Title: Never Surrender
Chapter 2 – A New Course is Set

"Who the hell are you?" Chandler demands of the strange man cloaked in black, holding a semi-automatic weapon pointed at him and Burk; Slattery's frantic voice still trying to be heard on the other side of the crackling radio.

"Depends on what you want," Thorwald replies; two similarly armed men flanking him on either side, their guns trained and ready.

"What does that mean?" Burk questions firmly; his gun still raised.

"It means if you want to kill us then we'll be your executioners," Thorwald tosses back. "Maybe you're another Granderson stooge and we should just do us all a favor and rid ourselves of you. Or maybe you're her new second in command and should hold you both hostage until we get what we want."

"I don't know who you are but all I want right now is to get my crew and my ship and get out of here," Chandler answers certainly. "And what do you want?" Chandler asks he holds Thorwald's dark gaze. "So far our return has been mired in death and lies. Maybe you're part of that. I ask again. Who the hell are you?"

"My men and I represent the only semblance of law and order in this dismal part of the earth."

"Law and order?" Burk tosses back. "This place looks like something out of a horror movie and you all don't look that friendly."

"So you've been inside Olympia. Doesn't it give you a warm and fuzzy feeling to know that your tax dollars are paying to keep a murderer in office?" He retorts somewhat flippantly.

"I am not here to wage war with…"

"So you're just going turn tail and head back out to open seas and forget the rest of us poor vagrants here that actually do give a damn about the innocents being used to fuel the damn city!" Thorwald hisses as he inches closer toward Chandler, Burk's weapon countering his move; the other two men doing the same.

"Lower your weapon Lieutenant."

"But…" Burk tries to protest.

"I have a feeling if they wanted us dead, we'd already be dead," Chandler states as he looks at Thorwald in wonder. "I will tell you again that I need to get my crew and get back to my ship. That is my only agenda right now. They're under attack and need our help. What else do you know?" Chandler asks Thorwald directly.

"Granderson isn't who she claims and as long as you bend to her wishes and turn a blind eye to the real issue, you'll be just fine. The problem is, the bulk of us don't fall under her ideal criteria so now it's kill or be killed."

"Criteria?" Burk inquires.

"Survival of the fittest, and she has taken it upon herself to determine that. Some of the ones she's killed weren't even sick!" Thorwald's voice hisses angrily as his fists tighten; his words corroborating what Chandler has seen earlier inside the stadium. "She took my wife from me captain! I don't think you can appreciate that pain but this is all I have left and I will fight for it!"

"Actually I can sympathize, but right now we don't have time to sit and swap sad stories. I need to get to my ship. They're under attack and need your help. I saw part of Granderson's Master plan and trust me when I say I'm not a fan in any way nor will she have my or my crew's support. But they need to know we're okay and I need to get to my ship."

"You have people here?"

"Yeah at the lab," Burk pipes up. "With Granderson."

"And if our ship is under attack I can bet they're in danger also."

"Quite the predicament you've got for yourself captain."

"Feel like helping us storm Fort Knox?" Chandler retorts in sarcasm as Thorwald's lips gently twitch upward and his gun lowers all the way. "If I was on her side, our ship wouldn't be a worry right now would it? We'd be willingly complying to whatever madness she has going on and probably helping her hunt you down. But time is moving and standing here arguing over this is pointless. Will you help us or not?"

Thorwald simply nods and Chandler takes the chance in reaching for his radio to contact Slattery. At first the two men on either side of Thorwald flinch with their weapons but a small verbal hiss from their leader sends their weapons back down and allows Chandler to proceed.

"Nathan James this is Chandler. Are you there?"

"We're under attack!" Is all Slattery's voice shouts before the line cracks and then goes dead.

"Sir…"

"We have to go now!" Chandler growls directly at Thorwald. "Now…are you with us or not?"

XXXXXXXX

"INCOMING!"

With their helicopter out of commission due to a lack of gas they had only their weapons on the ship and those were only useful if the crew could get to them in a quick and timely manner and neutralize the incoming threats before they were rendered literally dead in the water.

"We need to take out those…WATCH OUT!" Slattery shouts as he pulls away from the radio and shields his eyes, just as the front windows around him shatter into a million little angry shards. His lips utter an angry growl as he reaches for the radio once more.

"Chandler…come in."

"Yeah, we're on our way right now to Green and Jeter. How many?"

"2 helo's in the air and…" Slattery's voice breaks as he directs Kara to tell Wilson and the others scrambling below to take out the threat in the air first. "Three boats in the water. Need help here!"

