Disclaimer: I write for fun, no copyright infringement intended.

A/N: The prompt for this story came from niccunningham. It is not related to my previous Terra Nova stories. I've written new back stories for the main characters (at least different from the ones I've used before).

Dawn of a New World

Chapter One

He stood on the balcony, taking a moment to breathe as the sun rose; dawn was breaking but Commander Taylor had yet to sleep. In the aftermath of their return there was a great deal to do, the colony was beginning to rebuild, they were assessing their resources as patrols shadowed the Phoenix moving North.

Guzman was leading that, and without Wash it meant he was truly on his own here, he had Shannon, but the man was a cop; he only followed orders when it suited him. But he could think on his feet and so he'd been assigned to oversee the reconstruction details. Reilly was heading the work on the fence and overseeing the teams replacing their perimeter mines; thankfully the Phoenix hadn't found all of their supplies.

Their resources had taken a hit along with the rest of the colony, but they had some weapons, and most of their science equipment. Terra Nova would survive, with the price twenty-seven soldiers, his second included, had paid it had to. The Phoenix and the Sixers would not strip mine this place to line their pockets; civilization started fresh here or they died trying.

He was trying hard not to think about Wash, the knot it but in his gut was almost paralyzing and he had nowhere to turn; no one here knew just what she had been to him. Far more than a second or a comrade, his son had finally crossed the line; Lucas would die for what he had done. He would perish along with the soldiers who came to destroy this place, the first war for Terra Nova was far from over; and he didn't intend to lose.

Nathaniel Taylor pushed upright and turned back to his office, he needed to look at the construction plan for incorporating the power grid into the fence; they could not share any of the resources that they had worked so hard to develop. The Phoenix came here for war, a short-term project before they went home rich; they didn't have the supplies to sustain themselves here and they wouldn't be tapping into Terra Nova's.

...

The Commander sat at his desk, he looked exhausted and while Elisabeth wanted her news to lift his spirits, she feared it would only anger him more. They had arrived home yesterday, she had returned to the infirmary this morning and been hit with request after request; only this afternoon Nurse Ogawa had stopped her. Leading her to the back corner of the ward Elisabeth had stared for a moment, confused at the significance of the woman in the bed; the infirmary was busting at the seams with the ill and injured.

It was only as she realized the significance of the bruises and swelling that disfigured her face; the injuries were concentrated to her head. As Elisabeth gently brushed long dark hair back, she knew, she swallowed hard; relief and horror racing through her. Alicia Washington was alive, barely recognizable, but alive and breathing on her own.

"Does Commander Taylor know?" She demanded as she pulled up the diagnostic screen and patient data on the bed; wishing she had been told immediately.

"I don't think so." Nurse Ogawa responded quietly. "It has been so busy today. She was brought here the morning after your family escaped, she had been left for dead, but a civilian brought her in. I put her back here and put another name on her record. She hasn't regained consciousness yet, but she is responsive to pain."

"I am just glad she is alive." If she was responsive then there were things that could be done, the fact she was breathing on her own and had been for days now was a very good sign. A coma was sometimes the body's way of protecting itself, of taking time to heal; Lieutenant Washington had a lot of healing to do.

Elisabeth had run her own diagnostic and changed the IV before heading for the Command Center. Commander Taylor needed to know, he should have known as soon as they got back, but Nurse Ogawa had been smart not to let too many know that she was alive. Lucas Taylor or the Phoenix might have decided to finish her before leaving the colony had they realized, but the infirmary was so full they hadn't even known she was there.

Knocking softly before entering Elisabeth chose her words carefully; she had seen how this man grieved his friend. "There has been a development in the infirmary."

"Dr. Shannon if you need more resources, you'll have them; at least as much as we have." The man sighed, barely looking up; Elisabeth smiled sadly. He was a firm man, but he was easy to respect as a leader; and he had always prioritized the healthcare of Terra Novans.

"It isn't about resources, it is something you should see for yourself…" She started, trying to pique his curiosity enough to get him moving; it would be far better for him to see her with his own eyes than to be told. But Mark stepped in and nodded to her as he stepped around awkwardly.

"Sir, Guzman is on the radio; an urgent report." Maddie's boyfriend spoke quickly, hands clasped behind his back; focused on his task.

