The Brotherhood, despite the almost idyllic planet they found themselves on, was still made up of a group of military-minded people who had all been drilled on the perils of ill-preparedness.

So while they had enjoyed a few days of soaking in the sun of an alien star, it wasn't surprising that the camp had soon set up a sizable training area.

*thwack

A right hook caught Sarah's guard. Her attacker taking initiative threw another only this time she deflected to blow to her side.

Jab after jab, this onslaught continued Sarah either redirecting or absorbing the damage. With every punch thrown, she would backstep until she was inches from the arena's edge.

One more punch and this time, pushing the blow aside she grabbed the offending wrist and used it as leverage to lunge forward with a shot of her own. Her fist caught her sparring partner's exposed jaw and as he reeled from the hit Sarah moved.

Pushing him around she kicked out his knee and out caught him in a headlock. Both his hands went to hold her arm as she tightened her grip. "Yield".

Both combatants held their positions for a moment using the brief pause to catch their breaths.

"C'mon Parker, is that all you got". A group of Soldiers in workout gear from the side of the arena hollered at their squadmate.

The Paladin grit his teeth, heaved himself up and pushed her off balance, using his momentum to spin her around and pull himself out of her headlock.

Now off balance, she had little time to react as he grabbed her arm and then used his grip and shoulder as leverage to flip her over.

*Slam*

Sarah's harsh landing drove the air out of her lungs leaving her gasping and coughing. She guardedly rolled over onto her stomach, she could hear the whoops and hollers of those around the arena.

Catching her breath she let out a frustrated huff and with white knuckles pushed herself up off the ground. Now on her feet, she shook herself before squaring up to her sparring partner.

The two stared each other down for a moment before they attacked. Parker moved first, throwing a right cross at her which was absorbed by her guard. Sarah threw a hook of her own landing on his side.

For the next minute they traded blows with Sarah done with dodging and redirecting simply absorbing the punches sent her way while giving Parker back some of her own.

Eventually, they broke off, both panting with exhaustion. They circled each other and as Parker charged at her once again in one swift motion Sarah spun and delivered a kick directly into his chest completely stopping him in his tracks and knocking him to the ground.

*thud

The small crowd was silent as he lay there coughing, Sarah tensed as he went to stand again only for him to give out and go limp on the training floor. "I yield".

Again those gathered around the arena cheered for the two. Two soldiers from the crowd came forward to see Parker while Sarah watched, still tense, as the three men talked. As the mob began to disperse she finally loosened a bit and made her way to the side of the arena to collect the belongings she had left when she had been challenged.

'A good way to let off some steam'. Parker had said when he had talked her into the spar. Sarah moved over to one of the punching bags that had been set up.

"Tough match, huh". Sarah turned to see the face of the only other woman in the Lyons Pryde.

"What do you need Dusk".

Dusk held up her hands defensively at the small amount of irritation in Sarah's voice. "Me, nothing. Do you want me to spot you?" She pointed at the punching bag Sarah was about to use.

Sarah nodded and the two soon set up and Sarah began punching. *wham

"So what about you?" Dusk spoke in between punches. *wham

"What about me?"

"You seem like you need to talk about something". Sarah just grumbled in response as she continued her workout. *wham

Sarah continued in silence while Dusk waited for her. Finally realising she wasn't going to speak Dusk sighed.

"I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on in your head but it's obviously nothing good". *Wham

"Kodiak, Glave, Colvin and I, we're all worried about you". *Wham

"When you brought me into the Pryde it was you who told me it wasn't a good idea to bottle things up". *Wham

"Especially when it compromises my capability". *WHAM

That last punch to the bag was stronger than the last. Dusk took that as a sign that Sarah was at least listening to her. Looking at her friend she saw that she had stopped punching and had downcast eyes. It was only briefly however as with a shake of her head an irritated look returned and she readied herself to continue.