Slattery watches Kara disappear from view and then darts back up to look at the incoming threats. The initial shouting and chaos has given way to raw determination in taking back their ship and protecting their very future – at any cost.

Kara snakes her way through a darkened tunnel, her mind swirling with so many mixed emotions from the unborn child growing her belly, the fate of the man she loves, now stranded on the mainland and the vessel trying its best to protect them. Danny…her mind calls out just as the ship creaks and groans above her. Praying that everything holds together, Kara reaches an area with locked weapons and quickly opens the lock. Just as she pulls an automatic weapon, she hears angry footsteps rushing toward her and turns with her gun raised.

"Whoa! It's us! It's us!" Chung states in haste, his hands quickly lowering. She notices Rios in the back hurrying into the room that Meija had taken the very wounded Quincy Tophet only seconds earlier. But there was no time to worry about the fate of the dying doctor at the moment; their own futures were still in the balance.

"Come on," she tells them as she steps aside and lets them arm themselves; the lock being put back in place to keep Norris's men from getting any more unfair advantages and then rush toward the outside deck, ready to defend their home with their very last breath.

Slattery watches the first incoming helicopter fire back and grits his teeth as he watches another crew member of the Nathan James fall to their demise. He fires through the open window, hoping his bullets will meet targets with success. He fears all hope is lost until a shot from the below deck is fired, expertly taking out the pilot and sending the one warbird careering toward the water.

He knows who took the shot and would commend her later, right now the victory was only a quarter of the way over – the battle was still going strong and they weren't out of the woods yet. "Hurry up with that extra help Chandler," Slattery mutters as he fires off another shot and then moves to another area on the bridge deck. "Hurry!"

XXXXXXXX

As much as he hated to leave Burk with Thorwald and two of his men, it was a leap of faith he had to take; getting to Danny and Jeter before they set course for the Nathan James was his utmost priority as was his family now heading for the same pier as his crew members. Burk was going to storm a fortress but at least he had help from men who were as determined as they seemed to be. And he knows that Burk will put Alicia's and Dr. Scott's lives as top priority. In the end he'd step back and let Thorwald and Granderson duke it out, his mind having no interest in remaining behind and establishing a branch of government when their priority was to get Dr. Scott's vaccine mass produced and delivered to those in dire need.

"Hold up a sec," Chandler whispers as he stops just as the reach the entrance to the guarded marina. The area that had welcomed them earlier now sees itself the main host for an armed conflict between two opposing forces. He looks at Jeter and Danny trading shots with Norris's men and knew as soon as they saw the Nathan James under attack they would know they were all in danger. And they were. But Chandler doesn't even have time to curse much as the three men with him start to open fire; Danny and Jeter both looking up in surprise at who has now joined the party and was on their side.

Chandler's eyes look around for his father and children. Nothing. He can only hope they're hiding as he rushes toward the man flanking Danny and about to take him out. Neutralizing the small skirmish at the pier wasn't the big battle to free them and the Nathan James.

"What's going on?" Danny asks with a small huff as he hurries to Chandler's side.

"Have you seen my father and my two children?"

"No. Captain…"

"We're under attack. Slattery needs our help."

"There are no boats available. Someone's taken them all. Think Norris is behind this?" Danny inquires.

"I think he's a patsy as are the men with him."

"Where's Burk? And…not that I'm grateful but who are these guys? Friend's of Tex?" Danny retorts with a small smirk.

"Burk is storming the fortress with some new friends but they are on our side and right now that's good enough for me."

"We need to get to the Nathan James," Danny states somewhat in desperation as he turns and looks at the bright lights twinkling on the horizon as gunfire is traded on the Nathan James. He thinks of Kara under attack and his stomach tightens. "We need to get there now."

"Captain Chandler," one of Thorwald's men pipes up in haste as all faces turn and look at the stranger about to offer some helpful advice. "I can fly. If you want some extra support why not take out the other bird sir?"

"I'll go with him," Danny quickly volunteers, knowing that as anxious as he is to get aboard the Nathan James, Captain Slattery would also want someone he could trust without question.

"Go. We'll try to find a boat around here."

"I think I can help with that."

Chandler turns to see his father leave the shadows and hurry toward him – alone.

"Dad! Where are…." Chandler starts to ask about his kids in haste.

"They're back there and they're safe," Jed Chandler reassures his son in haste. "We were spotted once but we found a hiding spot and stayed there undetected until just now. What's the plan?"

"I need to get to the Nathan James but until it's safe you have to stay here with Sam and Ashley. There's too much live fire on the Nathan James right now to risk their lives. Did you see a boat?"