The Commander reached for the crackling radio on the desk and adjusted the dial, the radio had a longer range than the comms, and spoke into it. A moment later the static flowed back along with a man's voice. 'Phoenix convoy is under attack; they've lost two rhino's now. Slashers…"

It cut out and Elisabeth glanced between the two soldiers, Taylor spoke again. "Say again about Slashers Guz."

'At least six, harassing the back of the convoy, they're in dense jungle; can't get speed to avoid them.' The man repeated his message and Taylor nodded, not looking too concerned about it. The radio transmission continued with a few more details before cutting out.

"Never thought I'd be grateful for Slashers." He muttered, dismissing Mark Reynolds with a nod as he rose and marked the location on a map. "They're taking their time."

His fingers traced the map and Elisabeth drew closer; she knew the man had a lot on his mind right now. But she would add one more thing. "Sir, I do need you to come to the infirmary."

"Alright Doc." The man sighed.

Elisabeth led him back to the infirmary and through the ward to the bed in the very back corner. The man frowned at her as he looked at the woman in the bed, she saw the moment he realized it was Lieutenant Washington.

"She is alive?" His question was soft even as his fingers curled around her wrist; a method he had likely used too many times before.

"She is. The only explanation I can give is that Lucas' weapon must have malfunctioned." Elisabeth answered slowly.

"A direct hit, at point blank range should have killed her." The man murmured softly, his thumb traced the stitches in her scalp. "The recoil pulled the shot up, but still…"

"You think anyone trusts that lunatic with a fully functioning weapon?" Several beds over a voice boomed, an enemy soldier who had also been unconscious added, he was now awake, and the guards moved to silence him. "That weapon is capped. The man goes into a fit whenever he doesn't get his own way..."

Commander Taylor signaled to the soldiers who shut the man up, but he was silent for a moment, giving the man an ice blue stare. "He is well enough to talk, he is well enough to move to the brig."

The soldiers nodded, hauling him up between them; Elisabeth didn't protest. She would insist upon checking him over later but for now she thought it best not to argue with the Commander. The man did not go quietly. "Lucas Taylor only thinks he's running things. Who do you think has the money to fund this operation? Why do you think we came here?"

"He's not wrong." The commander murmured quietly. "There was no blood, an old-fashioned bullet would have blown through her skull, and I've only ever seen Lucas with a sonic, he's had minimal weapons training; he wouldn't know if it was capped anymore than he knows how to hold his aim."

Elisabeth waited, she had been expecting more of a reaction, but he gave very little. His comm chattered and the man pulled it out, setting it aside as he stared; focused on the woman in the bed. He didn't move away from her; his fingers carefully explored the stitches now; eyes assessing the damage in detail. The whole of her face was black and blue, but the worst of the swelling was to the upper right side of her head; around the area where her scalp had split.

Moving closer Elisabeth tapped the diagnostic screen. "Her scalp lacerated from the back, the swelling makes it look worse. We won't know the exact extent of the damage until she wakes up, but this is not her first traumatic injury."

He almost snorted as Elisabeth pulled up her record, it was her turn to cough softly; she had expected there to be a list. She hadn't expected it to be quite that long; there were very few details.

"She was spec ops Doc, if you need details, you'll need my code." The man muttered as her eyes scanned the list dating back to 2129. "What's she feeling?"

Lieutenant Alicia Washington was only thirty-seven years old; her medical log might have more entries than the number of years she had been alive. There were a few concussions listed and that was worrying, but little more than a decade ago she had sustained a serious injury; there had been spinal interaction then as well.

"An old bullet rips through whatever it hits, that creates the damage. A sonic hit short circuits the body, it effects all systems; we can assume she will be feel the full effect of it. Her memories will be jumbled, she may have joint stiffness and pain; the rest we will know when she wakes." He knew what that meant, she was sure the Lieutenant knew as well.

"I've never been on the receiving end of a head shot but coming around from a body hit hurts like hell." The man murmured, watching as she began a battery of tests; ideally these would have happened earlier.

But they had wanted little attention drawn to this bed, and the procedures were not within the nurses' scope of practice. Elisabeth's practice came from where she had worked before stepping through the portal; people turned weapons on each other all to often in the world they'd left behind.

"When will she wake up?"

"Scans are not abnormal; well considering." She switched screens, she didn't bother explaining for the Commander; he would rather have answers. "I cannot guarantee when she will wake, but we will help her as much as we can."