"I'm fine". Sarah, noticing the unconvinced look on Dusk's face changed her statement. "I'll be fine". *wham

The two resumed their workout and Dusk, although unconvinced, knew she would get nothing more from her friend.

—

A young boy stepped into the base's medical tent. He could see rows of fold-out cots many filled with the civilians rescued from the raid of the spaceship.

His eyes scanned across each and every one of them until he landed on one of the stranger aliens. It was small due to age more than anything, but it also had three eyes on little stalks and a goat-like mouth.

There were other strange creatures he would class as alien but there were some that resembled humans closely. The one thing in common they all shared was that they were either children or female.

"Hey kid, you need something". The boy snapped out of his daze and turned to see a man sitting upright in a chair, his leg in a mechanical cast resting on a stool.

Noticing the man had the rank of Knight Captain the boy stood a little straighter before he approached him. "Yes sir, looking for Scribe Rice".

The man looked him up and down for a moment before gesturing down to a curtained area at the back of the tent. "Down there, carry on initiate".

The boy didn't need to be told twice and soon found himself near the curtain. "Scribe Rice?"

"Come in". He entered to see the scribe completely focused and hastily writing on his pad while rambling to himself.

"Most of the civilian patients suffering from inanition consistent with dehydration and starvation and most possess bruising across the body-".

The boy merely waited and soon the scribe's attention turned towards him and after a moment of realisation he spoke. "Ahh good, Initiate Maxson welcome. What can I do for you?"

Maxson reached into his satchel and took out a small parcel. "I'm here with your request from Quartermaster Roberts".

"Ahh good, I knew that med-x should be arriving soon".

He reached out and as Maxson handed the package over the scribe took his hand and pulled it forward revealing a bandage under his sleeve.

"What's this then, hmmm?" Rice raised his eyebrow as he watched Maxson's uneasy expression.

"I just got a small cut while following a squad on patrol". He didn't meet the scribe's gaze. "I bandaged it like I've been shown, it's fine".

"I'll be the judge of that". He let go of the boy's arm and pointed towards a chair in his little office. "Sit and I'll have a look at it".

Doing as he was told, Maxson sat and waited while scribe Rice took out a few items from his desk. When prompted he rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm, watching as the scribe gently unwrapped the first aid bandage.

"It's well wrapped, that's good". The final layers came away and his injury was revealed. "Hmmm, it seems ok. Not too deep and no signs of infection at least, but it's better to be sure".

Maxson winced while the scribe cleaned the wound with alcohol and applied his own bandage.

"Well everything seems fine, no reason you shouldn't be able to return to normal duty". Maxson let out a small sigh of relief. "But, no strenuous activity and if that shows any kind of redness or swelling I want you right back here, understand".

"Yes sir".

A cry of pain alerted both of them and no sooner than it had ended was scribe Rice out of the room followed closely by Maxson. In the main medical tent, Maxson saw the commotion coming from one of the beds in the room.

A group of scribes were gathered around the human woman who Maxson could see was convulsing in pain. His view was blocked as Rice stepped up to the woman holding a needle of med-X.

The young initiate slowly approached, the scribes talking hurriedly among themselves ignoring his presence. He stopped short of the group and watched as they worked.

So lost in thought was he that he didn't spot someone approaching him.

"She's been in pain a long time". Maxson nearly jumped out of his skin as a voice spoke out next to him. "The doctor says he can give her something to help".

He was a boy who looked the same age as Maxson except he wasn't human. The boy had smooth green skin with spots of scales, he had a rigged skull and what little hair he had was tied into a ponytail.

Maxson looked at him and saw the bandages and plasters on his arms. He was staring at the group of scribes with a distant look, watching as they treated the woman on the bed.

"Is she your uhh…". Maxson began awkwardly.

"No". The boy continued to stare. "She is a friend from our village we were both… taken together".

Soon the desperate treatment of the scribes slowed and the screams of the patient quietened peacefully. Scribe Rice exchanged some words with the other scribes and they busied themselves as Rice stepped away and turned to the two boys.