"I did. Come with me."

"I'll stay with them," Jeter volunteers as he pulls his gun and nods; Chandler at first hesitating and then quickly following.

"Okay," Chandler agrees as he hurries after his father, the two 'warlord' assistants on either side as the other had already gone with Danny. His mind tries to take into consideration all the situations in play right now, trying to come up with win/win scenarios for them all. Unfortunately as he hears the fighting in the distance on the decks of his ship, he knows that might be a pipe dream. Never surrender…was the motto he lived with all his life and he wasn't about to change that now.

"Where?" Chandler asks his father in haste.

"There," Jed nods with his head, gesturing to a locked boathouse in the near distance. "It's unlocked and ready for use."

"Good work dad," Chandler offers a tight lipped smile before his expression turns serious. "Take this radio and wait for my signal. Once it's all clear you'll come with Burk and the others and then we're getting the hell out of here," Chandler instructs his father under his breath before he turns and darts back toward his children hiding in the shadows with his CMC.

"I assume you have a plan?" Jeter inquires as he emerges with an anxious expression.

Chandler looks at his father and then at Jeter and nods. "I do."

XXXXXXXX

Slattery braces his hands against a bulkhead as the second flying helicopter takes aim and fires; ducking just as the front windows shatter, spraying him and the remaining deck crew with glass and bits of chewed up bulkhead.

"We need to get that second bird out of the air!" Slattery shouts as he stands up and fires off a few shots. But his attention is quickly diverted to the sound of gunfire on the other side of the bulkhead door; one of the bridge crew rushing to take out the incoming threat.

Slattery watches as the large metal door is forced open by two more of Norris's men; his brain urging his body to react and so it does. He pushes past the throbbing pain in his arm and charges, his weary frame slamming into one of the armed men just as he fires off a shot into the main bridge area of the Nathan James. The other man being attacked by two more of the Nathan James crew members.

"AHH!" Slattery's lips cry out as his bloody arm sustains another painful blow from his very determined attacker. Not wanting to purposely take another life, he tries to subdue his attacker by wrapping his arm around his neck and holding on. But the other man raises his weapon to try to take out another ensuing Nathan James officer but is pulled back and ends up firing on his own man; the man's body shielding Slattery's from the incoming bullets, seconds before he falls to the ground – dead.

Slattery pulls away from the somewhat charred wall and hurries back to the window and looks down to see how many of Norris's men were left on deck. But just as he's about to sound out another set of instructions, his eyes widen as he sees what appears to be another incoming threat – another lone helicopter heading toward them at top speed.

"Oh no," Slattery growls under his breath as he reaches for his radio to let everyone surviving Nathan James crew member that they had another incoming threat. But just before he can leave someone else in charge of the bridge and head down to help with the hand to hand combat, the helicopter in the distance fires a shot at the one that is currently attacking the Nathan James open deck.

"What the…" Slattery's voice dies out as he reaches for a pair of binoculars. Still too dark to see who was coming to their rescue but can only assume that since he put out the call for help to Chandler that his friend had found something they could use to even the odds with their enemies. However…if it was Chandler who was in the helicopter then whoever sent Norris after them would be alerted and the trouble might not be over yet.

Chandler and Jeter along with Thorwald's two other men near the side of the Nathan James and all duck just as the helicopter Danny's in fires at the last one of Granderson's still in the air fires off a shot that whizzes a few meters over their heads.

"Move!" Chandler shouts as the boat pulls up alongside the darkened metal hull of the Nathan James and then stops. He pulls himself up first, one of Thorwald's men coming up next; Jeter third, biting back the pain in his arm as he tells himself that it'll be all hands on deck to keep the ship and the cure from being surrendered into enemy hands.

As soon as Chandler reaches the top he bolts for the stairwell that would take him up to the bridge; Jeter already having his orders and directing the two men that had come with them. Just as Chandler enters the stairwell, a loud boom followed by a bright light and all look up to see the last attacking helicopter blown out of the water; bits of fiery debris raining down around all of them.

Chandler doesn't have time for the short lived celebration as he pushes himself into the stairwell and races up the stairs toward the bridge, reaching the top and his lungs feeling like they wanted to collapse.

"You started the party without me," Chandler blurts out, making Slattery turn to him, an instant expression of relief flooding his pained expression.

"Had a few crashers also," Slattery retorts as he nears Chandler and both of them trade worried glances. "Where are the others?"

"Burk's with Thorwald an…" Chandler starts but then stops as two strange faces emerge ahead of Jeter, forcing Slattery to raise his weapon, intending to fire. "Hold on Mike! They're with me," Chandler tells Slattery, making the XO look at his Captain in wonder.

