"-interview"

"Well, he's quite clever, would have to be to survive Torchwood 3."

"Harkness doesn't like them dumb."

"Picky is he? That's not what I hear –"

"Listen to me. Jack Harkness is a lot of things to a lot of people but what you need to remember at all times is that he is extremely dangerous and worthy of respect. He kept Torchwood 3 up and running for decades. He has saved the world, literally saved it, more times than I care to count."

"Right, but …are the rumors true?"

"Which ones?" Ianto muttered.

"Oh shit he's awake."

"Go tell Brentwood."

Ianto sat up, opened his eyes, winced and tried to figure out where he was. It looked like a warehouse and he seemed to be lying on a cot complete with itchy wool military surplus blanket. The last he recalled was catching his flight after leaving Jack. The people around him had British accents and moved like trained military.

"Mr. Jones?" He recognized the voice, it was the one that had defended Jack. He squinted at the owner, a woman, mid-thirties, black, green eyes, she moved with a physicality that he was familiar with. Combat experienced.

"My name is Jade Mr. Jones, I have some tablets here for the headache and water."

He nodded and accepted them. The pills were stamped with a name brand painkiller's logo but it could be retcon. He didn't care he downed three and a glass of water.

"Where are we? Oh never mind you can't tell me, assuming you know."

"Sorry sir." She said and shrugged one shoulder.

"What did they tell you about me?" He asked.

"You were Torchwood 3. Stood up against the 456. Involved with the infamous Captain Jack Harkness. Disappeared during the Miracle, well during the 456 incident anyway. Showed up a few months ago."

"And you?"

"I'm just a soldier sir." She said and had the grace to blush at the lie. She was certainly a soldier. She moved like one, looked strong and healthy, her skin glowed with good health, her hair was cropped nearly skin tight and suited her. She had high cheekbones that accented her unusual eyes and she seemed smart. But there was more to her.

"New Torchwood?" He asked.

She looked surprised.

"Well, really who else would it be? You should quit while you're still alive Jade." He suggested tiredly.

"I've nowhere to go Sir. Besides, here I might do some good."

He felt an echo of her optimism and sense of duty. Something similar had driven him to join. A drifter finally finding a purpose.

"Married? Want kids?"

"No and never have."

"Well, there's that at least. Did they give you the statistics?" He asked. She helped him sit up.

"Sir?"

"How many long term Torchwood members survive to retire?"

"No sir."

"Ah well there it is." He sighed stretched and spoke again. "At the time Torchwood 3 fell historically of personnel that served for four years or longer 90% would fail to reach retirement. Roughly 5% were medically retired due to job-sustained injuries that prevented their continued participation." He watched her face as he spoke. "Torchwood 3 suffered a full loss of personnel in 1999 during the millennium celebration, since then the team was rebuilt to a strength of six, including Jack. As of now the survivors of Torchwood 3 number 3 people, including Jack."

She looked angry now. "What's your point sir?"

"Only that if you have any sense you will run screaming."

"And you sir?"

"It's too late for me Jade. Is that your real name?"

"No sir, nickname, Dr. Brentwood assigns us operational names when we're routed in, everyone already called me Jade so it made sense."

"Good. Keep yourself to yourself. It will hurt less." He rose and stretched feeling his muscles and joints pop and settle, finding a few bruises.

"What will sir?"

"Surviving Torchwood." He sighed.

"You're just trying to scare me sir. I've read your file. I know you –"

"No Jade, you know my file. You know that I'm involved with the enigmatic Jack Harkness. That I'm a survivor of Torchwood 3. That's all, because anything else is beyond your clearance."

"You found Jack through Torchwood sir, by all accounts you're truly in love, wasn't that worth it?"

He saw hope in her eyes and erred on the side of mercy.

"Maybe."

"I've orders to take you to Dr. Brentwood sir." He let her lead the way observing everything he could as they walked. This looked like an interim location. A place to unload and inspect goods and materials, maybe repackage them for the next leg of their journey. It looks like it might be part of a training depot as well, he saw nervous personnel being drilled by older members or at least ones that moved with confidence.

"Like the view sir?" Jade asked.

"Busy. Who is Brentwood?"

Jade didn't reply right away, probably thinking through the risk of answering, "She seems to know you. Said you met briefly, something about an alien attack and collateral damage."

He laughed realizing who his kidnapper must be. Jade looked thoughtful at his reaction. "Yes, I was the collateral damage." He admitted. Jade didn't reply, simply lead him further into the depths of the facility.

Brentwood greeted them from the heart of some kind of command center. She was, as he had suspected, the commanding brunette that had lead the attack that nearly killed him. The room looked like something dreamed up by someone that had fallen in love with movie versions of NASA's Mission Control.