The scribe's focus was on the alien boy as he spoke. "She'll be ok. Her internal bruising is healing and it will be weeks before she'll be in any shape to move freely but we can manage her pain with medication". The scribe's eyes softened as the boy looked down.

"Ok, thank you, doctor". The boy spoke softly and moved towards the woman in the bed. He stood staring at her for a moment before sitting on a stool next to the bed.

Scribe Rice rubbed the back of his head as he moved to stand next to Maxson. "He's a strong one, that boy".

Maxson looked at him with confusion. "What?"

"He's taken it on himself to watch over her and a few other people from his village. The rest are recovering ok but she has the worst of it". The scribe got a soft look in his eyes. "He's stayed here watching over her, barely slept, poor kid".

As Rice left, Maxson observed the boy for a moment longer before moving to the exit. Hopefully the Quartermaster would have more jobs for him.

—

The situation in her office that Salant had come back to was less than ideal. If the miserable faces of her fellow officers weren't a dead giveaway, then the white-suited, handsome-faced, high-strung, pompous ass sitting in her seat was.

She was standing at attention in front of her desk while having a lovely 'conversation' with the governor of Eulea.

"I have to tell you Hesp, this doesn't look good for you". He leaned back to make himself comfortable. "You or the Militia".

To her credit, Salant kept her facial features schooled despite the chewing out that she had been receiving.

"The militia fails to protect the people and then goes and begs for aid so they can go and give them away to the survivors". He leaned forward, interlacing his finger and pointing towards her. "I've got the people in my ear and let me tell you they are not happy".

'Yeah, you've got your brown nosing buddies in your ear more like'.

Pomst pushed himself up from the desk and moved to the wall of her office. "The people have lost faith in your militia". He took a moment to peruse and fiddle with the awards that dotted the shelves on her wall, all meticulously dusted and cleaned.

Slowly he moved until he found himself in front of a mirror and began to adjust his gold-trimmed high collar. "But don't worry, I have full confidence in you". He turned to face her, a grin on his face. "In fact, a little bird told me you're on the scent of some Mandalorian miscreants. If you can wrap this up nicely I'm sure things can look up for you".

He approached her same plastic smile on his face. "Can you do that for me, commander".

A flicker of annoyance crossed her face at his condescension before she schooled it. "Yes sir".

"Excellent". He patted her shoulder, before turning and making to leave the room. But before Salant could heave a sigh the governor stopped and looked back to her. "Oh and Salant, don't mess this up".

And like that, he was gone, it took Salant a few seconds before she moved from standing at attention. She moved to her shelf and adjusted the awards that the governor had messed with. Once finished she sighed and hung her head, moving towards the cabinet in her office, she needed a strong drink.

—

The mood around the abandoned warehouse was sombre, to say the least. Hardin had conferred with Brajun and the other convoy members about staying the night with Star Paladin Cross and her group. They had agreed and had lodged with the brotherhood group overnight.

He had broken the news to Cross when they first met. She had seemingly taken the news in stride but Hardin had seen that she was shaken, it showed clearly in her eyes. When they had gotten back he had assigned Viking squad to get the convoy settled while he and Cross gathered a few of the more senior brotherhood members present and broke the news to them.

Their reactions were varied levels of sorrow, just as opinions about the man had been mixed, but all had respect for the man. It was a testament to their discipline that it didn't take long until their stupor was gone and they set out a plan to brief the other soldiers and scribes.

They had done so as an announcement and soon the whole base was apprised of the situation and a gloom had settled upon the warehouse.

Hardin was sitting with his squad around a fire pit, they made no effort to talk simply listening to the crackle of the fire. There were others around them, all absorbed in a similar melancholic silence.

Cross had excused herself after the address, no one made to stop her. Almost everyone in the brotherhood was aware that the keeper of the ARM and Elder Lyons were close. The friendship she shared with both him and Dr James Shepherd was well known. The doctor's death at the hands of the enclave had resulted in a similar reaction from her.