"You had time to make friends?" Slattery tosses back in sarcasm as he lowers his weapon. "Where's Burk?"

"With our leader trying to save your people in the lab," one of them informs Slattery as they all hear the helicopter Danny's in nearing the outer deck to land.

"It's a long story I'll tell you later, but right now we need to help them," Chandler mutters under his breath as he reaches for his radio and hurries back toward the way he just came up.

"Captain!"

"I'm sending Danny back to help Burk!" Chandler calls out as the two Thorwald enforcers hurry after him, intending to stay with their leader and help establish a new system of law and order in the wake of Granderson's overthrow.

On the deck, Danny exits the helicopter and races toward the same stairwell entrance that Chandler had used earlier.

"Danny!"

But his attention is quickly diverted by a very familiar voice and he turns to see Kara rushing toward him. As he nears he spies the blood smear on her face and instantly his panic surges. "What happened…"

"I'm okay. What's going on out there?" She asks somewhat rhetorically, her mind briefly reveling in the warmth his solid frame is offering hers by their nearness.

"Hell is breaking loose, literally. But we have…"

"Greene!"

Danny and Kara quickly break apart just as Chandler emerges from the shadows, racing toward them.

"I need to send this bird back to the lab to offer Burk and Thorwald and the others some extra firepower."

"I'm on it," Danny nods firmly as he pulls away without hesitation and rushes after Thorwald's two men; the three of them getting into the helicopter; ready to take off.

"How many of Norris's men are left on board?"

"We don't know," Kara answers in truth.

"And Norris?"

"He's on the bridge. He's alive but…" Kara's voice dies out into a hoarse whisper.

"But what?"

"He hit Dr. Tophet. It was pretty bad. Rios is with him now but um…I don't know if he'll make it."

"Damn it. Okay, let's make sure our ship is really ours," Chandler tells her; watching Kara disappear back into the belly of the ship. Just before the helicopter is about to take off, Chandler radio's Danny and tells him they're taking Norris back with them; they can leave him with Thorwald's men for them to barter with Granderson. "Slattery, bring down Norris."

"On our way."

Chandler leaves the open deck pulls his radio. "Dad, it's me. The helicopter that's on it's way back right now has Danny inside it. I'm going to take a boat and come back…"

"Let me go sir," Wilson volunteers as Mason and Cruz stand beside him.

"Dad. Wilson is coming to get you all right now. Stay in the shadows but be ready. He'll come to the fish House."

"Copy that son."

Wilson and Cruz hurry toward the boat that Chandler and Jeter had arrived on; Mason hurrying up to the deck to monitor whatever communications he could. Chandler watches the boat disappear into the dark waters before he turns and heads back inside. He hears a few shots in the distance followed by shouting and then silence and knows that Norris's men won't win the battle; Tophet was now his primary destination. He pushes the door to the medical bay open and instantly his heart sinks as Kelly Tophet, Quincy's wife and their daughter Ava, both look up with teary expressions.

"How is he?" Chandler asks softly as he hears footsteps behind him.

"We um…don't know," she whispers as Slattery appears behind Chandler.

"He saved my life," Slattery states with a hint of admiration in his tone. They stand in silence a few moments longer, all watching Rios and his nursing assistants working furiously to save the medical scientists life. "What happened to you?" Slattery asks as he and Chandler step back into the hallway, each leaning against the side of the hallway looking at each other in concern.

"I could ask the same," he nods to the fresh blood stains on Slattery's forearm.

"Surrendering the ship wasn't an option. What'd you see over there?" Slattery inquires of Chandler as Chandler's radio cracks to life.

"Something out of a horror movie. Chandler. Go ahead."

"We're all on our way back," Danny's voice is heard clearly.

"Copy," Chandler answers before he looks back at Slattery in concern. "You need to get that looked at."

"Your head is still bleeding," Slattery retorts as Chandler's lips purse; Slattery smirking in triumph.

"Granderson isn't who we thought and now that she knows where we are and what we have we might not have a safe port to find anywhere in the US."

"What?"

"Trust me when I tell you that things are far worse than expected and basically what she told us about who's in charge and why is a lie. I'm starting to think the virus is no longer the only threat we have to deal with."

"Tom…"

"Everything's changed now," Chandler mutters as he rubs his weary face. "My dad and the kids are on their way here. Darien…she um…she didn't make it."