Two rows of monitors with studious looking personnel monitoring them, Brentwood with a larger console and two runners at hand oversaw them. Others came and went speaking with operatives or dropping off paperwork. It all looked very busy indeed but wasn't sure just how much work was actually being accomplished.

"You're here as a guest Mr. Jones."

"Oh please, call me Ianto. I insist all of my polite jailers do so." He grinned and felt the pressure of his unknown purpose rise in his chest, it was soon or near or…

"Mr. Jones I want to work with you. You're needed here. Torchwood is being rebuilt with a greater purpose."

"Defending Earth wasn't enough?" He snorted.

"The best defense is a strong offense Mr. Jones."

He swallowed and heard a click in his throat, felt the purpose grow teeth. "An offense?" He managed to ask calmly.

"Surely you've worked out that our frontline troops vastly outnumber our traditional need." She said pointedly. The console in front of her rippled and revealed troop numbers. He swallowed again.

"You're going to start a war? With an alien force?" He asked carefully, hoping against reason he had misunderstood.

"Yes."

"You're insane, have you thought this through at all? For decades Torchwood has been on the defense and barely managed to keep humanity alive and the Earth spinning. If you go on the attack then every neutral or friendly species and organization out there is going to reconsider their stance toward Earth and Torchwood. If you start a war you'll only make new enemies." He snapped.

The purpose was roaring now, screaming at him, this was it, this was what he had to handle, to fix, to stop or help… intergalactic war started by Torchwood. As he studied her face he knew he had just shifted from 'guest' to outright prisoner. If she didn't have him executed by the end of the day he was going to spend the rest of his life in chains somewhere.

"We have considered that risk." She said mildly.

"Oh have you? What about UNIT? Do they agree with this lunacy? Or the infamous Doctor? What about your own conscience? You're going to slaughter sentient beings doctor Brentwood."

"I'm not that kind of Doctor Mr. Jones and as for UNIT? They are not involved."

"You're going to start a war, an intergalactic war, with an alien species or alliance, and you aren't…this is insane. Do you hear yourself?"

"Mr. Jones, Torchwood has always made the hard decisions when others balked. The destruction of the Sycorax, the stand against the 456 when even UNIT had kneeled and agreed to capitulate – Torchwood."

"Don't you dare, this is not a last stand against a vicious species determined to kidnap our children! This is an act of aggression that will result in the destruction of our species if not the planet itself. We have no defenses –"

"Oh, but we do Mr. Jones." She smiled and gestured at the operative to her right. The young man leaned forward and typed a few commands into the terminal in front of him. Her oversized console lit up and displayed an image of the Solar system. As Ianto watched a series of satellites lit up and sync up a wavery net around earth.

"Oh very good a fence. Fantastic. I feel so much better now." He hissed.

"We have considered every path forward Mr. Jones and decided upon this one. We do not act in a vacuum we consulted certain resources that were able to improve our odds."

"Future, fate, a time traveler?" He scoffed.

"Something like that. The point is this plan is going forward. You can help us –"

"Or you can find me a nice comfortable shallow grave?" He snapped.

"Don't be silly, no, you'll simply spend the duration of the war in comfortable seclusion, unless of course you come to your senses." She gestured for Jade to come forward and take custody of him.

"Prove it." He challenged.

"Excuse me?"

"Prove you've done your homework, that this is the only choice. Prove it and I'll help."

She looked thoughtful and let out a low hmmm of amusement. "You are a surprising man Mr. Jones, no wonder he holds you in such regard. Very well, Jade please escort Mr. Jones to the secured guest quarters. I will prepare a presentation for you for later this evening. You should rest, get something to eat."

"I don't suppose you would spring for a phone call?" He asked trying to keep his calm, trying not to jump the console and throttle her, to run for the nearest exit to simply scream.

"Would you like to call Jack? Please do, we've been attempting to reach him for quite some time now. Every point of contact we have is silent."

"Ma'am?" Jade asked.

"Provide him with a secured mobile as well."

"Yes Ma'am." Jade said and saluted. Ianto followed her out head spinning and mind racing. The pressure was raw and huge in his chest he had found its source.

"She's not a monster." Jade said after they had walked for a few minutes in silence. She lead them down a half dozen flights of stairs and out onto a level that was subterranean and appeared to be little more than dozens of cramped quarters. As they walked the frequency of doors dropped. Probably indicating larger living spaces.

"Says you." Ianto sighed.

"I know it sounds bad –"

"Pre-emptive strike to drive an enemy away, to exploit a perceived weakness? You know what famously failed at that? The Japanese Imperial military in world war two. Little event called Pearl Harbor."

"This isn't the same –"

"I hope you're right Jade. If I'm right and she's wrong you can forget about leaving Torchwood to have a life, we'll all be on borrowed time at best."

A/N

Right then, back to work (literally). I need to brain out a couple things for the next bits anyway. Please R & R (will likely help with the braining). Will update as soon as practical. Thanks for reading!