A mumble from a group behind him caught his attention but it quietened down quickly and Hardin let his attention drift.

Again another burst of mumbling and multiple heads turned to the disturbance.

"Shut up Ryan". Hushed words were all Hardin managed to catch.

He heard someone grumbling for a moment and turned his head to see a group of paladins talking to one another.

"No, no, Someone needs to say it". One of the paladins stood.

One of the others reached up to sit him back down. "But now isn't-". The paladin shook him off.

"Now is the time!" He looked around and most of the people in the room were looking at him now. "We wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for Owyn Lyons!"

All the eyes on him got more intense but the man didn't buckle. "We abandon our mission, he brands those that resist as outcasts and when they fight back we end up here. Now he's gone and what… we have to pick up the pieces in this goddamn place"

He spun, holding his arms wide for his proclamation. "And we have to follow his daughter, who holds the same ideals and sentiment that got us here in the first place".

Silence drowned the room after he finished talking. Some threw heated stares at the paladin but held their tongue, others simply let their heads hang. Hardin was no stranger to the ideological divide that some had in the brotherhood, he had friends on both sides.

He never really cared for others' opinions about their Elder. As long as it didn't affect mission security they could believe that the sun was green, but this was different.

"And you know all that how, exactly". The eyes in the room fell onto Hardin as he spoke.

"What-"

Hardin stood slowly and turned to face the paladin. "You heard me. How, how do you know. Did the radiation give you the powers of foresight".

"If it wasn't for Lyons we wouldn't have been fighting the outcasts. Hell, there wouldn't be outcasts-"

"Then it would have been someone else; the enclave, the supermutants, even the goddamn raiders. All of them would be just as big of a problem if we had chosen to simply sift around the ruins of DC for technology instead of picking a fight".

Hardin stepped towards the man. "Maybe you're right and maybe we wouldn't be here. Yet here we are and we're no less for trying to help people. We abandoned nothing, we are still preservers of technology and the past, we simply took on a duty as protectors as well".

Hardin was slowly approaching him and was now in his face, so close he could see his dilated pupils and smell the faint alcohol on his breath. "Or is that too much for you".

The paladin backstepped for a moment before standing himself firm. looking over Hardin's shoulder he could see that the rest of his squad was standing ready. Turning to see the rest of the room was similarly tense.

"And our Elder, where is she right now huh, rumours say she's shut herself in".

Hardin hesitated for a moment before steeling himself. "We lost an elder and look at us, look at the state we're in". He gestured around the room. "She's just lost an Elder and her father, she's tough but she's human like the rest of us. She's grieving, and so are we, I'm not going to hold that against her".

Hardin turned his head around the room looking into the eyes of all of his brothers and sisters. "And neither should you. We will all pull through this and I know that all she needs to recover is time".

Nods and mumblings of agreement came from around the room and those who had hung their heads now raised them a little higher. "I trust Sarah Lyons… No, Elder Lyons that she will lead us through the uncertainty we now face and step up to her duty as we must".

More raised voices. "The brotherhood taught us discipline in a world of chaos, Owyn Lyons taught us compassion in a world of cruelty. Our duty is to stand firm and hold the line, and await our leader's rise".

The brotherhood soldiers in the room broke out in cheering at Hardin's words. The paladin, now thoroughly humbled, simply sat and bowed his head. From the sidelines Paladin Vargas watched with soft eyes, he could barely imagine the pain his friend was in.

AN: Thank you for reading so far. Two things to mention; One, I do have a few ideas about jedi and brotherhood interaction, but that will be later on in the story as far as the jedi and everyone else is concerned the planet of Eulea is a back water with nothing of note on it. Two I should probably clarify something, Hardin is not the lone wander, the fate of the lone wanderer will be talked about in the future but he is not present here (for reasons that will be explained).

Once again thank you for reading. :)