Disclaimer: Crais, Chrighton, Aeryn, and Talyn aren't mine, I just borrowed them. Myself, is well, MINE, and so are the people in Earth Core. Oh, and D.K. isn't mine, he too belongs to the people who own Farscape.

"They're landing where?" I grabbed my formal uniform jacket off the chair back it had landed on a few days ago, after the meeting with the U.S. president, and shrugged it on.

"Here, General." The raw recruit on the other end of the com system was obviously very excited about this.

"Calm down, Private, and thanks for the warning. The welcoming commitee is on its way." I cut the connection, and dialed up the research lab. "D.K., I need you down at the landing pad asap. We have a ship coming in, apparently it's suppossed to be Chrighton." I pulled on one boot, hopping in circles, knowing the people in the lab had to be getting a kick out of this. "I never met the guy, and I don't know if this is for real or not. If it is, you can tell me, and I can have them fly in Jack Chrighton as soon as they can get him on a plane up here. If it's not, I'd rather not chance building up false hopes."

"I'll be there, boss."

"And don't call me that. It makes me sound like some kind of corperate fat cat." I glared at the grinning scientist in the screen. "Just meet me down there." I turned off the screen, and ran out of the room, headed for the base transport. The landing pad was several miles from the barracks, on the other side of the island we used.

*Ooh boy. This is going to be interesting. If it is John Chrighton, I'm going to have my hands full keeping the US millitary off my base. Damnit! Why did he have to pick now to come home? The United States has been itching for an excuse to take this island back, and lock us all up.* I stepped into the transport, watching as the car cleared out. *Why did they have to pick me to run things? I hate it, especially this. Unable to ride from one end of the base ot the other in anything but an empty transport.*

John Chrighton looked down at the tiny, blue, white and green planet, and grinned as the module started to descend through the atmosphere. He was headed towards,... he looked down at the note he'd put on the control panel. The Aleutian Islands, one near the end called Attu Island, in particular. "This is Chrighton to Attu Island. Come in please."

"Good morning, Commander. The landing beacon is on, you should be able to track it,... now."

"Thanks." John saw the radar blip come up, and homed in on it.

"Welcome back to Earth, Commander."

"Who told him to come here, anyway?" I paced the room as I waited for the module to land. "He'd vanished by the time Earth Core was created, and IASA has it's main facilities at Cape Canaveral. Why here?"

"Because, General, Attu Island is the only nutral ground on this planet."

"And you bunch of government assholes would rather see Earth Core get massecred than your own damn millitary." I was ready to try and reach through the phone lines and strangle the US government official on the other end of the conversation. "Because you've been looking for a way to get rid of Earth Core since I formed it!" I punched the button to end the call, and threw the cell phone across the room, where it was caught by the soldier coming in. "What is it?"

"He's landed, sir."

"Thank you." I straightened my uniform, stalking out of the room, joining D.K. and the soldiers who had been waiting outside while I was talking to the government. Landing beside the module was another ship, this one with guns, and obviously more advanced than anything on Earth. *Boy, would our researchers love to take that apart, and figure out how it works.*

It opened, and two dark haired, human-looking people got out. They both seemed to be wearing some kind of uniform.

*Huh. Aliens, they got to be, but damn! Not only do they look like us, but they look better than most of my people!*

I waited for the module to open, and Chrighton to come over before I said anything. "Welcome to Attu Island, base of operations for Earth Core." I looked over at the man who got out of the module, which I did recognize. I'd gone over the scematics often enough. "You are Commander John Chrighton, IASA?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"If you'll follow me, Commander, and your friends, we can go inside, out of the cold." It was winter, did I mention that? It's frigging cold here!

"Uh, sure, just one moment. What's Earth Core?"

"Earth Core is the replacement for the UN, and a little more effective. We are not affiliated with any one country, and we own Attu Island outright, autonmous from the US government. We run a Diplomatic Corps, our own army and navy, a space program, and several relief operations. We are funded by defense contracts with several nations, as well as private donations. We are also the main funding for IASA." I smiled. "Does that answer your question, Commander? I can explain in more detail later, but I would like to get inside, where it's not so cold."