"You do that doc, and I want to know as soon she wakes up." The man paused, his hand touching Washington's arm again. "I will be back."

…

He left the infirmary quickly, slipping around the side of the building; his throat closing. He had barely recognized her, he'd seen Wash in just about every situation imaginable; but she looked just about as close to death as he'd seen her. He had seen the shot she took, he'd seen her hurt far too many times.

"Sir." The young soldier seemed hesitant to disturb his thoughts, holding out his com. "You are wanted on the north side, Mr. Shannon wants to discuss something."

He nodded, the job did not stop, and he sighed. Dr. Shannon had expected him to be relieved that Wash was alive, because she was his friend and his comrade; but the woman had no idea. With him and Wash there was what the colonists believed, what they saw on a daily basis and what went on behind closed doors; Alicia Washington was not just his second in command.

Silently he turned and headed towards the north sector, forcing his attention on the colony and on the work that he and Wash had poured their lives into. He joined Shannon in the rubble of the fence and what had once been the new construction; homes intended for the pilgrimage that had changed everything.

The buildings were destroyed now and given the Phoenix had arrived Terra Nova would be accepting no more colonists. The portal had been destroyed on both ends, and they would figure out exactly what that meant; but it had bought them time and sent their enemies running to the Badlands.

"This area borders the agricultural sector. Commander these places are destroyed, we could mine out the rubble and repurpose the area as we repair the fence." Shannon explained as they walked.

Nathaniel listened, he didn't say anything as the man's comments shifted to the extent of the damage. It was not new to him, he'd seen the devastation of war before; he had hoped not to see it here. But as he looked at it, he understood why Wash had surrendered, she would have seen exactly what he did; with this much damage it would have been suicide to try and hold off. Not without support, and he'd had a good part of the unit she trained in the jungle. And the loss of life would have ate at Wash, she had trained every single one of those kids when they came through the portal; for survival and for the security force.

It ate at him, they had lost many in this battle and it was only the first; the war was far from over. A great deal would hinge on what happened in the next few rounds, but he did not intend to lose this war. The land could be cleared, and once the fence was rebuilt it would be repurposed, Shannon was right; the expansion of their colony would slow dramatically now.

"We've cleared the land beyond the fence, but the jungle grows fast; where else is there holes in the fence?"

"The gate sustained heavy damage; it needs to be a priority, there is damage here, but it is from the structures being bombed." Shannon explained, knowing he had seen the damage as they returned.

"Keep your crews together and stay sharp; my men will do the same."

He headed back to the command center, he wanted to go back to the infirmary, but he needed to review the security tasks; he wanted the northern perimeter mines up and running as soon as possible. The fence was damaged on that side and the Badlands, their enemy's presumed destination lay to the north as well.

And they were spread out, there were extra guards on the towers, the team out with Guzman and the teams working OTG to re-establish their perimeter. When he finally did make it back to the infirmary shift had changed and word was spreading; he could feel eyes on his back as he moved to her bed.

There was no change, her eyes didn't open, and her body didn't react; she had no idea he was there. Dr. Shannon came by, urging him to try talking to her, reassuring him that it might take time for her to wake; but he knew the reality was the longer it too the greater the probability was that she would not wake.

Late that night he did go home, stepping into his unit for the first time since he'd left to meet the tenth. The place had been destroyed, likely searched by the Phoenix and the Sixers, cold fury slid through his veins as he went back to the bedroom and opened the bottom cupboard of the nightstand.

It had been upended and the loose contents strewn across the floor; and the wood scorched. But the safe within was still sealed, and that was satisfying. The few important keepsakes he had were in there, the rest were just things and they could be repaired or replaced. Even as exhaustion threatened to overtake him Nathaniel set about putting things back together.

Righting the bed and then the night stands on either side and sorting out the things that belonged in each; at least the things that could be kept. A framed photo of Ayani and Lucas, taken when his son was still a small boy went on his, the lamp was broken and so was the plex but he found the tattered paperback book that belonged on the other under a pile of things pulled from the closet.

