached out and resting a hand on Telemachus' upper arm.

Quietly, the guard moved around the room and then headed through a doorway. Telemachus knew that his 'shadow' was checking things over as well as learning the layout of the home.

"I thank-you for letting us stay here tonight," Telemachus said to Millicent, hoping that opening their home to him and his family wouldn't bring the older couple problems with whoever was behind the attack on his own home.

"You would do the same for us," Millicent replied, easily. "The kids were still on edge and didn't want separate rooms, so I decided it was best to just put all of you in the livingroom for the night. Your officer was kind enough to bring out a mattress from one of the guest bedrooms for the children to sleep on and you and Jillian can have the sofa bed."

"Thank-you," Telemachus murmured as he followed the women through her home to the livingroom. He felt relief at knowing his children would be in the same room as him tonight, as he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if any of the kids were out of his sight.

As he walked into the livingroom, Jillian stood from the sofa bed and made her way to him, Silently, she wrapped her arms around her husband and leaned her head against his chest. Telemachus wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Let me know if you need anything," Millicent said softly before turning and heading back to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," Telemachus whispered into his wife's hair even as he looked to the area where his children slept. Artemis slept in between her two older siblings. Both Riley and Sirius had one arm draped over the younger child protectively.

"This isn't your fault," Jillian said, shifting in her husband's arms so that she could look up at him. She could read the guilt in his expression.

"Isn't it?" Telemachus replied. "The attack tonight is because I'm running for the triumvir position. I know it is. I've made you all a target."

"I agreed that you should run, and I believe that even more now. Tonight was the act of closed-minded cowards acting out in fear. I know the ones tonight aren't the only people like that out there, but I have to believe that they don't represent the views of the majority. I know that what the other Nietzschean prides have done will cause people to fear the Nitzscheans of Tarazed, perhaps even turn people we have lived with our whole lives against us, but that doesn't mean we can just give in to that. We need to stand up. Show people that we're different. That we believe in the values of the Commonwealth. That's why you joined the High Guard in the first place. You can't turn your back on that task now. I won't let you."

"But tonight . . ."

"Was hopefully an isolated act," Jillian said, not allowing her husband's protest to go further. She knew how much Telemachus loved her and the kids. He would give his life for them without hesitation. She wasn't about to let him feel guilty because some people assumed all Nietzscheans were the same. Her husband was a good person, who cared about others. He could make a big difference if given a chance. "It's not like we had a mob attack our house. I won't let the xenophobic, closed-minded fools of this world dictate how I live. We just let them win if we live in fear of them."

"No fair throwing my own words back at me," Telemachus told her recognizing the sentiment that he had used to explain his change of position when the second vote for Tarazed's inclusion in the New Systems Commonwealth came up.

"They were good words," Jillian told him. "I think you just needed to be reminded of them."

"I don't want anything to happen to you or the children."

"Nothing has," Jillian said. "Yes, we're all a little shaken tonight, but they weren't so traumatized that they can't sleep. As for the house, maybe it's time we installed the security cameras you've been wanting," she conceded.

"You said you'd always feel like someone was watching you in your own yard."

Jillian nodded. "I'll get use to them. At least we'd have a better idea of whose in our yard when we're not."

Telemachus nodded. "I'll get someone to install them tomorrow," he told her. "Also, you and the children will have the protection of a couple of Home Guard officers for a while."

"Don't do any . . . "

"Tri-Lorn is the one that authorized the guards," Telemachus told her. "He doesn't like the fact that civilians were involved this time."

Jillian nodded. She knew exactly how Tri-Lorn felt about civilians being involved in political or military matters. It was why the triumvir had made sure she and the children had been safe and couldn't be used as leverage against Telemachus when he was on the outs with the part of the Commonwealth government that had been being manipulated by agents of the Abyss.

"Not that I'm about to try talking him out of it. I need to know that you and the children are safe."

Jillian reached up and placed a hand on Telemachus' cheek. "I know you do. It's one of the reasons I love you."

"You should probably try to get some sleep yourself," Telemachus told her, noting that his wife's complexion was still pale.

"Will you lay down with me?" Jillian asked.

Telemachus nodded. Though he didn't feel at all tired, right now he wanted to be with his wife. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and know that she was safe. He wanted to try and forget about the chaos going on right across the street in front of their own house, at least for a little while because he knew he would be dealing with it once again soon enough.