"Sorry."

"Perfectly acceptable, Commander. You were concerned for the well-being of yourself and your friends. Speaking of which," I grabbed the sleeve of D.K. as he tried to pass by, "D.K. and you can talk for a while. I am concerned for the safety of my own people, and I need someone who can verify you're you."

I listened in amusement as D.K. chattered at Chrighton, filling him in on everything that had happened in the past four years. The dissolution of the UN, the creation of Earth Core, the last four winners of the Superbowl and World Series, what was happening with Jack, and family.

"I see you're convinced he's the real deal, D.K." I chuckled as he suddenly went silent. "Why don't you show him and his friends around the base? You know which areas are restricted, and it gives you two a chance to finish catching up without the rest of us eavesdropping."

D.K. shook his head. "You're a better tour guide than I am, boss."

"So? I escort bigwigs around the place all the time. And don't call me that, it..." here, D.K., and every other member of Earth Core in the room chimed in, "makes me sound like a corperate fat cat." I started laughing at the confused expressions on our guests' faces, as the rest of my people joined in.

"Inside joke," D.K. managed to get out around his laughter. "When Earth Core was started, she was treated as just another corperate CEO who had ambitions outside the commercial world."

"...And this is the research lab, where our esteemed D.K. runs things. I swear, none of my orders get past these doors intact." I opened the door to the lab as there were scattered chuckles at my attempt at humor. "Most of them aren't here right now, only a few days before Christmas." I let Chrighton and his friends come in before introducing the two scientists still there. "This is Dr. Angela Bennett, head of the Mars Project, and Dr. Mineko Fuji, our liguist."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander." Angela held out her hand, which Chrighton shook. "D.K. has told me a lot about you."

I took a step back to watch the show unfold.

"You and D.K. know each other outside work?"

"Of course. We started dating about six months after you dissapeared in the Farscape module. We just celebrated our first anniversary in October."

John blinked, surprised. "Congrats, D.K.! Didn't think you'd get hitched."

D.K. smiled at his friend. "And we have a daughter, she's about three months old."

"Speaking of Nichole, you were suppossed to get her from the daycare center about half an hour ago, sweetheart." Angela's voice was decptively sweet.

"Yes, dear."

"Sorry to interrupt, but if you would follow me, we have empty quarters available, if you would like to stay the night, and dinner is in about an hour." I ushered our guests out the door, back toward the barracks that everyone sleeps in, even myself. "The mess hall is just down the corridor, to the right. Each of these rooms has a private shower and toilet, but no other real amenities."

"Thanks." Chrighton opened the door to the one room before turning back to face me. "Hey, why are you doing this anyway? Shouldn't we have been able to land at Canveral, where IASA is?"

"Because we're neutral ground, and the US millitary is a bunch of wimps. They didn't want to chance you not being who you said you were, and instead an alien invasion force." I let out a short bark of bitter laughter. "They'd rather see Earth Core dead than themselves. Not to mention, they've been looking for an excuse to wipe us out, or throw the lot of us in prison to rot." I paused, unwilling to let out more information into that yet. "I hope to see you at dinner, Commander, Captain, Officer." I nodded to each in turn. "Oh, and I will have a pilot bring Jack over as soon as I can scramble one up, Commander Chrighton."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." I turned, headed for my office, deeper in the subterranean levels of the base.

"So, Officer Sun, what exactly are the offensive capabilities of your... Prowler?" Major Jacky Merrick was sitting across from the female alien, and was trying to draw her into a conversation. So far, she had gotten nowhere, and it was becoming very frustrating.

"She doesn't speak english, Major." General Ishar gave the office ra mild look as she ate.

Jacky blushed, embarressed. "Sorry, sir. Sorry, Officer Sun. I tend to be a bit dense at times."

