TEMPUS TWO CHAPTER FIFTEEN
When you lose a person you love so much, surviving the loss is difficult.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristian flew his ship past the defence grid and landed in New Mexico. He boarded the Retribution and made the trip to the cave. The ISS said hello as he went through and expressed their condolences. Cristian thanked them. Mary and Paul came out to meet them.
“I am sorry, Paul, I failed her and you.”
“You did not, son, I know that you tried to send her away from the battle, and she disobeyed. My daughter died a hero, Cristian. Saving people from a terrible enemy. I am proud of her and of you son” Paul came up and hugged Cristian and held him, sobbing for his daughter.
“I know how much you loved each other. Are you okay, son?” Asked his mother Mary.
“My wife is with God, and she is safe. Where is my daughter?” asked Cristian.
“Inside with Tiffany?”
“We know about your new daughter and that Tiffany saved her.”
Tiffany walked over when she saw Cristian “Tiffany.”
“Cristian” Tiffany hugged him. “I am so sorry.”
“Thank you for saving my daughter, that is the most selfless thing anyone could do.”
“Thank you, I could not have done anything else” He paused a long moment upon hearing those words.
“Tiffany, please take care of young Lorelei.”
“I will Cristian. The world is waiting for the funeral. She is to represent all those who fell in that battle. The world will Honour her, Cristian. She has been given a place to rest at Arlington. They have created a spot big enough so that you can land the Retribution any time you want to come to see her. The funeral is tomorrow.”
“Where is she, Tiffany?”
“She is inside the cave, Cristian waiting for you.”
Cristian walked in and looked at Lorelei. She was sleeping in an all-glass coffin. All the blood was gone, and she was wearing a new white uniform. She had her dark eye makeup and red lipstick on. She was as beautiful as she was the first day she walked into his life in 1889 in an office over a store in Vancouver.
He heard a couple of voices behind him that he recognized. “Arthur, Dorothy, is that you?”
“Yes, Cristian, Raguel and Uriel picked us up in the Probability this morning. She looks so peaceful. I am so sorry, Cristian.”
“Thank you, Dorothy and Arthur, for coming, did you find your great-grandson?”
“Yes, we did. Everybody is here? Stephen, Albert, Nikola and one other named Ezra. We met your daughter, and we heard Tiffany has saved your unborn daughter by agreeing to carry her.”
“Yes, that will be young Lorelei.”
“Your future technology is amazing,” said Dorothy
“Hey, Train Robber,” said Cristian when he saw Ezra.
“Retired Cristian. I heard she went down fighting, she took two of those Starships down before she was hurt. I heard they were ten times her size. I am sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, Ezra, and thank you for what you did?”
“Cristian, I heard you won that fight and killed the bastards that did this.”
“That’s right Ezra.”
“Good.”
“Everybody there is food in the cafeteria.” Said Mary.
“Are you coming, Cristian?” asked Ezra.
“No, I will stay with my wife.”
Cristian never left her side until the funeral was over.
The next day his soldiers did a military slow march through Arlington pulling an antique hearse circa 1889.
Cristian stayed at her side, hand on her casket, holding their daughter. Mary, Paul, Tiffany and the rest of the staff from the cave and her ship walked behind followed by leaders from everywhere. Then members of the Police, Firefighters, and Military from all over the world. They were followed by thousands who came to say goodbye to Lorelei.
When they arrived at her resting place, the soldiers carried her onto a platform, where the final words were said over her. Soldiers on each side guarding her coffin. Flags flew at half-mast everywhere.
“A flyby of Shrikes And Gryphon’s did the missing man formation. At the end of the words said, 21 Wolfpack soldiers fired a single shot.
Lorelei was then carried into her crypt by her husband and his soldiers. A soldier was seen from that time forward guarding her 24 hours a day. Every soldier that pulled the detail was proud to have had the honour.
The world mourned for Lorelei and all the men and women who fell in that battle. Their names would be put on Brass plaques attached to the side of Lorelei’s crypt to always be remembered.
Two worlds mourned their loss. More rivers of tears flowed that day. The entire planet Earth stopped for Lorelei Wolf, hero of the Alliance.