Who ever had searched this place would have clued in to his private life, it wasn't a hard connection to make; but it wasn't likely they could have learned the extent of the situation. He spent several hours putting things back together before he slipped out the back door into the small fenced garden, and across to the unit next door; punching in the code reflexively. The units were close, and the shared yard fenced in, a fact few would realize about Wash was she loved this space and had personalized it as soon as the units were theirs. And things did grow quickly here, in the years they had been here the trees and bushes she had transplanted in their first year had blossomed and grown; making their space quite private. Which in turn simplified their lives, the units were among the first built when the area they had cleared was much smaller; at least that was the reason they had given for constructing the two units so close together.

Her unit had been tossed as well, he moved through to the workout room, few would know Alicia Washington was more than a skilled soldier; she was a carpenter of sorts. While he had followed a long line of his family members into the military Wash had bucked tradition and followed a less respected route; at least in the eyes of her family. She had been raised in a commune of sorts, but rather than join the community Alicia Washington had rebelled and joined up.

Years later he had learned that she was far from the first, and her reasons had been much greater than simple rebellion; she had been living out her older brother's dream. But Alexander Washington had not had the courage to buck tradition, and instead had joined the community and vowed a life of peace; and lost his will to live. When illness swept through the commune he had died with many others, leaving his young sister by his bedside; committed to changing the toxic world that had claimed him.

The unit was a standard three bedroom, built to the specifications decided in the future, one bedroom served as that, though it was rarely used, the wall between the other two had been knocked out to create a large workout area. In the room that served as a workout space he went to the closet, but rather than grab onto the door knob he ran his fingers along the frame; looking for the latch.

He had watched her build this and watched her stow her gear here shortly after she finished. The dead space had been created by blocking off the closet in the second room and adjoining the two; he pulled out the partition and then opened the door and stepped in. Nearly sighing in relief; they hadn't found her stash.

Wash broke the mold, raised by people who believed in peace, she loved a fight; beating the odds. He'd thrown her in the bull pen to toughen her up as a rookie, but Alicia Washington had loved it there. They'd risked their lives in spec ops but after the water wars nearly sixty years ago emphasized the need for skilled soldiers the pay grades had changed; it was also the last time that a member of Wash's family served in the military.

She collected weapons, some were old and others modern; but more importantly were her old journals stacked on a shelf. Information was key now, and in her slanted hand writing Wash had recorded her first impressions of this world from the day she arrived forward; there would be one in her nightstand now. And the Phoenix had none of it.

He took a stack of them and closed the partition, turning his attention to putting the place back together. Most of the furniture Wash had made herself, various colonists had pieces in their homes as well; not that they knew who had made them. But it made seeing the damage worse, how many evenings had he spent sitting in the back garden watching her work; usually talking shop.

Finally, he did drop into bed, and didn't wake until his comm crackled just before dawn. He could do with a couple more hours down, but he fumbled for the comm. "Taylor. Go."

"Lieutenant Washington is awake." Jim Shannon sounded as groggy, but the man's words got him moving. "Elisabeth is heading over to the infirmary now."

"Ten-four." The night shift must have called for the doctor, that could be bad; either way he was going to see her. He dressed quickly and stuffed his feet into his boots.

The doctor beat him to the infirmary, curtains had been drawn around the bed at the back and he could hear her voice; trying to soothe Wash. He slipped into the little cubicle and nearly snarled. Dr. Shannon had a hand on Wash's shoulder as the woman strained against the straps around her wrists.

Wash was terrified, and Elisabeth Shannon had no idea how dangerous that was. Brown eyes wide with panic, she fought the doctor and he realized Wash didn't recognize her and as he moved closer, laying his forearm across her chest; she didn't know him.

"Wash, calm down." He spoke firmly, the doctor had soft and gentle covered; but Wash froze. "You're alright, lay still for us."

She complied, eyes still wide and body tense; Dr. Shannon looked at him. "She recognized your voice, keep talking to her."

"You can't keep her restrained." He murmured, the doctor had shifted, pulling up the diagnostic screen; Dr. Shannon didn't know her past.

She would fight, and she had reason, Alicia Washington had been a prisoner captured when a psych-ops unit rolled a hallucinogen through their camp; the unit had gotten her back. But they had had messed with her head, and waking up tied to a bed, confused and sore; it would remind her of the past.

"Take it easy Wash, let the doctor patch you up." He spoke firmly, she'd been shot before and he'd been by her bed before; but this morning he hid his own fears. "You did a good job of racking yourself up this time."

"Do you where you are?" Dr. Shannon asked quietly.