Aeryn nodded in accpetance, and Jacky returned her concentration to her food.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to concentrate on the reports in front of me. *The Middle East is at it again, the US and China are making polite lunges at each other's throats, and....* I blinked, looking at the report again, than growled, picked up my phone. "Sergeant, call the general staff for a meeting. Now."

This time, no one rescued the cell phone as it crashed against the opposite wall of the room. I took a moment to calm down before I told them the bad news. "It seems that the US government has decided to detain the pilot who went to pick up Jack, and to debrief' her. I just confirmed my earlier report with the US Secretary of Defense."

"In other words, they want to come take back the island, and have decided to use our guests as the excuse for invasion." My second-in-command was a very astute young man, and was at one point a US marine.

"And they may just get it." I bit my lower lip a moment before continuing. "Send in another plane to pick up Jack, and company. This time, put on an army unit, and a lawyer."

"If we can't fight our way out, talk our way out?"

"Not quite. If the soldiers don't scare them, the lawyer will." A grin worked its way out, as small giggles erupted around the room, and were quickly surpressed. "Now, before I send you all back to your posts, I'm rearranging some things. We're going to have to prepare for a full-scale invasion by the US. Admiral Walker, call in the ships patrolling the US and Chinese coasts. General West, pull out all troops from the Middle East and from Africa, bring them home. General Tpesh, have the patrol planes come in from the Middle East, China, and the US, as well as those doing training exercises in Russia." I paused, looking at another report. "Dr. Bennett, I need to know the status of the Mars Project."

"We're ready to send out the first manned mission."

"I'm going to have to delay that, with the current crisis, and I don't know how long it will be before we can continue that."

"I understand, General."

"One more thing, General Tpesh, I need you to get the best pilot you can on that next plane, and I want a fighter escort for it. Your best. We can't afford to lose another pilot, and we need to pick up Jack before the US government does." I held the eyes of my subordinate for a moment, and he nodded. "Dismissed."

"What the hell is going on?" I glared at Chrighton as he came into my office, adding to the chaos that was already there.

"When we sent the plane to pick up your father, the US government detained the pilot after she landed. We sent in another one, with a fighter escort, and right now, we're trying to prepare for a possible US invasion. So if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from my office, and quit making more chaos, we'll all feel a lot better in the morning." I looked up as another report was put on my desk, and started cursing, grabbing it. I stalked into an adjoining room, where various officers moved in controlled chaos. "Status report!"

"Major Merrick and her squadron ETA is in thirty minutes. The Third Fleet is engaged in battle with the US navy two hundred kilometers north of Midway. The troops from the Middle East are grounded in Japan, awaiting escort for the final flight. Troops from Sudan have been unable to take off, and troops in Somalia ETA in Tokyo in two hours."

"US millitary forces have been mustered, troops tried landing on the south shore fourty minutes ago, and failed to gain a foothold. Bombers are on radar, and are likely targeting the airstrip and research facility."

"Evacuations have been ordered for all surface levels, and the first three subterranean, including the research facility. Commander Chrighton's Farscape module and Officer Sun's Prowler have been taken into the hanger's lower level for protection."

"Thank you. Inform me when Major Merrick arrives, and of any other attempts to invade the island. And pray." I left the room, looking into the faces of my command staff. "I'll leave the fighting in your hands, ladies and gentlemen, I am no soldier, and I know when I can't do a damn thing to help. If I am needed, I'll be in my quarters, trying not to think about how many people are dying out there."

"Sir, if the worst happens?"

"Blow the island to kingdom come." I turned and walked out of the room, trying hard not to think of what I had just said. *I cannot let the technology of these people, or of Earth Core fall into the hands of nationalistic bullies.*

*And innocents are going to die as well, if you have to destroy it all.* My consience was sometimes my worst enemy, and my best friend, at the same time.

*And millions more innocents could die if I do not. It's a choice between the lesser of two evils.*

*Is it?*

Author's Note: Hoorah, chapter one done. I think this is going to end up either an epic or a series, if the muses don't shut up. Please, read and review. Hopefully I'll get the second chapter done before I get five reviews, but if not... well, I can be patient.