"Oh God…" Slattery huffs in a quiet tone as his brow droops. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah…me too. Almost seems surreal," Chandler admits with his own heavy sigh as he leans his head back against the metal wall and his eyes close. "This wasn't supposed to happen…none of this makes sense," he groans as he looks back up at Slattery. "I knew you'd never give up the ship."

"Never," Slattery whispers as they hear a soft creak and both of them look up to see Rios's head poke out and look at them. "How is he Doc?"

"It was touch and go. I got the bullet out and stopped the bleeding. I hope he pulls through but right now we just have to wait. He's still critical. So while we wait I'll work on patching everyone else up. Who's next?"

"You're up next," Chandler nods to Slattery; his turn to get the bullet out of his arm. "I'll get Jeter and check on the rest of the crew."

"Bring the kids to the bridge when they get here."

"We'll be there," Chandler replies firmly as he pulls away, telling Rios that since he's not shot or bleeding out, he'd put himself last; the welfare of his crew always coming first. He rounds up the crew, checking on who was still sanding and who had fallen. Then he heads back outside to the open deck, his ears hearing the boat nearing and then his eyes lifting to see one in the distance heading toward them.

"Dad!"

Chandler hurries toward his daughter, drops to his knees and gathers her up in his arms and holds her close. His son joins them next; his father, he thinks the last one up from the boat. But as he stands up with Ashely in his grasp, he watches as Dr. Scott emerges, followed by…Tex and then Alicia.

"Couldn't stay away," Tex tells Chandler with his trademark smirk as he nears and puts his hand on Chandler's shoulder and gives it a mighty squeeze.

"And we're glad he didn't stay away," Dr. Scott adds as she gives Chandler a warm hug and then offers friendly smiles to his children. "Danny told us about Quincy. I'll go and check on him."

"Okay," Chandler replies softly as she pulls away from them and heads into the belly of the ship; straight to medical bay.

"He showed up at just the right moment," Alicia tells Chandler about Tex and then Danny in the helicopter. "I thought for sure we're all going to be prisoners. Tex turned the tables and Burk and some other guys with him helped even the odds and Danny provided us with our way out."

"Where are Burk and Danny?"

"They're coming and both are okay. We had help but…but who were they captain?"

"They have something to talk to your mother about. Alicia…"

"About my mother. I guess don't know who she is Sir," Alicia tells Chandler with a sour tone; the boat with Danny and Burk nearing the ship. "I guess I'm an orphan now."

"You have lots of family here," Jed Chandler states in a low tone. "This is all our family now."

"Come on, we need to leave here."

Danny and Burk climb on board, a freshly patched up Slattery watching from the bridge deck and then ordering the Nathan James back out to open sea. Chandler heads back up to the deck of the bridge; his family in tow. Dr. Scott was at Quincy's bedside along with Kelly and Ava. Danny and Kara were enjoying a rather private reunion. Jeter was on the mend and tending to the morale and the rest of the needs of the crew, while Chandler stands at Slattery's side as they maneuver the Nathan James away from the eastern seaboard.

"I know we can't go too far," Chandler tells Slattery in a quiet tone as Slattery looks over in concern. "There are still family members out there that you and the crew need to find or hear from. We just need to find another safe haven to do that from."

"I wonder if that's even possible," Slattery replies with a heavy sigh. "Or if it is, what we'll find."

"It's a whole new world now," Chandler admits as he looks over at his children as Kara kneels down beside them both; Alicia at her side and Danny heading toward them, with Jeter in tow.

"And this ship could be the only home for all of us from now on in."

Chandler turns and looks at his children with a heavy frown; his father with Sam on his lap and Ashely still talking to the his two female crew members. He looks back at Slattery with a look of torment in his warm blue eyes. "She's gone," he whispers with a tight jaw as Slattery's tightens at the sight of his friend trying to hold back his pain.

"But at least they're not alone. And neither are you."

Chandler nods and offers a whispered thank you just as Jeter joins them. He gives the order for them to head south; their mission to find a port, fuel up and then make a new plan for their future. Right now it was just them; but in their minds as long as they stayed together and didn't give up or give in, as long as they didn't surrender their ship, the cure or their integrity they just might survive the ensuing storm.

THE END!

A/N: I hope you all liked this little speculative ficlet and this ending. It has such a great eppy with an evil cliffy hehe The final eppy had quite a few situations and scenarios but I wanted to focus on Chandler and Slattery's escape from their ordeals and then be reunited. Thank you all for reading and please do review before you go and thanks! And I hope those of you who fave'd/followed but haven't reviewed yet will do me the courtesy of reviewing as a thanks for my time and if you enjoyed.