She didn't answer but jerked against the binding roughly, the straps were soft but she was abrading her wrists. Nathaniel slipped the straps on her wrists, in an instant Wash was sitting up. For a split second his chest tightened with hope, she wanted to fight; but immediately pressed her palms to her forehead.

"Easy lieutenant." He murmured, moving closer and letting her lean against his chest. The doctor tried to get her to lay back and he caught Wash's wrist before she could lash out; wrapping an arm around her.

…

She couldn't help the bile that rose in her throat, Elisabeth Shannon had seen a lot of things in her career but watching Lieutenant Washington lean into the Commander's arms with eyes full of fear she felt sick. It had been her family's freedom, her husband's life that had put Washington here.

"This will just help you relax." They had made a mistake in restraining her, she had seen it in Commander Taylor's face, but the night shift had been afraid she would hurt herself. "I need to run some tests."

Lieutenant Washington flinched when the injector touched her skin and looked to the Commander; she was grateful he was here. His voice calmed the woman, and she had known the two had served together a long time; but it made her worry.

Washington did relax and gently the Commander laid her back, when the woman tensed his hand slid into hers; Elisabeth focused on the diagnostic screen. When she moved, gently bending the woman's limbs, her face revealed plenty; there was discomfort with movement.

As dawn broke, she finished the diagnostics, it could have been much worse, but Lieutenant Washington had a long recovery ahead of her. All the side effects of a sonic hit, joint pain, nausea but there were more than physical consequences.

A brief interview gave her a little more insight, the woman was confused, she knew about Terra Nova but wasn't clear that it was her home. The Commander helped her fill in more than a few details when the woman's responses did not make sense, Lieutenant Washington had no memory of the occupation, her memories of the past eight years of her life were mixed with older missions and assignments. Focusing for more than a few moments left the soldier frustrated and upset, it took both her and the Commander to calm the Lieutenant.

"What are you thinking doc?" The man followed her back to the desk.

"She needs to rest." Elisabeth murmured, updating the chart and making additional notes; she did not want the woman upset by strangers poking their heads in and doing checks. She would monitor her for the day and assign one person for tonight. "As she recovers, we will know more, I believe as soon as we know that she is stable being in her own home will help."

The Commander nodded and left, she knew he would be working with her husband again today; she could hear the colony being rebuilt. At lunch she slipped in, watching the woman pick at the food provided, not seeming surprised by the options of fruit and vegetables but tense; silently watching right back.

Elisabeth moved to sit on the edge of the bed, she struggled for the right words. Alicia Washington had been willing to sacrifice her life for her family, she had made the choice, but it was likely she would never remember. Was it right to tell her?

She saw fatigue in the woman's features, fighting to sit up now; gently she touched the woman's shoulder. "Lay back now. Lieutenant you need to rest."

"What aren't you saying?" The woman eyed her silently; body tense. "What is wrong with me?"

"You've taken a head shot from a sonic. I know things aren't making much sense right now but in time they will." She deserved those answers, the first questions she had asked since waking; but there was so much more.

"I should be dead then." The woman frowned, shifting to look at her hands folded on the bed sheets.

"I am very glad that you are not." Elisabeth dropped onto the edge of the bed; taking her hands. "You saved my family and you helped save the colony. Listen, you are second in command of the colony and you are important to all of us. I know things are jumbled right now but you know that the side effects will pass, and we will help you put things back together. We know what has happened recently and Commander Taylor knows your past."

The information seemed to settle her, and Lieutenant Washington lay back; Elisabeth watched until she drifted back to sleep. Over the next few days short conversations provided insight into the woman's mind, but it was the Commander who understood and was able to sort out what she was saying. Elisabeth spent most of the time listening and watching vital responses, focusing was still a struggle and now that they were getting her up and around, they knew she still had some numbness and weakness in her limbs.

The soldier struggled to remember the months leading up to the tenth pilgrimage, it was the Commander who was able to settle her as soldiers and civilians volunteered to try and help fill in what they could. Elisabeth quietly discouraged them, the woman became frustrated when she could not put things together, and her strength was returning; she suspected it was time to let her go home.

...

A/N: Hang in with me, I refuse to write a story where Lucas succeeds in killing Lt. Washington, this will get interesting (I hope), and it goes in a different direction than some of my other projects.